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Billionaires of Manhattan #1
Most Eligible Billionaire
He’s a powerful billionaire CEO who built the family business into an empire. The money doesn’t matter to him, but the company is his life. And then his eccentric mother wills it all to her tiny dog.
I’m Vicky, the dog whisperer. (Not really, but that’s what my elderly neighbor always says.) When she dies, she surprises everybody by leaving a corporation worth billions to her dog, Smuckers. With me as his spokesperson.
Suddenly I go from running my Etsy store to sitting in an elegant Wall Street boardroom with Smuckers in my lap. And my neighbor’s son, Henry Locke, aka New York’s most eligible bachelor, glaring across the table at me.
Rumor has it Henry’s a business genius who’s as talented in the bedroom as he is in the boardroom. Sure, he’s gorgeous. Sex-in-a-seven-thousand dollar suit. But…
He’s arrogant and infuriating.
He refuses to listen to me when I insist I didn’t con his mother.
He thinks he can bully me, buy me off, control me, even seduce me.
Henry may have the women of Manhattan eating out of the palm of his hand, but I'm so over entitled rich guys who think they own the world.
No way will his wicked smile be charming ME out of my panties.
His wicked...devastating...impossible-to-resist smile.
Oh well, who needs panties anyway?
****************
A sexy enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy standalone!
*Formerly entitled Most Eligible Bastard*
I’m Vicky, the dog whisperer. (Not really, but that’s what my elderly neighbor always says.) When she dies, she surprises everybody by leaving a corporation worth billions to her dog, Smuckers. With me as his spokesperson.
Suddenly I go from running my Etsy store to sitting in an elegant Wall Street boardroom with Smuckers in my lap. And my neighbor’s son, Henry Locke, aka New York’s most eligible bachelor, glaring across the table at me.
Rumor has it Henry’s a business genius who’s as talented in the bedroom as he is in the boardroom. Sure, he’s gorgeous. Sex-in-a-seven-thousand dollar suit. But…
He’s arrogant and infuriating.
He refuses to listen to me when I insist I didn’t con his mother.
He thinks he can bully me, buy me off, control me, even seduce me.
Henry may have the women of Manhattan eating out of the palm of his hand, but I'm so over entitled rich guys who think they own the world.
No way will his wicked smile be charming ME out of my panties.
His wicked...devastating...impossible-to-resist smile.
Oh well, who needs panties anyway?
****************
A sexy enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy standalone!
*Formerly entitled Most Eligible Bastard*
304 pages, ebook
First published November 6, 2017
3905 people are currently reading
14254 people want to read
About the author
Annika Martin
47 books3,520 followersAnnika Martin is a NYT bestselling author who loves reading, taking pictures of her cats, consuming boatloads of chocolate suckers, and helping animals. She lives in the Twin Cities with her awesome husband and adorable cats.
Website: http://annikamartinbooks.com
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Website: http://annikamartinbooks.com
Amazon books: https://amzn.to/2UIYzeA
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2PkneA7
Annika on Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/annik...
Instagram: instagram.com/annikamartinauthor
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2UH02SC
Google Play http://bit.ly/2UKJ45O
Nook: http://bit.ly/2Gt304m
Newsletter: https://geni.us/nwslettr
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,080 reviews
November 17, 2017
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2! Most Eligible Bastard (stand-alone). A dog inheriting the family empire sets a vindictive, petty and sexually charged game in motion!
“The loop on the L looks like a C. You have to at least admit that.”
“Well… Cock Worldwide, huh” He seems to ponder. “If the name fits…”
Most Eligible Bastard (stand-alone) follows Etsy store owner Vicky Nelson aka Vonda O’Neil upon learning she has inherited a dog, Smuckers and as the role of its dog whisperer total control over a multi-billion-dollar family empire.
Ka-ching!
The son, heir, playboy, CEO and starchitect Henry Locke is none too happy. He has a board of directors and the public to answer to. He is determined to find a way to out-maneuver Vicky and save a legacy.
Game on!
The story goes on to follow Henry and Vicky trying to deny their attraction and undermining each other every step of the way. LOL!
Six words to describe Henry Locke: Private, commanding, determined, intense, complex and caring.
Six words to describe Vicky Nelson aka Vonda O’Neil: Strong, reflective, caring, smart, trusting and snarky.
Most Eligible Bastard, told from dual POV, is a fast-paced, romantic, sweet, witty and sexy journey of finding oneself, uncovering and coping with painful pasts and in the process righting wrongs. It ends with an epilogue one year into the future.
***
Hero: ★★★★
Heroine: ★★★★1/2
Plot: ★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★
Sex scenes: ★★★★1/2
Story ending: ★★★★1/2
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Angst: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Darkness: | LOW FOCUS |
Humor: | HIGH FOCUS |
Kink: | LOW FOCUS |
Romance: | HIGH FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Suspense: | LOW FOCUS |
ARC provided to me by author Annika Martin in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2020
This is a very sweet book with both fun and emotional moments in it. It is more than "a billionaire & average girl" love story. It is more than what its title and cover promise. There is a good but dramatic background story in it blended with a weird but very funny present situation.
Plot:
A very rich woman dies and in her will, she leaves %51 of her assets to her dog, with whom she spent her last years. And Vicky, who was there for her in her last years, trying to help her in some way will be the spokesperson of the dog, Smuckers, acting as a dog whisperer.
Well, that was interesting to read. For a long while, I had a constant grin on my face and I really had a lot of fun with it.
Vicky attending the board meetings with the dog and both of them voting for decisions was great fun to imagine.
Think of the chaos it may cause and also the hatred of the family members towards her, thinking that she persuaded Mrs. Lock to rewrite her will so that she can have easy money.
Vicky is a very sassy and strong woman who managed to survive after very hard teen years. She was bullied and sexually assaulted but she has been practically born from her own ashes and built a new life for her sister and herself.
Henry is the CEO of the Locke companies and the son of Mrs. Locke, which makes him actually the right owner of all Locke assets. As he couldn't inherit what he deserved, he thinks he is face-to-face with a scammer. He strongly believes that she is a con artist and treats her really cruelly for a while. However, Vicky is not a weak girl to push and dominate. Although he plays dirty to get rid of her at the beginning, in time he sees something real in her and they start to communicate and share moments of connection. Then, their attraction to each other grows and they start to fall for each other. Henry’s first intention was to fake-seduce her so that he can take everything back easily. He never thought he would really fall for her.
Vicky has a sad past and a lot of secrets. Henry keeps his prior intentions as a secret. And as you may expect, when all secrets are revealed, their bubble bursts and their short-lived love story is destroyed.
Up until that moment, I was enjoying the story a lot but then, there was an unnecessary separation of more than a year. The problem could have been solved sooner and more easily than that, they didn’t need to lose all that time. Just a bit of communication would do. I was pissed off at the lost time.
For the readers who are sensitive about cheating, they are celibate during their time apart, so it is very safe.
My rating:
Hero: 3 out of 5
Heroine: 4,5 out of 5
Fun: 4 out of 5
Romance: 3 out of 5
Steam: 3 out of 5
Writing: 4,5 out of 5
And my overall grading is 4 stars. I can say that whenever you need a fun and emotional book, this one is worth trying.
Here are some quotes from it…
Emotional:
“I love how your body feels.”
“I love how you breathe,” he says. “Sometimes you just breathe and I want you.”
The box is filled with hundreds of tiny balsawood griffins, intricately carved—I recognize Henry’s hand in every claw, every tiny wing. I dig my fingers through them and I draw up a handful.
“Four hundred and twenty-five.”
I spin around. My eyes meet his. My breath hitches. Shivers skim over me. He’s leaning on a partition behind me in a deep brown suit, dark hair tousled and just a little bit too long. Smuckers jumps at his legs, tail wagging.
“Henry.”
“I carved one every day you were gone,” he says.
***
“Being hated, it’s like a burn. It keeps hurting long after.
***
“I want you to believe.” The words rush out of me. “I need you to believe in spite of the evidence.”
***
“I should’ve trusted you. Let me fight for us.”
Funny:
I get mentally tired of asking questions, but I ask them, then I vote however Henry votes.
“Smuckers concurs,” I say. Like I even get any of it.
I can tell she’s thinking about it. “The traffic....”
“Right,” I say. “If only I owned a strange machine with a propeller on the top of it that could fly right over cars and buildings. Oh, wait, I do.”
***
I keep my distance. I tamp out every spark that lights between us. Sometimes I feel like Smoky the Bear, stomping sparks left and right. Too many to stomp out.
***
I need to get deprogrammed off Henry. There needs to be a service like that. I need to be strapped to a chair, and every time I see a picture of Henry I get shocked or doused with cold water.
***
The champagne is flowing, but I’m hitting the scotch. Unfortunately, no amount of drinking will kill enough brain cells to make me forget what an asshole I was.
***
She gasps as I kiss her again. I nip the edge of her mouth where her tongue sometimes appears. My IQ has taken a high-speed elevator to the lower level parking garage where cavemen chisel away at their square wheels.
Wise:
Never again was my vow to the world, to myself. Never again would I be bullied by people like the Woodruffs. Never again would I allow a rich asshole to make me feel small and scared. Never again.
***
“When people come at you, you have to stand up for yourself. Nobody will fight for you quite like you will fight for you.”
Plot:
A very rich woman dies and in her will, she leaves %51 of her assets to her dog, with whom she spent her last years. And Vicky, who was there for her in her last years, trying to help her in some way will be the spokesperson of the dog, Smuckers, acting as a dog whisperer.
Well, that was interesting to read. For a long while, I had a constant grin on my face and I really had a lot of fun with it.
Vicky attending the board meetings with the dog and both of them voting for decisions was great fun to imagine.
Think of the chaos it may cause and also the hatred of the family members towards her, thinking that she persuaded Mrs. Lock to rewrite her will so that she can have easy money.
Vicky is a very sassy and strong woman who managed to survive after very hard teen years. She was bullied and sexually assaulted but she has been practically born from her own ashes and built a new life for her sister and herself.
Henry is the CEO of the Locke companies and the son of Mrs. Locke, which makes him actually the right owner of all Locke assets. As he couldn't inherit what he deserved, he thinks he is face-to-face with a scammer. He strongly believes that she is a con artist and treats her really cruelly for a while. However, Vicky is not a weak girl to push and dominate. Although he plays dirty to get rid of her at the beginning, in time he sees something real in her and they start to communicate and share moments of connection. Then, their attraction to each other grows and they start to fall for each other. Henry’s first intention was to fake-seduce her so that he can take everything back easily. He never thought he would really fall for her.
Vicky has a sad past and a lot of secrets. Henry keeps his prior intentions as a secret. And as you may expect, when all secrets are revealed, their bubble bursts and their short-lived love story is destroyed.
Up until that moment, I was enjoying the story a lot but then, there was an unnecessary separation of more than a year. The problem could have been solved sooner and more easily than that, they didn’t need to lose all that time. Just a bit of communication would do. I was pissed off at the lost time.
