How to Seduce a Billionaire

by Portia Da Costa

HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE...

... without really trying!

Twenty-nine year old virgin Jess Lockhart has had to put her life on hold due to family commitments, but now it's time to break out and start enjoying sex and love. Trickily for her, years of artistic dreaming and fantasising about her first ever lover have given her impossibly high standards where men are concerned. She's not about to do the deed with just any old male that crosses her path. He has to be Mr Right, or at the very least Mr Sex, right for now, and a super special, superior example of his gender. Nothing less will do...

Ellis McKenna has all the credentials to be Jess's 'Dream Lover'. He's gorgeous, accomplished, capable and a fabulous lover, and he also just happens to be the scion of a family whose international assets can be counted in the billions. He's perfect Mr Right material, apart from one thing... the thing that makes him Mr Wrong for any woman wanting a relationship. Ellis is a grieving widower who's sworn never to love again. He wants sex, yes, and plenty of it, as a way to forget his pain... but his deeper heart is locked away by regret and sorrow.

Can this unusual couple put aside their issues and enjoy a simple seduction? Or will life's complexities put a spanner in the works?

Genres: Romance, Erotica, Contemporary

393 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 2015

About the author

I'm a Sunday Times, New York Times and USA Today bestselling British author of romance, erotic romance and romantic fiction. My novels have been published by a variety of different houses, both in the US and the UK, and translated into many languages including German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian and Japanese. I'm best known for my many novels for the pioneering British erotica publisher Black Lace and I writing books with contemporary, paranormal and occasionally futuristic settings. I'm now venturing into historical erotic romance too, with a new novel for Harlequin Spice set in London in the year 1890.

I also write as Dorothy Starr and Megan Paul

I've been writing for publication since 1990, and have had over twenty novels published and around 100 short stories. I've contributed to many different short story anthologies and women’s magazines. I've also written a number Spice Briefs for Harlequin.

I'm a member of Romance Writers of America, the Passionate Ink RWA Chapter, the Romantic Novelists Association [UK] and the Society of Authors [UK].

I live in the heart of West Yorkshire, UK, with my husband and my cats. When I'm not writing I enjoy reading, watching TV and movies, hanging out on Twitter and Facebook, and online life in general. I was formerly a librarian and have also worked in local government.

Reviews

[Milica's Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naslovnica knjige me je podsećala na "Pedeset nijansi Siva" da sam bila prilično sigurna da znam kako će ići ova priča.
I u velikoj meri sam bila u pravu. Priča je skoro identična "Pedeset nijansi Siva".

Elis je milijarder sa tragičnom prošlošću, Džes radi u firmi koju je on kupio. Oni se sreću jednog kišovitog jutra, kada joj on nudi prevoz u njegovom automobilu i među njima plane snažna privlačnost, a za Džes je to, usudiću se da kažem, ljubav na prvi pogled. Predvidivo, postoje stranice i stranice seksa, pomešane sa nekim banalnim dijalozima i mnogo unutrašnjih monologa u kojima se dive jedno drugom, pre nego što Elis prevaziđe svoje unutrašnje demone i odluči da li može imati svoj srećan kraj sa Džes.

Ova knjiga je, po mom mišljenju, mogla biti mnogo bolja.
Najvažnije za romansu, glavni par je veoma dopadljiv. Elis može biti milijarder, ali on je prilično opušten i nije alfa mačo mužjak koji je uobičajen u mnogim savremenim romansama. Volela sam njegove bubice - njegov neobičan, skoro arhaičan način govora, njegov ukus za odeću, čak i njegov izbor automobila. Džes je takođe dobra devojka, koja uprkos razlici u njihovim statusima, nije sasvim naivna s njim. Najvažnije, ona ima interese i strasti osim njega. Još jedan plus je Elisovo ohrabrenje i podrška, kako je on ubeđuje da ostvari njene ciljeve i snove.

Ono što pokušavam da kažem je da je knjiga mogla biti mnogo više romantična da je se autorka fokusirala na ove aspetke priče.

Jednostavno ima previše scena seksa (uključujući jednu potpuno nepotrebnu BDSM scenu), previše unutrašnjeg monologa, a ukupno gledajući knjigu previše nepotrebnog teksta. Ova knjiga bi bila sjajna da je barem stotinu stranica kraća, nekoliko scena seksa manje i poneka mala promena u fokusu. Sada, kako stvari stoje, to je prilično "Pedeset nijansi Siva", samo sa više simpatičnim i humanijim karakterima.

Sve u svemu, nije loša knjiga, samo nije po mom ukusu - načitah se svega pa tražim savršenstvo.
Takođe mislim, ako je knjiga romansa, 400 stranica je preterivanje. Ozbiljno, pre su ljubavni romani sa oko 200 stranica bili jako dobri. Međutim, ako volite bogate romanse i ne smeta vam dužina, ili ako vam se sviđa "Pedeset nijansi Siva" onda ova knjiga može biti dobar izbor.

