Francine is stunned when she discovers she’s been married - for the last ten years! - to Benny, the surly and nerdy frenemy she worked with one summer in Vegas.
How in the world did they end up married? They could hardly stand each other! Though there was that drunken night….
She tracks down Benny, sure he’ll be as shocked about the marriage as she is, sure he’ll be happy to dissolve their union ASAP so she can get the documents she desperately needs.
But Benny is now a cold and wolfish billionaire. And yes, he’ll sign the paperwork…for a price: she has to spend the next three weeks playing his doting wife.
I’m a NYT bestselling author who sometimes writes as RITA®-award-winning Carolyn Crane. I live in Minneapolis with my husband and enjoy taking pictures of my cats, consuming boatloads of chocolate suckers, and tending my wild, bee-friendly garden.
This was like watching an enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy sit-com movie
Come on what more can you ask for – this amazing dancer is on verge of fulfilling her all time dream of going on a world tour with her ballet company. Only to realize that she was still legally married to Benny… A Vegas trip gone wrong, or was it?
Benny, it’s been 10 long years since he was that nerdy tech guy she once knew… now he is some Billionaire, like any Billionaire that is self-made, the man is cocky and self-assured asshat with no heart … or so she might have thought
I must be honest; it took me a hot second to warm up to Benny…. Once I did start warming up to him, I soon found out why he was the way he was with Francine
To say that Annika Martin had me LOL with some of the banter between this couple is putting it mildly ….. This is exactly what I needed right now!!!
There's something about Martin's writing style that just WORKS for me, and this was another great example. I loved the light, quirky feel and the grumpy/sunshine dynamic. I've also never read a book quite like this one - it's an interesting mix of tropes, with a dash of enemies to lovers, second chance, fake relationship, Vegas wedding, and opposites attract all mixed together. Ultimately, this feels most like a second chance romance, with a touch of angst juxtaposed against all of the lighthearted humor. These two former frenemies/co-workers got married in Vegas ten years ago, and they've got very different interpretations of the situation. While one element of their backstory rubbed me the wrong way, the vast majority of this was GREAT. The subtle angst underneath the rom com makes this a layered and interesting read, while the excellent writing kept me hooked along the way.
The story follows Benny and Francine, two total opposites who worked together one summer. Francine was a ballerina on the rise, while Benny was an awkward tech nerd who always seemed to be scowling. It's not until ten years later that Francine discovers something very important - they're married. Apparently, a drunken night on the town led to marriage, and Francine had no idea. When she seeks out Benny in hopes of having a quick divorce, Francine gets more than she bargained for. Turns out, Benny knew they were married the whole time - and she makes a very convenient wife. Benny is now a tech mogul who has schooled his awkwardness into submission, and he's more closed off than ever.
At the surface, this is a light and fun rom com - there's plenty of humor, and it plays up the tropes. But Martin excels at writing stories that dig a little deeper, so there's a lot more going on. We see how the years have changed these two, and how vastly different their responses to the night in Vegas were. I'm not usually one to enjoy miscommunication, but it does work here - this felt fresh and unique is so many ways. I was fascinated by Benny; he's spent years molding himself into a different person, and he's completely closed himself off to Francine. I loved the cinnamon roll nerd hidden underneath his alpha exterior, and the complexity of his character is one of the best parts of this book. The opposites attract dynamic was also great, as is their shared history. These two have such chemistry, and their connection is obvious. It's a unique, bingeable read - and I had no trouble devouring it in one sitting. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this lighthearted romance.
******
Minor spoilers for those curious about the safety: my knee jerk reaction was to feel a little icky about it. Francine wasn't aware that she was married, so that's one thing... but Benny did. The press also knows he's married, so, theoretically, every woman he hooked up with during the years apart thought he was cheating on his wife (which he kinda was). Realistically, he hadn't seen his wife (who he never slept with) in years (and she left him), so I'm grudgingly okay with this. But not every reader will be. There's no OW/OM drama at all, but that aspect of their history is important to the story - and I actually think it's better for it. The romantic in me doesn't necessarily agree, lol.
1) Terrible ship, 2) terrible/non-existent Filipina heroine rep (there are literally three references and it's all cringe), and 3) terrible navigation of heroine's opinions toward wealth (extremely negative in the beginning and then it randomly disappears? Uhhh, make it make sense).
