Insufferable Boss

by Iona Rose

Lena

When my dad died, he left his shares of Standard Rock to me and my brother with the stipulation that we had to work in the company for two years before we could sell.

This is a problem. A big problem called Kane xx, the CEO and the other part owner.

Sure, Kane Lazarus looks like he should be part of a line-up on a Chippendale stage, but he is also an arrogant, sardonic, haughty, ill-tempered, insufferable beast. To add to my total dislike of the man, I once accidentally saw him in the raw. And what I saw...

Anyway, I'm going to swallow my er... discomfort and dislike of him and not allow it to keep me from my inheritance. After all, I won't be working under him, I'll be working alongside him.

He may be God's gift to some women's eyes, but not to me. I'm not swayed by those sensuous lips, those coldly beautiful eyes, that manly jaw, or what I know lies underneath those expensive suits.

No, I'm not. Honestly. I really mean it. I'm NOT going there. Ever. Never Yes, never.
He can kiss my ass... Not literally, obviously.

No! No! No!
A Full Length Standalone Office Romance.

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers

358 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2023

Reviews

[Brenda Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written office romance with strong characters in Lena and Kane. The author does a great job taking them into the corporate world as the two fight their battles, both in and out of the office. She brings the heat with some smokin hot scenes and paints her scenes perfectly, moving the story fluidly. I enjoyed reading their story.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Angie Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iona Rose has written a 5-star book. This is the story of Lena and Kane. Lena has just left the office of her father's lawyer after the reading of his will. She and her brother, Dylan have gotten their father's 50% of his shares of the company he was half owner of. As she is leaving the building, she hears her name called. She doesn't stop. She knows the man who is calling her and she doesn't want to talk to him. He calls her name again in a tone that makes her stop and slowly turn around. When he gets to her, she tells him that she knows it has something to do with her shares of Standard Rock and that she didn't want to talk about it so for him to talk to her brother. She just didn't care. He said that he knew she wanted to leave the city but what he had to say would only take a few minutes. Since he is the CEO of the company she decides to be calm and talk to him. He wants to buy her out and she told him that she hadn't read the will so she can't make a decision yet. She decides a few months later to sell her company to Standard Rock but for her to still be in charge of it. She also has to work for Standard Rock but she is not happy with this since she can't stand Kane because of something that happened in the past. At first, Lena doesn't get along with Kane. She has a meeting with Kane on her first night in town. He wants to talk about buying her company. Things do not go the way that he wants them to go. His terms are not working for her and she lets him know it. At work, they clash on different things and the chemistry between them is getting hotter. Lena and Kane go out to lunch and talk. They discuss why they think her father did things the way he did with the company. Kane has called a meeting and his sister Kate, and Lena's brother Dylan are not there. Kane has had enough with Dylan and fired him. Lena tells him that this is going to cause trouble for him. The more time that Kane spends with Lena, the more he wants her. Lena can't resist Kane and she ends up sleeping with him. She is coming out of his building when she runs into Dylan and he wants to know if she is with Kane. Things at the company get a little crazy when Kane wants to go ahead with Lena's plans for the company. Kate is not happy and she a Dylan go behind his back when Dylan does something with his stock in the company with Kate. There is a meeting with the four of them but only Kate and Kane show up. Kate fires Kane and at first, he is upset over this but then decides to not fight it. Lena has not been feeling good and Diana has come for a visit. Diana makes a comment about her being pregnant. Lena doesn't believe she is but goes and gets a test. She takes it and it comes back positive. She doesn't tell Kane about the baby. After leaving the office, Kane gets a call from Mattias, the company lawyer. Mattias tells him that he can have the vote overturned by the end of the day. Kane tells him not to worry about it and to let Kate know that she can't handle things. He goes over to talk to Lena. When he gets to Lena's, Diana is the one who answers the door. At first, Lena doesn't want to see him but she does anyway. They have a talk about different things and he tells her about being fired. He asks her if she wants to go on vacation with him and if so where. She wants to know why he wants her to go with him. He asks for the bathroom and this is when he finds the pregnancy test. When he goes back out, he asks Lena about the pregnancy and if she was going to tell him. He tells her that they are both out of a job at the moment and they need to get out of town for about two weeks. On the trip, they don't talk about the company and she plans things for them to do. They still have a few days left on their trip when Mattias calls Kane and tells him that Kate wants him to come back and take over. He tells Mattias that he needs to talk to Lena about it. Kane wanted to know if she still wanted to go and do some of the things she had planned or go home. She said that she wanted to go home and get things taken care of. When they got back to work, things with Kate went the way that Kane wanted them to go.
Can Lena and Kane make a go of things?
This was a wonderful book and I would recommend it to anyone.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lena has just left the reading of her father’s last will and testament. Lena’s dad owned 50 percent of Standard Rock Company. He owned it with his friend who had already died. Lena has a brother Dylan and they don’t get along. Lena and Dylan were left 50 percent of Standard Rock Company while the other 50 percent went to Kate and Kane. Kane is the CEO of Standard Rock Company and he tried to talk to Lena after the reading of the will. Each member has 1/4 of the company and they have to work for the company for two years before they are vested. Lena has her own company in LA and she is not concerned with Standard Rock. After a couple months Lena gets an offer from Kane to buy her company and have her work with him for the two years. Lena goes to New York to meet with Kane. Lena and Kane have known each other for years because of their fathers. Lena always thought of Kane as arrogant. When Kane and Lena meet for dinner Lena dresses in a sexy dress and Kane has a difficult time keeping his wits about him. They have a sexual encounter after dinner and neither can forget about it. Each member of the board has one vote and Dylan and Kate have the same vote so Kane wants to have Lena on his side. Lena ends up having her own fragrance division at Standard. Dylan just wants to be cashed out and Kate doesn’t like Kane or Lena. Kane and Lena end up having more sexual encounters and they both start to develop feelings for each other. Lena finds out that she is pregnant the same day that Kane wanted to take things to the next level. Will Lena tell Kane about the pregnancy? Will Kane want to be in a relationship with Lena and have children? Will Kane and Lena get control of the company? Will Kane and Lena find love and happiness together?
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via Bad Boy Update.

