Simon Lamont is an ice-cold corporate pirate. He buys companies, strips them of their assets, and moves on. With money. Lots and lots of money. But when he arrives in San Francisco to acquire a floundering company and is accosted by a cute engineer with fire in her eyes, it takes all Simon has to maintain his legendary cool.
Helen Winston has mastered hiding behind geeky clothes and an obsessive dedication to her job. So what’s with her desire for the arrogant—and sexy as sin—Simon Lamont? He may have only been wearing a towel when they met, but he’s planning to destroy her company, and Helen will do whatever it takes to change his mind. If that means becoming the sexy woman Simon didn't know he wanted, so be it. If only she wasn’t about to walk into her own trap...
A former world wanderer, Alexia Adams writes contemporary romance stories that reflect her love of exotic destinations and diverse characters and cultures. She currently lives near Vancouver, Canada with her husband and four children and dreams of a world without housework. As a flight risk mom, romance is her escape and she can often be found with her nose in a book, pretending she’s somewhere else. Check out her website: http://alexia-adams.com to sign up for her newsletter for a monthly escape plan and visit her blog on inspirational destinations.
His Billion Dollar Dilemma is a cute, standard, min drama romance read. It is short but Miss Adams entertain her readers with a cute writing. Some part I found the writing is choppy and seems to be cut and paste. I usually do not like this kind of writing style, but somehow Miss Adams still injected her originality.
Simon is fun hero. His feeling toward Helen is quickly change from stranger to lust and then to love. Again I have to remind myself that the length of the story is fairly short. The sex is not descriptive. I have to say the sex scenes are more imaginary than vivid description.
This was definitely a cute read. I liked Simon and Helens chemistry and the premise of the story was interesting. It was in 3rd person and I feel like I've been reading first person for so long it took me awhile to get used to it. I wish the characters were more well rounded, but overall even though it's not a great read, it's not a bad one either.
Empecé por el segundo porque el primero no me llamaba con su sinopsis. Ahora, que decir de la historia. Es cortita, entretenida aunque muy muy rápida. En realidad casi todos los personajes en este libro son un tanto raritos. Más o menos hasta el final era una historia normalita, para pasar el rato pero entonces llegó el momento "todo se va a la mierda" y tengo que decir que en este caso me pongo de parte de Simon el protagonista. Lo que hizo Helen es traicion y punto. Utilizó una conversación privada para joder el trato de Simon, me da igual que después hiciera su buena obra del día. Lo mires como lo mires fue traicion y encima luego es él el que tiene que pedir perdón... venga no me jodas. Me dio mucha rabia que lo dejasen a él de malo. Pero en fin, lo dicho, para pasar el ratito.
The pacing of this was ragged. Some things happened way too quickly to be realistic (really you're going do the whole makeover from geek to chic plot and have it happen after only one scene?) probably blame that on the short 200 page length. The writing wasn't stellar. BUT that said I still kinda enjoyed it.
> > > I have received this Book as an ARC from the Publisher < < < > > > In Exchange I promised an honest Review < < <
I started this book with the thought to read a story which is kind of the same as the stories I already have read...a lot. There is this rich cold pirate who is succesful, unbelieveable good-looking and charming as hell. And then there is this strange-looking, humble, clumsy woman with an age of 30 who doesn't even found out who she is. Not really a surprising combination.
But then...Helen stormed like a hurricane into Simon's hotel room and just "helened"(if you read the book you will find out) not only Simon, also me who was surprised how refreshing and different she is. On the her doubts which let her flourish like a beautiful flower who finds her place next to Simon. The more time they spend in company, the more outside, she as first not really appears really self-confident, but with turning more and more pages, she also looses more and more of Simon changes as well.
To see how this two work-loving people enjoy their time together was so lovely, especially considering the issues Helen has because of her past. To see how Simon does everything possible to make her feel comfortable even when the only thing he wants to do is "attacking" her is an aspect which is underlined even more by the use of two different POV's.
Even if there is a lot of "feel good content", as a reader you are confronted with some difficult situations which are ,in my opinion, even as important as the rest of the story.
