Forbidden

This book was amazing!! I could not put it down!! It combines sorcery, love, betrayal, hope, and determination The story mainly sets around Kate and Bregovi. Kate is running away from her uncle, who wants to use her Gifts to control the world. He gives her to Sylvan, a member of the order who binds her as a genie in order to control her powers so he can reclaim his kingdom from Zee. While Sylvan appears to be evil, he really has alterior motives and believes Kate is the one who will help him reclaim his kingdom based on a prophecy. Kate escapes them to her cousin Victoria, and they travel with Rachel, the princess of Florian. Along the way they run into "bandits" and the leader wants a kiss for safe passage. After much deliberation, Kate is sent out for the kiss, which turns into a fight scene with Bregovi, who is actually the prince. Kate is not happy when she finds out. Kate and Bregovi go through many trials together, since they both want each other and quickly fall in love, but Kate's secrets hinder their relationship as do the other women competing for Bregovi. We also see a little bit of a side story with Rachel and Sebastian, who have there own trials to overcome before declaring their love for each other. When Bregovi finds out about Kate's Gifts, he does not judge her, for her also unknowingly has Gifts of his own. They are able to defeat Kate's uncle and Sylvan. Through their love, they break the bond that Sylvan has over Kate. They marry and will hopefully continue their adventures. Sylvan on the other hand, still has to find a powerful sorceress to help him with his quest and will need to find her in Florian. I cannot wait for the next book to come out to continue with the adventures of all these characters!!

Delightful! Wonderful characters, great world description. Everything one needs for a summer read. Am looking forward to the next one - hopefully there will be a series.

was a great fun read, I liked the back and forth between kate and bregovi, their introduction was really fun and flirty a very enjoyable read. Im interested in learning more about Sylvan, I am a sucker for a dark bad character with a softness inside. I want to know more about him and his background and about this portal and seems like world traveling? I think I want a bit more world building on the next one. But overall really fun read!

I usually don't go for the romance genre because it bores me. This time though, I made a good choice. This first book of Katrina Snow proved to be worth the read mixing magic, romance and adventure in an historical reality. The book is very compelling and it was very difficult to stop reading it.

The characters are incredibly described, specially Kate, the heroine of the book. The secondary characters also grew on me, all coming together in a world where the lady is the one that was to battle to win the charming prince!

This book will send your emotions and your heart on a wild ride!

Forbidden was such a pleasant surprise! I loved this book from start to finish. Forbidden flowed seamlessly from start to finish. With a balanced mixture of action,romance,suspense and all the lovely bits of magic and sorcery thrown in the mix. I cannot wait until the next installment in this wonderful series.

I applaud Ms. Snow for her debut! It was really a fun book to read!

I couldn’t avoid imagining the princesses as Pocket Princesses! LOL

So we have our heroine, Kate, who runs away from her evil uncle who wants to cede and bind her powers to another sorcerer: Sylvan. So she dashes in the head Sylvan and runs away!

Sylvan, who we should see as a villain, seems not at all villain to me… just a little bit…slutty… Shall we say that there’s more to him than appear? LOL

So, Kate runs to her cousin, Princess Victoria and ask her to hide her. Thus Kate becomes Hildegard, Victoria’s maid.

Since this is a fairy tale, we have also the king of the neighboring kingdom who organized a competition where the winners will marry his second son, Bregovi, our hero, and his daughter, Rachel.

All the eligible princes, princesses, nobles and an occasional plebeian are invited to compete! Women with womanly art, such as music, literature, while men with manly arts such as joust, archery… There’re also dancing and banquets!

There’re lots and lots of fun situations, bloody nightmares, jousting feats, sneaking in the dark, clever banter, stolen kisses, more than kisses (steamy much!!!), duels, magical powers, evil sorcerers, kidnappings, spells… there’re everything you could ask for in fairy tale!

And obviously, because what fairy tale would this be without the Prince Charming getting the Princess in Hiding and… they’ve lived happily ever after…

The story flows as a combination of many, many fairy tales I’ve read when I was little and Ms. Snow’s mastery is in combining them all seamlessly in one whole story!

I hope Ms. Snow will write Sylvan’s story… I want to know how she will redeem him and his slutty ways….

ARC Kindly provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
This is a highly entertaining fantasy romance, which ticks all the right boxes.
Kate is an endearing and enchanting heroine, one who you immediately feel attached to. Bregovi is equally endearing, and you can't help but enjoy his playful antics.

