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Elliot & Annabelle #1

An Improper Deal

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My life crashed and burned two years ago, and now I'm a stripper--a very bad one. Worse, I'm in debt to a dangerous man who orders me to seduce a billionaire prodigy. Except why would a guy as handsome and rich as Elliot Reed want me, a girl with no education, no prospects, and a younger sister to feed?

But Elliot is more than the incorrigible bad boy that the world sees. He is kind to my sister and looks at me like I'm a decadent dessert he wants to devour. When Elliot offers me money for sex, I wish I could walk away, but he ups the ante: a million dollars for one year of marriage. The man's gotta be insane, but beggars with less than a hundred bucks in the bank can't be choosers, and I want to give my sister a life better than my own.

Now, trapped between a man who controls my future and a man who could own my heart, I wonder if I haven't screwed up my life even worse when my "husband" refuses to call me by my given name, and I run into my ugly past...and his.

Note: This book contains a cliffhanger ending.

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 9, 2016

2134 people are currently reading
739 people want to read

About the author

Nadia Lee

76 books2,817 followers
Bilingual former management consultant Nadia Lee has lived in four different countries and enjoyed many adventures and excellent food around the globe. In the last eight years, she has kissed stingrays, got bitten by a shark, and petted tigers.

She shares an apartment overlooking a river and palm trees in Japan with her husband, winter white hamsters and an ever-widening pile of books. When she's not writing, she can be found digging through old Asian historical texts or planning another trip.

Visit Nadia on her website or her blog. You can also say hello on Facebook or Twitter.

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5 stars
796 (46%)
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573 (33%)
3 stars
257 (14%)
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65 (3%)
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28 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
Profile Image for Candy Hernandez.
280 reviews8 followers
September 24, 2016
After learning that I'm in the last page, I want shout "what the fuck?!" It really ended in a cliffhanger, and what a cliffhanger it was!
Who the hell, in his right mind, wants to marry a stripper for just a year in exchange for a portrait painting done by his grandfather? Or is there another reason for Elliot's action? And whats with her name that he doesn't want to call his wife, Annabelle, by her name, instead calling her Gigi? Aarrrgghh this book frustrates me. I want the second book now!

Annabelle and her sister Nonny were orphans for two years after their lives crashed and burned. If it wasn't for Mr Grayson, who's a shady character, they would live in the streets. One day this Mr Grayson asked her to strip just for a day in a club where Elliot frequents to. Since she doesnt have any work, she was forced to do the job and was followed by being a birthday girl inside a cake to one and the same, Elliot.

Luckily for her, Elliot cant get her out of his mind even with her very poor performance, constantly bugging him and make his dick stand up.

Eventually, they got married, and guess what? Many facts are still mysterious and will leave you hanging! The author will lure you in the the first few words of the book then before you know it, you cant put it down. That is, until you reach the least page and make you scream, " when is book 2 coming out?"

I was given an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
140 reviews
July 9, 2018
The male lead was, for the most part, a crude, arrogant ass (and his brothers seem to be the same). Honestly, aside from some decently human moments, I couldn't stand him (not unlike Christian Grey from Fifty Shades). Female lead was a young, smart woman who was trapped by circumstances not of her own making, but I have a really hard time believing that she can't get SOME kind of job to support herself and her sister and her ONLY option is to marry a womanizing billionaire for a year (with some manipulation from her sleazy roommate and her wealthy benefactor (another relationship I don't understand at all)). And, he's a complete pig to her and treats her like garbage, yet, she's hot for him. Oh, and, it's one of those books that ends suddenly in the middle of a scene and you're supposed to buy the next 4 books to find out what happens, which annoys me completely. I got the first book for free and won't be spending money to read the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews128 followers
Want to read
September 7, 2018
💝FREE on iBooks today (9/6/2018)!💝

Blurb:
Incorrigible billionaire bachelor Elliot Reed finally meets the bride he wants for a year to claim his grandfather's legacy. Everything goes in the marriage, but falling in love is absolutely off the table. Unfortunately his bride comes with a big secret that can derail his perfect life...
Profile Image for Steven Allen.
1,188 reviews24 followers
July 27, 2018
I received a copy of An Improper Deal (Elliot & Annabelle #1; Billionaires' Brides of Convenience Book 3) free in exchange for reviews. I understand that this type of romance book is fantasy and best read with a great suspension of belief in reality. The author asks too great of a suspension of belief for me in An Improper Deal.

