"A quick and steamy contemporary romance."
Reviewed by Danielle Dresser
Posted February 27, 2020
Romance Contemporary | Romance Billionaire
They share one passionate afternoon during a blackout, but when the lights come back on, they go back to their normal lives… except she works for the company he owns. She knows who he is, but all he knows is she’s a beautiful, captivating woman he can’t stop thinking about…
Nadia Jordan has always been the responsible woman – she gets out of her small town even though her mother’s reputation precedes her, she takes care of her younger brother when there’s no one else to take him in, and she works night and day to provide a better life for him. When he’s accepted to an ivy league school, Nadia will do whatever it takes to make sure he can attend. She lets her guard down for one sexy encounter with Grayson Chandler, but when it ends, she never expects to see him again, as a low-level secretary who never sees the higher-ups.
Grayson Chandler has been trying to make a name for himself without the help from his powerful family. He started his own company and is a billionaire in his own right, but his parents haven’t stopped trying to get him to come back and take over the family business. With his mother trying to orchestrate a reunion with his ex, Gray is surprised and pleased to see Nadia again, this time in his place of work, and he thinks he’s found the answer to all of his problems.
Gray makes Nadia an offer she can’t refuse – one that would erase her debt and pay for her brother’s education, but the temptation of being close to the one man she’s connected with in years is almost too much to bear. Gray loves that Nadia is so unlike anyone he’s ever met, and even though she doesn’t fit in with the richest people in Chicago, he doesn’t care. Their fake engagement leads to very real feelings, and with that comes major consequences…
BLAME IT ON THE BILLIONAIRE is a quick and steamy contemporary romance. Naima Simone writes with skill, exploring class distinctions, a Cinderella-type storyline, and quite simply, two people falling in love under very interesting circumstances. Grayson’s parents and ex-fiancee steer a bit into caricature territory, but their interactions with Nadia showcase the strong woman she is, and when she stands up to them, Grayson falls more in love with her and grows to respect her conviction. Nadia’s younger brother Ezra was a delight – he wanted what was best for his sister! While Grayson and Nadia do fall for each other rather quickly, it’s fun to watch them grapple with their feelings. The chemistry between them is there from the start, and it’s a joy to see this book come to a wonderful HEA.
SUMMARY
Will a blackout change everything for these unlikely lovers?
She fell into his arms.
Now she’s falling for his trap.
It was a night filled with secrets, lies…and soul-stealing passion. And now the blackout that turned lowly executive assistant Nadia Jordan and start-up billionaire Grayson Chandler into insatiable lovers leads to a proposal Nadia can’t refuse. As she steps into Grayson’s privileged Chicago world, will his matchmaking mother and vengeful ex destroy her dreams? Or will her fake fiancé make those dreams a reality?
Excerpt“Why didn’t you want me to know your name?” Grayson asked, casting aside the socially acceptable tact that had been drilled into him since birth. “Do we know each other?”
Nadia’s sharp but low intake of breath glanced off his ears, and he faced her again, openly scrutinizing her face for any telltale signs of deception. But she was good. Aside from that gasp, her expression remained shuddered. Either she had nothing to hide or she was damn good at lying.
He couldn’t decide which one to believe.
“No,” she whispered. “We don’t know each other.”
Truth rang in her voice, and the vise squeezing his chest loosened a fraction of an inch.
“And I guess, I didn’t see the point of exchanging names. If not for this blackout or you being in this hallway instead of the ballroom, our paths wouldn’t have crossed. And when the power is restored, we’ll become strangers again. Getting to know each other will pass the time but it’s not because we truly want to. It’s not…honest.”
Her explanation struck him like a punch. It echoed throughout his body, vibrating through skin and bone. Honest. What did he know about that?
In the world he moved in, deception was everywhere—from the social niceties of “It’s so good to see you” to the cagey plans to land a business deal. He wasn’t used to her brand of frankness, and so he didn’t give her platitudes. Her honesty deserved more than that.
“You’re right,” he said. “And you’re wrong.” Deliberately, he straightened his legs until they sprawled out in front him, using that moment to force himself to give her the truth. “If not for me needing to get out of that ballroom and bumping into you here, we wouldn’t have met. You would be outside, unprotected in the parking lot or on the road. And I would be trapped in the dark with people I wish I didn’t know, most likely going out of my mind. So for that alone, I’m glad we did connect. Because Nadia…” He surrendered to the need that had been riding him since looking down into her upturned face, and clasped a lock of her hair, twisting it around his finger. “Nadia, I would rather be out here with you, a complete stranger I’ve met by serendipity, then surrounded by the familiar strangers I’ve known for years in that ballroom.”
She stared at him, her pretty lips slightly parted, espresso eyes widened in surprise.
“Another thing you’re correct and incorrect about. True, when the lights come back on and we leave here, we probably won’t see each other again. But in this moment, there’s nothing I want more than to discover more about Nadia with the gorgeous mouth, the unholy curves and the underwhelming fairy godmother.”
Maybe he shouldn’t have pushed it with the comments about her mouth and body, but if they were being truthful, then he refused to hide how attractive he found her. Attractive, hell. Such an anemic description for his hunger to explore every inch of her and be able to write a road map later.
Her lashes fluttered before lowering, hiding her eyes. In her lap, her elegant fingers twisted. He released the strands of her hair and checked the impulse to tip her chin up and order her to look at him.
“Why did you need to escape the ballroom?” she asked softly.
He didn’t immediately reply, instead waiting until her gaze rose to meet his.
Only then did he whisper, “To find you.”
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Comments
1 comment posted.
Re: A quick and steamy contemporary romance.
these books are one amazing books. I love reading these
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(Samantha Cruz 7:25am February 29, 2020)
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