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Bad Billionaires #1
Bad Billionaire
An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.
What happens when an ex-con inherits a billion dollars? Very bad things.
Devon Wilder is a mystery. To me, he’s Mister Hot, Dark, and Handsome, the neighbor I watch from the window, wondering what he’s really like.
Turns out, he’s a thief. A getaway driver. He gives me the hottest night of my life before he’s put away for taking the wrong job. When he’s gone, I try to forget about him and get on with my normal, unexciting life.
Until he gets out, and an inheritance makes him a billionaire.
Now Devon is back. He’s the richest ex-con you’ve ever seen. He doesn’t care about penthouses, fancy dinners, or private jets. He doesn’t care that his enemies are after him. He doesn’t care that everything is about to go up in flames.
In his world of chaos, Devon Wilder says he only cares about one thing.
Me.
What happens when an ex-con inherits a billion dollars? Very bad things.
Devon Wilder is a mystery. To me, he’s Mister Hot, Dark, and Handsome, the neighbor I watch from the window, wondering what he’s really like.
Turns out, he’s a thief. A getaway driver. He gives me the hottest night of my life before he’s put away for taking the wrong job. When he’s gone, I try to forget about him and get on with my normal, unexciting life.
Until he gets out, and an inheritance makes him a billionaire.
Now Devon is back. He’s the richest ex-con you’ve ever seen. He doesn’t care about penthouses, fancy dinners, or private jets. He doesn’t care that his enemies are after him. He doesn’t care that everything is about to go up in flames.
In his world of chaos, Devon Wilder says he only cares about one thing.
Me.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2016
1510 people are currently reading
2303 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
May 15, 2020
Thanks Lana for pushing me to read this! I loved it.
For such a short story, it sure packed a good plot. This was a very credible love story between two people whose chemistry was so palpable!
I liked Devon so much. His brand of alpha was right up my alley. And Olivia, she was in a way... very millennial?! I could completely identify with her struggles both professional and personal, but especially professional. That feeling of general dissatisfaction, going through the “grown up” motions, trying to find the courage to take charge and risk a change that could very well upset your future prospects or could pay off.. it’s all very 50/50.
As I said, this book felt very identifiable, and not just because of the heroine. The hero and his “take charge”, “badass” attitude was very authentic, nothing over the top, everything was handled realistically, and I guess that’s one of the reasons why I was sold on this story.
Totally going read the next ones in the series. It’s so refreshing when you find a new author and you know what they have to offer.. it’s just so satisfying!
For such a short story, it sure packed a good plot. This was a very credible love story between two people whose chemistry was so palpable!
I liked Devon so much. His brand of alpha was right up my alley. And Olivia, she was in a way... very millennial?! I could completely identify with her struggles both professional and personal, but especially professional. That feeling of general dissatisfaction, going through the “grown up” motions, trying to find the courage to take charge and risk a change that could very well upset your future prospects or could pay off.. it’s all very 50/50.
As I said, this book felt very identifiable, and not just because of the heroine. The hero and his “take charge”, “badass” attitude was very authentic, nothing over the top, everything was handled realistically, and I guess that’s one of the reasons why I was sold on this story.
Totally going read the next ones in the series. It’s so refreshing when you find a new author and you know what they have to offer.. it’s just so satisfying!
January 19, 2021
4 ‘I would burn down the world for you’ stars ⭐️⭐⭐⭐
Bad Billionaire is the story of Devon and Olivia. Devon is a mechanic who also works as a getaway driver on the side, and Olivia is a junior graphics designer, who kinda hates both her bosses as well as her job. What do they have in common? Well, they're neighbours!
He was unlike any guy I’d ever had anything to do with, which somehow made it insanely hot. And from my window, I had a perfect view of him. For two months and counting.
I wasn’t stalking him—I didn’t even know his name. You just can’t help seeing someone often when they live across from you, you know? Especially if you look out the window a lot.
Their first real interaction takes place when one evening Olivia's car breaks down, leaving her stranded in the rain and Devon offers her a lift. Needless to say, before long sparks start flying between them.
Until Devon Wilder, I’d been adrift, not really fitting in anywhere, not finding men who understood me.
Then Devon happened. That spaceship hatch that blew my life apart. He not only bothered to understand me, he’d seen past even the lies I told myself, straight to the truth.
However, it all goes south when one night Devon's heist goes wrong and he lands up in prison for the next two years.
I won't give anything away, what I'll say is that this a funny and sweet book, which was just a little dark to make me fall in love with it!
Thank you, Bella for bringing this lovely book on my radar 💕
Bad Billionaire is the story of Devon and Olivia. Devon is a mechanic who also works as a getaway driver on the side, and Olivia is a junior graphics designer, who kinda hates both her bosses as well as her job. What do they have in common? Well, they're neighbours!
He was unlike any guy I’d ever had anything to do with, which somehow made it insanely hot. And from my window, I had a perfect view of him. For two months and counting.
I wasn’t stalking him—I didn’t even know his name. You just can’t help seeing someone often when they live across from you, you know? Especially if you look out the window a lot.
Their first real interaction takes place when one evening Olivia's car breaks down, leaving her stranded in the rain and Devon offers her a lift. Needless to say, before long sparks start flying between them.
Until Devon Wilder, I’d been adrift, not really fitting in anywhere, not finding men who understood me.
Then Devon happened. That spaceship hatch that blew my life apart. He not only bothered to understand me, he’d seen past even the lies I told myself, straight to the truth.
However, it all goes south when one night Devon's heist goes wrong and he lands up in prison for the next two years.
I won't give anything away, what I'll say is that this a funny and sweet book, which was just a little dark to make me fall in love with it!
Devon Wilder wasn’t a halfway sort of man. He was all or nothing. And when it came to him, so was I.
Thank you, Bella for bringing this lovely book on my radar 💕
May 6, 2020
5 No Time Stars ⭐
Bad Billionaire is the first book in this interconnecting series which can be read as a standalone. This is my second read and it’s clear why I fell in love with Julie Kriss and this series. The writing is fluent and edgy, her characters are standout, amusing and her stories are always hot and spicy.
Olivia Maplethorpe lives in a shitty part of San Francisco in a run-down 60s reject apartment complex aptly named Shady Oaks. Graphic designer by day and a wannabe artist; Olivia's life isn't overly exciting and kind of mundane. She leeds a solitary existence and the biggest excitement to date is her fascination with her sexily inked neighbour she's yet to meet.
"Mr. Hot Dark and Handsome was not, in any way, an artsy guy. He looked like his idea of a date was to give you a few shots of tequila, throw you down in his back seat, and give you anal."
Devon Wilder comes from rough beginnings where good fortune has never been on his side. Unfortunately, his part time criminal activities are about to catch up with him even if the paths he's travelled haven't always been optional. Devon is aware of his beautiful neighbour, but she shouldn't be mixed up with the likes of him. When he comes to Olivia's aid, backgrounds have no bearing on the present.
"I had been a law-abiding citizen all my life, but now I felt a deep thrum inside me, a vibration that made my blood pound. I looked at Devon Wilder and I wanted everything from him."
When Devon's luck finally runs out, it’s Olivia who offers him a temporary haven. A place to hide out and a night of passion neither will forget before they are forced to part ways.
"I’m not going to tell you where I’m going, and you’re not going to ask. If it’s ever safe to contact you, I’ll find you. Not the other way around. Are we clear? "
Fast forward 2 years and a prison sentence under his belt, Devon is befuddled to learn that he's inherited a ton of money, an amount nobody could fathom. So, from humble beginnings, he has many wrongs to right and a girl to claim back with the means to do it...
"You’re saying,” I said finally, “that I’m sitting in this piss-stinking prison for stealing some TV’s filled with Oxy, and I’m a billionaire?”
Bad Billionaire is the first book in this interconnecting series which can be read as a standalone. This is my second read and it’s clear why I fell in love with Julie Kriss and this series. The writing is fluent and edgy, her characters are standout, amusing and her stories are always hot and spicy.
Olivia Maplethorpe lives in a shitty part of San Francisco in a run-down 60s reject apartment complex aptly named Shady Oaks. Graphic designer by day and a wannabe artist; Olivia's life isn't overly exciting and kind of mundane. She leeds a solitary existence and the biggest excitement to date is her fascination with her sexily inked neighbour she's yet to meet.