The worst installment of the series I've read so far. Read via library.
If you read my reviews, you know I love a Hot Nerd. I have a whole shelf dedicated to them.
But a Hot Nerd who suppresses all his feelings, and then reinvents his entire outward-facing persona, so that he can stop secretly pining for the heroine (unsuccessfully), over an extended period of time—in this case, a decade—is a whole level UP, my friends.
Fuck, that was a long sentence! *deep breaths*
Benny and Francine, oh sweet lord. Casual bystanders see an odd couple at first glance—awkward, nerdy, robotics genius and a bubbly, driven, graceful professional ballerina. But scratch beneath the surface, and they are so good and weird together. No one else seems to get their off-beat bantering and sense of humour. It was such a joy reading all their interactions on page! Unlike the other heroes in the series, Benny is really a cinnamon roll masquerading as an alpha-hole. There is so much depth and quiet angst to all of his chapters, simply glorious and heart-wrenching in equal measures. It’s ten years worth of unpacking unspoken thoughts and emotions. But when everything is finally unpacked, all I can say is… the wait was so worth it.
I spent so much of my life trying to contain my emotions—unsuccessfully. I get so full of curiosity, so consumed with the drive to make a thing work, that my world can sometimes collapse to a single point. I’d go at things with too much intensity. I fall in love too desperately.
Lots of swoons from this humble reader for the 6th installment in this series. I hope Annika Martin keeps it going! Not everyone gets their own personal billionaire HEA but it seems the best way to increase that probability is to move into 341 West 45th Street! Can we have a female billionaire soon for Antonio maybe?
Another billionaire RomCom win from Annika Martin! This author never ceases to amaze me with her brilliant mind and storytelling skills.
Francine needs a visa to travel internationally. When she applied, she marked herself as single. Social Security says otherwise. Accidental marriage to Benny in Vegas ten years ago? File that under OOPSIE. Her mission: find Benny and file for divorce. Easy peasy…so she thinks. But Benny has a better solution. She’ll play his wife for a few weeks and then he’ll agree to sign the divorce papers and get her visa straightened out.
Benny is intelligent and successful and nerdy and sometimes awkward and wears a perma-scowl. But his heart is huge and he is full of passion. *heart eyes* Francine is goofy and jokes around a lot and wears punny t-shirts and adds humor to every situation. But she can be serious and she can love hard.
The first half(ish) of the book was getting to know these two, listening to the banter, his rules & demands, her retorts. There were sparks, there was definitely chemistry, but both of them tried to fight it. They just wanted to get the three weeks together over with, get what they needed, and move on. Right?
To watch these two get reacquainted after so long was sometimes fun and entertaining, but it also sometimes squeezed my heart. To see how much they’ve grown and to see them get to know each other again and even better than before, to have their friendship grow even stronger was a beautiful thing. Two puzzle pieces that never fit anywhere else or with anyone else. But together, they fit beautifully, perfectly. It took a while to get under that hard shell of his, but man-oh-man, once it started cracking and the pieces started crumbling, I was Team Benny all the way. These complex characters were written so well, I fell hard for them.
This delightfully charming story has plenty of humor, lots of heart and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I am a big fan of this author and this book is a perfect example of why.
4.5 It Was You All Along Stars * * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free I have been reading this series and each time I start a book, I am taken to a place that puts a smile on my face. Annika Martin has a unique voice and I enjoy it.
In this entry, I was primed from the start because I LOVE ballet and the dancers who do it. I am a sucker for any story about them. What made this one so good was the insight and details shared about this artform. It was just enough to give the reader an understanding of how hard this activity is on the body.
We have a woman, Francine, who dedicated her entire life to dance since she was about 6 years old. She came from North Dakota, a mindset and lifestyle very different than the place she came to, New York City. She studied and became the talent she wanted to be. She became part of a dance troop that worked in Las Vegas and it was there she met Benny.
Benny was the guy in charge of all the robotics and lighting for the show. Nerdy, intense, grumpy...all these descriptors would be used by everyone in the troop when talking about Benny. Yet, Francine saw another Benny, the one no one saw. She got his humor, his "resting annoyed face". She had feelings for him and at one point it seemed there could have been something...but then she blew it! She decided to run and not think of it again, it was too embarrassing.
