Tabs’ review of Beauty and the Billionaire: The Wedding (Billionaire Boy’s Club, Book 6.5) by Jessica Clare
Contemporary Romance published by Intermix 15 Nov 16
Jessica Clare’s latest wraps up two series in one big bow, sees fan-favorite characters Gretchen and Hunter off on their happily ever after, and finally finds recurring character Daphne Petty getting some peace of her own. While Gretchen and Hunter’s impending nuptials and Gretchen’s massive amounts of stress regarding said nuptials are the background to this story, they aren’t the primary focus. The story is actually told primarily from Daphne’s perspective and that wasn’t something I was entirely prepared for.
Daphne, sister of the bride but not a bridesmaid for some very good reasons, is a pop star and recovering addict who is in a healthier place than she’s been in years. Readers of the original Billionaire’s Boys Club series have watched Daphne stumble through highs and lows before, but this feels like a different Daphne. After a stint in rehab that she actually invested in and a lifecoach to keep her on task, Daphne is doing really well. But the holidays are approaching and she misses her family. She knows she hasn’t given them reason to trust her over the years, but when a small goodwill gesture results in Gretchen asking for help, she’s glad to give it.
Daphne has been pretty monstrous in past entries of the series, so it was nice to see her better side. Daphne working on her sobriety and making amends to the people she has hurt is a compelling story. However, Daphne falling for her lifecoach with only six month’s worth of sobriety under her belt is a less compelling and actually highly problematic story. The problematic elements are kind of hand-waved away and that’s unsettling. The romance also feels truncated and shoehorned into a story it doesn’t belong in.
This is a nice novella if you’ve read The Beauty and the Billionaire, the original Billionaire Boy’s Club series, or the Billionaires and Bridesmaids spin-off series. The Gretchen and Hunter parts of this novella are sweet as hell. The Daphne parts are a bit of a mixed bag. I didn’t buy that Daphne is at all emotionally stable enough for a serious romance. Regardless, I’m glad that Jessica Clare is wrapping these two series up and moving on to something different (though not too different). Bring on the Roughneck Billionaires! I’m so ready.
A note: there are a lot of these books and, outside of this one, they can all be read as stand-alones. My personal favorties are:
The Wrong Billionaire’s Bed – Opposites attract and hot sex in the woods, y’all!
The Taming of the Billionaire – Taming of the Shrew adaptation with a truly amazeballs bitter cat-lady heroine.
The Billionaire Takes a Bride – Tearjerker with roller derby and a marriage of convenience.
Grade: B
Summary:
Someone’s out to ruin Gretchen’s happy-ever-after on the eve before the big day. Can she trust Hunter, the man she’s given her heart to? And can she rely on her sister Daphne (the least reliable person of all!) to help her salvage things? Or is this marriage going to go down in flames before Gretchen and Hunter ever get to the altar?
No excerpt available.
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