Reserved is a spicy contemporary age-gap romance about a perky entrepreneur and the brooding billionaire who always gets what he wants–and he has his sights set on her. - Grumpy/sunshine - He falls first - Insta-love - Opposites attract - Possessive MMC - Lots of spice - Guaranteed HEA
Cami In the Bay, Van Costa is synonymous with ruthless. Broody and stoic with a side of tall, dark, and fucking gorgeous, he's a savvy, successful businessman who never loses focus. So imagine my surprise when the indomitable Van Costa relentlessly pursued me after a single meeting, then fell to his knees for me the first chance he got. And he's been doing his damnedest to convince me I'm his ever since. But I have reservations–I've been used before, taken advantage of by someone I thought loved me to my core. How do I know Van won't do the same?
Van I had built my career with a single-minded focus–for myself, my business partner, and my family. But the day she waltzed into my office with her lunch trolley and a smile that lit the room, she became all I could see. Now, I'm focused on how to prove I'm worthy of a permanent role in her life and in her bed. Camellia Maria Rivera is everything I never knew I needed and definitely don't deserve. But I'm determined to pursue her–without reservation.
Reserved is the second full-length standalone in the South Bay Billionaires series. This story features a sunshine female lead and a grumpy, alphahole billionaire who only melts for her. It's medium angst, high spice, with a guaranteed happily ever after. Recommended for 18+ only.
Ashley Jacobs is a debut contemporary romance author. She loves to write alpha billionaires and the strong women they fall for. She lives in the United States with her golden retriever husband and goldendoodle. When she isn't spending time with fictional characters, she is busy hunting for the perfect croissant.
Some aspects of Reserved didn't click as well for me, but there's a lot here that did work and that I think some of my friends would enjoy. It is super sweet with some moments of tension and a bit of drama. I do think the overall lack of tension made this a slower read for me (it's so sugary and the H is pretty dang perfect). I would read another book by these authors though and the overall feel of the book is right up my alley. Content notes are at the start of the book and there's a glossary at the back for some Italian sayings.
The prologue starts with Cami (h) having just suffered a betrayal that's very vague. Then we jump into Van (H) and Cami meeting as she's delivering food from her small business as a caterer to his company. Van is a self-made, Italian American billionaire who speaks Italian and is instantly focused on and obsessed with Cami. I did like that he used the online notes section of her ordering system to tell her details about himself and ask about her. It was cute. Van's also big on personal touches, like sending flowers with handwritten notes and encouraging Cami to speak up with what she wants. Though Cami's intrigued by him, she sees a lot of differences given that he's a billionaire and she's supposed to quit her small business in less than a year to go back to her family's farm to take over (which she doesn't want to do). Their romance is adorable with date nights, caretaking, lots of mentions of making food for others, being supportive of each other, and a heck of a lot of explicit steamy times.
Van is kind of grumpy to everyone else, but I thought of him as more directly honest, and Cami's sunshiney, but conflict avoidant so pushes concerns down. It's mentioned that there's a 13 year age gap, but I don't recall specific ages mentioned. This book doesn't have miscommunication, but it has lack of communication as Cami dodges hard talks and Van believes his actions speak for themselves. Written in first person, dual POV. Tiny bits of ow/om drama but with zero interest from the h or H for anyone else, though jealousy does occur (h's ex pops up briefly, another om makes a proposition, and the H has an ow who he attended some events with show up briefly). Neither are virgins, though little direct info is given - it appeared h might have only been with her ex and H had no serious relationships but didn't seem to be a manwhore.
When they were together they were a combo of adorable and smoking hot with Van saying crazily romantic things in Italian and Cami getting treated right for the first time. They have precious nicknames for each other and he's possessive over her in a way that she likes. But Cami also spends a good bit of time questioning how they'd fit together and noticing differences instead of similarities. It was so clear how devoted Van was from the start, while Cami was thinking he must "really like her" at just over 50% lol. The delay in discussing those big picture details honestly stressed me out and I saw the conflict coming from a mile away, it was frustrating. Esp when other areas were clicking so well *ahem* bedroom, or beautiful moments like him washing her, brushing out her hair, and then lotioning her up after those bedroom activities.
Speaking of the bedroom (or other areas of a house) - these spicy scenes were awesome. There's some sensation play, lots of giving from him to her, some toy use, some firsts for her, and some cum play. They also discuss birth control and health status.
