Forbidden by CD Reiss

Forbidden by CD Reiss
Published by Flip City Media Inc. on November 30th 2015
Pages: 575


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Everything about Fiona is forbidden.
She’s a party girl with dark desires.
She’s beautiful, irresponsible, irresistible.
She’s my patient.
I’m her therapist.
I’m past 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.
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Sensitive readers should be aware that this book gets a little dark. There's pain with the sex, and one character treats our main character terribly.
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If you've read KICK and/or USE from the Perdition Series, they are in here. The second half of the book is BREAK, which is the end of Fiona Drazen's story. There's a link right in front where you can click to get right to Break.

This book is an entire story, from inception to epilogue. Standalone. End of.

When I initially read the Songs of Perdition series, it only consisted of two books: Kick and Use. It seems like I’ve been waiting forever to find out what happened to Fiona. CD Reiss finally wrote the conclusion, Break, and then combined all three books into one full-length novel: Forbidden. Since I’ve already written reviews for Kick and Use, this review focuses primarily on Break. 

Fiona Drazen is a celebrity whose fame lies strictly in her wealth and reputation for partying among the elite (think Paris Hilton). She’s also a sex and drug addict deeply ensconced in the BDSM lifestyle. Fiona isn’t always a likable character. She’s manipulative and uses sex for leverage. I love how determined and honest she is though, and how she owns every sordid choice she’s made without shame. Her life has now spiraled out of control though, leading her to a dark place. She’s nearing her breaking point, but she still finds the strength to confront her feelings.

While she is in treatment trying to sort through her emotional issues, two men are vying for her love—Dr. Elliot Chapman, her psychologist, and Deacon Bruce, her dominant. The two men couldn’t be more diametrically opposed. Deacon radiates power and danger, while Elliot—a pre-ordained priest turned therapist—is reserved and kind.

Throughout the series, I’ve gone back and forth trying to decide who Fiona should choose. Deacon completely understands and accepts her—flaws and all. Their dominant/submissive relationship is all she’s ever known, and they love each other deeply. In submitting to him, however, is Fiona also relinquishing her ability to redefine herself as someone other than depraved and worthless?

“I want to be normal.” 

“Jesus Christ. You might as well want to be taller. Normal wasn’t the hand you were dealt. You and I, we’re not normal. That’s not a choice we have.”

Meanwhile, Elliot believes Fiona can heal the wounds of her past, take control of her life, and make a fresh start. The problem is his judgment as a therapist is clouded by the fact that he’s in love with her. He knows if he pursues her, he puts his career in jeopardy. He can’t seem to stay away from her though, despite the risk to his career—and his heart.

I was going to love her brutally and unconditionally. Forever and ever, amen.

With Deacon and Elliot engaged in a constant emotional tug of war over Fiona, I had to wonder if she would be better off without either man.

“You’re mine. Nothing you do will change that. Nothing he does or feels will ever change that. He’s temporary. He’s a fucking leaf falling off the tree and dying. But we, you and I, we are the forest.”

Fiona herself is incredibly indecisive in Break, and at times I was frustrated by the whiplash.

Heed the author’s warning. This is one of the darkest books I’ve read. The actions of the characters are difficult to fathom, and the emotions dredged up are uncomfortable to say the least. It should be noted there’s a major occurrence that’s a trigger for some people. View Spoiler » There’s an explicit act of rape, the fallout of which is explored in great length. « Hide Spoiler Dark reads aren’t usually my thing, but this story captivated me and I could not put this book down.

There aren’t enough words in the English dictionary to describe how much I adore CD Reiss’s writing style. The fluidity of her prose is so luscious I lost count of the number of passages I highlighted. Every character is richly developed. Every single scene has intention; there are no wasted words. Reiss can add Forbidden to her arsenal of impressive work. Well done.

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