Life goes on and ten years pass. Francine is about to reach the dancing goal she has been striving for all her life. She is to star in a ballet that will be performing at a location she has held deep in her heart, ruins that have called to her forever.
Yet, just when things are coming together, Francine is informed she has a visa problem. What!!!!! No, That Can Not Be. Especially when the government is saying she is MARRIED! Francine will need to find out where the mistake was made.
Well, upon learning the government wasn't wrong...Francine learns that time in Vegas with Benny...well, they may have gotten married then. Now she has to track him down and get him to sign the divorce papers otherwise no tour, no dancing at the ruins, no fulfilling her life's dream.
Francine goes to see Benny thinking this will be easy-peasy; he'll laugh, sign and she will be back on the tour. Ah, nope, not happening. Benny, a tech billionaire, is not the same man he was and says no to signing the papers.
Instead, he presents a deal Francine cannot refuse. She must be his dutiful wife for the next three weeks for him to sign and then she'd be free. Benny needs to have a face for the wife he had claimed to have for the last 10 years.
This story was a hoot. The reason is due to how Ms. Martin created these characters. Their internal thoughts were so different than the usual. Francine was a true free spirit, funny, innocent...but not. She was strong and understood how Benny had created this New Benny who hid the man she once knew.
The story has a bit of mystery, some conflict, and truly was fun to read.
Most Eligible Billionaire (Billionaires of Manhattan #1) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... The Billionaire’s Wake-up-call Girl (Billionaires of Manhattan #2) Breaking the Billionaire's Rules (Billionaires of Manhattan #3) The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée (Billionaires of Manhattan #4) Return Billionaire to Sender (Billionaires of Manhattan #5) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Just Not That Into Billionaires (Billionaires of Manhattan #6) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
So basically this series follows a group of gal pals who live in the same apartment complex in NYC and each book one of them falls in love with a billionaire. Not unrealistic at all! But honestly, who cares. This book was pretty interesting. The jokes in this book are so unfunny, like a ‘why did the chicken cross the road’ joke told unironically and because of that it becomes 10x more funny
“Mine,” I say again. “That’s whose.” “Dude, the 1800s called,” she says. “They want their sad freaking mentality back!” I pick up an imaginary phone. “Hello?” I say. “Why, yes, this is Benjamin Stearnes. What’s that you want back, 1800s?” ”
Like??? How is that funny 😭 and therefore I laugh cause who writes that in a book?? 😭😭😭
Also the main character does this thing where she talks about herself in third person in the most serious of times. for the sake of not wanting to relive the bad memories I won’t bring up any quotes, you can figure it out for yourself 😔
This series always makes for a feel good read. I love how previous MC's make an appearance but the books are always able to be a stand alone read. Benny and Francine's romance was sweet with just enough spice.
It's kind of funny because prior to picking this book up, I was wondering whether I wanted to read it based on the title and thinking that I had read too many millionaire/billionaire/entrepreneur romances recently. I do love a good romance novel where the main character has wealth but I thought that I needed a break from that style of book.
However, I'm glad that I decided to read this novel because I really really enjoyed it. For those that like a good enemies-to-lovers, seriously check this one out because it had me cackling at moments. It was hilarious and yet both of the main characters had this unbelievable chemistry.
Without giving too much away, I wouldn't say that I saw the eventful and dramatic 'twist' coming but it did add something extra to the story especially for those that like a little action and drama mixed in. In all honesty, I probably would have liked this story just as much whether it was included or not because of the individual main characters and the chemistry and romance that they shared.
As a disclaimer that I feel should be mentioned, I will say that there were some conversations involving restrictive eating along with mentions of bloating and weigh-ins when it came to the main female character's eating habits and her dancing career. Even though I think this regard to nutrition is probably accurate to the dancing profession, I think it could also be potentially triggering to read for those that struggle with disordered thoughts when it comes to food. With that being said, I did like the conversation and discussion that was created surrounding the main character and her knee injury along with how the main character eventually dealt with this injury.
