An intriguing proposal mixes romance and finance…His friend needs a fiancé to claim a fortune. But they both know it’s about more than money…Ezekiel Holloway’s proposition could save his friend Reagan Sinclair’s inheritance and give her the freedom she craves. But when family scandals force Ezekiel to end their fake engagement, the heiress comes up with a counterproposal–and they elope to … they elope to Vegas after all! Is there something more than mere convenience at stake here?
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I enjoyed this romance. Zeke and Reagan provide you with plenty of feels as this well written and very engaging story unfolds. It was super easy to feel for these two. Each has a painful past and the heavy emotional baggage that goes with it. I thought the chemistry was great and I was fully invested in this couple getting their HEA. This story is filled with drama, tension, emotional turmoil, heat and what is an ongoing mystery because it was not wrapped up by the end of this book. This is my independent, volitional review.
I LOVE Naima Simone and I’m so excited to dive in this fake fiance romance!
This cover is absolutely stunning, and Naima Simone is a terrific writer. Go grab this!
So ready to dive into the newest from Naima Simone!
Trust Fund Fiancé was a fantastic read featuring a delightful marriage of convenience romance.
Reagan Sinclair is fed up with her father trying to control her access to her inheritance. So when her friend Ezekiel Holloway proposes they enter into a marriage in name only that would allow Reagan full access to her inheritance, Reagan jumps at the chance. But when a scandal ends the arrangement before it truly begins, Reagan makes a proposal of her own and the two elope to Vegas.
Reagan and Zeke’s relationship is initially supposed to be one that’s purely platonic despite both of them secretly being attracted to one another. I enjoy both tropes in this book, marriage of convenience and fake dating, so their romance was right up my alley. After their initial arrangement is ended after scandal at Zeke’s family’s company forces them apart, Reagan is the one who takes control and proposes going through with the marriage anyway. At that point, the chemistry between them is off the charts, and the pair give in to their attraction. The resulting scenes are incredibly steamy and overall fantastically done. When the romance inevitably hits a rough patch, I liked that it wasn’t drawn out and Zeke owned up to being wrong allowing the two to work through their issues. Overall I really enjoyed the romance and thought it was well done.
The Texas Cattleman’s Club: Rags to Riches series is a sub-series of the larger Texas Cattleman’s Club series that in total includes over 100 books. Quite a few scenes in the book take place at the Texas Cattleman’s Club which means there are a number of characters that appear that are from previous books in the over-arching series as well as the sub-series. I enjoyed a number of the side characters and I would definitely like to check out some of the other books to see their stories. Despite being part of a huge over-arching series Trust Fund Fiancé does stand pretty well on it’s own, but I imagine if you’ve read some of the other books then this one would be even more enjoyable.
Overall Trust Fund Fiancé was a great read and I hope to pick up more books in the series soon as I enjoyed quite a few of the side characters.
**I received an advance copy of this book from the author via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.**
Rated 4.5 Stars
Trust Fund Fiance is an emotionally charged and great read. It’s also steamy, sexy and an intriguing read. I loved Reagan and Ezekiel’s story. There’s scandal, secrets and a bit of a mystery. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading the other books in the series.
Copy provided by author
Loved this short but steamy affair!
Reagan is being denied her grandmother’s inheritance because of mistakes made a decade ago. Ezekiel, a man whose family runs in the same circles as hers, offers to marry her to meet the will’s stipulations so she can pursue her dreams. Not everything goes as planned, of course, giving us an angsty drama that centers on issues of self-reliance and moving beyond grief.
I enjoyed the romance part of the book very much. Zeke and Ray are most themselves when it’s just the two of them, and I loved how they found strength with each other, especially since they each had some serious storms to face in their lives. I wasn’t terribly happy with the portrayal of her parents, but in a novella there isn’t always room to fully develop every secondary character.
As the fourth book in this series but the only one I’ve read, the background drama surrounding the Wingate company is presented as though the reader already understands previous events, and it doesn’t resolve any of those issues in this book. We do get a very satisfying, heartfelt HEA for Reagan and Ezekiel, though I was hoping for a bit more follow-through with her plans and his surprise windfall.
If you just want the romance, this book has the whole enchilada and works as a terrific standalone. If you want to follow the corporate drama that appears to be strewn throughout the series, you’ll definitely need to read the rest of the series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Y’all, this book! I literally read this in one sitting because I was hooked from the beginning and I could. Not. Stop! I fell so hard for Zeke and Reagan–their banter and byplay was flawless, both tender and sexy at once. Their shared wounds, the way they understood each other so authentically, their shared world…all of it made them perfect for each other with just enough conflict to make their romance hard-fought. And can we talk about how they steamed up my e-reader?! These two are capital-H Hot! A definite five swoony stars read!
Attention grabbing chemistry! A fake relationship turns oh so real in Naima Simone’s scrumptious jump into the Texas Cattleman’s Club: Rags To Riches world! With the fourth book in the series Zeke and Reagan come to life in TRUST FUND FIANCE and I couldn’t have loved them more. Easily relatable with sympathetic back stories, their story is fast paced and very satisfying. Can’t wait for more in the series!