"Mr. Hot Dark and Handsome was not, in any way, an artsy guy. He looked like his idea of a date was to give you a few shots of tequila, throw you down in his back seat, and give you anal."
Devon Wilder comes from rough beginnings where good fortune has never been on his side. Unfortunately, his part time criminal activities are about to catch up with him even if the paths he's travelled haven't always been optional. Devon is aware of his beautiful neighbour, but she shouldn't be mixed up with the likes of him. When he comes to Olivia's aid, backgrounds have no bearing on the present.
"I had been a law-abiding citizen all my life, but now I felt a deep thrum inside me, a vibration that made my blood pound. I looked at Devon Wilder and I wanted everything from him."
When Devon's luck finally runs out, it’s Olivia who offers him a temporary haven. A place to hide out and a night of passion neither will forget before they are forced to part ways.
"I’m not going to tell you where I’m going, and you’re not going to ask. If it’s ever safe to contact you, I’ll find you. Not the other way around. Are we clear? "
Fast forward 2 years and a prison sentence under his belt, Devon is befuddled to learn that he's inherited a ton of money, an amount nobody could fathom. So, from humble beginnings, he has many wrongs to right and a girl to claim back with the means to do it...
"You’re saying,” I said finally, “that I’m sitting in this piss-stinking prison for stealing some TV’s filled with Oxy, and I’m a billionaire?”
January 5, 2021
“I’d kill for her,” I said, “but she doesn’t want me to. So I have to be creative.”
CHARACTERS
Olivia Maplethorpe: Dark brown eyes, dark curly hair -25,27- Graphic Designer
The things that made Olivia pure class, the things she didn’t see about herself.
Devon Wilder: Green eyes, dark hair -26, 28- Mechanicer to Inmate to Billionaire
Mr. HDH—Hot Dark and Handsome
He was such pure suit porn and so dirty at the same time.
I immediately loved Olivia and fell for Devon. I ship this couple for real!
“You belong both places,” she mused. “I don’t know how, but you do.”
“... I want to do every dirty fucking thing to you, but I don’t have time.”
“Is that what this means?” I asked.
No Time.
“It describes our situation.” he said.
PROS
*I love both of the MCs and them as a couple.
*I do have a thing for fast drivers.
*I love it so much that they were neighbors her innocent stalkings were adorable!
I wasn’t stalking him—I didn’t even know his name. You just can’t help seeing someone often when they live across from you, you know?
*They have great chemistry, and the SEX was good!
*Olivia's working hours are REAL!
*Sister bound YAY!
Save a car, ride a mechanic.
I hadn’t fixed her car to fuck her. But there was no rule against picturing it. In detail.
STORY
There is someone who has caught your eye for a long time, and you eventually meet with him, you have an amazing night, you exchange promises... The next day he is gone. No trace. Time passes, but you can’t stop thinking about him, imagining what you could’ve been together.
In reality, in most cases, it stays unfinished, hurting at first but disappearing within time...
Here is the story of the answer to that question: After all this time, what would you do if he comes back?
That one that got away Devon comes back to Olivia’s life after two long years…
Shortly It just a bit more melodramatic, but the magical version of - ghosting finally comes to an end-.
I believed in their connection and feelings – The power of UNFINISHED love stories.
“I swear to God, Olivia, before I have to go wherever I have to go, I’m going to make you come.”
Since the night Devon Wilder had come into my apartment, blown my mind, and nearly broken my bed, I’d gone back to normal life on the surface ... He’d said he’d contact me when it was safe, and I had believed him. Okay, then. I’d wait. I’d been waiting two years.
His mouth felt familiar—I’d been remembering it for two years, the way he tasted, the way he kissed me.
APPRECIATION
“If you hurt someone, I’ll never forgive you. Never.”
“If you do, it will be over between us. Forever.”
I have looked for this; I waited for this to happen in many books, but it NEVER happened, so now that I found it, I will treasure it!
It’s funny how someone saying don’t kill for me makes me so happy.
BUT I hate it when H is like - I kill for you │ He hurt you; he is gonna die │ Noone can hurt you; I will kill them all │ blah blah and so-called humanist good-hearted h is like - Thank You! (Really?!)
Btw h doesn't have to be a humanist or good-hearted; I mean, How can a normal person be just perfectly fine with killing? - is my concern.
As the thank you version is absurdly common, this what here is unique for me!
Honorable Mentions
PLUS1: Olivia didn’t jump into a relationship; she considered her safe option before making her final decision about Devon. It didn't take too long for that but still
+10 Appreciation Points
PLUS2: I appreciate Devon for his sensible reasoning and clever solutions; his kind of alpha is hard to find!
+10 Appreciation Points
OVERALL
*First of all, thank you so much for this great recommendation, Lana!
*I truly loved this book! Maybe, It wasn’t the best plot I have ever read, but altogether It was a winner!
*I have a tiny problem with the time; the story felt a bit rushed out, especially through the end, but on the other hand, If it were longer, maybe I would get bored with details... So I say OKAY
*While my positive rating system is still on, I am not gonna clip any stars! It's 4,50
*It was HOT, romantic, and captivating! I was never bored while reading it.
*I want to continue with the series, but I think Oliva and Devon are gonna stay as my favorite characters and the couple in the whole series.
I would burn down the world for you, it said.
I blinked hard, my eyes stinging.
And I realized what I already knew: It was time to go home.
CHARACTERS
Olivia Maplethorpe: Dark brown eyes, dark curly hair -25,27- Graphic Designer
The things that made Olivia pure class, the things she didn’t see about herself.
Devon Wilder: Green eyes, dark hair -26, 28- Mechanicer to Inmate to Billionaire
Mr. HDH—Hot Dark and Handsome
He was such pure suit porn and so dirty at the same time.
I immediately loved Olivia and fell for Devon. I ship this couple for real!
“You belong both places,” she mused. “I don’t know how, but you do.”
“... I want to do every dirty fucking thing to you, but I don’t have time.”
“Is that what this means?” I asked.
No Time.
“It describes our situation.” he said.
PROS
*I love both of the MCs and them as a couple.
*I do have a thing for fast drivers.
*I love it so much that they were neighbors her innocent stalkings were adorable!
I wasn’t stalking him—I didn’t even know his name. You just can’t help seeing someone often when they live across from you, you know?
*They have great chemistry, and the SEX was good!
*Olivia's working hours are REAL!
*Sister bound YAY!
Save a car, ride a mechanic.
I hadn’t fixed her car to fuck her. But there was no rule against picturing it. In detail.
STORY
There is someone who has caught your eye for a long time, and you eventually meet with him, you have an amazing night, you exchange promises... The next day he is gone. No trace. Time passes, but you can’t stop thinking about him, imagining what you could’ve been together.
In reality, in most cases, it stays unfinished, hurting at first but disappearing within time...
Here is the story of the answer to that question: After all this time, what would you do if he comes back?
That one that got away Devon comes back to Olivia’s life after two long years…
Shortly It just a bit more melodramatic, but the magical version of - ghosting finally comes to an end-.
I believed in their connection and feelings – The power of UNFINISHED love stories.
“I swear to God, Olivia, before I have to go wherever I have to go, I’m going to make you come.”
Since the night Devon Wilder had come into my apartment, blown my mind, and nearly broken my bed, I’d gone back to normal life on the surface ... He’d said he’d contact me when it was safe, and I had believed him. Okay, then. I’d wait. I’d been waiting two years.
His mouth felt familiar—I’d been remembering it for two years, the way he tasted, the way he kissed me.
APPRECIATION
“If you hurt someone, I’ll never forgive you. Never.”
“If you do, it will be over between us. Forever.”
I have looked for this; I waited for this to happen in many books, but it NEVER happened, so now that I found it, I will treasure it!
It’s funny how someone saying don’t kill for me makes me so happy.
BUT I hate it when H is like - I kill for you │ He hurt you; he is gonna die │ Noone can hurt you; I will kill them all │ blah blah and so-called humanist good-hearted h is like - Thank You! (Really?!)
Btw h doesn't have to be a humanist or good-hearted; I mean, How can a normal person be just perfectly fine with killing? - is my concern.
As the thank you version is absurdly common, this what here is unique for me!
Honorable Mentions
PLUS1: Olivia didn’t jump into a relationship; she considered her safe option before making her final decision about Devon. It didn't take too long for that but still
+10 Appreciation Points
PLUS2: I appreciate Devon for his sensible reasoning and clever solutions; his kind of alpha is hard to find!
