Debt Collector

by Weston Parker

My world is about restoring the old and bringing it back to life.

Antiquities. Old Relics.They all have a story to tell, and my family has been helping tell those stories for generations.

It's why we are old money.

When I catch a man trying to steal one of my prized pieces, the fury buried inside of me comes to life.

I'll press him to the fire for everything he's got, but he doesn't have much.

Only a daughter.

Funny enough, I need an accountant, and she'll do just fine.

But the first time I see her, I feel like a pawn in my own game. Her innocence suffocates me, calls to the deepest part of me, the part that needs to own her.

To be her first. Her last. Her only.

I've not loved or lusted in a long time, but there's something about her.

Whether I want her to or not - she's causing my blood to burn.

I'll never give her back.

Not even when the debt is paid.

Every good girl deserves a bad boy. ~Weston

Genres: Romance

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 30, 2018

About the author

Hey there. I'm Weston.

Have we met? No? Well it's time to end that tragedy.

I'm a former firefighter/EMS guy who's picked up the proverbial pen and started writing bad boy romance stories. I co-write with my sister, Ali Parker, but live in Texas with my wife, my two little boys, my daughter, two dogs, three cats, and a turtle.

Yep. A turtle. You read that right. Don't be jealous.

You're going to find Billionaires, Bad Boys, Military Guys and loads of sexiness.

Something for everyone, hopefully. I'd love to connect with you. Check out the links below and come find me.

Reviews

[Claire - The Coffeeholic Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Hopper is now holding down the fort after his father died, running their family business that has made them rich, respected and recognized. While his father was kind and gentle and well-loved, Andrew is his exact opposite. He's ruthless, unforgiving, unreasonable and most of the time, grumpy. Going to digs to explore old relics and artifacts, Andrew makes sure that he takes care of every piece they accumulated over the years. So one night, when he catches an old family friend, Rick Newmann stealing from his crates, he's just seconds away from calling the police to report the crime. Until Rick begs to let his daughter fix his debt. Andrew doesn't trust Newmann one bit,but he needs all the help he can get to fix his company's finances.

Sophie loves numbers and coffee and is content being a barista and part time book keeper in the old coffeeshop downtown. She's content with her job and happy with her best friend, but she also longs to explore the world like what her parents did. But she doesn't have the time and not enough funds to do what she wants. When her father needs her help, she agrees to it, not knowing that she'd soon become a prisoner and a payment to a debt his father owed.

I love love love this latest book by Weston Parker. The story is a whole lotta different from Weston's previous writings, but I liked how it still gets me shivering with anticipation. I am kinda used to his previous novels' characters, with more rugged men, brazen wantons and hot and heavy storylines. This time, however, the atmosphere is a little tamer with the whole Beauty and the Beast meets Indiana Jones setting. But it still exudes the highly erotic vibes that Weston Parker has mastered and always delivers.

I love that Debt Collector isn't just all about exploration of artifacts and antiques, it is also an exploration of feelings, grievances, and more specifically, the human anatomy. Yep, you read it right... Debt Collector is another Weston Parker classic that's sure to melt your hearts and girly parts..

[CeCe · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first story...the relationship felt forced. I did not read beyond that.

[Mandy Saial · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning I wasn't sure I was going to like privileged , brooding somewhat antisocial Andrew ,but over the course of the story you understand his situation . He must step up to take over the family business ..all that responsibility falls squarely on him. That's a tough pill to swallow that quick. Then he catches his fathers best friend stealing and demands repayment .
Sophie is a kindhearted, sweet - natured accountant that ends up conned by her father into repaying his debts . She would do anything for her dad, but upon arrival she meets the man she'll be working with and let me tell you sparks do not instantly fly .
It was nice to see how over the course of the story Sophie's love, kindness and mere presence changed Andrew forever .It was kind of Beauty and the beast esc.
This was an odd connection of an accountant and an antique dealer that I didn't think would work at first but love triumphed with the drama , steamy sex scenes and flawless ever changing writing style by the author .I cant wait to see what characters he pairs up next.
I voluntarily read this arc.

