A Year with the Millionaire Next Door by Barbara Wallace: This was the first book I’ve read 
from this author and I’m glad I had the chance because I really enjoyed it.
It was well written, flowed smoothly, and had an interesting storyline that caught my attention. Dame Agnes Moreland, a famous actor left her money to her cat Toffee instead of her nephew Theodore “Teddy” Moreland. Teddy wasn’t happy and was trying to dispute the will and was causing trouble for Stella, the estate’s manager.
Stella Russo fled New York and moved to London after she breaks down from her stressful finance consulting job. Her new job was to take care of Toffee and manage the estate’s investments and property. While inventorying the estate, Stella came across some of Dame Agnes’s journals and became interested in the woman’s life. None of her family understood or supported her decision to leave her job in New York for a year. Stella’s father was always pushing her about her work and comparing her accomplishments to her two older siblings. Stella felt like she never measured up to her father’s expectations, even though she did her best. Stella planned on relaxing for a year and then returning to New York and finally proving herself to her father. Becoming friends and falling in love with her neighbor was not in the plan.
Wealthy scientist Linus Collier was taking a break from relationships after earning a reputation as a playboy. He has come to realize that his past actions had hurt others, so he was trying to become a better person. He wanted to be Stela’s friend and help her to believe in herself, but as their friendship grew so did the attraction between them. They agreed to have a relationship with no emotional entanglements because emotions didn’t fit into either of their plans. Linus tries to make Stella understand that no matter what she does she will never make her father happy. He can see how excited she is working on her Dame Agnes projects and how she dreads going back to New York but feels like she must prove herself. Having a discussion with Linus’s sister gave her something to think about when she said “When you feel like you can’t compete, you can either stay in the race and struggle, or you can find a race you like better.
I found the characters to be charming and perfect for each other. They both were trying to recover from their past and were able to assist each other. Becoming friends with Stella helped Linus to really see Stella as a person and engaged his emotions. He had to get over feeling guilty for treating his previous girlfriends as objects and not recognizing they were people with feelings. Stella overcoming her feelings of not being worthy was hard for her but having Linus’s love and support helped her to grow and believe in herself. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading future books from the author.
Book Info:
Publication: August 1st 2020 | Harlequin Romance |
One year in England…
A lifetime in love?
Stella Russo fled across the Atlantic for a distraction-free escape from her high-pressure finance job. Mission accomplished. But it’s somewhat complicated when she spies the dreamboat next door… Wealthy scientist Linus Collier’s also on a self-imposed hiatus from the opposite sex, so Stella’s his own unwelcome but oh-so-delightful distraction… Their mutual temptation might begin from a distance, but soon they can’t resist acting on it…up close and personal!
