Maliciously Obedient

Obedient #1

by Julia Kent

Getting caught reading Fifty Shades of Grey in the parking lot at work wasn't the best way for 25-year-old Lydia Charles to meet her boss. A boss she didn't know she had. Matt Jones now had the job she had been waiting to apply for (and win) for the past year, and to add insult to injury, he's the kind of guy her parents would adore.

Damn it.

The only kid of six to choose to run off to Boston and leave behind her idyllic family in Maine, Lydia's determined to prove herself in the big city, but she has to keep Matt at arm's length. After a steamy elevator encounter that leaves her missing her panties – and most of her resolve – she decides that maybe it's time to let him get inside her.

In more ways than one.

But when Matt suddenly closes off she's upset and confused. When he also acts like he owns the place, she decides that malicious obedience – following his every command to the letter – will prove how much the department needs her creativity after he insists he knows best.

What Lydia doesn't know is that “Matt” is really Michael Bournham, the CEO of the company, part of an undercover reality television stunt. Keeping his hands off Lydia's luscious curves was becoming an exercise in restraint, but what was harder? Keeping his heart from her.

For Michael, Lydia's malicious obedience ignited a night of unbridled passion in the office that made him forget everything – including the rolling cameras – until it was too late. When unscrupulous producers make their lovemaking viral, Michael pulls out all the stops and calls in every favor as Lydia...maliciously obeys.

Genres: Romance, Erotica, BDSM, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Ebooks, Amazon

245 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

Sign up for my newsletter at: https://jkentauthor.com/newsletter/

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 5 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire in a rom com).

She also writes romantic suspense as Meli Raine, sexy shifter romances as DJ Jennings, billionaire shifters as half of the author team Diana Seere, and co-authors with Elisa Reed.

She lives in New England with her husband and three children in a household where she is the only person with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by:

Email at jkentauthor@gmail.com

Twitter @jkentauthor

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jkentauthor

Instagram @jkentauthor

Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

FORTHCOMING:


Love You Again (Love You, Maine, #2), July 19, 2022

Ten First Kisses (anthology with my story, Shopping for a Booty Call), August 12, 2022

Love You More (Love You, Maine, #3), October 11, 2022

Love You Now (Love You, Maine, #4), January 3, 2023


Author photo credit: Felix Rust http://www.felixrust.com

Reviews

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★]

FREE on Amazon US today (9/22/2015)

OMG! There is a scrumptious triangle developing in this trilogy.
Book 1 of 3. Series complete.

BLURB:
Getting caught reading Fifty Shades of Grey in the parking lot at work wasn't the best way for 25-year-old Lydia Charles to meet her boss. A boss she didn't know she had. Matt Jones now had the job she had been waiting to apply for (and win) for the past year, and to add insult to injury, he's the kind of guy her parents would adore.

Damn it.

The only kid of six to choose to run off to Boston and leave behind her idyllic family in Maine, Lydia's determined to prove herself in the big city, but she has to keep Matt at arm's length. After a steamy elevator encounter that leaves her missing her panties – and most of her resolve – she decides that maybe it's time to let him get inside her.

In more ways than one.

But when Matt suddenly closes off she's upset and confused. When he also acts like he owns the place, she decides that malicious obedience – following his every command to the letter – will prove how much the department needs her creativity after he insists he knows best.

What Lydia doesn't know is that “Matt” is really Michael Bournham, the CEO of the company, part of an undercover reality television stunt. Keeping his hands off Lydia's luscious curves was becoming an exercise in restraint, but what was harder? Keeping his heart from her.

For Michael, Lydia's malicious obedience ignited a night of unbridled passion in the office that made him forget everything – including the rolling cameras – until it was too late. When unscrupulous producers make their lovemaking viral, Michael pulls out all the stops and calls in every favor as Lydia...maliciously obeys.

http://www.amazon.com/Maliciously-Obe...


FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day, I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 470 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book frustrating, so much waiting for them to get together, and waiting for Jeremy to come into the scene, only to be tricked into another 'serial' story situation with the the Billionaire stories.

I think I'm done with this author, the story line is good but it's being dragged out and the refusal to commit to a single book is too much for this reader.

[Nancy❤The❤Bookaholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had potential but execution was lacking

2.5-3 stars

This started off a bit slow. Didn't get too interested into it until somewhere almost at the 80% mark. The storyline had such great potential but the execution was lacking.

[Sharron E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stretched out. The plot was very good but the way it kept prolonging kind of took the fun out of it.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I read the summary I thought that this book had the potential to be a good read - but it didn't take long before I was skimming entire pages trying to get to the point where the plot picks up and becomes interesting. Unfortunately I never really felt like it happened. To me this book was way too much filler and not enough real plot. The author seemed to dragged out this book so long that I felt like nothing really even happened to move the plot along until the last 10 pages or so. More than once I caught myself rolling my eyes at some of the situations the characters get into that, to me, felt really unbelievable. Here are some examples, so if you haven't read the book yet you might want to stop reading this review here :)



Unbelievable situation #1: that would be when Mike is on his business trip to Detroit and ends up at the seediest hotel the city has to offer with prostitutes hanging out in the lobby, bums urinating in the hallways and rooms filled with mouse droppings. And yet still after hearing and seeing all of this, our almost billionaire hero checks in anyway and heads to his room?!? What kind of person who has millions of dollars in their bank account would actually STAY in a place like that just because that's where their admin assistant booked them a room? It seems to me that a millionaire would take one look from their car window and turn right around again to go find a half decent place to stay....



Weird nonsensical situation #2: when Lydia dreams of the threesome with Jeremy and Mike. Now Jeremy and Matt I could understand even if I do find it a little bit creepy. But Jeremy and Mike??? She doesn't even know Mike other than one brief conversation 2 years ago and seeing him across the room at a charity event once. She's supposed to be all head over heels about Matt, and yet here she is dreaming of a threesome with a guy she's met twice and another one that she only really knows because he owns the company she works for. It just doesn't make sense to me and I felt like it undermined my belief in any feelings she was supposed to have for Matt.



Unbelievable and downright-stupid-on-the-part-of-our-hero situation #3: I felt like it took FOREVER for them to get together and once they finally do it's in his office???!!! How could you possibly forget that there are cameras in there recording your every move?? I kept waiting for him to drag her back to the supply closet or something, but no, he just suddenly forgets all about the tv show and strips butt naked for millions of happy viewers. That was the final straw for me and I knew when I finished this book that i wouldn't be reading the next one.



Now I know there are people who probably really enjoyed this book and weren't bothered by these things, but all I can say is for me, I'm glad this book was free because I'd be pretty annoyed with myself if I'd actually paid money for it.

[Angel Mochulla · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I first began reading the story I actually really liked the characters and the idea of mike being undercover. It would have made some great up and down moment.... But then she brought in Jeremy and kept bringing up Dana or something who they had many threesomes with.... Ummmm ok?because it was mentioned so much it was stupidly obvious that she was trying to add that into her story at a later date. But know what? That kind of ruined the story all together. That takes out the romance for me and just leaves me with.... Just sex and a story that had way to much randomness in between dialog making it very boring at times. After a while tho she didn't bring up up again so I got hopeful.... Until the almost very end where Lydia dreams of a threesome between Jeremy mike and herself... Which to me didn't really mKe much sense.... But ok.... Still like I said it really ruined the romance aspect for me. I do not find her willing to sleep with two different men at once romantic.... Yes it's sexual and sometimes hot, but to be honest when I read a romantic novel I want it to be about love and respect.... And to me that's just not... I really liked mike tho I'm not going too lie. And I loved that he constantly told Jeremy he didn't want him to go after Lydia but then I read the info for the next book and I'm just disappointed. Not worth the read to be honest. It just plan was bad. Which sucks because it was just a good idea! I just wish someone else wrote it and took out the whole treesome part and friend obsession.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a review on this and thought I would really like it. I am so glad I grabbed it, but I really wish I would’ve waited to read it until all three books are out. What a freaking cliff hanger. I sometimes watch reality television and I really like the ones where the CEO takes a low paying job in the company to see how everything works. This book is about that.

