Ella's passion has led her to ask for help from the one person she was told to stay away from, Rafe, her guardian. At first I wanted to smack Rafe because he was a bit ruthless but the more I read and realized was that Rafe's past was not a pretty one. Despite it all he still had a soft side deep inside him and Bella was the one that brought that out.

Rafe has been patiently waiting and biding his time until it was right to have Ella within his reach. The time has come now and there is nothing or no one that will stop him from receiving his reward-Ella.

Ella's feistiness and determination to not be intimidated and bullied by Rafe had me rooting for her. And Big Bad Rafe, well he was deliciously sexy and right down ruthless when it came to anything that was Ella related.

Despite Ella's determination to put and keep Rafe in his place, well his alpha helped her change her mind especially when he made her see that she was just another person in his life. She was his everything!

Totally swooning and getting myself all hot and bothered because Rafe was just down right sexy and dirty. ~ Kara, 4 Stars

Wasn't a big fan of this one. I really couldn't stand Rafe. He was just too over the top for me. I don't mind large age differences but it just came off creepy in this book. The second half of this story is much better than the first half. However, it ends abruptly and didn't leave me satisfied.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Jackie Ashenden has a formula that Makes you want to read at a pace.
A spin on little red riding hood with a twist,this book explores the life of Ella,she virginal dancer with Rafe, strong billionaire.
Think you know where this is going? Well read it to see as the big bad wolf may not be what you first assume.
This is a good read, a beach book. It is everything you think it will be with a sprinkle of more.
Thanks to the author,publisher and Netgalley.
3.5 stars

Some books are easier to get into than others and this one was a little bit of a struggle for me. The story overall was good. Rafe is older than Ella and ends up as guardian of her inheritance. Rafe feelings for Ella are not reciprocated at first, but I did enjoy this story once it started unfolding.

I usually love Jackie's books but I thought Rafe was a little too much 50 Shades in this novel. Misunderstood, wounded and needing a good woman's love were all great for the storyline but for me he was a bit too violent with Ella. Enjoyable if you liked 50 Shades.

This is the fourth book in the Billionaire’s Fairy Tales series. This is Rafe DeSantis’ story. And what a story. Rafe was sent away as a child to his grandfather to learn how to control himself. For years he constructed a plan to over throw his father’s company for payback for sending him away. He finally succeeded. And for years he has been following Ella. A young girl who is younger than Rafe and went to him when she was just a child. He was fascinated that she was never afraid of him like everyone else. But Ella’s parents kept her away from Rafe as she got older. She seen him throughout the years, but stayed away out of fear. But she always watched him from afar. Not being able to explain why she was drawn to him. Rafe finally talks to Ella, even though it’s through manipulation. But she is drawn to him and things heat up. They both have serious issues throughout the story. But patience and kindness prevails. There are a few very disturbing flashbacks that Rafe explains happened to him, so beware of any triggers. But his pain is needed to fully understand him. Great writing once again from Jackie Ashenden.

Rafe and Ella are hot, hot, hot together. Love really can heal a person if they can allow it to happen. Loved this book and can't wait for more from Jackie.

I heard there was a new Jackie Ashenden book out in November, and as a newer fan of hers, I jumped at the chance to review it. I haven’t read the earlier books in the series, and though I’m curious about those stories after reading this one, The Big, Bad Billionaire works perfectly fine as a standalone. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary twists on classic fairy tales, and unfortunately, I don’t think it really works here. Though the hunter/prey first portion of the story is strong, the author loses focus in the second half as the big, bad billionaire finally traps his quarry and then has to convince her to stick around. The chemistry is hot, the principals are compelling… but the story just never gels.

