A billionaire romance is one of my favorite tropes. I think this one might be my favorite in this series so far. The chemistry and the steam between the two main characters is just. Phew! Amazing.

I received an ARC copy from Netgalley and HarperCollins. All opinions are my own.

Firstly, I'd like to start off by saying that I haven't yet read the other two books in this series, so I was slightly confused at the mention of the other characters and their past. However, this didn't stop me from reading and enjoying the story. Penelope Chen-Astor and Xavier Sutton truly do have a sizzling romance, and their characters are well-developed. The plot is engaging and easy to read. There are a lot of references to luxury items and a lot of business talk and rich-people activities, which had me dazed and somewhat confused. However, it does live up to my expectations. It's a mix of drama, tension, romance, erotica, and lavishness. I really want to learn more about Singapore, thanks to this book, and when I have the time, I will read and review the first two ones! Four stars, would recommend to a friend!

The Charmer is the final book in the Biotech Billionaire universe.

Penelope ran away from her controlling family in Singapore for a life of independence, as a lawyer in Manhattan. But this can all be taken away from her because of the demand in her grandfathers will. Penelope has to be married for a year, in order to get her inheritance.

Xander, is a billionaire and co-founder of Dawn Capital. Most women can't resist his effortless charm and easy smiles. He's use to winning hearts, except when it comes to Penelope. She's immune to Xander and all hiss charm, so when the opportunity to become Penelope's fake fiancé presents itself, he takes it.

I love the slow burn between Penelope and Xander. Penelope is use to putting her needs last and Xander doesn’t take life too seriously, so it was great seeing their give and take dynamic. Xander has been pining for Penelope for years and I loved how he made her feel safe enough to open up to him. Watching him change from a carefree man to a man that has embraced his feelings and understands Penelope was 🤌🏻 perfection. And seeing Penelope on the receiving end of dedicated friends was beautiful. I really do love the found family trope.

💚Billionaire romance
✨Friends to lovers
💚Marriage of convenience
✨Intercultural romance
💚"My Wife"
✨Angst!
💚Black cat x Golden retriever
✨He falls first and harder
💚Tight-knit friend group
✨Found family

I have not read anything by Ava Rai and enjoyed The Charmer. Penelope and Xander were great. I enjoyed reading their story. I also enjoyed the business aspect of the story. I enjoyed the other characters and will read their stories as well. I can't wait to read more by Ava Rai.

This was exactly the kind of book I needed—a perfect palate cleanser that had me smiling the whole way through. There’s just something about a billionaire romance that hits so right, and even better? Penelope is also rich and powerful, so there’s no tired damsel-in-distress trope here.

The fake marriage setup is always a win, and Xander? Total charmer (pun absolutely intended). Their chemistry was effortless, the banter was fun, and the slow shift from business arrangement to very real feelings had me hooked. Plus, the mix of high-stakes legal drama, corporate intrigue, and meddling family members kept things interesting without taking away from the romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book!

I have been waiting to finish the trilogy and this did not disappoint! So cute and so steamy. I really enjoyed the friends to lovers via a marriage of convenience bc the love story comes across naturally. Penelope and Xander just seem so realistic, not that the other couples don’t but their story comes across with a sense of reality. Sometimes the business and law lexicon get lost on me but it wasn’t enough to really dnf but it did get me a bit frustrated with it but that’s in all three of the books. Also Ava Rani gets her 10s for BIPOC romances that are just delightful and aren’t stereotypical tropes of BIPOC characters. I cannot wait to get the physical copy to finish my set!

Tropes: he falls first, fake dating/ arranged marriage/ marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, billionaire romance, found family. Mild spice.

I have devoured this entire series this month, and I was so excited to get to Xander’s book.

It’s always the ones who seem the most carefree who really have the most going on underneath the surface. Xander was absolutely another confirmation of that. I adored him in the first two books and loved getting to know him on a deeper level in this one. He was so sweet and such a genuinely good person to his core. Anyone he cared for was certain to be treated with kindness and respect. Penelope was at the top of his list. And speaking of lists…swoon AND steam delivered by Xander for Penelope. All of that doesn’t mean Xander was a pushover though. He had the power and means to do what he needed to do to secure futures and shutdown people who needed to be shutout, and he didn’t hesitate to do it.

Penelope was an interesting and dynamic character in her own right. She had such a lovely growth arc throughout this book and I loved watching her bloom — under Xander’s care and through her own gained confidence and sense of self. I will always cheer for a woman learning how and when to put herself first and make her own wants and needs a priority. Penelope had a lot of complex family dynamics to work through and I was really proud of how she handled herself.

