Forbidden: The Arotas Trilogy

This book was pleasantly surprising, it pulls you in deeper and deeper with every page you turn. The characters are wonderfully written and were very relatable. The relationships of the characters were so emotional and dynamic that I couldn't feeling sad or happy when they were sad and happy. The author really knew what she was doing when she wrote this book. The relationship between the two main characters wasn't rushed and bam head over heels in love it was slow and sweet and I liked that the main character was resistant and didn't just immediately jump in bed with the guy. The author really took the time to make her characters as believable as possible and without characters that are believable the story would just fall apart. I'm excited to see how the relationships of the different characters plays out in the next books. The only complaint I have for this book is that there were a few things that weren't explained to much but hopefully will be explained in the other books in the series. I would recommend this book more for teenagers than adults but if you're and adult and you feel like you want to read this book no one could blame you because it really is a great book. Anyone looking for a bit of the paranormal and some romance all rolled up into one great story should definitely check this book out, its totally worth the time it takes to read it. All in all I really enjoyed this book, it was an awesome read.

Rosaline was taken brutally from her family by the horrible evil that is Vladimir Enescue, aka Dracula. We don't know much about Rosaline's three hundred years with Vlad other than he was a cruel husband. Rose escapes to Chicago, and disguises herself as a high school student where she meets her friends, and a potential love interest Gabriel. Rose's life is turned upside down when an old friend shows up at the dance. Then her ragtag group of friends must rush to her rescue learning about who and what she is along the way. Sometimes you fall in love with a mythos, and sometimes the thing you fell in love with becomes the defining thing for that world. Such is the case with me. Not a fan of Bram Stokers it took until I read the gothic horror novel Tale of the Vampire Bride by Rhiannon Frater before I even cared about the Dracula myth, or learned anything about it. TotVB is my defining book on the Dracula myth. I'm a zombie girl, not a vampire girl. I don't want to and cannot compare FORBIDDEN with TotVB because they are two very different works. FORBIDDEN is not a horror novel. It's a Young Adult Paranormal Romance. And read as such it is an excellent novel. The story is gripping, it's hard to put down, it has suspense and romance and pretty much all of the criteria I want from a YAPNR. The characters are kick butt, and it was great that Gabriel is not an Alpha Male. He's actually a little emo. Which was sweet and refreshing. Rose is the perfect heroine. The only thing I can say about the characters is that they are a bit underdeveloped. Rosaline's time with Vlad is rushed and glazed over. I think I would have liked to see more of their dynamic to see why she stayed for so long, and to be able to feel why he was terrifying. Of course, to explain why I wanted the gore of that relationship to be shown you have to realize that I am first and foremost a horror fan, so this isn't really the fault of the author. I also think that the characters were left a bit underdeveloped because it is the first in the trilogy. If they are fully formed in this work then they have no room to grow in the next work. Rose's friends William, Sadie and Nicolae are a great cast of B characters they round out the story nicely and give us some comedic relief. Nicolae is not what he seems, but I am guessing if you pick up the book you will figure out what he is before the big reveal in the book. The real mystery is what Gabriel is? And we don't know the full answer to that one by the end of the book. So be warned CLIFFHANGER. All in all Forbidden was a great escape, a fast read, and fulfilling. I will definitely be looking to pick up the next book very soon.

Roseline has had a rough past and she trying to escape it. She flees her country to try to start over but it's not as easy as she hopes it will be. There is so much she didn't account for but being free from her bad situation was all that mattered in the beginning. Roseline has traveled to Chicago to start over. Since she looks like she is 17 she enrolls in high school to try and find her way. What she finds in that school is things she would never have imaged. She meets Sadie who is quite the unique girl but turns out to be a very great friend and ally. Things take a crazy turn when Roseline finds herself drawn to Gabriel a random guy at the high school. She can't figure out what is happening or why it's happening. Things take a crazy turn for the worse and there's a bunch of people involved. Can Roseline keep away from the one she is running and hiding from? What will happen with Gabriel? This is a great read for anyone who loves a good paranormal/fantasy book. There is some humor, tragedy, action, and romance. This book has a little bit of everything.

