I haven't read the first book in this series, but that didn't pose any problems. I liked it and it gave a nice (fantasy?) historical feel. It's like a medieval road story.
3,5 stars ( )

"I would be anyone , anywhere,” she whispered against his lips, “if only I could be with you."

I lost track of everything while reading this. I would be reading it and hours would feel like mere minutes and I was almost late for work this morning. Whenever I had to put it down the characters never strayed far from my mind. The plot of this book was exactly what I had been wanting to read recently. When I picked this up when it was free on Amazon I was a bit wary of it because I don't like the cover but I needn't have worried.

I loved the two main characters, Ciara and Royce. Their chemistry is what had me really hooked in this book. I really liked Ciara's growth throughout the book and how Royce helped her grow. I loved everything about Royce; his strength and vulnerability.

There was one thing that I felt didn't fit the time period.When Royce was repelling down the cliff I feel like he had equipment that wasn't true to the time period. That did not lessen any of my interest in the book.

I really enjoyed this and it kind of surprised me how hooked I was in it. I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author. ( )

When a seemingly spoiled princess tries to remedy her fortress from falling to the rebels, it costs her much more than she anticipated. And now a cast off knight is in charge of making sure she is transported to her destiny, a marriage of convenience on the other side of her kingdom. She must arrive unscathed, untouched and before the deadline. They will travel alone, over mountains and through rebel laden country, only to begin to learn of the others true nature. I enjoyed this short love story and found myself rooting for both the heroine and hero. Would love to perhaps see more of the characters in other stories as well. ( )

Brave heroine, darling hero, fun book

Quite well done. The book flows well and the author makes it seem so easy to tell this story. The timeframe is quick but somehow she makes it seem real even though the romance happens so fast. I appreciate that the heroine is three dimensional and brave but not the typical "fiesty." And goodness, Royce is a sweetheart. ( )

I would have enjoyed His Forbidden Touch a bit more if its style and tone hadn't thrown me off so much. I'm not an expert on historical accuracy or anything, but I at least like the author to try and fool me into believing this is another time and place. But His Forbidden Touch, despite the liberal use of "mayhap" in every conversation, just felt too anachronistic for me. I managed to accept this after a few chapters and braced myself to suspend my disbelief a lot, just so I could give the story a chance. When I was able to do this, the story here is actually pretty enjoyable. It stands out from other standard medieval romances through its lighthearted, sometimes funny, and sincere depiction of two people who embark on a life changing journey together.

I really liked the hero, Royce Ferrano. He's a former knight who's been exiled for some unpardonable offense he committed four years ago. He’s different and very sympathetic - not your usual invincible, stoical hero, a block of stone and practically perfect in every way. Quite the opposite, he's expressive and actually has trouble concealing his feelings, which I thought was really interesting because I've yet to come across a hero so in tuned in this way. And one line really struck me - his conviction that feelings, while troublesome (and the excess of which caused his exile) aren't unimportant. They cause him trouble in this story as well, once he starts to grow close to Ciara, the princess he's been charged to escort to her betrothed, Prince Daemon. Her father the king, the man who exiled Royce, promises that Royce will be restored to everything he lost upon his banishment - his name, lands, and riches, if he safely delivers the princess to Daemon. Royce's history, his troubled past was moving - especially since Royce doesn't brood and moan about it. He grieves and hurts, but doesn't make an exhibition of himself, making me like him all the more.

Ciara plays the role of damsel in distress throughout, but still there's a credible character arc for her. She grows from a sheltered, naive, helpless princess into a woman who knows how to take care of herself, who comes to know herself and what she wants. But the book (thankfully) doesn't go overboard and have her fearlessly and stupidly rushing into street fights etc. Rather her growth is more of a quiet, internal one that endears her to the reader. She's scared at the start, a pawn in the political intrigues dictating her life. By the end, she's helped grasp control of her life, and chased after her dreams.

Not only is Royce's life and livelihood contingent upon Ciara marrying Daemon, but the peace of the two nations, Ciara's and Daemon's, rides on this marriage. There's a lot standing between Ciara and Royce when they first set out, just so it's clear, if the title doesn't clue you in, that this is a "forbidden" love story. Forbidden love stories are a dime a dozen I think, but this one at least didn't annoy me by going on and on so very dramatically about how forbidden Ciara and Royce's love is, how oceans and galaxies and rivers and worlds separate them. Rather it’s upfront and straightforward and progresses pretty rapidly. Day 1 Royce and Ciara hate each other. Day 2 they find out how wrong they were about each other and start to like each other. Day 3 they love each other. Day 4 through the end - adventures and dangers as they find a way to be together. Of course this makes everything a bit too simplified and too rushed to be believable, especially when it came to the political intrigue aspect, when Ciara and Royce band together with rebel forces to overthrow Prince Daemon, but the characters were endearing nonetheless and I was rooting for them throughout the book. His Forbidden Touch didn't knock me off my feet or anything, but it's still a nice, sweet, light read. ( )