Julia fell for Matt, despite their differences. When she finds out that he is dead, she eventually moves on with her life. However, a stranger comes into her life and everything in her life changes. This is a quick and fun read.

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story.The side characters were such an integral part of this story as well. This is the love story i needed to read at this time. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you

Classic Harlequin romance with happy ending and all. I really enjoyed this book as it reminded me where my love of reading began. Julia and Matt were lovers of different social classes who are torn apart by unapproving parents. Secret pregnancy and extended family lead to reunion. What I liked was that Matt was so accepting of Julia's big reveal and did not hold anything against her. Loved the aunt's and the presence of children. Although we are left with a cliff hanger that left me wanting more.
Copy received from NetGalley for an honest review.

FORBIDDEN LOVERS - Kimberley Troutte

#1 in the Plunder Cove romance series

SURPRISING SECOND CHANCE - 3 stars

Plot - 3.5 stars - When Matt is called back to his home by his abusive father many years later, he wants to reconnect with his former lover. But there is definitely some confusion about their relationship because of conflicting reports that were spread about them.

Writing - 2.5 stars - Troutte caught my attention right from the beginning with Matt's arrival in a spectacular way, followed by the masquerade party's announcement. However, she kept information a secret, I suspect, in order to release it little by little. I don't think this was handled well since I was often confused, and the reveals felt more calculated than supportive of the story. In addition, there were way too many secondary story lines--with RW's miraculous transformation and potential relationship with his kids, Angel's secret need to hide, and the environmental issue.

Characters - 3 stars - Matt is the long-lost love who is really just a regular guy, misled by his family many years ago. He's strong and handsome, and you can't help but support him since we are seeing a lot of the story from his point of view. Julia is less appealing as the woman left behind who has tried to build a new life for herself. She definitely shows a strong independent streak when she confronts Matt's father about her passion--environmental law, but it seemed a little unrealistic. And her relationship with her family is referred to many times, but there's some confusion there that didn't quite fit. Her crazy relatives were probably meant to be entertaining, but instead I couldn't keep track of them, and they became a distraction.

Title - 3 stars - The characters were definitely forbidden to be together 10 years ago when they were teenagers, and now they are finally having a second chance.

Cover - 2.5 stars - Not bad, but a fairly typical romantic-genre cover. Nothing particularly special to draw the eye. As a matter of fact, I found the aviator glasses to be a glaring addition that took away rather from the romantic intention, instead giving the hero a decidedly menacing look.

Overall - 3 stars - Just OK. This book had promise, but I didn't think it was written in a smooth manner. There was too much going on, too many mysteries, and the main characters didn't seem strong enough to support all the action. Disappointing, and although I may continue with this series, it won't be soon.

Matt Harper returns from the past and Julia Espinoza must decide if their love is true and can withstand a common future.. Good characters and story line. Enjoyed this author.
Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

A sweet story with some good passion. I liked the characters, and I liked the second chance romance. Julia and Matt have believed in the wrong people, so they've missed out on 10 years of being together. I enjoyed the connection Julia and Matt have, but I don't like that she wasn't honest about Henry and that she was thinking of never even saying anything to Matt about Henry. That's really messed up. Also, it takes forever for them to actually talk about the past and when they do it was anti-climatic. Plus, the story has too much filler story going on, so things didn't really develop. Overall, it's a nice story with some fun characters.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to read and review. I apologize for the delay in responding on this title, I thought I had sent this, literally, months ago. That said, I didn't connect with this title and I have chosen not to finish this title.

As always, thanks for the opportunity!
Laura

Julia and Matt were lovers in high school until Matt left to be an Air Force pilot. He returns home years later to reconnect with Julia who thought he was dead. This was where the story went in a lot of different directions and I don't think it did any of them well. Julia and Matt get back together, but she is reluctant to tell him that she has his son. And Matt is too dumb to put two and two together and realize it. There is also a subplot where Julie is fighting Matt's father over a development that will endanger a bird. And another subplot where Matt's father is in love with his nurse and how she has changed him from a tyrant to a nice guy. And then that same nurse is being hunted by a gang. It is too much and I didn't really find the story believable

Matt and Julia were teenage lovers. Matt's life was rich but without his parent's love. Julia was poor with enough family love to sustain them both. Matt's father RW is abusive and a horrible person who makes Matt leave for the armed forces. 10 years later he comes home and Julia has a beautiful 10-year-old little boy and Julia is under the assumption that Matt is dead. Things are different at home now with RW but things never changed with his love for Julia. Matt has a lot to overcome but with Julia, he might just be able to do it. There is another subplot with this book that is not completely finished but the main story is completed. The book was a quick read, not a lot of substance and I felt more of a connection between RW and Angel than I did between Julia and Matt.

