Alisha moves back to the small town where she spent her happiest days in childhood. She meets Ken, a middle-aged widower, a single dad of two older children, and a billionaire business tycoon. Alisha and Ken find similarities in their way of thinking. Their friendship and attraction grow as they resolve each other's problems. They find true companionship. Their age gap, interracial relationship, wealth disparity, and their past all create hurdles in being together as a couple. Will society ever understand their love? Read this clean, billionaire age gap romantic comedy today!
Dhara Shah an American author who lives in Phoenix. She writes multicultural romantic comedies, contemporary romance novels, and novellas. She writes both spicy and sweet/clean books. She enjoys writing romance with relatable characters carefully integrated into social, psychological, and physical relationships with other people and society. Her background in psychology helps her portray her characters in real-life situations. She is a firm believer in happily-ever-after endings and shows that these happy endings may look different for different people. She is a first-generation American who embraces growing up with both Indian and American cultures.
Clean and Passionate I am so excited to be ARC reviewing this adorable love story with one of my favorite tropes – age gap romance. Alisha Dubey, a twenty-seven-year-old MBA, is fresh out of a relationship with Jay. She left the Big Apple for some relief and a kick start to a new life. Her mother Meena has remarried since Alisha’s father death and Alisha doesn’t want to bother her in her new life. So she moves to Sedona where her Auntie Melinda runs a salon. She meets a handsome guy, Ken, on her first day but doesn’t read too much into it. Alisha reconnects with her friend Chelsie who is now divorced and is operating a massage parlor. Her good friend Chelsie dares Alisha to knock on the door of a mansion that is opposite their peaceful hangout, a chapel. And that is not all, she has to kiss the person who opens the door. The story has a nice build-up even though Alisha meets the MC within hours of arriving in Sedona. He is a business tycoon dealing in antiques, Kenneth Zimmerman, or Ken. Ken has demons of his own, mostly due to his kids that have not settled well in life. Alisha takes the marketing manager’s job at an art gallery which fell in her lap mysteriously. She too has a past that steers her away from art, but she took the job anyway. The story develops with sweetness, beauty, and adventure. Together Ken and Alisha go through many ups and downs but beat the odds stacked against them. There are so many side characters that have been portrayed well. I especially liked Ethan and Dr. McCarthy a lot. It was a fun and engaging read with a great storyline to keep it interesting.
I was given an e-copy of this book for an honest review, and to be very honest, it was one of the most childish and extremely unrealistic books I've ever read. I had to dnf it and move on, which is one of the things I hate to do; I just couldn't continue to read on any longer, it went on to be more and more immature. Majority of the things felt so fake and written on an impulse; I cannot help cringing ever two minutes. Therefore, I am leaving this here for the sake of leaving a review. Thanks no thanks.
In the story, we follow Alisha whose boyfriend of 2 years suddenly decided that he wanted to get married but she was not the one for him. Her father passed away when she was young and her mother is busy with her new family. Heartbroken, Alisha decides to move to a small town called Sedona, where she grew up, to restart her life. As she is rediscovering this town, she stares at the mansion she has always adored in this town and that's where she meets Ken - a billionaire who deals with antiques and has recently moved to town.
Alisha is instantly drawn into Ken's charm and after an unfortunate accident, is rendered to stay back at the mansion and recover. This invites more time spent with Ken and she discovers she's falling for him, but his kids think she's a gold digger and are set to remove her from Ken's life.
Are their feelings strong enough to ignore the age gap between them or to withstand the family drama?
I enjoyed listening to this as the narrator was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed Alisha as a character. She was fierce, yet kind. Given her backstory, I was glad to see how far she'd come. i really enjoyed her friendship with her friend Chelsea. I adored Ken's belief in Alisha and giving her the boost of confidence, when she was anxious. For the story, I felt it was too rushed at parts and I wish we had more time with just the couple, where they were working on their relationship or just experiencing it. But, alas, there were too many side angles for the book to be just about the romance.
Regardless, it was a solid read a great audiobook.
I want to preface this by saying that romance novels are not always my go to genre, that being said, I really wanted to love this book! I adore the cover and the concept is lovely, but in my personal opinion the characters felt under developed and their “instant connection” felt forced and didn’t make sense to me. But if you enjoy easy reads and clean, Age gap romances, this might be your cup of tea, i just prefer a strong cup of coffee
First of all I want to say that this was the first age gap romance and multicultural book I’ve read + I think I’m just too young for this book. All of following critics are my opinions which can differentiate from person to person.
I‘m also an easily cringed out person if the main character is giving too much pick me Girl vibes (which I kind of caught from Alisha a lot :‘D ) sooo don’t take my review too personally please🤍✨ Thank you so much for the ARC though!!
Fav quote “Because I don’t want you to be my Sugar Daddy,” I scream angrily. — Just because it’s funny haha
„Communication is the best way for couples to solve problems.”
„No one has a right to judge what a relationship is like except the two people that are in it.“
Fav character Dr. McCarthy My fav character. Giving me those caring grandpa vibes <3 Miles I like him. What I don’t like is how Alisha is talking to him sometimes. So idk.. rude? He’s recovering from a drug addiction!! I don’t get why it seems like she hasn’t a single drop of empathy for him? He’s a lost child that needs support to get back on track!! Not someone reminding him constantly of what he did wrong in a very rude way.
What I liked Story setting It’s different to the mainstream romances that play in NewYork or other big cities. I like that this is a small town + red rocks? Come on it’s beautiful haha
The scene when Dr. McCarthy calls for Richard to get Ken into the room to talk to Alisha😂loved that
The dinner where Alisha takes Ken’s side and shows Alex who’s the boss🤣 Alex and Mallory were sooo pissed
Location 1030 ‚[…] beer. It was bitter. Yuck.‘ — I just totally felt that part😫
Location 1608 “Before you do anything else, I wanted to tell you I love you,” I whisper. I raise my hand so he could see the ring. He kisses the side of my neck but doesn’t react to seeing the ring. “I love you too, Barbie,” he says. — I’m WHEEZING idk I found this so funny :‘D except the argument that followed.
What I didn’t like I don’t like Alisha. I don’t like her character traits at all. In my eyes she’s annoying, whiny and arrogant. She thinks the world revolves around her and that she’s even more important than Ken’s children? Big oof
Too many events happening in such a short time/book. (In my opinion)
Location 710 ‚I chuckle. I can’t believe he has humor even in an unpleasant situation like this.‘ — Did I miss the joke orrr….?🫢
I love him. I can’t be with him. I miss him so much. I want to leave this house and never look back. I want to live with him. I don’t want to be near him or talk to him. I’ll leave this town. I’ll move in with him. — every second chapter she changes her mind and this rollercoaster was just not it✋🏻😭
— mentioning the age difference in almost every chapter, like, we understood that there’s an age difference…
Location 1380 “Great. Keep using the age card and your peppered grey hair. No one will argue with that. Right?” — Handle ur f****ng attitude girl.
Moments I felt a shiver down my spine When they barely knew each other and Alisha was already like „I need you“.. ugh
Location 786 I walk over to Ken, stumbling without my crutches. I almost fall, but he catches me and I land in his arms. — Massive second hand embarrassment while reading that scene
Location 789 “I hate to break it down to you, Mallory, but Ken and I are in love and I’m not going anywhere from this house. This is Ken’s house and you’re welcome to stay here for a few days as his daughter, but I’m not going anywhere, even if my ankle recovers.” — Bro?! The AUDACITY of Alisha saying that to his DAUGHTER!?
Location 1734 ‚But what he did to me is still unforgivable. He let Miles kiss me. If that is not a lack of boundaries in his house, I don’t know what is.‘ — things she’s thinking or saying similar to this? It feels like (for me) she thinks the world is revolving around her. And I don’t like that characteristic about people. Maybe it’s an exception if it’s a royal person haha.
Location 1902 „He never made me feel like I wasn’t his son. Do you want me to tell dad so you can get back with him?” he asks. — Thats it? I always thought it’s more of a shock for people when they get told their father is not their biological father.. I would’ve freaked out if I was him honestly Location 2152 “I’m talking about your dad, Dr. McCarthy,” I say loud and clear. — I hate that she somehow thinks she has the right to tell his children about that? I wouldn’t want someone else to tell my children I’m not their biological parent..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was so excited to be chosen to be an ARC for this book. The premise of the book caught my attention immediately. I love billionaire romances and this one was not disappointing at all. And the age gap? Yes please! Alisha is a recently single 27 year old who moves from a big crowded city, the quiet town of Sedona. Well quieter, because it is a tourist town.
Alisha was a very relatable character and I felt all the emotions she put forward. I loved the point the author made regarding how her mother is remarried and no longer has time to dedicate to Alisha. That was heartbreaking! The fact that she is a 27 year old going through normal human experiences made this book even more lovable.
The character of interest is a handsome guy with demons of his own but is loved by the artists in the town. A dare from her friend leads Alisha to knock on the door of this handsome doode and kiss him! After the kiss, the book really gets going! The story ever all is lovely and I enjoyed it. This is a clean book, meaning no spice at all. So if that’s a requirements for your books, this book might not be for you. I usually read spice but it didn’t bother me at all that it was missing.
The author did a great job with the story building and added so many characters that it always kept my interest!
This was my first time reading an age-gap trope romance. The book was just like a warm hug for me as it was written so smoothly and the characters of the book were so warm and sweet that I wished to have such friends and love in my life. I always believed that age is just a number and you can find your soulmate at any age or it can belong to any generation. The character of Ken was not so old and the age gap was not so much as I have seen real-life Bollywood couples with such age gaps. Alisha is an Indian girl who had a tough childhood and even though she is talented she is facing downfall but she is a brave girl and facing the challenges with courage. That is how she met Ken, a person with keen observation skills and he knows that Alisha is not a gold-digger and he starts liking her spirit. The development of characters and romance is written in a very practical way. The thing which I missed was some more romance or romantic dates. There were many scenes where the villain of the story was winning and I think some more romance before the epilogue could have been lovely. Overall it was a really amazing book. Anyone who likes to read soft romance and short novels, this should be your next read.
I was excited for this one because look at that cover - a hot air balloon ride at sunset? Count me in!
This storyline had a strong beginning - a young woman looking for a fresh start happens to bump into an older billionaire with a lot of baggage, and somehow, their lives intertwine from there. With such a great setup, anything could happen, but it seemed to fall a little flat.
I think the main issue for me was that too many things happened all at once. It was too busy, and everything seemed to resolve too quickly. People are complicated, unforgiving, and sometimes downright stubborn.
Also, the tone of the story seemed monotonous at times. It made for a rough read in some parts, but nothing a little editing can't fix.
While this wasn't my typical read, I enjoyed the crazy amount of drama and the opportunity to provide honest feedback for a story written with a lot of heart and soul.
The story is about Ken and Alisha. Alisha has lost all hope in love coming from a bad relationship. Alisha is introduced to Ken by Chelsea who happens to be his massage therapist. When the two meet, a new bond is formed and love starts flourishing between the two. Ken, however is much older than Alisha and much more successful and has a family of his own already.
Is love between the two starcrossed lovers meant to be? Or will age come in their way? Is their bond stronger and above all these limitations?
Read on to find out in @dharashahauthor 's latest Romance novel - Peerless. Grab your copy now
I found the story truly entertaining and enjoyable. A must for those who love reading romance.
My rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Huge thanks to Dhara Shah for providing the book as an ARC and an opportunity to read and review this book.
I had a bit of a love/hare relationship with Alisha. I like how strong she is, but there were moments (earlier in the story) when she acted a bit childish. I couldn't stand how she behaved to Ken his children and probably my motherheart took over. I wouldn't let my partner talk to my kids like that, even when they are little sh*its. Both Ken and she have a lot of issues and it was nice to see how that developed. Dr McCarthy….what a lovely character. He reminded me of my grandfather that I loved dearly. There happened a lot in the story and maybe it was a bit too much. I enjoyed the age gap and them fighting for each other even with the ups and downs. I really like how Dhara addresses the multicultural aspects within her stories. A cute fast-paced romance with age gab and billionaire boyfriend Tropes. This book will be good for YA. 3.5 stars for me.
Solid 3.5 stars, I really enjoyed the multiracial and age gap romance relationship between Alisha and Ken. They went through so many ups and downs in such a little amount of time, but thankfully society around them begins to understand their love is unmatched and peerless. There were some parts that threw me off, I didn't like that Alisha reveals Mallory and Miles's secrets like trying to dominate her place in her relationship versus the family. Also, the voices for most characters sounded the same, I could tell I was reading instead of getting lost in the story and forgetting where I was. But overall, a solid little love story to enjoy in less than a day!
Huge thank you to Dhara Shah and the BookFunnel team for the ARC!
Story is about a female named Alisha who decides her life in New York is not as fabulous as she thinks. She is pattern of the day to day. She is not happy. Her boyfriend is constantly change her. She is not happy. She is decides to go back to the only that's ever made her happy, Sedona.
Ken is a recent widow. Living life for other people. 2 children that are so ungrateful. He finds peace with the lady currently starring ate his house through the gate.
Definitely would recommend.
My Only reasons for the my rating is they kept referring to Ken as old. 42 is not old in my opinion.
This was a cute and sweet clean read about an age gap relationship. I really enjoyed this fast paced book. Both ken and Alisha have some baggage, Alisha coming out of a failed relationship and ken having problems with his children with his deceased wife who was manipulative. The storyline is excellent though I feel as if events were moving a bit fast. I love the diversity of cultures in Dhara's books. Got this book as an ARC from the author and happy to voluntarily leave this review.
New author to me and so happy I gave this story a go. This sweet clean romance surprised me. Alisha wasn't my favorite at the begining. The doormat vibes I had from her with her ex made me scream but then she finally pulled her adult pants on and left that life that wasn't for her. Great story, good plot and fast read.
I enjoyed having access to the ARC of Peerless: A Billionaire Age Gap. The age gap trope is so fun, and one that I personally have not had much experience with. I enjoyed that this book was clean and fun and passionate. I wanted to be more connected to the character but something was lacking in their development. Still worth a read for romance without being overly spicy.
Peerless is a light but satisfying read that gets you feeling good while seeing the world through the eyes of Alisha and Ken. I would recommend this novel for rainy days and quiet nights — when you can wrap yourself snuggly in the cozy embrace of Dhara Shah’s writing.
Age gap? Romantic Comedy? What more could a reader want!
Really enjoyable light hearted read, makes for perfect reading after a binge of dark romance books. As my first book by Dhara, I found it to be really well written and look forward to future releases. Thank you for the ARC copy!
I luv the billionaire and single dad tropes, but don’t normally enjoy age gap romances. However, despite the age differences, this age gap romance was very tastefully written and I had a good time with it. The story is written in dual pov and follows the FMC, Alisha and the MMC, Ken. There are also several supporting characters with interesting subplots which add into the story. I admired Alisha’s strong character and determination. This made her a good match for Ken despite their age differences. I also enjoyed how well she carried herself and stood up for both herself and Ken’s family. Ken’s kind nature was appealing and his character development was interesting to read. I listened to the audiobook. It was performed by a single narrator. Overall, this was a fun Rom-Com with interesting family drama sprinkled in. Liked this read!
Alisha moves back to Sedona after her life in New York gets too overwhelming. She meets Ken, a billionaire who helps her get on her feet and the two start a relationship.
I love the cultural representation of this book and a glimpse into what interracial couples face. I wish that would have been explored a little more. My biggest frustration with the book was the choppy writing. It definitely felt like it was written for a younger audience. There were scenes that felt misplaced in the book and scenes that felt like that they were afterthoughts.
Overall, I loved how "Peerless" tied into the book and I think it would be a great YA romance.
Thank you to Bookfunnel and Dhara Shah for an eArc of this book!
This story is about Ken and Alisha. Alisha is introduced to Ken by her friend Chelsea who is actually his massage therapist. When the two meet love starts blossoming between them but the twist is that Ken is much older than Alisha and has a family of his own. I am really grateful to Dhara for sending me this ARC copy so that I can review it. This Book is an age-gap romance and multicultural book. I actually really enjoyed reading it.