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Brutal Billionaires #1
Brutal Billionaire
He’ll get what he wants—even if I’m already taken.
Holt Sebastian is royalty in our world. As CEO of the Sebastian News Corp, he’s the man with all the power. The man who decides if I’ll always just be a local television anchor or if I’ll be the rising star of my own show. I make it my mission to be noticed. Make him see my potential. But soon, it's clear he's the one in charge. His possessiveness is brutal. His eyes own everything they touch. I feel his gaze on me when he's in the room. The heat of them as they rake down my body, taking me in, marking me as his. He doesn’t just want me on the screen—he wants me in his bed. And Holt Sebastian gets what he wants. No one will stop him, no one will get in his way.
No one can protect me from his desire. Not even the man who promised nothing would come between us and his ambition—my husband.
Holt Sebastian is royalty in our world. As CEO of the Sebastian News Corp, he’s the man with all the power. The man who decides if I’ll always just be a local television anchor or if I’ll be the rising star of my own show. I make it my mission to be noticed. Make him see my potential. But soon, it's clear he's the one in charge. His possessiveness is brutal. His eyes own everything they touch. I feel his gaze on me when he's in the room. The heat of them as they rake down my body, taking me in, marking me as his. He doesn’t just want me on the screen—he wants me in his bed. And Holt Sebastian gets what he wants. No one will stop him, no one will get in his way.
No one can protect me from his desire. Not even the man who promised nothing would come between us and his ambition—my husband.
14 pages, Audible Audio
First published March 5, 2023
3946 people are currently reading
6369 people want to read
About the author
Laurelin Paige
108 books15.8k followersLaurelin Paige is the NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling Author of the international sensation, The Fixed Trilogy. She's also written other popular books in the Fixed Universe as well as the Dirty Universe and has cowritten with both Kayti McGee and Sierra Simone.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 754 reviews
March 19, 2023
4.5 STARS
Well, wasn't this just the yummiest start to what's sure to be a fire series!
I love Laurelin's brand of alpha holes, and Holt Sebastian had me in a chokehold the very second he appeared on the page.
Brystin is a local journalist who dreams of having her own show one day. She's lived and breathed her work, but never expected herbage shot to be at a cost she wasn't aware she was prepared to pay.
Holt has spent his entire life trying to prove his worth to his father. And he has spent his entire adult life trying to show him he can run a successful network. The second he lays eyes on Brystin, he wants her, but not just for a show. So he proposes an arrangement; her body for his network contract.
Never has my feminism left my body so quick then when this indecent proposal took place. And while Brystin is married, it's a marriage in name only. So if you're worried about the cheating element, it wasn't much of one. Then again, I'm not a reader who minds affairs or cheating, so I suppose I'm the wrong pulse check for those of you who do. But I digress.
I loved Brystin. You would think that a woman who essentially sells herself to get what she wants wouldn't be as strong willed and fiercely independent, but she was so much more. She made Holt work for it and by the final 20% I couldn't be rooting for her any harder. I loved how she took her life in her hands and did what she knew had to be done and was right. This is a girl's girl and I loved that about her.
Holt is your typical no entanglements sort of man. He goes for married women because he knows there's little risk of hearts being involved. But he was sorely unprepared for the effect that Brystin would have. The chemistry between them was incendiary. They simply burned up the pages together. And that grovel at the end? *chefs kiss* Sheer perfection.
I devoured this book and already dying for my next fix in this series.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
I don’t know what pisses me off more—his amusement or his abs. Either way, the curse slips from my lips without thinking. “Fuck you.”
“I’d love that.” He winks. “But first, how about some wine?”
Well, wasn't this just the yummiest start to what's sure to be a fire series!
I love Laurelin's brand of alpha holes, and Holt Sebastian had me in a chokehold the very second he appeared on the page.
“I care about getting you off and making you feel morally uncomfortable about it when you do.”
Brystin is a local journalist who dreams of having her own show one day. She's lived and breathed her work, but never expected herbage shot to be at a cost she wasn't aware she was prepared to pay.
Holt has spent his entire life trying to prove his worth to his father. And he has spent his entire adult life trying to show him he can run a successful network. The second he lays eyes on Brystin, he wants her, but not just for a show. So he proposes an arrangement; her body for his network contract.
Never has my feminism left my body so quick then when this indecent proposal took place. And while Brystin is married, it's a marriage in name only. So if you're worried about the cheating element, it wasn't much of one. Then again, I'm not a reader who minds affairs or cheating, so I suppose I'm the wrong pulse check for those of you who do. But I digress.
I loved Brystin. You would think that a woman who essentially sells herself to get what she wants wouldn't be as strong willed and fiercely independent, but she was so much more. She made Holt work for it and by the final 20% I couldn't be rooting for her any harder. I loved how she took her life in her hands and did what she knew had to be done and was right. This is a girl's girl and I loved that about her.
Holt is your typical no entanglements sort of man. He goes for married women because he knows there's little risk of hearts being involved. But he was sorely unprepared for the effect that Brystin would have. The chemistry between them was incendiary. They simply burned up the pages together. And that grovel at the end? *chefs kiss* Sheer perfection.
I devoured this book and already dying for my next fix in this series.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
January 26, 2025
Where do I even begin, first I just want to say that I am sure that the author is an amazing person and based on the reviews that I saw for this book, people loves it. I hate to say this but I really didn't like this book much. The open marriage was just too much, like Brystin loved Michael even though he didn't believe in love. Like he was ok with going and sleeping with other girls and she would get jealous even though she agreed about the whole open marriage thing. I feel bad for her because she "loves" Michael, and she doesn't sleep with anyone other than him, her husband. She is a news reporter and she have a show, the director is her husband (shocker). Michael and Brystin have been married for two years, mind you he is 53 and she is 33. Michael isn't even the main character, the main character is Holt Sebastian, which he is the CEO of SNC (Sebastian News Corp.) Anyways, Brystin and Michael are trying to have a show in the SNC company, so Holt invites them to like his lake house or something, and they get the show, but he also wants to sleep with Brystin. Michael is of course ok with that, but she is not ok with Michael being ok with him. Even though its an open marriage she doesn't want to "cheat" on Michael (I KNOW SMH.)
I felt like Michael was using Brystin for the whole fame and being a star, and she is kinda dumb not gonna lie, because like it was obvious that he was using her but she can't see it.
Also, Holt was toxic, like he invited her to HIS ROOM to talk "business," but at the same time he wanted to fuck her, like be for real!!! let me not mention that he jerked off to her standing in front of him after the "business talk."
OHH also he kept saying your career is in my hand Brystin, like girl, if some was treating me this way, I would've said fuck you and your stupid company, if I am going to be dealing with assholes like him, I would rather quit.
At the end of the day, THIS IS MY OPINION. If you loved this book, I am truly happy for you! but this book wasn't for me.
I felt like Michael was using Brystin for the whole fame and being a star, and she is kinda dumb not gonna lie, because like it was obvious that he was using her but she can't see it.
Also, Holt was toxic, like he invited her to HIS ROOM to talk "business," but at the same time he wanted to fuck her, like be for real!!! let me not mention that he jerked off to her standing in front of him after the "business talk."
OHH also he kept saying your career is in my hand Brystin, like girl, if some was treating me this way, I would've said fuck you and your stupid company, if I am going to be dealing with assholes like him, I would rather quit.
At the end of the day, THIS IS MY OPINION. If you loved this book, I am truly happy for you! but this book wasn't for me.
