I love this book, she weaves a world you can instantly get lost into and I have to say that I am so glad I read her words.

4 stars

Forbbidden Promises is the fourth installment in the O Malley Family series. This is Sloane’s book. And I have been wanting Sloane’s book for quite a while, because I know that she is one of the siblings that is more secretive. I always knew that she is one of those characters we don’t see who she is and now we do in this wonderful book. This sibling is the more reserved of them all, she is shy and quiet and does what is asked of her. But when her brother Teagan offers to give her freedom and peace away from Boston, she agrees and she finds herself in the small town on the coast of Oregon. She gets her first job at a diner, starts doing yoga on the beach and then she stumbles across her growly and formidable neighbor, Jude. Jude is part of the MacNamara family. The only last living one, when his family was killed and he wants revenge. But his revenge will compromise his relationship with Sloane. At first Sloane, wants Jude but he also makes her stronger and makes her realize her strengths, strengths she has hidden from even herself. She becomes very spirited and outspoken when she is around Jude. But now she is in danger from an enemy that is out to destroy the Boston families, and destroying them will destroy her family.
I had quite a fun time with this book, and it was slightly different than the others. I really liked both of these characters for the most part. The first half of the book, was pretty high in the sex scenes. In fact, I was skipping a bit more since it felt like overkill especially compared to the previous books. But once these two start to get to real issues and get the heart of the matter of what they feel for each other, is where the story really gets interesting. Especially when there is a surprise that both of them have to face, and the plot really increases with drama from her family and their enemy Dimitri. This story was intense, and suspenseful but I really enjoyed the dynamics between Sloane and Jude find a way together. Forbidden Promises is an intense ride of passion, danger and a fight for true love.

There is nothing better than diving into Katee Roberts' mafia world. Her books are intense and filled with sexy scenes that feel electrified thanks to her character's personalities and their drama. I'm freaking addicted to it.

The fourth installment, Forbidden Promises is Sloan O'Malley's adventure. She is really struggling at the start of the book - she is heartbroken over a tragedy her family endured as well as a betrayal she thought her sister committed. So her method of coping is to run away.

Her time away from her family becomes this journey of self discovery and romance. Her neighbor, Jude has all kinds of secrets but these two connect on this level where they can't hide anymore. Together they discover who they truly are and what they want from their lives all while running from the bad guys.

Real life and the mob eventually catches up to this duo.  Then they have the normal mafia type hurtles to get past. Being born to the warring families. Crazy Russians after them. Vendettas. But it doesn't matter if you've read 1 million mafia type romances - Forbidden Promises will have you on the edge of your seat completely captivated.

This book was crazy good. I devoured Forbidden Promises in one afternoon and I was truly bummed when I reached the last page. I wanted more and I wished I had Aiden and Kiera's stories.

So if you are already a fan of this series you will love this latest chapter. It's entertaining and fun. If you haven't met this group of characters, I highly suggest you stop what you're doing and you go balls to the wall and get all of the books. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Having read/reviewed/thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series, I must admit this one had a completely different feel. Looking back, I think a big reason was though Jude, the hero, wasn’t a mafioso made man, he came across with an even more hardened heart set on revenge, regardless of the consequences, than the previous characters. That for quite awhile transferred itself to him being rather cruel/harsh with Sloan, the heroine, who was about as sweet and unthreatening as a soft, furry, little, lovable, baby kitten just looking for someone to take her home and love her unconditionally. Therefore, it took me quite a while to warm up to him. Sure, we are told about his tragic past and and need to take that into account, but, he was more heartless towards her than I expected.

The numerous dirty talking/lengthy smexy encounters reflected that vibe so at times came across harsh, crass, mechanical, and overly frenzied, instead of consistently romantic. To put it bluntly, Jude was enough of a jerk, especially in the beginning, I found it difficult to warm up to him. His decision to use Sloan for his own selfish reasons hardly set the stage for a hero you want to root for. For me, that didn’t happen until much later in the book.

