THE FORBIDDEN BROTHER – Joanne Rock
The McNeill Magnates , Book 7
Harlequin Desire #2600
ISBN: 978-1-335-97160-9
July 2018
Contemporary Series Romance

Cheyenne, Wyoming – Present Day

Film scout Jillian Ross is in Wyoming to meet with the wealthy McNeill ranching family about their signing a contract to allow an upcoming movie to be shot on their ranch. So far, the McNeill family has been reluctant, but Jillian figures if she can charm them, they'll give in. Her first night there, she spots a man whom she believes to be Carson McNeill enter a bar. However, it turns out to be his twin brother, Cody. Sparks fly between her and Cody, and soon they're having sex. Cody didn't know who she was at first, and when he finds out, he spurns her. But there's a matter of a little lack of birth control that makes it imperative that Cody finds out if Jillian is pregnant before she leaves town.

Cody usually keeps to himself and lets his brother Carson be the sociable twin, but the moment he spots Jillian, he's attracted to her. Even after finding out who she really is doesn't really quench his thirst for her. As they wait out the time period until a pregnancy test can be safely done, Cody learns more about Jillian. Like the fact that she's a cancer survivor. Will their time together have them fall in love? Jillian is on a quest to live life to its fullest and see the world. Will this come into conflict with homebody Cody?

Jillian figures she can't get pregnant since she was told by her doctor after she had the radiation treatments that it was likely she couldn't conceive. Even after she tells Cody this, he insists that she wait it out and she agrees. Add in the fact that the extra days will give her more time to work on convincing the McNeill family to agree to the movie location shoot. Will she win them over? Will she end up pregnant? If Jillian is pregnant, how will this affect her plans to see the world?

The McNeill family is close and family comes first. In THE FORBIDDEN BROTHER, there is a secondary story involving Cody's younger half-sister Scarlett and her obsession with an actor who dumped her a year ago. As Scarlett heads to Hollywood to confront him, will it tie into what Jillian is doing in Wyoming? Cody's stepmother is adamant that she doesn't want the “movie people” on their property. Why is she feeling this way? Meanwhile, Cody has to deal with his feelings for Jillian. She's like no other woman he's met before, yet he fears she will break his heart if he falls in love with her.

THE FORBIDDEN BROTHER is part of  The McNeill Magnates  series but each book can be read as a standalone without much difficulty as each tale revolves around the romance of the main hero and heroine. In this one, Jillian's cancer history makes it a poignant and emotional tale. Cody is the cowboy hero who might make her dreams come true. Don't miss THE FORBIDDEN BROTHER.

Patti Fischer