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The Sutton Billionaires #1
The Billionaire Deal
He needed a wife on paper, she needed a way to pay for school. Neither bargained for the danger their marriage-of-convenience brought on.
CEO Jack Sutton isn't about to be backed into a corner by the stipulations of his mother's will. She might have wanted to be sure he was married by the time he was thirty, but that doesn't mean he needs to give in. As the head of a powerful venture capital firm, there’s one thing he’s learned. There’s always a way around anything standing in his way. This marriage clause is no exception.
Kelly Bradley got into the law school of her dreams, but the financial aid she was counting on didn’t come through. When she finds out Jack Sutton is looking for a wife in name only, she propositions him to get the funding she needs. What could be the harm in linking herself to a well-respected businessman for a year? It’s not like he’s hard to look at or tough to be around.
But will her fix end up costing a whole lot more than either she or Jack had bargained for? When her life is on the line, Jack finds himself racing to save the woman he's fast losing his heart to.
Steamy romance meets heart-stopping suspense in the Sutton Billionaires Series. This is the first book in the series but it can be read as a standalone story with no cliffhangers. A shorter version of this book was previously released as part of the Sutton Capital Series.
CEO Jack Sutton isn't about to be backed into a corner by the stipulations of his mother's will. She might have wanted to be sure he was married by the time he was thirty, but that doesn't mean he needs to give in. As the head of a powerful venture capital firm, there’s one thing he’s learned. There’s always a way around anything standing in his way. This marriage clause is no exception.
Kelly Bradley got into the law school of her dreams, but the financial aid she was counting on didn’t come through. When she finds out Jack Sutton is looking for a wife in name only, she propositions him to get the funding she needs. What could be the harm in linking herself to a well-respected businessman for a year? It’s not like he’s hard to look at or tough to be around.
But will her fix end up costing a whole lot more than either she or Jack had bargained for? When her life is on the line, Jack finds himself racing to save the woman he's fast losing his heart to.
Steamy romance meets heart-stopping suspense in the Sutton Billionaires Series. This is the first book in the series but it can be read as a standalone story with no cliffhangers. A shorter version of this book was previously released as part of the Sutton Capital Series.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 7, 2020
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2010 people want to read
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July 30, 2023
“𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲. 𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫.“
𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛
The Billionaire Deal follows Jack Sutton, who needs a wife on paper or else he’ll lose his empire. And when a stranger barges into his office claiming to be his fiancée, he plays along for there's always an end to his deals. But soon he realises, he doesn’t want this deal to end…
𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
The plot of this book was fast-paced but at the same time, it was purely captivating. The introduction to the characters and their problems, leading to the marriage-of-convenience was super chaotic and fun.
With dual POVs, it has all the clichés attached to the fake marriage setting😁 - impress respective families, one-bed situation, jealousy from his best-friends for hitting on her (to tease him).. you get the point.
Even though this was a perfectly written fake-marriage romance, the fast-pacing of the plot is something that some might not appreciate. Personally, it didn’t affect my reading experience but the story covers almost 6 months at a very fast-pace.
Moreover, the characters were so well-written! Jack is the brooding-handsome CEO whereas Kelly is the sweet-sunshine woman who aspires to be a lawyer. They both felt mature and sensible to handle a relationship and took very level-headed actions to solve the problems..
The romance was so sweet and every moment, every interaction was enjoyable. Their chemistry was top-notch and so profound. Plus, it has the perfect amount of smut, neither too much nor too little. It was hot and sexy yet so intimate😌
But the fact that Kelly’s character went farther and farther away from being a career-oriented girl to the wife of the CEO, was something I did not appreciate. Not when she got accepted into Yale!
Plus, one thing that felt out-of-place in the plot was that incident towards the end. Even though it didn’t hamper the flow, there was nothing substantial to it too. But, the way the book ended, giving us HEA and the anticipation of the next in the series was exciting.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Overall, this is an amazing fake-marriage romance that’ll give you sweet and profound relationship development, hot and sexy moments, and loveable characters. With extremely fun side-characters and a HEA ending, this is an incredible read despite the fast pacing.
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𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛
The Billionaire Deal follows Jack Sutton, who needs a wife on paper or else he’ll lose his empire. And when a stranger barges into his office claiming to be his fiancée, he plays along for there's always an end to his deals. But soon he realises, he doesn’t want this deal to end…
𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
The plot of this book was fast-paced but at the same time, it was purely captivating. The introduction to the characters and their problems, leading to the marriage-of-convenience was super chaotic and fun.
With dual POVs, it has all the clichés attached to the fake marriage setting😁 - impress respective families, one-bed situation, jealousy from his best-friends for hitting on her (to tease him).. you get the point.
Even though this was a perfectly written fake-marriage romance, the fast-pacing of the plot is something that some might not appreciate. Personally, it didn’t affect my reading experience but the story covers almost 6 months at a very fast-pace.
Moreover, the characters were so well-written! Jack is the brooding-handsome CEO whereas Kelly is the sweet-sunshine woman who aspires to be a lawyer. They both felt mature and sensible to handle a relationship and took very level-headed actions to solve the problems..
The romance was so sweet and every moment, every interaction was enjoyable. Their chemistry was top-notch and so profound. Plus, it has the perfect amount of smut, neither too much nor too little. It was hot and sexy yet so intimate😌
But the fact that Kelly’s character went farther and farther away from being a career-oriented girl to the wife of the CEO, was something I did not appreciate. Not when she got accepted into Yale!
