Wednesday, March 4, 2020

ARC Review: The Billionaire in Boots (Princes of Texas #3)

The Billionaire in Boots (Princes of Texas #3)

by Julia London 

Blurb:
As the firstborn son, it's been drilled into Nick that he is the heir apparent to the Prince family empire. But cattle ranching has never been his true passion. Nick wants to be a pilot. However, when his father dies, leaving Nick to clean up the mess, he knows he must do his duty before following his heart.
Charlotte Bailey can't believe that Nick is back to run the ranch. As the office manager, she knows it's her responsibility to help him. If only he wasn't so brooding and cranky--and so hot it's a wonder his chaps don't melt right off him. But when sparks fly between them, she's adamant about staying away from a cowboy on his way out the door.
Nick knows the ranch's pretty, smart, and capable office manager is off-limits, but he needs her. And working in such close proximity to Charlotte every day is making Nick crazy. She smells good, she looks good, she makes him laugh, but most of all she makes him want to stay....
Themes:  Contemporary
Rating: 3.75 stars
Heat Rating:  
Review:
The oldest and final—legitimate—Prince son has finally met his match and the time has come for him to decide what is most important for his future and happiness. I can still honestly say that while I am enamored of Julia’s skill as an author and her ability to spin a tale, my preference lies still with my first love of her work which is her historical romances. While I enjoyed reading this series and can certainly see the appeal overall, there is just something missing for me that she never seems to be lacking in her historicals. This series has revolved around the Prince family, Texas royalty or in other words cattle people, who have recently had their world shaken when the patriarch of the family dies and the secrets he has long kept buried are brought to light.  The first two stories about the younger siblings were interesting and gave me a few laughs along the way, but were definitely not my favorites either, and I knew going in that Nick and Charlotte’s story was going to be a tear-jerker. But for anyone that likes some silliness and sadness alongside their romance, this story would be right up their alley.  I also assumed this story would be the end of the series, but apparently there is another coming and I suspect I know who will be the hero of it, but there have been no details released just yet. I will definitely read the final story just to see what happens next, but I am truly dying for whatever Ms. London releases next in her historical line and gives me back for my favorite branch of romance.
Nick and Charlotte have been dancing around one another for a while now, ever since the fateful night almost two years ago when they made an error in judgment that landed then in bed together.   Now they are forced to work side-by-side running the cattle company, one that Nick resents with every fiber of his being and just simply wants out from under.  Charlotte wants Nick and knows it is mutual, but there is something keeping him at a distance and she enjoys needling him at every turn, but at the same time she has a true desire to move forward with her goal of a family and an HEA.  When they both decide that the dancing is better together, the sparks fly and soon they are in way deeper than either of them could have imagined initially. Now Nick has to decide if there is a place for Charlotte and a future with her in his life goals, or if letting her go is the best thing for them both in the long run. And Charlotte has to decide if Nick’s mistakes are too big to ever forgive and forget to give him another chance at her heart.
Billionaire in Boots is a deceptively simple story on its surface.  Two people that have been rubbing along for years finally decide to give it a go and see where life leads them, but there is so much more going on that sometimes it becomes a bit too much for one story.  Nick has dreams that he has had to put on hold in order to fulfill her duty to his family, but he knows that it is time for him to go all in or he will never find an ounce of happiness for himself.  I hated seeing how he was always put down by his family, even in subtle and maybe unintentional ways, and I could certainly see how he felt like he was the son that was left with a forced future instead of the chance to be himself. His resentment made him into an even more broody guy than he is by nature, but he definitely had his light moments with Charlotte and his niece which were fun to watch. Charlotte takes an entirely different view of life, trying to inject life and love into every moment even if she is working.  Fun can be had in all moments to her and I can appreciate her view, even if I can’t live it personally.  She was a perfect match, or I guess foil would be a better term, to Nick’s personality and made them perfect together.  I hated to see the angst between them in the rough patches they went through, but in the end I think they will succeed and find their true happiness as they move forward with their future together.  HEA doesn’t always end up like the characters or the readers imagined, but sometimes it is perfect nonetheless and that was the case here. There was plenty of passion once they gave into it, but the story really revolved around them dealing with the emotional drama they had to overcome. I enjoyed the story overall and would have loved it had there been a few little differences here and there but that’s just my personal little glitch with some motifs. I am wondering what will come next in this series and dying for the next in London’s historical series to be sure.  Seems like I am never going to be a true convert for the contemporary branch of her writing, but the series is enjoyable and has its moments of greatness for certain.
*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

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