In a sizzling novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Dirty Money, there’s rich, and then there’s filthy rich when an oil tycoon takes being a roughneck billionaire to a new level. Clay Price has everything he’s ever wanted, except the one thing money can’t buy—Natalie Weston. Years ago, Clay and Natalie were in love…until she turned down his marriage proposal. Now Clay and his … proposal. Now Clay and his brothers are oil-rich billionaires, and they can have whatever they want. And what Clay wants is Natalie in his bed, no matter what it takes. If it means being ruthless, he’ll do it.
Natalie gave up on true love years ago when the realities of the world destroyed her fairy-tale hopes. Giving up Clay is her biggest regret in life, and she’s excited to see him return…until she finds out why. Clay’s got one hell of a proposal for her: he’ll save her father’s business and bail Natalie out of debt if she’ll agree to become his very personal assistant. It’s clear that he wants more from her than just typing.
It’s also clear that Natalie has no choice. This scoundrel’s bet could destroy any hope they had of reconciliation—or it could bring them together once and for all…
Praise for Jessica Clare
“Great storytelling…delightful reading…It’s fun and oh-so-hot.”—Kirkus Reviews
“[Clare is] a romance writing prodigy.”—Heroes and Heartbreakers
“Blazing hot.”—USA Today
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Blinded by the thrill of young love, Clay and Natalie have their hearts filled with dreams. As high school sweethearts, the two make plans to marry and spend their lives together. A plan that is quickly met with resistance from Natalie’s father. After a little meddling on Natalie’s father’s part, the two find themselves fighting over the future. A relationship that fizzled after a lack of communication. An ending that would change the paths that these two would embark upon.
Now 7 years have passed since that break up, and Clay and Natalie are leading very different lives. With a plan of revenge in place, Clay heads back to the town that he once called home. When he lays eyes on Natalie, Clay quickly realizes that life is slightly different for the one that he use to love with all of his heart. Those feelings are pushed to the side because Clay has a proposition that will change Natalie’s life as she knows it.
What could go wrong when the man you used to love comes back into town as a billionaire?? Natalie knows that she is between a rock and a hard place with keeping her father’s property afloat. When Clay propositions Natalie, she gives up all of her dignity and decides she has nothing to lose. As the two quickly learn, its hard to ignore the feelings you have for that one true love. Destiny and fate will push these two to face a love that never quite fizzled out.
Dirty Scoundrel captured my attention right from the moment I read the blurb. Expecting a book with some seriously explosive fun, I dived right into reading. What I found was a bit disappointing. A plot that was by far appealing, but an execution that seemed to fall quite flat. There were parts of the story that were a bit unbelievable, and I can’t quite explain or it would give away major spoilers. So – I will do my best to explain what I think without giving away anything major.
The manipulation that kept Natalie and Clay apart for years was completely believable. A plan of revenge a temptation that made you want to glue yourself to the pages. That’s when things seem to get into the ‘falling flat’ pattern. There were twists that made you believe something ‘epic’ was headed your way. Then the ‘epic’ events never unfolded. There were a barrage of events that seemed to overshadow these twists. A little hard to explain without giving away details, but I can say the rushed HEA ending left me wondering why the ‘meat’ of the plot wasn’t the focus of this book!
I thought Dirty Money was good – this book is absolutely fantastic by Jessica Clare! It continued telling another story in the family. Again, incredibly steamy sex scenes and laugh out loud moments!
I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntarily, honest review of it.
I know when I open a book from Jessica Clare that it will be an easy and fun read. Perfect if you just want to relax for a few hours and think about nothing.
‘Dirty scoundrel’ is the second book in the Roughneck billionaires series. After being a little bit disappointed with the first book, I was curious about the second one and I can happily say that I enjoyed this one more. I don’t think that you have to read the first one to read this one.
It is a second chance romance story, about young love that through circumstances were torn apart. Although the story was very simple, it did manage to surprise me from time to time. Like the fact that Clay was a still virgin, that was something that I totally didn’t expect. I found it very sweet that both were so in love that they couldn’t move on with someone else.
