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Forbidden Men #8
Priceless
Three things in my life were fact.
I needed Sarah to survive.
I needed sex to remain sane.
And I could never mix sex with Sarah.
I just knew—deep in my marrow—that if I did, I’d somehow lose her. All my deepest darkest secrets would crack open, bleed out, and ruin everything between us. I wouldn’t unleash the shit inside me on my worst enemy, let alone her. So she stayed strictly in the friend zone.
People probably thought I never went there with her because of her cerebral palsy, but f*ck them. She knew she was the most important person in my world, and I wasn’t about to risk hurting our relationship just to make my c*ck happy.
Until the moment she begged me to take her virginity.
Now it’s all about to hit the fan, because how the hell do you resist the one person forbidden to you when she says please?
--Brandt Gamble
*Recommended for ages 18 and up due to explicit scenes and language*
New Adult Romance, Can be read as a standalone.
I needed Sarah to survive.
I needed sex to remain sane.
And I could never mix sex with Sarah.
I just knew—deep in my marrow—that if I did, I’d somehow lose her. All my deepest darkest secrets would crack open, bleed out, and ruin everything between us. I wouldn’t unleash the shit inside me on my worst enemy, let alone her. So she stayed strictly in the friend zone.
People probably thought I never went there with her because of her cerebral palsy, but f*ck them. She knew she was the most important person in my world, and I wasn’t about to risk hurting our relationship just to make my c*ck happy.
Until the moment she begged me to take her virginity.
Now it’s all about to hit the fan, because how the hell do you resist the one person forbidden to you when she says please?
--Brandt Gamble
*Recommended for ages 18 and up due to explicit scenes and language*
New Adult Romance, Can be read as a standalone.
348 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2016
About the author
Linda Kage
57 books5,505 followersLinda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy.
Published since 2010, she first went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children’s literature from The Institute of Children’s Literature, then graduated with a Bachelor's in Arts-English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.
She currently lives with her husband, two daughters, a cat named Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas.
She started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club, then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now, she's all over the place with her romance reading tastes.
A few of her favorite things have been:
Stranger Things, Supernatural, Cheers, Teen Wolf, Umbrella Academy, Outlander, Yellowstone, Grey's Anatomy, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Shawshank Redemption, Dirty Dancing, Harry Potter, Tangled, A Walk to Remember, Dr. Pepper, Roast Beef with mashed potatoes and onion rings, the poem "Equipment" by Edgar A. Guest, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Published since 2010, she first went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children’s literature from The Institute of Children’s Literature, then graduated with a Bachelor's in Arts-English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.
She currently lives with her husband, two daughters, a cat named Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas.
She started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club, then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now, she's all over the place with her romance reading tastes.
A few of her favorite things have been:
Stranger Things, Supernatural, Cheers, Teen Wolf, Umbrella Academy, Outlander, Yellowstone, Grey's Anatomy, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Shawshank Redemption, Dirty Dancing, Harry Potter, Tangled, A Walk to Remember, Dr. Pepper, Roast Beef with mashed potatoes and onion rings, the poem "Equipment" by Edgar A. Guest, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 669 reviews
June 5, 2016
::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::::
This was such a beautiful, heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance!! I read it in one sitting and loved it! Originally, I was really drawn to this book because of how different their situation was. Brandt was this amazing swoony, sweet, sexy, charming, protective guy (trust me, he’s heart-melting!!!!!) who'd come from a really bad home but luckily had amazing supportive family, and Sarah was this incredibly smart, witty, fun, sarcastic girl who also had cerebral palsy. I loved how real and honest their romance felt — it was so clear that they loved each other so much and that was something you always felt without a doubt. But they also faced a lot of hurdles both in their lives and in their growing relationship and it was just wonderful to see them become such a strong couple and get through these things together! Their story was loaded with feels, swoon, and sweetness... Definitely new 2016 Favorite!!
You can read this book as a complete standalone romance. It's also a part of the Forbidden Men series, but all the books in the series are standalones and even though the characters are interconnected, the author has done a fantastic job of separating each story so they can genuinely each be read alone without any confusion. Personally, I've read three random ones of them (Price Of A Kiss, Worth It, and now Priceless) and would easily recommend any of them as complete standalones. Or, if you want to read them all, I've listed their publication order below for you.
For those of you who do like to place interconnected characters though. Brandt is the younger brother of the hero from To Professor, With Love and Sarah is the younger sister of the hero from Price Of A Kiss.
Anyhooo, seriously, you can totally read this book as a standalone.
Ok, let's start with the blurb...
Brandt was born into a life of poverty. He and his siblings lived in a rundown trailer without parents (their mother was a drug addict who was never around and their oldest brother was the one who looked after them). But after one particular incident went too far, their brother took them away and brought them to live with him.
Sarah was a fun, voracious girl whose cerebral palsy kept her largely confined to a wheelchair and her preferred form of communication was through a computer. When Brandt transferred to Sarah's school, she accidentally friend requested him online and they struck up a friendship. When they met in person on the first day of school, their friendship was forever solidified. All he saw when he looked at her was the awesome girl who she was.
For many reasons (that I was wary about at first, but understanding of as they were explained), they never struck up a romantic relationship over the years because they each thought the other wanted to be friends only... even though they both thought of each other as so much more than friends. I was a little uncomfortable at first with the fact that he was pretty much just sleeping around prior to their relationship, but the reasons behind it were well explained.
Once they started communicating though about their real feelings, things began to heat up between them. Naturally there were a lot of things for them to get through but their journey to becoming an official couple was a joy to read!
I absolutely LOVED how loving, caring, and oh-so-deeply protective Brandt was of Sarah. It was heart-warming and totally swoon-worthy. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. She was literally everything to him and it came through so strongly in every one of his actions and everything he said. I love it when the heroes go all Alpha!
I also really loved that this author wrote a character with cerebral palsy who was not defined by it. Her CP was not downplayed at all -- the shaking, seizing, everything was there, but it was just a part of her life... it wasn't who she was. She was a normal girl with hopes, dreams, goals, and who fearlessly went after them!
Both Brandt and Sarah's families were incredibly accepting and supportive of their relationship (well, Sarah's big brother took a while to come around, but that's understandable) and it was hilariously adorable how everyone else knew they were destined for each other before they realized it themselves.
Oh, by the way, I know this is a sensitive topic for some readers so you should know that there is sexual abuse in Brandt's past. It's not graphically portrayed but you're definitely aware of it and it naturally was something that had a huge impact on his life and comes up throughout the book as one of the things he has to work through.
The story is told in alternating POVs between Brant and Sarah (first person) and we definitely get both sides of the story. The only thing I might have wished for was an epilogue, but story had a solid ending even without it.
This really was a wonderful romance! Real, honest, and believable. There were moments that made me swoon and laugh-out-loud, and others that made my heart break and almost brought tears to my eyes. And overall, it was just a really great story! I loved the characters, I was rooting for their relationship, and I really enjoyed their book! It's definitely going to be one of my favorites of the year and I highly recommend it!
Rating: 4.5 stars. Can standalone.
Buy PRICELESS (Kindle)
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“That boy is completely and irrevocably in love with you. He worships the ground you roll on. And it’s clear as day you love him back.”
This was such a beautiful, heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance!! I read it in one sitting and loved it! Originally, I was really drawn to this book because of how different their situation was. Brandt was this amazing swoony, sweet, sexy, charming, protective guy (trust me, he’s heart-melting!!!!!) who'd come from a really bad home but luckily had amazing supportive family, and Sarah was this incredibly smart, witty, fun, sarcastic girl who also had cerebral palsy. I loved how real and honest their romance felt — it was so clear that they loved each other so much and that was something you always felt without a doubt. But they also faced a lot of hurdles both in their lives and in their growing relationship and it was just wonderful to see them become such a strong couple and get through these things together! Their story was loaded with feels, swoon, and sweetness... Definitely new 2016 Favorite!!
You can read this book as a complete standalone romance. It's also a part of the Forbidden Men series, but all the books in the series are standalones and even though the characters are interconnected, the author has done a fantastic job of separating each story so they can genuinely each be read alone without any confusion. Personally, I've read three random ones of them (Price Of A Kiss, Worth It, and now Priceless) and would easily recommend any of them as complete standalones. Or, if you want to read them all, I've listed their publication order below for you.
For those of you who do like to place interconnected characters though. Brandt is the younger brother of the hero from To Professor, With Love and Sarah is the younger sister of the hero from Price Of A Kiss.
Anyhooo, seriously, you can totally read this book as a standalone.
Ok, let's start with the blurb...
Three things in my life were fact.
I needed Sarah to survive.
I needed sex to remain sane.
And I could never mix sex with Sarah.
I just knew—deep in my marrow—that if I did, I’d somehow lose her. All my deepest darkest secrets would crack open, bleed out, and ruin everything between us. I wouldn’t unleash the shit inside me on my worst enemy, let alone her. So she stayed strictly in the friend zone.
People probably thought I never went there with her because of her cerebral palsy, but f*ck them. She knew she was the most important person in my world, and I wasn’t about to risk hurting our relationship just to make my c*ck happy.
Until the moment she begged me to take her virginity.
Now it’s all about to hit the fan, because how the hell do you resist the one person forbidden to you when she says please?
Brandt was born into a life of poverty. He and his siblings lived in a rundown trailer without parents (their mother was a drug addict who was never around and their oldest brother was the one who looked after them). But after one particular incident went too far, their brother took them away and brought them to live with him.
Sarah was a fun, voracious girl whose cerebral palsy kept her largely confined to a wheelchair and her preferred form of communication was through a computer. When Brandt transferred to Sarah's school, she accidentally friend requested him online and they struck up a friendship. When they met in person on the first day of school, their friendship was forever solidified. All he saw when he looked at her was the awesome girl who she was.
As soon as she knew no one else was around, she shed the shyness and was my Sarah once again.
A part of me was pleased she was this way. No one else knew how fun and smart and sarcastic she really was, so I could hog her all to myself. I didn’t have to share her with anyone. Then again, I also worried about her because I couldn’t always be around, and her timid, withdrawn behavior made her a bigger target for bullies. The idea of people picking on her unnerved me.
I wanted to kick the ass of anyone who even looked at her wrong.
For many reasons (that I was wary about at first, but understanding of as they were explained), they never struck up a romantic relationship over the years because they each thought the other wanted to be friends only... even though they both thought of each other as so much more than friends. I was a little uncomfortable at first with the fact that he was pretty much just sleeping around prior to their relationship, but the reasons behind it were well explained.
Once they started communicating though about their real feelings, things began to heat up between them. Naturally there were a lot of things for them to get through but their journey to becoming an official couple was a joy to read!
“This right here — every single piece of you — is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless.”
I absolutely LOVED how loving, caring, and oh-so-deeply protective Brandt was of Sarah. It was heart-warming and totally swoon-worthy. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. She was literally everything to him and it came through so strongly in every one of his actions and everything he said. I love it when the heroes go all Alpha!
You’re his… If you haven’t noticed, the guy’s scarily protective of you.”
I scowled and gritted my teeth. “Yeah, I know he’s protective. But he doesn’t consider —“
“No.” Colton shook his head as if I actually had no clue… “You are HIS.”
I also really loved that this author wrote a character with cerebral palsy who was not defined by it. Her CP was not downplayed at all -- the shaking, seizing, everything was there, but it was just a part of her life... it wasn't who she was. She was a normal girl with hopes, dreams, goals, and who fearlessly went after them!
Both Brandt and Sarah's families were incredibly accepting and supportive of their relationship (well, Sarah's big brother took a while to come around, but that's understandable) and it was hilariously adorable how everyone else knew they were destined for each other before they realized it themselves.
I announced to my family that Sarah and I were together on Saturday morning, and I expected a lot bigger of a response than I got.
“Well, of course you are, dear,” Aspen said, patting my hand with an indulgent smile.
Noel frowned and shook his head. “I’m confused. You’re saying you two weren’t together before?”
I sighed and ground my teeth. “Well, it’s official now.”
Oh, by the way, I know this is a sensitive topic for some readers so you should know that there is sexual abuse in Brandt's past. It's not graphically portrayed but you're definitely aware of it and it naturally was something that had a huge impact on his life and comes up throughout the book as one of the things he has to work through.
The story is told in alternating POVs between Brant and Sarah (first person) and we definitely get both sides of the story. The only thing I might have wished for was an epilogue, but story had a solid ending even without it.
This really was a wonderful romance! Real, honest, and believable. There were moments that made me swoon and laugh-out-loud, and others that made my heart break and almost brought tears to my eyes. And overall, it was just a really great story! I loved the characters, I was rooting for their relationship, and I really enjoyed their book! It's definitely going to be one of my favorites of the year and I highly recommend it!
Rating: 4.5 stars. Can standalone.
Buy PRICELESS (Kindle)
__________________________
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog
✦ Facebook Blog Page
✦ Subscribe by email
November 20, 2016
5 stars!
Priceless is the eighth book in Linda Kage’s Forbidden Men series, and it’s by far one of my favorite. I truly loved this story so much! The only one I loved just a bit more was Pick’s book, because… Pick <3. Sarah and Brandt are two characters we meet early on in the series. Sarah is in the very first book. She’s Mason’s younger sister and she has CP. Brandt comes along in the next book. He’s one of Noel’s younger brothers. Brandt and Sarah become best friends when they meet in middle school. They share a bond like no other. It’s unbreakable.
Sarah and Brant both realize they have feelings for each other that move beyond friendship when they’re in high school. Sarah is sure Brandt wouldn't be interested in her in that way, and Brandt never goes there with Sarah because of his past and the fear of losing her as his best friend. Both Sarah and especially Brandt had difficult pasts. My heart broke for them both and I shed many tears over all that Brant had went through.
Fast forward to Sarah and Brandt being 22. They’re still the best of friends and getting ready to graduate collage. Sarah is starting to date and Brandt doesn’t know how to feel. Well, he knows what he feels, he just doesn’t know what to do it about it. It’s clear as day to anyone around these two that they’re not only best friends, they’re in love with each other as well. It’s just watching to see how and if they’ll finally get it together.
Priceless is a beautiful story of friendship and unconditional love. I loved this one so much and I’m sad that their is only one book left in this series! I give this 5+ stars! Definitely one of my favorites. Brandt and Sarah's story is unforgettable!
