Forbidden is an odd title for this story. Odd because the love story contained within its pages is a healthy, loving one and is not some sordid extramarital affair that the title brings to mind. It is also a Blaze – A Red Hot Read From Temptation title so you may be thinking (or hoping) that the couple engage in some kinky forbidden love play, and unfortunately they don’t! Still, it is a sensual book about a healing unconditional love that is only slightly marred by a dull suspense subplot.

Police officer Josh has been in love with Paige from the moment he set eyes on her but it was his fast-moving fellow officer and best friend, Anthony, who won her hand in marriage. Josh has since become a very good platonic friend to Paige and has seen her through some lonely times. When Anthony, a neglectful, selfish husband and a dirty cop, is murdered, Josh discovers dangerous secrets that put Paige’s life in danger. Determined to do everything possible to protect her, he’ll risk putting his life and his heart in jeopardy by going under cover and posing as her lover.

Paige’s disappointing marriage has left her with a bundle of emotional scars. The last thing she wants is to fall in love with another cop. She spends the story attempting to resist her feelings for the kind and loving Josh, who is nothing at all like her former husband. The combination of her fresh emotional wounds and her need for children, stability and a life that doesn’t include worrying about her husband’s survival made her inner turmoil believable. Her reluctance to jump into another relationship, even one she knew would be a good one, was completely understandable.

Josh is one of the sweetest romance heroes I’ve ever come across. He’s sexy, supportive, patient, tender and wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s not afraid to confess his love even though he knows it may not be returned and he’s even willing to give up the heroine if that’s what she wants. He’s, in a word, wonderful. Too bad more romance heroes aren’t like him.

The author has created two adult characters who actually act like adults. They are honest with each other, they argue and then they – get this – apologize! Best of all, they are best friends ages before they become lovers. There was a plot development early on that I feared would resolve their romantic troubles in a very trite way but the author thankfully avoided that trap and concentrated instead on further developing their relationship.

Although the lovers are well developed, the same can not be said for the boring, greedy villains and the suspense subplot that was a rather lackluster. The suspense doesn’t overwhelm the romance, however, and the couple are almost always together. Also, because this book is marketed as a Blaze title it’s easy to assume the love scenes will be of the wilder variety and that there will be a ton of them. The couple do make love sooner than expected, and the love scenes are hot, but there is nothing extraordinary or shocking about them and there aren’t any more of them than I have come to expect in a typical Temptation title. Overall, then, this is an engaging read and one which I recommend if you can’t resist strong, sensitive heroes like Josh.