Before I’m forced to say “I do," I'm flying to paradise to live it up with whomever I want. Only I don't know that the person I find to spend the next two weeks with is my future husband.
I’m a self-professed daddy's girl, but now my he’s gone and I’m left to run the company that's become my life, my passion. Until I get a visit from a lawyer with demands from a mysterious tycoon. The terms are clear: marry Jacobi Dixon or he'll spill all my dad’s dirty secrets, revealing a past that could tank the company.
So, fine. I’ll marry him. I’ll protect my company. But before I say my vows I’ll run to Cabo San Lucas and get myself good and ruined first.
I don’t know anything about my future husband, just like I don’t know how badly he wants what should've been his in the first place, and it's not just my company, it's me. What he ends up doing when I'm on vacation may ruin any chance between us.
Marie Johnston is an award-winning, best-selling paranormal and contemporary romance writer. She grew up in the upper Midwest and planned to go to college for English. Didn't happen. She started college in accounting and was awful! Grabbing her inner science geek by the pocket protector, she changed to microbiology and medical technology where her only writing involved scientific articles and procedures. Eventually, she left full-time work for full-time baby raising but kept thinking, "one day, I'd like to write a book." Finally, before any more time passed, Marie decided to buckle down and write. She loves it!
I only finished this because the ebook was so short. Did not like the love interest one bit and will not continue on with the series. Should have known reading the blurb that O wasn't going to like it but sometimes it can surprise you. Not this time though
I enjoy this author's work and she doesn't disappoint, delivering her usual well crafted story with interesting characters. Unfortunately, in departure from her norm, she went with a cliff-hanger. An automatic 1-star down grade.
I like London. She is CEO of a big corporation. She is fun, and lives her friends and family. It save her step-mother, she agrees to marry a complete stranger. Before marrying him, she decided to sie her wild oats. She meets Jacob. Jacob is the man who is blackmailing her into marriage. I fo not like him. He is selfish. He deceives her into believing he is someone else and very nice. Jacob feels entitled. He believes London's father stole the idea for the company London's family built. His deception of making London believe the man she was enjoying marriage was a good man who was considerate and liked her was reprehensible. I will not read the next book, but I'd like to think London destroys him and enjoys her life.
Ruined is the first book in the Ruined and Redeemed Duet by Marie Johnston. It is the story of London Vanderbeek and Jacobi Dixon. A year after London's father dies from a heart attack the company business, Natural Glow Cosmetics, which she took over running is put in peril. It seems Jacobi has discovered some information about Diana Vanderbeek, London's much loved stepmother, that if made public would be a major PR disaster for the company and all those that work there. Twenty-five years ago Diana was in LA and did some back lot p0rn. When she was on tour for promotion she happened to run into London' father in a Target and helped the hapless single father of an infant find the baby wipes. A year later they were married and she loved and doted on London as much as her father did. Jacobi harbors more than ill will towards the Vanderbeek family and Natural Glow Cosmetics. He believes that his parents are the rightful owners of Natural Glow and that when they died he should have inherited at least half of it. Instead he was left with nothing. Now he has decided that he will get the company and also the Vanderbeek princess, London. What he demands in her in a wedding dress in two weeks time. London has no choice as she will do what it takes to keep not only the company but also Diana safe. It is not that she did not know about Diana's past, as it was talked about in the family, but it was not meant for public discussion. What London decides however is that during the two weeks she is going to "...sow my wild oats and maybe pickup a nasty STD to pass on to him, and then once I sat "I do" I'll figure the rest out." The sowing is going to happen in Cabo San Lucas and it is going to be a hot and sweaty fun time.
This is a fascinating and compelling story which starts off strong and stays that way the whole way through. The story does not end with this book so the second book will need to be read. The characters are wonderful, twisted, sexy, hot, feisty, strong and so much more. There are twists that you don't see coming and the underlying blackmail story is always there but does not overtake what is happening in the present. I can't wait to read the second book, Redeemed, to find out what happens between London and Jacobi as it seems to be a "buckle up and hand on for the ride" relationship.
