Summary: "Ella Harper has spent her whole life moving from town to town with her mother, struggling to make ends meet. After her mother dies, Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. It's a life of wealth, excess, and deception. And Reed Royal is determined to send her back to the slums she came from. He says she doesn't belong with the Royals. If Ella is going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she'll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees."This is one of those books that you enjoy well-enough while reading it, as long as you don't think too much. I initially couldn't put it down, as I was intrigued by Ella's grit and determination to survive on her own. However, once she moves in with the Royals, the book slowly goes downhill. The romantic lead is her "step-brother" Reed, and he is the WORST. I HATE him. He treats Ella like garbage, and not in the fun "enemies-to-friends" type of way. He has no redeeming qualities, and as soon as he shows Ella some affection, she falls head-over-heels in love with him. It's truly appalling.
The author, Erin Watt, is actually two New Adult authors working together: Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick. While I adore Elle Kennedy, I could not believe that she could write a character as great as Garrett in The Deal, and then allow a character like Reed to exist.
364 pages
