A pact between friends to never date a king brother. Fast forward 7 years and feelings are still there well at least for Rich anyway. Can he prove to Kira he isn’t out to hurt her?!

Great story there was humor between the brothers . The banter between them was priceless.
The hate to love relationship between rich and Kira was one I couldn’t wait to see develop throughout the book.

What a great read can’t wait for Cade’s story

Three kings despised by three friends bounded by a promise. A promise to never ever date a King.

The king brothers were kings of the high school. They were the unattainable ones. They played their way through high school, flirted with everything that could walk and were the dream guys of every other girl back then. Now, the Kings were back as billionaires and celebrities only to carve the shit of the friends’ solemn vow to stay away from the brothers. King boys brought with them a storm and these three friends were determined to stay together to weather that storm.

This book had the best kind of angst with the constant push and pull, amusing comebacks, and witty remarks. The author did a fantastic job of bringing the two closer from a sworn enemy to passionate lovers. She shaped all the characters so beautifully. There are very few books where all the characters, leads or not, are just so damn likable. Dialogues were amazing and plot was addicting that had me acting like a junky.

Kira and her two friends were so damn hilarious. Their raunchy wit took the humor quotient of this book to another level. Analogies that the three friends often made me shake my head at times and act like a lunatic after laughing so hard at other times.

Rich, the wise one, Cade, the smart idiot, and Nick, the spectacled genius, all had their quirks that were just too funny for words. They stayed together, fought together, and won together. There was such easy camaraderie between the brothers. I absolutely loved their wacky moments, they put life into their relationship and in the book.

We’ll be tapping into the stories of Cade and Nick King in the next installments of the series and I will definitely be getting my hands on them.

Back in high school the King Brothers were synonymous with leaving a trail of broken hearts, Kira of course knows that fact first hand. She dated a King brother, Nick, back in high school, and just like those that came before her, she was left broken-hearted and harboring a serious hate for him and his elder brother Rich.. After the implosion of their relationship, she lucked out and her wish to never have to see them again came true, the King brothers packed their bags and left town.

Seven blissful years have passed since they left town... but that's all about to change, their back in town to stay, and Rich has his sights set on her!

Anyone But Rich is a drama-filled page turner that will draw you from the first sentence, and keep you intrigued until the last. It's a story of second chances, friendship, forgiveness and finding true love. I really enjoyed what I discovered here, the story line was strong and plausible, albeit a little predictable, but nonetheless entertaining. The characters came with a real-feel quality, all unique in their own right, and were to find a connection with. Overall I would say it was a solid first read, one that left me just curious enough to come back for more! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased opinion.

***I received this book from NetGalley***

This book had some sweet and laugh out loud moments. This was the first book that I have read by Bloom and it will not be the last!

3.5/4 stars

I hadn't heard of this author or this book until I received an email from the publisher and this book was included in it! The synopsis was very intriguing and sounded like something I would read, so I decided to do just that! This book did take me a bit longer than I was expecting to read, but I'm happy that I finally got the chance to read it! The plot was intriguing and I found that it developed at a good pace! I have to be honest though and say that I felt like the plot was missing something for me to fall completely in love with it! I had a bit of a hard time connecting with the main characters and there wasn't any action or suspense in the plot to keep me desperate to read on! There was romance though, which allowed for a few seriously hot scenes between the two main characters! The characters were also great and did make this book better! Kira was the main female character, and in this book she was providing for herself and she had a good job! I liked Kira in this book! I felt like she tried her best and had come a long way! I loved the way Kira was with her best friends too! There were quite a few funny scenes between them and they were always there for each other! Richard 'Rich' was the main male character and love interest of Kira! I thought that Rich was going to be a complete ass in this book because he was famous and had lots of money! I thought that he was a bit of an ass at the beginning, but I actually found myself liking him more as this book progressed! It was also easy to see that he had feelings for Kira and he was honest with her and open about how he felt! I loved that this book was written from both Kira and Rich's point of views! I wasn't really sure whether this book was going to be written from dual point of view because the synopsis gives the impression that it's only going to be written from the female character's point of view! I'm really happy that it was written from dual point of view because it helped me connect more with Kira and Rich and it allowed for more things to happen in the plot too! I now can't wait to read the next book in this series! I mean, I felt like this book was missing something for me, but the next book is going to focus on two secondary characters from this book, which has me intrigued! I'll definitely be checking it out once it releases! I'm not sure when the next book releases because there wasn't anything at the end of this book and there isn't anything on Goodreads about the next book! I'm going to assume that it'll release next year, which I can wait for lol! I still have this author's other books to check out as well! The cover for this book is also interesting because it doesn't feature any cover models on it! It still has that rich feel to it, which suits the book! I'm not sure if the cover would appeal to me if I hadn't receive an email with the book in it though, but it does suit the book!

Title: Steamy, hilarious beginning to a new series with it’s own HEA
Dating the wrong King brother had temporarily gotten Kira in trouble with her two best friends: Miranda and Iris. So, they take a vow to have NOTHING to do with them…EVER…NO MATTER WHAT. And then…
The King brothers came from old money that was dwindling b/c each generation used without putting back. Now, the brothers have made themselves billionaires and decided to build a new headquarters in their hometown, where they haven’t been back for quite a while. Oh. My. The pledge is going to get a workout! But maybe not, Rich has come back with Stella on his arm. They are an item. Right?
Kira is just beginning as a high school English teacher, very nervous on her first day and who should show up at her classroom door? Rich! Wow…what a start to a new series. Hilarious, steamy, angsty and steamy, did I already say that?!
LOVED this introduction to Cade, Nick, Miranda and Iris. Can’t wait for their books. So many entertaining moments: Kira meeting “Cade” at the party; verbally sparring with Stella at Rich’s house; the confession in chapter 11; and you won’t forget the Uber driver who wasn’t. And sage sayings, like “A foolish man walks into a trap. A wise man avoids it. But a businessman? He takes advantage of it.” There are many more of each. We have meddling parents, small town gossips and so much more. I have loved everything that Ms. Bloom has written. Read this one and you will see why. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley and it comes highly recommended.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

This author is new to me but will certainly be looking out for the others in this series - really enjoyed this

Well written, great characters and great humour throughout - seemed a very 'real' romance to me

Looking forward to more from this author

Rating: about a 2.5/5 stars
Listen, I find it really difficult to give most books a bad rating. It's not that hard for me to like a book, but to be honest this book was just so-so, perhaps leaning towards the less enjoyable end of the spectrum for me. On paper, it ticked a lot of boxes for me - old possible flame returning home, possible element of hate to love, etc. But this book just didn't work out for me - bearing in mind that this is just my personal opinion.

This is a story of a young woman, who along with her 3 closest friends in the world, were hurt by the infamous King brothers (infamous in their home town). They make a pact to NEVER fall back into their arms, no matter what. But, when Richard (Rich) King, with 2 brothers in tow, returns back to their small town, things begin to change for Kira (the protagonist).

Characterisation:
I think this was probably where I had the most problems with this book. I like Kira enough (not amazing), but there was a moment at around halfway in the book where <spoiler>Kira just straight up chooses Rich over her best friends. Now, bear in mind that Rich hasn't been back in town all that long, and she just ditches her BEST friends (even if they gave her an ultimatum) for him, despite not only the "pact" but also her supposed "grudge" against him. I really, really was disappointed in that. In a time where friends, in particular girl friends need to be standing together, I found myself shaking my head at that.</spoiler> Towards the end of the book, I just found myself enjoying reading Kira's point of view less and less enjoyable. She was nice. But for me, that was about it.
As for Rich - I just didn't feel that his character was fleshed out enough for me. In fact both of them, whilst there was definitely some depth, I just didn't feel that there was enough.
Although, I do have to say that towards the end of the book, the chemistry between Kira and Rich was nicely written.
Storyline:
Again, the storyline was just okay for me. I can see what the author was trying to accomplish, and they definitely had some big visions and dreams for the direction of the novel, which I appreciate. However, if the pace had slowed down a little more and perhaps some of the (many) complications, omitted, I think the novel's storyline would have worked out better in my eyes.
Overall:
Overall, the novel just wasn't really for me - I didn't find myself getting emotionally invested in Kira and Rich's relationship, which was probably largely due to the fact that I just could not learn to love Kira's character. Again, all of this is just my personal opinion, and this is not to say that no one should read this book - I'm sure there are many out there who loved this book and would love it! It was nice at points, but overall, this wasn't the book for me.

Note: I was very generously provided an ARC of this novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Anyone But Rich is a hilarious and fun read and I'm super exited to see how the rest of the series plays out! I also plan to go back and read more of the authors books who have come highly recommended to me!

This was a cute story about second chances with your childhood crush. It was cute. I think it seemed a little rushed. She gave in a little too easy, almost as if she never really meant to hold a grudge. It’s a fun read. I’m looking forward to the next one.

While the narrative was bound by familiarity to the trope, the read was light and fun. Penelope Bloom has a creative way of defining her characters and making them relatable to the reader. Her dialog flows easily allowing the reader to feel apart of the story and the character’s lives. Rich and Kira’s chemistry is pure entertainment. Loved it. Perfect weekend read. 4 stars

A big thank you to #NetGalley for this ARC. I read and reviewed #AnyoneButRich voluntarily. All thoughts and comments are my own.

Rich & Kira’s story was not what I expected, but overall it was a good read. This is my first book that I have read by Penelope Bloom. I would read more by her in the future. It was just a little slow for me.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Kira and Rich change everybody’s mind!

