The Fine Print

Article Written By: Lindsey

Disclaimer** This review may contain spoilers and is firmly based on my opinion**

Title: The Fine Print

Author: Lauren Asher ~ The Dreamland Billionaires series

Publisher:  Piatkus, 2022

Category & Genre:  Adult Romance

Page number:  434 

Tropes:  Grumpy sunshine, office romance, right person wrong time romance, expiration date romance

Synopsis from the book jacket:

“Rowan

I'm in the business of creating fairy tales.

Theme parks. Production companies. Five-star hotels.

Everything could be all mine if I renovated Dreamland.

My initial idea of hiring Zahra was good in theory, but then I kissed her.

Things spiraled out of control once I texted her using an alias.

By the time I realized where I went wrong, it was too late.

People like me don't get happy endings.

Not when we're destined to ruin them.

Zahra

After submitting a drunk proposal criticizing Dreamland's most expensive ride, I should have been fired.

Instead, Rowan Kane offered me a dream job.

The catch? I had to work for the most difficult boss I'd ever met.

Rowan was rude and completely off-limits, but my heart didn't care.

At least not until I discovered his secret.

It was time to teach the billionaire that money couldn't fix everything.

Especially not us.”

Why did I choose this book to read?

One of my favorite things to do is browse the bookshelves at Target. All their books are usually %20 off, and I can get them for $15 each versus $25 for the same book at Barnes & Noble. This book has been on their shelves for a while now, and I’ve had my eye on it. The cover captured my attention, and when I read the synopsis on the back of the book, I was intrigued to discover that it was alternating perspectives, one of my favorite types of books. 

What did I like about The Fine Print?

I love a good grumpy sunshine trope, and this book epitomizes that. The dialogue between the two main characters was great. They both are very witty, and their banter made me laugh. The personality progression from our grumpy protagonist, Rowan, slowly opening up to the sunshine protagonist, Zahra, was done very well. I enjoyed seeing his personality change, inner monologue coming to terms with said change, and fighting against those changes. It made him relatable as a character and more realistic, which I always appreciate. 

I also really enjoyed the grandfather’s involvement in the story, especially as a character who is deceased before the novel’s start. I forgot he wasn’t alive at one point due to how many times he was mentioned, and he is singlehandedly the catalyst for the entirety of the plot. 

Where did The Fine Print go wrong for me?

I like a good second-chance romance, but it should be one big mistake, meaning one big second chance. This was too many chances, forgiven quickly, which bothered me. It made Zahra seem like she had no backbone and gave off the impression that she was a pushover. Given her background, I would’ve thought it would’ve taken much longer and a lot more for Zahra to forgive and move on from her conflict with Rowan. 

The background of each of the main protagonists could have been better. When I read it, there was a lot of telling and not showing how both characters’ previous traumas affected them, which made it underwhelming. I didn’t feel their pain, which took away from their personalities. 

There are a lot of graphic romance scenes. This isn’t necessarily bad in a book—a romance novel will have love scenes—but I wanted to put this here just as a ‘for your information’ if you want to read this book, so no one is caught off guard.

Here are some of my favorite quotes…

“It’s like she sh*ts sprinkles and consumes rainbows for sustenance.” 

“You’ll learn that the best rewards come with the biggest consequences. Because nothing that great is given for free.”

“You know how the saying goes. Act like a d*ck, lose said d*ck.”

My character connection…

I enjoyed Ani’s character. I appreciated having Down Syndrome represented throughout the book, not only in Ani’s character but also in the plot. I like how aware and observant she is about other people’s thoughts and feelings, especially her sister Zahra’s and Rowan’s. She sees their feelings for one another and does what she can to help and guide them together. She cares deeply for her sister’s emotional welfare and wants to see Zahra happy. 

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Final Verdict: 

I enjoyed this book very much. Once I started reading it, it was challenging to put it down. The author did well at hooking its reader, and the alternating perspectives were done nicely. I would’ve liked the second chance to be more accurate to the traditional second chance trope, but it wasn’t the worst I’ve seen done with that trope, so I can let it slide. I look forward to reading the rest of the Dreamland Billionaire series books in the future.