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Bad Boys & Wallflowers #3.5
The Bad Boy Billionaire: What a Girl Wants
The third installment of a sexy, whirlwind romance about a modern-day heroine writing historical novels based on her romantic misadventures with the Bad Boy Billionaire.
Jane Sparks had it all … almost.
Everyone knew that Jane Sparks had been dumped by her high school sweetheart and fired from her job, which is why she was really looking forward to attending her high school reunion as a successful romance novelist—with her hot billionaire boyfriend as a date. But a violent encounter with her ex-boyfriend changed everything.
Duke Austen was the luckiest guy in town … almost.
Duke Austen is a blue-eyed charmer with a bad-boy reputation and ambitious plans for his future—after two failed startups, this tech entrepreneur is about to celebrate the 20-billion-dollar IPO of his company—but it no longer matters when the woman he loves has been hurt. Stranded in his apartment during a hurricane, without power, they must rebuild their trust … and fall in love all over again.
Just when they have it all figured out, Jane and Duke are forced to decide what matters more: facing her past or celebrating his successful future.
Jane Sparks had it all … almost.
Everyone knew that Jane Sparks had been dumped by her high school sweetheart and fired from her job, which is why she was really looking forward to attending her high school reunion as a successful romance novelist—with her hot billionaire boyfriend as a date. But a violent encounter with her ex-boyfriend changed everything.
Duke Austen was the luckiest guy in town … almost.
Duke Austen is a blue-eyed charmer with a bad-boy reputation and ambitious plans for his future—after two failed startups, this tech entrepreneur is about to celebrate the 20-billion-dollar IPO of his company—but it no longer matters when the woman he loves has been hurt. Stranded in his apartment during a hurricane, without power, they must rebuild their trust … and fall in love all over again.
Just when they have it all figured out, Jane and Duke are forced to decide what matters more: facing her past or celebrating his successful future.
144 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 13, 2014
22 people are currently reading
540 people want to read
About the author
Maya Rodale
46 books1,624 followersMaya Rodale is the best-selling and award-winning author of funny, feminist fiction including historical romance, YA and historical fiction. A champion of the romance genre and its readers, she is also the author of Dangerous Books For Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels, Explained. Maya reviews romance for NPR and has appeared in Bustle, Glamour, Shondaland, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post and PBS. She began reading romance novels in college at her mother’s insistence and has never been allowed to forget it.
Sign up for her newsletter at www.mayarodale.com/newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
May 19, 2014
Rather enjoyed these modern romances alongside their historical counterparts. I wasn't sure in the beginning how this would work or if I would like it, but Maya Rodale did a good job and I found myself eagerly awaiting their releases. They were smart, sexy and fun and had me smiling and laughing. I would have liked an epilogue in this final contemporary romance or had a bit longer as the final grand gesture was a little too grand. Overall, really enjoyed this series and can't wait for the final historical (What a Wallflower Wants).
May 12, 2014
Bad Boy Billionaire's- What a Girl Wants- Bad Boys and Wallflowers 3.5- by Maya Rodale is a 2014 Avon Impulse publication. I was provided a copy of this book from Avon and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This installment in the Bad Boy Billionaire e-series takes a walk on the dark side. For some time Sam has been a loose end for Jane. Now that Jane has a bright future ahead of her and her relationship with Duke is becoming more and more serious, Sam is having second thoughts about the break up. He calls Jane and asked her to meet him for a drink. Trying to a friend, Jane heads off to meet Sam with a deadly hurricane forcasted to strike any time. The hurricane won't be the only dangerous storm Jane will encounter for the night is over.
The most stressful thing in Jane's life ,as the book begins ,is a conflict between her class reunion and an event Duke must attend. Each wants the other to accompany them to their respective obligations, but they are scheduled for the same night. When Jane heads out in the approaching hurricane to meet Sam things will take on a much darker tone. The issues of violence against women is brought to the surface and I think it just goes to show how common these occurances are and how seldom they are talked about or reported. This theme is also explored in the "Wallflower" series which is the historical romance version of this story.
Thankfully, Jane has a very awesome boyfriend and the story will bounce back to more lighthearted topics as Duke and Jane are determined to compromise about their scheduling conflict. This part was so GOOD!! I can't say more than that, but I can tell you it is the stuff dreams are made of . Five stars!!
This installment in the Bad Boy Billionaire e-series takes a walk on the dark side. For some time Sam has been a loose end for Jane. Now that Jane has a bright future ahead of her and her relationship with Duke is becoming more and more serious, Sam is having second thoughts about the break up. He calls Jane and asked her to meet him for a drink. Trying to a friend, Jane heads off to meet Sam with a deadly hurricane forcasted to strike any time. The hurricane won't be the only dangerous storm Jane will encounter for the night is over.
The most stressful thing in Jane's life ,as the book begins ,is a conflict between her class reunion and an event Duke must attend. Each wants the other to accompany them to their respective obligations, but they are scheduled for the same night. When Jane heads out in the approaching hurricane to meet Sam things will take on a much darker tone. The issues of violence against women is brought to the surface and I think it just goes to show how common these occurances are and how seldom they are talked about or reported. This theme is also explored in the "Wallflower" series which is the historical romance version of this story.
Thankfully, Jane has a very awesome boyfriend and the story will bounce back to more lighthearted topics as Duke and Jane are determined to compromise about their scheduling conflict. This part was so GOOD!! I can't say more than that, but I can tell you it is the stuff dreams are made of . Five stars!!
May 14, 2014
Meh.
June 14, 2023
Duke Austen is engaged to Jane Sparks.
Tuh dari nama leadnya aja udah bisa nebak inspirasinya.
Mbanya penulis HR masnya billioner, mereka fake dating for their own gain-lah ceritanya. Trus mbanya dapet undangan reuni, trus mantan pacarnya minta ketemu trus hampir mo dirape. Trus tiba-tiba ada doomsday vibe karena kotanya kena badai, jadi lumpuh total. Mbanya membandingkan dengan Elizabeth Bennet aja kuat kemana-mana jalan.