+10 Appreciation Points
OVERALL
*First of all, thank you so much for this great recommendation, Lana!
*I truly loved this book! Maybe, It wasn’t the best plot I have ever read, but altogether It was a winner!
*I have a tiny problem with the time; the story felt a bit rushed out, especially through the end, but on the other hand, If it were longer, maybe I would get bored with details... So I say OKAY
*While my positive rating system is still on, I am not gonna clip any stars! It's 4,50
*It was HOT, romantic, and captivating! I was never bored while reading it.
*I want to continue with the series, but I think Oliva and Devon are gonna stay as my favorite characters and the couple in the whole series.
I would burn down the world for you, it said.
I blinked hard, my eyes stinging.
And I realized what I already knew: It was time to go home.
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August 1, 2020
R A T I N G: 3.5 stars to Bad Billionaire ★ ★ ★
‘A man like that isn’t easy, honey, she’d said, but he’s worth a million of any other kind.’
‘Because Devon Wilder wasn’t a halfway sort of man. He was all or nothing.’
Practicing her passion for art on the side, Oliva Maplethorp is a graphic designer - not entirely comfortable with her place in life - living in Shady Oak’s rundown, almost derelict apartment building. After two months of living there, her home is nothing to rave about, and neither is her quiet commonplace life. With not a great deal to look forward to, or admire even, Olivia lives her quiet life at work, but if there is anything she looks forward to, its her private, self-contained neighbour, Devon Wilder.
‘Maybe it was a dangerous way to go, but when had I ever cared about danger? A man who has nothing to lose is incapable of being afraid. And despite the house I was standing in, I was still a man with nothing to lose.’
Riveted by her handsomely rugged neighbour, Olivia has developed a habit of watching dark-haired Devon from afar, Devon himself being the unapprised muse of her artwork. But Olivia doesn’t know that Devon has been watching her too, and it turns out her silent neighbour is just as observant as she is.
“You’re the strangest person I’ve ever met,” I said.
“Likewise.”
After only a few encounters together, Olivia finds out that low-key Devon lives the kind of far-fetched, dicey life that she has no business being a part of. Devon is a mechanic by day, involved in the shady business of transporting goods by night, the best driver in the business, and even more… he is surprisingly honest about it with Olivia. She learns few things about this enigmatic man in the short space of time that she has with him, one of which is that he is most likely going to be surrounded by steel bars, particularly when the police come knocking on her door asking questions about her rogue solitary neighbour.
‘I could maybe even be the man Olivia wanted me to be, the man she deserved. But there was still poison in my veins, and I had to get rid of it.’
‘And just like then, she had no idea she was getting more of me than she’d bargained for.’
Devon knew something was off about this deal, but little choice is tendered to him, especially when blackmail is a constant, and he needs the money for reasons other than himself. Olivia is similarly alarmed and fascinated by Devon’s rough, risky life, and he himself is just the epitome of those two things. But that doesn’t stop Olivia from feeling novel sparks of exhilaration for and from this new stranger and his adamantly undaunted demeanour.
‘I felt like a monster stalking its prey.
That’s right. Come a little deeper into my lair. A little deeper still.’
‘And Devon Wilder was all leashed power. I’d felt it.
Olivia finds herself stowing away a criminal she barely knows; there is something about him that is naturally untamed, but correspondingly truthful, and Olivia never thought she’d meet a thief, most decently not an honest thief – his dealings not so honest still. Teeming tension leads to a zesty, zealous night of fanatic passion, but one that is short-lived, because Devon is wanted man, not knowing when or if he will ever see Olivia again. He makes her a promise: I will find you.
‘He was a tough, solitary island.’
‘He was telling me it mattered. I mattered.’
Time becomes protracted for these two because Devon has been imprisoned for two years , and his sentence Is almost complete. His runt of a former life ebbs away within seconds when he hears the Improbable words that part his lawyer’s mouth, because unassuming Devon Wilder is now a billionaire – the beneficiary in his estranged grandfather’s will.
‘I’ve always felt like life is an hourglass that is running out.’-
“…Most people never learn how to make the most of their time. It’s easy to forget. So I had it put on my hand, where I can see it, and not on my arm, where I can cover it up.”
Devon has always been an adapter to change, sincerely when he comes from an earnest past of dire uncertainty. With the makings of a new life thrown at his feet, this far - from - materialistic man has only one thing on his mind, the same thing that has riddled his thoughts for two long years: to find with the woman who he shared such unforgettable desire with two years prior.
‘I looked at Devin Wilder and I wanted everything from him. I wanted his secrets, his vitality, his complete lack of fear. I wanted to consume every inch of him with a fierceness that shook me.’
Not one to dwell in the past, the only remnant of it is a tattoo up Devon’s left hand, a reminder of the worst he endured, but a tattoo that still finds relevance in his and Olivia’s lives. Dev’s past is still a threat to his present, and now a man with money, his seedy ex-associates won’t leave him be, but Dev can’t put this inimitable woman into any kind of danger, he won’t, not when she is the first woman to ever actually mean something to him.
“I’ll return your car.”
“Keep it…It suits you.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s classic,” he said. “Well made. Beautiful. Not meant to be locked up in a garage. Meant to run.”
‘Bad Billionaire’ is actually the first billionaire book I’ve read, and I was excited to see what this kind of dynamic and plot would bring. This book has reasonable and fulfilling amounts of fervour and indulgence that didn’t overhaul the plot, only heightening what I was reading. The reading of this book was easy and clear-cut, but I found that the plot soon dithered, not quite sure what kind of story I was following.
‘Instinct rarely made sense. It also rarely led me wrong.’
The story seemed to take a sundry direction when Devon completes his jail time, losing its motion and sense of ‘what will happen next’. I surely thought I was in for more anticipation, the separation surely being problematic or even leading to something challenging, but I wasn’t sure what purpose the separation actually served expect for solely giving them time apart, for what I’m not sure.
‘There was an ember of a fire, deep down inside me, in my gut, at the base of my spine, and it started to burn.’
The beginning was solid, the story loosening its threads soon after, then brought back to the story again. I thought that that elements of danger in this book required more fanfare, to up the ante with riskier conflicts. I generally would have liked more to happen as the implications of the book seemed more exciting than the book itself. What we are promised though is bad billionaire , who scratches many levels of bad , but many levels of good too. A relationship between two people from different walks of life who understand and accept each other. Great characters, and troubled side-characters too!
“My point is that life doesn’t always let you be average. It doesn’t let you just live a quiet, unexciting life. In fact, it rarely does. So you have to decide, when the shit happens-whatever it is-exactly how you’re going to rise to the occasion. You know?”
I love Devon’s character, and because he has had an arduous life, remaining mostly self-sufficient to get him through difficulty, he is not your archetypal fictional billionaire. He is honest with Olivia, even from the start, he is likeable, passionate and intense, a silent man who speaks when necessary, but the type of man who deals in the duel of all or naught. He is straightforward, not easy to read but always direct, and he and Olivia make a great fit.
‘This was one of the mysterious things I loved about Devon – his ability to stay silent when he wanted without the need to fill the air with words. Silence terrified most people.’
‘Bad Billionaire’ by Julie Kriss is a billionaire contemporary romance featuring an easy determined romance with small twists and reassuring turns. A circumstance that changes Devon’s life, but makes Olivia question the brevity of hers. Two independent people who also want to be dependent on each other, Olivia and Devon’s relationship is pulsing, magnetic and intensely aware that time’s curt presence means no time at all.
‘I would burn down the world for you, it said.
I blinked hard, my eyes stinging. And I realised what I already knew: It was time to go home.’
Though I had some niggles I’m determined to try more of Julie Kriss’s books!
Trigger Warning: Raunchy sex scenes and swearing. Discourse of drug distribution.
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Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
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F A V O U R I T E - Q U O T E S
‘A man like that isn’t easy, honey, she’d said, but he’s worth a million of any other kind.’
‘Because Devon Wilder wasn’t a halfway sort of man. He was all or nothing.’
Practicing her passion for art on the side, Oliva Maplethorp is a graphic designer - not entirely comfortable with her place in life - living in Shady Oak’s rundown, almost derelict apartment building. After two months of living there, her home is nothing to rave about, and neither is her quiet commonplace life. With not a great deal to look forward to, or admire even, Olivia lives her quiet life at work, but if there is anything she looks forward to, its her private, self-contained neighbour, Devon Wilder.
