Review of Forbidden Steps

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Eunice Geres
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Review of Forbidden Steps

Post by Eunice Geres »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Forbidden Steps" by Jamie Deacon.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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Taylor used to have a family he thought was solid enough. Yes, there were cracks and imperfections, but he never thought there would come a day when his dad would leave him to pick up the pieces of a broken family. And now, with the pressure to adjust to his mother’s new family and being bullied, Taylor just couldn’t wait to get out of his current state to start a new life at a university, away from everyone.

On the other hand, Ben fled to Australia to move on from a guy who broke his heart. But a broken heart is not the only thing he wants to get away from. The divorce of his parents and his father’s new family are realities Ben doesn’t want to face. But now he’s back and ready to give this new family a chance. Ben only hopes he can get over his attraction to his mysterious and beautiful stepbrother, who harbors anger toward everyone.

Forbidden Steps by Jamie Deacon is a story of forbidden love, betrayal, and new beginnings. It follows the main characters, Ben and Taylor, as they try to accept the reality of having a broken family and being thrust into a new one.

There are many things to love about this book. But I want to start by highlighting the author’s beautiful writing. Taylor’s hurt, anger, and loneliness captured my attention the most. The way the author wrote a broken character tugs at my heart. I came to a point when I needed to leave the room where I’m at due to the anger I felt at his situation.

Taylor is the embodiment of resentment, and rightfully so. At some point, he might seem immature, but as a reader, I get to see his point of view and understand him better. This book is not exactly tear-jerking or inspiring to follow your heart, but it brings an emotion that aches. Unfortunately, although I enjoyed that author’s characterization, I didn’t quite enjoy Ben and Taylor’s instant attraction. The slow burn factor was present, but once they gave in to their desire, it immediately felt like instant love.

That said, I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. The emotions it made me feel are what made me enjoy this book. I knocked off one star because I didn’t like the instant attraction. Overall, this is such a good read. The author managed to write the themes and challenges that a complex relationship brought maturely. The book is also exceptionally edited.

Many people would enjoy this book for its romance. I would recommend this to young adult readers who enjoy LGBTQ+ romance. There were intimate scenes, but this book is a closed-door romance. The tropes present in this book are forbidden love and enemies to lovers.

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Forbidden Steps
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Chinenye Achilike
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Post by Chinenye Achilike »

I think people from broken homes may be able to relate to some aspects of this story.
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