I am a firm believer that every girl has a gateway romance author. For me, that author was Lauren Asher.
Asher’s books can be read as stand-alone if desired, but I prefer to read series in order, especially since Asher does a good job at revisiting former characters through her series. So before opening the second book, I went to Barnes and Noble to purchase the first novel in the “Dreamland Billionaires” trilogy.
After finishing that series, I was hooked on her characters, and I ventured into buying her first romance series, “Dirty Air.” The “Dirty Air” series contains four books revolving around F1 racers, and how they navigate the pressures of a world full of adrenaline, money and heartbreak.
It is no secret that Lauren Asher loves to write books with sexy, swoon-worthy men who have more money than they know what to do with, and women that you want to constantly root for. Asher’s “Dreamland Billionaires” trilogy explores the romances of three billionaire brothers who own and operate the world’s largest theme park, Dreamland. It’s like if Walt Disney had three incredibly handsome and powerful grandsons.
Since I just finished the final book in the Dirty Air series, here is my ranking of all of Asher’s books from least favorite to I can’t wait to read it again.
[Warning: the rest of this article may contain spoilers]
7. “throttled”
Just because I ranked this book number seven, does not mean I didn’t enjoy it. In fact, I read this book the fastest out of all of Asher’s novels and had the hardest time putting it down. Noah and Maya’s story is passionate and chaotic, and neither of them are prepared to handle it.
“Throttled” also sparked my interest in the world of F1 racing.
This book is the first in the “Dirty Air” series, and the first book that Lauren Asher wrote on her romance author journey. If you want to give her books a shot, I highly recommend picking this one up at your local bookstore since it is a quick and exciting read.
6. “The Fine Print”
This is the first book in the “Dreamland Billionaires” series, and the first Lauren Asher book I read. It is also the only book of hers I have read twice, despite ranking it this low.
While “The Fine Print” was definitely on the cheesy side, Zhara and Rowan quickly became my favorite couple in the trilogy, and I got excited every time they made an appearance in the later two books.
Bonus points for Rowan, since he set up an entire book signing event just to make his girl happy.
5. “Terms & Conditions”
I have spent enough time on BookTok to know that the second book in “Dreamland Billionaires” tends to be the favorite. Even though I enjoyed this book, every time Declan gave Iris the cold shoulder instead of being a decent human being and giving into his feelings made me want to scream.
Out of all of the Dreamland girls, however, Iris definitely takes the spot as my favorite. Her relationship with Cal was truly a highlight of this series, and she deserves the utmost respect for dealing with two of the Kane brothers on a regular basis.
4. “Collided”
If I could take Liam out of the book and home with me, I would. I am a sucker for romance tropes with a golden retriever man, and “Collided” did not disappoint. The fact that he also reads regularly is an added bonus.
Apart from the heart-wrenching gut-punch that starts this book, it is a fun and flirty read. Sophie’s bucket list adds an exciting twist to the plot and it is one of the two reasons I ranked it as number four (Liam is the other reason).
Moreover, getting a sneak peek at the characters’ futures in the epilogue of this book is just the cherry on top.
3. “Redeemed”
Again, BookTok tends to favor this book as the favorite in the “Dirty Air” series. And while Chloe might just be my favorite girl in the series (tied with Elena), I spent a lot of the book wishing for more interaction with the other characters from the previous books.
Chloe and Santiago’s story is a true grumpy-sunshine trope that is both heartfelt and inspiring. Watching them both overcome so many fears together after meeting in the most bizarre way (seriously Santiago, how do you not ask why she was in your tree?) truly makes your heart skip a beat.
2. “Wrecked”
This is my favorite “Dirty Air” book, and it features my favorite couple in the series (everyone please read about Jax and Elena). I should warn you, however, that if you thought the opening to “Collided” was cruel, the opening to “Wrecked” is even crueler.
I think I love this story so much because of the forced proximity trope, and also because we get to see a lot of interaction between the characters from the previous book. Getting to see the development of the previous characters’ relationships, and how they all interact with one another, is one of my favorite parts of Asher’s series.
I feel like Lauren Asher really hit her stride as a writer with this book.
1. “Final Offer”
Grab the tissues, because this book was an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. The fact that Callahan and Alana’s romance was set in the perfect, lake-front, small town of Lake Wisteria instantly made it my favorite. “Final Offer” reunites childhood lovers, and strengthens the bonds between the three billionaire brothers, making this my favorite Lauren Asher book to date.
I had a feeling from the first two “Dreamland Billionaire” books that Cal was going to be my favorite man in the series, and he did not disappoint. As I stated with Liam, a golden retriever man who also reads is definitely a weakness of mine. I also appreciate a good middle child story, being the middle child myself.
Something I really enjoy about Lauren Asher is the sense of community she creates around her books. Not only does she have a website that talks about her books, but she also writes extended epilogues for each of them and sells book-related merch (some of which are fan-created). She also writes an email newsletter that contains even more character epilogues, and she actively participates in the FaceBook group she created called “Bandini Babes.”
With my favorite Lauren Asher book taking place in Lake Wisteria, it is no surprise that I am ecstatic to revisit the town with her new book in November, “Lakefront Billionaires.”
If you are a romance book lover, want to try reading your first romance book or see what all the hype is about, I highly recommend giving either of Asher’s series a try. And if you’ve read all of these, I would love to know your thoughts, and which book was your favorite.