This story is told from both POV’s and I liked both characters very much. Natalie was sweet, loyal and caring. Clay was really what Natalie needed. He took care of her. It was fun to seen the Price’s brothers again. They are something special.
I was expecting a roughneck…what I read was a sweetheart who will touch your heart. Not what you were expecting? This story will surprise you, just as much as it did me. Don’t get me wrong, it is hawt, it is smexy, and it can get downright dirty but at its heart, it is a love story. Two people, Clay and Natalie, start out as two young people in love who are torn apart by life and family and circumstances beyond their control. Fast forward seven years and let’s say that life circumstances have changed dramatically for both of them.
I really liked Clay. He is certainly rough around the edges, well, maybe through and through (!), but he has a soft side that has jagged edges but he really has much goodness in his heart. Natalie has her own life struggles and try as they might, Clay and Nat need to work at their new “normal” each and every day. One thing I think they need to learn: how to communicate.
What a journey these two take and how fun! There is some sadness in the story but it’s a big part of the brothers are…it was good to read about all the brothers again, although reading the first book is not necessary to this story. I liked the book and recommend.
***ARC Provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley***
3.5 Stars
Billionaires are, well, billionaires. They are suave, they are sophisticated, they live in mansions and they eat caviar.
At least that is the stereotype. And, then you meet the Price brothers. They are a different kind of billionaire…the kind that still live in the trailers where they grew up, or where they lived before they struck it rich.
And, they are so fun. They are different and there is an appeal to each story as they are different and they feel more accessible for this “normalcy”…even though they are a little rough around the edges.
Clay and Natalie were together when they were younger, and they split up after being manipulated by her father, which you learn very early in the story. And, well, Clay is not over Natalie and this makes him angry (although they don’t know there was manipulation until later in the story) and, well, now he has money and he knows he can make people do what he wants in order to get access to that money.
I enjoyed this book overall, it was fun. There were parts of it that were a little over the top and while they did not totally work for me, I think they were intentional on the part of the author.
I recommend this title and I am looking forward to the next one in the series.
3.75 stars–DIRTY SCOUNDREL is the second instalment in Jessica Clare’s contemporary adult ROUGHNECK BILLIONAIRES erotic, romance series focusing on the rags to riches Price Brothers of Texas-Boone, Clay, Gage, Knox and Seth. This is billionaire oil-man Clay Price, and Natalie Weston’s story line, DIRTY SCOUNDREL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Clay and Natalie) DIRTY SCOUNDREL follows the second chance romance between oil billionaire Clay Price and the woman who scorned our story line hero. Seven years earlier, high school sweetheart Natalie broke Clay’s heart after graduation when she sent her wealthy, movie star father to break up with the man she would always love. Fast forward to present day wherein Clay hopes to destroy the woman who pushed him out of her life but circumstances have changed and Clay sets about to seduce our heroine-in all the wrong ways. What ensues is the rekindling romance between Clay and Natalie, and the potential fall out as Clay’s lack of social finesse, and ‘open mouth insert foot’ actions hurt the woman he has never stopped loving.
Clay Price is desperate to break Natalie Weston. Told by Natalie’s father he would never be good enough for his princess daughter, Clay battled between head and heart. For seven years Clay has plotted his retribution and revenge against the woman that called to his heart but everything is about to backfire as Clay sets his plans into motion forcing a desperate and despondent Natalie to sign over her life. Natalie Weston has struggled since the day she pushed Clay Price out of her life. With her ailing father demanding all of her time, no money in the bank, and the creditors howling at the door, Natalie will accept Clay’s dangerous proposal even though it means setting herself up for further heartbreak and humiliation at the hands of the man she once loved.
The relationship between Natalie and Clay is one of second chances; a rekindling romance between high school sweethearts that was destroyed by the petty vindictiveness of an old man h*ll bent on controlling his young daughter’s life. It’s all about money and fame, and Clay Price had neither to offer the Hollywood star’s daughter. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate but I continue to struggle with the use of a certain four-letter word in romance story lines. Although we give words their power, I find the term is derogatory under all circumstances.
