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The Billionaires of Manhattan are a mixed bag of above-average (Breaking the Billionaire’s Rules), good (Most Eligible Billionaire), and great (The Billionaire’s Wake-Up Call Girl). I enjoyed the humorous, borderline ridiculous set-ups of those three, and The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancée evokes a similarly ludicrous, just-go-with-it vibe. Martin does an excellent job keeping the tone of the series light and frothy (exactly what I like from my billionaire romances), while subtly incorporating powerful messages about female agency, empowerment, and misogyny. Her couples are well-suited with great chemistry, and together they learn important lessons about themselves and each other. Unfortunately, Rex – our newest bachelor billionaire – is a rare off-note. I wasn’t convinced of his redemption, and he’s awful for so much of the story, it spoils the sticky sweet happily ever after. The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancée isn’t nearly as enjoyable as its predecessors.
After watching her mother abuse prescription drugs as a way of coping with her father’s abandonment, playing the pawn in her father’s schemes for women and attention, and getting dumped by her fiancé while hospitalized after a serious accident, Tabitha Evans is determined never to let another man define her fate. Tabitha’s romantic life is exclusively friends-with-benefits, and her girlfriends are her family. Her mobile hairdressing business has slowly and steadily gained a loyal clientele, and she’s been able to hire two employees. Unfortunately, a repetitive motion injury threatens to derail all her hard earned success.
Facing a six-week sabbatical while she rests her wrist, Tabitha hopes her employees can keep her clients happy and satisfied until she can return to work. Her biggest challenge is Rex O’Rourke, her weekly Friday night appointment. Intimidating, grumpy, dismissive (folks: he acts like a selfish dick), and predictably irritated by either Tabitha’s clothing, colorful hair, obsession with Hello Kitty and soap operas, and/or conversational gambits, Rex is capital D – Difficult. He’s also sexy and hot (of course he is!), and Tabitha’s had a crush on him since their first meeting. Worried about his reaction to her ‘vacation,’ she’s come along on this Friday night appointment to introduce her temporary replacement and ensure a smooth transition. After overhearing him angrily berate his employees, her employee seems poised to flee. Tabitha placates her with funny Rex stories of her own – laughing when the employee suggests she might be a masochist – and then marches her in at the appointed time. She downplays Rex’s interest in her ‘vacation,’ and laughs at Rex’s rude comments, never letting her composure slip. Later, at home with her girlfriends, Tabitha tells herself everything will be okay; surely she’ll be back to work – and Friday nights with Rex aka Captain Sternpants – before her savings run out.
Rex is predictably annoyed by Tabitha’s sartorial choices, peppy personality and distracting mannerisms, but surprised by his own curiosity about her vacation. On Friday night she deflected questions about it, and it’s not that he cares either way… but for some reason, it’s now Tuesday, and his busy mind keeps returning to her evasions. It’s a relief when right-hand man Clark distracts him with a real problem: losing out on an extremely important client. The Driscoll family controls a huge portfolio of funds, and although Rex manages a small portion of their business, he wants the rest, too. Unfortunately, a recent Sunday feature painting Rex as a playboy, didn’t go over well with Driscoll family matriarch, Gail Driscoll. Clark suggests Rex go on the annual Driscoll private cruise and hire a fake fiancée to go along with him. Poor Rex. He has concerns – namely, can he spend an entire cruise working with a beautiful woman nearby without wanting to have sex with her (God forbid he has to keep his hands to himself!)? So he tells Clark to hire an attractive, annoying nobody, whose personality is so abrasive he won’t want to touch her with a ten-foot pole. He then makes an oddly specific list of qualities he hates, and the only person surprised when Tabitha shows up at the marina is… Rex. Am I too subtle, reader? TABITHA EMBODIES EVERY SINGLE THING HE HATES. Here’s my hate list: REX.
Tabitha couldn’t turn down the money. Or the opportunity to go on an all-expenses paid private yacht vacation. Or the chance to spend time with the AMAZING Rex (eyeroll). Or the shopping spree with a private stylist. She’s poor(ish), not dumb. And EVERYONE EXCEPT Rex (and maybe Clark) knows that Tabitha’s sparkly, ‘everything is perfect,’ facade masks an intelligent, self-aware and self-made businesswoman beloved by friends and less self-absorbed clients (even Gail gets this right away). Since it’s apparent Rex isn’t happy to see her, Tabitha sternly reminds herself she’s there for the money, and not to let it get to her. But things get off to a rocky start after she’s introduced to the family, and Gail’s nephew Martin – who gives off weird, villainous vibes. Rex is dismissive of her suspicions (big surprise), and instead mocks her for making a soap opera out of real life… but Tabitha isn’t so sure.
