3.5 stars

Dirty Money was a quick, a little over the top romance and I really enjoyed it.
In the beginning I wasn't too sure what to think of Boone, he was a little too rough for my tastes but the more I kept reading, I saw a man who would do anything for his loved ones and when he falls in love he falls hard!
Watching Boone court Ivy had me swooning one min and rolling my eyes the next. He made me laugh with his antics and I loved how he didn't stop until he got what he wanted.

Overall, Dirty Money was a well written, hot and entertaining read. A lovely start to the Roughneck Billionaires series.

Purchase Links ~
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2iGpRyP
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dirt...
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dirty...
Books A Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Dirty-...
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id11...

*A big thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts*

✦Review: DIRTY MONEY (Roughneck Billionaires) by Jessica Clare http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-7Gk
Publication Date: January 17, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 4 Stars

DIRTY MONEY was so much fun! It's the first book in Jessica Clare's new Roughneck and Billionaires series. I picked it up after I finished reading a really emotional book and it was just what I needed. DIRTY MONEY was fun, sexy and entertaining. I really enjoyed it. Boone and his brothers kept me laughing and I'm hoping the Price brothers will get their own books. They were a little over the top and crazy sometimes but they were definitely entertaining. Boone started off poor, worked hard and struck it rich. He didn't feel the need to change once he had the money though. He remained the rough around the edges and outspoken man he was before the money. He knows what he wants and always goes for it. Boone and Ivy were perfect for each other and their chemistry was off the charts. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for readers looking for a sexy and fun romance. Must love rough and dirty talking alphas.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

Dirty Money starts with Boone Price, the oldest brother of the Price family, getting mad because Bates, the partner of their company PBO (Price Brothers Oil) for their new job, sent a businessman in a suit who criticized his method to find oil, and disrespected him thinking Boone was just a normal worker, instead of the boss. After this show of disrespect, Boone confronts his partner at a Golf Course where at first, he is not let in because is for rich people and he doesn’t appear like one, even though he is a billionaire. Not carrying that they have called security, he storms into the field and ends all partnerships with Bates, knowing that Bates is the one that needs the partnership more than PBO. Later that night, at a bar with his brothers, Boone still is irritated that rich people look down on him because he doesn’t look like them, he decides that he needs to look more classy, and takes on his brother advice to look for a house. There are flyers of realtor’s offices, and he notices a blond woman in one of them, preferring the women than a house, he decides to get himself a classy trophy wife, and the women from the flyers is what he needs. The next day, Boone arrives at the office of Three Jacks, where he meets Ivy Smithfield, the women from the flyers, decides that he’s going to get her. The only problem is that Ivy is living check by check and needs the next commission very badly or she might not make ends meet, and now that her sister is attending college she needs it more than ever. Without knowing who Boone is at first, she decides to help him get house, and thinks he is joking at first when proposing to go out in a date with her. After she finds out the truth, she is more eager to sell him a mansion, and get the big commission, but the more she know Boone, the difficult it’s becomes too denied their attraction.

I liked Dirty Money, it was a different and at the same time similar experience when reading a book by Jessica Clare. While the storyline is similar to some of the other Billionaire series that she has, the characters were entirely different from those previous series. Boone was such a refresh character to read and fun to see with what new things he tried to impress Ivy. His spending of money and investment was so different and shocking to read, but so much fun.

Boone is very different to the other billionaire characters that Clare has written before, while the billionaires in her other series already come from families with money or understood how to spend or act as billionaires, Boone is the opposite. His way of living is still modest to one point, but if he has money he will buy, even if is not for sale, he will charm the owner to sell it. I loved the way that Boone deal with disrespect, if I had money as he did, I would do the same and burn things to the ground.

I liked Ivy, she had fun and serious scenes, but at the same time we could always see that her main goal was to do the best for her sister. I loved her inner strength to fight for a better life for her sister and herself, and work hard for her ideas and ambitions. I hated that other people stepped over her and took her earnings.

Dirty Money had funny scenes that helped the story to not be all completely romance, most of them were thanks to Boone, but others that I liked came from the interaction between Ivy and her sister, mostly from her sister refusing to call her Ivy,

“She crosses her legs and gives me an expectant look. ‘So tell me about your day. Did you find another meth house in the suburbs?’

‘Weider than that’, I tell her. ‘I got a new client today.’

‘And?’

‘And her took me out to dinner?’

Her brows go up. ‘And?’

‘And he’s a billionaire.’

Her eyes get huge. ‘What? Get out’….”

I’m interested to learn what type of stories and love interest will the other Price brothers will have, and if Ivy’s sister will find a billionaire for herself or just to see more of her and this couple in the future.

If you’re fan of Jessica Clare or her other series, then I recommend you Dirty Money, the first installment in her new series, Roughneck Billionaires. In this story, appearances can misguide the rich and the poor, but most of all bond two people that need somebody to complete them in their exact opposite views, but with the same past.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

I am not sure if Jessica Clare set off to make this book as humorous as it turned out to be but, she sure had me laughing and loving one Boone Price.

Boone … redneck, straight-forward, billionaire with a flair to bring things to the extreme. He tells it like it is and, when you piss him off … you better hide the matches. He had me laughing and cheering him on. His ways of handling the “suits” and those that thought they were better than him were classic. If there ever was a man that I would want on my side, Boone Price is it.

As for Ms. Ivy, well she was just something else. Embarrassed about where she came from, she changes her name, classes herself up and tries to make her way into the real estate business. But, thanks to some ignorant, stuck-up stuffed shirts, she can’t make any headway, nor can she keep food on the table, the electric on or pay for her sister’s education. She has no choice to keep up the façade and let Boone keep thinking she’s the elegant and classy woman that he thinks she is. She’s falling in love with him and has no idea how to come clean with him. Thanks to the Three Jack(asses), she loses him, loses her job and is back in the burger-flipping business. She has no idea how to get Boone to believe that she’s in love with him.

Dirty Money was the classic “don’t judge a book by its cover” story. Boone is scruffy and a true back-woods boy huntin’, fishin’ and loving every day … strikes oil and is making a billion dollars a day. Ivy has made herself into someone that looks like a high-class woman, when she doesn’t have two nickels to rub together. I kept picturing the Beverly Hillbillies with no Granny or Ellie May but a whole bunch of Jethro’s … yep, Boone has brothers and I can’t wait to see what Pamela Clare does with them. If they are half as entertaining as Boone, I’m gonna love them all.

Dirty Money was light-hearted, fun and totally amusing. It had hot sex and a hot billionaire, once he had a little man-scaping done. It had a fickle female and whole bunch of snobs. It was a pleasure to read because Pamela Clare kept the story moving and knew just how to keep her readers wondering what he was going to do next. Fast moving, fun, sexy … what more could you ask for in a book! I can’t wait to see what she does next with the Roughneck Billionaires … y’all come back now, ya hear?

