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Doc Showmance
My thoughts:
My first book by Zoe Forward and I could tell straightaway she is an experienced author...and a veterinarian! All these wonderful scenes with animal patients (sometimes cute, sometimes heartbreakingly tragic, always realistic)- they must have been based on Zoe's real life experience. Trust me, they were one of the best aspects of the book. The enemies-to-lovers trope is full of tension and passion by definition, but here we have two ER vets with an unresolved conflict from college time being forced into fake dating on national TV, and you know it's a perfect recipe for lots and lots of drama. Add the snark, general grumpiness and (in my opinion justified) Olympic level grudge-holding ability of one of the protagonists and the easygoing 'sunshine' of the other one-no wonder sparks do fly! Dr Amber Hardin might come across as prickly, but when it comes to saving animal lives, she is one of the best. The ER clinic where she's finishing her residency year needs to bring in money and does it by hosting a reality TV show. Amber is contractually obligated to be on camera 30% of her working time. When her 'old nemesis' Ian Todd is brought in on the show, Amber knows she will have to endure working with him for a few months, but then the stakes are raised, as the producers would like Ian to become Amber's love interest. Our protagonists have their reasons for complying with this request, although it certainly makes their relationship super complicated. Ian genuinely likes and respects Amber and would love to get a second chance with her, while Amber struggles working out what is true and what is there just for the sake of rolling cameras. I liked the protagonists. Despite her grumpy, '#NoFilter' reputation, Amber is very truthful, loyal, and down-to-earth person, while there's definitely more to Ian than just his good looks and bright smiles. Whatever happened in the past to drive these two apart, they have a lot in common in terms of their values and their life outlook (their background couldn't have been more different). They are much more friends-who-are-bound-to-become-lovers than enemies, and it worked for me. I loved their first date! I wish the secondary characters were more developed, though. There was a lot of potential with Amber's siblings, each of whom could be a star of their own book. Who would I recommend this book to? Obviously anyone who loves animals and reality TV! It's an easy, entertaining book with likeable protagonists and a perfect happy ending. Hope Zoe Forward turns it into a series and tells us more about Bruno, Joley, Marino, and Nabi. Thank you to NetGalley, Giselle from XBT and the author for the revew copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion. GIVEAWAY! --
Reasons Why Not to Date Public Enemy CEO
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GIVEAWAY! Hosted by:
My thoughts:
Summer is finally with us and what can be better than reading a lively, lighthearted romcom on a hot summer day like this? If you're stuck for choice, here is Melanie Mutton's newest release and it's fun, fun, fun!!! I don't know about you, but I adore lists, so no wonder this book won me over from page one. Scratch that, it was the cover that told me straightaway- my favourite tropes of enemies-to-lovers and GrumpyVersus Sunshine are coming in one hot package! Mia Sparks, a sweet and hard-working girl everybody in her small town of Shell Grove loves, knows she needs to stay away from her ridiculously hot and, yes, ridicullously grumpy boss, and the reasons make a list as long as her arm...But what can you do when there's the proverbial spark and the chemistry is just off the charts? Aiden maybe a shrewd businessman everyone loves to hate, but perhaps there's more to him than his evil reputation? One thing you can count on- he knows Mia is special and worth fighting for. I was looking for a quick and entertaining read and I knew Melanie Mutton never disappoints. I flew through this fast-paced book in a couple blissful hours and now I can't wait to come back to Shell Grove and find out what future has in store for Mia's friends! Thank you to Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Bossy Grump
-- EXCERPT: When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is check my email. I’m expecting Miss One Glass to send back some whiny message about how unfair it was for me to bury her under an avalanche of projects. There’s nothing like that, but a slideshow of the final bid in its current form attached to a blank email with the subject line Done. Damn her. It’s incredible how she maintains her scathing sass with a single word. At the office, Nick stands in front of Miss Holly’s desk, sipping his sugar rush mocha and leering over her. Probably trying to look down her shirt. Careful, you idiot. This girl knows Illinois employment law by heart. She’ll have your balls stapled to your jacket. Muttering silently, I stop on the way to my office and my eyes meet hers. “I take it my coffee’s waiting on my desk?” She looks up and glares a second too long, those green eyes glittering like a jungle cat’s. “Nope.” “No?” I spit back. “Shocking espresso shortage. The Bean Bar only had enough left for a mocha and one double shot, and Mrs. Beatrice Nightingale Brandt takes seniority. If I’d waited for them to resupply, I’d have missed your oh-so-important deadline. Mrs. Brandt told me to let you know you could see her if you had a problem with it, though.” She flashes me a murderously triumphant “gotcha” grin. “The Bean Bar does not run out of espresso,” I snarl through clenched teeth. The coffee shop has its shit together better than anything else in this city—the whole reason we love it and treat ourselves to Chicago’s finest dressed-up caffeine overload a few times every week. “Sorry. We’re one cuppa joe short, but I figured the project was more important, so…” Holly just smiles and shrugs like a schoolgirl who’s gotten away with cherry-bombing a high school toilet. The motion sends my eyes lashing down her face to the low cut of her blouse. For a tortured second, I’m no better than my idiot brother, my eyes glued to a pair of ample tits I’d like to boss around with my tongue, my teeth, my-- Damn her to the moon. With nothing else to say, I turn around and nearly slam into Nick. “Whoa, where’s the fire?” He greets me with his usual lopsided grin. “Nowhere, apparently.” I level a glare on him. “Shouldn’t you be in your office working?” He holds a hand up. “Bro, if you’re jonesing that bad for coffee, I can run down to the bar downstairs and get you an espresso. My treat.” “That won’t be necessary.” I need to move it before my humiliation is complete, so I push past him, go to my office, and slam the door shut. Then I remember, I’ve only seen one completed project this morning. Where’s the other? I open the frosted glass door and stick my head out. “Where’s the Winthrope comp catalog?” Miss Holly looks up, twirling her blond hair like spun gold. “I’m working on it now! I can send you what I have. The final should be ready before lunch.” She points to her computer. My eyes narrow and I fold my arms. “It was due at eight a.m.” Nick watches us for a minute and huffs loudly. “Yo, Ward, give her a break. It’s still her first week.” “No excuse to miss deadlines. She has the credentials and work ethic, when she applies them,” I say. “Aw, c’mon, the last girl took at least a solid week to make those catalogs,” Nick fires back. “There’s so much crap in them—” Miss Holly jumps in. “Most of it I’ve been able to copy and paste, which is why I’m done with the North American hotels for comparison. Since Mr. Winthrope is coming by for a check-in this week, I thought the slideshow was more important. I’ll be done with the catalog today, like I said.” Nick’s eyes trace from Paige—Miss Holly—to me. 
