Customer Reviews

Everything Forbidden (Avon Red)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

**This was my Recommended Read for October 2007!**

Miranda Albright has a secret. Actually, more than one secret - but it all started when she first spied her decadent neighbor making love to a woman on the grounds of his estate. Although innocent, the young Miranda was captivated by the sight, and found herself drawn irresistibly back to the spot summer after summer when the handsome Earl was in residence at his country estate to spy on him and his various lovers.

Now Miranda's family is in dire straits financially and the only way she can save them is to offer her innocence to the Earl himself, Ethan Hamon. But Ethan wants more than her innocence. He wants her available to him for his debauchery for three entire months, to play with at his sensual whim. Little does he realize that before it is over, the sweet Miranda will have snared him heart and soul.

Sometimes a book resonates with you so strongly, but you cannot quite place your finger on what exactly about the story struck you so. For me, Jess Michaels' new book Everything Forbidden is just such a novel. Yes, the characters are compelling, the romantic dynamic is absolutely heart-wrenching at times, and the plot is entertaining.

But there is more to this story than just those elements. The way Michaels puts it all together makes you feel every moment as if you are in the book yourself. She builds empathy for all of her characters with seeming ease, and the book becomes more than just a story, at least while you are reading it.

It might be said that there are only so many tales to be told in the world, and while this may be true, the difference in a good story and a great story is the authors ability to make me forget I have ever before seen a similar plot. Jess Michaels has done just that with this book.

Ethan is a captivating leading man cast as a hero tormented with convictions that he can never have what his heart desires most. Breaking through his walls proves difficult, but not impossible for a heroine with the tenderness and spunk of the beautiful Miranda.

For anyone who loves historical romances, this touching book is a must-read! Do yourself a favor and buy your copy of Everything Forbidden now. You won't be sorry!

For three summers, Miranda Albright secretly watches her neighbor,
Ethan Hamon, Earl of Rothschild, as he and his lovers perform wickedly
depraved acts on the grounds of his country estate. When her father
dies and her family is near financial ruin, Miranda approaches the
wicked earl for help. The earl negotiates a bargain. He will support
each of Miranda's three sisters for one seaso, both financially and
socially. In return, Miranda must submit to his passions for three
months.

Even though Miranda wishes for the passion she has witnessed from her
hiding place, she fears the bargain she has struck with Ethan.
Although she relishes what Ethan can do to her body, she fears what
Ethan can do to her heart.

I love historical romance. I love erotic romance. I adore the two
combined! Jess Michaels says in her bio that in every romance she
buys, she searches out `the good stuff'. Well, she sure can write
`the good stuff'! Everything Forbidden is a scorching hot romance.
Oh, to be debauched by Ethan Hamon! Eye-crossingly erotic with a
heartwarming happily ever after, Jess Michaels' Everything Forbidden
is delicious

Annmarie
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Miranda Albright is unable to forget the day she caught her family's neighbor, Ethan Hamon, the Earl of Rothschild, seducing his current lover. That image has stayed with her for three years providing Miranda with the courage to deliberately seek out the earl just to spy on him with his lovers.

Miranda's idyllic spying must come to an end however, when her family falls on hard times with the death of her father. Not only are they penniless, but Miranda has younger sisters that need a Season in order to find a husband. Unable to finance their seasons, Miranda has no choice but to make a decision that changes her life. She goes to her virile next door neighbor and offers the only thing of value she has in return for helping her sisters--her virginity and three months of any sexual pleasure of his choice.

Vowing not to let her heart get involved, Miranda enters into the relationship with Ethan having no concept of the sinful and sensuous times ahead. Slowly falling under his spell, Miranda knows that her time with Ethan is limited. When he asks the one thing of her she can't give, her sorrow knows no bounds. Denying herself the only man she will ever love, Miranda vows to continue on--if only she can convince her heart.

I can not stop thinking about EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN and the way the characters related to each other. I have always been intrigued by the English societal hierarchy and the laws relating to females. Women such as Miranda actually didn't have a choice, heaven forbid, after their fathers and husbands were no longer around to provide for them. While some might fault Miranda for her proposition to Ethan, I found her choice to be a no-brainer. She had watched this man make love and seduce women for years so she knew he would agree. She had guts and when she loved, she loved entirely.

Ethan's character is more complex. The product of a hell raising and promiscuous father who watched his mother drink herself to death, Ethan's heart was hardened against finding a wife and love. That is, until he met a tiny sprite of a woman named Miranda.

EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN by Jess Michaels soothed my historical loving soul. Add in romance mixed with sensuous and forbidden pleasures and Jess Michaels now has a fan for life.

This is the best romance story I have read in a long time! I must say I read it cover to cover and enjoyed every page. JM is a very talented erotic writer. The hero and heroine have great chemistry together. Ethan (hero) is so sexy and manipulative. Miranda (heroine) knows Ethan is a rake but she is willing to make sacrifices for passion and goes for it. Some writers make it hard for you to believe the hero is or were a rake. But JM shows the hero is a true rake and then after being with Miranda he changes. Very good sex scenes throughout the entire story. And as their love grows the sex scenes get even hotter and better. I almost didn't read this one because it had so little ratings. But I'm glad I read it anyway because I was very pleased with this story. I look forward to reading more books by this author. VERY WELL DONE!!!!

Ok, the only thing I can add is WOW. Really. Get the book and read it.

