Trade Me (Cyclone #1) by Courtney Milan
Release Date: January 19, 2015
Publisher: Selfpublished
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 
Buy It: Amazon | IndieBound
Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Technology. But when he makes an off-hand comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life.
To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her hours and send money home to her family. No expectations; no future obligations.
But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. No expectations might break Tina’s heart…but Blake’s secrets could ruin her life. – Goodreads
Review:
Tina Chen just wants to survive. She wants more than $10 to her name, and wants her parents to not worry about money. What she doesn’t have any time for is the guy in her intro class who has so much money he barely knows how much he goes through each day. He doesn’t even see Tina which is highlighted when he hits a puddle and covers Tina.
Of course there is more to the uber rich and sexy Blake Reynolds. He does see Tina, he’s always seen Tina and always had a thing for her. But knows he never would have a chance with Tina. Which is true, and Tina states this when he tries to talk to her. She doesn’t have time for him. She barely has time to sleep. But slowly Blake and Tina talk and realize the other has what the other one has, and why don’t they trade lives. What’s the worse that could happen?
What the two don’t expect is how well it does work and how they slowly become friends. They start to trust each other with their backgrounds and even their future. They start to fall for each other even though that is honestly the last thing either one of them wants. Tina is still just trying to tread water and survive and Blake doesn’t want to have a nervous breakdown before he takes over his family’s company.
What I found most fascinating was not only the romantic relationship that Milan is known for writing, but the family relationships that she is capable of writing. Both family relationships could be seen as not normal. Tina is constantly assisting her parents, even though they don’t need her help. Blake and his father yell “asshole” to each other and other various swear words to each other to show love. The two of them come from such differing backgrounds that it’s easy to see why Tina never thought they stood a chance.
I fully believe if anyone but Milan wrote this novel it would not have worked. Milan made this story work and made me wanting more.
