Title:
The Billionaire’s Holiday Engagement
(Invested In Love Series)
Author:
Jenna Bayley-Burke
Release
Date: October 9, 2017 (ARC)
Publisher:
Entangled Publishing ~ Indulgence
Category:
Contemporary Erotic Romance
Type:
Digital/Paperback
Blurb:
Venture
capitalist Cameron Price is a workaholic and great at his job, but his boss is
convinced Cam needs a more balanced life. A wife on his arm would prove Cam’s
the right man to take over the company. When a gorgeous caterer cooks up the
perfect event and catches Cam’s eye, he proposes an innovative arrangement
they’ll both benefit from.
Lauren
Brody knows Cam’s plan is crazy, but pretending to be his fiancée will allow
her access to networking at events she’d never get into otherwise. It could be
just the break she needs to get her catering business on the map and book the
kind of clients she’s always dreamed of cooking for.
If
she can convince Mr. Buttoned Up Tight to have some unscheduled fun along the
way, theirs could be a perfect arrangement.
Favorite
Line(s):
“Turns out she can’t be with a man who doesn’t own an espresso machine and
an ice cream maker. Do you know where I’d get those?” ~
Cameron
Dialogue
Highlight:
“Accounting will be calling you
tomorrow to set up an account to cater our lunch meetings. Don’t even think
about messing with my lunches.”
“Cameron, you don’t have to use
us for all your lunches.” Lauren scooped the pasta onto her plate. “I sent you
the flyer to be funny. You weren’t calling, just passing notes like a fifth
grader, so I stooped to your level.”
“What were you trying to say?
You’d rather have my business than gifts?”
“I was trying to offend you and
get you to call me. Didn’t work.”
He shifted in his seat. “No,
mission accomplished.”
“Don’t do that.”
“What am I doing?”
“Making me feel guilty. I needed
to set a precedent. I want you to talk to me, rather than telling me not to
worry my pretty little head about it and shower me with roses. Send me roses
because you’re thinking of me, not as a bargaining chip.”
“I didn’t know what you might say
after the way I acted.” He studied her response to his admission, seeing only
the attraction he’d misread that night. Maybe he hadn’t misread her at all.
“You know”—Lauren held her fork
in the air, a piece of pasta speared in the tines—“as I remember it, there were
two people in that kitchen.”
“And one of them ran away.”
“We needed to talk, and if I
would have stayed, there wouldn’t have been any conversation going on. Besides,
I don’t do regrets, and I didn’t know you well enough to be sure I wouldn’t
regret it later.” She seemed to notice the pasta on her fork for the first
time. “You need to eat something.”
His stomach growled in agreement.
“Have you considered my proposal? Continuing the arrangement until I’m more
firmly established here?”
“That is your proper proposal,
Cameron?” She set her fork down with an exaggerated grown. “Fine. I’ll play
along on two conditions. One, you at least try to eat better. And two, we play
this out and see where it goes.”
“Play what out?” His pulse
thudded in his ears. Did he dare?
“This sizzle in the air, that
kiss from the other night, the way I shiver when you look at me. You like me, I
like you. We enjoy each other. Let’s see where it goes.”
Cameron swallowed hard.
Excerpt:
By
reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age.
If you
are under the age of 18, please exit this site.
“Are there any leftovers?”
Caught off guard Lauren
blinked, and then shook her head. Of course he wasn’t going to kiss her. She
was the one with naughty thoughts. Which had to stop right now, so she could
focus on finding out what was going on.
Stepping around him, she
pulled open the refrigerator and took out the plastic containers, setting them
on the counter.
“I’m not sure if there’s
anything you’re willing to eat. You certainly didn’t touch your food at
dinner.”
“That’s because I was busy
working and everything required too much attention to eat without looking.”
She leveled her gaze at him.
“If you would have returned my calls, I could have planned a menu you would
eat. At a get-to-know-you dinner you should serve your favorite foods.”
“Yeah. Macaroni and cheese
from a box would have been a big hit with that crowd.” He grabbed for the bag
containing the eight-grain rolls and pulled one out.
“That’s what you eat? Food
from a box?” She shook her head, watching as he ripped the roll in half and
shoved in a slice of the beef tenderloin.
“Pretty much. Cereal,
macaroni and cheese, frozen pizza, and Chinese take-out.”
Poor baby. She could help
him. Expand his palate. “You should try a little of the Gorgonzola sauce to
moisten the bread.”
