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sromero0528's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it!
Loved it and can’t wait for the rest of Penn and Natalie’s story. Their connection is real and you can feel it in the story.
Loved it and can’t wait for the rest of Penn and Natalie’s story. Their connection is real and you can feel it in the story.
fsmeurinne's review against another edition
5.0
This is 6 years later, when Penn and Natalie meet again after their night in Paris. They have a past, their present is different, but this story is full of angst that will start you on a journey you never thought you would find yourself in.
rohina_sharma's review against another edition
5.0
My dream and nightmare stood before me. Clothed like a god walking off of a James Bond set with dark hair and midnight - blue eyes that flickered in the dying embers. When Gossip Girl and Cruel Intentions collide into one, K.A. Linde brings another addictive, angsty and totally unputdownable book.
Cruel Money takes place 6 years after One Cruel Night, which is what made me so excited about this book and the series.
Natalie is a writer looking for her big break while she house sits for the rich and famous. Living the nomad life and truly enjoying what she does, Natalie is now in the Hamptons house sitting for Mayor Kensington when Penn Kensington, the guy who made her last night in Paris six years ago the most beautiful night of her life and then tarnished it the next day.
Penn, born and brought up on the Upper East Side and with the most elite of the elite, is world's away from Natalie and everything she represents or comes from.
Seeing Natalie at his mother's home was not something he had expected and now he can't get her out of his mind.
The connection between Natalie and Penn burns as bright as it did all those years ago and try as she may, Natalie can't resist Penn. But little does she know about the games and deceit being played by the people she knows, that is hovering in the horizons, bidding their time to reveal themselves.
I turned to face him. Not with tears in my eyes, but anger. No heartbreak, just emptiness. This was the end. It was over. Penn Kensington had done everything he could to ruin what was left of the romantic in my soul. I loved Natalie and the way she was written. She didn't cower under the rich kids and gave back to them with wit, confidence and smart unfiltered remarks.
Penn... I'm a little on the ledge with him at the moment. I like him, I do, but there were times when I wanted to give him a good shake and bring some sense into him. Though I have to give a special mention to my favourite out of the lot — Lewis. He is a real charmer and genuine and true with Natalie and I would love to see more scenes between the two of them.
I was invested in the story from start to finish. It has angst, drama, deception, seduction, manipulation and lies coated in honey making Penn and Natalie's story equal parts twisted and intriguing.
If you love stories that are dripping in deception and about the glamorous lifestyle of the Upper East Side that hides its deviousness behind fake smiles and glitter then this is it.
I am so so ready for Cruel Fortune which is, unfortunately, releasing sometime in April! (so far... sigh)
4.5 Stars!
★ Buy Cruel Money (Kindle)
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jennahack's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this but just didn’t. I want to know what happens, but I won’t rush out to read the next one.
readingvoyage's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I listened to the audiobook. The story was well written but it just wasn't for me. It had too many Gossip Girls vibes. Rich people behaving badly.
Although this book is categorized as a Romance, it does not have a HEA. The epilogue seemed to me a way to get readers to buy the next book. No thanks!
Although this book is categorized as a Romance, it does not have a HEA. The epilogue seemed to me a way to get readers to buy the next book. No thanks!
tabberz's review against another edition
4.0
Oh Penn! and oh Linde! Once again the queen of angst delivered.
You have to meet Natalie and Penn. This couple has chemistry to spare. I love their love/hate relationship (the hate is mostly one-sided). I love their banter and I love when they come together. These two have a nice depth to them and are not your typical couple from opposite sides of the track. They have a history that is hinted at for a bit and you wait to find all the truths from their first time around (And if you want to read that story you can read One Cruel Night, which is free). This second chance that is given to them in a unexpected way is so much fun to watch unravel. You feel the tension in both good and bad ways and you wonder where this will go, if anywhere. I loved reading it unfold.
I loved Totle, who is my favorite character in the whole book. How a dog can be so expressive and lovable makes me want to get my own (would if I could).
The other supporting characters were fun to see interact with these two. The friends and family from both characters were interesting and brought out new sides to them. There's always the one character you keep your eye on because you know bad things always follow and in this book their "villain" was unlikable in the best way. You just wanted to yell, "RUN!", every time she entered a scene. But the best friends for both characters were great. They were supportive and had great interactions.
Since this is part of a 3-book series you know that this would not be a Linde novel without a cliffhanger. And oh what a cliffhanger it is! I am anxious and expectant for the next book and to see where she's taking out characters. It is a small time-jump so we will probably get to see what they were up to in the interim and see what will happen next.