Rafael De Santis is obsessed. With lots of things. But on this day, the focus of his obsession is Ella Hart, the one person who showed him affection and love as a child. After his father sent him away because he couldn’t control his son’s explosive, dangerous temper, Rafe spent his formative years living with an uncle who taught him to control his emotions through brutality and abuse. Rafe returned home and spent the past few years enacting his revenge: systematically destroying his father’s life. Firmly in control of his father’s company, wealth, and their ward – Ella Hart – Rafe turns his laser focus on her. Determined to capture Ella’s attention, love and affection by any means possible, Rafe goes on the hunt.

After losing her parents at a young age, Ella has spent a lifetime channeling her grief, loneliness and pain into dance. She has an opportunity to attend a prestigious dance school in Paris, but her finances are held in trust and controlled by the De Santis family. With Cesare De Santis no longer in charge and facing jail time, Ella isn’t sure who to approach for the funds, when the answer to her question arrives in the form of big, bad Rafe De Santis. Despite his compelling good looks and keen intellect, Ella is wary of him, his powerful presence simultaneously thrilling and frightening her.

Ella vaguely remembers Rafe from her childhood, but rumors of his violent, mercurial temper mean she’s kept him at arm’s length. Rafe hates the distance between them and decides to use his position as her guardian to change things. After she stonewalls his attempts at conversation, he offers her an ultimatum: give herself over to him – physically and emotionally – and he’ll give her the money to go to Paris. She defiantly rejects his blackmail attempt (good girl!), but can’t deny she’s drawn to him. After a terse back and forth, she agrees to a date and a kiss in exchange for the money. It’s not even close to all Rafe wants from her, but as much as he hoped to get. Ella is nervous, but if this will get her the money to go to Paris, she’s willing to give him this much.

The first date is a disaster, and sets the tone for what’s to come between Rafe and Ella. She’s the prey, he’s the hunter, and the first half of the book details the chase. I can’t lie – though Rafe seems sexy as hell and his backstory is haunting and sympathetic, I couldn’t like him. He’s a predator through and through, set on dominating and controlling Ella; though Ms. Ashenden works hard to position him as an overprotective, possessive, yet loveable monster, he raises a lot of alarm bells with me. He holds the purse strings and the power in his relationship with Ella and I kept wondering what would have happened if she hadn’t fallen for him. We’ll never know (this is a love story after all), but I have my doubts about a relationship forged in childhood (did I mention he’s older than her and they met when she was two?) and predicated on blackmail. He affectionately calls her a rabbit (because he’s the wolf?), but there’s nothing sweet or innocent about this hunter/prey analogy.

I’m still not sure how I feel about Ella. Her parents died when she was young and she’s spent the balance of her life living with a sick aunt, but essentially raising herself. She’s done a bang-up job so far, and though the loss of her parents was tragic, it hasn’t kept her from doggedly pursuing her dreams. She’s does what she loves – ballet – she has a home and family (member) who cares for her, and she’s wealthy – though she has to rely on the de Santis family to access her money. She’s sharp, smart and focused, but finds herself irresistibly drawn to a possessive and domineering older man, who just happens to have been obsessively fixated on her since she was a child. It alarms her – but not in the ways you might assume. She’s confused and overwhelmed by Rafe and bewildered by her lustful thoughts whenever he’s around. HOWEVER she doesn’t find his pursuit of her creepy, stalkerish (he’s secretly attended every one of her performances since he discovered she was a dancer), or strange. Well, Ella and Ms. Ashenden, I was creeped out enough for all of us.

It’s a cat and mouse (or wolf and rabbit) chase until Ella finally surrenders to Rafe; when they finally give into their passion for each other, it’s intense and frenzied – but not very romantic – and the story (and fairy tale premise) begins to unravel from this point forward. Ella and Rafe embark on a sexual affair, but Ella craves emotional closeness. She’s horrified by what happened during his childhood, but he rebuffs her attempts to help or understand. He regresses to a painful coping mechanism to control his emotions and maintain an icy facade, but he’s a seething, hurt mess who isn’t able to lay himself bare for Ella. He resists the emotional intimacy she demands… until he realizes he’ll lose her if he doesn’t let her in.

