Hurts to Love You audiobook

3.7 starsI received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The youngest in a power family, Eve has felt more comfortable hidden away in her shell. However, when a chance to make a move on a long standing crush arises, she begins to realize that being herself and letting others see her is the only way to get what she truly wants.Growing up the housekeeper's kid kept Gabe slightly on the outside looking in. Getting close to people has always been difficult but when he gets some alone time with Eve, the girl he's tried to stay away from because of her age, he begins to realize that she's a woman now and getting close to someone can be the best thing in the world. Imperfections were what made a piece unique. Impossible to replicate. Book three and the last in the Forbidden Hearts series, gives us Eve and Gabe's story. Eve is Nicholas' (Hate to Want You) younger sister and has made appearances as the bullied by her father, overprotected by her brother, standing up for her brother, and crushing on Gabe, shy girl. Here we get the full depth and breadth of her character. The author does an amazing job showing the growth Eve goes through as the story progresses. She goes from hiding her wants and desires to allowing herself to express them and making no apologies for them. Eve's personal growth kind of dominated the story for me as her character was so well thought out and written. She was Eve. A Chandler. And he had far too many problems to get tangled up in a Chandler. Gabe has also made appearances in the last two books, as Livvy's (Hate to Want You) boss and Jackson's (Wrong to Need You) too talkative want to be friend. He's been the genial, nice, and open guy who is big in stature with a heart of gold. Here we learn about a deeply held secret and the hidden pain this has caused him. I had a harder time connecting with Gabe as the story seemed to not have quite enough room for his character to breathe on the pages. The secret takes a while to get revealed and as a consequence, his closed off persona and constant pushing and running away from Eve was lacking context and his commitment issues began to get tiresome. “Can I have you?” he murmured. The basis and continuing thread of this series has been the family drama between the Chandlers and the Oka-Kanes, this book is no exception. It stole some time away from Eve and Gabe; this crosses the line into feeling more like an encompassing series wrap-up than Eve and Gabe's story more than once. From the glimpses we got from them in the series I was, personally, hoping for more of a spotlight on them. They have great chemistry but I would have liked more intimate scenes between them (a strong suite of this author) and just general more bonding interaction. Eve also does more of the heavy lifting as Gabe had a tendency to push her away; the lusting but "oh no, I can't!" rinse and repeat wore a bit thin. However, the glimpses we did get of Gabe's nice and sunny in the streets and hair pulling, dirty talking in the sheets will give you the thrills. The hurt, pain, anger, and love this series has been full of and the amazing characters have made Alisha Rai a must read author here on out for me. She incorporates tough issues (depression, family dynamics), provides authentic joining and melding of people from all walks of life, writes brilliant women characters, and does it with such a beautiful ease, with added hot and sexy intimate scenes. Shy Eve and sweet Gabe get their happy ending, along with more Chandler and Oka-Kane revelations, heartache, and closure. Emotional ups and downs with hot sexy loving, read this series. Here was love. Deep, unconditional love. And she deserved it.

