office romance – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 335 pages
Author: Clare Gilmore
Publisher: Griffin
Release Date: October 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A sparkling adversaries-to-lovers romcom set at a magazine publisher in Manhattan. When Casey and Alex are forced into proximity, they soon realize falling for each other is just as much of a risk and as it is a reward.

Casey Maitland has always preferred the reliability of numbers, despite growing up the daughter of two artistic souls. Now a twenty-four-year-old finance expert working in Manhattan, Casey wonders if the project manager opening at her company – magazine powerhouse LC Publications – is a sign from the universe to pursue a career with a little more sparkle. That is, until she’s passed over for the job in favor of the board chairman’s son.

Alex Harrison is handsome, Harvard-educated, and enigmatic. Everybody loves him – except for Casey. But when the two are thrown on the same project, they both have something to prove. For Casey, it’s getting tapped for a transfer to the London office and fulfilling her dreams of travelling. For Alex, it’s successfully launching a brand that will impress his distant father.

As work meetings turn into after hours, Casey and Alex are drawn to each other again and again, but neither can avoid the messy secrets and corporate intrigue threatening to tear them apart. What they discover about their workplace might change everything – including the dreams each of them is chasing.

LESS OFFICE, MORE ROMANCE.

That’s honestly how you can boil down this entire review. I really loved Alex and thought he was a handsome cinnamon roll. And I even enjoyed the FMC, Casey too! Both were great characters. I did like them together, I just needed more of them connecting and hanging out (without work being involved so much) to really feeeeeel this romance.

There’s A LOT of office content. Honestly some of it was even going over my head at various points because I just didn’t care. I love an office romance, but there can be too much. This was that case. I found myself skimming over those portions to get back to Alex and Casey. Casey also tended to have random inner monologue tangents that took me out of the story too.

All to say, I would read another book by this author. I know it was a debut so I’m curious to see how the growth of writing goes in another romance.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 3ish brief, low explicit open

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 337 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Perry Hawthorne is my boss. Only my boss. And I do NOT have a crush.

When one of THE Hawthorne brothers—known by their chiseled jawlines and their family-run farm and event center—hires me to be his virtual assistant, I do everything I can to keep him firmly in the work zone.

His grumpy demeanor helps.

His smoking hot profile picture does not.

But even if I do have a crush (a very tiny one), I can’t catch real feelings for a million different reasons.

Besides the whole business part of our relationship, I’m a single mom. I have to think about what’s best for my son, Jack. And my grumpy, divorced, humorless boss isn’t exactly giving me “ready to be a stepdad” vibes.

When Perry upgrades me from virtual to in-person assistant, I wonder if I’ve gotten him all wrong. He’s actually pretty great with Jack. And with me? Let’s just say the chemistry crackling between us might vaporize all my reasons for keeping my distance.

Trouble is, after his messy divorce, I’m not sure Perry’s ready to bet on a new relationship. But it isn’t just my heart that’s on the line. It’s Jack’s, too. And after everything we went through before my husband died, I’m not sure that’s a gamble I’m ready to take, no matter how desperate Jack is for a daddy.

How to Kiss Your Best Friend is a sweet romantic comedy with all the sizzling kisses you want in a closed-door romance but no explicit scenes.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

APPLE-SOLUTELY LOVED.

LOVED THIS ONE Y’ALL. It was so sweet and full of all the apple based puns I didn’t know I needed.

I loved Perry’s growth and his character arc as he worked through a lot of new things. He was sincere and swoony and just the right amount of grump. Everything felt so perfectly attuned to life and that made me feel all the more. I can’t imagine the thought process through deciding to become an instant Dad and I liked that there was an up and down to his journey. The ex-wife didn’t overshadow anything and I appreciate she was in the story just enough to understand the past and see the bright future ahead.

Lila & Jack were amazing too. I loved them and how Lila worked hard to be the best Mom she could be for Jack and also realize it was okay to find happiness for herself. Lila was full of confidence I wish I had. The body image conversations also hit my heart too. I liked the way this was approached and handled throughout. Jack was the perfect little side character. Sometimes kids can be hit/miss in a read, but he was GREAT. Incredibly sweet, full of love to give, and very much like a 5-year old.

I loooove this family and the support (and laughs) they provide for one another. The farm is a wonderful setting as always. Fantastic kissing scenes, all the honest moments and all the feels.

Worth staying up past my bedtime for this one!

Overall audience notes: