Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade

Sam thinks she's months away from freedom. After spending her life in a secret school, rented out to the rich and powerful as a paranormal spy, she is ready to head to college like any normal eighteen-year-old. Only Sam isn't normal. 
She reads minds. 
And just before her big going-away party, she links to the mind of a young man who changes everything.  
Drake wasn't raised as a 'Rent-A-Kid.' He was kidnapped and taken there by force. But his exceptional physical strength and powers of mind control make him very dangerous, especially to Sam. 
When they meet, Sam is forced to face the truth of her situation, and to acknowledge that not all is as it seems in her picture-perfect world. For what awaits her on her eighteenth birthday isn't a trip to college, but an unexpected nightmare from which she may not be able to escape. 
 To survive, they must work together. But will their powers be enough to save them before it's too late?


The Review:
My Ranking: 9 out of 10
Ages 16 & up

I had never read a book by Kimberly Kinrade, but I have always loved paranormal books and after reading the synopsis of Forbidden Mind I knew I had to get a hold of her novel. I eagerly picked it up and was sucked into the engaging and fast-paced story. I loved absolutely every moment spent in Forbidden Mind! It was very well written and easy to get sucked into. I quite literally picked it up and didn't put it down until the last page. It was incredibly gripping.

I instantly liked Sam's character. She was sharp and quick, yet had a compassionate side to her and a deep loyalty to those she loved. I liked learning about her twin friends, Lucy and Luke, and was dying to have them return to the story by the end.
Drake was also easy to like. He was instantly loyal to Sam, and I found his bravado charming, even if it was all mental support.

There is some content to beware of, and some of the stuff I mention below may be considered spoilers so read at your own risk. ;)

- Some mild language. Several mentions of the B-word, S-word, and D-word. 
- Sam can read minds and overhears a man thinking crude thoughts toward a 10-year old girl, thinking about how fresh and untouched she'll be. Sam finds these thoughts horrible and does everything she can to put a stop to the man. 
- While not directly said, it is obvious that they take the sperm from Drake and purposefully make Sam pregnant using it. This is not put in a good light at all and the author was the least crude she could be about it, having Sam think things like "I've never had sex!" or Drake, once hearing about it, believes it saying, hesitantly and carefully choosing his wording, that they were "harvesting me for reproductive purposes." and that he could tell things were done to "parts of him.".
- Sam, angry with Rent-a-Kid, realizes she's being used and in the midst of her anger realizes she's only worth keeping if she "ovulates properly."
- Sam recalls a time she was reading someones mind and he was mentally undressing her and she was disgusted.
- Mild kissing. Before they meet, Sam is longing to be able to touch and smell Drake because she is so connected to him.
- Drake, explaining to a pastor how Sam is pregnant, says he "never knew her in a Biblical sense", and the pastor laughs and says Drake is allowed to say the word "sex".

Overall, if the content isn't too much for you, this is an amazing book that I highly recommend. It was full of adventure and excitement -- I loved every moment of it and can't wait to finish the next one!