Forbidden by Tia Louise

*I was given a free, advanced copy of this book for reviewing purposes.*

Forbidden is the newest release from author Tia Louise and is the fourth book in the Hamiltown Heat series. This time, we’re getting to know Dirk (Hutch’s brother), the ‘tech geek’ of the group, and Reanna.

I reviewed the third book in this series, For Your Eyes Only, when it was released last year. Read my review here.

Initial Thoughts

After reading the first 2 chapters of the book, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the book as much as I did. But, I trusted the author, and I’m so glad I did! The first chapters set up the story, and while they have the same characters and same relationships between them, they have a different tone than the rest of the story.

I’m not really ‘into’ the teacher/student trope. I don’t dislike it necessarily, but there’s others I would go for first if choosing a book to read. But, this had some mafia elements in it, as well as good guys vs. bad guys. Both of those are right up my alley. That being said, I wasn’t really sure how I’d like the teacher and student plot.

Dirk is incredibly intelligent and protective of those he cares about. He does everything with a high level of intensity. So when he finds out who Reanna really is, his rejection of her is just as intense as their beginning was. You really can’t blame him for reacting the way he did.

Final Verdict on Forbidden

Overall, I really liked Forbidden. The twist wasn’t as big as in the other books in the series, but I liked that aspect of it. It felt like the natural end to the story (not that I would have hated more moments between Dirk and Raenna!).

If you’ve read any of the other books in the series, Forbidden is a must-read. The deeper look at Dirk is worth it. I do recommend reading all of the books in the correct order. But, if you’re only going to read one of them, Dirty, Scar and Hana’s story, is still my favorite of the series.

After this book, I’m more open to reading other teacher/student books. If you have any recommendations, let me know!

Looking for more book recommendations? You can find all of my book posts here. Or, go here to check out all of my Tia Louise reviews.