‘Maybe it was a dangerous way to go, but when had I ever cared about danger? A man who has nothing to lose is incapable of being afraid. And despite the house I was standing in, I was still a man with nothing to lose.’
Riveted by her handsomely rugged neighbour, Olivia has developed a habit of watching dark-haired Devon from afar, Devon himself being the unapprised muse of her artwork. But Olivia doesn’t know that Devon has been watching her too, and it turns out her silent neighbour is just as observant as she is.
“You’re the strangest person I’ve ever met,” I said.
“Likewise.”
After only a few encounters together, Olivia finds out that low-key Devon lives the kind of far-fetched, dicey life that she has no business being a part of. Devon is a mechanic by day, involved in the shady business of transporting goods by night, the best driver in the business, and even more… he is surprisingly honest about it with Olivia. She learns few things about this enigmatic man in the short space of time that she has with him, one of which is that he is most likely going to be surrounded by steel bars, particularly when the police come knocking on her door asking questions about her rogue solitary neighbour.
‘I could maybe even be the man Olivia wanted me to be, the man she deserved. But there was still poison in my veins, and I had to get rid of it.’
‘And just like then, she had no idea she was getting more of me than she’d bargained for.’
Devon knew something was off about this deal, but little choice is tendered to him, especially when blackmail is a constant, and he needs the money for reasons other than himself. Olivia is similarly alarmed and fascinated by Devon’s rough, risky life, and he himself is just the epitome of those two things. But that doesn’t stop Olivia from feeling novel sparks of exhilaration for and from this new stranger and his adamantly undaunted demeanour.
‘I felt like a monster stalking its prey.
That’s right. Come a little deeper into my lair. A little deeper still.’
‘And Devon Wilder was all leashed power. I’d felt it.
Olivia finds herself stowing away a criminal she barely knows; there is something about him that is naturally untamed, but correspondingly truthful, and Olivia never thought she’d meet a thief, most decently not an honest thief – his dealings not so honest still. Teeming tension leads to a zesty, zealous night of fanatic passion, but one that is short-lived, because Devon is wanted man, not knowing when or if he will ever see Olivia again. He makes her a promise: I will find you.
‘He was a tough, solitary island.’
‘He was telling me it mattered. I mattered.’
Time becomes protracted for these two because Devon has been imprisoned for two years , and his sentence Is almost complete. His runt of a former life ebbs away within seconds when he hears the Improbable words that part his lawyer’s mouth, because unassuming Devon Wilder is now a billionaire – the beneficiary in his estranged grandfather’s will.
‘I’ve always felt like life is an hourglass that is running out.’-
“…Most people never learn how to make the most of their time. It’s easy to forget. So I had it put on my hand, where I can see it, and not on my arm, where I can cover it up.”
Devon has always been an adapter to change, sincerely when he comes from an earnest past of dire uncertainty. With the makings of a new life thrown at his feet, this far - from - materialistic man has only one thing on his mind, the same thing that has riddled his thoughts for two long years: to find with the woman who he shared such unforgettable desire with two years prior.
‘I looked at Devin Wilder and I wanted everything from him. I wanted his secrets, his vitality, his complete lack of fear. I wanted to consume every inch of him with a fierceness that shook me.’
Not one to dwell in the past, the only remnant of it is a tattoo up Devon’s left hand, a reminder of the worst he endured, but a tattoo that still finds relevance in his and Olivia’s lives. Dev’s past is still a threat to his present, and now a man with money, his seedy ex-associates won’t leave him be, but Dev can’t put this inimitable woman into any kind of danger, he won’t, not when she is the first woman to ever actually mean something to him.
“I’ll return your car.”
“Keep it…It suits you.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s classic,” he said. “Well made. Beautiful. Not meant to be locked up in a garage. Meant to run.”
‘Bad Billionaire’ is actually the first billionaire book I’ve read, and I was excited to see what this kind of dynamic and plot would bring. This book has reasonable and fulfilling amounts of fervour and indulgence that didn’t overhaul the plot, only heightening what I was reading. The reading of this book was easy and clear-cut, but I found that the plot soon dithered, not quite sure what kind of story I was following.
‘Instinct rarely made sense. It also rarely led me wrong.’
The story seemed to take a sundry direction when Devon completes his jail time, losing its motion and sense of ‘what will happen next’. I surely thought I was in for more anticipation, the separation surely being problematic or even leading to something challenging, but I wasn’t sure what purpose the separation actually served expect for solely giving them time apart, for what I’m not sure.
‘There was an ember of a fire, deep down inside me, in my gut, at the base of my spine, and it started to burn.’
The beginning was solid, the story loosening its threads soon after, then brought back to the story again. I thought that that elements of danger in this book required more fanfare, to up the ante with riskier conflicts. I generally would have liked more to happen as the implications of the book seemed more exciting than the book itself. What we are promised though is bad billionaire , who scratches many levels of bad , but many levels of good too. A relationship between two people from different walks of life who understand and accept each other. Great characters, and troubled side-characters too!
“My point is that life doesn’t always let you be average. It doesn’t let you just live a quiet, unexciting life. In fact, it rarely does. So you have to decide, when the shit happens-whatever it is-exactly how you’re going to rise to the occasion. You know?”
I love Devon’s character, and because he has had an arduous life, remaining mostly self-sufficient to get him through difficulty, he is not your archetypal fictional billionaire. He is honest with Olivia, even from the start, he is likeable, passionate and intense, a silent man who speaks when necessary, but the type of man who deals in the duel of all or naught. He is straightforward, not easy to read but always direct, and he and Olivia make a great fit.
‘This was one of the mysterious things I loved about Devon – his ability to stay silent when he wanted without the need to fill the air with words. Silence terrified most people.’
‘Bad Billionaire’ by Julie Kriss is a billionaire contemporary romance featuring an easy determined romance with small twists and reassuring turns. A circumstance that changes Devon’s life, but makes Olivia question the brevity of hers. Two independent people who also want to be dependent on each other, Olivia and Devon’s relationship is pulsing, magnetic and intensely aware that time’s curt presence means no time at all.
‘I would burn down the world for you, it said.
I blinked hard, my eyes stinging. And I realised what I already knew: It was time to go home.’
Though I had some niggles I’m determined to try more of Julie Kriss’s books!
Trigger Warning: Raunchy sex scenes and swearing. Discourse of drug distribution.
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Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
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F A V O U R I T E - Q U O T E S
September 10, 2021
If Olivia didn’t want me, then I didn’t want anyone. I’d been celibate before. I could do it again.FINALLY, a hero that isn’t driven by his dangly appendages!! This cover is deceiving, this is not your average alphahole, caveman type man. Devon knows what he wants, will wait for it (shocking, I know) but also patiently watches Olivia, in a sweet, non-aggressive way. Olivia is a wonderful character as well! She’s driven to succeed, even though her job sucks the life out of her. She’s compassionate and caring, strong and genuine.
Devon is a hard worker, not a billionaire when the two mc’s meet, and works as a mechanic. I love how Olivia watches him, draws him, and does her own kind of stalking. They are neighbors, but haven’t met officially.
He was unlike any guy I’d ever had anything to do with, which somehow made it insanely hot. And from my window, I had a perfect view of him. For two months and counting.This is a HOT, sweet, really wonderful true-blue kind of romance. I wish it had been longer with more details after they finally got together.
The man had a sex drive that could probably power most of California.I mean, I kinda need to hear more about this.
Huge thank you to my friend Lana for the recommendation!
December 31, 2020
I started to read this book after seeing Lana recommending this book; it sounded right up my alley. Then Isabella said how good the book is. So I dove right in; I then realized I already read the book when I had covid, and it didn't add it to my profile in those months. I still kept reading this, baby. I love the men of Shady Oaks. And I think I am going to revisit them. Some I haven’t read it yet.
Bad Billionaire started my Julie Kriss obsession and got me through being sick. I have Isabella to thank for that. Devin hot, delicious mechanic with some sketchy criminal activity. Olivia, a junior designer, smart, artistic, and secretly watches her neighbor Devin; Events happen, and he spends an unforgettable night at her apartment. Seriously so hot.
