Forbidden

By: CD Reiss

Narrated by: Shayna Thibodeaux, Sebastian York

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Everything about Fiona is forbidden.

She has dark desires she can't explain.

She's beautiful, irresponsible, irresistible.

She's my patient.

I'm her therapist.

I'm past wanting her. Past possessing her. Past bedding her or protecting her.

I'm willing to be self-destructive, negligent, brave, audacious, and stronger than I ever believed possible.

She's blunt force trauma to the heart, and she calls another man Master.

©2015 CD Reiss (P)2016 CD Reiss

More of a case study than a romance.

Wow...profound doesn't come close in describing this study in the psychology of submission/dominance, the importance of aftercare on the psyche and how it conditions the mind and the body (at least for Fiona).
I know nothing of this lifestyle (?) outside what I've read but it is truly fascinating. Props to Reiss for delving into drug addiction, childhood traumas, different mindsets, and so much more.
It's a different kind of love Fiona and Deacon share versus the feelings Fiona and Elliott have.
If you're looking for a romance with steam and a lot of hot coinciding love scenes for how long this book is, then this is not the story for you.
Trigger warning: if you have any, this book probably touches on it.

addicting

ok i can. ot get enough of these.

i do wish i had read then in a different order of the various sets but its great in any order

Emotional Rollercoaster

I didn't know what to expect from this book. At times I wanted to shake them for being foolish & impulsive. Other times, I wanted to hug them for their loyalty & bravery.
Not a book for those that are offended easily.
Well written, good narration, great character development.

loved it!

Very expressive narration... made me feel every moment! A very dark but beautiful love story.

great story

Loved this story.
well written, like all CD Reiss novels.
love the Druzen family.
narration is great, love Sebastian York

Buckle Up....

Readers have to buckle up to read Fiona's story. It is hard, sad and ugly. It ain't pretty. I wish I could fast forward to the epilogue, but I guess not. Fiona had everything except self worth. She abused drugs and her body. By the time she met Elliot, her therapist in rehab, she stabbed her long term Dom, and 'boyfriend', then blacked out.

Anyways, this story contained rape, BDSM, same-sex 'lovemaking' (the word to describe this cannot be written here), drug abuse, child molestation, the whole nine yards. By the way, I don't see Fiona's dad paying for what he did. Maybe I missed it. We also met a teenage Jonathan here.

So, I will just say man up and read this book. It is not easy, but it is a must read.

5 Stars

I read a review that you will either like or hate this book, I loved this book!!

She is so messed up and an addict of many things. No quick fix for Fiona but a beautiful story about her transformation. You think she is going to turn into a good person, then she slips up throughout the book.

If you can, get the audio!! I listened every time I had some time by myself and trust me when I say you will need headphones!!

Forbidden Romance

I picked this audio book up when it was deeply on sale. The book itself had mixed reviews on Amazon. I mainly bought this because Sebastian York is the male narrator. He narrates about 30-35% of the book. Both are fantastic! This is not my usual genre of book so thus 4 Stars. I loved the Epilogue. Glad I took a chance and downloaded this book.

Patient doctor relationship with a twist

She knew who she was. She was a celebrity without talent. She was an heiress. She was part of the privileged world. She was a whore. She was a party waiting to happen. She was an addict.
Fiona signed herself into a mental ward. Because of her public persona her family thought it best to keep her locked inside a mental ward facility where she could be contained away from public scrutiny. One to always disappoint her father Fiona was known for recking cars and causing chaos in a rather subdued religious upbringing.
Fiona was an impulsive brazen woman who was a sex addict celebutante. She made no apologies for her desire for sex. She needed sex to overcome her pain. She searched for the meaning of pain through sex.

Overall:
As you might’ve already guessed this was a sexually driven story about a sex addict who used drugs, alcohol, shibari, humiliation and degradation as a means to cope with pain. Ms. Reiss tapped into the inner psyche of Fiona’s character amazingly well almost as if she was writing from first hand experience.
I loved Fiona’s character from her unapologetic attitude to her ability to use her body for both pleasure and pain.
While I in no way shape or form connected with Fiona’s character I still loved her in an unexplainable way. CD Reiss wrote a beautiful depiction of a broken character who coped with pain using shibari.

Narrators:
I love me some Sebastian York. He has the sexiest sounding voice and tone for male character voices. Every audiobook I’ve listened to narrated by Sebastian has been great. He turned my disinterest in this book into something amazing. I went from not liking this book when I read it to being blown away by his performance.
Shayna Thibodeaux is a new narrator to me, yet she nailed the female performance. She was an excellent representation for Fiona’s voice.
There’s nothing better than reading a book and thinking that was okay, not bad. But then see that Sebastian York is the narrator performing Deacon and Elliot’s characters and you think why not? Let’s give it another shot. I’m so glad I did. Sebastian convinced me with the help of Shayna that an audiobook performance can exceed my wildest expectations.

long way to the end

not a fan of how decon was dismissed from the story but overall decent book