Book Review: Body Shot by Kelly Jamieson

I don’t always need suspense or high angst and conflict to enjoy a book. Sometimes a straightforward fling-to-love romance is just what I need to shake my reading up.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A nerdy chemist starts a hot fling with one of the co-owner’s of a local tequila bar. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

All Work and No Play
Hayden’s friends and family are constantly telling her she’s working too hard, and even though she knows it, she feels obligated to continue putting her energy into what she does, which is working to find a cure for cancer. She doesn’t want to let her team down, so she’s spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get grants to continue their research. Which is why her meet-cute with a hot guy is from her running into a light pole while trying to work and walk at the same time.

Secret Billionaire
Beck is an ex-Navy SEAL who now owns and operates a swanky tequila bar with his two best friends. Though he has a lot of money, he likes to keep that a secret, as people treat him different when they know. As someone who’s adventurous and kind of a ladies’ man, he’s amused by Hayden when he first sees her lamp accident. When she shows up at his bar for a tequila tasting, though, he doesn’t expect to feel instant lust for her.

Sneaky Sexy Fling
That lust turns into a trip to his office where they kick off a steamy fling. Neither one wants a long term relationship. Beck isn’t ready to settle down and Hayden feels she needs to concentrate on her work. But that doesn’t stop them from hooking up as much as they can, as they can’t seem to get enough of each other. Hayden starts to let herself have fun and let loose with Beck, trying to keep in mind that she’s just another woman who he’s passing time with.

Keepin’ It Simple
There was nothing crazy or complex about these two for the most part. They both had family issues, they both had commitment issues, but when they got together, there was a ton of chemistry and romance. Having read a lot of suspenseful stories previous to this, I was all about something a little more fun and lighthearted.

The Romance Factor
Watching these two fall in love hit all my catnip buttons. I loved their flirtiness and I enjoyed how Hayden came out of her shell. There’s definitely some underlying conflict and the Big Angst towards the end, but it was all done perfectly to trigger my feels. 4/5

The Steam Factor
There is a lot of sex in this book, and it is graphic and dirty. Also, lots of dirty talk. Also, I don’t even like tequila, but the things Hayden and Beck do with it totally made me forget that. Like, whoa. 6/5

Final Thoughts
I really enjoy this author and I think this is going to be another series that I really enjoy. There’s some tension between Hayden’s friend and one of Beck’s friends, so I’m hoping we learn more about that. Can’t wait to read the next one.

Book Review: Waking Up With a Billionaire by Katie Lane

This NetGalley request was kind of spontaneous and stemmed from the fact that I’m a fan of billionaire novels…or at least I’ll give anything billionaire a try. Plus, I found the cover to be pretty, and yes, I do sometimes judge a book by its cover.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A billionaire known for his painting is blocked until the woman he helped save from an abusive relationship agrees to pose for him. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

Prologue to the Plot
Grayson and Chloe met when he helped save her from a violent domestic situation. Chloe hadn’t been very friendly to Grayson, and since coming back from that encounter, Grayson hasn’t been able to paint the beautiful nudes he’s known for. Now, his work is needed for a benefit gala, but he’s blocked, so much so that he can’t even paint a bowl of fruit.

Like One of Your French Girls
Chloe needs money. She wants to run away to Europe to avoid some big secret she’s hiding and someone she’s hiding from, but she can’t afford it. So when she decides to offer herself up as a model for Grayson’s painting, she’s surprised when he turns her down and says he can’t paint. Chloe figures she’s going to have to find another way, but when Grayson “kidnaps” her to keep her from leaving until his new sister-in-law gets back from her honeymoon, Chloe ends up realizing how safe she feels in his home. She also decides she’s going to help him get his painting mojo back.

Get It Together
The story was enjoyable and fun. Apparently, Grayson was sweet and shy in previous books, but he has a bit of a stiff edge in this one. Chloe is sarcastic and damaged, and her mystery unfolds slowly as the book progresses. We find out fairly early what she’s running from. I won’t spoil what it is, but I found it to be fairly anticlimactic. It seems Chloe is a fan of self-made drama and lets her mind and her assumptions get away from her.

The two characters work well together, and I loved the pre-existing angst they share for each other that carries over into their current relationship.