Mr. Hot Dark and Handsome was not, in any way, an artsy guy. He looked like his idea of a date was to give you a few shots of tequila, throw you down in his back seat, and give you anal
Bad Billionaire started my Julie Kriss obsession and got me through being sick. I have Isabella to thank for that. Devin hot, delicious mechanic with some sketchy criminal activity. Olivia, a junior designer, smart, artistic, and secretly watches her neighbor Devin; Events happen, and he spends an unforgettable night at her apartment. Seriously so hot.
Mr. Hot Dark and Handsome was not, in any way, an artsy guy. He looked like his idea of a date was to give you a few shots of tequila, throw you down in his back seat, and give you anal
That is why you marry an auto mechanic. There is a lot of suspense in this book, and I don't want to give anything away. I think I enjoyed the book more the second time. If you're looking for a steamy suspenseful book, I highly recommend this book. Remember, save a car, ride a mechanic.
July 24, 2020
Since Julie Kriss books are one of the most read and because majority of my GR friends obsession I decided to finally take a plunge. Thank you Isabella R. for the book rec, this won't be my only read from this author.
Olivia Maplethorp is a junior graphic designer and is practising her passion for art. A job rate enough to pay her bills and living in a shabby apartment she leads a quiet and simple life. Living in a shoddy apartment had a bright side, looking out her window and sees Mr. HDH-Mr Hot Dark and Handsome.
Devon Wilder is a private man. Working as a mechanic he has a shaddy job, a driver, (made me think immediately of the movie Transporter) transporting things illegally, when one day this risked him jail for two years.
Olivia finds herself helping Devon from police leading to a passion filled night. While it may be brief Devon promises to come back and find her, leaving Olivia unaware of his whereabouts. After two years completing his jail sentence he is ready to part ways with his former life and find Olivia. But a surprise inheritance from his dead grandfather brings a different change.
Devon is such a likeable character, he is different from the billionaire heroes which we usually read. He is quiet, honest and determined.
This story was quick and exciting. The plot wasn't overly done and has a combination of humor and earnest. There is a darker edge of the story and those bad people are defeated without blood bath. This is a beautiful, intenseful love story of two people thriving for a better place in the world.
Olivia Maplethorp is a junior graphic designer and is practising her passion for art. A job rate enough to pay her bills and living in a shabby apartment she leads a quiet and simple life. Living in a shoddy apartment had a bright side, looking out her window and sees Mr. HDH-Mr Hot Dark and Handsome.
Devon Wilder is a private man. Working as a mechanic he has a shaddy job, a driver, (made me think immediately of the movie Transporter) transporting things illegally, when one day this risked him jail for two years.
Olivia finds herself helping Devon from police leading to a passion filled night. While it may be brief Devon promises to come back and find her, leaving Olivia unaware of his whereabouts. After two years completing his jail sentence he is ready to part ways with his former life and find Olivia. But a surprise inheritance from his dead grandfather brings a different change.
Devon is such a likeable character, he is different from the billionaire heroes which we usually read. He is quiet, honest and determined.
This story was quick and exciting. The plot wasn't overly done and has a combination of humor and earnest. There is a darker edge of the story and those bad people are defeated without blood bath. This is a beautiful, intenseful love story of two people thriving for a better place in the world.
September 14, 2021
Dear Isabella, thank you for the recommendation, I fell in love with the author!
I'm not going to get into any details of the plot, it was a bit suspenseful and well done. But let me tell you this: I sooo much appreciated the hero using his brain to deal with a situation and not acting like a stereotypical aggressive alpha when shit hit the fan!
I loved both main characters and their chemistry was over the charts. Deliciously dirty and protective hero, Devon, who knew what he wanted and was not afraid to say and take it. Kind of lost in life, but caring and creative heroine, Olivia, who grew a backbone and found professional joy towards the end of the book. They were wonderful together!
I'm off to read more of this series.
I'm not going to get into any details of the plot, it was a bit suspenseful and well done. But let me tell you this: I sooo much appreciated the hero using his brain to deal with a situation and not acting like a stereotypical aggressive alpha when shit hit the fan!
I loved both main characters and their chemistry was over the charts. Deliciously dirty and protective hero, Devon, who knew what he wanted and was not afraid to say and take it. Kind of lost in life, but caring and creative heroine, Olivia, who grew a backbone and found professional joy towards the end of the book. They were wonderful together!
I'm off to read more of this series.
November 20, 2021
DNF at 50% ish
It's not horrible, it just didn't keep my attention no matter how hard I tried. I was expecting passion, heart ache and drama, but it was just cringey dialogue and straight forward plotless storyline.
It's not horrible, it just didn't keep my attention no matter how hard I tried. I was expecting passion, heart ache and drama, but it was just cringey dialogue and straight forward plotless storyline.
January 23, 2021
Wow!!
I'm glad I read this. I don't usually read a lot of contemporary but some people recommended it and it didn't disappoint.
Where do I find Hot Dark and Handsome (Devon's nickname), I definitely need some. Devon was deep and intense. Olivia was the beautiful woman across the way, but also complex. When they finally get together they just click and it is explosive. They have a connection born of shared loneliness and pain that holds them together through all the hardships they faced. Their fire, unlike anything either has felt before, let's them know they were made only for each other.
Yep, I need some of that!! I'm off to read book two.
I'm glad I read this. I don't usually read a lot of contemporary but some people recommended it and it didn't disappoint.
Where do I find Hot Dark and Handsome (Devon's nickname), I definitely need some. Devon was deep and intense. Olivia was the beautiful woman across the way, but also complex. When they finally get together they just click and it is explosive. They have a connection born of shared loneliness and pain that holds them together through all the hardships they faced. Their fire, unlike anything either has felt before, let's them know they were made only for each other.
Are you sure? I asked him. I can’t take it if this doesn’t work. I can’t. Are you sure it’s me you want?
There was a pause. I put my phone down and stared at the ceiling.
My phone pinged with a text. I took a breath, picked it up, and read it.
I would burn down the world for you, it said.
Yep, I need some of that!! I'm off to read book two.
August 28, 2019
Edit: Upping this to five stars because this is one of the rare contemporary romances that worked for me and was an utter delight to read. I fully enjoyed it. Definitely a favorite.
Original review:
I was ready to snub this book because 1) it’s free and 2) the word billionaire is in the title. Nevertheless, it surpassed my expectations and I’m happy I gave it a chance. Devon isn’t your typical cocky, billionaire executive. No, he’s more like a hot mechanic à la Ryan Gosling in Drive:
His neighbor, Olivia, has been admiring him from across the hall for awhile. On a rainy night, Devon picks up Olivia while she is walking home from work, and finally she has the opportunity to talk to him. She asks him if he does anything else other than being a mechanic. His answer:
A+ for the dialogue. It came across as natural, it was never OTT in a way that made me cringe. Very realistic. For instance, I loved this conversation between Olivia and her sister, Gwen:
LOL! I absolutely had conversations like this with friends when I was college. I liked the dynamic of the girls creeping (ok, more like admiring from a distance) the attractive neighbor instead of the guy creeping on the girl. It’s refreshing to have the heroine just as into the guy as the guy is into the girl.
From the synopsis we know Devon inherits a billion dollars after he’s released from prison. This is unrealistic, sure, but I was able to suspend disbelief and just go with the story.
I was thrilled to come across a book that gave me Drive vibes. I need more Drive inspired books in my life! I'm keeping this author on my radar - I'm really interested in Gwen and Max's story in book 2.
Favorite quote:
Original review:
I was ready to snub this book because 1) it’s free and 2) the word billionaire is in the title. Nevertheless, it surpassed my expectations and I’m happy I gave it a chance. Devon isn’t your typical cocky, billionaire executive. No, he’s more like a hot mechanic à la Ryan Gosling in Drive:
His neighbor, Olivia, has been admiring him from across the hall for awhile. On a rainy night, Devon picks up Olivia while she is walking home from work, and finally she has the opportunity to talk to him. She asks him if he does anything else other than being a mechanic. His answer:
I stared at him, wondering if he was joking. “Drive what?”
“Whatever needs driving,” he said. “Sometimes it’s goods. Sometimes it’s a person. I take it where it needs to go.”
“I don’t follow,” I said, confused. “Like an Uber?”
“”Maybe a little like an Uber,” he said, “but a fuck of a lot more shady.”