GIVEAWAY! Hosted by: #Book Review #Book Blitz #The Office Grump by Nicole Snow (November 16-20) @Xpresso Book tours16/11/2020
  Book & Author Details: Office Grump by Nicole Snow Publication date: November 12th 2020 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance Synopsis: Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a fierce and hilarious office romance where two sworn enemies make undeniable lovers. My “interview” with bosshole supreme was anything but normal. He picked the worst day ever to chase me off my favorite park bench. I retaliated with a spray of cinnamon latte all over his Italian shoes. Then—for some unholy reason—Magnus Heron offered me a job. Even his name sounds like a piece of work. Guess what? He is. But when you’re single, broke, and barely surviving in Chicago, you hop on the gift horse offering a six-figure salary and ride. I picked the stallion on a one-way trip to hell. It’s not the impossibly long hours working under Grump-zilla. It’s not the fact that he’s snarly, demanding, horribly rich, and chiseled. It’s not even the pesky way he makes me blush every flipping time we’re together. Mag is my boss. I’m his lowly assistant. Some rules are carved in stone. That’s my mantra until we’re sharing a sunset too beautiful for life. Alone with wandering lips, whispered secrets, and disaster in the making. The plan was simple: punch the clock, get paid, and keep hating my boss. What’s the blueprint when the office grump brings me to my knees? Full-length enemies-to-lovers romance with the banter, intrigue, and slow-burn love worthy of a Happily Ever After. The bossman from Hades meets the hellion he totally can’t stand—until he can’t live without her. Goodreads Purchase Amazon  My thoughts: I have to say that this is my first book by Nicole Snow, so I had no expectations when I started reading, but, boy, was it entertaining! Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favourite tropes in romance- nothing beats a fiesty female lead, no, cross it, two fiesty protagonists, and good banter. On paper, Brina Bristol can't keep a job for the life of her. She has just lost the third one, due to restructuring and right-sizing (general cost-cutting) in her company. When a gorgeous and oh so arrogant businessman tries to order her to vacate her bench in a public park, she digs in her heels. Their not entirely amicable conversation ends in Sabrina throwing the remains of her cinnamon latte on his shoes and completely ruining them. You can imagine her surprise when the hunk's HR manager seeks her out and offers her an interview for the position of his executive assistant. The pay is more than average, but nobody has lasted in this job for more than a couple weeks- Magnus Heron is notoriously difficult to work for. Brina, who is completely broke, decides to give it a try. Thousands of emails, 16 hour working days, weekend work trips- she tackles every task and it soon becomes clear she is the best EA Magnus ever had. She is also witty, creative, honest, and impossible not to like. Magnus has very strict non-dating rules in his company, and he is determined to keep his attraction under control. Brina will not allow anyone treat her without respect. She can and will walk away if necessary, but can he see her go? She is one of a kind, after all. Brina was a fabulous character. Well, in real life nobody is going to give you the job after you use swearwords to describe the CEO's work ethics, even though the HR manager may agree with you. But otherwise, the girl is practically a saint. Loved what she did for her parents (won't give it away!) and she is really always there for Mag. Mag... is hot, although for the life of me I don't know when a workaholic like him would hit the gym to get the washboard abs described so vividly in the book. He is caring and loyal, and he does put up a fight to get his girl. There are other characters who are also well-written and developed- Ruby, Jordan, Armstrong, Paige.... I often say I am not a big fan of insta-anything. Be careful what you wish for, because this is slow-slow-burn romance and is definitely on a long side. Having said that, the timeframe just felt realistic and once the protagonists did get to those hot and steamy scenes, they were indeed hot and steamy. One thing I didn't feel was necessary was giving Mag his military background, but perhaps I just missed something. Funny, entertaining, hot, with likeable characters, twists and turns, Office Grump may be my first book by Nicole Snow, but it won't be the last. Recommended for anyone who enjoys contemporary romance. Thank you to the publisher for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. AUTHOR BIO: Nicole Snow is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She found her love of writing by hashing out love scenes on lunch breaks and plotting her great escape from boardrooms. Her work roared onto the indie romance scene in 2014 with her Grizzlies MC series. Since then Snow aims for the very best in growly, heart-of-gold alpha heroes, unbelievable suspense, and swoon storms aplenty. With over a million books sold, she lives for the joy of making two people fight with every bit of their soul for a Happily Ever After. Current fan favorites include her Enguard Protectors series, accidental love novels, plus long beloved MC romance thrillers like the Grizzlies and Deadly Pistols.    |
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