Novel Review: The Marriage Trap (Marriage to a Billionare, #2) by Jennifer Probst

Rating (Out of 5): ~3
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance (with sex)
Publisher: Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster)
Release Date: 2012
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The sexy second book in the New York Times and USA TODAYbestselling Marriage to a Billionaire trilogy by “one of the most exciting breakout novelists” (USA TODAY) Jennifer Probst.

To satisfy his late father’s wishes, hot and single billionaire Michael Conte must find a bride—someone who will fit into his traditional family back home in Italy—and fast, so his engaged sister will be allowed to wed. With no intention of being tied down, Michael “proposes” to fiery, free-spirited photographer Maggie Ryan: if she will play the part of his fiancée during her trip to Milan for a photo shoot, he will keep away from her married best friend, Alexa, and stop making Maggie nuts with their too-close-for- comfort flirtations. 

But once in Italy, sexual tension sparks the hottest no-strings- attached arrangement on any continent. Could marriage be the most enticing trap of all?

The Cover:

Bleh. I'm not a fan of this cover at all. It's overly embarrassing, showing only the sex part of the book, but it's also not pretty or eye-catching. I don't care for it at all.

Review:

This book was just meh.
I wasn’t impressed with the writing or the characters, and none of it made me want to keep reading. It was cheesy, and the sex was just okay. I was annoyed with the characters a few times, and more annoyed with some of the plot points. The alpha role got on my nerves.
I didn’t mind some of the family elements, like his big family, and I did like the plot regarding his little sister. I don’t know if it’s enough to make me want to pick up that book, but still.
I was more disappointed by the end of the book than anything, and it doesn’t make me want to pick up another one. And at this point it was rather forgettable. Meh.

Novel Review: The Marriage Bargain (Marriage to a Billionare, #1) by Jennifer Probst

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5 (maybe 4)

Genre: NA/Adult Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Release Date: 2012

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A marriage in name only . . .

To save her family home, impulsive bookstore owner, Alexa Maria McKenzie, casts a love spell. But she never planned on conjuring up her best friend’s older brother—the powerful man who once shattered her heart. Billionaire Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage, but in order to inherit his uncle’s corporation, he needs a wife and needs one fast. When he discovers his sister’s childhood friend is in dire financial straits, he’s offers Alexa a bold proposition.

A marriage in name only with certain rules: Avoid entanglement. Keep things all business. Do not fall in love. The arrangement is only for a year so the rules shouldn’t be that hard to follow, right? Except fate has a way of upsetting the best-laid plans . . .

The Cover:

This cover doesn't really do anything for me. It's embarrassing, it's not eye-catching, it's not particularly cute or anything. The font or the banner around it doesn't really look that great, the couple doesn't look that great. I'm just not a big fan of it overall, I guess.

Review:

This was a pleasantly surprisingly good book. I wasn’t sure how much I would like it, so I was happy that I really did.

I liked both Alexa and Nick. They were frustrating at times, but I liked their chemistry. Alexa was feisty, and Nick was in denial, but they both got along really well. And the smut, of which there was a surprising amount, was really good. I wasn’t expecting as much as there was, but I was pleasantly surprised with that.

Mostly, this was a very romance-focused book, with little else. Some minor focus on other characters, but there was a lot of Alexa and Nick, and the two of them together. A lot of cute, and sexy, moments together. It made the book go by very quickly, and really pulled me in, though, which I liked.

The reason why the rating isn’t a solid four (or higher), though, is that I don’t think there was enough development. Not enough depth to the characters, not enough focus on the other parts of their lives. There was just something more that was missing.

But otherwise, this was a very enjoyable book. And I will definitely be picking up another of Probst’s books when I get the chance.