Professed

A beautiful blend of old-fashioned sensibilities and lust crazed encounters make Professed a true page turner. Cynicism and undeniable truth make this love story realistic and heart breaking, but oh so beautiful. This was an impressive debut from a promising new author.

Lots of formatting errors (mostly paragraphs that run together), but those would be easy fixes. The more problematic issues are that, while the sex scenes are strong, the storyline and characters are very cliche. Overall, it's just a lightweight romance plot with explicit sex scenes.

Naomi and Ben meet unexpectedly at a private party. One thing leads to another, and their need for each other sky rockets. But soon they realize Ben is the new Master Dean, and Naomi is a student... And everything they want and all the need they have for each other is out of the question if they both want to keep their futures at Yale intact. But temptation is to strong and now, they are in over their heads.

The chance meeting and the secret love affair is what grabs you and doesn't let you go. Their chemistry is off the charts and their banter is fun. Their need for each other and the fact they both know the consequences and don't care gives this a real deep love that we all strive for. The author captured it perfectly with their professions and words. Even to the end, their love transcended everything else.

Now I didn't absolutely love this story. I just didn't connect like I do with other romances that are similar, but it was still entertaining and even the sex was hot!

4 stars

Professed is a story about a forbidden love between a college student and her professor. It is also the first published book by author, which grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Right from the start we get to meet Naomi Costa, a college student from Yale, who gets a mysterious invitation to a secret masked ball. It was all meant to be fun, but little did she know that her life was about to change forever. While at the ball she meets a mysterious man whose intense stare and handsome looks completely win her over right off the bat. Their chemistry is instant and their undeniable attraction is what soon brings them closer. Yet one night together is not enough for the both of them, but it all comes crashing down the minute Naomi finds out that the mysterious stranger from the previous night is non other than her college professor, Dr. Benjamin Beck. Now she has to decide if she can put what they've shared aside and pretend that it didn't happened or try to find a way to be together with the man that completely took her breath away at the masked ball. On the other hand, Ben wasn't expecting to be so attracted to someone at the ball, but he can't keep thinking about her. Soon he discovers who Naomi really is and he has to make a choice that could cost him his career. As the characters start to get to know each other secrets start to resurface and pasts began to get in the way that could damage any hope of being in a relationship.

I very much liked the overall idea of the story, right from the beginning I was completely hooked with how things were going. Needless to say, the story started to become repetitive and I started to get bored with some of those scenes. The story does pick up towards the end, which helped the book a lot. The more steamy and romantic scenes between the characters really had me rooting for them. It's evident that the two have their pasts that they're trying to move on from, and together they are able to help each other in that aspect. The ending was good, the author was able to tied the story nicely, and if you like a story filled with steamy moments then I would suggest giving this story a try. I would be interested in reading more from the author in the future. :)

***ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.***

One night at a secret masked ball Naomi Costa meets a man who literally sweeps her off her feet and gives her the best night of her life.

Yet the very next day Naomi discovers that the new man in her life is the newest faculty member at Yale, Dr. Benjamin Beck. And even worse he is the professor of a course that she has to take and he lives too close for her to even get away. If she wanted to.

But Naomi and Ben are on a dangerous path as he could lose his teaching position and she could lose her scholarship if they are caught and Dean Osgood really wants to catch them.

This was a hot teacher-student romance with a few twists and turns to make it unique.

I loved Naomi and you could tell right away that she wasn't someone who had a lot of money to spend frivolously but she wanted to go to Luxuria for a night out. I liked Naomi immediately and then as I go to know her I liked her even more. Her background made her unique and I loved the story she submitted about her mom to Ben.

I thought Ben was awesome and I liked how torn he was after discovering who Naomi really he was. He was in love with her from almost the moment he met her and truly wanted to stay away from her as he didn't want to be the cause of her losing her scholarship. Yet he just could not stay away.

The two together had incredible chemistry and were so hot together! It's no wonder they couldn't get enough of each other. I loved how much the two grew to truly respect the other and want to protect the other at all costs!

Dean Osgood was a sneaky one and I really wondered what was truly behind him trying to catch Ben and Naomi together.

Great read!

She’s making me reckless, she’s making me wild. She’s making me want in a way that I’d forgotten I could or ever did.

Several months ago, I was recommended a book by a favorite author of mine. The book was Confessed by Nicola Rendell, and I LOVED it. It was fresh and fun and sexy, and I immediately went and one-clicked the book that came before it. This book.

