Zain has intrigued me since we first got a glimpse of him in book one. His shy but curious demeanor was sweet, and I knew he would be too. I love the direction Hayden took his book. The grumpy/sunshine trope is a fave of mine, and Dominic is the perfect grumpy beast, hiding in his mansion, visiting the city only when he must. We see a little bit less of Neon Nights in this one, but Mama Viv and crew are still there, watching and guiding from the sidelines.
Zain has been raised with a set of beliefs that he doesn’t think allow him to be true to himself. Dominic pulled himself up and created a fortune despite those who would have loved to see him fail. Both have so much to learn from each other, and about themselves. I loved seeing them help each other grow. The scene with Zain and his father was incredibly moving. And I loved the humor in the scene where Orwell was (passive aggressively) leaving Dominic to stew in his mistakes.
As always, Hayden Hall has created a story that is fantastic bend of sweet and steamy. The characters have excellent chemistry. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
My life was just fine until he came down from his ivory tower.
Sure, I lived my days hiding deep in the closet, but I got to see all the beautiful guys in Neon Nights whenever I delivered fresh produce from my father’s store. And maybe I didn’t have enough time to read all the books in the world the way I would have liked. And maybe sharing one small room with three siblings wasn’t ideal. But that was the best we could do.
Until a man with wolfish eyes and a sinful smirk came to our little home and demanded that my father settle an old debt. He was going to ruin what little happiness we built for ourselves in Hudson Burrow.
The only thing I could do was offer my work in exchange for my father’s mounting debts. I would go with Dominic Blackthorn to his secluded mansion, and I would work off the debt no matter how long it took.
But real life is never so simple.
Dominic is a cruel and emotionless man with nothing but disdain for those around him. And the longer I am there, the clearer it becomes: Dominic’s appetites extend beyond amassing his wealth. He wants the one thing he can never have. He wants me. And to be wanted like that stirs something new in me.
How long can I live with this heartless man before I start seeing something good in him? How long before he lets himself act on this impulse?
I want to resist him, even if I see disarming warmth in his handsome smile.
Beauty and the Billionaire is the third novel in The Boys of Hudson Burrow story. It features a young man torn between his father’s traditional values and a dangerous new fascination with his billionaire employer, a wounded man who locked himself up in the clouds and gave up on the world, and a deliciously long path to a HEA. Dominic and Zain’s story is full of teasing, power struggles, and unbearable attraction. It can be read as a standalone, but it’s best enjoyed if read in order.
