Kristie J’s review of The Tycoon (King Family, Book 1) by Molly O’Keefe
Contemporary Romance published by Amazon Digital Services 12 Jul 18
This is a series, three books so far, written by three different authors. The author of the third book is an auto-buy author, so I decided to pick up the first two because it’s a family series. The premise is three sisters and one brother – in some cases half siblings – raised by a misogynistic, neglectful tycoon of a father. He dies shortly after the beginning of the first book, so the series is the fallout of his death on his progeny.
This first book deals with his oldest child, daughter Veronica or Ronnie. Since her mother died when she was young and her stepmother was the typical fairy-tale stepmother – in other words, the bitch from hell – and her father had no use for her, Ronnie grew up with a very low level of self-esteem. She does believe, though, that things have turned around when she becomes engaged to the man of her dreams, Clayton Rorick, who is an executive in her father’s company. She can’t believe someone like him would love someone like her. Then the worst thing happens. She overhears a conversation between Clayton and her father in which a deal is confirmed that since Clayton has agreed to marry Ronnie, her father will transfer a piece of land to Clayton. Ronnie is devastated and runs.
This is the prologue and the book starts five years later. Ronnie’s nasty father has died and Clayton is trying to get hold of Ronnie. She ignores him at every turn since she is still heartbroken. But when she hears the terms of the will, it turns out she can’t ignore him any longer. Her father has left the entire estate to her brother, who is currently MIA and hasn’t had anything to do with the King family for years. He has to return by a certain date to claim it. If her brother doesn’t show up by then, the entire estate goes to Clayton. Nothing, not a dime, has been left to Ronnie nor her two younger sisters. While she isn’t entirely surprised that she’s not getting anything, she is very angry she is now forced to confront Clayton and has to deal with him for help for her sisters, as well as a foundation that is very close to her heart.
The book is told in first person in alternating points of view between Ronnie and Clayton. We don’t hear Clayton’s ‘side’ until well into the book, so it’s very, very easy to hate him for the wrong done to Ronnie. While she’s a bit too enabling to her sisters, especially her middle sister, she feels a strong sense of obligation to them because she is the oldest and they all got robbed in the parent department.
It isn’t until we start seeing things from Clayton’s POV that we begin to realize he’s not nearly the villain the reader has assumed he is up until this point. While he keeps way too much of his own roots and feelings to himself, he does realize the really bad mistakes he has made and truly wants to make things right. I know I’m being very mysterious, but I don’t want to give anything away. I will say, though, that as things start to come out, my feelings towards Clayton changed 100% and I found him a very good and worthwhile hero.
As I said at the start, the main reason I read this one was as kind of a filler until I got to the third book, I’m so very glad I did that, because I enjoyed this one immensely and quite happily recommend it.
Grade: B+
Summary:
The cruel and beautiful man who ruined my life has everything he wants—everything except me.
Five years ago, Clayton Rorick loved me. Or so I thought. Turned out he only wanted to get his hands on my daddy’s company. Heartbroken, I ran away with nothing but the clothes on my back. Like a twisted Cinderella. When my father dies, leaving my sisters in a desperate situation, it’s up to me to help them.
I’ll have to beg the man who broke my heart to save us.
But Clayton hasn’t forgotten me and what he wants in exchange for his help is…my body, my heart and my soul.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