A+ for the dialogue. It came across as natural, it was never OTT in a way that made me cringe. Very realistic. For instance, I loved this conversation between Olivia and her sister, Gwen:
We turned my lights off and she positioned herself next to the window, angled so she could see out but no one looking in could see her…”Holy shit,” she said when Devon came around the corner from the parking lot. “That?”
“Yep,” I said….Gwen let out a breath as he closed his apartment door behind him. “Okay,” she said seriously. “If you don’t ride him, I will.”
She didn’t mean it, but it was alarming. “Touch him and die,” I said, deadpan.
LOL! I absolutely had conversations like this with friends when I was college. I liked the dynamic of the girls creeping (ok, more like admiring from a distance) the attractive neighbor instead of the guy creeping on the girl. It’s refreshing to have the heroine just as into the guy as the guy is into the girl.
From the synopsis we know Devon inherits a billion dollars after he’s released from prison. This is unrealistic, sure, but I was able to suspend disbelief and just go with the story.
I was thrilled to come across a book that gave me Drive vibes. I need more Drive inspired books in my life! I'm keeping this author on my radar - I'm really interested in Gwen and Max's story in book 2.
Favorite quote:
“What are you thinking? he asked, his voice a rumble against my back.
“I’m wondering if you’re going to turn into that Fifty Shades guy now,” I said.
He snorted. “That guy needed a therapist, not a girlfriend.”
October 18, 2022
I don't know how to write a review for this thing. How do I even. I love it. So much. It's unexpected, and I can't believe I've found a contemporary romance that I want to reread (that's rare for me).
I'm going to keep this as short as possible (lol wish me luck) because this is a simple, beautiful book that should just be experienced.
It's simplistic in that, the characters aren't heavily developed, but they are developed just enough to fall in love with and to create something heartfelt with. Both characters have quiet personalities that influenced and blanketed the tone of the book despite the storyline. They are genuine, in their own lives and with each other right from the get-go. I LOVE how honest they are, how unproblematic and communicative they are. Their ability to intuitively understand each other was a pleasure to read.
I also really loved reading about characters who didn't sleep around - I'm not against casual sex but I'm tired of reading about that in copious amounts in contemporary romances as though that is the absolute norm everyone operates within. I loved that these two were the kinds of people who knew they could sleep around if they wanted to, but also knew that the meaninglessness of it didn't do it for them anymore and they'd rather use their hands or wait for someone they wanted. I want to see more of that.
The storyline would have been intense for all that went down, but like I said, the characters muted the colors down enough to not leave me super stressed out. I was stressed but not OTT. All I wanted for these two babies was to have 5000 HEAs and a billion orgasms 4ever and ever. Because these two sweet, simple cinnamon rolls deserve SO MUCH love and happiness. Their chemistry was palpable from the beginning and felt very believable to me 🥵❤️🔥
I love Devon Wilder. Truly a wonderful man who deserves every penny he inherited. You know what they say about power.. that can easily be applied to money too - those who deserve it the most are the ones who don't want/seek it (obsessively). Of all the billionaire romances I've read about, this is the ONLY man who deserves that degree of money.
The only thing I wish this book had more of is more conversations between the MCs only because I'm very thirsty and I need to be watered.
Chonky recommend.
Big thanks to Rain for reviewing this book 💜🥰 and my lucky stars for having coming across her review.
I'm going to keep this as short as possible (lol wish me luck) because this is a simple, beautiful book that should just be experienced.
It's simplistic in that, the characters aren't heavily developed, but they are developed just enough to fall in love with and to create something heartfelt with. Both characters have quiet personalities that influenced and blanketed the tone of the book despite the storyline. They are genuine, in their own lives and with each other right from the get-go. I LOVE how honest they are, how unproblematic and communicative they are. Their ability to intuitively understand each other was a pleasure to read.
I also really loved reading about characters who didn't sleep around - I'm not against casual sex but I'm tired of reading about that in copious amounts in contemporary romances as though that is the absolute norm everyone operates within. I loved that these two were the kinds of people who knew they could sleep around if they wanted to, but also knew that the meaninglessness of it didn't do it for them anymore and they'd rather use their hands or wait for someone they wanted. I want to see more of that.
The storyline would have been intense for all that went down, but like I said, the characters muted the colors down enough to not leave me super stressed out. I was stressed but not OTT. All I wanted for these two babies was to have 5000 HEAs and a billion orgasms 4ever and ever. Because these two sweet, simple cinnamon rolls deserve SO MUCH love and happiness. Their chemistry was palpable from the beginning and felt very believable to me 🥵❤️🔥
I love Devon Wilder. Truly a wonderful man who deserves every penny he inherited. You know what they say about power.. that can easily be applied to money too - those who deserve it the most are the ones who don't want/seek it (obsessively). Of all the billionaire romances I've read about, this is the ONLY man who deserves that degree of money.
The only thing I wish this book had more of is more conversations between the MCs only because I'm very thirsty and I need to be watered.
Chonky recommend.
Big thanks to Rain for reviewing this book 💜🥰 and my lucky stars for having coming across her review.
March 2, 2021
3.5 Hot, Dark and Handsome stars!
My first Julie Kriss book and it didn’t disappoint. Devon & Olivia were neighbours who admired each other from a distance. Devon the bad-boy from the wrong side of the tracks and living his life of crime as a getaway driver and Olivia, the good-girl just trying to get by in life after her horrible ex and spending every day in a job that she hates.
When fate brings them together the sparks fly!
I guess my only major problem with the book is the all-too-convenient (is there really an inconvenient time?) inheritance of billions (what’s wrong with a few million these days?). But I did love that it didn’t change Devon and that he used his new inheritance to help everyone else around him.
My first Julie Kriss book and it didn’t disappoint. Devon & Olivia were neighbours who admired each other from a distance. Devon the bad-boy from the wrong side of the tracks and living his life of crime as a getaway driver and Olivia, the good-girl just trying to get by in life after her horrible ex and spending every day in a job that she hates.
When fate brings them together the sparks fly!
“I would burn down the world for you.”
I guess my only major problem with the book is the all-too-convenient (is there really an inconvenient time?) inheritance of billions (what’s wrong with a few million these days?). But I did love that it didn’t change Devon and that he used his new inheritance to help everyone else around him.
July 8, 2018
In terms of perfection, I think I just read it!!
Oh. My God...LOVED IT
It’s FREE on Amazon too and that never happens to me – you all know my luck with freebies!
I'm not going to over analyse this 'fairytale' or wonder about the convenience of the money, or her waiting for him - as some have, I don’t care – it’s fiction and I lost myself in it.
I just went with the flow of a beautifully paced, beautifully written – beautiful story. I want to believe this could happen!! Just because... well, isn’t that why we read erotic romance?!!
It's left me feeling happy, buzzing with feels and excitement for more. I don’t need more than that from a book. I absolutely crave books like this!
It's got an interestingly quiet and beautiful HEA too, it didn’t need to be tied up with the pretty bow of a wedding etc - I really felt that good things will happen. Plus, there’s more to come in the next of these companion reads so, we'll see...
I'm diving straight into the second one - Woohoo!
It's a happy book day : )
Oh. My God...LOVED IT
It’s FREE on Amazon too and that never happens to me – you all know my luck with freebies!
I'm not going to over analyse this 'fairytale' or wonder about the convenience of the money, or her waiting for him - as some have, I don’t care – it’s fiction and I lost myself in it.
I just went with the flow of a beautifully paced, beautifully written – beautiful story. I want to believe this could happen!! Just because... well, isn’t that why we read erotic romance?!!
It's left me feeling happy, buzzing with feels and excitement for more. I don’t need more than that from a book. I absolutely crave books like this!
It's got an interestingly quiet and beautiful HEA too, it didn’t need to be tied up with the pretty bow of a wedding etc - I really felt that good things will happen. Plus, there’s more to come in the next of these companion reads so, we'll see...
I'm diving straight into the second one - Woohoo!
It's a happy book day : )
May 4, 2021
This is the first book I've read by Julie Kriss and it won't be the last! I enjoyed so much Olivia and Devon's story! It was steamy with a pinch of suspense and just perfect for my mood! I loved how the story progressed and the ending was spot-on!
