Title:  Shopping for a Billionaire
Author: Julia Kent
Publisher/Year: Julia Kent 8/15/14
Length: 146
Series: Shopping for a Billionaire #4

Overview

A confusing fight, a garbage-covered car, and a mom who shares her past as a stripper all drive Shannon to the edge of madness. When her big shot at mystery shopping luxury properties leads to another crazy toilet incident, it’s Declan to the rescue…but can they take the “plunge”? The Shopping series from New York Times bestselling author Julia Kent reaches its conclusion with heart, heat, and hilarity.

My Thoughts

Ahhh, we finally make it to the conclusion of all this craziness that surrounds Shannon’s life.  Like the summary says, it’s a luxury shop that really brings things to a close, but really, we have to remember where we left off in book 3.  The relationship between Shannon and Declan couldn’t be in worse shape, nothing makes sense, and everything seems to be going downhill.  Shannon can’t get the answers that she wants, and is left to wallow.  You know though that given Shannon’s personality so far, that her wallowing will be quite amusing anyway.

Where this final installment takes us is on a fact finding mission and we slowly learn more about the McCormick’s back story than we ever knew before.  Even how it all relates to James and Maria (the parents) and well, that’s quite a story in itself.  In learning about what happened 10+ years ago, we finally get a bit more depth to the characters that we haven’t had to this point and that’s something that i’m really pleased that our author took us to.

Like the overview says as well, we get to the luxury shop and this is where things get to be even more amusing.  It’s all been wonderfully coordinated and mastermind by Amanda- to get everyone to open their eyes and to be in the same place at once, and well that couldn’t have led to a better conclusion.  We see that people are forced to have conversations that they weren’t ready to have, and that means that we’ll see walls come down, and maybe not all of them good.

Where we are left is with someone losing their job, people becoming more receptive to one another, and the question being posed of what’s to come for everyone.  I think that the way that this story ends isn’t necessarily realistic, but still does the story justice since it’s interesting how it’s all been intertwined.

Given the pace of this story though, i don’t know that i would have stayed interested had i had to wait for each of the installments to come out – so i’m glad that i didn’t pick up this series until they were all published.  It’s entertaining for sure, but i think that it serves a better purpose of being entertaining reading as one longer book v. the 4 installments.  Otherwise though, i think that it’s a great read when you just want something enjoyable and light to pass your time.  Enjoy the final installment of the Shannon/Declan journey!

Title:  Shopping for a Billionaire
Author: Julia Kent
Publisher/Year: Julia Kent 6/30/14
Length: 121
Series: Shopping for a Billionaire #3

Overview

I don’t turn every date into a medical emergency, but when I do, I nearly castrate my man…

Shannon and Declan’s first real date ends with an ambulance trip and yet another test of their madcap relationship. Ex-boyfriend Steve insists on dinner with Shannon while Declan is overseas on business, but a surprise return leads to plenty of romance as Declan whisks her away for a ride over Boston (in more ways than one…).

Just as life and love look good, a misunderstanding takes on a sinister tone as a conspiracy brews to keep them apart. Julia Kent’s hilarious Shopping series continues.

My Thoughts

The story is now beginning to get juicy and so much more complicated.  We see that the romance continues to grow, and feelings are really beginning to develop in depth between these characters.  The downside to the speed of things though is that we know that there’s a past that Declan won’t open up about and it seems like Shannon just won’t push it right now.  The way that Shannon’s family opens their arms up to Declan though shows us that maybe there’s hope.

Anyhow, seems like Steve is really trying to get in the way of things for Shannon and in this 3rd installment we see things come to a head.  Fortunately for Shannon (although i’m still trying to understand how it was possible given that he was in NZ and now he’s with her in Boston), Declan shows up just as Shannon’s getting her anger out on Steve and well, that works out to her benefit.

The piece of the journey here though shows us that the relationship between these 2 is really growing, (declan and Shannon that is) and that the family really opens their arms to him.  His family is another situation though and one that Shannon’s not surprised that she’s found herself in, and partially doesn’t care that she’s in.