Oh friends, Tabitha is unbelievably ALREADY head over heels for Rex, a supercilious jerk who alternately insults or grudgingly admires her. She’s attractive, great with people – especially Gail – upbeat, kind, intuitive, and most importantly to this story, loyal; but she can’t help her attraction to Rex, or stop lusting after his super hot body. She even digs his growly version of speaking. Of course, these are totally normal feelings for a workaholic, constantly glued to his phone/computer screen jerk with poor interpersonal skills, who alternately demeans or disparages the one woman who’s managed to capture his attention for longer than one date. Look, Tabitha is an appealing heroine, and I wanted to like her… but she likes Rex! And he’s a straight-up douche who cares more about his business and money than the people around him. Any good feelings he has for Tabitha are so begrudgingly doled out, I just wanted her to tell him to fuck off and marry his business already. Oh, hold up. He’s also deeply attracted to her hot body, and has to force himself not to touch her. But we know that’s not happening; and since Tabitha is unable to resist him, they go at it passionately whenever one or both of them can’t resist. Sometimes they use a condom (you’re supposed to notice), but sometimes they don’t. Oops. I don’t think you’re supposed to notice that.
So. I hated Rex, and he ruins this story, but the subplot involving Martin is also poorly executed. We can all see what he’s up to from miles away, and the only purpose it serves in the end is to provide a means for Rex to prove he’s changed and his business doesn’t mean more to him than Tabitha – who dumped him after the cruise because she’s anti-relationship, even with billionaires. Unfortunately, he stumbles right out of the blocks. I WISH she’d stuck to her guns and told him to beat it… except, this is a romance. Spoiler alert: she forgives him.
If Rex were a more likeable hero, this book would have received a higher grade. But he’s a jerk, and even lovely Tabitha can’t redeem their love story.
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Grade: C
Book Type: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 06/05/20
Publication Date: 04/2020
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
I love romance novels - all kinds.
I love music - some kinds.
I have strong opinions about both and I like to share them.
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I don’t know what that book worths. I don’t even know if I’m interested in reading it. But your review made me curious enough to go and check the author’s website. And then and there I discovered HOSTAGE by Annika Martin & Skye Warren. It’s an amazing book, from the dark side of things (the opposite of the book reviewed – be warned). I was hooked from the first page. It’s intense, beautiful, heartbreaking (not for everybody probably, there are some real triggers here for some), unusual and original too – one of a kind really for me – and so much more. I read it in record time and I’m still on a book-hangover from it. I FULLY RECOMMAND it. So thank you Em because you kind of make me fine this absolute gem.
You’re welcome! Annika writes so many different kinds of stories – and so many of them are terrific. I am a big fan of her collaboration with Joanna Chambers, Enemies Like You.
@MegC: there’s another book in that series called PRISONER. I often wondered if Martin/Warren would continue with the series with the other men who are secondary characters in the two books, but as far as I know they never did. I don’t know if you’re familiar with other books by Skye Warren—she writes very dark stories about people who are so damaged that only someone else with equal damage can love and understand them. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but she’s one of my favorites.
I’m about a quarter of the way through this book right now, so I probably shouldn’t comment, but I’m liking it much more than the previous book (BREAKING THE BILLIONAIRE’S RULES) where I thought the enormous power imbalance between the hero & heroine (he’s a business titan, she’s delivering his lunch in a cat suit) just seemed cruel to me. OTOH, I loved the first two books in the series and, so far, FAKE FIANCÉE seems to be going more in their direction rather than that of the previous book. I don’t mind a surly/grumpy hero (all those years of reading gothics and bodice-rippers have left their imprint), so I’m not hating Rex, and I really like Tabitha and her group of friends: I believe Noelle (the mail carrier) is going to be the heroine of the fifth (and final?) book in the series.
I just could not like Rex and if you hate 1/2 of the romantic pairing…well, you can see where that led me grade wise.
I’m glad to see you commenting here anyway though, because I just finished the latest Taylor Fitzpatrick book – COMING IN FIRST. OMG. So good. And since you also love Rachel Reid, I predict you will love this one, too. I’m reviewing it here soon – keep an eye out!
Thank you. I’m adding the Fitzpatrick to my tbr right now! I loved THROWN OFF THE ICE (and Reid’s HEATED RIVALRY) so much—two of my favorite reads of 2019 and similar in plot (professional hockey players who are long-time lovers), but so different, but equally good, in execution. I’ve asked for “money to buy books” for Mother’s Day (what else is there to do right now?), so I’ll have some discretionary-spending income as of Sunday, lol.
You are going to love this one. And I raise the Reid reference (Heated Rivalry), because I AM VERY CURIOUS which book was written first. I know Fitzpatrick is super active on Archive of Our Own and has been working on this/these stories for quite a while. That’s the only hint I’m going to give you! Save your $$$ for this one!
Iirc, both Reid & Fitzpatrick both started in the fan-fic world. I read somewhere that Reid’s GAME CHANGER actually started out as Captain America/Bucky Barnes fan-fic. I did just go to Amazon and read the first few pages of COMING IN FIRST PLACE and there’s no doubt it reads a lot like the start of HEATED RIVALRY (in terms of plot, the styles are completely different) with two teen hockey phenoms competing for a place in the NHL.