ONE NON-STOP EXPLOSIVE JOURNEY!!! Holy hell! Marie unleashes one thrilling delight, spinning this brilliantly composed approach that's hotter than a flaming inferno and more explosive than dynamite, kicking ass and taking names, wrapping this baby up sleek, shiny and tight. A churning vortex chocked full of unsettling mishaps and surprising circumstances alongside the challenging trials and intimidating tribulations, noting the startling twists and stunning turns, putting our characters through their paces, testing them in ways they could have never envisioned. Rolling with the drama, intrigue, turmoil, vexation, blackmail, tension, distress, spiraling suspense and unnerving situations along with a boatload of secrets while dodging disaster, you have one jaw dropping masterpiece. Braided, bound and entangled, imparting the explosive ups and agonizing downs, grounding in it's strength and awe inspiring in it's depth. The attraction and chemistry sizzles from the pages and suck you in so deeply until you feel the heat and electricity thrumming through your veins. The characters, banter, dialogue, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits, blend and flow, transforming into genuinely approachable personalities. The scenes are written with such realism, impressive talent and unique insight, blasts this sparkling jewel to life, making the storyline pop. Awesome job Marie, thanks for sharing this little treasure with us.
London is the CEO of a successful cosmetics company. Jacobi believes London's father stole the formula from his mother and thinks that his family should have enjoyed the success of the company. He's now a rich IT CEO and is determined to ruin London and her company. They've never met and there are no photos of Jacobi online so after blackmailing her into agreeing to marry him in two weeks, he sets out to trick her during her vacation.
Spoiler: London decides she is going to sow her wild oats before being forced to marry and goes to Mexico. In Mexico, Jacobi poses as Jake and seduces her. He is able to hide his true self and charms her into a fling. When she returns to get married, she finds out Jake is Jacobi.
This is where this first book ends. I like London and am trying to like Jake/Jacobi. If the company was stolen from his parents, I understand his feelings but it's hard to believe her dad would do that. Book two will either have her devastated that her dad stole the formula or will have Jake/Jacobi feeling really stupid about his actions. I enjoyed the book, but I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers. Hopefully, in book two Jacobi will redeem himself and things will work out.
London was devastated to learn she had to either marry Jacobi Dixon or her stepmother’s secret would be revealed. If this happens, the news would hurt their company.
London agreed to marry Jacobi. On this same day, is when her hatred for him began. She didn’t have a clue what he looked like or anything details concerning him.
London decided to use her last two weeks as a single woman having one night stands. While on vacation, she meets a man and realizes how easy their conversations flow. They each decided to keep some personal information to themselves, such as their real names, and the company they work for.
They began sleeping with one another, and she fell for him. London wakes up the morning before she is supposed to leave, and discovers he has left without informing her. Little does she know; he has feelings for her as well.
Now she’s back home and about to marry a man she doesn’t like. They were to meet at his home. Once she arrived and went into his office, she is surprised when he turns around.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I wouldn't normally give a book that ends in a cliffhanger 5 stars. I knew up front that this one ended that way, but it was free and the second book in the series was on sale, so I decided to go for it. I'm so glad I did.
The story's premise was intriguing, but, more than that, the main characters, London and Jake, were so well portrayed that it was hard for me to put this book down. Jacobi (Jake) isn't your typical H. Yes, he's tall, dark, and handsome, but the author added so much depth to his character that he was easy to relate to, despite his wealth and good looks. His sensitivity to smells and sounds and his tendency to have headaches show him to be human like the rest of us. London is sweet but also has her quirks, which any of us women who've tried too hard to impress a guy, can relate to. Knowing that the end of this book was not going to have a happy ending for the couple didn't prevent me from rooting for them throughout. But it did prompt me to immediately begin Redeemed, the next book in the series. I just started that book yesterday, and I'm already a third of the way through.
So don't buy this book if you're not planning on buying Redeemed. But if you do buy both, prepare for a heartfelt story and several hours of pure entertainment.
With the death of her father, London Vanderbeek is now running the company he left behind, a job she is very passionate about. But then she is approached by a lawyer who is delivering demands from a mysterious IT billionaire tycoon which give her the ultimatum of marrying Jacobi Dixon or having her father’s “dirty secrets” revealed which could destroy the company.
To protect her company, she figures she may be forced to marry the man, but she still has two weeks to “sow her wild oats” with other men and hopefully catch a nasty STD to pass on to the jerk! So she decides to run to Cabo San Lucas and make sure she gets herself thoroughly “ruined” before the wedding day. But there are things she doesn’t know about her husband-to-be. Jacobi Dixon is forcing London to marry him, sight unseen, to retaliate against a perceived injury caused by her father, and he wants to “ruin” her himself! Will she be put into danger by her rash choice? Will she thwart his plan… or is there another possibility?
