Trade Me (Cyclone, #1)

by Courtney Milan

[Angie]

Trade Me has a lot going on in it, but it's all fantastic! It's an opposites attract, fake relationship turned real Romance and has a swapped lives plot! On top of many other wonderful and interesting themes. Tina is poor, putting herself through college, and partially supporting her family. Blake is a billionaire, heir to even more billions, and under pressure to take over his father's company. After a classroom debate, Blake proposes that he and Tina switch lives for the semester. She'll no longer have to stress about money, and he gets a break from his business duties. They both get more than they bargained for.

What I loved most about Trade Me was that Tina and Blake are pretty "normal" people. Yes, Blake is a multi-billionaire and has no concept of money, but he's a nice guy and works hard. They both have their problems, but there's not much angst. They're relatable and feel real. There's no magic cure for anything that they're going through, but they do the best that they can. I'm not going to say what exactly each of them are going through, because those were interesting reveals and explained so much about why they are the way they are. And both of them are super smart! And not just in a superficial way, where we're simply told that they get good grades and all that. Tina blows my mind at times with the stuff she says to Blake's father!

Of course, Trade Me has a steamy romance! Tina and Blake pretend to be dating so that she can get access to some awesome prototypes to help her with the launch script she's working on for Blake. Then her mother is convinced that the two are dating despite their protests. One thing leads to another, and there is kissing! And sexy times! And feelings! There is a bit of a random break up thrown in there, but I loved the way the aftermath was handled! It was such a fun twist and a great way to tie in all of the technology aspects of the story.

Trade Me was simply great! This might sound cliche, but it's unlike any New Adult Romance that I've read before. I loved how it explored socio-economic differences, and cultural differences (Tina's family escaped persecution in China), the law, technology, and family dynamics. It's a lot, but it all worked together very nicely.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.