Jackie asherden has written a hot story that had me captivated from the very first moment of this story. I completely connected to the characters and loved the chemistry between them. I enjoyed this story from start to finish.

Whenever I start a Jackie Ashenden book I get caught up in the compelling story and passion in her couples. I absolutely love her novels because the men are always alpha and growly and the women are just as snappy and sassy. They bring the men to their knees and give no effs about the consequences. I absolutely loved Rafe and Ella as the play on the little red riding hood fairytale was fantastic but their chemistry and attraction was amazing. I could not get enough of them.

While this is the fourth novel in the Billionaite Fairy tales series with the De Santis brothers, The Big Bad Billionaire is a complete standalone. I really enjoyed this story of the big and bad billionaire CEO (Rafe De Santis) and the innocent ward (Ella Hart) who outwit and outsmarts him of his plans. I was hooked from the start and did not want it to end. I loved their emotional connection and how Rafe became vulnerable to Ella. While I would have liked to see a resolution with Rafe's past and not a quick solution towards the end, this was a great story!
4 stars! ~Ratula 

I would like to thank SMP Romance and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

The Big, Bad Billionaire by Jackie Ashenden
Billionaire Fairy Tales #4

A book you will love or hate…and so say the reviews.

At first I felt that Rafe was a manipulative jerk that wanted what he wanted and would do anything to get it…no matter what. Setting his eyes on Ella and pushing her into spending time with him seemed wrong in many ways BUT as I got to know Rafe and how he had been raised his behavior did make more sense.

There was an age gap between Rafe and Ella of about twelve years. I don’t find that so great except that Ella at twenty was rather naïve, sheltered and anxious so a stronger more dominant older male might not have been the best partner for her…though the book does work and the two do bring peace to one another once they get things worked out.

I felt so sorry for both Rafe and Ella. There were traumas in their lives neither really deserved. There are no doubt people who live such lives but reading about them is not always easy. The issues that might bother some are not easily shared without giving away a significant portion of at least one backstory so…just be warned this is dark and there might be issues for some of you considering reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Swerve for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Received an ARC for my honest opinion review for NetGalley.
Rafe DeSantis was sent away a boy, but comes back a monster. However only one thing will tame him.
Ella Hart is a ballerina in Little Red Riding Hood when she learns that Rafe is her new guardian. Rafe will stop at nothing to get Ella and that includes blackmail to get what he wants.
Ella wants to go to prestigious dance school in Paris where her mother had gone, but first she must do what Rafe wants .
This is NOT the fairy tale I remember.

This is a modern twist on Red Riding Hood, it grabbed my attention, and I really wanted to know what happens next between the CEO Rafe De Santis and his charge Ella

I received an ARC from Netgalley and voluntarily leave my own opinion

As a child, Rafe DeSantis had anger issues. He scared most people, but not Ella. Ella was only two years old, but she liked Rafe for who he was. She always had a smile for him and always wanted to be around him, until Rafe lost his temper. Rafe would NEVER hurt Ella, but her family thought he had. So they kept Ella away from Rafe and spoke badly of him. Rafe's punishment....he was shipped off to live with his grandpa.

Under his grandpa's care, Rafe learned to control his anger, but it came at a cost. Rafe's grandpa was very abusive. He locked him in a dark cellar, didn't feed him for days, and scarred him with a belt and cigarette burns. Although Rafe attributes his control and success to his grandpa's "teachings", the abuse he suffered truly affected his relationships.

Ella, having lost her parents as a teen, also suffered greatly. The only family Ella had left was her grandma, only her grandma wasn't her guardian. Rafe blackmailed his way into Ella's life by becoming her guardian. When Rafe informs her of his new "role" in her life, she's outraged and scared. Her parent's past influence concerning Rafe is all she knows and remembers. So she's scared of him. Rafe realizes this, but vows to change her mind and make her his.

