The Charmer by Ava Rami was such a fantastic read! A story about high society arranged marriages goes awry when Penelope realizes that she doesn’t want the life that has always been set up for her. When she needs to get out of marrying the guy set up for her, she turns to one of her best friends, Xander, to fake a marriage. Will this marriage become more than just a ploy?

This book kept me on my toes! It had me rooting for the main characters the entire time, and also highlighted so many themes and plot lines of friendship and rekindling lost familial relationships. Definitely recommend to anyone who loves any of those tropes or plot lines!

This was my first read by Ava Rani, and even though I jumped into the series without reading the first two books, I had no problem following along.I loved Xander—he was sweet, protective, and so down bad it was almost comical. He’s the definition of a pining man who falls first, and I ate it up! The way he called Penelope “Poppy”? Yeah, that did it for me. I really appreciated the found family aspect in this book. I know I would’ve felt those connections even more deeply if I had started with book one, but the vibes still came through strong. As much as I enjoyed parts of it, both main characters felt a little surface-level. Penelope’s family drama and Xander’s trauma had so much potential, but neither was fully explored. The romance leaned heavily on Xander’s pining, which was cute at first, but I needed more angst, more longing, and deeper emotional tension to really feel invested. The pacing was also a little uneven—and when that business subplot popped up ? It kinda took me out of the story. Still, this was a fun billionaire marriage-of-convenience romance, and Ava Rani’s writing style definitely makes me want to check out more from her.

Reading this one was like completing a romance checklist.

✔️ Spice
✔️ Dual pov
✔️ Mystery
✔️ Tropes

It was a satisfying, quick read.

This was a new author for me and I throughly enjoyed this romance! It had the perfect balance of whit, romance, and feels! I thought the writing was well done! This won’t be the last book I read from Ava! I look forward to the next book!

✅ Penelope Astor Chen, 31, attorney & Xander Sutton, billionaire finance bro
✅ marriage of convenience
✅ Vibe is Crazy Rich Asians with 🌶️.

Book 3 in a series, but you don’t really need to read them in order. I dove in with book 3 and it’s not hard to keep up with the characters. A lovely escape from reality.

For the love of Poppies, this was cute!

I actually started backwards, haven’t read the first 2 books from this series but I can see that all these can be read as standalone so I wasn’t lost or felt like I was missing bits of the story while reading this.

It was short, sweet, and to the point - Might just need myself a Tech Billionaire, perhaps with the name Xander would be great.🤔💕 Anywho, there wasn’t really any plot twists to this other than an unexpected marriage from 2 ppl who blindly have had feelings for one another for a long while now (Penelope and Xander). Loved how this wasn’t a toxic relationship, loads of communications between the MFM and MMC. It was a steady love story and that’s all. Sweet ending as well. 😊

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC!
Really enjoyed it!

This was such a refreshing billionaire romance book. I loved that the FMC wasn't a poor, damsel in distress type of woman. She was successful outside of the MMC, but the marriage of convenience aspect brought them together and I loved it. Characters and plot were compelling and fun to read about.

This was cute, steamy, full of banter and I think the best in the series! I loved Xander and Penelope. I LOVE a good marriage of convenience, and I think Ava does this so well in this book. I found myself grinning like a fool reading this and absolutely devoured it in one sitting. There's something so fun about a woman who's a bit standoffish and definitely in charge, and a man who oozes charm (except she isn't charmed by him), and wants nothing more than to please her. The pining. The longing. How badly he wanted her!? Perfect perfect perfect.

Xander and Penelope have amazing chemistry and I could feel the attraction from their first scene together. I love the wit and humor in their story despite everything they stand to lose. It's always fun revisiting characters from past books and I'm so glad they finally got their story. I listened to the audiobook and it's a great way to immerse yourself in this romance.

This is the first book I have read by this author and loved it. Xander is book boyfriend perfection. Definitely would recommend!

Xander and Penelope are the definition of a healthy relationship. This started as a marriage out of convenience. He falls first. Singapore and Europe are two places I hope to visit one day.

Absolutely loved, perfect end to the series. I loved Penelope and Xander's chemistry so much. Their story kept me hooked the whole time. It had sweet moments, a little drama, and a lot of heart. Highly recommend this series to my romance readers that love a billionaire romance. ALSO THE FOUND FAMILY IN HERE IS SO FREAKING ADORABLE.

