The Rich Boy

The Rich Boy by Kylie Scott was an emotional fairytale romance. It was an interesting take on rich people's life and relationships through a simple yet extraordinary woman's eyes.Alice comes from a middle class background and loving family. She was hustling and struggling through her life as a waitress while trying to use her degree. It was all boring and clear cut till the new busboy Beck starts working. They form a weird and sweet and sassy friendship while keeping their attraction at bay. But then she finds out he is actually a billionaire heir when his father passes away and he has to return to Denver. Now how will she blend with the rich and judgemental society? How will they balance their feelings?I loved Alice. This woman is pure fire yet she holds so much compassion and softness in her. I cheered for her as she faced and defeated all the challenges thrown at her by the dysfunctional Elliot family. She was unperturbed by the wealth. She vehemently fought when Beck or anyone else showered her with precious gifts. She hold her stand yet compromised enough to support Beck. This guy is adorable and at the same time dangerously sexy. Like swoon factor is sky high. He is a catch not because of his money and status but because he has a golden heart. Yes he can be a bit controlling, manipulative and infuriating. But his intentions and feelings are one hundred percent honest. This story is the slowest of slow burn as they build up trust and true connections. It was a difficult task with the constant external interventions but they worked everything out beautifully. Not before they dealt with heartbreaks, misunderstandings and sufferings. But their romance is mostly a dreamy, intense, sweet and magical one. Beck has a lot of vulnerabilities those make him act as a fool and so does Alice. But they are a match made in heaven!Kylie Scott's unique and brilliant writing elevated The Rich Boy from a simple story to a stunning one. She brought out all kinds of emotions in me without much effort!Received ARC for honest review

The very first chapter endeared me to the protagonists in a way that made me feel like I was wrapped in the arms of a marshmallow. It was a sweet beginning, funny but filled with sparks.Alice is so utterly relatable that I was weeping everywhere she was, happy wherever she was and upset when ever she was. She was also a very good representation of someone who has experienced anxiety; some of her statements pertaining to anxiety and body-love were so spot on that I was all the more in love with her with every passing second. Beck, ahhh, a sweet, bordering-on-supremely-goofy, Austen-quoting hero after a long time. I think my favourite part however, were not all the perfects, but the wonderful imperfects that was portrayed toward the end of this book. A very subtle message that Kylie has conveyed that was a true eye-opener for me. I loved loved loved that last little message that KS shared.I think the depiction of the secondary characters were fantastic. Why? Because they represented the mess that comes with money, without taking away the fact that they are still people, still wonderful, still hurting, still human. Another aspect of money in this book was how when you become someone who is associated with money, you have to adopt it into your life, even while acknowledging that it is unfair that you are judged if you do not talk the talk and walk the walk if you’re of a certain status in society. Also, being someone who’s never had money before, there are some very specific opinions one would have about extravagance, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that some of the things that come with money is comfort and who doesn’t like comfort? I did like that that was subtly brought to our attention.For me, there were some pacing issues and I would also have loved to see the message that was brought up toward the end–that I thought was fantastically relevant–to be handled more elaborately. But perhaps that’s because I was learning so much from Kylie’s words I didn’t want it to stop.Received an ARC.

So, the Corona Virus…I really tried to shut out the world and all our woes to escape into The Rich Boy. I absolutely loved the Pretty Woman vibe and loved Beck’s swoon-worthy and romantic antics to get Alice’s attention.BUT…My brain wouldn’t turn off from what’s going on in my life and I couldn't help wondering how these characters would cope or deal with Covid 19?How are the rich people coping with Corona Virus?Are their staff obligated to keep on serving to their needs?Do the staff and the rich self-isolate/hang out together?Will their money protect them from the virus?Can you run a multi-billion dollar company, remotely?I wonder if they worry about running out of toilet paper?So, while I absolutely loved The Rich Boy, I found myself intensely distracted by real life.A little part of me is always sad that I’m not the one being showered in diamonds and waited on hand and foot. Then, reality comes in and I realise that money does not buy you happiness and is attached to some very unfortunate side-effects. I would hate having my photo taken without my knowledge. I would hate having to make speeches and appear at fundraisers where I was under constant scrutiny. I would hate having my hubby accosted and having to accept that I play second-fiddle to “business” talk. I’m thankful there are stories like this in my world because it makes me realise, I’m happy with what I’ve got.This is not a story about…or not just about a lady getting swept off her feet and treated like a princess. I absolutely loved that Beck and Alice met before she was even aware he came from money. I would have preferred to see them together a bit longer before he whisks her away to his real life. I just felt like I needed more of them together as just the busboy, Beck and the waitress, Alice. I needed more time to believe that Alice wasn’t making a silly choice in flying to another city for a man she had only known for a few days.This is what I would call a slow-burn romance and it definitely worked for me. Their mutual desire and attraction jumped off the pages, and when they finally come together, IT’S HOT!I found myself smiling a lot while reading this story. Both Beck and Alice are funny, and I loved that Beck used Jane Austen’s words to lure Alice into his clutches. There were a lot of quotes from Pride and Prejudice that made me sigh in delight.While there are some hurdles this couple must pass, I had faith in their success because they didn’t give up. As a couple, they worked together to conquer their problems and discussed how they would get to the other side. I believed that this couple will make it together.I loved that Alice’s size didn’t define her. Sure, she had some insecurities about lumps and bumps but she was also comfortable with who she was. This confidence was appealing and made her size irrelevant to their relationship and attraction. It was even more appealing that Beck’s attraction didn’t seem to be about…or not about her size. I’m not a fan when it’s ALL about size/ confidence/ health/ weight.I finished The Rich Boy with a smile on my face but I really feel like I need more. I want Ethan (Beck's brother) to take a chance on love again. I want to see how Emma (Beck's sister) and Matias are going and if their marriage will survive the second time around. I hated that Henry has such a selfish cow for a mother. I want Henry to live with Beck and Alice full-time as the poor kid needs some stability in his life. The Elliot’s are a crazy bunch with some serious issues but most of them are lovable. If Kylie Scott decided to make this into a series, I would not be disappointed.I love this author’s work and I will definitely be back for more.

