Wicked Billionaire (Wicked Horse Vegas, Book #9)
Sawyer Bennett
Release Date: August 4, 2020
Synopsis:
As the prince of a luxury hotel empire, I am as close to American royalty as one can get. I grew up accustomed to a certain lifestyle. One where people give me what I desire and anything, or anyone, else can be bought. Everyone wants a piece of me, yet no one is actually deserving of my time.
That changes when Bailey Robbins, the smoking hot housekeeper in one of my hotels, catches my attention. Sure, she has curves for days but it’s her smart mouth I can’t help but be intrigued by. I may have avoided relationships all my life, but something about her makes me want to introduce her to my world.
The darker, wicked side of Declan Blackwood.
4 stars
Review by Trinette Dungee
“Perfect”, I say with a genuine smile. I nab my robe from the end of my bed where housekeeping put it when they completed the turndown service in my suite, long before I returned with Sonya in tow. “There won’t be any misunderstanding or hurt feelings when I don’t ask for your number then.”
Asshole. That’s the first word and thought regarding Declan Blackwood after just being 20% into this book. The introduction to Declan Blackwood came in Wicked Secret (August and Leighton’s story), where Declan was basically the buddy who teamed up with August during August’s trips to The Wicked Horse. Based on what I remembered, or what I thought I remembered, Declan was a wealthy playboy and seemed like he was fun and happy go lucky. That is most definitely is not the Declan I encountered in Wicked Billionaire. This guy was a jerk! My second thought, “My God, she’s finally done it. Sawyer Bennett has created a man that I simply hate. I didn’t immediately like Griffin in Code Name: Hacker, but that was because of how he was using Bebe; but Declan…oh, not liking him was definitely because of his attitude. I’m officially worried.
Declan Blackwood, heir to a luxury hotel empire is about as close to American Royalty as you can get, his words, not mine. Seriously, they are his words. “Blackwood is about as close to American royalty as you can get. Blackwood Hotels and Resorts are the world’s leading luxury hotels, frequented by queens, presidents, and sheiks, as well as by the world’s elite one-percenters. My name is worth billions. No doubt, this stranger has fantasies about being a part of that dynasty.”
See, the arrogance just oozes from this guy. Anyway, because of his “station” in this world, Declan tends to play by his own rules. Relationships, they are non-existent. His priority is his job, his company, making money. He’s accustomed to being catered to, not doing the catering. His level in life is pretty much above everyone else. Hell, even learning the hotel name of a hotel staff member isn’t on his radar, that is until one Bailey Robbins enters his room and suddenly his outlook changes. She’s caught his attention with her “you’re in my way, and I have things to do” and “I need and like this job, but I’m not going to do a lot of ass-kissing to keep this job” attitude. With just a brief encounter with Bailey, he sees something that makes him want her on his team and soon it’s a different team he wants her on but that would mean crossing a line he’s never crossed before.
I stare at this man, who just ordered me to do something far outside of my job duties. That he’s asking to do it makes me want to laugh. I need this job, but I also have a backbone. “With all due respect, Mr. Blackwood,” I say firmly, my chin lifted. “I’m a housekeeper. I have other suites to clean. I simply can’t help you with this.”
Right here is where I decide, Bailey Robbins is my girl! That and the fact that she secretly refers to him as “Dicklan”! LOL.
Bailey Robbins knows what it means to work for what she wants. Handouts just don’t happen to her. While she may not have lived the privileged life, she’s definitely lived a lot easier than she’s living now but thanks to her ex-husband life is making her work for everything she needs. Declan Blackwood entering her life and offering her a chance to dig herself out of her hole a lot faster doesn’t come without it's compromises. Aside from fighting the insane attraction that seems to be mutual, there’s the introduction to Declan’s world of The Wicked Horse. Sleeping with the boss has never been on her fantasy list but Declan is quickly making Bailey more interested in things she never thought she wanted. Bailey may know what it’s like to have the unconditional love of family but she’s not without her own fears and insecurities. Being burned badly has not made trusting easy for her so she has her own way of keeping people at arm’s length.
Okay, so my worried soul was calmed the more I read, but it still took me a while to finally stop mentally looking at Declan (and Sawyer) with a side-eye. The more we delve into Declan’s world, the more we can understand him. Money and status rule Declan’s world. Even loyalty takes a backseat. He may have grown up wanting for nothing, but he definitely lacked the cohesiveness of family that Bailey has experienced.
While their escapades may have started at the Wicked Horse, Declan and Bailey quickly realize, once they cross that line, that they prefer their escapades in a more private setting as well as the luxury of exclusivity. The manage to, somewhat, keep their working relationship separate from the physical one but slowly but surely their lives start to bleed into each other’s. There is the normal angst that threatens to tear them apart, but that’s kept to a minimum which I like, I’m not really an angst type of girl. This isn’t an angst driven storyline or even a forbidden one. It’s more about the development and/or evolution of two people.
What I loved about Declan and Bailey, is that these have two very strong personalities that both give as good as they get and they never lose who they are as people. They simply shifted how they think and see situations. The people you see at the end are who they were at their core, it just needed to be brought out by the right person.
There is always a thought or a line that just sticks out to me in books, this one came at the end.
And as much as I would love to lose myself in between Bailey’s legs, I'd rather help her with her problem and eat a good meal she worked hard on. I stand from the chaise, then hold a hand out. “Let’s go inside, We’ll talk while we finish getting dinner ready.” …. sigh, that so romantic!!!
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Print | Audible (narrated by Lance Greenfield and Kirsten Leigh)
4 stars
Review by Trinette Dungee
“Perfect”, I say with a genuine smile. I nab my robe from the end of my bed where housekeeping put it when they completed the turndown service in my suite, long before I returned with Sonya in tow. “There won’t be any misunderstanding or hurt feelings when I don’t ask for your number then.”
Asshole. That’s the first word and thought regarding Declan Blackwood after just being 20% into this book. The introduction to Declan Blackwood came in Wicked Secret (August and Leighton’s story), where Declan was basically the buddy who teamed up with August during August’s trips to The Wicked Horse. Based on what I remembered, or what I thought I remembered, Declan was a wealthy playboy and seemed like he was fun and happy go lucky. That is most definitely is not the Declan I encountered in Wicked Billionaire. This guy was a jerk! My second thought, “My God, she’s finally done it. Sawyer Bennett has created a man that I simply hate. I didn’t immediately like Griffin in Code Name: Hacker, but that was because of how he was using Bebe; but Declan…oh, not liking him was definitely because of his attitude. I’m officially worried.
Declan Blackwood, heir to a luxury hotel empire is about as close to American Royalty as you can get, his words, not mine. Seriously, they are his words. “Blackwood is about as close to American royalty as you can get. Blackwood Hotels and Resorts are the world’s leading luxury hotels, frequented by queens, presidents, and sheiks, as well as by the world’s elite one-percenters. My name is worth billions. No doubt, this stranger has fantasies about being a part of that dynasty.”
See, the arrogance just oozes from this guy. Anyway, because of his “station” in this world, Declan tends to play by his own rules. Relationships, they are non-existent. His priority is his job, his company, making money. He’s accustomed to being catered to, not doing the catering. His level in life is pretty much above everyone else. Hell, even learning the hotel name of a hotel staff member isn’t on his radar, that is until one Bailey Robbins enters his room and suddenly his outlook changes. She’s caught his attention with her “you’re in my way, and I have things to do” and “I need and like this job, but I’m not going to do a lot of ass-kissing to keep this job” attitude. With just a brief encounter with Bailey, he sees something that makes him want her on his team and soon it’s a different team he wants her on but that would mean crossing a line he’s never crossed before.
I stare at this man, who just ordered me to do something far outside of my job duties. That he’s asking to do it makes me want to laugh. I need this job, but I also have a backbone. “With all due respect, Mr. Blackwood,” I say firmly, my chin lifted. “I’m a housekeeper. I have other suites to clean. I simply can’t help you with this.”
Right here is where I decide, Bailey Robbins is my girl! That and the fact that she secretly refers to him as “Dicklan”! LOL.
Bailey Robbins knows what it means to work for what she wants. Handouts just don’t happen to her. While she may not have lived the privileged life, she’s definitely lived a lot easier than she’s living now but thanks to her ex-husband life is making her work for everything she needs. Declan Blackwood entering her life and offering her a chance to dig herself out of her hole a lot faster doesn’t come without it's compromises. Aside from fighting the insane attraction that seems to be mutual, there’s the introduction to Declan’s world of The Wicked Horse. Sleeping with the boss has never been on her fantasy list but Declan is quickly making Bailey more interested in things she never thought she wanted. Bailey may know what it’s like to have the unconditional love of family but she’s not without her own fears and insecurities. Being burned badly has not made trusting easy for her so she has her own way of keeping people at arm’s length.
Okay, so my worried soul was calmed the more I read, but it still took me a while to finally stop mentally looking at Declan (and Sawyer) with a side-eye. The more we delve into Declan’s world, the more we can understand him. Money and status rule Declan’s world. Even loyalty takes a backseat. He may have grown up wanting for nothing, but he definitely lacked the cohesiveness of family that Bailey has experienced.
While their escapades may have started at the Wicked Horse, Declan and Bailey quickly realize, once they cross that line, that they prefer their escapades in a more private setting as well as the luxury of exclusivity. The manage to, somewhat, keep their working relationship separate from the physical one but slowly but surely their lives start to bleed into each other’s. There is the normal angst that threatens to tear them apart, but that’s kept to a minimum which I like, I’m not really an angst type of girl. This isn’t an angst driven storyline or even a forbidden one. It’s more about the development and/or evolution of two people.
What I loved about Declan and Bailey, is that these have two very strong personalities that both give as good as they get and they never lose who they are as people. They simply shifted how they think and see situations. The people you see at the end are who they were at their core, it just needed to be brought out by the right person.
There is always a thought or a line that just sticks out to me in books, this one came at the end.
And as much as I would love to lose myself in between Bailey’s legs, I'd rather help her with her problem and eat a good meal she worked hard on. I stand from the chaise, then hold a hand out. “Let’s go inside, We’ll talk while we finish getting dinner ready.” …. sigh, that so romantic!!!
About the Author:
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
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