When something is so forbidden…

Synopsis

A SPICY Billionaire forbidden romance from USA Today Bestseller Amy Andrews

Cocktail waitress Kelsey Armitage needs her job on board the Callisthenes cruise ship. Nursing a broken heart and an empty bank account, her trust is destroyed and she’s vowed never to fall for a man again. Instead, she’s only in the mood for one-stands. Not Happy Ever After’s.

But when a mysterious passenger orders a drink from her, she’s powerless to resist him. And soon one night turns into stolen and illicit moments at every opportunity. But romances with the passengers is strictly forbidden… and Kelsey is enjoying breaking all the rules.

Brooding billionaire Ari Callisthenes, heir to a Greek shipping line is undercover on his own cruise liner. His standards are impossibly high but his business is underperforming. He’s determined to find out why. However, he doesn’t expect the instantaneous chemistry with sexy cocktail waitress or the whirlwind fling they find themselves entangled in. She awakens a part of himself he believed dead. But a future together is out of the question because he can’t tell her who he is…

My review

Kelsey Armitage has learned a difficult lesson. Not only is she having a broken heart, but she also has been left with an empty bank account. With the worries of her mother’s health, Kelsey is now working as a cocktail waitress on a cruise ship. No matter how overfriendly some of the passengers are, Kelsey has vowed to never fall for a man or in love again. Also, it is strictly forbidden to fraternize with guests on the cruise ship.
Yet when a passenger orders a drink, trying to resist is futile, and they agree on having a one night of fun. But one nights turns into two and into more.
However, what Kelsey doesn’t know is that Ari is in fact Ari Callisthenes, heir of the shipping line Kelsey is working for and is in fact working undercover, to discover why this specific cruise liner is underperforming.
And no matter his own grief, he is flabbergasted by the chemistry he has with Kelsey. But he is not ready to let go of his own demons, as he already had his great love. And there is also the fact that Kelsey doesn’t know his real identity…
So what will happen when the cruise is over? Will it also be the end of their fling?

When I started with this book, I thought that the story would be limited on only the cruise ship itself and the ‘action’ that would take place in the cabins. And I  also thought that it would be mainly about the sexual attraction between Ari and Kelsey. Yes, of course there is a lot reading about those sparks, but it is also about hurt people, grief, overcoming that grief, and there is also room to talk about a toxic work environment.

I am not a believer when someone says they won’t give love another chance. Because no matter whap happened in the past, no matter how much you got burned, you will never know who will cross your path. So never just give up on love because of a past that broke you.

So even if I didn’t agree with Kelsey’s or Ari’s look on love, I for sure admired Kelsey and had respect for Ari for their own unique ways.

Liking Kelsey was easy. She is not in an easy position, with a mother that soon will be needing special care, yet Kelsey does not have the possibility to provide for her. Not because Kelsey doesn’t want to, but because she and her mother have been betrayed by Kelsey’s ex. But even that serious setback doesn’t stop her for being the best possible daughter she can be. Even if that means going on cruises, working hard and being away from her mother.

Yet you cannot deny that her sacrifices are for the greater picture, the dream she wants to realize for not only her own happiness but mainly for her mother’s. Let me assure you that not everyone is such a devoted child to their parent!

Not only is Kelsey a great daughter, but she is also a woman with a good sense of what is right and what is wrong. When she sees something wrong, she wants to make it right again. Already that is a wonderful treat, but what makes it even better, is that she doesn’t throw the culprit blindly under a bus. She follows the rules, hoping sometimes in vain that those in the right position will take the necessary steps and measurements.

With what happened to her, I could understand why she has sworn off love, but a woman like her deserves to have a special someone in her life, that makes her feel special…

The same can be said of Ari. I cannot imagine how terrible it must to be lose the love of your life. But his reaction to it, his grief and pain, it sounded so real, palpable… My heart truly went out to him, as it for sure is all so unfair… But isn’t that what everything thinks over a terrible loss?

As the cruise he is o, is one that is underperforming, I could understand and follow why his family wants exactly him to go undercover. We all know that sometimes going away from everything and everyone is exactly what the heart and soul need to heal even just a little bit.

When we read about billionaires, in books or even in real life, I think it’s fair to say that we have some kind of prejudice towards them. And some people/characters prove us right, while others like Ari, show us that yes, we can be wrong about them.

Ari is rather stoic at the start of this book, but I cannot blame him… Yet we also see that he is also a righteous person. When he sees an injustice, he takes matter in own hands, and does the right thing.

It’s obvious that behind his stoicism is hidden a warm, kind – hearted man. Yet he needs something, or rather someone to melt all the ice that surrounds his broken heart…

So when Ari and Kelsey cross paths, and sparks start to fly, I was happy for the both of them. Even when it just start as a one – night – stand, an itch to get rid of, it’s just impossible to stay away from each other… Even when Kelsey doesn’t know who Ari truly is, and even if fraternizing with passengers is forbidden, with a lot at stake.

But the heart wants what it wants, and it for sure causes several heated moments. But not only heated moments in the you – know – what – I – mean but also in the sense that it makes the ice melt around both their hearts, it makes the walls crumble around their hearts.

This was indeed a steamy romance, but it goes deeper than just that. Because we see here two people totally broken by love. They have to learn to open their hearts again, to let love again back in.
And yes, perhaps it goes all rather quickly, but is there a correct timespan? Especially with Kelsey’s and Ari’s background…
I really enjoyed reading this book, as it shows that no matter what happened to you in the past, no matter how much love has hurt in the past, you and everybody, and love itself also, deserve a second chance.