And as I mentioned earlier in my review, there is a prequel book, One Cruel Night, that is currently free and it's a great read to get to know our characters a little more but not necessary to read this book. There is enough coverage of those events in this book that you get the gist of what happened BUT I think that read was also excellent and really enhances this read. So pick that up too.
Overall...Why do I need to wait so long for the next book!?!?!?!?!?
You have to meet Natalie and Penn. This couple has chemistry to spare. I love their love/hate relationship (the hate is mostly one-sided). I love their banter and I love when they come together. These two have a nice depth to them and are not your typical couple from opposite sides of the track. They have a history that is hinted at for a bit and you wait to find all the truths from their first time around (And if you want to read that story you can read One Cruel Night, which is free). This second chance that is given to them in a unexpected way is so much fun to watch unravel. You feel the tension in both good and bad ways and you wonder where this will go, if anywhere. I loved reading it unfold.
I loved Totle, who is my favorite character in the whole book. How a dog can be so expressive and lovable makes me want to get my own (would if I could).
The other supporting characters were fun to see interact with these two. The friends and family from both characters were interesting and brought out new sides to them. There's always the one character you keep your eye on because you know bad things always follow and in this book their "villain" was unlikable in the best way. You just wanted to yell, "RUN!", every time she entered a scene. But the best friends for both characters were great. They were supportive and had great interactions.
Since this is part of a 3-book series you know that this would not be a Linde novel without a cliffhanger. And oh what a cliffhanger it is! I am anxious and expectant for the next book and to see where she's taking out characters. It is a small time-jump so we will probably get to see what they were up to in the interim and see what will happen next.
And as I mentioned earlier in my review, there is a prequel book, One Cruel Night, that is currently free and it's a great read to get to know our characters a little more but not necessary to read this book. There is enough coverage of those events in this book that you get the gist of what happened BUT I think that read was also excellent and really enhances this read. So pick that up too.
Overall...Why do I need to wait so long for the next book!?!?!?!?!?
surbhi_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I loved Gossip Girl... I still kind of watch random episodes when in the mood!! This book definitely has certain elements of the show to it and it was fun for the most part even if the story was kind of predictable!!!
I did have a hard time wrapping my head around the whole bet thing because characters of this book are suppose to be mature and adults but they hardly acted like that, instead they came across as extremely unlikable, petty and spiteful... including the male protagonist, Penn, who really was a hypocrite. As for Natalie, idk.. she reminded me of Jenny from GG, I did like her smart mouth but I get where she is coming from, she really didn't stand a chance among people who have done a PhD in viciousness. It's good that she got out, although did she? that's the big question. The romance, I guess was okay, sometimes sweet, sometimes sexy and heart-breaking at the end.. but oh well! Like I mentioned, it was fun watching these characters entangle their own lives into absurd circumstances and destroy each other. < evil brain alert!>
I do have the second book at hand.. so can't wait to see Natalie give it back to these upper east sides brat!!
I did have a hard time wrapping my head around the whole bet thing because characters of this book are suppose to be mature and adults but they hardly acted like that, instead they came across as extremely unlikable, petty and spiteful... including the male protagonist, Penn, who really was a hypocrite. As for Natalie, idk.. she reminded me of Jenny from GG, I did like her smart mouth but I get where she is coming from, she really didn't stand a chance among people who have done a PhD in viciousness. It's good that she got out, although did she? that's the big question. The romance, I guess was okay, sometimes sweet, sometimes sexy and heart-breaking at the end.. but oh well! Like I mentioned, it was fun watching these characters entangle their own lives into absurd circumstances and destroy each other. < evil brain alert!>
I do have the second book at hand.. so can't wait to see Natalie give it back to these upper east sides brat!!
gudzilla's review against another edition
DNF at 50%. I am not a romance reader so DNFing romance book is very common for me. Up until 50%, it was okay then everyone started doing stuff without thinking which I think kind of also common in romance genre. Not my cuppa but I did enjoy 0.5 of this series.
tfail24's review
4.0
I really want to like Penn, but his ethics and his crew is getting to me. Natalie, I think, is pretty naive at sometimes during the book. But, with all of that being said, I ended up liking the story and can’t wait to see what happens in book 2. Just give this book a chance, because I think Penn will redeem himself in the next book and I can’t wait to see how he pulls it off.