Review: Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai

Alisha Rai is one of the best writers I have discovered in 2017. Her first book, Hate to Want You, is one of my favorite reads of the year. I am very happy to say that Wrong to Need You lives up to the pressure (in my mind!) of the first book. Sadia and Jackson are just… fire cracker worthy.

Sadia Ahmed is loath to admit it, but she needs help. The cafe she runs is failing. Without her husband’s presence, it is a shell of its former life, no matter how much of herself Sadia pours into it. And to top it all off, now she needs a cook. It’s hard enough bringing in customers but add in a cook (Sadia) who can’t exactly cook, well it’s a recipe for disaster.

Enter Jackson Kane, Sadia’s former best friend and oh yeah, former brother-in-law. After Jackson was accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he left his hometown behind, and that included Sadia, despite their years of friendship. Sadia emailed him consistently but Jackson never replied. When he didn’t show up for her husband’s funeral, well, that was it for Sadia. She is done with Jackson.

Except, she’s not. She is not thrilled to have him back in town but she cannot deny that she needs his help. He is a wonderful cook and is an asset to her cafe. He is also slowly but surely peeling back all the layers of himself that Sadia longed to forget. An affair with Jackson is unthinkable. But neither can deny that between themselves, they have enough chemistry to last forever.

I love dark and angsty romances. Sometimes they just hit the spot in a way that a more lighthearted story doesn’t (it’s all about moods!). Wrong to Need You is simply put, a powerful love story. Jackson and Sadia just click into place naturally. They may not want to admit it, but they work if they can work through the issues of the past.

I love Alisha Rai’s female characters. Sadia and her sisters were so… perfect isn’t right because no sisterly relationship is perfect but it was just the right amount of love and light snark. They are totally there for each other. Alisha Rai really shines as a writer of women characters. Her women are just people I admire and relate to.

Jackson is a tough nut to crack as the saying goes but he is well worth sticking with. He yearns to be back with his family but he also truly doesn’t believe he deserves it. I was so glad to see him slowly become part of Sadia’s world again, and to get to know his nephew, Kareem, who is a charmer.

I’m always eager to try new romance writers and for me, Alisha Rai is a total thumbs-up. 2017 has not been an easy year on any of us I think but I found comfort in the complex relationships she creates in her books. Pain, maybe, but also a deep familial love. I am eager to read Eve and Gabriel’s story!

Wrong to Need You is available now. If you can’t purchase it immediately, be sure to set aside some holiday gift cards to make this book your own.

Forbidden Hearts 2.0 - Wrong To Need You

He wasn’t supposed to fall in love with his brother’s widow…

Accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Jackson Kane fled his home, his name, and his family. Ten years later, he’s come back to town: older, wiser, richer, tougher—and still helpless to turn away the one woman he could never stop loving, even after she married his brother.

Sadia Ahmed can’t deal with the feelings her mysterious former brother-in-law stirs, but she also can’t turn down his offer of help with the cafe she’s inherited. While he heats up her kitchen, she slowly discovers that the boy she adored has grown into a man she’s simply unable to resist.

An affair is unthinkable, but their desire is undeniable. As secrets and lies are stripped away, Sadia and Jackson must decide if they’re strong enough to face the past…and step into a future together.

About the Book

Wrong To Need You
by Alisha Rai

Series
Forbidden Hearts #2

Genre
Adult
Contemporary Romance

Publisher
Avon Books

Publication Date
November 28, 2017

About Alisha Rai

Alisha Rai pens award-winning sexy contemporary romances and is the first author to have an indie-published book appear on The Washington Post’s annual Best Books list. She spends most of her time dreaming up sexy heroes and heroines, traveling, and tweeting. To find out more about her books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit http://www.alisharai.com