Plus, one thing that felt out-of-place in the plot was that incident towards the end. Even though it didn’t hamper the flow, there was nothing substantial to it too. But, the way the book ended, giving us HEA and the anticipation of the next in the series was exciting.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Overall, this is an amazing fake-marriage romance that’ll give you sweet and profound relationship development, hot and sexy moments, and loveable characters. With extremely fun side-characters and a HEA ending, this is an incredible read despite the fast pacing.
Follow For More: Blog • Bookstagram • Goodreads
March 6, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up to 3
Kinda disappointing.
I knew I wasn't reaching for the Great Gatsby when I downloaded this book so my expectations weren’t god knows how high, I just wanted something light, fluffy and full of steam after the week from hell that I'd had. Plus, the fake marriage trope is my favourite, not gonna lie, so I was sold after reading the synopsis.
However, this one was a bit on the dull side. I think the main reason for that was the lack of conflict. The writing style and the third person narrative didn't help here, either, as I couldn't really delve into the story and connect with the characters.
They do have great chemistry, don't get me wrong. But the sex scenes were disappointing. I'm a greedy lil' hoe when it comes to steam and well-written goodness and I'd rather have one juicy scene, full of satisfying details with all the dicks, pussies and clit licking one mind can handle instead of the Pg-13 version of her 'heat' and 'hard manhood' sprinkled all over the book.
But hey, that's just me and my filthy mind talking. But I guess this sanitized version works pretty well for those with less kinky minds lol.
Last but not least, for me the expression 'sexy undergarments' is a kind of an oxymoron . I know a lot of people use 'undergarments' on a daily basis but for me it'll always be the word my grandma would use. And the word sexy combined with 'undergarments' brings a very disturbing image into my head.
All in all, it wasn't a bad read but it wasn't a great one either.
I did like the characters and the plotline. A huge plus that Jack isn't a jerk or just another manwhore and Kelly is actually a smart girl and not another dumb bimbo with some serious daddy issues. And I loved how healthy, considering everything, their relationship was.
But it all happens within a month and a half (or sth like that) so the time frame is ridiculously short for this trope to make the romance believable. I think I might continue with the series but I'm not entirely sure yet tbh.
Hence the 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
Kinda disappointing.
I knew I wasn't reaching for the Great Gatsby when I downloaded this book so my expectations weren’t god knows how high, I just wanted something light, fluffy and full of steam after the week from hell that I'd had. Plus, the fake marriage trope is my favourite, not gonna lie, so I was sold after reading the synopsis.
However, this one was a bit on the dull side. I think the main reason for that was the lack of conflict. The writing style and the third person narrative didn't help here, either, as I couldn't really delve into the story and connect with the characters.
They do have great chemistry, don't get me wrong. But the sex scenes were disappointing. I'm a greedy lil' hoe when it comes to steam and well-written goodness and I'd rather have one juicy scene, full of satisfying details with all the dicks, pussies and clit licking one mind can handle instead of the Pg-13 version of her 'heat' and 'hard manhood' sprinkled all over the book.
But hey, that's just me and my filthy mind talking. But I guess this sanitized version works pretty well for those with less kinky minds lol.
Last but not least, for me the expression 'sexy undergarments' is a kind of an oxymoron . I know a lot of people use 'undergarments' on a daily basis but for me it'll always be the word my grandma would use. And the word sexy combined with 'undergarments' brings a very disturbing image into my head.
All in all, it wasn't a bad read but it wasn't a great one either.
I did like the characters and the plotline. A huge plus that Jack isn't a jerk or just another manwhore and Kelly is actually a smart girl and not another dumb bimbo with some serious daddy issues. And I loved how healthy, considering everything, their relationship was.
But it all happens within a month and a half (or sth like that) so the time frame is ridiculously short for this trope to make the romance believable. I think I might continue with the series but I'm not entirely sure yet tbh.
Hence the 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
May 19, 2021
This book gave me harlequin vibes a little bit, but it was nice to read about a nice hero and a nice heroine for once.
January 7, 2020
Kelly’s dreams of attending law school are within her grasp except for an unexpected problem when it comes to the tuition. When she finds out about Jack’s dilemma she decides to approach him with a partnership that would suit both their needs as the worst he could do is say no.
Jack is quickly running out of time and options to protect his place in the family business when he receives an offer from an unlikely source that could just be the answer to both their problems. Their professional arrangement starts to become personal and that is when they are really put to the test.
Fun, flirty with just enough suspense to keep you invested in the story and the character’s search for happy ever after.
Jack is quickly running out of time and options to protect his place in the family business when he receives an offer from an unlikely source that could just be the answer to both their problems. Their professional arrangement starts to become personal and that is when they are really put to the test.
Fun, flirty with just enough suspense to keep you invested in the story and the character’s search for happy ever after.
April 26, 2020
⭐️ ⭐️ Great Married recipe
It’s a great recipe , great plot but when you forget a tiny salt , it’s become bland no matter how great it is
No Cheating ( gotta earn 1 star )
Nice character of h & H , the word Nice its says enough that I don’t feel any connection between the main character through their insta married
It’s a great recipe , great plot but when you forget a tiny salt , it’s become bland no matter how great it is
No Cheating ( gotta earn 1 star )
Nice character of h & H , the word Nice its says enough that I don’t feel any connection between the main character through their insta married
April 7, 2020
ARC received from author
This book was previously published as Legal Ease, which I haven't read. Ms. Ryan said this edition has been added to. I love this version of it.
Jack needs a wife quick. As he is in a meeting with the "bad guys" in walks his fiancee. I love how Jack and Kelly's relationship developed. Sure didn't see that bad guy coming for her.
