Following His Rules

The Tempter #1

by Kylie Kent

Shardonnay

I need this job.

That’s what I keep telling myself as I mentally curse out my best friend for setting me up with an opening at her brother’s law firm.

Her older, sinfully hot brother.

Who I swear is the spawn of the devil.

No amount of good looks can make up for his overbearing, demanding personality.

But I need this job, so I’m stuck here, with a boss I hate.

Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself…

Xavier

I like things done a certain way.

Some may say I’m a perfectionist.

Some would be right.

I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today without the list of rules I keep in place.

I’m the youngest named partner in Melbourne.

I have everything I wanted out of life.

I’ll be damned if I let one little secretary come in and mess it all up.

No matter how hard she makes me…

My rules keep both of us in line. I just have to figure out a way to make sure she follows them.

Every. Single. One.

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Workplace Romance, Contemporary, Workplace, Billionaire Romance, Contemporary Romance

230 pages, Hardcover

Published April 13, 2023

About the author

Kylie made the leap from kindergarten teacher to romance author, living out her dream to deliver sexy, always and forever romances. She loves a happily ever after story with tons of built in steam.

She currently resides in Perth, Australia and when she is not dreaming up the latest romance she can be found spending time with her three children and her husband of twenty years, her very own real life instant-love.

Come join me in my reading group on Facebook Kylie's Steam Room.

Reviews

[claudia (purged my account) · Rating 3 out of 5]

pre-review
whole other side to the universe but we finally see more of Dominic McKinley which is interesting too love the idea of him

[Yuee 📚 🎧 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her books are good.

Iam obsessed with this trope and i sure as hell will read lucy’s books

But i wanted some slowburn. Some any thing you know

[Katie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Addicted to Kylie’s books would be an understatement🫶🏼

Kylie has brought us an all new series to sink our teeth into and she absolutely smashed it once again. Also I was absolutely LIVING for the little appearances from characters in the merge series (yes looking at you Ash) and also the teasing romance between Lucy and Dominic (aka Ella & Deans son).

This story follows Shardonnay & Xavier - Shardonnay has been going through a rough patch since her mother passed away, but her best friend Lucy insists that she takes the secretary job she was supposed to work for in a law firm. But as Shardonnay shows up for her first day, she soon finds out that the secretary position is in fact for Lucy’s older brother Xavier. What makes this even sweeter is that Xavier has been pining after Shardonnay for the last six years (of course she has no knowledge of this)👀.

Xavier is a man obsessed with his woman (as he should be💅), like this man from the get go did not want a situationship.. he wanted her as his gf - absolute green flag right there! He may be an ass but he softens just for her, like absolutely swooning😩

The tension and also the spice is just hot hot hot 🥵 Kylie knows exactly what she is doing when it comes to spice🤌🏻

Based on the tropes alone I was absolutely hooked:
Best friends older brother✔️
Office romance✔️
He falls first and hard✔️
Possessive MMC✔️

Thank you to the author for providing this book for my honest review.

[Sarah - Get Booked with Sez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kylie has quickly become one of my favourite Aussie authors! I was so honoured to review an ARC for her upcoming billionaire / best friend's brother / workplace romance, which is the first of her new series; The Tempter series. This series is set in Australia & I loved that I recognised some of the suburbs or streets mentioned!
I believe this series does relate to the Merged series which I am yet to read & isn't necessary to have read - But will ordering those beautiful discreet covers & reading ASAP.

Shardonnay is a financial struggling 20YO. With having just lost her mum & only family member to cancer, she is left with bills & an small run down apartment. When her wealthy best friend Lucy offers her a well paid secretary job, Shar jumps on it straight away. Not knowing the secretary position is for Lucy's asshole 33YO brother; Xavier - One of the top criminal defence lawyers in Melbourne CBD.

Xavier is on the other side of 30 and is successful, but still feels empty. He grew up on old money but still ensured he made a success of himself. With running a successful lawyer firm & plenty of property, the only part is missing is sharing his wealthy life with someone. He has crushed on his sisters best friend; Shardonnay, since she was 16. And when she turns up for work as his secretary instead of his sister, he is put on edge on how to react. He respects Shar & is happy to help her financially, but also struggles with keeping his hands to himself when it comes to their attraction.

