New Book Alert: Accidentally Engaged To The Billionaire (Accidental Engagement Series Book 1) by Bridget Taylor; Predictable But Charming Romance Between Different Social Classes

 

New Book Alert: Accidentally Engaged To The Billionaire (Accidental Engagement Series Book 1) by Bridget Taylor; Predictable But Charming Romance Between Different Social Classes

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Bridget Taylor's Accidentally Engaged to the Billionaire is the example of Modern Romance Wish Fulfillment: The lovers of different social classes meet and arrange an alleged romance. They have to act like a happy couple in front of tongue clicking disapproving friends and relatives. After revealing their differences and arguments, usually an Act 3 Break Up, the duo decide that they love each other for real. Expect a lot of parties inside swank wealthy estates, maybe a vacation to an exotic location or a formal dance at the country club, expensive gifts, and a shopping spree.

There isn't anything in Accidentally Engaged to the Billionaire that hasn't been read or seen before and in some ways, in dark times, that's what makes it comforting.

Romances like this are the literary equivalent of a candy bar or a second can of soda. It's not healthy or stimulating but it's comforting, fun, and entertaining. It's a charming book that gives us pure wish fulfillment and makes for a good escape.

Charles Bentley, the eponymous billionaire, is in a bind. He is due to Inherit his father's money but the will stipulates that he has to be married before his 35th birthday and the big day is looming. There are some family members, such as his avaricious uncle and his much younger trophy wife, who would love to see him not get it. Rather than hit the singles bars, go on speed dates, or check out Match.com, Charles proposes to the woman who just delivered his pizza. 

Jane is confused about this odd proposal, but intrigued by his offer to pay her college tuition and to get her family out of their financial hole, so she accepts. Of course they go through the usual hurdles of faking their engagement, meeting disapproving friends and family, etc, before falling in love for real.

Charles and Jane are a study in contrasts. Charles is a smooth confident man about town, born with money. He is so insulated in his wealth that he thinks money can buy anything, even a potential fiancee. He doesn't want it to be sordid. In fact, sex and emotion aren't even factors. They are to be engaged in name only as though it were a business transaction. 

Charles lacks some of the depth of rich suitors found in books like Courage Jonathan or The Artist and His Billionaire. He is disgusted by the behavior of some of his family members and has enough awareness to be appalled by the money grubbing snobbish antics of his Uncle Jack, Aunt Rosemary, and the family lawyer, Wyatt Tucker. Unfortunately, he doesn't want to leave the family and attempt to make it on his own without his family or to do some charitable philanthropic good with his money. I suppose that he feels that paying off the tuition and debts of one college student is his good deed and teaching a person to fish blah blah blah. 

Charles shows kindness in some of the most unlikely of places. He lets Jane spend the night when a fight with her older sister causes her to get kicked out. He also begins to shed some of his earlier snobbishness and sees more than his wealthy corner of the universe.

Jane is of course the poor woman made good with this peculiar offer. In her story, we get some realism with discussions of poverty and income inequality. By contrast to Charles' world, Jane's is pretty bleak. She is working her way through college but still has student loans looming in her future. Her mother died recently so it's just Jane and her sister, Helena, who works as a bartender in a strip club. Jane appreciates the generous financial offer that Charles is offering and she can't afford to say no. However, she wonders what accepting means to her. She has visions of herself in fancy dress, sitting in a mansion, and turning her nose up at the things and people that she used to like. 

Unfortunately, the bleaker and more realistic that Taylor writes Jane's predicament, the less likely the fantastic aspects of the Romance are. Jane has to agree to Charles' proposal because she is written without any options. She has no choice but to say yes.

Like Charles, Jane also goes through a transformation. She doesn't become the snob that she fears, but she does learn to use that money to change her and Helena's lives and maybe get a better future.

Actually, Taylor writes a better potential couple that almost steals the spotlight from Charles and Jane: Helena and Charles' cousin, James.

James is Charles' closest companion. He is the only one who is in on the Proposal Scheme and speaks for a lot of Readers who probably think "Hey, isn't this idea a little weird?" 

However, he is incredibly loyal to Charles and grows to like and accept Jane. He is usually quick with a wry comment or one liner that sometimes puts him at odds with others, particularly Charles. He is also completely on Charles' side because he can't stand Jack and wants to see him go down.

Helena is also a brilliant contrast to the romance between Charles and Jane. Helena is more cynical about this proposal. She loves her sister and doesn't want to see her get hurt but she also thinks that this scheme amounts to prostitution. She is furious not only that her family has to be put into such a situation where Jane has to accept it but also has a grudge against the Bentleys in particular. It takes a while for her to reveal the reason for the grudge but it shows that sometimes when the wealthy act, the poor suffer and they may not be aware of who is suffering.

Helena and James' exchanges are minimal, but they carry a lot of wit, sarcasm, and repartee that you can see a possible couple emerging from them. Also since they are written to be more experienced than Charles and Jane, their romance won't necessarily begin with a contrived fairy tale like beginning. It would begin with the more gradual "getting to know each other" scenario that many regular couples go through. If Taylor isn't planning on it, she should write a spin off series about James and Helena.

