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jackiehorne's review against another edition
4.0
See full review at:
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2018/07/in-aftermath-of-manipulative-men-lucy.html
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2018/07/in-aftermath-of-manipulative-men-lucy.html
jigsawgirl's review against another edition
4.0
I wouldn't call this an easy read, but I found it to be a good read. A good second chance romance, full of steamy scenes.
The one thing that made this book interesting was that ALL of the characters had flaws and issues. The emotions ran the spectrum. Anger, sadness, angst, pain, resentment, love, bitterness, etc., and I think that was just between Clayton and Veronica. When you throw the other King siblings into the mix, you just get a hot mess.
One thing that did bother me was Veronica holding onto the intensity of her anger for five years. Hurt, disappointment, even bitterness I can understand more, but she was angry at Clayton like this all just happened.
Clayton and Veronica were two broken souls who managed to patch each other up by being together. Neither one felt they were deserving of the other, and that was just sad.
This book could have seriously used an epilogue. After everything the reader had to go through to get to the end, it would have been a nice touch. The book seemed to end so abruptly. I kept reading thing It was the epilogue, then realized it was the prologue to Book 2.
I read this via Kindle Unlimited, and plant to continue with the series.
The one thing that made this book interesting was that ALL of the characters had flaws and issues. The emotions ran the spectrum. Anger, sadness, angst, pain, resentment, love, bitterness, etc., and I think that was just between Clayton and Veronica. When you throw the other King siblings into the mix, you just get a hot mess.
One thing that did bother me was Veronica holding onto the intensity of her anger for five years. Hurt, disappointment, even bitterness I can understand more, but she was angry at Clayton like this all just happened.
Clayton and Veronica were two broken souls who managed to patch each other up by being together. Neither one felt they were deserving of the other, and that was just sad.
This book could have seriously used an epilogue. After everything the reader had to go through to get to the end, it would have been a nice touch. The book seemed to end so abruptly. I kept reading thing It was the epilogue, then realized it was the prologue to Book 2.
I read this via Kindle Unlimited, and plant to continue with the series.
bookishlittlebird's review against another edition
4.0
Molly O'Keefe's The Tycoon follows Veronica King, a twenty-eight-year-old woman, whose father just passed away leaving her with nothing. Daughter of the CEO of King Industries, Veronica was engaged to be married five years prior to her father's death until the night before her wedding when she found out her fiance was only marrying her for the money.
Clayton Rorick grew up in an abusive home with very little money. When Hank King offered him a job at sixteen, he jumped at the chance to get away from his father. After laying eyes on Veronica, he instantly fell in love. Years later, Clayton agreed to marry Veronica in exchange for an acreage of land and shares in the company.
After overhearing Clayton and Hank arguing about the linguistics of the contract the night before the wedding, Veronica runs away and cuts both her father and former fiance from her life. Fast forward five years later, Veronica has opened an accounting business for women and spends her time meeting with clients in the pie shop below her office. When news of her father's death comes in the form of her former fiance, she is thrown off her game and sucked back into Clayton's world. When old feelings are brought to up and the truth is brought to light, Veronica must choose between her heart and what she thought she knew.
O'Keefe told a beautiful tale of second chances in this lovely romance. Although the story was great, I felt like it was too short. The plot could've been dragged out a bit more and further developed. I feel a bit unsatisfied with the way the story went and that the way the events unfolded was that realistic. I feel as if Clayton was too easily forgiven, and Veronica was weak to Clayton's charms. I would have preferred a bit more of struggle when it came to the two reuniting. Overall, great story and character development. Definitely, a recommendation if you're looking for a quick and easy read.
Clayton Rorick grew up in an abusive home with very little money. When Hank King offered him a job at sixteen, he jumped at the chance to get away from his father. After laying eyes on Veronica, he instantly fell in love. Years later, Clayton agreed to marry Veronica in exchange for an acreage of land and shares in the company.
After overhearing Clayton and Hank arguing about the linguistics of the contract the night before the wedding, Veronica runs away and cuts both her father and former fiance from her life. Fast forward five years later, Veronica has opened an accounting business for women and spends her time meeting with clients in the pie shop below her office. When news of her father's death comes in the form of her former fiance, she is thrown off her game and sucked back into Clayton's world. When old feelings are brought to up and the truth is brought to light, Veronica must choose between her heart and what she thought she knew.