***Thank you to Valentine PR for sending me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review***
Annika has once again weaved a funny, cute, sexy story revolving around frenemies Francine and Benny. Francine is on the cusp of her dancing dreams coming true. Her ballet company is about to begin a world tour and the only thing stopping her is the visa. Their is a application glitch and it states that she is married for the last 10 years. When she finds out that she is married to her nerdy frenemy Benny she knows that she must track him down. She remembers a trip to Vegas, talking all night with Benny and waking up in his bed with him on the couch, too embarrassed to face the music she left that morning to never see him again. Now here we are ten years later. Benny has never forgotten Francine and yes he knows that they are married but why hasn't she ever showed up. He is now a tech mogul and has done more than well for himself. He is certainly not the nerdy introvert that she once knew. When the two finally meet Benny wants a favor to finally sign the divorce papers and it is a pretend real wife that is on his agenda. Keep the gold diggers at bay and let the world finally see that he has a real wife. This couple has a wonderfully funny witty banter and also have that underlying chemistry and sizzle that I love so much. Yes they are complete opposites but Francine never backs down from telling this arrogant billionaire what she thinks of him. They compliment each other in the best ways! What happens when they finally tell one another the truth and Benny reveals the secret that he has been keeping all these years. I loved their story and the wonderful group of friends that surrounded them. ~~Michele McMullen ~~
Was loving this until the end, it was all rushed over, it read like notes on what happened, it really took me out of the story. Love the banter though.
There are definitely highs and lows in this series.
This is a low. Maybe the worst of them all? Or second worst? The cruise one is the bottom. This is one rung above.
Minimal character development; a plot that made no sense; two people who were in love years ago and fall in love again when they meet in a ridiculous set-up. WHAT!!?? Right? Where is the plot? Where is the STORY???!!
Terrible. Let me tell you all the reasons why I hated this book.
Francine (annoying ballerina, ditzy, dumb, did I say annoying already?) married her nerdy tech semi-friend, Benny (tech genius billionaire) while drunk in Vegas. She woke up the next morning and left. Poor Benny had his heart broken. Dumb ass Francine doesn't even figure out that she's married until 9 years late when she needs a visa to travel.
Benny insists they stay married for another month before he signs the divorce papers. Nothing happens from there.
First, the audiobook is horrible for her voice. It's the same narrator as most of the books, but in this one she's EXTREMELY annoying. Her voice grates.
Nothing happens. They go on a few "dates" or to events. They're not even funny. There's not a single thing in this book that made me laugh. I was totally bored out of my mind.
The sex SUCKED. They didn't even have a first kiss or flirt until you were over the 50% mark. WTF? Then when they did have sex, she kept making jokes, it just wasn't sexy at all.
I didn't even find Benny's character enjoyable or interesting.
The author has this awful writing habit that I guess I didn't care about in the other books that I actually did enjoy. But since this story was boring, the habit was amplified. "what do you want?" I say. "Whatever you want." He says. "when do you want it." I say. "Whenever you want it." He says. "let's eat burritos." I say.
I mean COME ON!!! It's all throughout the book - over and over again.
You can completely skip this book because it brings no happiness the world.
Annika Martin’s lighter fare is a new discovery to me, and I quite enjoyed it. It's quirky, fun, a total cotton candy type of a read. Super bingbeable and so fun- I’ll definitely be checking out the rest of the series.
We have quite a few common tropes at play, and it was fun to watch them all intersect. The grumpy/sunshine hero and heroine, accidental drunken Vegas wedding, second chances, enemies to lovers, and even a bit of marriage of convenience. Benny and Francine have a history- and turns out an even deeper one than anticipated, as ballerina Francine finds out she’s unknowingly been married to former grumpy robotics nerd Benny, now billionaire, for a whole decade. And when she seeks a quickie divorce to the quickie wedding turned long term marriage, turns out Benny isn’t willing to give up some quickly. And, turns out he’s turned into a cold jerk, too.
It did take me a minute to warm up to both of these characters, though I appreciated how uniute they were. But once we got a bit of their backstory and learned more about them, I really enjoyed watching them work through their mess and inability to communicate- lots of humor, a bit of angst, and tons of banter. Benny has spent years constructing and masquerading under a totally new persona- he even had me tricked, but he’s got a kind and sweet heart beneath the facade. And Francine has her own quirks, but her brightness brings out the real Benny- sparks fly, banter abounds, and we get a sweet and sassy love story along the way.
