When billionaire Marsh’s octogenarian grandmother summons him home for an urgent family dinner, he dreads being force-fed every embarrassing truth about his family he’s tried to forget. Nevermind that Thanksgiving weekend was when he planned to propose to Jada, who knows nothing of his nine-figure fortune, and that Marsh has hidden her away for years.But the money may be the least of it—there’s a … it—there’s a reason why he’s never brought her to Connecticut. The Brewsters are the special brand of crazy reserved for the ultra-rich. Subjecting his woke black girlfriend to his stuffy old money family seems like the least-romantic way to kick off his proposal weekend. And after his family’s shenanigans, will Jada even say yes?
Awards and Accolades
- 1st Place Winner: 2019 RSJ Emma Award Best Interracial Romance
- Finalist: 2019 CRWA Stiletto Contest Best Novella
- Finalist: 2019 Toronto RWA Northern Hearts Contest Best Novella
- Finalist: OCCRWA Book Buyer’s Best Contest Best Novella
- Finalist: 2019 RSJ Emma Award Best Novella
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Tis the Season! Fantastic Story & Narration
Loaded
A Holiday Romance
By: Kilby Blades
Narrated by: Tim Paige, Nicole Lewis
Series: Gilded Love, Book 4
This is a fabulous holiday romance novella, the story is original and well written with interesting storylines that are captivating from start to end. As most of us know, the holidays can bring up some family fun and drama, not necessarily in that order, and some families more than others and Kilby Blades shows us just how much more it could be with some families, most particularly the Brewster family. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with. Jada and Marsh have been dating for several years, Marsh has kept her away from his family for several reasons, one being he knows they are judgmental and a bit eccentric, the other being he has not been entirely truthful with who he is and how much wealth he really has. He wants to spend the rest of his life with Jada and plans are proposing to her. Marsh has stayed away from his family but his grandmother requests his presence and he must attend, it is also time for Jada to meet his family, while he gave her a bit of a heads up, some of them had some cringeworthy behavior, I could understand Marsh not wanting to subject Jada to that, but she was a good sport about it and handled herself quite elegantly. What gets to her the most is when Marsh’s secrets are spilled. Holy moly, what a family dinner that was. Kudos to the grandmother, the most sensible of the crowd. This novella contains an impressive amount of story, it is wonderfully plotted with plenty of drama, both family and relationship, some angst, heartfelt and emotional moments, a nice twist thanks to the Grandmother and a sweet romance. Kilby Blades, thank you for this wonderful story.
And for the amazing narration, Tim Paige and Nicole Lewis are the perfect cast to bring these characters and their story to life. They had a complete understanding of the characters they portrayed, gave each a voice that fit that character’s persona to a tee, sounding believable and just as I pictured the character to sound. You could hear how much heart they put into their work as they captured the characters’ emotions and projected them into their performance. They set the perfect tone for the story, handled the witty dialogue with ease and landed the humor effortlessly, never missing a beat. Thank you for the wonderfully entertaining listen.
This was my first Kilby Blades’s book. This is the fourth book in the Gilded Love Series. This short novella is fun and entertaining. Marsh and Jada are interesting characters. Marsh’s family is chaotic, definitely dysfunctional, and hilarious. I liked his grandmother. Tim Paige and Nicole Lewis did a good job with the narration.
Audio Review: Loaded: A Holiday Romance (Gilded Love #4)
by Kilby Blades, Narrated by Tim Paige, Nicole Lewis
A dysfunctional family, enduring love and a surprising proposal. Loaded goes big in personality. Jada and Marsh are adorably clueless when it comes to each other. Blades takes on a magical moment with an unpredictable holiday flair that proves almost endearing. Chaotic with a side of heart an a whole lot of romance.
What an entertaining short story.
It has mystery, quirky family, and romance.
She is in love with her boyfriend, but now after 4 years she is seeing the whole man for the first time. Can they survive the truth?