3.5/5I have been completely obsessed with the Forbidden Hearts series. Is there any trope better than forbidden love? I don't think so. It's been such a consistently great series and the second book especially impressed the hell out of me. The minute I had access to Hurts to Love You, I dove into the book with my sky-high expectations. While I wouldn't say that Hurts to Love You is my favorite book in the series, it was still one heck of an entertaining installment.I was intrigued by Eve's character from the moment we met her. She seemed like a woman who had undergone a lot despite being a rich man's daughter. In Hurts to Love You, Alisha Rai explored her character on a deeper level. Eve felt like such a real person to me, I connected very much with the multiple aspects of her personality. Her insecurities about her body image, her aspirations, and goals beyond her family's expectations made her stand out. Gabe was also a character I was entirely fascinated by from the beginning. He was quiet and shrouded in layers and layers of secrecy. There was an intensity to him that I found appealing. We figure out all his secrets in Hurts to Love You and a lot of them came as a shocker to me. Despite everything, Gabe was such a fantastic and lovable hero.Rai has written formidable romances with this series, but I will say that something was a little bit lacking for me here. I can't exactly pinpoint what exactly it was that was missing for me, but I wasn't as attached to Gabe and Eve as a couple as I was with Jackson and Sadia and even Nicholas and Livvy. I think perhaps because these two didn't share as much history as the previous couples? Don't get me wrong, the romance was good, but it didn't wow me. I do also think that a lot of focus in this installment was on the family dynamics and less on the romance, which could explain why I wasn't completely gaga over the chemistry between Gabe and Eve. The family dynamics though? Amazing! I love reading about secrets and scandals in families and a lot was revealed here. All of the revelations will leave you absolutely breathless! It was also nice seeing all of the previous couples and their interactions with each other as well as with Gabe and Eve.If you have yet to read the Forbidden Hearts series, I encourage you to give this series a try. It's got so many wonderful facets to it, but perhaps most importantly, it features diverse characters that you don't often get to see in romance. I'm sad that this is the end for this series, but I have my fingers crossed that Alisa Rai will return to some of the side characters in the future.

4.5 stars for this final romance in the Forbidden Hearts series! This one ties up some loose ends from the previous two stories, so I would recommend reading it last if you don't want to spoil any surprises (and there are definitely some surprises I didn't see coming!). Eve Chandler comes into her own here, learning to stand up for herself and what she wants, including starting her own business. Her romance with Gabe Hunter, tattoo shop owner and longtime family friend is a slow burn one that comes to fruition in some steamy scenes. Keeping their affair a secret is necessary at first but of course all secrets have a way of coming out. It's been an interesting and intense journey of discovery for the Kane and Chandler families and one that's been so enjoyable to read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this author. Kudos to the publisher for some excellent covers too! A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss for review.

4.5 STARScUTE. CUTE. CUTE. CUTE. I LOVE ROMANCE NOVELS

Of course I go ahead and do the smart thing... I read the last book in a trilogy first.I mean, look, I know, it doesn't really matter. It's a romance series. But guys, I actually seriously enjoyed this, and I wish I'd been along for the ride from the very beginning. Because if I go back now, I will have to endure this book's main characters as they were before I've seen their growth, and it'll frustrate me. I suppose, on the other hand, I'll know things work out. Oh well, it'll be worth it. This is my first book by Alisha Rai, and I doubt it'll be my last. (I definitely need to read the second book about Jackson, because he is a serious introvert, like me. I liked seeing how Eve accepted his need for solitude and no small talk, and how she explained this to others without treating it like some kind of weird issue.)Alisha ticks all the right boxes. Her characters are unique and likeable, the chemistry is there in force, everyone is a feminist, and the drama is just interesting enough without being eyeroll-worthy.I was invested in Eve and Gabe's relationship very early on. Both had some serious parental issues that they let get in their way. I liked that they each had to deal with their own problems, and they supported each other without trying to fix things for the other person. Eve was such a smart young woman, but she lacked confidence, and she couldn't handle rejection, so she avoided putting herself out there. It was scary relatable, and the way she described her experience and her attempts to overcome this were actually inspirational for me. Gabe was similarly closed off, a loveable guy on the surface, but he kept people at arm's length because he felt like he could never really belong thanks to a big secret he protected. Together, and with the help of their friends and family, they were able to work through these things and find comfort in each other.It wasn't just comfort. Oh no. There was clear attraction from the beginning. Eve was scared of rejection, and Gabe didn't want to make things messy, but these couldn't stop the two from falling into each other's arms thanks to some forced proximity. One thing I really liked was how Eve was able to say "penis" and "vagina" very directly. I mean, if you can't talk about penises and vaginas, should you be having sex? And somehow Gabe was able to pull off being very respectful of all women (not just Eve) while also getting quite dirty in bed, especially with his sexual "close captioning". (I love dirty talking, people.) I think the only weird thing for me was their age gap, as my last relationship was with a guy five years older than me, and that was already too much for me to handle.They weren't the only great characters. There was a nice dynamic between them and the rest of the Chandler/Kane cast, even when things weren't gelling well. In the end, aside from one idiot, everyone supported and cared for each other, going beyond blood ties and disagreements. It was made even better by how diverse everyone was. Many of the characters were mixed race, and Gabe's adoptive family were African American. This acknowledgement of different races and cultures all getting on in one big happy "family" was so refreshing to see, and also a lot more reflective of today's world. I was particularly excited about Gabe's sister being a black woman crushing it in the tech startup world. I do love seeing my fellow techie ladies in books!Even though there was a lot of emotional baggage and some family drama to sort out, this wasn't an angsty book. It was sexy and sweet and funny, with lots of fistpump moments. Alisha's way of writing read smoothly, and she injected humour and personality and even life advice easily into the story. Here are just a few little bits that I highlighted on my Kindle while reading.He stumbled, but before he could fall, she was at his side, her body propped up under his. "I can help you.""I'm okay.""No, you're not."Yes, he was. He was a man. A manly man! He could work a grill and chop firewood.(For the record, he was drunk at the time, and he does quickly realise that he's talking nonsense to himself.)Lust and desire had hit him instantly, but he was a grown-ass man, and he tamped it down.Let that be a lesson to all you men who try to blame your appalling behaviour on women!"Do you know what your mother used to say? Leave me enough room to eat and dance."Eve's mom clearly had the right idea about food. We should all make sure we dress with enough leeway for some good food and dancing!To really top it all off, this book came complete with an adorable small child and his puppy. Kareem had such a great young personality, and I felt immediately attached to the dog, eventually named R2. Man, that dog's name... Kareem kept changing it every five seconds, and I could do nothing but mentally laugh.This should be a 5-star book, and I think it will be for a lot of people. I honestly want to give it 5 stars because everything was written so well. For some reason, it didn't hit me quite hard enough though, and I don't know if this is because I'm feeling a bit dead inside at the moment or the book and I genuinely didn't click 100%. (It's probably the former; I am a teeny bit of a mess right now.)I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.This review was originally posted on Love in a time of Feminism