I really liked this one. I'll start off by saying I really don't like billionaire/millionaire stories. Grumpy Hero and sunshine heroine but it's not so much that. It's more nerdy, socially awkward Hero and the heroine went to boarding school so feels she missed out on a lot of life so is now making up for it when she first meets the Hero. She thinks she irritates him so plays on that. Spoiler X X X X There is a 9 year separation gap. Dating details are very vague. When they are first friends she dates and he makes fun of the men. No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
They form a friendship, get drunk and marry in Vegas. No sex. She feels she threw herself at him, he rejected her physically so leaves the next morning to avoid any humiliating confrontation. She was very drunk and doesn't remember exactly what happened, not remembering they got married. The Hero wakes to find her gone and feels it was all a big joke to her when it really meant something to him. He thinks she might return when he is making money and has a plan to make her regret leaving him. There are some weird rumours going around about his wife who noone ever sees so he uses the situation to his advantage when she returns. There is lots of banter and I really, really laughed at her antics.
HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
What to say, what to say … Well, the first thing I want to say is that I hate that I’m writing this review. H.A.T.E.Then why are you writing it, you ask… Well, because I was sent an email yesterday (12/30) reminding me that I needed to turn in my review links from the PR company who handled the release of this book. Well, my brain exploded a bit by this, so here I am, reviewing. Why did your brain explode a bit, you ask … (lol) Well, I shall tell you…
This story was all kinds of incorrect for me, I am not going into the why of it all because, reasons, but it’s safe to assume that it’s probably mostly a me thing and I won’t subject you to my subjective opinion. But here’s the thing, I have mad respect for Annika Martin, in all the ways. You can read any of my reviews for one of her books and that fact will exude off the pages. She is very good at her craft. She has tackled all kinds of tropes and genres and hit the mark like nobody’s business 99.9% of the time. She is also one of the greatest humans I have the honor to call friend. Combine all that together and I decided it would be best to put reviewing on the backburner or maybe even skipping it all together. I am one blogger/reader in the sea of bloggers/readers out there so my review really makes zero impact on the big picture. Why would I torture myself and a talented author writing up a review for one book that is full of negative ME aspects? WHY? I would not. But here I am … But none of that answers why my brain exploded LOL
My brain exploded because at the time this book released (August 2021), I wrote an email explaining myself to the PR company that handled this release and they responded with ”Not a problem! It will need to be submitted to receive any further books from her though!” to which I just walked away from and blinked a few times because, really? *sigh* However, they double downed yesterday with “Hi, This email is to remind you that we need your review links for JUST NOT THAT INTO BILLIONAIRES BY ANNIKA MARTIN which was released on August 10th.” >>> *brain explosion*
So this is me, reviewing this book so I have a link (singular, because you can send as many reminder emails as you want but no one is pressuring me to put this shit on a retail site) *blink* *blink* *blink*
Just Not That Into Billionaires by Annika Martin is what I call pure happiness in a romance book. I had a great time. I loved and adored the characters. I laughed, I swooned and I enjoyed every second of this sizzling hot rom com to the fullest.
This story is like wish fulfillment in the most quirky way! Let's count it. Francine is on verge of fulfilling her dream of going to a world tour with her ballet company. And she is also accidentally married for last ten years with a nerdy tech guy from her Vegas days! Well...only it's better ( or worse?) now because Benny has transformed into this cold, almost cocky and self assured billionaire. Who doesn't want a billionaire husband out of her old crush? Well Francine doesn't because she needs this divorce for paperwork. So comes the deal with the devil..spend three weeks as a couple! But why does Benny want that? Well that is his wish fulfillment- to finally have his dream woman who forgot their drunk marriage and never looked back.
But every wish fulfillment comes with a twist. Because Francine finds out she actually likes this new Billionaire Benny with his bossy, infuriating and controlling ways. Because the old sarcastic grumpy Benny is still here hidden behind the stone cold exterior who made Francine feel less alone and more alive once upon a time. Because Benny realises he had a distorted perception of what he wants to do to Francine if they meet again. Because colourful, bubbly, loving, caring and sweetheart Francine is yin to his yang. Because they fit like puzzle while squabbling like enemies. It was sweet. It was emotional. It was sexy! It was engaging. And it came with an amazing HEA.