Men and Their Ways
Maybe I was in the mood for some more fighting, or maybe I’m just irritated when people do things they’re expressly asked not to, but I got super annoyed when Chloe said she didn’t want or photos shared or she didn’t want to become a model, and Grayson and his brothers were like, “Too bad, so sorry.” I mean, she rolled with it, but seriously, guys. Have a little respect.

The Romance Factor
There’s a sense that Grayson and Chloe connected from the start, and possibly that Grayson may have fallen quickly, but I thought the progression of their relationship and the way they sorted out their feelings was sweet. Chloe pulls the whole “I have to leave to save you” BS that annoys me, but it does up the angst quotient, so it was okay for what it was. 4/5

The Steam Factor
While maybe not as steamy as some things, there is one scene in particular that turned on every single heat sensor in my brain. When painting meets sensuality, things explode in the best way ever. 5/5

Final Thoughts
This book can be read as a standalone, though admittedly, I had a hard time keeping members of the family and aspects of the Beaumont family tree straight. Overall, though, I liked the story and how everything played out. I’d definitely recommend it, and I’d be interested in going back and reading the stories of the other two brothers as well.

Book Review: The Billionaire Takes a Bride by Jessica Clare

Even in the most lighthearted series, you can get a story that manages to maintain the fun while still introducing a pretty dark and/or serious theme. This is one of those. Trigger warning for themes of rape.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A marriage of convenience seems like the perfect solution for two people who need an “other” to help them out, but it gets more difficult when they start to have real feelings for each other. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

Crazy Families & Messed Up Pasts
It’s not often you find a modern day marriage of convenience story, but this one nails it and does it in a way that’s fairly realistic. Well, in the world of a billionaire anyway. Sebastian’s horrible mother is involved in a reality TV series about their family and being that the woman is completely insane, she wants Sebastian to get back with his ex as part of the season’s storyline. Chelsea is a bad ass roller derby girl, but when the skates come off, she has a hard time dealing with crowds, the dark, and men hitting on her due to PTSD from being raped a few years before.

Beneficial Nuptials
When they meet at Gretchen and Hunter’s engagement dinner, Chelsea finds Sebastian to be “safe,” and they decide to be party Safety Buddies. After all, if they pretend to be together, men won’t hit on her and people won’t bother Sebastian about this family’s TV show. But then Sebastian decides to take it a step further, because if he marries Chelsea, then his mother and his ex (in theory) can’t bother him about the show’s storyline of getting back together. And since Chelsea’s roommate moved out and it scares her to be alone in an empty apartment, she jumps on the opportunity.

Taking Care of Business
It’s all fun and games and convenience until someone starts getting lusty after the other one, though. And it doesn’t take long for Sebastian to realize that he’s probably not going to be able to avoid all those feelings he said he wanted to avoid in the first place. Yet he doesn’t push Chelsea into anything, especially when he finds out what happened to her. Instead, they become good friends and he just takes care of “things” on his own.

Split Persona
I loved the whole roller derby thing and the fact that Chelsea is of two personalities. In her roller gear, she’s fierce, tough, and confident. Outside of it, she feels broken and scared, which is understandable. Her sex feels are pretty much non-existent, but when she realizes that Sebastian is turned on by her, she starts to feel that she’s ruining his life by not being a wife who can give him what he wants. Because by that time, they’ve started to like each other and the whole convenience/temporary nature of the marriage seems to have been forgotten.

Roller Girl
Sebastian never pressures Chelsea into anything. Instead, he lets her take control. He also makes it a point to let her know that no matter how much she’d been drinking the night of her rape, it wasn’t her fault. Chelsea slowly comes out of her shell, but it’s not until Sebastian suggests she integrate her roller derby persona into the bedroom that she starts to find her sexuality again.

Working Through Issues
I think thus far, this one is my favorite in the series, not only because it has some of my fave tropes (friends to lovers, marriage of convenience) but because the characters felt real and I loved that Chelsea was able to regain her identity and empower herself, even after a traumatic event. Of course, the big conflict of the story reopens some of those wounds, but Sebastian is great as the supportive husband who just wants Chelsea to feel safe.