[BP34 · Rating 5 out of 5]

In some ways this is a modern retelling of Beauty and The Beast. Andrew is antisocial, moody and one of the elites. When he took over his father's business he was upset when he found his father's friend stealing from him. When he demanded repayment, the only thing the man had to offer was his daughter Sophie. In return for payment, Sophie comes to work for Andrew at an accountant. She is sweet, kind and awakens something in Andrew that has been dead for a long time. This is a well written story with complex characters and a page turning story. Full of angst and drama. A great love story between two opposites. I read an advance copy and voluntarily chose to write a review.

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw the title and thought interesting. Then I read the blurb and decided yeah this is different. I was right! This story is exceptionally well written, the main characters are very developed and make you fall in love with them.

In the beginning, I really wanted to hate Andrew because for his stinky attitude but then I became a fan of his.

Another excellent story by Weston Parker!! I received an ARC.

[MJM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Payback

Andrew is a lonely and bitter man after his father dies leaving him the family business, the only person who doesn't fear him is his father's butler, Liam. Andrew is a billionaire now and good looks but neither bring him what he wants. He catches Rick, a supposed family friend of his father stealing an antique from his study and he gives him a choice of prison or worse? When Rick proposes another option: he will get his daughter Sophie, an accountant, to live in Andrew's home and to work in the accounts department to pay off his offence? Andrew tells her to keep her distance and keep out of his way and is downright unpleasant to her. Weston and Ali Parker are both fantastic authors in their own rights, but together they are magnificent!  The plot is quite unique and the two main characters are so complex , and yet, seeing the transformation in Andrew's personality is beautifully handled/ The curt way that Andrew treats Sophie is bound to rile a feisty young woman such as herself and I loved how she fought him all the way and refusing to let him make her cower in his presence. The effect she has on him is brilliant and I loved the way Liam also took no notice of his bad humour.  A spectacular story that I know I will want to re-read in the future! When Andrew realises his true feelings and he understands that he is going to have to make changes or he will lose her forever!  I loved this story and am now waiting impatiently for their next romantic adventure to be published!!  I strongly encourage you to get this fast paced story  and hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

DEFINITELY  RECOMMENDED.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!! Weston Parker has written a modern re-telling of the classic "Beauty and the Beast", with some unexpected twists and turns. Andrew Hopper is a treasure hunter and loves his life of adventure in exotic lands, discovering historical artifacts. With the death of his father, he is forced to actually run the business, leaving the adventuring to others. He discovers his father's best friend attempting to steal an artifact and instead of calling the authorities, is persuaded to accept the help of Sophie, the man's daughter, in exchange for his silence. Sophie, a barista and part-time accountant, is content with life, but longs for adventure like her parents had in the field, digging for archeological treasure. Finances squelch those dreams. She agrees to her father's request, not realizing that she is satisfying a personal debt.
Then the real fun begins. This is a distinct departure from Weston's more familiar brawny, alpha hero meets quirky, independent heroine. His approach here is more subtle, the main characters more human and relatable. They have real problems. This story is way more than digging for treasure, it is digging into the depths of the human psyche and discovering that anger and resentment fade away in the face of the healing properties of kindness and love. The romance that develops between Andrew and Sophie is slower, yet steady, and combusts into a raging inferno. After all, this is a Weston Parker book!! I was pleasantly surprised with this change in writing style and look forward to more surprises from Weston in the future. You will be his fan after reading this book!

[An · Rating 3 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Andrew met Sophie through her dad. Her father promised to send Sophie to help Andrew with the finances of his company as a way to keep Andrew from prosecuting him when the father was found in a compromising situation. Sophie was less than happy to fulfill this obligation as she was content in her life and job, but felt responsible to help her dad.

Sophie takes an immediate dislike to the very arrogant Andrew. He believes her to be as her father is and refuses to speak with her directly and only does so through another employee, although he increasingly finds himself attracted to her.

This sets the tone for the story. Although it has some interesting parts and a decent storyline, this was not one of my favorites by this author. I felt the characters could have been better developed. Andrew seemed to be an angry recluse with no real explanation why. Sophie was naive to the point of ‘is this chick for real’? I couldn’t believe she didn’t ask for a clear explanation of the situation between her father and Andrew immediately. Further, I felt this book was way too long. It seemed to be drawn out in places where it just wasn’t necessary to do so.