For the readers who are sensitive about cheating, they are celibate during their time apart, so it is very safe.
My rating:
Hero: 3 out of 5
Heroine: 4,5 out of 5
Fun: 4 out of 5
Romance: 3 out of 5
Steam: 3 out of 5
Writing: 4,5 out of 5
And my overall grading is 4 stars. I can say that whenever you need a fun and emotional book, this one is worth trying.
Here are some quotes from it…
Emotional:
“I love how your body feels.”
“I love how you breathe,” he says. “Sometimes you just breathe and I want you.”
The box is filled with hundreds of tiny balsawood griffins, intricately carved—I recognize Henry’s hand in every claw, every tiny wing. I dig my fingers through them and I draw up a handful.
“Four hundred and twenty-five.”
I spin around. My eyes meet his. My breath hitches. Shivers skim over me. He’s leaning on a partition behind me in a deep brown suit, dark hair tousled and just a little bit too long. Smuckers jumps at his legs, tail wagging.
“Henry.”
“I carved one every day you were gone,” he says.
***
“Being hated, it’s like a burn. It keeps hurting long after.
***
“I want you to believe.” The words rush out of me. “I need you to believe in spite of the evidence.”
***
“I should’ve trusted you. Let me fight for us.”
Funny:
I get mentally tired of asking questions, but I ask them, then I vote however Henry votes.
“Smuckers concurs,” I say. Like I even get any of it.
I can tell she’s thinking about it. “The traffic....”
“Right,” I say. “If only I owned a strange machine with a propeller on the top of it that could fly right over cars and buildings. Oh, wait, I do.”
***
I keep my distance. I tamp out every spark that lights between us. Sometimes I feel like Smoky the Bear, stomping sparks left and right. Too many to stomp out.
***
I need to get deprogrammed off Henry. There needs to be a service like that. I need to be strapped to a chair, and every time I see a picture of Henry I get shocked or doused with cold water.
***
The champagne is flowing, but I’m hitting the scotch. Unfortunately, no amount of drinking will kill enough brain cells to make me forget what an asshole I was.
***
She gasps as I kiss her again. I nip the edge of her mouth where her tongue sometimes appears. My IQ has taken a high-speed elevator to the lower level parking garage where cavemen chisel away at their square wheels.
Wise:
Never again was my vow to the world, to myself. Never again would I be bullied by people like the Woodruffs. Never again would I allow a rich asshole to make me feel small and scared. Never again.
***
“When people come at you, you have to stand up for yourself. Nobody will fight for you quite like you will fight for you.”
November 11, 2017
4 stars!
Review and Excerpt at Of Pens and Pages.
Let me tell you a story about a girl who underestimated a book. She took a certain book at face value and saw it as a mere romantic comedy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The girl absolutely loves romantic comedies. But then she read it and got so much more than what she expected. The story had amazing characters, fantastic banter, and sizzling sexual tension, but there was also angst and drama in the mix. The girl fell in love.
When Vicky Nelson adopted Smuckers, the dog of the old lady who believed she was a dog whisperer after the old lady passed away, she never expected to act as a major stockholder of a multi-million company in behalf of said dog. But she does as it turns out the old lonely lady living in a shabby apartment is actually from a wealthy and powerful family.
Henry Locke worked his heart out to make their empire grow into the powerhouse it is. When his mother leaves more than half of the company to a dog and some scammer, he’ll work even harder to get it back. Even it means he has to seduce her. He’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t fall in love with her.
There’s something about Vicky he can’t resist, but there’s a mystery to her, something she wishes to never be known by anyone, especially not Henry. Vicky knows the more she gets involved with Henry, the more possible it is for her secrets to all come out.
Annika Martin gives us a gem of a book wrapped in a seemingly absurd yet hilarious premise. An old woman bequeaths the family business to her dog, who is then represented by a girl the old woman believed to be a dog whisperer. But then there’s mystery surrounding the heroine’s past, drama, and an issue a lot of women have suffered through. That certain aspect is very timely with what’s happening today.
And my goodness, the author knows how to throw in her punches out of nowhere. Amidst the humor are heartwarming (and breaking) scenes that honestly put tears in my eyes. I sniffled in a few scenes here and there and my heart hurt.
I wanted a strong heroine, and I got that from Vicky in spades. She raised her sister on her own and went through a lot at such a young age, but she’s still so strong and resilient. Her pain didn’t break her, although it made her keep a wall to protect herself.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Henry at the start of the story, but he ended up completely converting me. This man had a lot of layers to him, and I loved all of it. Good lord what he did to win Vicky back. I’m still swooning, y’all. Excuse me while I go pick up my heart on the floor.
And their chemistry! I loved the barbs they threw at each other and loved it even more when clothes are thrown off. The build-up to the inevitable sexy timez got me all hot and bothered. And the sex. Wow.
I would have wanted a little bit more before the story ended. It felt a bit rushed (although there were some super swoony bits there and a resolution I’ve been waiting for in that part), so that’s why I rated the book 4 stars.
This is my first Annika Martin read and definitely not my last. She’s gained a new fan in me. If you love hilarious enemies to lovers stories with its fair share of angst and drama, then you’ll love reading Most Eligible Bastard.
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Inheritance, Boss/CEO
POV: First Person, Dual POV
Standalone: Yes
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Review and Excerpt at Of Pens and Pages.
Let me tell you a story about a girl who underestimated a book. She took a certain book at face value and saw it as a mere romantic comedy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The girl absolutely loves romantic comedies. But then she read it and got so much more than what she expected. The story had amazing characters, fantastic banter, and sizzling sexual tension, but there was also angst and drama in the mix. The girl fell in love.
When Vicky Nelson adopted Smuckers, the dog of the old lady who believed she was a dog whisperer after the old lady passed away, she never expected to act as a major stockholder of a multi-million company in behalf of said dog. But she does as it turns out the old lonely lady living in a shabby apartment is actually from a wealthy and powerful family.
Henry Locke worked his heart out to make their empire grow into the powerhouse it is. When his mother leaves more than half of the company to a dog and some scammer, he’ll work even harder to get it back. Even it means he has to seduce her. He’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t fall in love with her.
There’s something about Vicky he can’t resist, but there’s a mystery to her, something she wishes to never be known by anyone, especially not Henry. Vicky knows the more she gets involved with Henry, the more possible it is for her secrets to all come out.
Annika Martin gives us a gem of a book wrapped in a seemingly absurd yet hilarious premise. An old woman bequeaths the family business to her dog, who is then represented by a girl the old woman believed to be a dog whisperer. But then there’s mystery surrounding the heroine’s past, drama, and an issue a lot of women have suffered through. That certain aspect is very timely with what’s happening today.
And my goodness, the author knows how to throw in her punches out of nowhere. Amidst the humor are heartwarming (and breaking) scenes that honestly put tears in my eyes. I sniffled in a few scenes here and there and my heart hurt.
I wanted a strong heroine, and I got that from Vicky in spades. She raised her sister on her own and went through a lot at such a young age, but she’s still so strong and resilient. Her pain didn’t break her, although it made her keep a wall to protect herself.
Nobody will fight for you quite like you will fight for you.”
I wasn’t a huge fan of Henry at the start of the story, but he ended up completely converting me. This man had a lot of layers to him, and I loved all of it. Good lord what he did to win Vicky back. I’m still swooning, y’all. Excuse me while I go pick up my heart on the floor.
And their chemistry! I loved the barbs they threw at each other and loved it even more when clothes are thrown off. The build-up to the inevitable sexy timez got me all hot and bothered. And the sex. Wow.
I would have wanted a little bit more before the story ended. It felt a bit rushed (although there were some super swoony bits there and a resolution I’ve been waiting for in that part), so that’s why I rated the book 4 stars.
This is my first Annika Martin read and definitely not my last. She’s gained a new fan in me. If you love hilarious enemies to lovers stories with its fair share of angst and drama, then you’ll love reading Most Eligible Bastard.
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Inheritance, Boss/CEO
POV: First Person, Dual POV
Standalone: Yes
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
December 13, 2018
4.5 ‘never again’ stars
Very interesting and well-written book with absolutely bizarre plot.
First 10% of the story didn’t make much sense to me.
But…
this book has an absolutely incredible, complex, strong and amazing heroine.
Floved this woman. Not always badass warrior on the outside; a vulnerable, but very strong woman with a steel backbone. Very smart and sassy; closed, but still warm and friendly; sarcastic and self-confident, maybe a bit shy sometimes. This woman was full of contradictions, but I could totally connect to her. I wondered why she once said she wasn’t strong enough, her backbone should make the others green with envy.
She had a past, she was betrayed by one person, who should have protected her, by her mother. This incredible girl didn’t hide and give up after she was assaulted, she stood up and fought; she didn’t want the others to suffer – finally a woman, who thought of the other possible victims and demanded justice.
She was betrayed, she was sold out; but she found a strength to escape, she found a strength to save her sister.
Despite typical CR cover and not much promising title (sorry, if I’m harsh), this book has much depth and a very strong message.
I wouldn’t call it a ‘standard’ comedy. It has some funny light moments, but it’s much more.
I guess you may either love or hate it, but if you don't give up on it, you'll get your reward *lol*
Well, the hero. I wasn’t his fan.
I loathed him till about 50%, then I just disliked him, then I tolerated him, and only for the last 20-15 % I liked him.
Damn, some of his comments made me so mad. *grr* He was an a§§hole. Sorry, but not sorry.
Nevertheless I didn’t want to dnf, not once.
I read mostly for strong female characters and ‘alpha’-jerks mean nothing to me, so I tend to concentrate on the heroine. Some of the readers, especially my friends, may hate him.
Girls, if you give him a chance, he won’t disappoint you *lol*
The things he did at the end… *swoon*, and he was celibate for over 1 year during their separation and he made an amazing present to her. Not spoiling more *lol*
My personal highlight of the book:
The heroine could still build coherent full sentences being aroused, during sex and even afterwards. She spoke clear English without meowing and whimpering.
FINALLY!!!
Alex says thank you!!!
Why not 5?
His one comment & 'operation good cop' + one odd joke (wet finger) and some other small issues, which mostly are personal preferences.
Safe.
Very interesting and well-written book with absolutely bizarre plot.
First 10% of the story didn’t make much sense to me.
But…
this book has an absolutely incredible, complex, strong and amazing heroine.
Floved this woman. Not always badass warrior on the outside; a vulnerable, but very strong woman with a steel backbone. Very smart and sassy; closed, but still warm and friendly; sarcastic and self-confident, maybe a bit shy sometimes. This woman was full of contradictions, but I could totally connect to her. I wondered why she once said she wasn’t strong enough, her backbone should make the others green with envy.
She had a past, she was betrayed by one person, who should have protected her, by her mother. This incredible girl didn’t hide and give up after she was assaulted, she stood up and fought; she didn’t want the others to suffer – finally a woman, who thought of the other possible victims and demanded justice.