Michael Bournham, CEO, is acting as Matt Jones, the new Director of Social Media. He really likes his newly acquired admin assistant and it shows. The sparks that fly off these two are sizzling. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. This one was STEAMING HOT! I want to know what happens when Lydia finds out who he really is. I think it’s hilarious she has the hots for both Mike and Matt. Whatever is she going to do.

[Gaelle R · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok….…no. Just no.

So much no.



There’s a difference between giving details to the reader to help picture the scene, and then there’s details that are unnecessary, and to be quite frank, feel demeaning.

To make my point clear in a sentence:

Stop. Explaining. Everything!!!

I get it – Mike/Matt has piercing green eyes (with his contacts) and his sandy brown hair is amazing, and he’s got broad shoulders that make business clothes sexy.

And yes, Lydia has curves in all the right spots, with those luscious lips, and hips that are fantastic for grabbing.

Seriously…I get it!!

So please stop saying it every time they meet.

Seriously...it was. Every. Time.



I did not forget how they look like from the first time you described them, nor have I forgotten just how sexually attracted they are to each other.

Lets keep the storyline moving.

And in all honesty, us readers, not as dumb as you think. When you say that he grew up privileged, we get it. You don’t have to dot point every single example a privilege person has. Nor do you have to continuously repeat it, several times, when an event occurs bringing the reader’s attention to it.

Say it with me now people…

I. Get. It.

Don’t be specific – it just limits my imagination. Honestly….some of the text....

A throng of dancers, arms up in the air, breasts bouncing, chests pumping, hips gyrating, separated him from their group.



Thanks for letting me know how people dance. You could have lost that whole section in the middle of the sentence, and I still would have known how people dance – and that the hot-for-each-other couple were separated by them.

A million people – no actually, six on one side and eight on the other – blocked her from getting out of the giant booth.

Oh... so there wasn't a million people in that booth? Phew! Glad you cleared that up! It's a good thing in case I took you too literally!



Why… just…why?

Lastly – The weird contradictions made throughout. For instance:

Lydia had two choices. She could die on the spot or she could kill Krysta. Instead, she froze, then grabbed the fresh cosmo and drank it all down in one big slurp.

So….technically…that means she had three choices.

Not just the two.....



The characters and story flip flopped back and forth like a fish out of water. As though the story was meant to go one way, but throughout the course they decided to zig instead of zag leaving me even more confused. One minute Lydia is this strong powerful woman who decides that shes going to go after what she wants, consequences be damned. Then when she gets what she wants, she panics, and turns into a puddle of nerves and unsure what to do.

And cycle continued.

And it’s amazing how someone can get so inexplicably drunk after one…yes ONE freaking Cosmo. No one is THAT light weight – and I’ve seen my fair share of people getting drunk.



The story would have been a great one, however the execution was slow, messy and it stumbled along. Drawing out events that didn’t need to be drawn out and skimming over events….well, actually, no there was no skimming.

There needed more skimming.



This didn't peak my interest enough to continue on with the sequels either.

To leave, here’s a quote from Lydia which made me laugh with irony…

My logic needs no explanation.

Yeah… I’m sorry. But in this case, it definitely does.

[Tanya Korval · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this in big, ravenous chunks, which is exactly how it should be read. It’s a pacy, fun read, and easily long enough to justify the price. The reality TV show plot is original and gives the whole story a really fresh and up-to-date feel. Another thing that’s great about this book is its depiction of office life. I’m biased because I’ve worked in a big office, but if you have too, you’ll understand what I mean when you read it. The hero and heroine don’t exist in some sanitized, high-gloss world where everyone has a corner office. This is cubicle hell, with petty bosses and backstabbing, and it makes the love that develops feel all the more real and all the more precious.

