I enjoyed The Charmer! It had a lot of the classic billionaire romance tropes I love, but with an added international flair and found family dynamic that gave it heart.

The Manhattan/Singapore setting was such a fun surprise! It totally gave Crazy Rich Asians vibes and added a fresh dimension to the billionaire romance genre.

Xander Sutton! Oh, Xander. What a swoony, romantic simp. The man remembered every single detail about Penelope, and he was the king of acts of service. They never felt over the top or performative. Just genuine love in action.

I still felt the warmth and loyalty within the friend group, and it was heavy on the found family trope, which I love. The dynamics were funny, supportive, and full of love. 

Penelope as a main character fell a little flat for me. She’s described as a powerful, high achieving lawyer, but we barely get to see that side of her. Most of her arc is tied to family drama, which, while realistic and emotionally charged, overshadowed her strength and independence. Her personal growth didn’t feel as earned as I wanted it to. Xander’s trauma was touched on but not explored deeply. It was more of a background note than something integrated into the relationship or driving his actions. The emotional payoff at the end felt unearned and underdeveloped.

As much as I liked them together, I couldn’t tell you why they loved each other, and did not feel their romantic connection as much as I would like. Their past interactions were vaguely referenced and lacked emotional depth. For a slow burn, it didn’t feel like it simmered long enough. They were cute, sure, but not deeply compelling.

The writing bothered me because the dialogue and exposition sometimes pulled me out of the story. There were moments that felt overwritten or clunky, making it hard to stay immersed.

The pacing and plot was also off. There were stretches where the story dragged. The ending conflict in particular didn’t fully make sense or hit with the weight it was supposed to. Penelope’s family drama, while an important plot point, felt like a repetitive device that lacked meaningful resolution or layers.

I’m glad I read this book, because Xander alone makes it worth it. Ava Rani writes with a romantic, heartfelt touch, and I appreciated the effort to weave in deeper themes like familial pressure, identity, and love as healing. That said, I wish the emotional arcs had gone further and the romantic development had been more robust. Still, it’s a sweet, slow burn with a ton of charm (pun intended), and a satisfying close to the Biotech Billionaires series.

Rating: 3.75 ⭐️ rounded up to 4 for the found family vibes and my soft spot for Xander!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ava Rani, and Avon for the eARC of this book.