Synopsis: Manwhore. That's what the board of directors-and the tabloids-thinks of billionaire bachelor Reese Crane. Ordinarily he couldn't care less, but his playboy past is preventing the board from naming him CEO of Crane Hotels. Nothing-and no one-will keep him from his life's legacy. They want a settled man to lead the company? Then that's exactly what he'll give them.Merina Van Heusen will do anything to get her parents' funky boutique hotel back-even marry cold-as-ice-but-sexy-as-hell Reese Crane. It's a simple business contract-six months of marriage, absolute secrecy, and the Van Heusen is all hers again. But when sparks fly between them, their passion quickly moves from the boardroom to the bedroom. And soon Merina is living her worst nightmare: falling in love with her husband ...
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Review: This book was a wonderful surprise and is my first from Jessica Lemmon!I was just clicking around on Netgalley one day when I came across this one.
In the first installment of the Billionaire Bad Boys series, we have Reese Crane-who has been dubbed as a playboy by the media.Usually he couldn't care less about what the others think of him, but as it is preventing the board of Crane Hotels from naming him as the CEO, he has a problem.He is the eldest son of Alex Crane and he is determined to not let a non-family member become the CEO for the enterprises he and his father have worked so hard to build.
Merina Van Heusen has just come to know that her homely Van Heusen hotel-which is a landmark in Chicago, was sold by her parents to Alex Crane and now Reese plans to make changes and modernize it.Her parents had lots of debts and they had hidden this from her as they didn't want her to worry.She storms into Reese's office(with a broken doorknob in her hand) demanding him to stop the changes.Obviously, he doesn't care and he makes it clear that she will have to leave her job, but she can work at any other Crane Hotel.Though, she is furious she manages to leave an impression on Reece.
One week later, she gets a proposal-a literal one(and quite unromantic might I add) where he offers a simple exchange-ownership of the VanHeusen for six months of marriage with him.This will clean up his image and manage to convince the board to appoint him as CEO and she'll get her hotel back again.After taking some time to think, she agrees.As they spend more time together, the attraction between them heats up and they slowly develop emotional attachments too.But, Reece is keeping a lot of stuff from her.Will he let her in or will he push her away and break her heart?
It's a well-known fact that there are countless billionaire romances out there.And among the top-most romantic tropes is fake-marriage(right after best-friends to lovers, I guess).Even though this novel has elements that we've already seen many times, it is Jessica Lemmon's writing and the way she handles the characters and relationships that makes this book shine!
Though the attraction between Reece and Merina is palpable,the author takes time in developing the relationship between them, which I loved reading.Merina is a fierce,loyal,intelligent woman with lots of love to give.She is cautious and level-headed too.Reece isn't the typical cold,heartless playboy despite seeming that way in the beginning.Both the characters have been burned in the past and have faced heartbreak.But these situations have shaped their lives in different ways.As they slowly begin to trust each other, their walls are chipped away.
There wasn't much angst in this novel, but it did manage to squeeze my heart many times.The best part was the writing which enabled me to connect with the characters.I usually don't emphatize with characters like Reece, but here it was really hard not to and I fell in love with him the same way Merina did.The supporting cast was also wonderfully fleshed out.Tag,Lorelei,Merina's parents and Reece's dad added humor and warmth.I think the last few chapters were really well done.It was a handled in a different manner from the typical plotlines that are seen.
In conclusion, give this book a try if you're looking for a refreshing romantic read with beautiful writing,sexy characters and well written relationships!Now, I'll be off to read Jessica Lemmon's other books as I am definitely intrigued.
P.S.I think the covers in these series are really well done as they match the descriptions of Reece and Tag very well! :)
*An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Upcoming books in the series:
About The Author
A former job-hopper, Jessica Lemmon resides in Ohio with her husband and rescue dog. She holds a degree in graphic design currently gathering dust in an impressive frame. When she’s not writing super-sexy heroes, she can be found cooking, drawing, drinking coffee (okay, wine), and eating potato chips. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want.
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