3.75 stars--THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is the fourth instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary adult BILLONAIRE FAIRY TALE erotic, romance series focusing on the DeSantis’s siblings-Xavier, Nero, Raphael, Lorenzo and their sister Olivia. This is thirty two year old CES of DS Corporation Raphael DeSantis, and twenty year old ballerina Ella Hart’s story line. THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Rafe and Ella) THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE focuses on the building by acrimonious relationship between twenty year old ballerina Ella Hart, and her guardian, billionaire CEO Raphael ‘Rafe’ Desantis. Eighteen years earlier, a then two year old Ella, adored the man she has now come to hate- a man whose once violent temper forced his father to send Raphael away to teach the young teen a lesson-a lesson that came back with a vengeance as Raphael took control and possession of DS Corp’s CEO.

Throughout the years, Rafe never forgot about the young girl who would one day grow into the woman that stole his heart but a series of painful losses found our heroine the soul keeper of her elderly grandmother, as she herself struggled between her head and her heart, and the prospect of dancing in Paris France. When our heroine is accepted into the prestigious European ballet school she is forced to confront the man who now controls all of her money. Enter Rafe DeSantis, Ella’s new guardian and financial controller, and the man with whom Ella will fall in love. What ensues are Rafe’s terms (an manipulation) for funding Ella’s European adventure; the building romance between Ella and Rafe; and the potential fall out as Rafe has yet to come to terms with the demons from his past.

THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is a modern retelling of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD with all of the fairy tale markings including Ella’ bedridden, elderly grandmother, a ballet production of Red Riding Hood, and a hero who considers himself more wolf-like than human. Raphael DeSantis’s brutal and abusive childhood formed the man who would one day take down the father who all but gave up on our story line hero but childhood memories that now control every aspect of his adult life. Rafe and Ella’s fathers were best friends, and as such Rafe was a part of Ella’s early life but our heroine does not remember the good times with the man she would grow to love.

The relationship between Ella and Rafe is enemies to lovers; a second chance, or sorts, for two people whose earlier years were destroyed by heartbreak and sorrow, abuse and suffering, loss and revenge. We learn of Rafe’s overwhelming need to rekindle his friendship and relationship with the woman who has now become the focus of his fantasies and dreams; and of Ella’s unresolved and indeterminate hatred for the man she once loved and adored. The $ex scenes are erotic, seductive and intense. The sexual attraction is palpable.

THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is a story of betrayal and trust; redemption and fractured family dynamics; second chances and falling in love. The premise is enchanting and imaginative; the characters are broken and tragic; the romance is dramatic and passionate.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

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An intensely sexy Billionaire Fairy Tales standalone novel by Jackie Ashenden that is billionaire romance meets Little Red Riding Hood with a happily ever after.

Wicked. Ruthless. Obsessed.

Sent away from his family as a boy because he couldn’t be controlled, Rafe DeSantis’s new guardian turned him into a monster. One who wants only two things out of life: To get revenge on the father who destroyed his life. And to possess the woman who was kept from him. Ella Hart has been his obsession for years, and now that he’s her guardian he’s finally in position to black mail her into his bed. And once he has her there? He’s going to eat her up.

Innocent. Alone. Hunted.

Ella has been living with her grandmother since the death of her parents when she was a child. She’s learned to pour her grief and pain into dance, and it’s become her escape. Her passion. Now she’s set her sights on a prestigious dance school in Paris. But there’s one problem. Ella was so young when her parents died, her money was left in the hands of the DeSantis family…and it’s now controlled by Rafe. A man she’s always found compelling and terrifying at the same time. Rafe offers her an ultimatum: Give herself to him, body and soul, and she’ll get the money she needs.

Ella isn’t in a position to refuse, though she tries to resist the sexy billionaire. It feels good, until her heart becomes involved. Does the big bad billionaire want to capture her heart? Or does he only want to own her body?




Review:

Rafe is definitely the big, bad wolf!

Rafe is also definitely a much darker and tortured character compared to his brothers in the other books in the series. He is a "little" obsessed with Ella who he has known since she was not much more than a baby. She is also the only one who seems to be able to calm the beast within Rafe. If you are not into over-the-top alpha males, you might not like this story. I liked it, even with him being high-handed and a little stalker-ish. I think the Author did a good job of explaining his back story and making him more human and likeable. Ella was interesting too, but Rafe is a much more complex character in my opinion. Their overall love story is very compelling and super sexy. The ending was well done and wrapped them up very nicely.

