The Billionaire's Instant Bride

By: CJ Howard

Narrated by: Susan Marlowe

When Callie Williams signed up to the "bride bidder" app she was in a desperate situation. On the brink of losing her home, she needed money and she needed it fast. Allowing herself to be sold as a bride to a wealthy man was supposed to be a last resort for Callie, but she soon realized it was her only option.

When billionaire Thomas Dearborn signed up to the "bride bidder" app he was not totally interested in finding a traditional wife. He was not a man who wanted any romantic hassle but he knew that being seen as married would help his business interests.

Now, Callie and Thomas have been paired up in extraordinary circumstances for a marriage that suits them both. It is a modern day marriage of convenience with the promise that they will never love or touch one another.

And this is a promise that both parties are going to find very hard to keep.

©2016 CJ Howard (P)2016 CJ Howard

Enjoyable contemporary romance

Laid back story with a little drama & enjoyable story line. It was a bit slow but I still liked it.

Callie's grandfather just died and her grandmother gets a letter saying that there a tons of back up taxes unpaid. If she doesn't pay for the balance in one month, they will loose her grandma's house. Desperate for money, she signs up for instant bride and get a couple of bids.

Thomas is a great guy and the deal he is offering is amazing! But should she give up her life and move to another town?

The characters were interesting & the narrator did an ok job reading it. The story is told in Callie's POV. It has a good HEA ending.

** This audiobook was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion **

Passive storytelling

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This was a sweet story, but I found the pacing slow. It opens with Callie attending her grandfather's burial. It is narrate, with lots of back story, that made it difficult to get drawn into the story. Throughout the entire story, there is lots of "telling" (passive storytelling) vs. "showing".

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narrator did an okay job, but like the actual story, there were moments when it dragged. The narrator's tone and voice were fine, but some of the introspection and reflection scenes were tedious.

Any additional comments?

I believe many readers will enjoy this story, but I expected it to be a little edgier, a little more fast paced. It is a sweet, slow moving tale of romance with likeable characters and a predictable outcome.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom.

So sweet

It was a good short book! I enjoyed the romance and chase from the woman instead of the man!

Beautiful story

I enjoyed the love story of Thomas and Callie so much that I had to listen to it again. I highly recommend.

Pleasant but predictable.

Any additional comments?

This was a pleasant story with characters that were likable with good chemistry. I thought Callie was very well characterized as the unselfish granddaughter who would do anything to keep her beloved grandmother in her home. Throughout the book, the author lets us into Callie's head, so we can empathize with her. I only wish the same was true with Thomas. And because we don't really understand where Thomas is coming from, some of the plot elements become ridiculously unbelievable.

Spoiler Alert: For example, why on earth would Thomas offer double Callie's minimum bid to secure her as a wife when he has not met her and has no idea if they would even be compatible? And if Thomas just needs a wife to stop a business associate from pushing his daughter off on him for a wife, why does he propose a permanent, PLATONIC arrangement with Callie? Wouldn't a few months or years be plenty? And why restrict the terms to a platonic relationship, even when they find themselves attracted to each other? What is Thomas thinking????

But I was mildly entertained by the audible story. I just think it would have benefited from some insight into Thomas' character and thoughts. I also was not crazy about the narrator. While her diction was impeccable, and her delivery was very clear, she spoke with such a monotone that it took away from any emotion the book might have elicited. She did use Italian accents for the characters in Italy, but still spoke in that dreary monotone. The story could have benefited greatly from a more dramatic presentation.

I received a free audible version of this story in exchange for an honest review.