Priceless is the eighth book in Linda Kage’s Forbidden Men series, and it’s by far one of my favorite. I truly loved this story so much! The only one I loved just a bit more was Pick’s book, because… Pick <3. Sarah and Brandt are two characters we meet early on in the series. Sarah is in the very first book. She’s Mason’s younger sister and she has CP. Brandt comes along in the next book. He’s one of Noel’s younger brothers. Brandt and Sarah become best friends when they meet in middle school. They share a bond like no other. It’s unbreakable.
It had become a habit for me to seek out Sarah whenever I was distressed. She was my sounding board, my voice of reason, my everything. She knew how to make me smile when I was down, how to listen when I wanted to rant.
Sarah and Brant both realize they have feelings for each other that move beyond friendship when they’re in high school. Sarah is sure Brandt wouldn't be interested in her in that way, and Brandt never goes there with Sarah because of his past and the fear of losing her as his best friend. Both Sarah and especially Brandt had difficult pasts. My heart broke for them both and I shed many tears over all that Brant had went through.
Fast forward to Sarah and Brandt being 22. They’re still the best of friends and getting ready to graduate collage. Sarah is starting to date and Brandt doesn’t know how to feel. Well, he knows what he feels, he just doesn’t know what to do it about it. It’s clear as day to anyone around these two that they’re not only best friends, they’re in love with each other as well. It’s just watching to see how and if they’ll finally get it together.
That boy is completely and irrevocably in love with you. He worships the ground you roll upon. And it’s clear as day you love him back.
Priceless is a beautiful story of friendship and unconditional love. I loved this one so much and I’m sad that their is only one book left in this series! I give this 5+ stars! Definitely one of my favorites. Brandt and Sarah's story is unforgettable!
March 20, 2017
3 Wasn't Feeling The Connection Stars
Let me start by saying the beginning of this book was rough to read and may have scared me a bit. So I have really been looking forward to Sarah and Brandt story and though at times it was very cute and though I loved both Sarah and Brandt I wasn't really feeling this book. I thought their connection would feel stronger like it felt in past books, but for the longest time in this book Sarah didn't really seem to care one way or the other if they were together and Brandt just slept around while hiding his feelings for Sarah. I don't know it just felt off to me. Still it was an enjoyable read just not as great as I thought it would be.
Let me start by saying the beginning of this book was rough to read and may have scared me a bit. So I have really been looking forward to Sarah and Brandt story and though at times it was very cute and though I loved both Sarah and Brandt I wasn't really feeling this book. I thought their connection would feel stronger like it felt in past books, but for the longest time in this book Sarah didn't really seem to care one way or the other if they were together and Brandt just slept around while hiding his feelings for Sarah. I don't know it just felt off to me. Still it was an enjoyable read just not as great as I thought it would be.
May 24, 2016
4.5 STARS
”That boy is completely and irrevocably in love with you. He worships the ground you roll upon. And it’s clear as day you love him back.”
I’m a huge fan of this author and this series and I felt that the author did a fantastic job with Sarah and Brandt’s story. I totally felt the emotional connection these two shared as young kids and how it grew over the years. This is a true friends to lovers tale that is well done.
Sarah is Mason’s little sister who has CP. The author did a fine job in the details and obstacles that Sarah faced daily. The love that Brandt had for Sarah was like a knight in shining armor - completely fierce!
One of the reasons this book wasn’t a 5 star read for me is somewhat spoilerly so I’m going to tag it. I also felt that the book centered around sex too much. I would have liked more moments of just them being them not unlike the picnic scene which I adored!
Overall, this was a well written story which totally delivered on the love connection and makes for a good addition to a great series. I’m already looking forward to the Colton Gamble’s book which will be next!
”I’ll always choose her over anyone.”
”That boy is completely and irrevocably in love with you. He worships the ground you roll upon. And it’s clear as day you love him back.”
I’m a huge fan of this author and this series and I felt that the author did a fantastic job with Sarah and Brandt’s story. I totally felt the emotional connection these two shared as young kids and how it grew over the years. This is a true friends to lovers tale that is well done.
Sarah is Mason’s little sister who has CP. The author did a fine job in the details and obstacles that Sarah faced daily. The love that Brandt had for Sarah was like a knight in shining armor - completely fierce!
One of the reasons this book wasn’t a 5 star read for me is somewhat spoilerly so I’m going to tag it. I also felt that the book centered around sex too much. I would have liked more moments of just them being them not unlike the picnic scene which I adored!
Overall, this was a well written story which totally delivered on the love connection and makes for a good addition to a great series. I’m already looking forward to the Colton Gamble’s book which will be next!
”I’ll always choose her over anyone.”
May 26, 2016
***5+ "Operation Bang Brandt" stars***
This book was A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!!
This whole series is A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!!
Every character in them are A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!!
But Brandt and Sarah were even more A.W.E.S.O.M.E!!!
If i will tell you for how long I was waiting for this certain book, you won't believe me...
Since i've read the first book, i fell in love with Sarah, Mason's little sister...
A girl that had a lot of ugly things in her plate to deal...
And then came the second book and Noel Gamble's turn and we met his siblings and one of them was Brandt... A troubled, angry and lost kid...
And when at the epilogue, i saw Sarah and Brandt to the same classroom and i was a total goner...
From that moment, i was craving for this story and i was dying with every book that was coming and it wasn't about Brandt and Sarah....
And finally, i got my hands on this story and i was absolutely captivated!!!
It was worthying all this waiting...
"Three things in my life were fact.
I needed Sarah to survive.
I needed sex to remain sane.
And I could never mix sex with Sarah."
We had take some glimpses from Sarah and Brandt's closeness in the previous books, but it was just that... some minor glimpses...
What i liked in this book, is that our story started with a taste of their past...
How they get known each other, how they came closer, how they were acting around each other, how solid was their friendship... We also saw how much they were in love with each other and how their fears wasn't allowing them to think that the other may have the same feelings and the years were passing by...
"Dammit, I loved brushing her hair as much as I loved her...like love her loved her. Why the hell had I never realized that until this very moment?
This was bad. This was so bad...
Friends. We’re just friends, I commanded myself...
Until I looked up and lost it once more. But she was so pretty in a classically flawless, innocent way. The only word that tumbled around in my head when I looked at her was: mine." {Brandt}
"I loved this man. I loved everything about him. So I’d stop my feelings from straying to places they didn’t belong. Because the last thing I wanted to do, ever, was lose him." {Sarah}
At the present, Sarah and Brandt are at the age of 22...
They have similar lives... and they are closer than ever...
No, not as lovers, but as the best friends ever...
Both of them have feelings toward each other, but noone is acting upon them...
"“Do you hate me?” she asked into the dark room, and I almost laughed.
“I could never hate you.”
If I hated her, then I’d have to hate myself, because what she’d done was nowhere near as awful as what I’d done."
When Brandt was 13, a month before he came to Ellamore, something terrible and quite traumatic happened to him. Something that he didn't share with anyone... neither with Sarah.
Even though that he could die to have Sarah his, and in his mind she was already his, his secret will always keep him away from her... It was something that was holding him back on real things...
But hey, he was a man and even though that he couldn't have Sarah, he could have meaningless sex...
"Sarah was everything pure and sweet and good. Sex was dirty. Dirty and Sarah should never even be breathed in the same sentence....
And that’s how our friendship continued. I kept my sex life private while everything else in me belonged to her."
Sarah was having cerebral palsy, but she was very capable of herself...
She was such a strong woman and i really admired her courage and determination!!!
Yes, she could do many things on her own, but it was about time to start living as a normal girl...
She wanted to know how a kiss would be or how she will feel when a man was lusting over her and wanted to make her his in a sexual manner...
That why, she is taking the decision to go on a date with some guy and when he showed how unworthy was for her, her self-confidence took a blow and she felt unwοrthy herself...
“You matter,” I murmured, knowing the next few words I said may just be the most important thing I ever uttered. “I could lose everyone I know and everything I had, and I’d still be able to handle it as long as I still had you. You’re the only person who does matter to me.”
But Brandt was always there for her and he is trying to make her feel good, but the things are getting out of hand...
And that's not good for him since he never stopped loving her...
And when Sarah is insisting to make love to her, Brandt had it bad....
"I had a dooming premonition I was going to lose her because of her sudden desire to experience a sex life.
I suddenly hated sex.
Shit. No, I didn’t."
So what will happen with those two???
Will Brandt let his defences down and fulfill his Sarah's wish???
And with what cost for him???
Could they put aside their fears and be together as a real couple???
Will Brandt's secret affected their relationship as he thought it will???
Will their friendship survive or will they lose everything they had built the last nine years???
"I’ll always choose her over anyone."
Well, i adored both Sarah and Brandt...
I loved the strong connection that they had from the very first moment that they met...
I loved how protective and caring was Brandt toward Sarah... She was literally his life.
And his biggest fear was to lose her and that's why he stayed away from her in more sensual contact. He couldn't afford to lose her because then he could lose his own sanity...
It was insane how much he loved her and how much he was depending on her...
I also loved that he never once saw her as a problematic person...
He was so tender with her, so considerate in everything that involved her and i just couldn't not love this guy for his whole attitude toward the woman he loved but kept on arm's length...
"What if she wanted more? I would so give it to her, but then I’d so lose her, and that was the one thing I couldn’t do. Sarah was my steady when everything else felt unstable. She was the voice of reason when I was being unreasonable. She was just...there, always there for me, whenever I needed her. I trusted her more than anyone else on the planet, except I guess I couldn’t trust her with the one thing I trusted no one with.
She had my heart, but I couldn’t give her my fears. They’d twisted a part of me, and I was too ashamed to let her see that part, because I was deathly afraid that might be the one thing to send her running for good."
As for Sarah??? God, that girl was a true fighter, a survivor, a hero...
I liked the way that she was seeing life... I liked how much effort she was putting to behave as a normal person...
And what means to be a normal person if he/she has a shitty attitude???
Sarah wasn't normal but her heart was made from gold... and Brandt was seeing her as she truly was...
She was also so considerate for the people around her and she was sweet and caring and so wonderful...
She also loved Brandt with all her heart, but as it was normal she had some insecurities about her condition, so she didn't thought that Brandt could see her in a different way.
She knew that he will be always beside her and he will never betray her, but she wasn't so sure about her self...
"He really was the most amazing person I’d ever met. And he deserved the best, a woman he would walk, run, heck—dance—with. Someone who could keep up with him and take care of him as much as he took care of her. He deserved someone way better than me."
Honestly, this love story crept upon my heart and moved me in so many ways...
It was an epic love... A unique love... A wonderful love...
It doesn't matter if a person has a disability... Everyone can have a chance to love and Sarah deserved to have her HEA... The same goes for Brandt because that man was having a big heart...
I don't think that i will ever forget this story, not that it's ever possible to forget any of the Forbidden men series stories, but especially this one i will hold it forever close to my heart...
“This right here—every single piece of you—is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
At the end, i would love to say that for one more time, all the previous heroes were fantastic!!!
All of them....
I loved very much how sneaky they were and how eager they were to help Sarah to succeed in her goal...
I laughed for once again with crazy Ten and yep, it wasn't a surprise that he received another one punch... Book and a punch!!! Bahahaha....
For once again, i adored Reese for all this wonderful behaviour toward Sarah since the first day that she meet her...
I loved Mason and i know how much he was loving his sister, but in some point, he made me mad!!! But i forgive him because i love him!!!
And finally, i liked the fact that i got to know more of Colton... The little shit grow up and he is about to graduate...
He was funny at times, wise at other times and i can't wait to read his own story!!!
“He’s like...you don’t get it, do you? You are his.”
My heart thumped hard at his insistence. “Excuse me?”
“He guards you like...shit, I don’t even know, maybe a snarling pack wolf standing watch over his injured mate. It’s as if you’re a part of him, the most vulnerable part.” {Colton to Sarah}
Thank you, Linda Kage for those wonderful stories of yours!!!
And i would like to say how much i loved that you showed us the message from Mary.
I'm so happy that she inspired you to write this story even though that you didn't have a clue about CP.
I think that this book gives a wonderful message and hope to those people who are suffering from this certain disability or similar others...
Everybody has a chance to life and love!!!!
This book was A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!!
This whole series is A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!!
Every character in them are A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!!
But Brandt and Sarah were even more A.W.E.S.O.M.E!!!
If i will tell you for how long I was waiting for this certain book, you won't believe me...
Since i've read the first book, i fell in love with Sarah, Mason's little sister...
A girl that had a lot of ugly things in her plate to deal...
And then came the second book and Noel Gamble's turn and we met his siblings and one of them was Brandt... A troubled, angry and lost kid...
And when at the epilogue, i saw Sarah and Brandt to the same classroom and i was a total goner...
From that moment, i was craving for this story and i was dying with every book that was coming and it wasn't about Brandt and Sarah....
And finally, i got my hands on this story and i was absolutely captivated!!!
It was worthying all this waiting...
"Three things in my life were fact.
I needed Sarah to survive.
I needed sex to remain sane.
And I could never mix sex with Sarah."
We had take some glimpses from Sarah and Brandt's closeness in the previous books, but it was just that... some minor glimpses...
What i liked in this book, is that our story started with a taste of their past...
How they get known each other, how they came closer, how they were acting around each other, how solid was their friendship... We also saw how much they were in love with each other and how their fears wasn't allowing them to think that the other may have the same feelings and the years were passing by...
"Dammit, I loved brushing her hair as much as I loved her...like love her loved her. Why the hell had I never realized that until this very moment?
This was bad. This was so bad...
Friends. We’re just friends, I commanded myself...
Until I looked up and lost it once more. But she was so pretty in a classically flawless, innocent way. The only word that tumbled around in my head when I looked at her was: mine." {Brandt}
"I loved this man. I loved everything about him. So I’d stop my feelings from straying to places they didn’t belong. Because the last thing I wanted to do, ever, was lose him." {Sarah}
At the present, Sarah and Brandt are at the age of 22...
They have similar lives... and they are closer than ever...
No, not as lovers, but as the best friends ever...
Both of them have feelings toward each other, but noone is acting upon them...
"“Do you hate me?” she asked into the dark room, and I almost laughed.
“I could never hate you.”
If I hated her, then I’d have to hate myself, because what she’d done was nowhere near as awful as what I’d done."