For someone who claimed to have turned over a new leaf and was no longer going to take orders from anyone, Sloan, the sweet heroine, sure seemed to take them from Jude. Honestly, it made me question her commitment to this new, improved, tough girl persona she was claiming to now possess. After what I just mentioned, I thought for certain she would belt him a good one, likely below the beltline. No, the few times she did strive to “show him” felt weak and nowhere near as assertive as she now claimed to be. At 52%, her self-respect flew out the window, when instead of pushing him away and making him become the man he needed to me, she initiated a smexy scene that felt clumsy and too frenzied.

What did I like? Well, the underlying theme of the story was great. I liked how Sloan was determined to set her too controlling family, pampered life on a brand new course, even if it meant working at a low paying job, because she refused to be used as her father’s pawn. I was impressed a girl used to having it all was quickly adapting to living with less. I absolutely loved how protective her brothers were of her, so naturally I really enjoyed their cameo appearances, along with other brief scenes featuring characters from previous books. Seeing Jude finally start to question what he had planned was a huge relief. Yet, I wasn’t overly thrilled about his original callous attitude on a particular loved one of Sloan’s winding up dead/becoming collateral damage, like it was no big deal.

Where’s the next and what is rumored to be the final installment headed? That, my fellow romance book loving friends, remains to be officially announced. I'm fairly certain it will be Aiden O'Malley and a heroine named Charlotte. Keira O’Malley and Dimitri (the head Russian mobster still set on getting revenge against the O’Malleys) are also two characters I hope to see become a couple. Well, that’s what I’m keeping my mafioso romance booking loving fingers crossed for anyway. Ms. Robert did such a great job creating so many interesting sub-characters in each book maybe we will get lucky and they will all get their own HEA.

As for this book, I was thrilled to receive an ARC in exchange for an unbiased opinion. Since I'm a huge fan of this series, I'm certainly glad I read it. The author/publisher deserves a huge pat on the back for their excellent choices in such classy book covers. Though the smexy scenes and likability of the hero in this one wasn't on the same par for me as the other books, I was still happy to see this main couple get their HEA. I'm looking forward to Undercover Attraction, book 5, which will be released in November 2017.

Title: Forbidden Promises, Series: The O’Malley’s (Book 4), Author: Katee Robert, Pages: 336, 5/30/17, revenge theme, virgin heroine, 11 years older hero, for hire hitman hero who wants revenge, VERY detailed/graphic smexy scenes with lusty language, talks tough but isn’t heroine, no cheating, no OW/OM drama, no love triangle, smexy scenes not as well-written as the other books.

Book 1 - The Marriage Contract (Teague & Callista), 6/2/15, Pages: 368
Book 2 – The Wedding Pact, Pages: 352 (James & Carrigan), 4/26/16
Book 3 – An Indecent Proposal, Pages: 352 (Cillian & Olivia), 8/30/16
Book 4 - Forbidden Promises, Pages: 336 (Sloan & Jude), 5/30/17
Book 5 - Undercover Attraction, 11/28/17, (Aiden and Charlotte)

(This review is based on an advanced reader copy distributed via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased, fair opinion. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher/NetGalley.)

You're more dangerous than any drug I've ever heard of."

"This might not be forever, sunshine, but you're mine for the duration. And I take care of what's mine."

"There's nowhere you could run that I wouldn't find you."...."And that gets you off like nothing else. Knowing that I'd rip myself apart to hunt you down, that I wouldn't rest, wouldn't eat, wouldn't eat, would go mad with wanting you until you were with me again. To know that you're fucking irreplaceable."

Oh, man! What a great and exciting read from Katee Robert. Forbidden Promises is the fourth, thrilling addition to the O'Malley's Series. While this is the fourth book in this series, I do believe that this book can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone novel. Just be warned, there may be spoilers for the previous stories in this book.