On the upside, I adored Liam who wasn’t afraid to tell the truth and Anna who was a real cutie.

I am a huge fan of Weston Parker since his debut novel “Toxic”, so I read everything he writes. However, this didn’t do it for me at all.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

So this is Weston Parker's take on Beauty and the Beast. At first I didn't see it, but now it's so obvious I wondered what my brain was doing. Oh, hating Andrew one minute and then falling in love with him the next. Sophie is pretty much the same way. And it's easy to see why after reading just the first few pages of Andrew's point of view. However, this story did have a nice little bundle that the classic story didn't have. Now, with that being said, why did I take a half star? It was because of the harping about the stress she was under planning her wedding. I actually put the book down for about a day before I picked it back up to finish it. And I'm glad that I did. Andrew's solution was WORTH it! Take a chance on this book, I recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book, and I borrowed it through the Kindle Unlimited program too.

[Julianne Macneil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part of an arc program. I loved this book, I loved Andrew and Sophie. I though Andrew was a grouch who really wasn't happy on life. When Andrew caught Rick breaking into his house, Rick offered his daughter Sophie to come and work for Andrew as an accountant to find out why Andrew was having money problems. Andrew agrees to the deal, but he doesn't want anything to do with Sophie. But the longer Sophie is around, the more she catches Andrew's attention. When Andrew takes Sophie on a business trip, he can't help feeling jealous when she sees an old friend and Andrew decides not to fight his attraction to her anymore. They begin a relationship until Sophie learns the truth about why her father needed her to work for Andrew. I really liked them together. I loved Liam, I thought he was like a father figure to Andrew and thought Andrew was capable of being better. The characters all were complex and each had their own issues. Another good one from Weston.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored Andrew! I don’t always love the Gothic, tragic, brooding heroes, but when they’re done right, they’re some of my favorites. Andrew is definitely one of my favorites. Even though everyone around him was giving him the side-eye for his grumpy behavior, I was sure there was more to it: that he was fully justified in acting that way. (I love it when I’m right.) Sophie is such a breath of fresh air. She brings a lightness and sweetness to Andrew’s world that he’s been sorely lacking. There were a couple of times I thought she was a little more judge-y than she had a right to be, but I could understand why she reacted that way. They’re both strong personalities, so their chemistry together is explosive. In both good and bad ways. And the way the book ends is completely swoon-worthy.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

[Velda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is lovely, it’s not as full on or gritty as most of Weston’s other work and took a little bit of getting into the story but once I was in it was really good. Andrew isn’t the nicest of people at the beginning of this book, however it’s easy to see that there are reasons for his behaviours - not that they excuse his rude, aggressive and abrupt nature but they do explain it somewhat. He forces Sophie’s father into a corner and he has to take the only one at out, which is to offer up Sophie as accountant to Andrews struggling antiquities business. Andrew insists Sophie must live in his mansion whilst she’s working off her fathers debt, even though poor Sophie has no idea why she’s even there! Of course Sophie grows in Andrew, Andrew intrigues Sophie and they start to warm to one another. This is a really nice Modern romance and it’s easy to read.

[Jennifer Soppe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of this book that I received for free.

Weston Parker has a hit again in this excellent beauty and the beast based romance. Debt Collector, contains a great beast, Andrew, the owner of Hopper Antiquities, who catches Rick, a friend of his father, attempting to steal an artifact from his office. Rick, the hapless father, in order to save himself from being arrested offers his daughter Sophie's expertise to help Andrew with his company's accounting department. The spunky beauty Sophie, a barista and accountant working in her dream situation, is forced into servitude to save her father from a fate unknown to her. At their first meeting Sophie takes Andrew to be a real beast of a man. As the story progresses they delve deeper into each others personalities and lives coming to a better understanding of themselves and life.

I'd settle my debt like this.

[Zelda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slower-paced take on Beauty and the Beast. Andrew, a grumpy billionaire who is all work and no play, “hires” his new accountant, Sophie. He's probably grumpy because the antiquities company he's inherited is in a big financial mess. When sheltered, kind-hearted, and intelligent Sophie comes into his life to straighten out the mess, she slowly grows on him. This is a story about how holding onto your opinions and feelings without seeking further information can wreak havoc with your life. I liked that the story extended to the point where we could see Sophie's limitations, and how love has changed Andrew into the person he becomes by the end of the book. He was a hard character for me to like in the beginning, but by the end, he had romantically redeemed himself.

