Hello everyone!
Time really does fly when you're having fun. It seems like only yesterday that I started reading The Billionaire Kings by Serenity Woods, and yet somehow, we've reached the end.
Of course it may not REALLY be the end, as Ms Woods has indicated there might be a follow-up story, kind of like a wrap-up, to catch up with everyone in the King dynasty.
And it really IS a dynasty by this point, given how many of them there are and how they seem interconnected all over the place.
In the meantime though, we need to review the last of the actual books and love stories, because there's only two people left who remain single after all the others have found their happily ever afters.
What makes this particular book special is the fact that it takes place in Rovaniemi, Finland, which is an actual place up in the Arctic Circle. It's one of my bucket list destinations, because who DOESN'T want to go spy on Santa in his own village??
Ahem.
My Christmas Billionaire does just that.
Links to the previous books can be found at the bottom of this page, both for the Billionaires, and for the Three Wise Men series which started it all. I've also included Santa's Secret, which introduces us to Rudi and Eva, who we meet again in this one as owners of Santa's Secret Village; and because that book is my favourite of all Ms Woods has ever written, I honestly had to add it in just because!
Now, onwards.
My Christmas Billionaire pretty much picks up right where all the other books left off, namely that the Kings and their significant others are boarding a plane that will fly them to their destination in the cold north. It's an exciting prospect given that people in New Zealand don't usually see snow on a regular basis, and Finland ...
Well.
Our main focus are Jules and Stefan, however, as the main characters of the book, and the only two singles left in the entire bunch, so naturally everyone and their mother want to see them get together.
Jules is Hal's sister, so Brock and Erin's daughter, and she's been in love with Stefan for what seems like ages, but she also has a lot going for her as well given that she was almost recruited to the national Netball team. She has a bit of a past with relationships, because her ex hit her when she wanted to walk out, but that being said she's definitely no victim and knows how to take care of herself.
She is, however, really hung up over Stefan and his rejection back at Nix and Leon's wedding, though.
So who is Stefan?
Stefan is the local resident Viking (aka he's tall as all get out, strong, and from descriptions reminds me a lot of Clive Standen's Rollo) and head vet at the Ark, and it's pretty obvious he's carrying a torch for Jules, but not acting on it. And nobody really understands why that is, given they're both consenting adults and all that jazz. The truth comes out later on in the book, though:
Stefan's sister, Maya, was raped by her boyfriend, and coincidentally one of Stefan's best friends, which drove a rift between the two families since the mothers were best friends, too.
Now, Stefan's terrified of what might happen if he lets himself love Jules: what if every man is a monster deep inside? He doesn't want to hurt her, especially since all the Kings are special to him, and he doesn't want to lose Hal's friendship, and the rest of the gang.
This explanation doesn't really appear until a bit later after the Kings arrive to Finland and get all settled in their bungalows, enjoying the snowy festivities and all that the Village has to offer them, which is honestly so cool to revisit after Santa's Secret, because you can see there've been improvements and additions and maybe even expansions. It's gorgeous, and just makes me want to go there more!
Plus, with Noah and Abby getting married in a winter fairytale wedding, EVERYONE, me included, can't wait for it!
There's also a couple of new additions on the way for the family, since Poppy's pregnant (My Wounded Billionaire), and Izzy can finally reveal she's in the family way, too (My Best Friend, the Billionaire).
So everyone seems to be settling down and starting the new chapter in their lives, while only Jules is being sort of left behind since Stefan has dug in, hidden behind a shield wall, and isn't going anywhere.
Of course, there's the addition of the occasional slight inebriation (nobody's driving at the time and everyone's an adult with perfect consent, mind) and both Stefan and Jules saying things they don't mean, which is what leads them to finally clear the air and Maya's story coming to light (Maya herself tells Stefan he needs to somehow start moving on, or he'll always be unhappy).
Then ... something happens.