April 22, 2023
This book just took me out of a book slump. I can’t believe I will say this, but can I get stuck in an elevator with the hit billionaire boss? And I hate elevators!
Holt is the CEO of a major news company, while Brystin is in local news trying to make it to the major networks.
Holt is not in the position he is in without being manipulative. Brystin calling him an assholt is priceless. This book reminds me of Indecent Proposal, except you have a POS husband in the mix. I couldn’t stand the guy. Wore people start saying there is cheating, it’s an open marriage. One she agreed on.
I love reading about their journey, even though Holt passed me off a few times. The chemistry is smoking hot 🥵. Holt's character is unique. I get why he did what he did. I ended up loving him by the end of the book.
Have to say it was a fantastic read. I hope to read about them in other books.
November 9, 2025
5 Be still my heart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was so thoroughly entertained I forgot all about my surroundings, and it’s a reread 😂
The romance between these two characters was amazing, hard but beautiful to behold❤️ They are both flawed and you have to be ok with that.
Safety readers might not trust the process, but they should, because it’s a wonderful story, realistic in its essence, and the wrap up is done to perfection 🫶 If you love romance books for the feelings it invokes in you, you will LOVE this book.
Brystin is a local news anchor, beautiful, ambitious and married to her calculated producer Michael. There is a vast age gap between between them, and he never really loved her, like she loved him. Michael used her, to get ahead with his own career.
He wanted an open marriage from the get go, and it was the one request he had when they married.
Brystin never wanted that, never took another to her bed. Her heart broke every time he did. She was young and comes from a family of neglect and abandonment, and she accepted it, as the only way to keep him. Michael took full advantage of the power dynamics in the relationship. 😈
Brystin, who is up and coming in the news world, and very talented, is up for a journalism award at Sebastian enterprises, Michael has coached and pushed her, to land a national show with them, and made her seek out the CEO to pitch the show. It would elevate himself. Michael and Brystin has separate bedrooms and he has an apartment in the city, he uses on weekends 😤
However on her way to receive the reward the elevator breaks down, and guess who is in it with her? Holt Sebastian! This is their first meeting.
The tension between them is magnetic, and no one can write tension and sexual chemistry like like LP. It oozes of the pages.
Holt is an alpha hole to an extreme extent, he is manipulating and devious, and so so hot. I love how he is written 🙌
He invites Brystin and Michael to a creative retreat at his house and Brystin is ecstatic. Her national news show is within grasp, and she lets Michael puppeteer her every move. Holt is watching this from a far.
Holt and Brystin meet quite a bit over the next few days, and he is clearly very interested in Brystin. He pursues her aggressively and compared to him, she is really quite innocent and pushes it away as nothing.
She is however very befuddled by him and is definitely attracted. But she is married to Michael.
Later that night Michael has a meeting with Holt in the library, Brystin is told to leave the room because they have things to discuss🤮 and she does so reluctantly. Holt is messing with her, to prove a point about her emotional abusive husband. Holt is playing games with both them, and Brystin is uneasy..
However when Michael comes to her room later that night, he tells her that the show is on, he got the producer job he wanted so badly, BUT if she wants to be anchor she has to go to Holts room… He is pimping her out and my rage😤.
An indecent proposal! What would she do to get the job of her dreams, and how low will her husband Michael stoop!
Brystin goes to Holt that night….
This book has an epic betrayal that I won’t spoil, lots of drama, steam💦 and grovel and yet ends up so utterly romantic, that I had a hard time breathing while finishing this story.
A shout out to my dear friend CB, Brystin went to your sex dungeon/ horny jail several times yesterday. You can invoice me later😉
Let the ride begin and believe me it is a ride. I am not going to lie, I had a hard time with Brystin the first third of the book, but she grows as a character, and it’s a glorious sight to behold.🫶
Even though this story breaks boundaries in subject matter, please stay with it because it’s so romantic and it will all make sense in the end.
Should you read it? Absolutely 💯 it’s a top 10 read for me.
It’s in dual POV, 70/30 and that’s probably a good thing, because I would have hated Holt too much if I didn’t get a little of his perspective ❤️
He is a very hot character, the best I have come across in a while, when he showed vulnerability I literally swooned 😂
Ps. The ending was OTT, but I am here for that.
I was so thoroughly entertained I forgot all about my surroundings, and it’s a reread 😂
The romance between these two characters was amazing, hard but beautiful to behold❤️ They are both flawed and you have to be ok with that.
Safety readers might not trust the process, but they should, because it’s a wonderful story, realistic in its essence, and the wrap up is done to perfection 🫶 If you love romance books for the feelings it invokes in you, you will LOVE this book.
Brystin is a local news anchor, beautiful, ambitious and married to her calculated producer Michael. There is a vast age gap between between them, and he never really loved her, like she loved him. Michael used her, to get ahead with his own career.
He wanted an open marriage from the get go, and it was the one request he had when they married.
Brystin never wanted that, never took another to her bed. Her heart broke every time he did. She was young and comes from a family of neglect and abandonment, and she accepted it, as the only way to keep him. Michael took full advantage of the power dynamics in the relationship. 😈
Brystin, who is up and coming in the news world, and very talented, is up for a journalism award at Sebastian enterprises, Michael has coached and pushed her, to land a national show with them, and made her seek out the CEO to pitch the show. It would elevate himself. Michael and Brystin has separate bedrooms and he has an apartment in the city, he uses on weekends 😤
However on her way to receive the reward the elevator breaks down, and guess who is in it with her? Holt Sebastian! This is their first meeting.
The tension between them is magnetic, and no one can write tension and sexual chemistry like like LP. It oozes of the pages.
Holt is an alpha hole to an extreme extent, he is manipulating and devious, and so so hot. I love how he is written 🙌
He invites Brystin and Michael to a creative retreat at his house and Brystin is ecstatic. Her national news show is within grasp, and she lets Michael puppeteer her every move. Holt is watching this from a far.
Holt and Brystin meet quite a bit over the next few days, and he is clearly very interested in Brystin. He pursues her aggressively and compared to him, she is really quite innocent and pushes it away as nothing.
She is however very befuddled by him and is definitely attracted. But she is married to Michael.
Later that night Michael has a meeting with Holt in the library, Brystin is told to leave the room because they have things to discuss🤮 and she does so reluctantly. Holt is messing with her, to prove a point about her emotional abusive husband. Holt is playing games with both them, and Brystin is uneasy..
However when Michael comes to her room later that night, he tells her that the show is on, he got the producer job he wanted so badly, BUT if she wants to be anchor she has to go to Holts room… He is pimping her out and my rage😤.
An indecent proposal! What would she do to get the job of her dreams, and how low will her husband Michael stoop!
Brystin goes to Holt that night….
This book has an epic betrayal that I won’t spoil, lots of drama, steam💦 and grovel and yet ends up so utterly romantic, that I had a hard time breathing while finishing this story.
A shout out to my dear friend CB, Brystin went to your sex dungeon/ horny jail several times yesterday. You can invoice me later😉
Let the ride begin and believe me it is a ride. I am not going to lie, I had a hard time with Brystin the first third of the book, but she grows as a character, and it’s a glorious sight to behold.🫶
Even though this story breaks boundaries in subject matter, please stay with it because it’s so romantic and it will all make sense in the end.
Should you read it? Absolutely 💯 it’s a top 10 read for me.
It’s in dual POV, 70/30 and that’s probably a good thing, because I would have hated Holt too much if I didn’t get a little of his perspective ❤️
He is a very hot character, the best I have come across in a while, when he showed vulnerability I literally swooned 😂
Ps. The ending was OTT, but I am here for that.
