ARC Review: The Bad Boy Billionaire’s Girl Gone Wild by Maya Rodale

Jane Sparks loses her job as head librarian the same day her high school sweetheart, Sam, dumps her. She meets billionaire Duke Austen at a party. As a joke, her friend Roxanna posts the couple is engaged. Duke decides it’s a great idea and Jane goes along, sporting a cubic zirconia ring. Until she starts to fall for him. The fake engagement is all to help repair his bad boy reputation. Sam reappears and asks to see her. He is attending a conference and interviewing for a job. He asks about her book. Jane has kept quiet about writing her historical romance saga. Duke appears and reclaims her time and her body. Roxanna finds her book and reads it. Who’s the hero of The Wicked Wallflower? Sam or Duke? The women decide to upload the book for sale. Jane selects Maya Rodale as her pen name. It doesn’t take long for Jane to be outed as the author. The phony engagement stories start to fly around the Internet. Duke is about to close on a major deal with his investors. He’s not pleased to read about his thinly disguised life in her book. He decides its best if they fake a break up until his deal’s done. It would benefit both of them. Sam calls to offer his shoulder to cry on. It’s no use, she chooses Duke. They take a break and rejoin their careers. Twitter and other social media buzz about them and their relationship. Jane is used to Duke’s silence, until one day he posts a message just for her.

Jane and Duke make an intriguing couple. Thrown together as a publicity stunt, they find passion and love. The hard choice between careers and relationships follows them into the public eye. It was interesting to read passages from the historical romance and see the same characters depicted in the 1820s. The change in the socially accepted behavior is fascinating.

This is a modern day novella paralleling Rodale’s actual historical romance, The Wicked Wallflower. I didn’t know it and hadn’t read any of her books before. It’s a savvy marketing tool and a good story. Heroes do fall for the quiet girls waiting along the wall. This story stands alone, but now I want to read TWW.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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