Professed.

Then… it sat on my Kindle, waiting for me to have the time to read it.

Now… I finally had the time. I've just finished it, and guess what? I LOVED it, too.

Professed is forbidden, funny and filled with this almost-melancholy—the need of two star-crossed lovers who know they shouldn't be, but who can't stop it from happening. It's witty and quirky and romantic in an old-world way, yet so modern and kinky, it's like an explosion of rightness happened on my Kindle. And I couldn't help but wonder why I waited to read it.

So, why did I? Kids. ARCs. Life. But TBH, I'm almost a little glad I waited it. I didn't go into this one with eyes fresh off Lucy and Vince’s book, maybe a little biased because they were my first by this author. Instead, I went in excited to meet the author at an upcoming signing event, and eager to see if the hype was worth it. Also, happy to see Lucy and her quirks and kinda criminal mindset (it's a wonderful introduction to her, and for me, who’s read her book, it was a treat to see the clues and set-up for her story).

I was rewarded. The hype was worth it. Ben was deliciously dirty, charmingly romantic and rocked by his feelings, and it was wonderful. Naomi was sassy, almost innocent, yet older than her years, and it was fabulous. They might have been instalove but it was written just so, making it believable, desirable and unputdownable.

And I LOVED it.

I never had hope for love, because I didn’t believe it. I needed nothing. I needed nobody. But it’s her I need now.

~ FIVE Master STARS ~

“Forbidden fruit is sweetest.”

Professed is the very first book I have ever read by Nicola Rendell and just Wow! This was such a beautifully written book. I sort of thought it would be a light, silly, fun type of book. But what it turned out to be was a story about two people that fell in love. But their love was so deep, so profound, so life changing, that it rocked them to their very core. But it was also a love that broke every rule and could change the course of their futures if discovered. Was it doomed? Or is the old saying true that love conquers all?

Dr. Benjamin Beck wrote a book about nothingness. And no one read it, until all of a sudden, someone did read it, and he found himself thrust into the spot light, on the best seller’s list. Then Yale came calling with a job offer he couldn’t refuse. But the night before he reports to campus, he receives an invitation to a masked party, and that’s where he first saw her. He couldn’t take his eyes off her nor she off him. And the night turned in to a night he would never forget, a night even his fantasies couldn’t have come up with.

“I’ll show you.”
“You will, huh?”
“I’ll show you just what I like.”

“I want to see what beauty like this looks like in ecstasy. I want to see that beauty roar.”

Naomi Costa is just short of twenty one years old and is a junior at Yale as a Philosophy major. Her best friend, Lucy, slipped her an invitation to the masked party and that’s where she first saw him. Dancing and drinking soon led to a night she never could have dreamed of. A connection she never thought possible. But only first names were exchanged. Would she see him again? But then she did see him, as he was introduced as the new professor and master.

“I try to ignore the sinking feeling inside that says that we are ineffably, uncomfortably, impossibly doomed.”

Naomi and Ben tried, they really did, to deny what was between them. But it was too much, it was too strong. They couldn’t stay away. But Professor Ben Beck was not Dean Osgood’s choice for the position. He wanted someone married, someone more stable, not a good looking single man all the female students swoon after. And he’s got his eye on Ben. He lets him know in no uncertain terms that he is just waiting for him to screw up. He’s seen the way he looks at Naomi. He promises Ben that if he is breaking the rules, he will ruin them both.

“With all my heart, I love her. But I know, as she disappears down the way, that we might be doomed. That we are star-crossed. That our love is impossible. And for the first time in as long as I can remember, I wipe tears from my own eyes.”

This book just captivated me. I literally couldn’t put it down. I don’t know that I’ve ever read about two people that felt so deeply for each other. Or maybe it was just the way the author made their feelings leap off the pages for me. It was beautiful and it was heartbreaking.

“I’m yours. All yours.”

Neither Ben or Naomi felt as if they belonged at Yale, that they deserved it. But when they were together, they were able to provide that confidence to each other, that feeling of home, peace, belonging. They search out ways to be together, stolen moments, but is it enough? Is the risk too much? You just have to read this book. This is one of those stories that just grabs you by the heart and doesn’t let go. Just writing this review is making me sigh. It is a stand alone story but Nicola Rendell did right an additional book about Lucy, Naomi’s best friend, called Confessed. I can’t wait to read it.