This book was previously published as Legal Ease, which I haven't read. Ms. Ryan said this edition has been added to. I love this version of it.
Jack needs a wife quick. As he is in a meeting with the "bad guys" in walks his fiancee. I love how Jack and Kelly's relationship developed. Sure didn't see that bad guy coming for her.
Want to read
January 10, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/7/2020)! 🎁
July 7, 2020
I'm really disappointed. This story had such great potential but the short length really ruined it for me. The whole book covered what, a month? Six weeks at most? Insta love is not attractive.
*SPOILERS*
Also, the kidnapping thing? Why was that necessary? And Jack going all superhero and vigilante? Besides, that overflowing water trick that Kelly used wouldn't have worked fast enough. She was kidnapped at noon and they heard the 911 call about the water at 8pm? No way. Besides, who calls 911 about a roof leakage? Overall, the unrealistic aspects of the story totally ruined the whole book for me.
Oh, and last thing? I know it was just hinting at the second book but did she really have to end the epilogue that way? This is the Jack and Kelly story, not Andrew and whatever girl he's about to fall in love with.
*SPOILERS*
Also, the kidnapping thing? Why was that necessary? And Jack going all superhero and vigilante? Besides, that overflowing water trick that Kelly used wouldn't have worked fast enough. She was kidnapped at noon and they heard the 911 call about the water at 8pm? No way. Besides, who calls 911 about a roof leakage? Overall, the unrealistic aspects of the story totally ruined the whole book for me.
Oh, and last thing? I know it was just hinting at the second book but did she really have to end the epilogue that way? This is the Jack and Kelly story, not Andrew and whatever girl he's about to fall in love with.
January 2, 2020
Kelly has never been the strong, forward thinking woman her friend Jennie is. Until the day she sees her dreams possibly slipping away. Then she does something no one expected, including herself. But when an arrangement turns into so much more it hits both Kelly and her new husband Jack hard! Their new life has an expiration date and neither one is looking forward to that at all. But something dark is lurking underneath the blanket of newfound happiness.
I laughed so much and then I cringed, fretted and waited to find out what the darkness was!
I laughed so much and then I cringed, fretted and waited to find out what the darkness was!
May 16, 2020
I really wanted to like this book but I just didn't feel any connection to the characters.
The entire book was rather and boring despite having an interesting story line. Even the main characters didn't seem to have any chemistry or spark. I guess this was just wasn't for me.
The entire book was rather and boring despite having an interesting story line. Even the main characters didn't seem to have any chemistry or spark. I guess this was just wasn't for me.
November 25, 2021
Well written story about a billionaire who must marry to save his company, Sutton Capital, and a young woman who is trying to pay her tuition for Yale Law School.
Jack Sutton's parents were very much in love and they wanted the same thing for their son, so when he had shown no interest in finding a woman to love, his mother changed her will before she died, so if he was not married by his 35 birthday, the proxy rights to her shares held in trust would go to her sister in law. While Aunt Mabry had once been a loving member of the family, after her husband deserted her and her son, she became very bitter and took it out on Jack's parents and after their death him. Kelly Bradley's best friend, Jennie, is a temp secretary for Jack, and out of boredom, after discovering a broken light on the phone system, listens in on Jack's conversations and discover his situation. Hearing the story from Jennie, Kelly, totally out of character, walks into Jack's office and declares herself to be his fiancee. What could go wrong? Lots. Engaging characters and I look forward to reading the next books in the series.
I read an ARC, but I don't remember the source. This is my voluntary and unbiased review.
Jack Sutton's parents were very much in love and they wanted the same thing for their son, so when he had shown no interest in finding a woman to love, his mother changed her will before she died, so if he was not married by his 35 birthday, the proxy rights to her shares held in trust would go to her sister in law. While Aunt Mabry had once been a loving member of the family, after her husband deserted her and her son, she became very bitter and took it out on Jack's parents and after their death him. Kelly Bradley's best friend, Jennie, is a temp secretary for Jack, and out of boredom, after discovering a broken light on the phone system, listens in on Jack's conversations and discover his situation. Hearing the story from Jennie, Kelly, totally out of character, walks into Jack's office and declares herself to be his fiancee. What could go wrong? Lots. Engaging characters and I look forward to reading the next books in the series.
I read an ARC, but I don't remember the source. This is my voluntary and unbiased review.
May 19, 2020
Sympa sans plus
Impression de déjà vu/déjà Lu
Les évènements de la fin sont possibles mais d'un prévisible ici, ça arrive et se fini très brièvement. On n'y croit pas.
Sinon j'ai bien aimé les personnages principaux.
Impression de déjà vu/déjà Lu
Les évènements de la fin sont possibles mais d'un prévisible ici, ça arrive et se fini très brièvement. On n'y croit pas.
Sinon j'ai bien aimé les personnages principaux.
Read
July 23, 2022Umm boring. I would rather eat a cardboard
September 17, 2024
Easy read one of those Wattpad sounding books. It was cute but nothing to write home about
April 7, 2025
I loved the main male and main female and got more than I bargained for at the end!
November 21, 2021
Usually, as soon as I discover a graphic sex scene, I abort reading further. However, in this instance, not only was I curious as to why 87% of the published reviews of this novel had been awarded four or five stars, but I had also become hooked by the original approach Lori Ryan took in setting up this marriage of convenience. I have read many marriages of convenience books in the past, but I do not recall ever observing the proposed wife almost blackmail the proposed husband without warning and have him accept immediately. This was well done! Additionally, I did not come upon the first graphic sex scene until I had become totally enthralled in the story.