March 26, 2023
This was my first read by Laurelin Page despite having a ton of books by her on my e-reader. I almost didn’t read it because the h is married to another man and the book blurb let’s you know that. Despite that I went ahead 🤷.
Holt is totally the assholt Brystin calls him. So manipulative. Brystin (worst name ever 😖 wtf!!) is married to a man who totally does not deserve her.
Anyway things come to light in the book which make Holt a relatable character and Brystin (again HORRIBLE 😖 name) finally finds her self worth.
Brystin(😖😖) has the best bff and the rest of the supporting cast while not playing a big role in the book were interesting as well.
Will definitely read more by this author.
Hope the girls in the other books have better names 😳. Fucking horrible name.
Holt is totally the assholt Brystin calls him. So manipulative. Brystin (worst name ever 😖 wtf!!) is married to a man who totally does not deserve her.
Anyway things come to light in the book which make Holt a relatable character and Brystin (again HORRIBLE 😖 name) finally finds her self worth.
Brystin(😖😖) has the best bff and the rest of the supporting cast while not playing a big role in the book were interesting as well.
Will definitely read more by this author.
Hope the girls in the other books have better names 😳. Fucking horrible name.
March 24, 2023
I enjoyed this book till the last 30% of it. Let’s just say I’m not a fan of giving up your entire career(especially if you enjoy/love it) just to prove your love to someone, not even in fiction. Find some other way to prove please.
March 23, 2023
5 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)
Brystin Shaw is a journalist that is laser focused on her goals. She is a talented local television anchor that wants to move up the ladder. She has a positive mindset, and feels her dream job is almost within her reach. All she needs now is someone to notice her potential, but will she get more than she can handle with the one man who can decide her fate?
Holt Sebastian is a confident, gorgeous, wealthy, powerful man in NYC. He was recently named CEO of Sebastian News Corp and as the youngest CEO of SNC he’s looking to prove himself and earn his place. With a family like American royalty, the media attention is often on him. He thrives on a challenge, and always gets what he wants, so when he meets Brystin Shaw he decides she’s going to be his, even though she’s taken. He’s drawn to her and feels possessive when she’s near. He’s a man that likes control, but the situation soon turns very complicated when he finds himself in uncharted territory.
Brutal Billionaire by Laurelin Paige is the first book in the Brutal Billionaire’s series. It’s a standalone billionaire, marriage of convenience, forbidden, opposites attract, boss/employee, enemies to lovers romance full of fabulous banter, emotion, delicious tension and sizzling chemistry. I loved this book so much, and was completely consumed by this addictive story and these complex characters. Their connection was pure fire, and I couldn’t get enough of this mercurial, sexy alpha. I totally wasn’t expecting the incredible swoon, and my heart was hit by all the feels. This is definitely one of my top reads by Laurelin Paige. <333
***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/3yWH7VA
(ARC provided by author)
Brystin Shaw is a journalist that is laser focused on her goals. She is a talented local television anchor that wants to move up the ladder. She has a positive mindset, and feels her dream job is almost within her reach. All she needs now is someone to notice her potential, but will she get more than she can handle with the one man who can decide her fate?
Holt Sebastian is a confident, gorgeous, wealthy, powerful man in NYC. He was recently named CEO of Sebastian News Corp and as the youngest CEO of SNC he’s looking to prove himself and earn his place. With a family like American royalty, the media attention is often on him. He thrives on a challenge, and always gets what he wants, so when he meets Brystin Shaw he decides she’s going to be his, even though she’s taken. He’s drawn to her and feels possessive when she’s near. He’s a man that likes control, but the situation soon turns very complicated when he finds himself in uncharted territory.
Brutal Billionaire by Laurelin Paige is the first book in the Brutal Billionaire’s series. It’s a standalone billionaire, marriage of convenience, forbidden, opposites attract, boss/employee, enemies to lovers romance full of fabulous banter, emotion, delicious tension and sizzling chemistry. I loved this book so much, and was completely consumed by this addictive story and these complex characters. Their connection was pure fire, and I couldn’t get enough of this mercurial, sexy alpha. I totally wasn’t expecting the incredible swoon, and my heart was hit by all the feels. This is definitely one of my top reads by Laurelin Paige. <333
***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/3yWH7VA
April 11, 2023
1 Star
I am not a fan of "cheating" or "open marriage", but I started this book with an open mind.
I am still old-fashioned, and I believe you are either in a relationship with 1 or 2 or 3 people or how many you want but sleeping around in an open marriage is still fucking cheating.
The cheating is not what I disliked about this book. The gullible heroine Brystine and the fucking toxicity of Holt drove me fucking insane.
But the worst thing about this book is the FUCKING MISOGINY that most of us deal with it on a daily basis.
As a female author, LP, to write this kind of misogyny is fucking outrageous. Even if this is fiction, I don't want to fucking read about it.
Once again, I am in the minority cause most of the reviews are raving about this book, but whatever floats everyones boat.
I am not a fan of "cheating" or "open marriage", but I started this book with an open mind.
I am still old-fashioned, and I believe you are either in a relationship with 1 or 2 or 3 people or how many you want but sleeping around in an open marriage is still fucking cheating.
The cheating is not what I disliked about this book. The gullible heroine Brystine and the fucking toxicity of Holt drove me fucking insane.
But the worst thing about this book is the FUCKING MISOGINY that most of us deal with it on a daily basis.
As a female author, LP, to write this kind of misogyny is fucking outrageous. Even if this is fiction, I don't want to fucking read about it.
Once again, I am in the minority cause most of the reviews are raving about this book, but whatever floats everyones boat.
September 14, 2024
2024 Re-read
After reading the other two books in the series (so far), I believe Holt may be the most level-headed and needs the least amount of therapy. That being said, it is clear from the games the family plays to get to the top that Holt's behavior and the praise he got from it were the norm for the Sebastians. I do wonder how long it took the two of them to start their family as I don't recall a baby with them in the next couple of books.
Original Review
I absolutely love how Laurelin Paige makes you want to cheer for the morally gray characters and makes you love them along the way!
Brystin has just won an award and she and her husband are looking for the next big thing for her journalism career. And they may just have the answer with Holt and SNC. But Holt isn’t sure about a relatively unknown news anchor and makes a deal. One that Brystin’s not sure she can do.
And thus started her career on national news through a huge network. But scandal seems to follow along too with some of their deal being seen by the public. And then Brystin breaks her one rule, all bets are off, and something blooms between her and Holt. But just as he’s come to admit his feelings, the truth comes out.
Brystin and Holt get their happy ending in this stand-alone book in a series.
Wow. Holt really was a piece of work at the beginning of this book but it really flipped to who was the villain here in Brystin’s ex-husband. Especially if he knew from the beginning what the plan was and didn’t tell her. And I want my own morally gray billionaire now who will look out for me but also support any decisions I make and cheer me on! One thing I wish had been addressed in the book more clearly was if Brystin’s ex really did want the open marriage for himself knowing she wouldn’t use it or if it was anyone other than Holt he would have been okay with it.
I received an advanced review copy for free from the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
After reading the other two books in the series (so far), I believe Holt may be the most level-headed and needs the least amount of therapy. That being said, it is clear from the games the family plays to get to the top that Holt's behavior and the praise he got from it were the norm for the Sebastians. I do wonder how long it took the two of them to start their family as I don't recall a baby with them in the next couple of books.
Original Review
I absolutely love how Laurelin Paige makes you want to cheer for the morally gray characters and makes you love them along the way!
