Can’t Buy Me Love (Andrea Christenson) – Review

Posted 16 April 2021 by Katie in Contemporary, Review, Romance / 0 Comments


Title:  
Can’t Buy Me Love
Author:
  Andrea Christenson
Genre:
  Contemporary Romance
Series:
  #2 Deep Haven Collection
Publisher:
  Sunrise Publishing
Release date:
  9 March 2021
Pages:
  278

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Can't Buy Me Love (Deep Haven Collection, #2)


About the Book

She’s not looking for love…

Housekeeper-slash-entrepreneur Ella Bradley prides herself on being ready for anything. After all, with a father who died—and lied to her—and a stepmom and stepsister who despise her, she has no one else to depend on. But on the biggest night of her life, she’s unprepared to be trapped in an elevator with the man of her dreams.

He doesn’t mean to lie…

Wealthy prince-to-a-fortune Adrian Vassos wants nothing more than to shed his reputation as a party boy and prove that he is a savvy businessman. Even, a gentleman. But when he’s trapped with a woman who knows his reputation but not his face, he gives into the temptation to be someone else—and lies.

A disastrous beginning leads to a fresh start…

When serendipity brings them together again—this time to work off community service—can their combined sentences spark a new ending? Maybe…if Adrian’s lies don’t find him out. Again.

The magic of Deep Haven enchants in this modern-day Cinderella story.

Excerpt

She was pretty. Wore a blue dress that shimmered like a waterfall. It looked a little chilly for this time of year, but it pulled out the blue of her eyes. Golden blonde hair, piled up, with a few escaped curls framing her face.
    Okay, very pretty. “Going to a party?”
    She nodded, her jaw a little tight.
    The elevator jerked as it started to ascend, and she grabbed the railing.
    “You okay?”
    “I’m fine,” she said after a tiny gasp, a swallow. “Statistically, an elevator has a zero-point-zero-zero-zero-two chance of getting stuck.”
    The lift smoothed out as it ascended. “That’s one in every five thousand,” she added.
    He quirked a smile. “Yep. I think we’ll make it.”
    He turned his back to the panel and stared out the window. What a view. He’d visited the Century just after it opened, when they were choosing a meeting space for this year’s event. But he’d taken a service elevator to the top. This was a much better choice.
    The city dropped below him, an array of bright lights against dark sky, and overhead, the moon puddled light across the skyline. From the top, the metropolitan spread turned glorious with the glitter off the Mississippi River and the dazzling lights of the Stone Arch Bridge at St. Anthony Falls.
    The perfect setting for him to wow his father with his proposal for expansion. The hotel and water park he had planned for Deep Haven would win over the board—he knew it.
    The elevator jerked again, and even he reached out to steady himself.
    Behind him, the woman helped and stumbled backward. He turned just in time to catch her, using both hands to steady her as he grabbed her arms.
    She caught her hand on his arm. “Sorry—sorry!” She gave a tiny, high, and maybe a little terrified laugh.
    “What’s that math again?” He smiled at her and had to amend himself once more. No, not just really pretty. She was a knockout. Curves, and the dress clung to every one them, and a shapely mouth, not too much makeup, but enough to pull out her high, almost regal cheekbones.
    He sort of wished he was going to her party.
    “Thanks,” she said, and when she smiled, something happened to his insides.
    Or maybe it was just the jerk of the elevator. It hiccupped again, and this time he braced his hand on the glass as the woman fell against him.
    “These stupid shoes!” she said, but she sounded almost near tears.
    He wanted to argue that maybe it wasn’t the shoes—
    The elevator shuddered, and just like that, dropped.

Review

This story had plenty of potential and got off to a great start. I’m always intrigued to see what an author does with a fairy tale in a modern setting, and the opening of the story, with Ella and Adrian stuck in the lift, sucked me right in. All the elements of the fairy tale were there, cleverly reimagined for the purpose of this story, and the events that followed were something of a comedy of misunderstandings for the hero and heroine (serving to bring them together rather than keep them apart) that only made me more curious to see where this story was going.

But like a runner who doesn’t pace himself, the story kind of ran out of steam halfway through. Adrian and Ella weren’t developed to the depth I’d anticipated, and whereas the first half of the story was delightfully unpredictable, the tension in the second half of the novel came mostly from some fairly clichéd plot points and a tendency for the heroine to quickly assume the worst of the hero only to backpedal after she’d had time to cool down and think things through.

Having said that, Christenson’s writing style is engaging, and readers who have enjoyed other books in the Deep Haven series will enjoy more cameos from beloved characters here (particularly some of the Christiansens). And I did love the sound (or perhaps that should be smell?) of Ella’s business. This story will appeal most to contemporary romance readers who are looking for an easy-going read.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

About the Author

Andrea Christenson lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two daughters. When she is not busy homeschooling her girls, she loves to read anything she can get her hands on, bake bread, eat cheese, and watch Netflix. Andrea’s prayer is to write stories revealing God’s love.

Connect with Andrea
 
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