If you love a dark, tortured hero in an intense romance, this is a must read.

4Stars

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

After reading this one I had to let it kind of roll around in my head for a few days because my feelings were all over the place and I wasn't sure where I really stood. It tackles some heavy issues that really make you wander how different decisions and events can shape a person.

This is Rafe and Ella's story. Rafe has fought hard for everything he has. Being sent away when he was fourteen to control his volatile temper, by parents too disinterested to bother with him, Rafe grew up away from his brothers and sister. Living with his grandfather, Rafe learned the hard way how to control his anger but also to bury all his other emotions too. Not only that but he learned to crave revenge, to never lose sight of one fact. He wasn't broken and there would come a time when he would get what was his due from his father.

After years of playing the part and moving all the pieces on the board, Rafe finally forced his father's retirement, took control of his billion dollar corporation and only one thing is left to claim. Ella.

Ella has always found Rafe intimidating and although he fooled everyone else, she could see behind his fake smile and hollow charm. When Rafe drops the bombshell that he's taken over guardianship of her and as such, control of her trust, Ella's dream of studying ballet in Paris is threatened.

Ella and Rafe try to play a game of dominance and control with each other. Each trying to get one over on the other. What starts as a battle of wills quickly turns into a complicated love story between young innocent Ella and Rafe, a man who isn't as impenetrable as he seems.

My thoughts:
The second half of the book was emotionally gripping and Ella and Rafe really came through as strong leads. They both shared some heavy things (Rafe, especially) and showed a lot of emotional growth. They deal with some really difficult stuff, stuff that is not easily solved and not magically cured by love. Its gritty and real and I like that it didn't gloss over the facts or sugar coat it.

What left me so confused with this read is the first half of their story. Rafe's behavior is off the charts arrogant and at times damn right messed up. I'm talking not redeemable messed up. The way he blackmails Ella, the way he constantly pushes her buttons, manipulates and provokes her, it was all so calculating that there wasn't a lot of room for the softer emotions. Ella was also an heroine that sent a lot of mixed signals. She starts by fearing and then hating Rafe. She literally has zero interest in him until he pushes and corners her and that didn't come off as romantic to me. The story went from zero to 60 with no in between.

The vulnerable side of Rafe and Ella's feelings for him were both slow to emerge but it does eventually get rolling and it becomes a pretty unstoppable force. The problem is the story is written kind of like a novella. It's not very long and I felt like Rafe and Ella's story deserved a bit more closure. I got attached to them and it would have been nice to follow them a little bit longer. After everything they go through, an epilogue a year, or even a few months later, would have gone a long way to smoothing over the abrupt ending.

Favorite Line:
...hope wasn't a light inside him. Hope was the woman in his arms. Hope was his Little Red.

Recommended: Yes.
It's a solid read for those into dark and twisty, damaged Hs and those that don't mind the slow burn.

Ray DeSantis has finally taken over his father's business = quietly, stealthily but, with determination and an all consuming purpose! He has finally proven to his father and grandfather that he is no longer "broken"! Now on to his next conquest. Ella is a prima Ballerina who always loved and trusted him since the time she was a baby. She was the only one he ever knew who never eared him.
Ella is not a Prima Ballerina in New York who wants to get into a summer internship in Paris but, she must have the money and approval of her guardian. Unfortunately, she never realized that Rafe is now her guardian.
How can these two co-exist? A Ballerina who is petrified of losing anyone she loves because of her childhood history. A man who must control everyone and everything in his world in order to know that he has "fixed" himself and is no longer broken.
Little Red Riding Hood versus The Big Bad Wolf. Will there be a winner and an HEA for this love story?!

For lovers of the dark, twisty and damaged this would be great read for you.
It's a bit of a slow burn book but worth the lead up and I like those kind of books especially. I like the classic fairy tales remade and mixed up with a touch of romance thrown in for good measure. Little Red Riding Hood vs. the big bad billionaire, but Red definitely wasn't a push over.
I've not read the other books in the series which didn't hinder my enjoyment at all.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Death, Child Abuse, Self Harming behaviors, questionable consent issues

Rafe is home now, back for revenge and his obsession. He was sent away when he was younger because his family deemed him "unworthy" and "unruly." However, he has had years of resentment and hatred building, and when he comes home he does so with a plan to take over and destroy.