[Manny]

Read all about it. Isn't it amazing what shameless lies people will tell to get out of a Thai prison?

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Portia Da Costa (<----great name) has been writing smut romance since the 1990s and I, as a (ahem) romance enthusiast have quite a few of her paperbacks on my bookshelf so when I saw her new book up for review on NG, I was all sorts of excited.

Much like her last series (the accidental trilogy which was fab for the first two books), this story is about a billionaire and an ordinary woman who catches his eye. The ordinary woman in this book is Jess, a twenty-nine-year-old virgin who has been clinging onto her v-card until she meets her dream man. Ellis is a billionaire businessman who has just bought the insurance company Jess works for.

Ellis is very straight with Jess, telling her that he doesn't do relationships (he has a troubled past,naturally enough), but he thoughtfully offers to pop her cherry and instruct her in sex so that she's all set for when Mr Right does come along.

An offer no one could refuse, surely?

There are no real surprises where the story eventually goes, with plenty of smut along the way.

Normally I'd lap up a story featuring a billionaire and mucho smut, but something was a little off for me in this one, particularly with the dialogue and the inner monologues of the characters; they both speak and think in a really stilted, old fashioned way that frequently comes over as being a bit, well, naff.

Jess lacks in confidence and her dialogue reflected this well, but perhaps too convincingly for me - she kind of killed the mood:

"I'll probably be rubbish in bed and a complete nervous nelly, but I'll try and do my best."

nervous nelly Yup...possibly the least erotic prelude to sex possible.

I'm afraid Ellis's dialogue was possibly worse:

"You're a quiet storm, woman. A hurricane of hidden sensuality, just waiting to let rip."

There's no getting around it, he sounds like a tool. He really reminded me of someone and it was bugging me as I was reading this, trying to figure out who it was. Then it came to me:


Mr Alan Partridge himself, A-ha! At that point, even with all of the sexing going on, I'm afraid my lady boner was beyond all hope of life.

So, while the erotic bits of this were a miss for me, I didn't hate this story at all. I liked the way his relationship with Jess gradually brings Ellis back to life. There were a couple of sections where he's looking at a photo album of him family and remembering their life together that brought tears to my eyes. The story at times had a lovely melancholy, it wasn't a throwaway soft porn read.

The other thing that got me all excited was the - I think - cameo appearance of John and Lizzie from the accidental trilogy in the restaurant. I have a soft spot for John and Lizzie so their brief appearance, still looking all loved up, made me grin like a loon.

This is a complete story and can be read as a standalone. While I didn't love this one, if you like your dirty talk to be toned down from some of the (glorious) filthy mouthed utterances you get in some erotic novels, this may be for you. I guess I just prefer the dialogue to be a little more raw when they're doing the business.

**With thanks to the publisher via netgalley for the arc**

[Maria]

Was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

DNF @ 20%

I seriously couldn't do it. I couldn't go on. The survival of my e-reader depended on me to stop reading this in case I involuntarily threw the device across the room through sheer frustration.

I have so many issues with the 20% that I did read, I have no idea where to start. Maybe it was the obsession the female lead had in regards to her own virginity at such a mature age, then turn around and say "I don't care if I'm a virgin.." Really? If you didn't have a frickin problem.. STOP OBSESSING ABOUT IT! Geez.

My other issue may have been by the fact that the male character, who turns out to be her boss of some sorts, meets the her (seriously, I can't even remember the names of either of them. For this review, lets call her "Twat" and him "Dick"..) they end up in Dick's office within hours and Dick's on his knees giving Twat a foot massage.. seriously? Is that not a cause for sexual harassment right there??

Then Dick goes "There is something different about you.." and Twat just blurts out "I'm a virgin!!" W. T. F?!?

No. Just No.

[Angela Tiu · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a stupid book. Bought it because I was bored and well, that's 7£ im never getting back. Seriously, how do these authors get published?! Is there a market now for bad plot, bad characterisation and just plain bad writing? Meh. What a waste of time.