I received an arc of this book and have voluntarily reviewed it.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started reading when I had a few minutes in a waiting room. Thought I’d get started but quickly realized I didn’t want to put it down. Loved the characters and the way Weston developed each one. Thought the storyline was one I would have read before (since I’m an avid reader) but I was surprised. Andrew is a ruthless, snobbish billionaire recluse who has inherited his father's business. He catches Rick, his father's oldest friend, stealing from him. Rick offers up his daughter, Sophie to help Andrew sort out his financial situation, if he wouldn’t involve the police. Sophie, although working as a Barista, is well educated with an accounting degree. Andrew agrees to the proposal but insists Sophie must live in the mansion with him. “Debt Collector” is a wonderfully written story filled with drama, tension, passion, and steamy romance.

[Anne Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

How Life’s Curves Change Everything. Andrew Hopper was work driven in his antiquities business that he inherited after his father passed away. Unfortunately his soft hearted father was not a good businessman and Andrew had to work really hard to get it back on its feet, except for the financial difficulties he cannot seem to sort out. Andrew catches an old friend of his dads, Rick Newman trying to steal one of the antiquities, and a deal was cut Rick would ask his daughter Sophie who had a finance degree to sort Andrews financial difficulties out. Andrew is one of the grumpiest, arrogant men that Sophie has ever met and hates him on sight. This book and the characters flowed beautifully. I especially loved the epilogue at the end. It was well written and a great highly recommended HEA of a read. This is my honest review of an ARC I received.

[Jackie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

Settling into this latest book, I found the writing style to be slightly different than some I have read from this author in the past; it took me a few chapters to get a feel for the characters and the flow of the storyline. 
Once I did, I was all in for the maddening, and I do mean maddening ( seriously I wanted to shake them both) back, and forth stubborn romance that starts to bloom between the ever gloomy Andrew and the one breaks him out of his grey skies Sophie! 
This amped-up heat in the midst of Africa treat with a case of Butler knows best is a heart mending story is one I am so glad I had the chance to read!
Weston Parker's creative writing shows in the pages of this steamy freight train of feels!

[Linda Kopec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew has been running the family business since his father's death. He is a stereotypical workaholic. One night, someone breaks into his home and appears to be trying to steal one of his many artifacts. In exchange for not turning him into the police he volunteers his daughter Sophie to help straighten out the financial books at the business. Sophie is angry to have been "voluntold" to work for Andrew and for his cold attitude towards her. Will Andrew learn there's more than work? Will Sophie be able to get beyond first impressions? This is a wonderfully developed story that has a lot of twists, some romance, hot sex, and believe it or not a HEA.. I received an advanced readers copy and am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the beginning of this book made me think of the Beast from the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast - how he was so angry with life that he took his anger out on everyone including his staff.

The transformation that Andrew went through was believable and really enhanced the story; grief bottled up can destroy you, and in my opinion Andrew had been grieving for a very long time.

I loved all the characters, the emotions and love running throughout this - but I think what I loved the most was when I thought the story would end, it didn't, it just kept going, kept giving - how wonderful. 💖

I received an ARC for an honest review and this is it, I am so happy I've read this. 😊

[CassieLC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weston has done it again with another fantastic book!!
I’m not usually into books that are ‘remakes’ (if that’s what you want to call them) of fairytales, but this one was amazing.
The characters were well developed and lovable, even Andrew who comes across as very angry in the beginning.
Andrew took over his fathers antique store. He catches a friend of his fathers, Rick, stealing an antique from his store. To pay his debts back to Andrew, Rick offers up his daughter.
Little does Andrew know that Sophie will change his life and he will change hers as well.
Will Sophie be able to tame the beast in Andrew?
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Topaz May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having recently discovered Weston Parker's books, I'm utterly amazed by each of his book. This story is a fantastic, updated adaptation of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. I freakin' love it!!! The characters each have the endearing qualities of a fairy tale but also have contemporary problems of real people. They are flawed and immensely human. The writing is fantastic and brought out all the feels. If I had to find one flaw, it's that the Epilogue section went on too. And that isn't much of a complaint when you get more of the awesome characters. I requested an ARC of this book so I could post an honest review.