In 1814 Miranda Albright searches for her mom's runaway dog Oslo. Instead she sees her family's neighbor the Earl of Rothchild Ethan Hamen without a shirt and licking a female "down there". She becomes tingly.

Three years later, Miranda's dad died leaving her, her three younger sisters and her mom in massive debt. Miranda struggles to pay the bills, but only her sister Penelope understands the problem. Their spoiled mom and sister Beatrice think Miranda is a miser who does not want to have a good time. Their other sister Winfred is too young to understand their plight. Miranda feels guilty that she rejected wealthy suitors during her recent season; but Penelope points out, she had no idea how broke the family was..

Penelope is their only hope if she finds a wealthy match. However, for her to have a season they will need money. Miranda offers a deal to her "sex tutor" Ethan She explains they are destitute, her father's family rejects them and her mother's family has no money. Her father's friends have called in their debts, but are willing to forgo them if she gives herself over to them. Ethan is willing to finance her sisters' seasons; for every month that Miranda has sex with him, he will fund a sibling. She is to come to him once a week. They seal the deal with a kiss, but end up making love. As they fall in love, both will be hurt by their illicit affair, but not as much Penelope.

This is a refreshing erotic Regency romance starring a courageous heroine sacrificing herself by doing what she feels she must for her sisters especially her best friend sibling Penelope. Whereas Ethan is an interesting rake, Miranda's mom and Beatrice are spoiled and unlikable. Still sub-genre fans will enjoy this heated historical.

Harriet Klausner

Very well written! The characters are all so well drawn the reader should have no trouble picturing them and the action taking place. Ethan is hot hot hot! Instead of hitting the reader over the head with the first reacation of Ethan and Miranda to each other, it is developed slowly, primarily by having Miranda discover her sensual natue through observing Ethan's outdoor trysts for years prior to their first encounter. This is as much plot driven as love story driven. Ethan's evolutio is well done.

I bought the second book as soon as it was available, and hope there will another book that brings the youngest sister into the series while also letting us see what has happened to the two elder sisters.

I like a light read that tells a good story an you can finish up in a day. Well, you can finish this up in a day but as far as the story it was ok at best. The story is predictable, the characters are not very dynamic and the resolution was lacking. I agree with the other reviewer, definate wallpaper.

Although the story wasn't horrible, what bothered me the most was that I never got that warm fuzzy "oh they are SO in love" connection with the with the two main characters. Yes, they got each other off but as a reader an emotional connection seemed to be missing. (SPOILER) I even felt that if they eventually did marry like the conclusion of the book stated, Ethan would end up cheating on her after a few years of marrage. Yes, I know, he vowed not to in front of everyone but maybe if the story had him devoted to her a little longer than just the months, I would have believed it more. I don't know, it was just missing SOMETHING to make me like this relationship.

Miranda Albright, eldest of four daughters of a recently deceased impoverished aristocrat, offers herself to Ethan, Earl of Rothschild, in exchange for funding her sisters' seasons. Miranda is a perfect heroine - mature, passionate, courageous and honest. Ethan is a typical tortured debauched rake at first without a conscience (but of course he has one!). Both characters are written well - believable and admirable in their own ways. Their chemistry is hot and the sex scenes are steamy. Not sure why this would qualify as erotica except for one scene involving a piece of jewelry. This is standard straight-up historical romance with a few dark twists (for instance, Ethan has a special room devoted to his trysts). But he's also faithful to her throughout the course of the book and he never treats her badly IMO. Their emotional connection is believable though not quite as strong as in other relationship-based-on-mind-blowing sex books (like Passion by Lisa Valdez). The end is uncharacteristically sweet (almost cheesy). My only disappointment is I wish Michaels had taken a bit more time at the end instead of wrapping it up so quickly. Guess I'll have to read the sequel, Something Reckless, to get a glimpse of what happens to Ethan and Miranda...

Miranda Albright is at first shocked then intrigued when she see her neighbor Lord Ethan Hamon the Earl of Rothschild with his mistress engaged in a very steamy embrace by his pond. She instantly becomes attracted to the very handsome man. Fast forward three years and Miranda is meeting him under some dire circumstances. Her father has died leaving a huge pile of bills, her mother is frivolously spending the last of their money, and her three younger sisters cannot even afford a season. Miranda goes to Ethan asking him to sponsor her sisters promising him she will pay him back the money after her sisters marry wealthy men.

Ethan says no to Miranda but counter offers that he will sponsor her sisters if Miranda will become his paramour for the next three months instead. Miranda feels she has no choice and truthfully longs to have a passionate affair with the pleasure seeking Earl, so she agrees to a summer romance. Every Friday she meets him and they have steamy bedroom scenes but more than that they have conversation and laughter. Soon Ethan is finding himself more and more entranced by the inexperienced Miranda.

Falling in love is what Miranda fears the most with the Earl but she just cannot help herself and the next thing she knows she is head over heals for this man. But Ethan is solidly against marrying, and though he finds Miranda fascinating now, he worries that his obsession will soon fade. His parents had a disastrous relationship due to his father's infidelities and his mother's alcoholism; he certainly does not want history to reapeat itself.

This novel is incredibly sweet, yes it has some torrid love scenes but more than that it has a very sympathetic hero and a woman who shows loyalty to her family in the face of hardship. The only drawback was that I wish there had been a little more background information about Miranda, I knew a lot about her family but wanted to know more about her, especially her relationship with her father and her unsuccessful seasons. This book features much of the hero's point of view and the author did a fine job writing about his inner turmoil and past heartache. Well done.