1. The guy is like 23, and the most powerful CEO in the business/technology world. Where did he find time for this? When his daddy was reading him bedtime stories?
2. The personalities are the exact same. Worse, the words are, too. Egostical. Sexy. Demanding. Ruthless. Loving/loves his family. Generous to the point of foolish. Now, this last one gets me. Right in the heart. Just how is he a billionare (at the age of 11 no less) when he's giving away diamonds the size of chicken eggs to every girl that blinks at him? If only he lived in my area.. I'd be blinking so much, people would think I had an eye problem.
3. They're always Greek/French/Italian. What happened to a good auld Swedish gazillionaire?
4. Amazing dress sense. Always Armani, occasionally jeans and a button up top. Always smells "like (mown grass/lavender/another aromatherapy option) and pure masculine." I'm lucky if the guys I talk to remember to wear a belt, but what do I know- I live in Ireland.
5. Sample physical description: "Raphael (6) was double my size, had broad shoulders that tapered down to a fine waist. He had full lips, a roman nose, dark hair and an aristocratic bone structure."
Now, how exactly does one have aristocratic bone structure? Do their cheekbones spell out the word "rich"? And tapered, always tapered. I actually can't think of any other word to use because that one is used so often..
6. Always exotic names. While they aren't the makey-up names of the werewolf genre, I haven't read one story where the billionaire is named Andrew Ramsbottom. Or Neville Rudy. The list of unsmexy names goes on.
7. I avoid these stories, to be honest. They just don't do anything for me. But it is far too often that a little part of me dies when I read a story description that has like 2 CEOs. Together. With our female protagonist. I mean, how would a long term relationship like that even work? "Table for three please. Oh, and make it as romantic as possible" Or when they have children. Like.. "Mom, will you drop me to practice?"
"Go ask your father."
"He said to ask you."
"Then ask the other one."
But hey, I haven't actually read any of these. Maybe I'm judging too quickly.
8. She is paid a ridiculously high salary (as mocked in #2), yet she lives in a shitty apartment and cam't afford to buy shoelaces. It might be the sushi bar next door but I smell something fishy.
9. The girl has very low self esteem. This is in a lot of books full stop, but I notice it most acutely in this genre. I mean, don't get me wrong, girls can be very self-conscious, (trust me, I am one) and it's very realistic to have some doubts, but our girl is completely perfect, like flawless, and she doesn't even know. Somebody needs to call One Direction.
10. Phew. This chapter is harder than I thought. The guy can take oodles of time off work. Like, not only is he a foetus and making a gazillion dollars/euros/yen/lira/drachmas per minute, he can also take time for a picnic. In rush hour on a Friday afternoon. And he is verrry hardworking. Hmmm.. I smell sushi.