The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

A Tik-Tok Sensation!
Rowan
I'm in the business of creating fairy tales.
Theme parks. Production companies. Five-star hotels.
Everything could be all mine if I renovated Dreamland.
My initial idea of hiring Zahra was good in theory, but then I kissed her.
Things spiraled out of control once I texted her using an alias.
By the time I realized where I went wrong, it was too late.
People like me don't get happy endings.
Not when we're destined to ruin them.
Zahra
After submitting a drunk proposal criticizing Dreamland's most expensive ride, I should have been fired.
Instead, Rowan Kane offered me a dream job.
The catch? I had to work for the most difficult boss I'd ever met.
Rowan was rude and completely off-limits, but my heart didn't care.
At least not until I discovered his secret.
It was time to teach the billionaire that money couldn't fix everything.
Especially not us.

The Fine Print is hyped for a reason. Angsty romance with backstories to match. Lauren Asher expertly handles a diverse range of characters, decisions and reactions to pull at her readers weakened heartstrings.

The Fine Print is a romance book that I’ve seen everywhere…it’s hugely hyped both on bookstagram and booktok. Now, usually I don’t really follow overly popularised novels, but something made me want to try this one, again, it’s hard to pinpoint what that was exactly but I am glad I did. An overly cheery FMC, Zarah, with her interesting cultural heritage. I was happy to see the relationship with more than just the usual two white characters. MMC was the typical grumpy billionaire who ends up getting bowled over by the Zarah’s kindness and charitable acts.

The story is based predominantly in Dreamland, imagine a Disney like theme park in Florida. Rowan’s grandfather has passed away after a catastrophic accident that landed him in a coma, the end result was fatal. Now, he has amassed an astronomical fortune due to Dreamland and wants to pass the reigns over to his grandsons. But there’s a catch. Each grandson has a task he needs to complete before being awarded his shares of the company. Rowan has the task of developing Dreamland further- something to celebrate his grandfather’s legacy. It has to be approved by a board of voters. His grandfather had a soft spot for Rowan, he was after all, like him – creative. Something that has dwindled after the abusive mocking from his father all of his life.

Zahra initially works at Dreamland in the salon. Although she loves interacting with the children and their parents she strives for more. She has the longing to become a creator. She worked on the famous Nebula Land with Rowans grandfather – they developed a lovely relationship together; he could see her potential. But her designs were stolen from her by her ex-boyfriend and submitted as his own and to just stick the knife in deeper he cheated on her – she witnessed it with her own eyes.  After professing this in a drunk email – Rowan offers her a position as creator and the rollercoaster only begins there.

The Fine Print has great disability representation. Zahra has a younger sister with Downs Syndrome and the character is portrayed beautifully. Ari is sassy, confident and knows what she wants from life. She just wants what everyone else has – love, a social life, and opportunities. There is also references to wheelchair users and autistic children. Its one of very few books where the representation of disabled characters is honest without it being patronising and focussing on everything they can’t achieve.

I am an absolute sucker for these types of romance stories. I love a bit of horror but sometimes you just have to break up all that death and depression with a little bit of sunshine, right? Oh, and drama, lots, and lots of drama.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Plagued with an overactive imagination, Lauren spends her free time reading and writing. Her dream is to travel to all the places she writes about. She enjoys writing about flawed yet relatable characters you can’t help loving. She likes sharing fast-paced stories with angst, steam, and the emotional spectrum.

Her extra-curricular activities include watching YouTube, binging old episodes of Parks and Rec, and searching Yelp for new restaurants before choosing her trusted favorite. She works best after her morning coffee and will never deny a nap.

Lauren Asher