I enjoyed The Big, Bad Billionaire, but unfortunately Ms. Ashenden gets hung up on the darker sides of the fairy tale. Rafe is the proverbial big, bad wolf – dangerous, lethal and wicked, but he’s also protective, loyal, and profoundly in love with Ella. Our heroine is similarly flawed; the author spends too long characterizing her as the prey so when Ella finally shows some backbone, it’s too little, too late. That said, despite my issues with the titular big, bad billionaire and his little red riding hood, Ms. Ashenden delivers on what fans have come to expect from her stories – simmering tension, lots of heat and principals who thrive on challenging each other every step of the way to happily ever after.

Sent away from his family as a boy because he couldn’t be controlled, Rafe DeSantis’s new guardian turned him into a monster. One who wants only two things out of life: To get revenge on the father who destroyed his life. And to possess the woman who was kept from him. Ella Hart has been his obsession for years, and now that he’s her guardian he’s finally in position to black mail her into his bed. The book is amazing. When I started reading I couldn't put it down I read the book is one day.Jackie is magnifysent writer.I cannot wait to read more of her books.Keep up the great work.

I quit the previous book in this series by the second chapter because I wasn't getting into the story and almost did the same with this one, and I had mixed feelings after finishing it. One of the things I enjoy about Ms. Ashenden's writing is the risks she takes with her characters, but this was almost a little too much for me and I was uneasy about where this story would take me. After thinking over this book for a few days, I have to say again that my opinion of the author's writing only gets better. 

Yes, I'm still a bit conflicted by the subject matter, but I'm amazed at how her characters made me rethink every initial impression of them and look beyond to see how they were shaped by their pasts. I'm certainly not going to be raving about this story, but about the author's writing skills.

Rafe was cold, mean, calculating, ruthless and very unlikable from the very first page but as the story progresses and more of his past is revealed, it's impossible not to feel sympathy for the little boy who was such a handful that he was ignored by his parents and instead of getting him the help he clearly needed, was banished to stay with his grandfather who was even worse. The damage that was done to him is so obvious and it's quite creepy the way he rationalizes all of it.

His fixation on Ella was disquieting considering their age difference and the lengths he went to become her guardian, but also understandable as she was the only good thing he could remember in his life and the only thing that seems to have kept him grounded. Ella, for all of her nervous habits and anxiety, had some steel in her and just needed the right person to push her to find it. Even though she recognized the predator in him, he also excited and energized her.

Having made it to the end, I can sum it up as an emotional and dramatic romance, with characters who are heartbreakingly damaged and fighting for their happiness and their own normal. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series now that I know what to expect. If you are a fan of dark and twisty romances, this book is one you'll enjoy.

As always, a well written story although I felt that the length of the story left some crucial details in the story lacking - could have used more time to explain 'why' in a few places.

Other than that a cute, modern take on a fairytale style story.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book via NetGalley.

Big Bad Billionaire by Jackie Ashenden is the 4th story in her sexy and seductive Billionaire Fairy Tales series. They are all standalone romances centered on the DeSantis family, a group of four brothers who run DS Corp, a weapons and security company. The title gives away the Red Riding Hood theme of this story. Rafael DeSantis is the big bad wolf here, and he’s got his sights set on the woman he calls ‘Little Red’.