It’s really refreshing to have a plus-sized heroine who isn’t beset with insecurities about her figure. Julia Kent obviously realizes that not every woman with curves spends their life unhappy with the way they look: Lydia is comfortable in her skin and she isn’t about to let anyone – especially a man – put her down! The secondary characters are good, too: especially the hero’s best friend, Jeremy, who according to the preview of the next book, we’re going to see more of. Also nice to have a hero who’s muscled (mmm!) with some actual justification and explanation of how he got that way: it makes everything feel more real. REALLY looking forward to the next book :D

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had seen some recommendations for this book, so I decided to check it out. It was very frustrating because I am NOT a fan of cliffhangers, and have become very jaded when I see books set up as trilogies because it just feels like a money grab. Few stories warrant a multi-book treatment and this, unfortunately, is not one of them.

The H/h had decent chemistry, the story "hook" wasn't bad, but it felt thin from the very beginning and it didn't get better as the story progressed.

I liked the characters enough, and the story was alright, but it doesn't feel like there's enough there to spread over 3 books, so I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave up on it

I wanted to like this book, I liked the concept of the plot and I've read a few of Julia Kents books before but I just could not get into it after all the fifty shades references.
It's also told in third person and I really, really struggle with that and I couldn't connect at all. I was losing interest as it went on and in the end I gave up. I wasn't interested in continuing to even find out if they got it on or not.
Maybe it's a case of "its not you, it's me" but unfortunately I bailed.

[Kaf · Rating 1 out of 5]

So this series has the dubious honor of getting me to add two new shelves to my tags list. The first new shelve is "Author owns a thesaurus" and the second is "Overdose of Angst."

I'm rating it as a series as each book has basically the same format of boy & girl meet, angst,angst,angst and one sex scene and book ends. Okay so the one sex scene is not true for book two... I think there was a whooping two maybe three at max.

The angst is so over the top that you would think that you were reading a teenage girl book.

This is another book/series that when I figure out which blogger I follow highly recommended they will be removed from my follow list. I am really getting tired of bloggers rating books four & five stars just to suck up to an author and/or publisher so that can get on more publisher lists and get free books.

[Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. It was well written, but I don't think I have has so much laughter and enjoyment from a book in ages. The title says it all - off to read next one :)

[Kara-karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

*non-spoiler review of the whole series*

Alright, peeps! Maliciously Obedient is the first book in series and it's free on Amazon, so go download it. This series seriously cracked me up.


It's kind of sweet and saucy, but what really won me over is the numerous jibes at popular culture which we rarely see in books. Fifty Shades and inner goddess gets its share, other authors too. Blogs like Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and Dear Author, and frank discussion of sex and new trends in erotica.


Of course, the main heroine, Lydia, works in social media and reads of lot of those books, so what she describes is what we see or read on daily basis.


The two main heroes are fabulous as well. Michael starts as a bit of an asshole - a typical goal driven CEO who works long days and doesn't know what happens to his employees on lower levels. He is very far from normal people's everyday reality, and it takes awhile for him to start seeing his own delusions and the consequences of his policies on his workers.


Jeremy, Michael's best friend, is a proper sweetheart and his complete opposite. I absolutely adored him. Basically, while Mike works his butt off, Jeremy travels around the world, does what he wants, wears what he likes and doesn't give a damn what other people think of him. Secretly, Mike despises Jeremy way of life, but there is much more to him than meets the eye and in the end to my enormous satisfaction he is the one who made all the right choices! *grins* Also, the guy can knit!


So, Maliciously Obedient is about Michael screwing it with Lydia; Suspiciously Obedient - about Jeremy stepping in and charming the pants off Lydia; and Deliciously Obedient is about all three in a rural environment out of the men's comfort zone searching what to do with their lives.


This is nothing to do with BDSM so don't let the titles confuse you. "Obedience" in this case is an inside joke.


Another wonderful part of this series is secondary characters. Lydia's family is warm and lively and funny (tons of brothers who made me think of Penny Reid characters). Josie, Lydia's best friend, is hilarious, and I loved her wit, and of course, Lydia's grandma is an absolute hoot.


I didn't like some of the words the author use to describe sexual organs or parts of the body like "V" or "mons" or "mushroom cup" *giggles*, but this was my personal preference and a minor irritation.


Overall, it's a wonderful romantic comedy, cozy and sweet. Very much recommended!


* * *

В общем, очень я хорошо посмеялась над этой серией книг. Первую часть можно кстати бесплатно загрузить с Амазона и попробовать.