Elliot and Annabelle are two lost souls who find each other. Dialogue is easy to follow. An Improper Deal is a short quick read. The infrequent sex is graphic, but not to level of word porn making this a slightly erotic romance.

The sex is well written without being puerile. Safe sex is practiced which for me in a fantasy sucks. I understand the need for authors to demonstrate safe sexual practices as impressionable people may read An Improper Deal.

An Improper Deal does feature prostitution, stripping and women selling themselves for money in a general way. If you are bothered by prostitution stripping and women debasing themselves for money I suggest you not read An Improper Deal.

I really disliked Annabelle’s stripper/hooker roommate. I would not think that Annabelle a woman so protective of her younger sister that she would room with such a woman. Teenagers are not as stupid and unaware as most people would like to believe. With a wealthy sugar daddy Annabelle and her sister should have found better housing even in LA’s tough market than to room with such a distasteful roommate.

I have no problem with prostitution as long as everything is above board and all involved are consenting adults. I don’t care what two (or more) adults do together as long as it is safe sane and consensual. I don’t dislike Annabelle’s roommate because of her profession, I dislike her because of the callous way she treats Annabelle and her sister. The roommate threatening to out Annabelle’s brief and unsuccessful career as a stripper and a hooker is reprehensible.

Outing Annabelle’s one time effort to be a stripper and another single experience as a failed hooker is not something that I didn’t think that the younger sister could handle. It was the unnecessary mental anguish that the thought of her sister learning the extent that Annabelle would go to support them that I felt was wrong. Perhaps in the later books the roommate redeems herself or she disappears.

I felt that the number of times the two MCs ran into each other was rather contrived evidence of an author’s heavy hand driving the plot. In a ginormous city such as LA for two people from such vastly different social circles to run into each other this many times is preposterous.

Annabelle’s guardian or whoever the mystery sugar daddy is gets her a job as a stripper because Elliot the billionaire wants to marry a stripper. Elliot’s need for the woman he marries to be a stripper for some reason that is not clearly defined other than to hint at some art and a will from his father.

I never got why Elliot was so determined to marry a stripper. Perhaps Elliot’s motivations are better explained in the second book. I might have skimmed over Elliot’s reasons.

Annabelle just happens to be employed as a janitor at the building; his wealth management firm is located. Annabelle’s roommate is a supposedly high class stripper/hooker who just happens to need Annabelle to take her place because the roommate’s parents are visiting. Annabelle just happens to jump out of Elliot’s birthday cake and then fails as a hooker when she refuses to have sex with Elliot.

Overall, An Improper Deal was neither the worst nor the best erotic romance that I have read. I am not invested enough in the characters to read more about them at the current Kindle price. An Improper Deal ends on a nice cliffhanger that if I really cared about what happens next to the characters would prompt me to buy the next book in the series.

My curiosity about the fate of Elliot and Annabelle’s marriage is not severe enough to overcome my economic sense. Honestly, if the next Elliot and Annabelle book sold on Kindle at a dollar I would grab it. I would also purchase the final book in the Elliot and Annabelle series if it too sold for a dollar.

Profile Image for Hopelessly seeking Happily Ever Afters.
788 reviews20 followers
September 15, 2023

Elliot and Annabelle

*****Spoiler Alert*****

So far this has the hottest sex scene I've read in Nadia Lee's work. Elliot and Annabelle would never have met if it weren't for all of the external manipulations of someone who hasn't been revealed yet. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Elliot is being forced to marry because of his father's ultimatum, but Elliot has a plan of his own to embarrass his dad for withholding what is rightfully his: marry a stripper.