When Brandt was 13, a month before he came to Ellamore, something terrible and quite traumatic happened to him. Something that he didn't share with anyone... neither with Sarah.
Even though that he could die to have Sarah his, and in his mind she was already his, his secret will always keep him away from her... It was something that was holding him back on real things...
But hey, he was a man and even though that he couldn't have Sarah, he could have meaningless sex...
"Sarah was everything pure and sweet and good. Sex was dirty. Dirty and Sarah should never even be breathed in the same sentence....
And that’s how our friendship continued. I kept my sex life private while everything else in me belonged to her."
Sarah was having cerebral palsy, but she was very capable of herself...
She was such a strong woman and i really admired her courage and determination!!!
Yes, she could do many things on her own, but it was about time to start living as a normal girl...
She wanted to know how a kiss would be or how she will feel when a man was lusting over her and wanted to make her his in a sexual manner...
That why, she is taking the decision to go on a date with some guy and when he showed how unworthy was for her, her self-confidence took a blow and she felt unwοrthy herself...
“You matter,” I murmured, knowing the next few words I said may just be the most important thing I ever uttered. “I could lose everyone I know and everything I had, and I’d still be able to handle it as long as I still had you. You’re the only person who does matter to me.”
But Brandt was always there for her and he is trying to make her feel good, but the things are getting out of hand...
And that's not good for him since he never stopped loving her...
And when Sarah is insisting to make love to her, Brandt had it bad....
"I had a dooming premonition I was going to lose her because of her sudden desire to experience a sex life.
I suddenly hated sex.
Shit. No, I didn’t."
So what will happen with those two???
Will Brandt let his defences down and fulfill his Sarah's wish???
And with what cost for him???
Could they put aside their fears and be together as a real couple???
Will Brandt's secret affected their relationship as he thought it will???
Will their friendship survive or will they lose everything they had built the last nine years???
"I’ll always choose her over anyone."
Well, i adored both Sarah and Brandt...
I loved the strong connection that they had from the very first moment that they met...
I loved how protective and caring was Brandt toward Sarah... She was literally his life.
And his biggest fear was to lose her and that's why he stayed away from her in more sensual contact. He couldn't afford to lose her because then he could lose his own sanity...
It was insane how much he loved her and how much he was depending on her...
I also loved that he never once saw her as a problematic person...
He was so tender with her, so considerate in everything that involved her and i just couldn't not love this guy for his whole attitude toward the woman he loved but kept on arm's length...
"What if she wanted more? I would so give it to her, but then I’d so lose her, and that was the one thing I couldn’t do. Sarah was my steady when everything else felt unstable. She was the voice of reason when I was being unreasonable. She was just...there, always there for me, whenever I needed her. I trusted her more than anyone else on the planet, except I guess I couldn’t trust her with the one thing I trusted no one with.
She had my heart, but I couldn’t give her my fears. They’d twisted a part of me, and I was too ashamed to let her see that part, because I was deathly afraid that might be the one thing to send her running for good."
As for Sarah??? God, that girl was a true fighter, a survivor, a hero...
I liked the way that she was seeing life... I liked how much effort she was putting to behave as a normal person...
And what means to be a normal person if he/she has a shitty attitude???
Sarah wasn't normal but her heart was made from gold... and Brandt was seeing her as she truly was...
She was also so considerate for the people around her and she was sweet and caring and so wonderful...
She also loved Brandt with all her heart, but as it was normal she had some insecurities about her condition, so she didn't thought that Brandt could see her in a different way.
She knew that he will be always beside her and he will never betray her, but she wasn't so sure about her self...
"He really was the most amazing person I’d ever met. And he deserved the best, a woman he would walk, run, heck—dance—with. Someone who could keep up with him and take care of him as much as he took care of her. He deserved someone way better than me."
Honestly, this love story crept upon my heart and moved me in so many ways...
It was an epic love... A unique love... A wonderful love...
It doesn't matter if a person has a disability... Everyone can have a chance to love and Sarah deserved to have her HEA... The same goes for Brandt because that man was having a big heart...
I don't think that i will ever forget this story, not that it's ever possible to forget any of the Forbidden men series stories, but especially this one i will hold it forever close to my heart...
“This right here—every single piece of you—is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
At the end, i would love to say that for one more time, all the previous heroes were fantastic!!!
All of them....
I loved very much how sneaky they were and how eager they were to help Sarah to succeed in her goal...
I laughed for once again with crazy Ten and yep, it wasn't a surprise that he received another one punch... Book and a punch!!! Bahahaha....
For once again, i adored Reese for all this wonderful behaviour toward Sarah since the first day that she meet her...
I loved Mason and i know how much he was loving his sister, but in some point, he made me mad!!! But i forgive him because i love him!!!
And finally, i liked the fact that i got to know more of Colton... The little shit grow up and he is about to graduate...
He was funny at times, wise at other times and i can't wait to read his own story!!!
“He’s like...you don’t get it, do you? You are his.”
My heart thumped hard at his insistence. “Excuse me?”
“He guards you like...shit, I don’t even know, maybe a snarling pack wolf standing watch over his injured mate. It’s as if you’re a part of him, the most vulnerable part.” {Colton to Sarah}
Thank you, Linda Kage for those wonderful stories of yours!!!
And i would like to say how much i loved that you showed us the message from Mary.
I'm so happy that she inspired you to write this story even though that you didn't have a clue about CP.
I think that this book gives a wonderful message and hope to those people who are suffering from this certain disability or similar others...
Everybody has a chance to life and love!!!!
June 2, 2016
*4.5 stars*
“This right here-every single piece of you-is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
Let's make this short and sweet, shall we?? I discovered the Forbidden Men on a whim last year when I couldn't find anything that suited my mood. I had To Professor, with Love on my iPad from years ago and saw it sitting at the veeeeery bottom of my kindle app ripe for the picking. I thought...fuck it. I don't know what else to read, so why not??? And what I found was something that has stuck with me since November. Yes, they are cheesy as fuck-some more than others (they are rated accordingly, you can tell which I couldn't tolerate as much, cheese wise). Yes, they are less than perfect. Yes, they are cliche, ridiculous, unbelievably crazy...but there is just something so amazingly addicting about them. And what you get in return for tolerating some of that...it's so worth it.
“Oh my god, you’re such a pain in the ass.” Why, oh why, couldn’t he have just dropped it? “If you want to see me that bad, then come over and see me already. Jesus Christ.”
“Fine,” he said. “Be there in ten.”
I snorted. “Why not make it five, you clingy son of a bitch.”
“In that case, I’m already outside your window. Open up.”
I glanced out my window, only to gasp. “Oh my God.”
Strong friendships and laughter. Deep-rooted connections and passionate love. Unforgettable sibling bonds and group gatherings that make you tear up every time they are together. These books make your heart soar and your soul rejoice. They warm you up from the inside out and they make you smile like a loon. They give you butterflies no matter how hard you try and resist-These books own a very large chunk of my very being...and a large part of that goes to the boys. Doesn't it always come back to a boy, in the end?
Except I totally would have, because she wasn’t a normal, average woman. She was the most precious thing in my life. I knew it was unnatural how much I relied on her to be there for me when I needed a friend, but I didn’t care. Sarah was priceless to me. I couldn’t help but be overprotective of her and snarl at any threat that came near her.
From the moment I met the macho, womanizing Noel, my heart was claimed. I mean....Yeah, the cheese was almost unbearable (Didn't rate this one a five, but I decided after a month with it at a three that I thought about it way too much for it to be any less than four) and I remember rolling my eyes a lot...but after I finished I just remember not being able to move on. I couldn't stop thinking about him. And what's worse, he made me curious about a genre I'd long since written off. I mean, he cried and fell hard for this woman he cherished, for fuck's sake.
Pain wound so tight through my chest I could barely breathe. The one thing I could never handle was her tears. She rarely cried, so when she finally allowed them to fall, it was that much more devastating to me. Helpless frustration roared through me until I wanted to pound my fist against my truck.
So this curiosity ebbed and grew, making me want to meet more tortured men in this cheesy genre...but no matter how many series, books, stories I tried, none compared. So what did my wonderful Bestie Pea suggest?? READ MASON. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. So, begrudgingly, I did. I picked up Price of a Kiss and met this gigolo (bahhaa really?!), Mason.
I.
Was.
A.
Goner.
Mason. Was. EVERYTHING. I still, to this day, can't not think about him. I even used one of his quotes to put on my wall at home. Yeah, he is bae. <<<< I've never said this, but I don't care. I adore him. So, yeah. That's the thing. Mason and Noel really are the only two forbidden men who TRULY hold my heart. They were my first, maybe that's why. I was so excited to read the rest, but after you've had Mason and Noel...there's hardly anything anyone could do to top them. I almost feel bad for the rest lol. And the other epic thing about this author: No fucking around once they have admitted their love for one another. On breaks there are no whoopies or oops or needs for explanations because these boys are loyal AS FUCK. So yeah. Had to throw that in there
“Hey,” I murmured. Since she looked as if she were on the verge of tears, I caught her chin and stared her straight in the eye. “If someone can’t look past a little shaking and see what kind of amazing person you are, then they’re a fucking idiot, and you don’t need to befriend someone that stupid, anyway.”
A single tear tracked down her cheek. I wiped it away. “You just being yourself is what made you my favorite person, so just keep being you, okay?”
So naturally, here we are on book 8, and guess who the love interests are? THAT'S RIGHT. My two boys' siblings. I. Couldn't. Even. When I saw this plot I literally almost peed my pants I was jumping up and down so much from excitement. And that's the thing: I hate cheese and I hate fake drama...but this series has made me a shameless fangirl...and I'm not the least bit sorry.
Resting my cheek against her hair, I closed my eyes and tightened my grip on her, holding her closer. I hated it when she cried. When she hurt, I hurt. Feeling her tremors of sorrow ripped me to shreds.
If you can remember, Sarah is Mason's sister, the one he would do anything to protect. He is her hero, and now we get to see protective Mason when little sis is all grown up. It's not as hard for Noel, seeing as he only has little brothers left and it's more natural to accept a brother dating than a younger sister (COUGH when Caroline fell for Ten COUGH). So we've been through the ringer with all these boys...but this might be my next favorite after Mason, Noel, and Ten's stories. After all....Mason or Noel were in every chapter along with the very sexy Brandt ;). I mean, what is there to lose?
Sarah messaged Brandt by FB on a whim and they became fast friends. No one can talk about Sarah and he would do anything for her. They are immediate best friends....but they both are secretly in love with the other. They would drop anyone and anything to help each other out, and everyone around them knows they will end up together. Of course, like most books, Sarah and Brandt don't see that for themselves. Brandt is tainted (ummm more on this later.....) and Sarah is precious to him-the most important thing to him in life, so he won't risk his relationship with her for a single thing. Sarah doesn't give up so easily, though.
“If you’re like disfigured-you know, down there-it wouldn’t bother me. I mean, heck, I probably wouldn’t even know the difference since I’ve never seen one before.”
I laughed, pretty sure that was her intent the entire time, to lighten the mood. “Shut up, smart-ass. I’m not disfigured.”
“Oh.” I swear, she actually sounded disappointed about that. “Well…whatever. I’m just saying, it wouldn’t have mattered.”
I absolutely adored this story and everything about it. I may have become a bit detached in certain moments (Which had nothing to do with book because I loved it) because I had a really bad weekend, emotionally wise. This, perhaps, was a bit denser story than I should have been reading, but I wanted my forbidden men, GD, and I got them. No regrets. At all. Though...that beginning. What. The. FUCK. I adore Linda Kage (her books have gotten me through a lot of shit, she deserves praise for that) but damn was that a weirder intro than usual. I just....*shivers* Eew.
He only sniffed and glanced away. “Hey, if the guy can’t take a little heat, he should stay out of the kitchen.”
With a growl, I jabbed my finger in his direction. “Except this is the only time anyone’s ever wandered anywhere near my kitchen. Don’t fuck it up for me, please.”
His eyes flared. “Did you just compare a kitchen to your…” When his gaze wandered down to my lap, his expression filled with dismay as if I’d just traumatized him for life.
I may not have talked about the two main people very much, but I wanted to get across how wonderful this series is as a whole. It's not so much about each new character's story, but about the group as a whole and where they are now. I know, I know, each person deserves their own spotlight, but I just feel it's even stronger with EVERYONE involved...and that's why I continue to love every installment, cheesy as they are. If it wasn't for the main guys, these problems, friends, characters, stories wouldn't exist...so it's necessary to recognize that while I ADORED BRANDT-he was so protective, loyal, fierce-I adored the whole story more. So.....take with that what you will. My quotes will do the rest of the work.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
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Soooo yeah.....THIS happened. My boys (Noel and Mason) were in this THE WHOLE TIME. I almost feel bad for Brandt and Sarah...almost. Because as much as my heart adored him-and oh f'in boy did it-when my two favorite forbidden men even got MENTIONED I was a heaping pile of goo.
Noel's brother, Brandt, meets Sarah, Mason's sister, through one single moment where Sarah, in an act of courage (based on her personality), sent Brandt a friend request on Facebook-From then on they were BFF's forever.
This book, this story, this network of characters, these men...they have completely stolen my heart. And it's more than that-whenever I'm sad or upset, I simply turn to these guys. They are literally PERFECTION. And the thing is this: These are the only cheesy books that I can stand. It's like...Linda Kage has a way of making these cliche, ridiculous, out-of-this-world dramas bearable and completely tolerable.
It's unlike anything I've ever seen. Yeah, they have issues. No, they aren't perfect....but they are perfect for me. And what else could I possibly ask for? Nothing.
Review to come. I do so love reviewing about my boys.
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I WOULD SELL MY NONEXISTENT FIRST BORN CHILD FOR THIS. My two favorite Forbidden Men: Mason and Noel....connected in the same book-in each POV-in some way??? Their siblings IN LOVE????? GIVE ME THIS BOOK NOW!!!! I NEEDS IT.
I NEEDS IT NOW.
June 6, 2016
4.25 Stars
<3 Brandt & Sarah. Another wonderful addition to the Forbidden Men series. Each installment has been equally unique and heartfelt.
I'll try to properly review soon, but if you are a fan of this series, I can't see you not enjoying this friends to lovers story. I'm so behind on GR and reviews, and reading in general. I'm trying to catch up, but it is a bit overwhelming. lol.
