Hate to Want You

Forbidden Hearts

By: Alisha Rai

Narrated by: Summer Morton, Jeremy York

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's summary

Alisha Rai, one of contemporary romance's brightest stars, makes her Avon Books debut with the first novel in the sexy Forbidden Hearts series!

One night. No one will know.

That was the deal. Every year, Livvy Kane and Nicholas Chandler would share one perfect night of illicit pleasure. The forbidden hours let them forget the tragedy that haunted their pasts - and the last names that made them enemies.

Until the night she didn't show up.

Now Nicholas has an empire to run. He doesn't have time for distractions, and Livvy's sudden reappearance in town is a major distraction. She's the one woman he shouldn't want...so why can't he forget how right she feels in his bed?

Livvy didn't come home for Nicholas, but fate seems determined to remind her of his presence - and their past. Although the passion between them might have once run hot and deep, not even love can overcome the scandal that divided their families.

Being together might be against all the rules...but being apart is impossible.

©2017 Alisha Rai (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

Great characters and HEA...

Great characters and HEA, but the family factor that antagonizes the hero and heroine romance is not as strong or a good enough reason for me. Still, Livvy and Nicholas are couple goals.

Didn't love the male narrator

*2.75 stars*

Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook from new-to-me author Alisha Rai, but I still had a number of issues.

I give all the props to the female narrator, Summer Morton, who rocked every voice and every inflection. However, Jeremy York was a different matter. I felt like he was giving it his all and was technically proficient, but his voice was all wrong for the character. He sounded... prissy, which bothered me and distracted me while I was listening.

I liked the diverse cast of characters (lots of POC and across the queer spectrum as well) and the themes of relationships between siblings and parent/child, but I grew really tired of the back and forth between the two MCs. It felt repetitive, and the sex scenes felt rote, so much so that I ended up fast-forwarding through them a lot of the time.

I don't love M/F contemporary romance, so it's hard to say if it was my personal tastes or the book, but I never got above "like" into something more. I mostly felt like the book was an okay-ish, pleasant listen with a stellar female narrator, who deserves all the props.

Loved it!

It's hot, it's compelling, it's definitely dramatic... but it still manages to be more realistic than many romances! (For example: Rai presents a no-nonsense discussion of depression as a treatable but lifelong health issue; plus, it isn't the only, or main, character trait for the protagonist, but simply one facet among many.)

Nice story

Took a little while to peek. But the story line was good and the passion was steamy.

Good book

It was a good book. Kept my attention from start to finish. Loved it! Looking forward to reading another book from this author.

Wonderful and life changing story

This is a wonderful, relatable and deep love story. The challenges, emotions and lessons poured into this story goes straight to the heart. I love the part where characters had to understand that grieving is actually a strength and not a weakness. I really recommend this book for those who love deeply, hurt deeply and still has a kind heart. I love all the characters in this story. Different kinds of love were portrayed here, love for enemies, love for friends, love for life, money, reputation and image, siblings and 1st love ❤️

It has it’s highs and lows

As an avid reader who enjoys these types of story lines. I delved into this book with high expectations. While the story did offer its fair share of passion, I found myself grappling with the overall pace of the narrative.

The plot unfolds at a leisurely rhythm, which, unfortunately, didn't quite align with my preference for a more brisk and engaging narrative. There were moments when I felt the story lingered on certain aspects, and I couldn't help but wish for a swifter progression.

However, the author has an undeniable talent for crafting scenes charged. The chemistry between the characters is strong, and the interludes are noteworthy worthy, offering moments of genuine connection between the protagonists. These instances were undoubtedly the highlights of the novel and kept me invested from time to time

On the flip side, there were parts of the book that felt extraneous, and I couldn't help but think that a tighter editing hand might have enhanced the overall reading experience. Trimming unnecessary details could have injected more momentum into the plot.

Story was good sex scenes were too porny

I felt it had a good story line but the sex scenes sounded too much like porn for me. I liked the female narrator but didn’t enjoy the males voice nor his version of a female voice.

ok book not great narrators

Struggled. The author should have developed all of the characters. They all had interesting stories to tell