Review: Forbidden King by Laura Pavlov (Magnolia Springs #3)


Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author.

There's something about a romance that's considered forbidden that elicits a certain thrill, and nothing is as popular as the falling for a sibling's best friend trope, alternatively, falling for a best friend's sibling. Laura Pavlov delivers just that in the third novel in her Magnolia Springs series, which features a close-knit group of friends who are more like brothers that find love, making their found family expand with each new book. Forbidden King is about Kingston Pierce, twenty-five, co-owner of RoD (Ride or Die) Construction, and younger brother of River Pierce (Wild River, book two in the Magnolia Falls series), and Saylor Woodson, twenty-three, owner of the Love Ever After bookstore, and younger sister of Hayes Woodson (Finding Hayes, book five in the Magnolia Falls series, due for release in October). She's his Dandelion, the girl who's been his friend since they were teenagers and someone he would do anything for. Except maybe give in to the all-consuming feelings he has for her. But how long can King resist Say?

It took someone like Saylor to make a guy like King fall heart first, and boy, was it a joy to witness. King's the one among the Ride or Die fivesome who's always given off a happy-go-lucky vibe. He jokes around a lot and teases his brother and best friends mercilessly, but he's also got such a huge heart and Saylor is the only girl to glimpse that side of him. I loved the fact that they had their own special friendship, one that was just theirs, separate from King's with his brother and best friends. Compared to the first two books in the series, this had a bit of a lighter feel to it. That being said, there was still a fair amount of angst, especially given the fact that the two were keeping their blossoming romance under wraps, particularly when it came to her brother, Hayes. There was also the drama courtesy of Saylor's estranged father, but even that had an entertaining hint of levity to it. My own quibble would have to be the repeated use of the phrase "forbidden King". That aside, I enjoyed Forbidden King and award it 4.5 stars.

-------------------------

Read my reviews for the Magnolia Falls series:


Loving Romeo (book one) - five stars - My Review

Wild River (book two) - 4.5 stars - My Review

Forbidden King (book three) - 4.5 stars - My Review (posted above)

-------------------------

Release Date: 06 June 2024

Date Read: 01 June 2024

Learn more about Laura Pavlov.

Purchase Forbidden King on Amazon.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Release Blitz: Saved by Hazel James

Image
Saved (Battles #2) by Hazel James Release Date: June 21, 2018 About Saved Leilani Moretti Life is out to get me.  Humvee accident that took my right hand? Strike one.  Cancer three years later that stole my breasts and hair? Strike two.  An overbearing mother who seems to think I’m twelve, not twenty-seven?  Yeah, I’m out of there.  I thought moving to Oklahoma would give me a fresh start. I hoped life would finally cut me some damn slack. But between the inept people at the VA hospital and a boss who’s hell-bent on fixing me, I just want to be left alone. Haven’t I been through enough already? Clay Prescott Joining the Army and deploying to Afghanistan? Hard. Kicking an alcohol addiction and starting a business combining fitness and mental health? Harder. Worth it? Hell yes.  Battles, my gym, has been so successful that I hired a new employee—a veteran herself—to help me open a second location. And that’s when it all goes to hell. Everything
Read on...

Book Spotlight: Girl Breaker by Harper Kincaid

Image
Girl Breaker (Break on Through #3) by Harper Kincaid Date Released: January 17, 2017 Samhain Publishing About Girl Breaker Sometimes the best thing a good girl can do is make a bad decision.  Jessica has always been the girl with her head in the clouds and her nose in a book, only dating the "nice guys". But when rough-around-the-edges Viking-biker-god, Mad Max, and his precocious little girl move onto her street, Jessica falls hard and fast for both of them. Max is no stranger to women wanting to share his bed—and he's always been more than happy to oblige them all. He's lived wild all his life—that is, until a daughter shows up on his doorstep and he meets a redheaded angel down the block. There's nothing more he wants than to claim Jessica as his, to bring the gorgeous spitfire to his bed. But a man like him doesn't get a happy ending with a woman like her. He's got a whole other life, one he's kept secret for good reason. If Jessica
Read on...

Release Blitz: Blue Skies by Marie Sinclair

Image
Blue Skies (Blue Skies #1) by Marie Sinclair Release Date: October 11, 2023 About Blue Skies Greg loves his job as a flight attendant. If only his love life could make him as happy, he’d be all set. Asexual and HIV-positive, Greg has had a series of untrustworthy boyfriends who saw him as a challenge or told him they could accept his sexuality and status. Until they couldn’t. Still reeling from his latest breakup, Greg’s romantic heart beats a little faster when he meets Holden at a club, even though his brain whispers caution. For Holden, relationships are something he can’t afford. He’s been in the closet his entire adult life because it could cost him his job if anyone finds out he’s gay. At forty-eight, hook-ups, one night stands, and quickies in a bathroom are as good as it gets for him. It’s all he’s looking for when he goes to Neon. Instead, he finds Greg. Drawn to each other from the start, the two experience a bit of a bumpy take-off. But then Holden ends up on Greg
Read on...