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thegeekyblogger's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Review (NetGalley)
Overall Rating: 3.75
Story Rating: 3.50
Character Rating: 4.00
Quick Thoughts: I am obsessed with this series even though it doesn't check any of my must reads sections. In fact, it kind of checks off my opposite list: billionaires and virgins. I actively avoid those most of the time. Yet, I am getting a kick out of these Roughneck Billionaires and mostly cause they act like men who got money working hard but don't have any intention on being society. Clay was an over-the-top alpha. In fact, the premise was a little off-putting in the beginning to the point I almost shut the book after a particular "stupid" moment. I am glad I stuck with it though cause he totally won me over for Nat. This won't work for everyone but those who like over-the-top Alphas will totally swoon.
Part of my Read It, Write It, File It, Done Reviews
Overall Rating: 3.75
Story Rating: 3.50
Character Rating: 4.00
Quick Thoughts: I am obsessed with this series even though it doesn't check any of my must reads sections. In fact, it kind of checks off my opposite list: billionaires and virgins. I actively avoid those most of the time. Yet, I am getting a kick out of these Roughneck Billionaires and mostly cause they act like men who got money working hard but don't have any intention on being society. Clay was an over-the-top alpha. In fact, the premise was a little off-putting in the beginning to the point I almost shut the book after a particular "stupid" moment. I am glad I stuck with it though cause he totally won me over for Nat. This won't work for everyone but those who like over-the-top Alphas will totally swoon.
Part of my Read It, Write It, File It, Done Reviews
anabelsbrother's review
2.0
DNF at 30%
It's a struggle trying to even try to make it this far because the writing style also didn't quite mesh with me :/ I love the premise of the story; I'm a fan of angsty second chance romance and that was what I expected from the blurb. But I was disappointed to find that Clay and Natasha sounded exactly as immature as they did when they were teens, and Clay's supposedly ruthless plan to humiliate Natasha + getting her into his bed feels a bit rapey and didn't sit well with me.
E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
It's a struggle trying to even try to make it this far because the writing style also didn't quite mesh with me :/ I love the premise of the story; I'm a fan of angsty second chance romance and that was what I expected from the blurb. But I was disappointed to find that Clay and Natasha sounded exactly as immature as they did when they were teens, and Clay's supposedly ruthless plan to humiliate Natasha + getting her into his bed feels a bit rapey and didn't sit well with me.
E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
loverofromance's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
I can't tell you how excited I was to see that I had been approved to get access to this title. I have been waiting for this book for like FOREVER. I really had a blast with book one Dirty Money. This series is about five brothers, who won the jackpoint rigging for oil and became billionaires overnight. This book is Clay's book and man he is yummy if he is a bit of a jerk sometimes. Now Clay has been in love with Natalie, they were once high school sweethearts. And then they were driven apart on the night he was going to propose to her, and they have been separated for seven long years. Neither Clay or Natalie have ever forgotten or been able to move on. In Clay's mind, there was only one woman for him and its always been Natalie. Natalie has been busy taken care of her father who had a stroke and then suffered from dementia and trying to keep them from going to the poor house. Clay wants Natalie back in his life and is willing to do anything to get her back. So he hatches up a crazy plan with the not so help from one of his brothers. He will give her an offer, take care of all her financial troubles, if she will become his "personal assistant". Yeah kinda a very crazy plan for a man that has an almost endless amount of cash on his hands. But our heroine reluctantly agrees. She hates the idea of practically selling herself to keep herself and her father afloat. But what goes from a sordid arrangement turns into an affair of love and trust and communication. Clay wants to appear hard and mean and a "scoundrel" but he caves the moment Natalie gets emotional.
