Forbidden: House of Sin #1

I just finished Forbidden, book 1 in the House of Sin series. Fair warning, there is a cliffhanger at the end and going in I knew this, but was "shocked" because the last half of the book really got going. Brief synopsis: Natalie has come to New York to find out what happened to her best friend. She doesn't believe that she overdosed as everyone thinks. She gets a job at the same modeling agency and immediately is being played between two brothers, Gio and Luc. The question is which one truly has her interests at heart? This leads her down a road that she wasn't ready to go and puts her in all types of danger. I don't want to leave any spoilers, but I will say the cliffhanger is a full circle moment for our heroine, Natalie, as to why she started her quest to begin with. The is a very adult and dark story. It is told from both Luc and Natalie's point of view. It starts a little slow so you have to be patient, but the payoff is worth it. There is a little bit of everything, suspense, action, and some very intense scenes. These characters run the spectrum. They are flawed, confused, entitled, naive, dangerous, possessive, caring and loving. I am intrigued by the storytelling and look forward to the next book. ARC received by author in exchange for an honest review.

First, let me tell you that this story definitely has a cliffhanger and it is my understanding that it will take 3 books for the author to tell readers the whole story. That being said, let’s get to the review of the first House of Sin story - Forbidden: Elizabeth Naughton always creates wonderful characters full of depth and characteristics that ensure that readers really want to get to know them and learn their stories, so you can be sure that while this book is different from her other paranormal or romantic suspense stories, the characters will captivate you from the very beginning and hold you hostage until the end. There is wonderful electrifying chemistry between the hero and heroine and the story if full of anticipation building suspense that keeps readers engaged and on the edge of their seats with twists and turns to keep them guessing. Although, I must say that I found Forbidden to be a bit on the slow side in regards to the pace of the story, the House of Sin serial is off to a great start as I was completely caught up in the events taking place and getting to know the characters, so I am definitley looking forward to reading the rest of the story, luckily the release schedule means I don’t have to wait too long in between the three parts, so until next time….

4.25 stars--FORBIDDEN is the first instalment in Elisabeth Naughton’s contemporary, adult HOUSE OF SIN dark, erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on twenty-four year old, American Natalie James, and thirty-two year old Italian businessman Luciano Salvatici’s story line. NOTE: Due to the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers. Told from dual first person perspectives (Luc and Natalie) FORBIDDEN is a dark, erotic romance story line that follows the building but contemptuous relationship between Luc Salvatici and Natalie James. Natalie James have never been to New York but a interview with the House of Salvatici and its fashion magazine COVET meant Natalie would have access to everything her best friend Elena had so cryptically mentioned in the weeks before her sudden death. Meeting Luciano Salvatici (aka the beast) found our heroine unwittingly drawn to the dark and mysterious CEO, a man whose instant dislike for Natalie disguised an urgency to protect her from the monsters within. What ensues is the acrimonious but highly sexual relationship between Luc and Natalie, and the fall-out as the Salvatici family history demands payment and submission from all those who dare to seek the truth. FORBIDDEN is a story that covertly and slowly reveals a dark and dangerous family secret going back hundreds of years that continues go grow in strength to the present day. The blackened, sexual nature of the family history threatens all those who dare the cross their paths, including our heroine who has inadvertently stumbled down the rabbit hole into a world that is about to destroy her life. Warned numerous times not to tread outside of the lines, our heroine’s constant need to prove she was beyond the reach of mere, mortal men finds herself in the line of fire, threatening her very existence and the heart she lost to Luciano Salvatici. Elisabeth Naughton pulls the reader into a shadow society that plays by its own rules; a family so deeply immersed into domination, power and control their own son struggles to move on from the past. The premise is dark, dramatic, erotic and intriguing; the characters are colorful, charismatic, and astonishing; the romance is fated, passionate and tragic. FORBIDDEN is a familiar story line but a story line I am desperate to see follow through.