Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: NetGalley
Reviewer: MinnChica
Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Technology. But when he makes an off-hand comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life.
To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her hours and send money home to her family. No expectations; no future obligations.
But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. No expectations might break Tina’s heart…but Blake’s secrets could ruin her life.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
I have to admit that when it comes to my historical romances, I’m pretty picky. I’ve only read one of Milan’s books before, and while I liked it, it wasn’t my favorite trope. When I saw good things about her new contemporary series, I quickly got my hands on a copy.
Between her education and helping her parents, Tina struggles to get by on a daily basis. Her dreams of becoming a doctor are based solely on the desire to have a nice nest egg for herself and her parents. Getting involved with anyone isn’t something she’s looking to do, especially if that someone is the sexy billionaire Blake. When a flippant remark leads to Blake asking to switch lives with her, Tina welcomes the chance at making some serious money.
Blake is running from his life, and running into poverty seems like a good way to keep his mind off his own problems. But taking over Tina’s life is taking on more than he expected. Blake turns to Tina every chance he gets, and the two develop a quick friendship. But Blake desperately wants more than to just be friends. Between Blake’s secret and Tina’s reluctance to get involved with him, their relationship has more obstacles than either expected.
I absolutely adored this book. Blake and Tina were so funny and sweet and sexy together. I loved the fact that Blake was so determined to win Tina over, despite the gulf of issues between them. He knew from the moment he saw her that he wanted her, and he wasn’t going to let anything stand in their way, even Tina herself. But despite his fun and imaginative ways of wooing her, I think the thing I loved most about Blake was the relationship he had with his father. The two of them were so fun together! They laughed and joked and were each other’s best friend. That bond between them was so wonderful to read about, and rare in the romance books I’ve read. Reading about their family dynamic was absolutely perfect, IMO.
Speaking of family dynamics, Tina’s family was a hoot. I loved her mother! She was sassy and sarcastic and dedicated – almost to a fault – to the causes she holds near and dear. Her way of showing Tina how proud she was was both hilarious and cringe worthy. I could see why Tina struggled to connect with her family at times. 🙂
The last 15-20% of the book had my absolutely riveted. I don’t want to give anything away, but let me say that Milan has a way of telling the most incredible stories. She kept me on the edge of my seat like a good romantic suspense does, but instead I was desperate to see how the romance and company presentation they worked on together would culminate. I have to say, I loved it. I laughed and cried and laughed some more. This book had a near-perfect ending. My only problem with it was that it did eventually end!
All in all, I think Milan has more than excelled at writing her first contemporary romance. It was brilliant in terms of romance, characters, and overall development. I loved Blake, loved Tina, and their romance was pretty epic. I can’t wait to read more in this series, and am sending my prayers of fast writing to Milan!
I give Trade Me an A-
Yes, yes, yes. Such a lovely story–I made all the good book noises as I read it!