Brystin has just won an award and she and her husband are looking for the next big thing for her journalism career. And they may just have the answer with Holt and SNC. But Holt isn’t sure about a relatively unknown news anchor and makes a deal. One that Brystin’s not sure she can do.
And thus started her career on national news through a huge network. But scandal seems to follow along too with some of their deal being seen by the public. And then Brystin breaks her one rule, all bets are off, and something blooms between her and Holt. But just as he’s come to admit his feelings, the truth comes out.
Brystin and Holt get their happy ending in this stand-alone book in a series.
Wow. Holt really was a piece of work at the beginning of this book but it really flipped to who was the villain here in Brystin’s ex-husband. Especially if he knew from the beginning what the plan was and didn’t tell her. And I want my own morally gray billionaire now who will look out for me but also support any decisions I make and cheer me on! One thing I wish had been addressed in the book more clearly was if Brystin’s ex really did want the open marriage for himself knowing she wouldn’t use it or if it was anyone other than Holt he would have been okay with it.
I received an advanced review copy for free from the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read
February 26, 2025I won't rate this since I DNF-ed....
It just didn't sit right from the very start...
I am not opposed to anyone's choices, sexual or otherwise, but here, it was just too slimy... *shrugs*
An open marriage, where she's "loyal" and he's "fucking around", WOW, and then she just still "enjoys" sleeping with her husband is just, well, yuck and pretty much naively stupid...
then, she's entering this "immoral proposal" with a billionaire who "holds her carrier in his hands", bravo! and he's making this sexual arrangement (better yet, exploitation), tit for tat, or fuck for a job kinda thingy...well that was just, so modern worldy...and yet it DID NOT portrayed this heroine as a "wordly business woman who knows her worth" ...I simply don't agree with this standard, or with this choice BUT I guess this is unfortunately the world we live in today...and thus, it obviously transpires into the fiction world as well...
So, to wrap it up, I usually like this author's books, BUT this one was NOT it for me, for obvious reasons, or cause it's just this time of the year for me...if you need more trivial reason...
It just didn't sit right from the very start...
I am not opposed to anyone's choices, sexual or otherwise, but here, it was just too slimy... *shrugs*
An open marriage, where she's "loyal" and he's "fucking around", WOW, and then she just still "enjoys" sleeping with her husband is just, well, yuck and pretty much naively stupid...
then, she's entering this "immoral proposal" with a billionaire who "holds her carrier in his hands", bravo! and he's making this sexual arrangement (better yet, exploitation), tit for tat, or fuck for a job kinda thingy...well that was just, so modern worldy...and yet it DID NOT portrayed this heroine as a "wordly business woman who knows her worth" ...I simply don't agree with this standard, or with this choice BUT I guess this is unfortunately the world we live in today...and thus, it obviously transpires into the fiction world as well...
So, to wrap it up, I usually like this author's books, BUT this one was NOT it for me, for obvious reasons, or cause it's just this time of the year for me...if you need more trivial reason...
October 11, 2023
Haven’t read this author for years, not since the Hudson series that I remember really enjoying at the time.
This wasn’t a great read for me unfortunately. Essentially he sexually harasses her into being with him, but it’s ok because, you know, she likes it. I kept thinking this book must be a few years old and so predate Weinstein as he’s a tv executive too, but nope, Weinstein even gets a mention at one point. It gave me the ick. Then it was compounded by some truly excruciating PDAs towards the end. In fairness, that’s probably my preference but I never watch interviews with celebrities over sharing deets about their personal lives and I hate that anyone does that. Double ick.
Complete story, available on ku.
This wasn’t a great read for me unfortunately. Essentially he sexually harasses her into being with him, but it’s ok because, you know, she likes it. I kept thinking this book must be a few years old and so predate Weinstein as he’s a tv executive too, but nope, Weinstein even gets a mention at one point. It gave me the ick. Then it was compounded by some truly excruciating PDAs towards the end. In fairness, that’s probably my preference but I never watch interviews with celebrities over sharing deets about their personal lives and I hate that anyone does that. Double ick.
Complete story, available on ku.
March 20, 2023
Sigh. Its like this book was written only for me. Like Laurelin knows just how I want my books.
Full review will come, I just need to feel this fantastic book some more.
So it took me a few days to really sort out all my feelings about this book. There is so much to say about the plot and so many different angles to this story.
We all know that Laurelin is the best at writing Billionaire Heros in books, they are not always the sweetest of them all, they are brutal, dominating, and not always with an all good personality. They are flawed. They make mistakes. But they are always fast to lern from this, man up, growel and fight for forgiveness.
But this story also tell a different story. The story about how much a woman has to fight to get the same pay for the same job as a man. How much a woman has to think about her appearance, and what other people think about her, to be able to get the same succes as a man. Its really delicatly described without just shaming the man, but pointing out the duble standard of society.
And that really got to me. I felt seen as a woman.
Full review will come, I just need to feel this fantastic book some more.
So it took me a few days to really sort out all my feelings about this book. There is so much to say about the plot and so many different angles to this story.
We all know that Laurelin is the best at writing Billionaire Heros in books, they are not always the sweetest of them all, they are brutal, dominating, and not always with an all good personality. They are flawed. They make mistakes. But they are always fast to lern from this, man up, growel and fight for forgiveness.
But this story also tell a different story. The story about how much a woman has to fight to get the same pay for the same job as a man. How much a woman has to think about her appearance, and what other people think about her, to be able to get the same succes as a man. Its really delicatly described without just shaming the man, but pointing out the duble standard of society.
And that really got to me. I felt seen as a woman.
April 29, 2024
Yazarı çok severim ama güzel olacak bir konuyu saçma sapan konularla katletmiş. Kadın karakter evli ve kocasıyla açık bir ilişki yaşıyor. Erkek karakter ise onun evli olduğunu bile bile bu kadın benim olucak diyor yani ne diyeyim sözün bittiği yer. Diğer kardeşlerden umutluyum
March 21, 2024
*audiobook
Interesting premise.
So much potential.
Clunky execution.
Horrible heroine who makes me roll my eyes with how pathetic she is, and at her weird take on what is considered cheating, and her lack of understanding, or rather her refusal to understand what an Open Marriage is...
Interesting premise.
So much potential.
Clunky execution.
Horrible heroine who makes me roll my eyes with how pathetic she is, and at her weird take on what is considered cheating, and her lack of understanding, or rather her refusal to understand what an Open Marriage is...
March 23, 2023
***AUDIOBOOK REVIEW***
4 STARS
I go back and forth we between 4 and 4.5 stars, but either way I did enjoy the book.
That being said this storyline won’t be for everyone. The heroine is on an open marriage and Holt wants her, even though she is married.
I really loved them as a couple, Laurelin Paige wrote steam that was off the charts, and she talked about some serious issues in journalism.
The narrators also did an amazing job!
4 STARS
I go back and forth we between 4 and 4.5 stars, but either way I did enjoy the book.
That being said this storyline won’t be for everyone. The heroine is on an open marriage and Holt wants her, even though she is married.
I really loved them as a couple, Laurelin Paige wrote steam that was off the charts, and she talked about some serious issues in journalism.
The narrators also did an amazing job!
May 5, 2025
"– To Sebastianowie tworzą wiadomości, Brystin. A ten kontrakt? – Unosi go jak trofeum. – Ten kontrakt oznacza, że jesteś moją własnością."
