The Forbidden Sister by V.C. Andrews | Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

“You can’t love anyone without pain, the pain of jealousy and the pain of loss. It will always be under your skin and in your heart waiting to pounce.”

I just can't seem to learn from the flaws of this era of "V.C. Andrews", you know? Time and time again, I get lured in by promising plotlines (family secrets, a sister who left home at a young age and became an escort; overbearing families and tangled friendships) and a summary that leaves you dangling in suspense. There have been few releases in recent years that I have genuinely enjoyed from Andrews--most recently, it was the startling and disturbingly fun introduction to a new series: The Mirror Sisters and its even better sequel Broken Glass--and there is really no going around and tip toeing that. My longtime followers and friends know why I take issue with the name being used long after the author has passed and I won't get into it.

The Forbidden Sister had something to it beyond that beautiful cover art. I was fascinated by the very premise. There was something between the lines of the summary that called to me and I just couldn't resist. However, where I thought there would be more thrilling intrigue and secrets; the novel was lackluster and the premise gave away the entire plot-line. Further, I just found it to be dull and choppy; boring, boring, boring. No substance. Nothing.