Ella is alone, and while she is content when she's on the stage, she is lonely. When she was younger, she was told by a lot of people to stay away from Rafe, the problem child. When her parents died, Rafe's father became her guardian and has helped her achieve her goals since then.

What Ella doesn't realize is that Rafe now holds the keys to her future and he's perfectly happy to use whatever means necessary to get what he wants – and he wants Ella.

While I found his methods to be suspect and somewhat harsh, to watch the two of them overcome their issues was fairly profound for both of them. Ella realizes that she does indeed love Rafe and Rafe realizes that he can overcome his past and someone can love him for who he is – not the perception he gives off.

There is a lot of angst in this story and while I found Rafe to be somewhat of a bully, in the end, when you learn more about him, he does try to redeem himself a little with Ella's help.

The Big, Bad Billionaire by Jackie Ashenden is Book Four in the "Billionaire Fairy Tales" series. This is the story of Rafe DeSantis and Ella Hart. I have read (and loved) the other books in this series but feel this can be a standalone book. This has a feel of the Big Bad Wolf storyline.
Rafe due to his vital temperament Rafe when he was a teenager was sent to away. Rafe childhood has made him the hard and distant person that he is today. Rafe looks to take what he lost and what he wants back. On that list is Ella who he plans to have.
Ella has dreams of going to a famous dance school in Paris. Dancing has been her dream and escape after loosing her parents. But now her money and guardianship is tied up now with Rafe. But Rafe has plans to help her but at a high price.
I have really enjoyed this series! Although Rafe started off pretty harsh we soon saw his softer side toward Ella.

I love retellings of my favorite fairytales and The Big, Bad Billionaire by Jackie Ashendon is her retelling of Little Red Riding Hood!

Ella Hart is twenty years old and an aspiring ballerina. She is sweet, caring and beautiful. After losing her parents, Rafe’s father became her guardian, but now Rafe is making all the decisions. She desperately needs his help to follow her dreams, but can she give in to what he is demanding?

Rafael de Santis, Rafe, did not have on easy upbringing and now in his thirties, he is a hard man. Seen as a troublesome child with an uncontrollable temper, his parents sent him away. The man who raised him wanted to “fix” him, but all he really did was break and scar him. Now he is set on revenge.

This story leans a bit on the darker side. Rafe is set on revenge for all he has suffered. For years he has worked to take down his father and now he wants Ella. He manipulated situations to his benefit and made demands of Ella. Ella is both fascinated and frightened of Rafe. But now he wants her in exchange for what she wants.

I loved seeing these two come together. Both had demands they thought they wanted, but it was nothing of what they actually found. Rafe was a total alpha who went after what he wanted, and Ella was sweet and caring, but could also stand for herself. I enjoyed The Big, Bad Billionaire by Jackie Ashendon and look forward to reading more of her fairytale retelling.

A whole new twist on little red riding hood. I was unsure if I was going to like this book butJackie Ashenden doesn't disappoint. Ella doesn't want to admit she needs anything from anyone but she really doesn't want it from Rafe. Rafe wants Ella to need him for everything......his bear imitation is funny but her liking him to an ewok was by far my favorite part. *Recieved an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley*

I was rather torn about whether or not I liked this book and its characters. I could empathize with the hero and the pain he was in in this book, but I never really warmed up to him. He had me on a roller coaster of hating him, being torn about him, and feeling sorry for him. I just never genuinely liked him. The heroine had her own issues and gave me moments of wanting to smack her and liking her. Even though she seemed strong, she ran a lot, which annoyed me. I must admit that I honestly kept waiting for him to turn into a wolf, which never happened. As much as it was referred to in the book, I was disappointed.This was just an okay read for me.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

The Big, Bad Billionaire by Jackie Ashenden has a bit of a humorist pun to the stories title. Rafe is a predator in a sense. He is calculated, ruthless and stealthy like a wolf. A Big, Bad Billionaire wolf. He is obsessed with Ella and wants to eat her up in his bed. Ella is relatively innocent and alone in the world. Dancing is her passion, and she is currently dancing in a show as Little Red Riding Hood. Thus, the humor of the title of this book. These two dance around each other until they finally make their moves. Rafe needs her in his life to calm him, and Ella needs him to toughen her. The two will get their happily ever after.

