Audio Book Review: Billionaire on the Loose by Jessica Clare

Billionaire on the Loose
(Billionaires and Bridesmaids Series, Book 5)
By Jessica Clare
Narrated by Jillian Macie

Blurb: 
Taylor is a genius when it comes to computers, but understanding the opposite sex is beyond her. Because she always fumbles her flirtations, she needs help in finding her Prince Charming. So when her friend, Gretchen, sets her up as a tour guide for a new guy in town, she says yes despite her misgivings. She just doesn't expect Mr. Charming to actually be royalty.

A faction in his country wants him to be king, but Loch has no intention of taking the crown. To keep from being named as the next successor, he hatches a scheme to marry a totally unacceptable American woman. Quirky Taylor seems like the perfect person for the job, until Loch realizes he likes more about her than her ability to keep him off the throne.

When Loch's secret schemes come out, his chance of happiness with Taylor are blown - unless he can find a way to get the nerdy object of his affection to believe she's truly the queen of his heart.

Available for purchase at 

         

Viviana's Review: 

I had been looking forward to release and as soon as the book started I feared this may become a DNF or a low rated.

Taylor, the heroine who is a total nerd and computer geek. From being a tech specialist to role playing in computer games. There is this arch within the story with a manipulative "friend" which is more like a stalker than anything else. She feels this huge level of guilt vs. seeing the manipulation and stalking behavior that it is. Then there are moments where she acknowledges the "obsession" vs. them being friends and "needed". I mean COME ON! How many times does the reader need to see how CRAZY this 'friend' is when he tells her he's going to hurt himself because she didn't answer an email, text, pin on the game or on social media. This is after Taylor telling him several time she is NOT interested in him "in that way". This line of communication between Taylor & the "online friend" occurs over and over throughout the book. She blames this situation and the guild (gaming) for her "lack of time" and "accepting the promotion" and just about everything else for not going "outside and living". Sigh.

Jessica usually writes stronger heroine and though it seems that there was an effort to make Taylor either into or seem as if she was "strong" because she's has a dominant streak in the bedroom and seems to be 'herself' (i.e. nerdy/geeky, klutzy, lack of filter with her thoughts, etc.). However, this fell flat as there are several times when her friends speak to her harshly and down to her and Taylor doesn't stop that or defends herself. Then there was an incident where she felt the need to change shirts due to how others were looking at her. I get having insecurities, but this didn't stand true to what the readers were asked to believe.

Loch may be "next in line" for the throne in Bellissime but it's obvious he is no where near ready to run a country. He's hot (trust me, we get told how hot he is over and over and over and over and over, by Taylor) but is oblivious to how things truly are and comes across as ...naive and a tad absent minded... an example is when he wants to go running and asks "where the running clothes are".... mind you, he just slept over someone else's house (thus he doesn't have his own clothes there) and he seems to EXPECT that there would be stuff he can use.... when he's asked how things are "usual" for him, he flat out says that he opens the closet and the clothes are there. Basically, he comes across as a bit of a spoil brat who can't seem to make himself breakfast.

Let's talk about the "conflict" between the Heroine and the Hero.... SO OVER DONE it's not funny really. I would expect more from Jessica.

So there were several times where I rolled my eyes.... felt like smacking the heroine for several reasons from accepting to help the Hero because he was "bored senseless" and she would be a distraction from the boredom to the point where she enables the "friend" and his stalker behavior. 

Narrator's Review: 

Jillian Macie is overall good/okay. Her British accents are good and she does a few different voices/tones for the female characters, however, the males all sound too similar and not a difference enough in the tones to have readers believe it's a guy. If you can look over that, then its all good. 

Overall, this felt like a filler book and not one that "needed" to be part of the series. I could have totally been okay with THIS storyline being the "novella" and the one that is a "novella" the "Beauty and the Billionaire: The Wedding (Billionaire Boys Club #6.5)" be a full length book.  Love the idea of this series, but unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me. 

Rating: 1 Star - I didn't like it. 

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from InterMix via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Audio Book Review: The Billionaire’s Favorite Mistake by Jessica Clare

The Billionaire's Favorite Mistake
(Billionaires and Bridesmaids, Book 4)
By Jessica Clare
Narrated By Jillian Macie

Blurb: 
A hot one night stand between friends might spark true love in the latest Billionaires and Bridesmaids novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Billionaire Takes a Bride.

Greer has always been there for Asher, but she wishes she could break through her shyness and show how much she truly loves him. But after a steamy, mindless fling at Hunter and Gretchen’s engagement party, Greer finds herself tossed aside and forced to admit that you can’t love someone who doesn’t acknowledge you exist.

It’s a shame he got her pregnant.

After his fiancée betrayed him and tanked his business in one fell swoop, Asher has spent his time trying to rebuild his wealth and forget the past. But he doesn’t understand why Greer blew him off after their night together—until he catches a glimpse of her belly.

Now Asher is willing to do whatever it takes to convince Greer she belongs with him. And he’s very skilled at the art of persuasion.

Available for purchase at

            

Viviana's Review: 
I want to begin this review by saying I've really enjoyed all the previous books in this series and her other Billionaire series. She doesn't follow "traditional" plots and character steroid typical ideas. I was really looking forward to this installment. When I read the blurb, it made me raise an eyebrow because the concept/idea has been done before but I wanted to see how Jessica would spin this overly done trope as she's done in the past....