She was betrayed, she was sold out; but she found a strength to escape, she found a strength to save her sister.
“When people come at you, you have to stand up for yourself. Nobody will fight for you quite like you will fight for you.”
Despite typical CR cover and not much promising title (sorry, if I’m harsh), this book has much depth and a very strong message.
I wouldn’t call it a ‘standard’ comedy. It has some funny light moments, but it’s much more.
I guess you may either love or hate it, but if you don't give up on it, you'll get your reward *lol*
Well, the hero. I wasn’t his fan.
I loathed him till about 50%, then I just disliked him, then I tolerated him, and only for the last 20-15 % I liked him.
Damn, some of his comments made me so mad. *grr* He was an a§§hole. Sorry, but not sorry.
Nevertheless I didn’t want to dnf, not once.
I read mostly for strong female characters and ‘alpha’-jerks mean nothing to me, so I tend to concentrate on the heroine. Some of the readers, especially my friends, may hate him.
Girls, if you give him a chance, he won’t disappoint you *lol*
The things he did at the end… *swoon*, and he was celibate for over 1 year during their separation and he made an amazing present to her. Not spoiling more *lol*
“I love how you breathe,” he says. “Sometimes you just breathe and I want you.”
My personal highlight of the book:
The heroine could still build coherent full sentences being aroused, during sex and even afterwards. She spoke clear English without meowing and whimpering.
FINALLY!!!
Alex says thank you!!!
Why not 5?
His one comment & 'operation good cop' + one odd joke (wet finger) and some other small issues, which mostly are personal preferences.
Safe.
November 8, 2017
Title: ➳ ❤Most Eligible Bastard
Author: ➳ Annika Martin
ღ . Vicky Nelson; is still running from the secrets of her past, but that wouldn’t stop her from what she needs to do when it comes to her Lil sister, Carly.
►Vicky has been supported her Lil sister, Carly ever since she was nine years old & Carly is now sixteen
►Three years ago when Vicky was helping her friend do a charity drive to help the animal shelter she ended up pretending to be a Dog Whisper. That is where she meet Bernadette Locke & her dog, (Smuckers).
►Bernadette wanted Vicky to read Smuckers & tell her what he was thinking. Slowly this lead Bernadette to use Vicky as a Dog Whisper.
► after 3 years of being Bernadette Dog Whisper, Bernadette was diagnosed with something terminal, & it look like she going to be dying. Alone, with no family by her side
♥●•Henry Locke? Playboy & the CEO of this family business. It had been almost ten years since he had seen his mother.
►Henry had suspected his mother (Bernadette) mild dementia. But that’s the luxury of having money. If you do anything out of the ordinary, they just assume you are being flamboyant
►Henry walks into his mother’s hospital room & find some con artist & her Lil toy dog
💞. Later Henry finds out his mother left 51% of the shareholding to Smuckers..
💞 This has touch of it all - . Hilarious romantic comedy 💕
It has moment’s filled happiness & moments filled with tears 📚
➦📚 Hope you enjoy this read & also always keep in mind this is just my opinion
➦ 💕 I received an EXCLUSIVE copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of it. 💕
💕 . .**This has not influenced my review.* ** 💕
✎Paulette Review ❤💕
Author: ➳ Annika Martin
ღ . Vicky Nelson; is still running from the secrets of her past, but that wouldn’t stop her from what she needs to do when it comes to her Lil sister, Carly.
►Vicky has been supported her Lil sister, Carly ever since she was nine years old & Carly is now sixteen
►Three years ago when Vicky was helping her friend do a charity drive to help the animal shelter she ended up pretending to be a Dog Whisper. That is where she meet Bernadette Locke & her dog, (Smuckers).
►Bernadette wanted Vicky to read Smuckers & tell her what he was thinking. Slowly this lead Bernadette to use Vicky as a Dog Whisper.
► after 3 years of being Bernadette Dog Whisper, Bernadette was diagnosed with something terminal, & it look like she going to be dying. Alone, with no family by her side
♥●•Henry Locke? Playboy & the CEO of this family business. It had been almost ten years since he had seen his mother.
►Henry had suspected his mother (Bernadette) mild dementia. But that’s the luxury of having money. If you do anything out of the ordinary, they just assume you are being flamboyant
►Henry walks into his mother’s hospital room & find some con artist & her Lil toy dog
💞. Later Henry finds out his mother left 51% of the shareholding to Smuckers..
💞 This has touch of it all - . Hilarious romantic comedy 💕
It has moment’s filled happiness & moments filled with tears 📚
➦📚 Hope you enjoy this read & also always keep in mind this is just my opinion
➦ 💕 I received an EXCLUSIVE copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of it. 💕
💕 . .**This has not influenced my review.* ** 💕
✎Paulette Review ❤💕
February 6, 2023
4.5 A Surprise Win Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
I love being surprised by a new to me author. I had not read Annika Martin before and this experience had me smiling and laughing during my work break many, many times. Love when that happens.
This story starts out with us understanding Vicky Nelson had been roped into "Dog Whispering" for an old cranky manipulative woman whose only connection seems to be her dog. This woman starts to badger and practically stalk Vicky, demanding she "Dog Whisper" for her. It is when Vicky sees the woman become faint, she takes her to her home. There she sees the way things are and decides to guide her to take better care of herself through the "dog's thoughts".
A relationship of sorts develops; Vicky seeing the woman is alone and has no friends...of course, her abrasive ways have mostly to do with it. Vicky also learns the woman does have a son but they are estranged.
Time passes and with the woman riddled with cancer, she is having her last days in the hospital. The only thing that is easing the sick woman's mind is Vicky bringing her beloved pet Smuckers to her. On this visit, Vicky knows when she sneaks in the dog, this may be the last time as the woman is so frail. In a way to comfort the woman she has learned to care for, she uses "Dog Whispering" as a way to help her not be afraid of what is to come...
Henry Locke is a driven man. He has done everything possible to keep his family's business profitable and growing. It has been through his determination, foresight, and business savvy that the company left to him has flourished. He takes this achievement seriously and considers all of the many people employed by this huge company a family of sorts.
For his mother was never the touchy-feely sort and all he can remember is how he longed for the affection she gave all the dogs that had been in his mother's arms. Years ago they had a falling out and no matter what he tried, she would turn him away.
Henry is walking into the hospital room where his mother is...and he overhears Vicky relaying what Smuckers is telling his mother. He cannot believe what he is seeing and hearing as his mother had been unconscious and not responsive. He lashes out at Vicky and refuses to listen to her explanation of what is truly happening. Henry believes Vicky is a con woman who has manipulated his mother and he will have none of it.
Well, Henry's mother loved to control...and she decided to control from the grave...
She awards Smuckers complete control over Henry's business with Vicky being his caretaker...
And what we have is a tale that will surprise the heck out of you...
Because there is so much more than a cute meet over a dog... or a Billionaire who finds his way...
No, we have a legitimate tale of strength and conviction... a woman who was manipulated by wealth before and will not allow it to rule her again. We have a sister who has made sure her younger one is safe and cared for...and we have lessons of truth.
We have a man who has been closed down and ruthless out of necessity and finds out that maybe opening up and seeing things right in front of him can be real.
This was really a wonderful read and I highly recommend it...not just for the fun, smexy times- yum- but also for the heart...as there are massive amounts all over the pages. This was a new-to-me author but not anymore. Annika Martin, whatever you have happening next... I will be there.
Most Eligible Billionaire (Billionaires of Manhattan #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Billionaire’s Wake-up-call Girl (Billionaires of Manhattan #2)
Breaking the Billionaire's Rules (Billionaires of Manhattan #3)
The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée (Billionaires of Manhattan #4)
Return Billionaire to Sender (Billionaires of Manhattan #5)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just Not That Into Billionaires (Billionaires of Manhattan #6)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * Spoiler Free
I love being surprised by a new to me author. I had not read Annika Martin before and this experience had me smiling and laughing during my work break many, many times. Love when that happens.
This story starts out with us understanding Vicky Nelson had been roped into "Dog Whispering" for an old cranky manipulative woman whose only connection seems to be her dog. This woman starts to badger and practically stalk Vicky, demanding she "Dog Whisper" for her. It is when Vicky sees the woman become faint, she takes her to her home. There she sees the way things are and decides to guide her to take better care of herself through the "dog's thoughts".
A relationship of sorts develops; Vicky seeing the woman is alone and has no friends...of course, her abrasive ways have mostly to do with it. Vicky also learns the woman does have a son but they are estranged.
Time passes and with the woman riddled with cancer, she is having her last days in the hospital. The only thing that is easing the sick woman's mind is Vicky bringing her beloved pet Smuckers to her. On this visit, Vicky knows when she sneaks in the dog, this may be the last time as the woman is so frail. In a way to comfort the woman she has learned to care for, she uses "Dog Whispering" as a way to help her not be afraid of what is to come...
Henry Locke is a driven man. He has done everything possible to keep his family's business profitable and growing. It has been through his determination, foresight, and business savvy that the company left to him has flourished. He takes this achievement seriously and considers all of the many people employed by this huge company a family of sorts.
For his mother was never the touchy-feely sort and all he can remember is how he longed for the affection she gave all the dogs that had been in his mother's arms. Years ago they had a falling out and no matter what he tried, she would turn him away.
Henry is walking into the hospital room where his mother is...and he overhears Vicky relaying what Smuckers is telling his mother. He cannot believe what he is seeing and hearing as his mother had been unconscious and not responsive. He lashes out at Vicky and refuses to listen to her explanation of what is truly happening. Henry believes Vicky is a con woman who has manipulated his mother and he will have none of it.
Well, Henry's mother loved to control...and she decided to control from the grave...
She awards Smuckers complete control over Henry's business with Vicky being his caretaker...
And what we have is a tale that will surprise the heck out of you...
Because there is so much more than a cute meet over a dog... or a Billionaire who finds his way...
No, we have a legitimate tale of strength and conviction... a woman who was manipulated by wealth before and will not allow it to rule her again. We have a sister who has made sure her younger one is safe and cared for...and we have lessons of truth.
We have a man who has been closed down and ruthless out of necessity and finds out that maybe opening up and seeing things right in front of him can be real.
This was really a wonderful read and I highly recommend it...not just for the fun, smexy times- yum- but also for the heart...as there are massive amounts all over the pages. This was a new-to-me author but not anymore. Annika Martin, whatever you have happening next... I will be there.
Most Eligible Billionaire (Billionaires of Manhattan #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Billionaire’s Wake-up-call Girl (Billionaires of Manhattan #2) Breaking the Billionaire's Rules (Billionaires of Manhattan #3) The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée (Billionaires of Manhattan #4) Return Billionaire to Sender (Billionaires of Manhattan #5)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just Not That Into Billionaires (Billionaires of Manhattan #6)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
May 7, 2020
The marketing on this is atrocious. Seriously, from cover to blurb to title, it all screams light rom-com with strong wish-fulfillment fantasy base. And while there is humor and lots of wish-fulfillment, there is nothing light about this story. And I was in the mood for something light. Fortunately, Martin pulls off characters I cared about with a strong plot that managed to draw me in despite my strong mood preference.
