The breakup plan by Elle Vaughn

A very predictable rich man /poor woman scenario starts off reasonably but then falls a bit flat. No real chemistry in this story that could have had a lot of potential- disappointing. 2.5/5

Very cliche rich man (Elliot) and a poor struggling woman (Penny) it was exactly how you think it would play out. I did like Pennys character though.

I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed The Breakup Plan by Elle Vaughn. A sweet start to a new series of you enjoy an easy romance read. I look forward to reading the rest of the books.

It seemed a little interesting at first. but soon was not. the chemistry of the two main characters felt non existent and the characters boring.

Not my favorite hero that’s for sure. But a cute start to a new series. You’ve got to love a fake relationship trope!

This story took me a few pages to get into. I was disappointed with the ending because there were still things that weren't discussed in the book and you were left thinking.. Why?

Elliot Faulkner is a major playboy, he gets off on the excitement of dating married women. The sneaking around, wondering if you might get caught adds to the thrill. He doesn't do commitment, and he's the one who ends things. He refuses to have any emotional attachments. He's never met a woman who didn't want him or one who's said no to him. When he was only 13 years old, he lost his parents and younger brother in a tragic accident. But you don't know how, just that he feels responsible for the accident. He was born into a wealthy and happy family and losing them destroyed him. He went to live with his Aunt and Uncle who raised him as their own. Due to the accident, he refuses to fall in love, it hurts too much to lose a loved one. So he doesn't allow his heart to become involved with his flings.

Penny Reynolds has had a childhood from hell. She was born in a trailer park, neglected by her alcoholic mom, and finally ran away when she was 14 years old. She went to college, got her degree and is trying to get a good job so she can get custody of her little brother, Tim. His home environment is abusive. Her mom and step-dad do nothing but get drunk and hit each other, sometimes hitting Tim. When Penny calls the cops, they do nothing because they are drinking pals of her step-dad's.

Penny lands an unpaid internship at a prestigious marketing company in the city. She ends up working with Elliot Faulkner, a bigwig at the company. On her first day, she accidentally runs into someone spilling her coffee all over him and she snaps. He's not so friendly either. When she meets her new boss, it's the coffee guy. At first, she's expected to get him coffee and make copies. By the third day, she's quit. She had to get a night job to pay the bills because she needs the money, but she also needs sleep.

When Elliott's face is splashed across the tabloids the following morning with a blonde, he panics. He's trying to close a major deal with the women's husband and he can't get caught. He realizes he needs a decoy, and he needs to be seen around town with her a lot. So he shows up at Penny's house with a proposition: be his fake girlfriend for $10,000. She turns him down when she finds out that he's sleeping with a married women. The following day, she gets another distressing call from Tim and decides to take Elliott up on his offer. Then she calls her attorney to start custody papers.

As Penny gets to know the real Elliot, he's not the jerk she originally thought he was. He's actually a really nice guy. She tells him her life story after her mom blackmailed them both over for dinner; she was humiliated. Elliott was actually able to handle her mentally challenged mother.

But soon the lines begin blurring and neither one of them can fight their attraction anymore. Penny realizes that she's falling in love with him and is scared to get hurt. When Elliott asks her to try having a real relationship with him, she agrees.

But when Elliott's ex goes to his place to see Penny, she starts telling stories that aren't true but Penny isn't sure what to believe. Before she can talk to Elliott, her brother calls her hysterical and hurt. And things go very badly from there.

Now she's on the road running with her brother and she has no one she can rely on. Elliott's security team is tracking her, can he get to her in time?

An enjoyable but a very average run of the mill romance book. I liked the characters and although it was quite predictable i still enjoyed the story.

The Breakup Plan was not what I expected. It was well written and the story flowed nicely but I couldn't get into the plot of the story. It just wasn't for me.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was a new author to me, but I decided to read this book based on its synopsis which sounded quite intriguing. Unfortunately, this missed the mark a bit in my opinion, but I would give this author another try for sure.

First off, I felt the writing style was subpar. I just had this overwhelming feeling that I was reading a junior level novel, despite the copious amounts of swearing. The language used was very simple, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just not what I expected from an adult romance novel.

Character development was pretty good here, especially in Elliot's case. He started out as a total asshole and I wasn't really a fan. But he did grow and develop a conscience as the book went on, and I was swayed to his side. Penny was an interesting character. She definitely had a lot of fight in her, and wasn't taking crap from anyone. She was headstrong, yet also vulnerable at times which was a nice touch. It made her seem more real.

Overall, while this wasn't quite my cup of tea, it was on ok read. I ended up finishing it in a couple days so definitely a quick, easy read. I just think more could have been done with it, and the writing style could be improved a bit. There were a lot of things that could have been elaborated on and I felt like there was some loose ends. The ending was a bit odd.. kind of abrupt? I kept swiping on my Kindle because I thought there was another chapter... an epilogue at least but nada. I'd say give this book a try regardless, I feel like it is one that will have some readers loving it and some feeling meh. I just happen to be in the meh section!