The Romance Factor
Besides the above mentioned tropes, I also get a little mushy over the whole damsel in distress thing, and when Sebastian comforts Chelsea after the lights go out in their hotel in New Orleans, I melted. He’s so sweet and caring and careful of her feelings that I couldn’t help but love him. 4/5

The Steam Factor
Because of the nature of Chelsea’s PTSD, there isn’t a super high volume of sex in this story, but what there is manages to sizzle while still maintaining the respect and caution towards Chelsea’s past and the things that made her scared of it in the first place. And honestly, not everything is resolved by the end, but you’re still left with the feeling that things are going to be okay, both in and out of the bedroom. 4/5

Final Thoughts
I mentioned in the last B&B review I did that the stories were going to parallel and sure enough, this one seems to be happening right alongside Edie and Magnus’ story. I believe it parallels Asher and Greer’s story as well, which comes out later this year (and has already been preordered by yours truly). I also enjoyed the random reference to one of the reality shows in Clare’s Games series. The whole story left me with warm fuzzies, and I can’t wait for book 4 to come out.

Book Review: The Taming of the Billionaire by Jessica Clare

Even though the title of this book should have given it away, it took me a couple chapters into this book to realize it was a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew. Which then made me nostalgic for “10 Things I Hate About You.” I love retellings and this one was a lot of fun.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A game developer agrees to go out on a date with a bitchy cat behaviorist so his brother can date her sister, not expecting he’d turn into a cat person and have feelings for her along the way. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

The Cat Whisperer
Edie, the sassy but grumpy friend of Gretchen’s, meets Magnus, a driven game developer at Gretchen and Hunter’s engagement dinner for the those who’ll be in the wedding. When Edie hears him making disparaging “cat lady” comments, she goes on the defensive and they start things out on the wrong foot. Edie is a cat behaviorist who’s fairly resigned to her life as single cat lady, but still, the insult is there and her impression of Magnus isn’t good.

The Drama of Love at First Sight
Magnus is of the mind that Edie is grouchy and miserable, so he’s not happy when his brother coerces him into showing interest in Edie so he can date her sister. Magnus wouldn’t do it, but he sees his brother as the creative partner in their business, and since his brother can’t seem to create without his “muse,” Magnus agrees to help him.

More Quirks
Besides her love of cats, she has a bad knee as a result of an accident. She doesn’t want sympathy, but she’s a little bitter about the whole thing, especially since her boyfriend at the time of the accident dumped her.  Magnus is an alpha nerd who ends up falling for Edie and realizes that what they were doing in the first place was cruel. He also does something a little different from many of the guys in these books: he actually comes clean before she finds out from someone else. There’s still conflict and betrayal and a very pissed off Edie, but score one for honesty, even if the timing is bad.

Gamers Unite
The book was fun overall, but I loved the fact that Magnus took Edie to a gaming convention. It thrilled my little nerd heart to no end.

Nothin’ But a Gold Digger
I never really got why Bianca was spending time with Magnus’ brother. It was hinted strongly that she was a gold digger, and maybe wanted some time away from taking care of Edie, but I was never entirely sure of her motives. She was just a brat, and it cracked me up every time Gretchen put her in her place.  To be honest, neither of the siblings were really likable and were both highly annoying and self-centered.

The Pain of Siblings
Having said that, I liked the way that both Edie and Magnus were highlighted as having codependent relationships with their siblings to serve as another of their flaws and another shared trait that brought them together. It’s not something that’s often thought about really, but it’s definitely a family dynamic that could mess with a good relationship.

The Romance Factor
While their whole relationship as that sweet vibe, I absolutely loved what Magnus did to show Edie that he really loved her. No spoilers, but it was such a great thing to do and a great idea in general, that I want it to be a real thing (it involves cats, of course). 5/5

The Steam Factor
Lots of sexy talk, sexy times, and naughtiness, perfectly choreographed and written around Edie’s bad knee. I loved the realism and sex positivity. 5/5

Final Thoughts 
Another entertaining book in this series with more cameos from familiar faces. One thing I really liked is that the storyline in this one actually parallels at least one, maybe 2 other books, and so you get a hint of things to come in some of the scenes.

Book Review: The Billionaire and the Virgin by Jessica Clare

I recently celebrated my wedding anniversary in a way fitting for a couple of nerdy book lovers: spending the day chilling and reading. It was perfect for us, and rather than worry about reading from my list or trying to get blog posts and writing done, I just went with it, no guilt involved. In doing so, I managed to finish all three of the currently released Billionaires and Bridesmaids series, a spinoff of my fave Billionaire Boys Club series. If you had told me a few years back that billionaire romances would be one of my favorite subgenres, I’d have rolled my eyes. But this is one of my guilty pleasures that I have absolutely no guilt about.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A self-conscious woman doesn’t believe it when a good looking business man showers her with attention while she’s on vacation, not recognizing him as the brains behind a popular but misogynistic TV channel. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

Cashing in the V-Card
Marjorie is the epitome of naive. She’s a virgin (not a spoiler, it’s in the title of the book), she’s never had a boyfriend, and she tends to think and do like the older generation. She loves bingo, knitting, quilting circles, and generally spending time with the elderly, who she relates to better than she does her peers. She also has a huge hang up about her height and has been made fun of in the past for being an “Amazon.”

Misogyny at Its Finest
Rob Cannon is Marjorie’s complete opposite. He’s jaded by the television industry and the fact that women want him for his money and the fame they think he can bring them. He’s not a good guy. Rob makes his money off a TV show that has women show their breasts for money. And while he’s at the point where he actually wants respect in the industry, he’s having a hard time getting it, especially because his timing in talking with Logan Hawkings (Stranded With a Billionaire) sucks. Logan is on the island for his wedding and wants nothing to do with smut peddling Rob. So Rob decides to leave…until he falls hard for Marjorie.

Beautiful to Me
There were times that Marjorie’s naivete was a little annoying. How sheltered can one woman be? But other times, she was charming and sweet and overall, I really liked her. Rob is a major douchecanoe in general, but I loved that he had no problem with Marjorie’s height and did everything he could to make her feel beautiful. This is one of my favorite themes of all of Jessica Clare’s books: the heroine with a “flaw” and the hero who could care less about it and spends his time making her feel sexy and pretty.

Don’t Mess With Bingo Players
Their first couple dates are hilarious and disastrous. Marjorie doesn’t handle her alcohol well, but Rob isn’t one to be put off by a little end-of-the-evening vomit. Marjorie also has a habit of taking bad advice from well-meaning friends, so their second date involves some weirdness, tears, and a posse of elderly Bingo players who seem likely to take Rob out and beat him like a senior mob hit. Which would have been a pretty funny scene, actually.

I See Where This is Going…
It’s pretty clear from the beginning where the conflict is going to happen, but that doesn’t make the journey to get there any less fun. While Marjorie develops a little bit, mostly because she discovers “the sex,” Rob is the one who really changes, changing his whole outlook on things because of Marjorie and making a big, awesome gesture to show her how much he loves her.

Timey Whimey
I will say that the timeline threw me off a bit. I expected these books to happen after the final book in the Billionaire Boys Club series, and because I don’t retain details after a time, I couldn’t remember what time markers were in One Night with a Billionaire. Cade makes an appearance in this one, single because his date stood him up. My first thought was that something happened with Kylie, but then I remembered that this is romance, and things like that don’t happen. I realized that this one took place before that, when Cade was still hung up on Daphne.

The Romance Factor
Marjorie and Rob are sweet, and it’s fun to watch Rob go from being a general dick to being a kinder person because of Marjorie’s influence. He treats her well for the most part, and his own emotions and hurt during their conflict made me want to give him a hug. 4/5

The Steam Factor
I’m not sure if there’s much I can really say about how hot these books are. Anyone who’s read Clare knows that she writes them spicy and that dirty talk makes up about a good chunk of the naughtiness. Even though Marjorie is a virgin and Rob takes his time with her, it’s still all kinds of dirty fun. 5/5

Final Thoughts
Besides being a fun read, this was a chance to revisit characters from the first set of books, as it takes place at Logan and Bronte’s wedding. While the verdict is still out on if I’m going to like these ones as much as I liked the original books, there’s no doubt that I’m still going to like them, and I’m thrilled to be able to stay in this world for a bit longer.

