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A review by jackiehorne
How to Belong with a Billionaire by Alexis Hall
4.0
Fans of Caspian and Arden may find this final book in their on-again/off-again romance trilogy a bit disappointing, as the two spend most of the book estranged. But the book works amazingly well at showing why the two are not yet ready for their HEA at the end of book 2, and how they and others both help and hinder their own emotional growth as they struggle to understand themselves, and to do the emotional work they need to do to lay the groundwork for a successful future together.
Most of the story focuses Arden as he begins to grow into life in the adult working world as a junior editor at Milieu, a fashion and society magazine. Arden's friendship with Caspian's sister, Ellery, is a large focus; Arden's friend Nik plays a much smaller role than in previous books. While Arden does pine for Caspian, he doesn't do it celibately; his friends-with-benefits relationship with a more experienced genderqueer work colleague shows both his honest attempt to craft a life after Caspian, as well as his knowledge that great sex does not depend on having a romantic attachment to one's partner. I loved this relationship between Arden and George, both for its own sake and for what it showed about Caspian and Arden's relationship—it wasn't all just about the sex. Such an unusual, and amazingly sex-positive, depiction!
Caspian's administrative assistant, Bellerose, makes a tantalizingly short appearance, then disappointingly disappears from the novel; one hopes that Hall was laying the groundwork for a future book about him. Readers will likely also want to see more of George, and Ellery, and even of Caspian's seemingly unfeeling lawyer (who, like Ellery, has a secret liking for gothic romances...).
I wasn't always certain that C & A would find their way back to one another by the end of this book, largely because Caspian is still so unaccepting of himself through most of the story, so unable to begin to deal with his trauma or integrate his sexual preferences into his own sense of self (worrying that they have been unnaturally inculcated into him by his abusive first lover). Dumping Arden "for his own good" and getting engaged to his ex-boyfriend, the overly-perfect and rather sanctimonious Nathaniel, at the start of this book, is a decided step backwards, as Nathaniel believes Caspian's BDSM predilections are tantamount to a shameful addiction, a belief that Caspian buys into in the hopes of being a "better man."
Caspian is determined to keep his distance from Arden, but their paths keep crossing (Arden is assigned to interview Caspian and Nathaniel; Nathaniel invites Arden to a disastrous "friendly" dinner; Caspian attends a showing of photographs taken by Arden's work colleague/FwB; Arden runs to Caspian for help when he makes a major mistake with a figure from his past). Each encounter shows Caspian less and less happy, yet clinging ever more determinedly (and precariously) to his belief that he can't square his need for Arden with his desire to be a good man.
The last third of the book, with its two major melodramatic twists, strained credulity, although each provided great opportunities for emotional angst and for A & C to try to better understand, and accept, the needs and decisions of the other.
Most of the story focuses Arden as he begins to grow into life in the adult working world as a junior editor at Milieu, a fashion and society magazine. Arden's friendship with Caspian's sister, Ellery, is a large focus; Arden's friend Nik plays a much smaller role than in previous books. While Arden does pine for Caspian, he doesn't do it celibately; his friends-with-benefits relationship with a more experienced genderqueer work colleague shows both his honest attempt to craft a life after Caspian, as well as his knowledge that great sex does not depend on having a romantic attachment to one's partner. I loved this relationship between Arden and George, both for its own sake and for what it showed about Caspian and Arden's relationship—it wasn't all just about the sex. Such an unusual, and amazingly sex-positive, depiction!
Caspian's administrative assistant, Bellerose, makes a tantalizingly short appearance, then disappointingly disappears from the novel; one hopes that Hall was laying the groundwork for a future book about him. Readers will likely also want to see more of George, and Ellery, and even of Caspian's seemingly unfeeling lawyer (who, like Ellery, has a secret liking for gothic romances...).
I wasn't always certain that C & A would find their way back to one another by the end of this book, largely because Caspian is still so unaccepting of himself through most of the story, so unable to begin to deal with his trauma or integrate his sexual preferences into his own sense of self (worrying that they have been unnaturally inculcated into him by his abusive first lover). Dumping Arden "for his own good" and getting engaged to his ex-boyfriend, the overly-perfect and rather sanctimonious Nathaniel, at the start of this book, is a decided step backwards, as Nathaniel believes Caspian's BDSM predilections are tantamount to a shameful addiction, a belief that Caspian buys into in the hopes of being a "better man."
Caspian is determined to keep his distance from Arden, but their paths keep crossing (Arden is assigned to interview Caspian and Nathaniel; Nathaniel invites Arden to a disastrous "friendly" dinner; Caspian attends a showing of photographs taken by Arden's work colleague/FwB; Arden runs to Caspian for help when he makes a major mistake with a figure from his past). Each encounter shows Caspian less and less happy, yet clinging ever more determinedly (and precariously) to his belief that he can't square his need for Arden with his desire to be a good man.
The last third of the book, with its two major melodramatic twists, strained credulity, although each provided great opportunities for emotional angst and for A & C to try to better understand, and accept, the needs and decisions of the other.