Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Elliot has just graduated from college and moved to LA. His father has arranged for him to stay with his best friend, Scott. Elliot is an artist and has gotten a job at a start up making art for video games. His intention is to stay with Scott for a few weeks, until he can get on his feet. After a while, though, Elliot finds himself staring at Scott a little longer than usual, and thinking about him when they’re apart. Elliot has never considered himself gay, but his crush on Scott makes him question his own sexuality.

Scott owns a gym and is doing quite well for himself. He readily welcomed Elliot into his home as a favor to his best friend, Elliot’s father. What he didn’t expect was how handsome Elliot would be now. He remembers a little boy who liked to draw pictures while he and Elliots’s father hung out. Scott quickly begins to have some feelings toward Elliot that make him feel guilty. Eventually, he can’t hold back his feelings. It doesn’t matter that Elliot is half his age, the heart wants what the heart wants, and he’s thrilled that Elliot wants him too.

The couple falls into a loving relationship with a bit of a Daddy/boy dynamic. They know they have to tell Elliot’s father the truth, but Elliot’s nervous. Will his father approve? And if he doesn’t, what will that mean for the men and their chance to together?

I am such a huge fan of May/December stories, and if there’s even a hint of a Daddy/boy dynamic, I’ll jump on it. This is why I chose Forbidden. I’m going to say I had some mixed feelings about it. I liked both men. Elliot is adorable…blushing whenever he thinks about Scott, talks about Scott, is around Scott, and kissing Scott. Elliot has some friends and they all work together. That was great, but I admit to kind of disliking Elliot’s friend, Tom. He was very pushy…asking WAY too many personal questions. I’m sure this particular attitude will be explained further, and it looks like he’ll be getting his own story soon. Other than that, I found Elliot to be cute and sweet and just a generally great guy.

I liked Scott as well. At the beginning of the book, he radiates confidence. That is until he meets Elliot. He then begins to act like a boy with a crush on the teacher. I found him to be generally happy and loyal. He’d stepped up right away when Elliot’s father asked him if he could put Elliot up until he’s set up with his job and his own place. That’s a tall order, but Scott had no reservations. My only knock on him is nearly immediate attraction to Elliot. It felt a little forced, and if I’m telling the truth, a little stalkerish. However, just like Elliot, I considered Scott to also be a great guy.

The relationship between the men is pretty straightforward. It did move at a very quick pace. Also, it seemed like they jumped into a Daddy/boy situation. Scott calls Elliot “boy” in a nearly joking fashion, and Elliot answers with “daddy,” but that was kind of it. They never had a discussion about it or talked about how that dynamic might change how they act in public or in bed. It felt almost like a game. Truthfully, while it was kind of sexy, and Scott and Elliot worked well together, I wasn’t really feeling that special Daddy/boy connection.

The chemistry between Scott and Elliot was ok, and the sex scenes are fairly hot. There is just enough detail to “see” what’s going on, but they weren’t over the top. There is some light spanking, and a day with a plug. I wouldn’t consider any of that BDSM. In fact, I used the word “game” before and, once again, that’s the feeling I got as I read. I do like how Scott treated Elliot on the night Elliot loses his virginity. Scott checked in with him at each step…asking how he was feeling and asking if he could move forward. It was rather gentle with some real meaning behind it.

The ending came as expected. The men are in love and want to spend their lives together, whether Elliot’s father approved or not. It did feel a little sudden, and then I felt like I hit a brick wall. My jaw dropped until I read the preview for the next book. So, I closed my jaw, and felt somewhat satisfied.

All in all, Forbidden was a story with good bones. I felt if there had been a little more character development, and if the Daddy/boy dynamic had been explored a little deeper, this would be a great book. I liked this one just fine. In fact, I am going to recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good age difference story. Elliot and Scott are great guys, and their HEA is well deserved.