AWAKENED BY A BILLIONAIRE

A wealthy Englishman rescues a traumatized young woman in Sorel’s romance series starter.

All Theadora “Thea” Hart wants to do is pay her rent—and working for a night in a seedy London gentlemen’s club could get her squared away. The 24-year-old is only willing to serve customers drinks while dressed in a tight corset and heels, but those who run the club want to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder. Before that can happen, a handsome, anonymous stranger rescues a drugged Thea and lets her sleep on his sofa for the night. Three months later, Thea is working as a cleaning woman at the exclusive Lovechilde’s Hotel when she receives an offer to become a maid at the Lovechilde estate in Bridesmere, a seaside town outside the city. The Lovechildes are a rich and powerful family, and Thea soon discovers that eldest son Declan was her rescuer that terrible night. He’s a decorated military veteran in the process of developing a program for troubled youth, and he never forgot the woman he saved; when he encounters Theadora again, he’s swept away by passion. The attraction is mutual, and their lust soon develops into love. However, Declan’s tumultuous family relationships may threaten his future with Thea. Alternating between Thea’s and Declan’s perspectives, the novel works to raise the stakes for both characters. The Lovechilde family is rife with fascinating, Succession-like drama as its members vie for power and Declan’s parents openly conduct sexual affairs in town and country. For her part, Thea wants nothing more than to be a music teacher, and she struggles to get back on track after her plans were thwarted as a teenager due to the actions of her abusive stepfather. The novel includes too many mentions of Thea’s curvy figure, and Declan makes a problematic comment about a character’s bisexuality. However, Thea and Declan appealingly connect on an emotional level as well as a physical one, as evidenced by their explosive chemistry in several explicit sex scenes.

An often pleasing read for fans of billionaire romances.