Most Eligible Bastard by Annika MartinMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I first heard about this book reading a href="http://dearauthor.com/need-a-rec/top-... 10 best reads of 2017, I loved the quote so took the plunge and got the book.
Vicky Nelson lives a fairly precarious life in Manhattan, pet-sitting and selling her quirky custom-made jewellery on Etsy. She is the sole carer for her 16 year old sister Carly. Oh, and she has also been suckered into pretending to be a dog whisperer for a cantankerous old woman called Bernadette Locke and her dog Smuckers. Vicky has a mysterious past, he real name is Vonda and she and Carly have fake identities after an incident in which Vonda became reviled nationwide, the details of this incident gradually unfold through the book.
When Bernadette dies she leaves her controlling shareholding in Locke Worldwide to Smuckers, Bernadette's son Henry, the CEO of Locke Worldwide, and nephew Brett suspects Vicky is a grifter and try to buy her off, unfortunately Vicky has had enough of rich, entitled, arrogant men trying to buy her off and digs her heels in. Soon Vicky and Smuckers are attending Board meetings, Smuckers ensconced on his custom-made throne, being condescended to. Vicky knows she needs to give the shares back to Henry, she never imagined Bernadette had money, let alone a controlling shareholding in one of the largest construction companies in the country, but the most she hoped from Bernadette's will was some assistance with Smucker's upkeep.
Henry and Brett design a two-pronged attack to wrest control of Locke Worldwide from Smuckers' little paws: Brett will hire an investigator to dig up dirt on Vicky to assist in a competency hearing, and Henry will go on a charm offensive. Of course the inevitable happens, opposites attract and Henry and Vicky fall in love. But she knows he will hate her once he finds out her real identity and how will she feel when she finds out about his plans with Brett?
Whilst I don't think this would necessarily have made my top 10 for 2017 I did thoroughly enjoy this, particularly when Vicky explains that most of New York has another name for Locke Worldwide and all of the ludicrous dog-whisperer nonsense.
Vicky's secret is fairly well signalled through the book, although the exact details are shocking. I also liked the way that the necessary moment of tension is built, ebbs and flows and finally comes right out of left-field, just when the reader has forgotten the looming issue and is feeling safe. Finally, I liked the way in which reconciliation is achieved - it's not fast!
Overall, a solid four stars. Maybe if I weren't in a book funk it could have scored higher.
Highly recommended and I will look for more books by Annika Martin.
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