Review: Wicked Arrangement by Maya Rodale
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 25, 2014
My Take on this Journey:Wicked Arrangement, by Maya Rodale, is the first segment in a 3 novella series. This is my first experience with reading one of Ms. Rodales' books and I was pleasantly surprised. The novel starts out with a punch and keeps the reader captivated from the onslaught. Jane Sparks is an assistant Librarian by day. She has been dumped by her high school boyfriend, Sam, because she is too predictable. He wants a girl that doesn't have her whole life planned out. Jane is crushed by the break up. She already had her wedding planned out on Pinterest, knew what street they would live on, which house, how many kids, and where she would work for the rest of her life.Jane moves away from her small town, Milford, to the high life in New York City, aspiring to be a romance novelist. She is working at the public library, and rooms with her friend, Roxanna. Roxanna is a writer for Jezebel.com; a smut writer. She has all the gossip on the major players, biggest stars, and life in the fast lane. After the close of the library, a big party for the rich and famous is going to take place, and Roxanna talks Jane into going to the party. As soon as they get to the party, Jane loses sight of her friend and is on her own. She has to talk herself into belonging with this crowd at the party, putting on her black Domino mask and music filled earphones, like the rest of the crowd. She spots a gorgeous man and decides to go for it. Little does she know that the man she follows in to the quiet room is none other than the billionaire bad boy, Duke Austen.After going into the dark room, she is mortified to hear the moans and gasps in the room. She thinks it is the stranger she followed in. She shushed the couple to her own surprise, due to the good girl conflict of working at the library, always following rules, and being so straight laced. She tries to escape the dark room without them seeing her face, on her hands and knees, when she runs into the stranger. He is completely disarming with his delectable, boy next door grin. Before Jane know's what is happening to her, the rogue has her pushed up against the stacks and fireworks start exploding! Out the door goes all convention, until a vibrating phone stops their brief but hot as hell encounter. This gives Jane some juicy ideas for her romance novel, at last.The next day, Jane receives an invitation to her tenth high school reunion. After showing Jane a picture with a caption of Duke, Jane verifies that he is the man she was making out with the night before at the party. Her friend fixes things on Facebook to look like Jane is engaged to the billionaire bad boy, Duke, so everyone back home will think she has an exciting life, and she can save face with Sam, her ex, that is living it up. Roxanna is proud of her ingenious idea in finding Jane a hot date to the reunion, to get her retribution. To Jane's surprise, she is texted by a foreign number inviting her to the roof top bar at the Soho House to celebrate their engagement. and there starts the ever exciting fake relationship of these two unlikely characters.Sparks fly in this arranged relationship, with fun banter, dry humor, and eventual romantic relationship. You have to read this short novella. You won't be disappointed, except with the all too soon cliffhanger. Happy Reading!!! Looking forward to the next segment, coming soon! I give Wicked Arrangement, by Maya Rodale, 4 Sparks Flying, Swoon Worthy, Hot Kisses Against Stackable Stars!!!