The Breakup Plan is a quick read. Penny is such a sweet heroine that had so many problems in her past so when she meets Elliot there get involved in a fake relationship (one of my fave tropes).
There is so much drama in this book so you have to read it!
Definitely worth it

I enjoyed this story even if it had all the clichés, a fillanderer changing his ways for love, a fake relationship and the good only one room and bed move. I think Elliot and Penny are great characters and the story is very well written and entertaining.

The Breakup Plan was such a delightful read. Penny is a struggling intern at GreenHealth trying to learn the ropes in hopes of getting a recommendation and a job that will earn her money she desperately needs. The money is not for shoes or status but to save her little brother from growing up in a broken home like she had to. It is at her internship that she meets Elliot Faulkner. He has fame and fortune and upon first meeting they are instant enemies. He dislikes Penny but finds himself in hot water. He realizes that he needs her to take the heat off him from an unfortunate picture out swirling in the media. He employs Penny because she is desperate and needs the cash. The deal? The two have to begin a fake relationship and you can guess where the story goes from there. It was such a good read. I loved the struggle that Penny has to endure to do right by her brother, you find yourself rooting for her and when it comes crashing down you feel just as defeated. I love the danger and twists because this is not your typical just enemies to lovers story. This book is a slow burn but the payoff is there. I love Elle Vaughn's writing and look forward to more books from her. A new favorite author of mine!

I love a good fake-relationship romance, it's such a good category to read. But this didn't feel like one of those. It felt like the author was pushing characters with no chemistry together. I love a good cheesy romance, but the lines the characters say are just lame in a lot of cases. I didn't like Penny, I really didn't like Elliot and I kinda wished they didn't end up together. Sorry, not sorry.

Elliot’s and Penny’s lives have just literally crashed into each other. These two couldn’t be more different from each other, and they each happen to not be the biggest fans of the other. However, each has something the other one needs.

Elliot’s a high-profile bachelor who claims he’s not a relationship guy. He’s involved with a married woman and when photo surfaces of the two in public, Elliot has to do some damage control. Because the face of the woman isn’t completely visible, everyone is eager to learn who she is. Insert “intern Penny”. Penny is desperately trying to gain custody of her young brother, but financially things just aren’t working in her favor. Elliot has the brilliant idea to hire Penny to be his girlfriend in public to take the heat off of him and mystery woman.

There were so many things about this book that shouldn’t have worked for me. I wasn’t a fan of either of the characters. Elliot was a true ass. Other than the fact that he’s sleeping with a married woman, he was extremely reckless with his actions when it came to her. He truly got off on the possibility of them getting caught. I mean, this guy was beyond messy. As for Penny, saying she needed and attitude adjustment is gross understatement. I swear, she just couldn’t get out of her own way at times. I could appreciate the complexity of her situation, but even when she was offered a little bit of help, she made it extremely difficult. I wasn’t a fan of the writing; things were just very choppy. There was a lot going on in this book. There seemed to be at least three different tropes going on. There were a few situations that just weren’t very realistic, like when Elliot and the married woman’s husband finally confront each other. It was like, “yeah, I knew you were screwing her. I was screwing someone too. Hey, it happens”. Oh, did I mention the woman Elliot is having an affair with happens to be the wife of the man who heads the company Elliot’s company is in negotiations with? See, messy. Not to mention, the title gives nothing to what this book is actually about. This is not saying that the book did work for me, but what it did was give me just enough to keep me going. I really had to see how it was going to end.

This was fine, nothing very special, just pretty average. the smut was also VERY steamy and eeeeeek.

Elliot has made really crappy decisions throughout his life. Now that his actions just may catch up to him he has to think fast to save not only face but a massive deal at work.

Penny has lived in the trailers all her life. She wants to make a better life and she Will do whatever she has to. Getting her degree and working as an intern so she can get the better job she wants shouldn’t be hard. Until she has to
Work for Elliot and well everyone has their breaking point.

Blackmail, fake relationships, horrible pasts, and a lot of money to make everyone believe that they are In a relationship even though Penny hates Elliot! Can they survive?

I really liked Penny. Elliott is an ass. The situation wasn't anything I haven't read before. It was an okay read but felt unfinished.

I wasn't sure about this book at first -- something in the writing seemed a bit off, but maybe that's just me. Or maybe I didn't like the way the book opened -- with one of the main characters having an affair with a married woman. But I trudged past that, and once the other main character entered the book, her story captured my attention. By the end, I was glad I read the book.

It's a story about Penny, a girl who grew up with an alcoholic mother and series of brutal stepfathers. Her trailer park home was definitely on the wrong side of the tracks, but Penny is stubborn and strong-willed and determined to escape from the life she's been dropped into. So she leaves home at 14, staying with friends and boyfriends until she can find a job and make enough money to go to college. Her little brother Timmy is the only reason she goes back to the trailer.
She doesn't want him growing up under the fear and filth. She vows to somehow get custody of him. But she doesn't know where she will get the money for the attorney fees.

Then we've got Elliott. He's the privileged boy who grew up in a very comfortable lifestyle with a loving aunt and uncle. He has a great job, too, as an executive in a thriving company. Penny was awarded an unpaid internship at his company, and he was assigned to be her supervisor and mentor. But Elliott despises interns and treats her like a sexist jerk at first. They don't hit it off, and Penny won't tolerate his arrogance nor the locker room talk she overhears one day when he's speaking with a couple of his male co-workers. So she quits. This bothers Elliott, and he realizes that in the short amount of time she was there, she had gotten under his skin.

Elliott is a known womanizer, and is currently having an affair with Beth, the wife of one of his business associates. Elliott knows he's taking a risk by doing this, but doesn't seem to care. Or perhaps he just likes the thrill of doing the forbidden and not being caught. That's because Beth's husband--Peter--is an executive in a company that might be acquired by Elliott's company. Elliott is worried that if Peter discovers the affair, the deal will go south and Elliott would lose his job over the scandal. One day the paparazzi catches a photo of them together, and it's published in the newspaper. Fortunately, the photo is so fuzzy that it's impossible to identify the woman with Elliott. The both realize that if they continue, it's just a matter of time before they will be caught and a scandal will erupt.

So he comes up with a plan. He will ask Penny -- who looks a little like Beth -- to be his pretend girlfriend for a while, just until things cool off with the paparazzi. Penny refuses because she thinks Elliott is conceited misogynist. But when he offers to pay her, she reconsiders. She needs the money desperately so she can gain custody of her little brother and get him away from their abusive mother.

Of course, oil and water don't mix -- at least at first. Their pretend relationship is rocky, until each begins to discover more about what makes the other tick. Penny realizes that Elliott's bad boy attitude and actions are a result of something terrible that happened in his past. Her empathy for him develops into something more. Elliott realizes what a tough life Penny has had, and develops a respect for her that turns into... maybe like? Maybe love?

This isn't a lighthearted, fluffy romance. The author deals with some disturbing topics -- like child abuse. And there are a few scenes with Penny's mother and stepfather that nearly made me vomit. But that's why I was so proud of Penny in the end. She overcame the odds and became a stronger person despite them.

Will Penny gain custody of her brother? Will Elliott become more than his bad boy reputation? Can a fake relationship turn into a real one when the two people grew up in completely different life situations? I guess you'll have to read "The Breakup Plan" and find out!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for a fair and unbiased opinion.

I liked the middle of the book but did not like the beginning and end. In the beginning, the hero, Elliott, is a big jerk. He is selfish, cocky, and seems to thrive on hurting others. He does see the error of his ways, which is why I enjoyed the middle of the book because he did grow as a character. I liked that the heroine, Penny, did not just ignore Elliot’s initial jerkiness because he is rich and cute. She stands up to him and does not fall for him until later in the book. The ending fell flat for me. I do not know if this is part one of a duo as the blurb and the book itself do not mention anything about their being a part two. I mention maybe the book being a duo because the book seemed to end abruptly. The major conflict does not get wrapped up and a big part of the story line is left unfinished. If this was indeed the end of the book and there is no part two, the ending was truly terrible and should be reworked by adding another chapter or epilogue. Because only the middle was good, I would not recommend this book.

My Feelings -
-First of all, I read this kinda plot on Wattpad. Like there was the male character having a relationship with a older woman. Then started fake dating the female character because of the fear of exposing and they fell in love.
- I already wanted to put the book down after reading the first chapter where Elliot was having sex with Beth. Because I hate older woman and younger man romance or whatever involvement that was. Call me sexist or whatever.
-Elliot and Penny's first encounter was LMFAO! Proud of her.
-It was heartbreaking how Penny's mother treated her children and how Penny wanted to protect his brother but the situation is not in her favor.
-Penny made a big deal out of it when Elliot asked her for a coffee. All. The. Fucking. Time. It's irritating.
-At first, Elliot behaved like a grownup teenager. But later I had no problem with him and actually liked him except the part when Beth came and kissed him and he kissed her back but turned her down. But I hate it when the hero have any other interaction with other woman except the heroine. Beth's the only thing I didn't like about Elliot but then again it was a big deal-breaker for me.
-I liked Elliot's jealousy. Lol!
-I wanted to smack Michael when he stupidly tried to make Penny and Elliot apart from each other.
-I loved the steamy moments between Elliot and Penny. (Totally fanning myself 😉)
-Why the fuck did she slapped him when she initiate the whole thing? Ugh!
-"This whole ordeal was business only, and I was too stubborn to hurt my pride by hooking up with a guy like him." - We'll see about that. And I was right. She was the one who started all this.
-The office moment was steamy, emotional and then hilarious.
-To be honest, this book could do so much better without the last incident. It was totally unnecessary for this book. I don't know why authors go overboard with their books most of the time.
-I don't know why Michael kept reminding me of the Michael from 'Jane the Virgin'. Could be the name or how they both are the first love of the heroines or it could be the fact that they both were good at first but turned into totally other person later.
-This book is unfinished and I seriously don't like when a book is left unfinished. The author could alert at first.