Too Many Bosses

The Hayes #1

by Jan Freed

According to Alec McDonald, Laura Hayes is "impertinent, impulsive, insubordinate and totally lacking in self-discipline" - all negatives in an employee. Mind you, he also has to admit that she has the legs of a Las Vegas showgirl.

According to Laura Hayes, Alec McDonald is "a pompous bigot who considers hankies standard issue for his female employees." But while these are negatives in a boss, Laura doesn't intend to remain his employee for long.

Within twenty-four hours of their first meeting, Laura and Alec are partners. Equal Partners. Yet two bosses is one too many for any business - especially when the boss is falling in love with the boss. (And his six-year-old son!)

Genres: Romance, Category Romance, Harlequin, Ebooks, Contemporary

296 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1995

About the author

Why would a former bank vice president and advertising agency executive choose to write romance novels? "Selling women a sense of their own self-worth beats hyping consumer products any day," Jan Freed says of her newest—and third—career. Her heroines are "strong, gutsy women willing to safeguard traditional values against all odds. Sort of John-Wayne-in-pantyhose types," she explains.

Her editors at Superromance expand further: "We love her sassy sense of humor, her energetic, sophisticated writing, and her clever plot twists. Jan's books have it all! They make you laugh. They make you cry. And they make you want to fall in love or appreciate the love you have."

Jan is proud to write in a genre that presents a hopeful view of life without diminishing its hardships. A vocal advocate for romance, she is a popular guest speaker in the general business community as well as at writing conferences.

Her first book, Too Many Bosses, received a 1995 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award. Three of her books have been nominated for a RITA Award, the romance genre's highest award of excellence. But her greatest rewards, she says, come from the readers in the form of letters and emails.

"Getting feedback from people who love the genre as much as I do is my greatest thrill! I invite you to write me at: 1860 FM, 359 #206, Richmond, TX 77469; email Janmfreed@aol.com, or visit www.superauthors.com."

Jan lives with her husband, two teenage children, a golden retriever who doesn't retrieve, and a tabby cat who does.

Reviews

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, the way it was written was good & I do enjoy a strong female character who can stand up for herself, verbally banter & wield a baseball bat pretty well.

The heroine shocks the hell out of the hero when she calls him out for not noticing her talent, before he knows it they are partners for a year in their firm and she is shaking his world as well as making his son adore her.

The hero really wants her but has no intention of acting on the impulse, he has built his life on control after growing up in an abusive house-hold and his father's voice still echoes in his head and makes him maintain a distance from his son even though he loves him.

I liked that he found Laura attractive even before she saw herself as attractive and changed some things. I liked how Laura went after what she wanted, the hero's fears not withstanding. I also liked her self-confidence and fearlessness.

A good read.

[ri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real gem. I am very happy that I found it in a list and read it on an impulse.
It truly tick marks every characteristic of a novel worthy of five stars.

A shame how beautifully authored diamonds like this have so less fans yet badly badly written stories without a prose or even a decent storyline get millions of reads.

[Bry · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, many thanks to Danielle "The Book Huntress" Hill for being able to identify this book for me! I had been looking for it on GoodReads for ages with no luck! I read it like 10+ years ago, and even though it was a favorite I could never remember the title - just the plot!

I love this book for so many reasons. Mainly though the characters, the family-centric plot, and the Houston setting are what truly sell this book to me.

Laura is an amazing woman. She's sassy, independent, impulsive, naive, insanely smart, creative. Just a real woman. I feel like so many woman I know, including myself, could really relate to her. Alec has almost a Mr. Darcy-esche attitude with his constant need for control and tight lipped emotions. His son Jason though and with his adorable personality, kind heart, and caring chivalry completely stole my heart though. I wanted to comfort the kid while reading this book!

Also, even though this was a romance novel the plot was so much more than that. It all boiled down to family. Laura and her loyalty to her struggling father and brother was heartwarming. Alec with the horrifying memories of his father and his complete lack of understanding of his amazing son tugged at my heartstrings. This book makes it a point to show the readers both sides of the tracks and how each can come to a happy ending.

Having the book set in my home town of Houston was actually pretty great to me. The author, being from a suburb outside the city did an amazing job of getting all the details right. It's so amazing to read a book that identifies a building at a certain intersection and realize I know exactly what building the author is referring too! Or recognize the name of the neighborhoods that the characters live in. How much easier can the author make it for readers to relate to the story when it is set in their own back yard.

All in all I am so glad I found this book again, and will definitely make sure to keep a hold of my copy this time!

[Ridley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this mostly because the cover was just so awesomely dated. (Helloooooooooo Naughty Nineties! Rowr!) Luckily for me, it was actually a pretty good book.

I don't feel like writing a full review, so a list it is.

Liked:
-Good, strong businesswoman heroine who isn't a man-hater.
-Hero's 6 year-old son acts appropriately for his age and isn't trotted out just for wise quips and plot massaging.
-Nicely written with a good use of showing rather than telling, the occasionally clever bit of imagery and sex scenes heavier on emotion and feeling than a description of mechanics.
-Author's clearly well-acquainted with both the marketing industry and Houston as both scenes are clearly set and well-integrated with the plot.
-Good, strong, even pace to the plot and character arcs. She draws their conflicts out slowly without becoming laying it out too son and keeping them apart artifically or holding off too long on their secrets and leaving the reader disconnected.

