Sexy, Suave, and Spendy: Big-Money Romance
No matter where our priorities lie in real life, not many of us are immune to daydreams of immense personal wealth. Right now, in fact, I’m looking out the window at a dreary Sunday afternoon and imagining what it would be like to have access to so much cash that I could have any adventure that I could dream up. With the lover of my dreams, of course…
The Cinderella trope is an evergreen for a reason! It’s nice to imagine being swept away from all of the responsibilities of a normal, working-class life to lounge on yachts or jet way your privately across the big, blue sky. Even those of us who normally keep our wits about us can feel the pull of trading in our regular lives for a pampered existence in exotic locales. Impetuous? You bet. Likely? No. But remember, readers: no judgements here!
This is a bigggg subcategory in the romance genre, so here’s a quick round-up of great jumping off points into this trope. The high points: someone needs to be healed from something, someone is having financial problems that for some reason have to be a secret, someone has a talent that not even money could buy, and, unless you are reading a very, very niche romance book about billionaires going to town on each other, there is going to be one hell of a power imbalance!
Billionare romance spans a lot of categories, from gentle, sweet love stories to raunchy rendezvous that will have you flipping pages like crazy!
Can’t Help Falling in Love— Sophie Sullivan
9781250910608
Will Grand is a powerful man, heir to a thriving company and Seattle’s hottest, most eligible bachelor. Lexi is looking for some no-strings, sexy fun. She’s still trying to move past her father’s death, and Will just might be the distraction she is looking for.
Things seem promising on their first date! Great conversation, some laughs, and then a major misunderstanding leads to everyone at the party to believe that the pair is actually engaged. And since Will is essentially Seattle royalty, Lexi can’t just back out. There are definitely strings attached.
She came from a modest background, and as Will squires Lexi through the parties and events that are part and parcel of a high-profile social life. Their fake attachment is great from a business standpoint, because it looks like Will is finally toeing the line and finding some stability in his life. But what’s good for business isn’t necessarily what is good for love, and as Sophie’s wariness of commitment comes closer to the surface, Will starts to think that she just might be a great choice for his reality, too.
Don’t miss this seasonal, cozy read is full of apple picking, Halloween prep, and other fun fall activities!
“A slow-burn, fun, fake-engagement rom com.” – Booklist
“Not only is this a gorgeous love story, but it also explores family dynamics, grief, and how hard it can be to find yourself. I couldn’t help falling in love with this beautiful book!” – Falon Ballard, author of Right On Cue
“Evokes classics like When Harry Met Sally and the other best movies from the golden age of rom-coms.” – Screenrant
Sinful Manor: Keep Me—Sara Cate
9781728282190
I actually read this immediately after an Outlander marathon with some girlfriends, so I was definitely pumped to read about a sexy Scot!
Not only is Killian Barclay very, very grumpy, his broken heart has shattered and he is resigned to live the rest of his Scottish countryside life without romantic love.
Sylvie is tough as nails. She had an odd upbringing as the only child of two extremely famous and extremely narcissistic parents, and their emotional neglect gave Sylvie the power to build unbreakable walls around her emotions.
When she sneaks into Barclay Manor during a vacation in order to get a glimpse of a famous heirloom, she finds herself face-to-face with a maddening highlander who definitely does not want her there.
Several weeks later, Sylvie receives an odd proposal from Killian’s family. Move to Scotland, marry Killian to improve his reputation and standing in the community, and leave in a year with $10 million dollars in her pocket. To her surprise, Killian agrees to the farce, so Sylvie does in fact make her way to Scotland in order to keep the ruse alive.
As the end of their 12 mandated months together approaches, Sophie has to decide if the love of a good man with a sexy, damaged soul is worth the $10 million that could be hers. This is an excellent read for any Outlander fans waiting anxiously for the next installment!
“This book has IT factor. Really loved it. Super sexy and angsty.” —Helen Hoang, New York Times bestselling author, for Praise
“Sara Cate knows how to squeeze you in all the right places, writing with heat, heart, and humor that will have you flipping through pages long after bedtime. It’s absolutely addictive!” ―Xio Axelrod, USA Today bestselling author of Girls with Bad Reputations
“I was best friends with feisty Sylvie from chapter one, and I was squealing for her as she finally got the attention, love, and lava-hot sex she deserved. A saucy, spicy romp with heart-tugging emotional depth.” ―Rebecca Kenney
Kings of Sin: King of Wrath—Ana Huang
9781728289274
First things first: is King of Wrath not one of THE greatest titles you’ve ever heard for a sexy book? And not for nothing, but if you are an audiobook listener, this is an EXCELLENT book for someone to read to you!
Vivian is the stunningly beautiful daughter of Dante’s newest nemesis. He doesn’t care about her charm or her looks, Dante is prepared to do everything in his power to destroy Vivian’s father. He’s willing to go relatively far. He’s willing to marry her.
Marrying Dante will open a lot of doors for Vivian and her family’s new money. Being connected to a member of the high society Russo family will boost her social standing and take her to places that people in her original class don’t often get to see. He isn’t her idea of a perfect spouse by any means, but he’s wealthy and hardly difficult to look at.
Vivian agrees to the arrangement, both of them can do exactly what they want to do after marriage, provided that they are discreet and quiet. Instead, Vivian does the worst thing of all. She falls in love with her finace!
I should mention that King of Wrath is DEFINITELY NSFW. DO NOT LISTEN via the Bluetooth speaker!