Brystin jest dziennikarką dążącą do swoich celów, która marzy o własnym programie. Obecnie pracuje w lokalnej stacji informacyjnej ze swoim mężem, Michaelem Endlichem, który również jest producentem. Są zespołem, który zamierza zrobić wszystko, żeby być na szczycie. Holt to wpływowy, pewny siebie i cholernie bogaty, w tym przystojny mężczyzna. Jako najmłodszy dyrektor generalny Sebastian News Corp chce się wykazać. Wyzwania go rozwijają i zawsze dostaje to czego chce. Kiedy spotyka Bristin, zamierza ją mieć i nie obchodzi go to, że ma męża. Na dodatek składa Bristin i Michaelowi niemoralną propozycję. Mężczyzna lubiący kontrolę, może stracić grunt na obcym terytorium. Czy nie pogubią się w tym układzie ? Czy uczucia mogą odgrywać istotniejszą rolę niż pieniądze i pozycja?
"– Proszę? – Głos mam słaby, zdyszany.
– Pokaż mi."
Moje odczucia odnośnie tej książki nie są pozytywne. Niestety jestem mega nieusatysfakcjonowana. Zacznę od głównych bohaterów. Nie będę mówić o nich z osobna, ponieważ mam podobne o nich zdanie. Rozumiałam ich tok rozumowania i ich ambicje. Natomiast główny bohater i główna bohaterka byli dla mnie zbyt płytcy. Nie zdobyli mojej sympatii, mój stosunek do nich jest obojętny, wręcz nijaki. Jeśli chodzi o Michaela, męża Bristin to w ogóle nie mam o nim zdania, bo z jednej strony miał wpływ na fabułę, a z drugiej miałam wrażenie, jakby w ogóle go nie było. Poboczni bohaterowie totalnie nie zostali wykreowani, bo chyba byli tylko po to, żeby zatkać dziury. Jeśli chodzi o relacje między Bristin i Holtem to nie odczuwałam napięcia pomiędzy nimi, nie było mi gorąco podczas ich wymiany zdań, tym bardziej spicy scen. Czułam jedynie może jakieś iskierki i tyle. A odnośnie tła historii nie widziałam tego świata przedstawionego, który stworzyła autorka.
"Zabójczy Miliarder" rozczarował mnie, nie ukrywam. Ten erotyk nie zostanie w mojej głowie na długo.
Brystin jest dziennikarką dążącą do swoich celów, która marzy o własnym programie. Obecnie pracuje w lokalnej stacji informacyjnej ze swoim mężem, Michaelem Endlichem, który również jest producentem. Są zespołem, który zamierza zrobić wszystko, żeby być na szczycie. Holt to wpływowy, pewny siebie i cholernie bogaty, w tym przystojny mężczyzna. Jako najmłodszy dyrektor generalny Sebastian News Corp chce się wykazać. Wyzwania go rozwijają i zawsze dostaje to czego chce. Kiedy spotyka Bristin, zamierza ją mieć i nie obchodzi go to, że ma męża. Na dodatek składa Bristin i Michaelowi niemoralną propozycję. Mężczyzna lubiący kontrolę, może stracić grunt na obcym terytorium. Czy nie pogubią się w tym układzie ? Czy uczucia mogą odgrywać istotniejszą rolę niż pieniądze i pozycja?
"– Proszę? – Głos mam słaby, zdyszany.
– Pokaż mi."
Moje odczucia odnośnie tej książki nie są pozytywne. Niestety jestem mega nieusatysfakcjonowana. Zacznę od głównych bohaterów. Nie będę mówić o nich z osobna, ponieważ mam podobne o nich zdanie. Rozumiałam ich tok rozumowania i ich ambicje. Natomiast główny bohater i główna bohaterka byli dla mnie zbyt płytcy. Nie zdobyli mojej sympatii, mój stosunek do nich jest obojętny, wręcz nijaki. Jeśli chodzi o Michaela, męża Bristin to w ogóle nie mam o nim zdania, bo z jednej strony miał wpływ na fabułę, a z drugiej miałam wrażenie, jakby w ogóle go nie było. Poboczni bohaterowie totalnie nie zostali wykreowani, bo chyba byli tylko po to, żeby zatkać dziury. Jeśli chodzi o relacje między Bristin i Holtem to nie odczuwałam napięcia pomiędzy nimi, nie było mi gorąco podczas ich wymiany zdań, tym bardziej spicy scen. Czułam jedynie może jakieś iskierki i tyle. A odnośnie tła historii nie widziałam tego świata przedstawionego, który stworzyła autorka.
"Zabójczy Miliarder" rozczarował mnie, nie ukrywam. Ten erotyk nie zostanie w mojej głowie na długo.
March 23, 2023
If you like misogynistic, awkward dialogue between characters that have no redeeming qualities, let alone any chemistry, this might be for you?
Brystin (LOL) is a hardworking, super dedicated, intelligent news anchor who married her senior boss to get ahead then agrees to f*** her new, sexy boss to get her own show- but don’t worry! as we’re told multiple times, she’s got lots of integrity and would never sleep her way to the top (she literally did though?)
Holt was just a creep, not a single trait of his was attractive. more like you’d be calling the cops cause wtf.
i honestly thought this book was trying to be ironically feminist at one point. what a mockery to use the story basis of women in a male dominated industry only to watch the main female character completely fall victim to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2023
she needs to bring back toxic ass men. sick of this Gloria Steinem nonsense like dpmo 😭
December 21, 2023
I've read Laurelin Paige books for nearly a decade, and, like many authors, she has her formula down: white alphahole, naive, yet mouthy white heroines, and queer, Black or POC, or otherwise marginalized person as sassy, if not inappropriate best friend. Brutal Billionaire was more of the same, but it also made me stop to wonder how much more of these types of novels can be written before we have to have a serious discussion?
There is a current uprising of women identifying as feminists or otherwise posting a lot about the ideology/framework within having a dirty secret of loving men who are rich assholes bringing women to life sexually with the carefully woven words of an author. To me, that's fine. We are allowed to have our problematic favorites and our dirty little secrets. However, we can't straddle the fence. If something is wrong, it's wrong, and we don't need to have that piece fed to us and then rationalized. A woman who isn't in a position of power being propositioned by her clout-chasing husband on behalf of her boss is not a modern depiction of an open relationship, it's a loveless marriage where a man sold his wife for a shot at fame and fortune that he wasn't able to achieve alone in his life to a man with rapey thoughts and a lot of money. At one point in time the hero even says that despite the heroine insisting on no intercourse, he could have it with her anyway and she couldn't stop him. Paige attempts to expose these things as wrong, but falls short because it's "hot" because the heroine digs it and is in a loveless marriage? So we're supposed to think this is okay and it's hot because it's a made up story?
I've noticed this specifically with Paige's most recent work, where the men become worse and worse and the women become dumber and dumber. There are cringey, nudge-nudge moments from the heroines that go something along the lines of, "I know I'm a girlboss sexually liberated femme but it's so hot when this really rich white man is scary!" and moments from the heroes that go something like, "I know I'm a rich white man and I'd get hashtag canceled, but how dare she say no to me when I'm so rich and so white?" These types of stories can exist without the insistent "it's okay"ing that the authors who write these tropes provide, where the author website has the trigger warnings but the book itself spends a lot of time saying the triggers are personally okay to the heroine, actually, because she's "messed up" with no further elaboration. Something can be wrong and hot and the book says that and doesn't make excuses for it because it is our job to tend to our triggers after all, isn't it? Not to get dragged into thinking having our triggers set off is okay.
Holt (lol) and Brystin (LOL) were both extremely unlikable, and I wasn't even really rooting for them to be together because I honestly wasn't sure where the getting-to-know-you, loving moments were lasting and beefy enough for them to settle into that space beyond the various spicy moments.