Henry's mother is a manipulative, probably evil woman who delights in making people feel bad and ruining their plans. So she sets Vicky up to be majority share holder of the company Henry has worked his backside off to grow and nurture, killing two birds with one stone. And yes, she is exactly that awful and this sets the tone for the whole story because Henry has a devious and manipulative streak, likely from having that degenerate for a mother, and Vicky is a vulnerable wannabe hermit trying to fly under the radar to avoid a dark past. So they start off enemies and Henry has power and resources and a highly suspicious nature that bodes ill for the vulnerable and caring Vicky.
But he also has a kind and protective heart and it turns out that he is primarily motivated by taking care of "his people" and that he takes that task extremely seriously. And protecting those people from the potential depredations of an unknown schemer linked with his mother is, at heart, a noble undertaking. And that is all kinds of my jam and drew me in as soon as his heart and goals became clear.
Vicky was awesome from the start, though, and I identified with her plight even before we knew any details about her terrible background (none of it her fault). I loved how caring she was and how tough. I loved that she made the best of things and that she did so with a jaundiced eye that still didn't make her any harder than she had to be. Connecting with Henry was a bit rushed, I think, and her initial unguarded moments with him were beyond foolish given everything she knew of him. And later, having her seemed a bit convenient on the part of the author, really. I mean, her situation was a bit extreme and the dark past was very dark so all of it held together in light of that background but then, just about anything could be justified given how extreme the trauma and fear are, if you see what I mean.
Anyway, I very much enjoyed the story but want to caution anybody who buys the tale the cover and copy tell about something light and breezy with humor and hijinks. Seriously, that's practically marketing malpractice. It's a solid four stars, mind, and that's a surprise on so many levels given what I thought I was getting when I started the book.
A note about Steamy: There are three or four explicit sex scenes but they are long and detailed and have dominance play that folds into the rest of the story in ways that enhanced the steam level accordingly. So it is on the high side of my steam tolerance despite being fewer in numbers than some of lower steam rating. Frankly, I skimmed all of them because I wasn't so much interested in the sexy times as I was in their actual intimacy and trust. And frankly, those scenes undercut the emotional and caring connection they were developing at the time (as opposed to enhancing it). It's probably an effective juxtaposition, but it wasn't one I personally appreciated.
Henry's mother is a manipulative, probably evil woman who delights in making people feel bad and ruining their plans. So she sets Vicky up to be majority share holder of the company Henry has worked his backside off to grow and nurture, killing two birds with one stone. And yes, she is exactly that awful and this sets the tone for the whole story because Henry has a devious and manipulative streak, likely from having that degenerate for a mother, and Vicky is a vulnerable wannabe hermit trying to fly under the radar to avoid a dark past. So they start off enemies and Henry has power and resources and a highly suspicious nature that bodes ill for the vulnerable and caring Vicky.
But he also has a kind and protective heart and it turns out that he is primarily motivated by taking care of "his people" and that he takes that task extremely seriously. And protecting those people from the potential depredations of an unknown schemer linked with his mother is, at heart, a noble undertaking. And that is all kinds of my jam and drew me in as soon as his heart and goals became clear.
Vicky was awesome from the start, though, and I identified with her plight even before we knew any details about her terrible background (none of it her fault). I loved how caring she was and how tough. I loved that she made the best of things and that she did so with a jaundiced eye that still didn't make her any harder than she had to be. Connecting with Henry was a bit rushed, I think, and her initial unguarded moments with him were beyond foolish given everything she knew of him. And later, having her seemed a bit convenient on the part of the author, really. I mean, her situation was a bit extreme and the dark past was very dark so all of it held together in light of that background but then, just about anything could be justified given how extreme the trauma and fear are, if you see what I mean.
Anyway, I very much enjoyed the story but want to caution anybody who buys the tale the cover and copy tell about something light and breezy with humor and hijinks. Seriously, that's practically marketing malpractice. It's a solid four stars, mind, and that's a surprise on so many levels given what I thought I was getting when I started the book.
A note about Steamy: There are three or four explicit sex scenes but they are long and detailed and have dominance play that folds into the rest of the story in ways that enhanced the steam level accordingly. So it is on the high side of my steam tolerance despite being fewer in numbers than some of lower steam rating. Frankly, I skimmed all of them because I wasn't so much interested in the sexy times as I was in their actual intimacy and trust. And frankly, those scenes undercut the emotional and caring connection they were developing at the time (as opposed to enhancing it). It's probably an effective juxtaposition, but it wasn't one I personally appreciated.
dnf
April 24, 2020DNF a few chapters in - for now
This was an audiobook I found from the Hoopla COVID-19 free borrows, and while I found the story interesting, I just really didn't care for the female voice actor. There wasn't anything wrong with the way she read it, I just personally didn't like listening to her voice.
So, what I think I'll do is try to grab a physical copy or an ebook and read the story that way.
FINDAWAY VOICES
Read by Neva Nevarre
This was an audiobook I found from the Hoopla COVID-19 free borrows, and while I found the story interesting, I just really didn't care for the female voice actor. There wasn't anything wrong with the way she read it, I just personally didn't like listening to her voice.
So, what I think I'll do is try to grab a physical copy or an ebook and read the story that way.
FINDAWAY VOICES
Read by Neva Nevarre
November 23, 2018
It's nice when you pick up a freebie, months later cruise through your Kobo and find a cute cover with a cute guy in a suit and think "this looks fun," and then lo and behold, it is fun...
Honestly, I really had low expectations. What I expected was a bunch of fluff. And it was fluff, but it wasn't just fluff either. The characters dealt with some real issues, from Vicky's prior incident in her youth (whoa, left field, I was surprised too), to both of them having mom issues that *takes a deep breath* didn't define them, but did create real, relatable tension.
Henry is an architect who designs beautiful buildings, who yeah, is also a CEO - and put that behind you cause that doesn't happen at multi-billion dollar multinational corporations. Vicky is a funky jewelry seller and designer, just getting by and taking care of her sister due to aforementioned mommy issues. What brings them together? The plot is utter nonsense. If you get hung up on plausibility as a reader, skip right on by (and if plausibility is your jam, the odds of having a hot young billionaire are pretty much zero as far as I can tell so you probably would've already skipped right on by already). The characters, however, are not nonsense. Both Vicky and Henry have a good amount of consistent characterization, and feel real, with well-drawn tension between them-- both of the sexual and of the conflict variety. What results from this mix of tension and characters is a super enjoyable, cozy blanket of a read that had some tender and some laugh out loud moments. I feel like if these two belonged to a house in Harry Potter, it'd be Hufflepuff.
And my competence porn shelf is born. I always knew I liked competence in my characters but it is fun to have a (nearly direct) quote from a book birth it. I shouldn't neglect to mention that in addition to cute and adorable this book was also really hot. I feel like as a regular romance reader, it bears a call-out that Martin can write some nice and dirty sex scenes that didn't feel rote to help us through our day. 3.5 rounded up for the heat, because I'm cold and I needed that.
Honestly, I really had low expectations. What I expected was a bunch of fluff. And it was fluff, but it wasn't just fluff either. The characters dealt with some real issues, from Vicky's prior incident in her youth (whoa, left field, I was surprised too), to both of them having mom issues that *takes a deep breath* didn't define them, but did create real, relatable tension.
Henry is an architect who designs beautiful buildings, who yeah, is also a CEO - and put that behind you cause that doesn't happen at multi-billion dollar multinational corporations. Vicky is a funky jewelry seller and designer, just getting by and taking care of her sister due to aforementioned mommy issues. What brings them together? The plot is utter nonsense. If you get hung up on plausibility as a reader, skip right on by (and if plausibility is your jam, the odds of having a hot young billionaire are pretty much zero as far as I can tell so you probably would've already skipped right on by already). The characters, however, are not nonsense. Both Vicky and Henry have a good amount of consistent characterization, and feel real, with well-drawn tension between them-- both of the sexual and of the conflict variety. What results from this mix of tension and characters is a super enjoyable, cozy blanket of a read that had some tender and some laugh out loud moments. I feel like if these two belonged to a house in Harry Potter, it'd be Hufflepuff.
And my competence porn shelf is born. I always knew I liked competence in my characters but it is fun to have a (nearly direct) quote from a book birth it. I shouldn't neglect to mention that in addition to cute and adorable this book was also really hot. I feel like as a regular romance reader, it bears a call-out that Martin can write some nice and dirty sex scenes that didn't feel rote to help us through our day. 3.5 rounded up for the heat, because I'm cold and I needed that.
06-reasons
November 1, 2017The blurb made this book sound amazing.
I didn’t like the plot.
I didn’t like the characters.
I didn’t like anything.
It takes a lot for me to not find one single positive thing about a book.
The cover is good, does that count?
It went from fun to ridiculousness where my believability muscle just couldn’t get its mind round it.
This is just ME and NOT the book.
Different strokes and all that jazz peeps.
DNF @ 36%. – Bring on the trolling
I didn’t like the plot.
I didn’t like the characters.
I didn’t like anything.
It takes a lot for me to not find one single positive thing about a book.
The cover is good, does that count?
It went from fun to ridiculousness where my believability muscle just couldn’t get its mind round it.
This is just ME and NOT the book.
Different strokes and all that jazz peeps.
DNF @ 36%. – Bring on the trolling
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2017
I've enjoyed Annika Martin's (aka Carolyn Crane) voice for some time - her books usually involve zany bad guys and are erotic. This one doesn't have a bad guy - just a hero who starts off a little....bastardy. But he is actually a great guy - it just takes some time for that side to be noticed. Henry Locke is the CEO of a very large construction/poperty company. He treats his many employees with respect and like family. He isn't sleazy - everything is done on the right side of the law. So what's the problem? When his mother dies (she had cut him out of her life long ago) she leaves 51% of the company to her dog, Smuckers. And on top of that, Smuckers' new companion and the person who is his dog whisperer who will now be running this huge company, is our heroine, and etsy jewelery and dog collar designer, Vicky.
Vicky pretended to be a dog whisperer one day for good fun, but Henry's mom believed she could actually tell her what Smuckers was thinking. Vicky told her repeatedly it was not real, but his mom was convinced and would wait for Vicky in the park for dog readings. Thinking she was helping a lonely, old woman out, Vicky met with her and made sure her days were filled with some smiles. When she dies, Vicky is absolutely shocked that she now can run this huge company. She has no desire for it - until she meets Henry, who is extremely upset that Vicky and Smuckers are now making company decisions.
Everybody's looking at me, but it's Henry gaze I feel, like a silken ribbon on my skin. I don't dare look at him. He's a raging inferno of assholishness and powersuitedness with a dash of hotness that makes him...uh.