When Shar agrees for them to have a "fling" outside of the office, Xavier can't believe his luck. But he will have to prove to Shar his bachelor lifestyle is in the past and he is all in before Shar allows the word "relationship" get mentioned. Which proves hard when forces outside of their relationship, threaten the within of their connection.

Shar & Xavier were obviously meant to be. I did enjoy the age gap and with Shar being a previous carer for her unwell mum from a young age - She was a very mature 20YO. Xavier was meant to take care of her & show her she can be cared for by someone else, that she doesn't always have to do all the caring - especially for herself. Xavier taught her to let him in and was nice to see Shar find her place in the world after the passing of her mum.

4/5 stars with 4/5 steam.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted this by the author for my honest review.
I always love Kylie's writing as you get immersed in the story, be it mafia or a more gentle story. This story is more on the gentle side as in no violence apart from a bar brawl towards the end of the book.
Meet Xavier and Shardonnay. He is a lawyer and she is his sister's best friend.
Shardonnay ends up working as his secretary in his law firm while waiting to go to college, this sass that comes from this woman had me laughing out loud.
I'm used to Kylie writing more mafia style with lots of graphic violence, in this book there is none of that and honestly I really did enjoy reading this. The sexy scenes are hot 🔥 sheet melting hot.
Definitely recommend reading this.

[Hailey Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were definitely some enjoyable parts to this book and lord knows I love a possessive asshole type in fiction, but the main conflict just missed the mark for me. The author handled the SA allegations against her male MC in a way that I didn’t appreciate. She kept reiterating the “women will always win” and “nobody believes men” narratives which I think could be a harmful stance given the context.

[Luna ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

»It doesn't matter what stage of life we're at, Shardonnay. Whatever your dreams are, they'll become my dreams. I will do anything to help you achieve all of the things you want to achieve.«

★ ★ ★ ★

❥ 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒚
She was funny and relatable as a character. I liked her cheeky way of handling Xavier and that she stands her ground against him.

❥ 𝑿𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒓
A big, grumpy and rich lawyer who is completely obsessed with his sisters best friend. Liked him.

✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This book was awesome.
I absolutely love the writing style of the author and enjoyed reading.
Shar and Xavier have great tension and their story was fun to read. Xavier is the brother of Shardonnays best friend and they are obsessed with each other. I liked their little love story and the way they slowly started dating and admit their feelings for each other. Shar is sassy while Xavier is her grumpy boss and their dialogue was hilarious sometimes. They are great together.
The side characters were likeable too and I‘m eager to read the next book in this series.
The plot was entertaining and fast paced. This book in general is cute and a quick read.

𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes, if you like lawyer romance with a grumpy hero and a cheeky woman.

𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓
plot: 4/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
insta love, possessive and protective hero, crazy family, lawyer x assistant, forced proximity, workplace romance, best friends brother, age gap, grumpy x sunshine, rich x poor

𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: Shardonnay (20) and Xavier (32)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no

𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
The Devil You Know - Elizabeth O‘Roark
Dear Grumpy Boss - Julia Wolf
A Not So Meet Cute - Meghan Quinn


𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Following His Rules ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Following His Orders ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#3 Following His Commands ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Natalie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

… well that got me out of my reading slump!!!
SPIIIIICE 🥵🥵🥵
Loved the bonus chapters ❤️ ps I can’t believe this book was a 5 star read and is on kindle unlimited!

[Sarah (lou_reads_romance) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the best friends in this billionaire romance. Shardonnay and Lucy had me cracking up with their shenanigans.

Shardonnay is a lot more than her twenty years…she has suffered terrible loss and only has herself to rely on. She’s determined to fulfil a promise and make it through Uni on her own merit. Her best friend Lucy comes from a monied family, they shared an instant bond and have been inseparable for years.
Lucy secures Shar a job at her billionaire brother, Xavier’s law firm…..much to Shardonnay’s annoyance…In her opinion, Xavier is grumpy but also drop dead gorgeous she’s been crushing on him for years!!