The book ends with any HEA for the couple, and a series mild cliffhanger.
I listened to this on Audible.
This was a short and definitely Loaded holiday romance! First time listening to Kilby Blades and this was a nice treat. I enjoyed the dual POV of Marsh and Jada and sorta wished it was full story about their romance. Marsh takes Jada to meet his family but he hasn’t told her about he comes from one of the wealthiest families in Connecticut. The family dinner is intense, but Jada can hold her own and surprisingly wins the respect and approval of the matriarch of Brewster family. This was a short, funny, and sweet romance with a few twists & turns thrown in. The ending gives hints to a spin off story, so hope to read more about that. The narration was great! It was my first time listening to Nicole Lewis and she was great as Jada, bringing out the sass and charm. Tim Paige’s performance as Marsh was perfect. They wonderful to listen to!
: …
Marsh is a multi-millionaire but has never told his girlfriend Jada the complete truth about his family. When they arrive in Connecticut for Thanksgiving dinner at his Mama’s place, the whole truth about who he is comes to light.
Loaded was my first book by Kilby Blades and unfortunately I just did not connect with this story in anyway. I felt little to no connection to the main characters. In my opinion it is a clean romance which I usually avoid.
Audio … Tim Paige and Nicole Lewis did a good job narrating the story.
Genre/Tropes … Holiday Romance, Interracial Romance, Millionaire Romance
POV … First Person Dual
So. Stinkin. Cute! I’d never read/listened to anything from Kilby Blades before. I would absolutely listen to her books again. This was such a cute novella. Marsh and Jada are so sweet together. The family is so unique and quirky, especially mawmaw. There’s clearly never a dull moment with this charismatic family. Even though this was a novella, the world and character building were excellent. If Kilby Blades can do this great of a job in a short novella, I can’t wait to see what she’s done with the whole “Gilded Love” series!
Tim Paige and Nicole Lewis were great as always. They were perfectly cast for these roles. Tim really brought out Marsh’s strength, humor, kindness, and humility, while Nicole brought out Jada’s confidence, witty spunk, and sass. The timing, pitch, pace, and tone were spot on. I absolutely recommend treating your ears to this fantastic narration!
5 crazy-old-money stars!
NOLA504NERDS BLOG
4 star review of Loaded (Gilded #4) by Kilby Blades
I love discovering new authors such as Kilby Blades and though my first it will not be my last. This was a well written story that ticked a number of boxes for me. I was invested in the story from the first to the last chapter.
Although Loaded is book four in the Gilded series, I had no trouble following it. It may not be a particularly long book but there was plenty of entertainment within the pages. I enjoyed the characters of Marsh and Jada, although I admit there were so many secondary characters that I did get a little lost at times.
After being together for years Marsh is taking his girlfriend home to meet the whole family. Of course the fact that he is actually a billionaire is something he “forgot” to tell her which led to some tension, however it was quickly resolved . It was amusing to watch the family dynamics play out across the Thanksgiving dinner table. The characters were engaging and I loved Marsh’s feisty grandmother, what a great character she is.
All in all a fun, witty story that I really enjoyed.
My first read by Kilby Blades, sadly it was only a short one. I would have so loved this to be a full length novel. It didn’t hurt that Tim Paige was narrating Marsh, I could listen to his sexy rumble all day, every day. Nicole Lewis narrated Marsh’s girlfriend Jade, and she succeeded in getting just the right amount of sass and awe in her voice that I actually believed Marsh and Jade had the whole 4 year relationship going on, with of course the added unexpected deception. Not that Marsh intentionally wanted to be deceitful, he’s just embarrassed by his family and their wealth, he’s also very much down to earth, and he knew there would be some cringeworthy moments when his two worlds collided (understatement). All that said, it does deal with some real issues, all written with the ease of someone who can relate only too well to the circumstances. All perfectly narrated in this quick, fun audio. What a wonderful, highly enjoyable romance. I loved it, maybe I need to look in to more of this series.
