Tabs’ review of Dirty Money (Roughneck Billionaires, Book 1) by Jessica Clare
Contemporary Romance published by Intermix 17 Jan 17
Jessica Clare starts a new series with a ridiculous over-the-top redneck self-made billionaire who sees something he wants and goes for it full bore. In this case, he decides he needs a glamorous woman to help him gain respect from San Antonio society, sees a pretty real estate agent in a promotional flyer, and decides she’ll be his.
Boone is, quite frankly, rather insane. He’s aptly described at one point as “Pig Pen from Charlie Brown, just aged a few years.” He has an innate gift for finding oil-rich well sites, which has turned himself and and his equally uncouth trailer-residing brothers into unexpected billionaires. He also has a mean streak and doesn’t handle insult well. His fury usually results in the fire department showing up (all legal-like, though!).
Ivy is a smart, young woman struggling to make ends meet and better herself. She’s dealing with problems every which way she turns. At work, she has sexist jerk bosses who steal her best clients and leave her with barely enough work to make ends meet. At home, she has a younger sister about to head to college and who she’s trying to give better than she herself got. The relationship between Ivy and her sister Reba is really relatable. Ivy is such a protective older sister. She struggled to make ends meet when she was Reba’s age and she wants Reba to have a better life. Boone swooping in and wanting her to be his realtor for a McMansion purchase is just what she needs to get on the right track. But he’s hellbent on romance and she doesn’t quite know what to do with that.
I’m still feeling slightly dazzled by how he treats me. Like I’m some sort of rare jewel he feels lucky to have run across. I’ve never encountered that before. It’s… nice.
Boone and Ivy are really sweet together. Once Ivy gets on board with the idea and their whirlwind courtship really gets under way, watching them have fun together is really satisfying. But Ivy’s keeping Boone in the dark about just how similar their blue-collar backgrounds are and is afraid to tell him once she realizes he probably won’t react well. The conflict makes sense, especially for a new relationship, and it plays out well. I know a lot of people are understandably noping out on billionaire romances nowadays, but if amusing crazypants-over-the-top obsessed heroes still float your boat, this book is likely right up your alley.
Grade: A-
Summary:
Boone Price and his brothers know oil; at least, the dirty, backbreaking side of working an oil rig. But when their scrubby, worthless hunting land turns out to be sitting on top of one of the biggest oil wells in North America, they go from the rig to the boardroom and end up billionaires practically overnight.
Now with enough money to do whatever he wants, Boone is developing a taste for fine things. And the finest thing he’s ever seen is Ivy Smithfield, local realtor. Boone’s determined to win her affection and show the world that he’s more than just a dirty fool with a bit of money. Ivy’s classy and beautiful – she’ll make the perfect trophy wife. The fact that she’s sexy and funny is just a bonus.
There’s one tiny problem – Ivy’s as dirt poor as Boone was. Her carefully crafted veneer of luxury? All an act to promote her business. What’s Boone going to do when he finds out the woman he’s falling for is, well, in his league?
No excerpt available.