At first I really struggled with the hero. I so didn't like how he treats Natalie at first, like he wants her to hate him so much he has to treat her like a bedmate. However he really grows on me, because he is SO flawed. He makes mistakes and he admits that they are stupid decisions and he should have just come clean with Natalie about how much he really loves her. Once they get everything out in the open and realize what drove them apart, this is where their relationship really blossoms and boy the swoons these two cause!! I quickly got over my not so good feels for the hero, and fell in love with him and Natalie too. I could see parts of myself in Natalie very easily. She isn't good in big crowds, she is more reserved but hardworking and loyal. I did love how devoted she is to her father despite how bad he treats her and always has in raising her. So I relaly liked how protective Clay was especially when it came to her father. And the family.....boy they were fun and entertaining. They remind me of big burly bears....rough on the edges but have soft and cuddly hearts. And this is true for Clay. He is very rough around the edges for sure, but he hasn't touched another woman since losing Natalie because he has never stopped loving her. *sigh* yeah he is pretty dreamy in moments in this story. I also was drawn to them as a couple. Because they fit so right together. And not just when it comes to sex. Once all the drama gets out of the way, and they learn the truth about each other, they fit like a glove, bound by the hip. They are so at ease with each other, comfortable, and are able to let go of the lost seven years.
Now I did want to mention that there is a bit of a cliffhanger...not really. More like a shocker toward the end. Not about the couple, but something happens to the family that shocked me and one I never saw coming. So fair warning. :0
Dirty Scoundrel is a fast paced, quick witted romance that leaves you laughing and full of smiles from beginning to end. Its packed with real life characters that put the reader through their paces, challenge and get a bit teary eyed in moments. THIS READER HAD A BLAST!!
I can't tell you how excited I was to see that I had been approved to get access to this title. I have been waiting for this book for like FOREVER. I really had a blast with book one Dirty Money. This series is about five brothers, who won the jackpoint rigging for oil and became billionaires overnight. This book is Clay's book and man he is yummy if he is a bit of a jerk sometimes. Now Clay has been in love with Natalie, they were once high school sweethearts. And then they were driven apart on the night he was going to propose to her, and they have been separated for seven long years. Neither Clay or Natalie have ever forgotten or been able to move on. In Clay's mind, there was only one woman for him and its always been Natalie. Natalie has been busy taken care of her father who had a stroke and then suffered from dementia and trying to keep them from going to the poor house. Clay wants Natalie back in his life and is willing to do anything to get her back. So he hatches up a crazy plan with the not so help from one of his brothers. He will give her an offer, take care of all her financial troubles, if she will become his "personal assistant". Yeah kinda a very crazy plan for a man that has an almost endless amount of cash on his hands. But our heroine reluctantly agrees. She hates the idea of practically selling herself to keep herself and her father afloat. But what goes from a sordid arrangement turns into an affair of love and trust and communication. Clay wants to appear hard and mean and a "scoundrel" but he caves the moment Natalie gets emotional.
At first I really struggled with the hero. I so didn't like how he treats Natalie at first, like he wants her to hate him so much he has to treat her like a bedmate. However he really grows on me, because he is SO flawed. He makes mistakes and he admits that they are stupid decisions and he should have just come clean with Natalie about how much he really loves her. Once they get everything out in the open and realize what drove them apart, this is where their relationship really blossoms and boy the swoons these two cause!! I quickly got over my not so good feels for the hero, and fell in love with him and Natalie too. I could see parts of myself in Natalie very easily. She isn't good in big crowds, she is more reserved but hardworking and loyal. I did love how devoted she is to her father despite how bad he treats her and always has in raising her. So I relaly liked how protective Clay was especially when it came to her father. And the family.....boy they were fun and entertaining. They remind me of big burly bears....rough on the edges but have soft and cuddly hearts. And this is true for Clay. He is very rough around the edges for sure, but he hasn't touched another woman since losing Natalie because he has never stopped loving her. *sigh* yeah he is pretty dreamy in moments in this story. I also was drawn to them as a couple. Because they fit so right together. And not just when it comes to sex. Once all the drama gets out of the way, and they learn the truth about each other, they fit like a glove, bound by the hip. They are so at ease with each other, comfortable, and are able to let go of the lost seven years.
Now I did want to mention that there is a bit of a cliffhanger...not really. More like a shocker toward the end. Not about the couple, but something happens to the family that shocked me and one I never saw coming. So fair warning. :0
Dirty Scoundrel is a fast paced, quick witted romance that leaves you laughing and full of smiles from beginning to end. Its packed with real life characters that put the reader through their paces, challenge and get a bit teary eyed in moments. THIS READER HAD A BLAST!!
bananatricky's review against another edition
3.0
Disir has a great shelf entitled "indifferent shrugs" and I couldn't agree with her more.
I love the idea of a group of roughneck brothers who become oil billionaires and then each meets the woman of their dreams. I enjoyed the first book so I was looking forward to this one.
Clay Price lost the love of his life on the night he was going to ask her father for her hand in marriage. He might have been dirt poor but he was in live. Instead, he got dumped by proxy and, somehow, seven years later, he has never found anyone to replace her AT ALL, despite now being a billionaire.
Natalie Weston had it all seven years ago, the daughter of a fading movie star she was in love with Clay Price and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, until her father told her that Clay didn't want her to go to University and basically wanted her barefoot and pregnant in his trailer. As it happens she never got to go to University because that night her father had a heart attack and her life imploded. Now, seven years later she is broke, looking after her ailing father and trying to make ends meet by running a museum in their home dedicated to her father and his movie memorabilia. She hasn't had a chance to find anyone to replace Clay.
When Clay and Natalie meet again Clay decides he will be ruthless, he will offer Natalie, who has clearly fallen on hard times, a terrible bargain. He will solve all her financial woes if she will be his 'personal assistant' for as long as he wants. And he wants to lose his virginity to the girl he loved all those years ago.
Clay was kind of sweet (also, he comes across as maybe half a sandwich short of a picnic) but he also had a crude way of speaking, which I guess tells the reader he's roughneck! I found the constant use of the C word kind of offensive.
Natalie is a bit of a doormat, her father is manipulative and she lets him get away with it, she has self-esteem issues and jumps at the chance to be with the only man she's ever loved.
Basically, it's a comedy of errors in which Clay and Natalie are too nice to realise that they are in love, Cay throws money at every issue and Natalie worries about her weight.
It was sweet but I didn't love it.
I love the idea of a group of roughneck brothers who become oil billionaires and then each meets the woman of their dreams. I enjoyed the first book so I was looking forward to this one.
Clay Price lost the love of his life on the night he was going to ask her father for her hand in marriage. He might have been dirt poor but he was in live. Instead, he got dumped by proxy and, somehow, seven years later, he has never found anyone to replace her AT ALL, despite now being a billionaire.
Natalie Weston had it all seven years ago, the daughter of a fading movie star she was in love with Clay Price and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, until her father told her that Clay didn't want her to go to University and basically wanted her barefoot and pregnant in his trailer. As it happens she never got to go to University because that night her father had a heart attack and her life imploded. Now, seven years later she is broke, looking after her ailing father and trying to make ends meet by running a museum in their home dedicated to her father and his movie memorabilia. She hasn't had a chance to find anyone to replace Clay.
When Clay and Natalie meet again Clay decides he will be ruthless, he will offer Natalie, who has clearly fallen on hard times, a terrible bargain. He will solve all her financial woes if she will be his 'personal assistant' for as long as he wants. And he wants to lose his virginity to the girl he loved all those years ago.
Clay was kind of sweet (also, he comes across as maybe half a sandwich short of a picnic) but he also had a crude way of speaking, which I guess tells the reader he's roughneck! I found the constant use of the C word kind of offensive.
Natalie is a bit of a doormat, her father is manipulative and she lets him get away with it, she has self-esteem issues and jumps at the chance to be with the only man she's ever loved.
Basically, it's a comedy of errors in which Clay and Natalie are too nice to realise that they are in love, Cay throws money at every issue and Natalie worries about her weight.
