Review Tour: The Millionaire Affair by Jessica Lemmon {Review+Giveaway}

The Millionaire Affair (Love in the Balance #3)
   by: Jessica Lemmon

Publication Date: June 24, 2014
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: e-ARC received via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 260 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N | BAM | Indie Bound
My Rating: 3/5 stars

Millionaire ad executive Landon Downey has a policy: no romantic relationships allowed. So when he's saddled with his six-year-old nephew for a week, he doesn't think twice about asking a female friend to act as live-in nanny. What he doesn't expect is the palpable attraction to the woman he hasn't seen in sixteen years. And not only does she like him back, she suggests they work their way down a list of extracurricular activities in the bedroom. How can he resist? Kimber Reynolds knows what she's doing. Sort of. Tired of every failed attempt to turn her past relationships into her own happily-ever-afters, she's determined to prove once and for all that she can love em and leave  em with the best of them. All she has to do is keep her heart out of the agreement she's made with the man she's crushed on for a decade and a half. No problem. Their string-free arrangement turns downright stringy when Landon starts to feel more for the redhead than good old fashioned lust, and Kimber has a scare involving a plastic stick and one-or-more blue lines. With the pressure mounting and their hearts involved, will these two be able to keep their original promise and walk away from one another?

 

 

I should probably go ahead and admit to you all that I'm a bit of a sucker for these millionaire type romances. What girl doesn't want to feel all Pretty Woman (minus the hooker part) at some point in their lives? Lavish parties, expensive clothing, sexy man in a suit and a penthouse who has the ability to zoom you around the world at the drop of a hat? Yes, please! I don't read a whole lot of adult romances because they can be very hit or miss with me. So when I picked up The Millionaire Affair, I was hoping for a light-hearted, fun, sexy read. I believe Lemmon definitely delivers that and while I liked it- I found I didn't LOVE it.

 

Pacing: This was a pretty predictable read. I knew how the story would play out and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, I felt it needed to be made known. I didn't feel this one read quite as fluidly as I would have liked. The transitioning seemed a bit off, and while it was detailed, I felt certain things were not expanded upon that could have been. The relationship between Kimber and Landon is pretty instant, as they've known each other for some time now. (Kimber is best friends with Landon's sister Angel, and had a crush on him during her teen years.) While they are attracted to one another, I didn't feel there was enough tension and build up to make their romance as exciting as it could have been.

 

Storyline: As I said, Kimber has had a crush on Landon since she was a kid and really fell for him the summer she spent with his family. He was not in the mindset to take much notice of Kimber, as he is hurt by an incident that occurred with his college girlfriend. Now, Landon's engagement has recently ended, as it was more of an arrangement than it was of love and necessity.  He is taking care of his nephew for the week and with his demanding job, needs help taking care of him. His sister recommends Kimber, and while she has no real nannying experience, she can't help but say yes to the amount of money Landon would be providing for her. However, neither one are really looking for a relationship and decide to have a fling instead. They create a list of 10 things to do with one another, but once it's complete they both will walk away. Of course, when the heart gets involved, walking away is never as easy as it seems.

 

Characters: I didn't really feel like I connected to the characters on more than a very surface level, so they ended up frustrating me quite a bit with their non-communication. I also didn't really understand why they didn't want to have a relationship. Neither one said they didn't believe in love or marriage, so I didn't know why they didn't just jump all in with one another. Both were too afraid to say what they really felt and instead said what they thought the other wanted to hear only to secretly hurt the other. I get that taking that leap is scary, but Kimber would notice how Landon's eyes would fade or dim and not have that same happiness it did before. Isn't that a clue that he isn't okay with what you're saying? I almost feel there was angst just for the sake of having angst in this one and I had trouble connecting with their relationship.

 

Final Thoughts: I honestly just feel this was lacking a few things that I need to have in my books, such as a connection to characters and a strong, well-developed plot. That's not to say this is a bad read at all. I feel many adult romance fans will really enjoy this one, as Kimber and Landon do really have some very sexy times together. While it wasn't for me, definitely don't let that to deter you from reading- it's gotten some great reviews and very high ratings, so it may have just not been my personal cup of tea.

 

 

 

Jessica Lemmon has always been a dreamer. At some point, she decided head-in-the-clouds thinking was childish, went out, and got herself a job . . . and then she got another one because that one was lousy. And when that one stopped being fulfilling, she went out and got another . . . and another. Soon it became apparent she'd only be truly happy doing what she loved. And since "eating potato chips" isn't a viable career, she opted to become a writer. With fire in her heart, she dusted off a book she'd started years prior, finished it, and submitted it. It may have been the worst book ever, but it didn't stop her from writing another one. Now she has several books finished, several more started, and even more marinating in her brain (which currently resides in the clouds, thankyouverymuch), and she couldn't be happier. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want. (While eating potato chips.)

 

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