Henry and his team are convinced Vicky is playing some long con - that she tricked his mother into all of this, and got control of his company. He tries to pay her off - and while millions of dollars would help send Vicky's sister to college and allow them to stop living so frugally, Vicky doesn't want to be treated this way. She knows she never conned his mother and didn't do anything wrong. An event happened in her past that caused a lot of people to look at her with disdain - and she is not going to let that happen again. She takes Smuckers, in his fancy dog collar, marches into the Locke offices, and demands her seat at the table. Let the enemy portion of our story begin!
I love an enemies to lovers trope - and what I really love about this book is that the author doesn't rush the enemies part. She lets Henry simmer as Smuckers and Vicky attend board meetings. She lets him plot to destroy her, as he thinks she is a scammer and a con artist. She lets Vicky slowly work out her emotions as this position was dumped in her lap with no warning. She lets Vicky think about her dramatic past and how she wants to act now that she is older. I loved all of that about this book. They are truly enemies....until they are not.
Something changes. There is always that spark of sexual-tension (Vicky loves his hands and loves watching him mess with his watch and his buttons - this author always adds little details like this in her book.). Once they get to know each other - Henry realizes that Vicky is an amazing person. He truly starts to believe that she was not conning his mother for the company. And Vicky starts to see the softer side of Henry - and then there are explosive kisses, and explosions coming out of other...places...and it's super sexy and intense and *turns fan on high.* Here's a little peak:
He makes a growly sound as he rains kisses over my cheek, my neck, before taking my lips once again.
The cool breeze caresses my exposed legs, but underneath my clothes, sweat trickles down my spine.
The entire building seems to sway in time with my thundering pulse, in time with Henry, pressing himself to me.
Somewhere down on the street, trucks and cars rumble by and honking horns are answered by other honking horns.
He's still wearing his own hard hat. It's sexy as fuck.
His breath turns erratic as he runs his hands over the sides of my hips, up and down. "You and your fucking skirts," he says like my fucking skirts are a point of awesomeness.
Without warning, he grips my ass - clenches it hard - fingers like steely vise grips. He jerks me against his rock hard erection, and I gasp to feel the size of him through our clothes. "You feel that?" he rasps, notching himself to me pulsing against me. "That's how you have me every fucking day."
I really appreciate reading a book that is not rushed. We truly get to know both Henry and Vicky, and even Smuckers! There are fights, and sex, and friendships, and laughing. So well done. I hope you pick this one up.
Grade: B+
Vicky pretended to be a dog whisperer one day for good fun, but Henry's mom believed she could actually tell her what Smuckers was thinking. Vicky told her repeatedly it was not real, but his mom was convinced and would wait for Vicky in the park for dog readings. Thinking she was helping a lonely, old woman out, Vicky met with her and made sure her days were filled with some smiles. When she dies, Vicky is absolutely shocked that she now can run this huge company. She has no desire for it - until she meets Henry, who is extremely upset that Vicky and Smuckers are now making company decisions.
Everybody's looking at me, but it's Henry gaze I feel, like a silken ribbon on my skin. I don't dare look at him. He's a raging inferno of assholishness and powersuitedness with a dash of hotness that makes him...uh.
Henry and his team are convinced Vicky is playing some long con - that she tricked his mother into all of this, and got control of his company. He tries to pay her off - and while millions of dollars would help send Vicky's sister to college and allow them to stop living so frugally, Vicky doesn't want to be treated this way. She knows she never conned his mother and didn't do anything wrong. An event happened in her past that caused a lot of people to look at her with disdain - and she is not going to let that happen again. She takes Smuckers, in his fancy dog collar, marches into the Locke offices, and demands her seat at the table. Let the enemy portion of our story begin!
I love an enemies to lovers trope - and what I really love about this book is that the author doesn't rush the enemies part. She lets Henry simmer as Smuckers and Vicky attend board meetings. She lets him plot to destroy her, as he thinks she is a scammer and a con artist. She lets Vicky slowly work out her emotions as this position was dumped in her lap with no warning. She lets Vicky think about her dramatic past and how she wants to act now that she is older. I loved all of that about this book. They are truly enemies....until they are not.
Something changes. There is always that spark of sexual-tension (Vicky loves his hands and loves watching him mess with his watch and his buttons - this author always adds little details like this in her book.). Once they get to know each other - Henry realizes that Vicky is an amazing person. He truly starts to believe that she was not conning his mother for the company. And Vicky starts to see the softer side of Henry - and then there are explosive kisses, and explosions coming out of other...places...and it's super sexy and intense and *turns fan on high.* Here's a little peak:
He makes a growly sound as he rains kisses over my cheek, my neck, before taking my lips once again.
The cool breeze caresses my exposed legs, but underneath my clothes, sweat trickles down my spine.
The entire building seems to sway in time with my thundering pulse, in time with Henry, pressing himself to me.
Somewhere down on the street, trucks and cars rumble by and honking horns are answered by other honking horns.
He's still wearing his own hard hat. It's sexy as fuck.
His breath turns erratic as he runs his hands over the sides of my hips, up and down. "You and your fucking skirts," he says like my fucking skirts are a point of awesomeness.
Without warning, he grips my ass - clenches it hard - fingers like steely vise grips. He jerks me against his rock hard erection, and I gasp to feel the size of him through our clothes. "You feel that?" he rasps, notching himself to me pulsing against me. "That's how you have me every fucking day."
I really appreciate reading a book that is not rushed. We truly get to know both Henry and Vicky, and even Smuckers! There are fights, and sex, and friendships, and laughing. So well done. I hope you pick this one up.
Grade: B+
May 9, 2024
➸ 2 stars
Tropes:
↬ Spice: 🌶️🌶️
↬ Contemporary Romance
↬ Dual POV; First Person
↬ Billionaire Romance
↬ Workplace/Coworkers
↬ Enemies to Lovers
Ratings:
↬ Characters: 2/5
↬ Plot: 3/5
↬ Structure 3/5
↬ World-Building: 2.5/5
↬ Writing: 3/5
↬ Uniqueness/Creativity: 4/5
↬ Read: on Kindle
_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐
I picked up Most Eligible Billionaire as a freebie, a long time ago. Lately, I’ve been trying to clean out my kindle and read the 1000+ unread ebooks on there, and I stumbled across this one that I knew a good amount of people have enjoyed. I also have a few of the other books I’ve nabbed as freebies, and I’ve been in a billionaire romance kick lately, so I thought, “Why not?” And set off on my reading journey. Unfortunately, this book was really not for me.
I really didn’t like anything about this story. The characters were uncompelling, the plot, while sounding incredible, was executed in a very boring manner, and the romance felt like I’d need to lose all the feminism in my body to accept it. The story starts with our heroine, Vicky finding out she’d inherited a huge sum of money, and the sole shares to a woman that she’d been caring for’s company. The MMC, Henry instantly thinks she’d manipulated his mother sometime, and tries everything in his power to get rid of her.
I absolutely despised Henry as a character. Not only did this man have so little empathy, I thought I was genuinely reading about a sociopath, but every other aspect of his character held no appeal to me. He was cruel the entire book to Vicky, and we’re supposed to just forgive him by the end? He’s so delusional that he doesn’t realize he’s practically had a silver spoon dripping from his mouth from birth, oh, and he has mommy issues, because the author had to add something to make him a smidge interesting (spoiler: it didn’t).
Vicky, while at the very least not a sociopath like her love interest, fell flat for me too. She’s very into design, and has had a very rough past, but I still didn’t feel anything for her. I did however like how she decided she wasn’t going to be a doormat and stood up to Henry and his family when they treated her like the gum on the backs of their shoes. She proves herself to everyone, and that was really one of the only things I liked about this book.
But the romance definitely wasn’t one of them. Not only was it super instalovely, with very little build up, but it also just didn’t really make sense. Henry was such an asshole to Vicky, and he doesn’t even do anything to make up for it! And Vicky just takes him with open arms because he’s hot or whatever? I don’t believe it for a second. Even the lush NYC setting (which was very well done by the way) couldn’t really get me to enjoy this book. And this really had all the components for me to enjoy it. I love billionaire romances, feisty heroines, enemies to lovers, and some good romcomy vibes, but something about this book just fell extremely flat to me (probably the hero because I truly hated his guts).
Tropes:
↬ Spice: 🌶️🌶️
↬ Contemporary Romance
↬ Dual POV; First Person
↬ Billionaire Romance
↬ Workplace/Coworkers
↬ Enemies to Lovers
Ratings:
↬ Characters: 2/5
↬ Plot: 3/5
↬ Structure 3/5
↬ World-Building: 2.5/5
↬ Writing: 3/5
↬ Uniqueness/Creativity: 4/5
↬ Read: on Kindle
_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐
I picked up Most Eligible Billionaire as a freebie, a long time ago. Lately, I’ve been trying to clean out my kindle and read the 1000+ unread ebooks on there, and I stumbled across this one that I knew a good amount of people have enjoyed. I also have a few of the other books I’ve nabbed as freebies, and I’ve been in a billionaire romance kick lately, so I thought, “Why not?” And set off on my reading journey. Unfortunately, this book was really not for me.
I really didn’t like anything about this story. The characters were uncompelling, the plot, while sounding incredible, was executed in a very boring manner, and the romance felt like I’d need to lose all the feminism in my body to accept it. The story starts with our heroine, Vicky finding out she’d inherited a huge sum of money, and the sole shares to a woman that she’d been caring for’s company. The MMC, Henry instantly thinks she’d manipulated his mother sometime, and tries everything in his power to get rid of her.
I absolutely despised Henry as a character. Not only did this man have so little empathy, I thought I was genuinely reading about a sociopath, but every other aspect of his character held no appeal to me. He was cruel the entire book to Vicky, and we’re supposed to just forgive him by the end? He’s so delusional that he doesn’t realize he’s practically had a silver spoon dripping from his mouth from birth, oh, and he has mommy issues, because the author had to add something to make him a smidge interesting (spoiler: it didn’t).
Vicky, while at the very least not a sociopath like her love interest, fell flat for me too. She’s very into design, and has had a very rough past, but I still didn’t feel anything for her. I did however like how she decided she wasn’t going to be a doormat and stood up to Henry and his family when they treated her like the gum on the backs of their shoes. She proves herself to everyone, and that was really one of the only things I liked about this book.
But the romance definitely wasn’t one of them. Not only was it super instalovely, with very little build up, but it also just didn’t really make sense. Henry was such an asshole to Vicky, and he doesn’t even do anything to make up for it! And Vicky just takes him with open arms because he’s hot or whatever? I don’t believe it for a second. Even the lush NYC setting (which was very well done by the way) couldn’t really get me to enjoy this book. And this really had all the components for me to enjoy it. I love billionaire romances, feisty heroines, enemies to lovers, and some good romcomy vibes, but something about this book just fell extremely flat to me (probably the hero because I truly hated his guts).
May 6, 2020
3.5 Stars 🎧
This was a fun, light listen which is just what I needed. The narration was great, I look forward to listening to the rest of the series soon.
