Some Like Them Rich

by Shirley Hailstock

Can She Listen To Her Heart. . .

Disillusioned by love and dreading her thirtieth birthday, Amberlina Nash is determined to snag a rich man by spending the summer mingling with the country club set on Martha's Vineyard. But when Amber meets charismatic hotel manager Don Randall, she struggles to maintain her polished alter ego--and fights the possibility that what she wants and what she needs might be two different things. . .

When Love Isn't Part Of The Plan?

Serial playboy Sheldon St. Romaine has spent the past year running one of his father's hotels to prove he has a knack for the business. To guests, he is the modest and accommodating Don Randall, whom Amber finds irresistible. But she's certain he lacks the bank account she's really after. While both are harboring secrets, neither can deny the passion that ignites between them. . .

Genres: African American Romance

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Shirley Hailstock loves reading. She'd like nothing better than to find a corner in the library and get lost in a book, explore new worlds and visit places she never expected to see. Now as an author, she can not only visit those places, but she can be the heroine of her own stories.

A past president of Romance Writers of America, Shirley began her writing career on a dare. Taking a year to complete her first manuscript, the writing bug bit her and she discovered telling stories of love and adventure was what she wanted to spend her life doing.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following in the footsteps of the 1953 film, "How to Marry a Millionaire," Amber Nash has decided the only way to find a rich husband is to pretend to be rich. And what better place for this subterfuge than Martha's Vineyard, home to the rich and famous. She convinces her two friends, Lily and Jack, to throw in with her, pooling all their spare monies, for a last ditch effort to hook a rich husband. But the first person she meets and is instantly attracted to is hotel manager, Don Randall...definitely not part of the rich husband plan. What she doesn't know is that Don Randall is actually the wayward son of the hotel owner, setting out to prove to his father that he is not a wastrel, but can be a valuable contributor to his father's business. And so while her two friends enjoy the island and their own romantic interludes, Amber and Don, both keeping their own secrets, continue to pursue their own long-term plans, while trying to avoid their growing attraction to each other. This can definitely not end well, can it?! The story progresses at a fairly consistent pace, and the characters and interactions were enjoyable. Please note that there are explicit sexual scenes throughout the story (this is the main reason my rating is a 4 instead of a 5). Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book, and the comments and opinions are all my own.

[Gwendolyn McIver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love the ending of this book. The love scenes were hot. I enjoyed the other two love interests. Ms. Hailstock you know how to tell a story!

[Chanta Rand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read. I've been a fan of Shirley Hailstock since she wrote Clara's Promise and Whispers of Love back in the 90s. I came across Some Like Them Rich a week ago, and once I started reading it, I could not put it down. Once again, this author makes the characters leap to life with her rich writing. The novel centers around the lives of three friends who purposely go to Martha's Vineyard, intent on finding a rich husband. This is not an uncommon theme in literature, but the way Ms. Hailstock depicts the women, makes the ladies come across not as golddiggers, but as business-minded women with hearts of gold.

The heat level of the sex scenes is perfect and the writing is impeccable. It was written in first person, which I like. This point-of-view really helps me get into the mind of the character. And each character has her own distinct personality that is easily recognizable from chapter to chapter. Amber is strong and ambitious, but she still has the deep yearning to be in a relationship with a man she can love and adore. She convinces her girlfriends Jack and Lily to invest what basically amounts to their life savings to appear rich and "catch" a rich husband. Without giving too much of the book away, I'll just say nothing turns out as the three expect. And I might add, I love the scenes between Don and Amber. Major sparks fly between the two.

This is the perfect love story, fueled by conflict, sexual tension, and wild hot sex. Shirley Hailstock remains one of my favorites.

[Amy Denim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book. The first three chapters just didn't grab me, but I'm glad I finished. This book had the opposite of a sagging middle. That was the part of the book I raced through because it had some great tension, good rollercoaster ride of emotions and story development. The ending dragged on a little too long for me. I'm sure glad the author decided to call her hero Don throughout the book instead of Sheldon. All I could think the everytime they referred to him by his full name was that scene from When Harry met Sally when Billy Crystal is making fun of Meg Ryan's boyfriend's name. 'Give it to me SHELDON, come on big SHELDON." I agree with Harry. Sheldon is not a sexy lover's name.

[The Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

The topic was a great concept. Three ladies tired of losing in love with regular men and decided that they can do a lot worst with a rich man. Of course this was the brain storm of one lady who talked her two friends into it. so they set off to Martha Vinyards looking for rich men to marry. The problem for me was the leader whose great idea this was immediately ends up in bed with a regular guy! So I was pulling for the other two ladies more because they just wanted a good man and fell for the guys who treated them with love and respect. The main lead characters were more like in heat than in love but in the end they find each other and all is well! A nice read!

[Malika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only OK for me. Because the idea and thought process of the central Character is so ridiculous, I would have preferred this to be handled as a romantic satire/drama, rather than a straightforward romantic drama. The main character was not ver likeable, and I found myself slugging through pages to get the book completed. Ultimately, I wished that more time had been spent on the two girlfriends and their stories, as opposed to the lead character. She just became tedious.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amber, Jack, and Lila go to Martha's Vineyard for the summer to find rich men to marry. All of their plans backfired when 2 married for love, and after a bit of strife Amber found her true love as well. This book had some steamy love scenes, funny parts, and a huge dose of reality. I really enjoyed it, and read it in one sitting becaus I could not put it down.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review is at Nocturne Romance Reads.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story line with the secondary characters a little better. Good read :-)

[Atinuke · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely book.

[Tigger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just did not really like Amber

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a slow start but once it got going to was nonstop. Great read.