Christmas With the Billionaire Rancher by Mandy Baxter

Christmas With the Billionaire Rancher by Mandy Baxter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Whew! I forgot how hot Baxter’s Billionaire’s Club novellas could be. I made the mistake of starting Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher at work and had to stop reading it because it was getting too hot for reading in public. The attraction between Nate and Chloe was immediate and palpable and I for one could not fault Chloe one bit for accompanying Nate to his hotel room the night they met. Goodness gracious the man had me turned on and I would have been calling Chloe names had she not gone upstairs that night. That their one-night stand was not enough, causing Nate to contact Chloe so they could spend time together not only added to my squirming, but also to my enjoyment of watching their relationship develop … and explode.

While Baxter can certainly write steamy scenes, she does so within the flow of the story and despite Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher being a novella, there is plenty of story to be found. Chloe approaches Nate at his father’s memorial service in order to solicit a sizable donation for her foundation. Even though she cringes at the thought of crashing a memorial service to beg for money, her foundation is on the verge of closing its doors and leaving the local at-risk youth without much needed services meant to keep them out of trouble. Although there isn’t much Chloe won’t do to help the kids she works with, she draws the line at mixing business with pleasure, so when she crosses the line with Nate he is no longer a viable option for funding. This integrity on Chloe’s part made her so very easy to like even if I could see how her actions were going to come back and bite her in the rear. And boy did they! Once we learn exactly what led to Nate’s estrangement from his father, his reaction to Chloe’s actions made sense – but they didn’t excuse just how hateful and nasty he was during their fight. I was glad to see that Chloe didn’t cave just because he apologized because what he said was not something that could be wiped away with a simple “I’m sorry.” Of course, Baxter provides the expected happy ending for Nate and Chloe, but the journey to get there is what makes Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher so much fun to read. Having met Nate’s brothers in this installment, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series because both men should be fun to read about.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Christmas With the Billionaire Rancher by Mandy Baxter blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


View all my reviews

The Billion Dollar Player by Mandy Baxter

The Billion Dollar Player by Mandy Baxter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Having enjoyed The Billionaire Cowboy, I couldn’t wait to read this installment in the Billionaire’s Club. I have to say that I actually enjoyed The Billion Dollar Player even more than the first book. We met Jase briefly in book one, where we got a sneak peek into his humor and the struggle he experienced proving that he earned his position with the Dallas Cowboys and that his brother didn’t buy his way onto the team.

With the opening of this book we find that Jase has been having a rough time on the field lately. His teammate and close friend recommends a one-night stand as a stress reliever, but Jase isn’t interested in the football groupies and the typical “talent” that hangs around the team. Fortunately for him, Avery makes a rather smashing entrance into his life and he finds himself quite taken with the petite waitress. But Avery is not a one-night stand kind of girl and refuses Jase’s offer of dinner – three times. After four catered events and a mechanical failure, Jase finally gets the chance to spend a little bit of one-on-one time with Avery as he drives her home. After turning Jase’s advances down four times, Avery decides to throw caution to the wind and proceeds to demonstrate just how flexible a girl can be in the front seat of pickup – YEEHAW! Needless to say, Avery is a bit shocked when she opens the door to a sweaty Jase the next night but finds she can’t resist him and the two embark upon an unacknowledged friends with benefits type relationship.

I must admit that I am impressed that Ms. Baxter created a character in Avery that was insecure without being neurotically so, particularly when it came to her worrying that a waitress wasn’t good enough to date a billionaire. Yes Avery did express that concern, but it didn’t consume her and threaten the developing relationship. I’ve read books where such a concern became the antagonist of the novel and the character obsessed over it to the point that it threatened or ruined the relationship. In this instance, Jase addressed Avery’s concerns and she not only listened to what he had to say, but paid attention to how his actions supported his statements. I enjoyed that their relationship developed as they spent time together talking and wasn’t just based on sex – HOT sex mind you, really hot sex. And when an outside element causes Avery to cut Jase out of her life, he shows just why he gets what he wants – he fights for her. Ms. Baxter has packed a lot of story into The Billion Dollar Player and I loved every minute of it. I look forward to reading Rocked by the Billionaire and finally meeting Jase’s elusive twin, Lucas.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out The Billion Dollar Player by Mandy Baxter blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