My first inclination was to label these sex scenes as immoral pornography. However, I discovered that for such scenes to be pornographic, they must be “intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings.” I do not know the intent of the author, but it is common knowledge that “sex sells.” So, it may well be that her intent was to stimulate book sales. In my opinion, however, even though the multiple sex scenes involved a legally married couple and were therefore not immoral, they were in very poor taste and have no place in true “romance” literature. Consequently, I cannot award Ms. Ryan’s effort the five stars it otherwise deserves. Instead, I award only one star and will read nothing else she writes.
My first inclination was to label these sex scenes as immoral pornography. However, I discovered that for such scenes to be pornographic, they must be “intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings.” I do not know the intent of the author, but it is common knowledge that “sex sells.” So, it may well be that her intent was to stimulate book sales. In my opinion, however, even though the multiple sex scenes involved a legally married couple and were therefore not immoral, they were in very poor taste and have no place in true “romance” literature. Consequently, I cannot award Ms. Ryan’s effort the five stars it otherwise deserves. Instead, I award only one star and will read nothing else she writes.
January 6, 2020
ARC for honest review with no compensation
The Billionaire Deal is book 1 in the Sutton Billionaires series by Lori Ryan. I read the shorter version of this story years ago as the Sutton Capital series. Love it then and love this extended version even more!!
Jack Sutton, CEO of his family’s company Sutton Capital has to find a wife before his 35th birthday in a few days or his will lose control of the company per his mother’s will. Problem is where will he find a woman to marry on short notice, divorce in a year,sign a prenup and not be after his billions...
Kelly Bradley need to find a way to pay for school after he financial aid fall through as she was just accepted into Yale. When she meets her friend Jennie (who works as a temp for Jack and has been listening to his private conversations on a broken intercom explains Jack needs a temporary wife) Kelly may have found it her way to pay for school.
Nail biting suspense, steamy romance, laughter, friendship, mystery, fake marriage or is it combines to make this an edge of your seat reading!
The Billionaire Deal is book 1 in the Sutton Billionaires series by Lori Ryan. I read the shorter version of this story years ago as the Sutton Capital series. Love it then and love this extended version even more!!
Jack Sutton, CEO of his family’s company Sutton Capital has to find a wife before his 35th birthday in a few days or his will lose control of the company per his mother’s will. Problem is where will he find a woman to marry on short notice, divorce in a year,sign a prenup and not be after his billions...
Kelly Bradley need to find a way to pay for school after he financial aid fall through as she was just accepted into Yale. When she meets her friend Jennie (who works as a temp for Jack and has been listening to his private conversations on a broken intercom explains Jack needs a temporary wife) Kelly may have found it her way to pay for school.
Nail biting suspense, steamy romance, laughter, friendship, mystery, fake marriage or is it combines to make this an edge of your seat reading!
May 4, 2020
Kelly and Jack...4.5 stars
This was a quick read. Kelly hears about Jack needing to marry before he turns 35 from his temporary secretary who’s her friend. She decides to follow her dream of attending Yale’s Law School but needs money to go there. She swoops into Jack’s life and he basically can’t refuse unless he wants to lose his company. There are some ups and downs but it was a nice quick read. I personally like more details when being taken through events. There are some, but I would’ve liked more. Some felt like we were being told. I totally get that we don’t have to know EVERYTHING that’s happening, but I would’ve liked some happenings to have more details. It allows me to create better images in my head. But regardless, it was a good book.
This was a quick read. Kelly hears about Jack needing to marry before he turns 35 from his temporary secretary who’s her friend. She decides to follow her dream of attending Yale’s Law School but needs money to go there. She swoops into Jack’s life and he basically can’t refuse unless he wants to lose his company. There are some ups and downs but it was a nice quick read. I personally like more details when being taken through events. There are some, but I would’ve liked more. Some felt like we were being told. I totally get that we don’t have to know EVERYTHING that’s happening, but I would’ve liked some happenings to have more details. It allows me to create better images in my head. But regardless, it was a good book.
December 15, 2021
I actually liked it. Not complicated and an easy read. The plot was mysterious enough to keep my interest without making me skip too much (sorry - I'm a bit of a skip-reader). I'm really glad Jack isn't a jerk or his friends. I was expecting at least one of them to betray him and really glad none did - best friends that have each other's backs that comes off as actually believable is hard to come by in a really good romance. No pushing or shoving or arrogantly forcing commentary with any of the characters - I liked that. I think Jack tolerated Mabry a bit more than I would have (ok, I have no patience with rudeness) but that makes him just a swell and very likeable guy.
January 7, 2020
4.5 stars
This one started kinda slow for me Jeannie is spying on her boss Jack and then she tells her good friend Kelly and Kelly comes up with a genius plan or so she thought. When Jacks aunt Marby decides she's gonna live with them while she has some work done on her house. The fakeness starts to wear off and lines begin to blur and it gets a little dramatic. Jake is actually super genuine and affectionate toward Kelly which was a shock but I gotta say it was worth the read. Can they get over these new found complicated feelings? Or will it blow up?
This one started kinda slow for me Jeannie is spying on her boss Jack and then she tells her good friend Kelly and Kelly comes up with a genius plan or so she thought. When Jacks aunt Marby decides she's gonna live with them while she has some work done on her house. The fakeness starts to wear off and lines begin to blur and it gets a little dramatic. Jake is actually super genuine and affectionate toward Kelly which was a shock but I gotta say it was worth the read. Can they get over these new found complicated feelings? Or will it blow up?