[Scarlett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Treš-erotske romane visokom ocenom mogu da ocenim samo ako se šokiram radnjom, likovima ili ako ne liče na bezbroj prethodnih koje sam već pročitala. Nažalost, tema je takva da se uvek osećam kao da se vozim već sto puta pređenim putem i znam svaku krivinu i znak upozorenja na putu. Ljubitelja ovog žanra ima mnogo, često nailaze i na osudu, ali ne može se uvek čitati Dostojevski, mora nekad i uzbudljivi stranac da se zaljubi u običnu devojku kakve smo mi koje to čitamo! Spisateljice (nisam još pročitala muškog autora erotike) uvek igraju na kartu gde se mi poistovetimo sa glavnom junakinjom koja je običnog izgleda, trapava (u Pedeset nijansi se sapliće, kod Silvije Dej devojka bukvalno ''I fell on my ass when I saw him'') i dobra u svom poslu, ali nema sreće u ljubavi. NE MOGU DA SE POISTOVETIM ako je muški lik milijarder, milioner, govori 6 jezika i svira violinu. Muškarci su toliko predvidivi da zevam na sve scene gde on rešava multimilionske ugovore dok nju zavodljivo gleda preko svog mahagonskog stola.
Ova knjiga ima svaki kliše koji očekujete, on je zaštitnički nastrojen, ona je nevina (ima 29), nikad nije sreo neku sličnu njoj, emocionalno je ćopav, posvađaju se na ¾ i raspletu se vrlo brzo uz pomoć njegovih neizmernih para.
Ne odustajem od ovog žanra, i dalje ću čitati sve što Laguna i Čarobna knjiga objave, ali na kraju će se ovo završiti tako što ću iz besa napisati jednu ovakvu knjigu.
Dve zvezdice za ovu knjigu jer ko je pročitao ''Oslobodi me'', nikad ne može olako da da jednu zvezdicu.

[Ashley S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book, primarily because anything with the words "seduce" and "billionaire" in it gets me right away. The premise looked like many books in this genre - young naive virgin h and hot reclusive billionaire H. But, that is where the similarities end. While I liked both main characters, I just didn't relate to either of them. The h has an inner voice throughout the book, but it sounded more like childhood fantasies of love rather than a twenty-something woman who is looking to seduce someone into taking her virginity, namely her sexy boss. The nicknames that she gives the H are almost maddening to me. Things like 'Dream Lover' and 'Mr. Sex' had me thinking about not finishing the book. However, I have never done that and I am glad that I didn't put this one down. As the story proceeded, we did get to understand that the H is grieving the loss of his family in a tragic accident, which is why he only wants to take on "relationships" that last a few weeks. He maintains this thought process until almost the end of the book when he finally realizes his love for her after she leaves him. Although I am happy that we got our HEA, a lot of steamy hot sex scenes and nicely formed characters, it would have been much more appealing to me if the h wasn't so immature.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Candiefloss · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to seduce a billionaire.

*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review*.

A billionaire and a virgin. Not the most original idea but I thought I'd give it a crack.

Jess is 29 year old virgin, who up until now was content to conjure up images of her 'dream lover' both in her head and on a sketch pad. She meets Ellis McKenna when he stops to give her a ride to work. He's also the new owner of the insurance company she works for, and the closest real man to her 'dream lover'.

I found the way they interacted at the office on the first day of meeting rather odd. I certainly wouldn't be comfortable letting a stranger massage and kiss my feet. But hey, that's me! Other than her libido waking up in his presence, initially I didn't feel any chemistry between the two MC's. However that soon changed. There was a lot of steam floating from the pages and they had a good connection, although a strange one in my eyes.

While I liked the concept of the book I had a hard time getting into it. I found it quite easy to put down and took me quite some time to read.

Both the internal monologue of both characters, and the dialogue was a little cheesy for my liking but that's purely my taste. Some of the things they said to each other, and the heated bedroom talk just seemed corny. I prefer rougher dirty talk, a filthy mouth if you please... Ellis was ever the gentleman and a little too... Proper for me.

‘Now . . . come for me, gorgeous. Come for me. Give it up for Mr Wrong. For Mr Sex . . .’

‘The cock is a greedy organ, but if its owner can stay in charge, it can be a wellmannered one too.’

‘Oh yes . . . oh yes . . .’ he crooned, ‘that’s right, beautiful Jess. Take what you want. Demand it. It’s your right.’

It was a okay attempt at riding the success of other 'billionaire' hero books. Such books were referenced several times throughout and it even touched on the bdsm element.

The redeeming feature of this book was the hero battling with his past. He had suffered great tragedy and loss and I really felt for him. While he didn't want to replace what he once had, it was hard for him to deny his feelings for Jess.

It wasn't a bad book. Just not for me.

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about taking a chance- with love, opening yourself up, and showing vulnerability.

Jess is a 29 year old virgin who masterbates to an imaginary person who she calls 'dream lover'. Not only that but she fantasizes about this imaginary person. Comparing 'him' to all the imperfect men in the world because of course this imaginary man is perfect. Luck as it may be, Jess ends up running into a real perfect man who also happens to be the billionaire who runs the insurance company she works at.

Ellis McKenna is not the typical alpha, strong, and overpowering male. He seems more like someone who is lost and looking for something but isnt sure what that something is exactly. Ellis lost his wife and daughters in a tragic accident and because of this he only has what he calls 'four weekers' with women. That is until Jess comes along.

Jess's inner monologue in this book is far to slow and not only drags on and on but it's also the kind of thoughts a young adolescent may have about Prince Charming. The kind of sappy idealism that makes your stomach turn. Not, might I point out, the thoughts of a 29 year. Almost nothing about her screams she is older than a young teenager. For instance, when she is having a conversation with her new boss, she says this to him: "I mean, your like the super duper boss of me". I found myself wanting to skip her inner monologue, hoping the story will speed up more.