May 29, 2016
*****5 Stars*****
“This right here—every single piece of you—is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
Wow, wow and WOW! What a beautiful, heartfelt story. Priceless (Forbidden Men #8) literally pulled at all of my heartstrings. For anyone who has read the whole Forbidden Men series, this story can make you feel a bit nostalgic and emotional. I absolutely fell in love with Linda’s writing in her first book “Price of A Kiss” and it continued through to “Priceless.”
Sarah and Brandt have been the best of friends since they were thirteen and this means “Priceless” is a friends-to-lovers story; which are some of my absolute favourite romances to read and this one was no exception. Just to witness their relationship develop from childhood best friends to a love that was so profound and captivating was absolutely beautiful.
“I think I was in love with Brandt. Like love-love, the gooey, kissy, get married, make babies and live happily ever after kind of love.”
I found Sarah and Brandt’s relationship to be somewhat extraordinarily intense and deep. For anyone who has read “Price of A Kiss” (Forbidden Men #1), they would know that Sarah has Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is a debilitating disorder which affects one’s muscle control and is caused by damage to the brain, so she was confined to a wheelchair. Sarah was an extraordinary human being. She wasn’t miserable or having her own pity party, she was living with the hand she was dealt, with so much strength, grace and dignity.
“I shuddered from the love and peace his words wrought, and commanded myself to feel no depression whatsoever just because he only saw me as a friend. He was the best friend I’d ever had or ever could have, and I was honoured to be just that.”
I loved Brandt instantly. He was a typical trailer park kid from the wrong side of the tracks, who had a really disturbing childhood and as a result had the most creepy and distressing memories that followed him. He loved Sarah. He was the perfect best friend for her, he was protective, possessive and there was nothing in the world he would not do for her. They’re whole relationship was beautiful from the first moment they met when they were thirteen and I was so anxious for the beautiful love to unfold within each page.
“I could lose everyone I know and everything I had, and I would still be able to handle it as long as I still had you. You’re the only person who does matter to me.”
Priceless was such an enthralling read and I was captivated from the first page. It was the most ideal friends-to-lovers read. Linda Kage was able to capture all the elements perfectly. I loved absolutely everything about this book and it is not one which I will easily forget. Once I finished reading, my heart was so full with love I felt for this story and these characters. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves the ultimate friends-to-lovers romance stories and wants to read something that pulls at all your heartstrings. I’m jealous of anyone who has the pleasure of reading this story for the first time (as I would love to do it again) and I will continue to gush over it for a long time.
“This right here—every single piece of you—is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
Wow, wow and WOW! What a beautiful, heartfelt story. Priceless (Forbidden Men #8) literally pulled at all of my heartstrings. For anyone who has read the whole Forbidden Men series, this story can make you feel a bit nostalgic and emotional. I absolutely fell in love with Linda’s writing in her first book “Price of A Kiss” and it continued through to “Priceless.”
Sarah and Brandt have been the best of friends since they were thirteen and this means “Priceless” is a friends-to-lovers story; which are some of my absolute favourite romances to read and this one was no exception. Just to witness their relationship develop from childhood best friends to a love that was so profound and captivating was absolutely beautiful.
“I think I was in love with Brandt. Like love-love, the gooey, kissy, get married, make babies and live happily ever after kind of love.”
I found Sarah and Brandt’s relationship to be somewhat extraordinarily intense and deep. For anyone who has read “Price of A Kiss” (Forbidden Men #1), they would know that Sarah has Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is a debilitating disorder which affects one’s muscle control and is caused by damage to the brain, so she was confined to a wheelchair. Sarah was an extraordinary human being. She wasn’t miserable or having her own pity party, she was living with the hand she was dealt, with so much strength, grace and dignity.
“I shuddered from the love and peace his words wrought, and commanded myself to feel no depression whatsoever just because he only saw me as a friend. He was the best friend I’d ever had or ever could have, and I was honoured to be just that.”
I loved Brandt instantly. He was a typical trailer park kid from the wrong side of the tracks, who had a really disturbing childhood and as a result had the most creepy and distressing memories that followed him. He loved Sarah. He was the perfect best friend for her, he was protective, possessive and there was nothing in the world he would not do for her. They’re whole relationship was beautiful from the first moment they met when they were thirteen and I was so anxious for the beautiful love to unfold within each page.
“I could lose everyone I know and everything I had, and I would still be able to handle it as long as I still had you. You’re the only person who does matter to me.”
Priceless was such an enthralling read and I was captivated from the first page. It was the most ideal friends-to-lovers read. Linda Kage was able to capture all the elements perfectly. I loved absolutely everything about this book and it is not one which I will easily forget. Once I finished reading, my heart was so full with love I felt for this story and these characters. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves the ultimate friends-to-lovers romance stories and wants to read something that pulls at all your heartstrings. I’m jealous of anyone who has the pleasure of reading this story for the first time (as I would love to do it again) and I will continue to gush over it for a long time.
Read
May 28, 2016Self Note: After this review i am really tired of "authors excusing the Heroes behaviour with their meaningless sexual encounters with women prior to their tragic past" I know people with tragic pasts and they don't become a manwhores because of that! And this happens while the heroine is in the picture and have to know about it and he loved her at the time? That's CHEATING! Heroine is a "VIRGIN" so she cannot experience anything and he can go around and have it all!!! What a double standards!
Whats the appeal with the virgin heroine and a Hero manwhore? Do we still live in victorian times? Why the women cannot have sex with anyone and the men can have sex with everyone? Why the power imbalance? Why the women has to be put in the "second category"
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
WHY CAN WE HAVE A HEROINE WITH SEXUAL EXPERIENCE FOR A CHANGE???
Whats the appeal with the virgin heroine and a Hero manwhore? Do we still live in victorian times? Why the women cannot have sex with anyone and the men can have sex with everyone? Why the power imbalance? Why the women has to be put in the "second category"
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 2, 2017
There is no secret that I totally love Linda Kage and her Forbidden Series. After Asher’s story I just had a feeling Brandt and Sarah will make me cry bog tears, and of course I was right. After Quinn, this Gamble is my favorite from the series, and my review will make you understand why.
The book follows Sarah, Mason’s little sister and Brandt Gamble, Noel’s brother. At the beginning we have some flashbacks on how the 2 of them befriended and we could see that their friendship runs deep. Sarah was the first person to talk to Brandt after Noel brought his brothers to live with him. At that time he was very shaken up, traumatized by his drugged mother and Sarah was his savior. Although things were not very simple for her either. She had cerebral palsy, a disease that was making her use a wheelchair and that enabled her to properly use her body appropriate. Still, she was amazingly smart and with a heart of gold. Having this illness, she was very a very close person, without friends, because everyone was judging her for her exterior.
Brandt didn’t:) He was there for her every time, telling her how amazing and smart she is, what a good job she does in her recovery and what a great friend she is. He always saw her as beautiful, not giving a damn about her illness or limitations and in this was he began to love her. Their friendship love became something else throughout the years, but none of them had the courage to say anything because they were afraid of ruining their connection.
I loved the previous books but this one was extremely touching and sweet because I read about 2 best friends that are desperate for each other and that are ready to sacrifice anything to see the other well and happy. The kind of bond Sarah and Brandt had was one of a kind and it really overwhelmed me. There were some lines that made me tear up and I loved Brandt so much for growing up to be this wonderful and selfless man who helped Sarah so much.
This idea of seeing beyond the exterior, of loving someone despite physical limitations and only cherishing her beautiful soul made me love Brandt soooo much and admiring him. Even if he had such a hard childhood, without a proper mother, he grew up extremely well with her brothers and Aspen and I think Linda did a wonderful job in creating this character to give a lesson to those who only admire a shell instead of what lies inside.
I hope I convinced you to give this book a try and to really experience a true and genuine love story:)
5 stars!!!
For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com
The book follows Sarah, Mason’s little sister and Brandt Gamble, Noel’s brother. At the beginning we have some flashbacks on how the 2 of them befriended and we could see that their friendship runs deep. Sarah was the first person to talk to Brandt after Noel brought his brothers to live with him. At that time he was very shaken up, traumatized by his drugged mother and Sarah was his savior. Although things were not very simple for her either. She had cerebral palsy, a disease that was making her use a wheelchair and that enabled her to properly use her body appropriate. Still, she was amazingly smart and with a heart of gold. Having this illness, she was very a very close person, without friends, because everyone was judging her for her exterior.
Brandt didn’t:) He was there for her every time, telling her how amazing and smart she is, what a good job she does in her recovery and what a great friend she is. He always saw her as beautiful, not giving a damn about her illness or limitations and in this was he began to love her. Their friendship love became something else throughout the years, but none of them had the courage to say anything because they were afraid of ruining their connection.
I loved the previous books but this one was extremely touching and sweet because I read about 2 best friends that are desperate for each other and that are ready to sacrifice anything to see the other well and happy. The kind of bond Sarah and Brandt had was one of a kind and it really overwhelmed me. There were some lines that made me tear up and I loved Brandt so much for growing up to be this wonderful and selfless man who helped Sarah so much.
This idea of seeing beyond the exterior, of loving someone despite physical limitations and only cherishing her beautiful soul made me love Brandt soooo much and admiring him. Even if he had such a hard childhood, without a proper mother, he grew up extremely well with her brothers and Aspen and I think Linda did a wonderful job in creating this character to give a lesson to those who only admire a shell instead of what lies inside.
I hope I convinced you to give this book a try and to really experience a true and genuine love story:)
5 stars!!!
For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com
July 27, 2017
4 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was a book that I had been looking forward too ever since we first got the glimpse of their strong connection in Asher's story, The Girl's Got Secrets. I personally don't know anyone with Cerebral Palsy, but I feel like Ms. Kage was really respectful of the diagnosis and all of the insecurities, struggles, and strengths that go along with it. Brandt made the story for me! I understand that many will have issues with the fact that he slept around before they changed their relationship -- but please don't. His love for the h was so genuine and there are reasons behind it. If you really have to know those reasons, pm me and I'll give you extra spoilers...but I really hope people will give this unique story a chance. I bet you could get away with just reading this one as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading them all so you can see all of these characters grow into an amazing family!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Sarah and Brandt's story. Sarah is brave one day and sends a friend request through Facebook to her brother's coworker/friend's little brother that is in the same grade as her and is about to start at her school. They hit it off and become fast best-friends regardless of her CP disability. Through the years, we get glimpses of them bonding through hard times and loving each other not only as friends but romantically too -- but neither of them see that the other feels the same, and they don't want to jeopardize their most valued relationshipand cross that line. Eventually they do, and they fall even more in love and get a HFN ending.
POV: This alternated between Sarah and Brandt's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and it flowed well. I just wanted more in the end! ;)
Instalove: No. They are friends first that later develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 5 stars. Brandt. I have loved him since we met him in To Professor, with Love when he was a foul-mouthed punk. I loved him even more when we realized the strong connection he had with Sarah in Asher's book. He was so loving, loyal, and protective of Sarah. It broke my heart to hear what he had been through, and it explained a lot about why he did what he did and made me forgive him for it.
h rating: 4 stars. Sarah. I have liked her since we met her in Price of a Kiss. She is a great, strong character that struggles with a serious disorder.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. This covers some heavy themes, and I did tear up a few times -- but nothing to where I needed tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Moderate/low. They take a while to cross the line from best friends to more, so they only have a few scenes. The ones they do have are pretty hot though.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: Yes. Condoms are used, and no mention of previous practices for the H.
OW/OM drama: Mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had a cute epilogue, but (of course) I wanted more! I would call it a HFN ending. There is a teaser for the next book (Colton's story) that was their wedding, but I wanted more closure in this book for them. Maybe a major jump ahead epilogue like we got in the other books...
How I got it: It was on loan through booklending.com
Safety: Safe with exception
Overall Opinion: This was a book that I had been looking forward too ever since we first got the glimpse of their strong connection in Asher's story, The Girl's Got Secrets. I personally don't know anyone with Cerebral Palsy, but I feel like Ms. Kage was really respectful of the diagnosis and all of the insecurities, struggles, and strengths that go along with it. Brandt made the story for me! I understand that many will have issues with the fact that he slept around before they changed their relationship -- but please don't. His love for the h was so genuine and there are reasons behind it. If you really have to know those reasons, pm me and I'll give you extra spoilers...but I really hope people will give this unique story a chance. I bet you could get away with just reading this one as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading them all so you can see all of these characters grow into an amazing family!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Sarah and Brandt's story. Sarah is brave one day and sends a friend request through Facebook to her brother's coworker/friend's little brother that is in the same grade as her and is about to start at her school. They hit it off and become fast best-friends regardless of her CP disability. Through the years, we get glimpses of them bonding through hard times and loving each other not only as friends but romantically too -- but neither of them see that the other feels the same, and they don't want to jeopardize their most valued relationshipand cross that line. Eventually they do, and they fall even more in love and get a HFN ending.
POV: This alternated between Sarah and Brandt's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and it flowed well. I just wanted more in the end! ;)
Instalove: No. They are friends first that later develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 5 stars. Brandt. I have loved him since we met him in To Professor, with Love when he was a foul-mouthed punk. I loved him even more when we realized the strong connection he had with Sarah in Asher's book. He was so loving, loyal, and protective of Sarah. It broke my heart to hear what he had been through, and it explained a lot about why he did what he did and made me forgive him for it.
h rating: 4 stars. Sarah. I have liked her since we met her in Price of a Kiss. She is a great, strong character that struggles with a serious disorder.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. This covers some heavy themes, and I did tear up a few times -- but nothing to where I needed tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Moderate/low. They take a while to cross the line from best friends to more, so they only have a few scenes. The ones they do have are pretty hot though.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: Yes. Condoms are used, and no mention of previous practices for the H.
OW/OM drama: Mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had a cute epilogue, but (of course) I wanted more! I would call it a HFN ending. There is a teaser for the next book (Colton's story) that was their wedding, but I wanted more closure in this book for them. Maybe a major jump ahead epilogue like we got in the other books...
How I got it: It was on loan through booklending.com
Safety: Safe with exception
December 2, 2018
This is the 8th book in the FORBIDDEN MEN series and we met our heroine Sarah, in Book 1. She is the little sister of the hero Mason there. And she has cerebral palsy, needs a wheelchair, has seizures every now and then and she is no low maintenance girl-friend, as you can imagine. However, she is so smart, beautiful and full of life.