It’s not until the tail end of this installment that we see the waves really begin to form.  All as a result of a mystery shop that Shannon has to do and some of the cast of characters who are present to see it all go down.  The question that we’re left at in the end is what will it mean for Shannon’s happiness and will it mean that Declan’s out of her life for good in a romantic sort of way.  I feel like the odds are stacked against him, but given that he doesn’t really seem to care what others think, i’m game to believe the best.  I do have a sense though that maybe this will be the one time that he’s actually upset about something and Shannon will have an uphill battle.  I guess that will make for a good finale if that’s the case.  Anyhow, 1 more book to the series and we’ll see who nets out on top.  Enjoy!

Title:  Shopping for a Billionaire
Author: Julia Kent
Publisher/Year: Julia Kent 6/1/14
Length: 85
Series: Shopping for a Billionaire #2

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Julia Kent continues her Shopping for a Billionaire series as mystery shopper Shannon and (near) billionaire Declan explore a relationship (and each other).

The pair deal with a jealous ex-boyfriend, a new perk at work that makes Shannon rethink her job, and a cat that offers up quite a present when Declan takes Shannon out for their first non-business date.

My Thoughts

the saga continues with the new budding attraction – and where we thought that things were going awry before, they are taken to a new level in book 2. We see that Declan and Shannon really do share an attraction to one another, one that they begin to act on, and if that weren’t enough, there are many many forces trying to come between them.

Enter Steve, Shannon’s ex who’s a social climber – dumping Shannon since she wasn’t elite enough for him, and when he walks into the same restaurant that Declan and Shannon are at, he decides that he wants her back.  Granted i don’t know what the motivation is there but it’s funny to see the lengths that he’s going to in order to get her attention.  Texting Shannon, her sister, friends and even parents just to get her to agree to see him.

Then there’s Shannon’s mom – she’s amusing for any number of reasons.  She’s the embarrassing mom that no one wants to have – she says and does things that should never be done, and even in front of Declan which would be the end of any real relationship i’d imagine.  Not in a book though.

And then there’s the amusement from work – nothing is as it seems – and that allows for interesting situations to pop up, especially when Declan swings by.

So, as all those things happen, we get to know Declan and Shannon a bit more – we see that they have shared interests, yet there are hints at their back stories as well.  we know that they each have flaws, and that they probably even have their own pain that may come out (or not) and that’s what makes you want to root for them even more.

The journey continues – still keeping it light with this novella series and i guess it’s onto book 3 to see what Declan will do next to make Shannon swoon, what Steve will do to try to win Shannon back and what embarrassment the mom can bring to the table.  Enjoy!

Title:  Shopping for a Billionaire
Author: Julia Kent
Publisher/Year: Julia Kent 6/1/14
Length: 85
Series: Shopping for a Billionaire #1

Overview

When mystery shopper Shannon Jacoby meets billionaire Declan McCormick with her hand down a toilet in the men’s room of one of his stores, it’s love at first flush in this hilarious new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Julia Kent.

My Thoughts

I have to say that i was really in the mood for a bit of chick lit which is exactly what we get here.  It’s funny – i’ve become really accustomed to Billionaire titled series to be in line with heavier erotica or BDSM, but it was nice to have something light and entertaining here.

So as the very short synopsis tells us, we meet our leading lady Shannon when she’s filling in on mystery shops for the company that she works for.  While she’s in her final location for the day, in walks a sexy man, dressed to the nines and she realizes that she’s in such a mismatched state that things couldn’t get any worse.  or could they?  It’s when she has to go into the mens room to finish the shop that things go wrong.  Said hot man comes into the bathroom when she’s in there and if that weren’t bad enough, she drops her phone in the toilet, loses her balance, he saves her and she has to find some way to get out of that embarrassing situation.

If only that’s as bad as it gets for her.  She continues her day into work and finds that they are pitching a huge account, goes into that meeting only to find said hot guy as one of the clients.  He calls her toilet girl, her friend calls him ‘hot guy’ and well, you can only imagine what happens from there.

The interesting thing here is that some how there’s an attraction there – and these 2 – hot guy Declan and messy girl Shannon find that they have a shared chemistry and see what comes of it.  That’s where this intro of the series leaves us off.  It’ll be interesting to see where things go both personally and professionally and i’m sure that it will be anything but dull with these folks.