Annabelle is doing her best to take care of her little sister but she is struggling after she is laid off. The man that assisted her move and helps her with money wants her to marry, and he gives her a picture of the man he recommends. Further in order to meet the guy recommended he wants her to be a stripper......

Thanks for making this series available in KU. JP

1st read 02-07-20
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Chanel.
1,833 reviews
February 29, 2020
3.25 Stars for this Cliffhanger. Like his siblings, Elliot’s dad is “forcing” him into a one year marriage. Elliot’s plan is to marry a stripper just to get even with his father. At a strip club he sees a very shy young lady on stage performing an extremely bad strip act. It was Annabelle’s one and only try at stripping. Annabelle needs cash, so she does a favor for a friend, and ends up in Elliott’s apartment. Elliot needs a temporary wife and she needs money. Within days they are married.
Elliot seems to be missing some of the charm and carefreeness that caught my attention in the Ryder and Paige book. He is almost too nice and is very considering to Annabelle’s teenage sister. This book ends with quite a few unanswered questions, so on to the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Ann L..
668 reviews25 followers
November 3, 2016
I would rate this 3.5. I like the author's suspenseful plot attached to the story. She unfolds this gradually so it keeps me on my toes. But I do not like the "make out" scenes because I find them a bit raunchy in the words she uses. I have read different "romance" authors and for me it's all about wording, and the four letter words she uses doesn't do anything for me personally but turn me off. Of course there are other people who would say the opposite, so if you like that sort of thing, you'll rate this book higher than I did.
Profile Image for Amanda Summerlin.
295 reviews7 followers
July 19, 2017
This was a really fantastic read. I couldn't put it down because I had to know what was going to happen next.
Annabella is struggling to make ends meet. When her parents were killed she had to step in a raise her baby sister.
Elliot comes on the scene and offers her money to marry him for one year. Elliot has some secrets that aren't revealed yet.
That cliffhanger got me chopping at the bit to read the next book.
Profile Image for Tara Horowitch.
666 reviews32 followers
February 17, 2018
Annabelle and her little sister Nonny were orphans for two years after their life’s were turned upside down. If it wasn’t for a guy named Mr Grayson interfering and helping. Annabelle’s life would have never changed for the better. And she would have never meet Elliott.

Eventually they marry bc of the deal Elliott as with his father. But things are what they seem for these two. There are so many mysterious things left unknown. Just be ready for a cliffhanger of all cliffhangers.
Profile Image for ✨✨ Claire✨✨.
1,133 reviews60 followers
March 18, 2018
I love this series.

The concept is interesting - with each of Julians children having to get married. we've only really witnessed Ryder and Elliott's ploys so it made sense we'd see more of him now.

It seems he has got a lot more than he bargained for. After all he just wanted someone "pretty to f@ck for the year" and that was it - hence the stripper.
But .....
Annabelle isn't really a stripper.....and that's just the first problem....
Profile Image for Kelly Fountain.
908 reviews2 followers
May 12, 2019
Oh what a tangled web we weave. We dig deeper into this series and Elliot is the next sibling taking the plunge. He’s determined to find someone he doesn’t care about and get the next year over with.
Annabelle has been beaten down every way possible. She’s trying to survive for her sister. Her path crosses Elliot’s and she makes a decision to help provide and protect them for many years to come.
CLIFFHANGER book 1 of 3
Profile Image for Cathy.
999 reviews
May 28, 2019
Wow!

Nadia Lee’s story about Elliot and Annabelle is one that keeps your interest and attention! Both characters struggle with baggage from their previous lives and relationships. Some of this past history is affecting their present relationship/marriage and some are yet to be revealed!! The chemistry these two have together is combustible - to say the least! I absolutely love these two together. I cannot wait to see what’s in store in Book 2!!
284 reviews
July 9, 2018
Cliff Hanger!! Grrrrr

VERY upset this fact of CLIFF HANGER wasnt mentioned! It frosts me and I feel like I was "taken" for a ride I didnt want!
I feel cheated. I detest these damn cliff hangers. The authors should be upfront and honestly divulge this info.
Also, GOD represents a formal name just like your name Nadia. Its a capitol G !!!
127 reviews1 follower
July 23, 2018
Great Read

I loved this story of Elliot and Annabelle. They have demons that is going to be hard to beat without opening up to each other since they have a full year to be together intimately. There is no way real feelings aren't going to begin living and sleeping together. I can't wait to see how it's going to pan out for them.
Profile Image for Kay.
395 reviews2 followers
June 6, 2019
OMG!

