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Cruel Castaways #3
Cold Hearted Casanova
From USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen comes a witty romance about a woman desperate to marry into money…and her fake marriage to a (real) billionaire reluctant to commit even to a zip code.
Riggs Bates may be a billionaire, but he knows money can’t buy happiness. He keeps his financial status a secret and takes his women the same way he takes his meals—a different one three times a day. That’s until he’s caught sleeping with a married newswoman by none other than her ambitious assistant.
Daphne “Duffy” Markham wants two things in life: marry well and stay in the States. So when her almost-fiancé takes off to “find himself” and her work visa approaches expiration, Duffy resorts to the only thing she has left—blackmail. Luckily, Riggs needs an excuse to stay in New York as badly as she does, so their first meeting quickly leads to a begrudging engagement.
Armed with strict house rules and their mutual distaste for one another, Riggs and Duffy soon find there’s no denying the spark between them…or the fact that this fake marriage is starting to feel a little too real.
Riggs Bates may be a billionaire, but he knows money can’t buy happiness. He keeps his financial status a secret and takes his women the same way he takes his meals—a different one three times a day. That’s until he’s caught sleeping with a married newswoman by none other than her ambitious assistant.
Daphne “Duffy” Markham wants two things in life: marry well and stay in the States. So when her almost-fiancé takes off to “find himself” and her work visa approaches expiration, Duffy resorts to the only thing she has left—blackmail. Luckily, Riggs needs an excuse to stay in New York as badly as she does, so their first meeting quickly leads to a begrudging engagement.
Armed with strict house rules and their mutual distaste for one another, Riggs and Duffy soon find there’s no denying the spark between them…or the fact that this fake marriage is starting to feel a little too real.
422 pages, ebook
First published April 9, 2024
2818 people are currently reading
13524 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Shen
77 books56k followersL.J. Shen is a New York Times, USA Today, WSJ, Washington Post and #1 Amazon Kindle Store bestselling author of contemporary romance books.
She writes angsty books, unredeemable anti-heroes who are in Bill Gates's tax bracket, and sassy heroines who bring them to their knees (for more reasons than one).
Keep up with L.J. on all platforms:
Newsletter Sign up ➜ https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb
Instagram➜ shorturl.at/cDJRZ
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Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com
She writes angsty books, unredeemable anti-heroes who are in Bill Gates's tax bracket, and sassy heroines who bring them to their knees (for more reasons than one).
Keep up with L.J. on all platforms:
Newsletter Sign up ➜ https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb
Instagram➜ shorturl.at/cDJRZ
TikTok ➜ shorturl.at/frw59
Facebook➜ https://goo.gl/fKCSo4
Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,162 reviews
March 27, 2024
Minor spoiler further down (about the third act)
Daphne’s boyfriend wont propose to her and her visa expires soon. She’s in need of a temporary husband and Riggs is in need of a temporary wife. After Daphne receives her green card, they’ll just go their separate ways. Riggs back to travelling the world and Daphne off to marry a rich man.
I personally think it’s quite irrelevant to the story but: Daphne walks in on her boss getting railed by the hero. I don’t know why the book summary says that Daphne blackmails Riggs, because she doesn’t. She tried to. Riggs walked away but then came back when the marriage would also benefit him. This was a marriage of convenience, nothing else. I don’t feel like the plot was very thought through to be honest. I felt like that several times, which ruined my reading experience a bit.
- Age gap(37-26)
- Marriage of convenience
- Dislike to love
- No freaking communication
- 2.25/5 spicy
- Slow burn
Riggs Bates
Riggs is your cliché ”I don’t do monogamy” hero. He doesn’t like being wealthy and doesn’t want people to ”like” him because of his wealth, which is why he wont tell his fake fianceé that he’s loaded. He moves in with her and makes her pay for almost everything and I don’t know whether it’s more laughable or tragic.
Daphne ”Duffy” (Markham) Bates
I was expecting a bad ass fmc to be honest. When I read the summary and saw she ”blackmailed” Riggs, I was very intrigued. Unfortunately she was more obssessed with wealth than anything else. If all you care about is making money(in the beginning of the book), I don’t give a shit. You do you. But if you’re looking to marry someone just for their money...no. My girl even admits to being a gold digger. Looking rich and being rich was more important than anything else. Sure, she wanted to marry for guaranteed finansial stability since she didn’t have that as a kid but she had and still have a loving family who are doing well enough nowadays and she has a job. It’s not like she was in need of money. Someone who as a kid had problems getting enough food doesn’t usually go around and buy second hand luxury items to make themselves look better. There are so many ways money can be better invested and if you know what it’s like to not have it, you don’t throw it away. She’s not very humble either and judges Riggs for ”not having money”(looking like he doesn’t have money). Duffy takes one look at Riggs and looks down her nose at him. Judgemental. Shallow.
The third act
Fucking morons, the both of them. They have the mentality of looow iq, 20 year olds. I wanted to whack them both with a frying plan. I hate when mc’s wont just communicate. The third act break up could so easily have been avoided if they’d just talked to each other and shown each other support. I do understand where Riggs was coming from more than I understood Duffy. She still seemed like she only cared about money. She cracked a comment 60% in about why she wanted to marry rich. A few thoughts about ”maybe I don’t need all that money” isn’t enough. You have to show and tell. And then she gets sad/mad when Riggs thinks she’d choose money above him. Nothing pointed in the other direction. Riggs did not act like an adult about the situation though, which was disappointing. He’s 37 and goes out to get drunk and behaves like a petulant child. It was all just a pathetic shit show to be honest.
Tw/Cw: healthy food obssessed fmc, Huntingtons disease, death of parent(on page), death of parent(off page), cheating ex, owd, omd, fraud, consistent headaches, weed consumption, alcohol consumption
I did enjoy the story over all I just wasn’t a fan of the mc’s. I liked the secondary characters. Their banter in the beginning was quite fun. Okay character development from the both of them, they just changed their ways a bit late.
Arc review 3 stars
Daphne’s boyfriend wont propose to her and her visa expires soon. She’s in need of a temporary husband and Riggs is in need of a temporary wife. After Daphne receives her green card, they’ll just go their separate ways. Riggs back to travelling the world and Daphne off to marry a rich man.
I personally think it’s quite irrelevant to the story but: Daphne walks in on her boss getting railed by the hero. I don’t know why the book summary says that Daphne blackmails Riggs, because she doesn’t. She tried to. Riggs walked away but then came back when the marriage would also benefit him. This was a marriage of convenience, nothing else. I don’t feel like the plot was very thought through to be honest. I felt like that several times, which ruined my reading experience a bit.
