#AudioBook #Review: Forbidden Love by Terry Spear - 4 Wine Glasses

Title: Forbidden Love
Author: Terry Spear 
Format: Audiobook/ebook
Published: March 10th 2011 by Terry Spear 
ISBN: 0012271292 
Narrated by: Maria Hunter Welles
Length: 10 hrs 
Format: Unabridged
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Audible | B&N
Source: Author
Reviewer: Linda
Rating: 4/5

Huntress Alena MacLeod is given a mission: work undercover to discover a rogue vampire’s secretive work, then terminate him.
Ephraim MacNeill, aka Sutton Bastrop, knows Alena is his Elizabeth MacLeod from an earlier time, and he’s determined to return to the past and right all the wrongs to end the curse placed on the love of his life before it’s too late—again.
Together, they must risk all to stop a war between a newly formed Brotherhood of rogue vampires, tired of the status quo, and the League of Hunters, who have ruled for centuries over the vampires—both changed during the Black Death—some of the survivors becoming vampires, and others hunters of the same.

Thoughts:
Highlanders!  Vampires!  Huntresses!  Love over Time!

Forbidden Love is a tale of doomed love over centuries.  It's an erotic paranormal romance that will have you laughing one minute and swooning the next.  It is a fractured re-telling of Romeo and Juliet, lovers cursed never to be united.  

Eons ago, during the Black Death, some became vampires and some became hunters of the vampires.   Friends became enemies overnight.  Forbidden Love is the story of Vampire Ephraim MacNeill, aka Sutton Bastrop, and Huntress Elizabeth MacLeod, aka Alena Elizabeth MacLeod.  They were forbidden to love, yet they did, vowing to love each other forever before her family killed Elizabeth for daring to love Ephraim.  Elizabeth has been reborn many times and Ephraim has tried to re-connect with her only to lose her again each time... leaving Ephraim alone in sorrow and loneliness.  Now Elizabeth has been reborn as Alena and tasked with his assassination.  She has no remembrance of Ephraim, only dreams and fleeting memories.  Can he awaken her to their past and can they unite in time to defeat the curse?

Ephraim was awesome.  He spoke in brogue and I loved hearing him voiced by the narrator.  He had suffered so over the centuries chasing Elizabeth's reincarnations and watching her die over and over.  Even though his heart had gone through the wringer over and over, Ephraim kept his sense of humor.  When Alena asked him if he had remained faithful to Elizabeth over the centuries, Ephaim replied:  “You can't fault me for ensuring it's in working order... what if I hadn't used it and from this use it had fallen off?” LOL!  I know those around me at the gym wondered why I was laughing out loud!  I had to re-play that scene a few times... it was hilarious.  Ephraim was loyal, strong and totally driven by his love of Elizabeth, which had never wavered.  

Alena was strong also... she had to be to kill vampires.  She was resigned to her life as a huntress without a love interest.  Her family dynamics were unique.  The women in her family named every female born with red hair Elizabeth as a tribute to the first Elizabeth who had died in the name of true love.  The men of her clan were the problem vowing to hunt down and kill any of their people who dared to fall in love with a vamp.  I was frustrated by and wanted to shake Alena at times feeling that she should have been more open to Ephraim and seen her family for what they were.  She was stubborn to a fault and feisty beyond measure and she fought her attraction to Ephraim with everything she had until... she didn't.    

The chemistry between the two when Alena wasn't fighting him (and herself) was sizzling hot!  Their discourse was beautiful and funny and their interactions were passionately erotic.  Just imagine a love held in check and unquenched for eons.  I fondly remember one of the times they were rushing to make love and Ephraim said:  “You need to wear less clothing, lass”  before they got down to some serious ooh la la lovemaking.  

Besides Alena's dysfunctional family, there's also rogue vampires that want to kill Alena and females vying for Ephraim's attentions.  The story kept me riveted from the beginning to the end without a dull moment.

The narrator is very good.  I could tell by her voice who was speaking and her inflection was right on.  She voiced the Scottish brogue very well.

As to the ending, have no fear, Terry has a happy- ever-after in store that will leave a big smile on your face.  Just be prepared for some huge surprises along the way!  

“It is real, Lass.... You are mine as I am yours.”