Джулия Кент описывает милые любовные истории с перчинкой. Но что меня совсем покорило, так это её либеральное использование современной поп-культуры. Лидия - главная героиня, работает c социальными сетями и читает практически те же книги, что и многие из нас, просматривает те же блоги и подшучивает над Пятидесятью Оттенками Серого. Чувство юмора в этих книгах убойное, и я ржала во многих местах как лошадь.



Майкл, один их главных героев, начинает серию как типичный миллионер- директор большой компании. Он работает сутками и смотрит на всех остальных как на неудачников. Только когда он испытывает дозу реальной жизни, он начинает меняться в лучшую сторону.


Джереми - его лучший друг, был моим любимчиком. Он тоже заработал свои миллионы в 90-е гг., однако в отличие от своего друга, он начал странствовать по всему миру и развлекаться. Он одевается в чёрти что и ему наплевать что кто-то о нём думает. Майкл смотрит на него свысока, но именно Джереми под конец получает, что Майк так отчаянно желает, и делает это, радуясь жизни.


Подруга Лидии - Джози, была просто роскошна, и я надеюсь, что она получит свою собственную книгу. А её семейство с многочисленными братьями напомнило мне творчество Пенни Рид.


Единственное, что меня немного коробило, это слова, описывающие части тела в интимных сценах. Но это моё личное предпочтение, и на качество сюжета не влияет.


В общем, читайте! Особенно когда нужно что-то уютное под мерзкую погоду.

[Adrienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

TERRIBLE

There are so many ways that this went wrong that it would be easier to say what went right. Oh, wait! That would be nothing.

Reading this was difficult, frustrating, annoying, and it is the perfect example of why authors need editors. The timelines made no sense: Lydia goes from describing her first day at work, and then the ensuing week that follows, only to randomly describe a conversation she had with her friend Krysta that first day in a revelation that occurs two weeks after, or something like that???? The timing is off; all of this is so convoluted it is impossible to keep events straight, not to mention characters that drop out of no where but are apparently really important to Lydia's life like her Mom and Dad who she only mentions as Sandy and Peter. Apparently all adults think of their parents on a first name basis and talk to their best friend about calling home to "Sandy and Peter".

Plus the book is riddled with cliche after cliche, combined with smilies that make no sense and pop culture references galore. Why do I need to know when things are an inside joke if the author is never going to explain it to the reader? Or to the character for that matter? The pop culture references age the characters and no one is going to believe that Lydia is only 26.

Then there are the sex scenes that are transposed by some weird descriptions and innuendo. Then fire alarms are going off and Mike/Matt is waxing poetical about how he instituted monthly fire alarm checks after 9/11 but really it's a federal regulation... Yep that's exactly what I'm thinking about while aroused. This side bar of craptastic inner monologue from Mike is always nonsensical and never indicates why this is important to the plot. None of these little anecdotes add to his character or explain his actions or reactions, just useless bits of information, filler.

Nothing went right in this editing process and this book just ended up being a huge mod podge of crap. I cannot understand the high starred reviews on this book. I get that the ideas are there but without some sort of decent presentation there is no point in publishing unedited works like this.

Needless to say I will not be buying any more books from this author, or I should say downloading as this one was free (but I cannot get back the time it took to read this).

[Sandi Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Julia Kent's books. There is not one I have bought I have not liked. I bought this book in May 2014 in the middle of reading all the "Random" books and forgot to read it. Which is fine because now I could sit down and and read all 3 books in the series at one time, which to me is the prefect way to read a series of books.

This series is not as 'funny' as most of Julia's books but there is humor in this set. This book has introduces us to Lydia and Matt/Michael. If you have seen the show Undercover Boss you get the idea on what Michael was suppose to be doing at the office. ONLY things got a bit out of hand, and on camera no less.