- Age gap(37-26)
- Marriage of convenience
- Dislike to love
- No freaking communication
- 2.25/5 spicy
- Slow burn
Riggs Bates
Riggs is your cliché ”I don’t do monogamy” hero. He doesn’t like being wealthy and doesn’t want people to ”like” him because of his wealth, which is why he wont tell his fake fianceé that he’s loaded. He moves in with her and makes her pay for almost everything and I don’t know whether it’s more laughable or tragic.
Daphne ”Duffy” (Markham) Bates
I was expecting a bad ass fmc to be honest. When I read the summary and saw she ”blackmailed” Riggs, I was very intrigued. Unfortunately she was more obssessed with wealth than anything else. If all you care about is making money(in the beginning of the book), I don’t give a shit. You do you. But if you’re looking to marry someone just for their money...no. My girl even admits to being a gold digger. Looking rich and being rich was more important than anything else. Sure, she wanted to marry for guaranteed finansial stability since she didn’t have that as a kid but she had and still have a loving family who are doing well enough nowadays and she has a job. It’s not like she was in need of money. Someone who as a kid had problems getting enough food doesn’t usually go around and buy second hand luxury items to make themselves look better. There are so many ways money can be better invested and if you know what it’s like to not have it, you don’t throw it away. She’s not very humble either and judges Riggs for ”not having money”(looking like he doesn’t have money). Duffy takes one look at Riggs and looks down her nose at him. Judgemental. Shallow.
The third act
Fucking morons, the both of them. They have the mentality of looow iq, 20 year olds. I wanted to whack them both with a frying plan. I hate when mc’s wont just communicate. The third act break up could so easily have been avoided if they’d just talked to each other and shown each other support. I do understand where Riggs was coming from more than I understood Duffy. She still seemed like she only cared about money. She cracked a comment 60% in about why she wanted to marry rich. A few thoughts about ”maybe I don’t need all that money” isn’t enough. You have to show and tell. And then she gets sad/mad when Riggs thinks she’d choose money above him. Nothing pointed in the other direction. Riggs did not act like an adult about the situation though, which was disappointing. He’s 37 and goes out to get drunk and behaves like a petulant child. It was all just a pathetic shit show to be honest.
Tw/Cw: healthy food obssessed fmc, Huntingtons disease, death of parent(on page), death of parent(off page), cheating ex, owd, omd, fraud, consistent headaches, weed consumption, alcohol consumption
I did enjoy the story over all I just wasn’t a fan of the mc’s. I liked the secondary characters. Their banter in the beginning was quite fun. Okay character development from the both of them, they just changed their ways a bit late.
Arc review 3 stars
April 3, 2024
MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog: ╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
'𝐂O𝐋D H𝐄A𝐑T𝐄D C𝐀S𝐀N𝐎V𝐀' Is the third full length romance book within the (Cruel Castaways) series which can easily be read as a standalone by author L.J.Shen. Spoken in 'dual perspectives.'
As soon as this landed on my ipad, coffee in hand, curled up in my favourite seat, I dived right in and I can honestly say that it was shamelessly inhaled within a few hours, the pages and chapters just flew by, the storyline pulled me in, the authors quirky humor had me giggling often, these characters although their first meet was unusual they were mean't to be and I couldn't get enough of them..
He pegged her as a gold digger
She pegged him as a bum
And both were so far off the mark it was funny to watch it all unravel.
Photographer Riggs Bates works for 'Discovery magazine' who may be a billionaire on paper but he lives frugally, he'd prefer to crash on mates couches, eating take outs, and wearing clothes that are comfortable over expensive and keeping his wealth private is how he's always lived.
Daphne “Duffy” Markham likes to have things in order and may or may not have a few colour coded spreadsheets which she adheres by. After her long term boyfriend takes off leaving her in a bit of a dilemma concerning her working visa nearly expiring and after finding Riggs and her married boss in an uncompromising position she lays things out on the table concerning her visa and a no strings attached marriage of convenience in exchange for her keeping quiet, which didn't go as planned, with no back up she's staring down the barrel of having to go back to her homeland.
But things always have a way of working out, because when Riggs is backed up into a corner by his boss the only thing that sprung to mind was marrying Daphne to keep him on his home turf instead of having to go to Alaska, which he is dead set against.
Thus a win win situation occurs for both of them.
There I was all wrapped up in their fake marriage of convenience bubble and out of nowhere a twist had me by the throat, tearing me up from the inside, and it pulled me towards our hero even more.
April 13, 2024
I did love or hate this one. I just liked it enough. liked the characters well enough - a gold digger and asshole billionaire. the implied cheating kinda ruined it for me(especially when the reason for cheating isn't tangible enough).
okay that's enough use of 'enough' for the day ;)
story: 3 stars
narration: 3 stars
okay that's enough use of 'enough' for the day ;)
story: 3 stars
narration: 3 stars
June 27, 2024
Während ich diese Rezi schreibe, bin ich wirklich sehr traurig, weil eine Reihe, die ich sehr in mein Herz geschlossen habe, nun ihr Ende gefunden hat.
Mit „Cold Hearted“ hat die Cruel Castaways Trilogie einen würdigen letzten Band bekommen, den ich Euch wirklich nur wärmstens ans Herz legen möchte. ❤️
Es war mal wieder eine Geschichte genau nach meinem Geschmack. Duffy ist eine junge Frau, die sich in New York das Leben aufbauen möchte, von dem sie schon immer träumte. Geld und Sicherheit sind dabei das Wichtigste. Jedoch läuft ihr Visum bald ab und ihr Freund scheint ihr keine große Hilfe zu sein. Er lässt sie sitzen und Duffy weiß, dass sie ganz schnell eine Lösung für eine Verlängerung ihres Visums finden muss.
Dabei kommt nur eine Sache in Frage: Duffy muss heiraten!
Riggs hält nichts von der Liebe und lebt mit 37 sein Single Leben in vollen Zügen aus. Jedoch erwischt Duffy ihre Chefin mit dem Playboy, was ihr ein Druckmittel verschafft.
Riggs und Duffy werden heiraten, aber ob diese „Beziehung“ ein Happy End haben kann? Das wissen selbst die beiden nicht …
Von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite bin ich absolut verliebt gewesen! Der Handlungsverlauf war absolut spannend und mitreißend, sodass ich alles um mich herum vergessen konnte. Genau das wünsche ich mir auch, wenn ich zu einem Buch greifen, und L. J. Shen schafft es einfach jedes Mal aufs Neue. 🥰
Riggs und Duffy sind zu Beginn sehr unterschiedlich und man fragt sich wirklich, wie daraus eine Liebesbeziehung entstehen soll. Das Ganze ich jedoch ein sehr vielschichtiger Prozess, den man hier auf eine ganz emotionale Art und Wiese dargeboten bekommt.