Annika Martin's Just Not That Into Billionaires was an innovative and exciting take on enemies to lovers romance. Witty. Steamy. The whole winning rom com combination.
Loved, loved loved this! Benny and Francine are just fabulous! Loved Francine's big heart and wonderful imagination. The dialogue between these two is so sharp and clever, peppered with wonderful insanity. Benny's insecurities feed his suspicions, resulting in so many cross purpose actions that he has himself totally tangled. Francine's ability to make and keep friends should have told him something, but he hasn't the wherewithal emotionally at first, to grasp that reality. These two, and the wider cast, are a complete and utter delight to read about and I have been immersed in a slice of beautifully crafted romantic comedy at its best. Fabulous 💖 💖💖💖💖
I heard it as an audiobook and I do love Benny but on the other hand it was very very obvious that every single issue they had with each other could have been solved right at the beginning if they just would have talked to each other. A lot of books have that but often a lot more subtle than how it was done in this book. I didn‘t see much character development in either of them which was a little disappointing. I did like it but it‘s not one of my favorites
I, like the main character, and also just not into billionaires, but I am *very* into this series and will be sad when I'm done with it. Yes, it's ridiculous that all these friends end up with billionaires, but it's still fun and I always end up having a few good laughs.
Annika Martin is great at writing heroes I downright hate in the beginning and warm up to by the end. Her heroines are always quirky in fun/relatable ways--they feel like people I would want to be friends with.
I have never met an Annika Martin book that I haven’t adored - and Just Not That Into Billionaires is no different. But this book also has the added bonus of nerdy goodness to go alongside the romance, humour and sexiness you expect from Ms Martin.
This book is actually the sixth book in Martin’s the Billionaires of Manhattan series. While characters from the previous books do make cameos (for the most part as singles rather than in their couples) this book stands completely alone and features a brand new couple who get their very own HEA.
Francine is a ballerina with a very singular problem - she needs a divorce in order to go on tour with her company. A divorce from a man she didn’t even know she was married to. Despite this, she’s fairly upbeat about the whole situation. While she does find ways to get back at Benny when he makes his outrageous proposal - she never takes things too far and is genuinely a nice, kind and likeable person. She’s also extremely hard working and just a little bit kooky. I adored her. She was a complete hoot and I want her as my bestie.
But hold onto your pocket protectors because Benny is about to rock your world. Back when Francine first met him, Benny was a shy, awkward nerd who was just a little bit kooky and a whole lot anti-social. Fast forward to the present day and Benny has worked very hard to turn himself into the wolfish billionaire business mogul - even if he’s still very anti-social! But what tugged at my heart-strings was the way he hadn’t really left his nerdish ways behind him. Underneath, he was still the awkward and shy guy who feels like an outsider and that no-one really understands him. I just couldn’t control myself - this is what I want for a hero in my books and in my life. 100% Benny the nerd all day long.
Together, Francine and Benny were perfection. They were opposite enough to compliment each other but similar enough to create a lasting bond. They brought out the best in each other and my stomach would explode into butterflies over and over again as our pair navigated their way towards their happily ever ending. They had chemistry for days and as such, their sex scenes were singe-worthy - especially when Benny left the Sexorator 2000 at the door.
Which brings me to Annika Martin’s signature comedic skills. She was on fire with this book and I found myself laughing out loud again and again. Her comedy skills are second to none! But don’t think that because you’re laughing that you’re not feeling any other emotions. I found myself a bit teary at times (but not overwhelmingly so) and, obviously, we have the lashings of love and romance on top of that.
This book - this whole series - and Annika Martin herself - have been a revelation for me; a deliciously hilarious, emotional, romantic, sexy revelation! I have loved every minute of it and hope there are still more Billionaires of Manhattan who need to find love. For this one, the nerdy deliciousness made my heart skip a beat. Add to that the romance, the humour and the love, and you have a book that will make your heart happy. It’s perfection in romance novel form and I cannot recommend it highly enough. 5 stars and one of the best of the year, hands down.
