4/5 Stars

Thank you to Avon for providing me with an arc.

I love billionaire romances but one of my biggest issues with them is they tend to be very white especially trad published ones but this one is written by a person of color. This was fantastic and I loved the diversity in it plus the romance was amazing. I loved Xander and Penelope and how their relationship progressed from fake marriage to realizing they loved each other. I really want to go back and read the previous books in this series and I will be continuing with it if there are more in the future. You can read this as a standalone which I did and completely understand everything that is going on in this book. I think it would be even better if I had read the previous ones but I still loved it.

I have been waiting for Xander's book for so long that I just devoured this book. There is so much yearning and connection between these two characters that I just fell for them as a couple. The "I will marry you to help you" trope worked out so well including the fact that Xander let Penny shine on her own while cheering from back even when he had all the power to handle everything.

This book was a quick and perfect read for me.

This book was such a fun and light hearted read! This story centers on the relationship between Xander and Penelope and how they navigate their marriage of convenience. As the novel progresses, we get a deeper dive into their insecurities and how those exactly develop. While this book focuses on the romance between the two, we definitely get more from their story.

With Penelope's familial obligations, we see her develop into a strong, confident, and badass woman. She never fails to lose sight of her family values while still learning to prioritize herself. And Xander. What a beautiful, golden retriever of a man. I instantly fell in love with his when I first read The Heir. His charisma and personality shine through and how much he deeply cares for those around him.

Ava Rani develops the most beautiful found family and we learn how to lean on them when needed. But, she also empowers readers to be brave and truly seek out what you want not out of fear but out of desire for pure, unapologetic happiness. I felt that this book brought a lot of healing for many readers, and I especially appreciate how Ava Rani incorporates the familiar obligations that many Asian-American children face. Love this book for both the fun billionaire romance and the many lessons it brings.

If you ever read or watched Crazy rich asians and said I could go for some more of that vibe, this one is for you! This is the final book in a series of interconnected standalones following the biotech billionaires couples. I do recommend reading them in order because of how relevant and interconnected the found family dynamics are with this group. Penelope and Xander chemistry comes off the page from their first interaction! They really are electric and I will always and forever love a swooning devoted man. Swoony romance, so much banter, and a sexy time to do list. I can’t wait for everyone to experience their love story unfold.

I enjoy a good Billionaire romance and this one was a pretty good read. I enjoyed the characters and also the storyline. It was a bit predictable, but it made for a fun quick read.

The Charmer was such an enjoyable read even though it was predictable. It was lighthearted and easy to read, I flew through it reading more than half of it in one sitting.

This was my first book by this author but it won't be my last. I'm looking forward to reading more by her. I loved her writing style and the multicultural nature of this book. I don't think I've read a book before with a character from Singapore so I loved exploring what was shown of that country and its culture. I enjoyed the characters, Penelope and Xander, getting to know them and following along on their journey. I loved the way their marriage of convenience came together.

Although I started with the third book in the series I didn't at all feel like I was missing anything if anything it made me want to go back and read the previous books. I also loved that it didn't spoil the first two books.

This was a pretty easygoing read with light angst, some pining and steam. There were also sweet moments littered throughout. I definitely recommend especially to those who love found family.

The Charmer by Ava Rani is a romance novel. The story revolves around Penelope Chen-Astor, a high-powered lawyer who has distanced herself from her wealthy family's expectations in Singapore to build her own life in Manhattan. However, her grandfather's will stipulates that she must be married for a year to claim her inheritance.

Penelope asks for help from Xander Sutton, a billionaire and the co-founder of Dawn Capital. Xander, has always been drawn to Penelope, sees this as an opportunity to win her over. This starts out as a business arrangement and soon evolves into a deep connection. She learns to trust and allows herself to embrase the possibitlity of love. She is on a journey of self-discovery and manages how to balance her personal life with her career.

I thought this was a very enjoyable book and loved how the characters developed throughout the story.

I would recommend this book to my family and friends.

