4.5
Hired by the Brooding Billionaire
ByPublisher Description
When billionaire Declan Grant decides his estate's enormous garden needs taming, he hires idealistic horticulturalist Shelley Fairhill to take on the challenge. Since losing his wife, Declan has adjusted to a life of self-imposed isolation—he wants Shelley to tackle the weeds, then leave. But as Shelley gradually restores order and unexpected beauty to his garden, her caring nature also begins to thaw the ice encasing Declan's heart. Can he let Shelley's light in and finally let his second chance at love blossom?
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesHired by the Brooding Billionaire Reviews
4.5
“I was in the mood for a comforting romantic read and Kandy Shepherd's Hired by the Brooding Billionaire fit the bill, though there were some slightly broody moments which put a little bit of spice into the story as well.
So ... broody Declan. Can you say delicious? I'm not saying Ms Shepherd used Stephen Amell from Arrow as a model for the character but he certainly looked the part in my imagination, especially in the scene with the salmon pull ups. There's a video on YouTube of Stephen Amell / Arrow doing salmon pull ups bare chested that is super yummy. I'm wondering if Ms Shepherd had seen the video and used it as inspiration because it was the first thing I pictured when I read the scene. Hmmmm... might need to go and watch that video again!! Aside from all that yummy, poor Declan is a very tortured soul, having suffered a great loss and living with the guilt and self-incrimination of the loss. That's how bright and shiny Shelley finds him. Beneath all the darkness, Declan is a man who has loved and knows how to love, but he's in so much pain, none of that can come through, but he finds inspiration in Shelley and slowly, very slowly, opens himself up to the possibility of living and loving again. It's a slow process for Declan and there are setbacks. My heart aches for him as he tries but gets pulled back into the darkness that had become his life for so long. Fortunately, Declan is also a fighter and he takes some very positive steps towards healing.
Shelley is sunshine and light, especially to Declan. She brings light and life into Declan's rather dark world. Still, Shelley has her own demons to fight, and her own issues with trust and men. I liked Shelley's passion for her work and her quirky personality. She had a tendency to not filter her words and they were rather refreshing. It's a good thing Declan thought so too. :-) I thought at one point, she way overreacted when she discovered something Declan had done, but it was somewhat understandable too, given her issues. It was also a turning point for Declan to more actively pursue the healing he needed, so I guess it had to be done. Can't say I agreed with her though and it was probably the lowest moment of how I felt about her. I did admire her for recognizing when she was fighting a losing battle and decided to move on with her life.
As always, Ms Shepherd's stories revolves almost entirely on the couple with very few secondary characters and interruptions to their relationship building. I love that about a romance. For me, it's all about the couple and how they become a couple and Ms Shepherd does that particularly well.
Ms Shepherd also did a tremendous job in describing the garden and all the history surrounding the garden, and gardens in general. I'm certain a lot of research went into it as she really brought the gardens to life with her vivid descriptions, from the original state of disrepair, to the work needed to restore the garden, and the garden coming to life after all the work Shelley put into it. I also loved her description of the garden in London of the white flowers amidst the white of the snow. I imagined what it would look like in my mind and the white on white makes a stunning visual. I don't know if Ms Shepherd is a lover of gardens herself, but I'd hazard a guess to say she is with the detail she put into the gardens' descriptions.
This was a lovely story. I really need to take the time to read Ms Shepherd's stories more frequently and get to them a lot sooner than I do since I enjoy them so much. I'm looking forward to picking up another one of her stories soon.”
Deb
Created almost 10 years agoShare
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Kittee_cat
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“Kandy shepherd is the Cinderella author for romance . With her signature writing of love and happily ever afters , you will get more then just a pleasant read but a story that is , "emotionally satisfying" and optimistic with a realistic ending.
You'll turn the last page content, with a sigh, grin and love struck eyes and your heart happy and content .
Kandy 's books are romances about falling in love , emotions , commitments, and moving on from past, loss, demons or heartbreaks .
With every book she delivers she doesn't fail to disappoint any lover of romance.
Those who enjoy sweet and tasteful loving , but with enough sexual tension to have your heart a flutter will enjoy this story.
In this novel we see the authors past knowledge in her last chosen field . ( gardening editor )In which her knowledge - gave her story that depth and realist feel to it.
Hired by The Brooding Billionaire was a refreshing and enlightening read with never a dull moment . We see Declan's past loss, his future struggle and his inability to move forward.
Shelley brings light into not only an over ground hidden garden but a dark and miserable cloud that hangs over Declan's heart.
Declan brings forth feelings in Shelley she hoped would never resurface. But from day one the connection between the pair was evident and transparent.
This authors vivid descriptions within the pages are always well detailed right down to aromas wafting from the kitchen. They always have the heartfelt feel of sweet romance , anticipation struggles and a gradual build up . Without the wham bam thank you mam feel . (Lol)
The storyline was fluent , well written and certainly delightful, And delivered with the perfect amount of sexual tension, and genuine connection between Declan and Shelley .
I enjoyed both the characters , all there characteristics and traits. Even the grumpy Billionaire.
As a reader I love to read about devishsly handsome male characters , whom do come across brooding and hard but always soften with the help of a strong willed beautiful woman . Kandy always delivers.
Captivating , amorous, unputdownable ..”
About Kandy Shepherd
Kandy Shepherd swapped a fast-paced career as a magazine editor for a life writing romance. She lives on a small farm in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of animal friends. Kandy believes in love at first sight and real-life romance—they worked for her! Kandy loves to hear from her readers. Visit her website at: www.kandyshepherd.com
Other books by Kandy Shepherd
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