Sarah is pretty, both inside and out. She has dark hair and blue eyes. She is a sparkling beauty in a wheelchair. My heart ached for her. She craves to be normal, wants to be treated as normal, she wants to have friends but because of her condition, she is often mocked or avoided by the students in her school, being regarded as the “school’s freak”.
I really was hesitant before starting to read this book, not knowing how the writer handled her situation or how she would make me believe in the solidity of her relationship with someone.
But then, I got more than I ever expected. Everything was so sweet, emotional, tender and heart-warming as well as hot. And most of all, it was convincing. I believed in their love, I believed in their relationship and I gave them all my blessings all through their story.
The hero in this novel is Brandt, (my new favorite hero in all his glory)... He is Noel’s (Hero in Book 2) little brother.
The paths of Sarah and Brandt cross when they are 13 years old. Their friendship and their addiction to one another was awesome. I melted like butter on a hot pan, or a cone of ice cream under the sun, whatever, you get the idea...
The way they needed each other in their lives, the way they supported and soothed one another in times of stress and despair touched my heart and soul.
Brandt reminded Sarah of Sam Winchester of the Supernatural series the first time they met. He has this chocolate brown hair and blue eyes. He is also beautiful inside and out, he is hot, cute and tender, the best boyfriend material in fact, no matter how fucked up he thinks he is because of his childhood trauma...
The way he protected her from the bullies at school, the way he loved, worshiped and craved for her...OMG, it was amazing... And the way he suffered when something happened to her ... Oh, I felt his pain in my heart, too...
These two practically grew up together, sharing everything, but Sarah was like a pure angel he couldn’t dare touch, so they were just best friends for 9 years... She was his priceless and precious...
“The only word that tumbled around in my head when I looked at her was: mine.”
***
“Sarah was everything pure and sweet and good. Sex was dirty. Dirty and Sarah should never even be breathed in the same sentence.
So why had I been so tempted to get dirty with her a few seconds ago?"
No matter how much in love with her he was, or no matter how much he wanted her, Brandt never made any moves for fear of losing her because she was the only thing he couldn’t live without. She was his sanity...
“Sarah was my steady when everything else felt unstable. She was the voice of reason when I was being unreasonable.”
***
“I could lose everyone I know and everything I had, and I’d still be able to handle it as long as I still had you. You’re the only person who does matter to me.”
So, he had meaningless sex with other girls and for everything else, he had Sarah. Therefore, he never needed a stable relationship with a girl, he never had a girlfriend.
“I didn’t enter relationships. I hooked up with women who were also only interested in nothing but the nookie with me, and I didn’t stay friends with any of my past partners. I had Sarah for anything that wasn’t sexual, so I had no use for anything else but a good time from others.”
And the girls he hooked up with for a while didn't understand how much he cared about Sarah until he told them in their face...
“I’ll always choose her over anyone.”
This went on like that until Sara went on her first date when she was 22 years old and wanted to experience more... Brandt couldn’t handle the idea of Sarah being with someone else in that way. He always thought she would stay “sexless”, but then he was shocked.
“This right here—every single piece of you—is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
***
Quietly, calmly, though barely keeping myself in check, I asked, “Did he touch you?”
“No, he didn’t touch me,” she repeated from between clenched teeth just as the first tear tracked down her cheek.
“So this is all because he didn’t touch you? Yeah right. I’m not buying it. I’m going to kill him.”
Sarah finally looked up at me. “No. Just leave it alone.” “The hell with that. You’re crying .”
“Brandt.”
“You contacted me, Sarah, asking me for help. Well, this is how I deal with it. That fucker hurt you, so he dies.”
She snorted out an incredulous laugh and shook her head. “You don’t even know what he did.”
“I don’t have to. You’re upset, and that’s enough to make me want to break his face.”
From then on, things get complicated and messy and then all happy, sappy and cheerful but of course, later some tragic events happen. As you can imagine, there are ups and downs, there are happy and hot moments, there are some sad ones, all resulting in one big happy end, of course :)
The sweet and hot moments like the ones below outweigh the sad ones, so it was an enjoyable read for me.
“You can’t carry me that far,” I called, making him pause. Glancing across the cab of the pickup at me, he lifted a single challenging eyebrow. “Watch me.”
As he shut the door and took off, I watched him through the window, smilingly giddily. I don’t know why I followed his demand and stayed like a good pet, but I was having fun...
***
“You promise nothing will change between us?” I asked.
Her eyes glittered with all kinds of guarantees as she answered, “I promise.”
I pushed the rest of the way inside her. And everything changed.
***
“Hey, if you’re leaving the bed, then so am I.” His lips crinkled into a strange sort of pout. “I want to stay with you right now.”
Laughing, I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my forehead to his jaw as he carried me from my room. “So you want to go to the bathroom with me?”
“I’m feeling clingy,” he growled, sending me an irritable glance. “Deal with it.”
“Okay.” Still chuckling, I sighed and let him carry me until we reached the bathroom..
...
“I can’t believe you just stood there and listened to me pee.”
***
The book is told both by Sarah and Brandt and it was good to be in the minds of both characters... And both characters have a fun way of telling their story.
Brandt: Freezing, with my arm raised, I said, “I’m not losing it.” I was in complete, utter, murderous control.
***
Sarah: “Devastated, heartbroken, enraged at his mother, scared for him, shitty for scaring him off with my mere presence, and just...pretty much every other awful emotion ever invented, plus maybe a couple that hadn’t been yet.”
This book also had a lot of fun moments with the characters from all the previous books. Here are some:
Brandt, Noel & Aspen:
“Hey, you two!” I yelled toward the opened door of my room. “Get your lips off each other, already, and pay a little attention to your son, why don’t you?”
Noel and Aspen appeared in the doorway. “What’s he done now?” Noel asked.
“Nothing.” I shoved my wallet into my back pocket as I slipped my feet into my tennis shoes. “He’s just lonely. So stop trying to make him a new brother or sister and play with the one you have. I’ve got places to be.”
Sarah & Reese:
“That boy is completely and irrevocably in love with you. He worships the ground you roll upon. And it’s clear as day you love him back.”
***
“If he gets himself into trouble, it’ll be all my fault.”
“Don’t worry. After years of watching all those strange movies with you that you love so much, I’m sure he knows how to hide a body without getting caught by now.”
“Reese,” I shrieked, aghast.
Mason, Brandt & Sarah:
“Hey, Brandt.” He frowned, obviously confused. “I didn’t know you were here. I didn’t hear anyone at the door this evening.”
Brandt cleared his throat as he moved out from behind my wheelchair to stop at my side. “I didn’t come in through the door.” Calmly he reached down to take my hand. “I climbed in through Sarah’s bedroom window.”
I choked on my surprise, unable to believe he was admitting that. All the while, Mason zeroed his attention down to where Brandt was holding my hand. When he looked up, he was scowling suspiciously.
“Her bedroom window,” he echoed.
When Brandt nodded, Mason narrowed his eyes. “Have you done that a lot?”
“Only a couple times,” Brandt answered, “... a week... for the past seven years.”
P.S. To get the utmost pleasure from these books, you should read them in order, not that you wouldn’t understand them as stand-alone, but you will never know what you will be missing if you do not read them in order...
Oh, and also the story of Julianna & Colton in the next book begins here, because she has a crush on Brandt, i.e., Colton’s brother. So, as I said before, read them in order :)
Sarah is pretty, both inside and out. She has dark hair and blue eyes. She is a sparkling beauty in a wheelchair. My heart ached for her. She craves to be normal, wants to be treated as normal, she wants to have friends but because of her condition, she is often mocked or avoided by the students in her school, being regarded as the “school’s freak”.
I really was hesitant before starting to read this book, not knowing how the writer handled her situation or how she would make me believe in the solidity of her relationship with someone.
But then, I got more than I ever expected. Everything was so sweet, emotional, tender and heart-warming as well as hot. And most of all, it was convincing. I believed in their love, I believed in their relationship and I gave them all my blessings all through their story.
The hero in this novel is Brandt, (my new favorite hero in all his glory)... He is Noel’s (Hero in Book 2) little brother.
The paths of Sarah and Brandt cross when they are 13 years old. Their friendship and their addiction to one another was awesome. I melted like butter on a hot pan, or a cone of ice cream under the sun, whatever, you get the idea...
The way they needed each other in their lives, the way they supported and soothed one another in times of stress and despair touched my heart and soul.
Brandt reminded Sarah of Sam Winchester of the Supernatural series the first time they met. He has this chocolate brown hair and blue eyes. He is also beautiful inside and out, he is hot, cute and tender, the best boyfriend material in fact, no matter how fucked up he thinks he is because of his childhood trauma...
The way he protected her from the bullies at school, the way he loved, worshiped and craved for her...OMG, it was amazing... And the way he suffered when something happened to her ... Oh, I felt his pain in my heart, too...
These two practically grew up together, sharing everything, but Sarah was like a pure angel he couldn’t dare touch, so they were just best friends for 9 years... She was his priceless and precious...
“The only word that tumbled around in my head when I looked at her was: mine.”
***
“Sarah was everything pure and sweet and good. Sex was dirty. Dirty and Sarah should never even be breathed in the same sentence.
So why had I been so tempted to get dirty with her a few seconds ago?"
No matter how much in love with her he was, or no matter how much he wanted her, Brandt never made any moves for fear of losing her because she was the only thing he couldn’t live without. She was his sanity...
“Sarah was my steady when everything else felt unstable. She was the voice of reason when I was being unreasonable.”
***
“I could lose everyone I know and everything I had, and I’d still be able to handle it as long as I still had you. You’re the only person who does matter to me.”
So, he had meaningless sex with other girls and for everything else, he had Sarah. Therefore, he never needed a stable relationship with a girl, he never had a girlfriend.
“I didn’t enter relationships. I hooked up with women who were also only interested in nothing but the nookie with me, and I didn’t stay friends with any of my past partners. I had Sarah for anything that wasn’t sexual, so I had no use for anything else but a good time from others.”
And the girls he hooked up with for a while didn't understand how much he cared about Sarah until he told them in their face...
“I’ll always choose her over anyone.”
This went on like that until Sara went on her first date when she was 22 years old and wanted to experience more... Brandt couldn’t handle the idea of Sarah being with someone else in that way. He always thought she would stay “sexless”, but then he was shocked.
“This right here—every single piece of you—is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
***
Quietly, calmly, though barely keeping myself in check, I asked, “Did he touch you?”
“No, he didn’t touch me,” she repeated from between clenched teeth just as the first tear tracked down her cheek.
“So this is all because he didn’t touch you? Yeah right. I’m not buying it. I’m going to kill him.”
Sarah finally looked up at me. “No. Just leave it alone.” “The hell with that. You’re crying .”
“Brandt.”
“You contacted me, Sarah, asking me for help. Well, this is how I deal with it. That fucker hurt you, so he dies.”
She snorted out an incredulous laugh and shook her head. “You don’t even know what he did.”
“I don’t have to. You’re upset, and that’s enough to make me want to break his face.”
From then on, things get complicated and messy and then all happy, sappy and cheerful but of course, later some tragic events happen. As you can imagine, there are ups and downs, there are happy and hot moments, there are some sad ones, all resulting in one big happy end, of course :)
The sweet and hot moments like the ones below outweigh the sad ones, so it was an enjoyable read for me.
“You can’t carry me that far,” I called, making him pause. Glancing across the cab of the pickup at me, he lifted a single challenging eyebrow. “Watch me.”
As he shut the door and took off, I watched him through the window, smilingly giddily. I don’t know why I followed his demand and stayed like a good pet, but I was having fun...
***
“You promise nothing will change between us?” I asked.
Her eyes glittered with all kinds of guarantees as she answered, “I promise.”
I pushed the rest of the way inside her. And everything changed.
***
“Hey, if you’re leaving the bed, then so am I.” His lips crinkled into a strange sort of pout. “I want to stay with you right now.”
Laughing, I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my forehead to his jaw as he carried me from my room. “So you want to go to the bathroom with me?”
“I’m feeling clingy,” he growled, sending me an irritable glance. “Deal with it.”
“Okay.” Still chuckling, I sighed and let him carry me until we reached the bathroom..
...
“I can’t believe you just stood there and listened to me pee.”
***
The book is told both by Sarah and Brandt and it was good to be in the minds of both characters... And both characters have a fun way of telling their story.
Brandt: Freezing, with my arm raised, I said, “I’m not losing it.” I was in complete, utter, murderous control.
***
Sarah: “Devastated, heartbroken, enraged at his mother, scared for him, shitty for scaring him off with my mere presence, and just...pretty much every other awful emotion ever invented, plus maybe a couple that hadn’t been yet.”
This book also had a lot of fun moments with the characters from all the previous books. Here are some:
Brandt, Noel & Aspen:
“Hey, you two!” I yelled toward the opened door of my room. “Get your lips off each other, already, and pay a little attention to your son, why don’t you?”
Noel and Aspen appeared in the doorway. “What’s he done now?” Noel asked.
“Nothing.” I shoved my wallet into my back pocket as I slipped my feet into my tennis shoes. “He’s just lonely. So stop trying to make him a new brother or sister and play with the one you have. I’ve got places to be.”
Sarah & Reese:
“That boy is completely and irrevocably in love with you. He worships the ground you roll upon. And it’s clear as day you love him back.”
***
“If he gets himself into trouble, it’ll be all my fault.”
“Don’t worry. After years of watching all those strange movies with you that you love so much, I’m sure he knows how to hide a body without getting caught by now.”
“Reese,” I shrieked, aghast.
Mason, Brandt & Sarah:
“Hey, Brandt.” He frowned, obviously confused. “I didn’t know you were here. I didn’t hear anyone at the door this evening.”
Brandt cleared his throat as he moved out from behind my wheelchair to stop at my side. “I didn’t come in through the door.” Calmly he reached down to take my hand. “I climbed in through Sarah’s bedroom window.”
I choked on my surprise, unable to believe he was admitting that. All the while, Mason zeroed his attention down to where Brandt was holding my hand. When he looked up, he was scowling suspiciously.
“Her bedroom window,” he echoed.
When Brandt nodded, Mason narrowed his eyes. “Have you done that a lot?”