Speaking of spice, this gave 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. Paige writes great spice, that's not up for debate. But if we're going to continue to read more of the same, the story has to be captivating, too. And if something is morally gray, we don't need it beat into our heads that it's okay. We are capable of digesting morally gray things if proper care is taken.
2.5 ⭐'s
There is a current uprising of women identifying as feminists or otherwise posting a lot about the ideology/framework within having a dirty secret of loving men who are rich assholes bringing women to life sexually with the carefully woven words of an author. To me, that's fine. We are allowed to have our problematic favorites and our dirty little secrets. However, we can't straddle the fence. If something is wrong, it's wrong, and we don't need to have that piece fed to us and then rationalized. A woman who isn't in a position of power being propositioned by her clout-chasing husband on behalf of her boss is not a modern depiction of an open relationship, it's a loveless marriage where a man sold his wife for a shot at fame and fortune that he wasn't able to achieve alone in his life to a man with rapey thoughts and a lot of money. At one point in time the hero even says that despite the heroine insisting on no intercourse, he could have it with her anyway and she couldn't stop him. Paige attempts to expose these things as wrong, but falls short because it's "hot" because the heroine digs it and is in a loveless marriage? So we're supposed to think this is okay and it's hot because it's a made up story?
I've noticed this specifically with Paige's most recent work, where the men become worse and worse and the women become dumber and dumber. There are cringey, nudge-nudge moments from the heroines that go something along the lines of, "I know I'm a girlboss sexually liberated femme but it's so hot when this really rich white man is scary!" and moments from the heroes that go something like, "I know I'm a rich white man and I'd get hashtag canceled, but how dare she say no to me when I'm so rich and so white?" These types of stories can exist without the insistent "it's okay"ing that the authors who write these tropes provide, where the author website has the trigger warnings but the book itself spends a lot of time saying the triggers are personally okay to the heroine, actually, because she's "messed up" with no further elaboration. Something can be wrong and hot and the book says that and doesn't make excuses for it because it is our job to tend to our triggers after all, isn't it? Not to get dragged into thinking having our triggers set off is okay.
Holt (lol) and Brystin (LOL) were both extremely unlikable, and I wasn't even really rooting for them to be together because I honestly wasn't sure where the getting-to-know-you, loving moments were lasting and beefy enough for them to settle into that space beyond the various spicy moments.
Speaking of spice, this gave 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. Paige writes great spice, that's not up for debate. But if we're going to continue to read more of the same, the story has to be captivating, too. And if something is morally gray, we don't need it beat into our heads that it's okay. We are capable of digesting morally gray things if proper care is taken.
2.5 ⭐'s
March 23, 2023
📚📚READING EXPERIENCE📚📚
STORY REVIEW & RATING: 4 STARS
You know what’s really hard to do? Start a review where you have so many thoughts (both good and not so good), that you honestly don’t even know where to begin or what’s really relevant to review. I am all up in my thoughts and I don’t like it. Here goes …
I didn’t not like Brutal Billionaire, but there were many circumstances and plot-points that either made me raise an eyebrow or make my eye twitch. The storyline itself is executed perfectly. It didn’t drag in any place and actually kept me captivated all the way to the end. However, some of the characters actions and reactions to certain circumstances didn’t go over well with me and I didn’t understand the way they were written.
I’m only going to mention one of the circumstances because it’s the one that really made my eye twitch lol. I loved how Laurelin grew Brystin’s character and made her a woman who goes after what she wants and needs with zero apologies, until she didn’t. There’s a plot-point that takes place at around 85% in the story that in my opinion completely upturns or flips what I knew Brystin to be thus far and it was such a powerful about-face that I couldn’t help but stop reading/listening for a minute. It’s a minor circumstance when you look at the story as a whole, but maaaaaaaaaaan it fried my brain! Okay, that’s all you get because any more and I’d be spoiling things! Except one more thing … Holt was a magnificently written character that really showcased how well Laurelin writes alphaholes!!
When I read the first story in the Sebastian family, I wasn’t sure I’d appreciate it as much as I appreciated the Dirty Universe, but I now think this family is going to give those men and woman a run for their money and I cannot wait!!
🎧🎧LISTENING EXPERIENCE🎧🎧
PERFORMANCE REVIEW & RATING: 5 STARS
Jacob Morgan & Elena Wolfe (aka Andi Arndt) did a spectacular job together bringing this story to life! I have always enjoyed these two but I feel a little more for them right now. Like Jacob was born to be Holt and Elena was born to be Brystin!! I could not have asked for a better listening experience!
STORY REVIEW & RATING: 4 STARS
You know what’s really hard to do? Start a review where you have so many thoughts (both good and not so good), that you honestly don’t even know where to begin or what’s really relevant to review. I am all up in my thoughts and I don’t like it. Here goes …
I didn’t not like Brutal Billionaire, but there were many circumstances and plot-points that either made me raise an eyebrow or make my eye twitch. The storyline itself is executed perfectly. It didn’t drag in any place and actually kept me captivated all the way to the end. However, some of the characters actions and reactions to certain circumstances didn’t go over well with me and I didn’t understand the way they were written.
I’m only going to mention one of the circumstances because it’s the one that really made my eye twitch lol. I loved how Laurelin grew Brystin’s character and made her a woman who goes after what she wants and needs with zero apologies, until she didn’t. There’s a plot-point that takes place at around 85% in the story that in my opinion completely upturns or flips what I knew Brystin to be thus far and it was such a powerful about-face that I couldn’t help but stop reading/listening for a minute. It’s a minor circumstance when you look at the story as a whole, but maaaaaaaaaaan it fried my brain! Okay, that’s all you get because any more and I’d be spoiling things! Except one more thing … Holt was a magnificently written character that really showcased how well Laurelin writes alphaholes!!
When I read the first story in the Sebastian family, I wasn’t sure I’d appreciate it as much as I appreciated the Dirty Universe, but I now think this family is going to give those men and woman a run for their money and I cannot wait!!
🎧🎧LISTENING EXPERIENCE🎧🎧
PERFORMANCE REVIEW & RATING: 5 STARS
Jacob Morgan & Elena Wolfe (aka Andi Arndt) did a spectacular job together bringing this story to life! I have always enjoyed these two but I feel a little more for them right now. Like Jacob was born to be Holt and Elena was born to be Brystin!! I could not have asked for a better listening experience!
March 16, 2023
i’m a little conflicted because there were some parts of this book i really liked (*cough cough* the smut) but most of it felt dragging besides that. towards the end i did start to really enjoy holt and brystines relationship together, and then the third act breakup hit and REALLY threw me off. i think they both had pretty good character development throughout the book which i appreciated. i also just keep coming back to the fact that i have no idea what this fmc looked like at all. i didn’t know she was blonde until like 55% in and then i learned nothing else which was just… weird to me.
April 7, 2023
This is just a no for me. Open marriage or not, Brystin is a married woman. So, all the contacts, trysts between her and Holt was cheating. Period. Her ‘open marriage” to Mike did not end until literally at the end of the book. By the way, she was also having sex with the said husband. Saying the marriage was to advance both of their careers? What a cop out. LP really disappointed me with this book. She is one of my favorite authors.
March 7, 2024
4.5 Stars!
Loved it! More to follow...
Loved it! More to follow...
December 14, 2025
5 Be still my heart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was so thoroughly entertained I forgot all about my surroundings, and it’s a reread 😂
The romance between these two characters was amazing, hard but beautiful to behold❤️ They are both flawed and you have to be ok with that.