“Vos estis lux et veritas.”
“You are the light and the truth.”

This book was totally out of my wheelhouse, I have tried to read other student teacher romance novels and haven't been able to finish one. it was too strange, and made me a little uncomfortable but I kept seeing this one on different blogs I follow and thought okay, well i'll give this one a try! 

it was different but in the best way possible. I loved the writing style and how Ben and Naomi's relationship made them connect not only on a physical level but on a cerebral level as well. they were connected at a soul level and while it was pretty steamy it was never gratuitous. 

this was just how their love story went. it was about two people who met and fell in love, not a student/teacher taboo kind of thing. it never felt like he was abusing his position or that she felt pressured into it. they were equals. 

I was immediately sucked into the story and was shocked when I finished it. I was glad I took another chance on a subgenre that I typically avoid and it just goes to show you that one author can change your perception! I will definitely be picking up another book by this author (hopefully soon!) 

Professed begins with one hell of a steamy scene and leaves you craving more , the couple had of the charts chemistry that couldn't be stopped even when they found out who the other was . After reading some books by Nicola Rendell I just knew I was going to love this and I know it wont be my last .
copy provided for honest review
****************************************
hero = 8 heroine = 9 secondary characters = 8
Chemistry = 10 steam = 9 romance = 9 humor = 4
darkness level = 4 enjoyment = 9 angst = 4
action = 3 mystery = 3 story line = 10 Story ending = 9
character development = 10 pacing = 10 Plot = 10
cover = 10 stars = 4 author = 9
would I recommend this book = yes
would I re read this book = yes
would I read future books by this author = yes

I love a good forbidden romance, especially student/teacher (in this case Professor) but I do feel let down sometimes by a promising premise but unsatisfactory execution. Professed did not let me down. The premise was a little different, a little more risqué, especially the start and I enjoyed the story front to back. I felt there was consistency in the storytelling, plot and characters.

I prefer a college student for this genre, so professed hit that spot but there's a significant age difference between the characters, so the power imbalance is there in more ways than one. Naomi gave the impression of being sheltered in some ways, although not totally naive. Ben had an arrogance and enjoyed seeing him figuratively brought to his knees. I particularly enjoyed these characters' dialogue in the bedroom.

This is the authors first book and I felt she conveyed a solid writing style and a flair for an intriguing story that keeps you engaged. I definitely sense this author is one to watch.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

I floved this book!! It was funny, sexy, erotic, forbidden. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves the erotic romance erupting between a college student and her Professor!

The chemistry between Ben and Naomi is powerfully magnetic! It seeps from every page. I adored their banter - sometimes sexy, sometimes angry, sometimes flirty.

This is a new author for me but she's very near the top of my favorites list! She had the perfect voices in this dual POV! The characters were executed flawlessly with excellent dialogue and enough background to leave no questions. The story was very well thought and developed. I knew I was in for a long night after the first chapter. I could not put it down!!

And now? Well now I will impatiently wait for Confessed - I loved Lucy and can't wait to hear of her adventure!!

Professed by Nicola Rendell is a scorcher, and while it may start out a little slow, it picks up quickly and you don’t want to put it down. It has everything you want in a steamy student/teacher story.

Naomi is invited to a masked ball and there she finds a man she can’t ignore. Their night is amazing, but then she finds out the man from the ball is her new professor. Yikes! They can’t stay away from each other, but if they get caught, it would mean trouble for both of them. So what is going to happen? You have to one click to find out.

I really liked this book. It was hot and intriguing, and I was hooked until the end. 4.5 stars. I loved Naomi and Ben’s whole affair and was not disappointed. If you like student/teacher or even just a good steamy love story, then you have to check this one out.

I LOVED this book. It's a taboo romance...teacher/student based. Well written, entertaining and sexy.
Now, for the particulars..This is her DEBUT novel...and if she can write this one so well I can't wait to see how her next book goes.
I LOVE the characters and the way they were written. Ben is smoking hot and oh so sexy and sweet...he's intense when he decides what he wants, he's creative and over the top sexy.
Naomi, while she is reserved and a bit skittish, once she decides that Ben is hers at whatever cost necessary she really makes the effort to keep him.
Loved Lucy, the bff and the character of the next book.
The sexy was HOT HOT HOT and the writing was just different enough to be really enjoyable.
4.5 Well done stars

When it comes to student-teacher romances, this one is steaming hot!

