Title: Dirty Money
Author: Jessica Clare
Series: Roughneck Billionaires #1
Genre: Hot Contemporary
Length: Short novel
Available: Now
Southern Texas heats up when four roughneck billionaires set their sights on love in the new series from New York Times bestselling author Jessica Clare.
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 buy 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 is. 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?
Source: ARC provided by the author
Okay, so, let’s get one thing straight. Our hero, Boone, is dirty and rugged and exceedingly rough around the edges. He’s not the least bit sophisticated and isn’t interested in flowery language. He’s raw and he’s filthy and crude in his thinking. The man deals with an insult and disrespect by buying a golf course and burning it to the ground. Just because he has money, doesn’t mean he isn’t the same guy he’s always been.
Yes, if I’m honest, the way he thinks about Ivy before he even meets her did rub me the wrong way. The way all the brothers think about women did actually. Boone’s thought processes aren’t complicated: he sees a picture of Ivy and he wants her, without any thought to how she might feel in this situation. When he meets her, he basically thinks the same thing, only even more graphically. He is not a complicate guy.
And yet… despite his possessive, caveman-esque thoughts, he treats Ivy well. Sure, he is incredibly flirtatious and heavy on the innuendo, and he definitely likes to push for what he wants, but he does listen to Ivy too. If she says stop, he stops. If she doesn’t say stop and instead deflects, he plays along, before bringing it back. He might be rough and rugged and raw, but he is also respectful(ish) – at least outside of his own head.
I liked him. I wasn’t sure I would at first, and I’m pretty sure he won’t appeal to everyone, but Boone definitely has his own unique brand of charm. He also has a colossal chip on his shoulder about how people treat him, but I had to respect the way he is still himself regardless of the huge amounts of money that have fallen into his lap. I don’t always agree with how he handles things – the burning stuff down is a bit over the top and disturbing, if I’m honest – but he did win me over.
I didn’t always agree with the way Ivy handles things either. She has a lot on her shoulders and she works incredibly hard to keep her head above water, but her habit of ignoring confrontation and blanking Boone was pretty annoying after a while. I did, however, like how she treats Boone. Whether it’s being nice to him regardless of how he looks, or pushing back when he teases her too far, she is an excellent match for him. And the chemistry between them – phew! These two are hot!
Overall this is great fun. The hero is definitely not your average billionaire, though Ivy and her secrets are rather more familiar. Still, the tale itself is very entertaining, with some scenes that are more far-fetched than others. It’s light and sexy and definitely not to be taken too seriously. In all, an interesting beginning to this new series. I’m intrigued to see where it heads next.
Dirty Money is Out Now.
Visit Jessica Clare for more details.