Accidentally Engaged to the Billionaire is the kind of Romance that reality invites a scoff but the Escapist side longing for a dream will enjoy. 

New Book Alert: The Leviathan Trial by Oliver Madison; Suspenseful Clever Mind Twisting Thriller About Breakable Family Ties

 

New Book Alert: The Leviathan Trial by Oliver Madison; Suspenseful Clever Mind Twisting Thriller About Breakable Family Ties

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Oliver Madison's The Leviathan Trial is an odd combination of The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, The Purge, and "The Most Dangerous Game," meets the Hatfields and The McCoys. It involves a sadistic game of life or death, but the participants are children in one very large, rich, multi-talented and incredibly screwed up family.

Father Benedict Lancaster is a very eccentric billionaire/recluse. At 90 years of age he lives the high life. He has homes, cars, thriving businesses, fame, infamy, and a tragic backstory to go with it. At 12 years old, he was the sole survivor of an accident that claimed the lives of his entire family leaving Benedict a very sad but wealthy young boy. (He was the sole heir to the family fortune.)

Upon adulthood, Benedict was a childless confirmed bachelor until abruptly in his 70's, he decided to adopt a child. Ultimately, he adopted 12 children from different countries.

The Lancaster children are raised in very unusual circumstances. They were left largely isolated, educated by a bevy of tutors, teachers, and coaches, until they attended the nearby Preparatory Academy where they are the subject of scrutiny, speculation, and gossip. They are ordered to socialize only with each other and to excel in one specific field.

 Benedict is hardly ever home leaving their care to an array of house servants and each other. He only returns to evaluate their performances and to reward or penalize them if they fall short of his expectations. Okay a wealthy, but distant father who expects his children to become overachievers. Nothing weird about that until they start talking about the Leviathan.

The Leviathan is a mythical creature who is their family spirit. The Lancasters pray to the Leviathan before meals and bedtime and swear total allegiance to this strange creature. Benedict often inspires and even thrives on competition between his children and allows rivalries and cliques to form because that is the way the Leviathan wants it.There are plenty of rumors that the Lancasters children are actually brainwashed members of a cult with Benedict as their leader and those rumors might be right.

The Lancaster children are a bizarre but fascinating bunch. Madison excellently personalized each character and how they interact as a family and as individuals. They are:

Pearl-The oldest at 19 and first to be adopted. She was adopted from New Zealand and is a champion skeet shooter. She is the de facto parent and mother of the group. Some believe that she is the closest thing Benedict has ever had to a wife.

Hiroshi-At 18, he was the first adopted boy. From Japan, he is a wrestling champion and the most physically athletic and strongest of the kids.

Blake-Also 18, he is from Iran and is an academic all-star. A chess champion, Blake has a sardonic attitude and often schemes against his siblings.

Cynthia-17, she is from Brazil and is an accomplished software engineer and computer programmer. She is very quiet and is known to hide her true feelings and keep to herself away from the others.

Allister-Also 17, he was adopted from Uganda. Like Pearl and Hiroshi, he is also an athlete though this time a champion fencer. He has a bad temper and somewhat inflated ego.

Zara-Also 17, she was adopted from India. She is the most star struck and is an accomplished actress, dancer, and model. She can be vain about her appearance and accomplishments describing herself as the Lancaster "family triple threat."

Troy-16, the only one adopted from the United States, he was from a Native American family. He is a culinary expert and gourmet chef. He is usually friendly and even tempered.

Levi-15, adopted from Kenya. He is very verbal as a debate champion and bookworm. He is also the book's Every Kid as he serves as the main third person narrator. Even though he is protective of some of his siblings, he isn't shy about becoming rivals with others particularly Blake and Allister.

Eden-Also 15, she is from Russia. She is a philanthropist and has organized a family foundation and charity that provides aid and assistance to underprivileged children from around the world. She has a reputation as the family do-gooder.

Mauve-13, she was adopted from Cambodia. She is a bright philosophy student but is going through a Goth stage. She is very rebellious and antagonistic towards Benedict and the other sibs.

Sion-Also 13, he was adopted from Puerto Rico. He is a founder of the chemistry club at his school and is very scientific and analytical. He is also a mischievous prankster and a bully, whose bullying sometimes extends to family members.

Helena-7, the youngest of the Lancasters and baby of the family. She was adopted from Norway and is mute. She may be autistic (though she has not been officially diagnosed, Benedict and the others just suspect that she is.) She is a complete mystery to her siblings except for Levi with whom she has developed a deep loving bond.

Yes the Lancasters are super talented, super strong, super brilliant, and super competitive. All of that plus their strange upbringing is a simmering cauldron that explodes into something super terrible.

The explosion occurs after the death of the family patriarch. Upon viewing his video will, the children learn that only one will inherit the family fortune and the title of The Great Leviathan. Who will it be? Well, it will be resolved by the children fighting each other in their locked mansion to the death. The one who is left alive will inherit the lot. Oh yeah and should they refuse, a poisonous gas will spread throughout the mansion killing everyone inside. So it's either 11 die and one lives or they all die. It's not too long before greed and survival instincts kick in and the Lancaster children become a bloodthirsty vicious bunch ready to kill the rest of their family.

The Trial itself is a truly suspenseful section as the children separate first into groups of three to outdo the others then turn on each other. There are some pretty heart stopping moments where some characters try to use physical strength to subdue each other physically while others hide in the shadows, mentally playing the different ends before they make their moves. They are also practiced at using their specific skills as means for attack and self defense.

 This is the type of book where people's real motives and ambitions come out under stress, ambition, and terror. Suddenly, that nice sweet sister of yours with whom you shared secrets will use those secrets as collateral damage before she willingly slashes your throat. Suddenly, that protective big brother who always defended you from bullies will now use that awesome strength and physical prowess to choke the life out of you. It's also the type of book where no one truly comes out clean. Even the seemingly nice characters aren't above scheming and fighting against siblings that they had long term rivalries with but are now seen as obstacles to their survival and fortune. There are even hints that the one who makes it will become as ruthless and power hungry as Dear Old Dad. 

The Leviathan Trial has some pretty clever and gut wrenching twists none of which will be revealed here but they subvert expectations and cause the Reader to rethink what had gone on before. There are some flaws notably the presence of Kitty Choi, a potential love interest for Levi that gets accidentally thrown into the Trial and does very little to advance the plot. She really only serves as the eyes and ears of the Reader to give some much needed exposition and an outsider perspective to this very odd family. If Kitty's presence was part of one of the many plot twists, it may have made sense for her to be there but she is simply a missed opportunity.

Mostly, The Leviathan Trial is a great novel that reveals that some family ties can be broken and shattered.

 

New Book Alert: The Artist and His Billionaire by CJ Turner; Sweet and Sexy M/M Romance

 

New Book Alert: The Artist and His Billionaire by CJ Turner; Sweet and Sexy M/M Romance

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: The covers of many Romance novels often promise us a sexy time. They feature shirtless men with muscles and great pecs and beautiful women with long gowns that barely cover their breasts. Sometimes, the couple are in modem clothes but their smoldering exprssions reveal that they would rather have them off. Whether the models are alone or draped in each other's arms, the images practically steam with lust and passion. 

Male-Male romances are no different only instead of a man and a woman, the covers feature one or two hunky shirtless muscular men, often from the neck down. That's the way they are, sex sells and all that. The sexy covers are part of the window dressing and wish fulfilment that Romances provide. However, they often conceal that the cover is only part of the story. If done right, a Romance novel can transcend the sexy promise of wish fulfilment and give us an engaging character driven story of a couple who are perfect for each other, but have obstacles that prevent them from seeing that. 

CJ Turner's book, The Artist and His Billionaire, is the right kind of romance between two completely different men. It is both sweet and sexy featuring these two characters who are a perfect match.

Lennox Sewell is an artist working for Ms. Pearson, a florist, to pay the bills. One day, a handsome man in a clearly fancy business suit walks into the shop with a beautiful woman wearing a big shiny diamond engagement ring. The man, Theo Collins, plunks down a huge sum for a large bouquet for an upcoming wedding. Despite Lennox's initial assumptions, Theo is not the groom. He is the best friend of the bride to be, Livvy (the woman with the ring). Instead Theo is gay and very available, as is Lennox.

Theo and Lennox have the usual class differences that define these type of romances: Theo is from an uppeclass family. Lennox from a working class one. Theo is a businessman while Lennox longs to leave the flower shop to become a recognized artist. However, their similarities emerge when they recognize an altruistic need to help others. Theo wants to use recycled plastic to create cost alternatives for building materials. Lennox not only draws suggestions for potential kitchen cabinets, but he also suggests that cargo containers can be used to create recycled external outer shells for affordable housing. The two recognize the interests of providing affordable housing and the need they fill for each other: Theo with the money and big ideas, Lennox with the experience of living paycheck to paycheck and the artistic eye. They are drawn to each other because of their attraction, but also by their intelligence and commitment to higher purposes. 

Moments like these are what makes them a good couple.

There are many stumbling blocks that get in the way of them being together like a clingy ex of Theo's, Theo's snobbish friends and colleagues, and Lennox's pride and suspicions that Theo is only "slumming" when he goes out with a lower class man like him. Of course they get in the way of their union and of course each one is challenged. There are some moments of fringy dialogue ("I'm an artist." "No, you're a magician because you cast a spell over me.") But these are minor flaws in this charming book.

When Lennox and Theo have sex, and they do, it is a winning chapter. This is because they have certainly earned the right to be together. We have seen them together and separate. They had angst and worried whether their love is the real thing or a one night stand. They have been hurt by previous lovers and are concerned whether their differences are too much. (Lennox is particularly concerned about this.) Their union becomes an inevitable but welcome release.

The Artist and His Billionaire is an effective romance. When it is sweet, it is very sweet. When it is sexy, well, it is very sexy indeed.