Told from dual points of view, Forbidden Promises sucks you in from the very first page. Sloan has disappeared from the life she once knew, desperate for a fresh start. She wants to forget her past, but knows that there is a chance that she'll always be looking over her shoulder. What she didn't plan on was her mysterious neighbor Jude. Jude just oozes trouble. Known to the town as a broody writer, there is more to Jude than meets the eye. The closer Sloan gets to Jude, the more in danger she finds herself. Will Sloan's past catch up to her before her future even gets started? Will Jude be able to walk away from his dark past? You'll just have to read this book for yourself to find out.....

I'm just gonna keep this review short and sweet. Forbidden Promises was one entertaining read. I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to find out what would happen next. I loved the mystery and danger to the story. I enjoyed watching Sloan try to create a new life for herself all while waiting for the other shoe to drop. I honestly wasn't too sure what to think of Jude in the beginning. He was hard and harsh. His body language just screamed trouble, but boy oh boy did Jude have one filthy, dirty mouth. Despite the facade that Jude was trying to put out, he had more in common with Sloan than he wanted to admit. These two were the perfect match. His wildness balancing her innocence. Together, they made one explosive couple. Sure, their relationship was a case of insta-love, but I think it lended itself really well to this story. I found their chemistry and their overall relationship to be exciting and I couldn't wait to see how it would all play out.

Overall, Forbidden Promises was a terrific read. It was sexy and thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I would like to thank Katee Robert, Forever and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review.
Review by Stephanie
Previous books in the O'Malley series:
THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT
THE WEDDING PACT
AN INDECENT PROPOSOL
I listed the three previous books in the O’Malley series because I really feel like you need to read them all and in order. I am sure these can be read as stand alones but they are awesome so why would you want to.
Sloan O’Malley wants a simple life and she is finally getting it. She moved to a seaside town in Oregon which is so far away from her family back in Boston. This is just what she wants!
Jude MacNamara is out for revenge! He is the only surviving heir who is out for blood. His father and brothers were killed by the hands of Colm Sheridan. Jude tracks down Colm’s sister living in a beach house in a seaside town…but what he isn’t expecting is meeting Sloan O’Malley. He is waiting for the perfect time to get revenge but while waiting Sloan triggers some emotions her has pushed away for years.

This is another installment in the amazing O’Malley series! I love this series and I love Katee Robert’s writing! I cannot wait for the next book in this series!!!

I enjoyed Forbidden Promises, I loved the dirty talking hero and the heroine who started as a timid caterpillar and evolved into a fierce butterfly. I also loved that it was not only action packed, filled with hot sex but that it also focused on the politics between the ruling families. I'm going to liken what went down to a game of chess because lots of pieces were moved back and fort on the board forming strategic alliances that changed the dynamics between the them so much so that it's anyone's guess what the endgame will be. I for one cannot wait to see what happens next.

I definitely recommend this book and series to not only lovers of mafia themed books but also to lovers of Contemporary romance that has a Romantic Suspense feel to it.

Still Waters Run Deep Stars
* * * * *Spoiler Free
Never assume the quiet woman in the background is all as she appears. It may seem she is quiet, dutiful and would never rock the boat….But if that was your take on Sloan from the past books, then you would be wrong. In this entry, Forbidden Promises (The O'Malleys, #4), Sloan learns all about Sloan… and so do we.

Sloan saw the writing on the wall and knew she was to be the next sacrificed woman to wed in order for the Family to remain in a power position. The Irish Mafia made up of the three Families which have run Boston, now have another player encroaching in their territories...and they aren't Irish, they are The Russians.

With the help of one of her brothers and his wife...Sloan makes her escape to Washington State...to a small town to hunker down and start fresh. Here she is a clean slate...She may be educated but in many ways she has so many things she has never done...

