My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genres:
Contemporary Romance, Clean Romance,
Sweet Romance, Romantic Comedy, Inspirational Romance
Blurb:
I am not that woman. The one who falls for her much older, extremely handsome, and totally unavailable boss.
That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway.
I’ve watched the other women in the office fawn over Gavin, who just so happens to be one of Texas’ richest and most desirable bachelors.
But I’m interested in business. Totally professional.
We would be a terrible idea. And yet ... I can't seem to make myself want to stay away, despite the whole boss thing and an age gap bigger than the Grand Canyon.
When Gavin's past slams into his present, the lines between business and personal suddenly become very hazy.
Now I have to decide what I want most: my carefully planned future or a man who offers me everything I didn't know I wanted…
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“π·ππ ππππ?” ππππ’ ππππ π πππ ππ’ π ππππ ππππ ππππ ππ ππππ π πππππππ πππππ ππ π πππππππ ππ π πππππ ππ π ππππ ππ‘ππππ.
πππ πππππ’π ππππ ππ πππππππ’. πΈ ππππ π πππ πππ’π ππππππ.
Is it wrong that I love watching characters suffer when they're totally out of their element?
Mmm, maybe.
Will that stop me from enjoying their suffering?
Yeah, probably not.
And our two main leads were DEFINITELY out of their element for the majority of this book.
 |
| #lost |
From awkward texting, to mini-golf struggles, to some feverish behavior paired with an unexpected sleepover (no spoilers here π€), to a surprise guest, to horseback-riding mishaps, and everything in between...this story was full of twists and turns!
And as with most romances, there were the usual: "oh my gosh, NO!" and "whyyyyy?" moments, but don't worry! Zoey and Gavin did get their happy ending, which felt longgggg overdue since they spent so much time trying to keep their feelings a secret from each other.
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| if you don't hear this gif in his voice...you're lying |
All rightyyyy, here's the part of the show where Pixie shares some highlights!!!
Now, isn’t that just like my life. I panicked without my fears even materializing.
Relatableeeeee.
π
Gavin: I have it under good authority that your boss is single.
Gavin: VERY single.
I can almost hear Thayden’s groan in my head. He would rip the phone right out of my hands and put me into lockdown for being so ridiculous. Especially if he knew that in my head, I heard that in James Bond’s voice.
I’m single.
Very single.
Note: I heard it too lollll
π
“So? Why the freakout? It’s clear the man is into you. Are you overthinking again?”
“Maybe. It’s kind of what I do.”
Because I keep such a tight lid on my feelings and words, it’s like my brain makes up for it with an overactive thought life. Otherwise, I might explode.
Note: Oh look, it’s me
π
I feel as though his gaze has marked me, like there is a visible path on my skin formed by his eyes. I’m glowing under his admiration. If I were a cat, I’d be purring and bumping my head into him, begging shamelessly for more.
π
“Mind your business, boy,” she says in a mocking tone that makes me chuckle.
“Zoey is my business,” Gavin says, and I can’t help but meet his eyes over his mother’s shoulder.
There’s a look in them that makes a shiver travel from my toes up to my head, one that I hope his mother doesn’t feel. Heat flares through me, until the weight of his words sinks in. Business. Keep this to business. Yeah right!
π
The words are so intuitive. Because that’s exactly what I’m doing right now. My worries and thoughts have taken the wheel, shutting everything else down.
It's meeeeee.
π
“Hello, ladies,” he says, hopping up the steps. “I understand now why Gavin didn’t show up for our meeting this morning. Is there a two-for-one special I need to know about?”
The sound of Delilah smacking the smile off his face is so loud that I literally gasp. It’s like the crack of a rifle.
“Looks like your mama needs to teach you some manners,” Delilah says, in a voice so fiery that I’m shocked her sundress doesn’t go up in flames.
The man is completely undeterred, stroking the cheek she slapped as he continues to grin. “I could say the same about yours. Not that I mind.”
She goes to slap him again, but he grabs her wrist, twisting it slightly to plant a kiss on the back of her hand. Delilah goes to use her left hand, but he grabs that too.
I already love them.
π
“Anyway, the point is that I’ve learned—am still learning—that forming your life decisions based around the opinion of someone else, even someone as important as a father, is crippling.”
Wise. Words.
π
I decide to just watch, wishing I had a bucket of popcorn drenched in movie theater butter.
I want popcorn soooooo bad now, lol.
π
I realize that the conversation has temporarily halted. Gavin is watching me finger comb my hair with heat in his eyes. Has he ever seen my hair down? Doubtful. Few people have.
π
Sam: BTW how was the kiss?
Zoey: It could have woken Sleeping Beauty.
Sam: As your friend, not as Dr. Love, can I give you an extra piece of advice, just for Zoey Abramson?
Zoey: Of course.
Sam: Don’t let your head shut down your heart.
π
“Did you see it though? Adam Driver was Kylo Ren on an Undercover Boss spoof and—”
Note: Yasssssss
π
Ella groans. “Aren’t you supposed to go easy and let me win?”
Zoey levels Ella with a familiar look before choosing new tiles. “Nope. Losing is a great opportunity to learn. I wouldn’t want to take away your opportunities.”
π
I smile at that, feeling the shine of tears in my eyes. I don’t bother to wipe them away, letting them roll down my face. It feels like letting go, and I need, desperately, to let go.
π
“I can’t be you,” I say, feeling the sting of tears I wish I could shove back behind my eyes. “I’m not going to pretend that I’m not intense. Serious. Like it or not, this is me.”
“I’m not asking you to be someone else. Definitely not me. I’m a hot mess. I’d never do that, and neither should anyone else. I’m just saying that maybe you could hold things a little bit more loosely. Maybe ease up on the control a bit without losing yourself?”
π
“Were you testing me?” I ask.
Why does my voice sound coy? We will not flirt with our boss. We will not flirt with our boss. We will not—
“Did you like it?”
As far as content goes: Most of the suggestive material/innuendos were pretty minor, but became more heated at times. No language that I can remember. There was no on-page sex, but it was talked about/implied between different characters. I don't want to give any spoilers, but the "surprise guest" might be a trope that some readers could be bothered by (personally, it's not my favorite trope, but I could understand how it helped with certain aspects of the overall plot as well as Gavin and Zoey’s character development). Also, Zoey experiences grief from her mom's death that happened from an accident when she was in high school. This wasn't triggering for me, but it could be for others. As for the age-gap situation: In my own life, I’m very familiar with age gaps. I have relatives and friends that are/were in relationships with 10+ years between them...so I wasn’t really bothered by the age gap that Zoey and Gavin had. However, their concern about the age gap between them felt very repetitive (up until almost the very end) and that’s what made the whole age-gap thing feel “wrong.” I would describe the book as a mild "PG-13 romance movie."
I really loved the funny parts. I swooned over the tender moments. And the time spent with Gavin's family was super sweet! Andddd, of course, it was great seeing characters from the first book!! Abby and Zane were even CUTER in this one (even if they were supposed to be "that annoying couple").
I can't wait to read Delilah and Thayden's story next, followed by the rest of this cute romcom series!!
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About the Author:
Emma St. Clair is a USA Today Bestselling Author who loves sassy heroines, witty banter, and love stories with heart and humor. She lives in Katy, Texas with her hubby, five children, and Great Dane. Her favorite place to write is tapping on her phone while on the elliptical machine. No Emmas have been hurt in the writing of these novels. (Yet.)
Follow me on insta: https://instagram.com/kikimojo
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