Monday, October 3, 2016

Review: The Bachelor Auction, by Rachel Van Dyken



Cinderella never had to deal with this crap.

Jane isn't entirely sure that Cinderella got such a raw deal. Sure, she had a rough start, but didn't she eventually land a prince and a happily-ever-after? Meanwhile, Jane is busy waiting on her demanding, entitled sisters, running her cleaning business, and . . . yep, not a prince in sight. Until a party and a broken shoe incident leave Jane wondering if princes---or at least, a certain deliciously hunky billionaire---maybe do exist.

Except Brock Wellington isn't anyone's dream guy. Hell, a prince would never agree to be auctioned off in marriage to the highest bidder. Or act like an arrogant jerk---even if it was just a façade. Now, as Brock is waiting for the auction chopping block, he figures it's karmic retribution that he's tempted by a sexy, sassy woman he can't have. But while they can't have a fairy-tale ending, maybe they can indulge in a little bit of fantasy . .


Review
4 out of 5 stars

I have always loved a good romantic comedy, and I've never read a Rachel Van Dyken book that I regretted.  I dove into the Bachelor Auction while on a beach vacation and it was just the ticket for a fun, quick escape.  Jane, an older sibling to two out of control spoiled sisters, finds herself more like a mom to her sisters than an actual sister.  To say she is burnt out is putting it mildly, yet because she loves them and vowed to keep her family together she will continue doing whatever it takes even if it means always putting herself last.

Brock, a handsome and wealthy business man is the oldest and he also has a hard time saying no, but his hesitation comes from a place of fear.  His brothers and grandfather can tell he is miserable but they know he needs to learn to speak up for himself.  So how do you get two people to choose themselves for once, to fall in love?  Why you manipulate them of course!  

Thus begins our romantic comedy.  It was fun watching Brock deal with his feeling for Jane and his frustrations with not only his surroundings but also his commitments.  While I suspected who was pulling the puppet's strings I loved Jane and Brock's individual interactions with Brock's twin brothers.  They knew just how to lighten up even the worse situations and while the story focuses on Jane and Brock I was left wanting to spend a little more time with the twins.

Let's just say Brock's grandfather could give Grandma Nadine a run for her money!  And when Grandma Nadine finally makes her appearance it was icing on the cake.  So why not 5 stars?  The thing is I've practically read all of RVD's books and it's hard for me not to compare this one to the others.  The writing is good and the story was fun, but for me it felt earily similar to The Bet series and while I enjoyed The Bachelor Auction I liked the books in that series better than this one.

The Bachelor Auction is a fun modern twist on the classic Cinderella fairytale, and I truly believe you will adore this story.  Full of romance and wit this book will be the perfect choice for your next book escape!