Always one of my favorite authors, I’ve been looking forward to this new book for a while now. Long past the fresh-out-of-college age myself, this is one of the few authors writing about that age group I still read, probably because I always find it so easy to relate to her heroines. Note this story is told from Alice’s first person point of view.Alice is exactly the kind of leading lady I’ve come to expect from this author: curvy and smart, with a love for literature and her share of insecurities. Beck was pretty relatable, too: “When you have a cell, then people you don’t necessarily want to be able to contact you can do so and it’s just a steep road to hell from there.” 😂 Alice and Beck both use humor and sarcasm as a shield; they reminded me a little of Mal and Anne from the author’s Stage Dive series, with Beck’s semi-outrageous flirting (though he’s nowhere near Mal’s level of crazy, but then who is?) and the way Alice takes it all in stride, albeit a bit cautiously. While their back and forth put a smile on my face from page one, it didn’t take much longer to see that Beck was hiding some pain behind the flirty, hot guy facade.There’s plenty of instant attraction between the two, but this is more of a slow burn story, though not necessarily from lack of trying on Alice’s part. I have to say, it was kind of refreshing to read a story where it’s the guy who wants to take his time. They each have a history of getting burned by past relationships, but Beck is determined that going slow is the key to building a relationship that will last. And he very much wants their relationship to last.While there are a number of interesting, secondary characters around, it’s Beck’s largely dysfunctional family that fills the majority of those roles, and here’s hoping older brother Ethan gets a storyline his own. A fast, fun read for me, my only real criticism is that I felt like we’ve seen some of these storylines from this author before: an everyday, average Jane getting thrown into a world of wealth and fame, plus an ex who’s still involved with the family (Lick), a sibling with an on-again/off-again relationship (Dirty), and I’ve already mentioned Beck’s resemblance to Mal (Play). None of this really detracted from the book for me, as I loved all those previous stories, just don’t go into it expecting anything different.With plenty of humor, plus a few touching moments as well, this is a funny, light-hearted, modern take on a Cinderella story, with a healthy dose of Jane Austin thrown in. I loved watching Alice step into her new role while refusing to change who she really was. And I was definitely cheering for her when she showed a few of Beck’s family members just what she was made of. 4.5 stars

I loved the book until I hated it, rushed finish with weird values, somehow still unresolved in the end. I usually appreciate Kylie Scott and her writing in this one is nice, just the values are off.

Somehow, the heroine, Alice, is a very strong and independent woman while also being a push-over. While she refuses to take jobs that would turn into careers where she’d be unhappy, she’s stuck in a rut at her waitressing job at a bar. While she has resolve, she lacks a bit of motivation.Beck seems like a dream guy, but he has his secrets. Once that secrets come out, so does the full picture of Beck. Not that he’s a bad guy, he’s not. But he’s used to being in charge and people “yes sir”-ing him. In all fairness, when he reverts to this behavior and it’s pointed out he does adjust his attitude and try to correct the issue. It just happens a bit too much. It’s his nature.While Alice and Beck are amazing when it’s just the two of them together, when you throw in his family and others that surround Beck on a daily basis, things get knocked askew. That’s when Alice’s stiff backbone come in handy. But even the strongest women can only take so much when the man she loves keeps secrets (to protect her) and half of his family is trying to run her out of town.I enjoyed Beck’s siblings. They surprised me over and over, in good ways and in bad. I loved them and hated them in equal measure, until the end when I loved them all. And while the relationship between Alice and Beck had its ups and downs, I was rooting for the couple. I was hoping for more chemistry. It was there, especially in the beginning, but I wanted more by the middle of the story. I also really adore the way they meet and that first short bit of getting to know each other.As usual, Kylie Scott kept me turning pages and entertained throughout.

Like the title says, this is about a rich boy and the girl from the other side of the tracks. The couple met while he was busing tables at the bar she served at. Little did she know he actually could have bought the bar, and then some. He was away from his family and fortune trying to find himself. She was just trying to make ends meet until she decided what she really wanted to do with her life and her degree. She is smart and strong in the face of scrutiny. He is a little bit of a mystery, but does what he can to make her feel comfortable when she is tossed into a whole new world (his world.) I enjoyed all the Jane Austin references and quotes the two shared together (both being fans.) Him using them to woo her. Of course, with this girl who comes from basically nothing, his family treat her as such, and worry about her being a gold digger. She doesn't cower to them though. She holds her head high, until she realizes not everything is as it seems. His family may not have taking a liking to her, they weren't all bad, and by the end, there was more good than evil among them. I liked that fact that while there was the big 'break-up' scene, she didn't actually break up with him. She took the time to really think about things and decided they could work on things. It was a refreshing change from the usual. I also liked that the steps in their friendship moved fast, their actual romantic relationship was at a slow pace... too slow for her tastes. It was kinda cute being it was his decision to move slow and not have sex right away. It may have moved slow, but there is some sexual content. There was plenty of humor, and at the same time, there was a heavier story running in the background (surrounding his family, their money and lifestyles.) It was an all round good and enjoyable read. I did notice a few editing errors... spelling errors mostly. It reads quickly and easily. It is from just her POV.