January 16, 2020
Another great read by Lori Ryan who once again brings strong , well developed characters in Jack and Kelly and weaves a fake relationship turned to love. She does a great job building the story and pulled me in with all the emotions flowing throughout. I enjoyed watching the two come together in this realistic romance.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
December 15, 2021
I like the story so far, the chemistry between Kelly and Jack was almost perfect(I'm a sucker for instant love after all) and I liked Jack very much. But I don’t understand all the 5 stars it got. I'm sorry but it has too many flaws to come near that even though I liked the story itself. I'm very confused why so many who have reviewed this book hasn't thought of half of the errors I found. The only reason it didn't get 1 star from me was because it wasn't unreadable.
It really annoys me how it has been formatted. The chapters are so short and why the need to give the friend and cousin and aunt's chapters for themselves? I could understand a section maybe, but a chapter? It should have been ongoing with a chapter not a chapter for itself.
Because the chapters were so short, the book seemed rushed and sometimes lacked emotions.
I wanted the friends and the cousin plus her family to have been a bigger part of the book instead of only using them as a plot device.
There has been too much use of, "as though"(used 16 times), "as if"(79 times), "so that"(11 times). This is too much tell and weakens the story.
Jennie and Kelly? Their names ends with the same pronunciation and can be confusing at times. And then there is Jessica? Jennie and Jessica?? There are thousands of different names and the author chose names that was so close together? Jack and Chad is also very unfortunate. Say the names aloud and I will bet I'm not the only one hearing the problem.
The chapter where Jennie listens in on Jack could have been avoided. We could have heard it from Jack's POV and then heard Jennie tell about it.
Andrews POV home at his grandma's didn’t do much for the story and could have been skipped. Plus shouldn't he have been with Jack as a witness when he got married? And Chad as well?
I got the feeling that Caroline would have had a bigger part in the story, that we would see her again. But she was just another weak device to get the story going.
Okay why have NO ONE mentioned this in the reviews!!! (Though I have only read all the 1-3 stars there was at the time)
I feel the time frame was fucked. Because the book starts "about" a week before Jack's birthday. This is where the whole fucking plot started!!! From the first day he meets Kelly to they marry it takes a couple of days (sounded more like 3) then they the following weekend go to her parents house. After that they mention they have lived together for a week. So they skipped his birthday? "or he needed to get married before he turned thirty-five. Next week." Chapter 23 start with "the following monday" so it has been what? 2 weeks since the book started?
He is rich as fuck so I believe he would have had the biggest birthday party of a lifetime.
39% in it suddenly shifted POV from Kelly to Jack without warning. Then it shifted back to her and then back to him again.. wtf...
65% in the POV suddenly shifts from Jack to Kelly then back to Jack again, all without warning 🤔 omg and then back to Kelly once again... and then back to Jack again...
72% in: "She couldn’t believe that Mrs. Poole had been able to pull this all together in a week." But she had 3 weeks, not one.
At 95%, why was there an ornamental break? Because of time skip? It confused me because I thought it skipped POV.
*****SPOILERS*****
Okay that time frame is seriously out of proportion.. it was Monday when aunt Mabry moved in(this is confirmed later on), the next morning Jack asks Kelly if she wants so eat lunch with him on La Petite Morceau. Then when they sit at the restaurant's table it says, "Sure, she had been to that type of place for dinner on occasion, but not for lunch on a random Saturday when there was no special occasion to be celebrated." Um... they skipped a lot of days I must say...
Timeframe issue again.
She meets up with her friend a Monday, gets stalked, Jack comes home and promises to show her how much he wants her, next day (must be a Tuesday if I can my math) she gets flowers. All in all she gets 5 bouquets, one each day, so the 5th must be a Saturday, but it says Friday in the book 🤔🤔🤔
At this point I'm tired of hearing about them fall into the bed of passionate lust. Their relationship turned into a sex crazed thing and I started to miss the "relationship" part. Seriously one or two scenes would have been enough. And more detailed thank you. Plus, I felt it was being told to us instead of being showed. It was like reading, "and then, and then, and then...."
I didn’t feel Chad's anger at all unfortunately. So it seemed paradox that Mabry acted as she did. It didn't seemed logical to me to slam a broken person out of her blocked mind with that kind of ease.
I realised Jennie have been missing half of the book. There were 20 chapters she wasn’t mentioned, then in one chapter she was mentioned very little and then she was mentioned once in the epilogue. She was only in the book to get Jack and Kelly together, so as many of the other side characters she was a plot device.
"The group had struck previously in two other cities, and the FBI was working with the kidnappers to have their sentences reduced if all ten of the other women who’d already been sold could be located and returned home." Which ten women? We have heard none of that as far as I recall and can't find anything when I look back.
The epilogue sounded like a normal chapter. It was rushed and didn't feel like an epilogue should feel or sound like.
It really annoys me how it has been formatted. The chapters are so short and why the need to give the friend and cousin and aunt's chapters for themselves? I could understand a section maybe, but a chapter? It should have been ongoing with a chapter not a chapter for itself.
Because the chapters were so short, the book seemed rushed and sometimes lacked emotions.
I wanted the friends and the cousin plus her family to have been a bigger part of the book instead of only using them as a plot device.
There has been too much use of, "as though"(used 16 times), "as if"(79 times), "so that"(11 times). This is too much tell and weakens the story.
Jennie and Kelly? Their names ends with the same pronunciation and can be confusing at times. And then there is Jessica? Jennie and Jessica?? There are thousands of different names and the author chose names that was so close together? Jack and Chad is also very unfortunate. Say the names aloud and I will bet I'm not the only one hearing the problem.
The chapter where Jennie listens in on Jack could have been avoided. We could have heard it from Jack's POV and then heard Jennie tell about it.