Outstanding Enemies to Lovers romance!

[Michelle Frater · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I didn’t like Kane one little bit. Insufferable is right! In fact, I would describe him as borderline cruel. He never gave Lena an inch and had she not been such a strong woman, I think she would have been running for the hills. Despite his arrogance and disdain, Lena feels attracted to him (each to her own, I guess) and fights to stay away from him at every turn. Kane on the other hand seems to almost taunt her and gives the impression he has no feelings at all (although his inner dialogue reveals lust at the very least). He recognizes Lena’s talent as a gifted businesswoman, but treats her like she has no say in their relationship at all. Half the time he’s walking away as if he doesn’t give a shit. In that respect, I didn’t like the fact that Lena was always the one to break and come running. I loved Lena’s friend Diana, who was always there to lend support (even long distance) and was not afraid to tell Lena how it was. She was a true friend in my book, and we could all do with one of those. Set in the corporate world of big business, some aspects lefts me cool, but there were plenty of steamy scenes and standoffs between the two main characters that kept the plot moving along nicely. Definitely recommend this to readers who like their men mean to keep them keen.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rocky Start . . .

Lena Mercer and her brother Dylan met with their deceased father John Mercer's lawyer to be advised of their share of her father's company stock as half owner. Kane Lazarus, the CEO and the other owner of the company, stops her as she leaves to make an offer to buy her shares after she works at the company for 2 years as required by the Will. But she wouldn’t make a decision and brushed him off. Then Kane fired Dylan for his sloppy work and being late for meetings after adequate warning. This was not going to be a smooth adjustment apparently.

Working with Kane is unpleasant. Lena and Kane argue frequently. But as they begin to work together on company decisions, things do improve. Both are strong and capable. They have to deal with siblings Kate (Kane’s sister) and Dylan (Lena’s brother), however, who are not making decisions that would improve the company but are self-serving. When Kate fires Kane (which he could have overturned), Kane goes to talk to Lena and asks her to come on a “vacation” with him for a couple weeks. This will give Kate and Dylan an opportunity to see what running the company is all about. Kane also finds out that Lena is pregnant. Will Kate and Dylan be able to manage the company successfully in that two-week period? Will Kane and Lena figure things out for their future?

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled with the beginning of this book, two senior executives who just couldn’t keep themselves under control. As such they just seemed to be acting immaturely and unprofessional, one minute they were resisting each other and would walk away but in the next it all changed and they were in the midst of another steamy session.
Lena carried an intense dislike for Kane and despite her self-loathing after each escapade for some reason she kept going back for more.
I’m glad I persevered with the book though as there was a story behind all this in that the four descendants would each get 25% of the company if they continued to work there for two years. The story got more interesting with the family dynamics with the progression of the business and the leadership battle. Kane’s leadership skills as CEO came into question and I ended up feeling for him and the weight on his shoulders.
Lena and Kane’s relationship continued to evolve and progressed to their HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Raecharmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

After her father's will is read Lena just wants to take off and grieve. However, soon she has to deal with her inheritance because he left her a percent of a company he shared with his partner. Kane is the CEO and owns a percentage of the company because of his father. Kane needs Lena to be more active or sell out to him. The will states that she and her brother have to work at the company for two years before they can do that. Sparks fly between them when they have dinner together to discuss the company. Lena wants to have a business under the company and makes a counteroffer to Kane. Soon they are working together, and things heat up between them. Will this turn into something more between them? Will Kane get what he needs for the company?