I absolutely enjoyed Benny and Francine’s story. Tbh, it took me a little bit to warm up to Benny. The way he made Francine do things at the beginning of the story was very off-putting. And I really don't get why he said he needed to let the past and his old self go and left buried.
But I loved their banter. You could feel the connection between them throughout the entire story. But Benny's always gone hot and cold towards her. So one second he would be friendly to her, then the next he has his walls up. Nevertheless, there's a reason why they got married ten years ago and they still have the connection between them. So it's only a matter of time they give in.
You know when you watch a video of people failing at something and it's horrifying but you can't look away? That's the feeling I had reading this book. It was so bad I needed to know how it finished.
This is my first book by this author and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. I chose to read this one because it had a "accidentally married in Vegas" aspect, which is my catnip. Francine and Benny worked together nearly ten years ago in a production, she as a dancer, he in the background. They had a easy friendship, but never had anything more. One night, Benny and Francine hit Vegas.. Hard. Francine wakes up in his apartment, in his bed, without him. Benny is sleeping it off on the couch. She can remember trying to make moves on him, and him letting her down gently. Instead of talking through what happened that night, she flees to save face. Fast forward to 10 years later, she needs a Visa to be able to leave the country on tour and lists herself as single, never married. When it comes back that she is, in fact, married, she needs to get this corrected ASAP. She tracks down Benny, who is actually living in NYC too! Turns out, he knew about the wedding and isn't so keen to just let her out of the marriage so fast. He wants her to help him with a few matters first, then he will let her out and even help her with the paperwork. At first Benny's grumpy attitude has Francine wondering what is underneath his rough exterior, but as she delves deeper, she sees that even a billionaire like him isn't immune to hurt feelings. As they both chip away at each other's walls, they start to realize the things they thought about one another could have been their own insecurity coming to light. The part that really sealed this for me was that Benny was the legit sweetest nerd. I know this is a stand alone, but I didn't read the other books in this series and was very confused with the amount of characters in this book. I couldn't keep track of them well. Thank you to Valentine PR and Annika Martin for an early copy of this book.
Such a pretty, lovely story! It's like soft candy with a filling of heart-melting emotions and a kick of bittersweet drama. I laughed so many times thanks to this book. Just for that it deserves an ovation. We need heart and laughs in our lives, and this story delivers plenty.
Unorthodox characters, creative dialogues, wit in spades, and a second chance romance the likes of which you've never seen. Francine, the ballet dancer, and Benny, the robotics genius, share the most unusual chemistry ever. It is a unique attraction based on a deep understanding of their respective quirks and passions, an authentic vision of their true selves in all their unrepeatable glory.
On one hand, the comedy is brilliant and imaginative as this couple spars and creates sparks with their tender kind of war. On the other hand, it's a sweet reunion of two doomed lovers who had bonded once, lost their chance, and then found their way to each other through the most convoluted, hilarious, adorable, and sexy path possible.
They are flawed and make mistakes, but while they fall in love and axe the misunderstandings to smithereens, the story that comes out is fabulously funny and endearing. I loved seeing all the characters from other books interact again. I loved that Benny had such intense, deep feelings, and that he couldn't really let go of them despite the pain. And I relished that Francine could love all his quirks and be her own self with him, a dancer with dreams but also a girl with such optimism, energy, and inventiveness.
The story reminds of Persuasion in the fact that the couple reunites when they have grown and are better prepared to deal with who they are and what they need in life. I also think the plot balances wonderfully the fun, the romance, the character development, and even the dramatic plot twist. Definitely worth my time.
Annika Martin writes rom coms so well, and Just Not That Into Billionaires is another fantastic addition to the Billionaires of Manhattan series. Hilarious, entertaining, and so incredibly fun, Francine and Benny’s story was uniquely crafted and thoroughly enjoyable. There were so many funny moments but I also enjoyed the angst just as much. Their relationship wasn’t conventional by any means and I completely loved that. The slow burn between them and the way the author incorporated the past into their interactions was so brilliantly done. This couple was dynamite together, from their witty banter to their scorching hot chemistry.
I liked the way the plot flowed and the build up of the tension between Francine and Benny was really well done. The secondary characters were amazing as usual, with the entire friend group from the previous books making appearances. I really love the world that this author created and recommend this entire series to anyone who enjoys funny and well written romantic comedies.