Dirty Money(Roughneck Billionaires #1) by Jessica Clare is a fun time read if you can suspend your disbelief and not be annoyed by the massive miscommunication on the part of the heroine during the entire story. It would have been so easy for the heroine to be honest with the hero right from the start, but she kept secrets about her past and current life from the very understanding hero just to keep the story going, and to cause heartache to separate the couple, and then give them HEA we all want in a romance  of this nature. Because of the miscommunications and some eyebrow raising plot devices, I would have given this book a higher grade. But overall I did enjoy reading Dirty Money because of the adorable, yet outlandish alpha possessive (also generous) hero who will make most readers swoon.
Dirty Money features Boone, who struck it big with finding oil. He makes over $20 million a day (no joke) because of his expertise in tapping oil. He has hired his brothers, all of whom are rich, but are down home boys who love working the land. They also love working with their hands, are scruffy and don’t have filters. Boone is pretty much in bearded lumberjack mode. Even though he’s a gazzillionzaire he still doesn’t receive the respect he thinks he deserves. The richy-rich community sticks their noses in the air around Boone and his brother because they don’t scream money or act the richy rich CEO mega bucks part. Boone lives in a trailer, and finally he decides in order to gain respect he’ll find a fancy lady to marry and also buy a big house and property. He spots an flyer or a real estate office, and zones in on one of the realtors. It’s Ivy the heroine. On her picture alone, Boone decides he’ll claim Ivy. His inner caveman tingles big time.
Ivy is a lowly realtor who barely makes money. She doesn’t even make 4 figures a year, below minimum wage, which seems so unrealistic even though she graduated high school and has her real estate license. She works for 3 men- the 3 Jacks who treat her like crap. She still lives in the trailer she grew up in with her younger sister she’s helping put through college. The only way she can survive is giving blood because she is making next to nothing, and may have to go back to slinging burgers to make ends meet. But then Boone walks into her office and everyone assumes he’s piss poor. Ivy will help him find a place to live regardless. But when she finds out what he wants- a huge home with over 20+ bedrooms and over $20+ million, she almost cries in joy because of the huge commission she’ll get, as long as she can keep her horrible bosses from finding out how much money Boone has. But then things become complicated when Boone says he not only wants to buy a house but a woman to go with it, as in marriage with Ivy.
Ivy is shocked to say the least with Boone, but she tries to stay professional. But Boone pushes the envelope with her, and let’s just say on their first visit to a house, he makes Ivy see the light when it comes to him because of his skill with his mouth and his beard. All very naughty and steamy back seat car loving. Soon Ivy is smitten, Boone is also toward her, even though he thinks she’s a classy well-to-do lady. Ivy never corrects him because she thinks if he finds out she trailer park trash, he’ll dump her, even though Boone grew up much like Ivy did.
Dirty Money is ridiculous fun mainly because of Boone’s antics. There is this scene where he gets his revenge on a country club that is a little over the top devious, and in a way disturbing. It even disturbs Ivy based on her reaction. Boone acts before he thinks, and is almost selfish with his wants and needs, even though Jessica tries to counteract this with his generosity. It’s a bit of a enigma with him at times, almost convoluted because he’s back and forth with how he lives his life, the people he interacts with and how he treats Ivy. Revenge against those who wrongs him and those he loves is always in the back of his mind. Some may even feel if he wasn’t the hero here, he could be the villain.
Dirty Money is pretty ridiculous, but it’s a fluffy read that brings forth the romance most readers want, especially with a hot bearded man of the Earth gazzilionaire who wants to take care of the heroine in every possible way.

I am totally excited about this new series from Jessica Clare. I don't read a ton of contemporary romance, but this one piqued my interest. Roughneck Billionaires, y'all! Not the polished hoity toity money bags born with silver spoons in their mouth... but good ol' country boys that work hard and play hard and aren't afraid to get down and dirty in the boardroom or the bedroom. Yes, please!

Boone Price (great name) is our first Roughneck Billionaire, the oldest of five brothers who hit it big in the oil business in West Texas. Boone is a man's man and he doesn't let his big ol' pile of money stop him from getting his hands dirty. You are more likely to find Boone covered in dust than in an expensive suit, and that's just the way he likes it. What he doesn't like is all the rich snobs looking down on him and not taking him seriously because of the way he looks. And he doesn't just get mad, he gets even! So Boone decides that he wants to change his image a bit and his solution is to find him a classy lady to go on his arm... and he picks her right out of a marketing brochure! I just loved this no-nonsense hero. He is my kind of people, and I was definitely on Team Boone throughout this book and, at time, to the detriment of our heroine.

So our heroine is Ivy Smithfield, a struggling real estate agent. Ivy has done her best to class herself up and disguise her real identity - the girl that lives in a trailer park and had a crappy life due to neglectful and criminal parents. Ivy is killing herself to try to make a career in real estate while taking care of her younger sister, and this dirty roughneck walks into her real estate office at just the right time. She isn't quite sure what to make of Boone Price... and the things coming out of his mouth. He comes on strong and doesn't let up, and it slowly chips away at Ivy's resistance. Knowing that Boone wants a class act, she keeps her real self hidden away from him, afraid of how he will react if he finds out. I'm not a big fan of deception in my romance, so Ivy's omissions and misdirections bothered me sometimes. I think she was selling Boone short, believing that Boone would care more for her social status than he would for her as a person. But I give her props for the lengths she went to for her sister, Wynonna, while trying to shield her from the harsh reality of their financial situation.