The only thing they both first have had in mind was their jobs. Now after they found each other, the lines of their work-relationship blurres which influences the plot-change a lot....To see this change(before and after) , it would have been good to get to know a little bit more about their life before. No matter what, I love the protagonists. I just wished they would get more pages to tell their story which is why I rated this book with 4 Stars.
I started to read this book 8pm sitting around the family-table. When at 11:30 pm everybody has left, I realised I just had left 10% which of course I had to read. Reading this book felt very natural.
There are some unexpected touches to this book – some good, some bad. For one thing there’s a reason why Helen wears the clothes she does and if sexual assault is a trigger for you, then please be warned. Because of this it was a nice touch to see Helen get her confidence as a woman back, and the way Simon handled things with her was surprisingly considerate and really rather sweet. On the downside everything does go away once they get past a certain point, which was just too convenient for me.
The main reason I picked up this book was because Helen is an engineer and I love a romance novel with a really smart heroine, so I was a little sad we didn’t see much of that side of her. Instead we have a couple of not very productive meetings, a weekend away with Helen’s friends and family, a short stint in New York (where she did a bit of work and impressed people with her brain), then it was to Simon’s home in England to meet his scary Stepford mother. Instead of the focus being on how smart Helen is and how Simon could really use her brains in his business (because surely he would have wanted to acquire her brainpower as much as the patents of the company… except, apparently not, the idiot), this story is more about Helen getting over her teenage trauma and Simon figuring out that love is nice and he is not a robot.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that storyline, I’ve read and enjoyed plenty of them, it’s just not what I expected here. As for the end… well, to be honest, for once I’m actually on Simon’s side. The way Helen handles things is unnecessarily convoluted and foolish, especially considering what she knows about Simon. That she can’t foresee his reaction… well, it kind of serves her right. As for big brother David, there are two parts of this book in which he deserves a thump, one for Helen and one for Simon. The way he does things… not cool. Not cool at all.
In all this is a nice, short read with a sensitive side and a sweet approach to romance. I did expect something a little different, but I still enjoyed this, I just wish a few bits and pieces hadn’t been wrapped up so neatly and I think more than one person should have been apologising at the end.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
This story was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. Simon Lamont is alone. The only excitement he has in his life is his businesses. He is what is known as a corporate pirate he buys companies, strips them of all their assets and employees and then moves on to the next kill never sparing a thought to those whose lives he has ruined. Helen Winston happens to work at his newest acquisition. She however is not going to let this be just one more take over. She gets in his face, she interrupts him at work, trying to plead her case, to get him to change his mind, or change his modus of operation just this one time. Funny thing when these two people start to have conversations, sparks tend to fly. For a girl that has always tended to keep to herself, and a man that believes his business is the most important relationship in his life- they are both shocked at feelings they are experiencing. I believe that author did a great job with these two characters, it was truly a love story to watch both of them come to grips with their insecurities to try to figure out whether love truly is the most important. Both of them had issues in their pasts that have contributed to where they are emotional and it with take a joint effort to overcome these. The secondary characters truly added both charm and brawn to the story. Her friends love her for who she is and will do anything to ensure her happiness. There are prior books on these friends and I can't wait to read them. I would rate this story a 4/5. And recommend it to all romance readers. There is plenty of outside action to keep the story flowing nicely, I was eager to turn the page and the love scenes were nicely done. Just the right amount of them. The secondary characters added a lot to the story and I always like stories where the main characters are not simply have repeated sex. This story encompassed a lot of feelings and relationships. I really enjoyed it.
This is the story of how Simon Lamont fell in love with Helen Winston. First, he buys the company she works for. Her patents alone are worth more than the company. Then, she needs him by her side when she gets devastating news. They become friends quickly.
Helen tells him about her hang ups with men. Since they are friends now, she hopes he can help her get over the past. A few kisses never hurt anyone, right? So what if the bachelor is extremely tall and handsome. Who cares if he has a British accent?
Simon has trust issues of his own from the past. With a few new surprises in the form of his parents - can he learn to trust and love Helen just the way she is?
Helen falls quickly for the amazing man who is helping her get over the past. She hates being the odd man out with all the couples around. Simon meeting her friends turns out to be kismet.
The only immediate blip in the window of their blooming love - the current company she works for and what his company will do with it. She just wants her friends and co-workers to have what's best. They mean a lot to Helen, so she feels she should do right by them. If that means going to New York and talking to his board, then so be it.
