Terms and Conditions (Dreamland Billionaires Book 2)

Tropes/Key Points: ✨Office Romance (Boss/Assistant) ✨POC FMC ✨Marriage of Convenience ✨Planned Pregnancy (Epilogue Only) ✨GrumpyxSunshine ✨Billionaire Romance ✨Dual POV ✨Positive Representation of Medical Conditions (Asthma/Dyslexia) ✨Slow Burn

Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Blurb:

Declan is the oldest of the Kane brothers and he feel his task to obtain his inheritance is the hardest. As a man who wants nothing to do with women, his grandfather ordered him to marry and have a child if he ever wanted to see the CEO position. The problem is that he has no interest in women, so he has his assistant find a suitable match and set up a contract with them. Except on the day that he was to announce his engagement, he blows up the agreement and the chosen woman leaves.

Imagine his surprise when his assistant, Iris, volunteers for the spot as his wife. It was meant to be the perfect solution. I marry her for three years, she gets pregnant in vitro and then we separate and go on with our lives. At least until she changes the rules of the contract and make it where he has to be apart of the child’s life. This slight deviation causes a domino affect and the fake relationship starts to become real.

Iris came up with the plan to be his wife in a spur of the moment decision. It was rushed but thought out. Marry Declan, have a baby and go separate ways. They even set clear rules that defined the relationship, making it clear that feelings were never meant to be apart of it. These rules were meant to protect them, but Declan became tempting and wanted to take it further. Falling in love was never meant to be an option…. So why does it feel like the relationship isn’t fake anymore?

Review:

This is a sequel in the Dreamland series and it’s just as good as the first. I don’t know which brother I like better, but I still have one more book to go! I think that I like this book a little more than first, mostly because of the slight miscommunication trope that was present in book one with the two person love triangle that was going on. I am also a sucker for marriage of convenience.

I do have to say that while pregnancy was talked about and referenced, I do like that it wasn’t apart of the main storyline. They held off on it and didn’t go rushing in which was nice. I’m not against pregnancy in books, but I don’t want it to be the entire story either.

I loved the way that Iris held her own against a domineering personality that Declan has. It was nice seeing her be able to fight back and not cower against him, something I think that he is used to in life which might be a main point of attraction on his part.

Having the couple from the first book pop in was great too. I loved that the author didn’t just shove them aside and allows us to see glimpses of their life and how they interact with others. I also love that Iris is the best friend of Cal, the middle brother and MMC in the third book. It was interesting seeing their dynamic play out along with the romance for Declan and Iris. It did a great job of further setting up Cal’s character for when you move into the next book which was great planning by the author.

I really don’t have anything much negative to say about this story. I mean it did feel a bit repetitive in terms of the overall theme and plot but most romances are that way. There’s only so many ways you can be fully unique in books.

Lauren Asher's Terms and Conditions is a fantastic read that had me hooked from the start. I appreciated how this book dove into the complexities of a marriage of convenience, bringing humor, heart, and real emotional depth. Iris and Declan’s chemistry is undeniable, and their witty banter kept me entertained throughout.

What sets this book apart is how it handles the hidden traumas of both characters. Without giving too much away, their pasts significantly impact their present, adding layers to their relationship that go beyond the usual romance tropes. Asher masterfully balances these emotional struggles with moments of joy and connection, making for a thoroughly satisfying read. This is a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance with substance!

When one thinks of an assistant, one might think of jack of all trades when it comes to the business world. After all, they often have to tackle just about any challenge that is thrown at them. But does MARRIAGE fall into that as well?!?! What else is a world class assistant supposed to do when after all of her hard work of finding a suitable bride for her ridiculously picky boss falls apart and he is fiancé-less in the moment he MUST have a future bride in order to get closer to the CEO position/inheritance left by his grandfather? When it’s clearly your job to help fix those problems, you step in and fix it the best possible way, with yourself. Luckily, Iris has had a few years to get used to her boss and has absolutely NO problems going head-to-head with her boss to ensure her voice is heard during their arguments. What follows is an amazing story about two people, both with their own battles, and both who need to learn to not only trust each other with their hearts, but themselves enough to let go of their pasts that prevent them from embracing their futures. Get ready to laugh out loud and cheer on these characters as they grow and fall in love even though they try everything in their power to prevent it.

This story made me not only laugh out loud A LOT, but stop and think REFLECTIVELY about my own past. I rarely have read a story like this in which I connected to each of the main characters so much. I LOVED so many aspects of this book and am truly worried that this review won’t do it justice. From giving us a main character with a learning disability (I see the trend you’re setting Ms. Asher and I am HERE FOR IT!) and showing us that a cactus can prove a person is a true softy inside, this book is a full 5 stars. Terms and Conditions would actually be a great book to read for a Book Club because it provides some FANTASTIC talking points and is truly that good!!! These characters were very well written and their arcs were fantastic. Comparing this to the first book is difficult because it truly is apples to oranges; they both clearly belong to the same fruit basket, but are completely unique. I did find the growth of the father, to be a bit backwards. He seemed to be beginning his own redemption journey at the end of the first book, but then took 20 steps backwards in this one. Don’t get me wrong, it made for some FANTASTIC scenes in the book (that punch though!!), it’s more just a thought. Maybe discuss it at your own book club! Lol

My favorite book of the series by far!! Declan and Iris relationship is just so hot!

What starts as a fake marriage arrangement for Declan to get his inheritance turns to be the best thing that happened to him🥺 He is so grumpy and Iris is just trying to help him! Declan ends up trying to make everything he can to get Iris to be happy! I love that Iris is BFFS with Cal and Declan just had to accept the jealousy that makes him feel.

Tropes:

• fake dating
• marriage of convenience
• steamy workplace romance
• billionaire romance
• grumpy/sunshine

Declan is ready to be the next CEO of his family’s company. However, when his grandfather passed, part of his inheritance clause included him getting married and having an heir. This proves to be quite difficult because Declan is not the type to waste his time with dating and relationships. Iris has been Declan’s assistant for many years and is given the task of weeding through various options for Declan’s future wife. When the woman who agreed to marry Declan backed out on the day of their engagement party, Iris had the grand idea of agreeing to marry Declan to help her friend. They would marry, act in love for the public, have a baby, and convince Declan’s grandfather’s lawyer that their relationship is real, all so Declan could gain his inheritance and claim his position as CEO.

Sounds simple, right? WRONG! Because Declan and Iris have always had an unspoken attraction towards each other. Iris is the one person who is able to see past Declan’s grumpy facade and see who he really is. Declan cares about Iris more than he likes to admit. The more time they spend together, the more they realize they’re not faking their relationship anymore.

Y’all this book was everything I dreamed of. The anticipation was well worth it. First off, the second I started reading this book I just felt the good vibes— it genuinely made me happy to read it. I was grinning like a dummy through 90% of the book!!! You could sense Iris and Declan’s chemistry right away and it made my heart so happy. And let’s get real, Declan is not the most expressive person when it comes to his feelings, HOWEVER, I loved seeing the little ways he showed Iris he cared.

And Iris Elizabeth Kane, WOWWWW. This woman is everything. She is probably one of my top 5 favorite book characters of all time. Iris’ energy is truly amazing and I can’t help but want to be her friend. She is so genuine and caring for everyone in her life. She is a badass black woman who is kind, beautiful, hardworking, and resilient in so many ways. You can’t help but fall in love with her. And the fact she’s the one person that can keep Declan in line is so hot. She can push his buttons and get away with it when he’d probably fire or physically harm anyone else who’d try to do the same.

I can’t forget to mention Cal!!!! Cal and Iris’ friendship was so cute and I was not expecting that so it was a pleasant surprise! The little breadcrumbs about Cal and Alana made me sooooo excited for Cal’s book. I just know it’s going to be amazing. Esp bc miss Lauren mentioned Alana will be Latina!!!!!!!

I’m not going to lie, Declan pissed me off a lot lol. And after the 3rd act conflict, I had a hard time forgiving him lol. I felt like he could have done a lot more groveling but its fine, i’m fine. The epilogue and extended epilogue made me forget all of his wrongs.

Lauren Asher has a way of writing epilogues that truly feel magical. I felt this way when I read the dirty air epilogues and I feel the same for the dreamland billionaire series. I was crying throughout both epilogues because they’re just so beautiful and wholesome and I literally just want that HEA for myself 😫 My last comment is I LOVED how she incorporated F1 racers and MY MAN SANTI into Terms and Conditions. You literally don’t understand the rush of dopamine I felt when Santi was mentioned!!! My heart was so happy and I love miss Lauren for that!

Such a great book. Love the grumpy sunshine trope. Declan is the billionaire who needs to be married to get his grandfather inheritance and become ceo of there company… Iris is Declan assistant who is always happy but with her facing some issues in her personal life makes it hard for her to fall for Declan when he clears is showing her the signs of being in love. Such a good read written in a dual pov. Has a few spicy moments which are always great

For the second installment of the Dreamland Billionaires series, this book follows the oldest Kane brother, Declan. As with his brother before him, Declan has some stipulations listed in his grandfather’s will that he must complete prior to being given his inheritance. In order to receive his share of the Kane estate, Declan must get married and have a baby. For someone who lives his life by the motto all work and no play, his options are somewhat limited when it comes to female companionship. Luckily for him, his assistant and friend, Iris, volunteers to embark on a fake marriage in order to help her boss meet his inheritance requirement. With both parties agreeing that their union will be a business agreement without feelings involved, there is nothing that could possibly go wrong… until they realize that maybe there are some feelings there after all.

Lauren Asher truly had me at fake marriage. I get sucked into books with this trope every time! Add in the theme park setting, and I was hooked. While Declan is a grumpy idiot who keeps getting himself into trouble with the things that come out of his mouth, Iris is so loveable that she somehow balances him out.

As with the first book in the series, I flew through this one, finishing it within 24 hours. The banter between the FMC and MMC was witty and fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed the supporting characters as well.

I enjoyed the ride with Declan and Iris. Several ups and downs, plus some heartfelt confessions. The writing was better with this storyline and it's a more well rounded love story.

It was good, not amazing, just average. I really wished that the epilogue wrapped up with more of the loose ends that were presented within the last few chapters. Especially a few personal revelations for Iris and even Cal and Declan's relationship. Hence the 3 🌟

I'm looking forward to the next book to complete the series. Here's to hoping that it's the best of the series 😁 🤞