While I truly enjoyed this novel, it was a little hard to read topic wise. It's a wonderfully written story, but the abuse Rafe endured was almost too much for me. While I know child abuse occurs, I don't find it entertaining to read. That being said, I did enjoy the story. I received a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.

Rafe who is the big, bad wolf who is ruthless in most everything until it comes to Ella. Ella, who is little red riding hood and has the ability to tame the wolf but she doesn't know the power that she actually has over him.

Ella quiets the rage inside Rafe and Rafe helps Ella be a stronger person than she thought she was. She thinks Rafe is everything she doesn't want or need in her life and he does everything to show her that he's everything she does need.

I loved that Rafe was a little bit ruthless, he made things happen, he was damaged. Ella may have seemed weak but she was a fighter and she was strong. She knew what she wanted, she just had to step up and make it happen. These two complete each other but will they be able to overcome their pasts to make their future hold the love that they could share?

This modern twist to the little Red Riding Hood fairy tale was very moving and passionate. Rafe and Ella have had a connection since they were young. When Rafe was sent away because of his emotional issues, Ellas family turned her against him. Now years later, Ella is alone with her guilt over her parents death, taking care of her ailing grandmother. Rafe has learned to live with his faults and is determined to win back the only person who cared for his true self. Ella doesn't remember the good times with Rafe but can't deny the thrill and attraction of this dangerous man pursuing her. I loved the back and forth between both Rafe and Ella. Their banter was their foreplay and their chemistry was explosive. Their history is heartbreaking but they help heal each other and become stronger together. I thoroughly enjoyed this fresh, hot & steamy modern fairy tale.

DNF at 35%

This book was a little uncomfortable for me to read. I'm not sure what the age difference was, but it seemed as if he was focused on her youth. He was also manipulating her to date and sleep with him. Not my cuppa.

Thanks for the ARC.

The 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'.

Rafe's coup against his rich and powerful father means he's now in charge of DS Corp. It also means that he's become the new guardian to Ella Hart, the daughter of one of his father's oldest friends. Though several years older than 21 year old Ella, she'd been unafraid of him as a toddler when their families would get together until one day his emotional outburst had scared her and he'd been sent away to live with his abusive grandfather. Ella has no memory of Rafe from those early days, just ones later on as a teenager when her parents had died and Rafe's father had been given guardianship. The brooding and silent Rafe had made her nervous and she'd avoided him when she could.

On one occasion Rafe had accompanied his father to see Ella in a ballet recital, and he'd been captivated by the young woman and her talent. Then when she'd been 18, he'd started to see her as a woman, and not just a pretty child. He'd wanted to court her, but his father had refused. Now though, as her guardian, he has a say in her future. Ella wants to go to Paris for a summer intensive, and she needs the permission of her guardian to go. To her shock, Ella finds out that Rafe is now in charge of her future, the one man who both fascinates and scares her. The things he wants from her seem simple – dinner, a night out - but Ella doesn't trust him, or the intense attraction she feels for him either. Rafe has plans for her future that include him. But will Ella let herself see the real, wounded man behind the wolf's mask? And can it lead to a happy ever after for them both?

The author likes to skirt the edge of dangerous desire in her stories and this one certainly balances on a razor thin margin for a time. Rafe blackmails Ella into doing his bidding with the thing she wants most, the trip to Paris. She can only get it by acquiescing to his demands, which, while not sexual in nature at first, are definitely heading in that direction. Still even though Rafe is arrogant and sometimes overbearing, he doesn't push Ella into anything without her full consent, despite his desire to have her in his bed. The result is some exquisite sexual tension that eventually leads to some very steamy scenes.

