Since the beginning of time, humans have suffered from one fatal flaw: their attraction to forbidden fruit. Whether it is actually an apple or simply your best friend’s lover, the alluring temptation of the forbidden ignites something raw in people’s minds and hearts.
Human nature has proven time after time that it is all about wanting what is off limits, especially when it comes to relationships. The taboo labeling of the socially unaccepted leaves us insanely curious even though, of course, “curiosity killed the cat”.
Whether it’s the thrill of being caught due to the secrecy of the whole situation or just getting caught in the madness of it all, the extent of heartache and theatrics escorting this desired fruit can be awfully strenuous.
If you are living in a forbidden fruit relationship, silently suffering in a hopeless love affair, or you’re a goody two shoes who just wants to experience the adrenaline rush without the risk of having a scarlet letter sewn to your top, these books will take you on a roller coaster of emotions that will make you think twice before picking that red apple.
The Boss
Dating the boss against your work policy can be thrilling but hectic. It is a daily struggle to hide your growing infatuation where so much is on the line for both of your careers. If you secretly stare at your boss in the meeting room, pretend to accidentally brush your hand against his, text from under the table to say you will be waiting after work for some stolen private whispers, then you should read Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren.
Meet Ryan Bennett, the antagonistic executive who has zero tolerance for imperfections, and his hard-working sassy assistant Chloe Mills. They infuriate each other, yet the chemistry between them makes them risk everything they have ever worked for.
The Cougar
An age gap in relationships always tends to raise eyebrows. Whether the girl is accused of finding a sugar daddy to buy a pair of Louboutins or being a cougar for manipulating her boy toy, you end up consumed by your society’s negative energy and quite often the social stigma becomes too much to handle.
If you need to read about someone who has gone through the same ordeal, try On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves. The novel is about thirty-year-old Anna Emerson who is offered a job tutoring seventeen-year-old T.J. Callahan on his family trip to the Maldives.
A series of unfortunate events leaves Anna and T.J. stranded on an island where they do nothing but bond. The story is about the different types of love you share with the same person under two different circumstances: stranded on an island and in the real forbidding world.
The Class Inferior
We have been taught incessantly that men feel threatened if their partner is richer and more accomplished, as they lose the feeling of being the provider. According to society, this will eventually result in a resentful husband and a divorce.
Well, the world never tells us that we might meet our soul mate on the opposite side of the tracks. If you have high hopes for your relationship, read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. This novel is about Noah Calhoun, a Southerner who recently returned from the Second World War with only one thing on his mind and in his heart: the rich girl he met fourteen years earlier, the love of his life.
The Love Triangle
Whether two people are rivaling to win your heart, or you’re thinking about sabotaging someone’s relationship in the name of love, or you’re bored of your own monotonous relationship and decide to seek adventure somewhere else, love triangles never end well.
There is always someone left behind feeling rejected and betrayed – or all three of you end up that way. If you are in love with two people of radically contrasting personalities, read the heart wrenching Arsen by Mia Asher.
The Professor
The allure of sharing a conversation on a higher intellectual level cannot be underestimated. Students perceive of their professors as demi gods and it doesn’t help anyone if the professor is a sexy stud. The attention the students feel might lead to a crush and that leads to a forbidden mess if reciprocated. On the other hand, there have been professor/student affairs that have ended with “happily ever after”.
This doesn’t make the secrecy and angst of the journey any easier. If you are hopelessly in love with your teacher, T.A, or professor, read Loving Mr. Daniels by Brittainy C. Cherry. A shattered young lady meets her equally tormented soul mate and they fall madly in love only to find out at the end of their summer together that they were never meant to be.
The Family’s Enemy
Are you in love with your own version of a forbidden Romeo? Do your parents have a feud with you lover’s family that won’t be resolved despite the passage of time? Is your lover consumed by the family’s vendetta? Will your parents abandon you for loving someone who wants them dead?
If you are unfortunate enough to be in such a relationship, read Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower. Karissa is a struggling college student who meets the mysterious and dangerous Ignazio Vitale. She knows her attraction could be fatal, she knows he is not a good man, but she can’t stay away from “the monster”.
The Abductor
Imagine one day you wake up somewhere new. You can’t remember how you got there, you are aching and bruised. Then you meet your captor, who happens to be a charming, stunning gentleman on the outside and an unapologetic, exceptional villain on the inside.
Then imagine falling in love with him against all your senses and reason. Call it Stockholm Syndrome or simply a case of a girl meeting her unhealthy match, just read Consequences by Aleatha Romig and decide for yourself how Claire can fall in love with Anthony, then think about if you could tolerate the same ending…
The Stalker
Being relentlessly pursued in the name of unrequited love will permanently be defined as creepy. Yet our world is an eccentric place where people have become true artists at vandalizing their own hearts by making the wrong choices. If you ever find yourself so bored that you actually start to like your stalker’s attention and send him love letters instead of a restraining order, then read Raw by Bella Aurora.
Lexie is a social worker with a disturbed family history who has never felt desired or a sense of belonging. Twitch is Lexie’s stunning stalker who she could sense watching her for years. Lexie never meant to fall so hard for a sociopath, but fate had other plans for her.
WE SAID THIS: Happy reading…