Zum Schluss lässt sich nur sagen, dass ich unheimlich traurig bin, dass eine Reihe der Autorin wieder zu Ende ist. Aber jedes Ende ist auch ein Anfang. Ich freue mich auf alles, was noch von ihr kommt! ❤️
Mit „Cold Hearted“ hat die Cruel Castaways Trilogie einen würdigen letzten Band bekommen, den ich Euch wirklich nur wärmstens ans Herz legen möchte. ❤️
Es war mal wieder eine Geschichte genau nach meinem Geschmack. Duffy ist eine junge Frau, die sich in New York das Leben aufbauen möchte, von dem sie schon immer träumte. Geld und Sicherheit sind dabei das Wichtigste. Jedoch läuft ihr Visum bald ab und ihr Freund scheint ihr keine große Hilfe zu sein. Er lässt sie sitzen und Duffy weiß, dass sie ganz schnell eine Lösung für eine Verlängerung ihres Visums finden muss.
Dabei kommt nur eine Sache in Frage: Duffy muss heiraten!
Riggs hält nichts von der Liebe und lebt mit 37 sein Single Leben in vollen Zügen aus. Jedoch erwischt Duffy ihre Chefin mit dem Playboy, was ihr ein Druckmittel verschafft.
Riggs und Duffy werden heiraten, aber ob diese „Beziehung“ ein Happy End haben kann? Das wissen selbst die beiden nicht …
Von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite bin ich absolut verliebt gewesen! Der Handlungsverlauf war absolut spannend und mitreißend, sodass ich alles um mich herum vergessen konnte. Genau das wünsche ich mir auch, wenn ich zu einem Buch greifen, und L. J. Shen schafft es einfach jedes Mal aufs Neue. 🥰
Riggs und Duffy sind zu Beginn sehr unterschiedlich und man fragt sich wirklich, wie daraus eine Liebesbeziehung entstehen soll. Das Ganze ich jedoch ein sehr vielschichtiger Prozess, den man hier auf eine ganz emotionale Art und Wiese dargeboten bekommt.
Zum Schluss lässt sich nur sagen, dass ich unheimlich traurig bin, dass eine Reihe der Autorin wieder zu Ende ist. Aber jedes Ende ist auch ein Anfang. Ich freue mich auf alles, was noch von ihr kommt! ❤️
September 14, 2024
is this rating is fully based on vibes? maybe…but it’s also almost everything i want in a messy, angsty romance book. this was two REAL commitmentphobes falling in love with each other and yeah i loved every second of it
the fact that the main character knew exactly what she wanted in life and never apologized for it even though it’s not the norm made me like her even more! such a fun read
the fact that the main character knew exactly what she wanted in life and never apologized for it even though it’s not the norm made me like her even more! such a fun read
no-way-jose
May 17, 2024No rating, DNF at 8%. I just couldn’t take it anymore.
My first impression was of how unlikeable and immature all of the characters were.
The heroine is a British girl that’s in a bind as her billionaire boyfriend just broke up with her so he could go tour Africa and find himself. Her work visa is set to expire soon, and she was counting on this bf to propose to her, not breaking-up with her.
Her female boss was the biggest cartoonish bitch I’ve ever read. She demands the heroine to go out at midnight, get a toy store to immediately open up after hours for her, buy a crap ton of birthday gifts for the boss’s daughter, and deliver the toys to the boss’s house before 6am.
The heroine arrives to the boss’s apartment, lets herself in, promptly trips and falls down, her dress flips up exposing her underwear…. Looks up to see that she’s walked in on her boss having sex with some hot guy (that’s not her husband). Yup, this is our introduction to our sexy hero. Having on page sex with another woman (who he knows is married) 🤮
“Nice panties,” he greeted me midthrust, not bothering to stop shagging my employer. “Please tell me you’re wearing a matching bra.”
“I am,” I announced, refusing to appear embarrassed. “They were on sale.”
“Great investment.” He groaned, obviously on the edge of a climax.
Were we actually exchanging pleasantries while he was defiling my boss?”
Gross. Not how I want to be introduced to our future loving couple.
Anyway, everything that I read after that until I quit at 8% was ridiculous, improbable, contrived conversations, actions, and inner dialogue. Horrible people that I wouldn’t want to meet, let alone root for their HEA. It actually made me mad. Like this: 😡
My first impression was of how unlikeable and immature all of the characters were.
The heroine is a British girl that’s in a bind as her billionaire boyfriend just broke up with her so he could go tour Africa and find himself. Her work visa is set to expire soon, and she was counting on this bf to propose to her, not breaking-up with her.
Her female boss was the biggest cartoonish bitch I’ve ever read. She demands the heroine to go out at midnight, get a toy store to immediately open up after hours for her, buy a crap ton of birthday gifts for the boss’s daughter, and deliver the toys to the boss’s house before 6am.
The heroine arrives to the boss’s apartment, lets herself in, promptly trips and falls down, her dress flips up exposing her underwear…. Looks up to see that she’s walked in on her boss having sex with some hot guy (that’s not her husband). Yup, this is our introduction to our sexy hero. Having on page sex with another woman (who he knows is married) 🤮
“Nice panties,” he greeted me midthrust, not bothering to stop shagging my employer. “Please tell me you’re wearing a matching bra.”
“I am,” I announced, refusing to appear embarrassed. “They were on sale.”
“Great investment.” He groaned, obviously on the edge of a climax.
Were we actually exchanging pleasantries while he was defiling my boss?”
Gross. Not how I want to be introduced to our future loving couple.
Anyway, everything that I read after that until I quit at 8% was ridiculous, improbable, contrived conversations, actions, and inner dialogue. Horrible people that I wouldn’t want to meet, let alone root for their HEA. It actually made me mad. Like this: 😡
Read
September 6, 2024DNF at 28%
It’s a lot of nonsense! 🤦🏻♀️
It’s a lot of nonsense! 🤦🏻♀️
March 20, 2024
Ruthless Rivals (book 1) was my first ever L.J. Shen read and is an absolute favourite, so I was so thrilled to receive an ARC of book 3 in this series! Cold Hearted Casanova took me a bit to properly get into. I couldn’t see myself at all in the FMC, plus the opening few chapters were crazy cheesy and I didn’t love the tone they were setting for the rest of the book. But I couldn’t have been more surprised by how this story progressed! I honestly shed tears towards the end! Duffy’s character progression is so well written and I absolutely loved Rigg’s POV. 4⭐️, only deducting a star because there was an important plot twist in this story that I just absolutely couldn’t buy into. Too random and unrealistic and soap opera-y (which the FMC even admitted herself lol)
June 4, 2024
3 Stars
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise and banter.
The Not-So-Good: The h.
The Bad: The off page slight time jumps that took the place of on page connection between the mcs -- it felt like I was just told they connected instead of experiencing it with them.
Overall: This was alright. I'm honestly surprised I made it through because the beginning was slow and I didn't really like the h. I liked the premise and banter, so I think that's what had me sticking with it. I would've liked more time with them connecting on page because I do feel like some of that was done off page in slight time jumps. This, potentially, would've made me feel their connection to each other more, which is probably my biggest issue.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Duffy and Riggs story. Duffy catches Riggs in a compromising position with her married high-profile boss and takes advantage of the situation by blackmailing him into marriage for her visa that is about to expire. Riggs agrees to it to get his own boss off his back and to prevent it coming out that he is the billionaire he is. They bump heads and eventually give into their attraction to become f-buddies while married and waiting for the immigration meeting and end up catch feelings for the first time with one another. There is some ex drama, some secrets revealed, some baggage they both have to work through, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Duffy and Riggs POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good for the most part. The beginning felt slow. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.
Instalove: No, more like hate-to-f-buddy-to-more
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Riggs. I liked him but he really was immature a lot of the time.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Duffy. I struggled with her a lot at first but I appreciated her character growth by the end.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed a few tears but didn't get as emotional as I thought it would.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes
Cheating: Not between mcs
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a cute place with what I would call a HEA ending
Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise and banter.
The Not-So-Good: The h.
The Bad: The off page slight time jumps that took the place of on page connection between the mcs -- it felt like I was just told they connected instead of experiencing it with them.
Overall: This was alright. I'm honestly surprised I made it through because the beginning was slow and I didn't really like the h. I liked the premise and banter, so I think that's what had me sticking with it. I would've liked more time with them connecting on page because I do feel like some of that was done off page in slight time jumps. This, potentially, would've made me feel their connection to each other more, which is probably my biggest issue.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Duffy and Riggs story. Duffy catches Riggs in a compromising position with her married high-profile boss and takes advantage of the situation by blackmailing him into marriage for her visa that is about to expire. Riggs agrees to it to get his own boss off his back and to prevent it coming out that he is the billionaire he is. They bump heads and eventually give into their attraction to become f-buddies while married and waiting for the immigration meeting and end up catch feelings for the first time with one another. There is some ex drama, some secrets revealed, some baggage they both have to work through, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Duffy and Riggs POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good for the most part. The beginning felt slow. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise.
Instalove: No, more like hate-to-f-buddy-to-more
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Riggs. I liked him but he really was immature a lot of the time.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Duffy. I struggled with her a lot at first but I appreciated her character growth by the end.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed a few tears but didn't get as emotional as I thought it would.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes
Cheating: Not between mcs
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a cute place with what I would call a HEA ending
Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
April 28, 2024
"My boss won't be able to spring an eight-month stint in deep Alaska on me. Apparently, it's an assignment fir for a single person without responsibilities. I need a responsibility. Some baggage. That's where you come into the picture.
She stared at me with the enthusiasm of an inmate on death row. "I've always wanted to be someone's burden."
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure you already are."
i've been on an l.j. shen kick lately, and this author never fails to provide only the best kind of entertainment.
i didn't particularly enjoy this romance, but it had its moments. it was a quick and easy read, and definitely a great way to pass a few hours.
March 13, 2024
What you can expect to find in Cold Hearted Casanova:
-marriage of convenience
-fake relationship/real feelings
-slow burn
-angsty
-family & found family
Daphne aka "Duffy" and Riggs run into each other under not so ideal circumstances. Duffy finds Riggs in a compromising position with her married boss. Riggs couldn't be bothered by the fact, but Daphne makes him a proposition (aka blackmail). Marry her so that she could stay in the US without being deported back to the UK. She's been working under a work visa, but her current boss is moving on and not taking Duffy with her. Riggs isn't so keen on the idea of marrying a stranger, but when his boss insists on sending him to travel to Alaska for work, Riggs takes Daphne up on her offer. There are few places in the world that Riggs does not want to travel to and Alaska is at the top of that list.
I have been waiting for Riggs book since the beginning of the Cruel Castaways series. The fact that he's a billionaire but prefers to live like a nomad was a highlight of the previous books. I'm glad that we got to see more of what makes his character tick in Cold Hearted Casanova. Riggs is such a complex character and I loved his dynamic with Duffy. Duffy was always so prim and proper - wanting to further herself up the socioeconomic ladder in New York. Both of these characters appear shallow when we first meet them and I love how my view of both changed.
As with most LJ Shen books - there was plenty of angst, plenty of spice and plenty of gut wrenching moments. I have not cried so much reading one of her books as I did in Cold Hearted Casanova. This book will stay with me for a while.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
-marriage of convenience
-fake relationship/real feelings
-slow burn
-angsty
-family & found family
Daphne aka "Duffy" and Riggs run into each other under not so ideal circumstances. Duffy finds Riggs in a compromising position with her married boss. Riggs couldn't be bothered by the fact, but Daphne makes him a proposition (aka blackmail). Marry her so that she could stay in the US without being deported back to the UK. She's been working under a work visa, but her current boss is moving on and not taking Duffy with her. Riggs isn't so keen on the idea of marrying a stranger, but when his boss insists on sending him to travel to Alaska for work, Riggs takes Daphne up on her offer. There are few places in the world that Riggs does not want to travel to and Alaska is at the top of that list.
I have been waiting for Riggs book since the beginning of the Cruel Castaways series. The fact that he's a billionaire but prefers to live like a nomad was a highlight of the previous books. I'm glad that we got to see more of what makes his character tick in Cold Hearted Casanova. Riggs is such a complex character and I loved his dynamic with Duffy. Duffy was always so prim and proper - wanting to further herself up the socioeconomic ladder in New York. Both of these characters appear shallow when we first meet them and I love how my view of both changed.
As with most LJ Shen books - there was plenty of angst, plenty of spice and plenty of gut wrenching moments. I have not cried so much reading one of her books as I did in Cold Hearted Casanova. This book will stay with me for a while.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
April 10, 2024
While some of this was sweet I couldn’t get over Riggs being a walking STI and Duffy catching him screwing her boss. I know this was before they got together but still. Sloppy seconds eeww. It just spoilt the whole romance/story for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2024
I liked it, I just didn't love it. Both MCs were not that relatable, maybe that's why. That said, the book was solid but I'm glad this series is over, I honestly couldn't remember who the characters were from previous book so that probably tells you everything you need to know. I vastly prefer any other series from this author.
Over and out
Over and out
June 30, 2025
Wzruszenia na książce LJ Shen nie było w moim bingo na ten weekend.
Oczywiście że jest tu kolejny chłop typowy dla książek autorki. Oczywiście że oboje rozwiązaliby swoje problemy w 10 minut gdyby siedli i szczerze pogadali. Ale to co najbardziej podobało mi się to główna bohaterka, która już taka oczywista nie była: materialistka, która nie kryje się z tym, że jej celem jest dobrze wyjść za mąż i która gdzieś w środku ma tramę z dzieciństwa związaną z biedą i porzuceniem. I człowiek się zaczyna zastanawiać, czy pragnienie poczucia bezpieczeństwa jakie dają pieniądze jest takie złe. No i czy z Duffy taka materialistka, biorąc pod uwagę gesty wobec nibymęża, o którym nie wie że jest miliarderem.
Całą serię uważam za bardzo udaną. Nie ma w niej wielu smutu, za to jest parę refleksyjnych momentów.
Oczywiście że jest tu kolejny chłop typowy dla książek autorki. Oczywiście że oboje rozwiązaliby swoje problemy w 10 minut gdyby siedli i szczerze pogadali. Ale to co najbardziej podobało mi się to główna bohaterka, która już taka oczywista nie była: materialistka, która nie kryje się z tym, że jej celem jest dobrze wyjść za mąż i która gdzieś w środku ma tramę z dzieciństwa związaną z biedą i porzuceniem. I człowiek się zaczyna zastanawiać, czy pragnienie poczucia bezpieczeństwa jakie dają pieniądze jest takie złe. No i czy z Duffy taka materialistka, biorąc pod uwagę gesty wobec nibymęża, o którym nie wie że jest miliarderem.
Całą serię uważam za bardzo udaną. Nie ma w niej wielu smutu, za to jest parę refleksyjnych momentów.
April 30, 2024
Първата беше доста добра. Втората ми хареса ужасно много. Но третата? Третата е бижуто на поредицата. 💎😌👌 Сега ми остава само да си подсмръчквам в ъгъла хем заради нея, хем понеже поредицата приключи 🥺
April 9, 2024
Why was it so boring??
April 30, 2024
I actually hated these two people. They deserve each other.
April 10, 2024
Every time the fake couple makes a rule about “not fraternizing” I look up smiling like a sitcom character breaking the fourth wall. Duffy and Riggs weren’t the exception.
It was extra satisfying to see how they fell as they were BOTH so opposed to things working out between them. Usually one of the MCs is resolute when it comes to upholding the farce. But watching them both catch feelings for each other was both deeply satisfying and adorable somehow?
Once the story took off I could not put it down. I kept wanting to see how their relationship would develop and how we were going to navigate the foreseeable twist. I may have shed a tear (or several 👀) as Riggs came to terms with his background and lifestyle. I was happy to see him get his HEA. A good conclusion to the Cruel Castaways series!
Read if you like:
💍 Marriage of Convenience
✈️ Forced Proximity
💍 Billionaire Romance
It was extra satisfying to see how they fell as they were BOTH so opposed to things working out between them. Usually one of the MCs is resolute when it comes to upholding the farce. But watching them both catch feelings for each other was both deeply satisfying and adorable somehow?
Once the story took off I could not put it down. I kept wanting to see how their relationship would develop and how we were going to navigate the foreseeable twist. I may have shed a tear (or several 👀) as Riggs came to terms with his background and lifestyle. I was happy to see him get his HEA. A good conclusion to the Cruel Castaways series!
Read if you like:
💍 Marriage of Convenience
✈️ Forced Proximity
💍 Billionaire Romance
December 29, 2024
The best book of all 3. Loved Riggs and Duffy!
March 14, 2024
I finished this book in a day, so obviously I found it quite addicting.
This book is a sort of guilty pleasure. It follows Duffy, a young woman whose poverty-ridden childhood has left her determined to marry well at any cost, and Riggs, a billionaire rake whose life consists purely of pursuing adventure and who is determined never to be tied down.
Life, of course, has other plans. Thrown together by circumstance, they enter a fake marriage. But it isn't long before they give in to their attraction and feelings soon follow. However, before they can have a future they must face their pasts and confront their demons.
While I will admit some bits read rather unrealistic it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
Tropes: fake marriage/green card marriage, age-gap romance, billionaire romance
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This book is a sort of guilty pleasure. It follows Duffy, a young woman whose poverty-ridden childhood has left her determined to marry well at any cost, and Riggs, a billionaire rake whose life consists purely of pursuing adventure and who is determined never to be tied down.
Life, of course, has other plans. Thrown together by circumstance, they enter a fake marriage. But it isn't long before they give in to their attraction and feelings soon follow. However, before they can have a future they must face their pasts and confront their demons.
While I will admit some bits read rather unrealistic it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
Tropes: fake marriage/green card marriage, age-gap romance, billionaire romance
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Read
April 11, 2024DNF @ 28%
I am not about to put myself into another book slump and I can feel it coming
I LOVED book 1 and 2 in this series but book 3 is not it for me
Why do these characters seem so IMMATURE?
Not rating this since I might pick it up again someday
I am not about to put myself into another book slump and I can feel it coming
I LOVED book 1 and 2 in this series but book 3 is not it for me
Why do these characters seem so IMMATURE?
Not rating this since I might pick it up again someday
April 10, 2024
LJ Shen has once again raised the bar and written an outstanding, heartfelt, beautiful love story that took hold of my story from page one and held on to it tightly till the very last page. My heart is so full after reading this book. I had no doubt in my mind that this would be the case, just like all her other books it was addictive, all-consuming, intense and the characters, you just couldn't help but fall in love with them. This book has me all bent out of shape and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing! It’s great, I love it when a book does this! I’m in my feels right now!
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
🔥 𝗙𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲
🔥 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀-𝘁𝗼-𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀
🔥 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘆
🔥 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲
🔥 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
🔥 𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗽 (𝟯𝟳-𝟮𝟲)
🔥 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻
🔥 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
🔥 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁𝘆
🔥 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆
🔥 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿
Cold Hearted Casanova is book three in The Cruel Castaway, even though it can be read as a standalone, it’s more entertaining and better understood if you start with book one.
Riggs isn’t what I expected. He’s loaded. Rich as hell, but he doesn’t flaunt it. He actually will go to great lengths to hide the fact that he’s made of money. He would rather not be “liked” for his wealth. He won’t even tell his fake fiancé so when they move in with each other, he leaves it up to her to pay most of the bills/expenses.
Okay, I’m not going to sugarcoat this… Duffy (Daphne) drove me nuts.. not enough to take anything away from how I felt about the book as a whole. There were just a few times throughout the book that I just wanted to climb through and slap her across the face.
Duffy is a self-proclaimed gold dinner and the only things she wants in life is money, marriage and to stay in The United States and she thinks she almost has all that but when her ex-boyfriend/fiancée takes off to go and finds himself in life just before her visa is set to expire. However, this is when she and Riggs meet and she ends up with dirt on him which leads to her blackmailing him.
Riggs needs to stay in New York and prove to his boss that’s where he belongs, so temporarily marrying Duffy could be the key to keeping his boss off his back and avoiding sending him off to Alaska, which is the last place he wants to be.
Having to spend so much time together the hatred they had for each other slowly forms into heated chemistry and intense sexual tension and they can’t help but let these feelings consume them both.
This story was well-written, gut-wrenching, humorous and somewhat emotional. I can’t believe I cried throughout this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve cried while reading a book!
Can’t recommend this book enough!
5 STARS!
April 28, 2024
4.5 ★
This is the third and last book from the Cruel Castaways series.
Duffy and Riggs get a marriage of convenience💍, she needs a visa to stay in the states and he needs a wife to show to his boss that he has responsibilities and can't just take off to Alaska (a place he really doesn't want to visit) for a work assignment.
They are both troubled by their past and due to that each of them is shaped to act the way they do on the present day.
The more time they get to spend together the more they open up to each other.
I enjoyed the characters arc, enjoying the way they grow and change.
Get some tissues, I was sobbing reading about Riggs' past and one of the side characters.😭
“𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔.”
"𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖."
I can always trust this author to deliver amazing books.❤️
This is the third and last book from the Cruel Castaways series.
Duffy and Riggs get a marriage of convenience💍, she needs a visa to stay in the states and he needs a wife to show to his boss that he has responsibilities and can't just take off to Alaska (a place he really doesn't want to visit) for a work assignment.
They are both troubled by their past and due to that each of them is shaped to act the way they do on the present day.
The more time they get to spend together the more they open up to each other.
I enjoyed the characters arc, enjoying the way they grow and change.
Get some tissues, I was sobbing reading about Riggs' past and one of the side characters.😭
“𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔.”
"𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖."
I can always trust this author to deliver amazing books.❤️
April 23, 2024
Blackmailing was never that hot
This is the third book in the Cruel Castaways- Series. This time, we follow Riggs.The last manstanding in this friendship.
Oppinion:
I like the writing and the tension from page one on. The writing is fluid and easygoing from page one on and even easy to understand from a non native English reader. We got both POVs (inner thoughts from Duffy and Riggs). The changes of views aren't linear but happen whenever it's necessary for a better understanding.
And then there're the protagonists: Riggs and Duffy.
There are the looks and words Riggs und Duffy share and all the bickering that bild up more tension between them. I also like the evolution they made throughout the book.
In the beginning, Duffy is very conservative and not outspoken. During the book, we got to know her very well and what she had to surpass. That made her so relatable to me. I feel deeply with her in this book.
But Riggs, oh, Riggs, is one other character that I really wanted to get more information from since the beginning of the series. He's like the careless and carefree guy who simply just wants his freedom, but life happens. His evolution is the one more notable since the beginning and makes my heart wide open.
I also like the reappearances of Christian, Arya, Arsene, and Winnie.
Conclusion
An easygoing romance with all the right feels and tension and spice.
It's the round end to the Castaway series with all the reappearances of the well known characters.
Stars ☆ 5/5☆
The book
Riggs Bates may be a billionaire, but he knows money can’t buy happiness. He keeps his financial status a secret and takes his women the same way he takes his meals—a different one three times a day. That’s until he’s caught sleeping with a married newswoman by none other than her ambitious assistant.
Daphne “Duffy” Markham wants two things in life: marry well and stay in the States. So when her almost-fiancé takes off to “find himself” and her work visa approaches expiration, Duffy resorts to the only thing she has left—blackmail. Luckily, Riggs needs an excuse to stay in New York as badly as she does, so their first meeting quickly leads to a begrudging engagement.
Armed with strict house rules and their mutual distaste for one another, Riggs and Duffy soon find there’s no denying the spark between them…or the fact that this fake marriage is starting to feel a little too real.
Info
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the third book in the Cruel Castaways- Series. This time, we follow Riggs.The last manstanding in this friendship.
Oppinion:
I like the writing and the tension from page one on. The writing is fluid and easygoing from page one on and even easy to understand from a non native English reader. We got both POVs (inner thoughts from Duffy and Riggs). The changes of views aren't linear but happen whenever it's necessary for a better understanding.
And then there're the protagonists: Riggs and Duffy.
There are the looks and words Riggs und Duffy share and all the bickering that bild up more tension between them. I also like the evolution they made throughout the book.
In the beginning, Duffy is very conservative and not outspoken. During the book, we got to know her very well and what she had to surpass. That made her so relatable to me. I feel deeply with her in this book.
But Riggs, oh, Riggs, is one other character that I really wanted to get more information from since the beginning of the series. He's like the careless and carefree guy who simply just wants his freedom, but life happens. His evolution is the one more notable since the beginning and makes my heart wide open.
I also like the reappearances of Christian, Arya, Arsene, and Winnie.
Conclusion
An easygoing romance with all the right feels and tension and spice.
It's the round end to the Castaway series with all the reappearances of the well known characters.
Stars ☆ 5/5☆
The book
Riggs Bates may be a billionaire, but he knows money can’t buy happiness. He keeps his financial status a secret and takes his women the same way he takes his meals—a different one three times a day. That’s until he’s caught sleeping with a married newswoman by none other than her ambitious assistant.
Daphne “Duffy” Markham wants two things in life: marry well and stay in the States. So when her almost-fiancé takes off to “find himself” and her work visa approaches expiration, Duffy resorts to the only thing she has left—blackmail. Luckily, Riggs needs an excuse to stay in New York as badly as she does, so their first meeting quickly leads to a begrudging engagement.
Armed with strict house rules and their mutual distaste for one another, Riggs and Duffy soon find there’s no denying the spark between them…or the fact that this fake marriage is starting to feel a little too real.
Info
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 25, 2024
3.5 stars
April 16, 2024
Cold Hearted Casanova by L J Shen is a spicy billionaire romance with a little bit of friends to lovers.
The book started and I really disliked Riggs Bates. He is a playboy photographer that sleeps with any woman he wants and rarely remembers her name. We literally meet him white he is having a very intimate experience with a married woman. Riggs doesn’t have his own place, staying at friends houses when he’s not traveling the world taking photos. He doesn’t feel the desire or need to have lasting meaningful relationship other than with his two best friends.
Duffy Markham works at a job with a boss she despises. Her life takes an unexpected turn when the man BJ she has been dating for years tells her he’s going on a six month trip to Nepal to find himself, which coincides with her losing her job, her visa to stay in the United States, and her hopes of them getting married to have stability. When she walks in on her nasty married boss Gretchen in a compromising position with the dirty playboy, she decides that the best way to stay in the US is to blackmail them. How you may ask? She tells him either marry her or she will tell the world about Gretchen and tank her political career. And her boss begs Riggs to marry Duffy, meanwhile still treating Duffy like garbage.
Riggs doesn’t care if his married friend gets outed, but when his boss tells him he has to go to Alaska for a photo shoot because he’s single, he decides the best way to get out of a forced trip is a fake marriage.
The book started out annoying and they all seemed immature and silly, but at some point I started to really like the book. Duffy says from the start that she’s just a gold digger, not knowing that Riggs is secretly loaded. They go from completely hating each other to lovers trope with an age gap romance. I really enjoyed the book, surprisingly because I didn’t think that either would be redeemable.
The characters are definitely dislikable in the beginning but as you get to know them you definitely see so much more. I love Duffy family as well as Riggs friends. I haven’t read the earlier books in this series but it didn’t really hurt the story, although I will definitely add the other books to my tbr. I enjoyed the characters arc, enjoying the way they grow and change.
I disliked their immature attitude in the beginning of the book as well as Riggs blasé attitude about sex with anyone anywhere. BJ made my skin crawl. I also disliked how obsessed Duffy was with wealth for a large portion of the book.
Tropes
Enemies to lovers
Age gap
Marriage of convenience
Billionaire romance
The book started and I really disliked Riggs Bates. He is a playboy photographer that sleeps with any woman he wants and rarely remembers her name. We literally meet him white he is having a very intimate experience with a married woman. Riggs doesn’t have his own place, staying at friends houses when he’s not traveling the world taking photos. He doesn’t feel the desire or need to have lasting meaningful relationship other than with his two best friends.
Duffy Markham works at a job with a boss she despises. Her life takes an unexpected turn when the man BJ she has been dating for years tells her he’s going on a six month trip to Nepal to find himself, which coincides with her losing her job, her visa to stay in the United States, and her hopes of them getting married to have stability. When she walks in on her nasty married boss Gretchen in a compromising position with the dirty playboy, she decides that the best way to stay in the US is to blackmail them. How you may ask? She tells him either marry her or she will tell the world about Gretchen and tank her political career. And her boss begs Riggs to marry Duffy, meanwhile still treating Duffy like garbage.
Riggs doesn’t care if his married friend gets outed, but when his boss tells him he has to go to Alaska for a photo shoot because he’s single, he decides the best way to get out of a forced trip is a fake marriage.
The book started out annoying and they all seemed immature and silly, but at some point I started to really like the book. Duffy says from the start that she’s just a gold digger, not knowing that Riggs is secretly loaded. They go from completely hating each other to lovers trope with an age gap romance. I really enjoyed the book, surprisingly because I didn’t think that either would be redeemable.
The characters are definitely dislikable in the beginning but as you get to know them you definitely see so much more. I love Duffy family as well as Riggs friends. I haven’t read the earlier books in this series but it didn’t really hurt the story, although I will definitely add the other books to my tbr. I enjoyed the characters arc, enjoying the way they grow and change.
I disliked their immature attitude in the beginning of the book as well as Riggs blasé attitude about sex with anyone anywhere. BJ made my skin crawl. I also disliked how obsessed Duffy was with wealth for a large portion of the book.
Tropes
Enemies to lovers
Age gap
Marriage of convenience
Billionaire romance
April 7, 2024
★4.5★
Ms Shen gives an all new meaning to the word “gold digger”, I dare you to find a more fascinating and charming social class climber.
It’s sad to see this world coming to an end, but like every beautiful thing, this too, has reached its destination, but rest assured of the fact that the last book in this series of interconnected stand alone will not disappoint, the author guarantees a worthy departure.
~𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 . . . 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙨 𝘽𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙞����𝙚~
Riggs is as handsome as reluctant to any kind of commitment. However, his insouciance hides a touching story and a trauma that he will need to deal with in order to overcome his fears.
Duffy is an endearing young woman with a refined British accent and a penchant for lists, which, mind you, must be unfailingly laminated. Her career and a secure financial position are her utmost priority, until her well planned life is completely overturned.
~𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩, 𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨.
𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙮𝙨𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚~
These two complicated and, apparently opposite, characters will lead you into an emotional and entertaining story. Their peculiarities are expertly penned by the author who doesn’t spare the reader heartbreak and grief. Sometimes, in order to learn your lesson, you must pay a high price, being a billionaire in this scenario, won’t be of any help. What initially started as an agreement made for convenience will slowly evolve into something that looks just too good to be just a contract between two people after their own interests.
~𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 99 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩~
I enjoyed how Ms Shen develops the plot and leads the reader through this thrilling journey, she gives the right time to allow Riggs and Duff their necessary growth. The story is told in dual POV, the action is always lively, the banter is on point and the chemistry is very real, the slow burn is effectively delivered, neither of them is acknowledging their feels or attraction they finally accept what’s under everyone eyes after some bumping moments.
~𝘿𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙪𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧~
Ms Shen brings an all new look to a familiar setting, I can always trust this author to deliver witty characters, a fast paced narrative filled with angst and the right amount of drama to satisfy my desire for struggling characters before delivering a sought after happy ending. As well as enjoying Rigg’s story I was pleased to meet old friends and entertaining cameos from Christian and Arsène.
Ms Shen gives an all new meaning to the word “gold digger”, I dare you to find a more fascinating and charming social class climber.
It’s sad to see this world coming to an end, but like every beautiful thing, this too, has reached its destination, but rest assured of the fact that the last book in this series of interconnected stand alone will not disappoint, the author guarantees a worthy departure.
~𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 . . . 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙨 𝘽𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙞����𝙚~
Riggs is as handsome as reluctant to any kind of commitment. However, his insouciance hides a touching story and a trauma that he will need to deal with in order to overcome his fears.
Duffy is an endearing young woman with a refined British accent and a penchant for lists, which, mind you, must be unfailingly laminated. Her career and a secure financial position are her utmost priority, until her well planned life is completely overturned.
~𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩, 𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨.
𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙮𝙨𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚~
These two complicated and, apparently opposite, characters will lead you into an emotional and entertaining story. Their peculiarities are expertly penned by the author who doesn’t spare the reader heartbreak and grief. Sometimes, in order to learn your lesson, you must pay a high price, being a billionaire in this scenario, won’t be of any help. What initially started as an agreement made for convenience will slowly evolve into something that looks just too good to be just a contract between two people after their own interests.
~𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 99 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩~
I enjoyed how Ms Shen develops the plot and leads the reader through this thrilling journey, she gives the right time to allow Riggs and Duff their necessary growth. The story is told in dual POV, the action is always lively, the banter is on point and the chemistry is very real, the slow burn is effectively delivered, neither of them is acknowledging their feels or attraction they finally accept what’s under everyone eyes after some bumping moments.
~𝘿𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙪𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧~
Ms Shen brings an all new look to a familiar setting, I can always trust this author to deliver witty characters, a fast paced narrative filled with angst and the right amount of drama to satisfy my desire for struggling characters before delivering a sought after happy ending. As well as enjoying Rigg’s story I was pleased to meet old friends and entertaining cameos from Christian and Arsène.
March 28, 2024
I recieved a free copy of this title to read & review for Wicked Reads
Cold Hearted Casanova is the third & final installment in the Cruel Castaways series.
Can the novel be read as a standalone? Yes
Should the novel be read as a standalone? No.
While no confusion would be had for a new reader, you'd miss out on the backstory of our 3 cruel castaways & their cameos in each other's novels.
Having read & listened to the previous installments, Ruthless Rival (Christian) was a hook for me, while Fallen Foe (Arsene) wasn't my cuppa. I was on the fence about Cold Hearted Casanova because of the previous installment.
From page one, I was hooked. This novel could have been read in one sitting but life called me back to reality. That being said, I'm glad, as I was able to stretch out the delightful escape for 3 days.
Riggs is different from his Alpha-Hole friends. Riggs brought levity to every page, no matter the content. No hard edges. No cruelty. This made for a warmer, fluffier, sweeter yet more emotionally impacting read. Hyper-realistic.
Fake marriage for a visa. Duffy, the self-proclaimed gold digger. Riggs, the vagabond billionaire.
While Duffy & Riggs appear to be opposites attract or opposite personalities balance, I didn't see it that way. They had similar personalities, similar traumas, & they reacted differently. Riggs was breezy while Duffy was regimented but their core personalities were similar.
The story was delightful, humorous, yet evocative. The humor didn't lessen the deeper emotions but it did bring much-needed levity to brighten the darkness.
The family interactions shined brightly. Particularly Riggs & Duffy's twin. Heartwarming & hilarious. Riggs engaging in text battles with his boss. Just as I said aloud, are we ever going to see this man... all of this created a well-rounded reading experience.
I am beyond curious to listen to the audiobook to hear Riggs & Duffy's interactions.
Highly recommend this trilogy. Books 1 & 3 will be on my reread & re-listen list.
Cold Hearted Casanova is the third & final installment in the Cruel Castaways series.
Can the novel be read as a standalone? Yes
Should the novel be read as a standalone? No.
While no confusion would be had for a new reader, you'd miss out on the backstory of our 3 cruel castaways & their cameos in each other's novels.
Having read & listened to the previous installments, Ruthless Rival (Christian) was a hook for me, while Fallen Foe (Arsene) wasn't my cuppa. I was on the fence about Cold Hearted Casanova because of the previous installment.
From page one, I was hooked. This novel could have been read in one sitting but life called me back to reality. That being said, I'm glad, as I was able to stretch out the delightful escape for 3 days.
Riggs is different from his Alpha-Hole friends. Riggs brought levity to every page, no matter the content. No hard edges. No cruelty. This made for a warmer, fluffier, sweeter yet more emotionally impacting read. Hyper-realistic.
Fake marriage for a visa. Duffy, the self-proclaimed gold digger. Riggs, the vagabond billionaire.
While Duffy & Riggs appear to be opposites attract or opposite personalities balance, I didn't see it that way. They had similar personalities, similar traumas, & they reacted differently. Riggs was breezy while Duffy was regimented but their core personalities were similar.
The story was delightful, humorous, yet evocative. The humor didn't lessen the deeper emotions but it did bring much-needed levity to brighten the darkness.
The family interactions shined brightly. Particularly Riggs & Duffy's twin. Heartwarming & hilarious. Riggs engaging in text battles with his boss. Just as I said aloud, are we ever going to see this man... all of this created a well-rounded reading experience.
I am beyond curious to listen to the audiobook to hear Riggs & Duffy's interactions.
Highly recommend this trilogy. Books 1 & 3 will be on my reread & re-listen list.
April 4, 2024
Title: Cold Hearted Casanova By L.J. Shen
Cruel Castaways #3
4.5 Stars ✨
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
In this witty romance, Daphne "Duffy" Markham is desperate to marry into money and stay in the United States.
When her almost-fiancé leaves her and her work visa is about to expire, she resorts to blackmailing billionaire Riggs Bates, caught in a compromising situation. Riggs, who keeps his wealth a secret and avoids commitment, agrees to a fake marriage to extend his stay in New York. Despite their mutual dislike, their arrangement leads to unexpected sparks and feelings.
As their fake marriage starts feeling real, Riggs and Duffy must navigate their growing connection amidst their initial distaste for each other.
This can be read as a standalone. However in my case, it left such an impression that I'm eager to dive into the previous books in this series!
Cruel Castaways #3
4.5 Stars ✨
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
In this witty romance, Daphne "Duffy" Markham is desperate to marry into money and stay in the United States.
When her almost-fiancé leaves her and her work visa is about to expire, she resorts to blackmailing billionaire Riggs Bates, caught in a compromising situation. Riggs, who keeps his wealth a secret and avoids commitment, agrees to a fake marriage to extend his stay in New York. Despite their mutual dislike, their arrangement leads to unexpected sparks and feelings.
As their fake marriage starts feeling real, Riggs and Duffy must navigate their growing connection amidst their initial distaste for each other.
This can be read as a standalone. However in my case, it left such an impression that I'm eager to dive into the previous books in this series!
May 19, 2024
3.75 ⭐️
ARC REVIEW
This book was great to get lost in for a few hours, I finished it in one sitting.
I LOVED Duffy(fmc), who wouldn't want a rich husband????. I did like Riggs too (well I mean sometimes) but Duffy stole the show.
I feel like they could've solved so many problems by JUST COMMUNICATING. I mean come on Riggs you are 37 years old.
RANT INCOMING FROM A BRIT🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
The British sayings were just SO cringe. Nobody says 'jolly good' definitely not a 24 year old from SOUTH LONDON😭. I found myself cringing a lot whenever Daffy would say these things. There was honestly no need for them, I don't know who told Shen that Londoner's talk like this. Also I feel like a Brit who spoke like that would definitely hate Americans.
But if you aren't a Brit, you definitely will not care tbh😭😭😭😭😭. This is definitely a me problem so don't let this stop you from reading.
ARC REVIEW
This book was great to get lost in for a few hours, I finished it in one sitting.
I LOVED Duffy(fmc), who wouldn't want a rich husband????. I did like Riggs too (well I mean sometimes) but Duffy stole the show.
I feel like they could've solved so many problems by JUST COMMUNICATING. I mean come on Riggs you are 37 years old.
RANT INCOMING FROM A BRIT🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
The British sayings were just SO cringe. Nobody says 'jolly good' definitely not a 24 year old from SOUTH LONDON😭. I found myself cringing a lot whenever Daffy would say these things. There was honestly no need for them, I don't know who told Shen that Londoner's talk like this. Also I feel like a Brit who spoke like that would definitely hate Americans.
But if you aren't a Brit, you definitely will not care tbh😭😭😭😭😭. This is definitely a me problem so don't let this stop you from reading.
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