Okay, so yeah, I love millionaires.

With: Naima Simone

Congratulations to "Kim", the winner in Naima's giveaway. Thank you to all who participated!

Okay, so yeah, I love millionaires.

Now, now, there will be no millionaire-shaming here. I can’t help it. I’ve loved these moneyed-powers-all-to-themselves for years. Like ever since sitting on my grandmother’s front porch and digging through her boxes of Harlequins, these financial titans have always drawn me. I think it might be because they run international businesses or rule countries. Or that they can own a small island or jewels that rival the Hope Diamond. Yet—as the old saying goes—they can’t buy love. Okay, that’s not the exact saying, but it’s the gist of it. Their money can’t purchase happiness, peace or a happily-ever-after. Only the perfect heroine can do that for them. So seeing them humbled by love is one of the main reasons I love my millionaire books…why they’re one of my guilty pleasures.

Now, I have tons of guilty pleasures. Real Housewives of (fill in the blank), Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, New Kids on the Block, Symphony chocolate bars, Cherry Cokes… But there are certain book-related guilty pleasures that I will ask you not to judge me over…

1. Secret baby. Again, one of those tropes that I blame on my grandmother and her stash of Harlequins. Now if the heroine doesn’t have a good reason for keeping the hero’s baby from him, then I’m shutting the book or powering down the Kindle. The reason needs to be better than he didn’t want her or she couldn’t find him. I mean, in the age of social media? Hell, we can find Waldo these days! But if she believed he was dead or his a-hole father convinced her the hero knew of her and the baby and didn’t want either of them… Yeah, two words: One. Click.

2. Manwhores. Oooh. This sounds so bad, I know. But let me clarify that the hero is a manwhore before he meets the heroine. Definitely not after, ‘cause cheating is a straight deal breaker. But there’s just something about seeing that man who is very well versed in sex, and for whatever reason—wounded past, bitterness, never been in love—doesn’t believe in monogamy fall for The One. I love watching him succumb to love, and how he suddenly finds the thought of kissing or touching another woman distasteful. Oh yeah. Manwhore Down is definitely a guilty pleasure.

3. MMA and underground fighters. Does this really need an explanation? Hard-bodied. Warriors. Sometimes half feral. Disciplined. Tortured. And HAWT!

4. Ugly ducklings. Seeing how my fave movies are almost all from the 80’s, this really isn’t shocking. What’s greater than the gangly, awkward, not-size-two girl transforming into a brickhouse and winning her man? Or better yet, what’s greater than the gangly, awkward, not-size-two girl winning her man with Lord of the Ring references, sexy librarian glasses, and a wit that cuts like Sting? There goes that Lord of the Ring reference… Whether she transforms into a swan or remains a duckling, I love reading about the underdog landing her hero!

5. Fairy tales. Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty. Snow White. Beauty and the Beast. These were the stories we grew up on. The original happily-ever-afters. These were the tales that made us dream, introduced us to princes and heroes, taught us about love so strong and huge they conquered magical spells and evil witches. So books that are based on them are my Easy Buttons. And auto buys.

Soooo speaking of fairy tales…

Beauty and the Bachelor, my new release from Entangled Publishing’s Indulgence line, is based on Beauty and the Beast. When Sydney Blake mistakenly bids on Lucas Oliver at a bachelor auction, she finds herself at the mercy of the Beast of Bay Bridge. The enigmatic millionaire serves up a little blackmail...followed by a marriage proposal Sydney has no choice but to accept in order to save her father’s business and reputation—and freedom. Now she’s engaged to a darkly handsome beast intent on destroying her entire family...along with her heart.

Sigh. 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Giveaway:

So tell me what is your fave fairy tale or guilty pleasure! I’m giving away a $5.00 Amazon gift card to a commenter! All right, dish with me!

Giveaway ends 11:59pm EST Aug. 12th. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen@JustContemporaryRomance.com with a subject title of JCR GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway. There may be delays in announcing the winner of this giveaway.