Unfortunately, "The Billionaire's Favorite Mistake" falls into every trope possible which makes this a disappointing read/listen.

• Heroine loves/wants/lusts after her BFF (Hero)
• Hero sees heroine as only his BFF / sister type
• Heroine believes she needs to "change" in order to be "seen" / acknowledge by Hero
• Hero hitting bottom low due to broken heart
• Heroine decides to proclaim her feelings even though Hero  is drunk (obviously drunk)
• Hero is horny and decides having a quickie in a public area with his BFF is a good idea - unprotected sex to boot
• Heroine goes along with Hero's sexual advances
• Heroine gets mad as the sex isn't what she expected and decide to no longer be friends with Hero
• Weeks later we find out Heroine is pregnant and she decides to cut the Hero out of "Her" baby's life
• Both the Hero and the readers find out Heroine was a virgin
• Hero decides he should have seen Heroine for what she truly was... and decides to woo her. 

And basically it continues to downward spiral with bad plans to get the Heroine to forgive the Hero and the Heroine constantly second guessing his attraction and feelings for her as well as the author trying to make the heroine "behave" in control (i.e. sexual relationship with hero) but it's not convincing.

I hoped it would get better... it never does. I'm not sure why Jessica went the route she did wth the plot and character development (or lack there of).


Narrator's Review: 
Jillian Macie does a good job with her performance. This makes the book bearable.


Overall, I was disappointed with this read and wished things were different because the rest of the series is really good. A fun read! Also, this can be read as a standalone and I can't recommend this particular book. Sigh... fingers crossed the next book will go back to the "norm".

Rating: It Was Ok

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from PENGUIN GROUP InterMix in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Book Review: The Taming of the Billionaire by Jessica Clare

The Taming of the Billionaire

(Billionaires and Bridesmaids #2)

By Jessica Clare

Blurb: 

The New York Times bestselling author of The Billionaire and the Virgin returns with a tale of Shakespearean-style seduction…

Edie’s an overbearing cat behaviorist who’s not big on people. Magnus is a newly-rich game developer who likes to be in control. When the two of them meet at Gretchen and Hunter’s masquerade engagement party, the loathing is mutual. Unfortunately for them—and everyone else—they’re in the wedding party together and must deal with each other for the next few months.

But when Magnus’s younger brother falls for Edie’s sister, he begs for his brother’s help in concocting a plan to win her over. If Magnus can keep the prickly Edie occupied, his brother will have time to woo Edie’s sister. Of course, Magnus isn’t interested in the slightest, but Edie is…intriguing. And stubborn. And smart. And sexy. And they might have more in common than they thought.

Before long, it becomes a challenge between the two of them to see who will be tamed first. But how’s Edie going to react when she finds out that Magnus is using her? And how’s Magnus going to handle the fact that he’s fallen for a cat lady?

Available for purchase at 

            

Viviana's Review: 

The second book in the Billionaires and Bridesmaids series and it does not disappoint.  The author, Jessica Clare continues to bring a breath of fresh air to an otherwise saturated genre and trope.  This is truly the only “Billionaire” anything I read.  In this story our heroine is stated to be a “cat lady” while our hero is an actual gamer who, after selling a game becomes a billionaire.  Not your traditional trope.  Thank you Jessica!

Edie, the heroine is a cat behaviorist who gets along better with felines than with people.  I don’t blame her!  It seems she is constantly surrounded by individuals who are mean spirited or out for themselves and use her.  However, she doesn’t cower or allow others to walk all over her.  She calls them out on their stupidity or childish behavior  and during a particular scene it’s freaking priceless!  Though she is blinded to the way her sister is dependent on her and this is a major issue.

Magnus, our hero is smart and sexy.  He’s also sweet and a good brother.  So when his brother comes up with a scheme to get a girl, while Magnus hesitates he still helps him out.  So starts Edie and Magnus’s relationship.  However, he feels guilty about starting things with  false pretenses and hurting her feelings.  His brother, Levi, is whiny and childish.

Edie’s sister Bianca was a manipulative gold digger, looking out only for herself.  She puts on a good show but Edie’s BFF saw through the act.  Gretchen also calls her out on it and tries to get Edie to see things how they truly are.  Between Levi and Bianca you don’t know which one you want to smack first and then most.

I mentioned how Jessica brings a breath of fresh air to the saturated Billionaire trope.  She brings a sense of truth…  In the previous book in the series, the heroine was “too tall” according to society standards.  In the spinoff series “The Billionaire Boys Club” one of the billionaires was disfigured and one of the heroines was curvy.  In The Taming of the Billionaire, the heroine has a limp due to an injury.

Also, each of the billionaires actually work.  They do actual work.  Traditionally, in the Billionaire genre, the billionaire doesn’t seem to do any “work”.  It’s nice to see them actually having to do work and earn their living.

Magnus and Edie are a very cute couple.  However, I was waiting for him to come clean about how things got started.  It was going to be interesting to see how it’s all going to play out.  When everything does blow up Magnus does a wonderful job of groveling.  It was brilliant!

Overall a great continuation of the series.  Can’t wait for the next book.  

Rating: 4 Stars - Loved It

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.