Review: The Dangerous Billionaire
The Dangerous Billionaire by Jackie AshendenMy rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
A navy SEAL turned corporate shark, Sullivan is in over his head. Sullivan aka Van, is a man who wants to protect the innocent and defend those who can not defend themselves. This is the reason why he left his father's world of corporate movers and shakers. He no longer wants the heir apparent role to run his father's large conglomerate. He does not seek his father's approval that will never materialize. Now that his father is dead, the chance for his father's approval is zilch.
The conflicts story in this story are messy and emotional. At the heart of it, a selfish man messes up his three adopted sons and his daughter. His death only makes matters more complicated and it seems as if the apology from the grave is more a backhanded compliment rather than a sincere regret. Van's father is a jerk. The way he treated his kids shows a man focused on money and his legacy rather than shared memories with children who idolized him. Neglect is a form of abuse. It may not show on the outside, but it certainly hurts on the inside. This is never more evident than in Van's sister, Chloe.
Chloe is the flesh and blood of Van's adoptive father and she's experienced more disappointment and broken promises from their father. His callous exclusion of her from his attention and affection is painful to learn about. After the death of her father, the truth comes out and it all becomes clear. The shocking news about her past makes her question everything. Who does she trust and is she really wanted?
I liked Chloe and I felt bad for her. She is dealt a raw deal and the men in her life are arrogant domineering jerks. Van may not be a complete jerk, but he is certainly domineering. I didn't like Van. I felt for his situation and understood why he does what he does. I just didn't like how he treated Chloe and I don't think he is right for her. His actions do not really match up with his declarations. His pushy agendas and willful ignorance of Chloe's dreams and hopes bothers me. The sex between them is lackluster for me because it feels like it is just Van scratching an itch, finally tasting his forbidden fruit. Chloe's heart will be broken by this man whose dreams and plans are nowhere near hers. This is why the book is just okay for me. I did not believe in the chemistry between the two and I do not like Van.
Van may have used his "alpha" personality to do a bit of dominating in the bedroom. I would say this worked only because Chloe is a young 25 year old with close to zero experience in the bedroom. Van's quite experienced so it is an unfair advantage for him. Fortunately he is not a selfish lover and works to pleasure Chloe.
The story pace moves in a nice even canter. The subplots help move the story along. There are a couple of set ups for future books as Van's two brothers received letters post death from their father too. The details are not revealed but it is clear the brothers do not like what they read. The issue left for Van to solve places him in a pickle and only hurts Chloe. Which ones again makes me feel badly for Chloe. She is constantly getting the short end of the stick. Overall this is a rough romance between an alpha male and an independent female. The ending is a bit of a hook to the next book in the series.
*provided by NetGalley
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