Book Review: Life’s a Beach by Jamie K. Schmidt

At the time I’m writing this review, I’m just getting out of November and trying to catch up on all my reading, and it hasn’t been easy. This book came along at the perfect time. I was between long novels with heavier content, and I needed something light and cute and fun, and this fulfilled all of those.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

One-Sentence Synopsis
After getting fired from her job and finding her boyfriend in bed with her barista, a woman goes to Hawaii and decides to have a fling with the local beach bum, not knowing he’s also the owner of the resort she’s staying at. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

So You Had a Bad Day
From the start, Amelia was a likable character, and the fact that she starts the novel on the crappiest of crappy days makes her endearing and relateable. It’s bad enough she gets fired for refusing to give up her planned vacation, but then she finds her loser boyfriend in bed with her barista, which means she’s out of a place to live too (and her favorite coffee). Instead of cancelling the vacation she’d intended to take her boyfriend on, she takes her aunt instead, and heads to Hawaii.

Secret Billionaire
Things there don’t start out much better, considering her resort is so rundown. But then she meets Dude and decides to have a two-week fling with the snorkeling instructor beach bum who spends most of his time in a hammock drinking beer. Dude is actually Samuel Kincaide, one of the billionaire owners of the resort who’s trying to sell so he doesn’t have to deal with the stress. He likes his laid back life and is up for a fling, but when he realizes that Amelia doesn’t like rich guys, he keeps his true identity a secret. After all, it’s only for two weeks, right?

Alright, Alright, Alright
When Dude is Samuel, he comes across as a douche and when he’s Dude, he comes across as a lazy beach bum who made me think of a mix of Matthew McConaughey and the guy from The Big Lebowski, which was inevitable with a name like Dude. But I totally adored him, especially when he started falling for Amelia.

Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems
Samuel’s secret was just one of a few different conflicts in this book. He’s also dealing with a local Yakuza mob boss who wants to buy the resort at a much lower price, which in turn leads to Amelia’s life being put in danger. Amelia is also conflicted. She’s afraid to tell Dude she’s staying on the island because she’d only agreed to a fling, and she thinks he’ll freak out if she tells him she’s staying.

Independent Women
While some of the conflicts seemed a little silly and self-imposed, some things felt more realistic than they do in most romance novels. For instance, there are several points where Amelia sought out time to herself or decided not to spend the night with Dude because she was tired. You go, girl! Because no matter how hot a fling is, sometimes you just need some time by yourself.

The Romance Factor
I loved the romance in this. You know how a beach fling like this is going to turn out, but it’s still so great to read it as it plays out. From the beginning, Dude and Amelia are sweet and tender with each other, but there’s also a lot of fun banter between them. I will say, the angst is a little low later in the book, but it didn’t detract from the romance too much. 4/5

The Steam Factor
These two characters definitely get the most out of their vacation fling with a lot of detailed sexy times. Their affair was consensual and conscious choice, and as they became comfortable with each other, they experimented with new things. There was also no guilt, and never once does Amelia feel bad for making the choice to get all up in Samuel’s business. Steamy and sex positive for the win! 5/5

Final Thoughts
This was exactly what I needed for a quick weekend read. The main characters were great, the side characters (and there seemed to be a lot of them, though not so many they detracted from the main story) were interesting (especially Amelia’s fortune-telling aunt), and though not as angsty as some novels, it definitely gave me warm fuzzies.

Book Review: Closer by Aria Hawthorne

On a personal note, I finished National Novel Writing Month having written one full novel and most of a second. I didn’t think about it because in my head, the main character of my second one was a nerdy nice guy, but I also made him a billionaire, even though his money and wealth didn’t figure into it as much you would think.

Speaking of billionaires, this book that I’m about to review features one. A blind one at that. And the minute I read that he was blind, I was all up in this book’s grill.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A single mother is hired by a Swedish billionaire to act as his guide for 5 nights so he can keep the secret of his blindness from his family, colleagues, and society in general. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

Sassy Pants
Inez is super sassy, and I loved her from the start. Her sass and snark comes from a place of needing to protect herself, but she’s still funny. She’s a single mother who’s ex cheated on her with women (plural) and now wants to be part of her life again (yes, he was as sleazy as he sounds).

