Release Blitz + Review: "Ellyn & the Would-Be Gigolo" by Pru Warren

I'm happy to take part in today's release blitz celebrating "Ellyn & the Would-Be Gigolo" by Pru Warren, book #3 of the Ampersand series. The male protagonist of this book was introduced in the previous book of the series, but it works well as a standalone.
 

After a painful encounter with crime boss Terence the Accountant and his henchmen, con artist extraordinaire Arthur "Artie" Petrovitch stumbles into a coffee shop to nurse his newly cracked ribs and black eye. Fellow patron Ellyn Wolcott immediately notices his injuries and strikes up a conversation with him. As a director of photography, she's fascinated by his black eye, but more importantly, she's in need of the help of a "scoundrel." Ellyn comes from a wealthy family whose money is tied up in a trust controlled by her widowed Aunt Cor, and $5 million is currently up for grabs. Aunt Cor has invited each of her four nieces to spend part of a 2-month long cruise with her, and the niece whose segment of the trip is the most fun for Cor will win the money. That's where Artie comes in: Ellyn needs him to seduce her aunt and ensure that she enjoys herself while Ellyn is aboard the ship. Artie agrees in exchange for a percentage of Ellyn's winnings, but Ellyn quickly learns that it won't be as easy to control Artie as she thought. Not only that, there's an unexpected spark between the two of them that becomes increasingly difficult to ignore as time goes by.  

Artie and Ellyn were uneasy allies at first, which made sense for a lot of reasons and wasn't helped by the fact that Artie deviated from their plan the moment they boarded the ship. I kind of loved that about him, though; he didn't apologize for who he was or how he lived his life, just made the best of his particular set of skills. There was plenty of chemistry between him and Ellyn, and I loved their witty banter. They finally started to see each other in a different light about halfway through the book, and even though they knew it was a terrible idea, they couldn't help falling for each other.

In addition to Ellyn and Artie, I loved all of the book's quirky, endearing secondary characters, particularly Ellyn's Aunt Cor. I also loved that the plot kept me guessing until the very end, and I could never predict what was going to happen next. There were so many twists and turns in the schemes cooked up by Cor's nieces and the other, unaffiliated con artists aboard the cruise ship that it was sometimes tough to tell who was conning whom! 

Overall, "Ellyn & the Would-Be Gigolo" was a fantastic read and I highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I look forward to the next book in the series.

*Review copy provided by the author via Elle Woods PR. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

About "Ellyn & the Would-Be Gigolo"

A funny, sexy romantic adventure that proves the adage: A good scoundrel is hard to find. And even harder to keep! 

 

Ellyn is in a “cousin contest.” Her aunt will give away five million to her favorite niece, and she’ll choose the winner on a luxurious cruise to paradise. Ellyn thinks she’ll do whatever it takes to win—including bringing a scoundrel on board to romance Aunt Cor.

Artie’s life as a con man has had its ups and downs—but now he’s hit rock bottom. Then Ellyn meets the former “Phoebus Apollon” (from DASH & THE MOONGLOW MYSTIC) and offers him a lifeline. Now Artie has to make a choice. He could marry Aunt Cor for her fortune and become “Uncle Artie.” Or forget the money and win the treasure he never knew he wanted—Ellyn’s heart.

A cruise ship rhumba contest, wealthy-lady shopping expeditions in exotic ports of call, cousins and competitors and one glum-faced maid: With all that going on, how do you stack the deck (nautical humor, get it?) to get what you want?

NOTE: You don't have to read The Ampersand Series in order, but it's fun if you do, since each successive book features a secondary character who becomes the hero or heroine of the next.