This is a great story that will hook you in the first chapter. This is a well written and very entertaining story. Its a book that any book lover would enjoy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book for Bad Boy Update.

[Elly Christmas · Rating 1 out of 5]

The big issues with this book was there were multiple information dump scenes. The reader doesn't read what made the characters enemies. No, we learn in an information dump at the beginning of the book. The random cussing was a turn-off. The book is supposed to be present-day first person. Instead, it is read as if everything has happened in the past. The first-person story reads more as if the reader is being told this story as a past memory. It doesn't feel first-person at all. It would have been better in the third person. As the reader you aren't in the shoes of the character instead, you're reading about their past actions. I felt no connection with either character. There was no real backstory or build-up to the issues. The attraction was too immediate to be called enemies to lovers. This was a great idea but not well executed.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

So hot it burns the pages. 5*
2 business partners leave an inheritance to their 4 children, each ending up with the same shares. Even if you are not running a company, you can appreciate the animosity and mess this arrangement would create. Add to that 2 of the siblings who don’t want to pull their own weight, Kane the one who is the CEO, shouldering all the responsibility and his ever-growing attraction to the 4th owner, Lena. They have an uneasy past, but their relationship initially totally physical and steamy hot, grows way beyond what either of them expected. The novel ends on a well-deserved HEA between the protagonists. The book is a well-written, enjoyable novel with good character development and description and very good use of language and vocabulary. Most highly recommended to all lovers of this genre.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Renee Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insufferable but 100% Mine

Love it! Kane may be the perfect fit for the title of an insufferable boss but Lena is one of the new business owners who actually gets under his skin & really sees that he’s actually a really nice guy! There’s the bantering back & forth but it’s more appealing than hurting each other’s feelings. The chemistry is intense & they take their time in deciding on whether they are a good fit or to move on to find a HEA elsewhere. A heart-melting love story that is feels so perfect in so many ways! I feel like the character, Diana, where she has to hear everything about Kane & how she says she needs this in order to live through Lena’s love life. Lena is one lucky lady to catch this guy & get a HEA!

I received an ARC of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Noreen Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lena and her brother have inherited 50 percent of her father's successful company after he dies.
The other half is owned by Kane who is also the CEO and his sister.
Lena is heartbroken over her father's death and wants to be left alone to grieve.She is stopped by Kane and he asks her to sell her company to him.
They cannot sell their shares for 2 years.Kane comes up with an offer for Lena and she gives him a counter offer.
As they start to work together the attraction between them is sizzling.
Lena thinks Kane is arrogant and does not want to be attracted to him.They have a past she cannot forget.
They give into their attraction,but have to keep it a secret.
They do get to their happily ever after,but it is not an easy ride.
Cannot wait for Iona's next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LeMiliere · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always hard to write a favourable review of a book when you dislike one of the characters as much as I disliked Kane. But that said the story was well-written, the characters wonderfully well-drawn and the story itself was believable.

Kane is insufferable, arrogant and cruel, but for some reason, Lena is attracted to him, for reasons I will never understand, whilst Kane seems to taunt her giving her the impression he has no feelings for her even though we, the readers, know he does feel lust for her and I didn’t like the way Lena kept going back for more!

The story had lots of steamy scenes as well as plenty of standoffs between Kane and Lena and the plot moved along at a good pace.

[M Hurford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific Storyline!
Characters, Lena and Kane were perfect corporate executives independently and hot whenever they got together…in and out of the Office. Their chemistry couldn’t be denied, try as the might. The antagonists were not over the top but kept in check by a well written attorney. The main characters were believable as corporate officers. You can tell the author put some thought in how they think and act as executives.
Definitely recommending this book for your reading pleasure especially if you love happy endings. PEACE.
I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story given to me by Bad Boy Updates.

[Kazz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sizzling read that will have you burning through the pages devouring Lena and Kane's story just like I did.
Strong corporate executive characters Lena and Kane, who do their best to follow in their father's footsteps for the best of the company against their siblings who don't have any interest in the company only their share of the value, apart from dealing with their siblings shares, Lena and Kane's biggest problem is their unbelievable sexual chemistry that they have not been able to ignore, where will this go?