Xavier is at the top of his career, voted Melbourne’s most eligible bachelor for years he is not wanting for female company….however the one female he would love as a companion is his younger sisters best friend…..who might just hate him..!! Or does she…?!?
Let the games begin!

Fun, flirty, super steamy and with some hilarious situations.. I’m not a huge fan of age-gap stories but this is well done and I really enjoyed this romance.

[WhiskeyandReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

(ARC REVIEW)

Im just going to come out and say it if you haven't discovered Kylie Kent's books then you haven't lived. She brings her characters to life. Every character is easy to fall in love with. This book is no different. You have the perfect book he falls first, perfect banter, and hello brother's best friend. Shardonnay was awesome her banter with Xavier was great. I laughed numerous times. These two were on fire and I ate this book up. Shar was so strong for all that she had been through. Xavier was everything I love in a main male character. This mans drive to have Shar as his own made this book what it was. I can't wait to see what this series brings.

[Salouma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed the hell out of this book

[Becca Haggitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

“As I was holding Shardonnay’s hair away from her face, all I wanted to do was help her. Even with snot and tears all over her cheeks, I still thought she was the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. Which is fucked up because that shit was disgusting.”

⭐️ 4/5 🌶️ 2/5
Book #1 of The Tempter Series

This was my first time reading a booked written by Kylie Kent and I was addicted by the first chapter, I finished this book in 2 days!!!! This story follows Shardonnay & Xavier.

Shardonnay has been going through a rough patch since her mother passed away, but her best friend Lucy insists that she takes the secretary job she was supposed to work for in a law firm. But as Shardonnay shows up for her first day, she soon finds out that the secretary position is in fact for Lucy’s older brother Xavier. What makes this even sweeter is that Xavier has been pining after Shardonnay for the last six years. 

Xavier is on the other side of 30 and is successful, but still feels empty. He grew up on old money but still ensured he made a success of himself. With running a successful lawyer firm & plenty of property, the only part is missing is sharing his wealthy life with someone. He has crushed on his sisters best friend; Shardonnay, since she was 16. And when she turns up for work as his secretary instead of his sister, he is put on edge on how to react. He respects Shar & is happy to help her financially, but also struggles with keeping his hands to himself when it comes to their attraction.

I loved seeing Shar and Xavier have such a healthy relationship, Xavier was such an attentive boyfriends. This story is so gentle and there is so much love between them, it was just such a cute read. I also loved seeing Lucy be so positive when it came to their relationship. Super excited to read the Nathan and Alister books!!!

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

[** Lucie ( Taylor's version ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg in my knees for this couple.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received the ARC for this book, and if I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. I've been addicted to Kylie's writing ever since I read merged with him, and this book swept me off my feet once again. I always find myself wanting more after each book I read of hers. I am obsessed with Shardonnay and Xavier. The humour and banter between them was electric and His POV holy shit, I love an obsessed man, and Xavier delivered and then some. I was chuckling and swooning the whole way through and devoured it in one sitting.

The story starts when Shardonnay agrees to work as an assistant instead of her best friend without being told who it is she is working for. Turns out it is her best friends hot grumpy older brother and partner at a very successful legal firm Xavier Christianson who has actively avoided her the entire time she's been best friends with his sister. Little does Shar know that Xavier has been secretly obsessed with her since they met and finds her impossible to resist, but she is his little sisters best friend, 12 years younger, and totally off limits. Hot as hell office banter ensues, and no matter how many rules Xavier makes to keep their relationship strictly professional, Shardonnay is determined to break every single one while trying not to get her heart broken in the process.

It was so fun to see cameos from the McKinlays and teasers for a possible future storyline colliding the two worlds together

The other partners in the law firm Nathan and Alistair are the other two books in this series which are both being released this year and I cannot wait, particularly with the set up for Nathan and Bentley's relationship in this book. I'm excited and intreguided by what is to come. All I can say is give me more!