Trus ya abis kota lumpuh total, tuh reuni masih berlangsung dong. hahahaha..
Tuh dari nama leadnya aja udah bisa nebak inspirasinya.
Mbanya penulis HR masnya billioner, mereka fake dating for their own gain-lah ceritanya. Trus mbanya dapet undangan reuni, trus mantan pacarnya minta ketemu trus hampir mo dirape. Trus tiba-tiba ada doomsday vibe karena kotanya kena badai, jadi lumpuh total. Mbanya membandingkan dengan Elizabeth Bennet aja kuat kemana-mana jalan.
Trus ya abis kota lumpuh total, tuh reuni masih berlangsung dong. hahahaha..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2014
If you look at my two reviews for the previous installments here and here I thought it started out kind of promising and then wasn't thrilled with the second part. I wasn't sure if I was going to finish the series, but honestly I don't know what keeps bringing me back. Maybe there's some subconscious thing bringing me back. But it's a novella and I thought ok, I can finish it.
And well I thought it was a bit better. I think I'll be staying with Rodale's historical novels though.
In the third and final installment of the modern interpretation of the historical Wallflowers series it's a lot darker. Jane and Duke are finally together, but the drama stems from Jane's attack. I think I was a bit surprised at how dark it turned. The other two installments were rather fluffy and flirty, but it really excelled and there was some meaningful moments with Duke after the fact.
I think perhaps because I lived through Hurricane Sandy I wasn't thrilled reading about it pretty much verbatim. From the explosion of the power station, to no electricity below 39th street and to the building facade collapse on 14th street I wasn't thrilled that it was the exact things that happened. In a way, kudos to Rodale for keeping it factual - like these things actually happened. I LOLed when Duke mentioned he didn't want to venture beyond 14th street. It's a true New Yorker trait to not want to go above a certain block.
Like her previous novellas, she uses excerpts from her historicals. I think it's fine if it highlights what's going on in the story. But really the scene she chooses does not elevate or speak about the modern interpretation.
That said though, it was nice closure for the characters. I'm actually really interested in reading the third novel when it comes out because I love the angst.
And well I thought it was a bit better. I think I'll be staying with Rodale's historical novels though.
In the third and final installment of the modern interpretation of the historical Wallflowers series it's a lot darker. Jane and Duke are finally together, but the drama stems from Jane's attack. I think I was a bit surprised at how dark it turned. The other two installments were rather fluffy and flirty, but it really excelled and there was some meaningful moments with Duke after the fact.
I think perhaps because I lived through Hurricane Sandy I wasn't thrilled reading about it pretty much verbatim. From the explosion of the power station, to no electricity below 39th street and to the building facade collapse on 14th street I wasn't thrilled that it was the exact things that happened. In a way, kudos to Rodale for keeping it factual - like these things actually happened. I LOLed when Duke mentioned he didn't want to venture beyond 14th street. It's a true New Yorker trait to not want to go above a certain block.
Like her previous novellas, she uses excerpts from her historicals. I think it's fine if it highlights what's going on in the story. But really the scene she chooses does not elevate or speak about the modern interpretation.
That said though, it was nice closure for the characters. I'm actually really interested in reading the third novel when it comes out because I love the angst.
September 16, 2015
Finally a book I liked and didn't want to throw against the wall! I am reading a lot of stuff this week that is boring and mirthless. This book made my day!!
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
February 8, 2021
Sweet, Witty and Sexy…
Regency Era and Modern Day meet in a romance series featuring dashing rogues and the wallflowers who love them.
Librarian Jane finds herself engaged via Facebook Status Update to a man to whom she has yet to be properly introduced – the wickedly arrogant and devastatingly sexy tech bad-boy billionaire Duke Austen.
What starts out as pretend soon becomes more unaccountably real than anything that either of them have known before...
Regency Era and Modern Day meet in a romance series featuring dashing rogues and the wallflowers who love them.
Librarian Jane finds herself engaged via Facebook Status Update to a man to whom she has yet to be properly introduced – the wickedly arrogant and devastatingly sexy tech bad-boy billionaire Duke Austen.
What starts out as pretend soon becomes more unaccountably real than anything that either of them have known before...
~ Deanaera's Bloggy Book Bites
August 26, 2017
Just when Jane's life is all coming together (except for some pesky writer's block), something very unfortunate happens involving her ex-boyfriend Sam. Now in most romance books, she would push her current boyfriend Duke away and leave him wondering why the sudden change as she alienates herself from him and others. Happily, that is not the case here. Jane, although traumatized, acts like an adult with actual communication skills and figures out the best way to work through her feelings. Which is to write about them using fictional characters, duh. More billionaire-aided shenanigans lead to a happy ending. 3.5 stars.
December 11, 2017
I liked the first two parts of the story better than this. I still wanted to know what happens and while I think the whole premise was interesting, I had issues with the book. Duke was just a bit too perfect and everything was wrapped up a bit too neatly. I think part of the problem was the length of the book, but an assault is a huge issue and I felt that while the book does take it seriously, it was shown a bit too black and white and dealt with a bit too fast. So, points for effort, but the execution was a bit too far off from perfect.
October 12, 2019
Die Story war süß, aber wie das Romanschreiben dargestellt wird, macht mich aggressiv. I'm sorry, man schreibt keinen Viertelroman innerhalb einer Nacht, in der man die Idee hatte! Überarbeitung wird zwar erwähnt, aber es werden tatsächliche Auszüge aus dem fertigen Produkt als erste Fassungen hingestelkt. Grrr.
February 6, 2018
I felt that this book took a really serious topic and let it go too easily. I wish that novel 3 of the wallflowers had been combined with this one so that you had Prudence’s solution, but Duke Austen’s ending. I loved that part. The end was great!