This is the first book I have read by this author but it certainly won’t be the last. Loaded is book 4 in the Gilded Love Series but it can certainly be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone. If you are looking for a fun, entertaining read look no further than this introduction to a world of crazy, quirky characters.
Marsh is taking his girlfriend Jada home to finally meet the family, its the holiday season and after years of dating he can’t avoid the family and the girlfriend meeting any longer. From the moment they arrive at the family home it’s obvious why he has avoided this meeting and this is when the fun and games begin….
A short story full of quirky, charismatic characters who will make you smile and make you giggle, they can be inappropriate but they are also characters you want more from. Looking forward to reading more from this talented author as soon as time permits.
What a fun laugh out loud romantic comedy. Marsh is invited/summoned/ordered home for a family gathering by his grandmother, the family matriarch and holder of the purse strings. He was planning on a romantic weekend away with Jada, his girlfriend and instead the head home to meet in family. So not what he had planned. There is a reason he hasn’t introduced her to them before and not shared much about them or the largess of their wealth. The cast of characters is riotous. Twisted, entitled, obnoxious, racist, bigoted and clueless about anything other than their individual selves and how to keep the money from grandmother flowing. This short, sweet, funny tale make for a wonderful holiday listen. Or anytime!
I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from Soundwise in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. It did not impact my comments.
Loaded
Series: Gilded Love, Book 4
By: Kilby Blades
Narrated by: Tim Paige, Nicole Lewis
It’s never to early to listen to a holiday romance, and this one is snapshot of so many houses! So many personalities come home and have to be integrated. Here we spend the holiday with Marsh, who is taking his girlfriend,Jada, whom he has been sheltering from his family with him. Not only is she the complete opposite of them, but there are secrets Marsh has held which will now come to light. He planned on proposing, but now that they have met, will his family accept her? And will she still say yes? Being book 4 in this series and it stands alone, there is some history that may have made the listen even better. Marsh is an interesting character and while I understand what motivated his secrets, it’s a little disconcerting. Jada has a lot of class and handles herself with a calming grace. It’s a quick, fun listen, perfect for the holiday.
Tim Paige brings his A-game as Marsh. Always on point, he hones the personality of his character and makes him his own. Nicole Lewis is new to me, and I loved her voice. She has a richness and includes the emotions just as Jada feels them. These two were awesome together.
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This was a fun novella in the Gilded Love series. This is a new to me author and series and I enjoyed it. I had not read any of the other books in the series but I’ve never felt lost in the storyline.
Marsh is bringing his girlfriend, Jada to dinner at his family’s home for Thanksgiving. The two have been dating for awhile and he’s ready to propose. However, he has a secret. Him and his family are loaded, like super loaded. Jada is surprised to say the least.
I loved the family drama that we get in the 2ish hours from the audiobook. It was a little mini soap opera and kept me entertained. Jada was amazing and handled everything that happens with grace. I totally understand why Marsh hid his family’s wealth. People will absolutely take advantage.
Tim Paige was great. I always enjoy anything he narrates. Nicole Lewis is a new to me narrator. I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by he
I’m not usually one to read holiday stories and with the way this shakes out, in the wrong hands, this could have gone disastrously wrong, but I’ve VERY quickly come to trust anything this author writes to be more than okay. This a quick paced, clean, holiday story about a less than savoury introduction to your other half’s family and discovering you know a lot less about them and your partner than you think. I really like that most of the quite frankly ghastly behaved members of Marsh’s family get their comeuppance, but I feel like parts of this were still missing and I would love to know what it is that Marsh does on the side. This is part of a series I haven’t read yet but I will get to it. I volunteered to listen and review an audio copy of this. All opinions are my own.
After Marsh receives an urgent request to attend Thanksgiving at his MawMaw’s he has to change his holiday plans…but also, has to face the reality that he has been hiding from his girlfriend. His family is definitely unique & some of them have antiquated views:/
But his girlfriend Jada is smart and very sharp and handles them with grace.