Boone is like a bull in a china shop. He goes after what he wants and doesn't take no for an answer. So the relationship between Boone and Ivy was a bit of him being a bulldozer and slowly chipping away at her resistance. But he was a charming bulldozer and I couldn't get mad at him for it. Plus we know that Ivy really needs someone like Boone in her life, if only to rescue her from herself. And once they do come together... yowza! They had some great chemistry and I didn't mind Boone's rough and tumble ways AT ALL.

I am really looking forward to the remaining Price brothers in this series, but I don't know if any of them will top Boone. As the head of the family, he seems to be the most serious one and has his stuff more together than the others. But I think the remaining brothers will be good fun and entertainment and I can't wait to see how alike and different they are.

I do wish the cover would have matched the storyline a bit more. Our hero is a roughneck, usually covered in dust, with scraggly hair and a beard to match. So I think the guy on this cover is a little to polished and tidy to represent the Boone Price we came to love while reading Dirty Money.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Intermix/Berkley.

Southern Texas heats up when four roughneck billionaires set their sights on love in the new series from New York Times bestselling author Jessica Clare. The first book opens with the brothers doing what brothers do - a sort of bad mouthing. It's a bit much (though having sons made this completely understandable) but it built up the relationship between the brothers which I loved. The focus is on the eldest Boone, and though it took him the long route to get to what I was thinking from the very beginning and while I didn't agree with his methods, by the end I liked him. And I loved him with Ivy.

FULL REVIEW posted via enclosed link on January 19th.

Unfortunately Dirty Money didn't work for me and I was unable to finish it. Thank you for providing the advanced copy.

: 3.75 stars--DIRTY MONEY is the first installment in Jessica Clare’s contemporary adult ROUGHNECK BILLIONAIRES erotic, romance series focusing on the rags to riches Price Brothers of Texas. This is realtor Ivy Smithfield, and billionaire oil man Boone Price’s story line.

Told from dual first person points of view (Boone and Ivy) DIRTY MONEY focuses on the building relationship between ‘rough around the edges’ billionaire oil man Boone Price, and realtor Ivy Smithfield. Boone is a self-made man who struck it rich in the oil fields of West Texas; and a man who doesn’t care about appearances or his public persona but when a real estate flyer featuring the beautiful and sexy Ivy Smithfield comes into his possession our hero is determined to find the woman that calls to his heart. What ensues is Boone’s ‘in your face’ attempts at seduction, and Ivy’s struggle to keep secret her past.

Boone Price wants to become a better man: he has billions of dollars, plenty of land, and an oil company that continues to grow but what he doesn’t have is a beautiful house, a beautiful woman or the pedigree to woo Ivy Smithfield. Boone’s billionaire status lacks the respect he believes he deserves; his over the top reactions push the boundaries of civility and the norm. Ivy is a young, single woman raising her younger sister but a woman who hides the truth about her background and from where she comes. Boone’s persistent attempts soon break down our heroine’s defenses but she refuses to reveal anything about her past or her struggles to make ends meet. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and provocative. Boone’s ‘lumberjack’ beard enhances Ivy’s sexual pleasure.

We are introduced to Ivy’s sister Wynonna- a young woman about to enter her first year of college, and one of Ivy’s co-workers and fellow struggling realtors Farah; Boone’s brothers Gage, Knox, Clay, and Seth –all of whom have a share of Price Brothers Oil. The requisite evil comes from the Three Jacks Real Estate –Ivy’s bosses –and the men who continue to remind Ivy from where she comes.

The world building follows the growing love between Boone and Ivy, and the distinct differences between the haves and the have-nots. Ivy struggles to make ends meet to the detriment of her own health; her pride keeps our heroine from asking for help, while Boone is willing to give her anything she wants including a happily ever after.

