Book Fidelity
  • Currently Reading
  • Blog
  • Reviews
    • By Author
    • By Title
    • By Trope
    • Favorite Authors
    • Book Series
  • About
    • For Readers!
    • For Authors & Publishers
    • Celia's Faves
    • Challenges >
      • Rory Gilmore Challenge
      • A Book From Every State
      • Horror Books
  • Shop

Review: Beauty and the Greek Billionaire

10/29/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Beauty and the Greek Billionaire
by Stefanie London

Synopsis

Marianna Halsey has the most boring life in the world. With seven overprotective older brothers, she’s even ended up a virgin at twenty-four. But when a dark and sexy male prevents her from getting her wallet stolen on a Greek vacation, she decides it’s time for some adventure. She’s read a gazillion romance novels. How hard can it be to score a hook-up?


Greek billionaire and stock market whiz, Nico Galinas has built an empire from nothing. Literally. Orphaned as a baby, Nico trusts no one. Especially not the quirky, attractive woman using the worst pick up tricks in history. She wants something, and Nico decides to play along, even when she invites herself back to his place.

But what happens when the beast accidentally knocks up the beauty?

Review

You know, if you're a frequent reader of my reviews, especially my romance read reviews, you know that there are some things I don't like in my romance books. I don't like women who let themselves be pushed around. I like alphas, but i don't like bullies. I don't like when books end in marriages and babies. 

So, let's say I was pleasantly surprised that I even WANTED to read this book because the synopsis itself tells you that there's going to be a baby in this equation. There were two things that made me want to read it though. One, there appeared to be a type of re-telling in the mix of one of my favorite tales, Beauty and the Beast, and two, this book was written by Stefanie London. I LOVE Stefanie London's books. I couldn't really pass up the opportunity to read one. Even if there would be a baby. 

I was not disappointed. Beauty and the Greek Billionaire introduced me to Marianna, an Australian woman with a knack for languages and *trope alert* a virgin. Usually the whole virgin trope annoys me, but I could buy into the fact that Marianna lost her parents a long time ago, leaving her older brothers to take care of her. Brothers that do not let her out of her sight. 

We also meet Nico, the billionaire who had his heart broken a long time ago. These two find in each other what they've been missing, heat and tenderness,  curiosity and excitement. But of course, it wouldn't be a love story without some bumps in the road. And with a baby involved? You better believe these are some huge bumps in the road. But it worked. There was pain and miscommunication. It was messy, like real life. 

Now, I'm not saying any of us will be meeting and having the baby of a Greek billionaire, but London got the messiness of life and love and heartbreak correct. The only difference is, with romance novels, we are almost always guaranteed a HEA (happily ever after) - and I surely can't complain about that. 

0 Comments

Review: The Stubborn Billionaire

2/22/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Stubborn Billionaire
A Muse Novel
by Lexxie Couper

Synopsis

He had a plan for her. Her getting under his skin wasn't it.


I’ll stop at nothing to get what I want. It’s the Dyson way.
Ruthless? Maybe. But it’s what’s put me on top. And it’s what’s going to help me get revenge on the woman who put my family through hell.

I’m going to ruin Sienna Roberts.

My plan has been in play for months. She has no idea I’m the mysterious benefactor commissioning her artwork, or that the downfall in store for her will be the end of her career.


But there’s something I didn’t plan for—the way her smile and touch starts to make me forget all I blame her for…

Review

I am usually a big fan of this line of romance books, but this one left me feeling nothing. Mostly, I just finished reading it because I wanted to know what happened, but not necessarily because I cared about the characters. The story was written fine, it just didn't grab me enough to care about what happened to these two. Which is a shame. 

I was mostly surprised by how fast the guy (I don't even care to look up his name) ended up getting over his "anger". I'm not against reading a vengeful story, but he did not hold up to his convictions lol. The story was definitely steamy, sexy, and all that. If that is what you're looking for, look no further. I guess I just like to care about my characters AND have sexy times. 


