Thank you to Corinne Michaels and the team at Valentine PR for the advance reader copy of Forbidden Hearts, the first book in the Whitlock Family series.
I am so very excited to see Corinne taking on these tropes, who doesn’t love a single dad falling for his new nanny? This is also a return to one of Corinne’s most special settings, Sugarloaf and there may be a little Arrowood cameo or two.
First rule of being a nanny? Don’t fall for the single dad, even if he is smoking hot.
But that’s exactly what happens when grumpy small-town sheriff Asher Whitlock reluctantly hires me to take care of his daughter for the summer. Neither of us is thrilled with the arrangement, but he’s desperate for help, and I need the money for grad school this fall.
All we need to do is keep our distance and remain professional . . . turns out, that’s easier said than done.
Instead of focusing on my future, all I see is the strong jawline, crystal-blue eyes, and rock-hard body right in front of me. We try to resist each other, but we end up crossing every line until I’m in his bed.
I tell myself it’s just this once.
Okay, twice.
All right, every night.
But it’s got to end–he’s fourteen years older than me, with a kid and a stressful job. Have I mentioned my dad is his boss? Then there’s the past I’m trying to forget. Secrets aren’t easy to keep and mine are getting too big to hide.
Walking away is never simple but when I do, I can’t look back.
Even if it means leaving behind the man I was never meant to love.
Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
- Characters: Pheobe and Asher are our leads and I really liked both of their characters. When we meet Pheobe she has come back home early from grad school, why you may ask? Well read to find out but let’s just say she is facing a tough situation and it was admirable that she was determined to return to her master’s program at another school. While she is home for the summer she must help Asher and his daughter Olivia. They are stranded without a nanny for the summer, specifically, someone who speaks ASL as Olivia is deaf. Asher is his father and he will be taking up single-dad duties for the summer. He was never in a romantic relationship with her mother, instead, they chose to keep Olivia and raise her together. While her mom is out of town this summer for work Asher reluctantly hires Pheobe to help. Asher is a cop and a great dad, when we meet him he is a bit of a grump. Asher is initially annoyed by Pheobe but that soon changes and things heat up. While Pheobe loves everyone with her whole heart and is great with Olivia.
- Setting: Sugarloaf is the small town this story is set in. It is the same town as Corinne Michaels’ Arrowood Brothers series. It is an adorable town, full of a great cast of side characters. There are so many characters there to give great advice to both Asher and Pheobe. Most intriguing were the other Whitlock Brothers, I cannot wait to see what becomes of their stories.
- Pacing: This story takes place over a summer holiday and it was paced quite well. I was a bit slumpy in my own reading, and so this took me longer than it should have.
- Romance: This romance was pretty damn electric. It was so cute to see Pheobe fall for Asher quickly and debate what to do about it. Just to have Asher struggling with keeping his hands to himself. They were both so good for each other. Asher really deserved to have someone to love and someone who loved him after sacrificing for his daughter for so long. While Pheobe deserved to be shown that love is not toxic and she was worthy of great love.
Forbidden Hearts receives four out of five stars.
You can pick up the story below…
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Thank you again to Corinne and the Valentine PR team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