Filled with action and adventure, and everyone's favourite medieval elements, this is a highly recommended novel for fans of light fantasy romance.

This is a well-written, fast-paced plot that moves from one dilemma to another...with beautifully written scenes that blend romance and action. It has a storyline that will have readers cheering for the hero and heroine's HEA.

Amazing debut novel, amazing premise and boy do I want more.

Katherine has magical powers in a world where magic users are reviled and burned at the stake. She has been a prisoner of her uncle’s ambitions for power and a pawn in his game for the throne. Escaping his mechanizations and turning her into a genie, Katherine runs to a neighborhood kingdom where she acts as a servant to her cousin (Princess Victoria) in a competition to become a royal’s bride.

Katherine spunk catches the seconds sons, Bregovi’s eye. He has her entered into the competition as the commoner’s entry to become his bride.

With the threat of her sorcery abilities being uncovered, Katherine is walking a tight rope. She’s trying to stay under the radar but can she contain her magic and keep her attraction for Bregovi at bay?

Snow balances funny and spunk with gruesome nightmares, evil sorcery, joisting and romance.

This may be my first read by Snow but it won’t be the last.

I received this copy of Forbidden from KL Andersen in exchange for a honest review.

My rating: 4 stars

Written by: Katrina Snow Paperback: 434 pages Publisher: KL Andersen Publication Date: November 11, 2015 ISBN-10: 0997002409 ISBN-13: 978-0997002409 Genre: Paranormal | Romantic Fantasy

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I'm glad I decided to give FORBIDDEN a chance when I saw it on NetGalley, I had no issue enjoying both the world and the characters in this story.

I liked Kate right away. She was brave, determined and easy to connect with. She finds herself in some hard positions, but manages to keep herself on track with her head up. Kate and Bregovi are so great together. You can see the connection between them growing at every turn of the page. There was just something about them together that kept me reading to find out what would happen between them next. I couldn't imagine one without the other so when they were apart all I wanted was to see them back together. Rachel and Sebastian were really cute together too. We don't see their whole romance like we do Kate and Bregovi, but it was a sweet side story.

The story as a whole has a great flow and pace. The world isn't super complex, but it's really easy to picture a scene. I do wish that some of the myth's that were introduced in FORBIDDEN were explored more than they were.

I have no clue if there will be more books in this world and it seems like the author wrapped up the Kate and Bregovi storyline in FORBIDDEN, but I would love to read more.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time I have read a Renaissance Era fantasy romance, and the first time I have read a book by Katrina Snow. I absolutely loved this wonderful story! The author magically combined romance, mystery, and magic to create a fantastically beautiful love story. I can not wait to read her next novel!

Forbidden in 5 words: Fast-paced Happily Ever After

Storyline: I was slightly confused in the very beginning, but a couple of chapters later it all made sense and I was fully immersed and didn't want it to ever end.

"She was a genie on the run, living under a false name. She was a maiden with no home, no refuge and an unknown future. She was a sorceress hiding what she could do for fear of the burning stake. "

Characters: My favorite was of course Katherine. I instantly connected with her. She's relatable, realistic and despite all of her hardships she doesn't let herself become jaded. I did feel bad for her though, she wants happiness so badly but doesn't think it's attainable with her situation.

"He was passionate and exciting, curious and intriguing, adventurous and kind. He'd become so much of what she wanted and everything she could never have."

The Romance: I just love a forbidden romance! Not only were there plenty of steamy moments between Katherine & Bregovi but also plenty of humorous ones that had me laughing out loud.

Comparable to: Julia Quinn's The Bridgertons. (One of my favorite romance series EVER!)

All-In-All: A wonderful, renaissance era fairy-tale romance with plenty of action, evil villains, enchanted lands and of course a happily ever after! I cannot wait for the second book in this series titled Fractured!

Katrina Snow’s debut novel Forbidden is a simply brilliant fantasy tale that is addictive with its delectable dialogue, page-sizzling chemistry and romance to die for! One of the best books I’ve read this year!

