This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥.5
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
Insta-Family is the third installment in the Forbidden Descendents series. This is a series that feature the kids of the Forbidden Men books. And in this one we have the daughter of Noah and Aspen and this is a story that definitely has some forbidden themes of sorts and might have some taboo elements for some readers. Personally, the taboo aspects didn't bother me at all and I was really intrigued by the set up of this one here and how Linda Kage implemented it throughout the story. There is such a strong sense of family and tough emotional baggage that is worked through, so definitely expect a tear jerker of a read. Its also contains in depth character growth and some triggering content, so make sure to check the content warnings on this one especially as it might be difficult for some if you are easily triggered by certain aspects.

First Line
The Scuffle of shoes on a nearby sidewalk had me unclenching my jaw and opening my eyes.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Vaughn
Retired student, working in a electrical usage company, protective, responsible and determined to protect his brother no matter what.

The Heroine: Lucy
Lucy, part of the Forbidden Men clan, always had family around her. She is bubbly and kind hearted and a bit shy when it comes to the sex department, and has a compassionate heart to the detriment at times of her own first experiences.

Summary
Lucy Gamble, when she hears of a work friend dying of cancer, begs her to have sex with him, and so she does out of a good heart, even though the experience was weird and not enjoyable for her at all. But what shocks her more is that she finds herself pregnant a week after the death of the baby's father. She immediately goes to the brother, Vaughn, to get any family momentos for her daughter. Vaughn when he learns of what has happened, becomes a student of babies, and is determined that his niece is cared for and taken for. Even though Vaughn and Lucy got off on the wrong foot, they bond over this new life that wraps their fingers around her heart. But Vaughn is mourning his brother and has lost his whole family and has no one left. He is all alone, and Lucy and her family gather around Vaughn in his most desperate moments to show him what being part of a family is all about and get him on the road to grieving his loss and finding joy in life again...

What I Loved
This story completely broke my heart in so many ways! I mean this author always delivers plenty of heart that is for sure, and there are some wonderful laughs along the way, however, this book will tear you apart emotionally. What we see is our hero who is going through the grieving process in this book and its really hard to see him struggle his loss but seeing the way it affects Lucy and her family is so heartwarming. They really come together and stand by each other and realize how lucky they are to have such a warm and big loving family to support each other through the good and especially the bad times.

Then we have our heroine, Lucy, who is more than happy to be a mother even if she will need to do it by herself. But I adored seeing her growth and seeing her take on the challenge with her family always being her support. We do see how she learns to accept help and support. She really struggles with these aspects, probably because of her family, she wants to feel independent from them as I am sure it can be overwhelming being a part of such a large brood of people haha but we also see the way she connects with Vaughn. She wants more with him and there is a strong chemistry between them even when she has just given birth, there is definitely more between them, so much so that even her parents sense it. But the one that is more in denial in the relationship, is the hero. She is the mother of his niece, and for Vaughn, he feels like its a betrayal to his brother even though his brother is long gone and his brother and Lucy had just a one night stand and didn't even like each other.

Once they start working through their issues though, is where we see their relationship really deepen and the way in which we see Vaughn working through his grief along the way was phenomenal and how even Vaughn is able to help some of Lucy's family because he sees a different perspective helps their healing that they have neglected (especially a certain couple that we have seen in this series have a miscarriage). But seeing him find this family and love and a new chapter in his life was worth the journey. This is more of a slow burn, because you know the heroine just had a baby so its not like she can have sex right away haha and Vaughn is going through healing first before anything sexual can really happen between them. But I adored their journey and Linda Kage won my heart once again! She just never fails for me.

What I Struggled With
It was so emotional and I was crying all over the place haha I would have liked to see our couple get together in their relationship a bit earlier in the relationship though. But everything else was top notch.

Overall View
Insta-Family is a heartbreaking but satisfying romance that will dig deep on your emotional threshold and have you connecting with these characters in a phenomenal way that you will least expect....a true favorite of the year!

Favorite Quote(s)
My brother was going to be a father, and a part of him was going to continue in this world. The Merrill line wasn’t going to end with me, after all. I still had family left. Something to live for.

“You never have to do anything alone again. Not in this family. Not unless you just want to. And someone will probably prevent you from that, even then.”

“Lucy is not off the table. She is the table.

“It’s not tormenting me,” he swore savagely. “You are there—up front and center—every time I’m happy. I’m at peace around you. I come alive when I see you. I’m fucking in love with you, Lucy. Those are not bad things.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Character Types: Tortured Hero, Cinnamon Roll
Themes: Found Family, Family Bonds, Slow Burn, Laughs and Giggles, Kids, Taboo, Tear Jerker
Tropes: Accidental Pregnancy, Grumpy Sunshine, Opposites Attract

Book Perspective
Dual POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes, highly recommend reading this in order. Even if you don't read the Forbidden Men series, see the connections on her website, and read at least the descendents in her reading order including the novella's.

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.---There aren't many sex scenes in this book, due to the slow burn nature of the story, but you start seeing it about 50% and later in the story.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship. ( )