If you are familiar with Random Acts books and Jeddy's then you have meet Madge who happens to be Lydia's Grandma. Don't ya love how we get to see bits and pieces from other books in some of the her books. Keeps me coming back for more and also going back and re-reading the other series.
NOW On to Suspiciously Obedient

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I judge this book based on how eager I am to read the sequel....and im not on the
Edge of my seat waiting for it like I have with others. Story went pretty slowly til
The end and then left us hanging for the sequel. And then I read the summary of the second book and don't know if it will be worth my time...we shall see. Some repeating of the same info was a little annoying but I did like references to other books and authors and such. I know others didn't like that but I thought it added something to the story a little. I still don't get how hair dye and colored contacts completely let him get by as someone else. It's like Clark Kent's glasses....come on!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexy and Fun

This book should come with a warning! A fun and sexy read with awesome characters and hotter than chili peppers sex scenes. A great store line leaving you with the desire to read more

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice cliffhanger; good premise; not so good story

[Keya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I liked but there were also a few things I didn't like. It was an entertaining read, especially with the way it ended.

[Krista Thoroski · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half of the book was rather slow so it took me some time to read. Once I got half way it started to pick up. Overall not a bad book. Need a mike brougham in my life!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 STARS not what I expected

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a free e-book through Kindle. I thought it was an average read. We have the boss and employee trope that was done decently, but everything outside of that was bleh. Looking at the fact this book was published in 2013, it has the ‘I am a feminist and think women should be independent, except in the bedroom the man takes charge in that’ viewpoint (nothing wrong with that, just this book did not execute it well). I think the author had a decent idea but could have executed it better. Definitely a quick read though.

[Brooke · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this as part of the 7-book bundle, Love in Disguise.

The synopsis sounded intriguing. I tried. I really did. But I just couldn't do it. I gave up, about a third of the way through.

So the premise of the story is that Mike is the CEO of a media company and he agrees to participate in a reality show, similar to "Undercover Boss". Lydia is an administrative assistant and when Mike goes undercover, he's her new boss. Mike's best friend is Jeremy, who is a millionaire who doesn't work but just leaves off his investments.

It starts off with Lydia arriving to work an HOUR early (as she evidently ALWAYS does...) and she's just sitting in her car in the parking lot, reading 50 Shades of Grey. So Mike, undercover, knocks on her window and tells her HR has given him her parking space. She realizes at that moment he's her new boss, so what does she do??? She is royal bitch to him and refuses to move her car and essentially tells him he can take HR's new parking space assignment and shove it up his ass. She then that first day, she pretty much just does anything and everything to be openly hostile toward him. AS IF!!! Regardless of if it's his first day, I don't know ANY admin asst who would get away with talking to her new boss (or any fellow employee) the way she talks to him!!! AND she goes on and on about how the CEO is a real cheapskate and a bastard and all that! I mean, WHAT??? And the WHOLE time she's talking to him like this and bad mouthing him, all he's thinking about is having sex with her. Then, that night, Mike calls his bestie Jeremy over to his apartment and tells him about Lydia. The whole dialogue between Mike and Jeremy played like two undersexed by hormone driven prepubescents!!! And Mike is the CEO who has grown his MEDIA company into a major player in the industry in less than 10 years, yet he doesn't know shit about social media and doesn't see how it's relevant to his company... SERIOUSLY????

There were just SO MANY things about this story that made me want to cut my eyeballs out!!! I just couldn't continue torturing myself with the nonsense. I REALLY thought the story had SO MUCH potential, based on the synopsis, but I do need my stories to have at least SOME degree of believability. Nothing about this these characters played like real people. At least, not real people who would be in their positions...

[Kelli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quick review.

Well, I skipped around A LOT while reading this book. I really thought I would enjoy it. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

Take your typical 50 Shades office romance and throw in a reality tv show, it sounds good.. right?

I thought so too.

Strike 1- Super Feminist heroine.. I can't handle feminist in real life and I definitely can't handle them in my book life either

Strike 2- SO MUCH FILLER. I feel as though I needed to have a degree just to read it. This is more of a personal preference I suppose; long story short- too many big words. When Lydia would go on and on and on about financial numbers and research mumbo jumbo, I checked out.

