Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little

In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden’s tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden’s turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe’s leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family’s position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden’s heart.

Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden’s heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb’s increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden’s every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying.

With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family’s survival on the line, Jayden must embark on a deadly journey to save the ones she loves—and find a true love for herself.

Set against the brilliant backdrop of the sprawling desert, the story of Jayden and Kadesh will leave readers absolutely breathless as they defy the odds and risk it all to be together.

I rarely get print books in the mail to review anymore.  It's just easier to do e-books.  This book came in the mail though and landed on my doorstep.  It has such a gorgeous cover and I've been looking at it for months, waiting to read it.  It's been taunting me from the top of my review stack.  Finally, finally I got to read it.

I was really hoping I would enjoy this book.  From the cover to the blurb (that I actually did read before I started the book-haha) it attracted me and I was hoping, hoping, hoping.  I didn't want to be disappointed.  AND I wasn't.  Yay!

Forbidden takes you to a far off land of long ago.  It a grueling land- hot and unforgiving.  Jayden starts the book young and naive but quickly faces some of the horrors life and death bring.  She is forced to face her fears, do hard things and make impossible choices.  Jayden is strong though.  She draws from a strength within herself and continues on even when she wants to give up.  

I think the best moments for me were when Jayden danced.  With the sand beneath her toes her emotions flowed from her in the form of dance.  It created beautiful images in my mind.

The ending, of course, left things WIDE open.  I didn't love the place this book ended and I will now be anxiously awaiting the next book.  I dislike cliff hangers.  boo.  There is so much story left to be told though.  I hope the next book comes soon!

I read through this book quickly.  Maybe too quickly.  It was romantic and engaging.  My heart experienced all kinds of emotion- from grief and longing to danger and love.  It was a good ride.  This book was also "clean" so no swearing or sexual content.  It's a book I am passing off to my teenage daughter and I know she will like it.  

You can purchase Forbidden at Amazon.  It is pre-order until it's release day on November 4th.  

Kimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico with her husband and their three sons in a solar adobe home on the banks of the Rio Grande. Her award-winning writing has been praised as "fast-paced and dramatic," with "characters painted in memorable detail" and "beautifully realized settings."

Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell and makes way too many cookies while writing. Forbidden is the first in a trilogy from Harpercollins; an epic story of ancient belly dance, goddess temples, murder, blackmail, and tribal warfare set in Mesopotamia.

She's stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed on the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.

Her amazing, filmed-on-location book trailers can be found on You Tube and her website: http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com

Kimberley's Awards include: Southwest Book Award, Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel, Bank Street College Best Books of 2011 & 2014, Crystal Kite Finalist, and New Mexico Book Award Finalist.

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