The first part of the book is awkward and ridiculous. It's obvious from Jess's inner monologue that she is infatuated with her new boss. But when he approaches her, she lies and is rather rude to him. I guess you can't really expect to much from a person who would rather fantasize about an imaginary person than accept the advances of a real one. And then she yells out that her secret about being special is that she is a virgin. I'm not sure I would be comfortable telling a stranger, let alone my boss, something that personal. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

Overall, the book was ok. Although it did get better, I just wasn't able to get into it. Jess's character was far to immature, annoying, and awkward. I'm sorry, this book just wasn't for me.

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

La signora Da Costa scrive bene, non c'è che dire, ma qui abbiamo sbagliato il periodo storico di collocazione.
In questo libro conosceremo una donna di ventinove anni che aspetta l'uomo perfetto, il principe azzurro, ammazzandosi di pensieri illeciti con un uomo senza volto ma di cui immagina la perfezione.
Quando poi, questo Dio sceso in terra arriva, non poteva certo essere un netturbino. No, è un miliardario dall'aspetto ovviamente bellissimo e dal carattere brillante e solare.
Jess, la protagonista, aspetta illibata questo essere paradisiaco e in quattro e quattro otto inizia una relazione senza speranze con lui.
Si, perché il protagonista maschile, Ellis, ha un passato tragico alle spalle e si rifiuta categoricamente di rimettere in discussione il suo cuore.
Ora veniamo ai punti salienti... Una zitella di 29 anni è alquanto improbabile si giorni nostri, soprattutto se la cosiddetta donna è allo stesso livello degli Angeli di Victoria Secrets.
Ma proviamo a immaginarci una giovane donna dell'800, la cui vita è stata segnata da eventi che l'hanno fatta sacrificare verso il prossimo, lasciando i suoi sogni e la sua vita in sospeso.
Poi immaginiamo un Duca, un Marchese, dal passato oscuro e triste, il cui destino ha tolto tutte le gioie e che si presta a questo gioco di sesso con una donna non al suo stesso livello, di cui ammira lo spirito e tutto il contorno ma che non potrà mai essere sua.
Ed ecco fatto. Uno storico come si deve, pieno di passione e che ci ricorda molto i Passion Mondadori. Messo così era un ottimo libro, soprattutto per il lato da gentiluomo di Ellis, il suo parlare forbito e ricercato... Di altri tempi insomma.
Per concludere, messa nei giorni nostri, la storia risulta purtroppo scialba, lasciandoci un po' deluse dalle aspettative avute. Messa in un altro contesto... È tutt'altra storia, pazienza.

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Jess she was just so innocent and pure and spoke the truth no matter how wacky it was, she was herself, "I . . . I don’t know why I’m here,’ she blurted out. ‘Why did you ask me? You don’t know me, and I’m sure I’m not your usual type." She's a curious creature and the only way to learn things is by getting hands on, "mischief dancing on his face because he’d caught her checking out his equipment. As if of its own accord, her hand snaked out, and cupped him." I mean she's getting some real hands on experience with our boy Ellis, "of course you have.’ He grasped his c***, as if offering it to her. ‘And it’s much better to practise on the real thing anyway . . . But be gentle with me, eh." I enjoyed this book and it was because of Jess she wasn't into games, or mind tricks she was herself.

[Romance and Fantasy for Cosmopolitan Girls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance and Fantasy for Cosmopolitan Girls

Jess Lockhart ha 29 anni e lavora come impiegata assicurativa presso la Windsor Insurrance; ha i capelli e gli occhi castani, ama gli impressionisti, il disegno dal vivo ed è… vergine. Una vergine con una fervida immaginazione erotica e un amante immaginario che le tiene compagnia nelle notti solitarie. Nessun uomo è mai riuscito a tener testa all’amante perfetto, quindi perché perdere tempo?

Ellis P. McKenna è un magnate della finanza, ricco come Creso, che ha di recente acquistato la Windsor Insurrance. Capelli castani, occhi verde-blu, barba leggera e una bocca fatta per il peccato, Ellis nasconde dentro di sé un tormento che lo lacera nel profondo, limitandolo nelle relazioni sociali con l’altro sesso, facendogli promettere solo qualche fine settimana senza impegno e niente più.
Cosa potrebbero mai avere in comune una vergine e l’uomo sbagliato? Apparentemente nulla, ma una mattinata piovosa, uno sconosciuto con una Citroën celeste, un passaggio in auto, un discorso in ufficio e un accappatoio blu, cambiano tutte le carte in tavola.

Ellis McKenna era un alieno, come un uomo di un altro pianeta. Sotto ogni aspetto rilevante i loro mondi non avrebbero mai potuto incontrarsi veramente. Basta con le follie.