So, this was my first Amy Miles book. In a quest to read more of the authors attending the Boston Author Event, I found her name and recognized it from the Facebook group for the event and decided she would be next. Also in her favor was the fact that I've been a complete cover whore lately and I loved the cover for this book. While there were some grammatical issues with the book, overall I was pleasantly surprised at how much I wound up liking this book in the end. Part of the way through, I wasn't sure if that would be the case. I liked that the story started out different. Yes it was a "vampire" story of sorts but it was a different take on it. Here is a girl who is supposed to be getting married (though she's not happy with who she's getting married to - arranged marriage and all), which you would think should be the happiest day of her 17 year old life, but instead she has to watch her husband and brother-in-law kill all of her family and wedding guests for the fun of it. Everyone she's ever known and loved has been taken away from her, and then on top of that he takes away her life by making her immortal. After 300 years, who wouldn't want to run away? Past the prologue, the story moved a little slowly for me in the beginning. It was sometimes confusing and other times just felt a little flat. I liked the characters Amy introduced and how they were different from typical storybook characters, I just needed a little more drama or something, I think. Sadie seemed like a great friend, and while she was different, I think that's what made their friendship work. Poor William, he never really stood a chance, but I really liked him and I wanted him to find a happiness. I was definitely invested. Once Gabriel became a bigger part of the story, things picked up for me and that's when the story really kept my attention. With a paranormal story, I need the action. I need the unanswered questions. What was happening to him/them? Why? How? What would happen? Would her husband find them? I needed these things to keep me going and was thrilled when they started to happen and my questions started to fall into place. I'm still confused about some things. How her sister played a part in this? What is going on with Gabriel? What will happen now? I am hoping some of these things get settled in the next book, which of course I already bought. I will definitely be going back to this series and I am hoping to build on the second half of the book. Overall I would have to say it was a good first impression for me with Amy Miles!

**4.5 Stars** I'm not sure how long Forbidden has been waiting for me on my kindle but I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. It's a bit of a spin on the Vlad the Impaler myth, but it's more. There's a bit of mystery, some suspense, romance *sigh*, and some very well written and violent action. This is categorized as YA but it's definitely mature YA. Roseline Enescue risked everything when she fled her husband, Vladimir. She knows all too well the punishment she will endure if she's caught but she can't take living the life he forced her into. She is successful in her escape and flees to America where she ends up in Chicago. There she enrolls in school. Her plan is to lay low, avoid people - it's the only way to stay safe. But Rose didn't count on meeting Sadie...or William, Sadie's brother...or Gabriel, who really throws a wrench into her plans. Things actually go along pretty well though, until someone from home shows up to take Rose back. Then things get even more interesting. Forbidden is an excellent introduction to the Arotas Trilogy. It's sets up the mythology, introduces the players, and develops the characters. And I love the characters. Rose is strong, courageous, determined, and loyal. Sadie is sweet, loyal, and quick under pressure. William is lovable and willing to do anything for a friend. Gabriel is brave and strong, with a beautiful spirit. Vladimir is scary evil. Then there's the mystery of the bond and the prophecy. What exactly is Gabriel? And it's all set against the backdrop of high school and typical teen-aged angst. I feel like I can't say much more without being spoilery. Ms. Miles has crafted a wonderful story - one that I'm honestly eager to continue. The only reason it's not a 5 star read for me is because it's written in third person, present tense - this is purely a personal preference - this format is one that bothers me. Forbidden is an enthralling read though. And one I highly recommend. **As an aside, I noticed reviews that noted grammar errors, etc. The book must have gone through editing since those reviews posted because I noticed very few errors in my version.**

