Roughneck
Billionaires #1
InterMix Books, January 2017
eBook
Obtained via: publisher
ASIN: B01ESI3Q8C
Contemporary Romance
** 1/2
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The debut novel in Jessica Clare’s Roughneck
Billionaires series, DIRTY MONEY is the story of two people who both want
to rise above their station in life and still manage to find love together.
Boone Price and his brothers are oil riggers that have hit it big. Real big.
Billionaire big. Suddenly beyond
rich, Boone starts to develop a taste for the finer things in life and more
than anything wants to be respected. In
order for that to happen, Boone thinks he needs to find himself a woman of
class and breeding. Simply from one look
at a local realtor’s brochure, Boone sets his eye on realtor Ivy Smithfield and
he sets out to buy her affection. The
chink in his plan is that Ivy is as dirt poor as Boone used to be. Her appearance is carefully constructed to
promote her professional career. Ivy is
making next to nothing, selling bone marrow for money to support her sister
while she attends college and keep a roof over their heads (even if that roof
is attached to a trailer). But what happens
when Boone finally realizes Ivy comes from the same humble beginnings that he
did?
Jessica Clare’s DIRTY MONEY really didn’t work for this reader. Boone comes off as crude, rude, pompous,
sexist and determined to seek revenge on those he thinks have slighted him
because of his filthy looks and ways.
While he had his moments, this reader simply could not find much to like
about him and had a really difficult time imagining Ivy falling in love with
him. Ivy is kind, sexy, determined to
give her sister a better life and instantly sees dollar signs when she realizes
Boone is a billionaire, if she can just keep her three bosses from stealing him
out from under her.
While the story was entertaining and at times funny, the fact that Boone thinks
he should be respected simply because he now has money was ridiculous. Everyone but Boone and this author seem to
know respect is earned and you can’t buy class.
And every time Boone feels someone has failed to give him the respect he
thinks he deserves, he reacts is a way over the top manner, purchasing and
burning businesses to the ground for spite.
And yet, still Ivy is enamored. This
reader was not. Still, if you are able
to overlook Boone’s bad manners, sloppy dress and sexist attitude, the story
itself is well written and moves along at a constant pace and even includes
some very funny scenes (that this reader imagines could never really happen in
real life – see comment about burning down perfectly good businesses).
Fans of contemporary romance will probably still enjoy this story. In fact, this reader would bet that you will
either really love this story and or really agree with this review. For me, DIRTY MONEY was like the characters,
a little rough around the edges.
Reviewed by T. Barringer
tammyLRM@gmail.com
"This
is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book
A Hitman
Novel #4
Berkley Books, September 2015
Paperback
Obtained via: publisher
ISBN:
978-0-425-28153-6
Romantic Suspense
****
The latest Hitman novel from the talented writing team of Jessica Clare and Jen
Frederick, LAST HOPE, is a fast paced romantic suspense that readers will not
be able to put down.
Hand model Ava’s best friend Rose has been kidnapped by her evil boyfriend and
he forces Ava into going to Lima with a satchel full of information in return
for her friend’s safe return.
Unfortunately, her plane crash lands in the jungle and she is saved by
one hot and very sexy man who also wants the satchel. Rafe grew up in the worst of circumstances
and has learned to survive by being a hitman.
His latest assignment is to steal some information that could bring down
world governments. Rafe and Ava both
need the information. Only one of them
can have it. Lives are on the line. And their attraction is off the charts.
Unlike the first three stories in his series, LAST HOPE leaves the college
campus and moves into the jungles of Lima.
Ava has always been second fiddle to her best friend Rose. While Rose is a famous model, Ave is a less
in demand hand model. She is the mother
hen of the group. So when she meets Rafe
and the attraction kicks in, she is surprised by his interest in her. She is also very intrigued by him. He is strong, sexy, assured and she feels
safe with him, but Rafe has demons of his own that he carries with him and they
only serve to make him more interesting to Ava.
As these two race through the jungle trying to save the world while bad
guys are looking to end their lives for the satchel’s contents, the action
amplifies, the jungle swelters and the characters steam up the pages.
Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick have penned yet another explosive romantic
suspense in LAST HOPE, their latest Hitman novel, out in paperback this
fall. Don’t miss out on this terrific
series. If you haven’t started reading
it, now is the time.
Reviewed by T. Barringer
tammyLRM@gmail.com
"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this
book."
A Hitman
Novel #1
Berkley Books, November 2013
ebook
Obtained via: publisher
ISBN13:
9780989247962
Romantic Suspense
*****
The first book in a new romantic suspense series from Jessica Clare and Jen
Frederick, LAST HIT, is the impossible pairing of a hardened Russian hitman
meeting an innocent isolated young girl and falling in love at first sight.
Nikolai has been a Russian hitman since he was a boy. It is all he has ever known and he is the
very best at it. Daisy has been
sheltered from the outside world her entire life, home-schooled and farm
raised, only allowed out for brief trips to the store for groceries by her
agoraphobic father. Finally, she has
gotten the strength to leave him and set off on her own to go to college. Nikolai is doing surveillance on his last hit
when he notices Daisy in the apartment across from his and can’t take his eyes
off her.
CRACK! That is the sound of the bat
hitting the ball out of the ballpark – exactly where Clare & Frederick hit
this one with LAST HIT. It was
everything this reader loves in a good story.
The characters were very different yet really worked together. Daisy is so shy and awkward in social
situations. Nikolai is big, bad and
scary, but not to Daisy. To Daisy, he is
simply her friend and protector. She is
his reason for living. Neither has many
social skills and when they attempt to fit in with the other college kids, the
results are both amusing and sad at the same time. Things that most people would run from,
finding out your boyfriend is a hitman for example, Daisy seems to almost
accept in stride. And similarly, Nikolai
accepts at face value things about Daisy that others might question. These two characters were absolutely
heartwarming. And their story grips,
pulls you in and refuses to let go.
The storyline was strong, the action constant, the characters are multifaceted
and LAST HIT is the first book in the series!
The pairing of Clare and Frederick seems to be a good one. This reader is looking forward to reading
many more interesting hitman stories from this talented writing duo. Definitely worth four stars.
Reviewed by T. Barringer
tammyLRM@gmail.com
"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this
book."