Leading the Blind
Sven is kind of a dick, but going blind has changed his outlook on things. He hires Inez to guide him at social events and keep his secret because he works with some shady people and doesn’t want them to know he can’t see. He also has his pride. The arrangement with Inez is only supposed to be temporary, though I don’t know what Sven planned on doing after that. Either way, I really liked him and wanted to give him a hug. Also, he wears an eye patch. Eye patches are cool (and obviously sexy).

Delicious Angst
Sven was the one who brought the feels in this one. It doesn’t take him long to fall for Inez, yet she’s the one who holds out, afraid to get involved.  The fact that she’s a single mother who’s also trying take care of her grandmother makes things more complicated.

Bebehs
I’m not always a fan of babies in books, but this one was okay. Inez being a single mother added an extra dimension of conflict and secrecy between her and Sven (it wasn’t actually a point of conflict other than that the baby was part of the reason Inez had put up protective walls and couldn’t stay the night with him).

Funny Grandmas Are the Best
Another great part of the book? Inez’s grandmother, who was hilarious and just as sassy as Inez but also a little raunchy. She heckles Inez endlessly and doesn’t hold back her opinions. The whole story was infused with humor, but most of it definitely came from this character.

The Romance Factor
Trust was the major theme in this book, and the way it played into the romance between Sven and Inez was seamless. Sven has to put his trust in Inez to guide him, and she eventually has to put hers in him not to hurt her. Between the sensual way these two interacted and the heavy dose of foreplay, their romance had a slow build that just got more intense. 4/5

The Steam Factor
This was considered an erotic romance, but as far as erotica goes, the sex wasn’t frequent. In fact, there was no actual sex until much later in the book. Most of the eroticism came in the form of dreams or fantasies. Having said that, those scenes were hot and the whole book was written with so much sensuality that even the dialogue between Sven and Inez was titillating. 4/5

Final Thoughts
I loved this book. Sven was endearing, Inez was funny, and I loved their romance. I laughed, I cried, I got all sorts of heart feels. Not only did I like the story, but I enjoyed the author’s style and so ended up buying another book related to this one.

Book Review: One Night With A Billionaire by Jessica Clare

I knew it was only a matter of time before I finished this series, and I feel a little sad about it. I mean, yeah, I’m going to read them again, especially 2, 4, and 6 in the series, but I really love this world and really don’t want the author to stop writing for it.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A make-up artist spends a fantastic night with a billionaire but can’t take it further because the singer she’s touring with has called dibs. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

The Good Stuff
Kylie is a great character. She’s a big girl, and I love that no one skirts around this. Cade never tries to tell her she’s not fat to make her feel better. Instead, he’s genuinely attracted to her and loves her for who she is. Though she has personal issues with her weight, it never becomes overpowering to her character or takes away from the story itself. Like most of these books, this one was body positive and sex positive.

Things That Made Me Go Hmmm
Daphne is back. She was heavily featured back in The Wrong Billionaire’s Bed and was pretty horrible up until she made a promise to her sister to get clean. As you can imagine, she broke that promise and is a hot mess in this one. She’s also a heinous person working for a record label that’s just as heinous.

I spent the entire book hating her, but then my emotions got toyed with, and once again, she turned out to be okay. I know the other books made me emotional at points, but I think this one was by far pushed most of my buttons.

The Romance Factor
Kylie’s lack of confidence was endearing and added to the conflict when she didn’t think she could compete with Daphne. Cade’s determination to keep Kylie was so alpha, but so sweet. Heck yeah I wanted these two to get together. 5/5

The Steam Factor
You know those scenes that are pretty much standard in a porn film? Not only does Clare go there, but she writes those same scenes as hot and romantic. 5/5

Final Thoughts
This is my 3rd favorite in the series, I loved every minute of it. I’m so sad to be done with this series, but at least I now own them all and get to read them again.

 

Romancing the Billionaire by Jessica Clare

I’ve loved this series so much, but I wasn’t as excited to read this one as I have been the others. It follows a second chances trope, and for some reason, that trope just doesn’t grab me. That wasn’t going to deter me from reading it though, especially because I have one more book to go before I move on to the Billionaires and Bridesmaids spinoff trilogy.