I recommend this book as an easy, fast pace story.

Intense with a fab ending.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book is completely different from the first in the series. Featuring the dark and hard emotions of Rafe, this book is a standalone.

I had a hard time coming to terms with Rafe. He was mean, he was abrupt but he was completely captivated with Ella. So you know he had to have some redeeming qualities. We just had to go through a lot to find them.

He likes to use fear and intimidation but that tended to backfire with the strong backbone in Elma. Even with the dark undertones, you knew he had a passion when it came to this woman. And soon she knew it too.

While the story was never about hurting her it was only ever about the fact he did not know how to show love and emotion. It was about power and revenge, passion and care. It was a struggle to understand him and read between the lines sometimes. But the further you get into the book, the more you understand him and get the story.

This is an intense read. There’s not a lot of happiness and sweetness. But there is an intense emotion and feeling as well as passion and heat. The ending was awesome!

The author did a great job creating this difficult character and showing all of his different sides. Definitely a change from what we normally see from her but a great addition to the overall series. I can’t wait for the next one.

Another De Santis brother, another fairy tale. This time we meet Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. We even have the sick grandmother to make the fairy tale complete. Unlike the fairy tale from our childhood , this one has a Little Red Riding Hood who discovers that maybe being caught by the Big Bad Wolf isn't as bad as she feared and that he may not be as bad as he wants her to believe. All in all, this is a fairy tale that will leave you blushing ;)

Rafe De Santis is the middle De Santis brother. After anxiously waiting and planning for many years he has finally gained control of his father's company and is now the CEO of De Santis Co. He may be charming and carefree on the outside, but he is manipulative and dark on the inside. He has had a painful childhood that has shaped him to be the man he is today. A childhood filled with suffering and abuse. And even though he believes that his suffering made him the powerful man that he is, the multitude of scars covering his body tell a different story. He has two goals. One is to gain control of his father's company and the other is to have the woman that he has been told to stay away from. The only person who seemed to never be afraid of him. And even though Ella Hart is no longer that two year old toddler who dogged his every step, Rafe is determined to make her fall in love with him and make her his own.

Ella Hart lost both parents one after the other when she was only a teenager. The only person she has now is her old and sick grandmother. A grandmother whom she takes care of. Like her late mother, she is also a ballerina. Her dream is to go to Paris and spend a summer there studying at a dance school. All she has to do now is convince her guardian, Cesare De Santis to give her the funds for the trip. Unbeknownst to her, along with the running of the company, her guardianship has also been transferred to Rafe De Santis. A man that she finds absolutely intimidating. But Rafe has his terms for sending her to Paris. Terms that are beyond her comfort zone. And even though she would be the last to admit it, she is more than a little intrigued by the Big Bad Wolf.

Like all of Jackie Ashenden's heroes Rafe is complex, dark but absolutely magnetic. And even though you want to hate him and run away from him as far as possible, you can't help but be drawn to him. His pain is palpable and heart wrenching, but his love and obsession for Ella make him the perfect hero. A perfect read for any romance fan who loves a twist on a classic fairy tale that is a little dark yet highly seductive ;)

What left me so confused with this reading is the first half of their story. Rafe's behavior is off the charts arrogant and at times damn right messed up. I'm talking not redeemable messed up. The way he blackmails Ella, the way he constantly pushes her buttons, manipulates and provokes her, it was all so calculating that there wasn't a lot of room for the softer emotions. Ella was also a heroine that sent a lot of mixed signals. She starts by fearing and then hating Rafe. She literally has zero interest in him until he pushes and corners her and that didn't come off as romantic to me. The story went from zero to 60 with no in between.

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? This is the retelling of Little Red Riding Hood but in a twisty, sexy, dark and obsessive way. Rafe has wanted Ella for...well for as long as he can remember, and now he has her in his clutches and he is her guardian. Will this allow them their happy ever after or create more problems? This was so good and twisty and dark and yummy!

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

The Big, Bad Billionaire is a modern fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood with a twist to be exact. From the moment I read the blurb, I was intrigued, and Ashenden certainly lived up to my expectations!