Rafe forces Ella to face some of her fears, and to realize that he can be the antidote to them. He also makes her realize that she has a lot of inner strength and the ability to bring Rafe to his knees if she so desires. A lot of their relationship is give and take as Rafe opens up to Ella and reveals some of his vulnerabilities in return. Rafe has his own deep dark secrets, ways he uses to maintain control for all the times that it was taken away from him as a teenager. The dark side of his personality is something he has to own up to in order to envision a real future with Ella. I really enjoyed how the story unfolded, the revelations that come up one by one, and the searing intensity of the sex scenes. Rafe's relationship with his three brothers (who all have earlier stories in the series) is complex and there are several scenes that delve into their complicated family dynamics too. The conflict that comes up is one that drives them apart, but they fight their way back to each other to get their well deserved happy ending. I recommend the whole series for those who enjoy romances with blazing sexual tension and dramatic intensity.

This review has been posted at Straight Shootin' Book Reviews and feedback updated with the link. It's been posted at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

This was actually my first book in the series and my first read by Jackie Ashenden. I don't have a point of reference if I missed out on anything by starting with this book. I am definitely going to start at the begging of the series and catch up to The Big, Bad Billionaire just in case there are more details I can piece together.

If you love alpha, revenge, dark, secrets, fairytale spin offs and steamy romances you have found your match. They both have past that intertwined and leave them hesitant to trust. Are they using each other or are they meant to be?

Revenge, need, desire - how do these emotions play into the make up of a person. For Rafe, his past had lead him to be icily controlled on the outside, but hurting inside with the need to be taken care of. For Ella, the loss of her parents and her reliance on a guardian have lead to an anxiety disorder. Their shared pasts include mistrust and insecurity. Will the Big Bad Wolf be tamed? Will Little Red be the one to surrender? Will these two be able to reconcile the hurts and forge a new future?

I’m very … conflicted … over how I feel about The Big, Bad Billionaire. At times, I would have told you I was reading two separate books, one the first half and one the second half of this romance. Because of my reaction to this romance I’m going to keep the review brief so that I don’t unintentionally let spoilers fly while trying to explain myself.

Rafe is a difficult man to get a feel for at first. Part of that is his personality from birth, part is also how he’s been raised away from his parents so that now he only shows the world what he wants to be seen and not one thing more. He is hard, dominating, arrogant and in control, even if that control is held by the slimmest margin. Revenge has been his life’s plan – and having the woman who has had the ability to understand him, calm him from a very young age as his own. Two goals, one reached the other almost within his grasp.

Ella and Rafe are two people who will butt heads, argue with each other and perhaps even fear each other on some levels. Yet, they are also the only people who can calm fears, temper rage and complete each other in ways they never imagined. Their romance will be fiery, intense, filled with the push and pull of dominance and submission emotionally. The road to a happy future will not be easy by any means – but in the end, it will be so worth the journey.

Don’t misunderstand when I say I’m conflicted – I enjoyed The Big, Bad Billionaire very much. It is intense. It is sexy. And it is often harsh. I believe this is a story that needs to be experienced for it’s impossible to convey the emotions that ran through my mind while reading Rafe and Ella’s love story. I would recommend this story with the opinion that you should expect dark and deep with this one, the only thing sweet here is Ella.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This is the fourth book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone, this story loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood and Rafe is definitely the big bad wolf. Ella’s parents died when she was young and now Rafe controls her money. Ella used dance to ease her grief over losing her parents and now wants to go to a dance school in Paris. Rafe has one condition before allowing her to go, be his. This read is fast paced with plenty of drama and emotion. I loved the characters as well as the story. The chemistry is amazing and they both really draw you into the story. I really liked it!

I was not a fan of the book. The blurb sounded good, loved the cover. But I did not like Rafe at all. He was controlling and wanted Ella because she was nice to him... when she was 2 years old. What is that about?

I found it to be bordering on forced consent and was blackmailing Ella to be physical with him. I would not recommend this book and will not be seeking the others out in the series.

