Who doesn't love a wealthy businessman who is willing to
give it all up for love? In the exciting TRADE ME we meet
Tina and Blake, in college like any other students. Only
Tina's not well off and Blake works with his large family
firm. Tina resents Blake - just his existence, and the
fact
that he's not paying back a high-interest education loan,
and he's got a swanky car, and he splashed her jumper by
mistake in the rain, and most of all, he thinks he can
pontificate about how society should treat people on food
stamps. Tina challenges him to see how the other half
lives. Instead of laughing at her, he takes her up on the
deal. They'll swap lives.
Tina Chen is used to being invisible to wealthy people,
with hardworking Chinese parents and worries about medical
care. Blake Reynolds has a home with an experimental
computerised environmental system and a father badgering
him about his place in the computer firm. Can they even
talk to each other? The setup is amusing as the pair are
expertly placed on opposite sides of a divide and we see
life from each perspective in turn. Tina will have to
pretend that she's Blake's girlfriend, because how else
will they convince his father to let her handle his work?
Blake turns his hand to work in a Chinese restaurant
kitchen, raising him in my estimation. The story is in
present tense and there's considerably strong language.
Mind, these people communicate by Facebook and say PDA
when they mean public displays of affection. So maybe
modern students don't find strong terms offensive.
But is there a romance? How would it develop if they're
not in the same room? Well, they do meet to compare notes
after work, with Tina of course driving Blake's fancy car,
very carefully. Tina starts to fantasise that they could
get to know each other more intimately. Would this work,
and how long could it last?
Courtney Milan must have enjoyed piecing this tale
together
and adding some serious issues, like Chinese refugees from
political persecution and the perils of longterm cocaine
use. She shows us that admiring and learning about another
person can be a true step towards loving them, and we
should never take anyone's life for granted.
TRADE ME shows flipsides of today's unequal society
and poses strong questions. Fans of contemporary romance
will have a great time and look for more.
Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents
never have to worry about making rent again. She has no
time
for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to
inherit Cyclone Systems. But when he makes an offhand
comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool
and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life.
To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his
income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her
hours and send money home to her family. No expectations;
no
future obligations.
But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but
secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. No
expectations
might break Tina’s heart...but Blake’s secrets could ruin
her life.
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