Wow!! OMG!! I’m flabbergasted!! I just hope I can convey all that I’m feeling with this book. Ilsa Madden Mills not only has the magic touch with her books, but she is a true storyteller. I was saddened to hit ‘The End’. I wanted more with this enduring, hilarious and loving cast of characters. Not to mention, imagining Zack as the cover model!

On paper, Boyfriend Bargain is a New Adult College Sports Romance, however, once you turn the page, you soon realize that BB is more than that. We have two seniors in college, Zack Morgan and Sugar Rae Ryan, both destined for greatness, neither working any less than the other, but one from the affluent side and the other from the trailer park. (Think you might have it figured out? I bet you don’t!)

Zack Morgan, larger than life, real -life Thor. Take that phrase, ‘Big Man on Campus/BMOC’ and throw it out the window. Zack not only has the campus, he has the city and the surrounding general area worshiping at his feet. Pressure, much? Hawthorne University is in Sparrow Lake, MN where the state is a big-time hockey state. Zack is on his way to the NHL but has elected to finish his degree and accomplish a few other items on his personal ‘to-do’ list before graduation.

Sugar (gosh I love that name for a girl from the south), is an introverted, quirky, awkward and funny character. She has ended up on the losing end of the privileged stick. For the longest time, it has been her and her mother, but then tragedy strikes, and she finds herself moving to Minnesota to live with Mara. Mara is the closest thing to family now. She finds herself at Hawthorne University and through misguided notions finds herself a pre-law student.

Ilsa has written a band of characters that are so relatable and down to earth, despite everything going on in their lives. Zack, oh man, Zack is such a lovable character. There is so much depth to him, that I felt like I was on a treasure hunt with each layer removed.

Sugar is a breath of fresh of air. She is down to earth, humble, yet feisty. Wow! I LOVED the banter between her and Z. I was witnessing two souls who had found their perfect match, yet, wouldn’t fess up and say, ‘yep, were perfect for each other’. Independently and together, they had a mound of stuff to get through to even think about them as a couple, but let’s not forget that this started as a fake relationship. Sugar thought she needed Zack for a certain reason. Despite having written up a very legal and binding contract 😉, all things must evolve and fake soon turns into what?

While reading, I never felt as though I was an outsider reading a book. I felt as if I was part of the inner circle and was witnessing these events first hand. The emotions were real and roller coaster in feeling. The ‘intimate’ moments were HOT, SIZZLING and STEAMY. The writing, character development and plot were exquisite. It’s true that Boyfriend Bargain is based around a sports romance, but I urge you to try it, because it is so much more!! I, without hesitation, highly recommend you to read about Zack and Sugar!!