Well I gobbled this up in one day, which was kind of impossible not to do, but also kind of sad because now it's over!! I loved it, obviously, which I was rightly expecting when I went to the bookstore to buy it the day after it came out. Rai's authentic characterization and grasp of emotional complexities are amazing. And somehow her steamy sex scenes are just as powerful as her wholesome family scenes and her descriptions of healing from past trauma. It's unreal to read a book that is so good at so many things! When a book can alternately turn you on and make you cry happy tears, that's a talented writer indeed. I highly recommend this series!

Be-still my heart, Rai truly ends her Forbidden Heart trilogy with a slow-burn that is satisfying and wonderful on so many levels. We finally get to see "Baby Chandler" Eve come into her own. We get Gabe's backstory. There's a wedding! There's family drama and bonding, and a happily ever after for pretty much everyone. Huzzah!Be warned, I would definitely recommend reading this series in order. The pay-off will be so much better.Also, I have to commend Rai, Avon, and the designers on having covers that are dead on representations of the book and the characters. LOVE them. Maybe next time a step back??? I love a good step back.

A word to the wise: don’t start reading this book before bedtime or you will get caught in the “one more chapter” trap! Hurts To Love You was a phenomenal end to the Forbidden Hearts series and I cried happy tears when I read the last page. The last sentence was perfect! Alisha Rai is such an amazing writer and I loved how she brought everything together with Eve and Gabe’s story. HTLY was emotionally rich, hope-filled, and just plain incredible. I’m sad to say goodbye to the Oka-Kanes and Chandlers but deeply satisfied at the same time. This is definitely one of my favorite series.

I have enjoyed spending time with these families over three books, and the ending and epilogue had me a bit choked up. I'm not sure there's much to say on the story without spoilers, but once again I can't get enough of Alisha's writing - emotions, mental health, diversity of all kinds, female empowerment, etc. All the down with the patriarchy stuff had me giggling quite a bit. I simultaneously want to finally get to her backlog and not ever get caught up.