June 2, 2018
I can't seem to get enough of this author. I try and move on and I do somewhat, but then one of her books will call to me and I can't resist. So I just did yet another reread of the Very Fine Book
~~~~~
I read this one back in May as you can tell. Then somehow this series slipped my mind and just recently I remembered. Why I can't forget the theme song for Gilligan's Island or The Brady Bunch but then forget other, more important stuff is beyond me. But anyway, I decided to reread this one again so everything would be fresh for the rest of the story. And what I say below.
4.5 out of 5
I tend to avoid any millionaire/billionaire/CEO type book as I'm much more fond of a blue collar, former type book. Nothing like a bad boy eh? So at first glance when I read the title, considering how many books I have yet to read, it was a pass. But when I noticed the hero was a car mechanic who had spent time in "the joint", I thought hhhmmm and decided to have a go. Good thing. I liked this one. A lot. Devon, a loner with a sad past met and connected with his neighbor Olivia. But Devon is involved in criminal activities. It's not that he wants too, but he's kind of being forced into it to protect a friend. He's caught before he can really establish anything with Olivia and spends the next couple of years in jail.
Just before he's released he finds out he has inherited a fortune from a grandfather he'd never met. Once he's out, he wants to really get a relationship going with Olivia but his newly discovered wealth changes the dynamics of things.
As I said, I enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. Both Devon and Olivia were interesting people. I quite appreciated the fact that while Devon is now super rich, he doesn't have that mentality, having lived on the streets and on his own for so long.
This book was quite inexpensive but because I found it so good, I didn't mind paying a greater price for the next book about the friend Devon was protecting, a former soldier with issues and Olivia's sister, a stripper. That I didn't mind at all paying more shows how impressed I am with this book.
~~~~~
I read this one back in May as you can tell. Then somehow this series slipped my mind and just recently I remembered. Why I can't forget the theme song for Gilligan's Island or The Brady Bunch but then forget other, more important stuff is beyond me. But anyway, I decided to reread this one again so everything would be fresh for the rest of the story. And what I say below.
4.5 out of 5
I tend to avoid any millionaire/billionaire/CEO type book as I'm much more fond of a blue collar, former type book. Nothing like a bad boy eh? So at first glance when I read the title, considering how many books I have yet to read, it was a pass. But when I noticed the hero was a car mechanic who had spent time in "the joint", I thought hhhmmm and decided to have a go. Good thing. I liked this one. A lot. Devon, a loner with a sad past met and connected with his neighbor Olivia. But Devon is involved in criminal activities. It's not that he wants too, but he's kind of being forced into it to protect a friend. He's caught before he can really establish anything with Olivia and spends the next couple of years in jail.
Just before he's released he finds out he has inherited a fortune from a grandfather he'd never met. Once he's out, he wants to really get a relationship going with Olivia but his newly discovered wealth changes the dynamics of things.
As I said, I enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. Both Devon and Olivia were interesting people. I quite appreciated the fact that while Devon is now super rich, he doesn't have that mentality, having lived on the streets and on his own for so long.
This book was quite inexpensive but because I found it so good, I didn't mind paying a greater price for the next book about the friend Devon was protecting, a former soldier with issues and Olivia's sister, a stripper. That I didn't mind at all paying more shows how impressed I am with this book.
June 29, 2017
This book was great.
Usually I steer away from books with 'Billionaire' in the title (because, let's face it, it's just a fad, like all the vampire and werewolf stuff out there). But this book had a crazy high rating (and was rated by a lot of people. If a book manages to maintain a 4-star rating with hundreds of votes, I can't help but be intrigued).
And let me tell you; this was good. Characters you can care about, insta-love (but I don't mind, when lightning strikes, it strikes), just enough bad-assery and steamy scenes.
Usually I steer away from books with 'Billionaire' in the title (because, let's face it, it's just a fad, like all the vampire and werewolf stuff out there). But this book had a crazy high rating (and was rated by a lot of people. If a book manages to maintain a 4-star rating with hundreds of votes, I can't help but be intrigued).
And let me tell you; this was good. Characters you can care about, insta-love (but I don't mind, when lightning strikes, it strikes), just enough bad-assery and steamy scenes.
September 19, 2020
Hi, if you're looking for me I've moved to Shady Oaks, the home of hot as fuck men who talk dirty, are big and rough around the edges but all have hearts of gold 💛
Now if you'll excuse me, I have some bags to pack and many Julie Kriss books to read.
Thanks to Lana and Isabella for recommending this book and author
Now if you'll excuse me, I have some bags to pack and many Julie Kriss books to read.
Thanks to Lana and Isabella for recommending this book and author
September 8, 2022
⊹ reread, september 2022 · 3 stars.
⊹ read, march 2021 · 5 stars.
❛A man like that isn’t easy, honey, she’d said, but he’s worth a million of any other kind.❜
rereading my favorite books isn't going as well as I had thought it would. 💔
⊹ read, march 2021 · 5 stars.
❛A man like that isn’t easy, honey, she’d said, but he’s worth a million of any other kind.❜
rereading my favorite books isn't going as well as I had thought it would. 💔
May 27, 2017
Safety -
April 2, 2017
Enjoyable read. Devon is intriguing. Olivia slightly underdeveloped as a character. Sex is hot. There are a couple of completely unbelievable events: 1) Devon inherits a billion dollars right as he gets out of prison (not a few millions mind you, but a BILLION) 2) things get wrapped up a little too neatly in the last 20%.
June 17, 2018
4.2 Stars
I really enjoyed this ebook! I typically only read “smutty romances” when I’m in a reading slump because stories like this are quick and easy to get through (and in case any of you are wondering, I’m slowly getting out of my slump lol). This book was written very well and had a nice plot. I really enjoyed Devon as a character, although I did find Oliva to be a little bit of an underdeveloped character. There were moments in this book that had me at the edge of my seat due to the fair amount of “close calls” that Devon faces, and (of course) there are some really cute scenes between Olivia and Devon that don’t even involve sex, but rather just true love and concern for one another. Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who isn’t afraid of reading some smut or who is trying to get themselves out of a reading slump. This story was very enjoyable, and I wouldn’t mind reading more books written by this author in the future.
P.S. the smut in this book isn’t like on every other page lol (this ain’t no “Fifty Shades” stuff I promise) but rather just a few scenes sprinkled here and there. The focus of this book is more on Devon’s acceptance by Oliva and Olivia discovering that she is capable of loving someone who has a lot of “baggage” attached to them.
I really enjoyed this ebook! I typically only read “smutty romances” when I’m in a reading slump because stories like this are quick and easy to get through (and in case any of you are wondering, I’m slowly getting out of my slump lol). This book was written very well and had a nice plot. I really enjoyed Devon as a character, although I did find Oliva to be a little bit of an underdeveloped character. There were moments in this book that had me at the edge of my seat due to the fair amount of “close calls” that Devon faces, and (of course) there are some really cute scenes between Olivia and Devon that don’t even involve sex, but rather just true love and concern for one another. Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who isn’t afraid of reading some smut or who is trying to get themselves out of a reading slump. This story was very enjoyable, and I wouldn’t mind reading more books written by this author in the future.
P.S. the smut in this book isn’t like on every other page lol (this ain’t no “Fifty Shades” stuff I promise) but rather just a few scenes sprinkled here and there. The focus of this book is more on Devon’s acceptance by Oliva and Olivia discovering that she is capable of loving someone who has a lot of “baggage” attached to them.
October 26, 2016
I voluntarily read an arc of this book for an honest review.
This is the first book bt this author that I have read and was not disappointed. We all need a guy like Devon in our life. Wow I mean the way he talked and e way he felt for Oliva was just something else. Devon is a good guy at heart he just works for some shady people who hapoen to get him caught up and he winds up going to jail. When he gets out Devon finds himself the sole heir to his grandfathers estate which is considerable. While he is locked up Oliva is just going through the motions of her life, while her sister tries to get her to date Oliva just can't forget about Devon. When Devon gets out he makes it a point to get Oliva back and to build a future. This book is well written and is fast paced and has a couple of shockers in it that through us all for a loop.
This is the first book bt this author that I have read and was not disappointed. We all need a guy like Devon in our life. Wow I mean the way he talked and e way he felt for Oliva was just something else. Devon is a good guy at heart he just works for some shady people who hapoen to get him caught up and he winds up going to jail. When he gets out Devon finds himself the sole heir to his grandfathers estate which is considerable. While he is locked up Oliva is just going through the motions of her life, while her sister tries to get her to date Oliva just can't forget about Devon. When Devon gets out he makes it a point to get Oliva back and to build a future. This book is well written and is fast paced and has a couple of shockers in it that through us all for a loop.
