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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
ARC Review ✨️
☆A loose retelling of Hades and Persephone ♡
As a first-time reader of Adrian, it is safe to say her writing is immaculate! The way the story flowed without skipping a beat is my favorite. It slowly builds up so much tension that it makes the book impossible to put down! On the character aspect, I think the author created some really original and easy to love main characters! The side characters were easy to enjoy as well! Paige is a southern belle, and Hayes is a badboy billionaire🤭 The banter between them and the spice was to ☠️ for 😍 🥵 The ending left me absolutely shocked, and I need the second book! 🙌🫠
☆A loose retelling of Hades and Persephone ♡
As a first-time reader of Adrian, it is safe to say her writing is immaculate! The way the story flowed without skipping a beat is my favorite. It slowly builds up so much tension that it makes the book impossible to put down! On the character aspect, I think the author created some really original and easy to love main characters! The side characters were easy to enjoy as well! Paige is a southern belle, and Hayes is a badboy billionaire🤭 The banter between them and the spice was to ☠️ for 😍 🥵 The ending left me absolutely shocked, and I need the second book! 🙌🫠
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
💰Billionaire romance
💰Age Gap
💰Slow Burn
💰Marriage of Convenience
💰Touch Her and Die Vibes
All of these tropes really made me want to pick up this book! It was an interesting read that ended on a cliffhanger, so you'll need book 2 immediately.
I'm hoping for the best for our couple, Paige & Hayes.
Paige was whiny, but she is also pretty young. So it makes sense. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 @𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘱𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬!
💰Age Gap
💰Slow Burn
💰Marriage of Convenience
💰Touch Her and Die Vibes
All of these tropes really made me want to pick up this book! It was an interesting read that ended on a cliffhanger, so you'll need book 2 immediately.
I'm hoping for the best for our couple, Paige & Hayes.
Paige was whiny, but she is also pretty young. So it makes sense. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 @𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘱𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬!
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s very hard for me to turn down a Hades/Persephone retelling. This was such a fun/different take on it. Definitely pay attention to trigger warnings! It’s not super dark, just has some dark topics.
Paige and Hayes have some amazing chemistry and I really enjoyed this fast paced love story. It was very steamy and I loved the humor mixed in. I will warn you that it ends on a cliffhanger, but the second book is already out!
Shoutout to Cerberus for being the bestest boy!!
P.S. I’m having a very hard time with her mother. She repeatedly ignores her daughter’s wants and needs and continues to downplay her experience. I will not forgive her.
“Wanting you doesn’t even begin to touch the depth of what I feel. I want to do very bad things with you, things that would shock and scare you even.”
“I look forward to watching this fresh new love grow into a wrinkled, lived-in, and weathered love that is talked about for ages to come.”
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book was SO GOOD that I finished it in 2 days. I could not put it down! It’s a MUST READ! I am head over heels for Hayes even though I’m mad at him lol. The ending of the book really has you wanting to find out what happens next! I have a love-hate relationship with cliff hangers😂 If a billionaire romance sounds like your jam, you have to start this series! There are some trigger warnings so be sure to read up on those first🫶🏼
I love love loved the slow burn, the intensity, the SPICE🥵. Cerberus sounds like the sweetest dog and I wish to have one like him🫶🏼 I really hope Paige and Hayes will overcome the bump in the road they’ve come to, I need more of their relationship✨I am also excited to know more about Hayes’s brothers Payton and Zander, I am intrigued!
Mama is on my nerves though😂 I hope she’ll eventually lighten up cuz jeez Louise🙈
I have to read The Bourbon Bargain ASAP😍
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book was SO GOOD that I finished it in 2 days. I could not put it down! It’s a MUST READ! I am head over heels for Hayes even though I’m mad at him lol. The ending of the book really has you wanting to find out what happens next! I have a love-hate relationship with cliff hangers😂 If a billionaire romance sounds like your jam, you have to start this series! There are some trigger warnings so be sure to read up on those first🫶🏼
I love love loved the slow burn, the intensity, the SPICE🥵. Cerberus sounds like the sweetest dog and I wish to have one like him🫶🏼 I really hope Paige and Hayes will overcome the bump in the road they’ve come to, I need more of their relationship✨I am also excited to know more about Hayes’s brothers Payton and Zander, I am intrigued!
Mama is on my nerves though😂 I hope she’ll eventually lighten up cuz jeez Louise🙈
I have to read The Bourbon Bargain ASAP😍
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
EEK! Southern? Age gap? Instalove? A hotel heiress and a bad boy billionaire? Say no more, I’m HOOKED!
Paige Fairchild is sweet and innocent until her parents try to force her to marry a nightmare from her past, will she follow her heart or come to her southern sensibilities? Hayes Olsen, delicious and devious, has his sights set on the Fairchild empire, will he keep it to a business transaction or accidentally sign his heart away in the process?
This book was the sweet tea I needed to cleanse my palette after all the dark romance I’ve been reading lately. The whirlwind romance between Paige and Hayes, a sprinkle of danger, and a helping of family drama made for a nice quick read.
Oof! That cliff hanger at the end though has my heart all twisted up. BRB I’m busy devouring the next book in the series!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed a couple of things about this book. I liked how the fMC stood her ground, more often than not FMC’s in books like this are quite weak but Paige wasn’t and I loved that about her. I also liked how patient Hayes was with Paige and taking everything at a slower pace. I enjoyed the vibe of this book, the writing was good and it was a good pace. It also had some good humour. However I thought a couple of things weren’t necessary to the plot, if anything they ruined it a little. It was also very insta-lovey, like everything happened within a week, including marriage and ‘I love you’s’. I don’t know, I wasn’t that obsessed but it was very close to getting a 4 star review. I am looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing how their story progresses. Thank you to Sunny Babe for the review copy.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Phewwwww I love me a good spicy age gap and this book did NOT disappoint.