This was a fun, light listen which is just what I needed. The narration was great, I look forward to listening to the rest of the series soon.
July 8, 2023
4.5 Stars
This is my second Annika Martin book, and I think I can say I'm a fan. I love the humor, the smart & relatable FMCs, and the "asshole" MMCs that turn out to be good people.
Smuckers the dog being left control of a company was a fun storyline. My pre-teen daughter listened to the beginning and felt strongly that Smuckers should have been a weiner dog (he was actually a fluffy little Maltese). She got a bit invested in the story, but I had to cut her off before it got spicy. She'll have to get the cliff notes version from me later. 😅
I will definitely read book 3, also on audiobook. I really do like the female narrator for this series, although when she reads the spicy stuff, I can't take it very seriously. 🤷♀️
This is my second Annika Martin book, and I think I can say I'm a fan. I love the humor, the smart & relatable FMCs, and the "asshole" MMCs that turn out to be good people.
Smuckers the dog being left control of a company was a fun storyline. My pre-teen daughter listened to the beginning and felt strongly that Smuckers should have been a weiner dog (he was actually a fluffy little Maltese). She got a bit invested in the story, but I had to cut her off before it got spicy. She'll have to get the cliff notes version from me later. 😅
I will definitely read book 3, also on audiobook. I really do like the female narrator for this series, although when she reads the spicy stuff, I can't take it very seriously. 🤷♀️
November 6, 2017
4.25 Stars
This is a love story between a wealthy businessman, Henry Locke; a jewelry designer, Vicky Nelson; and Smuckers, a toy Maltese.
“So. Fucking. Romantic.”
Okay, so it’s not really a three way love story between man, woman, and dog. Although there is that Smuckers incident. Hmm... With a name like Smuckers it has to be good. *wink*
It’s really a heartfelt romance with touches of humor. (Like Smuckers has to pee.) Anyways, Henry’s been estranged from his mother who’s bequeathed her stake in his company to her dog via his human proxy and caretaker, Vicky. It creates quite a dicey business situation to say the least. To up the complicated factor, Vicky isn’t exactly who she says she is either. And throughout the course of the story, Vicky and Henry find they must confront their own trust issues as they get to know each other.
“It’s so Henry to give me a tutorial on sucking his cock.”
There’s resistance, of course.
“Sometimes I feel like Smoky the Bear, stomping sparks left and right. Too many to stomp out.”
But Henry wears her down and his ruthless exterior gives way to his caring and capable, yet also vulnerable, side.
“I don’t care about the burn; it’s the spark of our chemistry that’s torching me.”
Oh and there’s his sexy side too.
“‘You like my hands,’ he says, undoing another button, revealing the top of my camisole. ‘You’re going to like them even better when they’re between your legs.’”
Henry really grew on me and by the end I liked him a lot. Told via Vicky and Henry’s alternating first person POV, in the beginning though I had to keep reminding myself that I knew both sides of the story because when it was Vicky’s POV, I thought Henry and his associates were pretty mean to her, and then when I was in Henry’s POV, I remembered that things would look pretty strange if not downright suspicious if I was in his shoes. So the dual POV was critical here.
The story has some twists and turns which helped it avoid some romance plot pitfalls as well as kept me turning pages in the climax and resolution. A standalone, there’s a seriousness to the backstory intertwined with more light-hearted moments revolving around Smuckers as he inadvertently brings too seemingly different but actually quite similar people together. The tale has good underlying messages and themes of looking beyond the exterior and truly listening to people as well as a satisfying turnout.
Safety Recap:
*I volunteered to review this ARC. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions. In the interest of providing unbiased book reviews and to avoid misleading other readers, it is the blog’s policy not to withhold or delay any reviews no matter the star rating. To the best of my knowledge, this title was presented to the blog without any conditions or stipulations.
This is a love story between a wealthy businessman, Henry Locke; a jewelry designer, Vicky Nelson; and Smuckers, a toy Maltese.
“So. Fucking. Romantic.”
Okay, so it’s not really a three way love story between man, woman, and dog. Although there is that Smuckers incident. Hmm... With a name like Smuckers it has to be good. *wink*
It’s really a heartfelt romance with touches of humor. (Like Smuckers has to pee.) Anyways, Henry’s been estranged from his mother who’s bequeathed her stake in his company to her dog via his human proxy and caretaker, Vicky. It creates quite a dicey business situation to say the least. To up the complicated factor, Vicky isn’t exactly who she says she is either. And throughout the course of the story, Vicky and Henry find they must confront their own trust issues as they get to know each other.
“It’s so Henry to give me a tutorial on sucking his cock.”
There’s resistance, of course.
“Sometimes I feel like Smoky the Bear, stomping sparks left and right. Too many to stomp out.”
But Henry wears her down and his ruthless exterior gives way to his caring and capable, yet also vulnerable, side.
“I don’t care about the burn; it’s the spark of our chemistry that’s torching me.”
Oh and there’s his sexy side too.
“‘You like my hands,’ he says, undoing another button, revealing the top of my camisole. ‘You’re going to like them even better when they’re between your legs.’”
Henry really grew on me and by the end I liked him a lot. Told via Vicky and Henry’s alternating first person POV, in the beginning though I had to keep reminding myself that I knew both sides of the story because when it was Vicky’s POV, I thought Henry and his associates were pretty mean to her, and then when I was in Henry’s POV, I remembered that things would look pretty strange if not downright suspicious if I was in his shoes. So the dual POV was critical here.
The story has some twists and turns which helped it avoid some romance plot pitfalls as well as kept me turning pages in the climax and resolution. A standalone, there’s a seriousness to the backstory intertwined with more light-hearted moments revolving around Smuckers as he inadvertently brings too seemingly different but actually quite similar people together. The tale has good underlying messages and themes of looking beyond the exterior and truly listening to people as well as a satisfying turnout.
Safety Recap:
*I volunteered to review this ARC. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions. In the interest of providing unbiased book reviews and to avoid misleading other readers, it is the blog’s policy not to withhold or delay any reviews no matter the star rating. To the best of my knowledge, this title was presented to the blog without any conditions or stipulations.
August 18, 2020
Il titolo rimanda sicuramente a ben altri miliardari e potrebbe trarre in inganno, ma quello che troverete fra le pagine del libro di Annika Martin, altro non è che una frizzante commedia.
Una di quelle commedie surreali, dove un cane, Smuckers, erediterà la maggioranza delle quote di una di quelle multinazionali americane che fatturano milioni di dollari e, per questo, avrà il suo posto, o meglio "il suo trono", nel Cda della stessa.
Vicky sarà la sua portavoce e chiaramente si scontrerà con chi ha trasformato una semplice azienda di famiglia in un impero.
«Cosa preferisci Smuckers? Che Henry Locke ci firmi un assegno da quattro virgola cinque milioni di dollari? O preferiresti reclamare il tuo posto al suo fianco come membro visionario e azionista di maggioranza del consiglio di amministrazione della Locke Worldwide?»
Deglutisco di nuovo, confuso. Ci sta prendendo in giro?
«Concentrati, Smuckers,» gli intima, lanciando un'occhiata furtiva verso di me.
«Vuoi un po' di soldi ora? O votare su questioni importanti mentre ricevi uno stipendio mensile da settantacinquemila dollari?»
Henry Locke, CEO della società, non ci sta a vedere il frutto del suo lavoro gestito da chi considera una truffatrice e quindi che la commedia abbia inizio.
Un libro scorrevole e leggero, ma anche con qualche approfondimento più serio ben inserito.
Una di quelle commedie surreali, dove un cane, Smuckers, erediterà la maggioranza delle quote di una di quelle multinazionali americane che fatturano milioni di dollari e, per questo, avrà il suo posto, o meglio "il suo trono", nel Cda della stessa.
Vicky sarà la sua portavoce e chiaramente si scontrerà con chi ha trasformato una semplice azienda di famiglia in un impero.
«Cosa preferisci Smuckers? Che Henry Locke ci firmi un assegno da quattro virgola cinque milioni di dollari? O preferiresti reclamare il tuo posto al suo fianco come membro visionario e azionista di maggioranza del consiglio di amministrazione della Locke Worldwide?»
Deglutisco di nuovo, confuso. Ci sta prendendo in giro?
«Concentrati, Smuckers,» gli intima, lanciando un'occhiata furtiva verso di me.
«Vuoi un po' di soldi ora? O votare su questioni importanti mentre ricevi uno stipendio mensile da settantacinquemila dollari?»
Henry Locke, CEO della società, non ci sta a vedere il frutto del suo lavoro gestito da chi considera una truffatrice e quindi che la commedia abbia inizio.
Un libro scorrevole e leggero, ma anche con qualche approfondimento più serio ben inserito.
January 21, 2021
Dog lovers will enjoy this story...
Not the best and not the worst book I've ever read. I liked the beginning and I liked the end, but there were a few bits in the middle that had me rolling my eyes. I'm not a true believer in the *I forget he is a douchewaffle because he's HOT* love story. In this case, the heroine had a lot of reasons to not fall for the billionaire. And, to be honest, the hero didn't really have a lot of reason to fall for the heroine.
I don't normally, but in this instance, I skimmed over the sexy times. The couple acted like horny teenagers and talked like it too. It just seemed very quick that they jumped from hating each other to I want to rub myself all over you. With little to no trust between them, it was a recipe for disaster. There's one instance (sexy time) that was supposed to be funny, that I did NOT find funny at all.
I was completely distracted from my dislike of the love story, by the interesting storyline around Smuckers - the cute dog, Vicky's creative friend Latrisha, and Carly, Vicky's younger sister.
While the love story was a little lacking for me, I finished the story with a smile on my face and enough interest to maybe go on in the series soon...ish.
Not the best and not the worst book I've ever read. I liked the beginning and I liked the end, but there were a few bits in the middle that had me rolling my eyes. I'm not a true believer in the *I forget he is a douchewaffle because he's HOT* love story. In this case, the heroine had a lot of reasons to not fall for the billionaire. And, to be honest, the hero didn't really have a lot of reason to fall for the heroine.
I don't normally, but in this instance, I skimmed over the sexy times. The couple acted like horny teenagers and talked like it too. It just seemed very quick that they jumped from hating each other to I want to rub myself all over you. With little to no trust between them, it was a recipe for disaster. There's one instance (sexy time) that was supposed to be funny, that I did NOT find funny at all.
I was completely distracted from my dislike of the love story, by the interesting storyline around Smuckers - the cute dog, Vicky's creative friend Latrisha, and Carly, Vicky's younger sister.
While the love story was a little lacking for me, I finished the story with a smile on my face and enough interest to maybe go on in the series soon...ish.
September 5, 2021
“I smile so wide, I think I can never stop. “If I tell you I love you, if I tell you how much I love you and how scared I am for it not to be real that you love me, will it stop you from carving more tiny griffins like a psycho?”
“No,” he says. “I’ll keep carving them for you. As long as I can carve.”
