Arc Review | Boyfriend Bargain by Ilsa Madden-Mills

I’m still fairly new to the wonderful world of Ilsa Madden-Mills. I’m finding the more that I read by this author the more she keeps sneaking up to the top of my auto buy list. I’m completely astonished by how much I’m quickly loving this author. Her words are not only addicting but also entertaining and alluring.

Boyfriend Bargain is a standalone and is told in Sugar Ryan and Zack Morgan’s point of views.

Zack Morgan is the king of the world, or at least where all things hocker are considered. On the outside this man is the whole package. Long blonde hair, viking looks, and a swoon that will make even the hardest of hearts fall to their knees. But what’s on the inside is as damaged as damaged can be. This man lives with a chip on his shoulder and a heart full of guilt. Everyone sees him for what they want him to see him as, a hockey playboy extraordinaire.

Everyone except for Sugar Ryan

Sugar Ryan’s dream has always been to get accepted into Vanderbilt Law School.. a college her sperm donor’s family have all went to. Maybe if she gets in, she’ll finally feel accepted in the cold world. But when a letter comes letting her know she’s been waitlisted, Sugar see’s her dreams going up in smoke. She devises a plan to get the most respected hockey player whom everyone loves, including the dean of Vanderbilt, on her arm for everyone to see. Than maybe she will get accepted and her dreams will finally come true. Be careful what you wish for.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous but what honestly drew me in and forced my hand when it came to requesting an arc and initially wanting to read this one was the blurb. I was instantly drawn in. I wanted to escape my everyday life and live inside a book for a few days. Boyfriend Bargain sounded like the perfect story to lose myself in. And indeed it was.

Zach and Sugar’s story reached out and touched my soul. It had everything that I find consuming in a novel plus so much more.

Zach Morgan brings the swoon! There is no doubt about it. But what made me love him even more was the fragile heart this man holds with an iron grasp. His backstory was crushing! He’s been through hell and back and it shows. Ilsa Madden-Mills ripped hearts out of chests everywhere with this one. Sugar Ryan is the quirky girl everyone loves in romance novels, me included. She’s the less popular girl with fire in her heart and a fierceness that comes out only when her heart is feeling threatened. She too has been through hell an back.

I’m not going to give too much away but what these two have been through in the past only strengthens the glue that holds them together. Boyfriend Bargain is a novel that I can see myself re-reading over and over again in the years to come. I loved ‘almost’ everything about this novel.

And that is where I get to why I dropped a star on my rating. I dropped a star for a simple reason. This book was great, the characters meshed perfectly, there was the perfect amount of banter to counteract the swoony moments, It was just a nearly perfect read. My only issue was the ending. I felt a few key points towards the end where rushed. We had this great big slow build up dripping with anticipation and angst. Then it felt like everything went into hyper speed and everything was resolved in the blink of an eye. I wasn’t ready for this novel to be over. I wanted just a little bit more feels in those final ending moments. What can I say, I’m a bit nit picky when it comes to happily ever afters.

Overall, I really enjoyed Boyfriend Bargain. Zach and Sugar set my heart on fire. I loved the fact that this book centers around severe anxiety. I too suffer from anxiety, as we all do in one way or another. That is a huge reason why I connected so well with Zach’s character. I loved how that and that alone made this novel so relatable to me. If you all are looking for you’re next new adult/college read, look no further and pick up Boyfriend Bargain. This book will grant you all those swoony, angsty, and sweet moments we all look forward to in this genre.