Billionaire's Sweetest Deal

Haven #7

by Beth Gildersleeve

A man wasn’t on her holiday wish list…

His grandfather’s will had made it perfectly clear: Gabriel Kane had to be married by the age of thirty-seven or he’d be denied control of the family business. With only days to go, billionaire Gabriel isn’t above maintaining his deception and using blackmail and bribery to get what he wants. Too bad his friend, Josie, is his only option. But is she desperate enough to accept his marriage proposal?

Entrepreneur Josie Wright burns the candle at both ends and keeps her eye firmly on her goals: to grow her chain of coffee shops and to protect her brother. Children and a family of her own would be nice, too, but she won’t trust her heart again. Gabe’s unwanted proposal might solve all her problems, or it might be her biggest mistake.

As Gabe battles his aunt and cousin over the family business and Josie fears losing hers, can two people already living overfull lives find room for each other? Will a marriage of convenience born from lies and blackmail transform their former friendship into a marriage of true love or create a smoldering wreck?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Novella, Clean Romance

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2022

About the author

Beth Gildersleeve writes contemporary romance series—lighthearted stories filled with sass, sparks, and swoony happy endings. Whether following small-town communities or close-knit siblings, her books are comfort-food for your heart. A Midwesterner with a brief Texas detour (long enough to adopt “y’all”), she’s a top-selling author whose resume has toured more industries than her luggage, but “mom” is still her favorite title. When she’s not writing, she’s fueling up on coffee, squinting at her needlepoint, acting as the unofficial Google hotline for her adult daughters, and performing search-and-rescue missions for her husband’s hat/gloves/phone.

Reviews

[Louise Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Really enjoyed this book! Love this entire Haven series and all of Beth’s books. Definitely recommend this light hearted read!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billionaire's Sweetest Deal by Beth Gildersleeve is a charming little romance featuring Wright and her brother's boss, Gabe Kane. Josie's brother, Josh had been clean for a year now. Gabe had taken a chance on him and is was paying off for both Josh and Gabe, in fact, Josh had just gotten a raise and was planning to move out of Josie's very small apartment. Things were looking good. Josie was done with bad romances and men lying to her. She had made a pact with her four friends when they had been in Paris to forego men for a while and focus on their careers and that was exactly was Josie was doing with her small chain of coffee shops, that is until one day, Gabe Kane came along and asked he to marry him, that day, so he could skirt some provisions in a will. Talk about out of left field!

Josie and Gabe were friends: he came to her shop every day and he was Josh's boss. All of a sudden she had agreed to marry him and she privately thought she was nuts. He whisked her off to Las Vegas where the first of many astounding things started happening to her. Who was this man she had agreed to marry? Then, she discovered he had lied. Was he just like the others? Could she trust him? Could she make this marriage work? There were so many challenges; so many variables.

What a fun book this was! Romance at its best! Silly, light, intense sometimes, everything to make an intriguing story. I recommend it!

I received a free ARC of Billionaire's Sweetest Deal from the author. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own.

[Linda J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard book to rate because I didn’t care for the antics of the h. She was petty, selfish, and jump to conclusions without any discussions.

When she’s picking out dresses for her wedding, the H’s cousins tried to guide her, but she wouldn’t listen. This is the first time she would’ve met his family and she didn’t care how she would look in their eyes.

Now the H wasn’t perfect, but he was in charge of many businesses, so he was used to doing things a certain way. I did like him and thought he had the patience of a saint with his wife.

Story has some sweet moments, great secondary characters, very bumpy road to HEA, touch of romance, and some things I wanted more information on. What was the reaction of her college friends who made a packed in Paris when they found out she married. What did her youngest brother think that his boss was now his brother-in-law?

It’s not a bad story if you can get past the antics of the h. No cheating, no cliffhanger, ends at 94% on my e-reader. Rest is teaser for another story. Lovemaking with bedroom door closed, but some suggestive talk within marriage.

I can’t improve on the blurb, just giving you extra to this to decide whether to purchase. (ljb)

[Texas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billionaire's Sweet Deal - Another clean, delightful and enjoyable story from an author I like. The storylines are interesting and the characters are mature instead of stupid. While I don't care for the fake marriage theme so popular nowadays, I do like the way this author handled everything. Each had an agenda and the marriage agreement worked for them. He didn't tell her his worth, never a topic, and it bothered me that she considered that lying. What goes for lying nowadays just floors me, yet the media is believed. She was a bit too much with thinking he wanted to own her business. There are plenty of good supporting characters that bring humor, value and common sense. The author does not go overboard about how "hot" everyone is but does a good job with the sexual tension; this is a clean read. I contacted the author to review her books.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billionaire's Sweetest Deal is a delightful book with a friends-to-lover, marriage of convenience trope. Both Josie and Gabe are driven entrepreneurs focused on their companies. They are friends but when Gabe realizes that he needs to be married before his rapidly approaching 37th birthday, he resorts to blackmail to get Josie to accept his proposal. Now these two very busy people have to find a way to make their marriage work. I very much enjoyed their journey. If you enjoy clean romances with sparkling characters, you should read this book. I own the book under its original title, Josie.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet book

Billionaire’s Sweetest Deal has two business people entering a marriage of convenience. The MMC is wealthy although the FMC doesn’t know that. The two MCs like each other although it wasn’t clear to me how well they knew each other. Also, some of the issues that come up post marriage seemed a little flimsy but, oh well, it’s fiction.

[Susan Mahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Wow! Love how Gabe and Josie got together and the missteps along the way. The ending was a good surprise.

[Bev H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Lot of Baggage

Both MCs had a lot of baggage to work through and the plot was somewhat predictable. No need to keep for any rereads.

[Joy Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Gildersleeve. I enjoyed the story of a marriage of convenience.

[Lovely V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice! Loved this Book!

I enjoyed the plot, storyline and characters in this book! Every page was well worth it! This author knows how to write!

[Chela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billionaires sweetest deal

I loved this book. It was Easy reading. I finished it in a few days. Great characters and story line.

[Angie Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beth Gildersleeve has written a book about Josie and Gabe. Josie is the owner of 11 coffee shops that do really well and Gabe is acting CEO of Woodworks. Gabe needs to be married by his next birthday in order to inherit the main company. He feels the only one he can marry and trust is Josie, so he tells her what he is thinking and asks her to marry him. She tells him yes. She does not know who he really is and that he is very rich. Things start out fine for them, but a deal that Gabe is working on takes all his time and he ends up staying in the town where his office is. Sometimes they only see each other on the weekend. Things are not going well for them, as the deal that Gabe is working on is causing him to ignore Josie and she is thinking that he second thoughts about them. Will Josie get her HEA or will she stay single? Can Gabe finally get his feelings for Josie straight and let her know she is more important than any business deal or will he lose her? This book was a wonderful read and it had the characters dealing with emotions and situations before they can really start their relationship. I would recommend this book to anyone. I received this ARC for my voluntary and honest review.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about family oriented! Josie Wright's brother Jamie is free of all his past problems and living "clean" with his big sis above one of her coffee shops. He has gotten a job he loves and is finally ready to move out and move on with his life. Then Gabe Kane (Jamie's boss at Haven Woodworks) stops in for coffee and to ask Josie a question. A question that shows how much she will do for her brother! An unusual situation, and Josie does more than you can imagine. is it easy? No. Does she regret it? Sometimes. Is she happy? Somehow, she is.
A fun book because you kind of figure out how it has to end, but no way could you predict the obstacles along the way. Wonderful characters surround Josie and Gabe, some supportive and some determined to cause problems. Emotionally charged from despair to bliss to dissatisfaction, this is a book that has more ups and downs than a roller coaster. I was frustrated at times with both Gabe and Josie for seeming to give up too quickly. But I'm so glad I didn't give up on them, because it turned out getting to the end was worth the emotions!

[BookHound · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josie is overworked growing her chain of coffee shops and has no time for a social life let alone finding a husband and starting a family. Gabe runs a local business that Josie's brother works for. He needs to get married by his next birthday to keep control the family business. Josie reluctantly accepts Gabe's proposal so her brother can keep his job. Little does she know, Gabe's family has has a huge corporation with more than the one business that Josie knows about and he is quite known and wealthy. Both Josie and Gabe need to figure out what is important in life - work or each other. Through blackmail getting married, misunderstandings, miscommunications, and lack of time they work their way through problems and find out if their marriage will last or disintegrate. Beth Gildersleeve is a very talented writer and I've read darn near every book she has written. Always look forward to her next book.

[Lori R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fun story of two, stubborn, independent business owners who on a blackmail merged their lives together by eloping in Las Vegas. I liked that it took them both by surprise when they discovered they each loved the other one but were not sure how to make the marriage work. The characters were wonderful, complex, and definitely had their own flaws which helped me to relate to them and to like them. Josie Wright Kane owns Jo's Jo, a coffee chain that she is married to and Josh Kane is CEO of Witz Holdings and is married to his job as well. Unfortunately for both of them three marriages will not work well and the banter and antics that follow made for a very interesting story that I could not put down. I really liked how the story ended. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

[Texas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billionaire's Sweet Deal - Another clean, delightful and enjoyable story from an author I like. The storylines are interesting and the characters are mature instead of stupid. While I don't care for the fake marriage theme so popular nowadays, I do like the way this author handled everything. Each had an agenda and the marriage agreement worked for them. He didn't tell her his worth, never a topic, and it bothered me that she considered that lying. What goes for lying nowadays just floors me, yet the media is believed. She was a bit too much with thinking he wanted to own her business. There are plenty of good supporting characters that bring humor, value and common sense. The author does not go overboard about how "hot" everyone is but does a good job with the sexual tension; this is a clean read. I contacted the author to review her books.

[Patricia Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book! This author's books get better with every new one that comes out. Josie is just wonderful in every way: witty, smart, hard-working, talented and you wonder why with all that she's let a few bum guys get in the way of true love in her life. She's got her reasons and you think, time and time again, she's going to get that kind of love in her life when literally everything goes wrong. Gabe is spot-on, the perfect mix of the perfect guy yet screwed up enough to make you root for him. He's handsome, a touch arrogant and rich and .... oh yeah, lies to a woman he's blackmailing into marrying him. What could go wrong? Just everything, and yet, it's a steamy-yet-not-steamy clean-cut romance with twists and turns that kept me wanting to know how it ended. Great book! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabe needs Josie to marry him by his birthday so he can remain CEO of his family's corporation. He leads Josie to believe the woodworking plant where her recovering addict brother works would close if she doesn't. She agrees to the marriage for her brother's sake and for the chance to have children. They are focused on their own businesses and their marriage seems to be based on passion and filled with misunderstandings but agree to give up some control and compromise in order to be happy. There were plenty of funny, sweet, and sexy moments in this friends to lovers marriage of convenience romance.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This closed door romance was a delight to read!
Take two independent workaholics, throw them into a marriage of convenience, grab a bowl of popcorn and read how smoothly it all goes...NOT!
Josie is trying to save her former addict brother's job by agreeing to marry Gabe, who has to marry in order to become CEO of his family's company.
Josie has trust issues and Gabe keeps his cards close to his chest, so of course there will be misunderstandings galore!
Although some reviews say this is a rom-com, I would not classify it as such.
I received an ARC courtesy of StoryOrigin and this is my voluntary review.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billionaire's Sweetest Deal is a delightful book with a friends-to-lover, marriage of convenience trope. Both Josie and Gabe are driven entrepreneurs focused on their companies. They are friends but when Gabe realizes that he needs to be married before his rapidly approaching 37th birthday, he resorts to blackmail to get Josie to accept his proposal. Now these two very busy people have to find a way to make their marriage work. I very much enjoyed their journey. If you enjoy clean romances with sparkling characters, you should read this book. I own the book under its original title, Josie.

[Sarah Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an arc via StoryOrigen and I’m voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This was a cute marriage of convenience rom com. It was the second book in the series that I have read and though I liked it, it pack the same punch as the first book I read in the series did. Gabe and Josie were a cute couple and they had a lot of chemistry, I guess I just needed a bit more of a connection to me as a reader. But it was definitely an enjoyable read.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Gabe & Josie’s book. His grandfather’s will made it clear: Gabriel Kane had to be married by the age of thirty-seven or he’d be denied control of the family business. With only days to go, billionaire Gabriel isn’t above maintaining his deception and using blackmail and bribery to get what he wants. Too bad his friend, Josie, is his only option. But is she desperate enough to accept his marriage proposal? This was an entertaining read. And am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book I've read written by Beth Gildersleeve; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book. I loved the chemistry between the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fun to read! The characters are mature and the storyline is engaging throughout. I also really enjoyed the writer's writing style. This is the first book I've read in this series but now I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the books and seeing what else the author releases.

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabe and Josie need help. These two are rather interesting and their story, although may sound familiar, do have quite the twists and turns. I found myself rooting for these two right from the beginning. A great story to get lost in.