L’attrazione fisica tra i due è talmente forte che se fosse un oggetto lo si potrebbe afferrare e scagliare contro il muro dei “se” e dei “ma” che popolano la mente di Jess da quando Ellis le ha confessato di desiderarla. Lui è il solo che può instradarla verso i segreti piaceri della carne e la somiglianza fisica con l’uomo dei sogni rende più semplice la decisione. Però…
Questa non era l’alba rosea di una nuova relazione tra due amanti predestinati. Non c’era futuro.
Ellis regala a Jess una notte magica, da annali del sesso (se esistessero!), il tipo di notte che non si può non paragonare alle altre che verranno, trovando queste ultime sempre mancanti. Quella in cui, lacerato il velo della verginità, la mente e gli occhi si aprono alle infinite possibilità. Non abbastanza, però, per decidere di accettare la proposta di Ellis. Nell'esatto momento in cui la sua innocenza è partita per un viaggio di sola andata verso il “paradiso degli imeni infranti”, capisce di desiderare una relazione secondo le regole e non qualcosa di temporaneo. Ma al diavolo e alle sue tentazioni non si può dire no…
Ogni affondo di Ellis era come l’accensione di un meccanismo, la regolazione della tensione di qualche infernale motore, che cresceva sempre più portandola al massimo. Delle sensazioni sublimi si allargano ogni volta che il bacino di lui sbatteva contro il suo.
E così inizia, nella magica tenuta di Windermere Hall, o nell'appartamento londinese di Ellis, in cucina, a letto, a terra, sul divano… Insomma, a prescindere da quale sia il clima fuori la finestra, tirate fuori un ventaglio – consiglierei un condizionatore o pinguini ballerini che grattano grandi blocchi di ghiaccio sulle vostre teste – perché le scene hot sono davvero bollenti. Qualcosa tra clima tropicale e caldo infernale, giusto per darvi un’idea.
Fra telefonate erotiche e giochi di ruolo, visite alle gallerie d’arte e ritratti erotici, può l’uomo sbagliato diventare l’uomo giusto? O i demoni del suo passato gli impediranno di aprire il cuore e di riconoscere la seconda occasione che la vita gli sta servendo su un piatto d’argento?
Il suo tocco era vigoroso, si spostava improvvisamente da una zona all’altra, sorprendendola, eccitandola sempre più. Le piaceva, tuttavia voleva gridargli di passare alla fase successiva. Paura e apprensione si alternavano nel suo ventre. L’impulso di spezzare quei legami, di toccare e carezzare Ellis così come lui toccava e accarezzava lei, stava diventando insopportabile.


Ammettiamolo, tutte noi siamo cresciute con un’idea romantica dell’amore e il desiderio di perdere la verginità con l’uomo della nostra vita. C’è chi è riuscita a sposare il proprio principe azzurro e chi ancora bacia rospi nella speranza che, almeno uno, si trasformi. Ma, quante di noi possono dire onestamente di aver avuto una prima volta memorabile? La mia è stata un incrocio tra “Salvate il soldato Ryan” e “Shining”, di conseguenza ho invidiato a morte Jess. Un’invidia sana tuttavia. Della serie “vai così, sorella!”.

Ellis con il suo incredibilmente pesante bagaglio emotivo, potrà anche essere incapace di amare di nuovo, ma in quanto a capacità amatorie non ha bisogno di alcun corso di recupero. Risvegliando la ninfomane che è in Jess, la introduce in un mondo sconosciuto ma incredibilmente piacevole, dal quale la giovane donna non ha alcuna intenzione di uscire, sebbene sappia di meritare molto più di ciò che Ellis ha da offrire. Poche settimane, nessuna idea romantica sulla possibilità che ci possa essere tra loro una relazione e tanto – tanto! – sesso. Per prepararla all’uomo giusto, a colui che possa meritarla davvero, un uomo intero e non uno distrutto dalla tragedia.
Altruistico? Io l’avrei preso a schiaffi.
In un paio di occasioni ammetto di aver desiderato entrare nel libro, prenderlo per il colletto di qualche improponibile camicia dalla fantasia di dubbio gusto e scuoterlo fino a cambiargli i connotati.