I really enjoyed this book and even though it is part of a series it reads well as a stand alone. In this story we have billionaire Xander and lawyer and heiress Penelope. Xander is a gorgeous billionaire who has always been careful not to get too deep into relationships, except something about Penelope makes him almost want to try. The trouble is, Penelope is already promised to someone else. Penelope doesn’t want to get married, but thanks to her controlling grandfather she must marry by the end of summer or she and her mother risk losing their inheritance. Enter a marriage of convenience between them, which quickly gets very complicated as real feelings start to develop. I loved the main characters and their emotional growth in this story. The side characters, friend group, and scenery around the world was lovely. This was a fun fast paced read with so much heart. I haven’t read the rest of the series, but now want to go back and catch up. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

This is the first story by Ava Rani that I have had the pleasure to read. At first, I was getting a little annoyed that the two main characters, Xander and Penelope, could avoid a lot of the misunderstandings/issues if only they would have a conversation to clear the air. Eventually they do and it was wonderful to watch these characters grow and mature. They each brought something to the other that was needed. You know how it goes ... two halves of a whole ... This is a nicely crafted friends to lovers/fake wedding story that checks all the boxes. Great characters and locations, along with good writing and dialogue.

ARE WE GETTING MORE?! This series completely took me by surprise. I am OBSESSED. Ava Rani does a perfect job of bringing high society drama to the pages of her book. After reading the Spare and the Heir, I was hooked on the setting / everyone being billionaires. But Xander brings the golden retriever, charasmatic, charming energy to this series that we do not see in our other MMCs. In this story the Crazy Rich Asians vibes were amped up even more, and we got to learn more about our super successful lawyer girl Penelope. Add in a marriage of convenience and "my wife" and I am drooling. Overall, I had A LOT of fun with this series, the vibes were perfection.

Thank you Netgalley, GoodGirlsPR and Ava Rani for this ARC.
I've been wanting to read this ever since book blurb. And I wanted to know more about xander and Penelope.

Throughout the book, there had been so many adventures, enjoyment, sadness and also yearning.
I really liked the storyline. And also how both xander and Penelope even though had this arrangement in the beginning but at the end they became a real couple.

Xander is the type of character that, if you ever met him, you'd be charmed by his personality. Penelope was the type that was confident, independent and Reliable.

Both had to go through hardships, together and individually at the same time. But they always made their way to each other.

Really enjoyed this book so much that it got me out of a reading slump. ❤️
Also the way xander did everything from Penelope's list, with her was my favorite. 🫠

P.S. I really loved the epilogue and extended epilogue, it was so wholesome. 🥹

Thank you to harper Collins publishers, Netgalley, & ava rani for this arc. I thought the story was alright. I did like the piece about spinning a hl9be to see where they were going to live.

This book was pretty middle of the pack for me. That being said, I do think I would have enjoyed it more if I read the other two first, it doesn’t work as well as a standalone, imo.

I didn’t love Penelope as a main character, as she didn’t have as much depth as I would have liked. I get why she does the things she does, but it was pointed out several times in the book that she’s nowhere near as ingrained into the friend group as everyone else, yet they all do a lot for her, no questions asked, because she’s one of their own. It didn’t come off like she did anything to gain that loyalty, other than being rich like the rest of them.

The love story didn’t really grasp me, and it really didn’t seem like Penelope and Xander had much of anything in common, other than their wealth and being attracted to each other.

I did love Singapore as a backdrop, and the scenes where they went around exploring it were short but probably my favorite in the whole book. I wish they spent more time there. I also really liked the storyline with the poppies, it was really sweet.

Thank you netgalley for the arc!!! I really really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to go back and read the first two books as well. I really enjoyed the found family trope because that’s one of my fave tropes always. I really loved Xaden as well he literally had me giggling and kicking my feet! His love language was acts of service which is just going to get me every time.

I wish there would have been a bit more exploration into Xadens trauma just to add some more depth and character development to the book. I think the other part that lacked a bit for me was I wish we would’ve had more depth in the romance so I could’ve felt more connected to it. But overall I really liked this and definitely will be reading the other books in the series!!

Penelope Chen-Astor ran away from the expectations of her wealthy family in Singapore for an independent life as a high-powered Manhattan lawyer. But familial duty comes crashing back when her grandfather’s will demands she be married for a year to claim her inheritance. She’d walk away from it all, but her mother’s assets are at stake too, and this is the only way Penelope can see to protect her. Enter Xander Sutton, the billionaire co-founder of investment group Dawn Capital. With his effortless charm and easy smiles, he’s used to winning hearts, but Penelope’s always proven immune to him. When she’s backed into a corner and asks Xander to masquerade as her husband for a year, he sees a golden opportunity to finally win over the only person who’s kept him at arm’s length—but the closer they get, the harder it becomes to play pretend. What begins as a strictly business arrangement quickly spirals into steamy encounters and genuine emotions. When meddling relatives, corporate espionage, and high-stakes legal battles come into play, Xander and Penelope will have to decide if the inheritance is all they stand to lose when the year is done...