I'm not sure where to start with this one. I found myself picking it up and then putting it back down. I'm an avid fan of Ashenden's books but lately they have been running with the same theme. This is the last book in the billionaire fairy tales of the DeSantis brothers, a take on little red riding hood and the big bad wolf. I was not surprised that Rafe was another tortured hero and that the heroine was somewhat submissive and finally realized her feelings years later. Rafe has control issues at least that's what he was told his whole life and when his parents could not handle it, specifically his Dad, he was sent to his grandfather who thought that torturing, locking him up and beating him was the way to "condition" him to behave. Yuck! My heart bled for Rafe. Then we have Ella who is a ballerina who lost her parents at a young age and whose inheritance was being controlled by the Senior DeSantis. If you read the last book, Rafe has now control over the company and control over Ella's life. Rafe now wants Ella to be his but he is hiding his true self from her. At first Ella is scared of Rafe and was told by her parents to stay away from him after he lost control and she was frightened when it happened. He was 14 and she was 2. They are now 20 and 32. As per usual he pursues her ardently and they get together. There were 2 points that I did not like. The first time her virginity was taken, not going to get into it, but definitely a no for me. The 2nd is the fact that it was stated she was too young for him and he too old? They are 12 years apart, would it make a difference if she was 24 and he was 36? They get their HEA and we get to see the other brothers and wives as well at their wedding. Not bad over all but tired of same storyline. 3 stars

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Wow, I did not like Rafe when the book started but slowly warmed up to him and then loved how he was finally vulnerable to Ella. She sure put up a good fight but then they were so good together!

They both had issues with their past and struggled to work through them and Rafe especially was "broken" At the end, how could Ella not love this man that had no love throughout his life so when he actually had feelings, he didn't recognize them!

I did not realize that this was book four and after reading about Rafe, I am interested in reading about his brother's stories. This was easily read as a standalone and I didn't feel like I had to have read the previous books in the series, but now will look for them as I enjoyed Rafe's story.

This modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood was entertaining and intriguing, it started out fast-paced, and didn't let go. Meet the Big Bad Wolf, billionaire Rafael de Santis. Mysterious, mercurial and manipulative, he is a predator who engineered his father’s downfall.

Rafael de Santis has his heart set on Ella Hart, the daughter of one of his father’s friend. But she is young, more than ten years his junior, and he knows she is scared by his intensity. So when it comes to his very own Red Riding Hood, he has learned to be patient, never acting on his emotions. He is fascinated by her strength and her passion for ballet. Somewhat naïve and inexperienced, Ella is sweet and in way over her head with Rafael. She knows he is not to be trusted, though, he frightens her. He is determined, possessive and never takes no for an answer. Rafael is definitely an over-the-top, flawed hero. But even though he was quite controlling, he was always considerate of Ella. Rafael has a troubled past, he shows people what they want to see and keeps his real-self hidden.

You really see how much Ella grows throughout the novel. She refuses to give in and gives Rafael a run for his money. The dynamic between them was perfectly balanced and satisfying. Their story was somewhat cliché, but they were interesting characters. This story was pacy, addicting and well-written. If, like me, you’re a sucker for retellings of classic tales in a modern context, then this series of novellas featuring the de Santis brothers is not to be missed.

I absolutely loved this book. HIghly emotional, pain and trauma turns into a very sexy story.

I’m not sure about this book. Many times while reading it I asked myself if I really wanted to finish it or not. I found this book very dark & I truly tried to like the characters but I just couldn’t. Rafe was so dark, arrogant & underhanded, while Ella was so simpering at first it made me cringe. It wasn’t until almost the end that I finally felt a little empathy for Rafe & Ella but I still couldn’t like them. The author wrote this with the idea of a dark fairy tale which she pulled off fabulously, I just couldn’t get behind it.

Published November 21st 2017 by Swerve
I have loved this series and was always looking forward to Rafe’s story and what a story it is, he is big and bad very bad but I think he met his match in Ella she is a tiny ballerina but with the strength to stand up to the wolf and heal him, they have a rough trip to a HEA.

Ella Hart is alone just her grandmother and her she puts everything she has into her dancing she is so passionate with it, she is vulnerable and quiet so when she needs to ask her guardian for money to go to Paris for dance school instead of the normal yes she is met by Rafe DeSantis who now controls her and her money and what he demands in return for the money will bring out a different Ella one who has demands of her own.

Rafe DeSantis is now the CEO of DS Corp and nothing is going to stand in his way to get the girl he wants, oh there is a lot in Rafe’s past that would make a normal person cringe he was sent from his family when young so as he could be controlled. Know he is controlling and the little girl who was never afraid of him is going to be his.