Naomi is just your average girl from Maine. Master Ben, feels as if he is barely average. His claim to fame is a story he wrote and published - which earned him nothing in the way of his life's purpose to teach.

Just before his career begins at Yale, he has a chance encounter with a goddess at a mascaraed ball. Only to discover his goddess is actually a student.

Will their forbidden love affair cost them their dreams?

If you love a suspenseful love stories with a lot of passion, I'd highly recommend this 4 star read. I can't wait to see what Nicola has in story for readers next!

Excellent debut book that was humorous and smart. If you're a fan of Jewel E Ann you will really enjoy this author. The author's writing is very descriptive and it was easy for me to picture the locations being described. Naomi and Ben had great chemistry and were so good together. I loved that the angst wasn't drawn out through the book so I was really able to appreciate the funny parts. I will definitely be adding Nicola Rendell to my must read author's lists and I'm excited to read Lucy's story (who was so cute and fun in this book) in a few days! I'm a huge fan of CD Reiss who mentioned this author on her FB page and I'm so glad she did! Highly recommend!!

I absolutely adored this book. I binged it in one session and smiled the whole way through. It is so beautifully written I didn't want it to end. The dialogue, the texting, the actual love letters (swooning) were just divine. An actual love story coupled with some seriously hot chemistry means it's the perfect blend. Think this might be my favourite student/teacher book ever. Definitely recommend this. Everyone needs to read it.

First Nicola Rendell book i have read and i loved it. Flirty, sexy and oh so naughty what with it being a student and professor relationship. I laughed i flushed with excitement and i got nervous for these great characters. Not for the faint of heart as Nicola gets creative with her sexy scenarios, bit well worth checking out. Now off to see which one to read next of her work

Reviewed on behalf of A Book Lovers Emporium.
Oh how I loved this book, teacher/student is one of my favourite genre’s anyway but this was just a wonderful book.
Now you may think - oh not another teacher/ student novel, and you could be right, BUT not this one. This is a heartfelt love story at its best. I wanted to be Naomi Costa, and I REALLY wanted Professor Benjamin Beck!!! What a dreamboat - sexy, gorgeous, thoughtful, with a perfect dirty mouth. Yes I'm officially in love. Naomi too is a wonderful character and the way the author has written them, their personalities, their pasts shine through onto the pages. Written in duel perspective we get to experience both their feelings and opinions personally, and I really enjoyed that.
Naomi and Ben meet at a ball, they do not know each other and the attraction is like two magnets pulling them together. This book didn't mess around, wham bam thank you mam and they were having the hottest sex around. They both Knew exactly what they wanted and boy did they take it!!! That is until Naomi starts back to college, she has a new Master in her classes and she gets the shock of her life when she realises who he is.
What I really enjoyed is Ben's character development, he is very closed off at first, typical bachelor, thinks he knows what he wants and where he is going, but when he meets Naomi, you can actually "feel" him change, it was just delightful, surprising and very refreshing. Naomi is such a strong lady, but apprehensive, and undecided in her future, but Ben changes all that. Now this isn't all sex and love, there is humour too and a best friend called Lucy who is funny and caring and rich!!!
All in all, this being Nicola Rendell's debut novel, it is a fantastic read and one I would defiantly recommend to everyone. I read it in nearly one sitting and was sad when it came to the end. Luckily she is going to give us Lucy's story and I really can't wait to be reading more from this author. Really well done!!!!

What happens when the man who believes in nothing suddenly meets the girl who will change his opinion? Well they embark on a forbidden romance that opens both of their eyes and hearts to love! A chance encounter with hot out of control sex leads to an eye opening experience that will change how this full of chemistry couple sees the future. They will go against all odds because they just can't fight what they feel.

What starts as a sexy encounter between two masked thus anonymous persons will soon turn into a beautiful love story.

I loved the lyrical feeling this book had. The writing style is, in my opinion, what makes it so good.
I enjoy and seek books that make you question yourself, when you have to stop to really think about what the character just said… Well it happened in this book.

Ben is a nihilist, a philosophy professor who lived by his believes until he met our heroine. Nothing matters. Until her.

Naomi is majoring in ….PHILOSOPHY and after discovering who’s her anonymous lover, falls rapidly in lust/love with her teacher.

The sentiment is returned, and it makes it very complicated. Some people start to notice their attraction and it goes without saying that a relationship between a student and a professor in Yale is frowned upon. They are watched and must be careful.