“Only a couple times,” Brandt answered, “... a week... for the past seven years.”
P.S. To get the utmost pleasure from these books, you should read them in order, not that you wouldn’t understand them as stand-alone, but you will never know what you will be missing if you do not read them in order...
Oh, and also the story of Julianna & Colton in the next book begins here, because she has a crush on Brandt, i.e., Colton’s brother. So, as I said before, read them in order :)
Shelved as 'avoid'
December 2, 2018I'm sorry! This may be a beautiful book and all but hero claiming he loves heroine yet he has sex like a bunny with other women while being in love with the other heroine BECAUSE he loves her and it's for her benefit, and then ends up fucking her anyway? In what universe is this romantic? I don't care for the reason. I don't CARE how big the trauma in your life was. You're not a whore because of the trauma. You were already a whore. The trauma just gives you an excuse to dip your dick in as many holes you can before finding the magic one. AKA. The heroine's. And she had to know ALL about it! Do you have ANY idea how traumatising THAT could be? So why doesn't she turn into a sex prodigy? Oh yes, of course, silly me. Because she was stupid enough to start WITH the magic penis so now she's bound to it. If you are SUCH a good friend may be you should have told her that she should have her fill of ordinary penis before touching the magic one, and we could have had a level field, no?
This is inexcusable. This is 21st century. We're busting our asses as women activists to have equal rights and women liberation. Yet I swear THESE books are secret weapons to manipulate our thinking back to the Victorian era. I swear that's the case. It MUST be a propaganda.
And his oh-so-convenient reason: I fuck other women BECAUSE I love her.
I am not even going to TRY using asterisks. This is fucked up!
This is inexcusable. This is 21st century. We're busting our asses as women activists to have equal rights and women liberation. Yet I swear THESE books are secret weapons to manipulate our thinking back to the Victorian era. I swear that's the case. It MUST be a propaganda.
And his oh-so-convenient reason: I fuck other women BECAUSE I love her.
I am not even going to TRY using asterisks. This is fucked up!
August 23, 2016
★★★★★ 5 Stars ★★★★★
LOVE! I have so many feelings for this series, I love all of the characters, the way it's written, the angst, the emotion, I love it all.
Priceless takes us on Brandt and Sarah's journey, which starts when they are 13 and both suffering from traumatic events caused by their respective families. A friendship begins, and strong unbreakable bonds are formed. From teenage angst through to college graduation, I devoured every page of this epic romance.
Brandt is overly protective of Sarah due to her Cerebral Palsy, but she loves him for the fact that he sees past her disability and treats her like a normal girl. He loves her more than anything in the world, but because of his issues, he chooses to keep their relationship on a platonic level.
I was rooting for these two so much, and it was an angsty wait to get there, but when they finally see each other clearly for the first time, it was ever so sweet.
As usual, Linda Kage delivers a gripping story, with superb character depth and all the feels.
Can't wait for the next!
Priceless can be read as a standalone, but forms part of an ongoing series based on the bartenders working at Forbidden Nightclub. A contemporary New Adult Romance.
Images featured in this review were created by me using stock images either purchased from deposit photo or from free stock sites.
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LOVE! I have so many feelings for this series, I love all of the characters, the way it's written, the angst, the emotion, I love it all.
Priceless takes us on Brandt and Sarah's journey, which starts when they are 13 and both suffering from traumatic events caused by their respective families. A friendship begins, and strong unbreakable bonds are formed. From teenage angst through to college graduation, I devoured every page of this epic romance.
Brandt is overly protective of Sarah due to her Cerebral Palsy, but she loves him for the fact that he sees past her disability and treats her like a normal girl. He loves her more than anything in the world, but because of his issues, he chooses to keep their relationship on a platonic level.
I was rooting for these two so much, and it was an angsty wait to get there, but when they finally see each other clearly for the first time, it was ever so sweet.
As usual, Linda Kage delivers a gripping story, with superb character depth and all the feels.
Can't wait for the next!
Priceless can be read as a standalone, but forms part of an ongoing series based on the bartenders working at Forbidden Nightclub. A contemporary New Adult Romance.
Images featured in this review were created by me using stock images either purchased from deposit photo or from free stock sites.
March 21, 2021
Reread 21/03/2021 - Whoa, my heart is still squeezing in my chest, even after all this time.
-------------------------------
Original review:
“This right here—every single piece of you—is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
MY HEART. My heart might have just exploded.
This book is seriously perfect. I absolutely loved it and there’s nothing I didn’t adore about it. I find myself not able to find words to describe how much this book made feel.
So f*cking beautiful.
I am not the one to brag about intuition, clairvoyance or some other esoteric talents but I will definitely be the one to brag about being right. And my gut was indeed spot on. Brandt and Sarah’s story is heart wrenching and one of the most beautiful romances I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time. Everything about them is so f*cking precious I can’t. I JUST CAN’T.
“You, me, together,” he said, his teeth nipping at my earlobe. “Permanently, being as clingy and possessive, jealous, space-invading boyfriend and girlfriend as we want, because this is happening. We are so fucking happening together. Whether you like it or not, you’re mine…just as I’ve been yours for years. So…do you got all that?”
Brandt is hands down my favorite forbidden men, and you guessed right if you think it took me two minutes to fall head over heels for him. But what really moved me was the relationship between him and Sarah. It is so precious I can not even begin to describe it. Sarah is such a strong and brave young woman who is not defined by her cerebral palsy, and I couldn’t adore more the way she faced life. So fiercely.
This book tells Brandt and Sarah’s story from the very beginning, they meet when they are kids and they become best friends, him seeing beyond Sarah’s cerebral palsy and her seeing beyond Brandt’s outcast rep. They grow up together and their strong friendship matures and unfolds into … AH!
There was not a thing I didn’t love. Not-a-thing.
-------------------------------
Original review:
“This right here—every single piece of you—is very precious cargo to me. If anyone mistreated it, I’d lose my shit. You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
MY HEART. My heart might have just exploded.
This book is seriously perfect. I absolutely loved it and there’s nothing I didn’t adore about it. I find myself not able to find words to describe how much this book made feel.
So f*cking beautiful.
I am not the one to brag about intuition, clairvoyance or some other esoteric talents but I will definitely be the one to brag about being right. And my gut was indeed spot on. Brandt and Sarah’s story is heart wrenching and one of the most beautiful romances I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time. Everything about them is so f*cking precious I can’t. I JUST CAN’T.
“You, me, together,” he said, his teeth nipping at my earlobe. “Permanently, being as clingy and possessive, jealous, space-invading boyfriend and girlfriend as we want, because this is happening. We are so fucking happening together. Whether you like it or not, you’re mine…just as I’ve been yours for years. So…do you got all that?”
Brandt is hands down my favorite forbidden men, and you guessed right if you think it took me two minutes to fall head over heels for him. But what really moved me was the relationship between him and Sarah. It is so precious I can not even begin to describe it. Sarah is such a strong and brave young woman who is not defined by her cerebral palsy, and I couldn’t adore more the way she faced life. So fiercely.
This book tells Brandt and Sarah’s story from the very beginning, they meet when they are kids and they become best friends, him seeing beyond Sarah’s cerebral palsy and her seeing beyond Brandt’s outcast rep. They grow up together and their strong friendship matures and unfolds into … AH!
There was not a thing I didn’t love. Not-a-thing.
September 25, 2019
y’all this book was cute as hell.
ok, first things first, i dislike when an H supposedly “loves” h but goes on to be a ho. i hate it because what the heck is the point ya know? i don’t believe H loves the h if he’s intimate with a bunch of OW.
but here?
i didn’t mind it as much.
why you say?
because i get it. what he went through when he was a kid was heartbreaking and i definitely understand his mindset. Brandt thought he was dirty and Sarah was the only clean and pure thing in his life so he wanted to separate that.
and the fact that he thought the h didn’t love him back because the h unknowingly broke his heart and implicitly rejected him when they were 16 years old? so sad.
but his love for her? i BELIEVE it. making me believe is really important if there’s a trope like this and it’s rare for me to even like an H like Brandt but i loved him.
i know some people may still be hesitant because of this trope but trust that Brandt really REALLY only loves Sarah. it was complicated as hell though.
“You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
❥ characters
Sarah was such a cute, sarcastic dork and i loved her! she has cerebral palsy and her strength and determination was so admirable to me. and she’s also likes Supernatural so obviously imma like her automatically.
Brandt was too cute for words. his love for Sarah was so genuine and swoony, i was aww-ing all the damn time.
yes, he was a little bit of a man ho and yes i didn’t really like that but again, i understand why he was like that. thank god they only mentioned his man ho ways in the past for only 2 chapters and in a very subtle way. i don’t like it when their blunt with their OW sexcapades.
and when Sarah started dating and he was all jealous?
ok gotta admit i was a little petty and i was all like yes, now you know it feels and all that but i loved how he started fighting for her even though he didn’t know he was fighting for her but us readers know he definitely was FIGHTING FOR HER.
see? complicated as hell.
“You matter,” I murmured, knowing the next few words I said may just be the most important thing I ever uttered. “I could lose everyone I know and everything I had, and I’d still be able to handle it as long as I still had you. You’re the only person who does matter to me.”
_________________________
honestly, there were so many cute moments here i couldn’t keep count.
this was such a great friends to lovers, slow burn romance! even though i wanted more time spent on them being an actual couple, i loved all the push and pull.
ok, first things first, i dislike when an H supposedly “loves” h but goes on to be a ho. i hate it because what the heck is the point ya know? i don’t believe H loves the h if he’s intimate with a bunch of OW.
but here?
i didn’t mind it as much.
why you say?
because i get it. what he went through when he was a kid was heartbreaking and i definitely understand his mindset. Brandt thought he was dirty and Sarah was the only clean and pure thing in his life so he wanted to separate that.
and the fact that he thought the h didn’t love him back because the h unknowingly broke his heart and implicitly rejected him when they were 16 years old? so sad.
but his love for her? i BELIEVE it. making me believe is really important if there’s a trope like this and it’s rare for me to even like an H like Brandt but i loved him.
i know some people may still be hesitant because of this trope but trust that Brandt really REALLY only loves Sarah. it was complicated as hell though.
“You’re not just my best friend, you’re my sanity. You’re priceless, Sarah.”
❥ characters
Sarah was such a cute, sarcastic dork and i loved her! she has cerebral palsy and her strength and determination was so admirable to me. and she’s also likes Supernatural so obviously imma like her automatically.
Brandt was too cute for words. his love for Sarah was so genuine and swoony, i was aww-ing all the damn time.
yes, he was a little bit of a man ho and yes i didn’t really like that but again, i understand why he was like that. thank god they only mentioned his man ho ways in the past for only 2 chapters and in a very subtle way. i don’t like it when their blunt with their OW sexcapades.
and when Sarah started dating and he was all jealous?
ok gotta admit i was a little petty and i was all like yes, now you know it feels and all that but i loved how he started fighting for her even though he didn’t know he was fighting for her but us readers know he definitely was FIGHTING FOR HER.
see? complicated as hell.
“You matter,” I murmured, knowing the next few words I said may just be the most important thing I ever uttered. “I could lose everyone I know and everything I had, and I’d still be able to handle it as long as I still had you. You’re the only person who does matter to me.”
_________________________
honestly, there were so many cute moments here i couldn’t keep count.
this was such a great friends to lovers, slow burn romance! even though i wanted more time spent on them being an actual couple, i loved all the push and pull.
November 12, 2016
I absolutely loved this book, so many feels, so much love and heart, perfect!!! <3
Shelved as 'avoid'
April 8, 2023Self note avoid. “I fuck other woman, because I love her” 👀
The H was sexually abused once as a child by his his mother, so he sleeps with multiple ow while seeing and developing feelings for the h. He viewed sex as dirty, and meaningless and wanted to keep the h pure and virginal. So he fucks ow like a rabbit while claiming to love the h. 🙄🙄🙄
Great for him, I guess, this is still fucking disgusting and I have no wish to read this trope. Cheating is cheating, I dont care if they weren’t official. No one wants to read about a manwhore who blames his slutty ways on his abuse, all the while profusely claiming to love the h lol. 🙄
The H was sexually abused once as a child by his his mother, so he sleeps with multiple ow while seeing and developing feelings for the h. He viewed sex as dirty, and meaningless and wanted to keep the h pure and virginal. So he fucks ow like a rabbit while claiming to love the h. 🙄🙄🙄
Great for him, I guess, this is still fucking disgusting and I have no wish to read this trope. Cheating is cheating, I dont care if they weren’t official. No one wants to read about a manwhore who blames his slutty ways on his abuse, all the while profusely claiming to love the h lol. 🙄
October 5, 2018
Another awesome re-read down ;) 10/5/18
I liked every book I've read in the series so far. Some I loved more than others....yes Pick, I'm talking about you....but they were all very good !!
Even though this book isn't my most favorite, because that honor still goes to Pick, it's a very close second.
Brandt is Noel's younger brother. When he is 13, Noel takes him and his younger brother and sister, away from their neglectfull fucked up mom to come and live with him and his girlfriend Aspen.
This is how he meets Sarah. We first met Sarah in book 1. She is Mason's younger sister who has CP. They get to know each other through facebook, because their brothers are friends, but they meet for the first time in high school.
They become fast friends and eventually the best of friends. They both are one half of whole and it was amazing reading about the strong bond between the two of them.
When they get older, their feelings for one another start to change. They don't tell each other though. Sarah thinks that Brandt sees her as some sexless person and Brandt doesn't want to fuck up his friendship with her...especially because he has some issues from his past.
When they are 22, Sarah starts dating, which scares the shit out of Brandt. He is afraid of losing the friendship they have when Sarah finds someone else. Sarah's first date doesn't go as planned however and she falls apart. She only wants to be normal and have some of what other girls have. She wants a first kiss and she wants to have sex...just like everyone else. So she asks the one person she truly loves and trusts to help her.....
Damn these two broke my heart. This story was so beautiful, but also emotional at times. I loved Sarah, she was such a strong character and Brandt...damn that boy/man was awesome !!
If you like a strong heroine, an amazing hero, some awesome steam and a 'friends to lovers' story, than you should definitely give this one a try !!!
I liked every book I've read in the series so far. Some I loved more than others....yes Pick, I'm talking about you....but they were all very good !!
Even though this book isn't my most favorite, because that honor still goes to Pick, it's a very close second.