Both Cami and Van have loving support in friends and family. Cami had positive female friendships and a wide net of people who wanted to see her succeed. Van was dedicated to his family, though they're not on page as much. I do wish that we'd had scenes of Van bonding with Cami's friend group and of Cami meeting his family, the lack of these was kind of a let down. Van also had a lovely relationship with his older, widowed neighbor (who does meet Cami in a funny and cute scene) and his female business partner.
There is a third act breakup that goes back to that lack of communication, BUT there's also hard truths coming from multiple places, eye opening, and a grovel complete with going down on the knees and some tears being shed. The ending was great and the epilogue is a small jump ahead in time with a sweet HEA and very satisfying in terms of their relationship. The authors have a bonus scene through sign up to their newsletter as well. While my reader mood didn't love this as much as it could have, I feel pretty confident in recommending it to others.
Ashley and S.S. got me again 😩💚 They really know how to make you swoon in every scene. I am usually not a fan of age gap but this one is an exception. The age gap isn't drilled as a huge factor to like Van, in fact, I didn't care much of it and you will just like simply because he is charming. Cami is a loveable character and I couldn't blame her for having that reaction when Van overstepped his help. She's a strong independent woman who worked really hard to build the business that she dreams of.
There are a lot of adorable scenes here and my favorite is the rain scene because I don't expect a 40+ man on his knees under the rain to beg for forgiveness (this is his most vulnerable moment). I also love the bits of the Italian phrases being inserted during the sweet moments because it just adds flavor.
This is an insta-love (which I know isn't everyone's cup of tea) but the development of their feelings isn't forced at all. It progresses and only strengthens until the end.
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
🌸 Recieved a copy but all thoughts and opinions are my own
I have some mixed emotions on this one. I generally really enjoyed it, but there were also things that I didn’t love about it.
The best way I can describe this book is “from 0 to 100”, in all regards. That’s how the whole book felt. Like going from nothing to full throttle constantly. For me, if the pacing of this was going to work, it probably needed to be about half the length that it was. Otherwise, I think some parts could have been spaced out for optimal reading.
Giovanni/Van (H) sees Camellia/Cami (h) whilst she’s ruining her lunch cart business in his office and is instantly besotted with her. He’s a billionaire and she’s a small town girl who grew up on a farm, so Cami is a bit more reserved about their compatibility, but ultimately gives in to his pursuit of her. From here, the book is mostly just them dating without much conflict. This started off sweet, but by 10% in I started to question how they had these feelings about each other when they were still literal strangers. Basically, it was pretty “Insta-love” when I wasn’t really anticipating it. They hadn’t made any connection beyond the physical yet, so it felt premature and under-developed.
Van clearly stated that he has only had relationships that served his professional interests in the past, where they were essentially contractual, but he gave no real reason why this might be the case. I suppose being a workaholic was the reason. He also didn’t really specify what it was about Cami that made him immediately switch from the way his past “arrangements” (gag) worked, to a full-blown serious relationship with her. It would have been nice to hear about his feelings beyond “I’ve never felt like this before” in that first 40% of the book, especially when their relationship had moved SO fast.
For someone who was so pushy about open communication, Van’s lack of that exact thing towards the third-act really frustrated me. It was so inconsistent with his character, I actually understood why Cami was so confused and hurt by it. It felt jarring to be reading his hurtful actions when there wasn’t much of a basis for it up until that point.
What I really liked in this book was the strong friendship between Cami and Preston. They were so supportive of each other, whilst still being able to dish out tough love when necessary. Their relationship warmed my heart. I was also glad that Cami’s sister was able to have an open conversation with her about Cami’s lack of communication with her family about what she wants. She really needed a wake up call.
I loved the grovel and felt it sufficiently made up for the third-act break up. I mean, he gets on his knees and cries! Who could resist that? They both had to come to terms with some of their less endearing qualities to work through and come out stronger. I enjoyed Van’s possessiveness and caretaker attitude, and there were so many great scenes of this. I love a man who likes to spoil his girl, and Van was definitely that. He knew what he wanted and he was relentless in his pursuit. The spicy scenes were also very hot! Ultimately, whilst it was a little under-developed for me in the beginning, I believed in this romance and their HEA.
