Trade Me by Courtney Milan [Review]

Trade Me (Cyclone #1) by Courtney Milan
Format: ebook
Source: provided through NetGalley
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 18, 2015

Cyclone
1. Trade Me - Paperback | Kindle
2. Hold Me
3. Find Me

Courtney Milan
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Systems. But when he makes an offhand comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life.

To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her hours and send money home to her family. No expectations; no future obligations.

But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. No expectations might break Tina’s heart...but Blake’s secrets could ruin her life.

Thoughts on Trade Me: Oh, my heart. MY HEART. I adore Courtney Milan's historical characters and the situations she puts them in and this book just cemented my wild fangirl love for all things Milan. Because, guys, she gives me moments that RESONATE with me as a person. And, OH, MY HEART!

(Confession: I'm not a fan of billionaire characters. This is due to the glut of them in erotica, right now. I hit serious burnout a while back and have never recovered. BUT... and let this be a reminder to me... a well-written character can make me forget all manner of unpleasant amounts of money. That's a life lesson, really.)

Blake and Tina. Blaaaaake and TINA! I just felt for them both. Tina, who shoulders so much responsibility for her family and does things most 20-something year olds wouldn't dream of taking on because she wants a better life for them. And Blake, who is drowning under the perceived weight of the responsibilities of his father's company. Both of them killed me. Both of them were trying so hard to give just a little more and not disappoint anyone. Watching them come into their own made me a little teary.

(Just a little, though. Much like Blake's father, I'm not a crier.)

(Lying. I am. Dammit.)

I seriously adored so much about their relationship. I loved how hard Tina tried not to fall for Blake. I loved how Blake spilled his feelings early on and did his level best to both give Tina space and get what he wanted out of it.

What I'm saying is this whole book worked for me and I'm EAGERLY awaiting book 2.