Vicky disappeared for more than 400 days and when Henry finally found her, he carved that many griffins everyday he missed her since she loves it so much…. That’s love. He delivered it to her in person 🥺
“No,” he says. “I’ll keep carving them for you. As long as I can carve.”
Vicky disappeared for more than 400 days and when Henry finally found her, he carved that many griffins everyday he missed her since she loves it so much…. That’s love. He delivered it to her in person 🥺
September 3, 2020
Well... this book is hot. It has everything. Comedy, sexy banter, emotional/vulnerable moment, rhe twist/ plot makes everything interesting.
The chemistry between Vicky and Henry is explosive. Both of them have quirky side. A bit dorky too. The whole plot of leaving the inheritence to the dog, seems ridicilous but it works in this book.
I love the banter the most of all. The sexy scenes are also hot and seductive.
4 stars
The chemistry between Vicky and Henry is explosive. Both of them have quirky side. A bit dorky too. The whole plot of leaving the inheritence to the dog, seems ridicilous but it works in this book.
I love the banter the most of all. The sexy scenes are also hot and seductive.
4 stars
March 31, 2018
Annika Martin has a backlist that spans multiple romance genres. Under the pen name of Carolyn Crane, she’s written a taut and exciting romantic suspense series, The Associates, as well as an urban fantasy series The Disillusionists. As Annika, she’s gotten to explore a more erotic style, with Taken Hostage by Kinky Bank Robbers (which is exactly what it sounds like) and a darker, edgy mafia style series, Dangerous Royals Romance as well as some standalone romances. Most Eligible Bastard is billed as an enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy, but as it’s a Martin book, there are still some more serious scenes to balance out the laugh out loud ones. I didn’t know what to expect from the blurb but I am quite happy with the result.
Vicky Nelson has left her small town life and her scandalous past behind and settled into life in New York City with her teenaged sister Carly. She creates funky dog accessories to sell online and at small craft fairs which brings in just enough income to make ends meet. While working her sale booth at a fundraising event for a local animal shelter, she volunteers to be the ‘dog whisperer’ in the pet psychic booth when the real volunteer for the job doesn’t show up.This brings her to the attention of an eccentric older woman, Bernadette Locke, and her dog Smuckers. Bernadette is convinced that Vicky can read Smucker’s mind and tell her what her dog is thinking. Though Vicky tries to tell her that she’s a fake, Bernadette doesn’t believe her. She hires Vicky’s sister to walk her dog and Vicky finds herself with little choice but to humour the lonely old lady and convey Smucker’s ‘thoughts’ to her. Three years later, Bernadette passes away, and it turns out that she’s actually a wealthy woman with a majority stock in her family’s international construction conglomerate. In her will, Bernadette names Smuckers as her heir, leaving him controlling shares of Locke Construction and a seat on the board of directors with Vicky named as Smucker’s representative.
Henry Locke, one of New York’s most eligible bachelors, can’t believe that a scam artist managed to get herself and a dog named in his estranged mother’s will. Hoping to pay her off with a couple of million dollars, he’s shocked when Vicky does the unthinkable – she refuses his bribe and helps Smuckers take his rightful place in the board room. It makes no sense at all to Henry, and while he seethes inside, he knows that he needs to be on Vicky’s good side so that ‘Smuckers’ will side with the decisions that need to be made to ensure the business thrives. Plus, the PR nightmare that would ensue if their shareholders knew a dog had a controlling interest in the company keeps him up at night. Yet the more time he spends with Vicky, the more he discovers that she’s nothing like he expected. And to his chagrin, he finds himself more and more attracted to her. But when the private investigator hired to dig up dirt on Vicky finds the secret of her past, will Henry use it to take back the company or protect the woman who is stealing his heart?
Eccentric old lady bequeaths fortune to her dog is the kind of headline you might see in a tabloid newspaper so it’s amusing that the author chose this as the backbone to her plot, and it certainly makes for some fun reading! No one knows how absurd it is as much as Vicky, who never wanted the role as Smuckers psychic and now seems stuck with it while she figures out how best to honor Bernadette’s wishes. Most people would take the offer of the money and walk away, especially one in Vicky’s financial situation. But Vicky isn’t like most people in that respect; in the past she was offered money to hide what someone did to her and she refused it, believing that her day in court would come and justice would prevail. But it didn’t. She wasn’t believed, her name was dragged through the mud, and she was forced to leave her home with her baby sister and become a whole new person. Henry’s offer to pay her to sign over the inheritance infuriates her. She’s vowed that never again will she let a rich person bully her and Henry is in for a fight.
Clearly the past trauma is the heavier side of the story, while the situation with Smuckers is the lighter one, and the strong characterisation of the two leads enables the author to shape the story into an enjoyable – if not wholly believable – romance. They have a sizzling chemistry from their first meeting to the annoyance of both of them, because Henry really is a bastard at the start and Vicky hates that she finds him attractive. The more the reader learns about Henry though, the more likable he becomes. It was never his choice to be estranged from the mother who cut him off from all affection early, and kept him at arm’s length. He puts his heart and soul into the company and at every turn shows that he cares about the well-being of his employees, and they respect him equally in return. He’s passionate about the buildings they design, down to the smallest details. There’s a really lovely scene where an architectural model gets damaged and he and Vicky repair it together. It’s the first time that they see one another as something other than enemies. It’s also what fans the flames of attraction between them and leads to the first of several steamy scenes.
This is one of those stories where the characters seem cut and dried at the start but are revealed to be much more than the image they present to the world as the story progresses. The conflict comes about naturally and sets up an ending that is ultimately quite sweet. One of New York’s top ten most eligible bachelors is felled by a sweet and spirited woman in this decidedly unique and sexy romance that is definitely worth the read.
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
A copy of this story was provided for review.
Vicky Nelson has left her small town life and her scandalous past behind and settled into life in New York City with her teenaged sister Carly. She creates funky dog accessories to sell online and at small craft fairs which brings in just enough income to make ends meet. While working her sale booth at a fundraising event for a local animal shelter, she volunteers to be the ‘dog whisperer’ in the pet psychic booth when the real volunteer for the job doesn’t show up.This brings her to the attention of an eccentric older woman, Bernadette Locke, and her dog Smuckers. Bernadette is convinced that Vicky can read Smucker’s mind and tell her what her dog is thinking. Though Vicky tries to tell her that she’s a fake, Bernadette doesn’t believe her. She hires Vicky’s sister to walk her dog and Vicky finds herself with little choice but to humour the lonely old lady and convey Smucker’s ‘thoughts’ to her. Three years later, Bernadette passes away, and it turns out that she’s actually a wealthy woman with a majority stock in her family’s international construction conglomerate. In her will, Bernadette names Smuckers as her heir, leaving him controlling shares of Locke Construction and a seat on the board of directors with Vicky named as Smucker’s representative.
Henry Locke, one of New York’s most eligible bachelors, can’t believe that a scam artist managed to get herself and a dog named in his estranged mother’s will. Hoping to pay her off with a couple of million dollars, he’s shocked when Vicky does the unthinkable – she refuses his bribe and helps Smuckers take his rightful place in the board room. It makes no sense at all to Henry, and while he seethes inside, he knows that he needs to be on Vicky’s good side so that ‘Smuckers’ will side with the decisions that need to be made to ensure the business thrives. Plus, the PR nightmare that would ensue if their shareholders knew a dog had a controlling interest in the company keeps him up at night. Yet the more time he spends with Vicky, the more he discovers that she’s nothing like he expected. And to his chagrin, he finds himself more and more attracted to her. But when the private investigator hired to dig up dirt on Vicky finds the secret of her past, will Henry use it to take back the company or protect the woman who is stealing his heart?
Eccentric old lady bequeaths fortune to her dog is the kind of headline you might see in a tabloid newspaper so it’s amusing that the author chose this as the backbone to her plot, and it certainly makes for some fun reading! No one knows how absurd it is as much as Vicky, who never wanted the role as Smuckers psychic and now seems stuck with it while she figures out how best to honor Bernadette’s wishes. Most people would take the offer of the money and walk away, especially one in Vicky’s financial situation. But Vicky isn’t like most people in that respect; in the past she was offered money to hide what someone did to her and she refused it, believing that her day in court would come and justice would prevail. But it didn’t. She wasn’t believed, her name was dragged through the mud, and she was forced to leave her home with her baby sister and become a whole new person. Henry’s offer to pay her to sign over the inheritance infuriates her. She’s vowed that never again will she let a rich person bully her and Henry is in for a fight.
Clearly the past trauma is the heavier side of the story, while the situation with Smuckers is the lighter one, and the strong characterisation of the two leads enables the author to shape the story into an enjoyable – if not wholly believable – romance. They have a sizzling chemistry from their first meeting to the annoyance of both of them, because Henry really is a bastard at the start and Vicky hates that she finds him attractive. The more the reader learns about Henry though, the more likable he becomes. It was never his choice to be estranged from the mother who cut him off from all affection early, and kept him at arm’s length. He puts his heart and soul into the company and at every turn shows that he cares about the well-being of his employees, and they respect him equally in return. He’s passionate about the buildings they design, down to the smallest details. There’s a really lovely scene where an architectural model gets damaged and he and Vicky repair it together. It’s the first time that they see one another as something other than enemies. It’s also what fans the flames of attraction between them and leads to the first of several steamy scenes.
This is one of those stories where the characters seem cut and dried at the start but are revealed to be much more than the image they present to the world as the story progresses. The conflict comes about naturally and sets up an ending that is ultimately quite sweet. One of New York’s top ten most eligible bachelors is felled by a sweet and spirited woman in this decidedly unique and sexy romance that is definitely worth the read.
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
A copy of this story was provided for review.
dnf
November 12, 2021DNF @ 35% I really hate that the hero is planning to sleep with the heroine as a control tactic. Just a super sleazy move, and I had to stop reading for now.
June 23, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️
😈 Content Warnings
• Bullying behavior & power imbalance
• Brief sexual content
• Family issues & emotional tension
• Sexual Assault (past)
• Running away
• Child abuse (not graphic, mentioned)
💕 Tropes
• Enemies to Lovers
• Billionaire Hero
• Found Family (dog inheritance!)
• Secret Identity
• Grumpy/Sunshine Dynamics
📖 Perfect for Readers Who Liked/similar books…
• Girl Meets Billionaire by Lauren Blakely
• The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
• The Last Eligible Billionaire by Pippa Grant
🧭 Age Recommendation
16+
💗 Quote
“When people come at you, you have to stand up for yourself. Nobody will fight for you quite like you will fight for you.”
🎵 Song Match
“Good as Hell” by Lizzo
🌶️ Spicy Chapters
Chapters 18, 24, 25, 29
🌶️🌶️
😈 Content Warnings
• Bullying behavior & power imbalance
• Brief sexual content
• Family issues & emotional tension
• Sexual Assault (past)
• Running away
• Child abuse (not graphic, mentioned)
💕 Tropes
• Enemies to Lovers
• Billionaire Hero
• Found Family (dog inheritance!)