​
0 Comments

Review: The Billionaire's Virgin

2/21/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Billionaire's Virgin
A Billionaire Fairytale
​by Jackie Ashenden

Synopsis
Dark, tortured, and intimidating, these dominant billionaires will steal their innocent heroines' breath away. Overwhelmed by their desire to control their world, they push their heroines to explore their deepest desires. But even the most unworldly of heroines can unlock these billionaires' secrets.


Xavier De Santis: Disgraced. Ruinous. Playboy. 

The headlines are always shouting about Xavier’s various excesses, and he’s everything they say he is. But now he’s gone too far, and the black sheep of the De Santis family has been ordered to clean up his image. Volunteering at a homeless shelter, he sees a bright light amidst all the bleakness. An angel whose luminous face and tragic beauty call to him in ways he can’t explain. 
​
Mia: Vulnerable. Homeless. Virgin. 

When the shelter Mia calls home closes, she is left with nowhere to go - nowhere except for the luxurious, glorious palace of a home that Xavier De Santis has invited her to stay. This too-handsome billionaire is dark, dangerous - and also too good to be true. But surely Mia can indulge in her fantasies and escape the drudges of her daily life for just one night?


As one night turns into two, Mia knows that eventually, the magic will end and she will have to return to her life of hardship. She can't keep the beautiful clothes. She can't keep the soft bed. And most of all, she can't keep the hard, handsome, brutal man who makes her crave his touch with every breath she takes. Mia doesn't belong in his world. But as Xavier tempts his rags-to-riches heroine with exquisite pleasure and heady desire, Mia doesn't stand a chance but to surrender completely to him.

Review

Caution - this may be a bit spoilery.

I'm at a little bit of a loss for this story, readers. On the one hand, I enjoyed Ashenden's writing, and felt she was able to adapt a fairy tale into modern times while also giving a voice to a population we don't get to hear about often, the homeless. On the other hand, as much as I appreciated that Xavier was supportive of Mia, I didn't enjoy the whole "virgin" aspect of the situation. 

In so many stories, especially romance, The Virgin is this almost-holy being that is innocent, untouchable, and therefore still able to be saved. I found this a difficult contrast with what we had been shown already - Mia as a homeless young woman who had made decisions she thought best for herself. That is something to be appreciated, and I felt the introduction of her being a virgin made everything trickle down to that. It seemed that all of a sudden it didn't matter that Mia was a fighter, and a survivor - no, it mattered that she had never been sexually touched and oh, isn't that special. 


I truly commend the author for introducing a new population to her readers. It is definitely the first time I see it in romance fiction. But I want romance authors (all authors, really) to remember is that we are shaped by our experiences, the good and the bad, and I don't mind my heroines having a background. I don't mind them knowing what they like or don't like. Don't get me wrong, I do love a good virgin trope. But when you're already doing something special (and yes, I think introducing the homeless population as ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE with WANTS, NEEDS, ETC. is special) , just go for it.
0 Comments

Review: The Billionaire's Bet

1/2/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Billionaire's Bet
by Victoria Davies

Release Date: January 23, 2017

Synopsis

Hailey Mitchel wants one thing. Her boss. The only problem is he’s never looked at her as more than a loyal employee. At least, not until his charming business rival, Caleb, drops into her life with an offer she can’t refuse. He’s willing to bet he can make her fall in love with him in a month, and if he’s wrong, he’ll help her find the keys to her boss’s heart.

Caleb Langston wants one thing. Revenge. Hailey is his ticket to finally evening the score with his old adversary. There’s just one problem. The more time he spends with her, the less he cares about his grand plans for payback. But love is always a gamble, and soon he’ll have to choose between his past and his future. And pray Hailey never discovers the secret he’s been hiding from her.

Review

In one of my previous reviews, I mentioned that I was getting sick of the insta-love and was taking a break from romance books. Well, THIS is not one of the books that got me sick of the genre right now. I wish....WISH I could find more books like this one.

