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A review by beckymmoe
His Billion Dollar Baby by Lea Nolan
3.0
This book has a lot going for it--the premise has promise, the characters have some depth, and did I mention the cover? Such lovely abs. :) The idea of falling for the brother of your deceased baby daddy--especially when your relationship with that brother starts off so totally wrong-footedly and you seem to have nothing whatsoever in common with him--soooo much potential for delicious drama! (I was actually glad that Gwen and Ben didn't have a closer relationship, because that that much drama would have put it over the top. Pregnancy hormones + survivor guilt + falling for someone new and moving on so soon after guilt = total overload. I think Ms. Nolan made the right choice here having her pregnancy be the result of a single uncharacteristic night for the two of them.)
Gwen is a really strong character. She is a self-made woman, rising above her foster system background and making a solid life for herself. I loved how she is so devoted to helping others and that she really knows her job (physical therapy, with an emphasis on military wounded) well. She is determined to raise her baby herself, yet still manages to accept help when she really needs it with grace. I liked her a lot.
Carter is a bit tougher to love at times--a disastrous first marriage has left him bitter, and he tends to see all women as variations of his ex. He is also naturally suspicious of anyone who might be out to take advantage of his family's wealth and good nature. His attitude is understandable, up to a point--but once he let his guard down and opened himself up to a real relationship with Gwen, it felt as if he was much too quick to do another 180 degree turn and once again see only self-serving motives behind all of her actions. In fact, the entire argument on which their relationship climax hinged had a forced feel to it. I found myself going back and re-reading their conversation more than once because their responses to each other's comments just didn't feel genuine--their reactions seemed so out of whack with what had actually been done and said that reading that scene gave me a "wait--what the heck just happened here?" feeling afterwards.
I'll give Carter this, though--he does grovel with style. Tiny baby shoes will melt this particular heart every time. :)
Overall, this novel made my two-hour wait at BWI a lot more enjoyable than it otherwise might have been. I'll definitely be interested to see more from this author in the future as she continues to develop her contemporary romance-writing muscles.
Rating: 3 stars / C
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Gwen is a really strong character. She is a self-made woman, rising above her foster system background and making a solid life for herself. I loved how she is so devoted to helping others and that she really knows her job (physical therapy, with an emphasis on military wounded) well. She is determined to raise her baby herself, yet still manages to accept help when she really needs it with grace. I liked her a lot.
Carter is a bit tougher to love at times--a disastrous first marriage has left him bitter, and he tends to see all women as variations of his ex. He is also naturally suspicious of anyone who might be out to take advantage of his family's wealth and good nature. His attitude is understandable, up to a point--but once he let his guard down and opened himself up to a real relationship with Gwen, it felt as if he was much too quick to do another 180 degree turn and once again see only self-serving motives behind all of her actions. In fact, the entire argument on which their relationship climax hinged had a forced feel to it. I found myself going back and re-reading their conversation more than once because their responses to each other's comments just didn't feel genuine--their reactions seemed so out of whack with what had actually been done and said that reading that scene gave me a "wait--what the heck just happened here?" feeling afterwards.
I'll give Carter this, though--he does grovel with style. Tiny baby shoes will melt this particular heart every time. :)
Overall, this novel made my two-hour wait at BWI a lot more enjoyable than it otherwise might have been. I'll definitely be interested to see more from this author in the future as she continues to develop her contemporary romance-writing muscles.
Rating: 3 stars / C
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.