Talk about cliché and stereotypes!
And could they at least research a little further to make sure the Spanish words actually made sense? Pro tip: It's CARIÑO, NOT "cariña". This book was a waste of my very limited time!

Forbidden Lovers by Kimberly Troutte is a 2018 Harlequin Desire publication.

Julia and Matt fell hard for one another as teens, but they were separated by forces beyond their control. Matt was forced to join the Airforce and thought Julia moved on with her life without him and Julia thought Matt was dead. When Matt returns home at the forceful request of his father, he meets up with Julia again. Reunited, however briefly, the couple take advantage of their time together. But, shocking revelations will either drive them apart forever or draw them closer to their long overdue happy ever after.

Matt and Julia’s story is a bittersweet second chance at love story. I really loved the diversity and culture in the story and found their history compelling. It was wonderful to watch them reconnect and finally have a chance to make a life together. However, the secondary story involving Matt’s father and the woman who was responsible for his new outlook on life, was rushed through so quickly, I was confused and felt lost. I thought maybe this was the second book in a series, which may have laid the foundation for RW’s story, but I didn’t see a prior installment for this one. However, I see RW and Angel’s story will be continued in the next book, and I’m just curious enough to see if how that thread in fleshed out. I'll definitely give this serial a chance to develop.

Overall, this is a very quick and easy read, very enjoyable with terrific characters and a lovely HEA for Matt and Julia.

3.5 stars

Forbidden Lovers by Kimberley Troutte is exactly the type of romance novel that makes Harlequin Romances what they are. Young girl from the wrong side of the tracks falls in love with the son of a wealthy businessman. It's unacceptable, so he's sent off and the girl is told he is dead. When he comes back years later, she is still there, with his son that he didn't know about and hijinks ensue in order to get them back together. An enjoyable novel, a quick read and very satisfying. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC for my honest review.

Forbidden Lovers by Kimberley Troutte is the first novel in the Plunder Cove series, and although a short read, as are all the novesl in the Harlequin Desire series, I read it cover-to-cover until 4:30 a.m., and give it a 3.5-star rating.

As romance novels go, this one combines many familiar tropes: secret baby, second chance at love, billionaire and poor girl, first love killed in action, dysfunctional and estranged family, secrets and lies, mental illness, hiding from a dangerous MC gang, and more, and Ms. Trouette has combined them all in a way that appears seamless, all makes sense, draws us into this story from the very first page and never lets go, and although some of the misunderstandings in this novel were a bit far-fetched, it didn't hamper my enjoyment of this story much.

Matt Harper is the son of a wealthy and powerful family. He met and feel deeply in love with Julia and she with him when they were in their teens. She's a poor Latina girl living in a tiny town outside the Harper family compound in Plunder Cove. Matt's father and mother, both cold, controlling and abusive, didn't approve of the relationship and forced Matt into enlisting in the Air Force to keep the two apart. Matt knew he'd someday return to Julia, only to hear from his family that 3 months later she married someone else. He was crushed and heartbroken, but what could he do? While in the military he discovered his love of flying, and for the first time in a decade, he's returning to Plunder Cove, having been summoned there, along with his siblings, the reason not given. He doesn't plan to stay long, just long enough to discover why he was summoned and to finalize the purchase of a new plane for the airline he's opening in Asia.

It's not long before he encounters Julia and her young son, Henry, and although he feels betrayed by her quick marriage so soon after he left, he's as attracted to her as he ever was, and she with him. At first, she doesn't even recognize Matt, who left her a decade ago without even saying goodbye. She was later told that he had died in battle in Afghanistan and she's been mourning his loss for years.