O'Keefe told a beautiful tale of second chances in this lovely romance. Although the story was great, I felt like it was too short. The plot could've been dragged out a bit more and further developed. I feel a bit unsatisfied with the way the story went and that the way the events unfolded was that realistic. I feel as if Clayton was too easily forgiven, and Veronica was weak to Clayton's charms. I would have preferred a bit more of struggle when it came to the two reuniting. Overall, great story and character development. Definitely, a recommendation if you're looking for a quick and easy read.
kellyyoungbl's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
Although I enjoyed the writing in this book, I just did not like Clayton much at all. He really didn't have much of a personality a d I didn't like his reasoning for things.
Although I enjoyed the writing in this book, I just did not like Clayton much at all. He really didn't have much of a personality a d I didn't like his reasoning for things.
leabookjoy's review
4.0
French & English reviews
Une romance sympa à lire avec pas mal d'angst, une héroïne attachante (même si j'aurais souhaité qu'elle soit plus forte et surtout qu'elle arrête de tout sacrifier pour ses sœurs !!) et surtout un héros réaliste et humain (oui il a fait des trucs stupides mais il s'excuse et il s'explique ! Il n'a pas peur de dire qu'il s'est planté, qu'il l'aime et il est prêt à tout pour l'héroïne !)
Bon j'aurais aimé plus de dramas et une véritable intrigue en plus de la romance mais ça reste une lecture agréable !
(les sœurs et le demi-frère par contre ne me donnent pas particulièrement envie ...)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A nice romance to read with a lot of angst, an endearing heroine (even if I would have liked her to be stronger and especially that she stops sacrificing everything for her sisters !!) and especially a realistic and human hero (yes he did stupid things but he apologizes and he explains himself ! He is not afraid to say that he made mistakes, that he loves her and he is ready to do anything for the heroine !)
Well I would have liked more dramas and a real plot in addition to the romance but it's still a pleasant read !
(the sisters and the half-brother on the other hand don't particularly make me want to read the next books ...)
Une romance sympa à lire avec pas mal d'angst, une héroïne attachante (même si j'aurais souhaité qu'elle soit plus forte et surtout qu'elle arrête de tout sacrifier pour ses sœurs !!) et surtout un héros réaliste et humain (oui il a fait des trucs stupides mais il s'excuse et il s'explique ! Il n'a pas peur de dire qu'il s'est planté, qu'il l'aime et il est prêt à tout pour l'héroïne !)
Bon j'aurais aimé plus de dramas et une véritable intrigue en plus de la romance mais ça reste une lecture agréable !
(les sœurs et le demi-frère par contre ne me donnent pas particulièrement envie ...)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A nice romance to read with a lot of angst, an endearing heroine (even if I would have liked her to be stronger and especially that she stops sacrificing everything for her sisters !!) and especially a realistic and human hero (yes he did stupid things but he apologizes and he explains himself ! He is not afraid to say that he made mistakes, that he loves her and he is ready to do anything for the heroine !)
Well I would have liked more dramas and a real plot in addition to the romance but it's still a pleasant read !
(the sisters and the half-brother on the other hand don't particularly make me want to read the next books ...)
timitra's review
4.0
The Tycoon is the beginning of what I suspect will be a great series. It has family drama, betrayal, love, hot sex and so much more. It focuses mainly on Ronnie and Clayton but it also gives glimpses of the other characters and what issues they face. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
ARC provided by author in exchange for a honest review
ARC provided by author in exchange for a honest review
bookish_notes's review
This review is also posted on my blog.
I enjoyed Veronica and Clayton’s story. The book is addicting and fast-paced, as Molly O'Keefe's books often are. It's easy to get wrapped up in her books and read everything in one sitting. I did think the ending was a *tad* rushed after all the push-and-pull between the characters, but it was still a good ending.
Trigger warnings for mentions of physical abuse and mentions of a dog getting shot.
This was a good book to start the series off with. It was engaging and really set the foundation for the other books since the books in this sereis are going to be written by different authors. Book two is by S. Doyle and book three is by Julie Kriss. I believe book four is supposed to be by Molly O'Keefe as well.
This is a second chance romance and there's a LOT to work out between the two characters. Five years ago, Veronica King was head-over-heels in love with Clayton Rorick. She's the oldest of four, but never particularly loved by her father - a wealthy oil magnate of Texas. Her father only wanted sons, but the one son he does have (Dylan) wants nothing to do with him and ever only spent one summer at the family ranch before leaving the country at 18 to serve in the military.
At their engagement party, Veronica finds out that Clayton and her father had made a deal that if Clayton married Veronica, he gets King Industries. Feeling betrayed and heartbroken, Veronica breaks off the engagement and lives a life independent from her family.