It was sweet but I didn't love it.
eilidh's review against another edition
3.0
3.5: the hero in this just wasn't my fav. it was second chance so i enjoyed it but the overall premise of him taking advantage of her financial situation to screw her over just didn't sit right with me even by the end
thebookdisciple's review against another edition
4.0
The Roughneck Billionaires series by Jessica Clare has taken me by surprise. Dirty Scoundrel added to that surprise for sure!
Now, let me start with my 2 issues with the story. First, the trope is one of my LEAST favorite: miscommunication. Clay and Natalie were high school sweethearts until a miscommunication tears them apart. Now seven years later, Clay wants revenge. Which brings me to my next issue: Clay was an immature douche canoe for the first 30% of the book. He is so determined to get snooty Natalie to beg him for help and then crush her like a bug. Its not attractive.
With those things out of the way, the story got better for me. I loved that Ivy and Clay's brothers had a hand in attempting to help Clay. Natalie is dealing with a lot: her father is ailing, they have no money, and she has given up everything (Clay, college, a life) to take care of her dad. Her dad? Serious douche canoe. Hell, he is kind of a douche yacht! But, he is her dad and no matter what that isn't something she can turn her back on. Despite what Clay thinks of her, she is very kind hearted. I understood Clay's hurt as well (I wasn't thrilled about his reaction). These two made me sad! You realize how much they missed out on because of that one miscommunication!
Throw in Natalie's super strange BFF with the wackiness of Clay's family and you have some levity to Dirty Scoundrel that makes it a mix of heartbreak and joy! The twist near the end completely surprised me and changed the trajectory of the series for sure!
Finally, a note about the narrators of Dirty Scoundrel, Rudy Sanda and Chandra Skyye. I have long loved Chandra Skyye so I know that any book she narrates will be good. Rudy Sanda was a new to me narrator. He has the southern Texas twang down pretty well. I worry sometimes because
- POV: dual 1st
- Tears: no
- Trope: miscommunication, fake relationship
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series
- Cliffhanger:
Spoiler
no - HEA:
Spoiler
yes
Follow by Tessa Bailey, Rock Chick Reckoning by Kristen Ashley, Axel by Harper Sloan, Kiss Marry Kill by Sidney Halston...then you will probably like Dirty Scoundrel!
Dirty Scoundrel
meags's review against another edition
2.0
TL;DR: THE PREMISE ALONE GETS AN F FROM ME
***
THE STORY:
The synopsis is way too kind on the actual set up of this book. If I had known what I was actually getting into, I never would have picked this up. Clay Price, the hero, is a disgusting misogynist asshole. He completely takes advantage of Natalie, who is down on her luck and desperate.
The synopsis makes it sound like Clay comes in and offers her a legitimate job and the sexytimes are implied. No. He basically tells her that the "assisting" he needs is with his dick. He continually brings up that he paid for her body. She is self-conscious about the weight she's gained since they first dated, and he brushes her feelings under the rug as unimportant. He essentially tells her that he still finds her screwable so she should be happy with her looks. And then, when she has real and complex feelings about her relationship with her father, he completely dismisses those, too.
I hated this book. I didn't even read the whole thing, line by line. I skimmed through most of it. Natalie's weirdo yoga goth friend was bizarre and essentially a punchline. The death of one of the side characters is completely sudden and only used a plot device. And I don't buy the romance between Natalie and Clay.
TECHNICAL ELEMENTS:
Besides the horrible plot and set up of this book, the poor characterization, and the glaring consent and shaming issues, it wasn't even that well-written. I hated all of the weird redneck slang inserted into the book. The POV switching was awkward and didn't transition well. But by far the worst part is how Clay treats Natalie. It was just irredeemable.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I cannot recommend this book. I will not be reading anything else by this author.