Between sweet and torrid moments, heartbreaking forced time separated, their precarious relationship will become stronger and so intense.

I won’t say this is a “taboo” story as such, it is a beautiful story about believes, irrefutable attraction, trust and how love can overcome anything.

I’m giving it 4 stars because I know Nicola is writing Lucy’s story ( and I freaking loved Lucy!) and seeing how good her first book was, I’m betting the second will be amazing!

Most of the book is ultra dramatic, they are falling in love and they can't help themselves but do stupid things. I didn't like them or their deeds. I didn't believe them with their insta-love, because it was insta- lust. And basically it was boring eventhough it was very hot. I gave this book 3 stars because somewhere in the end I connected .

Forbidden has been done many times before, but this one was delightfully a little different. There was a surprisingly strong and knowing heroine with a splendid sense of humor. The hero was a somewhat jaded bachelor, who turned out to be sweet as hell and very sexy at the same time. I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to read Confessed!

Wow this book was mind blowing. The philosophy, romance, laughs, and the hot steemie bits all rolled together make for a fast, awsome read. Ben and Naomi are the perfect couple. They complement each other to the t. That ending was the best. Cannot wait for the next book (this story is a standalone) about Lucy.

I never write reviews, but this book was AMAZING! I loved the whole thing! I was sad I couldn't just sit and read it all in one sitting. I can not wait for the next book to come out!! Check this book out!!!!

There are not enough words to expresses how deeply I loved this book! The chemistry between Naomi and Ben was scorching hot! An unforbidden and unexpected love connection that took both of them by surprise. The author captures your emotions and you will feel everything the characters did. This is a must read!!

Wow!!! This book will knock you off your socks. I loved it. After meeting a stranger and having all kinds of sex She learns he's her boss and all that jazz. They can't stay away fm each other but will it cause problems or will it all work out

Frustratingly cliche, one dimensional characters, and I can't even believe there's a sequel. Seriously, don't get this. I'll edit this review with full details, but right now it's almost 1 am and I'm just angry.

The school girl and the hot teacher is quite interesting. I liked Naomi she was aggressive and loyal. Ben was intriguing and complicated. I enjoyed the sparring and the unknown that they were going through because it was new.

5 stars!!! Romantic. Funny. Emotional. And soooo soooo sexy. But most of all, belivable and intelligently written.

Buy it. Steal it. Beg for it. Just get it, damn it. It'll make you want to fall in love all over again. And just smile. A lot. You can't really beat smiling now, can you?

Nicola Rendell, for the love of all things holy, stop whatever it is you are doing, unless it's some form of badass sexual research, and get to plotting out your next one. I'm already feigning!

There are not enough words to expresses how deeply I loved this book! The chemistry between Naomi and Ben was scorching hot! An unforbidden and unexpected love connection that took both of them by surprise. The author captures your emotions and you will feel everything the characters did. This is a must read!!

Wow!!! This book will knock you off your socks. I loved it. After meeting a stranger and having all kinds of sex She learns he's her boss and all that jazz. They can't stay away fm each other but will it cause problems or will it all work out

Frustratingly cliche, one dimensional characters, and I can't even believe there's a sequel. Seriously, don't get this. I'll edit this review with full details, but right now it's almost 1 am and I'm just angry.

The school girl and the hot teacher is quite interesting. I liked Naomi she was aggressive and loyal. Ben was intriguing and complicated. I enjoyed the sparring and the unknown that they were going through because it was new.

5 stars!!! Romantic. Funny. Emotional. And soooo soooo sexy. But most of all, belivable and intelligently written.

Buy it. Steal it. Beg for it. Just get it, damn it. It'll make you want to fall in love all over again. And just smile. A lot. You can't really beat smiling now, can you?

Nicola Rendell, for the love of all things holy, stop whatever it is you are doing, unless it's some form of badass sexual research, and get to plotting out your next one. I'm already feigning!

*I was given this book for an honest review*
truthfully this book wasn't for me, I found it boring and lack of excitement. it was back and forth with the main characters and it never drew me in. I did like the background of the main female Naomi. the fisherman's daughter. I'm not a big fan of men calling themselfs "daddy" and when I saw that I was turned off.

The book opens with everyone in masks. A professor attending a college secret society party has sex with a student, and the story never recovers from that sleazy moment. Once the masks were gone, I really found Naomi to be more (marginally) mature than Ben, even with the difference in their ages and stations. *Read via Kindle Unlimited