DIRTY MONEY reminds me a bit of the movie ‘Giant’ starring James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson among many other notable actors and actress of the time. James Dean’s character Jett Rink goes from rags to riches but is unable to earn the respect of his fellow millionaires. Respect must be earned not bought; the past is always part of one’s present. The premise is playful; the characters are energetic and animated; the romance is passionate and seductive. I am looking forward to the Price brother’s story lines.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

THE READING CAFÉ: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/dirty-money-roughneck-billionaires-1-by-jessica-clare-a-review/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1877140747


AMAZON.COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/R3SA9NFEMX3154/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01ESI3Q8C


B&N: posted

KOBO: posted

CHAPTERS/INDIGO: posted

This is not your typical Billionaire Romance and because of that I absolutely loved it!

Is Boone Price crude? Sure. Can he be a little pigheaded? Of course. Is he dropdead gorgeous like most rich guys? Not in a conventional way. Is he the perfect guy for Ivy? He sure is!

Boone Price made his money in oil. But he doesn't live the life of a Billionaire. He doesn't look the part and sure doesn't hang with all those suits who think he's still the scum of the earth. So in order to be taken seriously by the other guys in the "Rich Man's Club" - Boone's brothers convince him he needs to get a "classy" woman on his arm and buy a big house to strutt his stuff in front of these men.

So when Boone sees a picture of Ivy Smithfield on an ad for a realtor, he's determined to kill two birds with one stone and get his "woman" and a house.

Ivy Smithfield is just trying to keep her head above water. She's been raising her little sister for the past three years, trying to give her everything she never was afforded in life. A new image is just what she needs along with her new job at the real estate offices of Three Jacks. So when a man walks in, covered in dirt, looking like Pigpen's, from Charles Brown, long lost cousin. She thinks someone is playing a joke on her. But Boone is determined to get Ivy to not only sell him a house to knock everyone's socks off - but he's also determined to make her his wife.

But Ivy has a secret. She's not as "Classy" as Boone thinks she is. Determined to keep her real life a secret from Boone, she finds that as she's falling for the one man she never was looking for, that maybe that wasn't the best idea.

I loved Ivy and Boone together. It's such an unconventional story line. I've seen others that say they just didn't get Boone. And yes he's not your typical alpha hero. But he's pure Alpha and pure Texan and so I totally connected with this story. I am so excited about this new series and can't wait for more story's from the Price Brothers!!

Dirty Money by Jessica Clare
Boone & Ivy
I FEEL LIKE BURNING SOMETHING DOWN

This book was incredible! It had me hooked from the first page and kept me enthralled till the last. It was sweet, sexy, and funny. A very well rounded tale of love, betrayal, and acceptance.

Boone cracked me right the heck up. This roughneck, dirty oil tycoon was the perfect opener for this new series. He’s smart, he’s handsome, and he doesn’t take crap from anyone. I love how he handles people who look down on him based on his appearance. You mess with Boone, you’d better be prepared to walk through the fire… lol.

Ivy is our struggling female lead and I love her to pieces. She’s working her butt off at a real estate agency that constantly treats her like crap. She stays because she doesn’t really have the choice. Bills are piling up, her sister’s tuition is due, and the car needs new tires. Ugh, this poor girl.. How she manages to keep her chin up is beyond me.

The supporting character cast isn’t too large. Boone has a menagerie of sexy brothers that I’m sure will be getting a book at one point. The names are even sexy… Clay, Gage, Knox, and Seth… auoy! Then there’s Ivy’s sister Winnona who’s pretty much clueless through this one, but I’m sure will be doing some growing up in the books to come.

This story pulled on my heartstrings and lifted my spirits. I haven’t cried from a book in months and this one had me bawling.. only for a few minutes… but it did get me going! The characters are commanding and comical. The storyline is lovely. And the writing style breathtaking. I loved it and can’t wait to see what else is in store for this bunch of roughnecks!

“Wow. He looks . . . not like a billionaire.” She tilts her head. “More like a lumberjack that hasn’t had a bath in about ten years.”