Brandt is Noel's younger brother. When he is 13, Noel takes him and his younger brother and sister, away from their neglectfull fucked up mom to come and live with him and his girlfriend Aspen.
This is how he meets Sarah. We first met Sarah in book 1. She is Mason's younger sister who has CP. They get to know each other through facebook, because their brothers are friends, but they meet for the first time in high school.
They become fast friends and eventually the best of friends. They both are one half of whole and it was amazing reading about the strong bond between the two of them.
When they get older, their feelings for one another start to change. They don't tell each other though. Sarah thinks that Brandt sees her as some sexless person and Brandt doesn't want to fuck up his friendship with her...especially because he has some issues from his past.
When they are 22, Sarah starts dating, which scares the shit out of Brandt. He is afraid of losing the friendship they have when Sarah finds someone else. Sarah's first date doesn't go as planned however and she falls apart. She only wants to be normal and have some of what other girls have. She wants a first kiss and she wants to have sex...just like everyone else. So she asks the one person she truly loves and trusts to help her.....
Damn these two broke my heart. This story was so beautiful, but also emotional at times. I loved Sarah, she was such a strong character and Brandt...damn that boy/man was awesome !!
If you like a strong heroine, an amazing hero, some awesome steam and a 'friends to lovers' story, than you should definitely give this one a try !!!
June 10, 2016
5 Priceless Stars
I’ve been skipping around in this series. I loved the first book, Price of a Kiss and when I realized the main Heroine in Priceless was in a wheelchair, well I needed to read this one.
Priceless is a wonderful read, it’s heart-warming and it will make your insides tingle. It’s about best friends, loyalty and overcoming obstacles.
The first thing I noticed about this book is that it’s written in order, so I loved the flow. The book starts with Brandt and Sarah when they first meet in their tween years and each chapter is them growing up. I love reading how Brandt and Sarah meet and I love reading how they became best friends.
Sarah is in a wheel chair because she has CP and Brandt is the new kid in town with a bad past. Both of them have mommy and daddy issues and because of that, they have each other. Brandt doesn’t see Sarah as anything more but his awesome best friend.
The beginning part of the book really warmed my heart and it was adorable to read. I loved how much Brandt cared for Sarah and I loved how Sarah embraced her best friend. The book shifts towards the middle of the book and the best friends are young adults.
Priceless is a meaty book, so you get a lot of character build up and understanding of where both characters come from. I completely empathized with Sarah. Yes, she had some damsel in distress moments, but the author never made her weak. I loved that Sarah was this tough cookie and I loved that she had a crush on her very attractive best friend.
Brandt also loves Sarah, she’s everything to him, but he feels that she only wants a friendship and that’s all he gives her. In the mean, he’s a big player. I love Brandt because he’s the broody over the top hero I just melt for. Gosh, his possessiveness and protectiveness towards Sarah is really hot.
The tension is crazy wild since the two only want to remain friends so nothing messes up. Or at least they both think they do.
Overall, it was a sweet read and I enjoyed every moment of it. I really connected to the characters, the storyline, everything! It was the perfect read.
Price of a Kiss #1 AMAZON | REVIEW
To Professor, with Love #1 AMAZON
Be My Hero #3 AMAZON | REVIEW
With Every Heartbeat #4 AMAZON
A Perfect Ten #5 AMAZON
Worth it #6 AMAZON
The Girl Got Secrets #7 AMAZON
Priceless #8 AMAZON
I’ve been skipping around in this series. I loved the first book, Price of a Kiss and when I realized the main Heroine in Priceless was in a wheelchair, well I needed to read this one.
Priceless is a wonderful read, it’s heart-warming and it will make your insides tingle. It’s about best friends, loyalty and overcoming obstacles.
The first thing I noticed about this book is that it’s written in order, so I loved the flow. The book starts with Brandt and Sarah when they first meet in their tween years and each chapter is them growing up. I love reading how Brandt and Sarah meet and I love reading how they became best friends.
Sarah is in a wheel chair because she has CP and Brandt is the new kid in town with a bad past. Both of them have mommy and daddy issues and because of that, they have each other. Brandt doesn’t see Sarah as anything more but his awesome best friend.
The beginning part of the book really warmed my heart and it was adorable to read. I loved how much Brandt cared for Sarah and I loved how Sarah embraced her best friend. The book shifts towards the middle of the book and the best friends are young adults.
Priceless is a meaty book, so you get a lot of character build up and understanding of where both characters come from. I completely empathized with Sarah. Yes, she had some damsel in distress moments, but the author never made her weak. I loved that Sarah was this tough cookie and I loved that she had a crush on her very attractive best friend.
Brandt also loves Sarah, she’s everything to him, but he feels that she only wants a friendship and that’s all he gives her. In the mean, he’s a big player. I love Brandt because he’s the broody over the top hero I just melt for. Gosh, his possessiveness and protectiveness towards Sarah is really hot.
The tension is crazy wild since the two only want to remain friends so nothing messes up. Or at least they both think they do.
Overall, it was a sweet read and I enjoyed every moment of it. I really connected to the characters, the storyline, everything! It was the perfect read.
Price of a Kiss #1 AMAZON | REVIEW
To Professor, with Love #1 AMAZON
Be My Hero #3 AMAZON | REVIEW
With Every Heartbeat #4 AMAZON
A Perfect Ten #5 AMAZON
Worth it #6 AMAZON
The Girl Got Secrets #7 AMAZON
Priceless #8 AMAZON
June 26, 2017
5 fantastic stars!
This was an AMAZING read. Kudos to Linda Kage for writing this not so stereotypical romance. Her research into this medical condition was so thorough as i've had my own professional experience with these patients. She's managed to infuse humour and fun into this otherwise very serious diagnosis.
This was one book i was anticipating in the Forbidden series as we always got a small peek into Brandt and Sarah's lives from books 1-7. Sarah Arturo is Mason Lowe's younger sister whom we all meet in the first book and we all know she has cerebral palsy along with all its' complications. We know she's mainly wheelchair bound and requires a lot of attention and help from her family. What we do not know is that Sarah is an independent(as her condition allows), witty, smart girl with a mind of her own. She has dreams, passion and wants to really live life to the fullest. But due to her disability, she knows she can't do and want most things girls her age are experiencing and hence keeps herself aloof and guarded. The only person who sees her as she truly is, is Brandt Gamble.
Brandt, oh my god, Brandt. He just may be my favourite Forbidden hero now. Just when i thought i could not read about a more generous, self assured, protective and compassionate forbidden hero. He superseded all my expectations. He was IN LOVE with Sarah and was willing to do anything to keep a smile on her face. Although he had his own demons to fight, his devotion and loyalty to Sarah was just incredible. I.loved.him.
Keeping their emotions in check so as not to lose their sacred friendship, Sarah and Brandt dance around their feelings for 9 years until Sarah realises she's missing out on too much pinning after a man who may never want her. Gutted by that fact, Sarah starts exploring ways to get her first date, her first kiss and finally lose her virginity card. Upon hearing her plans, Brandt unleashes his possessive side and hence the drama starts. He played her protector, her best friend and ultimately her lover. Everything was so natural, so real- i just could not help rooting for a happily ever after for this pair.
I LOVED reading Brandt and Sarah's friends to lovers story. I LOVED that i got to re-visit EVERY character from the other books. Having a crush on each and every one of those forbidden heroes as they fell in love, i was blown away seeing them now so devoted to their children *my heart can't take it anymore* (I especially LOVED that Noel Gamble assumed Brandt and Sarah were already together for the last 9 years and kept asking what the big deal was about.. LOL)
A wonderful continuation to this series. If you've read the blurb and thought this was going to be a depressing read, i implore you to give it a chance anyway as the the author has managed to make Sarah a happy, funny and beautiful heroine despite being on a wheelchair.
A definite recommendation!
P/S:I want to thank the author Linda Kage for this wonderful Kindle book gift. I was a one-in-five winner for her giveaway of Priceless. THANK YOU xoxo
This was an AMAZING read. Kudos to Linda Kage for writing this not so stereotypical romance. Her research into this medical condition was so thorough as i've had my own professional experience with these patients. She's managed to infuse humour and fun into this otherwise very serious diagnosis.
This was one book i was anticipating in the Forbidden series as we always got a small peek into Brandt and Sarah's lives from books 1-7. Sarah Arturo is Mason Lowe's younger sister whom we all meet in the first book and we all know she has cerebral palsy along with all its' complications. We know she's mainly wheelchair bound and requires a lot of attention and help from her family. What we do not know is that Sarah is an independent(as her condition allows), witty, smart girl with a mind of her own. She has dreams, passion and wants to really live life to the fullest. But due to her disability, she knows she can't do and want most things girls her age are experiencing and hence keeps herself aloof and guarded. The only person who sees her as she truly is, is Brandt Gamble.
Brandt, oh my god, Brandt. He just may be my favourite Forbidden hero now. Just when i thought i could not read about a more generous, self assured, protective and compassionate forbidden hero. He superseded all my expectations. He was IN LOVE with Sarah and was willing to do anything to keep a smile on her face. Although he had his own demons to fight, his devotion and loyalty to Sarah was just incredible. I.loved.him.
Keeping their emotions in check so as not to lose their sacred friendship, Sarah and Brandt dance around their feelings for 9 years until Sarah realises she's missing out on too much pinning after a man who may never want her. Gutted by that fact, Sarah starts exploring ways to get her first date, her first kiss and finally lose her virginity card. Upon hearing her plans, Brandt unleashes his possessive side and hence the drama starts. He played her protector, her best friend and ultimately her lover. Everything was so natural, so real- i just could not help rooting for a happily ever after for this pair.
I LOVED reading Brandt and Sarah's friends to lovers story. I LOVED that i got to re-visit EVERY character from the other books. Having a crush on each and every one of those forbidden heroes as they fell in love, i was blown away seeing them now so devoted to their children *my heart can't take it anymore* (I especially LOVED that Noel Gamble assumed Brandt and Sarah were already together for the last 9 years and kept asking what the big deal was about.. LOL)
A wonderful continuation to this series. If you've read the blurb and thought this was going to be a depressing read, i implore you to give it a chance anyway as the the author has managed to make Sarah a happy, funny and beautiful heroine despite being on a wheelchair.
A definite recommendation!
P/S:I want to thank the author Linda Kage for this wonderful Kindle book gift. I was a one-in-five winner for her giveaway of Priceless. THANK YOU xoxo
September 23, 2023
4/5 ⭐️ Oh gosh that first chapter made me sick to my stomach. Please be aware before going in that in the first few pages of this book there is one scene of Brandt (the Hero) being molested by his mother. Omg that was so heartbreaking to read. My heart broke for him!
Brandt literally stole my heart ❤️. I loved him so much. He was so protective and caring. He and Sarah were literal soulmates. The bond that they had was unbreakable. They became best friends in middle school and we get a few chapters of them as teens when they first meet.
Sarah has CP and all she ever wanted was to feel normal. Brandt comes from a trailer park and he has had such a traumatizing childhood.
So this book has a manwhore hero but you don’t really see any of his shenanigans on page. Only like twice when he is a teenager in past chapters and it is not really descriptive. I usually hate when the hero is so “in love” with the heroine but still sleeps around. In this case though, it was different because of what happened to Brandt as a kid. That traumatized him so much that he developed such an unhealthy view of sex. He viewed sex as something dirty and Sarah was all pure and innocence to him so he didn’t want to taint her. He also thought that Sarah didn’t see him as anything other than a friend.
It was understandable to me why he kept sleeping around. He was broken and he really believed that he was too dirty for Sarah. They were 16 when he realized he loved her. He was going to tell her but she said she saw him as a friend so he never told her he loved her. It was so sad 😭.
You can still really feel how much he loves Sarah. He puts her first every time. He is very protective of her at all times. His protectiveness knew no bounds! He would literally punch anyone who ever dared look at her wrong🥹. Sarah was such a beautiful character! I loved her so much. She was sarcastic and a bit dorky. She was just so lovely. I adored her. It was so entertaining seeing how jealous Brandt got when Sarah wanted to go on dates with other guys! 🙌🏼😆.
Overall, this was a sweet, heartbreaking, and beautiful friends to lovers romance and I fell in love with Brandt and Sarah. They deserve each other ❤️.
The only reason why it’s not a perfect 5 star read is because of Brandt pushing Sara away and vice versa a bit towards the end. It really go on my nerves 😭. I also wanted a proper epilogue and not a chapter of the next book 🙄.
Brandt literally stole my heart ❤️. I loved him so much. He was so protective and caring. He and Sarah were literal soulmates. The bond that they had was unbreakable. They became best friends in middle school and we get a few chapters of them as teens when they first meet.
Sarah has CP and all she ever wanted was to feel normal. Brandt comes from a trailer park and he has had such a traumatizing childhood.
So this book has a manwhore hero but you don’t really see any of his shenanigans on page. Only like twice when he is a teenager in past chapters and it is not really descriptive. I usually hate when the hero is so “in love” with the heroine but still sleeps around. In this case though, it was different because of what happened to Brandt as a kid. That traumatized him so much that he developed such an unhealthy view of sex. He viewed sex as something dirty and Sarah was all pure and innocence to him so he didn’t want to taint her. He also thought that Sarah didn’t see him as anything other than a friend.
It was understandable to me why he kept sleeping around. He was broken and he really believed that he was too dirty for Sarah. They were 16 when he realized he loved her. He was going to tell her but she said she saw him as a friend so he never told her he loved her. It was so sad 😭.
You can still really feel how much he loves Sarah. He puts her first every time. He is very protective of her at all times. His protectiveness knew no bounds! He would literally punch anyone who ever dared look at her wrong🥹. Sarah was such a beautiful character! I loved her so much. She was sarcastic and a bit dorky. She was just so lovely. I adored her. It was so entertaining seeing how jealous Brandt got when Sarah wanted to go on dates with other guys! 🙌🏼😆.
Overall, this was a sweet, heartbreaking, and beautiful friends to lovers romance and I fell in love with Brandt and Sarah. They deserve each other ❤️.
The only reason why it’s not a perfect 5 star read is because of Brandt pushing Sara away and vice versa a bit towards the end. It really go on my nerves 😭. I also wanted a proper epilogue and not a chapter of the next book 🙄.