Lady Katherine Durant has been under her Uncle’s control since her parents both tragically died and she became his ward. Both blessed, and cursed, with unimaginable powers, Kate has mastered the ability to keep her Gifts hidden in a world where sorcery is forbidden and punishable by death. When her Uncle gives her to another man who in turn binds her to him, Kate flees, desperately seeking out her cousin and joining her on a journey across the land so her cousin can participate in contest to win the hand of a prince. Attempting to hide in plain sight as a maid, Kate isn’t prepared to find herself thrust in the spotlight when she herself in entered into the contest. Going barb for barb against an intelligent and daring prince who makes her burn, Kate must try to protect her heart as she continues to discover that maybe running is no longer the answer; especially when she might have found something worth fighting for….love.

Having recently devoured Forbidden, I have no qualms in saying that this book is one of the best I’ve read all year, easily keeping me up until all hours of the morning—something that doesn’t happen very often. Considering I was unsure what to expect heading into the story, Snow absolutely blew me away and sucked me in with Kate and Bregovi’s sensational chemistry and sharp, witty banter. Their’s was some of the best chemistry I have read in a novel in a long time, if ever and I ate up every shared moment, touch, kiss and sentence shared between them.

Katrina Snow has simply outdone herself with the chemistry and connection she has written into the story between Kate and Bregovi. This alone could have easily made me adore the story with so much wit and sizzle written into their developing relationship. I loved the push and pull, the determination Bregovi had to be with Kate—it made me swoon. Yet, at its base Forbidden also features a very vivid storyline that weaves all the best elements of fantasy combined. Magic, sorcery, romance, humour, friendship, family…everything blends together with fire, flair and sensational dialogue that is pretty much perfect.

Even the characters I couldn’t fault, especially the leads. Kate was a sensational heroine to follow; strong willed, intelligent and vocal—refusing to bend for anyone. She had fire inside her and personality and I loved that Snow wrote her so likable. You were one hundred percent behind Kate all the way. Bregovi was charming and dashing, and really, really sexy. He was cheeky and adventurous and adored his sister Rachel too, something that won points with me.

Forbidden was well written; Katrina Snow’s writing painting a lovely fantasy world that unfolds through alternating POV’s between Kate and Bregovi and a few minor characters too. I loved the cast of characters Snow littered Forbidden with. Bregovi’s sister Rachel was a true sweetheart, as was her love interest who was simply perfect for her. Bregovi’s friend Wolfe intrigues me with his cheeky personality, as does Kate’s cousin Victoria who seemed to go back and forth between helpful and kind, and well….not.

I’m highly intrigued by the world of sorcery and genies Snow has created. Underneath Kate’s plight, there seems to be another sub-story brewing that makes me excited for possibilities with future books and the chance to follow other characters in future tales, some of which I’ve mentioned.

Deeply delicious, I cannot praise Forbidden enough! Katrina Snow has seriously impressed me with her debut and I cannot wait to see what she has in store next with the second novel, Fractured. If it’s anything like Forbidden I have no doubt it’ll be brilliant!

I adored this book! I was somewhat skeptical that I would like this book in the first 15% of the book, but as I read on I found that I couldn't put the book down. I grew increasingly worried towards the end that the story wouldn't resolve in a single book and that I would have to wait for the second installment for it to continue, which I both dreaded and looked forward to (I didn't want the story to drag out but at the same time wanted it to continue).
I can't wait to see who else the author decides to write about, and how their stories play out. Although, I really hope the semi-bad guy (the red haired guy whose name I can't remember) doesn't get a book of his own. Unless of course he isn't supposed to be with the fae woman, because if he is, I can't help but be sorry for her.

What a delightful debut novel!

I would probably give this one 4.5 stars, but that isn't an option, so rounding up.

Cinderella is one of my favorite fairy tales of all time, so I am always looking for good re-imaginings. And this was definitely a good one!

This book was full of action, adventure, romance and the requisite Happy Ending.
It sets up nicely for a sequel without leaving you hanging off the edge of a cliff.

The only things that took away from perfect enjoyment are what I would classify as rookie mistakes. There were a few places where it was unclear who was speaking or being spoken about though I figured it out eventually. Also one particular character's name bugged me. Not that I didn't like the name, I just didn't understand why they kept calling him that instead of his real name. (Trying to avoid spoilers here.)

This book got me out of a week long reading slump and I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading the next installment from Ms. Snow.

Wonderful first novel, that is fantastical, exciting, full of mystery, and very romantic. Kate is an endearing heroine with whom younger romance readers can really connect. Hopefully a series is being born, or at least this is the first of many books written in the same world.

It is difficult to believe that this is actually Katrina Snow's first book. This author will quickly gain popularity and a devoted following.