Review of FORBIDDEN

Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank is a book I picked up from NetGalley a while back. Due to health issues, I added it to my queue, but hadn't ever read it. Boy, am I glad I did! Jacquelyn is a new author for me, but her work is just excellent. In this first book in the series, FORBIDDEN, we are introduced to a world filled with mysticism and magic. The ancient Egyptians that were mummified are now tethered to Earth. They reside in the Ether until they find a willing host to Blend with. War has been raging for hundreds of centuries... Unlike what you might imagine from watching Stargate, these relationships aren't like the ones you'd think of with the Go'uld. It's not a relationship where the host is subjugated--they live in harmony. The reward for the mortal is a long life and good health. The royals are awaiting the awakening of the Pharohs Menes and his love, Hapshepsut. When Cleo, the prophetess, sends Ram to New York, he believes it's to help protect his kings love. Docia Waverly has led a rather uneventful life. It's one she's considered boring thus far. But, when she's shoved off a NY bridge to her death, she wakes to find herself in the Ether. There, she meets an Egyptian woman that offers her a new chance at life if she will agree to sharing her body. Docia, deciding she has much to live for, agrees. When she awakens, she believes she's just had a very strange near-death experience. But days later, the same people that attempted to kill her before are after her again. A huge golden warrior comes to her rescue and takes her away to safety. It's only then that she learns that what she experienced was no dream. She's been paired with an Egyptian and is now a Bodywalker. Ram has guarded his queen through eleven lifetimes. This time is different. This time, he finds himself having feelings for his queen that aren't at all platonic. Danger unfolds as evil Bodywalkers try to kill Docia before she can fully Blend. I found this story to be both intriguing and full of action. I was hooked from the very first page. Apparently, this is a spin-off series from the Nightwalker series. As an avid reader, I find that I'm easily bored with books that seem to be telling the same tale I've read a million times before. This was not the case with Forbidden. The author has a wonderful voice. The setting and story were engaging and the plot had twists and turns that kept me turning pages. I read this in one sitting--I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book to any that love a good paranormal romance and those that enjoy a series with returning characters. We also meet Docia's brother, Jackson in this book. He'll have his own story in book two of the series. I'd give this a 5star rating. I can't wait for the next in the series-and will be going back to read the other series by Ms. Frank.