Million Dollar Marriage by Katy Evans

Katy Evans' Million Dollar Marriage features Luke who we previously met in Million Dollar Devil and his heroine Penelope Carpenter or "Nell." If you love shows like The Bachelor and/or The Amazing Race, this book might be something up your alley. I enjoyed this one but it certainly wasn't my favorite. For those of you who have read Lizzy and James' book, Nell makes Lizzy look an angel in comparison. And oh boy, was Lizzy pretentious but at least she felt more compassionate towards James. Luke and Nell, on the other hand, have absolutely nothing in common except for their circumstances which prompted them to be on the show. Not only was she judgmental towards Luke and called him a "thug," I had issues with her personality and attitude. She simply wasn't nice or cooperative towards her "husband." And yes, they had to get married in this reality show.

Initially, I sympathized with Nell because of her wallflower status, book smart/intelligence, anti-social awkwardness, and quirky behavior but as the book progressed, I saw another side to her and it wasn't pretty. Similar to Lizzy, Nell was pretentious and frequently looked down on other people -- including Luke. At times, I questioned why Luke would ever be interested or attracted to her because they were polar opposites. As for Luke, I really liked his character -- even if he did seem like a jock with more muscles than brains most of the time. I couldn't help but think he was very different from the Luke we met in Million Dollar Devil who was quiet, serious, and protective of his friends. Anyway, it was really hard to see the "love" between Nell and Luke, especially one that would warrant them to pursue a relationship with each other after the show was over. Most of the time, it felt more like lust.

Nevertheless, I did really like the adventure and reality show aspect of this book. It was unique and I liked the fact that Nell and Luke were complete strangers and had to work together despite being very different from each other to win the game. Some parts were really funny like the time Nell was strapped in front of Luke and they had to go through a maze together while being chased by a "ghost." In the end, I did enjoy this book and if you're looking for a fast-paced book featuring characters that are complete opposites in a reality show type of setting then this book is for you!

* This ARC was generously provided Social Butterfly PR and Katy Evans for an honest review. *

Rating: ★★★☆☆