I loved Tim & Nicole as Marsh & Jada. Tim had the perfect amount of nervous humility & strength and Nicole was sharp & spunky as JJ.
I loved this book. You could feel how uncomfortable Marsh is when going home to the family. Jada is a good sport through it all until secrets come out. But in the end their love is stronger.
I was a little nervous before starting Kilby Blades’s Crazy Old Money: A BWWM Billionaire Romantic Comedy. Not due to the BWWM part. I mean, so what? Nope, it was the word “woke” in the publisher’s blurb. I simply had no idea what it meant and was a bit afraid that I’d fallen too far behind on modern slang to follow along the story. Happily that wasn’t an issue. Even happier, this was a well written and truly enjoyable story. I liked the leads here, Jada and Marsh, though I disliked Marsh’s failure to give her a better “head’s up” on what she was going to encounter. I may have really disliked most of Marsh’s family, but they were indeed the “crazy old money” advertised by the title. I also loved how Jada handled everything. She’s one neat gal. Frankly I loved this story as a whole. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to reading another book by this author.
Oh, and by the way, “woke” means perceived awareness of issues concerning social justice and racial justice. Good to know.
A revelatory dinner party even Agatha Christie couldn’t top; how fast should Jada run?!
April 5, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
4 and a bit stars
I really liked the beginning and latter segments of this story of Marsh and Jada’s Thanksgiving from purgatory with the Connecticut Brewsters. Marsh has a few secrets up his sleeve, but the best laid plans of mice and men … !
Jada is a confident and successful venture capitalist who thinks she’s Teflon, cool, collected, and impervious to rudeness and ready to meet Marsh’s extended family over the turkey and trimmings. The bulk of this novella focuses on that meeting and sometimes my attention flagged as it got a bit too descriptive of ambience for me. With thirteen people at the table and pre-dinner drinks gathering, each given a chance to interact with the couple and reveal their axes to grind and personalities, it’s a lot to take in. But there’s an excellent reason for spending so much of the story on the secondary characters which is revealed towards the end thanks to Maw Maw, the family matriarch. There’s romance but it’s buried in certain segments of the story. And the final epilogue, just when I thought it would be an excellent ending, cracks open the door to more mystery with Marsh.
I’ve read several of Blades’ works in recent months and this one suffers a bit in comparison to her full-length novels The Secret Ingredient and Friended which I loved. I am inclined to think it’s because of the shorter length that gives limited attention to the first years of Jada and Marsh’s romance because, apart from that, the writing is good and the couple likable.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the story; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Crazy Old Money is an expansion of the novella previously released in the Worst Holiday Ever anthology. With his girlfriend Jada in tow, Marsh is spending Thanksgiving at his Grandmother’s along with his parents and dreaded extended family. Kooky, crazy and downright malicious relatives are a given. Although short in length, I was taken in by the admirable and loving Marsh. His character jumped off the page and was everything I loved in a hero (minus his little omission.) Since the story took place with Marsh’s family, It didn’t leave much room to get to know Jada as well as I would have liked. The story and sweet romantic elements were still compelling, nonetheless.
I always expect great writing with diversity, capable heroines, and empathetic heroes from this author. What I hadn’t anticipated was a similar feeling as when I had read this author’s book, Snapdragon. Although this novella is labeled a romantic comedy, the atmosphere felt familiar. Since I loved Snapdragon, I was surprised to find out that the author has now created a universe that would interconnect with that duet, this novella, and a couple of her future works. I am absolutely thrilled!
Marsh is finally taking Jada to meet his family, a family he is reluctant for her to meet because of their craziness. When Jada is introduced, the gloves come off and she learns that just maybe she doesn’t really know her boyfriend as much as she thought. Will they still be a couple after this Thanksgiving? This story makes Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner look like a cake walk with all of the crazy characters and their antics! I voluntarily agreed to receive an ARC of this book for an honest review.