Cameron wrinkled his
straight nose and set down his impromptu sandwich. “Make it for me.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you think you can do
better, have at it.”
“Fine.” Spinning around, she
grabbed one of the dinner knives from the drawer, then turned back to prepare
the best damned sandwich Cameron Price had ever had. Eight grain roll,
gorgonzola sauce, spinach leaves and marinated onions from the salad. Eat that,
smart mouth. “What would you like me to serve at the next dinner? I don’t want
to serve another meal you push around the plate.”
He chomped into the roll.
His head tilted to the side as he chewed and pondered the question. “I don’t
like anything I have to slice or look at too closely. Simple, so the focus is
the meeting and not the food.”
He had to be kidding. “You
want me to make food no one will notice.”
“Exactly. Potatoes are okay.
But not those.” He pointed at the plastic container with the roasted potatoes.
“They have rosemary on them, so people will worry about getting it in their
teeth.”
“I could never be with
someone who thinks food should be invisible and tasteless.”
“Do you want to be with me,
Lauren?” Cameron reached around her, pulling a bottle of water out of the
fridge. “Is that why you’re making a list of reasons you can’t be?” He drained
the bottle, his Adam’s apple undulating with every heavy second. He set down
the empty bottle and his lip curled in a grin.
“Well?”
“I’m just saying.” Lauren
took a deep breath, trying to sound light and nonchalant. “People who know me
would never believe I’d be with someone who refused to eat what I prepare.”
“But does it matter? If I’m
going to explain everything anyway?” He tilted his head to the side. Earlier
his hair had been perfectly combed, but now it flopped onto his forehead,
accenting his heavy-lidded eyes. Bedroom eyes, really.
“Here’s the thing.” She
pasted on a smile, wishing she weren’t deeply distracted by his nearly naked
body. “I think we should break up.”
Review:
Lauren
Brody is, arguably, he best caterer available. Her attention to detail and
flavorful food is in high demand. She has several, big business, repeat customers
and one of them is the boss of Cameron Price. She saw him a couple of years ago
at a party, but never learned his name. Struck by is amazing body and striking
blue eyes, he quickly becomes the object of many fantasies. But Cameron is now
about to take over the company and so she is now catering for him. His boss is
pressuring him to find a wife to help him with his success, but he isn’t
interested in long term. When Cameron asks Lauren to play along as his
girlfriend/caterer, she can’t help but go along with the ploy. It couldn’t hurt
to indulge a little. She’s been hurt just as much as he has, so protective
walls will help her to keep from getting caught up in those sensual blue eyes.
Cameron
Price is a very rich, very successful, very determined man. When his boss
insists he find a wife before taking over the company, the wheels start turning.
The obvious choice is to fake it since he won’t be getting married – ever! But
his pretend romance with Lauren quickly turns in to an uncontrollable desire
that neither of them can resist. Problem is that the longer they pretend, the
closer they get and the more it looks as if they are evenly matched. But
getting beyond the self-imposed barriers is a challenging task after years of
cultivation. And after Cameron searches his heart, following a near disaster that
could cause him to lose Lauren, he implements a plan for the most memorable
holiday ever.
This story
was crazy hot and super cute! I loved that both Lauren and Cameron are equals
in pretty much every way, but that their differences ultimately complement one another.
The secondary characters added depth and were also enjoyable – though not as
quite as enjoyable as the two leads. My only issue was the scene with tantric
sex. I’ve heard of it, but not sure I buy in to it, so that seemed a little off
for me. However, I was quite entertained by everything else in the book. I found
Lauren funny and quirky – always saying things about how she could never be with
a man that (insert objection here). My favorite line in fact revolved around
such a scenario when she had said she could never be with a man who didn’t own
an espresso machine or ice cream maker. It’s part of her defense mechanism, in
which she shoots down potential suitors by making them unacceptable in some
way, but hilarious none the less. Cameron is a very up front, no nonsense, in your
face kind of person – but also uptight. He takes his job extremely seriously
and won’t so much as eat when in dinner meetings. Fearful of something stuck in
his teeth, bad breath, or even crumbs on his clothes, anything distracting from
his purpose is not allowed. Lauren even thinks that he dislikes food, which is
also a silly scenario. If you are looking for an HEA with a slight holiday
twist (or not, it is in fact slight), strong lead characters with a couple of
quirky and exasperating friends, all surrounded by some seriously hot sex …
look no further. This quick read is guaranteed to satisfy!
Kindle version
provided by NetGalley/Entangled in exchange for an honest review.
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