September 18, 2021
This is the really serious one of the three, dealing with the trauma of a sexual assault and Jane learning to move forward into a life with the guy and the career she wants. Still some funny and quirky moments to ease the very real and emotional parts.
June 5, 2017
Did not like this installment of the book at all think that it could have moved along into the HEA without it.
May 2, 2016
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
The Bad Boy Billionaire: What A Girl Wants is the third installment about a modern day woman who writes historical romance novels. Maya Rodale has written not only three installments about the author Jane Sparks, but she has also written the three historical romance stories to go along with these books. I like that this series gives you both the modern and the historical, and that you have the opportunity to read Jane's books as well. I think this is a really cool series, and such a unique idea. I didn't really know what I was getting into before starting this book, and I hadn't read any of the other stories before starting this book. I didn't have a problem though, and this one was easily read as a standalone. I do think that reading these books in order would be the better way to go though, and would be a much better experience for the reader. I still really enjoyed this short and sweet story though, and after reading it I look forward to reading the others in this series.
Jane had been dumped by her high school boyfriend and fired from her job. Looking to save some face, she made a deal with Duke Austen the Bad Boy Billionaire. She would pretend to be his fiance and help clean up his reputation, and he would be her date to her high school reunion. What started out as fake, turned into something real. Now Duke really is her boyfriend, and they are actually in love. But when she is violently attacked by her ex, everything changes. The night of the attack, a storm hits and leaves Jane and Duke stranded at his apartment with no power. While Jane struggles after the attack, Duke tries his best to be there for Jane in whatever way she needs. But her reunion is fast approaching, and she fears her ex-boyfriend will be there. The reunion also happens to be the same night that Duke's company is having a part to celebrate his billion dollar IPO launching. Now, Duke and Jane must decide whether her past or his future is more important and what that choice will mean for the future of their relationship.
I really liked Duke and Jane. I thought that they were both really likable and easy to relate to. I didn't know them before this book since I hadn't read the previous stories, but I was still able to get behind their story and root for them. I thought that Duke was sweet and sexy, and he really cared about Jane. He was a bit of a tech nerd, but it was really adorable. I thought it was cute how much he was addicted to technology, and that he and Jane were able to be so playful about it. Jane was strong and fun, and I liked that even after everything that had happened to her that she was able to let Duke in. She and Duke were great together, and I loved the ease of their relationship. They worked really well as a couple, and I thought that these two really made each other better. They had a lot of chemistry together, but they also just fit together perfectly.
I liked this book, and I thought that Duke and Jane were great. I did feel like there were a few things that were a bit cheesy or over the top. But I was still able to enjoy this quick novella. I am interested to go back to the start and see the whole story of Duke and Jane, as well as read her historical books. I really do think this series is such a cool idea, and I think that romance fans will really enjoy getting such a different and unique experience with these books. I look forward to reading more from Maya Rodale, and I think that this is definitely a series worth checking out for fans of both contemporary and historical romance.
**ARC Provided by Edelweiss**
The Bad Boy Billionaire: What A Girl Wants is the third installment about a modern day woman who writes historical romance novels. Maya Rodale has written not only three installments about the author Jane Sparks, but she has also written the three historical romance stories to go along with these books. I like that this series gives you both the modern and the historical, and that you have the opportunity to read Jane's books as well. I think this is a really cool series, and such a unique idea. I didn't really know what I was getting into before starting this book, and I hadn't read any of the other stories before starting this book. I didn't have a problem though, and this one was easily read as a standalone. I do think that reading these books in order would be the better way to go though, and would be a much better experience for the reader. I still really enjoyed this short and sweet story though, and after reading it I look forward to reading the others in this series.
Jane had been dumped by her high school boyfriend and fired from her job. Looking to save some face, she made a deal with Duke Austen the Bad Boy Billionaire. She would pretend to be his fiance and help clean up his reputation, and he would be her date to her high school reunion. What started out as fake, turned into something real. Now Duke really is her boyfriend, and they are actually in love. But when she is violently attacked by her ex, everything changes. The night of the attack, a storm hits and leaves Jane and Duke stranded at his apartment with no power. While Jane struggles after the attack, Duke tries his best to be there for Jane in whatever way she needs. But her reunion is fast approaching, and she fears her ex-boyfriend will be there. The reunion also happens to be the same night that Duke's company is having a part to celebrate his billion dollar IPO launching. Now, Duke and Jane must decide whether her past or his future is more important and what that choice will mean for the future of their relationship.
I really liked Duke and Jane. I thought that they were both really likable and easy to relate to. I didn't know them before this book since I hadn't read the previous stories, but I was still able to get behind their story and root for them. I thought that Duke was sweet and sexy, and he really cared about Jane. He was a bit of a tech nerd, but it was really adorable. I thought it was cute how much he was addicted to technology, and that he and Jane were able to be so playful about it. Jane was strong and fun, and I liked that even after everything that had happened to her that she was able to let Duke in. She and Duke were great together, and I loved the ease of their relationship. They worked really well as a couple, and I thought that these two really made each other better. They had a lot of chemistry together, but they also just fit together perfectly.
I liked this book, and I thought that Duke and Jane were great. I did feel like there were a few things that were a bit cheesy or over the top. But I was still able to enjoy this quick novella. I am interested to go back to the start and see the whole story of Duke and Jane, as well as read her historical books. I really do think this series is such a cool idea, and I think that romance fans will really enjoy getting such a different and unique experience with these books. I look forward to reading more from Maya Rodale, and I think that this is definitely a series worth checking out for fans of both contemporary and historical romance.