Jess… Beh, Jess è una guerriera. Ha dovuto rinunciare a tante cose pur di accudire la nonna e permettere alla sorella minore di avere un futuro, ma non si è mai pentita delle sue scelte, anteponendo la felicità degli altri alla propria. Nessuno stupore, dunque, per il fatto che stesse aspettando l’uomo giusto.
Ellis, però, è l’uomo sbagliato, sotto tutti i punti di vista. Eppure è identico all’uomo che ha alimentato le fantasie erotiche di Jess, ancor prima che gli occhi di quest’ultima si posassero su di lui. E, soprattutto, le promette piaceri indicibili. Il dubbio si insinua nel cervello di Jess per un nanosecondo poi – e dai, sorella! – è “sì”. Un “sì” gigantesco, del quale non si pente mai, nemmeno quando scopre di volere di più, consapevole di non poterlo avere. Ha maturità e carattere da vendere, pur essendo una “novellina”, laddove anche la più dura di noi si chiuderebbe in casa con un cucchiaio, 3 kg di gelato e una maratona di film strappalacrime che vanno da “Come tu mi vuoi” a “Dieci cose che odio di te”.
E’ Jess il mio personaggio preferito: carattere, forza, talento, sensualità. Il suo è un percorso di crescita, maturazione e cambiamento. Chiaramente nulla di tutto questo sarebbe stato possibile senza Ellis, ma Jess aveva solo bisogno di qualcuno che le desse una piccola spinta per diventare ciò che da sempre era destinata ad essere.
Ellis ha perso tutto e, tutto, gli ricorda cosa ha perso. Vive a tratti o non vive affatto. Al primo sintomo di felicità, i lacci del senso di colpa lo legano fino a soffocarlo, colpevole di provare una felicità che è stata negata a coloro che ha perso. Sa che dovrebbe lasciare libera Jess dopo averla istruita sessualmente, ma rimanda sempre il momento di dirle addio. Un addio inevitabile, tuttavia, poiché Jess merita di meglio. Merita qualcuno che sia in grado di amarla come lui non potrà mai fare.
Riuscirà a lasciarla andare?

Portia Da Costa non delude mai. E’ davvero la regina del genere erotico contemporaneo. La scrittura è molto scorrevole e i personaggi sono perfettamente caratterizzati. Sia Jess che Ellis sono descritti fin nella loro psicologia più nascosta. Le scene di sesso, molto numerose e spesso estese di due o tre capitoli, sono sempre molto delicate, le descrizioni particolareggiate nei minimi dettagli, ma mai volgari o di cattivo gusto. Chiaramente, trattandosi di un romanzo erotico, ci si aspetta una certa terminologia. Consiglio il libro alle amanti del genere chiaramente, che non disdegnano un pizzico di erotismo in una bella storia d’amore.

[Mutambe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It got pretty boring at some point I get he was still hang up on his wife and children's death but seriously that can't be your only story line.
I get it's an erotica but damn it's should have at least an interesting plot.

And when will authors stop referring to fifty shades of grey it wasn't even that good of a book

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Right, in all honesty I bought this as a piss take gift for a friend for 50p in a charity shop. I gave it to her. She read some of the amusing descriptions of sex to me in a northern accent (don't judge it's funny.) and it got thrown into the back of my car never to be seen again. Fast forward 4 weeks and I finally clean my car out ... and there it is. Honestly I'm bored, it's Valentine's Day and I felt the need to laugh at some descriptions of penises. This book was good for that... some of them are terribly wonderful. But. It's also full of gaping (lol) plot holes and editing cock ups (again, lol). I got 100 pages in... giggled a bit but I can't take it any further as the premise is awful and frankly, I'm not closer to bagging myself a billionaire. So the jokes on me. 10/10 would not recommend.

[Wendy Gibson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. WARNING: Spoilers included!

I WANTED to like this book, the cover was promising and the description was too, but it really just fell flat for me. There were quite a few reasons that I didn't care for it and chief among them were the word choices and phrases the lead male Ellis used. I was expecting a strong and commanding alpha male by the description on the back (i.e. the reference to Fifty Shades), but in the book he comes across as a direct rip off of the lead from the tv show 'The Mentalist'. With his little blue car, his flowered shirts, loafers with no socks, even down to the dead wife and children. The only difference is Ellis has dark hair and doesn't pretend to read minds or dupe people. It's as if the author wasn't sure what direction to take Ellis, one minute he's spouting off apologies about being a "clod of a man" or a "domineering martinet" (really, WHO says things like that?) the next minute he's asking Jess if she pleasures herself...on their FIRST DATE! Jess was no better. She was incredibly annoying with her obsession over her "dream lover" and her inner monologues. For the entire first half of the book, nothing really happens, then they finally sleep together, but... then they break up as Ellis claims to never want another serious relationship due to the previous tragedy with his wife and children. Mere pages later we find Ellis and Jess are getting married. The book gave me whiplash! I was being generous by giving it two stars, really this needs to be looked at again and re-tooled. It's a bit of a jumbled and confusing mess.

[tyrianpurple · Rating 3 out of 5]

Portia Da Costa - How to Seduce a Billionaire

Literature quality :: 3 stars
Enjoyment quantity :: 3 stars

Jess Lockhart. 29 y.o. Virgin. Insurance worker. Brunette.
Ellis P. McKenna. 36 y.o. The boss. British. Beach bum billionaire. Blue-green eyes. Dark brown hair. Aquamarine eyes. Eccentric.