Such a clever book full of witty phrases and many surprises along the way! I give it a 5/5 Kitty's Paws UP! You might want to have this one handy in an eBook!
***This ARC copy was given Free from Netgalley.com, for review purposes. My honest opinion does not reflect Netgalley, nor its affiliates.
First thing's first, Alexia Adams is a fantastic writer. This is my first novel by her, was given it in exchange for an honest review, and I'm completely under her spell. She writes a compelling story that would fall on its face if she wasn't so talented, didn't have plot and character development, and didn't flesh out her two major characters. Adams is someone I will continue to read if all her books are as incredible as this one!
Simon is a corporate pirate, a sexy and very British corporate pirate, that crosses paths with Helen because he's just purchased the engineering company she is a part of. Their first meeting is memorable and awkward but leaves them both remembering the other for more than just business. Helen is a design engineer, a damn good one at that, and realizes what Simon plans to do to the company she works for. Helen is passionate, compassionate, strong willed, gorgeous, and has a past that has kept her from embracing her womanly charms. Simon is passionate, cold, complicated, tender, and is actually an emotional yo-yo!
Simon and Helen have instant attraction which is something I look for. They bring out the better parts in one another which is what love should be about. Both have baggage that could tear each other apart, trust is such a fickle thing, I swear. There a happy ending and that is what makes the entire ride even more worthwhile! Adams totally smashed this book and I'm fortunate to have been given it.
I am very much a fan of Helen and Simon. I enjoy when women are kick@$$ all by themselves and the hero compliments her. Helen is wicked smart, loyal, and considerate. At times, this is to her own detriment. Simon is used to doing things his way and until Helen looked at everything for it's monetary value at the end of the day. I really liked the plot and development. The love scenes were amazing :-p I'm definitely looking for more from this author.
Simon and Helen were cute couple. I don't know how to praise the author for good names in this book. Simon, Helen, Liam, Jason. Fantastic characters! Never get bored for read it twice.
Completely unrealistic so spent as much time huffing at the story as reading it. Hard, full of himself businessman changes his entire ethos after seeing a woman once (pre amazing makeover!), and she goes from the shy introverted woman at the exact same time with just one visit to the shops with her friends (because ladies, we all know a new wardrobe and eyebrow pluck can make you forget everything from your past, change your personality and in turn your life - not!), she then jumps into bed with him.... grr such a shame as it was written well enough and the man actually had some character, though her brother had more! There was so much potential to turn this into a real gritty journey of someone who has been traumatised and finds her way out to true love, but sadly fell flat.
I feel the beginning and end of the story lacked character and came off romantiché (cliché compared to other romance books). The middle, however, had several interesting points like the post-dirt biking scene, and the morning after + mommy scene, and the MC’s courting journey in general up till the climax. The characters had their charming and funny moments and I was enjoying the tug tug boat ride down the river-kind of reading experience. Honestly the middle of the book felt like it belonged to a completely different plot.
I didn’t understand the logic behind bringing a complete stranger with you to a meeting of unknown purpose with your family/friends. The fem MC’s brother could have revealed something very personal that weekend, and having a stranger there throws off the vibe. Why split your attention between two very important potential issues for an entire weekend?
What was with the fem MC’s reaction to her brothers marriage? She acted like he had just told her he’d just killed someone. She had to get up and leave the room because she felt faint for Pete’s sake. It was much. And she wasn’t even particularly worried about the fact that he married a woman he’d met online. One of her first couple thoughts was about how her living situation would change because she couldn’t stand to live with a couple. Geesh. Besides being incredibly selfish, which she acknowledged later, that kind of concern doesn’t warrant fainting.
I didn’t like how the book started off with the fem MC in crisis. We’re told, TOLD, she’s got many close friends at her work and that we should think her a valiant crusader for trying to salvage her co-worker’s jobs. The “work friends” show up so little, I forgot they existed until they were brought up again to re-enforce the character motivations of the fem MC and then re-enforce again twice more just to make sure everyone got it. I didn’t connect with that part of the plot because I didn’t really see the urgency reflected in the fem MC. The co-workers were all also mostly faceless and characterless, so I didn’t care much about them anyway.