I received an advanced reader's copy via Booksprout and I am writing this review voluntarily

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kane and Lena. When her dad died he left shares to his company to her and her bother and that they had to work there for a couple year before selling. It comes with a problem and his name id Kane the CEO and the other owner. Now she has to work with him and she will not absolutlly not probably not fall for him. . fires her brother for not doing a good job. So not what she wants. Not only do they deal with each other but his sister and her brother are a pain to deal with. The more they work together the more they become close. Great story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lena has just lost her Dad, and Kane is bothering her already about buying her share of the company (Standard Rock), and he is still as arrogant as she remembers. Lena needs to work at Standard Rock for 2 years to inherit her share though, so she is going to have to work with Kane. And he is ever so tempting, regardless of his attitude. I loved the passion between Kane and Lena, how they relate with each other, and their interesting story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Leanne Bryson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lena and Kane's story is a page-turner from start to finish. Great character development, well paced story, size, steam, drama, and more. When Lena's father passes away, her and her brother are left his half of his successful company, with the stipulation they work there for two years. And that means working with her father's partner, Kane, an alpha, hottie, womanizer. There is even some great banter between these two. A solid 5 stars from me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Terra Oenning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wowsa this book was absolutely fantastic and will definitely have you enthralled from the beginning until the end and the storyline flows throughout the book. Lena's father passed away and with the way he left his company and kane is CEO and wants to buy her out, but will she give in to his demands? Or will they find out they have more than common for besides business? This is such an enjoyable story that will captivate you in more than one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc review I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. What starts out as two fathers who were partners leave their kids in their deaths a company that needs them to be responsible. while 4 adults battle to find their place in life and their places in a company they will or will not be apart of . this story was a beautiful story of coming to a conclusion that we as adults sometimes do and don't want to follow in our parents foot steps.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this enemies to lovers/work place romance! Kane and Lena have inherited their business from their respective fathers, along with each of their siblings. They both want what's best for the company and are willing to put aside their animosity to work together. There is plenty of family drama, intrigue, backstabbing and the undeniable chemistry between them they can't ignore. It's definitely a wild ride! I received this ARC from Bad Boy Updates.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insufferable Boss was an amazing story by Iona Rose. Once I began reading Lena and Kane's book I simply could not put it down. After the death of her father, Lena and her brother inherit Standard Rock and before selling they must work at the company for 2 years. They also have to work alongside Kane the third owner, and Lena's enemy. Despite this there is definite chemistry between them. Recommend if you like office romance.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love business 4 ½ stars. - Lena and Kane were so business-like with each other. Even their approach to resolving their attraction sounds like a business proposal. They are both very analytical and reasonable. Did they even say I love you to each other? It's a very interesting romance story because the way Lena and Kane act is different. Make no mistake though, it is steamy. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily chose to review it.

[_booknerd.4ever_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read though not one of Ms. Rose’s best work. The plot was different and I really liked that. It was hard to get into and I struggled to read it. I really couldn’t relate to the characters. I thought Lena stayed in her head way too much. Kane was the better character. I was glad to see them get their HEA in the end.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a free copy of this book provided by Bad Boy Update.

[Esme Greiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lena and her brother are left shares in their father's company when he passes away. The stipulation to be able to sell the shares is that have to work at the company for two years. Kane is the other part owner of the company and very hot. Kane and Lena definitely seem to run each other the wrong way but the more time they work together, the closer they get. Before long their feelings for each other start to change. Do they have a future together?

[Michele McMullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insufferable Boss is an enemy to lovers office romance.
Lena and Kane have known one another for years. Kane is the CEO of her father's company. When her father passes away unexpectedly it is now when Lena and her brother are expected to be welcomed into the fold under the watchful eye of Kane, but Lena is not sure that she wants any part of that or of him. This couple has chemistry, insufferable smart banter and a wonderful push and pull of power. ~~Michele McMullen~~

[Madame Smarty]

D R E A D F U L. Got to 4% and had to stop. Never, EVER have I seen such atrocious punctuation (2 sets for the same speaker 😱) and already leaving notes about spelling errors. Did Brittany Urbaniak (Editor) read any of this book at all??

Could already tell at 3% how much this author loves the word “sigh”, omg.

Does actually have potential, but there was no way I was putting my brain through that 😵.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kane and Lena sizzle in this enticing story. The banter and antics kept me glued to the pages from start to finish and I enjoyed the story line that is descriptive with likeable characters that had me connecting with them cheering them on all the way to happiness.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Danielle Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iona Rose did a good job on this story, plot was written well, characters were strong. Lena and Kane may have their differences but they were good for each other, the attraction was strong, it drew them together, the chemistry was steamy, they were actually good together. I enjoyed this story, it was a good.
Thanks, Iona Rose. Good work :)

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Lena just lost her father and she owns part of his company but Kane is ceo and they can't stand each either but the more time they spend together feelings start to develop. Will Lena get to start her fragrance division within the company? Can Kane prove he's all in?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[RoseyLovesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lena has hated Kane for the past 8 years. And the feeling's mutual. So when they're forced to work together, they butt heads. But pretty soon, they go from bumping heads to bumping ... Insufferable Boss is an entertaining enemies to lovers romance full of drama, banter and steam with all the feels that sucked me in!