This story dragged on a bit too long. At the end I was speed reading. The love stories were all complicated due to them being contrived by the controlling grimy egomaniac father. Every excuse for the use of control tactics were because of the image of the family and its business. The character development was decent. The plot was okay. The pacing was just too slow and I would’ve preferred a more concise book. There are a couple of steamy scenes. In the beginning the story appears to be about the siblings, but for me, Travis's and his family dynamic is the central plot. His story is what held my interest and kept me engaged.

Thanks to Harlequin for providing me with an eARC for review.

DRAMA! This is one of those “rich people living on a family estate problems” book that I can allow myself to be entertained by on an occasional basis. Ended kind of in a cliffhanger so of COURSE I’ll have to read the next one in the series 🤷🏼‍♀️

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

DNF. There was too much family drama and too little interaction between the MCs. I also didn't realize that the H was the h's sister's ex-husband so I'm not really sure how the book was going to redeem him and make me comfortable with that.

The drama, tension and the forbiden-ness of the romance between the hero and heroine was amazing! Loved the romance and I feel like Synithia Williams really hit the emotions out of the park.

Sorry I did not get time to read this book before it expired. I'm in college. I will keep an eye out for the book.

India Robidoux has tried to stay away from her bourgeois family, until she is forced to come home. While home, she runs into the one man she has tried to avoid for years, Travis Strickland, the man she loved and who also happens to be her sister's ex husband. Although they both try to hide it, their attraction to each other continues to grow to the point there is no turning back. And once the smoke clears, will the couple be left standing?

I enjoyed the flow of the story, as well as the characters. It read like I was watching a soap opera with a lot of family drama. I definitely will be reading the future books in this series. I am excited to see what happens next

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

Travis and India have history.

India has been living her life the way that she wants. She is an amazing violinist and because of that, she has been able to travel with the Transatlantic Orchestra. When she comes home for a brief break after finishing with her current orchestra, the last thing she expects is to come home to a busy house.

India is from a very prominent family. And because of that, certain things are expected of her. But India has never wanted to abide by those family rules. Despite her father’s threats, India packed up and left the safety of the family business.

India’s sister is going to become the CEO of the family business. Travis is her sister’s ex-husband. When her older brother decides to run for office, India is expected to smile, tow the family line, and help with the campaign.

Being in close proximity to Travis again makes India feel things that she knows she shouldn’t. But it also points out exactly what she has been missing.

Travis has his own issues to deal with and while I thought that his back story was somewhat odd, in the end, it makes sense.

I liked watching these two figure out their past, present, and future. They had great chemistry and because of that, you could really feel their dilemma.

I can’t wait to see the next book. It seems like it will be full of dynamic personalities and past decisions that are coming back to haunt everyone.

Forbidden Promises is the first book in the new Jackson Falls series by Synithia Williams. It’s a story that features a heroine who has been in love with her sister’s ex-husband for some time now. When she comes back home to visit her family, her plan is to sneak in, spend some quality time with her family and then sneak right back out. She has no plans on sticking around or of seeing Travis Strickland while she’s home. Travis and India shared the most passionate kiss of India’s life and then he made his choice and married her sister so she’s come to terms with it. Sure, she was hurt but that was years ago and she’s grown up and moved on. But Travis is her brother’s best friend and her brother needs her help with his political campaign so India’s got no choice but to see Travis.

Travis is stoked that India’s home. Of all of the Robidoux siblings, India understood him the best. They had a solid friendship that Travis missed when India went away and sure, they also shared a pretty spectacular kiss years ago but that’s old news and he’s excited to see his friend again. Only India is different now. She’s a grown woman, a gorgeous grown woman and she wants nothing to do with Travis. Working together on India’s brother’s campaign should be a breeze, no?

Synithia Williams has a unique writing style that worked for me. I’m no stranger to the sister’s ex-husband trope and though not every story featuring that trope has worked for me in the past, I didn’t mind it here. The more that I got to know India and Travis, the more we learned about their shared history and the people that they were and the people they are now made rooting them on all the more necessary for me. They were both strong characters and I thought they were fantastic on their own but I really dug them together. I connected with both of their characters, along with both of their stories and seeing them come together in love, figure their stuff out was a great reading adventure for me.