My only issue with Matt is that he never even suspects that Henry might be his, or even asks his age. Julia, who believes that Matt is only home for a few days, and who once told that he never wanted to father a child because he was afraid that he'd be as bad a parent as his own had been, doesn't reveal that Henry is his. Henry is a charmer, and he keeps telling Matt that his his dad was a pilot too, one who died in Afghanistan, and rather that connect the dots, Matt wrongly assumes that Maria is still deeply in love with her deceased husband.

There's way more to this novel than the bare bones I've just described, and I have to give Ms. Trouette credit for introducing us to a large cast of characters and their connections, secrets, and drama without ever allowing us to feel lost in the crowd or confusing us beyond hope with the sheer number of characters and their interwoven stories. While there is an HEA ending to Matt and Julia's story, we're also given a bit of a cliffhanger because not all of the loose ends in this tale were tied up in a pretty ribbon and a bow at the end. I'm curious to see where these loose ends take us in the future.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Forbidden Lovers by Kimberley Troutte is good book where main theme is second chance with love. And how love can begin so young. Well it is young when the main character (Julia) has loved her sweetheart since high school. There is some parts which made me so sad, because I know, how hard it is think that your love is die because war. There was so strong plot and whole story was awesome. I'm so happy that I read this book, maybe some day I feel again the same happiness than Julia feels. Who knows. So sometimes I think that I cry quite easy with books, but sometimes those feels are just like your own. But this book was sweet book and made me thinks happy memories.

Review by Amanda for Love Romance Books Blog

I was asked by the author for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by Kimberly Troutte, as well as the first book in the Plunder Cove series. There is more than one storyline going on during Forbidden Lovers and not all of them are resolved at the end of this book. It's not a dramatic cliffhanger, but the story is "to be continued" in Feburary 2019.

Review by Amber for Love Romance Books Blog

Julia has loved her high school sweetheart her whole life. Even when she was told that he died in Afghanistan, she never moved on. After all, she had her family, her friends, and her son - Matt’s son- Henry to take care of, and that has kept her busy. Until the day a mysterious stranger shows up in town. She is drawn to him, and she doesn’t know why. When she finds out the stranger is her Matt, she is stunned.



Matt had no idea that Julia thought he was dead. He thought that she moved on to someone else. When he realizes she really is in front of him, he has to have her, even if only for a weekend. What will happen after the end of the weekend, though? And what will happen when Matt finds out he has a son?


This was a cute story. It seemed like there was a bigger backstory going on that was carried over from other books in the series, but even though I didn’t have the full scoop on that I could still figure out enough to enjoy the book. I would give this book 3.5 stars.


I was asked by the author for an honest review.

Wonderfully written with strong characters. Really enjoyable read and had me turning the pages till the last one. Definitely want to read more books by this author.

Rebel son and poor daughter.......perfect foil for romance and intrigue Kimberly Troutte does an amazing job in this fast passed Harlequin Desire romance. First time I have read her but I will be searching for more of her romance books.

Ten years have past separated by circumstances out of their control.
A second chance romance. A few tears and humor. Passion hasn't died it's as strong as ever.

I really enjoyed this week. All the secrets, mysteries and emotional makes a quick read and didn't want to put the book down. Matt's childhood was awful and his parents are two people that shouldn't have any kids. Thank God they divorced. Matt remembers the harsh punishments from his fathers first. His father enticed Matt to go home but as you can imagine things never go exactly as planned.
There is Julia, a good woman with a fantastic family. Her adopted family helped her get strong when she was told Matt is dead. She has gone thru a lot. A fantastic women.
Won't be easy for Matt and Julia.
Love the cover!
A very powerful book with great twist.
A little late for my opinion due to family health problems but still very grateful to Netgally to allow me to give my opinion.

I love that the author Kimberley Troutte took the time to give us the background on Julia's family. This was my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns that she threw into the book, up until the end that ended on a cliffhanger. Not my favorite way to have a book end and normally I forget to go back and read the second one but the left one in this series is definitely going on my list of to bed read.