Forbidden Passion

This has been a weekend of good reading. Yesterday, I read Forbidden Passion by Emilie Rose. It's part of the Silhouette Desire line, although it's a little sexier than I have usually found in Desires. Anyway, I liked it: 4 out of 5.

No sooner had his brother been laid to rest when a moment of grief and confusion exploded into passion for Sawyer Riggan and his newly widowed sister-in-law, Lynn, It was an earthshaking encounter neither could forget, but had it left more than memories behind . . .?

Lynn believed empty bank accounts and cruel jibes in her late husband's diary were his only legacy to her, but there may be another growing in her womb. With the father of her child in question, the marriage of convenience Sawyer suggested might be all too convenient given the fires that still burned between them. For when the true paternity was revealed, what future might they share?

I think everyone has guilty pleasure plots, and for me, falling in love with a sibling's spouse or lover is one of them. This is curious, because this is too creepy to contemplate in real life--falling in love with my sister's husband? Uh, I don't think so. I like my brother-in-law, but I don't think about him that way and never would. But that's why it's a guilty pleasure. What I wouldn't like in real life somehow works for me in fiction. Go figure.

Anyway, here's how the plot usually proceeds: one character, let's say the heroine (although the roles can be reversed), is married to the hero's brother. The marriage often isn't going well, with the couple possibly considering a divorce. Before that can happen, the husband dies. The hero and heroine than often embark on a marriage of convenience. The sibling ultimately finds out that his brother isn't the person he thought he was, and he falls in love with the heroine. (Can you see why this is a guilty pleasure kind of read?)

Forbidden Passion follows the familiar pattern and makes it work. While Rose doesn't do anything unexpected, she creates two characters--Sawyer and Lynn--who are interesting to read and easy to care about. Sawyer is caring and responsible, and I enjoyed the scenes where he is expressing concern for Lynn. He also has a blind spot about his now-dead brother. Yes, the story requires this, but I found it frustrating nonetheless.

Lynn is sweet, and it was lovely to see her blossom under Sawyer's care and love. One thing I want to know, however, is why wearing sexy clothes is so often portrayed as a negative thing? In this case, Lynn's husband made her dress in tight, short, and low-cut clothes, so she changes to wear more appropriate clothes after his death. My wardrobe isn't especially sexy, but I still find the sexy = slutty comparison distasteful.

Despite these issues, I liked the story, mainly for the characterization. I suspect that people who don't share this guilty pleasure may not enjoy it as much. I'm planning to try another book my Emilie Rose to see how I like it.