Audio narrated by Ava Erickson & Teddy Hamilton
2-1/2*

A story about a couple of high-powered professionals who are given the opportunity to take over the operation of their fathers’ corporation, valued at over $150 billion. The one clause that trips them up is the stipulation that they have to get married first (to each other) before they can share the business. They have known each other all of their lives but haven’t been close as adults because Olivia is a workaholic and Noah’s playboy behavior is a turnoff.

This was almost a DNF from the beginning because of Noah’s obsession with his personal anatomy and his juvenile habit of discussing his “gift” ad nauseam. He obviously thinks that he doesn’t need to offer anything else of himself to get the girl.

The arranged/forced marriage trope is not new and, unfortunately, doesn’t really work unless it takes place in the past. Moments that could have been erotic were spoiled by frat-boy vulgarity and arrogance. The saving grace was that Noah did grow as a character and seems to have really fallen for Olivia, even though in real life there is no way that could have happened in such a short time and under those circumstances. You definitely have to suspend your disbelief and just go with it.

Fair warning: This is part 1 of 3 in a series about this couple, and it ends on a cliffhanger.  I’m choosing not to continue with this series.