 
 
from the publisher:
In the dark, he kisses her…
Not knowing who she really is…
When a blackout hits Chicago, billionaire Darius King makes the most of it with an irresistible stranger. But then the lights reveal the woman in his arms is the woman he hates — his best friend’s widow! His new plan: entice her into marriage to protect his friend’s legacy. But wild attraction and explosive secrets could make that arrangement very inconvenient…
Review:
The Billionaire’s Bargain is the first book in the Blackout Billionaire’s series (Harlequin, Desire). I read the books completely out of order because I fell in love with the cover of Blame it on the Billionaire and, superficial creature that I am, I read that one first. Obviously, series order matters.
However, this books takes the cake so far as the most wonderfully bonkers book I’ve read in a minute. Bonkers because the plot is absolutely implausible (I know we’re talking about sexy billionaires so plausibility is a casualty of escapism but bear with me). The premise, at first glance, is incredibly flimsy but because Naima Simone is such a good author, she successfully convinces the reader that Darius and Isobel not only connect in the dark, but get up to sexy times as well. The two possible obstacles that would normally impede such a scenario – that they are strangers and no, strangers that I’ve never seen simply cannot put their hands down my pants; or that they somehow recognize each other – are completely discarded.
Even spicier, Isobel turns out to be falsely maligned widow of Darius’s best friend, Gage, and the entire family hates her. The only thing that keeps them from obliterating her from existence is the presence of Gage’s son, whom they have refused to recognize because of Isobel’s refusal to take a DNA test.
So, of course, Darius makes the next logical decision, which is to marry Isobel. Because what better way is there to take care of Gage’s possible son (who, it turns out, is the spitten image of his father) but to marry the horrible woman who birthed him and is indirectly (not so indirectly) blamed for Gage’s death.
Y’all, that’s the first twenty pages.
And here’s the thing – I could not put the book down! I became so invested in this impossible novel for two reasons – Naima Simone possesses the incredible ability to write desire, and Isobel is actually a pretty remarkable character. Because the book starts in her POV, you get a sense of who she is and why, after two years away, she has returned to the hornet’s nest that is Gage’s family and their connections. Her motivation becomes very clear and you can’t help but empathize with her. You also gather very quickly that the things the family says about her are completely false. I spent the remainder of the novel, utterly outraged on her behalf.
You also come to see something that is very typical of Simone’s stories – She writes excellent female characters. They are strong, but not caricature-strong, and fully realized, so that you can’t help but admire them. I was on Isobel’s side for the entire novel and that’s really a testament to how well she is written.
And yeah, this book is also sexy as hell.
It’s well worth the pushing through the some of the opening implausibilities because it does turn into a very entertaining read.
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