I don't know why I love the billionaire bad boy (with a heart of gold) trope so much...maybe it's because they are like unicorns. They don't exist, but they're pretty to look at. 

This book has everything that I like - billionaire bad boys, kick ass and smart heroine, secrets, misunderstandings....etc. Basically, Hailey has it bad for her boss who doesn't see her romantically. Caleb, her boss's nemesis and ex-best friend sees this and offers Hailey a deal: give Caleb a month to have his ex friend fall in love with her, or Hailey will fall in love with Caleb. Hailey, believing there is no way she could fall for him, agrees to the deal so Caleb could help her with winning over her boss. Caleb, as much as he is actually attracted to Hailey, has an ulterior motive - to make his ex friend hurt they way Caleb did so many years ago. Thats all I'm going to say about that. 

Hailey is likeable because she's logical in her thoughts. She isn't stubborn or whiney and doesn't take advantage of being a "lowly worker" in a billionaire's playground. I admire that about her character. And Caleb *dreamy sigh* I really love Caleb's character. He's totally not boring or misogynist in thinking he has to protect and possess Hailey. He realizes she's strong enough to take care of herself. He also encourages her to be more of herself instead of hiding who she is. I love that. 

If you don't like billionaire boy romances - you're not going to like this one. But if you want to give it a chance, I think you'll be surprised to find so much heart in a billionaire love story. Definitely watch out for this book later on this month!
0 Comments

Review: The Billionaire's Christmas Proposal

11/25/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
The Billionaire's Christmas Proposal
by Victoria James

Synopsis

​S​he’s everything he wants for Christmas…

Social worker Allison Barrington’s home went up in smoke, literally, a month before Christmas. Now the guardian of her teenage sister and a crazy pup, she shows up on the doorstep of the only man in the city she can trust.

Resisting Ethan Dane had never been easy, but luckily, Allie isn’t into cutthroat playboy businessmen. And Ethan is as driven as they come.

Ethan Dane has wanted Allie since the moment he laid eyes on her at their best friends’ wedding. Having her in his home is the perfect chance to prove to her that their chemistry can’t be denied, but when he finds out that the biggest business coup of his career means destroying the youth center where Allie works, Ethan is forced to decide what kind of man he wants to be…

Review

We all know by now that I am a sucker for a good romance read - what many may not know is what started this love of mine. There are actually two things I can accredit my love of romance reads to: one, is Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me (which, oddly enough, I have not reviewed on this site!), and two, are romances that take place during Christmas. There is something extra cozy and lovely about a romance that takes place against a snowy, and fire-place type of backdrop. 

The Billionaire's Christmas Proposal was appealing to me because (1) billionaire, and (2) Christmas, but turned me off because of (3) proposal. Anyone who has read my blog before understands that I have this slight bias against proposals in stories. A few times, it's worked in my opinion, and most of the time - I just find it a little more of a last ditch effort. With that said, however, I decided that I'd give the book a shot. And I am glad that I did. 

Reading about Allie and Ethan made me want to go back and read the first book where they apparently first meet. I haven't done so yet (it has more to do with the cover of the book than the actual book - I'll get over it and read it soon). They are two extremely likable characters. Allie is forever an optimist working as a social worker for the greater good of homeless teens. She enjoys her job - which is the best part, while realizing she cannot hurry anyone into feeling better. She takes care of her teenage sister Dani because their mother is pretty much not available to them. After a fire at their apartment, Allie pushes past her pride and asks Ethan for help. Apparently Ethan has been after her since they first met (in the first book), and he's more than willing to help her. I loved how there is no question about whether Ethan cares for Allie -  his character shows how much he cares about her. There is no second guessing for him - it's more like, how much should he let himself care about her. 

Both characters have some skeletons in their closets, and they are deep without being melodramatic. There is some honest character development on both their parts, and, well, what can I say? I really enjoy character development. It shows that the author cares about her characters.