Billionaire romance is one of my absolute favorite tropes and one I am most envious of the FMC cause like why does that never happen to me 🤣 and this one was done so incredibly well. I absolutely loved that Xander was head over heels for her from the beginning even if she didn’t know it yet. He would do absolutely anything to make her happy and it shows and it’s fan-FREAKING-tastic . Now this book is a jet setter so we get to see them travel to quite a few different countries and the descriptions of all the places are so vivid that I felt like I got to travel with them. This book also has some good steamy scenes that had me blushing. I think this is a good book to pick up if you’re looking for your next billionaire romance.

Ava Rani made me a billionaire romance fan 🥰 The Charmer is the third interconnected standalone in the Bio Tech Billionaires series, and I think it might be my favorite of the three! Give me forced proximity + marriage of convenience and I am one happy girl!!!

Penelope is fierce and strong. I loved how confident and witty she is. The way she bantered with Xander!! Xander is my favorite kind of MMC — quiet, loyal, and deeply pining for his girl !!

Something I really love about Ava is that she gives her readers a good, well-rounded ending. We get to experience the happy for a bit longer, and also an epilogue!!

Thank you Avon for the ARC!

I absolutely love this series. The romance is done just right and has a great flow to the story line. I enjoy being able to catch up on what other MCs form the books before are up to and how their lives intertwine.

3.5 Stars The Charmer is the third book in Ava Rani’s Biotech Billionaires series and can easily be read as a standalone romance!

Penelope Chen-Astor has never felt like she belonged in her family and ran away from Singapore to work as a lawyer in Manhattan. Familial duty comes calling when her grandfather’s will states that in order for Penelope to receive her inheritance and her mother to retain her assets, Penelope must be married for a year and purchase a home in Singapore. Penelope doesn’t want to marry the man her family has selected for her, but luckily Xander Sutton, her friend and billionaire co-founder of an investment group, agrees to stand in as her husband for a year. Xander is endlessly charming and has been harboring feelings for Penelope for years. They both easily fall into married life and their fake marriage soon feels very real. Soon, meddling relatives and corporate espionage threaten the foundation of their relationship. Will Penelope and Xander be left standing when the year is over?

Though I haven’t read the other books in this series, The Spare and The Heir, I can’t wait to read them now. I couldn’t resist picking up The Charmer because I love a good marriage of convenience and billionaire romance. This was a great story and reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians (Penelope definitely has Astrid vibes). Despite being an heiress, Penelope is so down to earth and guarded due to her father’s side of the family rejecting her after her parents’ divorce. Xander is a fantastic partner to Penelope but has his own baggage that he must overcome after facing loss earlier in his life. Overall, a great read!

Thanks Ava Rani and Avon for the ARC! The Charmer releases May 13th!

I looooooved this book! While I am not always a fan of fake dating, the marriage-of-convenience trope is almost always a winner for me. As soon as I started the first book in this interconnected series, I knew I would eat Xander's story right up. And it did not disappoint! I just really love Xander, and think he was so well written. This book comes out on May 13th, and if you haven't checked out this series yet, this is your sign to do so!

Penelope is hit with a tough decision in the first part of the book with her inheritance: She must be married and she must buy land in Singapore. The land she can do but the marriage part is where she is struggling, her family for business benefit has arranged a marriage with another family and lets just say the man is not who she wants to live her life with. When Xander comes in to save the day and marries her to save her, a bit of drama ensues.

Ava’s story The Charmer gave me such Crazy Rich Asian vibes and was a fun read. As a recovering people pleaser myself, it was relatable to see Penelope struggle with finding herself and her voice towards her family. One of my favorite micro tropes is in this read so you know I am going to instantly love it! The micro trope is when the FMC is seen by the MMC when she doesn’t think others notice. Again a fun read and if you love Billionaire Romances and a book with Communication this is for you!

Tropes: Billionaire Romance, Marriage of convenience, Friends to Lovers, Golden Retriever & Black Cat, Found Family

Spice Level: A Spicy Margarita that I did not realize was in here!

Genre: Contemporary romance

Book Pub Date: May 13 2025

Thank you Netgalley, Avon, & Harper Voyager for this arc in exchange for an honest review!