Strike3- Where is the romance?! Where is the plot?! I skipped around to the end of the book pretty much and aside from a few elevator encounters...nothing. I mean, the truth is going to come out eventually. She will find out who he is and her feminist self will kick his ass into next Wednesday, which I thought would happen this book, but apparently not. I assume that is for another book.
That also happens to be on my list for books I DON'T want to read. If one whole book is just the "starter" for a series, meaning it reveals absolutely nothing other than a preview of what will come in later books, then I won't read you.


I do like the twist, I just wish I could have enjoyed it more.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Holy moly this was just not good. Mike/Matt is also extremely unlikable, seems to absolutely hate women, and I can't think of any redeeming qualities he had. Apart from being extremely random, story all over the place, logic completely absent, there's not much I can say that other reviewers haven't already beautifully said in their own reviews. Instead, I'll leave you with some of the most insane quotes from this book.

Here sat— no, stood— no, sat— Lydia the fruit fly, hyped up on the meth of anxiety and possibility.

Mike’s jaw felt about as tight as a reconstructed virgin on her twenty- fifth wedding anniversary

His hand itched to touch her but he held back, knowing that she was the human equivalent of an injured animal and that he could either bond with her by gaining her trust right now, or threaten her and watch her shut down.

She was crying in a closet, why would he threaten her???

“Virgin” was to Mike as “intelligent” was to Snooki.

...and how gender discrimination is a worse evil than, than— than even not composting!

“Eww, eww, eww. I have to interact with him, Lydia! Don’t tell me this.” Fingers in her ears, Krysta mouthed lalalalala.

Aren't they supposed to be mid to late 20s?? This is the action of a five-year-old.

He held a praying mantis on his arm. Oh— no, just an underfed socialite. They all had arms like eleven- year- old girls.

The amount of body shaming in this book is NUTS by the way.

“That’s fine, Diane. You go have fun.” He leaned in and whispered in Joe’s ear, “Toothpick with boobs.” Eyebrows shooting up, daggers coming out of her eyes, she snapped, “Did you just say something about my boobs?” Faux offended and searching for the drama, her voice ticked up just enough to capture the turned ears of Diane’s true class, the class of desperate socialites. He turned on the charm. “What I said, Diane, is meant to stay between two gentleman.”

Between two gentleman? First of all, typo. Second of all, in what would is this GENTLEMANLY?!

Only once had it involved law enforcement, but that one had been a doozy, when Jeremy had attempted to procure the services of three different prostitutes at once, two of whom were underage and one of whom was an Interpol agent.

EXCUSE ME?

“Oh… tha’s my best friend Kristin… Krysta… Kristie,” she slurred

Lydia gets absolutely SMASHED - so smashed she can't even remember her lifelong best friend's name? It's later revealed she only had three Cosmos. THREE. The whole middle part of the book is dedicated to her being absolutely wasted and then horrifically hungover, which for some reason was on a weekday because she goes to work with the hangover.

Mike already knew how the night was going to go, and it wasn’t going to go his way. Lydia was the kind of drunk he felt protective about, not attracted to. It was’t that she wasn’t sensual, and lovely, and delicious, and certainly wanting right now— which made his own willingness difficult to tamp down— but he wasn’t that guy. He didn’t take advantage of drunk women, no matter how incredibly luscious they were.

Pat on the back for Mike for not raping her! Chivalry is not dead!

A few derisive laughs, a few genuine laughs, and a couple of shouts of “Thank you!” and “Awesome!” and a few of women talking about the overpriced fruity drinks that they would get.

One of many instances in this book where onlookers applaud the main characters, and one of the many instances in this book where women are too silly and basic, unlike the curvy, luscious Lydia, who is definitely *not like other girls.*

“Grandma!” Lydia screamed, lunging at the woman, who looked like a raisin impersonating a human being.

just why

Krysta laughed and she, too, reached over and fondled the most over- touched piece of plastic on the planet other than, perhaps, the keys on Perez Hilton’s keyboard.

Was this book written in 2005? 2010? 2015? We may never know, given how many references to Perez Hilton there are. Also this is one the most random things I've ever read in a book - if I remember semi correctly, there's a statue of a bull (?) in this restaurant and everyone who comes in has to rub its balls????