One-Sentence Synopsis
After a decade of regret about losing the woman he loved, a billionaire reunites with her to set off on a treasure hunt left by her dead father, desperate to win her back despite the fact that she hates him. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

The Good Stuff
I ended up really enjoying this one. Violet is hardcore about carrying a grudge, as she’s maintained one against Jonathan for a decade. To be fair, it’s a pretty deep one and borne of both heartache and tragedy. Of course there’s a major misunderstanding, but even with that, Jonathan isn’t held faultless for the fact that he lost her. I liked that they both made mistakes and that it caused them both pain. I’m apparently a character sadist.

I may have mentioned it before, but when written well, a hero who gets sappy over a woman is seriously the best thing ever. Jonathan is still so completely in love with Violet and he’s tormented by the fact that she doesn’t want anything to do with him. My heart seriously broke for the poor guy. Yet at the same time, I was also saying, “You go, Violet. Make him work for it.”

The Romance Factor
Nothing says romance like a man who cries over the woman he wants. I’m also somewhat of a fan of miscommunication when done in the name of angst, and there is a nice chunk of that in this story. Oh the drama. The delicious drama. 5/5

The Steam Factor
I covet Jessica Clare’s ability to write hot sex scenes. The detail and the intensity are always amazing, and though there wasn’t as many sexy times in this one as there have been in others, it was still highly blush inducing. 5/5

Final Thoughts
While not my favorite, I think this book held up well to the series, and even though second chance love isn’t my thing, it definitely gave it originality among the other stories. It’s going on the shelf for when I want to re-read the whole series.

Once Upon a Billionaire by Jessica Claire

I hit another one of my goals, which meant I got to reward myself with the 4th book in the Billionaire Boys Club series. Sadly, I don’t get to see it sitting on my shelf, since it’s not in print. However, I could still read the digital version, which I bought right away. Besides treating myself to the book, I also treated myself to a night of putting the other books I’m reading aside and diving into this one.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A stuffy member of a small country’s royal family is appalled when the the temporary assistant hired to accompany him to his cousin’s wedding turns out to be a southern girl with no knowledge of proper etiquette or decor. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

The Good Stuff
This one currently stands as my 2nd favorite of the series. Griffin is a complete douche while Maylee (who we met in a previous book) is one of the sweetest people ever, as evidenced by the fact that people are drawn to her and seem to like to be around her. Except for Griffin, who can only focus on the fact that she has a southern accent and seemingly, no filter.

Unlike Reese in the previous book, Griffin has a reason for the way he is. Having been brought up to be proper in a royal family, he can’t quite let go of those teachings, even though he’s made an effort to get as far away from his family as possible. Also, he’s not a social person. He doesn’t like people and he doesn’t understand them. There were so many times that he said or did something he thought was nice, and yet didn’t realize how much it hurt Maylee.

Maylee was so adorable. I loved her as the heroine, including her quirky ability to use folk healing to take away pain. It was a strange, magical element that fit into the story as a believable element. She was emotional, but it was nice to have an emotional heroine who was okay with crying when she was upset. She’s also hilarious. I couldn’t tell if she knew that Griffin was correcting her English and didn’t care or if she really didn’t know, but their dialog cracked me up.

Also, we get to see Gretchen and Hunter again, and though Gretchen comes off as a little obnoxious in this book, she’s also the one who calls Griffin out on being a dick, which maintains her likability quotient.

The Romance Factor
Maylee and Griffin take awhile to figure things out, but their journey there is so delightful and angsty. Every time Griffin messes up and Maylee gets sad, the feels just about about killed me. The thing is, Griffin messes up through pretty much the whole book, so while he learns, he learns very slowly. But he does learn, and by the end of the story, I was rooting for him, even if he was a major ass at the beginning. 5/5

The Steam Factor
Interesting fact about this story…compared to the other books, there’s almost no sex. The previous books in this series were pretty hot and heavy, but in this one, besides a few moments of sexual tension, nothing even happens between the two of them until about three quarters of the way through. Actual intercourse only happens once. But because Clare can right sex scenes like a boss, she managed to put so much eroticism into those few scenes, that it still maintained high steam factor. 4/5

Final Thoughts
It’s so hard to finish one of these novels and then go back to other ones. This is another one I could have turned around and read again. I own the next one in the series, so once I get some of my list pared down, I think I’ll “treat” myself to reading that one so I’m ready to buy the last one in the series when I meet my next goal.