[nicole 🧚🏼🎀 · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUCH A GOOD BOOK

The Tempter Series (Book 1)

My thoughts:
This was my first book by Kylie Kent and let me tell you it will not be my last, I am obsessed with her writting. I loved seeing Shar and Xavier have such a healthy relationship, Xavier was such an attentive boyfriends. This story is so gentle and there is so much love between them, it was just such a cute read. I also loved seeing Lucy be so positive when it came to their relationship ( fyi i am so excited for her book).

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following His Rules is the first book in The Tempter series and it's so witty, so little sisters best friend, so hot and bothered spicy. There is a 12 year age difference, no cheating, no OW/OM and has a HEA. The MMC starts out as a Alphahole but soon becomes a teddy bear and the FMC is smart, witty and takes no crap! Great read, I recommend this book highly!

Xavier Christianson, criminal lawyer in Melbourne, grumpy and always gets what he wants. But when Shardonnay, his little sister's bestie shows up as his PA instead of his sister, he knows things are about to get real difficult.

Xav has been attracted to Shar for 6 years now and has made a point of staying away from her and Shar has always had a crush on the good looking son of satan! He hands her a list of rules that he expects her to memorize and will revise them according to the situation.

When her apartment building is closed for extermination she has no choice but to except his offer of staying with him and that is the start of a enemies with benefits relationship.

The enemies with benefits soon has Xav developing feelings first and wanting to spend every min of everyday with her. But when he's accused of sexual harassment from a former employee, he suspects that the most perfect woman for him will no longer be following his rules.

[Aishwarya Mali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following his Rules by Kylie Kent releasing 14th Feb, 2023

The new book by author is a delightful and steamy office romance that will keep you turning the pages! Shardonnay (h), is in search of a job when her best friend Lucy sends her to Xaveir (H), her brother, who just happens to be a successful criminal lawyer with a history of changing secretaries. He gives her rules, but they are soon forgotten. Xaveir, initially portrayed as a jerk, soon finds himself falling for Shar who stands up to his challenging behavior. The sexual tension between the two characters is palpable and their journey from enemies with benefits to true love is heartwarming. The book also highlights the strong bond between Shar and Lucy, and the author has done an excellent job in capturing the essence of their friendship.
Overall, I highly recommend this book for those who love office romances, bestfriend brother trope, and umm branding. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.

[Phylicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How does this enemies with benefits thing work? I could really use some benefits right now!”

4⭐️ I love how sassy she is! Like her one liners are legit spitfire. He’s legit like a golden retriever alphahole. I love it! They’re really sweet together.

Dang this is so spicy straight up! I need to sign up for some enemies with benefits thing. I’m loving the office interlude and the legalese overtones. It really added to the forbiddenness and spicy layers. Hot as!

This book was the perfect balance of plot, spice and story. I really like this world. It was a nice pallet cleanser between some dark stuff that I’ve been reading. The office dynamics adds this really forbidden element to it which I really enjoyed. I’m gonna read the next and the series straight up!

[Kelchickbooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can always count on Ms. Kent to give us a story that is steamy, full of angst and sexual tension and Following His Rules is no different. She gives us a captivating story of two people who hate to love each other but when the a$$whole is now your boss and she is the forbidden fruit, well all hell breaks loose. Shardonnary, Shar, is tricked into taking a job with her best friend's older brother, Xavier, who is hella sexy but a complete a$$. Neither one of them was expecting the other one but maybe this just might work out. Xavier is known to be hard, moody and almost impossible to work for and that shows with the number of legal secretaries he has gone through, When Shar walks through the door, he is not sure what to do or think. This woman has been the bain of his existence for years, the one he shouldn't want, the forbidden fruit, his sister's best friend, but he cannot stop himself. The banter that happens between the two of them is just their way of foreplay. When lines are crossed, sparks ignite and the fire that erupts is impossible to put out. He marks his territory, she gives in and the two of them cannot for the life of them stop what they want.

Ms. Kent writes stories that have her readers unable to put her books down. Between the swoon-worthy men, the feisty female characters and the gripping storylines, she has you addicted to her books. I cannot wait for the next installment in the Temper series.

