About Books #136: Not in a Billion Years

Quite often, I find myself looking forward to a book, only to then be disappointed by it. Very rarely does the opposite happen – but Not in a Billion Years ended up doing just that. If you’re in need of a pleasant surprise, this book might just be for you!

I was offered an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are strictly my own.

The story

She’s a self-made fitness sensation. He’s a billionaire mogul. They’re sworn enemies and rivals… aren’t they?

Blake Avery knows all about hard work. She’s gone from making videos in her teenage bedroom to founding a booming fitness business and opening a state-of-the-art Manhattan gym. Now she’s on the cusp of realizing her wildest dreams, and she’s not going to let anyone stand in her way. Certainly not man-of-the-hour Gabriel Mercer.

He might be one of the biggest names in the fitness world and set women’s pulses soaring more than a grueling HIIT workout, but he grew up in a billionaire dynasty and had everything handed to him – or so Blake thinks.

But when Blake publicly criticizes Gabriel, she sparks a feud that neither entrepreneur is willing to back down from. And in an industry that seems determined to keep pushing them together, can Blake hold on to her grudge? Or will she finally warm up to Gabriel’s charm?

The opinion

The first 50-ish pages of this book were not my favourite. I found both of the main characters to be quite full of themselves, but in a way that made it rather hard to relate to them. And I even, seriously, considered just DNF’ing this book because of that.

However, I’m quite happy I ended up pushing through. Because, by the time I got to the half-way mark, I was instead confronted with two characters who had strong motivations, who acted on those, but who none the less proved themselves to be willing to change. In that way, it actually vaguely reminded me of Pride and Prejudice, even!

Now, was there quite a bit of insta-love going on? Absolutely. But Not in a Thousand Years offered such a fun supporting cast, and enough of a variety of scenery that I honestly just kind of wanted to see this entire thing as a movie!

The rating: 3/5

Let’s be real, here: if you’re looking for a book with incredible depth, this one probably won’t be it. But if you’re in need of a light read, something fluffy that makes you smile: definitely check out Not in a Billion Years! (Goodreads)

-Saar