I’ve loved being introduced to Ava Rani’s work through this series and look whatever to anything else she has coming. Thank you to Avon via NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A totally enjoyable fluffy romance – this one is of the ‘marriage of convenience to satisfy an inheritance clause’ variety. The characters are extremely likeable with a strong female lead, a sweet and devoted male lead, and a large group of friends/chosen family. I have not read the first two books in the series, and while it is not necessary to do so, I honestly did feel at a slight disadvantage (it was difficult at first to remember the connections between all the friends, and there was some healthy fomo based on all the allusions to past events I had not experienced). But I was still charmed by the characters, especially the ‘he falls first’ storyline. And the story is a fairly classic fantasy romance of rich and beautiful people attending lavish events and jetting off to beautiful locales that was pure fun. The HEA was never really in doubt, and I appreciated the clear intent and reliability of this novel to satisfy all the promises of its genre.

“Maybe things are meant to be broken, so we learn how to fix them.”

Coming May 13, 2025- the next installment in Ava Rani’s Biotech Billionaires series!

My first Ava Rani book, and definitely not my last. I fell in love with Xander Sutton and Penelope Chen-Astor aka Poppy in this book. He’s in the tech space and she’s a lawyer and they are in the same circle of friends. Poppy and Xander are getting ready to join everyone at the beach to begin pre-wedding celebrations for her best friend’s wedding, but at the same time, Poppy is trying to dodge her familial obligation to follow her deceased grandfather’s wishes. If she doesn’t, she risks putting her family members in financial ruin- talk about pressure! Poppy is a strong, successful level-headed woman who is repulsed by the arranged marriage her family is pushing on her.

Xander (sweet Xander!) happens to appear at the right place at the right time, and before they know it, they have entered into a fake relationship that is heading right towards marriage- but just for a year so she can check her grandfather’s boxes and take care of herself and her family. Xander has always secretly had a thing for Poppy, but in recent years, he’s only been able to focus on recovering from the death of his parents while avoiding forming new connections that could eventually end in heartbreak. Best-laid plans, buddy, best laid-plans!

“But fair warning, I’m a little broken.”
“No. Just a little bent.”

As far as book boyfriends go, Xander is tops. He’s wealthy, intelligent, funny, deeply feeling and I have a feeling acts of service and gift giving may be his main love languages. This book has the exterior of a fluffy romance but at its core, it’s so much deeper.

Themes
-Marriage of Convenience
-Fake Dating/Fake Marriage
-Strong FMC
-Found Family


Genre: Contemporary Romance
Spice: Spicy!
Rating: 4
Series or Stand-Alone: Biotech Billionaires #3
Thanks to @authoravarani, @avonbooks, @netgalley for the ARC copy!
This is my honest review.

An interesting story but I couldn't get past the writing style. It really bothered me how the author used commas but then her tenses didn't match between the parts of the sentence.

Thanks to NetGalley & Avon & Harper Voyager for the arc!

**3.5 stars** I loved this! This is my first book I read by Ava Rani but now I want to read more of her books. If you’re looking for a feel-good, romance book with GREAT writing, look no further.

Part of an interconnected standalone series, “Biotech Billionaires”, we follow our badass female protagonist, Penelope Astor-Chen–a big shot lawyer make her own way in the big apple, escaping her familial obligations to return to Singapore to marry the match that has been made for her since forever to claim her inheritance. In hopes to be more independent and to escape the marriage clause, we meet our billionaire, Xander Sutton–cofounder of an investment capital firm and reformed player. After Penelope’s awkward encounter with her betrothed, she finds herself claiming she is engaged to Xander Sutton, much to his surprise. What starts as the typical fake-dating trope, leads to deeper feelings and undeniable attraction.

I’m genuinely surprised this author is not talked about enough in the book space! Her work has GREAT writing and is the perfect embodiment of a giggly, butterflies-in-the-tummy feeling romance readers would absolutely love. And there’s spice in this. This book is the third installment of an interconnected series though not necessary to read the first two, there are many cameos from the previous books so enjoy the first two then read this one!

Though I did enjoy this book, there were a couple of moments where I felt it dragged and the sibling rivalry felt short-lived. There wasn’t a good enough or concrete reason for there to be such a years-long rivalry. I can appreciate when the author takes the time to describe the clothing but the amount of backless dresses Penelope wears to social functions is comedic. Regardless, it made me laugh and it didn’t take away from the story.
This is a book I feel should be trending in the book space. Please read this (after reading the first two)! You will not regret it!

This was an interesting premise with both main characters being billionaires. It’s a marriage of convenience friends to lovers story in a corporate setting. The MMC gave golden retriever vibes and I wished there was a little more angst involved. I’m not a huge fan of miscommunication tropes and saw the third act break up coming from a mile away. Aside from those points, this was a breezy read.

Unfortunately I was unable to read this book. I was able to access it via a Read Now promo, but I did not realize it was part of a series and unfortunately my local libraries do not have the first two books available to access. The author noted on Instagram that you can read the books out of order, but when I started trying to read this book, there was no real backstory given, and it felt like I was thrust into the middle of an already on-going conversation.