**ARC Provided by Edelweiss**
January 27, 2016
3.5 Stars
The Bad Boy Billionaire: What a Girl Wants is the conclusion to the contemporary end of the Bad Boys and Wallflower series. For readers who don't know, this is a collection of stories that span two genres. The main character of the novellas, Jane Sparks, is an aspiring historical romance writer whose novels are heavily influenced by her own love life. The audience can read about Jane's romantic struggles and then read the historicals that were inspired by them.
I was a little hesitant about this set-up when I first started the novellas. I thoroughly enjoy Maya Rodale's historical romances, but wasn't sure how the contemporary aspect would mix. The first and second books were really entertaining especially the second. I liked seeing librarian Jane deal with her own life crises in a (mostly) mature way. While the romance between her and Duke could have used a little more development, I did find myself cheering them on.
Unfortunately, I found the third novella to be just a re-hash of issues that Duke and Jane had already dealt with. I'm not sure why, but I was bored for most of this book. There were some funny scenes, particularly the ones where tech mogul Duke is forced to live with his beloved internet for a few days, though I found those to be few and far between. I really liked how the romance ended in book two (The Bad Boy Billionaire's Girl Gone Wild) and thought that bringing up old problems wasn't really necessary.
The main conflict in this book surrounded something that happened to Jane right before the hurricane hit. I thought this was an interesting approach to the overall plot and was excited to see how Jane dealt with it. But, I felt like it was pushed to the back burner for a large chunk of the story and was just not developed enough for such an important topic. The hurricane storyline (while amusing at times) could probably have benefited from more pages in order to fully showcase how desolate the city was in the aftermath.
Despite some issues with the plot and its development, I did think the modern-day side of the series ended on a sweet note. I am a big fan of romantic comedies and the "Grand Gesture" at the end hit all the right buttons for that part of my psyche. Jane and Duke are two likable people and it is always fun to see them discover such happiness together. I am off now to catch up on the historical part of this series with Wallflower Gone Wild and, in October, What a Wallflower Wants.
The Bad Boy Billionaire: What a Girl Wants is the conclusion to the contemporary end of the Bad Boys and Wallflower series. For readers who don't know, this is a collection of stories that span two genres. The main character of the novellas, Jane Sparks, is an aspiring historical romance writer whose novels are heavily influenced by her own love life. The audience can read about Jane's romantic struggles and then read the historicals that were inspired by them.
I was a little hesitant about this set-up when I first started the novellas. I thoroughly enjoy Maya Rodale's historical romances, but wasn't sure how the contemporary aspect would mix. The first and second books were really entertaining especially the second. I liked seeing librarian Jane deal with her own life crises in a (mostly) mature way. While the romance between her and Duke could have used a little more development, I did find myself cheering them on.
Unfortunately, I found the third novella to be just a re-hash of issues that Duke and Jane had already dealt with. I'm not sure why, but I was bored for most of this book. There were some funny scenes, particularly the ones where tech mogul Duke is forced to live with his beloved internet for a few days, though I found those to be few and far between. I really liked how the romance ended in book two (The Bad Boy Billionaire's Girl Gone Wild) and thought that bringing up old problems wasn't really necessary.
The main conflict in this book surrounded something that happened to Jane right before the hurricane hit. I thought this was an interesting approach to the overall plot and was excited to see how Jane dealt with it. But, I felt like it was pushed to the back burner for a large chunk of the story and was just not developed enough for such an important topic. The hurricane storyline (while amusing at times) could probably have benefited from more pages in order to fully showcase how desolate the city was in the aftermath.
Despite some issues with the plot and its development, I did think the modern-day side of the series ended on a sweet note. I am a big fan of romantic comedies and the "Grand Gesture" at the end hit all the right buttons for that part of my psyche. Jane and Duke are two likable people and it is always fun to see them discover such happiness together. I am off now to catch up on the historical part of this series with Wallflower Gone Wild and, in October, What a Wallflower Wants.
May 31, 2014
What a Girl Wants is the third and final novella in the Bad Boy Billionaire tale. This is a modern day companion series to Maya Rodale’s Wicked Wallflower historical romance series. Together they make up her Bad Boys & Wallflower series. I am reading and enjoying both of them. What a Girl Wants was a sweet conclusion to the modern love story, and I enjoyed being caught in the rain with Jane and Duke.
Jane and Duke are in the midst of their new romance, and a hurricane is heading to the city. Jane’s reunion is almost here, and she is determined to show her former classmates she is a success. Duke is gearing up for a party to celebrate the launch of his billion-dollar company but none of that matters if Jane is not by his side. The tale that unfolds was short, touching and sexy.
What A Girl Wants is stronger than its predecessors as Rodale added depth with a painful subject matter. A confrontation with Sam’s ex leaves Jane feeling lost, vulnerable and afraid, but Duke is right there with her. The turbulence in Jane’s life has her starting Prudence’s story in the Wicked Wallflowers. Jane’s heroines often face the same predicament she has, and I am anxious to see how Prudence handles it. Rodale handled the situation with Jane well from supportive friends to sound advice. Through Jane, she shared the emotions one would feel, and Duke helped validate them. I enjoyed the banter between this couple, and the author adds both humor and touching moments as they work out their relationship. Despite it’s short length the tale is fully developed with twists and turns allowing the reader to enjoy the full ride in a small amount of time. These make perfect bedtime reads. Once again we get sneak peaks into the Wallflower series as Jane writes under the pen name Maya Rodale.
What a Girl Wants was a delightful conclusion to this modern day romance, and I enjoyed Duke and Jane’s story. This was a clever companion series to the Wallflower series. It is fun seeing how Jane’s life and romance with the Duke influenced the Wallflowers and their stories.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review that originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Jane and Duke are in the midst of their new romance, and a hurricane is heading to the city. Jane’s reunion is almost here, and she is determined to show her former classmates she is a success. Duke is gearing up for a party to celebrate the launch of his billion-dollar company but none of that matters if Jane is not by his side. The tale that unfolds was short, touching and sexy.