Stefan initially wanted to stay back in New Zealand, both because he didn't want things to be awkward for Jules and the family and also that someone would remain at the Ark, but Noah told him he's family, too. So he's thousands of miles away when he gets the call that his dog escaped the other vet looking after him, and got hit by a car.
A million episodes of Supervet flash through the back of my mind as everyone waits on baited breath for an update out of New Zealand, and Jules comforts Stefan as best as she can.
Also, Hal has a thing or two to say.
Interestingly, it's cheerful, easygoing Hal who has the best advice for Stefan, despite the fact he's always presented as someone who might not have the most to say in situations like these, or maybe it's just myself who sees it that way. ANYWAY, Hal finally pokes and prods and gets the story out of Stefan about why he's holding off with Jules, and Hal has a lot of things to say about it: including but not limited to that Stefan would NEVER hurt Jules like that. It just isn't in his DNA.
Hal deposits Jules with Stefan after news of his dog breaks, and it's not like two adults attracted to each other can really hold back for that long, especially when the news is good and the dog is supposed to make a full recovery.
So yeah, the Arctic DOES work some of its magic once again (by also throwing in an arctic fox!), and Jules and Stefan finally end up clearing the air after Noah and Abby get married (in a fantastic, whimsical ceremony, plus the added bene is that THEY'RE TRYING FOR A BABY!); Stefan is told (by Clio and Ryan from My Wicked Billionaire), that he needs to verbally spell out he's sorry about the stupid stuff he said which hurt Jules, since Jules is now waffling and doesn't seem to be as all in as he is.
So Stefan goes and does just that.
It helps that he's her Secret Santa (because Charlie from An Ideal Present played Cupid yet again) and can also gift her a delicate, beautiful necklace.
But yeah, the air is finally clear, the Kings seem to all be happy and content, and Stefan and Jules can look ahead to the future, back in subtropical New Zealand, and see happiness and laughter, and many years to come together.
And isn't that everything a person could ever want?
This was the very much anticipated conclusion, but I'm happy about the predicted wrap-up book because I don't think I'll ever get enough of the Kings; after finishing this one I had to go back and start Three Wise Men again, just for the heck of it. Santa's Secret is still waiting for a date a bit closer to Christmas, too.
My Christmas Billionaire does a great job at tying everything together, and because it takes place up in the Arctic it also has an added magical flare that should make just about anyone smile, because why not?
I do have to admit that, for some reason, I couldn't connect with Jules as much in this one, though. There's nothing wrong with her - she's a fantastic character! But while I really felt for Stefan and could see where he was coming from, admiring the fact that, in his own way, he was following his personal honour code throughout, something about Jules didn't quite click for me.
I've been thinking and thinking about what that might be, and the only thing I can currently settle on is that she wanted to be TOLD the other person was sorry, as opposed to what usually happens in these kind of books where the heroine needs to be SHOWN. Stefan was basically laying it all out on the line, using his actions instead of words that he was sorry, but she was still gung-ho about not hearing those words, it seems. Or so Clio says when she speaks with Stefan.
Clio also says that the words 'I'm sorry' are magical and make everything right, somehow - that just hearing them actually be spoken means something, to which I politely disagree. The words 'I'm sorry' are VERY easily spoken, and don't have much meaning a lot of the time because they get repeated often enough. It's the actions behind the words that carry real weight, and Stefan had all the action down pat. Maybe it just didn't sit well with me that it was somehow suggested that Jules couldn't see what his actions meant. I thought Jules was smarter than that!
I really don't know, though. Like I said, I think it's more to do with me than with the character proper - because Jules really is a great one. I do prefer Stefan of the two in this equation, though, which hasn't happened in a while, but that said, the book is GREAT. I thoroughly enjoyed it, I loved being back in Lapland, and in all honesty if you need some Christmas magic to cheer you right up, you should definitely grab it.
Snow seems to be a rare commodity these days, at least for many people, so why not look it up in romantic stories like this one?
xx
*image not mine
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