I haven’t read anything by Williams before but I will definitely be reading more of her stuff in the future. This was such a charming romance that I want more of it. I definitely recommend it for those readers who are looking for a quick, charming romance with heart. This definitely fits the bill.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This is my first book by this author but won’t be my last! I was drawn in by this gorgeous cover with two people looking so happy and in love – that’s really all it takes to get me to buy a book lol. I found the backstory of this book to be engaging and immediately wanted to know more about everyone. India comes home after being gone for a long time and it becomes crystal clear why – she’s in love with her sister’s husband. And okay, that is obviously a no go. But they’ve divorced and it’s clear India still wants to stay far away from Travis out of respect to her sister. And the way that Williams sets that up is in such a way that I lost zero respect for India. That takes a skilled writer to do because normally I’d be like umm, NO.

Williams does a really great job at balancing both the backstory and the current actual story in such a way that I was engaged and rooting for basically everyone…except her father. I’m still very anti India’s dad! We discover that India and Travis basically had one kiss when he was broken up with her sister. There were some machinations from her father which basically led to where things are in the present time.

What I loved about this book is that it’s OTT like a soap opera in a great way. The author mentions that she was influenced by soaps so that makes a lot of sense. There IS a lot going on but I enjoyed it for the most part. One of the things that didn’t work as well for me was the politics because India’s brother is running for office. But she never mentions exactly WHAT his politics were? So I had no sense of what his campaign was even about. I don’t know if that was on purpose or if it was because there was already a lot going on in the book.

I really enjoyed the setup of both the brother and the sister because my romance antennae are up and I’m basically like oooh, who are their matches!!?!? Overall this is an absorbing book with complex family dynamics that I enjoyed.

4 stars

CW: miscarriage off page, alcoholism, gun violence, cheating (not main couple)

Forbidden Promises by Synithia Williams is book one in her Jackson Falls series.

India Robidoux’s short visit with her family is turning into a longer stay because of her brother’s political campaign and her father’s manipulations. She is forced into closer contact with Travis, her sister’s ex-husband and the man she’s been avoiding for the last four years, than she’s comfortable with. India can’t follow her heart, because it will devastate her sister, but love may be worth the sacrifice.

Travis Strickland is Elaina Robidoux’s ex-husband and Byron Robidoux’s best friend and law partner. He’s conflicted by his continuing feelings for India, his ex-wife’s sister. Their close contact during Byron’s political campaign is awakening feelings he’s been denying for years. Travis wants to follow his heart but doing so may devastate the family that has embraced him as one of their own.

Forbidden Promises is a scintillating read. The characters are strong and believable. The plot is interesting and engaging. This is a tale of love, betrayal, scandal, family loyalty and the pain of secrets and lies. I was impressed with Forbidden Promises and give it a 5 out of 5 star rating. Readers of contemporary romance will find this novel compelling. Be aware there is some explicit sexual content that may be off-putting to some readers, but this is still a great read. The first chapter of the next book in the series is included at the end. It promises to be as good as this first novel of the series.

My thanks to HARLEQUIN – Romance (US & Canada) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

This cover is beautiful and the blurb mentions the heroine falling for her sister’s ex-husband. This is a trope I normally love. In the beginning of the book, the author mentions how much she loved soap operas when she was growing up. I loved soaps too. I still watch General Hospital on sick days. But this didn't work for me. The cover and blurb had me thinking this would be more of a SuperRomance but it was more Desire. Nothing wrong with that. Just not what I wanted. It has a 3.95 on Goodreads so if you are in to soapy, OTT, family sage type romances, you would probably enjoy this.

I honestly couldn’t put this book down. I felt the love and longing Travis and India had for each other and I couldn’t help but root for them. You see all the obstacles her family has created for them but you still see how much India loves them and wants them to approve of their relationship.

