Review: The Billionaire Is Back by Kayley Loring & Connor Crais (Beacon Harbor #1)

Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the authors.

Kayley Loring and Connor Crais are back, and they're bringing a billionaire and a baker along with them in the first novel in their brand new Beacon Harbor small town, romantic comedy series. The Billionaire Is Back is a sibling's best friend--alternatively, best friend's sibling--romance set in the fictional small town of Beacon Harbor, Maine. For years, thirty-year-old Grady Barber has focused on achieving every goal he set for himself; now, he's a billionaire investor who's always on the grind, making more money than he could ever possibly need. His life in New York keeps him busy, but when he learns that his father has had a medical episode, he drops everything and heads back to his hometown of Beacon Harbor. Returning means he's bound to bump into his best friend's sister sooner or later, and when he does, it's clear that twenty-eight-year-old Claire Sweeney isn't rolling out the welcome mat for him. The baker knows her way around sweet treats, but it seems she isn't sweet on him...but that's what happens when one near kiss twelve years ago led to rejection. Grady, however, has promised Claire's brother that he'd offer his expertise to help her bakery business be more successful. He also thinks that maybe, just maybe, he can finally show her exactly what she's always meant to him. Grady will have to convince his Little Sweeney that what they share is real.

As I was reading this book, it gave me "series starter" vibes, and it wasn't until I was done that I found out that this was just our first visit to Beacon Hills! Claire Sweeney and Grady Barber were such standout main characters, but there's no denying that there were a number of supporting characters who were rather notable, to the point that I wanted to know more about them. But let's focus on Claire and Grady first. These two had that whole back and forth thing that I love, sharing a connection that I seriously needed them to explore, and boy, did they! There were touches here and there, a lot of which I never saw coming, that made their story and these characters just so darn entertaining and endearing. The romance was wonderfully balanced with the humor--from swoony to silly, I was simply sitting back and enjoying whatever Kayley Loring and Connor Crais had concocted for their readers. It's clear that these two work quite well together. With this not being their first rodeo, there was no disconnect from one chapter and change in viewpoint to the next. The Billionaire Is Back easily gets five stars and I can't wait to get back to Beacon Harbor!

Release Date: 25 January 2025

Date Read: 23 January 2024

Learn more about Kayley Loring and Connor Crais.

Purchase The Billionaire Is Back on Amazon.