Lord save me from climax miscommunication in romance novels. The fem MC turning her shadiness into an impromptu test for the male MC wasn’t fair or smart. Those things never end well. Why didn’t she just TELL him her plans. Since she had decided to re-arrange the patent rights, she had obviously decided the male MC was worthy of her trust, so she had already decided that whether or not the male MC was “more interested” in the money, she was gonna stick with him, for better or worse. But then she turned tail and ran. I’m amazed she didn’t consider how her keeping silent about her plans could blow up in her face. The male MC made a pretty reasonable assumption that she had betrayed him in some capacity without having all the information the fem MC was holding. Definitely avoidable, definitely stupid. Of course when the author wants me to be against the male MC during the climax, I’m with him and against the fem MC. She should have apologized too.
It wasn’t a bad book overall, it just wasn’t amazeballs either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Helen Winston is a geek who hides her innate, natural beauty behind really old fashioned, dowdy clothing after a traumatic experience as a teenager. Now she’s an exceptionally able engineer but the company she works for is in danger of being taken over by someone she regards as an asset stripping pirate, Simon Lamont. She worries about the affect this will have on the lives of her friends and co-workers so goes to confront him. Unable to get an appointment to see him, she uses her contacts to discover where he is staying and goes knocking on his hotel room door . . . her first vision of him is when he opens the door dressed only in a towel!
The story relates how she tries to change his mind about how to make the best for the company and its workforce. It shows how she changes from trying to be an ugly duckling to become a more confident, empowered woman. He has a reputation for being ice cold and unemotional - can this fiery but normally quiet and shy engineer change him? A weekend with her friends will start to thaw the ice around his heart. Can he be patient enough to help her overcome her fears? Can they learn to trust each other?
A great story, with unexpected events keeping it a well paced and entertaining read. A lovely book to escape into for a few hours, light but well formed with great characters who together can help each other overcome events from their past - eventually!
Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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His Billion Dollar Dilemma
PLOT: 3 CHARACTERS: 3 COVER: 4
OVERALL RATING: 3
Well His Billion Dollar Billionaire was a very sweet read. A perfect book to read when you just want to relax and have a good time.
The plot was very cute, about a hero who was a modern day pirate in the corporate world and the heroine who was an employee of the latest company which he has purchased. What I loved about the heroine was she was someone who stands up for what she believes in.
So the reason that instead of giving this book a 5-Star Rating I gave it a three was because of the fact that although I did like the book, it wasn't really something really amazing.
Overall HBDD was a book that is perfect to read when relaxing so better check it out!
received digital edition from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Simon - yeah, he's mostly ruthless, but you don't get to being a billionaire by being a pushover. I enjoyed the fact that he was willing to listen to Helen's proposal and watch him thaw out when confronted by Helen's family and friends, slowly falling for Helen along the way. He's got every reason for being emotionally shut off, which is blatantly clear after Helen and he go to visit his mother.
Helen - I loved her family, particularly her parents when you finally get to meet them. Sunshine and Moonbeam...yeesh. She's fiercely devoted to her company and her work, but then finds a way to give Simon what he needs/wants while sticking to her own guns (so to speak) regarding the use of her patents.
The dark moment of this book was probably one of the most effective ones I've seen. I knew there was something to what Helen does (providing Simon his reason for believing the worst in her), but for the life of me I couldn't figure out how she'd done things to make everyone happy until the story revealed it.
Loved this book all the way from the beginning to the end. Highly recommend reading it!
Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I fell in love with Helen the first paragraph I met her. She had spunk, wouldn't back down from what she wanted, and was willing to totally embarrass herself to get it. This company is her baby and there's no way she's going to let some corporate pirate steal it from her - or so she thinks. What she doesn't expect is a near-naked first encounter with a guy she could dream about for ages.
But Simon doesn't care about her company - although her tactics make her quite interesting and he agrees to a second meeting. Well, each time they meet more sparks seem to fly. But they Helen has some serious issues she's trying to deal with. I have to say that Simon's reaction and "therapy" for these issues was brilliant and I loved him all the more for it.