Dudes. This book is SO GOOD, you have no idea.

I'm grinning from ear to ear, thinking about Boone Price, dirty, rugged roughnecking redneck. And billionaire. Because, DUDES, he's so awesome. He's insistent, persistent and way, way over the top. He's total scruffy alpha with a heart of gold, and his insecurities are completely charming. Frankly, they made me want to hold him. Kiss him. Love on him forever and forever.

I didn't expect this book. I was intrigued by the blurb, and honestly, it could have gone completely awry. Possibly, for some, it will. It’s a helping of craziness mixed with silliness mixed with intensity and instalove, but it's also complete magic. It's fun and sweet, and completely unexpected.

It melted my heart.

“Thought you knew. I’ve loved you from the moment you smiled at me.”

But also, my panties. In a very serious way. Boone wasn't just dirty oilman outside—he was pure dirty in the bedroom, too. I honestly can't blame Ivy for not being able to say no to his brand of wild. Because there really isn’t any room or reason to say no to this billionaire OR this book.

I certainly didn't—in fact, I could barely bring myself to put it down once I started, I was so taken with it from the first page. Dirty Money not your typical billionaire book because Boone isn't your typical billionaire, and honestly, if this is just a taste of what's to come in this new series from Jessica Clare, then count me in for the rest of Roughneck Billionaires. I cannot wait!

Despite his uncouth appearance, he’s been melting me from the moment we met. I can’t resist him or his demands . . . and I don’t want to.

~ FIVE Classy STARS ~

Jessica Clare once again shows how addictive her stories can be in this dirty and humorous romance. Dirty Money has hot smexing (yay), dirty talk (yay), with a bearded hero (yay) who has no filter whatsoever. Boone is impulsive and bossy and doesn’t take no for answer—and he wants Ivy Smithfield, who he believes will bring that touch of class into his life.

Ivy is hard-working and does all the graft work, only to have her arsehole bosses steal and take credit. Ivy is in serious card-debt and still lives in a trailer with her sister. So with with a teenage sister to support, Ivy is in desperate need of money and things are looking grim for them. But giving up isn’t in her vocabulary and she has worked her socks off all her life since her parents bailed on them. Then the answer to Ivy’s dreams walks in, billionaire Boone, who tells Ivy he wants her and he wants her to help find him a big house. Despite Boone’s initial creepiness, Ivy is charmed by his rough and forthright ways, but Boone believes Ivy is living in class and luxury. Ivy is determined to keep her past and real-life circumstances hidden from Boone because she believes he may not want her once he finds out the truth.

Boone is abrasive and simply doesn’t give any fucks, but he’s also funny and he can be very sweet at times. He’s proud of his redneck roots and has a huge chip on his shoulder (the size of a mountain) about others looking down on him and treating him disrespectfully because he doesn’t wear suits and hasn’t changed his redneck ways. Boone was a little contradictory. He hated others for judging him and his working-class background, and yet he wanted to find a classy woman so he could show her off like a trophy. True to his give-no-fucks character, Boone sees Ivy in an advertisement and decides she’s the one.

Boone really doesn’t take no for an answer and Ivy soon falls for his charm. At first I struggled because the only thing that kept Boone and Ivy together was Boone’s sheer stubbornness. One of the problems I had with this book was Boone and Ivy’s reasons for being together, apart from the hot sex. If Boone wasn’t a billionaire, I’m still unsure whether Ivy would have given him the time of day. And Boone’s insistence on finding a classy lady was dickish. And that kinda sucks some of the belief out of the story for me.

Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the story and what worked incredibly well for me was their dirty sex and their funny banter. Boone is so not like your typical billionaire hero and I love that Clare always changes things up with her characters.

All in all this is a fun, dirty romance and while it’s not one of my favourites from Clare, I can’t wait to read more in the series.

