I really wanted to like this story, but I found it rushed and hard to connect to at times. Julie and Ryan are a cute couple, but I felt like most of the story was just her hating him and him trying to get her to forgive him. So when the big love reveal happens at the end, I'm left confused as to when the actual chemistry happened. I'm probably just being extra harsh, but I didn't get as pulled into it as I would have liked. ( )

The Substitute Millionaire
Book 1 in "The Million Dollar Catch" series

Julie Nelson, a Mandarin-speaking international corporate lawyer, agrees to go on a blind date at the request of her newly-found grandmother, even though she detests blind dates and knows she will not like Todd Aston III. Not to mention the odd offer of a "bonus" of million dollar gifts to her, her two sisters and her mother ($4M total) promised to them if a wedding takes place. She and her sisters are not interested but decide that one of them should go on the date just to appease Grandma Ruth. She is taken by surprise when she finds she really does like him, he is funny, smart, handsome, and understands her sense of humor. Out of character for her, she spends the night with him, but in the morning, Todd is consumed with guilt and admits he is actually not Todd, but his cousin, Ryan Bennett. Todd thought Julie was going to be another gold digger after his money, so Ryan agreed to meet her in his place and teach her a lesson but it got out of hand when he discovered he truly liked her.

Devastated at being lied to, Julie orders him away, but is forced to contact him a few weeks later when she discovers something about their night together. Amidst the doubt and confusion of the big lie and the machinations of her meddling grandmother, she is still drawn to Ryan and wants to believe that he is sincerely apologetic for his mistake. Ryan proves to be sincere, caring and patient and along the way they both realize that what they found that first night together really was something special. ( )