What happens when two men are thrown together brought up so differently yet should have been the same. In Saxon James and Eden Finleys new book THE BASTARD AND THE HEIR you see what happens when tough choices are made and your heart is put first.
From the blurb:
WRENMoms are good at one thing: the guilt trip. It’s the only reason I’m at the funeral of a man I’ve never had anything to do with.
I’ll show up, make her happy, and get out.
At least that’s what I think until I learn daddy dearest has left me a crap load of money and the obligation to learn about the family business. All from his eldest son who looks nothing like the rest of us.
Darcy is the only Ritcherson who doesn’t treat me like the bastard son that I am. He helps me learn, pushes me to be better, and as we work together, we grow closer. For a gazillionaire with a media empire at his fingertips, he’s surprisingly humble.
And sweet.
And saying things he shouldn’t be saying.
The thing is, Mom swears she was never a mistress. Swears she was the only one Dad was seeing when she fell pregnant with me. But with Darcy only a few weeks older, there’s no way that can be the case.
Unless …
Unless the things he whispers when he thinks I’m not listening mean something. The guilt in his eyes when he looks at me would make sense.
If Darcy isn’t my father’s biological child, he’s not the Ritcherson heir.
I am.
And everything Darcy holds dear should be mine.
Molly Otto's Review:
Wren shows us that by being brought up away from this corruption, he can bring a new light into a company that so desperately needs it. He brings this family closer together even if pain needs to happen first. He brings it all together. Darcy learns what life really is all about, not just an obligation but true hard earned happiness.
Seriously, an outstanding read from Saxon & Eden, different from their normal, but that's what makes this one along with UP IN FLAMES, so moving and powerful.
Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's Review:
"𝙒𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙞𝙣. 𝙏𝙬𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝. 𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮, 𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝙄'𝙢 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣."
I freely admit I was one of the many readers chanting out for Darcy to get his own book after meeting him in The Husband Hoax. Now that I finished his book, I am even happier we got his story! This book is Eden and Saxon like I've never read before. Yes there is still humor and snark, but there was an underlying angst I'm not used to from this author duo. Darcy wasn't like I expected either, yet he kind of was. He's been raised in the world of the high society, so of course his actions and personality reflect that. On the other hand, he's actually quite funny. He has a sense of humor and a quick wit. He's also a god forsaken martyr and I wanted to shake him quite a few times while reading this book, especially near the end.
"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚. 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚? 𝙄'𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨."
Wren was harder to like at the start of this book, but he grew on me steadily. Once he finally shed his cloak of bitterness and started showing the real him I fell for him just as hard as Darcy. I loved how he was always looking after Darcy's wellbeing and forcing him to take a break from being a workaholic. I even loved how he slowly wore his other brothers down with his charm. The Ritcherson family thought Wren's appearance would be their undoing and instead it brought them closer than ever before.
The relationship between Darcy and Wren was as hot as it was angst ridden. That scene with the tie was 🥵🥵! They fit together so well, yet they had SO MUCH stacked against them. It broke my heart seeing them both suffer because of the expectations of others. Darcy had already sacrificed so much for his family and he absolutely deserved a man who loved him for him and not the doors his money and status could open. It wasn't an easy road, and there was a lot of hurt along the way, but their HEA was 100% worth it in the end.
I freely admit I was one of the many readers chanting out for Darcy to get his own book after meeting him in The Husband Hoax. Now that I finished his book, I am even happier we got his story! This book is Eden and Saxon like I've never read before. Yes there is still humor and snark, but there was an underlying angst I'm not used to from this author duo. Darcy wasn't like I expected either, yet he kind of was. He's been raised in the world of the high society, so of course his actions and personality reflect that. On the other hand, he's actually quite funny. He has a sense of humor and a quick wit. He's also a god forsaken martyr and I wanted to shake him quite a few times while reading this book, especially near the end.
"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚. 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚? 𝙄'𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨."
Wren was harder to like at the start of this book, but he grew on me steadily. Once he finally shed his cloak of bitterness and started showing the real him I fell for him just as hard as Darcy. I loved how he was always looking after Darcy's wellbeing and forcing him to take a break from being a workaholic. I even loved how he slowly wore his other brothers down with his charm. The Ritcherson family thought Wren's appearance would be their undoing and instead it brought them closer than ever before.
The relationship between Darcy and Wren was as hot as it was angst ridden. That scene with the tie was 🥵🥵! They fit together so well, yet they had SO MUCH stacked against them. It broke my heart seeing them both suffer because of the expectations of others. Darcy had already sacrificed so much for his family and he absolutely deserved a man who loved him for him and not the doors his money and status could open. It wasn't an easy road, and there was a lot of hurt along the way, but their HEA was 100% worth it in the end.
Heather's Review:
Angst, intrigue, mysterious beginnings and a calculating mother orchestrating things for her own benefit and a hot as heck angst ridden connection between Darcy and Wren. I love seeing their interplay and the juxtaposition of their upbringings and wants and desires!
This book weaves seamlessly between the characters and really gives us depth and pain, steam and secrets and finally a way for the couple AND the rest of their family to come to terms with the future of their relationship and of the company that started all of the trouble.
Like all books in the Sadenverse, this one will draw you in and keep you awake until you finish it!
THE BASTARD AND THE HEIR is currently available in paperback and e-book formats and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription.
-
What a great review! I'm just start The Bastard and the Heir, and one of my questions was where they came from in previous books. I can't believe I didn't remember Darcy, because when I read The Husband Hoax, I had a feeling he was being set up for his own book. He was such a darling and rather complex for an extra character. I'm allergic to angst, so I've been putting off and putting off reading this one (despite the insanely hot cover), but your review is giving me the 'nads to step up and read it. Thank you!
ReplyDelete