Could've done without:
-Were businessmen really this misogynist in 1995? Constant sexual comments, familiar touching and patronizing brush-offs made me want to cut a bitch.
-Jealousy isn't romantic. Telling an important business contact to get bent for showing interest in the heroine is stupid and irrational, not sweet.
-Heroine gets a makeover and the hero swoons harder. /barf

I'd recommend this one for people who like gender roles, alpha heroes and jealousy. I found it well-written and plotted, but these were not my kind of people.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ~ When Laura's boss cancels their meeting for the fourth time, she sees red; and once again she jumps right in without giving her head a chance to follow. She's a talented advertising copy writer, whose ideas have been constantly put down and ignored by her supervisor. Going over her supervisor's head to Alex is a risky move. Alex is amazed at this dynamo in attack mode, and if she hadn't made one valid point that they were on the verge of losing a lucrative contract, he'd have chucked her out of the firm. So he gave her a task that would prove her worth but at the same time was near impossible to complete. When the client shows up a day early for his presentation, Alex calls in Laura's supervisor for his pitch, only to have himself and the client, Sam, enraged as the only thing new in the campaign was the artwork. As a last ditch effort, Alex calls on Laura, and her take charge energy soon has Sam eating out of her hand with her thoroughly fresh approach. Alex has been ready to leave the firm and open up his own ad agency, and as his present position left no restrictions on him, he was free to take clients with him if he chose. When he tells Sam that he's ready to make his move on his own, Sam says okay he's got his contract for one year but only if Laura runs the campaign. And Laura says she'll only agree if she's a full and equal partner in the new firm. Alex knows his next year is going to be a year of hell, not only with a battle of wits with Laura, but he's newly gained custody of his 6 year old son, who seems to be on a path of destruction.

Poor Alex has worries that run deep. As a result of an abusive father, and witnessing his mother's murder at his father's hands, he's afraid of his own volatile emotions. His attraction to Laura is unmistakable but her passion for life unnerves him and shakes his control. It's obvious to Laura just how much Alex adores his son, and she sees longing in Alex's eyes for more in his life. She's not sure why he holds himself aloof. Laura's a tall woman who bloomed late in her teens. She doesn't know how gorgeous she really is, only remembers the hurt and rejection growing up. When Alex rebuffs her advances, he opens up the wounds from her past.

This is Ms. Freed's debut with Harlequin and I was enchanted from the first pages. There are four points of view in this story ... Alex, Laura, Jason and Sam. I thought this was a very effective way to create more depth to these pivotal characters. Jason longing to be held and crying out for his father's attention. Sam as a father figure for Alex; to replace his own father's cruelty. Through Sam, Alex gets a glimpse of what true love is. Ms. Freed brings us a heartfelt story of the effects of childhood abuse, and the many forms this abuse comes in. The delightful banter between Laura and Alex makes a wonderful balance for this very emotional storyline. I'm very much looking forward to reading Laura's brother, Scott's story.

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very old Harlequin romance that I've read several times over the years. It is a very funny and heartwarming story centering around advertising, second chances, and family. There were some pop culture references in it, but it didn't have a dated feel at all. The characters were easy to connect to and invest in, and the plot was stimulating and engaging without all the sex that seems to pervade more recently written romances. Now, that's not to say that there wasn't lust and sex in this one, but the book wasn't saturated with it. All things considered, this was a pleasant way to spend a wintry evening!

[Katelyn Ault · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic book

[airwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subgenre:

Contemporary Romance
Romantic Comedy
Workplace Romance
Enemies-to-Lovers
Single Parent Romance
Goodreads Tags:

Contemporary Romance
Romantic Comedy
Workplace Romance
Enemies-to-Lovers
Single Dad Romance
Banter & Chemistry
Boss/Employee Dynamic
Partners to Lovers
90s Romance (vintage vibe!)
Jan Freed

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harlequin are always good for a quick and steamy read (as long as you pick the collections that guarantee sex, like Blaze). This is by far my favorite Harlequin, and it was my first. Both of the main characters are hard on the outside and tender on the inside. Through a series of crises, their stubborn nature and forced professionalism crumbles under the intensity of the attraction, curiosity, and care they feel for each other. Predictably, it follows the familiar romance formula*, but I still loved it.

*Typical Dynamics of a Romance Novel (based on my observations):
1. A love-hate relationship (usually because of distrust and/or misunderstanding) or forbidden love (because of cheating, morals, or disapproval from family/culture)
2. Denying the intense and irrational physical attraction felt between the characters.
3. Building sexual tension erupts, and the characters kiss, touch, or f***.
4. The first encounter is addicting and confusing. The characters want more but feel conflicted about wanting more, usually vowing to never do it again.
5. Some cataclysmic crisis or series of crises bring the characters together again, forcing them to recognize their mistakes and how much they care for each other.
6. The object of her affection surprises the main character in some way. Right when she expects things to be over, they end up happily ever after.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite of mine from long ago.