432 pages. No Table of Contents. Black Lace novels. Prologue. Epilogue. 3rd POV, alternating. Modern day fairy tale. Old money.

Well. This one is very much a modern fairy tale. Those time where ur Dream Lover comes straight out from your lovely night cap and becomes the new boss of yours. He accidentally picked you up on the heavy rain, to save your drenched body from more rain. I only could smirked and got along see where the story would go on, but also trying to tone down my expectation of deep emotional storyline.

Oh Ellis you winked too much. From the way he acted, you would never guess he is closer to 40 y.o than 30 y.o and a widower at that. I fond of his eccentric style tough, especially not wearing socks inside a canvas shoes. He is the opposite epitome of commonly described millionaire, not wearing a three pieced suits, designer shoes, and riding an expensive limited edition sports car.

ARC is kindly provided by Author/Publisher via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you for the chance to review the book.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read books by Portia Da Costa many years ago when the Black Lace - erotica by women for women - publishing imprint was launched. I haven't read one of hers for years but they are still every bit as good as I remember them to be if this one is anything to go by. The sex scenes are well written, there is a reasonable plot and there are three dimensional characters as well as plenty of humour.

I liked Jess, who has built up a picture in her mind of her dream lover and somehow no one she meets quite matches up to the very clear picture she has in her head of what exactly he will be like; which is why she is still a virgin at nearly thirty. Then she meets Ellis when his car splashes her from head to foot on her way to work one wet and miserable morning. Naturally he turns out to be the new owner of the company she works for.

The reader gets to know what both the main characters are thinking and it is clear that Ellis is far from being a masterful man with no uncertainties and self confidence in spades. He may be a billionaire but money isn't everything.

I enjoyed reading this book and loved the characters and as I said at the start the sex scenes are well written. I found 50 Shades of Grey boring but How to Seduce a Billionaire is excellent. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.

[Dee-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars if possible. The story was sizzling, but the underlying story was a bit pathetic. I almost thought the ending was going to be unpredictable, but alas. The names of the three main characters was so similar Ellis, Julie and Jess ... the latter seemed to be a combination of the two. Found it humorous that after steamy mind blowing sex, the main character would use words like 'lovely' ... I am sure she would say the same about a cup of tea.

[Zemlja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Opet jedna knjiga koja mi se nije dopala. :(
Vodjena onim da ne sudimo po koricama...ovaj put korica upravo predstavlja ono sto je u knjizi. Prica bez uvoda, bez mnogo razrade, bez previse upoznavanja sa likovima...cini mi se kao bezuspesan pokusaj da se napise novi Fifty Shades... :(

[Aly is so frigging bored · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got to 50% and then I skimmed because I couldn't stand the writing style...
Buddy read with Maru

[Marulett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy read with Aly :)

It was ok

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - voto
Lui miliardario, bello, 36 anni, vedovo da cinque.

Lei 30 anni, vergine non per scelta… ma è successo.

Lui compra la ditta dove lavora lei, s’incontrano per caso durante una pioggia battente, lui le dà un passaggio in macchina e si piacciono. Durante la visita agli uffici, da parte di lui, lei viene notata, osserva che è ancora bagnata e la invita nel suo ufficio in maniera che possa asciugarsi e non prendersi un malanno (ovvio quale titolare non lo farebbe -_- ); qui tra una tazza di cioccolata e un biscotto lui capisce che lei ha un segreto, e lei glielo dice.

«Il mio nome è ancora “Ellis”, Jess, e grazie… grazie ancora per avermi rivelato il tuo segreto. Sei molto coraggiosa».
Maledizione a lui, è un demonio. La stava irritando con tutta quella cortesia, adesso. Non che facesse alcuna differenza. Non l’avrebbe mai più rivisto.
«Arrivederci, Ellis».
Prima che potesse indietreggiare di nuovo aprì la porta e uscì, cercando di apparire il più composta possibile e facendo solo un fugace cenno alla segretaria di Jacobson mentre la superava.

(Questa è la reazione di lui al segreto).

Poi lui le propone un patto, per le successive quattro/cinque settimane staranno insieme, lui le insegnerà il sesso e lei si rilasserà. Questo patto nasce in virtù del fatto che lui non potrà mai più amare nessuna donna dopo la morte della moglie e delle sue due bambine, perché si sente in colpa per non averle protette. Jess è brava, fresca ed una bomba a letto (ovvio); mentre fanno sesso parlano, parlano, parlano arrivano persino a paragoni celestiali, poi ovvio la classica frase: “Io non potrò mai amarti, ho amato solo lei”, l’addio è di prassi, lei stoica lo accetta anche se è innamorata persa, poi lui rimugina e scopre di poter amare ancora e la va a cercare…

