Review: Intriguing Premise With a Cliffhanger Ending
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 11, 2014
The premise behind Maya Rodale’s, The Bad Boy Billionaire’s Wicked Arrangement is a clever one as there's a blending of the historical and contemporary between her Bad Boys & Wallflowers series.  For each historical version of a story there's a corresponding contemporary version that sees characters in a whole different light.  Not having read any of Ms. Rodale's works before I didn't know what to expect with this and was left pleasantly surprised.  Though bits of it are cliched it's witty and fast-paced.  Some may be disappointed by the abrupt cliffhanger ending but I prefer to see it as a tantalizing beginning.  The beginning of Jane and Duke's relationship seen here is like an appetizer that draws readers in and leaves them coming back for more...as we'll see in the next installment.Jane is a quiet and straight-laced librarian who doesn't like to take risks and it's cost her one boyfriend already.  With the encouragement and machinations of her roommate she ends up taking a walk on the wild side when a clandestine kiss at a party leaves her with a secret fiancée.  Her staid life instantly becomes chaotic as the sexual tension ramps up and leads to a steamy weekend of fun that might or might not lead to more.Duke is known for being a playboy as well as a fun-loving failure.  With his third attempt at creating a business he'll need every advantage he can get.  The advantage he finds is the smart and classy Jane who he ends up engaged to in a plan to make him respectable.  What starts out as an act slowly becomes more for this mis-matched couple that seems oh so right together.These characters are fun and their interactions delightful with witty banter.  Jane is easy to relate to and Duke is just bad enough to be every good girl's dream.  They're attracted to each other from the moment they meet and the sexual tension gets stronger every moment they're together.  This novella was a delectable start and I look forward to where Jane and Duke's relationship goes from here.