I give Dirty Money a B-

DNF @ 69% (No pun intended)

DIRTY MONEY had potential; I don't think I would've made it that far without it. I really enjoyed the writing of Clare, as always, but I think where I hit roadblocks was with the characters themselves. Boone was a bit jarring only because a character such as he is isn't found very often in romance books. He's a redneck-ish kind of guy who speaks it and lives it. Doesn't mean he's not smart or a hard worker, but for some reason his language (dialect-wise) made it really hard to connect to him and be attracted to him. I did love his heart and how he had no shame in who he was. And then Ivy, who was one thing but wore a disguise, who if she couldn't love herself how was I supposed to love her? She claimed one thing and then did the complete opposite. I had a hard time with her.

I didn't have issue with Boone's straightforward nature so much as I see others mentioning it. He embodies the alpha mentality that a lot of heroes have and, if he were a normal-speaking guy, I'm thinking most would be okay with him.

I adore Clare and her stories, but I'm thinking this will be one series of hers that I pass on.

I've been excited about this book since I first saw the cover review for it a few months ago. I've never been big on "billionaire" books — with the exception of Jessica's because they're different than the norm — because I tend to go more towards men who get their hands dirty at their jobs. (Well, and athletes. But they work up a sweat so that's the same thing, right? Anyway.) A "blue collar" billionaire? Sign me up for that.

Boone had a huge chip on his shoulder. He was tired of being disrespected by people based on his looks alone. Especially when he could pretty much buy any of them many times over. He was crude as hell. He had a filthy mouth (in and out of the bedroom). And I really liked him. There's something about a man who is hard and rough on the outside, but sweet (in his own way) for the right woman. (And her alone.) He wasn't a man of flowery words, but he didn't need to be. His heart was in the right place.

I liked Ivy, too. I applauded her determination to make her own way and do the best she could for her and her little sister. I understood her desire to hide her old life and make a fresh start. Granted, I wanted to shake some sense into her at times, but it didn't make me like her any less. Of course there was some pretty obvious irony in that Boone was looking for a "classy" "well-bred" woman and instead found himself hopelessly attracted to Ivy, whose background wasn't all that different from his. And naturally there was bound to be a little bit of drama when he learned she was keeping that from him. Either way, I loved the chemistry between them. They were so very well matched.

Dirty Money was a short, hot and sexy read. I read this one in one sitting. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what's next in the Roughneck Billionaires series!

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This was a different and interesting take on the billionaire trope. There are certain aspects of the billionaire novels that have to be present. They have to be insanely rich, they have to be willing to spend their money on the women they are with, and the money has to be part of their world but it can't be all of the personalty of the billionaire.

This book had all of this and it did it fairly well. Boone is a self-made billionaire. And one who hasn't quite dealt with the idea that he is rich...he wants people to treat him with the respect that the money should bring him. But he doesn't act the part. So, he needs Ivy. To make him classy. To make people respect him. Or so he thinks.

Ivy, however, isn't what she seems...and in an odd way, they are both pretending to be exactly what the other wants...and this makes them work, but also adds a tension as she is not being totally honest with him.

The characters were believeable, although I thought Boone...and some of the situations he created with his money...were a little overdone to be totally believable. This didn't ruin the story for me, but I wasn't totally positive I believed all of the actions and at times I felt the dialog and his behavior were more than what I was totally able to think would actually happen. Although, the whole point of the book was that he was an unconventional billionaire...so, while I felt at times it was stretching it, I am not able to say there is no way any of this would happen.

The chemistry with Boone and Ivy was spot on, and while it was instalove on his part, I believed it, as this was how he did everything else in his life, full speed ahead, take no prisoners on the way to getting what he wanted.

The pacing was strong and the characters were overall enjoyable. There were not any parts in which I was bored. I recommend this book and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

I almost gave up on Dirty Money after the first chapter or so. Boone Price is an idiot in the beginning. He is rich, but hasn't let that change the core of who he is. Suddenly after being dissed by a 'suit', he wants respect. To get that respect, he feels he needs a 'classy' lady, a big house, and other exterior things to show his money. Apparently money should equal respect. I loathe this type of shallow character. He is going to change everything about himself because someone looked down on him?! And he thinks that classy looking arm candy will result in people treating him with respect? Its like the worst logic ever!

