5 SMOOCHES!
* * * * * * * * * *
SYNOPSIS:
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…
The last thing Dorian Vanderbilt expected was to find me painting in my crop top when he returned to the mansion he hadn’t inhabited in years.
He was understandably surprised I’d turned his living room into an art space.
Life is certainly full of surprises, though, but not always in a good way.
I learned that lesson when my aunt and the billionaire she married died unexpectedly while traveling.
I’d been living with them, and just like that, my life was turned on its axis.
Unsure of what was next, I stayed alone at the barren estate figuring out my next move.
That was when Dorian—the late billionaire’s only son—showed up.
I’d never met Dorian Vanderbilt. He’d been living on the other side of the country.
But now, he was home, left to pick up the pieces of his father’s legacy.
Not only was Dorian devastatingly handsome and mysterious, but he was the sole heir to the Vanderbilt fortune.
He didn’t seem to like me—at first. We were total opposites. But I was grateful that at least he didn’t kick me out.
We stayed out of each other’s way for the most part, save for some late-night kitchen run-ins or unexpected bonding sessions in the home theater.
Over time, though, we grew closer. Turned out, our chemistry was pretty combustible.
I was falling in love with him.
Until everything I thought I knew turned upside down yet again.
And fate left me pining for the one man I’d ever loved.
* * * * * * * * * *
REVIEW:
The House Guest, a poignant and captivating contemporary romance from Penelope Ward, was an unputdownable read that simmered with tension, heartfelt emotion and irresistible chemistry. Primrose, a free-spirited art student, finds herself living under the same roof as Dorian, the brooding, controlled heir to his father’s billion-dollar empire, and their worlds collide in the most delicious way. Despite their opposing stations and natures, a connection blossoms between them built on stolen glances, intellectual sparks and a magnetic pull that neither can deny.
Ward wove this opposites attract romance by crafting a story where every interaction crackled with possibility. Dorian and Primrose navigate family complications, societal expectations, and their own guarded hearts on a journey as tender as it was turbulent. The slow-burn build-up of their relationship made their eventual union feel earned, intensely satisfying and a perfect blend of their heartfelt vulnerability. Of course it wouldn’t be a Penelope Ward romance without a serious plot twist, and this one features a real doozie and that’s all I’m saying on that.
I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated in duet by Teddy Hamilton and Savannah Peachwood. These narrators were extremely well matched, and they delivered the kind of chemistry-filled performance that these characters demanded. Full of soul and sophistication, this was a sexy, consuming read about a love that felt both destined and hard won. The House Guest by Penelope Ward gets five smooches from me!
~Danielle Palumbo
BUY IT NOW!
Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Audio | Special Edition Paperback | Model Paperback | Special Edition Hardcover | Model Hardcover