This books blends the unattainable upper-crust society feel of a historical romance, but in a contemporary, southern setting.
THOUGHTS 💭
🥃 I loved the Hades/Persephone vibe that is overtly and covertly woven into this book. Hayes is devastating, sensual, and has an underlying badness (in a good way?) to him. Paige is smart, sweet, and a bit of a spitfire.
🥃 Hayes is a secret cinnamon roll for Paige. Their relationship turns so sweet as he gets to know her and softens for her. Just because he softens for her doesn’t mean he’s not possessive and protective.
🥃 I loved watching these two play house with their dog and their dinners, as Paige takes refuge in Atlanta.
🥃 Hayes gets ALL of Paige’s firsts and I’m here for it. 🥵
🥃 THAT. CLIFFHANGER. 😱
Thanks so much to Adrian R. Hale and Sunny Babe PR for the ARC of this book!
This books blends the unattainable upper-crust society feel of a historical romance, but in a contemporary, southern setting.
THOUGHTS 💭
🥃 I loved the Hades/Persephone vibe that is overtly and covertly woven into this book. Hayes is devastating, sensual, and has an underlying badness (in a good way?) to him. Paige is smart, sweet, and a bit of a spitfire.
🥃 Hayes is a secret cinnamon roll for Paige. Their relationship turns so sweet as he gets to know her and softens for her. Just because he softens for her doesn’t mean he’s not possessive and protective.
🥃 I loved watching these two play house with their dog and their dinners, as Paige takes refuge in Atlanta.
🥃 Hayes gets ALL of Paige’s firsts and I’m here for it. 🥵
🥃 THAT. CLIFFHANGER. 😱
Thanks so much to Adrian R. Hale and Sunny Babe PR for the ARC of this book!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has promised a lot, and somehow managed to give even more. After seeing the tropes I knew I just had to read it, and wow. Just wow. Starting from the playlist (not only it was there, it also contained so many Taylor Swift songs!!!), this book was perfect until the very end.
The book is exactly what it is described as. I’m a huge billionaire romance fan and I eat it up every time, and this one was no exception. Light plot, the tension, drama, incredible characters…. I love it all. It’s also very well-written, I finished it in a day and didn’t even understand that I was reading that fast. And the cliffhanger??? I really need to read part 2 now! I really hope it contains long and hard groveling.
Characters are my favorite part about this book. Paige? So relatable! Hayes? The absolute fictional crush. I just know all of my romance girlies will agree that he’s THE fictional man. Cerberus? Immaculate (yes, again me and my addiction to pets😂).
I would definitely recommend this book to those who like the genre, but proceed with caution because forgetting all your responsibilities in order to read is very likely.
Hayes Olsen is a billionaire and the king of the corporate underworld, working as the CFO of Olympus International alongside his two brothers. Paige Fairchild is a Southern Belle and a hotel heiress who is holding her debutante ball at an exclusive nightclub where she meets the club's mysterious owner. Hayes could be the key for Paige to leave her tightly controlled life behind, but could also be a risk with disastrous consequences.
THE BOURBON BRIDE is a cute billionaire romance with touch her and die vibes. I enjoyed that the story was told in both Hayes and Paige's perspectives - truly my favourite way for a romance to be told. Hayes is described to be a dark and brooding character which I enjoyed while Paige is the untainted Southern Belle with the manners to match. Together, Hayes and Paige make for an interesting pairing. I enjoyed the relationship that develops between Hayes and Paige with some well done spicy scenes, but I was hoping for a deeper emotional connection to occur between them. I'm not a big fan of insta-love and that may have been my downfall here, while the insta-love aspect was well done, it's just not my vibe.
I can't write a review without mentioning Cerberus, Haye's dog. He's easily my favourite character, simply because who doesn't love an excellent guard dog and companion?!
I enjoyed the business-centric plot that occurs amidst the romance. I was very intrigued as to how certain things would play out and I loved the tension it added to the read. I am a bit disappointed that the book ends on a cliffhanger, in the midst of a pivotal moment in the story, forcing the reader to pick up book 2 to find out how things get resolved.
Many thanks to SunnyBabePR for this review copy. All opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Bourbon Bride - Adrian R. Hale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/ 🌶️🌶️🌶️/ Kindle / TW: sexual assault
🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃
When Georgia debutante and hotel heiress Paige Fairchild finds herself facing a less than desirable arranged marriage, she inadvertently runs to the aid of Hayes Olsen - Atlanta businessman billionaire, many years her senior. As their attraction deepens, she must sort out just how advantageous this relationship is, and for whom.
👰🏻👰🏻👰🏻👰🏻👰🏻👰🏻👰🏻👰🏻👰🏻
I INHALED this book. I had to fan myself like a true southern belle as I read this book lest I find myself kicking and screaming at the chemistry between these characters.
Imagine my surprise when after a chapter or so I caught on to the Hades/ Persephone retelling and I was absolutely hooked. I read for two hours straight until 3:00 in the morning because I just couldn’t stop. HOOKED.
The Bourbon Bride is fast paced, sexy and fun. Hayes and Paige are hot as hell and charming to boot. Hayes is everything you want in an MMC - strong, rich, protective, morally grey but with a gentleness only for her. Paige’s journey into confidence and finding herself and knowing what she wants while staying true to herself is inspiring and honestly she is just so dang sweet. We love a southern belle with teeth.
Author Adrian Hale effortlessly weaves the tale of these lovers and while things move fast, it’s easy to believe that these two characters truly care for each other and complement each other. Her writing style is quick and concise, and the characters are fully formed and easy to imagine. And the spice? The SPICE?! There’s so much tension and touching and I was a giddy little girl all the way through.