Safety: No virgins. For the h it had been a while. H didn’t give off complete manwhore vibes (he does mention multiple times that sex was transactional for him) but he also stated that he went and got tested for STD’s the day after he met her, so do with that what you will. Om drama - from h’s ex in one scene but she doesn’t want him back and it’s mostly just jealousy. Ow drama - from a brief run-in with an ow who the H had an “arrangement” with in the past, causes insecurity for the h as he shuts down her concerns without letting her express her emotions first. He was trying to help but ended up invalidating her feelings.
I received this as an ARC, and my thoughts are honest and my own.
I am at a loss for words. This book had me in its grip and wouldn't let me go. And I am very okay with that! This is the perfect fluffy romance that I didn't know I needed but now just want more.
Let's start with the FMC. Her name is Cami. She is a small catering business owner who is so kind and loving even and brightens up any room she is in. But don't let that fool you she has the same kind of anxiety when it comes to her worth that I feel we all can relate to. Her growth in this book was amazing, and I loved every second of it.
The MMC is Costa, a possessive, sweet, shithead Italian that falls first, and boy does he fall. I want my own Costa now, haha. He wants what is best for Cami and wants to make all her dreams come true. I found it so frikken cute how he first interacts with Cami.
I would have loved to see the first meeting between Costa's mum and Cami. But honestly, that is just because I didn't want the book to end. I loved all the characters in this book, especially Cece and Duke.
This book is one to read when you want your heart to explode with love and pure fluffiness. I am so glad that I have gotten the opportunity to read it before it is released. So do yourself a favour, make sure you read this book! I know I can not wait to read more from these authors!
*Please note this is book 2 in a series but is a standalone*
ARC Review Thank you so much to these two lovely authors for giving me an ARC copy of Reserved. I absolutely loved this story, and I can't wait to read Arrived (i know going kinda backwards)
Van (Giovanni) falls for Camellia, so God damn hard. It takes hearing her laugh once, and he is smitten. He comes off as extremely grumpy to everyone he meets, but Camellia brought out a whole new side to him, and he was so loving whenever she was around.
Cami (Camellia) is one of the most hardworking fmc's I have seen in a while. She built her catering business from scratch and made it into a community.
I lover seeing the stages of their relationship grow more and more as the story progressed. It was such a sweet Billionaire Romance and I loved it, and the spice was like no other, I lived for whenever it happened and it always felt like the book was on fire due to how much chemistry they had.
And I absolutely loved the grovelling in this book, like I would love a man to do what Van did for Cami.
I will also say that the cover is so beautiful and I just love looking at it. Like that sells me on the book alone, and the fact the plot was perfect just makes it even better.
I loved all of the tropes in this book: ☆ He falls first and hard ☆ Grumpy x Sunshine ☆ Age gap ☆ Billionaire Romance ☆ Opposites attract ☆ Possessive MMC
I loved it when Van would say anything to Cami in Italian it just made me weak at the knees, so I thought I would share my favourite quotes.
"Ti amo oggi più di ieri ma meno di domani." - I love you today more than yesterday but less than tomorrow.
"'Who even are you, Giovanni Costa?' She whispered." “Il tuo futuro marito.” - Your future husband.
This book broke me, it then proceeded to put me back together again. I laughed, I got mad and I bawled, happy and sad tears. The immediate chemistry between van and cami 🥵. Van building cami’s confidence was so absolutely sweet and had me melting. The spice is fantastic 🥵🥵🔥🔥. I can’t think of a single thing i didn’t like about this book. The Italian terms of endearment had me in a puddle!
I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am not being compensated in any way by the author for my honest review of this book.
This book was so sweet. I received and advanced copy and im so glad I did. These authors are new to me and didn't disappoint. I cannot wait to see what more they come out with. Daddy Van dished out the spice in spades. And who doesn't love it when a man falls first. The third party break up didn't annoy me as it helped develop the characters and plot, so was used well. Love a good spicy story that actually has character development with its spice.
This story has some of my favorite tropes. Age gap ✅ Rich ✅ He falls first ✅ and the list goes on. I really enjoyed the story of Camila and Giovanni.
