Review: Intoxicated by Monica Murphy

Intoxicated (Billionaire Bachelor's Club #3.5)
   by: Monica Murphy

Publication Date: June 17, 2014
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 250 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy wraps up her sexy Billionaire Bachelors Club series with a wedding to remember. But this time, they’re not bachelors anymore, and the groom … is one of them.

It’s Gage and Marina’s wedding day, but wedded bliss seems a long way off: Ivy’s just gone into labor. Marina’s missing her matron of honor. And Bryn’s giving Matt the silent treatment.

It’s up to Archer, Gage, and Matt to make sure this day goes off without a hitch. But between brides and babies, there’s the not-so-little issue of the million-dollar bet to attend to. If only they can figure out who won … and who’s paying up. Is everyone a winner? Or will someone leave broke—and brokenhearted?

 

 

When I first heard from Monica in an interview I did with her for her Four Years Later release, that she was going to do a novella for the Billionaire Bachelors Club series, I was so happy! I really wanted to see how everything turned out with our three couples and how they were doing. There were some loose ends I really wanted tied up and we got those in this novella!

 

Pacing: I thought the pacing was spot-on. Murphy has given us all the main character's POVs and I loved being back with all of them and see what they were thinking and feeling.

 

Storyline: It's Marina and Gage's wedding day and Marina has been Bridezilla for the past few months. Everyone is ready to get this show on the road, and some are even a little TOO eager. Ivy ends up going into labor, thus causing her and Archer to relinquish their matron of honor and best man duties to Bryn and Matt. Marina is a wreck and even acts a bit selfishly- it's not like Ivy planned to have her baby at that exact moment! Gage is the epitome of calm and manages to sort her out, as well as Bryn. Bryn and Matt still haven't made any lifelong commitments to one another, but as their relationship is still new that's not completely out of the ordinary. Matt, however, is ready to take the plunge with Bryn, never having the hang-ups about commitment Archer and Gage once did. Bryn is a little more hesitant and lets her old insecurities creep back into the forefront of her mind.

 

Characters: Archer and Ivy remain my favorite of the three couples and I found myself looking forward to their scenes. Both of them are nervous about becoming first time parents, and Archer is just beyond sweet with how much care he takes with Ivy. It literally made my heart burst and if I ever get married and have a baby- THAT is how I want my husband to be. I felt for Ivy though, because even after the baby is born he's a little TOO gentle with her and she's ready to claim her husband!

 

Gage and Marina were always the steamy couple and that remains to be true in this novella. Once Marina calmed down, everything fell into place and seeing Gage's expression when Marina walked down the aisle? Priceless. Even though wedding planning has made them distant, the second they make that commitment, that distance dissipates and it's just Marina and Gage and no one else.

 

Matt and Bryn are the newest couple and Bryn still has some insecurities hanging over her head. She feels as if they're going too fast and she's just scared of the future. She was never on the receiving end of a loving, nurturing relationship as a child, so it's hard for her to believe that Matt could love her so wholeheartedly. Matt is one of the best guys out there and he's perfect for Bryn. He never let her put herself down and he is always building her up, which is how it should be.

 

Final Thoughts: I like that each couple is in a different stage of their relationship and that they have their own kinks to work out, but they're going to do so together. I think this novella was just what we readers needed- I feel satisfied and happy with the way Murphy tied up loose plot threads and also ended all of these couples with a bang. Literally. In the bedroom. In the office. Or on a honeymoon.