3.75 stars--THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is the fourth instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary adult BILLONAIRE FAIRY TALE erotic, romance series focusing on the DeSantis’s siblings-Xavier, Nero, Raphael, Lorenzo and their sister Olivia. This is thirty two year old CES of DS Corporation Raphael DeSantis, and twenty year old ballerina Ella Hart’s story line. THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Rafe and Ella) THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE focuses on the building by acrimonious relationship between twenty year old ballerina Ella Hart, and her guardian, billionaire CEO Raphael ‘Rafe’ Desantis. Eighteen years earlier, a then two year old Ella, adored the man she has now come to hate- a man whose once violent temper forced his father to send Raphael away to teach the young teen a lesson-a lesson that came back with a vengeance as Raphael took control and possession of DS Corp’s CEO.

Throughout the years, Rafe never forgot about the young girl who would one day grow into the woman that stole his heart but a series of painful losses found our heroine the soul keeper of her elderly grandmother, as she herself struggled between her head and her heart, and the prospect of dancing in Paris France. When our heroine is accepted into the prestigious European ballet school she is forced to confront the man who now controls all of her money. Enter Rafe DeSantis, Ella’s new guardian and financial controller, and the man with whom Ella will fall in love. What ensues are Rafe’s terms (an manipulation) for funding Ella’s European adventure; the building romance between Ella and Rafe; and the potential fall out as Rafe has yet to come to terms with the demons from his past.

THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is a modern retelling of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD with all of the fairy tale markings including Ella’ bedridden, elderly grandmother, a ballet production of Red Riding Hood, and a hero who considers himself more wolf-like than human. Raphael DeSantis’s brutal and abusive childhood formed the man who would one day take down the father who all but gave up on our story line hero but childhood memories that now control every aspect of his adult life. Rafe and Ella’s fathers were best friends, and as such Rafe was a part of Ella’s early life but our heroine does not remember the good times with the man she would grow to love.

The relationship between Ella and Rafe is enemies to lovers; a second chance, or sorts, for two people whose earlier years were destroyed by heartbreak and sorrow, abuse and suffering, loss and revenge. We learn of Rafe’s overwhelming need to rekindle his friendship and relationship with the woman who has now become the focus of his fantasies and dreams; and of Ella’s unresolved and indeterminate hatred for the man she once loved and adored. The $ex scenes are erotic, seductive and intense. The sexual attraction is palpable.

THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is a story of betrayal and trust; redemption and fractured family dynamics; second chances and falling in love. The premise is enchanting and imaginative; the characters are broken and tragic; the romance is dramatic and passionate.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

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An intensely sexy Billionaire Fairy Tales standalone novel by Jackie Ashenden that is billionaire romance meets Little Red Riding Hood with a happily ever after.

Wicked. Ruthless. Obsessed.

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. And once he has her there? He’s going to eat her up.

Innocent. Alone. Hunted.

Ella has been living with her grandmother since the death of her parents when she was a child. She’s learned to pour her grief and pain into dance, and it’s become her escape. Her passion. Now she’s set her sights on a prestigious dance school in Paris. But there’s one problem. Ella was so young when her parents died, her money was left in the hands of the DeSantis family…and it’s now controlled by Rafe. A man she’s always found compelling and terrifying at the same time. Rafe offers her an ultimatum: Give herself to him, body and soul, and she’ll get the money she needs.

Ella isn’t in a position to refuse, though she tries to resist the sexy billionaire. It feels good, until her heart becomes involved. Does the big bad billionaire want to capture her heart? Or does he only want to own her body?




Review:

Rafe is definitely the big, bad wolf!

Rafe is also definitely a much darker and tortured character compared to his brothers in the other books in the series. He is a "little" obsessed with Ella who he has known since she was not much more than a baby. She is also the only one who seems to be able to calm the beast within Rafe. If you are not into over-the-top alpha males, you might not like this story. I liked it, even with him being high-handed and a little stalker-ish. I think the Author did a good job of explaining his back story and making him more human and likeable. Ella was interesting too, but Rafe is a much more complex character in my opinion. Their overall love story is very compelling and super sexy. The ending was well done and wrapped them up very nicely.

If you love a dark, tortured hero in an intense romance, this is a must read.