What A Girl Wants is stronger than its predecessors as Rodale added depth with a painful subject matter. A confrontation with Sam’s ex leaves Jane feeling lost, vulnerable and afraid, but Duke is right there with her. The turbulence in Jane’s life has her starting Prudence’s story in the Wicked Wallflowers. Jane’s heroines often face the same predicament she has, and I am anxious to see how Prudence handles it. Rodale handled the situation with Jane well from supportive friends to sound advice. Through Jane, she shared the emotions one would feel, and Duke helped validate them. I enjoyed the banter between this couple, and the author adds both humor and touching moments as they work out their relationship. Despite it’s short length the tale is fully developed with twists and turns allowing the reader to enjoy the full ride in a small amount of time. These make perfect bedtime reads. Once again we get sneak peaks into the Wallflower series as Jane writes under the pen name Maya Rodale.
What a Girl Wants was a delightful conclusion to this modern day romance, and I enjoyed Duke and Jane’s story. This was a clever companion series to the Wallflower series. It is fun seeing how Jane’s life and romance with the Duke influenced the Wallflowers and their stories.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review that originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
August 29, 2015
4 Happily Ever After Stars
“Here’s what you need to know, Jane,” he said. “I was a fuck-up until I met you. Yeah, I accomplished a lot but what does that matter if you throw it all away and don’t enjoy it? All I want now is to just be with you.”
Like it’s Regency Era counterpart, What a Girl Wants is darker than it’s first two parts. After receiving constant messages from Sam, Jane finally decides to meet him for a friendly drink. What she finds is a drunken mess that is nothing like the Sam she knows. After fending off his many attempts to get her back, she decides to leave and head to Duke’s place where she will wait out the hurricane about to hit NYC. As she leaves the bar, Sam grabs her and attempts to molest her. Her cries for him to stop have no effect and he doesn’t listen until she knees him in the balls and slammed the heel of her palm into his face. Go Jane!
The experience left her terrified and by the time she got to Duke’s house, she is a mess. Duke is angry and wants to destroy Sam. But because of the storm, they are trapped. Once the storm blows out, they head to Jane’s where they find Sam sitting on her stoop. As he attempts to talk to Jane, Duke grabs him and beats the shit out of him. Jane and Duke have other issues that have to be ironed out, like the High School Reunion that Duke promised to take her to, that he now wants her to miss so they can both attend his company’s party.
It all works out in the end and it’s a very lovely ending. I truly loved reading the Regency Era story and then the modern version right after. It was fun and I hope Ms. Rodale/Ms. Sparks decides to do something similar again. What a Girl Wants, the entire The Bad Boy Billionaire series is a definite Must Read! It is a fun, tender, entertaining and uses NYC as the perfect backdrop. I loved it!
“Here’s what you need to know, Jane,” he said. “I was a fuck-up until I met you. Yeah, I accomplished a lot but what does that matter if you throw it all away and don’t enjoy it? All I want now is to just be with you.”
Like it’s Regency Era counterpart, What a Girl Wants is darker than it’s first two parts. After receiving constant messages from Sam, Jane finally decides to meet him for a friendly drink. What she finds is a drunken mess that is nothing like the Sam she knows. After fending off his many attempts to get her back, she decides to leave and head to Duke’s place where she will wait out the hurricane about to hit NYC. As she leaves the bar, Sam grabs her and attempts to molest her. Her cries for him to stop have no effect and he doesn’t listen until she knees him in the balls and slammed the heel of her palm into his face. Go Jane!
The experience left her terrified and by the time she got to Duke’s house, she is a mess. Duke is angry and wants to destroy Sam. But because of the storm, they are trapped. Once the storm blows out, they head to Jane’s where they find Sam sitting on her stoop. As he attempts to talk to Jane, Duke grabs him and beats the shit out of him. Jane and Duke have other issues that have to be ironed out, like the High School Reunion that Duke promised to take her to, that he now wants her to miss so they can both attend his company’s party.
It all works out in the end and it’s a very lovely ending. I truly loved reading the Regency Era story and then the modern version right after. It was fun and I hope Ms. Rodale/Ms. Sparks decides to do something similar again. What a Girl Wants, the entire The Bad Boy Billionaire series is a definite Must Read! It is a fun, tender, entertaining and uses NYC as the perfect backdrop. I loved it!
December 8, 2014
Well - I may not have enjoyed this one as much because I totally missed it was the 3rd book in this series. I have to go back and read the others now! I want to say this without offending anybody because this sounds very callous of me and I don't intend it to be at all. I have this thing between something said and something done when it comes to harassment. To me, this book was on the side of something said. In my mind, there wasn't enough done to invoke the trauma that Jane projects. He ex pushed her up against a wall, groped her and tried for more, but she put the halt to it with a few moves of her own. Well, they were together for 12 years and he thought she was only play acting being with Duke. Although, no means no totally - I feel that way too, this was a little bit of a different circumstance in my mind. I am not trying to downplay when women are sexually assaulted at all. I've had guys make moves on me, put hands where they're not supposed to be, you say no and then get away from the situation and then very important, keep yourself from being in that situation again. But that's not traumatic in my mind. Uncomfortable, for sure, not traumatic. Now had a complete stranger grabbed her and done that, I would totally understand the way she was acting. Then the way Jane acted about her High School Reunion.... it's like we're dealing with a 14 year old. I thought she was very childish, immature, and very insecure. Wanting to "show-up" everybody that she went to school with was not a mature adult in my eyes at all. So, I had a bit of a problem believing things would happen the way they did in a real situation. I hope I don't get any angry responses to this posting because I certainly don't mean to down-play sexual assault at all. Just chalk it up to ignorance before you get upset with my post.
May 16, 2014
Originally published at Rookie Romance.
This was a perfect way to conclude the modern side of the Bad Boys and Wallflowers series!