So, when I first decided to read this one, I admit, I thought it was going to be about vampires (not that I would have minded, but I know a lot of people are not liking the whole vampire genre, which sucks [pun intended] because I love vampires!). With the first couple paragraphs with all the gore and blood, I thought that it was all vampires. It was a very interesting take that Amy Miles took the vampire lore and turned it into the myths of the "immortals". I think that Amy Miles did a fantastic job with plot building, character building, and world building. I fell in love with the characters. Especially Roseline's new best friend Sadie. I thought that Sadie was a riot. And I loved going through all of Sadie's different looks/personalities. I felt very connected to Roseline. I really enjoyed her being the main character and I felt for her when she went through the emotions of needing and wanting Gabriel to knowing that she shouldn't feel that way towards him. I think that a lot of girls go through that kind of thing. Especially when it comes to high school. I remember back in high school me and a few of my friends went through the same guys but we all had those feelings of "We shouldn't do this" to feelings of "I can't help who I love." Haven't we all been there at least once in our lives? I loved Gabriel. He was a genuine guy. Yes, when he first met/saw Roseline he had a girlfriend, but he was still respectful through out the time that he was still hooked with his idiotic, "mean girl," slutty, spoiled girlfriend. Talk about whores, she was the definition of a few girls I knew (and won't name) from high school. But Gabriel, he was genuine, sweet, sexy, kind, caring, loving, compassionate, artistic, and a bit haste with decisions. I think he was a perfect match for Roseline. I liked the mystery that was going on with Gabriel and I liked how he and Roseline bonded over it. The ending was action packed and left me wanting to know more. It wasn't a cliffhanger, per say, but it left me wanting to jump into the next book, which I shall be doing quite soon. :] The only thing that could put some people off is the editing. Poor Amy is going through her fourth editor. I feel so bad for her. She just can't seem to find an editor who is willing to actually edit her work. So, don't let the editing/typos stop you from checking this book out. Because if you are into paranormal stories, then you should check it out!

I loved this book, I love Rose, I love Gabriel, I love Sadie and William, okay now I will talk about the story lol The start of this book is so sad, my heart broke for Roseline and how she tried to find a way to save her sister only to have the pure evil Vladimir turn her love for her sister against her in the worst way. This book is not a soft, romance that has a mean vampire in it, this book is dark, violent, with a pure evil vampire but still beautifully romantic. I was thrilled when Roseline was able to go to Chicago and finally try to live a teenage life that was ripped from her over 300 years ago. I enjoyed this part of the book, it was fun, romantic, the female friend she makes Sadie is great, she is the girl that acts like she is against society, dressing goth or punk. Then she feels this draw to someone at the school and then we meet Gabriel, a jock but underneath he is an artist and his stepfather wont stop pushing him to be something he doesn't want to be. Gabriel feels this pull towards Rose also and cannot understand why but he wants to share things with her, be with her. This part of the story is full of normal teenage angst, jealousy, and love. We also meet Nicolae, he ends up being from Rose's homeland and clearly hates her and she hates him. Rose doesn't understand why he is posing as a foreign exchange student in the home of her new friend, eventually we learn what he is doing and why they hate each other. Strange things start to happen to Gabriel, transformations that Rose does not understand and markings on his arms that scare her but she does not know why. Even though she is connected to Gabriel for some reason she cannot risk their lives, she makes a decision that breaks my heart. Rose's feelings for Gabriel, Sadie, and William grow and fear takes over, when an old love and her best friend from her homeland finds her and comes to get her she knows if she stays then her evil husband would find them and they would all be dead. Gabriel, Sadie, William, and even Nicolae all decide to go after Rose, they travel to Romania and there they find out all about who Nicolae is and who Rose is, and why she left. When we read about Rose again I start to cry, can't believe the description of what Vladimir did to her. I can't stop crying when Fane goes after her trying to get her away from him, to ease her torture, wishing he had never brought her back. Then we meet Nicolae's evil Uncle, the hunter and he ends up using Gabriel in a horrible way to set a trap for Rose. So many things go wrong, people die, people are saved, trust is lost, sacrifices are made, and life is given even if not wanted. I can't wait to read the next book.

Roseline Dragomir looks for the man who led her wedding guests to slaughter. From the beginning she saw the evil in Vladimir Enescue's eyes. She tried to worn her father but he didn't listen all he saw was Vladimir's wealth. Roseline and her fourteen year old sister are hiding behind the alter at the church. They can't get out of the church because the only way out is being blocked by Lucien, Vladimir's older brother. Roseline is forced to watch as Lucien kills her sister. They turn Roseline into a Vampire. After centuries of trying to escape Vladimir and his abusive ways, she finally succeeds. She goes to America escape and hopefully not be found. While in America she meets Sadie, Will and Gabriel. While Sadie and Will are good friends of Rose's. She feels something else entirely for Gabriel. I was sure about this book to begin with. But I love to be proven wrong. I truly enjoyed this book. I will be recommending this book. Its a book that I will be reading over and over.