And working for a living is one of them. Sloan is a woman who is learning all about life as others know it. It is a crash course on blisters, fear of being fired and the joy of being told "You Did Good Today" from a boss. All of this is happening because Sloan applied to a diner and got the try out for the waitress position. It was a first step for her...and as exhausted as she was from those first days...She had never been happier.

She also had never been more curious about her handsome, mysterious neighbor, too. She lived in a borrowed cottage arranged by her brother. It belonged to an aunt and was on the water. There was another cottage not too far away and when Sloan first arrived... she went there, thinking it was her new home.

Well, that did not go over well...The man was mean, cold and had no interest in hearing why she made the mistake. He was also the town's curiosity...He didn't mix with anyone...went to the store when no one would be around and the only thing anyone knew was that he said was a writer.

As Sloan walked home after surviving a whole week at the diner, she happened to look at the door of her neighbor's cottage...she was drawn like a magnet...

And there he stood...leaning up against the door jam, drinking his coffee and looking straight at her...Sloan was mesmerized by this vision of Man...Broad Shoulders, Bare Chest, a perfect V to his hips all perfectly displayed with no shirt and loose...very loose cargo shorts slung low on his hips...
His eyes catching her flushed face...his man bun, cut cheeks and chiseled jaw all looking straight at her. She was like a deer caught in headlights with the only thing breaking the connection was Him lifting his mug to her...then turning and closing the door.

What the Hell was that!

Jude MacNamara had no time or interest in an Innocent....and he knew that was what this woman was...Jude had a singular purpose for being here in this cottage, in this waterfront town. His whole life had lead up to this...and no little Innocent was going to ruin his perfectly planned revenge...

For that was what had driven Jude his entire life. He was a product of love and then death. He learned from his mother's words to him what others did to his father and brothers...She didn't sing him lullaby's of little lambs...instead she sang of retribution in his ear...and it became his mantra. He was here to finally achieve his goal and the aunt was his target. He had waited over the years...he could wait a little longer...He would just have to fight the feelings he had for this woman...

Katee Robert created this dynamic saga of three Irish Mafia families who for generations have ruled the underworld of Boston and the East Coast. Each family has their own way of doing things...and the decedents have continued on the same path over the years. Now, though, things have shifted and families have merged through marriage. There are new factors to consider and segments of these families are either trying to move away from the criminal to the legal...and others are adjusting to new leadership thrust upon them due to family members being locked up.

And all of this has the additional element of The Russia Mob's emergence to power.

This is the setting Robert devised for these intricate love stories involving these characters. It is compelling, impossible to put down and addictive as hell....and this latest entry is one of the best so far.

Sloan is a woman who is not silly or blind to what she grew up in...She is very aware of what her family is and does. She wanted no part of it and never felt she was confident or strong...But in reality she is one of the strongest women in the family.

She takes the leap to leave everything behind....everyone she loves and cares for...She isolates herself and start new with no real world experience to fall back on...She forces herself to fight for a job she hasn't a clue how to do...but is willing to prove to the owner she can....

And when the situation presents itself to her...She is willing to be brave and go after a man she knows she has no future with...She is willing to push her boundaries and be brave... time and time again.

Jude watches this woman and although he knows he should stay clear of her...he cannot...and when he realizes how dangerous he is for her and she for him...He rises up and becomes a better man...one that would do anything for her. What is captivating about these two is both are equals...Sloan may have started out as seemingly innocent...yet with this clear idea of what is right, wrapped up in the understanding of her world...and then His world...She stands strong.

These two together are magnificent. Everything works...their times together...their fights and their commitment to each other.

This book has every element to keep you locked and loaded for the series. We have the continuing story of intrigue and power with the Families and Russians. We have specific characters who are important players ...brothers and sisters who cause more chaos... there are attractions between people which should never happen but we are thrilled that it does...All of this continues our devotion to follow this series.

I was one of the lucky ones who found this series very early... Katee Robert has not let me down...she has only made this series better and better with every entry. There seems to be only one more book left ... I will be front and center waiting on it... I can only imagine how amazing it is going to be.

