Tainted Black (a Forbidden Romance)

Scandalous I haven’t read the other reviews yet but I can only imagine how divisive this book might be. Having said that, I was a fan! There were some cringe-worthy parts as well as some SUPER-steamy parts, but overall I thought the storyline was well-done (it easily could have gone off the rails into icky territory). I felt unsatisfied by the end but the follow up book resolves all of that.

2.5 stars. I would've given this 3-4 stars, but then I got to (view spoiler)[the ending.... And there's no HEA. I was really enjoying the book, liking the writing, loving the HOT forbidden love sex, but then the no-HEA ruined the book for me. I'm not exactly opposed to non-HEA books (Maldeamores by Mara White is an AMAZING one I loved) but this one just didn't sit right with me. It was like there was all this build-up (and there is SO MUCH build-up) and it was all for nothing, because the MCs don't even end up together. UGH. I can see what the author was trying to do, writing about first loves (at least for the heroine), but I just didn't see the point of it. I didn't FEEL like the MCs not being together was the best thing for them, because when I got to the end, I was just like "Oh...". If Theo and Chloe really loved each other, they would've fought for each other, right? Or, they would've left each other because it was the best thing for them, right? But noooo, they broke up because it was the best thing for someone else. Izzy, Theo's daughter and Chloe's best friend, was the reason why they didn't end up together... This reason would've been understandable, and I would've been more okay about the non-HEA, if Izzy had a bigger presence in the book. As the reader, I honestly didn't CARE about how Izzy would feel about Theo and Chloe being together, because I never really got the chance to KNOW her. I was basically just thinking, "Who gives a fuck about what Izzy feels about you two if you're meant for each other!?!?" Although, I honestly shouldn't even be too mad about the ending, because I predicted it. There's the note from the author at the beginning of the book, so I was already suspicious about the HEA... but about halfway through (or 2/3? I forget), the second I read that some 29 year old guy would be entering the story, I was pretty set on thinking that the MCs wouldn't end up together. I was kind of hoping I would be wrong, because I really wanted to see how this forbidden love would work, but no, there's no HEA. (hide spoiler)] All my annoyances aside, I really did like the way the author wrote Tainted Black, although there were quite a few punctuation/grammar/etc mistakes. As far as forbidden romances go, this one was really, really good. And really freaking hot. It was just the ending that wasn't for me, but I wouldn't say no to reading something else from this author.