[Gina DeMarco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this Author

I really like how this author has a good flow to her books. Sometimes, I struggle going chapter to chapter. I am always engaged when I read this author. Shar and Xavier had some pretty funny moments. It was a slow, but quick build because you know they have history. Lucy is Xavier's sister and the friend you wish you had. I can't wait for her story. The big climax wasn't earth staggering and I like that in all of this authors stories they handle it like adults and don't drag it for excess drama for no reason. Stuff happens in relationships and, usually , no one is running for the door but is trying to work it out. Really good, quick, entertaining read.

[Shawna Jimenez more.books.forever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man Xavier & Shardonnay are off the freaking charts hot. Their chemistry is undeniable and their banter back and forth was amazing. I love how they both secretly want one another and I adore how independent Shardonnay is. Can we also talk about Xavier and his dirty talking mouth! I was so here for it!! That man is so hot!!! This was a great start to a new series and I cannot wait to see the next guy brought to his knees.

[Alicia Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Xavier and Shardonnay are absolutely perfect for each other! This may be a standalone, but I love how Kylie still brought in characters from other books. This one is not so much on the darker side like many of her books, which is a great change of pace, but still has that dark vibe with the super alpha male and a female that will not tolerate his overbearing attitude. I love how Shardonnay is this sweet woman but has no problem taking control and standing up for herself while Xavier falls to his knees over her and is willing to do anything for her in a heartbeat. Great Story!

[Deborah Peach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shardonnay, or Shar to her friends, is best friends with Lucy. Lucy has this much older brother who is a total butthead, but he's the hottest guy Shardonnay has ever met. Xavier is a fantastic lawyer but can be found lacking as a human being some days. He's a little bit of an a$$hole and has problems keeping secretaries. His two partners keep telling him he'll never find the perfect person to put up with him. When Lucy wants to get out of showing up for a new job position, she talks Shardonnay into taking her place. All she gives her is the time and place. Lo and behold, the business happens to be Xavier's office, and neither of them is too happy at first about the surprise. They both decide to stick it out, surprised when they survive the first day together, rules are laid out to make it more tolerable to see if they can handle working in the same office without ending the arrangement. Within a week, things have progressed way beyond what either expected. They can't keep their hands, or other body parts, off of the other, and the rules need to be amended. Following the rules becomes a game to see how many Shardonnay can break before Xavier blows his top or something else blows altogether.

[Joy Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kylie brings us an absolutely awesome standalone book! The story of Shardonnay and Xavier is sexy,sweet and full of all the feelings you could ask for! Beautifully written with complex characters and plot twists, this book wouldn't let me put it down, I loved reading it and highly recommend it. Don't miss out on this book!!

[FANCHON · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much yessss!

I fell into low key obsession with the Merged Series when I stumbled across Bray and Reilly’s story. Then I started at the beginning and that series has maintained its place in my fave rereads. As each follow up has come out, I’ve continued to love them all. This is no different. It’s not necessary to read the previous books, this can be a stand-alone, but I definitely recommend going back to the beginning because they are all fun reads. I squealed with delight when Dominic McKinley was introduced 🥰 Love it!

I love the best friend’s brother trope, and appreciated immensely that Lucy didn’t have a tantrum about her brother Xavier being with her bff Shar. Everything was delicious. He’s the perfect possessive all-in H this author always gifts us with, and I loved being along for the ride. Now, I just need to see Lucy and Dominic…..

[Madison Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ABSOLUTELY amazing read!! I devoured this book in less than a day. I cannot wait for the next books to come out. The romance in the book was top tier. It had all of the tropes that I could ask for, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, best friend's brother, boss, and mutual pining! The spice too... Top tier. I love the confidence and the body worship. I want more and cannot wait to see what else the series has to hold.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

grumpy boss office romance 🥰

Yeah this is a terrific Grumpy Boss Romance and he is also the Brother of her Best friend. So two tropes really. Very well done i think, and very good amount of smutty action as well. I liked the characters and the story.

[Alida Copping · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spicy refreshing story. This book is an excellent break from the dark. It has plenty of smex and spice but also a great story line. A definite must read.

[Gabriella Spinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - there were some plot elements that could have been elaborated more but otherwise good!