We're into the home stretch now. Welcome to another Texas offering, my steamy Rich Bitch title THE UNDISCIPLINED BRIDE.
As you can probably tell, I enjoy turning traditional tropes on their ears. I honestly get bored with the same ol' same ol'. What interests me is the road less traveled or the dark side of the moon. So, I got excited about a story where the millionaire was the bratty, entitled heroine and the hero was a working class alpha who was about the only one who could put her in her place.
I do this because power interests me, particularly when it comes to sex and romance. There's a certain amount of power that we yield and bring into the relationships we build, just by what kinds of boxes we can check off. Socially speaking, men still wield more power in relationships than women. To give them all the money too just doesn't feel as balanced to me.
I like my millionaire tropes, don't get me wrong. I've made the bulk of my money writing them. It's a fun fantasy and I get off on it regularly. But every now and then I get the itch to play around with tradition and turn it upside down just to try something new. I wanted to turn up the heat under my characters just to see what they would do.
In one corner of the ring is a pampered princess who thinks the world owes her something. She's entitled. She calls all the shots. And she's utterly miserable, hence why she tries to make others around her as miserable as she is. She sports an engagement ring on her finger, but it's not because of some undying love. It's more a business arrangement. She'll marry the man she's supposed to, live in the suburb she's supposed to, drive the car, wear the clothes, raise the kids she's supposed to. It's a never-ending cycle of upper classism protecting itself, even when there's no happiness to be had.
In the other corner is a working-class chef who has to fight uphill his whole life to make all his dreams come true. He understands there's more to life than money, but he has no choice but to play the game if he wants to take care of the family he loves. For some, their very survival depends on how well they can flip the script. And he had quite a few hurdles to overcome in order to do that. Minority, check. Lack of resources, check. But despite his circumstances, he's a bonafide alpha who has a strong will, every bit as strong as the princess.
Sparks fly from the moment they meet. Like me, Peyton Prescott is instantly intrigued by this unusual development. She's not used to being told no, particularly by the people she pays to do what she wants to have done. Since she's been conditioned she can have anything she ever wants, she sets her sights on seducing sexy Mateo Bravo, one last fling before she leaves her single life behind.
But Mateo is not so easily persuaded. Instead, he decides to make her jump through hoops for the first time in her life, hoops that people like her have always expected him to jump through himself. For him, making her beg is the challenge.
I volley the power back and forth between the two. When they meet in the middle, it's sexy as hell. Two words: elevator scene.
But I will say that this book has one of my favorite B-plots, mostly because it did go down a road I had never traveled... and I totally didn't see it coming. These characters told me who they were and what story I needed to tell and I just went along for the ride. It was sweet and romantic and one of my favorite moments where my characters rose from the pages like Venus, with very little help from me.
Seriously, it's like magic when that happens.
Now you see why I don't mind traveling that road less traveled. You just never know what you're gonna find.
Come along for the ride and explore the dark side of the moon with me. Get your copy of THE UNDISCIPLINED BRIDE today.
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