Andrews POV home at his grandma's didn’t do much for the story and could have been skipped. Plus shouldn't he have been with Jack as a witness when he got married? And Chad as well?
I got the feeling that Caroline would have had a bigger part in the story, that we would see her again. But she was just another weak device to get the story going.
Okay why have NO ONE mentioned this in the reviews!!! (Though I have only read all the 1-3 stars there was at the time)
I feel the time frame was fucked. Because the book starts "about" a week before Jack's birthday. This is where the whole fucking plot started!!! From the first day he meets Kelly to they marry it takes a couple of days (sounded more like 3) then they the following weekend go to her parents house. After that they mention they have lived together for a week. So they skipped his birthday? "or he needed to get married before he turned thirty-five. Next week." Chapter 23 start with "the following monday" so it has been what? 2 weeks since the book started?
He is rich as fuck so I believe he would have had the biggest birthday party of a lifetime.
39% in it suddenly shifted POV from Kelly to Jack without warning. Then it shifted back to her and then back to him again.. wtf...
65% in the POV suddenly shifts from Jack to Kelly then back to Jack again, all without warning 🤔 omg and then back to Kelly once again... and then back to Jack again...
72% in: "She couldn’t believe that Mrs. Poole had been able to pull this all together in a week." But she had 3 weeks, not one.
At 95%, why was there an ornamental break? Because of time skip? It confused me because I thought it skipped POV.
*****SPOILERS*****
Okay that time frame is seriously out of proportion.. it was Monday when aunt Mabry moved in(this is confirmed later on), the next morning Jack asks Kelly if she wants so eat lunch with him on La Petite Morceau. Then when they sit at the restaurant's table it says, "Sure, she had been to that type of place for dinner on occasion, but not for lunch on a random Saturday when there was no special occasion to be celebrated." Um... they skipped a lot of days I must say...
Timeframe issue again.
She meets up with her friend a Monday, gets stalked, Jack comes home and promises to show her how much he wants her, next day (must be a Tuesday if I can my math) she gets flowers. All in all she gets 5 bouquets, one each day, so the 5th must be a Saturday, but it says Friday in the book 🤔🤔🤔
At this point I'm tired of hearing about them fall into the bed of passionate lust. Their relationship turned into a sex crazed thing and I started to miss the "relationship" part. Seriously one or two scenes would have been enough. And more detailed thank you. Plus, I felt it was being told to us instead of being showed. It was like reading, "and then, and then, and then...."
I didn’t feel Chad's anger at all unfortunately. So it seemed paradox that Mabry acted as she did. It didn't seemed logical to me to slam a broken person out of her blocked mind with that kind of ease.
I realised Jennie have been missing half of the book. There were 20 chapters she wasn’t mentioned, then in one chapter she was mentioned very little and then she was mentioned once in the epilogue. She was only in the book to get Jack and Kelly together, so as many of the other side characters she was a plot device.
"The group had struck previously in two other cities, and the FBI was working with the kidnappers to have their sentences reduced if all ten of the other women who’d already been sold could be located and returned home." Which ten women? We have heard none of that as far as I recall and can't find anything when I look back.
The epilogue sounded like a normal chapter. It was rushed and didn't feel like an epilogue should feel or sound like.
February 6, 2025
Tropes:
Marriage of convenience
Rich guy x poor girl
She falls airer but he falls harder
Loved😍:
- the “my wife” moments
- when he realised he really did love his fake wife
Liked☺️:
- the added suspense / danger element
Drawbacks🤷🏻♀️:
- I felt the pacing was a little bit off, I think the danger element could have been spaced out more to build the tension
Spice:
🌶️🌶️
Range & Rep:
Adult romance
Marriage of convenience
Rich guy x poor girl
She falls airer but he falls harder
Loved😍:
- the “my wife” moments
- when he realised he really did love his fake wife
Liked☺️:
- the added suspense / danger element
Drawbacks🤷🏻♀️:
- I felt the pacing was a little bit off, I think the danger element could have been spaced out more to build the tension
Spice:
🌶️🌶️
Range & Rep:
Adult romance
January 13, 2020
An awesome story. I love strangers to lovers trope boos. All characters are wonderfully created. The plot ran smoothly, and surprised me near the end. Good job. Look forward to reading more of the Sutton books.
August 7, 2022
This had a lot of potential to be a great read for me but it was pretty disappointing. The plot is the standard marriage of convenience/fake marriage trope where the hero needs to get married in order to keep a big share of his company going to his aunt, and the heroine needing money for her future, so the two get together and help each other out. It started off great, with the heroine bursting into the hero's office and pretending to be his fiancé in a way that meant he didn't really have much of a choice but to play along. After that though, it pretty much went downhill. The build-up to the relationship was not paced well, they found each other attractive and had sex but other than that there wasn't much to them.
There were so many times I rolled my eyes in this book and all these eye rolls could fit into categories. Like all the times the heroine bought up the fact that the hero usually dates models or actresses who are stunning and gorgeous, but she's just a normal pretty girl with a normal body. Or the times someone mentioned how hard it's been for the hero to find someone because most women only want him for his money. First of all, if these women were big enough names to be recognisable chances are they have their own money and are successful in their own right. Second of all, if you were exclusively dating these kinds of women chances are a deep emotional connection and love isn't what you were after. Thirdly, the older I'm getting the less I'm caring for the gold-digger narrative.
I hated everything about the character of the Aunt who was set to inherit the shares and would make her son the CEO if the hero didn't marry. Her entire thing is that her husband left her around 20 years ago or so and since then she's been out to punish the hero and his family because of their happiness. It's not even like her husband left her for another woman, he just didn't want to be with her anymore which sucks but it's nothing to rage over for so long. Then after one conversation with her son, she decides to snap out of it and move on.