Safety readers might not trust the process, but they should, because it’s a wonderful story, realistic in its essence, and the wrap up is done to perfection 🫶 If you love romance books for the feelings it invokes in you, you will LOVE this book.
Brystin is a local news anchor, beautiful, ambitious and married to her calculated producer Michael. There is a vast age gap between between them, and he never really loved her, like she loved him. Michael used her, to get ahead with his own career.
He wanted an open marriage from the get go, and it was the one request he had when they married.
Brystin never wanted that, never took another to her bed. Her heart broke every time he did. She was young and comes from a family of neglect and abandonment, and she accepted it, as the only way to keep him. Michael took full advantage of the power dynamics in the relationship. 😈
Brystin, who is up and coming in the news world, and very talented, is up for a journalism award at Sebastian enterprises, Michael has coached and pushed her, to land a national show with them, and made her seek out the CEO to pitch the show. It would elevate himself. Michael and Brystin has separate bedrooms and he has an apartment in the city, he uses on weekends 😤
However on her way to receive the reward the elevator breaks down, and guess who is in it with her? Holt Sebastian! This is their first meeting.
The tension between them is magnetic, and no one can write tension and sexual chemistry like like LP. It oozes of the pages.
Holt is an alpha hole to an extreme extent, he is manipulating and devious, and so so hot. I love how he is written 🙌
He invites Brystin and Michael to a creative retreat at his house and Brystin is ecstatic. Her national news show is within grasp, and she lets Michael puppeteer her every move. Holt is watching this from a far.
Holt and Brystin meet quite a bit over the next few days, and he is clearly very interested in Brystin. He pursues her aggressively and compared to him, she is really quite innocent and pushes it away as nothing.
She is however very befuddled by him and is definitely attracted. But she is married to Michael.
Later that night Michael has a meeting with Holt in the library, Brystin is told to leave the room because they have things to discuss🤮 and she does so reluctantly. Holt is messing with her, to prove a point about her emotional abusive husband. Holt is playing games with both them, and Brystin is uneasy..
However when Michael comes to her room later that night, he tells her that the show is on, he got the producer job he wanted so badly, BUT if she wants to be anchor she has to go to Holts room… He is pimping her out and my rage😤.
An indecent proposal! What would she do to get the job of her dreams, and how low will her husband Michael stoop!
Brystin goes to Holt that night….
This book has an epic betrayal that I won’t spoil, lots of drama, steam💦 and grovel and yet ends up so utterly romantic, that I had a hard time breathing while finishing this story.
A shout out to my dear friend CB, Brystin went to your sex dungeon/ horny jail several times yesterday. You can invoice me later😉
Let the ride begin and believe me it is a ride. I am not going to lie, I had a hard time with Brystin the first third of the book, but she grows as a character, and it’s a glorious sight to behold.🫶
Even though this story breaks boundaries in subject matter, please stay with it because it’s so romantic and it will all make sense in the end.
Should you read it? Absolutely 💯 it’s a top 10 read for me.
It’s in dual POV, 70/30 and that’s probably a good thing, because I would have hated Holt too much if I didn’t get a little of his perspective ❤️
He is a very hot character, the best I have come across in a while, when he showed vulnerability I literally swooned 😂
Ps. The ending was OTT, but I am here for that.
I was so thoroughly entertained I forgot all about my surroundings, and it’s a reread 😂
The romance between these two characters was amazing, hard but beautiful to behold❤️ They are both flawed and you have to be ok with that.
Safety readers might not trust the process, but they should, because it’s a wonderful story, realistic in its essence, and the wrap up is done to perfection 🫶 If you love romance books for the feelings it invokes in you, you will LOVE this book.
Brystin is a local news anchor, beautiful, ambitious and married to her calculated producer Michael. There is a vast age gap between between them, and he never really loved her, like she loved him. Michael used her, to get ahead with his own career.
He wanted an open marriage from the get go, and it was the one request he had when they married.
Brystin never wanted that, never took another to her bed. Her heart broke every time he did. She was young and comes from a family of neglect and abandonment, and she accepted it, as the only way to keep him. Michael took full advantage of the power dynamics in the relationship. 😈
Brystin, who is up and coming in the news world, and very talented, is up for a journalism award at Sebastian enterprises, Michael has coached and pushed her, to land a national show with them, and made her seek out the CEO to pitch the show. It would elevate himself. Michael and Brystin has separate bedrooms and he has an apartment in the city, he uses on weekends 😤
However on her way to receive the reward the elevator breaks down, and guess who is in it with her? Holt Sebastian! This is their first meeting.
The tension between them is magnetic, and no one can write tension and sexual chemistry like like LP. It oozes of the pages.
Holt is an alpha hole to an extreme extent, he is manipulating and devious, and so so hot. I love how he is written 🙌
He invites Brystin and Michael to a creative retreat at his house and Brystin is ecstatic. Her national news show is within grasp, and she lets Michael puppeteer her every move. Holt is watching this from a far.
Holt and Brystin meet quite a bit over the next few days, and he is clearly very interested in Brystin. He pursues her aggressively and compared to him, she is really quite innocent and pushes it away as nothing.
She is however very befuddled by him and is definitely attracted. But she is married to Michael.
Later that night Michael has a meeting with Holt in the library, Brystin is told to leave the room because they have things to discuss🤮 and she does so reluctantly. Holt is messing with her, to prove a point about her emotional abusive husband. Holt is playing games with both them, and Brystin is uneasy..
However when Michael comes to her room later that night, he tells her that the show is on, he got the producer job he wanted so badly, BUT if she wants to be anchor she has to go to Holts room… He is pimping her out and my rage😤.
An indecent proposal! What would she do to get the job of her dreams, and how low will her husband Michael stoop!
Brystin goes to Holt that night….
This book has an epic betrayal that I won’t spoil, lots of drama, steam💦 and grovel and yet ends up so utterly romantic, that I had a hard time breathing while finishing this story.
A shout out to my dear friend CB, Brystin went to your sex dungeon/ horny jail several times yesterday. You can invoice me later😉
Let the ride begin and believe me it is a ride. I am not going to lie, I had a hard time with Brystin the first third of the book, but she grows as a character, and it’s a glorious sight to behold.🫶
Even though this story breaks boundaries in subject matter, please stay with it because it’s so romantic and it will all make sense in the end.
Should you read it? Absolutely 💯 it’s a top 10 read for me.
It’s in dual POV, 70/30 and that’s probably a good thing, because I would have hated Holt too much if I didn’t get a little of his perspective ❤️
He is a very hot character, the best I have come across in a while, when he showed vulnerability I literally swooned 😂
Ps. The ending was OTT, but I am here for that.
May 5, 2023
Something is mentally wrong with this author. I’m 100% judging and you’d know why if you read this.
Everything about this book was outdated and tacky.
From the lackluster romance with no emotions for us to love, the only thing that will keep you engaged is the fact that this is somewhat suspenseful and you’re reading on pins and needles waiting for the other show to drop.
I find shallowness disgusting and sad. The author’s books are always about wealthy controlling CEO’s and she goes way too in to detail about car brands and clothing brands. No one cares dude. Like read the room it’s 2023.
Obviously the heroine did everything the men in her life told to do, literally EVERYTHING 🤮🤮
And obviously the hero didn’t love her, treated her like garbage and threw her career down the drain for this own personal gain.
Again, I think Lauren Paige needs help with writing books going forward. She writes like a 90 year old writing a Harlequin novel.
The book was about her career and the CEO blackmailing her for sexual favors.