Clay’s treatment and demands of our story line heroine are reprehensible under the circumstances. Heartbroken and in pain, Clay continues to push at the woman who destroyed his heart making her feel more like a whore than the woman he loves. The contract demands everything in return for saving what’s left of Natalie’s home and her father’s life.
All of Clay’s brothers play secondary and supporting roles including Boone and Ivy (Dirty Money #1), Gage, Knox and Seth. We are also introduced to Natalie’s father- a man whose own fame and fortune was lost to greed, avarice, six ex-wives and illness. The oil business is dangerous and dirty-lives will be lost-some more heartbreaking than others.
DIRTY SCOUNDREL is an enemies to lovers/second chance story line between two people destroyed by one man’s ego and pride. The premise is engaging; the romance is controversial; the characters are dynamic and charismatic.
Back then Clay was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, and deemed no good for her, but now the tables have been turned, so to speak, he’s filthy rich and she is the one living paycheck to paycheck. Seven years ago Natalie had big plans to attend Stanford and make something of herself, but then life happened and now she finds herself dressing up like a character from a old movie and baking cookies at her father’s museum. Not at all the life she had planned… but that is all about to change when a certain sexy billionaire wanders back into her life and makes her a deal she can’t refuse…
Letting Natalie go was the hardest thing that Clay has ever had to do, if he had gotten his way back then they would be married now, and have a few babies to fawn over, instead he is alone and constantly thinks about where he went wrong with her. He knows that the man he was then is a far cry from who he is now, this time he can give her all the things her father wanted for her, and he wants nothing more than to make that a reality… he just has to convince her to give him a shot!
Dirty Scoundrel is sizzling little tale that kept me captivated until the wee hours of the morning… I just could not walk away from these two and their enticing little adventure! Their story had many moments that made me swoon, many moments that squeezed my heart, and many moments that made me smile… it was such an enjoyable read! Highly recommend this one, it is a well crafted romance read that is certain to leave your heart happy!
Dirty Scoundrel by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jessica Clare is the second book in the Roughneck Billionaires series. This series is about two hard-working brothers who made their fortune from oil. Now billionaires they have enough money to get whatever they want, or whoever they want.
Striking it rich in oil, Clay Price and his brother have everything that they could ever want, the perks of being billionaires. Clay however feels that something is missing. The only thing he has ever really wanted is Natalie Weston. With his brother happy with his wife and baby on the way, Clay is rethinking his life. When he finds out that the one girl has never gotten over needs help, all bets are off. And when he offers her the chance out of debt at a less than innocent price, this will either tear them apart forever or be the second chance they have been waiting for.
“ I’m not taking anyone down a peg. I just know what I want, and what I’ve decided. I’m going to go after it. I didn’t get it seven years ago and I figure now with our fortunes reversed, I’ve got money and you don’t. Maybe that’ll get me places I wasn’t able to get to seven years ago by being a nice patient guy.”
This is a great read by Jessica Clare, and has me excited to read more. I thoroughly enjoyed Dirty Scoundrel. Clay and Natalie are two characters that were interesting and fun to read. Two young kids who were in love and had a bright future together, but due to circumstances that neither understood at the time, were torn apart. Years later their situations are reversed, Clay is the one with the money and Natalie is the one struggling. When Clay crosses paths with Natalie again, he strikes a bargain with her that she cannot refuse. She can help her father’s business, and be rid of her debt if she agrees to be His very personal assistant. If she caters to all his needs, he will help her. I did not like Clay at first, but he honestly and truly cared for Natalie, even though the means he was using to get back into her life were not very sweet. This journey of heart ache, pain, secrets and love blossoming again makes for a very heartfelt read that has made me a Jessica Clare fan for life. I cannot wait for more from the Price family. FIVE stars.
“ I don’t need room to breathe. I need you.” I look up at her. “You’re all I’ve ever needed.”