Kira Summerland and her best friends never wanted to get involved with the King Brothers again after high school even though they were moving their billion dollar company headquarter home to West Valley. Kira had dated Nick while trying to get Rich’s attention and thought she was over Rich but when he returned to town, her girlfriends made her promise to stay away from him. Rich King tracked down Kira at her job teaching English but that just irritated her more because he hadn’t changed one bit since high school. Rich and his brothers had more money and used it to get want they wanted except Kira wasn’t going along with it.

Kira and Rich are very much like oil and water in the beginning because they couldn’t stay away from each other even with their family and friends trying to interfere with even a friendship in the beginning. I liked Anyone But Rich because the couple slowly changed everybody’s mind about them.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Good lord Kira is a suacy little thing, "...taking a half step toward me. I held up my hand to stop him. “Have a good life, Richard.” Rich's brothers take great pleasure in his mishaps, "Rich rubbed the back of his head and grimaced. “Actually, I did try a couple moves. Apparently , they didn’t work as well as I thought.” Cade and Nick burst out laughing." I liked thi s book, I loved the relationship the brothers had.

3.5⭐
Anyone But Rich was a pleasant story and one I requested because the synopsis sounded right up my street and the cover gave the impression it was more of an erotica romance and was going to be super hot, but unfortunately it wasn't. However, it did have a couple of nice moments and I did enjoy it. Thanks mainly to certain characters who added humour and a level of craziness I quite liked.

Yet, overall I felt like there was something missing, maybe a spark or real connection between the characters and honestly, I just found it a little slow paced at times and predictable.

Plus, certain characters really didn't work for me and there were others that just needed to get a proper comeuppance for the trouble they caused.

But saying that I can't deny it was engaging and there certainly was the bones of a great story in there. Which is why I would definitely check out the next book in the series. And I would recommend this story to others, particularly if you're a fan of the author.

I had high hopes for this book. The premise seemed great and I had heard fantastic things about this author. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me. The beginning started good but it fell short after that. I didn't understand the relationships and the reasons behind them, both between friends, brothers, parents, and the main characters. This saddened me because I RELLy wanted to connect with the characters. There was a lack of fluidity in the story and that also made it harder for me to enjoy the story or become invested.

That being said, I appreciate this author and er hard work. She does something that I could never do and that is write a book.

This story surprised me. It was very entertaining, mostly because it feels like all the characters have a great sense of humor. I think Rich's behavior towards Kira is super sweet. He treats her like he treats no other. He is genuine with her and talks to her with an easy going freedom that you as a reader won't sense he has with anyone else. I also really liked Kira's personality. She has an innocence to her but is eager for more. Wants to explore, take risks and doesn't coward from anyone. Ballsy but never compromising her proper attitude in the process. Which is a turn on for Rich. And the best plus this book has, are the friends and brothers. This extra characters won me over and had me chuckling constantly. It's ridiculous and unbelievable how they make so much sense with the weirdness that comes out of them. Specially Iris and Cade. I'm really looking forward to their story. It will be full of nonsense and denial but passionate.

I really loved this book. I’m a big fan of this author’s writing and this story did not disappoint. Kira and her friends make a vow to never date, talk to or do anything with the King brothers way back in highschool and when a business deal brings them back years later what’s a girl to do? You do what you do best, deny, deny, deny you have any feelings for Rich King and when he shows up to your work on your first day, and you about lose your mind. All Rich wants to do is apologize for all the damage he caused in highschool. I loved the banter between them, watching him break her walls down a little bit at a time to show he’s not the guy he was. No matter what it always came back to the promise between the girls, never make a woman choose between her man and her friends, the outcome may not be what you expect. I felt the brothers needed to grow up a bit, especially Cade if he wants to win Iris back, he kind of drove me nuts and Nick if he wants a chance with Miranda. With obstacles in their way, can Kira and Rich find their HEA? Great read and I can’t wait for the brothers books to see what kind of spin this author is plotting out. I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.

Anyone But Rich by Penelope Bloom is the first book of the "Anyone But..." series. Kira and her BFFs, Iris and Miranda, all vowed to never let the King brothers get in between their friendships again. Seven years ago, they sworn an oath to never date a King brother. Seven years later, the billionaire King brothers return to their small town with a new business venture. Richard King pulls all stops to get Kira's attention. Kira cannot deny Rich's good looks and her attraction to him, but she had sworn an oath to her friends.

This was a funny, entertaining read - a good blend of romance and humor. However, the writing and dialogue is cringe-worthy and cheesy, like the typical YA romance dialogue. This book reminds me of The Royals series. Rich, good looking brothers and a romance. The storyline is a bit dragged; could've wrapped it up in half the amount of pages. However, it is worth a read if you don't care for good writing and only looking for an easy, entertaining read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penelope Bloom, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley for ARC!!

This was a fun, quick read. Although it felt rushed at times, to me, that is better than too slow.

Fun book to read on the beach!