He was still reeling from the fact that Madge— cranky old, bitter, dried- up Madge— was tender and sweet with Lydia, of all people.

Mike/Matt hates women, and hates old people, and especially hates old women.

Another glare from Madge. “What? I probably get more than you do. When’s the last time you had a threesome?” Whatever desire he’d had a moment ago vanished, the pie turning to garbage in his mouth.

Why is a grandma saying this in front of her granddaughter and her best friend and a stranger? And where's Krysta's "eww eww eww lalalala" energy for this?

“So your clean- up crew dropped the ball and you expect me to completely rearrange my connecting flights, my meetings, and for my business to lose money because your business couldn’t do the most basic of tasks?” A man and a woman in suits, obviously air warriors who flew frequently, did a polite clap.

Again, strangers applauding a main character (for yelling at a flight attendant).

The polite term was “lady of the night,” and the impolite term would be “nasty old crackwhore.” The stench was what hit him hardest— a mixture of mold, Boone’s strawberry wine, and Ben Gay. As she opened her mouth to smile he realized why the stench was so disturbing. About half her teeth were gone and her smile looked like Gollum’s grin from Lord of the Rings.

She had been ridden hard, put back wet, and was about as appealing as a dead zombie with lice.

Immediately following this scene where Mike/Matt describes urine, bodily odor, mouse droppings, and lots of icky things in extreme detail, and I mean EXTREME detail, we go right into a very detailed sex scene. JUST WHY!!!!

[☆ Eyes On The Stars ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmmm. This story had an interesting premise. More than anything, I loved how this book constantly referenced pop culture items! Now, in 5 years it might not make a lot of sense (I'm thinking to the book I read a while back ago quoting Tiger Woods as a great husband...) but it is relevant now so that is all that matters.

There were some absolute laugh out loud moments with the dialogue going on in Lydia's head too.

This is the second book I have read in as many weeks where a main character changes their hair and eye color and WHAM, casts a stupid spell on the world. I just don't really understand how *everyone* can be that ignorant, but I will go with it (yet again) for the sake of the book.

The hot and immediate passion between Lydia & Matt/Mike is pretty awesome.

Jeremy -- Hmm. See the next book review. I'm certainly not on his team though.

Jonah -- well, he just creeped me out. You knew there was something up with him long before the climax (ahem...)


So, I got totally wrapped up in this not realizing it was a series! Ack! So of course, I had to get the next one. How will this continue? :)

[EroticaAfterDark (Lilith)]

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Merged review:


#erotica #free #freebie @Julia Kent #BDSM
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2VV3s0Z
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2QTKpjS
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2swsvKi

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[Cherna · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story wasn't too bad for what you can expect in this genre, but wat annoyed me was that it had inconsistensies or errors if you will. For example at one time she goes to fetch a book in her car because she forgot it there. But it was the same book she had just been reading at her desk. I dont'remember the other two occasions but they were similar contradictions.

What decided me to give one star for a book that wasn't too bad? Because I hate being manipulated into buying books!
This is not the first part of a series. This is not a cliffhanger. The story just ends smack in the middle. If you want people to sample your writing, please put the message out there that it is not a full story. Now you've wasted my time on an unfinished book. Parts of series do have seperate endings, otherwise they're just parts of one story.

I'll buy your books when I like your writing, not because I need to know how the story ends.

[Literary George (For Your Literary Pleasure Blog) · Rating 1 out of 5]

There were some problems with verb tenses on the first page that made me wonder whether I could be bothered with this book. I thought I should at least read until the end of chapter one and to be honest, I continued reading out of sheer curiosity for how bad it could be. I admit it wasn't all bad but it was trying so hard to be a feminist romance and it failed. The characters lacked depth, the plot was all over the place and the end was a cliffhanger. Lydia could have been a great character but she was so inconsistent I wasn't really sure who she was. Mike/Matt was an entitled ass and while I understood his attraction for Lydia I had no idea why Lydia liked him beyond "abs". There is nothing stand out about this book and there are better menage, better billionaire and better feminist romances out there, you don't need to spend time reading the same old same old here. Apparently it's a trilogy but I will not be reading the rest.