I also hated the way the sex trafficking thing was done here. First of all, it didn't fit with this story whatsoever and no amount of attempting to subtly build it up is going to make it work. Second of all, if you are going to include a heavy topic like this one you should probably do your research because random women being plucked from the streets and sold isn't how trafficking works, despite what they tell you. They especially wouldn't pluck the wife of a wealthy man. It's normally very vulnerable women who are pimped out by men or women who have groomed them into the situation.
Overall, I would give this book 1.5 stars because it did have potential but I found myself annoyed most of the time reading.
There were so many times I rolled my eyes in this book and all these eye rolls could fit into categories. Like all the times the heroine bought up the fact that the hero usually dates models or actresses who are stunning and gorgeous, but she's just a normal pretty girl with a normal body. Or the times someone mentioned how hard it's been for the hero to find someone because most women only want him for his money. First of all, if these women were big enough names to be recognisable chances are they have their own money and are successful in their own right. Second of all, if you were exclusively dating these kinds of women chances are a deep emotional connection and love isn't what you were after. Thirdly, the older I'm getting the less I'm caring for the gold-digger narrative.
I hated everything about the character of the Aunt who was set to inherit the shares and would make her son the CEO if the hero didn't marry. Her entire thing is that her husband left her around 20 years ago or so and since then she's been out to punish the hero and his family because of their happiness. It's not even like her husband left her for another woman, he just didn't want to be with her anymore which sucks but it's nothing to rage over for so long. Then after one conversation with her son, she decides to snap out of it and move on.
I also hated the way the sex trafficking thing was done here. First of all, it didn't fit with this story whatsoever and no amount of attempting to subtly build it up is going to make it work. Second of all, if you are going to include a heavy topic like this one you should probably do your research because random women being plucked from the streets and sold isn't how trafficking works, despite what they tell you. They especially wouldn't pluck the wife of a wealthy man. It's normally very vulnerable women who are pimped out by men or women who have groomed them into the situation.
Overall, I would give this book 1.5 stars because it did have potential but I found myself annoyed most of the time reading.
April 30, 2020
This is a good marriage of convenience romance, with a likable couple, but it was just too unrealistic for me. I get that most romances are fantasies, and meant to be escapist reading -- but there were just so many things in this story that would never happen in real life.
I liked both Kelly and Jack, but found it difficult to believe that Kelly would have had the guts to do what she did in the beginning. Then I also found it difficult to believe that Jack would be instantly attracted to her, instead of incredibly suspicious -- and then fall in love with her so soon? I didn't buy it. I won't give spoilers, but I also didn't buy the sudden behavior change in one of the other characters.
I did enjoy the story, but I had to read it while rolling my eyes at how unrealistic it was. It was a quick, entertaining read, though. It gets 3.5 stars from me, rounded down to 3 stars.
For those who care, this book does contain quite a bit of sex, so it might bother anyone who prefers clean romances.
My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
I liked both Kelly and Jack, but found it difficult to believe that Kelly would have had the guts to do what she did in the beginning. Then I also found it difficult to believe that Jack would be instantly attracted to her, instead of incredibly suspicious -- and then fall in love with her so soon? I didn't buy it. I won't give spoilers, but I also didn't buy the sudden behavior change in one of the other characters.
I did enjoy the story, but I had to read it while rolling my eyes at how unrealistic it was. It was a quick, entertaining read, though. It gets 3.5 stars from me, rounded down to 3 stars.
For those who care, this book does contain quite a bit of sex, so it might bother anyone who prefers clean romances.
My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.
November 30, 2021
I love books that have feisty women, men with loyal friends that will always support them, a couple of bad guys to hiss at and a HEA. With The Billionaire Deal you get all of the above. I am in love with Jack Sutton, the CEO of Sutton Capital, an investment firm that his grandfather established, his father continued on with and that has Jack now starring as the Main Man running the show. He knows his strengthens and weaknesses and knows that he needs his cousin, Chad, and best friend Andrew to help him run the company with their own area of expertise. When he is on the verge of being replaced by his vindictive aunt, who wants to make his cousin the new CEO, he is desperate to find a wife and fulfill the wishes of his mother's will to be married by his 35th birthday. Enter Kelly Bradley, who pretends to be his fiancee and will willingly stay married to him for the year he needs to convince the Board of Directors that he's the man to continue on as CEO and enrich the company and investors even more. Sparks fly between Jack and Kelly from the very beginning, but both know that the fake marriage is an agreement that will end in one year. Can these two find their forever love despite the fact that they know when the end is coming. Get to know the men of Sutton Capital and fall in love over and over. Can't wait to read the next book in this series!
June 12, 2023
Okay you know what, this was fun. I had pretty low expectations here but it actually delivered.
Marriage of convenience that becomes real? Sign me up, a banger trope every damn time. This wasn’t a slow burn but I enjoyed seeing Kelly and Jack’s relationship develop as we went. Insta-lust maybe, but not insta-love (phew).
Andrew and Chad were fun side characters. I wish we got more from Jennie. Mabry (what a name!) was a wild addition that felt pretty evil step-mother (without being a step-mother) but it was fun for the *drama*. I liked that Kelly had her own ambitions for her life beyond Jack (in fact the reason she jumped into this marriage of convenience was to straight up use him for his money, get it gurl). In turn, I liked Jack because he wasn’t a dick. Like you know how all these billionaires are real alphaholes who are possessive and bullies (and we love it but in real life these guys suck), but I found Jack was a refreshingly balanced character. He has friends and family and is nice to Kelly’s family (who are also pleasantly normal) and generally isn’t a big jerk. Huzzah.