Jane and Duke don't have an easy ride to their HEA in this final installment. Their future is looking bright, even if writer's block has hit Jane as she struggles to find inspiration for her third Wallflower book. Unfortunately, inspiration strikes in a heart breaking way. Duke and Jane's love is tested as she struggles to come to terms with what happened to her, but it also shows you what a strong connection Duke and Jane have for each other.
This theme of violence against women is also explored in the third Wallflower book, What a Wallflower Wants, for Prudence's story.
I'm always surprised by how much I enjoy the way Maya Rodale intertwines the modern and historical books in this series, and this book is no exception.
In a short amount of time you find yourself feeling the full gamut of emotions. I cried a lot and for different reasons, and I laughed. By the end I was so happy that I squealed. Yep,this book made me happy-squeal- it doesn't happen often!
Overall, you're missing out if you haven't started this yet. You need to read the previous two installments before reading this one, but it's so worth it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and catch up with the historicals!
*I received a review copy from the publisher, via Edelweiss, for my honest opinion. Thank you!
This was a perfect way to conclude the modern side of the Bad Boys and Wallflowers series!
Jane and Duke don't have an easy ride to their HEA in this final installment. Their future is looking bright, even if writer's block has hit Jane as she struggles to find inspiration for her third Wallflower book. Unfortunately, inspiration strikes in a heart breaking way. Duke and Jane's love is tested as she struggles to come to terms with what happened to her, but it also shows you what a strong connection Duke and Jane have for each other.
This theme of violence against women is also explored in the third Wallflower book, What a Wallflower Wants, for Prudence's story.
I'm always surprised by how much I enjoy the way Maya Rodale intertwines the modern and historical books in this series, and this book is no exception.
In a short amount of time you find yourself feeling the full gamut of emotions. I cried a lot and for different reasons, and I laughed. By the end I was so happy that I squealed. Yep,this book made me happy-squeal- it doesn't happen often!
Overall, you're missing out if you haven't started this yet. You need to read the previous two installments before reading this one, but it's so worth it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and catch up with the historicals!
*I received a review copy from the publisher, via Edelweiss, for my honest opinion. Thank you!
November 29, 2014
Conclusion to Duke and Jane's Story
The three part contemporary novella series concludes with a more serious entry than the prior two novellas.
THE STORY: Duke and Jane seem to finally made it. At the end of the second installment, Duke has publicly declared his love for Jane. Things turn dark when Jane is almost assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. The repercussions from that event make Jane question herself and threaten her relationship with Duke.
OPINIONS: Taking on such a serious subject in a novella is difficult and only works because it is clear that Duke and Jane have already resolved most of their personal conflicts from the prior two novellas. I thought that the attempted assault story was handled tastefully and I appreciated that Rodale did not make the story a stereotype.
WORTH MENTIONING: While Duke and Jane's story concludes here for the series, readers get a chance to read about their wedding in AT THE BILLIONAIRE'S WEDDING, an anthology written around their wedding.
FINAL DECISION: I recommend the entire Duke and Jane series as an easy read that is enjoyable.
CONNECTED BOOKS: WHAT A GIRL WANTS is the 3.5 book in the Bad Boys & Wallflowers series. This novella concludes the contemporary story. The historical novels are written as the work of Jane, but a reader can read the contemporaries and the historicals independent of one another. A reader should read the other two contemporary novellas before reading this one because the stories are dependent on one another.
STAR RATING: I give this novella 3.75 stars.
The three part contemporary novella series concludes with a more serious entry than the prior two novellas.
THE STORY: Duke and Jane seem to finally made it. At the end of the second installment, Duke has publicly declared his love for Jane. Things turn dark when Jane is almost assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. The repercussions from that event make Jane question herself and threaten her relationship with Duke.
OPINIONS: Taking on such a serious subject in a novella is difficult and only works because it is clear that Duke and Jane have already resolved most of their personal conflicts from the prior two novellas. I thought that the attempted assault story was handled tastefully and I appreciated that Rodale did not make the story a stereotype.
WORTH MENTIONING: While Duke and Jane's story concludes here for the series, readers get a chance to read about their wedding in AT THE BILLIONAIRE'S WEDDING, an anthology written around their wedding.
FINAL DECISION: I recommend the entire Duke and Jane series as an easy read that is enjoyable.
CONNECTED BOOKS: WHAT A GIRL WANTS is the 3.5 book in the Bad Boys & Wallflowers series. This novella concludes the contemporary story. The historical novels are written as the work of Jane, but a reader can read the contemporaries and the historicals independent of one another. A reader should read the other two contemporary novellas before reading this one because the stories are dependent on one another.
STAR RATING: I give this novella 3.75 stars.
July 21, 2014
Borrowed from library. Since I had read the first 2 in the series, I really wanted to see how things would end for Jane and Duke (even though everyone knows in the end she was going to end up as Jane Austen.) I must say for the length of these books, this is more like a serialized-super-short-even-for-a-novella. I enjoyed how MR had Jane and Duke in modern day NYC and the wallflowers in Regency England with somewhat parallel plots. That was very smart marketing Ms Rodale. As much as I liked the wallflower stories, they weren't memorable enough in my mind as I've read other similar stories recently and I can't keep the various plot lines straight, they are all pretty similar. Even though this third instalment had a different darker twist with Jane's assault by her ex Sam, the story resolved a little too neatly. I eyerolled at the appearance that Duke made in the end, it was a smidge too Christian Grey. A wedding epilogue would have been nice or something that spoke of life after a few years, after all Jane had been with Sam for a long time and look how that turned out.
My biggest beef with MR's writing is how so many of her books have so many editing issues - missing words in a sentence, missing periods at the end of a sentence, mixing her homonyms eg tussled with tousled. She needs a better editor for sure. I feel she's got a lot of good things going in her books but they somehow fall short, not just with the editing but in substance.