Giovanni was the rich successful bachelor who wasn’t good at expressing his feelings and had never had a serious relationship. Cami was the shy timid young woman who grew up with nothing on a farm and who was afraid to tell others what she wanted and planned on making everyone else happy but herself. The two couldn’t be more opposite. But what’s the saying “opposites attract?” 😉
From day one this man knew he had to have Cami as his own and we love that.. at least in books. She immediately turned him down but he was relentless in getting her attention and she eventually said yes to a date. Seeing their relationship bloom really made my heart swell with joy that they both found someone that they deserved.
Van, Van, Van. He has easily made it to the top of my book boyfriends list. And not with his money but with his actions and his filthy mouth 🥵 The aftercare, left me in a gigantic puddle and I was here for it. Ohhh and who could forget his Italian?? 🥵 Sign me up!!
Another point that I really loved was the friendship between Preston and Cami. We all need that best friend who tells us we’re awesome and also tells us when we’re being ridiculous and Preston was that best friend. I really loved their relationship and how she kept Cami grounded and told her to stop doubting herself and chase her dreams.
I was so proud towards the end when Cami found her voice and stood up for herself. Always make the man grovel!! And boy did Van grovel!! 🤤🥵
I could go on forever but my final thoughts are.. this book was amazing and I’m so glad I read it!!
This is second book in the South Bay Billionaires series, but can be read as standalone. . Ti amo oggi più di ieri ma meno di domani. – I love you more today than yesterday but less than tomorrow. . This is the sweetest billionaire romance book with some of my fave tropes. Van and Cami are so cute! It’s an insta love, age gap, he falls first story. He is grumpy to anyone else but for her he is sunshine. Cami is chef and she made a career for herself and I loved that she is so passionate about her work. Her character building was great and I loved how she finally stood up for herself. And Van I loved how he interacted with her (golden retriever vibes) he is protective but he also cares deeply for Cami and people close to his heart. The man has a dog and can cook! What else could girl wish for 🥰
Tropes: 🍪Insta love 🍪Billionaire romance 🍪Age gap 🍪He falls first
Thank you so much to the authors for providing this ARC for my honest thoughts 💞
The love between Van (MMC) an older billionaire and Cami (MFC) a young caterer is incredible. But as we all know relationships are tough sometimes, and due to some lack of communication, some mistakes are made, hearts get broken, so they must figure out how to communicate and to navigate through their issues. Cami has to finally find her voice and speak up for herself and finally realize her worth and put her wants first and it’s so empowering. There’s also a good amount of spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️ as well! And the storyline is great!
This book was a great read! I couldn’t put it down! Cause I just kept needing to know what happens next…I read it in just a few hours time and I highly recommend it! Beautifully Written! Can’t wait for the next book!!
THIS BOOK! 😍 I received an ARC copy of this book. I hadn’t read the first book in the series, so I wasn’t sure what j was getting myself into. After reading the first book (and loving it), I immediately jumped into Reserved. It was so good! Cami is a 20-something caterer on borrowed time, living in the Bay. Van is a 40s+ established businessman. Their meet~cute happens while Cami is delivering lunch in Van’s office and the flames start burning from there. Van is *smitten* from the beginning. Cami is dealing with a growing business, a stealing ex, and parents who are pushing her in the opposite directions of her dreams. You definitely don’t want to skip out on this book! Thank you Ashley + SS for the ARC!
ARC Review: I really enjoyed this book. I am usually a dark dark girlie and this was the perfect palate cleanser. Billionaire MMC, hot as HELL, but he’s not over the top. NORMAL FMC WHICH I LOVED. You quickly fall for the love they have for each other. It’s realistic, the characters are relatable, it’s a quick read and has all those romance feels. It was super refreshing to have that “this could actually happen” type of story in a short sweet little package. There is potential for some additions or explanations here and there, but I don’t think they were necessary - just my series reader mind wanting more. I would love a blurb on Van and the plums!! I look forward to reading the rest of these as they come out when I need a little break from the dark side.
🌶️🌶️ (the spicy scenes are spicy, but the book isn’t over loaded with them) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had the amazing opportunity to be on the ARC Team for this book!
The love between Giovanni (the MMC) and Camillia (the FMC) is absolutely amazing.
Watching Cami grow throughout the story was an absolute pleasure. She finally finds her voice, finally realizing that she is worth fighting for, and her future is worth standing up for.
First of all, Giovanni is an absolute golden retriever from the jump. The perfect example of “he falls first”. I loved his love for her from the jump. Giovanni learning to step back and listen was also wholesome.
The groveling was exquisite. The spice was phenomenal.
Definitely a 5 ⭐️ read for me and one of my favorite love stories I’ve read this year. 4 🌶️ in my opinion. I sincerely loved this book and can’t wait for the next one 🫶🏼
This book was so good!! I haven't been having much time and this book made it super hard for me to put it down... Here is a list of some of my favorite things about it with quotes to back it up:
• Cami and Preston's friendship! Everyone should have a Preston in their life and I cannot wait for her book!!! "You're one of the top private chefs and caterers in the Bay, bitch. You haven't been small town in years." - Preston 🤩
• Van declaring his love in Italian!! I mean, there's just something about a man showing love in another language... I just couldn't stop swooning! "Senza di lei, lamia vita non avrebbe senso." - Van (translation: without her, my life would be meaningless) 🥹
• Cami's growth throughout the story! I mean she took her time and sometimes I did get a bit frustrated with her lack of communication skills, but with the help of others, she got there and it was truly amazing to see her standing up for herself!! "I wanted to tell it was all behind us, but the vow I made to myself to own my future was ever-present in my mind." 👸🏻
• Last but not least, Van's dirty mouth was just too good!! The spice in this book had me drooling.... I'll be saving some of these scenes for the future!!! "I've fucking dreamed about this mouth. Can't wait to feel you swallow around me while you come." 🫠
I seriously recommend this book and this series to everyone!!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Jacobs and Rich have done it again, and as promised, this billionaire was hotter and dirtier than the previous (which I didn't think possible at the time, but happily proven wrong!)
I loved this book, honestly so much more than the first in the series. This he-falls-first (and hard), age gap, "I'd do anything for her" story ticked all the boxes, and definitely left me wishing for a Giovanni of my own.
Cami is such a sweet, strong, independent woman who knows what she wants and will do anything to follow her dream. I loved watching her grow as an entrepreneur throughout the story, as well as growing as a character as a whole.
Giovanni (Van, Gio), the man who just wants to take care of someone. A true Italian in this sense. He's ambitious, he's handsome, and JFC that mouth on him (both with Italian and in the bedroom). And a doggo sidekick, too? I can see why Cami fell for him.
Together they're explosive. Like, seriously hot stuff. The ups and downs they face together were great; they're just normal people with normal people issues. Whilst I felt for Cami when it hit the fan, I was so so happy to see Van grovelling in the way he did (and not gonna lie, I think that scene brought a tear to my eye, too).
That epilogue was *chefs kiss*. I never knew I needed that for these two until I read it.
This is book two, but can definitely be read as a standalone. And I'm secretly hoping for Preston's story next - but looking forward to more from these authors no matter where their books lead.
RESERVED is the second book in the South Bay Billionaires series.
⭐️Grumpy/sunshine ⭐️He falls first ⭐️Insta-love ⭐️Opposites attract ⭐️Possessive MMC ⭐️Guaranteed HEA
My thoughts: I love a good grumpy/sunshine Mmc and Van doesn't disappoint 👌 I love how he is so head overheels for our girl Cami ❤️ I didn't enjoy how the issues that Cami was facing were so drawn out though. That could be the I hate slow burns part of me coming out though. 😅 That being said I enjoyed Cami and Van and I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good Grumpy/Sunshine Mmc and their book men possessive 😍
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cami In the Bay, Van Costa is synonymous with ruthless. Broody and stoic with a side of tall, dark, and fucking gorgeous, he's a savvy, successful businessman who never loses focus. So imagine my surprise when the indomitable Van Costa relentlessly pursued me after a single meeting, then fell to his knees for me the first chance he got. And he's been doing his damnedest to convince me I'm his ever since. But I have reservations–I've been used before, taken advantage of by someone I thought loved me to my core. How do I know Van won't do the same?
Van I had built my career with a single-minded focus–for myself, my business partner, and my family. But the day she waltzed into my office with her lunch trolley and a smile that lit the room, she became all I could see. Now, I'm focused on how to prove I'm worthy of a permanent role in her life and in her bed. Camellia Maria Rivera is everything I never knew I needed and definitely don't deserve. But I'm determined to pursue her–without reservation
I had the opportunity to be an advanced reader for this book, thank you authors, and this is the first time I’ve been able to have an ARC so I was very excited.
When I started this book, I wasn’t sure what I would think of it. I’m not a big fan of insta-romance and I mostly read dark romance with lots of angst and f’ed up events and characters, however, I was ready for a palate cleanser and needed something lighthearted. This book is a fluffy and steamy romance and it was honestly refreshing to read something that was wholesome and sweet.
Cami is the definition of a ray of sunshine, super sweet and kind to everyone around her, but she lacks self confidence when it comes to believing that she is worthy of things. I love her character, she’s so wholesome and sweet it’s hard not to love her.
Van, I’ll be honest, the first few chapters I didn’t care for him because much like side characters in the book, I thought he was a bit of an asshole and didn’t care for the alpha male vibe he gave off. Turns out he’s not, he’s stoic on the inside but very much a golden retriever and a simp, but only when it comes to Cami. But also sometimes Cece and his mom, but that’s only adds bonus points. We love a man that respects and loves his mom and old ladies.
I’ll be honest, this book started out a bit slow until about the 20% mark, but it picked up and I got hooked. Definitely worth the read if you like:
This has to be the absolute sweetest billionaire romance I have read this year🥺
Van (short for Giovanni) is a god damn simp for Cami and I was here for every second for it. Van may come off as grumpy/stern but he is a golden retriever when it comes to our FMC. I mean this man took one look at her and instantly fell head over heels and knew she was the woman for him🫶🏼
I absolutely adored Cami, she’s a hardworking individual who built her catering business from the ground up, she worked day in day out to make it a success🙏🏻 And it is through her business that she meets Van when she drops off the lunch orders to his office.
This book is the first book I have read by the authors and it has an interesting plot and the perfect amount of spice to keep your attention captured🫶🏼
Tropes: - He falls first and hard - Grumpy x Sunshine - Opposites Attract - Billionaire Romance - Possessive MMC
Thank you so much to the authors for providing this e-arc for my honest thoughts✨
This BOOK!!!😍 I was hooked from the first chapter, as was Van(Gio). Van is a sexy Italian successful businessman and Cami is an adorable SUCCESSFUL (thank you very much!!!) woman with her own healthy kitchen! Van heard her laugh as she was delivering his employees their lunch and was instantly drawn to her. He HAD to have her, and what Van wants he gets🤭
Let’s take a moment for the grovelling Van does also👏🏻👏🏻 the grovelling was perfection and I am so glad we got to witness this sexy man literally BEG Cami. (He also calls her his queen.. IN ITALIAN!!!!)
I loved Van and Cami so much. The spice, the interactions AND THE ITALIAN😩🥵 so so glad I got the opportunity to read this book I loved it so much!! Also, that EPLIOGUE😭 had me so emotional it’s not even funny😭😂 I need more Van and Cami!!!!
I had the pleasure of receiving this book early as part of an ARC team. The following is my honest review.
Cami, our FMC, is a talented chef/caterer who happens to catch Van’s, Giovanni (our MMC), eye while delivering lunch to the staff in his building. He is immediately caught up in her beauty and her carefree spirit. Van is very clear about his attraction to Cami and immediately starts to pursue her. It takes Cami a bit to feel comfortable with this attention. Cami finds herself leaning to speak up for herself as well as learning how to let others put her first since she’s so used to caring for those around her and shuttering at their appreciation. Van is very much a part of Cami’s journey but like most in love, makes some mistakes. Van and Cami must navigate communication, emotions and love. This is a beautifully written story, with some great spice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Billionaire Caterer Instalove Age Gap He Falls First
This is the second book in the South Bay Billionaires series, but can be read as a standalone.
When I first started this one, I wasn't quite sure if I was going to like it because of the instalove, but as the story progressed, I started loving it more and more. I adored Cami. I love that she had made a career for herself and was so passionate about the work and helping her local community. Her personal growth throughout the story was so good and I was so glad that she was finally able to stand up for herself. Then there is Van, I loved him. He gives off major golden retriever vibes, as he is fiercely protective, but also so caring, almost to the point of it being too much, plus he speaks Italian which for me is always a bonus hah.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🔥🔥.5
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review
The PERFECT billionaire romance book. Perfect for readers who enjoy Ana Huang’s books.❤️
I was lucky enough to receive an arc copy of this incredible book, which is the second in the series but can be read as a standalone.🤭
Van is my new book boyfriend. He is everything we all deserve in a partner and his grovelling in the end is top tier.🔥
Cami is such a ray of sunshine.☀️ I absolutely adored her throughout the book. She is so strong and Van shows her how she deserves to be treated after her horrible ex. Their relationship was just everything and so was the side characters! There were so many laugh out loud moments that made me enjoy the book so much more.😂
✨Definitely recommend if you enjoy:
~Billionaire romance ~Dual pov ~Grumpy x sunshine ~He’s soft but only for her. ~Age gap romance ~Insta love ~He falls first and harder
"The light you share is only so bright because you are the sun.”
💸Billionaire Romance 💸Groveling 💸Age Gap 💸Grumpy/Sunshine 💸Possesssive/Jealous 💸Insta love
Reserved by Ashley Jacob's and S.S. Rich 4⭐️|4🌶
“I love you more today than yesterday but less than tomorrow.”
I need to start off by saying right now that I think these were some of the best spicy scenes I have read. They weren't rushed. They were descriptive without the cringe and creative! It wasnt the same scene repeated. I don't typically give 4 🌶, but this truly deserves it. Van is an Italian Billionaire who's fallen at 1st sight. Cami was just making her lunch delivery rounds from her own business "Camillas Kitchen", when he saw her. Will Van's possessiveness make them or break them???
Ch 22 ⚠️⚠️🌶🌶🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 “It means–” he thrust into my mouth, then withdrew, thrusting back in with the first word, “no woman has ever been so perfect.”
I was incredibly grateful to receive an Advanced copy of this book and to give my honest, voluntary review. 🙏 🩷
Another great book by Ashely Jacobs and S.S. Rich! Van and Cami are a couple that not only give you the warm and fuzzies by the end, but they show a level of growth not usually seen in romance novels. There is an emotional growth and maturity that I truly appreciate and love. Plus, Van and his level of devotion to those he loves is perfection.
While this book can be considered a stand-alone, this universe is shaping up to be one of my favorite romance universes. I do wish there were more appearance of Parker and LB together in this book, I loved their significance in each of the nee characters' lives.
ARC review This book was sooo good! The spice was perfect…the plot was intriguing. I COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN!! I have never read any of Ashley Jacob’s books before, but I sure will now! The perfect fast paced book I needed!
Cami and Van are the perfect match…despite their age difference. I was pleased that it didn’t play a huge role in the book, just mentioned a couple times. The 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🌶️ was absolutely perfect.
And the ending? When he found out she was expecting their child I might have shed a couple tears 😭. I don’t know how you made me fall in love with the characters so fast!
I wouldn’t mind a sequel to this with their kids and Cami meeting Van Costas family since he met hers 🤷🏻♀️ but that’s entirely because I fell in love with both of them and want more!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
First off, thank you to these 2 wonderful authors for giving me an ARC of this book. This was a great story! I am probably going to read the 1st book now (a little backwards haha).
This book has multiple POVs, the male and female main characters. It is quick and easy to read.
This starts out with the MMC instantly falling for the FMC really hard. The MMC, Van, is an Italian billionaire. He instantly falls hard for FMC, Cami, after just hearing her laugh. You see Cami grow as a character and find her voice.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 The spice was a little more than what I prefer. I would say it is very well done though!! But the romance was cute, and there is a storyline, not just all spice.
* He Falls First * Grumpy Sunshine * Billionaire * Jealous/Possessive MMC * Age Gap * Insta-Love * Strong FMC
Ooweee this book was HOT HOT. You got your billionaire alpha male who is possessive and older, and Cami, who’s sunshine and a hard worker and out of a toxic relationship. She’s finally being treated right and spoiled with love. And all those Italian sweet nothings… Get it girl. This one is a great read for those who want a steamy book, like age gap romances, billionaire romances, and possessive MMC. It’s insta love but not in the way that normally makes me cringe. It’s more of he knows what he wants and he goes for it; she’s a little more reserved about it, which makes it a He Falls First romance, but they take on pretty quickly.
I loved this book so much there’s so many different reasons I liked it so much. The age gap was barely noticeable honestly with how amazing these characters were. The way cami was so independent and confident was truly something great to see and van was so incredibly easy to love! With how vulnerable he could be and how compassionate he was with cami. Also the Italian phrases was had butterflies in my stomach….. I loved it