December 1, 2021
dnf @ 45%
not bad not good. it coulda gotten worse / better in the last half but ive no desire to continue on so just gonna settle w 2.25✨
not bad not good. it coulda gotten worse / better in the last half but ive no desire to continue on so just gonna settle w 2.25✨
July 2, 2017
*****5 Brandt Priceless Stars*****
"No, it´s better. Better than anything money could buy. It´s Priceless"
Well, I guess that made sense, since she was my priceless
Me enamoré de Brandt
Amé a Sarah
Todavía no me decido si para mí es el mejor libro de la serie pero si está en mi top 3 y hasta puedo asegurar que desplazó a mi Mason y mi sexy Pick auch me duele admitirlo.
Disfruté mucho esta historia, además que la esperaba tanto con altas expectativas y no me defraudó todo lo contrario. Comienza con una gran introducción, un prólogo largo de varias etapas de su vida con escenas que y habíamos leído durante la serie, (precisamente fueron esas escenas que me hicieron que lo ansiara tanto), pero con el punto de vista de ellos hasta llegar a la etapa adulta .
La relación de Sarah y Brandt me sacó muchos suspiros, derramaban miel cada vez que estaban juntos y veía corazoncitos por todos lados no veía la hora en que se declararan su amor.
Brandt: Se me hizo tan lindo, la manera en que protegia a Sarah awww se robó mi corazón y me sorprendió mucho ese lado dominante controlador, tan sexy y SÍ, me hubieran gustado más escenas hot.
Sarah: Ay siempre he querido a Sarah, es que ella es tan sweet and cute, que te dan ganas de protegerla de la gente mala, de todo los personaje ella es la que más se merecía ser feliz y que mejor que con Brandt. La forma en que Linda Kage manejó su parálisis cerebral fue muy realista, me hubiera gustado que no fuera taaanto porque pobre ya había sufrido mucho.
Ay como odié a la mamá de Mason y Sara y ala señora Gamble no merecían tener hijos eran una perras desgraciadas, otra cosa que odié es la chica que le van a poner a Colton oh por favor ! él no es el premio de consolación de nadie. Linda Kage empezaste muy mal tu próximo libro.
Conclusión: Todas la personas con una capacidad diferente deben ser tratadas con el mismo respeto y de la misma manera en que queremos que nos traten, no se vale discriminar porque al igual que nosotros ellos también tienen sentimientos, además que son las personas que más valores tienen, yo creo que por eso este libro me gustó tanto
"No, it´s better. Better than anything money could buy. It´s Priceless"
Well, I guess that made sense, since she was my priceless
Me enamoré de Brandt
Amé a Sarah
Todavía no me decido si para mí es el mejor libro de la serie pero si está en mi top 3 y hasta puedo asegurar que desplazó a mi Mason y mi sexy Pick auch me duele admitirlo.
Disfruté mucho esta historia, además que la esperaba tanto con altas expectativas y no me defraudó todo lo contrario. Comienza con una gran introducción, un prólogo largo de varias etapas de su vida con escenas que y habíamos leído durante la serie, (precisamente fueron esas escenas que me hicieron que lo ansiara tanto), pero con el punto de vista de ellos hasta llegar a la etapa adulta .
La relación de Sarah y Brandt me sacó muchos suspiros, derramaban miel cada vez que estaban juntos y veía corazoncitos por todos lados no veía la hora en que se declararan su amor.
Brandt: Se me hizo tan lindo, la manera en que protegia a Sarah awww se robó mi corazón y me sorprendió mucho ese lado dominante controlador, tan sexy y SÍ, me hubieran gustado más escenas hot.
Sarah: Ay siempre he querido a Sarah, es que ella es tan sweet and cute, que te dan ganas de protegerla de la gente mala, de todo los personaje ella es la que más se merecía ser feliz y que mejor que con Brandt. La forma en que Linda Kage manejó su parálisis cerebral fue muy realista, me hubiera gustado que no fuera taaanto porque pobre ya había sufrido mucho.
Ay como odié a la mamá de Mason y Sara y ala señora Gamble no merecían tener hijos eran una perras desgraciadas, otra cosa que odié es la chica que le van a poner a Colton oh por favor ! él no es el premio de consolación de nadie. Linda Kage empezaste muy mal tu próximo libro.
Conclusión: Todas la personas con una capacidad diferente deben ser tratadas con el mismo respeto y de la misma manera en que queremos que nos traten, no se vale discriminar porque al igual que nosotros ellos también tienen sentimientos, además que son las personas que más valores tienen, yo creo que por eso este libro me gustó tanto
July 4, 2016
It all started with a friends request... 4.5 Stars!
I’ve forgotten how much I missed being captivated in Linda Kage’s words!
Being a huge fan of her books for well over 2 years now, I’ve watched all the characters grow together and when I found out Sarah was getting her own book I was giddy as fuck!
This story was so much fun to read and being reunited with all these characters was a fucking hoot! Yes I would have liked to have seen my Pick and my Eva more but that’s purely my own selfish reasons J
The main thing I loved about Sarah and Brandt was there friendship and I loved that it all started with a Facebook friends request!
I loved how over protective he was with her and how much he loved her. Sarah was such a beautiful soul and at times my heart broke for her. I felt just as protective as Brandt did in those times. When she hurt, I hurt and don’t get me fucking started with Brandt’s childhood! I could have fucking cut his mums fucking face off!
I was so mad! One thing I wished we got in this story was justice for him and his brothers and sister. I felt she got off way too easy! That was my only issue apart from that I loved it and can’t fucking wait for Colton’s book!!!
May 25, 2016
What a gorgeous read this was. I’ll admit I was a little nervous to read this one after Asher’s book which didn’t really work for me. Well, I absolutely adored Brandt and Sarah’s story.
Brandt is going on my “Perfect Hero” shelf, because that’s just what he is. Caring, supportive, loyal and so darn protective all the while terrified his love for her was going to ruin their beautiful friendship. I loved the both of them genuinely liked, cared for and loved each other 110%, even if it took them a while to admit their true feelings. Linda Kage pitched their relationship just right too with no ridiculous drama, no long separations – yes they had their fallouts but it was never blown out of proportion because they both needed each other so much. There were issues and problems to overcome, and this was all handled so well that at times I forgot I was reading about youngsters still in college.
I think the best of Brandt comes with him not seeing Sarah’s disability or her wheelchair. He saw HER, to the exclusion of all else. To see him love her like that gave me chills. Their love is definitely a once in a lifetime love, and it was an absolute pleasure to read although I did have a couple of niggles and I would have loved a longer, more in the future epilogue. That said these niggles haven't affected my overall 5 star rating.
Whilst I really liked both characters as well as the rest of the Forbidden Men, Brandt knocks spots off the rest of them.
Brandt is going on my “Perfect Hero” shelf, because that’s just what he is. Caring, supportive, loyal and so darn protective all the while terrified his love for her was going to ruin their beautiful friendship. I loved the both of them genuinely liked, cared for and loved each other 110%, even if it took them a while to admit their true feelings. Linda Kage pitched their relationship just right too with no ridiculous drama, no long separations – yes they had their fallouts but it was never blown out of proportion because they both needed each other so much. There were issues and problems to overcome, and this was all handled so well that at times I forgot I was reading about youngsters still in college.
I think the best of Brandt comes with him not seeing Sarah’s disability or her wheelchair. He saw HER, to the exclusion of all else. To see him love her like that gave me chills. Their love is definitely a once in a lifetime love, and it was an absolute pleasure to read although I did have a couple of niggles and I would have loved a longer, more in the future epilogue. That said these niggles haven't affected my overall 5 star rating.
Whilst I really liked both characters as well as the rest of the Forbidden Men, Brandt knocks spots off the rest of them.
November 5, 2016
3.5 Stars
Synopsis: Two best friends must overcome their own past, their own fears and insecurities as they fall in love and grow into adults.
The best bits: I think this is one of the only romances that involves a heroine with cerebral palsy. Kage has done a brilliant job! Sweet, sensitive and utterly romantic.
The worst bit: The way the characters spoke seemed a little childish. 'Boobies', 'meanie', 'demandy-pants', 'she tasted as sweet as a berry', 'the gooey kissy love' ... I don't know, it was just weird to read some of these words during a sex scene. At least for me.
However, more importantly this book really needed a warning! The first chapter has an abhorent rape scene which I did NOT see coming! I was horrified and repulsed and if I knew it was going to happen, I honestly wouldn't have chosen to read this book. It's just not something I like to read about.
SO BE WARNED!! There is a rape scene in the beginning of this book and it is a major plot line for one of the main characters. This scene may disturb some readers.
Recommended for: Fans of the forbidden series, fans of best-friends-to-lovers romance, fans of tortured/damaged heroes looking to be saved and kick-arse heroines who want to save them.
Synopsis: Two best friends must overcome their own past, their own fears and insecurities as they fall in love and grow into adults.
The best bits: I think this is one of the only romances that involves a heroine with cerebral palsy. Kage has done a brilliant job! Sweet, sensitive and utterly romantic.
The worst bit: The way the characters spoke seemed a little childish. 'Boobies', 'meanie', 'demandy-pants', 'she tasted as sweet as a berry', 'the gooey kissy love' ... I don't know, it was just weird to read some of these words during a sex scene. At least for me.
However, more importantly this book really needed a warning! The first chapter has an abhorent rape scene which I did NOT see coming! I was horrified and repulsed and if I knew it was going to happen, I honestly wouldn't have chosen to read this book. It's just not something I like to read about.
SO BE WARNED!! There is a rape scene in the beginning of this book and it is a major plot line for one of the main characters. This scene may disturb some readers.
Recommended for: Fans of the forbidden series, fans of best-friends-to-lovers romance, fans of tortured/damaged heroes looking to be saved and kick-arse heroines who want to save them.
May 23, 2016
Great job, Linda!
I really loved this one and it is definitely my favourite book in the series.
Brandt could possibly be one of the best book boyfriends... EVER!
Do yourself a favour and read it.
I really loved this one and it is definitely my favourite book in the series.
Brandt could possibly be one of the best book boyfriends... EVER!
Do yourself a favour and read it.
June 4, 2016
Pleeeease, move the cursor, and click to add it to your to-read list. I am watching you, don't stall. You just have to read it.
Okay now that the important stuff is over with, lets get on with the review.
What we have here is a gem of a story. We've got the old friends to lovers trope so need I say more? But wait! That is not all. We also have the author bravely , not just touching but hugging the crap out of the subject of disability. And boy did I fall head over heels in love with both the story and the hot male lead.
Very honestly, I tend to steer away from chick lits that discuss specially able characters. Its not that I have a bias against the subject, but I've always found the way the subject is dealt with, very uncomfortable. I am super duper ecstatic that this book wasn't like that. I'd been rooting for the leads from word one till the last and maybe I'll keep doing it till eternity. That's how much it all affected me. The story stays with you even after the book ends and its such a pleasant feeling.
As an afterthought, I can see some readers who have been disturbed by the subject of incestuous rape in the story. There is a part in the story where the male leads makes an emotional admission about the incident that happened to him. Before anybody goes about being Judge Judy, please look up the internet and clarify all your doubts about rape. I am not going to say much. I've already given a major spoiler. But seriously, don't treat the characters harshly, Except for the rapist of course. Feel free to feel the need to think of all kinds of torturous punishments. I know I did.
Okay now that the important stuff is over with, lets get on with the review.
What we have here is a gem of a story. We've got the old friends to lovers trope so need I say more? But wait! That is not all. We also have the author bravely , not just touching but hugging the crap out of the subject of disability. And boy did I fall head over heels in love with both the story and the hot male lead.
Very honestly, I tend to steer away from chick lits that discuss specially able characters. Its not that I have a bias against the subject, but I've always found the way the subject is dealt with, very uncomfortable. I am super duper ecstatic that this book wasn't like that. I'd been rooting for the leads from word one till the last and maybe I'll keep doing it till eternity. That's how much it all affected me. The story stays with you even after the book ends and its such a pleasant feeling.
As an afterthought, I can see some readers who have been disturbed by the subject of incestuous rape in the story. There is a part in the story where the male leads makes an emotional admission about the incident that happened to him. Before anybody goes about being Judge Judy, please look up the internet and clarify all your doubts about rape. I am not going to say much. I've already given a major spoiler. But seriously, don't treat the characters harshly, Except for the rapist of course. Feel free to feel the need to think of all kinds of torturous punishments. I know I did.
August 26, 2020
This book is about Brandt and Sarah. They were introduced in To Professor, with Love and Price of a Kiss respectively. I was excited to read this book because both characters intrigued me in the previous books also I wanted to know how the author handles a romance with protagonists with cerebral palsy.
I didn't know about cerebral palsy until the show 911 and I was really curious. I have to admit the author portrayed everything very well and it made a lot of sense. Both protagonists were best friends and slowly develops feelings.
I loved how they both supported and protected each other.
A moment of appreciation of Brandt, Noel, and Aspen,
Can we appreciate Aspen more? because she really is their mother.
When Colton said this to Daisy, I was overwhelmed with emotion. All in all, I totally enjoyed this book.
I didn't know about cerebral palsy until the show 911 and I was really curious. I have to admit the author portrayed everything very well and it made a lot of sense. Both protagonists were best friends and slowly develops feelings.
“You, me, together,” he said, his teeth nipping at my earlobe. “Permanently, being as clingy and possessive, jealous, space-invading boyfriend and girlfriend as we want, because this is happening. We are so fucking happening together. Whether you like it or not, you’re mine...just as I’ve been yours for years. So...do you got all that?”
I loved how they both supported and protected each other.
A moment of appreciation of Brandt, Noel, and Aspen,
“Hey, you two!” I yelled toward the opened door of my room. “Get your lips off each other, already, and pay a little attention to your son, why don’t you?”
My call worked. Seconds later, both Noel and Aspen appeared in the doorway.
“What’s he done now?” Noel asked.
“Nothing.” I shoved my wallet into my back pocket as I slipped my feet into my tennis shoes. “He’s just lonely. So stop trying to make him a new brother or sister and play with the one you have. I’ve got places to be.”
Can we appreciate Aspen more? because she really is their mother.
“You are not my mother.” His voice was low and certain as he spoke. “My mother’s name is Aspen.”
When Colton said this to Daisy, I was overwhelmed with emotion. All in all, I totally enjoyed this book.
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