Review

Review: Enemies with Benefits by Zara Cox (2021)

The Mortimers: Wealthy and Wicked, Book #5

Heat Factor: There’s some finger-banging in Chapter 1.

Character Chemistry: More benefits than enmity.

Plot: Something about their family companies signed a contract and Wren is trying to get out of it via half-hearted malicious non-compliance. Jasper wants to bone Wren and also work with her but also not renegotiate the contract so her company doesn’t get screwed. Maybe?

Overall: DNF

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Review

Review: The Billionaire’s Girlfriend Deal by Kryssa James (2022)

Heat Factor: There are steamy scenes and it doesn’t necessarily shy away from flirtation, but I wouldn’t say it has a lot of sexual tension

Character Chemistry: The characters don’t really make sense together but that’s kind of the point of the plot

Plot: Rex will only get his inheritance if he acts as CEO at one of his family’s businesses AND if he gets married within a year. Evie needs to keep her new promotion as Rex’s assistant in order to prevent her house from going into foreclosure. Rex threatens to fire Evie unless she agrees to be his fake girlfriend in order to get his parents off his case, and sparks ensue.

Overall: I think this book has a lot of potential, especially with the messy characters, but some of the editorial choices did impact my enjoyment of the material.

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Review

Review: Snowbound in Her Boss’s Bed by Marcella Bell (2022)

Heat Factor: Not even a kiss in the first third

Character Chemistry: Lust—but it’s *forbidden*

Plot: Miri gets stranded in Aspen after a meeting with her billionaire boss

Overall: DNFed this one

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Recommended Read, Review Revisited

Review Revisited: Erin’s Take on By a Thread by Lucy Score (2020)

In addition to her review, Ingrid has recommended this book in four other discussion posts or listicles. And also she tells us to read it in the group chat even more than that. And so, finally, I did. I actually listened to the audiobook, and Dominic’s POV is voiced by Sebastian York, who has what I consider this perfect, er, asshole voice (Sorry, Sebastian! You’re really fun to listen to!), so when Dominic is all up in his feelings but still going through with his, er, bad behavior anyway, it’s just perfection. Erin Mallon voices Ally’s chapters, and she’s also a great narrator. So easy to listen to. Great audio. 

Okay but the book.

My primary takeaway from this book is that it addresses the power dynamics of an employer/employee relationship better than any such romance I have ever read. And that is a trope I enjoy, even if it’s problematic. Fiction is great, right? Anyway, Ingrid definitely touches on this, too, in her review, but I think it should be said again. 

Because he’s lived through the repercussions of his father’s actions, Dominic is so fully against a workplace romance – for all the right reasons! – that he actually fails to see the difference between what his father did to the women in his employ and Dominic’s own relationship with Ally. There were actually times when I was frustrated with Ally, who got mad at Dominic for his refusal to engage with her even though she was very clearly consenting, because Dominic was so utterly clear that consent doesn’t work the same way when their workplace power dynamics were in play. And yet, because Score included the component of Dominic’s dad’s sexual assault and harassment, the reader is still able to see the difference between what Dominic’s going through and what his dad was doing. As the numerous harassment trainings I’ve attended have told me: sexual harassment is not about sex; it’s about power. And that’s exactly what Dominic’s dad very clearly illustrates, but what Dominic fails to see in his own feelings about Ally. 

(Also, once things pull together, they go straight to HR, which is great, although HR really shouldn’t have allowed Dominic in the room with Ally while they were discussing the relationship, because if she were being pressured, she couldn’t say so in front of Dominic – but hey, FICTION! There’s a beautiful hand-holding moment that we would have otherwise missed out on.)

The other thing I really liked was that Dominic knows he’s being so bad but just can’t help himself. I like a self-aware protagonist. Makes the naughty behavior less gross. But also Dominic is a big softie. He wants Ally to eat, but he knows it’s not appropriate to buy her food, so he buys food for the whole department. Still not entirely appropriate, and not very sustainable, but definitely shows his soft underbelly while he’s being a, um, little stinker. 

Anyway, it’s a long one, but very well thought out. Read on for Ingrid’s original glowing review.

Continue reading “Review Revisited: Erin’s Take on By a Thread by Lucy Score (2020)”
Review

Review: Intelligence Check by Katherine McIntyre (2022)

Dungeons and Dating, #3

Reviews Dungeons and Dating, Book #1 & Book #2

Heat Factor: Three detailed encounters in the last chunk of the book—they have a lot of pining to get through first

Character Chemistry: “I think this person is so great, but there’s no way they like me”

Plot: Mason and Hunter start carpooling to work together, and that push is just what they need to open up to each other

Overall: There’s a lot to like

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