This book has everything needed to be a 5 star read for me. I love billionaires, marriage of convenience, a golden retriever MMC. However, this book was frustrating at times. I really enjoyed the world and the premise of the story, but I wish the main characters had a little more depth. I also wish there was more angst between the main characters. I tend to prefer marriage of convenience, when they don’t give in to the tension early. It seemed like the third act breakup could’ve been completely avoided, if the characters communicated with each other at all. It also felt like the conflict was resolved super quickly, and I think it could’ve been drug out a little longer. Personally, I don’t see them making it much further together after the end of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

The Charmer is Book 3 in the Biotech Billionaires series about a group of friends and coworkers who despite their millions and billions, still deal with things like meddling parents, psycho ex's, personal insecurity that drives every decision in life, and trying to NOT fall for your coworker. The Charmer being the last in the series wraps everything up nicely. The Charmer is a marriage of convenience, associates to lovers, he falls first romance. It hits all the best boxes of each trope and doesn't fall flat in the romance or spice department either. The author even plays with the miscommunication trope throughout the story and resolves it in a way I didn't quite expect but loved. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wouldn't be upset if there was a novella in the future about what the crew has been up to in the meantime. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down except to sleep!

4.5 ugh Xander has my heart. His relationship with Penelope is everything. The fact that he has his own nickname for her because he knows she hates Penny, even when her ex fiancé didn’t even know that, talk about swoon. The found family aspect is perfection, they adopted Penelope quickly into their circle, she just had a hard time accepting it. The banter was amazing and the circumstances that lead to Xander and Penelope faking an engagement and marriage was hilarious and perfect for them. Thank you Netgalley for the arc! I can’t wait to have a physical copy for my shelves

I knew I was going to love Xander’s story based on *gestures at everything* and when I realized it was going to be Penelope!!! Even better.

The two are SUCH good friends to their chosen people, and each of them have just the right defense mechanisms to be broke down only by each other. Xander makes Penelope feel important and cared for and special as a person even before there’s anything real between them. Penelope allows him to be open and vulnerable without pulling back or pushing him too far.

I literally cannot fathom any of the dollar amounts in these books. If a real life person had this much money I would loathe them on principal but thankfully they are fake and so we are allowed to love them.

I binged this whole series just so I could read this ARC.

A fun, easy read and my favorite book of the series.
This book serves the perfect opposites attract, "he falls first", and marriage of convenience tropes. The pacing of the plot was just right, and I loved Xander and Penelope’s banter throughout. I was extremely happy that there was no third act breakup, and they were able to resolve their issues together with maturity and grace.

My favorite book of the Biotech Billionaires series! Even throughout the other books Xander has always been my favorite character and I'm so happy he got his own book.

This was such a fast read and a perfect weekend escape. We meet Xander and Penelope, mutual friends in a chose family, who have had a mild flirtation over the years but are both sort of unclear on if one really likes the other or this is just how the other is. Some interesting circumstances align and they find themselves in the midst of a one year marriage of convenience. Both characters are strong and endearing and finding out more about themselves over the year. The romance is spicy and the drama is low grade. Their friends are hilarious and supportive. Love that there are so many diverse characters too! You will enjoy this book!

Thank you Avon, Harper Voyage and NetGalley for this ARC!

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the review copy of this book.

Attorney Penelope needs to find a husband to save her inheritance and maintain her wealthy mother’s luxe lifestyle. Enter Xander - prankster tech billionaire who has been secretly nursing feeling for her for some time. The pair marry. The rest of the story unfolds with the new couple tackling Penelope’s unfortunate family life, Xander’s business ventures, and their budding feelings for each other.

Oh man. I wanted to like this one… but it just lacked that zip for me, that spark that makes you grin while reading a great book.

I have not read the first two books in this series and maybe they provide a little more backstory, but Penelope fell flat for me. I wanted little interesting pieces of her to hold onto, like Xander’s photographic memory. There just wasn’t much that made her stand out to me. If she’s supposed to be the foil to charming, goofy Xander, I wanted her to start out even more stiff, more poised, more restrained. I wanted to see her slowly melt into her true self under his consistent acceptance and care.

The storyline also fell a little flat for me. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that gripped me and made me want to turn the page. I felt like we needed higher stakes - Xander had basically nothing to lose in this fake marriage other than maybe Penelope finding out his feelings for her were real. No one from her family seemed to be actually watching Penelope to make sure the marriage wasn’t a scam (I would’ve expected way more interference from them if she was truly the East/West capitalism unicorn they made her out to be). I felt like I was missing those classic tropes and obstacles that come with a marriage of convenience troupe.

I did enjoy the couple’s time in Singapore - the food, the parties, the culture. The most memorable seem for me was Penelope showing Xander around the night market.

Overall, this was not a bad book at all, just not one that made a big impression on me. If you enjoy billionaire romances, romances with international affairs, fake marriage romances, you may want to give this one a shot!