She only gets called back to her family home, and Clayton, when her father dies.
Veronica doesn't care much for King Industries, but she does care very deeply about her mother's foundation, which is what's tied to the company. Her and her younger sister, Bea, lost their mother at a young age and their father and re-married and had their youngest sister, Sabrina. Their father had a mistress at one point, and that resulted in their brother, Dylan. The books in this series are about the King family finding their HEA, but be prepared for some major family drama.
Veronica is close to Bea, because they live together. Veronica is always cleaning up Bea's messes, but when Bea's latest troubles puts them all close to financial ruin, her one choice is to ask Clayton for help.
During the reading of their father's will, it was announced that everything except twenty acres of land left to Veronica. However, there is a clause that if Dylan comes back to claim the company within six months of the reading, Clayton gets nothing and everything will go to Dylan - a son who has never sought out his father's affections or approval and has done everything to stay away from The King's Land (their family ranch). It's all a game to Hank King, Veronica's father, who wants to screw over everyone he knows, even in death.
There's a lot for Clayton to make up for and they've spend five years apart now. They're older and Veronica is definitely not the love-struck girl who fell in love with a man she barely knew. We get some chapters from Clayton's POV, but most are from Veronica's perspective. And that's okay. Clayton's chapters are meant to hit you in the feels and it works. Veronica is sarcastic and dry wit, and I love her.
Clayton's bark is worse than his bite. He comes from a humble family and started off working for Hank King in the company's mailroom before rising to the top through hard work. He's all talk around Veronica, and seems respectful, but I have a few issues here.
The most iffy part, I suppose, is negotiating for them to be married in order for her to save her family and get her sisters some kind of trust or inheritance money to fall back on when times get rough. Veronica is always looking after her sisters, and with Dylan out of the picture as their last hope to save them, Veronica has to turn to Clayton for help.
There is a moment where I get grossed out and I know it's a personal issue, but Clayton being all "I want to see you with our baby" and using that as his argument for not using condoms when they're about to have sex is not good. Veronica's not on any birth control either. The only redeeming factor for this scene is that Veronica's got her head together, told him no, and he immediately backs off.
There's a lot of unnecessary secrets and characters not telling each other things, and that usually gets on my last nerve in stories, but I think it was okay in this book. They weren't really mind-blowing revelations, but it would have helped get Veronica and Clayton back together sooner if Clayton would just talk to Veronica and tell her everything.
Overall, the book was a lot of push-and-pull between the characters and it was fun reading Veronica and Clayton come together, especially after everything that's happened. I love Veronica's love for her sisters and will do whatever she can to protect them and keep them safe.
A thing to note is that at the end of the book, there's a prologue to The Bodyguard, book two in the series about Sabrina. If you start The Bodyguard, you'd realize that there isn't a prologue in that story. Just something to think about when you start book two. *disappears into a mysterious puff of smoke* <3
***Thanks to the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review***
I enjoyed Veronica and Clayton’s story. The book is addicting and fast-paced, as Molly O'Keefe's books often are. It's easy to get wrapped up in her books and read everything in one sitting. I did think the ending was a *tad* rushed after all the push-and-pull between the characters, but it was still a good ending.
Trigger warnings for mentions of physical abuse and mentions of a dog getting shot.
This was a good book to start the series off with. It was engaging and really set the foundation for the other books since the books in this sereis are going to be written by different authors. Book two is by S. Doyle and book three is by Julie Kriss. I believe book four is supposed to be by Molly O'Keefe as well.
This is a second chance romance and there's a LOT to work out between the two characters. Five years ago, Veronica King was head-over-heels in love with Clayton Rorick. She's the oldest of four, but never particularly loved by her father - a wealthy oil magnate of Texas. Her father only wanted sons, but the one son he does have (Dylan) wants nothing to do with him and ever only spent one summer at the family ranch before leaving the country at 18 to serve in the military.
At their engagement party, Veronica finds out that Clayton and her father had made a deal that if Clayton married Veronica, he gets King Industries. Feeling betrayed and heartbroken, Veronica breaks off the engagement and lives a life independent from her family.
She only gets called back to her family home, and Clayton, when her father dies.
Veronica doesn't care much for King Industries, but she does care very deeply about her mother's foundation, which is what's tied to the company. Her and her younger sister, Bea, lost their mother at a young age and their father and re-married and had their youngest sister, Sabrina. Their father had a mistress at one point, and that resulted in their brother, Dylan. The books in this series are about the King family finding their HEA, but be prepared for some major family drama.