My biggest beef with MR's writing is how so many of her books have so many editing issues - missing words in a sentence, missing periods at the end of a sentence, mixing her homonyms eg tussled with tousled. She needs a better editor for sure. I feel she's got a lot of good things going in her books but they somehow fall short, not just with the editing but in substance.
May 11, 2014
I was provide a copy of the book by the Author for an honest review.
I just finish reading this book, and I love it, I am still reading the first two book of the series, but I need it to get to this one for the tour, but I am loving it, I love the characters and love how the book end it, I am gone keep this short since I don't want to give anything away. This is the last part of the Bad Boy Billionaire series.
The story begging with Jane and Roxanna, talking about deciding whether going to her high school reunion, or to attend the hottest business launch, with her hot boyfriend. Now Jane finally has it all, a career as writer, a fun life in the city, and the love of a sexy billionaire Duke Austen, but it will take a while to get to her happy ending, after she had a confrontation with her ex Sam, that leaves her shaking and scared, would they get to their happy ending.
I really love the way that Jane and Duke are with each other, love it how they being through so much to get where they are, love the way that Duke show her how much he love her, I really love and enjoy reading this book, now I cant wait to read Prudence story, Author Maya Rodale THANK YOU for introducing me to this amazing characters and this awesome series love it.
I just finish reading this book, and I love it, I am still reading the first two book of the series, but I need it to get to this one for the tour, but I am loving it, I love the characters and love how the book end it, I am gone keep this short since I don't want to give anything away. This is the last part of the Bad Boy Billionaire series.
The story begging with Jane and Roxanna, talking about deciding whether going to her high school reunion, or to attend the hottest business launch, with her hot boyfriend. Now Jane finally has it all, a career as writer, a fun life in the city, and the love of a sexy billionaire Duke Austen, but it will take a while to get to her happy ending, after she had a confrontation with her ex Sam, that leaves her shaking and scared, would they get to their happy ending.
I really love the way that Jane and Duke are with each other, love it how they being through so much to get where they are, love the way that Duke show her how much he love her, I really love and enjoy reading this book, now I cant wait to read Prudence story, Author Maya Rodale THANK YOU for introducing me to this amazing characters and this awesome series love it.
May 31, 2014
I've been eagerly awaiting this third installment in the Bad Boy Billionaire series and had high hopes for it. Thankfully it met all my expectations and then some. There were a number of twists that I did not see coming at all. When the first big one happened in the beginning, I was completely blindsided. I was left dazed and looking for the license plate of the truck that hit me. This twist plays such a big role in the book and in Jane's life. I felt so bad for her but also empathized with her. I felt the same emotions she did as she tried to comprehend and process what had happened to her.
Kudos to Maya Rodale for pulling out the big guns for the third part. It just goes to show how fantastic her writing is; she pulls you from peak to trough and back up again so smoothly you're left stunned.
I don't think I've ever loved Duke more than I did in this book. I loved how he handled things and his attitude about the past. That man is a keeper through and through. It's a shame he's fictional.
Maya Rodale did a fantastic job with this installment. It's gripping and you experience a multitude of emotions. Saying I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment is an understatement. It's totally a 5 star read.
Kudos to Maya Rodale for pulling out the big guns for the third part. It just goes to show how fantastic her writing is; she pulls you from peak to trough and back up again so smoothly you're left stunned.
I don't think I've ever loved Duke more than I did in this book. I loved how he handled things and his attitude about the past. That man is a keeper through and through. It's a shame he's fictional.
Maya Rodale did a fantastic job with this installment. It's gripping and you experience a multitude of emotions. Saying I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment is an understatement. It's totally a 5 star read.
December 22, 2014
2.5 stars
I loved the historical counterpart - What A Wallflower Wants and while I enjoyed reading about how the two stories intersect I didn't love how this romance played out. Too much was an exact copy of the historical. And yes, I know it serves as Jane's (or Maya's - that was another annoying thing. Is this a character? The actual author? Weird and pull due out of the story with all the references to herself, twitter, FB etc) but I don't think Duke and Jane's situation paralleled what happened to Prudence and sort of cheapened Prudence's story for me. I think I would have liked it if it wasn't almost verbatim.
And that HS reunion thing - thinking Duke was selfish thing was just annoying. Of course launching his IPO is important. That's not ignoring you. Trying to show off your hot billionaire boyfriend to prove you've made it to a bunch of assholes is what's wrong with that picture.
It was ok but WaWW was so much better and because they are so closely related it was hard not to compare.
I loved the historical counterpart - What A Wallflower Wants and while I enjoyed reading about how the two stories intersect I didn't love how this romance played out. Too much was an exact copy of the historical. And yes, I know it serves as Jane's (or Maya's - that was another annoying thing. Is this a character? The actual author? Weird and pull due out of the story with all the references to herself, twitter, FB etc) but I don't think Duke and Jane's situation paralleled what happened to Prudence and sort of cheapened Prudence's story for me. I think I would have liked it if it wasn't almost verbatim.
And that HS reunion thing - thinking Duke was selfish thing was just annoying. Of course launching his IPO is important. That's not ignoring you. Trying to show off your hot billionaire boyfriend to prove you've made it to a bunch of assholes is what's wrong with that picture.
It was ok but WaWW was so much better and because they are so closely related it was hard not to compare.
July 20, 2016
Of all 3 books in this novella series that I probably shouldn't have read, this one takes the cake for awfulness. The sexual assault plot comes way out of left field. I understand that Rodale was tying these novellas in with her full-length Regency novel series, and book 3 in the HR series deals with sexual assault, but I wasn't entirely convinced by the portrayal in this one.
Also: The ending is a total rip-off of Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion. IDK if that was intentional or not, but Romy & Michelle did it better.
By this point, I was kind of used to the missing words, but I will never forgive them for being missing in the first place. -___-
Also: The ending is a total rip-off of Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion. IDK if that was intentional or not, but Romy & Michelle did it better.
