Forbidden Love (Needles Kiss #3) Lola Stark - Review

Synopsis:

Jude and Haven share a secret.
One he willingly hides and she tries to forget, but it regardless, it has tied them together.
It's not until their relationship is discovered that Haven has a choice to make
She can pine for the man who walked away or choose a new path.
But secrets have a way of showing themselves, making it difficult for Haven to let go... And when she does, can Jude live with the consequences?

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Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00UPR0KPI...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UPR0KPI
Amazon AUS: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00UPR0KPI


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Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: March 2015.


Some books have you so enamoured before you even read them, you are literally on pins and needles waiting for them, that was the case with Forbidden Love, book three in the Needles Kiss series. I was desperate for this book, despite the time that had passed since reading Conflicted Love, the idea of diving into the lives of Jude and Haven excited me. These characters intrigued me, I wanted to know more about them, I wanted to climb inside their heads and live their stories.
And so because of this it's with a heavy heart, I have to say I struggled to connect with the characters, while I liked the concept, I liked the plot, but it felt rushed, too compact, I wanted to love Haven and Jude, I wanted to be invested, the same way I was with the two previous books in the Needles Kiss series.
Stepping into this book was like a walk down memory lane, it was like catching up with old friends, but where I knew this story would be darker than the previous books, it was the speed in which the story unfolded that gave me reason to pause. I hoped that the further I delved into Forbidden Love the more connected to the story , the more invested in the characters I would feel, but sadly I didn't.
While I enjoyed the story overall, I liked the direction Stark took, I struggled to connect on any real level. I was invested enough to continue the story, to see where the author took me as the reader but I didn't experience that overwhelming urge to know everything about these characters the way I had hoped.
For those who are already Needles Kiss fans we know that Jude is a single father of two young boys and Haven is the youngest sister of Jude's best mates Mace and Trip.
When circumstances put Jude and Haven together and their relationship changes and grows they know her brothers may not understand. When Mace and Trip find out and their relationship is ended, Haven is left broken and desolate. What follows is story of one women who's already been to hell and back and how she finds herself again.
While I enjoyed the final instalment in this series, I didn't love it the way I had hoped to, the story overall felt rushed, which ultimately lead me to not being able to become fully invested in the characters and the story, in the experience. For those who loved the series, I recommend still diving in, as always, reading in subjective, and what works for one reader may not work for another.

Teaser

Excerpt:

Chapter Two

Jude

I walked back into the garage and punched one of the big metal tool cabinets on my way past. I sucked up the pain like a drug I couldn’t cope without. Why was she here? There was something about her that was just so alluring. I couldn’t see her without wanting to fall to my goddamn knees and worship her like she was a queen amongst peasants.

Suck it up, you pussy! When did you acquire feelings?

Pushing away from the doorframe at the back of the shop, I trudged outside in my heavy boots, kicking rocks as I went. I cut off my emotions as soon as I was able. I struggled to handle these kinds of feelings; they messed with my head and left me making bad decisions. Decisions that screwed with friendships, families and futures. I couldn’t have a future with her; it just wouldn’t be good for anyone.

Sitting at the bar stool, I pulled Haven between my legs and moved my hands to run up her silky legs, stopping at the bottom of her tight black skirt. Her arms came up and circled my neck as her head came down to my face. My fingers teased the skin at the edge of her skirt as she pulled my bottom lip into her mouth and sucked, tearing a growl from my throat. My fingers stopped their progress and dug into the skin of her legs, pulling her tighter to me and deepening the torturous kiss.

In response, her hands dropped to my shoulders, her nails close to breaking the skin through my t-shirt while my fingertips ghosted over the curve where her legs met her luscious ass. The tightly wound restraint I had been keeping snapped, and I swiftly stood, picking her up. Her legs instantly wrapped around my waist and I took a few long strides to the edge of my workbench where I set her down, then pressed hard against her core and ground my hips. Haven’s hands tugged at my shirt ripping it over my head as I ran my rough hands higher and higher up her soft thighs until I hit the sweet spot. She moaned just as my mouth came down, devouring her like the starving man I was. She was my drug of choice. Her taste, touch and smell I just couldn’t get enough of it. I couldn’t get enough of her, and I didn’t need it either. Haven would always be exactly what I craved.

“Dude, snap out of it.” The voice broke me out of my reverie and yanked me back to the present. Goddamn it, I did it again. I’d been slipping into memories of Haven for weeks. I just couldn’t get her out of my head. It was fucked up, messy and it left me in a piss-ass mood for the rest of the day.

Why’d I have to fall for a girl I can’t have? That’s how it always worked though, right? The guy loved the girl he couldn’t have. Then the poor bastard pined for her for all eternity and was unable love anyone like he loved her. He’d end up miserable and alone, simply because a relationship would be selfish and do more harm than good to the people they both loved. Scrubbing my hand down my face in an effort to wipe her from my thoughts, I knew something had to give. I didn’t know how much more I could take. 

About the Author


What to say ? Errrr…
Lola hates all things sultanas.
Lola is a little strange and unusual.
Lola has no brain-to-mouth filter
(this may or may not have gotten Lola into trouble – repeatedly).
Lola is keeping Coca-cola in business one 2lt bottle at a time.
Apparently, Lola likes to talk in the third person about herself.

This here is what my profile says everywhere: Lola Stark lives in Australia, Is an at-home mummy with no filter, raising a hoard of minions. Lola has loved to read for as long as she can remember. When not wrangling the children, she can be found sitting at her computer, writing, facebooking or just generally messing around. I know, I know third person again.



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