Hate to Want You
Alisha Rai     
December 2021 Releases

Contemporary
Historical
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Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Forbidden Hearts
Book: 1
Heat Level: Hot

Alisha Rai, one of contemporary romance’s brightest stars, makes her Avon Books debut with the first novel in the sexy Forbidden Hearts series!

One night. No one will know.

That was the deal. Every year, Livvy Kane and Nicholas Chandler would share one perfect night of illicit pleasure. The forbidden hours let them forget the tragedy that haunted their pasts—and the last names that made them enemies.

Until the night she didn’t show up.

Now Nicholas has an empire to run. He doesn’t have time for distractions and Livvy’s sudden reappearance in town is a major distraction. She’s the one woman he shouldn’t want . . . so why can’t he forget how right she feels in his bed?

Livvy didn’t come home for Nicholas, but fate seems determined to remind her of his presence—and their past. Although the passion between them might have once run hot and deep, not even love can overcome the scandal that divided their families.

Being together might be against all the rules . . . but being apart is impossible.

Olivia Kane’s family lost it all. They suffered setback after setback and they have yet to recover from it. Struggling to deal with everything, Livvy left town years ago only to just return after her mother fell and broke her hip. She is not prepared to stay or run into the one man who she loved. Breaking up with Nicholas Chandler nearly destroyed her.

Nicholas is shocked to learn that Livvy is back in town. They broke things off years ago and only agreed to see each other on Livvy’s birthday each year. Last year, Livvy didn’t respond to the text to meet him and he figured all was lost.

I have never heard of this author before but I am so glad that I got a chance to read her book. Nicholas and Olivia’s family go way back. Their grandparents partnered together to open a multi-million dollar grocery store chain. The families were very close knit and their businesses expanded. When the death and rumor affair of Nicholas’s mom and Olivia’s dad spread through the town, it tore the relationship between the two families apart. Nicholas’s dad stole Kane’s half of the business.

The Kane family never recovered because Olivia’s mom fell into depression, one of her brothers died and the other went to prison. There is a lot of resentment, anger and guilt placed on everyone in the book. Nicholas and Olivia struggle with their emotions towards each other and their loyalties to their families.

I really liked how the author set up the angst and turmoil in this book. It is not easy trying to get past the pain and hurt from all of the deceit and secrets throughout the story. There is an intense chemistry between Livvy and Nicholas which the author handles very well as they try to overcome some big obstacles. The sex scenes are hot! They balanced each other very well.

I loved the fact that this is a interracial romance. The characters are developed and realistic. They face real issues such as depression, classism, etc. Nothing is as it seems and slowly things are revealed.

 I will be on the lookout for the next one in the series. I’m curious about Olivia’s brother and other people in the town.

~ Samantha