Title: Forbid Me Not
Author: DV Fischer
Publisher: LoveNBooksPress
Genre: Romance, Curvy Girl Romance
Release Date: 10th March 2026
I made an epic mistake.
I slept with a hot stranger who looked at me like I wasn’t the thickest girl in the room—like I was wanted. Desired. Seen. It felt harmless. Healing, even. Until I found out he wasn’t a stranger at all. Nope. He was my brother’s best friend. Cool. Totally fine. Nothing to spiral about there.
Enter Reid Rathe. The man I absolutely should not want. The man who bulldozed straight through my vow to swear off men forever (courtesy of my emotionally destructive ex). I knew better than to fall for him. I knew better than to keep sneaking around with the one guy my brother has very clearly labeled off limits. But Reid doesn’t care about rules. He cares about me. He chases. He woos. He steals heated moments and whispers sweet things that lodge themselves in my heart.
And that’s the problem—falling for him would be so dang easy. He says I’m worth it. He says he’d risk everything. The question is… am I brave enough to risk it all for him?
REVIEW
I think the bright orange cover suits the mostly light hearted, flirty vibe of the book really well. The style of the writing of the title and the lips just like you’d draw/write on a college textbook back in the day!
Forbid Me Not is about a group of friends, Dustin & his girlfriend Ivy, his best friend Reid and his other friend Jacob who are at college together. Dustin’s sister Avery has just transferred to a college nearer home and her family after a breakup with her long term boyfriend. Avery had thought he was 'the one' but the once sweet romance they had together in high school turned into a controlling one and when he calls Avery fat, it cuts deep, though that’s not the only reason for the nasty breakup. Her ex has really knocked her confidence, to the point she feels no one will find her attractive.
Avery moves into a college campus apartment with Ivy who may be her brother’s girlfriend but is also a best friend and confidante to Avery. The apartment is opposite her brother Dustin’s apartment that he shares with a quieter, more reserved non partying guy at the beginning of the book though that changes as the book goes on.
Avery's brother Dustin decides to throw a party at his college apartment to welcome his sister and introduce her to his friends. Her brother’s friend Jacob has a seriously heavy hand with the alcohol and has filled her cup to the brim. Her best friend and brother Dustin's girlfriend, Ivy has wandered off as usual being a social butterfly, so Avery finds herself feeling a little lonely and a lot tipsy. Whilst dancing she loses her balance and is caught by a gorgeous hunk, he asks her name and she blurts out Sarah, just in case the hunk thinks Dustin’s sister is off limits. They have an instant attraction and they end up kissing. One thing leads to another and they end up having a one-night stand, have sex over in Avery & Ivys apartment across the hall from the party. When a heavily hung over Avery wakes up the hunk has left leaving Avery feeling a bit disappointed, a little ashamed at having had sex with a guy whose name she didn't even know. Then she shakes it off, thinking she is highly unlikely to even see the guy again, and so what she had sex, she's a newly single woman why shouldn't she have a little fun.
Later whilst at her brother apartment, a guy walks in and Dustin introduces him as his best friend Reid. When Avery looks up to say hi to Reid she locks eyes with the hunk she had sex with, the one she'd told her name was Sarah. Avery is worried what Reid is going to say but he simply smirks, tells her Avery is a pretty name and keeps their one night stand a secret.
Despite knowing Dustin won't like it, Reid pursues a relationship with Avery, slowly gaining her trust, building up her confidence, showering her with compliments, eventually winning her over. The continue meeting in secret right under Dustins nose with Ivy and Jacob keeping their secret whilst warning that they can't keep the fact they're together a secret forever.
Deep down Avery knows that if it comes to a choice between Reid and her brother Dustin, though it would break her heart she'd always choose her brother.
Would Dustin really want to step in the way of his sister Avery and best friend Reids happiness though?
I loved the writing style of this one, it was a steady but constant pace, it really drew you in and you quickly became invested in Avery’s happiness and wanting to know exactly what her ex had done to her to break her heart, seriously knock her confidence and make her swear off dating! Then there’s Reid who isn’t a stranger to heartbreak himself with his last girlfriend being more interested in his money and what his family could do for her than their relationship.
I loved the sections in the book where Avery was arguing with herself about what she should or shouldn’t do. Second guessing her own actions, like we all do at times. This also made her all the more relatable.
This one definitely hits you emotionally, lets just say after reading Forbid Me Not and discovering how caring and considerate he was we all need a Reid Rathe in our lives.
That’s not saying the other two guys in the book aren’t swoon worthy, Dustin is definitely committed to his relationship with Ivy though he may not know it I think Ivy is the one in charge! Jacob starts out the typical love ‘em and leave ‘em type, in fact he doesn’t always get a name or a number!! He then sees Dustin and Reids relationships and starts to warm to the idea of having a more, steady relationship himself, so we do see Jacob develop as time goes on. I should say that though Jacob is friends with Dustin he is a really good friend to Avery too, and who knows if Reid hadn’t been on the scene she could have been the girl to change him, if Dustin had allowed Jacob near her in the first place.
I have to admit there were certain sections in the book I was internally shouting “just tell him!” and then there were also parts where I wanted to get hold of Dustin and give him a really hard shake and tell him to stop being so selfish! You’ll know which bits I mean when you read the book.
The book did remind me of my younger days, late teens, flirting, the banter, the laughs and yes, the unrequited love and heartbreaks. I think that’s one of the reasons that the book is so good as a reader you can so easily identify with Avery. It brought back some good fun memories as well as some not so great ones too! The whole part of the plot of the protective brother and secret love made me think of my own parents “love story” my dad being best friends with my mums brother and my mum singing the song “Secret Love by Doris Day” and I couldn’t get the song out of my head until I had finished the book!
My initial thoughts upon finishing the book were Wow, I really enjoyed that! A real “feel good” book. A message to all that have gone through heartbreak that perhaps there’s just the right caring guy out there!
Summing up I don’t read a whole lot of contemporary, flirty romance type books but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one and I have to admit a little sad when it ended. I loved the characters. I enjoyed being irritated by Reids parents wanting to set him up in an arranged marriage when he clearly stated he had no feelings for the girl they had chosen for him. I was sorry to be saying goodbye to Avery, Ivy, Dustin, Reid & Jacob when the book ended. I’d definitely read more of this genre by this author!
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