BIG BAD BILLIONAIRE is Book one in Saranna DeWylde's Woolven Secret series. BIG BAD BILLIONAIRE has so many of my favorite types of romance -- conventional contemporary, gothic, and paranormal. BIG BAD BILLIONAIRE has werewolves, scary rather than sparkly vampires, with a little corporate espionage thrown in. The story also starts out with the hero and heroine antagonistic toward each other.
Randi Rutger is determined to avenge her dead father. She believes billionaire Blake Woolven either killed her father or had a hand in it. In the first few pages of BIG BAD BILLIONAIRE, Blake seems like an arrogant and unsympathetic character. However, after reading a little further, it appears that he was being deliberately abrasive to try and push Randi away. That lasts for about five seconds before he realizes that she is his fated mate and he can't distance himself from her. Over the course of BIG BAD BILLIONAIRE, Blake grows on me because of how he treats Randi. Not only does he respect Randi's strength, but he is able to be tender when she needs it as well as the sexy, dominant alpha at times. There is a wonderful mutual respect that becomes a part of their relationship -- although her respect and understanding is slower in giving to Blake. Trust is something Randi struggles with in her relationship with Blake and the resolution is satisfying and makes sense for the characters. I like that BIG BAD BILLIONAIRE is told from both POVs.
In the middle of all the fast-paced action and intrigue, Saranna DeWylde does a great job of slowing things down and creating beautiful little intimate moments between Randi and Blake, using vivid and beautiful imagery. The storyline involving the quest to find out who harmed Randi's father adds a lot of extra excitement and interesting plot twists to BIG BAD BILLIONAIRE without obscuring the love story. I'm intrigued by the fascinating characters created by Saranna DeWylde and her spin on vampires.
BIG BAD BILLIONAIRE is super sexy with complex and captivating characters. Blake's brothers and uncle are all characters who I'd like to learn more about -- especially Warner. I can't wait to read the next installment in this Woolven Secret series to find out what happens next!
Blake Woolven, notorious bad boy billionaire, was
currently living up to his reputation by fucking
Marchessa de la Luna in his penthouse office suite.
She wasnβt his mate by any means, but sheβd do.
They had to keep their human skins, since it was the full
light of day in the middle of the city. He couldnβt risk
exposure, but he could definitely risk burying his cock
in her tight little sheath.
βAre you going to stare at it or fuck it, Big Bad?β the
she-wolf growled.
Mmm. It gave him a perverse kind of pleasure when she
called him that. Made him think about running her down
like prey and devouring her in the best of ways until she
screamed his nameβhowlingβwhile she came.
βI donβt know.β He slipped his hand down her black lace
covered ass and gave it a swat. βAre you playing Little
Red?β
βThat sanctimonious little fool?β she drawled, deep and
throaty. βNot a chance. Iβm the hunter.β She growled low
in her throat.
And indeed, she was the hunter. She was a predator, just
like him. In fact, part of the thrill of mounting the
evil little she-demon was that they were currently at war
with the de la Lunas. This had crossed from the forbidden
into madness some time ago, but he couldnβt resist.
He filled his palms with both taut globes. βOh really? So
you think youβre going to gut me?β
βIβll eat your heart out, Blake,β she promised, her voice
low and close to the Change.
There was little chance of that. Blake Woolven wouldnβt
settle for just any gold digging, social climbing,
delectable-assed she-wolf. No, he wouldnβt take any but
his intended mate. Being the heir, he had that privilege.
It was up to the lessers, the betas, to mate for social
standing, pack order, resourcesβ¦
He was Alpha. He made his own rules.
Blake tangled his hand in her long, blond hair and tugged
it back so she arched up off his desk, all spread out for
him and wanting. Yeah, Iβll do her just like this.
The intercom buzzed. βYour one oβclock is here.β
He snarled, βCancel.β
The elder wolf on the line sighed. βYou asked me to
remind you, sir. Itβs Randi Rutger.β
He snarled again, the Change coming over his features as
he fought to keep his animal at bay. βGive me five.β
βYes, sir.β
βYouβre really going to fuck me in five minutes?β
Marchessa turned her head to look at him, green eyes
flashing like St. Elmoβs Fire.
As much as heβd be sorry to miss out on Marchessaβs
charms, Ms. Rutger held priority as she was currently
trying to sabotage his company. βNo. Youβre going to put
on your clothes, and youβre going to leave.β
βAre you kidding me?β She bared her teeth.
βDo I look like Iβm kidding? I have important pack
business.β He straightened, pulling the cool veneer of
propriety down over his wolf, locking it down inside of
him. It snarled at the cage, rammed at the bars, but
Blake knew he couldnβt indulge the beast at the moment.
βYouβre an asshole.β She stuffed her feet into her shoes.
βThatβs what they say.β He arched a brow. What happened
to eating my heart? Blake rather imagined asking her the
question wouldnβt go over well, but it could be fun to
watch.
The door was flung open just as Marchessa was leaving,
almost knocking the pretty she-wolf in the head.
βExcuse me,β a voice said.
βThereβs no excuse for you, Iβm sure.β The she-wolf
looked the other female up and down, then lifted her nose
in the air, scenting. βThatβs what I thought.β
His one oβclock, Miss Randi Rutger, narrowed her eyes
right back. βSame to you.β
Randi Rutger obviously had no idea what Marchessa was
doing, smelling her to see just what kind of creature she
wasβfinding her human and therefore lacking. But Randi
was obviously an Alpha female and didnβt seem to care
what Marchessa intended, only in giving her the same
derision in turn. Good for her.
Bad for him.
She wasnβt going to make this easy.
Especially since she smelled likeβ¦his.
No, no, no. Not okay. He looked up at the ceiling, as if
the remedy for this situation was written there in gold.
Or excrement. Heβd take anything, but what he thought it
was.
Had to be Marchessaβs scent, he reassured himself. Heβd
been taking her much too often and his body was starting
to identify her as his mate. That had to be it.
Not a puny human.
Especially not this puny human.
From the burning hellfire in her eyes, sheβd see him dead
rather than speak to him. That was an awful lot of hate
to be packed into a human heart. If she were Turned with
that kind of sour in her soul, it would be an ugly thing,
to be sure. Everything was more intense as a wolfβall
sensations, especially feelings. As a wolf, that rage
would make her a monster.
Goddess, but she smelled delightful. Like sex, chocolate,
and all things good and true.
She narrowed her eyes. Apparently, sheβd been speaking
while heβd been mentally stripping her out of that black
pencil skirt with his teeth.
Mine.
Nope.
Mine.
Nuh-uh.
Mine.
Damn it.