I loved getting to see them build their friendship and connection again once she comes back to town. They are just super cute together!

I did get mad at her family, pretty often, but I am happy with how everything turned out in the end. This was definitely a fun read!

The author starts out saying how much she loves soap operas and the complex families that make them addictive. She wanted to write about a similar family.
Well damn. Did she ever!
The overbearing patriarch of the family, a son entering a political career, a divorced daughter who rules the business and has a drinking problem, the artistic daughter who wants to avoid the family and the poor boy the father took under his wing. This book has it all.
Forbidden love.
Secrets.
Dysfunctional family.
Politics.
Family comes first.
I loved the h & H and their journey to finally be together. I despised the father and his ruling hand. I want to know more about the brother. I hope the sister gets a HEA. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series!

Heat Factor: HOT...HOT mess.
Character Chemistry: It’s crackling.
Plot: India stops to visit her INSANE family and ends up picking up exactly where she left off with Travis, who is her SISTER’S EX HUSBAND, omg, get some popcorn.
Overall: This book is so delicious and I can’t wait for the rest of this series.

I normally hate gossip because it gives me tummy aches, but I could tell from the first page this one was going to be just deliciously complicated. No one is “good” in Jackson Falls. Everyone's a little bit...bad. For starters, this obscenely rich family gets their money from their massive tobacco company. WHAT??

Then, we meet the Robidoux family. The patriarch is hooking up with the mistress (and family cook) he started things up with when his wife was still alive, so...messy. The older brother, Byron, is going to forge a marriage of convenience so he looks better for his senate race. And I mean, the younger sister (India) hooked up with the older sister’s (Elaina’s) boyfriend (TRAVIS) the day they broke up but then Travis married the older sister when she found out she was knocked up. So.

There are huge eggs being dropped right and left for what I can only hope are the rest of the books in this series. I NEED TO KNOW what happens with cousin Ashiya. That mess looks super juicy. And something is up with Byron and I smell a tangled web of drama. Plots are thickening right and left with these naughty, naughty characters and I’m going to need to present when the tea is spilled.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Angsty, passionate, and dramatic!

Forbidden Promises is a heartfelt, intricate, second-chance romance featuring the independent, feisty India and the hardworking, dependable Travis as they discover that even though they really should stay away from each other, they just can’t resist.

The prose is crisp and witty. The characters are intelligent, flirty, hesitant, and intriguing. And the plot is an engaging blend of friendship, emotion, attraction, heat, familial drama, awkward moments, romance, and politics.

Overall, Forbidden Promises is a spirited, seductive, entertaining read by Williams that’s a promising start for this new Jackson Falls series and the perfect choice for those who love soap operas.

Included in SBTB's monthly New Releases post, which highlights upcoming books for the next month: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2020/02/februarys-new-releases-part-two/

India leaves home just after graduating from High School due to the fact that she and Travis had a romantic moment on the night of graduation. Even though Travis is older than India and was involved with her older sister. So now ten years later she comes back home for a visit but finds out that Travis and her sister is now divorced. Planning on not staying long India’s father and brother wants her to stay home to help out with her brothers campaign to run for public office.
Now this is a heartache for India because she has to work with Travis knowing that she is still in love with him after all these years.
The characters were well developed and some of them make you not like them. There were emotions of love, hurt, pain, family rivalry.
This was my first time reading a book by this author and I look forward to reading more books by her. I highly recommend this book to read.
Cassandra H.

I received a ARC from Netgalley and this review is of my own honest opinion .


This was a good read of romance with friends to Lovers.

I started reading Synithia when she wrote for Harlequin Kimani. Since that line folded, I was worried about finding rich, well written books about life's toils and difficulties from a Black POV... but so happy to see Synithia is still out here giving us Black romance goodness. This was a fantastic read, so many emotions and levels. I love a forbidden love, particularly love across the "wrong side of the tracks'. This is a great read, you won't regret picking it up.

Clever soapish romance that really held my attention throughout the story. So much to enjoy that I was able to finish this in a day and a half. Definitely on my list of authors to read agian.