What a story this one is, Ella doesn’t have anyone to look after her that is until Rafe arrives on the scene and he is a wolf demanding and calm but she sees more in him he pushes her and she has the strength to stand up to him, and in such a way that he finally opens up to someone like he never has before you see she opens his heart to true love and together they will soar. Thank you MS Ashenden I loved this one.

The Big, Bad Billionaire is the fourth and final novel in Jackie Ashenden's Billionaire Fairy Tales series, but it's the third one I've read, it's one of the darkest in the series and it gets a 4-star rating from this reader.

The Big, Bad Billionaire in this novel is Raphael (Rafe) and he's a hero that it took more than three-quarters of the novel to warm up to, but although he's certainly not my favorite among the heroes in this series, he's unforgettable as one of the most broken heroes I've come across and this novel brings up enough of his issues to warrant a warning to readers for whom violence toward a child and cutting may be triggers. Although I've read a few novels where cutting was an issue, those who practice it have always been female, so kudos to Ms. Ashenden for featuring a male character who not only had to resort to this dangerous behavior, but who also was forced into it.

The heroine in this story is Ella, who, from the age of two, adored Rafe, who was a dozen years her senior. Since Rafe was the black sheep in the family, one who had anger issues and an uncontrollable temper, no one seemed to understand why she wasn't afraid of him and instead came running to him eagerly, with a smile on her face. In fact, she was the only person to ever seem glad to see him, and that charmed Rafe.

All of that ended when Rafe was fourteen and got so angry that he punched a hole in a wall, scaring Ella. Rafe's parents sent their volatile teenager away to live with his abusive grandfather, and when he returned to the family fold, he'd learned to control his anger issues, bury his emotions and control every other aspect of his life, and he wants revenge.

During the time he was away, Ella's parents sheltered and over-protected her, convinced her that Rafe was someone to avoid, and programmed a fear of him into her. She's now twenty, a ballerina, and the rare times they've seen seach other, she has kept Rafe at a distance at all costs, much to Rafe's displeasure.

Adult Rafe gets his revenge, by silently and carefully orchestrating his father's retirement from the company he founded and taking over control as head of the billion dollar family-owned corporation. No one seems able to break through his icy demeanor, but he's never forgotten his feelings for Ella, and he's too broken to even understand them, but he wants her, and he's enough of a control-freak to always get what he wants, no matter what he has to do to make that happen.

After Ella's parents died within the same month, Rafe's father became her guardian, a role that Rafe also took over when he took control of the family corporation. Although he still doesn't understand himself enough to know why, he becomes Ella's guardian, and is responsible for her trust fund, which puts him in control of her finances until she reaches the age of twenty-one, and it's just the leverage he needs to manipulate her into doing what he wants, and what he wants is her. When Ella needs money to spend the summer studying ballet in Paris, Rafe won't release the funds she needs without manipulating her, both physically and emotionally, and pushing all her buttons to keep her close and under his control. His behavior towards Ella at this point is controlling to the point of emotional blackmail and utterly reprehensible, but she's not as easy to control as Rafe thought.

All of the aforementioned happens in the first half of the novel, and makes Rafe a very difficult character to warm up to. The second half of the book is far more revealing and far more emotional, as we get to understand fully what drives Rafe and why. It also affords us the chance to realize that scared and virginal little Ella has issues of her own, and is almost as broken as Rafe. By the time we do understand them and what motivates their behavior, we end up rooting for them both. The bottom line is that Rafe is a hard character to like or understand, and the fact that Ms. Ashenden made his behavior and manipulations so reprehensible at the outset and eventually had us understanding and actually liking him was an astonishing feat. My only complaint was that the final HEA ending seemed to happen far too quickly and was so abrupt as to be both jarring and hard to believe after all the drama and angst that occurred before it, and it's why I could only give this well-written novel 4 stars.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.