I found that to be so cheesy but why am I not surprised it’s written by Mrs Cheesy herself 🙄🙄
Get a grip! Like seriously get help. Something not write with her mental headspace.
Everything about this book was outdated and tacky.
From the lackluster romance with no emotions for us to love, the only thing that will keep you engaged is the fact that this is somewhat suspenseful and you’re reading on pins and needles waiting for the other show to drop.
I find shallowness disgusting and sad. The author’s books are always about wealthy controlling CEO’s and she goes way too in to detail about car brands and clothing brands. No one cares dude. Like read the room it’s 2023.
Obviously the heroine did everything the men in her life told to do, literally EVERYTHING 🤮🤮
And obviously the hero didn’t love her, treated her like garbage and threw her career down the drain for this own personal gain.
Again, I think Lauren Paige needs help with writing books going forward. She writes like a 90 year old writing a Harlequin novel.
The book was about her career and the CEO blackmailing her for sexual favors.
I found that to be so cheesy but why am I not surprised it’s written by Mrs Cheesy herself 🙄🙄
Get a grip! Like seriously get help. Something not write with her mental headspace.
July 31, 2025
Rating:4.5/5
Öncelikle bu kitapta kızımız evli, büyük bir kısmında da bu medeni durumu değişmiyor. Normalde bu tip kurguları sevmiyorum ama sanırım yazarın ortaya attığı "evlilik" tanımı okumamda yardımcı oldu. Son zamanlarda okuduğum en şerefsiz, ahlak yoksunu, kalpsiz erkek karakterdi. 😅 Ama eğlendim okurken. Yarım puanı kırma sebebim ilişkilerinin bir sonraki aşamasını kitabın son %10una bırakmış olmasıydı. 😅 Bence dozunda bir plot ve smut dengesi vardı. Laurelin'in Fixed serisini okumuştum daha önce. Bu seri onun kadar smut odaklı değil. Bir sevdiğim yanı gerçekçi bir dünya sunması oldu. Bu adamlar şirin,ponçik suratlı olarak milyonları kazanmadılar tabii. O yüzden bolca çıkar ilişkisi, manipülasyon var kurguda.
Öncelikle bu kitapta kızımız evli, büyük bir kısmında da bu medeni durumu değişmiyor. Normalde bu tip kurguları sevmiyorum ama sanırım yazarın ortaya attığı "evlilik" tanımı okumamda yardımcı oldu. Son zamanlarda okuduğum en şerefsiz, ahlak yoksunu, kalpsiz erkek karakterdi. 😅 Ama eğlendim okurken. Yarım puanı kırma sebebim ilişkilerinin bir sonraki aşamasını kitabın son %10una bırakmış olmasıydı. 😅 Bence dozunda bir plot ve smut dengesi vardı. Laurelin'in Fixed serisini okumuştum daha önce. Bu seri onun kadar smut odaklı değil. Bir sevdiğim yanı gerçekçi bir dünya sunması oldu. Bu adamlar şirin,ponçik suratlı olarak milyonları kazanmadılar tabii. O yüzden bolca çıkar ilişkisi, manipülasyon var kurguda.
March 23, 2023
This couple is fire! I loved it so much! I couldn’t put this book down, it was that good.
April 5, 2023
H ( and I use the term lightly) : Holt Sebastian
h : Brystin Shaw
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Series : Book 1 in the Brutal Billionaires series
Stand-alone : ✅
Cliffhanger : ❎
My Star Rating : A didn’t quite hit the mark for me 🌟🌟🌟
I’m not sure where to start with this review. While reading the book I spent the better part of my time (especially in the first half of the book) thinking WTF, especially in light of Harvey Weinstein and the “me too” movement. Ironically enough, while I was having these thoughts the book made mention of both of these.
I think that if the movie Indecent Proposal, Harvey Weinstein and the “me too”movement had a crazy threesome and produced a baby, it would be this book.
At the age of 25, Brystin Shaw fell head over heels for Michael Endlich. A man 20 years her senior. A man who doesn’t believe in love. They have an open marriage - open in the sense that Michael sleeps around, while Brystin remains faithful. They don’t wear wedding rings and go by their own surnames. So really, not much of a marriage. Michael is Brystin’s manager/producer as they are both in the news industry. This partnership (and I use the term lightly, as all the benefits seem to be one sided) seems like a good idea to further their (read Michael’s) careers.
Enter Sebastian Holt. He is the CEO of Sebastian News Corp. A highly successful, family run business. Holt needs to up their viewership and so the plot thickens, in an “Indecent Proposal” kind of way. Michael meets with Holt to negotiate and this results in Brystin and Holt entering into a transactional relationship, exchanging “favours”.
At about 500 pages, I personally felt that this book dragged on too much and became repetitive . . . And annoying. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read books that are well over a thousand pages and have enjoyed every single page, but for this book, I felt it was just too much of the same, or additional pages to include more steamy scenes.
This is the first book in the Brutal Billionaires Series and at the time of my review, had just been released. To be honest, I was drawn in at the beginning, with the forward which read as a dedication of sorts, “For all those whose feminism leaves their body when a (fictional) alpha male pushes them to their knees and says, “Good girl.”
If you give this book a chance and end up loving it, good for you, but it didn’t hit the mark for me. Having said so, I would be willing to give “Man in Charge” a go, which introduces the world of the Sebastians.
h : Brystin Shaw
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Series : Book 1 in the Brutal Billionaires series
Stand-alone : ✅
Cliffhanger : ❎
My Star Rating : A didn’t quite hit the mark for me 🌟🌟🌟
I’m not sure where to start with this review. While reading the book I spent the better part of my time (especially in the first half of the book) thinking WTF, especially in light of Harvey Weinstein and the “me too” movement. Ironically enough, while I was having these thoughts the book made mention of both of these.
I think that if the movie Indecent Proposal, Harvey Weinstein and the “me too”movement had a crazy threesome and produced a baby, it would be this book.
At the age of 25, Brystin Shaw fell head over heels for Michael Endlich. A man 20 years her senior. A man who doesn’t believe in love. They have an open marriage - open in the sense that Michael sleeps around, while Brystin remains faithful. They don’t wear wedding rings and go by their own surnames. So really, not much of a marriage. Michael is Brystin’s manager/producer as they are both in the news industry. This partnership (and I use the term lightly, as all the benefits seem to be one sided) seems like a good idea to further their (read Michael’s) careers.
Enter Sebastian Holt. He is the CEO of Sebastian News Corp. A highly successful, family run business. Holt needs to up their viewership and so the plot thickens, in an “Indecent Proposal” kind of way. Michael meets with Holt to negotiate and this results in Brystin and Holt entering into a transactional relationship, exchanging “favours”.
At about 500 pages, I personally felt that this book dragged on too much and became repetitive . . . And annoying. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read books that are well over a thousand pages and have enjoyed every single page, but for this book, I felt it was just too much of the same, or additional pages to include more steamy scenes.
This is the first book in the Brutal Billionaires Series and at the time of my review, had just been released. To be honest, I was drawn in at the beginning, with the forward which read as a dedication of sorts, “For all those whose feminism leaves their body when a (fictional) alpha male pushes them to their knees and says, “Good girl.”
If you give this book a chance and end up loving it, good for you, but it didn’t hit the mark for me. Having said so, I would be willing to give “Man in Charge” a go, which introduces the world of the Sebastians.
March 22, 2023
Sadly I didn’t like either of the main characters at all both were unlikeable
October 5, 2023
Usually I don’t rate books I dnf but I’m making an exception for this.
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