I didn't give up though, but in chapter 2 we meet Ivy/Reba. Here is a woman pretending to be cultured and classy so she can impress clients. She knows that in the real estate business, she needs to have a polished exterior in order to impress clients. However, she comes from nothing, she lives in a trailer, and she dropped out of high school when her dad went to prison for armed robbery. Ivy changed her name and is attempting to reinvent herself so that she can give her sister a better life. This is the type of character I can champion!

Boone sees Ivy on an add for the real estate company she works for and decides she will be the classy lady that makes people respect him. Ivy, desperate for the commission agrees to help Boone find a house. Boone doesn't hide that he wants way more from Ivy than a house. Ivy isn't sure what to do with Boone's blatant advances. Its inappropriate to date a client, she doesn't want to be labeled a gold digger, and she needs this commission. However, she is attracted to Boone. Boone doesn't know she is a fraud as a 'classy' lady though. So, you can see where the conflict of the story will come into play.

Dirty Money is predictable for sure, and while Boone made me so irritated I wanted to throat punch him, you do get to see some character growth from him. I loved Ivy and felt a type of kinship with her even though my life is nothing like hers. Her story is one that is the classic 'American Dream' type story. Despite my early frustrations, I gobbled this book up and can't wait to get the Price brothers' stories!

So I'm eating humble pie right now because first I didn't really like Boone. He was so much rougher around the edges than I could ever imagine, and I didn't him appealing at all. But Jessica Clare worked her magic once again, and I found myself rooting for him.

Boone Price is a roughneck who has a knack for dowsing oil. He and his brothers hit the jackpot when they found oil on their land and they became billionaires overnight. Boone has the money but he couldn't quite shake the redneck, trailer-park label that easily.

Enter Ivy Smithfield. Ivy is what Boone decided he wanted in a woman: elegant, classy, would look good on his arm and would finally give Boone a patina of class that he thinks he needs. There's just one problem. Ivy is a fraud. She's as dirty poor as Boone was before he found oil, and she only looks classy because of her job.

This book defines guilty pleasure read. It has all the tropey elements that would usually drive me crazy.

For one, the hero is crazy possessive and crazy in lust with the heroine even before they met in person. And yes, the hero totally bulldozed her into doing every little depraved, albeit hot, thing he wanted. Now this would usually make my eyes roll out of head but Jessica Clare just has a way of giving us heroes that walks that line between batshit-crazy-the-heroine-needs-to-file-a-restraining-order-now and OMG-he-is-the-sweetest-hero-ever-and-my-ovaries-can't-handle-it. And Boone despite his roughneck ways, turned out to be a really sweet and caring hero.

Two, the heroine is all innocent and virginal. Not to mention self-sacrificing and beautiful and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She was a bit of a pushover, which is a quality I tend to dislike in my heroines.

But Ivy and Boone together just works, OK? They're OTP. I can't really complain. Plus, despite being a virgin, Ivy gives it all that she's got which made for some really incendiary chemistry between her and Boone.

Overall, it started out rough (no pun intended) but ended up being so much more enjoyable than I could have ever anticipated.

ARC provided by the publisher

Boone Price grew up poor and was lucky enough to hit it rich when he discovered a big oil well. He comes from humble beginnings and is uncouth and has simple tastes. One day Boone decides he is tired of people laughing at his redneck ways and decides to find a classy woman to marry. When he meets Ivy, a real estate agent, he decides she is the one.

Boone doesn't care what people think; he says whatever is in on his mind and takes what he wants. He is attracted to Ivy and insists on making her his wife. Ivy is beautiful and sexy, but what Boone doesn't know is she grew up poor just like him. For all his gruffness, Boone is sweet, honest and treats Ivy well. Boone and Ivy each have insecurities and they have worked hard to get past their humble beginnings. Ivy is afraid to let Boone see who she really is. To be honest, I had a hard time connecting to the story and the characters. This is a fun, light story and it is the first book in the Roughneck Billionaires series and each book is a standalone story.