Time's Forbidden Flower
Diane Rinella
Series: Forbidden Flower #2
Genres: Romance An eternity of passion cannot be quelled by society.
Once upon a time Donovan assured Lily all of her dreams would come true. But how could he keep the promise of a fairy tale when her truest goals could not involve him, though her deepest desires did? Now, Lily has it all—love, passion, a family, and the career of her dreams—with Christopher. But something is lacking. She and Donovan have spent the last ten years living apart, and the soul mates are eager to reunite. Can Donovan keep his promise to give Lily all she desires, even with Christopher in the way?
For Lily and Donovan, the past is a mirror to the future that cannot be shattered.
Donovan is convinced Lily has been his love for all eternity. Determined to unravel the past, they embark on a journey to discover where it all began. For centuries Donovan has stolen Lily’s heart while forced to suffer for his love. How much can a soul endure before the breaking point is reached and a monster emerges? Can the demons of the past be combated to pave the way for happiness in the next life? Or has the abuse suffered in this life already turned Donovan hell bound? Time and again, one woman has destroyed their happiness. It’s time to silence her once and for all.
REVIEW:
Time’s Forbidden Flower once again has us visit the lives of Lily and Donovan, siblings who fell in love as teenagers and have denied their love because they had to conform to the norms of society. The first book, Love’s Forbidden Flower was a heartbreaking look at how forbidden love can destroy a person.
Lily, always the strong one in this relationship, was willing to put it all on the line, live a lie and deny their sibling relationship, while Donovan was always being pressured by his mother and father to stay away from Lily or they would have him declared a pedophile.
That book tore me up. The second book is just as touching. For such a taboo subject, it is handled with class. Lily and Donovan have moved on, they each have families, they each have children, they each have jobs that fulfill them. But when Donovan and his wife move to LA where Lily resides with her husband, Christopher, old feelings resurface.This time there are secrets on all sides. Secrets between Donovan and his wife, Anna. Secrets between Lily and her husband Christopher, even secrets between Christopher and his parents. Lily and Donovan’s mother is still making their lives hell and God, that woman is one nasty witch.
But woven into this story is a deeper one of Lily and Donovan’s true spiritual soul mate connection. Both of the siblings undergo past-life regressions and discover this is not the first time their love must be denied.
All of this together makes for a compelling and interesting mix. I still enjoyed this book, maybe not quite as much as the first one, but I was captivated by the lives and emotions of Lily and Donovan. I think they made the right decision, the one that was best for everyone, and yet they still found a way to enjoy their true relationship while not crossing lines.
The story is well written and deep. I loved Lily’s bakery and her cooking and how she got everyone involved in it. I thought that was very realistic. I also enjoyed the internal struggles and the strength that Donovan displayed throughout the book. He was a much weaker personality in the first book, and that never bothered me at all, but in this book he’s such a man! Taking charge of things and protecting Lily. I liked it.
If the subject matter of this series makes you uncomfortable I can just say, these books are not about sex. There are a few sex scenes, but really, this series is about love. The forbidden kind. It makes you think of things in a whole new light, that’s for sure. I highly recommend it if you like angsty romances with strong characters and a totally original plot.
About Diane Rinella
Enjoying San Francisco as a backdrop, the ghosts in Diane’s 150-year old Victorian home augment the chorus in her head. With insomnia as their catalyst, these voices have become multifarious characters that haunt her well into the sun’s crowning hours, refusing to let go until they have manipulated her into succumbing to their whims. Her experiences as an actress, business owner, artisan cake designer, software project manager, Internet radio disc jockey, vintage rock n’ roll journalist/fan girl, and lover of dark and quirky personalities influence her idiosyncratic writing.
Diane Rinella
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I LOVE this review! Thank you so much!
Julie
You are very welcome, Diane! <3
Julie recently posted…REVIEW: Time’s Forbidden Flower by Diane Rinella
Bookworm Brandee
I love your review, Julie. I had to wait to read it until I’d written mine!
I agree with you in that they made the right decision for all involved. I admired their desire to stand by the vows they’d made. But the pain they had to endure not being together broke my heart. I felt satisfied with how they ended though.
Bookworm Brandee recently posted…**Review ~ Time’s Forbidden Flower ~ Diane Rinella**