This was the second book I’ve read by this author. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I love Penelope and Xander as a couple. I would recommend this book if you enjoy:

- Billionaire romance (both are billionaires)
- Dual POV
- Marriage of convenience
- Friends to lovers
- Takes place in New York and Singapore
- Intercultural romance
- Tight group of friends
- Multiple epilogues

This had a solid start and I could definitely see the potential but somewhere along the way I stopped feeling connected to the story. I wasn’t super invested in the characters and it didn’t pull me in the way I was hoping.

There wasn’t anything wrong with it. The writing was fine the setup had promise but the spark just wasn’t there for me. I kept waiting for the banter or chemistry to really hit the kind of stuff I usually love in a romance but it never quite got there.

It’s one of those books I didn’t hate but also didn’t love. It just kind of landed in the middle. I’m giving it a solid three stars because it wasn’t bad it just wasn’t for me.

These books have been really fun, and I was so excited to get the Penelope and Xander's story after seeing glimpses of them in the previous two books. The marriage of convenience x billionaire romance (in which they are both billionaires) tropes were done really well. I feel like Penelope and Xander's existing friendship really added to their chemistry and I enjoyed reading their banter as well. I also really liked seeing both characters develop into their own as individuals throughout the book. I loved seeing all the other characters from this series and of course the extended epilogue was perfect! I really liked Ava Rani's writing style and will definitely be reading more from her in the future. I would definitely recommend this book (and series) for a fun, spicy read!

This book totally swept me off my feet and wrapped me in its intoxicating world of glamour, wit, and undeniable chemistry. I adored how themes of loyalty, trust, and breaking free from expectations were woven seamlessly into the romance. It was exactly the kind of smart, spicy, and emotionally satisfying love story I crave. I couldn’t put it down and honestly wish it would never end.

Absolutely loved it! Cute, steamy and my favorite of the series. If you love a spicy book and are looking for a good time with the arguably the best trope (marriage of convenience) this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC of this book!

“The Charmer” is the final installment in the Biotech Billionaire series and it’s easily my favorite.

Xander has always been my top pick among Ava’s billionaire boyfriends, and now he’s graduated to billionaire husband. In this book, we’re reintroduced to Penelope Chen-Astor, the ambitious lawyer we briefly met in The Spare. After breaking off her arranged marriage, Penelope needs to get married ASAP with no strings attached and Xander steps in like a modern day Superman.

What she doesn’t know is that he’s been secretly obsessed with her and sees this arrangement as his chance to win her heart for real. He’s patient, devoted, and genuinely supportive, giving her space to move at her own pace.

Penelope is dealing with intense family drama, but none of it fazes Xander. Instead, he’s determined to help her in any way he can even if it means bending the rules. The chemistry between them is electric, and their connection feels so real and full of steamy tension.

If I had one wish, it would be to see more resolution between Penelope and her mother. Her need to constantly support her mom was a big theme, and I would’ve loved to see her confront that head on instead of quietly stepping away by having someone else take over her duties. In the end her mother never learns to take care of herself, the duties just landed on someone else.

That said, the book wrapped up the series in such a satisfying way, especially ending where it all began, at Marcus and Solan’s wedding. The epilogue gave us a sweet glimpse into all the couples’ futures, making the farewell feel complete.

I cannot believe this series is over!!! Xander and Penelope have my absolute whole heart and I loved their story so much!!! The little moments between them were absolutely everything and I cannot believe the chemistry between them! Xander was an absolute SIMP for Penelope and I loved his golden retriever energy. And can we just talk about how freaky they were😍🥵omg that man had me absolutely begging and so hot and bothered! This book was so cute and I just loved the little moments between them. This was such a sweet ending to this series and I cannot wait to see what Ava Rani has in store for us next!!!

Penelope Chen-Astor is a powerful attorney in Manhattan but she must marry in order to guarantee her inheritance from her powerful an manipulative family in Singapore. After rejecting the man her family wants to marry, she enters a marriage of convenience with Xander Sutton, a billionaire and her best friend’s brother-in-law. The pair have always been attracted to one another so their marriage allows them to act on their feelings and grow their connection, but business and family keep things complicated.

This is the third book in the Biotech Billionaires series, but the first one that I’ve read. I read the book in essentially one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The book is high heat and there was a palpable connection between Penelope and Xander even before they married. I’m not usually one to read billionaire romances, but this one felt less icky where they were both billionaires because there wasn’t thee monetary power imbalance. I’m going to have to track down the previous two books in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.