Honestly, I could read about this couple for a very long time - but I am glad that I was introduced to them during a Christmas story. 
Picture
0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture

      Want to receive monthly highlights from Book Fidelity? Sign up!

    Subscribe to Book Fidelity!
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Alpha Hero But Not A Douche Hero
    Angels
    Anthology
    Anxiety
    Arranged Marriage/marriage Of Convenience
    Author Spotlight
    Awesome Women Doing Awesome Things
    Badass Heroine
    Bad Boy
    Better Luck Next Time
    Biker Guy
    Billionaire Bad Boy
    Book Blast
    Book Blitz
    Book Haul
    Bookish Gift Ideas
    Book Pile
    Books About Books
    Book Spotlight
    Boy Next Door Romance
    Campus Romance
    Cemetery
    Challenge
    Children's Lit
    Christian
    Christmas Read
    Christmas Romance
    Chronic Pain
    Classic
    Coffee
    Collection
    Coming Of Age
    Con Man
    Contemporary
    Cover Reveal
    Cozy Mystery
    Crafty
    Crime Fiction
    Cross Stitch
    Curvy
    Death
    Death As A Character
    Dystopian
    Enemies To Lovers
    Entangled Pub
    Erotica
    Erotica Lite
    Existentialism
    Fae
    Fairy Tale Re Telling
    Fairy Tale Re-telling
    Fake Relationship
    Fantasy
    Fantasy Realism
    Fantasy Romance
    Feminism
    Fever Series
    Fiction
    Final Girls
    France
    Friendship
    Friends To Enemies
    Friends To Lovers
    Funny
    Gargoyles
    Geek Love
    Gift
    Giveaway
    Greek Gods
    Grumpy Hero
    Guns
    Hacker Girl
    Hard Science Fiction
    Highlander
    Hispanic Fiction
    Historical Fiction
    Historical Romance
    History
    Hockey Romance
    Holiday Read
    Holocaust
    Horror
    Hot Rocker Romance
    In Progress
    It's A Movie!
    Karen Marie Moning
    Las Vegas Baby
    Library
    Life Of A Reader
    Literary Fiction
    Love Story
    LoveStruck
    LSBBT
    Magical Realism
    Marriage Of Convenience
    Meh
    Memoir
    Mental Health
    Meta
    Middle Grade
    Monthly
    Murder Mondays
    Mystery
    Nerdy Hero
    Nerdy Heroine
    Netgalley
    New Adult
    Newsletter
    New York
    No Male POV
    Nonfiction
    Non Fiction
    Non-Fiction
    Novella
    Paranormal
    Paranormal Romance
    PG/PG-13 Rated
    Philosophy
    Plus Size Heroine
    Poetry
    Political Fiction
    Promo
    Psychology
    PTSD
    Racism
    Rape Culture
    Readathons
    Reading Habits
    Recovery
    Regency Romance
    Retelling
    Revenge Love Story
    Rich Boy
    Romance
    Romance Author
    Romance Read
    Romance Read Wednesday
    Romance/Thriller
    Romantic Suspense
    Romantic Thriller
    Sage's Blog Tours
    Science Fiction
    Scorched
    Scots
    Second Chance Love
    Self-Help
    Series
    Sexy
    Short Read
    Short Stories
    Short Story
    "soft" S&M
    Sports Romance
    Spotlight
    Starbucks
    Steampunk
    Suspense
    Suspenseful Romance
    Sweet Candy Press
    Tag You're It!
    Talia Hibbert
    TBR
    Texas
    Texas Bloggers
    There's A Dog!
    Thrift Book Haul
    Thrift Books
    Thriller
    Trigger Warning
    True Crime
    Urban Fantasy
    Vacation Fling
    Vaginal Fantasy
    Vaginal Fantasy Friday
    Vampires
    Werewolves
    Western
    Workplace Romance
    Xpresso Book Tours
    Xstitch
    Ya
    Young Adult
    Zine

    Archives

    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly