Brutal Billionaires #2
e-ARC provided by author
Author: Laurelin Paige
Lina has just turned 21. Her mom is about to marry a Sebastian. She’s going to live in the Brooklyn brownstone by herself (well, her best friend will be her roommate, but yeah, no mom) so she’s determined to “adult”. And to fully adult, she’ll need to take care of a pesky little situation – that darn V-card she hasn’t had punched yet. So, a night on the town with Denny as her wingman can help her with that. She can’t flirt to save her life, but she manages to catch the eye of the a little older , “beardy Superman” bartender at Spice, Reid. They do hit it off, things get heated but Reid leaves her hanging with her problem “unresolved”. Fast forward to a few months later and who’s there at her mom’s wedding? Reid SEBASTIAN, who’s no bartender but club owner, who’s now her step-cousin and, to add insult to injury, her rival, as she just joined the other side of a decades long family feud. And Reid is obsessed with toying with her… And, godammit, she likes it!
I’m obsessed with Lina and Reid! Lina is an adorable heroine, prone to “word vomiting”, who has the best inner monologues (and impromptu very verbal ones) and who shows all the insecurities of a curvy girl without being whiny. Reid is to die for! He’s absolutely obsessed with that young thing but he won’t fall without kicking and screaming.
They start off on the wrong foot, there’s a whole family feud between them, including a “Godfatheresque” grandpa who dangles disownment at everyone who doesn’t abide to his wishes, but nothing seems to keep them apart.
This IS a Laurelin Paige book, so we get ALL the spice and the machinations but this one has a funny (and very sweet) tone that made me go “aww” a few times. She managed to get us the best alphamellow in this family. I’m still swooning over “the gift”. I also chuckled quite a few times!
I was lucky to read this in advance. It is out today, and the audiobook was released early. I can’t recommend this enough! LOVED IT!