***
BOOK FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
***
THE STORY:
The synopsis is way too kind on the actual set up of this book. If I had known what I was actually getting into, I never would have picked this up. Clay Price, the hero, is a disgusting misogynist asshole. He completely takes advantage of Natalie, who is down on her luck and desperate.
The synopsis makes it sound like Clay comes in and offers her a legitimate job and the sexytimes are implied. No. He basically tells her that the "assisting" he needs is with his dick. He continually brings up that he paid for her body. She is self-conscious about the weight she's gained since they first dated, and he brushes her feelings under the rug as unimportant. He essentially tells her that he still finds her screwable so she should be happy with her looks. And then, when she has real and complex feelings about her relationship with her father, he completely dismisses those, too.
I hated this book. I didn't even read the whole thing, line by line. I skimmed through most of it. Natalie's weirdo yoga goth friend was bizarre and essentially a punchline. The death of one of the side characters is completely sudden and only used a plot device. And I don't buy the romance between Natalie and Clay.
TECHNICAL ELEMENTS:
Besides the horrible plot and set up of this book, the poor characterization, and the glaring consent and shaming issues, it wasn't even that well-written. I hated all of the weird redneck slang inserted into the book. The POV switching was awkward and didn't transition well. But by far the worst part is how Clay treats Natalie. It was just irredeemable.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I cannot recommend this book. I will not be reading anything else by this author.
***
BOOK FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
lauraanne9's review against another edition
3.0
***ARC Provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley***
3.5 Stars
Billionaires are, well, billionaires. They are suave, they are sophisticated, they live in mansions and they eat caviar.
At least that is the stereotype. And, then you meet the Price brothers. They are a different kind of billionaire...the kind that still live in the trailers where they grew up, or where they lived before they struck it rich.
And, they are so fun. They are different and there is an appeal to each story as they are different and they feel more accessible for this "normalcy"...even though they are a little rough around the edges.
Clay and Natalie were together when they were younger, and they split up after being manipulated by her father, which you learn very early in the story. And, well, Clay is not over Natalie and this makes him angry (although they don't know there was manipulation until later in the story) and, well, now he has money and he knows he can make people do what he wants in order to get access to that money.
I enjoyed this book overall, it was fun. There were parts of it that were a little over the top and while they did not totally work for me, I think they were intentional on the part of the author.
I recommend this title and I am looking forward to the next one in the series.
3.5 Stars
Billionaires are, well, billionaires. They are suave, they are sophisticated, they live in mansions and they eat caviar.
At least that is the stereotype. And, then you meet the Price brothers. They are a different kind of billionaire...the kind that still live in the trailers where they grew up, or where they lived before they struck it rich.
And, they are so fun. They are different and there is an appeal to each story as they are different and they feel more accessible for this "normalcy"...even though they are a little rough around the edges.
Clay and Natalie were together when they were younger, and they split up after being manipulated by her father, which you learn very early in the story. And, well, Clay is not over Natalie and this makes him angry (although they don't know there was manipulation until later in the story) and, well, now he has money and he knows he can make people do what he wants in order to get access to that money.
I enjoyed this book overall, it was fun. There were parts of it that were a little over the top and while they did not totally work for me, I think they were intentional on the part of the author.
I recommend this title and I am looking forward to the next one in the series.
jessica_rae's review against another edition
2.0
"received an arc exchange for an honest review"
this book was a "its me not you" type of thing
this is the second book of the (Roughneck Billionaires series) and no i didn't read the first but i really don't think you need to unless you want too.
I had only really one problem with this book and it's name is CLAY he is just a big fat jerk and the way he treats Natalie and reminds her with every chance he gets that he "bought" her seriously thats just messed up
this book was a "its me not you" type of thing
this is the second book of the (Roughneck Billionaires series) and no i didn't read the first but i really don't think you need to unless you want too.
I had only really one problem with this book and it's name is CLAY he is just a big fat jerk and the way he treats Natalie and reminds her with every chance he gets that he "bought" her seriously thats just messed up