“The chemistry in this book is absolutely insane.” – divinelyreads
“King of Wrath has a hero who falls in love against his will and a heroine who makes him truly earn her – it’s tense, sexy, and will make your heart flutter.” – Ashley, Goodreads
“Intense, angsty, steamy and so addictive, King of Wrath is a gripping and all-consuming slow burn romance that will take your breath away.” – When Vane Reads
Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat—Lauren Applebaum
9781538757840
Rachel hates her job, but she is stuck. She doesn’t want to be attracted to dirtbags, but she is stuck in that rut, too. She’s about to turn 30, which of course means that her mother is turning up the pressure about relationships and marriage, including not-so-sly attempts to hook her up with the neighbor.
Rachel has a wonderful group of friends in the same boat, their group chats are filled with gray hair counts, bad exercise and diet tips, and gossip about work-mandated therapy. But everyone else seems to at least be moving forward, while Rachel has been stuck in place for a long time.
When her life turns disastrous and her circle of friends begins to implode, Rachel finds herself confiding in a surprising person. The irritating, uptight millionaire-next-door is also funny and sweet, and he is one of the very people that have ever known who Rachel really wants to BE. Is it possible that she had HIM wrong the whole time?
If you haven’t figured it out yet, this is an absolute blast of a Pride & Prejudice retelling, and certainly one of the most enjoyable books I’ve recently read!
“Lauren Appelbaum’s charming debut is a laugh-out-loud romp filled with all the best ingredients: sharply drawn female friendships, hilarious social observations, a reluctant appreciation for JDate, and a slow burn, opposites-attract romance between a lovably chaotic heroine and the tech bro next door. It’s the perfect pick for readers who crave a good belly laugh with their romance.”―Lindsay Hammeroff, author of TILL THERE WAS YOU
“With a refreshingly honest and unabashedly flawed protagonist and a hero who can give Mark Darcy a run for his money, Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat gave me all the Bridget Jones’s Diary vibes and had me snorting in laughter. A delight from start to finish.”―Meredith Schorr, author of AS SEEN ON TV
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a book with such a sharp, witty heroine, a swoon-worthy love interest, and laugh-out-loud hijinks must not be missed. Watching Rachel Weiss figure her life out was an absolute delight. Reading this book felt like making a friend.”―Amanda Elliot, author of LOVE YOU A LATKE
So Into You—Kathleen Fuller
9780840716125
Britt Branch’s signature 1970s art style might be loud, expressive, and out there, but she isn’t. Britt has severe social anxiety and has never lived on her own. When her best friend announces that she is getting married, Britt knows it is officially time to move out of her mother’s house.
Gorgeous Hunter Pickett has model-perfect looks and has basicially skated his way through hi sentire existence. His wealthy family doesn’t give too much though to him, so Hunter becomes a party boy instead, desperate to get their attention. It does not go well.
Hunter has zero interest in art, but by his third year in sobriety, Hunter still can’t find anything to keep his mind occupied. He comes across one of Britt’s videos during a late-night doom scroll, and he is surprised when she responds to his message. Soon they are chatting constantly, and sparks fly everywhere when they meet in person.
Both of them are keeping big secrets, and when everything comes out in one terrible, pivotal moment, Britt and Hunter find themselves at a crossroads. Will Hunter fight to keep his peace and the happiness he has found with Britt? Or will her anxiety in social situations keep her from stepping into the light?
“This smart, sensitive story is sure to tug on readers’ heartstrings.” —Publishers Weekly
‘SO INTO YOU by Kathleen Fuller is an uplifting story about rising above your fears and letting go of your past. Secrets abound in this satisfying romance, and it’s hard to look away when the house of cards comes crashing down. This satisfying tale will charm its way into your heart!’ — Denise Hunter, bestselling author of BEFORE WE WERE US
A Not So Meet Cute—Meghan Quinn
9781728294339
This reader LOVES Meghan Quinn! Her books never disappoint, I wish I could live in one of her stories.
Most couples can answer when someone asks how they met. The story might differ in the details, but the listener can usually trust that what they are hearing is sort of what happened. But Lottie lies about her first run-in with her new fiancé to literally everyone she knows.
Lottie was trolling a wealthy LA neighborhood, literally hoping for the love of her life to appear in front of on the sidewalk. There are no fireworks and certainly no twittering birds, but when billionaire Huxley Cane stomps into her, Lottie is off on the adventure of a lifetime.
Long story short, Huxley needs an “appropriate” partner for a scheme: he’s lied to a major client, and he needs a fake fiancé. And Lottie shows up at exactly the right moment.
Pretending to be head-over-heels with a wealthy, handsome man isn’t exactly a bad time. Talking about living in the manse, going on all kinds of sexy couples dates, and…it is absolutely ridiculous. Who could possibly be falling for this little scene?
Desperate people do desperate things. And Lottie is just about as desperate as one woman can get. At her lowest moment, she has a thunderbolt of a revelation. She is falling for the insufferable, infuriating, Huxley, who happens to be mighty desperate himself!
The sexual tension between Hux and Lottie was fan my face fantastic. These two take the saying there’s a thin line between love and hate to the max. I cannot recommend this book enough.”- LA. Readsromance
Don’t let that cute cover fool you- this is SMOKIN’ HOT, with sexual tension dripping from every page. I was HOOKED from the start, and I devoured it at an alarming rate, even for one of Quinn’s rom cons. And this IS a rom com, albeit a very tense and steamy one.” – Jeeves Reads Romance
If you aren’t already entrenched in this super-fun romance trope, give it a try! You just might find yourself entertaining thoughts of a future super-spendy romance…and he just might be waiting around the next corner!