Reagan quickly became a favorite as her story unfolds early in the story. She’s strong and capable and has so many dreams of helping people she relates with, she just needs the funding to do it.
Zeke is swoon worthy! He’s sexy and accomplished and has a heart of gold. Throughout the struggles of life he’s maintained a can-do attitude and worked to overcome every roadblock thrown in front of him. As he slowly starts to let some of his walls down, the connection between he and Ray is beautiful.
I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys drama-filled dialogue with intense love and passion paving the way to happily ever afters.
4.5 Hot and Sweet Stars!
Wow! Another hot read from Naima Simone! With a marriage of convenience/forbidden romance between friends that turns into so much more, this was a quick, satisfying read!
Ezekiel Holloway was so perfect in so many ways! He’s smart, sexy, and so very sweet. Reagan was just a genuinely nice person who is trying to find her way and I loved watching her learn to stand up for herself and take charge of her life. Together these two not only could set the pages on fire, but they could melt your heart with their caring and concern for each other and those around them. They are both dealing with issues that have defined their outlook on love, and when the added burden of society and class expectations come into play, the have more than their share of challenges when it comes to being together – the biggest being Reagan’s father, also affectionately known as Douglas Stick-Up-His A$$ Sinclair.
This is part of an ongoing series but can be read as a stand-alone – but now I am very curious to learn more about the scandal at Wingate Enterprises and some of the characters that have been introduced. The length of the book was fairly short, so it was a quick read, but Naima Simone does a great job adding emotion and heart into every page which allowed for just enough character development and plot development to keep me fully engaged throughout. And I can’t say enough about some of the dialogue that the author has created – Zeke was just so sweet and supportive and I loved so many of the things that he said throughout this book!
Another well-written story by Naima Simone that I would recommend!
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book I received from the Publisher on NetGalley.
I really enjoyed this. It had a whole lot of tropes that I look for in books. Zeke is an Alpha male who doesn’t want to smother or dim the sass and fire of his new “fiance” Reagan. She needs to get married to get her inheritance. It’s steamy, there’s a mystery plot here. A whole lot to make you happy in 225 pages. Not to mention Ms. Simone’s tasty writing style. What more could you ask for?? Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this and allowing me to review. My review is uninfluenced and unbiased.
This is book four in The Texas Cattleman’s Club Series and it is Ezekiel and Reagan’s story. Reagan needs her inheritance to be able to live her life and she needs a miracle. Will Ezekiel be able to help her accomplish everything that she wants, well you will have to read this book to find out. Reagan and Ezekiel are really great characters and there chemistry is so hot that you can feel it sizzling of the page’s of this book but will it lead to more than just a fake marriage of convenience. Wow I loved this book so much with all its twists and turns and I definitely recommend you read this book and other’s by Naima Simone as she is a brilliant author and writer and you will not be disappointed.
I Voluntarily Reviewed an ARC Copy of this book.
I simply love Naima Simone books.Trust Fund Fiance has been added to my growing list of loves. Ezekiel and Reagan’s story is too good not to read. Undeniably, an intense, palpable attraction exists between the characters. The chemistry is simply off the charts. But each is fighting invisible restraints holding them back from feeling worthy of finding love and happiness. Barriers need to be broken and honesty must be confessed. I loved reading every word of Zeke and Ray’s journey. I hope you one-click it and enjoy it yourself!
Trust Fund Fiance was very well written and thoroughly enjoyable. Naima Simone’s amazing writing pulls you right into the story so that you feel like you are sitting right there in the middle of the plot. Overall, I enjoyed the characters but wish I could’ve seen more interactions between the two that showed their relationship develop. In addition, the resolution of the conflict was rather common amongst romance novels. I won’t go into too much detail so not to spoil it for anyone. There was also an underlying story that I thought would be resolve but wasn’t. Perhaps that will be addressed in another book in the series, but the book finished before I was ready. Overall, a fun book with great characters, but I was hoping for more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love Naima Simone’s writing and I wasn’t disappointed with Trust Fund Fiancé.
The writing was sharp, the characters had chemistry, and it was so much fun to watch these two try to deny what was happening between them. I love that they started off as friends, that Zeke wanted to help Reagan. Yes, he would benefit a little from the union, but it was mostly Reagan who would reap the rewards. Although, I don’t think either realized when they tied the knot, exactly what those rewards were. I love that Reagan was Zeke’s champion against her parents and those that snubbed him. Those were totally magical moments that made you see how perfect these two were for each other. Zeke was strong, yet caring. And while Reagan came off, at first, as a spoiled little rich girl, she had substance and depth that made me really want to fight for these two to be together.
I found Trust Fund Fiancé a compelling read. I loved the romance and am intrigued by the mystery surrounding the Wingate’s and what looks to be their fall from grace.