Wow, I wasn't sure what to expect with Elliots story. I'm actually surprised to say that I'm finding it better than book1 of the series. I can't wait to find out who Mr Grayson is and what role Dennis plays. Although I'm guessing, I'm probably way off.
Can't recommend this series enough.
Profile Image for Cynthia Houser.
1,605 reviews9 followers
January 4, 2020
Improper

This is another good book in this series by Nadia! I am just glad that the next book is already out and I don't have to wait for it to be released. The characters are interesting and engaging. I could do without the foul language. I have to wonder if Julian is manipulating everything?
2,184 reviews5 followers
April 4, 2020
Elliot’s book! He’s been a fascinating minor character in related Nadia Lee books. What a cliff hanger this one had! We see much more of Annabelle’s back story here than. Elliot’s, so I cannot wait until the next book. Oh my goodness, what a dysfunctional family the Pryce and Reed siblings have endured.
375 reviews2 followers
July 9, 2018
What???????

The worst abrupt ending ever, like the story was chopped into indiscriminate pieces. Do you authors have any idea how much readers HATE falling off the cliff of an incomplete story just so you can sell another book? Rude.
2,291 reviews5 followers
July 12, 2018
This is the first Book of a series.

This story was all right. Annabelle is a strong character in some respects and weak in others. I also wish she would tell Elliott since she told him of a horrible event in her life, he should tell her his.
1,046 reviews5 followers
July 13, 2018
What a great story.

Did not know what to expect but boy was I sold on this whole adventure. So of course you know I have to read the other two books to know what will happen in their romance
808 reviews13 followers
July 13, 2018
Very poorly written

Extremely poor writing and very little in the way of plot make this a book not worth my time. I could not develop any concern for the characters and as a consequence, could not work up any concern for what happens to them.
3 reviews
August 7, 2018
I don't like a book to end with a promise to be continued IF you want to buy another book. Finish the story and then say that you can buy a sequel which can continue their saga with another storyline. You feel for the heroine but also the hero. I hope they have a happy ending.
112 reviews
October 14, 2018
Still thinking of reading on into the series. Nadia Lee has Me lingering, wondering, thinking ahead!Although I rarely pick a cliffhanger, this one seemed interesting. Why 1 year? Why the twist of the ex? What with the name? I'm intrigued and most likely will have to find out!
Profile Image for Trina.
345 reviews
November 1, 2019
I felt this one was a little slow to get going but wow once it did i was hooked. I love Elliot, he came across as cocky and arrogant to everyone around him but when he's with his Belle, Nonny & his family he's the man every woman wants! A great start and looking forward to book 2!
Profile Image for Cherye Elliott.
3,397 reviews24 followers
October 15, 2020
Well.

The book started out fine. I understand Belle is only 22 and immature and overwhelmed. Elliot is a man whore. I have a feeling where this novella is going. I do feel it would have been better if it was one book instead of all of these novellas.....
Profile Image for Charlotte.
248 reviews
December 12, 2020
Another propostion

This one is quite juicy. If you read the previous books, you will understand the precipice of the books. But a one year contract with a woman that ignites you and the chemistry if off the hook can not be too bad...or can it??
Profile Image for The Endless Unread.
3,419 reviews63 followers
July 9, 2018
It was okay I guess just felt a bit inadequate like there was minimal feeling behind the plot of the book. It doesn't feel like this situation would actually happen so therefore it doesn't feel real
2,648 reviews10 followers
July 11, 2018
Astounding

This story is so twisted around it might take the whole series to figure it out! heads up it's not a stand alone but it's a very interesting start.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews

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