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Correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel like every romance book lover has gone through a phase where all they wanted to read were billionaire romance novels.
If I’m wrong, that’s totally cool. But personally, I can tell you for a fact that there was a period where I wouldn’t read anything unless the guy was a billionaire, a CEO, a chairman – whatever.
Literally, he needed to be at the very top of the ladder or the book just wasn’t worth reading.
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And one common theme in books like this is that the girl might not be as well-off as the man, which is okay and, honestly, fairly normal in our society, a society that is riddled with roadblocks that make career progression hard for women. But I digress.
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In some of these books, there’s this one thing that always manages to piss me off – and I wonder why authors even write it anymore – and that’s when the female lead is irritated by the male lead’s wealth.
I think you probably know the type I’m talking about. I’ve even mentioned this in reviews before. As usual, I’m rambling, but I promise I’m going somewhere with this.
It’s just so irritating to me when the female lead is put off by the male lead’s richness – not because he’s being obnoxious or flaunting it – but just because she has a personal aversion to rich people.
Now, I’m not trying to police what people personally dislike, but at the same time, can we all be reasonable and keep it real? Who doesn’t want a wealthy partner?
So usually, I make sure not to read books like this, and I get most of my recommendations from friends. But if you’ve been following my reviews and blog, you’ll know that I never read the summaries of books before starting them.
I really should fix that because I end up reading books I normally would’ve avoided and not enjoying them. But I’m a little hesitant to change because I’ve also stumbled upon some real gems this way; that is, books I never would’ve picked up but ended up loving. Like this one.
Anyway, thanks for sticking with me through this long rambling intro. Here’s the synopsis:
Our female lead, Payton, was deeply hurt by the ton – and a former suitor – so she decides that any future relationship she has must be with an ordinary man. An ordinary man in an ordinary place, living an ordinary life. She doesn’t want anything to do with high society. She just wants to live a quiet life with a normal husband.
If you’ve read your share of historical romance novels, then you know how harsh society can be, especially toward women who’ve had scandals or affairs. And that’s exactly what she’s suffered through.
So she’s not exactly jumping at the chance to land one of the eligible bachelors of the ton. What she really wants is a simple man – maybe a gardener or a horse trainer. In this case, it’s a horse trainer she’s after.
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But our male lead, Mikhail, is actually a Russian prince who’s come to London to rusticate because of family drama. He simply wants to rest, so he stays at his cousin’s estate and when she mistakes him for a horse trainer, he doesn’t correct her. He loves how refreshing she is and how different their connection feels.
So they start seeing each other, growing close, even making plans for marriage. Mind you, she has no idea who he really is.
When she eventually finds out, well, there’s drama, of course. But they do end up together as always happens in historical romance. Who are we kidding? But the journey to get there is bumpy and as I always say, you really have to read the book to get the full experience.
Now, if you actually read my intro (bless you) and didn’t skip it like most normal people would (no judgment), you know I’ve said I usually hate books where the heroine dislikes the hero just for being rich. But this book makes it work.
Why? Because it’s tied to an actual personal conflict and not just some flimsy whim. When the heroine in other books hates wealth for no real reason, it feels petty and unreasonable.
But here? She has a real reason to want a simple life. And I respected that. I honestly hoped she would find her quiet life with a simple man. But alas, Cupid had other plans.
If you do pick up this book, you’ll notice a common theme: both characters have been bruised by love – or society – and they’ve sworn never to be hurt again.
They’re determined to protect their happiness because they know that if they leave it in anyone else’s hands, they’ll never truly be safe or content.
And this is such an important message in today’s world. With Instagram, Facebook, and all these little online ecosystems filling our lives, it’s so easy to get caught up in the glamour and the likes.
To become dependent on outside validation. But we must remember: we shouldn’t place our happiness in other people’s hands, because no one else will treasure it the way we do.
So in this book, both leads reject the very society that once rejected them. And instead, they carve out happiness that is personal and deeply meaningful. It was beautiful to see.
And because they’re both desperate to reclaim control of their lives, when they meet each other, it feels like a breath of fresh air – for both of them. In their thoughts and conversations, they keep comparing the other to people they’ve met in the past.
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Yes, it gets a little tedious sometimes, hearing the heroine constantly mention her ex, or Mikhail bringing up his past. But I wasn’t irritated because it was important to their personal growth.
You needed to see their struggles to appreciate their healing. And this author did it so beautifully. It warmed my spirit.
I should’ve mentioned this earlier, but this book covers dark themes, so check the trigger warnings. Our male lead was kidnapped and assaulted by a female courtesan when he was just a teenager. The trauma stays with him into adulthood, and it was heartbreaking seeing him so broken throughout the story.
But with Payton’s help, he starts to heal. He suffers from a condition where he can’t stand to be touched, but towards the end, he slowly allows her to touch him. It’s painful for him, but he tries for her, little by little.
I thought this was so important to include, because if he’d suddenly been fixed by love, it would’ve felt unrealistic. Instead, the author showed his struggle. He wasn’t magically better at the end, but he was trying and she was patient. That’s what made them such a perfect couple.
Now, remember how I said she didn’t want anyone who wasn’t as common as can be? Well he never tells her who he really is until way late in the story.
When she finds out, cue the dreaded third-act breakup. And you know I usually hate those. But here it felt natural. Not like some authors who throw in last-minute drama just to drag the story out.
This breakup made sense, even though it was dramatic and a little over the top. Still beautiful, though. And the resolution was antastic.
All in all, this book was a fantastic success. I loved it just as much as I’ve loved every other thing this author has written.
Mikhail is so Russian in all the best ways. He stares at her a lot, and it unsettles her. But if you’ve been on social media, you’ve probably seen all those jokes about how Russians stare when they like someone.
There was even a TikTok comment I saw where someone said, Russians stare for a long time if they admire you. And that as definitely him.
I’ve read and loved this author’s work before, but weirdly, I’ve never finished an entire series of hers. Actually, I don’t really read series. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that on the blog before.
Apart from Ice Planet Barbarians (where I read from book one to book six, took a break, then devoured books 7 to 13 consecutively), I usually don’t stick to long series. But this author is fantastic and I’ve been gobbling up her work.
If you haven’t read her work, seriously, what are you doing? Check her out. And let me know if you’ve read anything great lately. I’m always looking for recommendations.
And while you’re at it – don’t miss my list of the spiciest historical romance books ever. I’ve read every single one, and I promise – they’ll leave you feeling very hot.
