I know I should stay away from her. But I can’t…
I can’t get Ally out of my head.
She was there four years ago, back when I was chief resident and she was my intern.
Back when I was married to someone else.
Somehow, I managed to resist this forbidden temptation.
But things change.
I’ve made my fortune.
I’m building a cutting-edge surgery practice and I need brilliant doctors like her.
Most importantly, I’m now divorced.
The more things change, the more they stay the same…
My head is still full of Ally.
Of the way she looks at me when she thinks I don’t notice.
Of her new boyfriend and how unworthy he is.
Of how his presence means she’s still forbidden.
Unless I’m in her head, too…
| Title: | His Forbidden Love |
| Author: | Ava Ryan |
| Series: | Manhattan Billionaires (Book 2) |
| Pages: | 214 |
| Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Doctor Romance Billionaire Romance Second Chance Romance Workplace Romance |
| Point of View: | First Person, Present Tense, Dual Viewpoint (H & h) |
| Location: | New York, US |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 8th April, 2021 |
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Not my favourite of Ms Ryan’s
This is the second book in Ryan’s Manhattan Billionaire’s series. I read and enjoyed the first in this series, His Lost Love, but you don’t need to have read that book to enjoy and understand this one. This book is Michael and Ally’s story. Michael is the twin of Mia and the best friend of Liam, the couple from that first story.
We meet Michael first in this story and it’s clear from the get go that he is head over heels for Ally. I liked his grumpiness, the banter with his friend, and his borderline obsession (but in a hot, sexy way) with Ally. I still liked him as we were introduced to Ally and the two became reacquainted. Then Ally started to work for Michael and I started to get uncomfortable feelings. He was MEAN to her. Unkind and mean. I do enjoy an alpha. I’m even more partial to a grumpy one – but this was different. I didn’t like it.
I liked Ally. She didn’t have particularly high self-esteem but was still strong and smart. I even understood her reasoning behind her reluctance to end things with her boyfriend, Bruce. Ally started to go down in my estimations when she took a job working with Michael. Only because we’re told that after working together and nursing a massive crush on him, Ally had to go into intensive treatment for mental health issues. I tried to be as understanding as possible but if you have a bad reaction to a certain food, you don’t, when given the opportunity, eat more of that food because you just can’t help yourself. Or if you do, you have to take the consequences and hell mend you.
“…Ms Ryan’s writing is, as always, awesome.”
As the story went on, I noticed an uncomfortable pattern and a real difference in the balance of power between Ally and Michael. Michael would do something wrong, or admit to doing something wrong, Ally would forgive him and on we would go. Michael admitted to gaslighting Ally – which he definitely did do – and she shouts at him a little then nothing. And when Michael gets everything he’s ever dreamed of and then is mean to Ally and she forgives him just like that.
I finished the book with a scrunched brow and a little confusion. I think the overarching word was ‘uncomfortable’. There was absolutely no physical cheating in this book but I think all the yearning and wanting while in marriages and relationships probably added to my discomfort.
With all that said, it was the story that I was uncomfortable with as Ms Ryan’s writing is, as always, awesome. I was invested in the story and at no point did I ever contemplate not finishing the story. So I can definitely appreciate the skill of the storytelling if not the subject or plot of the story itself.
This series revolves around 3 best friends whose medical device made them billionaires. We’ve already had Liam’s story and now Michael’s. So the only one left is Jake. We get a tiny tease of that story in this book – something about a nanny and inappropriateness that I am 100% there for. Despite my rather lukewarm reception with this particular story, I’m still very much looking forward to the next story in this series, and will happily look out for other stories by Ava Ryan in the future. Just 3 stars for this particular story but I’m definitely still a fan.
*I received this book in exchange for my honest review*
Ava Ryan is an author of sexy contemporary romance. Her favorite things, in no special order, are animals, her family, cookies, people with great senses of humor and love stories.
Currently in her writer’s cave (ostensibly working hard on her next book while also checking Netflix every few hours to make sure she hasn’t missed a new true crime documentary show), she loves hearing from readers via her website or social media.
If you love billionaire alpha males, the feisty women who snag their hearts and books that end with a happily ever after, you’ve come to the right place.
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Manhattan Billionaires Series:
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Review: His Secret Love by Ava Ryan - Jo Reads Romance
14 September 2021 at 8:58 am[…] on three billionaire friends – and the other 2, Liam and Michael (from His Lost Love and His Forbidden Love) do appear in this one bringing with them all the ribbing, banter and bromancing we need. However, […]