Forbidden Heart by Ivy Layne

In the finale I’ve been waiting for, Ivy Layne doesn’t hold back with Forbidden Heart—and honestly, it might be one of my favorites of hers. This is the payoff to the overarching mystery that’s been simmering since book one. Who killed Prentice Sawyer? From the moment Griffin returned home in book one, you knew that Ford’s book was the endgame. And wow, did Layne make the wait worth it.

Ford Sawyer walks back into Heartstone Manor after a year in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

Freedom should feel like redemption, but not for Ford—because suspicion is still his shadow. And danger is lurking in the halls of a home that’s practically breathing lies. His father’s real killer is still out there. The man who once defended him now wants him dead. Ford’s life may be in shambles, but this book lets him start sorting through that emotional wreckage with a raw honesty that hits deep.

Enter Paige McKenna, who’s lived her whole life feeling unwanted.

She takes a nanny job with Griffin and Hope not just for the paycheck—but because it gets her a step closer to uncovering the truth about her father. Instead, lands knee-deep in Sawyer secrets, ghostly whispers, and one broody accused murderer who might be everything she didn’t know she needed.

The blurb promises danger, darkness, and a haunted house full of secrets—and Ivy delivery-trucks all of it right to your door. Forbidden Heart weaves two mysteries through the story: Prentice’s killer and Paige’s father. And the twists? Oh, they twist.

Beneath all the shadowy tension, you get that signature Ivy Layne romance. Emotional, slow-burn, high-stakes, and full of two people who have no business trusting each other… yet somehow can’t stop. Ford and Paige light up every page, even when the truth tries to tear them apart. The continued healing journey of the Sawyer kids is perfection.

As a series finale, this book sticks the landing. It’s gripping. Emotional. And the closure Sawyer’s family deserved—and then some. Layne definitely plants seeds for the next series of stories. She never closes a door without cracking a window open for more.

I loved the payoff. I loved the characters. And I’m already itching for whatever she writes next.

Want more Ivy Layne?

Check out this Author Spotlight Interview with her
Listen to this Quick shot of Romance