• Secret Identity
• Grumpy/Sunshine Dynamics
📖 Perfect for Readers Who Liked/similar books…
• Girl Meets Billionaire by Lauren Blakely
• The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
• The Last Eligible Billionaire by Pippa Grant
🧭 Age Recommendation
16+
💗 Quote
“When people come at you, you have to stand up for yourself. Nobody will fight for you quite like you will fight for you.”
🎵 Song Match
“Good as Hell” by Lizzo
🌶️ Spicy Chapters
Chapters 18, 24, 25, 29
January 28, 2021
I loved this so much! This book was not only hilarious with the out of this world plot, but it was super romantic and heartwarming! The blurb is pretty self explanatory and the title is a little fluffy but I strongly recommend you give it a chance because it’s pretty good. Vicky, the heroine was such a great character, funny, driven, strong. Her backstory is a little sad but she came up on top. I also loved how she made Henry work hard for it. Henry was also a great character, funny and a sweetheart behind the tough exterior. Overall, I loved everything, the fun parts, the swoony parts, the grand gestures. This is my first book by Annika Martin but it definitely won’t be my last.
Also, the audiobook is all sorts of amazing, it’s narrated by Jason Clarke, who I looove and Neva Nevarre. I’m not familiar with her, but she was great as well. Absolutely recommend!
Also, the audiobook is all sorts of amazing, it’s narrated by Jason Clarke, who I looove and Neva Nevarre. I’m not familiar with her, but she was great as well. Absolutely recommend!
June 18, 2021
I am am Romance Audiobook newbie. I have to admit to going into this not really sure what the hype is about listening to romances as opposed to reading them. But, daaaaaammmmmn, did MOST ELIGIBLE BILLIONAIRE ever change my mind.
AUDIOBOOK ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Neva Nevarre is the narrator of the female part and she is perfect! Her comedic delivery was spot on and I laughed out loud so many times! She has a very every-girl voice that makes you feel like you would know her and love her in real life. She was funny and her voice was engaging. But, the star of the show was Jason Clarke. Holy hell, can that man melt panties with his gravely voice. Again, his reading felt not just sexy AF, but his vocal mannerism really brought the character to life perfectly. I would let him whisper the phonebook into my ear any time he wants.
STORY / BOOK ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I also really loved this book! I read Return Billionaire to Sender by this author first and it was just okay for me, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book, but it was HILARIOUS and sweet and totally enjoyable!
The hate-banter between Vicky and Henry is EPIC. This is Enemies-To-Lovers gold and I snort-laughed with each new interaction. But as the relationship changes my laughs went to dreamy sighs. These two are so sweet together and I loved their evolution as they fall in love.
This book also tackled some tough topics and did so with care and honesty. I loved the back story of each of these characters and the ending of the book is so sweetly satisfyingly you will finish with a dreamy smile on your face.
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS:Past sexual assault, victim gaslighting, online bullying, emotionally distant parents, parent drug addiction
FEELS-O-METER: 3/5: So many feels you might tear up a bit!
BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/35BNv64 (aff.)
👇🏻HANG OUT WITH ME HERE!👇🏻
INSTAGRAM | YEAR OF SMUT CHALLENGE
AUDIOBOOK ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Neva Nevarre is the narrator of the female part and she is perfect! Her comedic delivery was spot on and I laughed out loud so many times! She has a very every-girl voice that makes you feel like you would know her and love her in real life. She was funny and her voice was engaging. But, the star of the show was Jason Clarke. Holy hell, can that man melt panties with his gravely voice. Again, his reading felt not just sexy AF, but his vocal mannerism really brought the character to life perfectly. I would let him whisper the phonebook into my ear any time he wants.
STORY / BOOK ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I also really loved this book! I read Return Billionaire to Sender by this author first and it was just okay for me, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book, but it was HILARIOUS and sweet and totally enjoyable!
The hate-banter between Vicky and Henry is EPIC. This is Enemies-To-Lovers gold and I snort-laughed with each new interaction. But as the relationship changes my laughs went to dreamy sighs. These two are so sweet together and I loved their evolution as they fall in love.
This book also tackled some tough topics and did so with care and honesty. I loved the back story of each of these characters and the ending of the book is so sweetly satisfyingly you will finish with a dreamy smile on your face.
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS:Past sexual assault, victim gaslighting, online bullying, emotionally distant parents, parent drug addiction
FEELS-O-METER: 3/5: So many feels you might tear up a bit!
BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/35BNv64 (aff.)
👇🏻HANG OUT WITH ME HERE!👇🏻
INSTAGRAM | YEAR OF SMUT CHALLENGE
August 20, 2018
I wanted this to be so funny I'd end up on the floor, holding my stomach and screaming uncle.
It wasn't.
So I'm kinda disappointed. But only cause it was more serious then I had anticipated. Usually that's a good thing, just not today.
(Except for that one scene with Smuckers and Henry featuring the couch and some licking)
Loaded words, no?
Read it and find out. Believe you me, that scene makes everything worth it. xD
It wasn't.
So I'm kinda disappointed. But only cause it was more serious then I had anticipated. Usually that's a good thing, just not today.
(Except for that one scene with Smuckers and Henry featuring the couch and some licking)
Loaded words, no?
Read it and find out. Believe you me, that scene makes everything worth it. xD
February 28, 2021
A light fun, albeit predictable, Rom-Com. But really, aren't all Rom-Coms predictable?
Henry is the heir to a multi billion dollar company, run by his mother. His future is in jeopardy when his mom passes away and leaves her fortune to her dog, with Vicky, the dog whisperer, acting as his proxy.
Henry assumes Vicky manipulated his mother and goes all out to prove her incompetence until he finds himself having a change of heart.
This is a classic enemies to lovers story with plenty of tension and witty banter. There were some explicit sex scenes that were unnecessarily vulgur, so much so it detracted from the story. I don't mind a bit of steam, but those sections were a bit too raunchy for my liking. Thankfully there were only a handful.
I listened in audio. I think the narrator was perfect for Vicky. Henry's narrator had a great voice but I didnt think his voice was right for my view of Henry. 🤷🏼♀️
Henry is the heir to a multi billion dollar company, run by his mother. His future is in jeopardy when his mom passes away and leaves her fortune to her dog, with Vicky, the dog whisperer, acting as his proxy.
Henry assumes Vicky manipulated his mother and goes all out to prove her incompetence until he finds himself having a change of heart.
This is a classic enemies to lovers story with plenty of tension and witty banter. There were some explicit sex scenes that were unnecessarily vulgur, so much so it detracted from the story. I don't mind a bit of steam, but those sections were a bit too raunchy for my liking. Thankfully there were only a handful.
I listened in audio. I think the narrator was perfect for Vicky. Henry's narrator had a great voice but I didnt think his voice was right for my view of Henry. 🤷🏼♀️
September 25, 2019
DNF after 35%
The blurb of the book makes this book sound way more interesting that I actually found it to be. I couldn't take the absurdity of keeping up with the whole dog whisperer charade and all the "drama" arising because of stupid decisions by the MC's. It got way too much for me to go on reading.
The blurb of the book makes this book sound way more interesting that I actually found it to be. I couldn't take the absurdity of keeping up with the whole dog whisperer charade and all the "drama" arising because of stupid decisions by the MC's. It got way too much for me to go on reading.
August 11, 2024
A very sweet story with funny moments and equally emotional moments. Nothing unpredictable here but it was an easy reading.
July 14, 2018
The basic storyline is the hero’s estranged mother has died, and has left her fortune to her dog - dictating our heroine is the spokesman for this dog. The hero thinks the heroine manipulated his mother when she wasn’t in sound mind.
“Rumor has it Henry’s a business genius who’s as talented in the bedroom as he is in the boardroom.”
That line is part of the synopsis. As it stands, I don’t understand why women like knowing or even pursue men who have a reputation as such. I doubt a man would chase a woman who is known to be good in bed. The stigma is different.
Anyway, irrelevant to the story because the rumour doesn’t actually exist. He’s just extremely confident in himself.
“God, she’s a grifter looking for a payday. I push the scotch away. “I’ll handle her, don’t worry. She can’t give fucked-up orders if she’s got a cock in her mouth.”
However the line above was particularly distasteful to me, because he objectified Vicky so badly in that one sentence. And it creeped me out that my guy is saying he’ll seduce someone to get his way. Albeit it’s Vicky, but I got wondering what if it were someone else - could this be an MO?
These are very small complaints I had. I genuinely found the whole thing heartwarming, and light and cute. The banter they had, the way she constantly provoked him using the dog. His distrust of her intentions was something I both understood, and got annoyed by.
But man, that 11 month separation where she left him was legit the worst thing. She thought he betrayed her. I felt so sad by it, the fact that he couldn’t find her and she just up and left. It was highly dramatised, but she disappeared from his life until he found a clue as to where she might be. I mean it was pure luck he found her, because she wouldn’t have come back to him because of the misunderstanding.
“Rumor has it Henry’s a business genius who’s as talented in the bedroom as he is in the boardroom.”
That line is part of the synopsis. As it stands, I don’t understand why women like knowing or even pursue men who have a reputation as such. I doubt a man would chase a woman who is known to be good in bed. The stigma is different.
Anyway, irrelevant to the story because the rumour doesn’t actually exist. He’s just extremely confident in himself.
“God, she’s a grifter looking for a payday. I push the scotch away. “I’ll handle her, don’t worry. She can’t give fucked-up orders if she’s got a cock in her mouth.”
However the line above was particularly distasteful to me, because he objectified Vicky so badly in that one sentence. And it creeped me out that my guy is saying he’ll seduce someone to get his way. Albeit it’s Vicky, but I got wondering what if it were someone else - could this be an MO?
These are very small complaints I had. I genuinely found the whole thing heartwarming, and light and cute. The banter they had, the way she constantly provoked him using the dog. His distrust of her intentions was something I both understood, and got annoyed by.
But man, that 11 month separation where she left him was legit the worst thing. She thought he betrayed her. I felt so sad by it, the fact that he couldn’t find her and she just up and left. It was highly dramatised, but she disappeared from his life until he found a clue as to where she might be. I mean it was pure luck he found her, because she wouldn’t have come back to him because of the misunderstanding.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2021
This was a fun, frivolous story. The h was a sweet and kind person who found herself surprised by an inheritance. There were moments when I wondered why she didn't get a good lawyer to help her navigate through it all (she seemed like a lamb to the slaughter), but when I put aside my logic and just went with it, I really enjoyed the book.
The H was a real jerk to start out, but only because he loved his company and wanted to protect it. The romance between the H/h was very believable.
The star of the book is the dog Smuckers. What a cutie!
Safety
The H was a real jerk to start out, but only because he loved his company and wanted to protect it. The romance between the H/h was very believable.
The star of the book is the dog Smuckers. What a cutie!
Safety
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