[Dawn Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Weston Parker this was a story with twist and turns a bit of a rollercoaster ride.
The characters were quite interesting. Andrew is running his father's company since his father's passing, he unfortunately catches a good friend of his father's trying to take something from his father's office. They come up with a deal where this man's daughter will come and work for Andrew and Andrew agrees not to call the police. Sophie doesn't understand what is happening with her father but agrees to do this. This was a very good book and I highly recommend this great book. I voluntary reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[ANNBOOKSHELF · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern day fairytale - humor, bad temper (Beast) and the (Beauty) a wonderfully written story.

Andrew has lost his family and has a huge responsibility to get his family business favorable. Betrayal and anger drive Andrew to make drastic demands and forces Sophie to work for him to pay off Sophie's fathers debt. It has humor, sweetest romance and some hmmm moments to digest. I am a sucker for fairy tails. This author is new to means I really enjoyed his style. I look forward to more of his books. Violence0, sex2

Sneak preview a book from his sister was also a included.

More reviews my2centsbookreview.com

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

This is a good well-written story with an interesting storyline, we meet Andrew, a man with a real beast complex and we have Sophie, a beautiful innocent young woman who goes to work for him to pay off her father's "debt". Sophie is the light to Andrews dark, and she pulls a goodness out of him.

Enjoyed this story, and found the story to flow smoothly, the character growth was wonderful to see. Wonderful ending. This is a standalone story with no cliffhangers.

[Diane W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Debt Collector by Weston Parker

I have concerns about this dark story. The main character Andrew is an arrogant bully. Sophie's father Rick does a break and enter into a mansion, gets caught in the act who then offers his daughter up as a means to help with the Hopper Antiquities accounting deficit so he does not go to jail.

However, the main characters Andrew and Sophie are able to over come their issues and develop into a true romantic fairy tale. I enjoyed Liam and Kaddy in their supporting characters and they added to the story immensely.

D. Wallington 30 Jan 2018

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, let me say this was some outstanding writing. It is a great story, but more than that, this is some of the best writing I have read. Weston Parker did such a good job developing the characters. I felt like I really knew Andrew and Sophie to the point, that I knew what they thinking. Then the story is wonderful. You are in for lots of surprises. You never know what is going to happen next. It is a story of finding "the one". I voluntarily reviewed this advance copy, and this is a must read.

[Kara Coens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, another great one from Weston Parker! I really loved Andrew and his grumpy self, It was hard to see but there was a good loving man in there somewhere. Sophie was an unknowing pawn in this little game, her father used her as leverage, what could she do but help her father when he really needed it?!?! I absolutely loved watching Andrew find himself while falling for Sophie and Watching Sophie realize there is so much more out there to enjoy. Great story with amazing details and the sexiness was smokin' hot!!!!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of both Weston and Ali's writing. And this book only solidify's the reason I love their books. Weston wrote Andrew to be a grumpy introvert and Sophie is a sheltered daughter who hasn't even been out of the state. While it took a few chapters to fully get into the book the build up was well worth it. The story between Andrew and Sophie was magnificent as it showed how people can tend to react before knowing the full truth.

[Book-Lovin-Momma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew is a cold, all work and no play billionaire, and he can't really trust Sophie, but she eventually wears him down. It was a bit slow in the beginning, but when Andrew gives in to his burgeoning feelings for Sophie, things get really interesting! I enjoyed the character development and seeing the inner thoughts Andrew and Sophie had, especially their wants and fears. Good read overall, I'd recommend it!

[Ree · Rating 3 out of 5]

An antiques dealer falls for the accountant he was forced to hire. The romantic pairing added a unique flavour to this novel.

I found that Sophie blindly rushed into an arrangement she knew next to nothing about too quickly, and without asking the right questions. I also found it took a while for me to warm up to Andrew. Overall, I found it to be a little long-winded. I didn't enjoy this offering as much as I did the last title.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.