Well, I knew what was coming but the build-up to the surprise at the end of this book was amazing. This is a well-written keep you on the edge of your seat story of revenge, heartbreak, loyalty, and a mystery of what the truth really is. I loved London she is loyal, spunky, and really wants to love and be loved. Jake/Jacobi is the bad guy that the author has made me love me, love. Jacobi is blackmailing London into marriage and plans to take away her company for what he believes her father did. She has two weeks until she has to meet and marry him. This book is told with a dual POV that gives great depth to each character. I am not a fan of cliffhangers but I knew this was a duet and expected one and it delivered that heart-pounding ....what is going to happen next. I can't wait for the next book.
I am happy to start with the story that this is the start of the duet between London and Jacobi and you are able to go right to the second book after finishing this one. London is determined to make her fathers company s success; even if that means marrying a man sight unseen to accomplish this task. Before she marries she plans to ruin herself and embarks on a vacation . Jacobi/Jakes plans revenge for what he believes London’s father is responsible. He will marry her and take the company. These characters are amazing. The storyline builds and develops in a fantastic fashion. Ends on a cliffhanger but I am able to immediately start book two of the duet. A recommended read and a new to me author. I will definitely be reading more from her.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
London is a successful CEO of the company her father left to her. When her stepmother’s past is threatended to be exposed unless she marries Jacobi Dixon, a man she has never met or seen, she signs a contract to do just that. With 2 weeks before her wedding, she decides to take a vacation and ruin herself with as many one night stands as she can. Then she meets Jacob, a tall dark and handsome man in her hotel Lounge and spends the 2 weeks with him. What will happen when she returns to California and never sees Jacob again. What will happen to her company and will she be able to protect her stepmother. A great start to this duet with a well written and fast paced storyline and captivating characters. Can’t wait for the conclusion.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
WOW! Romance with lots of mysterious drama! To save her company, London has to agree to an arranged marriage to someone she never met. So, she goes to Cabo for a last hurrah. Said groom, Jacobi IT whiz has stalked her to there and goes to see what’s she’s like. Of course they fall for each other for two weeks. She is shocked at the marriage ceremony that her husband to be was him. There’s a good amount of skeletons in various closets that birth danger. He wanted revenge from an old situation and she wants her beloved company. Other people have other nefarious agendas. Once I started I couldn’t put it down! No downtime, no dragging and a reasonable amount of steamy stuff. Great book! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book
This is the first book in a two-book set, it's well written and the author builds the story well. It's a story of revenge and heartbreak with mystery and a big surprise at the end. The story also has love and loyalty and two incredible characters in London, who is a strong female lead and Jacob/Jake who's a bad guy you can't help liking. He's blackmailing her into marriage, why? You will have to read the book and find out.
The story flows well and is told from both their points of view which I loved, it gave the story that much more depth.
I don't like cliffhangers but I knew this was a duet so in this instance I expected one. I will just have to read the next book to find out what is happens next.
A romantic read starting with blackmail and intrigue of the rich, one being a poor boy making it big in computer IT work and the other a CEO of her own cosmetic company. You need to be careful of the impression you leave behind as it may not be the truth. The plot just keeps getting more complex as this was only book 1 of 2. We have yet to uncover the full scoop of the entire story. The chemistry between Jacobi and London was off the charts, which was making for a very interesting story. Jacobi wants to hate London, but we shall see in book 2 how that worked out. Nothing in book 1 went according to plan. I cannot wait to read book 2 "Redeemed".