What would it be like, I wondered, to be someone's first choice? To be the thing they wanted more than anything else? I literally couldn't imagine.
Veronica is close to Bea, because they live together. Veronica is always cleaning up Bea's messes, but when Bea's latest troubles puts them all close to financial ruin, her one choice is to ask Clayton for help.
During the reading of their father's will, it was announced that everything except twenty acres of land left to Veronica. However, there is a clause that if Dylan comes back to claim the company within six months of the reading, Clayton gets nothing and everything will go to Dylan - a son who has never sought out his father's affections or approval and has done everything to stay away from The King's Land (their family ranch). It's all a game to Hank King, Veronica's father, who wants to screw over everyone he knows, even in death.
There's a lot for Clayton to make up for and they've spend five years apart now. They're older and Veronica is definitely not the love-struck girl who fell in love with a man she barely knew. We get some chapters from Clayton's POV, but most are from Veronica's perspective. And that's okay. Clayton's chapters are meant to hit you in the feels and it works. Veronica is sarcastic and dry wit, and I love her.
Cheese was a slippery slope. I'd start there and end up at the bottom of that bottle of wine.
Clayton's bark is worse than his bite. He comes from a humble family and started off working for Hank King in the company's mailroom before rising to the top through hard work. He's all talk around Veronica, and seems respectful, but I have a few issues here.
The most iffy part, I suppose, is negotiating for them to be married in order for her to save her family and get her sisters some kind of trust or inheritance money to fall back on when times get rough. Veronica is always looking after her sisters, and with Dylan out of the picture as their last hope to save them, Veronica has to turn to Clayton for help.
There is a moment where I get grossed out and I know it's a personal issue, but Clayton being all "I want to see you with our baby" and using that as his argument for not using condoms when they're about to have sex is not good. Veronica's not on any birth control either. The only redeeming factor for this scene is that Veronica's got her head together, told him no, and he immediately backs off.
"Not mad. It's your body. Your choice. I was being an opportunistic bastard."
There's a lot of unnecessary secrets and characters not telling each other things, and that usually gets on my last nerve in stories, but I think it was okay in this book. They weren't really mind-blowing revelations, but it would have helped get Veronica and Clayton back together sooner if Clayton would just talk to Veronica and tell her everything.
Overall, the book was a lot of push-and-pull between the characters and it was fun reading Veronica and Clayton come together, especially after everything that's happened. I love Veronica's love for her sisters and will do whatever she can to protect them and keep them safe.
A thing to note is that at the end of the book, there's a prologue to The Bodyguard, book two in the series about Sabrina. If you start The Bodyguard, you'd realize that there isn't a prologue in that story. Just something to think about when you start book two. *disappears into a mysterious puff of smoke* <3
***Thanks to the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review***
jamiesbookaddiction's review
3.0
This one was okay for me. I almost stopped reading the book during the prologue. The word "orgasm" is used 15 times in the book. 11 of those times were in the prologue. It was completely over the top and really off-putting. Veronica came across as a really immature girl. Not a 22-year-old woman. She got a little better as the book went on, but I never really cared for her in the book.
Clayton has a back story that you'll have to read about. I felt for him. He handled things wrong and was trying to make things right.
I'm not sure how I feel about the sisters. I might continue with the series since the next couple books are written by different authors. I'm not sure yet though.
Clayton has a back story that you'll have to read about. I felt for him. He handled things wrong and was trying to make things right.
I'm not sure how I feel about the sisters. I might continue with the series since the next couple books are written by different authors. I'm not sure yet though.
theblackstepford's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
duanur's review
2.0
*2.5*
I love second chance romances but they are so hard to pull off. In this one, the love interest lied/held information from the heroine too many times for me to really root for the couple. I actually wanted Veronica to find someone better after awhile. It was just full of unnecessary angst. If you are really into angst you might like this more though.
I love this trope (even done badly) and I still enjoyed their cute scenes and chemistry together so I am giving it 2.5 stars. However, I am not sure whether I will continue on with this series.
I love second chance romances but they are so hard to pull off. In this one, the love interest lied/held information from the heroine too many times for me to really root for the couple. I actually wanted Veronica to find someone better after awhile. It was just full of unnecessary angst. If you are really into angst you might like this more though.
I love this trope (even done badly) and I still enjoyed their cute scenes and chemistry together so I am giving it 2.5 stars. However, I am not sure whether I will continue on with this series.