DIRTY BASTARD / Dirty /Scoundrel by Jessica Clare-reviews

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 15, 2018

Knox Price has always fallen short in comparison to his brothers. Boone is the ambitious one. Clay is the nice one. Gage is the handsome one. And Knox? Well, he’s the cynical one. The odd man out in the ultra-wealthy but rather unique Price family. It’s not that Knox hates people–it’s that humanity always disappoints him. When you become an oil-rich, Texan billionaire overnight, people treat you a certain way. Just once he’d like to meet someone that isn’t dazzled by his wallet.

Then, he meets struggling yoga teacher Lexi Brandon. She’s weird. She’s unpredictable and tends to say strange things. She lurks in the bushes and dresses in all black. She loves when people cross the street to get away from her. Lexi’s definitely not his type, but she’s also the first one to ever truly see him and not just another rich, dirty Price.

And that’s…fascinating. But how do you catch the interest of a woman who goes out of her way to be odd? When an unexpected surprise throws them both for a loop, Knox decides it’s time to get down and dirty, abandon the rules, and be who he truly is–a bastard.

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REVIEW: DIRTY BASTARD is the third instalment in Jessica Clare’s contemporary, adult ROUGHNECK BILLIONAIRES erotic, romance series focusing on the rags to riches Price Brothers of Texas-Boone, Clay, Gage, Knox and Seth. This is billionaire oil-man Knox Price, and yoga instructor Lexi Brandon’s story line. DIRTY BASTARD can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Some of the story line premise crosses-over and runs parallel to some of the events in book two DIRTY SCOUNDREL

Told from dual first person points of view (Knox and Lexi) DIRTY BASTARD follows the building relationship between billionaire oil-man Knox Price, and yoga instructor Lexi Brandon. At a get together with his brothers at Ivy and Boone’s (Dirty Money #1) Knox Price will come face to face with his future, a woman who defies his expectations and type but a woman whose secrets run deep and disturbing. Enter Lexi Brandon, the woman with whom Knox will fall in love but a woman who refuses to acknowledge a troubling threat.

Lexi Brandon is a bit of a quirky heroine who doesn’t want to draw attention to herself or her life. Ascerbic and ill-tempered, most people run rather than face our storyline heroine head on. Knox considers himself the family ‘bastard’ but most woman tend to throw themselves at the Price brothers due to their billionaire status as rich and available until meeting Lexi Brandon-a woman who did not want anything from the almighty Knox.

The relationship between Lexi and Knox is one of immediate attraction for our story line hero but Lexi has some issues that need to be addressed. Surly and combative Lexi’s need to be independent is both a threat and a hindrance to her personal safety. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate but once again, I struggle with the use of a certain four-letter word I feel is unnecessary in a romance story line.

The secondary and supporting characters include all of Knox’s brothers, their significant others (where revealed) as well as the small-minded and nosy people of a tiny town where everyone knows your name.

DIRTY BASTARD was a bit of struggle in that our heroine has a bit of a TSTL (too stupid to live) complex. Her inability or reluctance to ask for help is a struggle not only for the heroine but for this reader as well. When unwanted and unrequested help finally comes through Lexi runs as though the help is worse than the potential harm. The premise is engaging; the characters are colorful and dynamic but I struggled with the heroine’s personality and behavior; the romance is intimate and seductive.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Dirty Money
Dirty Scoundrel (see below)
Dirty Bastard

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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DIRTY SCOUNDREL
(Roughneck Billionaires #2)
by Jessica Clare
Release Date November 21, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 21 2017

Clay Price has everything he’s ever wanted, except the one thing money can’t buy—Natalie Weston. Years ago, Clay and Natalie were in love… until she turned down his marriage proposal. Now Clay and his brothers are oil-rich billionaires, and they can have whatever they want. And what Clay wants is Natalie in his bed, no matter what it takes. If it means being ruthless, he’ll do it.

Natalie gave up on true love years ago when the realities of the world destroyed her fairy-tale hopes. Giving up Clay is her biggest regret in life, and she’s excited to see him return… until she finds out why. Clay’s got one hell of a proposal for her: he’ll save her father’s business and bail Natalie out of debt if she’ll agree to become his very personal assistant. It’s clear that he wants more from her than just typing.

It’s also clear that Natalie has no choice. This scoundrel’s bet could destroy any hope they had of reconciliation—or it could bring them together once and for all.

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REVIEW:  DIRTY SCOUNDREL is the second instalment in Jessica Clare’s contemporary adult ROUGHNECK BILLIONAIRES erotic, romance series focusing on the rags to riches Price Brothers of Texas-Boone, Clay, Gage, Knox and Seth. This is billionaire oil-man Clay Price, and Natalie Weston’s story line, DIRTY SCOUNDREL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Clay and Natalie) DIRTY SCOUNDREL follows the second chance romance between oil billionaire Clay Price and the woman who scorned our story line hero. Seven years earlier, high school sweetheart Natalie broke Clay’s heart after graduation when she sent her wealthy, movie star father to break up with the man she would always love. Fast forward to present day wherein Clay hopes to destroy the woman who pushed him out of her life but circumstances have changed and Clay sets about to seduce our heroine-in all the wrong ways. What ensues is the rekindling romance between Clay and Natalie, and the potential fall out as Clay’s lack of social finesse, and ‘open mouth insert foot’ actions hurt the woman he has never stopped loving.

Clay Price is desperate to break Natalie Weston. Told by Natalie’s father he would never be good enough for his princess daughter, Clay battled between head and heart. For seven years Clay has plotted his retribution and revenge against the woman that called to his heart but everything is about to backfire as Clay sets his plans into motion forcing a desperate and despondent Natalie to sign over her life. Natalie Weston has struggled since the day she pushed Clay Price out of her life. With her ailing father demanding all of her time, no money in the bank, and the creditors howling at the door, Natalie will accept Clay’s dangerous proposal even though it means setting herself up for further heartbreak and humiliation at the hands of the man she once loved.

The relationship between Natalie and Clay is one of second chances; a rekindling romance between high school sweethearts that was destroyed by the petty vindictiveness of an old man h*ll bent on controlling his young daughter’s life. It’s all about money and fame, and Clay Price had neither to offer the Hollywood star’s daughter. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate but I continue to struggle with the use of a certain four-letter word in romance story lines. Although we give words their power, I find the term is derogatory under all circumstances.

Clay’s treatment and demands of our story line heroine are reprehensible under the circumstances. Heartbroken and in pain, Clay continues to push at the woman who destroyed his heart making her feel more like a whore than the woman he loves. The contract demands everything in return for saving what’s left of Natalie’s home and her father’s life.

All of Clay’s brothers play secondary and supporting roles including Boone and Ivy (Dirty Money #1), Gage, Knox and Seth. We are also introduced to Natalie’s father- a man whose own fame and fortune was lost to greed, avarice, six ex-wives and illness. The oil business is dangerous and dirty-lives will be lost-some more heartbreaking than others.

DIRTY SCOUNDREL is an enemies to lovers/second chance story line between two people destroyed by one man’s ego and pride. The premise is engaging; the romance is controversial; the characters are dynamic and charismatic.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley