Sven Van Der Meer is wanting to hire someone who will be his date for a week at each function he has that week. He does not tell these women when they come for the interview what the job entails just that he needs an assistant. Inez Sanchez is the last person to show up for the interview needing money, but you do not know the reason why at first. She ends up getting the job and with it $ 5,000 dollars a day. She takes her responsibilities towards him serious and he is totally taken in by her. But at the end of the night, she leaves. She also leaves the next night, but they each find out a little more about each other and she for one does not like his brother, business partner, or former girlfriend who is now marrying his brother. He finds out her secret about being a single mother and helping her grandmother who is going blind. While she is dealing with the father of her baby, who has been gone for a year and has made it known to her that he had been sleeping with all of his dance partners. She wants nothing to do with him and it is like talking to a brick wall even after she finds him and her best friend together in bed. Now later that day Sven finds out where she lives and meets the grandmother and Luna the daughter. He accepts them into his life and she opens herself up to him later that night. The next night at the Gala for which she was really hired for is when everything falls apart starting with Sven’s ex and then it goes downhill from there. They do not see each other for over two months. When he finally shows up. What happens to get the book and find out. I like the characters especially Inez and her grandmother, but each one has a place in the story. This is a very good book. I got this book from NetGalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

Closer was a fantastic and one I didn't want to put down but I did because I wanted it to last longer! The bantering and sarcasm between the two characters was to die for...funny and wonderfully written! Sven is losing his eyesight and needs a woman to pretend to be his girlfriend for 4 days, to help him navigate the important meetings he has. Inez is a small woman but a spitfire who won't tolerate Sven's ability to be a jerk albeit a very rich one. There is a lot of sexual chemistry between these two that they dance around for most of the book. This is one of my favorite billionaire romances! Such a wonderful read and I can't wait to read more from this author!

Feisty Inez is looking for a job that can support her, her baby and grandmother.
Finally she's offered a well paid job to pretend to be attractive billionaire Sven's girlfriend for the next few days; is it easier said than done?
Sven is losing his sight and he needs Inez to support him during various high-powered social events.
Feelings and sexual tension flow between the couple. Both have baggage, both have been hurt by past lovers. Can the couple make people believe that it's a real romance?
An easy to read story, some sex scenes but written well within the story.

Hot romance, starting out as a necessary business arrangement. It then grows into more on both sides. Then happy ever with deep emotional feelings and understandings.

I was very pleasantly surprised with this one, especially the fantastic dialogue between Sven and Inez! Closer has it all - humor, romance, chemistry, and suspense!

Hawthorne wrote the perfect sassy female and arrogant man. This was a good book could it have been better? Sure, but that's only because the hot billionaires are the thing right now. It is worth the read.

Even though I've read quite a bit of billionaires and down-on-their luck damsels I still did enjoy this story. For me, I don't think this trope ever gets old and is one of my favorite sub-genres. I really liked the story plot and really enjoyed reading it.

I did feel like the development of the main characters would've had a little more depth. For parts of the story I didn't reel like I could relate to either of them. Also, though for most of the book was well-paced and parts were funny there were also parts that dragged a bit.

I did enjoy reading this book and look forward to reading more books by Ms. Hawthorne!

This book was not for me.
It was kind of strange and I was not pulled in or hooked.
and the names, blahhh!

I really tried reading this. It is just not for me. I am not going to say anything bad about it because it wasn't, I just wasn't enjoying it. I hope that others do though.

Honestly, after having read a book by Aria that I didn't like basically at all, I was skeptical going into this. I told myself I would hate it and was pleasantly shocked when I didn't.

It opens with this woman going into an interview for a job. Inez, which is a super weird name by the way, is this witty and sassy young girl who can't seem to hold a job down and doesn't take crap from anyone. You can't help but to fall in love with her because of the sass she gives.

Sven is this typical rich guy who is going blind and does everything in his power to hide it from everyone around him. He need a fake girlfriend to navigate him around his social situations.

Then, the person who made the entire book for me, Inez's grandmother. Man was she an amazing character. (Note to self: I need to go adopt a kick ass grandma just like her) The woman was down right hilarious.

This was a surprise because the last book I read by the author I hated the characters. Just goes to show that you never can judge a book by the previous books.

This book was a cute short read perfect for like the summer or a long weekend of relaxing. It was sizzling but not too steamy.

The ending was a bit outlandish, but overall I enjoyed the story very much.

I received this book for free from Netgalley.

I suspected upon reading that the main character (male) was a billionaire with an eye patch that things would not go well for me with his book. While it was not as bad as I had thought it would be, it was not great. The characters did not have much depth. I did not see that strength in the relationship that I think the author wanted me to see. It was pretty cliche.

Sven van der Meer is the world's premiere architect. He's just finished his crowning achievement, The Spire, the tallest building in the United States. But Sven has a problem. He's going blind and if anybody finds out his career will be ruined. So he puts a plan in motion. He calls a temp company and plans to hire someone as his "assistant". After interviewing 5 candidates and turning them away in comes Inez Sanchez. The interview is the most bizarre interview Inez has ever had but she sticks around even after Sven insults her because the money is incredible and Inez desperately needs the money. But Inez is not one to take any s*&t from anybody. She's got a smart mouth on her and Sven kind of likes it. He's used to everybody sucking up to him.
The assignment....be his fake girlfriend for the next four days and help him get through dinners and parties in honor of his achievement without letting anybody know he's almost blind.
Sven wants Inez available late into the evenings but Inez bargains with Sven to only be available until midnight. She has a secret that cannot allow Sven to know about or he may not hire her.
Sven has problems of his own. He's hiding secrets from his past that are too painful to talk about.
The journey that Sven and Inez take together has them fighting then getting closer. It's a journey where they both have to look back into their pasts and either get past it or make sure not to make the same mistakes again.
The thing I liked about Inez is that she wouldn't let herself be bought with Sven's money. When he offers her more money to stay longer she refuses his money. She needs the money but she's not going to sell her soul to get it. On the other hand she is too stubborn for her own good and at one point she is so stupid I want to shack some sense into her.
Sven at first is a bitter jerk but quickly becomes a much kinder man being with Inez. He doesn't feel so alone and there is chemistry between them.
Their journey is an emotional one that will have you on a roller coaster...with highs and lows.
Some steamy sex and Inez's grandma provides some comic relief.
This book is a stand alone with a HEA. I voluntarily reviewed this book.

"When you'll find your servant is your master"- Sting

"Devil and the deep blue sea behind me
Vanish in the air you'll never find me
I will turn your face to alabaster
When you'll find your servant is your master"- " Wrapped around Your Finger" - Sting

Reading this book is an absolute refreshing delight and revelation not to mention a toe curling, spine tingling erotic romantic masterpiece!!! I hope to give my ultimate best in this review for you, the potential reader of this book.
This author is a brand new discovery for me by way of a review copy furnished to me. Life is so magical sometimes when something as enthralling as this book is placed before you. Oh...where to begin. (I loved it so much, I bought my own copy.)
Inez, our heroine, is a beautiful, intelligent young woman of substance and character. She is a struggling single new mother taking care of an adorable baby girl and her very lovable grandmother who is blind but feisty and nurturing to both of them. While searching for a job to support the three of them, Inez meets an enigmatic beautiful famous Dutch architect/billionaire who needs a particular type of assistance in projecting a strong and invulnerable appearance during a weeklong round of social engagements. You see, our architect, Sven is blind in one eye which is covered with an eye patch and inexplicably going blind in the other eye. His legacy would be jeopardized should his failing eyesight become public knowledge. For her efforts, Inez would be compensated five thousand dollars a night.
Sven is much like the wounded lion in Aesop's fable wearing his eye patch over his injured eye like the splinter the lion had in its paw, disagreeable, dismissive, roaring commands...Only Sven's injury/splinter is more than physical. He is a gorgeous blond Dutchman with obvious physical beauty and strength. He is a genius architect with class and sophistication.
Their first meeting is everything for which the heart of a romance lover yearns. Inez stands on her inner strength, intelligence, wit and sense of self worth butting up against the arrogance, almost deprecating attitude of this genius billionaire whom she senses is so desperately alone and in need of her in the week ahead.
Into this setup, Ms. Hawthorne weaves a dramatic, breathtakingly, achingly romantic tale that captures us, the reader. It seems almost trite for me to expound on this author's skill of description. But, rarely are we as readers so enamoured by the power of the description of an author's words as we are with this author's words that insinuate themselves in our mind's eye and forge an intimacy with us.
Our imagination is captured with the view of the gleaming "Spire" against the night sky from on the lake or the "angels" view of Inez's beloved city, Chicago. We feel our own heart beat with desire from the blisteringly hot, breath stealing frank erotic scenes sizzling from the words on the page.
Into this captivating narrative our author also weaves
some beautiful references to art which add a lovely richness to this work set in the world of arrogant, often shallow, billionaires and architects.
Having experienced myself temporary blindness, I was completely impressed with this author's familiar description of the terror Sven felt and how utterly dependent he was on Inez at a crucial point in the novel.
The epiphany Sven had concerning the beautiful but also wounded and enchanting Inez reminds me of the lyrics from the song written by Sting I quoted at the beginning of this review.
Despite this epiphany, and without giving anything away, there is so much drama that follows Sven's revelation to himself. Drama that enthralls us, charms us and puts us in agony at the very same time.

"And it always started with his hands. His hands…they never failed to remind her of his desire to be closer to her,"- Inez

This gorgeous read will bring us "closer" to that heaven the reader of romance finds for a precious few moments after reading a deliciously sexy and heartbreakingly romantic novel. One click to heaven!

If I could, I would give it a 10* star rating!

Wow. Loved this book. What an emotional read. Love Inez and Sven. Inez's grandmother is a character. Inez is a broke single mom who needs a job. Sven offers her a job as his girlfriend however she must help him hide a secret. Sven discovers he's not the only one with a secret. As they spend time together their fake relationship status begins to feel real as feelings grow. However their exes and business partners places a wedge between them but Sven makes a bid gesture that proves his love and commitment to Inez. Recommended read.

This was a pleasant enough read, and well quite written. The main female character Inez was wonderfully sassy and vibrant. I found Sven, the lead male character, rather one dimensional. I think I’m feeling a little bit cynical today, so their love at first sight felt a little shallow to me.
I think this book would benefit from setting aside cynicism, particularly in relation to the idea of psychologically induced sight impairment.
This is a good, solid romance novel. It has some sexual content, but I wouldn’t say enough to have it in the category of “erotic romance”. Nothing against the book, it just seems slightly miscategorised.

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for honest review. Many thank for the read!

This isn’t the first Aria Hawthorne I’ve read but it was different from your typical billionaire alpha romance and I loved it for that very reason! Sven and Inez, despite all their differences share a common struggle an misery that sets them up perfectly for an unexpected romance.

I am a huge fan of the fake girlfriend/fiancé trope but the twist on this one helped endear Sven to me while I got to root for the strong and kind of badass Inez. Given what was happening to Sven, I applaud the author for not trying to make this a sugary sweet romance. Neither our hero or heroine have an easy road ahead, even though they both have their own struggles, so this was real grown up novel with grown up emotions and decisions.

The side drama in the story with his ex and his brother was perfect. It annoyed me and made me want to strangle them all but I never felt it was thrown in just for the sake of drama. Definitely worth a read, possibly even re-read!

(I received an Audible credit so that I could listen to the book and give it an honest review)

So... I loved the story - if you've been reading my reviews lately, you'll notice that I have quite the thing for damaged characters (because aren't we all damaged in our own ways?) and this book featured two beautifully damaged characters. It's hard to say how so without giving away spoilers, but I fell hard for Inez -her strength, her sass, and her courage. And while Sven was quite the a$$hole to start, once we got to know more about him, it was totally understandable. I really appreciated that they didn't just jump into bed with each other, it made it that much more gratifying when it actually happened.

As far as the narration, hmmm.... I thought the voice talent did a good job with giving each character a distinct accent and voice, but I found her actual accent (the one used for the narration) to be slightly awkward and indiscernible. I actually chose to listen to it at 1.25x speed as opposed to regular speed and that helped. But I really did enjoy the story itself and listened to it twice!

Billionaire Architect meets Art History Graduate
Sven van der Meer, an egotistical world class architect is rapidly losing his eyesight and with it the career that means the world to him. In order to delay the inevitable he hires sassy Inez Sanchez to be his fake girlfriend and steer him through some important social engagements. Neither realize quite what they are getting into and what follows is a series of ups and downs in their relationship. Enjoyed this book which had great supporting characters and would have given 5 stars if not for the strong language.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Really liked this book, hero is going blind and asks a single mom to be his fake fiancee. Of course, the hot sex was great too!

Inez is always looking for a job because she just can’t seem to keep one. She’s outspoken, unrepentant and one tough cookie but there’s a reason she has so many walls around her. Sven is losing his eyesight and will soon be losing his livelihood. He’s in need of someone to act as his significant other while helping to lead him through the social obligations he has. Despite their rocky start they quickly become something like friends and then more.

This was an enjoyable read with characters that I cared about. Some of the other woman and other man situations annoyed me but I was able to get past it without losing sight of the bigger picture. Both Inez and Sven have been scarred emotionally in the past and struggle to release the hurt and embrace the healing each other can offer.

There is some angst but I would consider it mild and a bit of humor – Sven inebriated and singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall as a way of winning Inez will go down in the history of my mind as one of the most charming episodes I’ve ever read.

Altogether a very nice read and an author I will be checking out further.

Dual POV
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ARC provided for an honest review