AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: No Ordinary Billionaire (The Sinclairs #1)

No Ordinary Billionaire (The Sinclairs #1), by J.S. Scott
Publish Date: March 31, 2015
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Format: audiobook, purchased
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) Dante Sinclair never cared about his family’s money. All the young billionaire ever wanted was to be a cop; and now that he’s a homicide detective in Los Angeles, he’s a damn good one. But when he is injured and loses his partner in the line of duty, he returns to his vacation home in Amesport, Maine, to recover.

Sarah Baxter, a brilliant young doctor still struggling with her stifled upbringing, has recently moved from Chicago to sleepy Amesport to escape her past, hoping to find peace. When Sarah is assigned to Dante’s case, there’s an instant heat between them. They couldn’t possibly be more different, yet their igniting passion is impossible to ignore. As new feelings awaken within Sarah, her haunted past returns, threatening her once again. But can Dante overcome his grief and discover the secrets Sarah is hiding in time to protect and rescue her?

So, this was my first book by J.S. Scott. I know, I know - what's the matter with me?! Well, after No Ordinary Billionaire, I plan to rectify my J.S. Scott deficit.

Dante really is no ordinary billionaire. He certainly doesn't live like one. He works as a homicide detective in LA and lives in a modest apartment. But, when his partner is killed and Dante gravely injured in the line of duty, he's forced to take some time off, so he decides to do that at his large home near his brothers in Maine.

His medical case is transferred to Dr. Sarah Baxter in Amesport, but not for long. When she and Dante meet, their chemistry absolutely cannot be ignored, and being the professional she is, his case is transferred to another doctor so that they can see where things go. But, a ghost from Sarah's past shows up in the sleepy town and puts her and Dante in danger again.

Sarah was such a great character, and I loved the balance J.S. Scott gave her. Have you ever encountered a character who is supposed to be super smart, painfully awkward, tragically meek, and yet, when the clothes came off, she was a sex kitten in bed? I don't know about you, but that always bothers me, and makes the whole character seem trite, flat and unbelievable.

Wonderfully, J.S. Scott found a way to create this character who is brilliant, appropriately awkward, and not at all meek. She took charge of Dante's health and gave him a kick in the pants when he was being ridiculous. And best of all - I believed her. She's smart and a little shy, but she knows what she wants. So, when She and Dante finally give in to their attraction, it's smoking hot and totally believable.

Dante is a great hero. He doesn't seem like a billionaire, and I love that about him. He's down to earth, works a real job, doesn't have tons of servants or huge cars. I really dig his major alpha protective instincts, and he's SO good at protecting Sarah. And she seriously needs it, thanks to a crazy sociopath from her past.

This was a good introduction to the other unattached Sinclairs that I just know I'll encounter in future books. And since I loved the job Elizabeth Powers did of narrating both Sarah's and Dante's parts, I'll be checking those out in audio as well. It's a little unusual for me to experience a book written in dual POV, but narrated all by one female actor. Normally, I would say that I prefer to have two narrators, but in this case, Elizabeth Powers did such a good job with Dante's POV, that I barely noticed the difference. This was a really well done audiobook, and I can't wait to get the next one.