The Marriage Contract (The O'Malleys, #1)
The Marriage Contract (The O'Malleys, #1) by Katee Robert
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Wedding Pact (The O'Malleys, #2)
The Wedding Pact (The O'Malleys, #2) by Katee Robert
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
An Indecent Proposal (The O'Malleys, #3) by Katee Robert (The O'Malleys, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...

~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
Katee Robert created this world and it lives on her pages. I cannot wait to see the next installment with Sloan...for the the tease I read was perfect:

Some lines should never be crossed . . . not even for love.

Sloan O'Malley just left her entire world behind-her family, her wealth, and even her real name. For the first time in her life, she's free. She can live the "normal" life she's always wanted. A life without fear. But there's nothing safe about her intensely sexy next-door neighbor.

Jude MacNamara has no room for innocence in his life. Only revenge. Still, he's never been able to walk away from the forbidden, and Sloan-who is every inch of pure, mouthwatering temptation-has forbidden written all over her. Only after it's way too late does he discover the real danger: claiming Sloan as his puts a target on her back. To protect her, Jude is willing risk everything . . . and to hell with the consequences.


A gifted copy was provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley for an honest review.

The book opens with Sloan O’Malley successfully hiding from her family and learning to be self-sufficient. She’s led a protected life, she’s never worked, paid bills, been alone. A family friend had allowed her to stay at their place but she’s still got to learn to make her own way. She’s determined to prove her worth to the woman at the local diner who hires her. Sloan is settling in and finding she enjoys small town life.

Her neighbor, Jude MacNamara is an unpleasant as he is hot. It’s obvious he’s not looking to make friends. But, of course, Jude can’t stay away. He’s drawn to the new girl. It doesn’t take him long to figure out who she is and then he’s ever more determine to learn more about her. It’s not really surprising that Sloan’s past has accidently caught up with her. Jude’s vendetta against the family of her absent host is part of the intertwined family stories.

Can Sloan find love with a notorious hit man? Can Jude keep her safe from the many who would harm her? The two are soon on the run. What ensues is a series of near misses with mobsters intent on killing one or both of them.

Forbidden Promises is a fast paced, intense thriller laced with sexy interactions and romance. The characters are all well developed, the story believable and the reader is left wondering to the end how these two will make their happily ever after and find the peace they need to raise their child. Robert had again written a very interesting story.

Though this book worked well without having read the others in the series, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read books 1-3. The history among these families is obviously quite complex.

reviewed by Jem Stone

To escape the past it must be faced head on. Forbidden Promises begins with revenge and ends in redemption. Though not for the faint of heart, Ms. Robert packs heat. Forbidden Promises provides a feast for the senses. Sloan and Jude are nuclear together. Like a spark to a flame, there is danger around every corner, that feeds the sparks into a combustible flame. A spine tingling story of intrigue that keeps readers on the edge throughout.

Sloan belongs to a big mafia family. She leaves to get out from under their control. She hides out in Oregon and gets a job waitressing. She has a gorgeous next door neighbor but he's antisocial. She goes over to flirt and he turns her flat down.

Jude has been living next to Sloan way before she arrived. He is a hired hit man and plans to take out the woman that owns Sloan's beach house. See he old woman's brother has his father, brothers, and their wives killed. His mother was pregnant with him and on her deathbed, she made him promise to get revenge.

What Jude doesn't expect, is to fall for Sloan. Will he choose her over revenge? Will Sloan's family drag her back to the fold?

Excellent story. Loved the characters and the story made you feel like you were right there. Sex that will have you taking a cold shower.