September 2, 2017
***FOUR STARS***
Not too shabby of a story, and I got it for free (Thank you Cariad!!!)! I adored both Devon and Olivia's characters. Devon was delicious. He was sexy, dark, a true bad boy, and such an amazing filthy talker. The sex in this story was SMOKIN' HOT!!! The bad dudes and the way they were taken care of by Devon was an added bonus too. Definitely going to check out the other stories in this series.
May 30, 2017
A man born on the streets and living a life of crime winds up in prison. When he gets out, he discovers he's inherited a billion dollars. But he doesn't care about the money; all he wants is the woman who lit his body on fire right before he got sent to prison and get revenge on the man who hurt her. A down and dirty crime romance that just didn't appeal to me. I guess I like my bad boy a little less bad and a whole lot more redeeming. Wasn't my cup of tea.
My Rating: 2 stars
My Rating: 2 stars
July 3, 2017
This was a great story with love, devotion, and some thriller.
September 25, 2020
This book was sooooooo good. I loved it. He inherits a billion dollars right before being released from prison, and all he wants is the girl he was falling for before he went away.
October 31, 2022
Several friends loved Bad Billionaire so I had to try it and it was definitely a great read. Devon (H) and Olivia (h) don't seem like they'd fit as well as they do on paper. He's a mechanic with a side hustle of illegal transportation (I love a man who can do car stuff, including drive like a badass) and a devastating family background. She's a junior graphic designer who failed art school with a close relationship with her remaining family. But they both keep mainly to themselves, with only a couple of close people, they're both managing the best they can and living in a shady apartment building, both are intensely attracted to each other from first sight, and when they're together - chemistry. Unfortunately, Devon gets forced into a job that ends with him headed to prison (but not before he and Olivia share a *hot* hiding from the law moment) before they can truly explore their interest in each other. That has to wait a couple years and then, something surprising happens to Devon. Written in first person, dual POV. No om/ow drama (there are a couple of scenes where a woman hits on H but nothing happens), neither are virgins and both have been celibate for a while, bc used/discussed.
I really appreciated that while Devon's involved in some dangerous criminal activity, he's upfront from the beginning with Olivia about what his life is like. She's kind of baffled at how easily he shares what he has going on and their discussion about it was hilarious. They barely get a moment when they first interact, but I felt like they maximized their time together (yes, including between the sheets or wherever). When they meet again, once Devon's released, that chemistry lights right back up (also, yes, including between the sheets and wherever else - they're a very steamy pair). But now, Devon's surprisingly inherited from a grandfather he didn't know and is decidedly not going back to his criminal lifestyle. He wants to adjust, be there for his BFF (a former Marine also with some struggles), and explore what he could have with Olivia. Except that old life doesn't want to release him and the story takes an interesting suspenseful turn with dangers and how he can protect those he cares about without crossing certain lines.
I liked both Devon and Olivia and their reactions to what was happening made sense to me with who their characters were, even when what they were doing was clearly going to be painful for them. They do have to figure out their relationship (more Olivia) and Devon had some amazing lines highlighting his feelings about them together. They do get a HFN and it was cute. I expect they show up in the rest of the series, but I felt a bit let down by where this book ended without a more extended epilogue.
I really appreciated that while Devon's involved in some dangerous criminal activity, he's upfront from the beginning with Olivia about what his life is like. She's kind of baffled at how easily he shares what he has going on and their discussion about it was hilarious. They barely get a moment when they first interact, but I felt like they maximized their time together (yes, including between the sheets or wherever). When they meet again, once Devon's released, that chemistry lights right back up (also, yes, including between the sheets and wherever else - they're a very steamy pair). But now, Devon's surprisingly inherited from a grandfather he didn't know and is decidedly not going back to his criminal lifestyle. He wants to adjust, be there for his BFF (a former Marine also with some struggles), and explore what he could have with Olivia. Except that old life doesn't want to release him and the story takes an interesting suspenseful turn with dangers and how he can protect those he cares about without crossing certain lines.
I liked both Devon and Olivia and their reactions to what was happening made sense to me with who their characters were, even when what they were doing was clearly going to be painful for them. They do have to figure out their relationship (more Olivia) and Devon had some amazing lines highlighting his feelings about them together. They do get a HFN and it was cute. I expect they show up in the rest of the series, but I felt a bit let down by where this book ended without a more extended epilogue.
November 10, 2016
Let's kick this off by saying that this is my first novel by Julie Kriss, and I don't think it will be my last.
Meet Devon Wilder. He's a mechanic who moonlights as a relocation specialist (and by that I mean he's a thief who drives the getaway car for his boss). He's poor, has some drama with his family, and is a bit of a manwhore - but all the best ones are, these days.
Meet Olivia Maplethorp. She's a junior graphic designer stuck in a rut at her job. She's the type to bend over backwards to help others, is very sweet and believes the best in others, but is also a bit lost.
The two live across from each other in a shitty apartment complex in a bad part of town and have been giving each other the eyes for since Olivia moved in two months ago. But it's Olivia stuck in the rain at a bus station, and Devon offering a ride, that instigates their first conversation.
Jump forward a week to the cops swarming the apartment complex looking for Devon. He creeps in through Olivia's back door, and the two have an honest conversation about the likelihood of Devon getting arrested. Then they have some delectable, and very well written, sexy time. Devon departs with a cryptic message: "I have to stay away from you... If it's ever safe to contact you, I'll find you."
He returns two years later and all he wants is Olivia - the woman who gave him the best sexual experience ever, who he fantasized about all through his nights in prison. The immediately start things up again, but all is not well in the underworld that wants Devon back behind the wheel.
I liked this story. It was sexy. The two leads had a good chemistry, the storyline was believable, and I was invested.
The reason I cannot give this book a full 5 out of 5, even though I wish I could, is because I feel like the relationship development for the two was stunted. After Devon and Olivia meet and he fixes her car, there is no interaction between the two until the night they sleep together. The reader is then supposed to believe that they pine over each other for two years? I feel like there could have been some really wonderful scenes (see: steamy scenes) of the two interacting together prior to their night of good times.
However, apart from this one error in storytelling, I think Ms. Kriss did a phenomenal job. The story after Devon's jail time is believable and, as I said earlier, the chemistry is definitely there. I think this was a great intro for me into the author's writing and I am already looking forward to checking out what else she has written.
<3 always, .L.~.V.
Meet Devon Wilder. He's a mechanic who moonlights as a relocation specialist (and by that I mean he's a thief who drives the getaway car for his boss). He's poor, has some drama with his family, and is a bit of a manwhore - but all the best ones are, these days.
Meet Olivia Maplethorp. She's a junior graphic designer stuck in a rut at her job. She's the type to bend over backwards to help others, is very sweet and believes the best in others, but is also a bit lost.
The two live across from each other in a shitty apartment complex in a bad part of town and have been giving each other the eyes for since Olivia moved in two months ago. But it's Olivia stuck in the rain at a bus station, and Devon offering a ride, that instigates their first conversation.
Jump forward a week to the cops swarming the apartment complex looking for Devon. He creeps in through Olivia's back door, and the two have an honest conversation about the likelihood of Devon getting arrested. Then they have some delectable, and very well written, sexy time. Devon departs with a cryptic message: "I have to stay away from you... If it's ever safe to contact you, I'll find you."
He returns two years later and all he wants is Olivia - the woman who gave him the best sexual experience ever, who he fantasized about all through his nights in prison. The immediately start things up again, but all is not well in the underworld that wants Devon back behind the wheel.
I liked this story. It was sexy. The two leads had a good chemistry, the storyline was believable, and I was invested.
The reason I cannot give this book a full 5 out of 5, even though I wish I could, is because I feel like the relationship development for the two was stunted. After Devon and Olivia meet and he fixes her car, there is no interaction between the two until the night they sleep together. The reader is then supposed to believe that they pine over each other for two years? I feel like there could have been some really wonderful scenes (see: steamy scenes) of the two interacting together prior to their night of good times.
However, apart from this one error in storytelling, I think Ms. Kriss did a phenomenal job. The story after Devon's jail time is believable and, as I said earlier, the chemistry is definitely there. I think this was a great intro for me into the author's writing and I am already looking forward to checking out what else she has written.
<3 always, .L.~.V.
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