By this point, I was kind of used to the missing words, but I will never forgive them for being missing in the first place. -___-
October 27, 2014
Reading all three installments of the Bad Boy Billionaire series made me realize I have a new pet peeve: authors going all meta and inserting themselves into their novels. Stop trying to be cutesy with the fourth wall. It is rarely done cleverly enough to justify how jarring (and frankly, insulting) it is to the reader. I read to immerse myself in a different world; I don't need the author winking at me from the sidelines. Spoiler alert: the heroine Jane becomes a romance novelist named, wait for it, Maya Rodale. I should have stopped reading right there, but the meta moments just kept piling on. Spoiler and marketing alert: Jane, as romance author Maya Rodale, writes historical romances about wallflowers, as in Maya Rodale's Wallflower series.
Posting the same review for all three installments because, despite my annoyance with the heroine-as-author-wink-wink, curiosity killed the cat and made me read them together in the hopes that the romantic payoff would be enough to overcome. Nope.
Posting the same review for all three installments because, despite my annoyance with the heroine-as-author-wink-wink, curiosity killed the cat and made me read them together in the hopes that the romantic payoff would be enough to overcome. Nope.
May 19, 2014
This is the third book in The Bad Boy Billionaire series. I was lucky to have gotten to ready all three books back to back. The first two books were good and I enjoyed them, but there is something about a book that ends in a cliffhanger that is really frustrating when you have to wait a while for the next chapter :)
What a Girl Wants summed up the series with the Happy Every After Cinderella feel that makes you swoon and leaves you with that warm fuzzy feeling.
When assaulted by her ex, Jane runs to Duke. A hurricane is about to hit the city and they are stranded without power or technology. In order to help herself deal with the aftermath, she pours her feelings into her third book.
I very much enjoyed this series, it was the first I had ready from Author Maya Rodale and I have every intention of discovering more of her books.
I received this book as a complimentary copy for an honest review.
What a Girl Wants summed up the series with the Happy Every After Cinderella feel that makes you swoon and leaves you with that warm fuzzy feeling.
When assaulted by her ex, Jane runs to Duke. A hurricane is about to hit the city and they are stranded without power or technology. In order to help herself deal with the aftermath, she pours her feelings into her third book.
I very much enjoyed this series, it was the first I had ready from Author Maya Rodale and I have every intention of discovering more of her books.
I received this book as a complimentary copy for an honest review.
May 17, 2014
Jane thought she knew what she wanted in life when she was with Sam, she wanted the white fence and 2.5 kids be a stay at home mom, but when she wasn't enough and boring for Sam her plans changed. Now with Duke she feels things she never thought she'd feel. Duke's company is his life and he doesn't put anything in front of it, Jane just needs to accept it.
When Sam invites her to have drinks with him after some cryptic texts and status updates she decides to see if he's ok. That may be a mistake, when anger and let downs mix with alcohol they can turn into a bad mix.
Jane shows up at Dukes apartment and they whether not only an emotional hurricane but a real one as well. With the power and cell service out they have nothing but time to rebuild Jane's trust and their love.
What a great installment of this series!! If you are looking for a feel good romance one click these!!
When Sam invites her to have drinks with him after some cryptic texts and status updates she decides to see if he's ok. That may be a mistake, when anger and let downs mix with alcohol they can turn into a bad mix.
Jane shows up at Dukes apartment and they whether not only an emotional hurricane but a real one as well. With the power and cell service out they have nothing but time to rebuild Jane's trust and their love.
What a great installment of this series!! If you are looking for a feel good romance one click these!!
May 15, 2014
Cheesy.
Over-the-top.
Prince William makes a cameo.
There is really nothing else to say. Don't read if you haven't read the other two and read if you just can't possibly imagine how Duke and Jane's relationship is going to be resolved.
(I bet you can imagine it)
*I should say sexual assault is mentioned/dealt with here. The handling of it made me cringe a little bit. The author tries to give it the gravity it deserves and delves into how women blame and question themselves instead of placing the blame where it deserves but the overall chik-lit lightness just doesn't support it.
Anyway, I am looking forward to the historical match to this one next in the series. It looks like sexual assault will be dealt with there too.
Over-the-top.
Prince William makes a cameo.
There is really nothing else to say. Don't read if you haven't read the other two and read if you just can't possibly imagine how Duke and Jane's relationship is going to be resolved.
(I bet you can imagine it)
*I should say sexual assault is mentioned/dealt with here. The handling of it made me cringe a little bit. The author tries to give it the gravity it deserves and delves into how women blame and question themselves instead of placing the blame where it deserves but the overall chik-lit lightness just doesn't support it.
Anyway, I am looking forward to the historical match to this one next in the series. It looks like sexual assault will be dealt with there too.
January 18, 2015
Where was the copyediting?
This was the weakest book in the trilogy by far. I didn't understand why she needed to change Sam's character so drastically. Someone else could have played his role in the plot, without having to ruin his character. Many aspects of the hurricane subplot seemed ridiculous too.
But my main problem was the incredibly sloppy copyediting. Words were missing or inserted, as though a cut and paste hadn't been properly cleaned up after, and incorrect words were sometimes substituted (e.g., "the likes of wish" instead of "the likes of which"). I was surprised to discover this wasn't self published. I would have expected better from a publisher like Avon.
This was the weakest book in the trilogy by far. I didn't understand why she needed to change Sam's character so drastically. Someone else could have played his role in the plot, without having to ruin his character. Many aspects of the hurricane subplot seemed ridiculous too.
But my main problem was the incredibly sloppy copyediting. Words were missing or inserted, as though a cut and paste hadn't been properly cleaned up after, and incorrect words were sometimes substituted (e.g., "the likes of wish" instead of "the likes of which"). I was surprised to discover this wasn't self published. I would have expected better from a publisher like Avon.
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