GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Secret Heart by Ivy Layne

The Billionaire's Secret Heart was basically the story of a remarkable one-night stand, and MMC's attempt to get FMC back for a more permanent arrangement.

Josephine was on the worst blind date ever until Holden swooped in and rescued her. It wasn't until much later that Jo realized this is Holden Winters, scion of the Winters clan, who dates socialites with his gorgeous looks and loads of money. There's no way that Holden could fall for a geek with curves, could he? Yet when Jo indulges herself with a quick fling, something she never did before, she panicked and ran immediately after without saying goodbye. But what Holden wanted was someone with curves... and intellect to challenge him. And Jo is not getting away...

The overall plot was pretty cookie-cutter though competently executed. Nothing really stood out though. It's not really a struggle if she can just change her mind, right?

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Geek with curves on a bad blind date was rescued by rich billionaire who wanted more than just a one-night stand

Tropes: blind date, date rescue, fling to a thing, geek/geekette, different worlds

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Pet (Scandals of the Bad) by Ivy Layne

The Billionaire's Pet is a deeply divisive book, as the male protagonist started off as probably the lowliest scum but actually somewhat redeemed himself by the end of the book.

Abby Jordan made a lot of mistakes, including marrying into the Jordan crime family. She was charmed by John, but when John died under strange circumstances, and John's father, "Big John" made no secret that she will be a pawn in his negotiations. When Abby's mother requires nursing home due to Alzheimer's, Abby saw no choice but to run to a rival, Jacob Winters, hoping he will take her in and protect her, and the only thing she had to bargain with... is herself. Jacob Winters wanted Abby for years, but he does not go after a married woman. So when Abby came to him directly after her husband's murder, Jacob cannot refuse, and at first, he just wanted her as a pet, to be kept and groomed, and lots of kinky sex, for he does not want a wife or girlfriend. But when Big John came after her, by declaring war on Jacob, he must examine his true feelings for Abby...

As explained before, Jacob started off as the lowliest pond scum, taking advantage of Abby as if in a bad BDSM erotica (keeping her naked,, bondage and dominance games) but somewhere around the middle Jacob started treating Abby as a real girlfriend rather than a pet, and there's a bit of a twist near the end that somewhat redeemed the story, but not quite. Overall, I can only rate this story average as it needed a bit more reason for the readers to keep going past the bad treatment of the FMC.

Category: Romantic suspense / BDSM

Primary Plot: Woman with nowhere to turn had to offer herself to a rival crime lord because her in-laws want her as a bargaining chip

Tropes: BDSM, mafia, scars, protector, woman in peril

Overall Rating:  3/5 (rounded up)