I recently fell into an unusually long book slump where I could not make myself read anything. I was starting to feel not like myself after months passed without sitting down to truly read a book. I managed to limp through one book I enjoyed but it took weeks. Finally, just when I was starting to think something was wrong with me, Forbidden Promises came along to remind me I could devour a book in great big gulps like I used to do. The mix of sexy, brooding, and suspense came together in the perfect cocktail to draw me in and keep me up late reading. I was even sneaking away at work to try and get in a few pages here and there. Thank you, Katee Robert, you fixed my reading slump!
If you’re like me, even if you have read the entire O’Malley’s Series, all these children of crime families might start blending together, especially as more are introduced. So, I will do my best to catch you up. In Forbidden Promises, Sloan O’Malley has just fled her family in Boston to try and make a new life for herself on the West Coast. Her older brother Teague has helped her escape, unbeknownst to oldest brother (I think, it gets confusing) Aiden who is basically acting as the family patriarch at this point. Just when she thinks to make a cozy new life as a waitress in a seaside town, she runs into her sexy new neighbor Jude Smith. What she doesn’t know is that Jude’s interest in her goes far beyond the passing interest in a cute girl next door, and has much more to do with the fact that she is staying in the home of her sister-in-law Callista Sheridan’s aunt, who is part of yet another crime family.
I’ll be honest with you, after four books and a long list of names and family associations, I cannot keep these characters straight. That said, it doesn’t detract at all from how much I loved this book. Sloan is the mousy, reserved member of her family and it was nice to see a heroine who lacked in confidence. Jude is standoffish and confusing to her at first, and she has to really battle with her own self-esteem where he is concerned, and in all aspects of starting her new life. I personally found this to be a refreshing change from the usual heroine who is drinking wine with friends, and confident at work, etc. Sloan has had a very atypical life, and her situation is dangerous so being cautious makes sense for her.
Now Jude, oh my. First of all, Robert dedicates the book to fitness model Brock O’Hurn as her inspiration for Jude. If you don’t know who he is, go and google him. I can wait. Done? He is gorgeous! So I was picturing Brock the whole time in place of Jude, which didn’t hurt my enjoyment of him at all. Secondly, Jude is kind of a jerk in the beginning so I was ready to watch him fall hard. I liked that Sloan and Jude’s tumble happened with a fair amount of angst on his part, because I felt like he needed that to humble him. He is such a dunderhead about his feelings toward her for so much of the book that I wanted him to suffer a bit, you know? But in a good way. It was his point-of-view that I found so addictive, for some reason. I wanted to keep reading to see what his transformation would be.
Now, there are a few places where Forbidden Promises lost points with me and kept it from being perfect. All of these felt minor, in the long run though. So I said Sloan is mousy. With a character like that, you want to see some growth in confidence. However, I felt her change was too abrupt. As soon as she started sleeping with Jude her confidence shot through the roof and thee old Sloan disappeared. It seemed kind of like a case of “magic penis” syndrome, where she was fixed by Jude’s tremendous sex skills. I would have liked more transition there. Additionally, I don’t want to spoil what it is, but there is a trope introduced partway through that I didn’t love. Seasoned romance readers can probably guess it, and I did like that it was handled in a very modern way I hadn’t seen in a romance before, but in this case the whole scenario felt odd to me. Lastly, the dialogue can tip into the melodramatic at times, but I try to forgive that given the whole mob family setting.
There was a surprising place where Forbidden Promises won me back after those slip ups, which was in the setup for a future book. I was not expecting longtime villain Dmitri Romanov to suddenly be getting hot and bothered thanks to littlest O’Malley sister Keira. Yes! Give me more of that. If the evil dude can’t handle crazy little sister, I want to read that book today.
I finished Forbidden Promises in record time, especially considering my own dry spell for reading. I thought Sloan and Jude might both be crazy but I loved them and I wanted to just mash their angsty faces together. I’m sure I will enjoy the next book about Aiden but I have a serious craving for Keira and Dmitri’s book. I highly recommend this entire series to anyone who likes contemporary romance but is over the small town romances, yet doesn’t want to jump fully into romantic suspense.