I am a sucker for marriage of convenience stories and this one definitely did not disappoint. Ezekiel “Zeke” and Reagan “Ray” were a smoking hot couple. Even though they were just friends who hadn’t seen each other in a few years when they finally saw each other again at a party you could feel the attraction between these two. Zeke had walled off his heart years ago and when he offers up a marriage in name only to Ray to help her get her inheritance he never expects to fall for her. When a work scandal of Zeke’s threatens their relationship he doesn’t plan for how calling off this relationship will affect him. Especially when the “in name only” aspect goes up in smoke and holy cow is it hot. The attraction that is building between them finally explodes and whoa! I loved how when push came to shove Reagan stood up for herself and finally did what was best for her.
I loved this book and would definitely recommend it.
Reagan and Ezekiel were a perfect match. Both had locked up their hearts and denied their emotions, so of course things had to go sideways from their plans. Friends to a fake relationship. A fake relationship to a marriage of convenience. A marriage of convenience to love, these two had it all. Their story is rich with emotions, radiating with heat, and powerful with their personalities, and I loved every second they were on the page together!
Reagan was dealing with abandonment issues due to a previous boyfriend leaving her. Meanwhile, Ezekiel was still coping with the loss of his fiancée who was killed by a drunk driver.
Reagan had a mind of her own and wanted to live life according to her terms, and not the beliefs of her father. Meanwhile, Ezekiel was getting in his own way because he couldn’t let go of the past.
This story was a hot and steamy romance filled with compassion and suspense.
I was disappointed with the way this ended because there were questions that went unanswered.
*I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I adore this author’s words, and this book was no exception. I love a marriage of convenience trope! But, this ongoing multi-author series thing just isn’t my favorite. I never end up getting some of the mysteries solved, if I don’t want to read 7 other books, by different authors.
Ezekiel Holloway is part of the rich and powerful Wingate family of Royal, Texas. But, he’s never felt completely like he fit in with them, especially after the deaths of his parents when he was in college. So, he and his older brother Luke are all the family he really has left. But, he does work for the family business, and it is currently going through a serious rough patch. It’s created quite the stir in their small town, and he and Luke are struggling to set things right.
Reagan Sinclair wants to be free. She’s spent the last 10 years bowing to everything her parents wanted her to do, ever since she made a huge mistake at 16 that they’ve never forgiven her for. Her grandmother left her a sizable inheritance, but she can’t access it until she’s married to a “suitable” man, or she turns 30. She has no interest in waiting 4 more years to be able to do what she wants with her life, but she also doesn’t have any interest in marrying any of the stable of men her parents have paraded in front of her the last couple years. So, what’s a girl to do?
Zeke and Reagan’s chemistry was off the charts, but they also just genuinely LIKED each other. They had been friendly a long time, and she had been his cousin’s best friend when they were growing up, though he was 4 years older. They wanted to help each other in any way they could, which was why Zeke came up with the marriage idea to start with. He really wanted to help her, and was able to convince her that she’d be helping him too.
There were definitely some interesting side characters here, some of whom have books that already exist, and others whose books are yet to come in the series, including Zeke’s brother, Luke. I really loved him, and I pegged his assistant as his heroine, and it appears that will be the case! We also sneaked a peek in this book of Zeke’s aunt Piper, and her younger man hero, who will appear in a future book as well!
There was an ongoing mystery storyline with all the bad things happening with the Wingate family’s company, and how it appeared someone might be setting them up, but there was no resolution to that part. I assume it will be resolved further along in the series.
This story was full of tropey goodness, and I adored watching these 2 wounded hearts fall hard for each other, while trying desperately not to. If you love this author, or these soapy, wealthy family sagas, you should definitely jump on this train, but you better read ALL of the books if you want all of the answers you seek.
Content Warning for mentions of pregnancy loss, and mentions of the sudden death of loved ones.
YOU MUST READ THIS! IT’S SO GOOD!*
Go get it. Now.**
* More thoughts to come soon.
**Well, as soon as you can. 🙂
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OK, here’s the more thoughts 😉
Trust Fund Fiance by Naima Simone is the fourth in the Texas Cattleman’s Club: Rags to Riches series. It is one dee-licious fake engagement story! Ezekiel Holloway’s family and business are facing down some rocky times. No thanks to some scandalous news stories and shaky business moves, the world is watching with bated breath to see them tank. Zeke has zero intention of allowing that to happen, if there is anything he can possibly do to prevent it. In the meanwhile, Reagan Sinclair’s stymied by the requirements of her trust fund, which prevent her from being able to access its funds unless she’s much older or frustratingly, married. To that end, her socially conscious parents have been throwing a string of potential candidates her way, none of whom interest her in the least, and worse, some of whom even have sketchy reputations (but the requisite wealth and social standing).
Zeke lays out a proposition for Reagan–they’ve been friends for years, so they announce their engagement and marry quickly, allowing Reagan to gain control of her fund and giving Zeke some positive press. They can undo the marriage after a suitable length of time, and it’ll be a win-win.
Now, neither of them anticipates that the time they spend together will take this spark of interest and turn it into a blazing inferno of passion and building trust and ultimately love. Oops…
Naima Simone’s characterizations are spot on, as always. Zeke and Reagan’s growing feelings sweep readers away, as solidly as the dire circumstances around them threaten those tender shoots. Trust Fund Fiance is a page-turner of the very best kind, and will leave you smiling with delight and satisfaction.