Come vedete niente di nuovo, trama banale ma dopo aver recensito due libri abbastanza pesanti emotivamente volevo qualcosa di leggero… ma ho preso un granchio enorme, perché è uno dei pochi libri che mi ha annoiato da morire. Avevo già letto qualcosa di Portia da Costa e non mi era spiaciuta, quindi deduco che o la traduttrice non ha espresso ciò che l’autrice voleva trasmettere oppure anche l’autrice era annoiata mentre lo scriveva! Non mi ha smosso nessuna emozione se non la noia, se non avessi dovuto recensirlo lo avrei chiuso e dimenticato: lui palloso con trecento fisime per la testa, lei forse più coerente con il personaggio, la trama è banale, è vero, ma poteva risultare migliore, non leggendo in lingua non posso dire se in inglese sia più apprezzabile o meno, ma in italiano è decisamente noioso. Se avete altro da leggere fatelo e se poi non sapete cosa leggere perché i bugiardini delle medicine già li sapete allora potete iniziarlo.

[Lia Christo · Rating 4 out of 5]

For one of these machinations of life, Ellis knows Jess in a totally unexpected and unexpected way. They both feel a connection from the first glance, but neither thinks much of it until they meet again a few hours later in her work. Yes, our billionaire has just acquired the insurance company where Jess works and seeing her again feels that she needs to get to know her better and take on an inexplicable attitude even for herself. From there the chemistry between the two only increases and Jess ends up concluding that Ellis may be the right guy to surrender and lose his virginity at once. Ellis of course gets seduced by the possibility of being the first man of Jess and is able to provide him with the pleasures she imagines.

They then combine that Ellis will teach her all about carnal pleasures, but without getting emotionally involved and Jess will use her fantasies while continuing her quest for the enchanted prince. Will this work? Is it that simple?

Guys, I know the story seems to be just a hot one, but I must tell you that I was positively surprised and even though I have some cliches (which I love), the story also has depth, humor and completely captivated me by writing Author.

Seducing a Billionaire is a captivating, entertaining and charming story. Highly recommend!

[Janna · Rating 5 out of 5]

General info

Jess and Ellis meet accidentally in the pouring rain. This starts a fling they both think will only last a few moments. They face their ups and downs whilst also trying to fight falling in love.

Things I liked

I absolutely love the idea of the story. I just wish my Dream Lover would show up and whisk me away. The story never gets boring and I was hooked until the end. I certainly hoped that Jess and Ellis would get their happy ending. They really deserve it.
I also love the characters. Jess is a 29-year old virgin, which on its own is unusual. She is a woman who has put everything on hold to take care of her nan and now that she is gone, is still trying to find her way back to her life.
Ellis has lost everything important to him. He’s a kind man, he’s not too domineering or forceful. He’s a lovely man altogether but he cannot get over his dead family. Let’s just say he is very different from the typical billionaire characters and I really liked that.

Conclusion

As a whole, I really truly love this book. It is a beautiful story with a happy ending and I’m so happy that I found this book and got to enjoy it. The story is beautiful and I recommend it from the bottom of my heart.

* ARC received from the publisher via Netgalley

[Jelica Mirković · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iako bi ovo trebalo da bude erotska knjiga ona sadrži mnogo više od erotike. Jedna duboka i emotivna priča o ženi koja čeka svog "princa" i milijarderu koji se plaši da ponovo zavoli. Njih dvoje nisu ni mogli da slute da će im se životi ukrstiti onog dana kada je počela da pada jaka kiša. Ta kiša je promenila njihove živote, tog jutra su pronašli jedno drugo. Pronašli su ljubav.
U dubini ove knjige, u vidu sporedne priče, nalazi se jedna topla i emotivna, pomalo tužna priča koja je prekrivena erotikom. Što se glavne priče u knjizi tiče, nije mi se dopala, dok je ona sporedna priča puna emocija. Nije mi se dopalo ni to što su u knjizi korišćeni mnogi vulgarni izrazi, a po mom mišljenju vulgarnost i erotika nije isto. Kada bi se iz knjige izbacili svi ti suvišni vulgarni izrazi i malo više pažnje obratilo na sporednu priču o tome zbog čega on ne može da zavoli i zbog čega ona odbija ljubav, mislim da bi ova knjiga bila prilično dobra, a ovako je samo knjiga koja je mogla da bude mnogo bolja od onoga što jeste.

[Jemma Bell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not sure where to start... I think all I’m going to say is don’t waste your time reading this book.
I’m surprised as usually I like Portias books, but this one just made me cringe and was a struggle to get through.

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book, very very spicy, kind of like fifty shades of grey but Ellis McKenna came around quicker than Christian Grey, u could tell he was in love with Jess before he even realised it himself and the love confession was *chefs kiss*

[Jelena Antic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knjiga koja se cita u dahu. Zanimljiva razonada. Uzbudljiva ;-)

[Andi Isack · Rating 2 out of 5]

It doesn't impressed me so much. It's predictable and a bit annoying here and there.

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf, i wanna burn my eyes