View all my reviews

Review of The Billionaire Cowboy by Mandy Baxter

The Billionaire Cowboy by Mandy Baxter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The Billionaire Cowboy is a quick read the combines the right amount of conflict, humor, and sexy fun times, along with just a dash of action. You know a book is going to be good when it starts with one brother (Jason) warning his other brother (Ryder) that he may have a bit more of a “pissed-off female” headed his way than he can handle. And Lara arrives on the scene spitting mad, full of fire and enough gumption to tell Ryder off when no one else in their town would dare talk to him like that if they weren’t a blood relative. It was a great opening scene that left me chuckling and ready to dive in for more.

Ryder and Lara are both determined and passionate people who have far more in common than either know. The chemistry between the two is burn-the-house-down hot and makes for some steamy encounters. Over the course of the weekend they find their common ground and realize that a weekend may not be enough for them. It looks like this cowboy may have finally met his match. All in all, The Billionaire Cowboy was an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours and I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Baxter’s work. I cannot wait for the next book in the series and learning more about Jason’s story – and maybe meet the third brother.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out The Billionaire Cowboy by Mandy Baxter blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


View all my reviews

Review of Take Down by Mallery Malone

Take Down by Mallery Malone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Despite this being the third installment in the series, we still knew very little about Gabriel aka The Bayou Beast. All we really knew to this point was that he is an MMA fighter who participates in illegal underground matches for the thrill of it and that he has a reputation for being cold and lethal inside and outside of the ring. To learn that he had been in love and had his heart broken was not a surprise as it is the theme of this series. However, to learn that the woman who broke his heart is now a pop singer, THAT was shocking.

While I do so enjoy my bad boy, alpha males, it was Kari that I adored in this book. She’s a feisty character who has no problem facing down The Bayou Beast – something that even his business partners don’t like to do. This of course made for some rather entertaining reading as Gabriel sets off on a path of revenge that leads him back to Kari. He learns rather quickly that ten years have not diminished his love or desire for her. And what Gabriel wants, Gabriel gets - thankfully that includes some seriously hot sex.

Take Down is an excellent addition to the series and was a quick read for me. I enjoyed getting to know Gabriel better, so I was distraught when I read the lengths to which Kari’s father went to keep them apart when they were teenagers. As all three of the billionaire’s have had their stories told, I am assuming that this is the final book in the series. And while I can hope that I am wrong, I can at least take solace in the fact that Ms. Malone has other books available for my reading pleasure.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Take Down by Mallery Malone blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


View all my reviews

Review of Power Play by Mallery Malone

Power Play by Mallery Malone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



When we meet Raphael and Macy in Knock Out we had no idea they were acquainted with one another. However, when Power Play opens at Sebastian and Renata's party we learn that they had an extensive history together that went back to their childhood. As you read their story you learn that their relationship fell victim to a confluence of unfortunate events and really, REALLY bad timing.

I think that what strikes me most about Raphael's character is that he is easily able to admit to himself that he loves Macy and always has. While this self-awareness is novel among such testosterone-filled alpha male characters, it does not mean that he's quick to tell Macy and that's because he worries that he's not good enough - silly man. As for Macy, well she's a red-head, and really do I need to say more than that? She is as feisty, passionate and independent as you would expect and she loves Raffie - always has and always will, whether she wants to or not. Because of their history and their personalities, the sex scenes are scorchingly hot.

Power Play is the second novella in the series and it was a great read. I think I enjoyed Raphael and Macy's story even more than Sebastian and Renata's. That said, I am really looking forward to reading Gabriel's story next.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Power Play by Mallery Malone blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.

View all my reviews