Rafe is powerful, determined, and persistent. Ella is sweet and innocent. I didn’t expect to want them together, much less to be secretly hoping the big, bad wolf would get a HEA. In fact, I’m still a little conflicted about Rafe a week later! The two definitely kept me anxiously reading to the end of the book. The plot was incredibly well written, and the characters were much more complex than a typical fairy tale.

The Big, Bad Billionaire is part of a series about the De Santis brothers, but can easily be read as a stand-alone book. The reader will not feel like anything is missing if she hasn’t read the other books. I am completely hooked by this author’s amazing fairy tales.

the big, bad billionaire continues the billionaire series with a retelling of little red riding hood. i would have never thought that there was so much romantic possibility to mine from this story, but this is the second time i've read a retelling and loved it. i think part of it is that little red riding hood may be little, may be young, but she is strong. she's fascinated by the wolf but isn't entirely taken in by him.

and that's true here. rafael de santis has been pushed away and neglected by his family for being wild and out of control. literally given over to an abusive grandfather and forgotten. and from the shadows he orchestrates his return and his revenge. but he's never forgotten ella hart. a small child when he was sent away, she'd always sought him out. and even then he loved and protected her.

time changes her feelings, but not his. hers are influenced by her parents' distrust of rafael. but when he sees her dance not long after his return to the family fold, he is entranced by her. even as she rejects him anytime he tries to draw her close. when he assumes her guardianship and makes it impossible for her to avoid him. she's afraid at first. but rafe isn't interested in a girl who cowers with fear, instead challenging her to stand up to him. he wants the fight. he needs the cut of anger laced with the pleasure of love.

and that is what ella and rafe's push-pull is all about. the intensity of emotion, of pain, of pleasure, that blossoms between them. oh, it is the stuff of fairy tales. except these are definitely R rated. i've enjoyed the installments in this series, and kind of hope there are more. maybe a take on rapunzel?

**the big, bad billionaire will publish on november 21, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press (swerve) in exchange for my honest review.

Contemporary Romance. Number 4 in the series. Hero is Rafe. Heroine is Ella This fairytale is little Red riding hood meets the big bad wolf.

I am addicted to the Authors stories. She’s fantastic. She writes with such passion and it makes you want to stop and feel . She makes you step one step out of the ordinary story.
Ella has known Rafe since she was in diapers. Ella was never afraid of Rafe . When ever he and his parents came to visit Ella always ran right to Rafe . One day Rafe had a temper Tantrum and Ella’s parents warned her against Rafe .
All Ella knew Rafe disappeared for a long time

Rafe was sent to stay with his grandfather . Raves father told him he’s to much trouble. And his grandfather will fix him .
Yrs later when Rafe was a business man Rafe made his father pay by taking away his company . And once Ella’s Parents passed Rafes father was Ella’s guardian. Of course Rafe got control of that situation also . Rafe had an obsession with Ella and her dancing. He wooed her .
Ella sees scars on Rafes hands during dinner one night. And elk asks Rafe how he got them. What story did Rafe tell Ella ?

A twisted and sexy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Rafe DeSantis is definitely a big bad wolf so when he goes to see Ella Hart she knows she should run far and fast. Rafe's obsession with Ella has been going on for years. Now he's in a position as her guardian to demand her attention and show her exactly how he feels about her. Will she see the good in him or will she she the bad he's always known he is??

This may be based on a Fairy Tale but Ella and Rafe's story is no childhood story. It's dark, obsessive, and dirty yet for these two a happily ever afteris within their reach.

Definitely a book I recommend.

I have never really been interested before reading "Naughty Fairytales" until I took a chance and dove right into Jackie Ashenden's Billionaire Fairy Tales series. The Big, Bad Billionaire is a dark and sexy version of Little Red Riding Hood and Rafe is our big bad wolf. Now he has BAD down to the T! It was hard for me to open my heart to him. I know by any means it was not his fault of how he was treated growing into the man he is today. What he needed to do was learn how to let go and move on. But his scars ran deeper than I have seen. This story goes to a dark place and the only light in this story is Red, our lovely Ella.

Ella has so many issues to work on her own. Her only escape is to dance. She has bargain with the wolf to get the funds to make her dreams come true. Is it a deal she is willing to give up her soul for? The Big, Bad Billionaire is amazing and had me biting my nails. I have never been so engrossed in a story and captured by the intensity these characters bring. These series exceed my expectations.