Can’t Buy Me Love by Georgia Beers

 


The details…

  • Title: Can’t Buy Me Love
  • Author: Georgia Beers
  • Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
  • Publication date: August 13, 2024
  • Available formats: ebook, paperback, audiobook
  • File size: 1564 KB
  • Print length: 240 pages
  • Audiobook: 9 hours and 23 minutes; narrated by Lula Larkin
  • Genre: contemporary romance
  • Themes: friendship, women loving women, sapphic relationships, ice queens, Hollywood, rich and famous, media, bodyguards, island paradise vacations, honesty, betrayal, ex girlfriends, love, undercover journalism, glamour and fashion
  • Tropes: insta-connection, friendship to romance, 

The blurb from the publisher…

London Granger gave up her modeling career for investigative journalism only to discover no one would hire her to write anything but fluff. The only way to get ahead? Investigate something people will actually read. That’s how her next assignment becomes “What’s it Really Like to Be a Billionaire?” Her boss hooks her up on a glitzy getaway to St. Kitts undercover, as the totally platonic companion of media mogul Miranda Northbrooke.

Tennyson Security protects the rich and famous, and Kayla Tennyson built it from the ground up. She has more money than she can spend, but sorting through the fakes and finding someone honest and genuine is tough. She tried with Miranda Northbrooke, and it ended in disaster. But the gorgeous writer she meets while protecting a movie star on St. Kitts just might be the real deal. Until she learns London and Miranda are at the resort together.

London isn’t sure what she expected of Miranda’s ex, but it certainly wasn’t strength and beauty. And while Kayla would like to write London off as Miranda’s new plaything, she can’t get past how smart and funny she is. London and Kayla are perfect for one another, but if London reveals the ruse, she risks not only the opportunity of her career, but Kayla’s trust as well.

My thoughts…

Georgia Beers latest, Can’t Buy Me Love, is a well-crafted story with an engaging, fun narrative. This contemporary romance contains alluring leads that readers are sure to enjoy. However, while London and Kayla are solid, likable leading characters, it is Miranda Northbrooke, London’s boss, that really grabs one’s attention. Her “Miranda Priestly” overtones add rich, dynamic layers of complexity and tension. She jumps off the page every time she enters a scene, making the storytelling so much more engaging. She’s the perfect secondary character and I could not get enough of her!

Miranda is what I would call an ice queen with a soft center. The stark contrast between her cool exterior and her warm, vulnerable interior creates a compelling character dynamic. This duality makes her character more complex and interesting. Watching her gradually reveal her softer side to London provides not only a satisfying story arc but impactful storytelling as well. Those moments when Miranda’s true feelings break through her icy facade are potent and affecting for London; it all works to build a powerful and heartfelt connection with the reading audience.

As wonderful a character as Miranda is, she would not have much purpose without the leading ladies’ romance. Beers does a fine job scripting their journey to HEA, too. London and Kayla’s narrative offers a rich blend of themes, character dynamics and conflicts to captivate readers. By weaving together intriguing subplots, light-hearted humor and resonating emotional moments, Beers gives readers something to chew on. This is more than just a romance; it explores deeper issues: identity, trust, friendship and true connection. Ultimately, these characters’ journeys serve as a reminder that love, when rooted in honesty and understanding, can emerge even in the most complex of circumstances.

Final thoughts…

Friendships play vital role in this lovely narrative about falling in love while least expecting it. They not only provide a gateway for London and Kayla’s romance, but comic relief and introspection as well. Most importantly though, they help the storytelling truly resonate with readers. Through the significant and important friendships London and Kayla have in their lives, Beers shows the importance of true connection and how it can be a guiding light to true love. This well-crafted approach ensures that readers will not only be entertained but also inspired by the power of genuine, transformative love and connection, especially in a world that values distractions and showy facades. Ultimately, Can’t Buy Me Love underscores why Beers fans don’t hesitate to lay their money down for one of her novels.

Strengths…

  • Wonderful supporting characters
  • Intriguing subplots
  • Nice exploration of friendship
  • Engaging romance
  • Nice potential for sequel

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A bit about the author…

Georgia Beers is a Lambda Literary Award, Foreword Book of the Year Award, and Goldie Award winning author of lesbian romance. She resides in upstate New York where she was born and raised. When not writing, she enjoys too much TV, never too much wine, and long walks with her dog. She is currently hard at work on her next book. To learn more about her, click on the links below.

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