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the first book in a duet and ends on a cliffhanger but don't worry book 2 Redeemed is already available
Jacobi Dixon is bent on revenge after all London's family destroyed his leading to him been homeless when he was younger but he has clawed his way back up and now he is ready to make them pay Only problem is London's father has recently died so she is the only one he can get his revenge on her so he will force her to marry him and make her life hell. London knows she has to do what Jacobi says and marry him but she is determined that she will sleep with as many people as possible before that happens so she heads to Cabo San Lucas and there she meets a man that she is deeply attracted to but who is this stranger and how will he fit into her plans You will have to read to see
I enjoyed getting to know both London and Jacob, their history and relationships. Jacob is forcing London to marry him, sight unseen, to ruin her. London takes revenge the only way she feels she can, by running off to a resort to ruin herself before the wedding. Once there, despite her best intentions, she meets a man and they grow close. To protect her company, she figures she may be forced to marry the man, but she still has two weeks until that happens and hopefully catch a nasty STD to pass on to the jerk! So she decides to run to Cabo San Lucas and make sure she gets herself thoroughly “ruined” before the wedding day.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
London is blackmailed into a marriage to Jacobi to save her family business. She decides to sow her wild oats before the wedding. Jacobi is aware of her plans and is inspired to add to his own plan to devastate and destroy her. Will he succeed? At what cost? Jacobi has an Alpha, anti-social vibe, focused & intense. London is a good person, she loves her company and the people she gets to help. I like the plot. It has elements of revenge, family secrets, and betrayal. There is good character development, realistic dialogue & motivations and steamy scenes of intimacy. It does end on a cliffhanger but is so worth the journey up till this point. I look forward to its conclusion in “Redeemed”. 5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ruined is the first book in the Ruined and Redeemed Duet with features London, CEO of her deceased father's company who receives an ultimatum of marriage or her family secret will be revealed with devastating effect to her business, and Jacobi, a tycoon seeking revenge as he believes the company should be half his as it was rightfully his deceased parents before stolen away by London's father. This addictive read has complex characters, an intriguing plot, unexpected twists, and steamy chemistry. The book ends in a story cliffhanger which will be concluded in the next book in the duet entitled Redeemed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Stalked and betrayed. London has to marry a man she has never met in order to stop him from ruining her company. She has two weeks before the marriage takes place so decides to go on vacation and sleep with someone or many someones to sow her wild oats and put the screws to her future husband. While in Cabo San Lucas she meets Jake and she has a whirl wind romance. He treats her better than any of her past boyfriends and seems to understand and respect her. Two weeks later when she arrives to sign the marriage contracts and marry her fiancé, she finds out she has been played and stalked. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
I really enjoyed this book, it has twists and turns that I can't wait to see resolved. Book 1 of 2, cliffhanger ending. Jacobi is a recluse with a terrible childhood and bitterness because of it. Now he plans on getting his revenge, but will it all end how he expected. London is a very real person, who happens to be a rich and powerful CEO. She will do anything for the company her father started, even marry a monster. She's going to have fun in Cabo before she says "I do", and she has meet the perfect man to help her have fun. Loved the storyline 5 Stars, didn't like the cliffhanger 4 Stars. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ruined is the perfect title for one of the scenes in the story. All of the passion, and the determination to succeed comes down to one moment in time.... When London is blackmailed into marrying Jacobi, her perfect revenge on the man is to head to the most beautiful place on Earth and spend her time in the arms of one who can give her the memories she needs to withstand the frost. But will her new found partner in crime be able to wipe out the fears she needs to face? Will her zest for life show her that giving in will lead to disaster? Book 1 of a story that will conclude in Redeemed.
London is forced into an arranged marriage she didn't want. She couldn't believe she was about to enter a loveless marriage. She needed an escape before the fateful wedding day came. She heads to Cabo and meets a handsome man that ignites a fire within her. They share some intense moments. But now she is starting to wonder if she will be able to get over this guy she just met. The end is the best part because she is shocked to find out who her husband to be is.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I've read several books written by Marie Johnston; she has done a great job at writing a good book; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of books her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the chemistry between the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
A fantastic journey of deceit, revenge, heartbreak, mystery and lust. I liked how the author played with the characters, their feelings and actions/reactions even as she played with her audience. The story was mesmerizing because I could feel her emotions - anger, conviction to take matters into her own hands, attraction, etc. A well written story that ends in a cliffhanger that left me salivating for the next book.
This is a very intense story with intrigue and mystery and a ton of internal strife. Jake is filled with conflict. London tries so hard to be bad when really deep down she is just a little insecure in minor things while being a boss at being a strong independent woman. The writing is good. The story keeps you hanging on your seat.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed reading this book, London is being forced to marry Jacobi, but decides she’s going to live it up in Cabo one last time. Little does she know that the man she meets is her prospective husband and that he’s been keeping a close eye on her for a long time. An entertaining read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Before London is forced to marry Jacobi to save her company, she’s going to live it up a little in Cabo San Lucas. While she’s there she meets a man and they grow close. Now what? I enjoyed this story and can’t wait to read the next book to find out what happens. I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Part one of a duet that ends in a cliffhanger. This is my first time reading this author and I enjoyed the book. I liked the plot and the characters have some really good dialogue. Heading straight over to part 2.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the first book and in this one, London is being forced to marry a guy to protect her family's secrets. I loved this story. It was well written, characters were well developed and the storyline just hooks you and leave you wanting more. I devoured this book and cannot wait to start the second one. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.