I loved that Simon stays true to his ruthless business self throughout the whole story. There's no huge change of personality or lifestyle, just subtle alterations that make him a bit more reasonable. These were two of the most believable characters I've seen in awhile. Well, at least as believable as any billionaire romance can be.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
I read a lot of Billionaire love (?) Stories, and all of them, to my mind are lacking, not this one though. In this one the woman is emotionally damaged and doesn't just jump into bed with him, in this one the billionaire doesn't automatically get his own way, without thought to his actions. A refreshing change. The only part I regret and not too badly, is that I paid for the book, and not because it wasn't worth it, be cause I read so fast that I would be in the poor house if I paid for everything I read. I got up to go to the bathroom at 3:30 and just finished this at 4:20. Less than an hour for less than a dollar, hmmm. Anyway, excellent story, and excellent characters. Thanks awfully. By the way, I read 20+ books a week in my spare time and review every single one, I also read for a review blog, and work full-time as a litigation paralegal in family law. I am also a published author of horror works, and I proofread and copy-edit for authors on the side. The fact that I gave your book a straight read is a very real kudos to you. Thank you.
Simon Lamont is a corporate raider and he's going after the company Helen Winston works for. The buyout is inevitable but after the purchase is made, can she talk him into not tearing the company apart? All the employees are like friends and family to her and she MUST protect their jobs somehow. Will Simon be able to stop wanting this sexy engineer and will he break his own rules to have her? Will Helen's past destroy any pleasure she could receive from this sexy corporate pirate?
This is a sexy, romantic and funny love story. I love how the author didn't rush through Helen's healing process with Simon and even though it pained him, he was gentle and patient with her. She has some great friends too! Great story that I lost myself in for too short of time. This author is definitely one to watch!
Simon Lamont is on the verge of taking over the company Helen Winston has worked really hard to build. Well Helen is not going to allows some corporate pirate to come in and ruin her life and that of her friends and coworkers. What was supposed to be a business meeting turns into so much.
I loved Helen's friends and her nerdy big brother, he was just super funny and sweet, in a very annoying, overprotective big brother way. Simon was such a sweetheart and the "I love you" moment was just wow for romance lovers. Oh and Helen's parents, were just beyond funny. It's a fun story.
I've read a couple of romance novels lately that have dealt with tough women's issues. I was surprised to discover that this light romance novel also fell into that category. The interactions between the Hero and heroine were incredibly sweet helping to soften the darkness of the issue. I was very impressed with the way the author had written both the Hero's reaction to the heroine's past trauma and how he handled it.
Even if the story hadn't be fabulous, which it was, I would recommend this book for how well it handled a tough topic and managed to show both characters as strong independent people. Well worth a read if you enjoy a sweet (mostly) light romance.
What a sweet read! Helen was a firecracker with a devastating secret, and Simon was a corporate pirate with a soft heart. These two were meant for each other, and their chemistry sizzled right off the page from the first scene. I enjoyed reading their love story. The dialogue was witty, the settings and secondary characters all helped the story move along, and I liked how the love scenes were descriptive without going into too much detail. Oh, and no F-word, either! How refreshing! I will be reading more of Ms. Adams books, guaranteed!
I found this book to be both sweet and charming. I really liked the characters and their familial-like connections. I felt that Simon and Helen clicked rather well; their chemistry just worked. It was certainly interesting to see how he ultimately helped her overcome her intimacy issues. He proved himself to be patient, sensitive and caring. On the flip side, upon Simon's intervention, Helen became quite bold and quite passionate. I love that this couple found happiness in each other's arms.
**My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC, for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**
In this book Helen is a woman on a mission. She wants to help her colleagues retain their jobs while the company is being sold to a man she knows will pull apart the company.
Simon Lamont is surprised by the boldness of the woman in the frumpy clothes that confronts him in his hotel room. Each time he meets her, he finds himself not only intrigued by her but attracted to her.
In order to finally find time to talk to each other about Helens proposal for the company he is buying, Simon agrees to go with her to her friends house where her brother is asking people to meet up. Here he finds himself among people where he has fun and finds he wants more with the woman who shows such boldness, yet also needs protecting.
Its a sweet read, where the only problem is that they do not talk enough about what they are thinking, or they are unable to say things. But ultimately they realise that the other person is the one that they want to have in their life.