4Stars

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

After reading this one I had to let it kind of roll around in my head for a few days because my feelings were all over the place and I wasn't sure where I really stood. It tackles some heavy issues that really make you wander how different decisions and events can shape a person.

This is Rafe and Ella's story. Rafe has fought hard for everything he has. Being sent away when he was fourteen to control his volatile temper, by parents too disinterested to bother with him, Rafe grew up away from his brothers and sister. Living with his grandfather, Rafe learned the hard way how to control his anger but also to bury all his other emotions too. Not only that but he learned to crave revenge, to never lose sight of one fact. He wasn't broken and there would come a time when he would get what was his due from his father.

After years of playing the part and moving all the pieces on the board, Rafe finally forced his father's retirement, took control of his billion dollar corporation and only one thing is left to claim. Ella.

Ella has always found Rafe intimidating and although he fooled everyone else, she could see behind his fake smile and hollow charm. When Rafe drops the bombshell that he's taken over guardianship of her and as such, control of her trust, Ella's dream of studying ballet in Paris is threatened.

Ella and Rafe try to play a game of dominance and control with each other. Each trying to get one over on the other. What starts as a battle of wills quickly turns into a complicated love story between young innocent Ella and Rafe, a man who isn't as impenetrable as he seems.

My thoughts:
The second half of the book was emotionally gripping and Ella and Rafe really came through as strong leads. They both shared some heavy things (Rafe, especially) and showed a lot of emotional growth. They deal with some really difficult stuff, stuff that is not easily solved and not magically cured by love. Its gritty and real and I like that it didn't gloss over the facts or sugar coat it.

What left me so confused with this read is the first half of their story. Rafe's behavior is off the charts arrogant and at times damn right messed up. I'm talking not redeemable messed up. The way he blackmails Ella, the way he constantly pushes her buttons, manipulates and provokes her, it was all so calculating that there wasn't a lot of room for the softer emotions. Ella was also an heroine that sent a lot of mixed signals. She starts by fearing and then hating Rafe. She literally has zero interest in him until he pushes and corners her and that didn't come off as romantic to me. The story went from zero to 60 with no in between.

The vulnerable side of Rafe and Ella's feelings for him were both slow to emerge but it does eventually get rolling and it becomes a pretty unstoppable force. The problem is the story is written kind of like a novella. It's not very long and I felt like Rafe and Ella's story deserved a bit more closure. I got attached to them and it would have been nice to follow them a little bit longer. After everything they go through, an epilogue a year, or even a few months later, would have gone a long way to smoothing over the abrupt ending.

Favorite Line:
...hope wasn't a light inside him. Hope was the woman in his arms. Hope was his Little Red.

Recommended: Yes.
It's a solid read for those into dark and twisty, damaged Hs and those that don't mind the slow burn.

Ray DeSantis has finally taken over his father's business = quietly, stealthily but, with determination and an all consuming purpose! He has finally proven to his father and grandfather that he is no longer "broken"! Now on to his next conquest. Ella is a prima Ballerina who always loved and trusted him since the time she was a baby. She was the only one he ever knew who never eared him.
Ella is not a Prima Ballerina in New York who wants to get into a summer internship in Paris but, she must have the money and approval of her guardian. Unfortunately, she never realized that Rafe is now her guardian.
How can these two co-exist? A Ballerina who is petrified of losing anyone she loves because of her childhood history. A man who must control everyone and everything in his world in order to know that he has "fixed" himself and is no longer broken.
Little Red Riding Hood versus The Big Bad Wolf. Will there be a winner and an HEA for this love story?!

For lovers of the dark, twisty and damaged this would be great read for you.
It's a bit of a slow burn book but worth the lead up and I like those kind of books especially. I like the classic fairy tales remade and mixed up with a touch of romance thrown in for good measure. Little Red Riding Hood vs. the big bad billionaire, but Red definitely wasn't a push over.
I've not read the other books in the series which didn't hinder my enjoyment at all.