Forbidden Skye by Alex Crane, is a brother’s best friend’s mafia romance released on January 1, 2024. It was a new topic for me to read. It centers around a girl named Skye Jackson and her older brother’s childhood best friend. Skye has liked Van Bennett since she was a young girl. Her parents are friends with his family, who live next door Skye and Van’s story is a bit rocky because it starts off with a flashback of Skye’s that reveals why she doesn’t like him and doesn’t give him any chances after he returns.
The major theme in this book is that there is beauty in the pain love brings. I loved how the characters developed and grew throughout the book. It made me consider if there was truly somebody for everybody, or if there can truly be romantic love between people who practically grew up together and used to see each other as siblings. Can people truly change for the better for love? Can you overcome your trauma through love?
The author’s voice in Forbidden Skye is conversational and immediate. The book emphasizes romance and plot momentum; it is like a telenovela in novel form. It has a fast paced, linear, first person narrative. This gives the reader an in the moment feeling as if they were in the book themselves. The events in the book occur in mostly chronological order. It has short chapters but quick beats. The book also prefers external events/conflict instead of focusing on a theme.
What worked well for me was that the book was very straight to the point and had lots of plot instead of themes or lessons to be learned. The chapters were enjoyable. I loved how the chapters were short and concise, not too much extra detail that I really didn’t care for. My favorite part of the book was the plot twist of Van’s heritage and real parents. People who like fast paced, quick, concise books would benefit from this book and may like to read it. It has some sexual scenes that are quite steamy, so I would recommend it for ages 17 and up.
This book shifted my perspective on love; I used to believe that it’s a waste of time and that it hurts more than it’s worth. I now think that love does not only hurt, it can also heal. This book opened my eyes to the beauty in the pain of love and how it can shape oneself.
This book isn’t just a book you read, it’s one you return to as I’ve read it three times.