I think what I enjoyed most is that the third act drama was an outside threat rather than a conflict between Jack and Kelly. Really upped the ante and I do love when the MMCs lose it when the FMC is in trouble (gotta save MY GIRL).
Weirdly recommend for the fun of it.
Marriage of convenience that becomes real? Sign me up, a banger trope every damn time. This wasn’t a slow burn but I enjoyed seeing Kelly and Jack’s relationship develop as we went. Insta-lust maybe, but not insta-love (phew).
Andrew and Chad were fun side characters. I wish we got more from Jennie. Mabry (what a name!) was a wild addition that felt pretty evil step-mother (without being a step-mother) but it was fun for the *drama*. I liked that Kelly had her own ambitions for her life beyond Jack (in fact the reason she jumped into this marriage of convenience was to straight up use him for his money, get it gurl). In turn, I liked Jack because he wasn’t a dick. Like you know how all these billionaires are real alphaholes who are possessive and bullies (and we love it but in real life these guys suck), but I found Jack was a refreshingly balanced character. He has friends and family and is nice to Kelly’s family (who are also pleasantly normal) and generally isn’t a big jerk. Huzzah.
I think what I enjoyed most is that the third act drama was an outside threat rather than a conflict between Jack and Kelly. Really upped the ante and I do love when the MMCs lose it when the FMC is in trouble (gotta save MY GIRL).
Weirdly recommend for the fun of it.
July 18, 2022
The setup for this book is fantastic. Though far-fetched, I was so impressed with how gutsy Kelly was in the beginning, taking charge and walking into Sutton's office. The forced proximity of her moving into his house is great. The sweet housekeeper was an endearing touch. The aunt moving in was ridiculous, but also added to the forced proximity of it all so I was on board.
And then...it's like the characters forgot who they were or that they were even humans. Kelly is no longer this ambitious, gutsy woman smart enough to get into a prestigious law school. She kind of fades into the background of her own story. Sutton forgets he is an intelligent, successful billionaire. The aunt is a caricature of a human being. And all the characters feel empty and wooden. There is no chemistry between Kelly and Sutton and all the adorable moments I could've believed they fell in love were completely glossed over.
Going from point A (sexual attraction) to point B (love) without any meaningful interactions that would build up personal interest and attraction beyond bodies didn't happen in this book. When you read a romance, you kind of expect romance. To see two people getting to know one another and falling in love in cute and tender moments you can squeal and giggle over. Instead, here you just kind of go from "He's hot" to "I think I'm in love with him now, it's never been like this with anyone else", and only in empty statements.
"Over the next few weeks, Kelly realized what a nice guy he was. She was so surprised that a billionaire could be so nice" and then in the next scene, "I think I'm falling for him." Why, Kelly? Please show me the weeks where he was nice, show me all the cute things he did, all the cute dialogue that made your heart beat faster. That's what I want to read, that's why I'm here.
Then, 70% in, the book suddenly decides it wants to be a thriller out of nowhere in an inexplicable plot line that doesn't tie into either character in any important way, just random filler for pages.
Great setup with lots of potential, but disappointing in the end.
And then...it's like the characters forgot who they were or that they were even humans. Kelly is no longer this ambitious, gutsy woman smart enough to get into a prestigious law school. She kind of fades into the background of her own story. Sutton forgets he is an intelligent, successful billionaire. The aunt is a caricature of a human being. And all the characters feel empty and wooden. There is no chemistry between Kelly and Sutton and all the adorable moments I could've believed they fell in love were completely glossed over.
Going from point A (sexual attraction) to point B (love) without any meaningful interactions that would build up personal interest and attraction beyond bodies didn't happen in this book. When you read a romance, you kind of expect romance. To see two people getting to know one another and falling in love in cute and tender moments you can squeal and giggle over. Instead, here you just kind of go from "He's hot" to "I think I'm in love with him now, it's never been like this with anyone else", and only in empty statements.
"Over the next few weeks, Kelly realized what a nice guy he was. She was so surprised that a billionaire could be so nice" and then in the next scene, "I think I'm falling for him." Why, Kelly? Please show me the weeks where he was nice, show me all the cute things he did, all the cute dialogue that made your heart beat faster. That's what I want to read, that's why I'm here.
Then, 70% in, the book suddenly decides it wants to be a thriller out of nowhere in an inexplicable plot line that doesn't tie into either character in any important way, just random filler for pages.
Great setup with lots of potential, but disappointing in the end.
January 20, 2020
Note: This is an updated and extended version of Legal Ease.
Jack Sutton has to find a wife before he turns 30. In his mother’s will he had to be married or his father’s company went to his Aunt and her son. Jack had worked too hard to let his aunt win this. Kelly Bradley needed money for school and after overhearing about Jack’s problem she has a solution! Jack and Kelly get married and have to pretend this was a love match. While Jack’s Aunt tries everything she can to prove it was false, Jack and Kelly find out that maybe it could be the real thing.
I loved this series the first time I read it and this new updated version is just as good as I remembered. This author throws in humor, strength, and solid, strong friendships and of course a beautiful falling in love story for the hero and heroine. Jack and Kelly’s characters are so well balanced. She doesn’t try to prove she as strong as the man and Jack is alpha enough to make the reader’s heart race. I love this couple and their story. There is also a bit of nail biting as there are some really bad guys who show up to cause trouble. This is a book I will read over and over and totally recommend it.
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