How to Catch the Boss

Chester Falls #4.5

by Ana Ashley, Nick Hudson (Narrator), André Santana (Narrator)

I’m in love with my brother’s best friend.
Have I also mentioned he’s my boss?

Working with Ryan is a daily reminder of what I can’t have.
But how do I tell my heart that?
When we’re trapped together in a log cabin, in the snowy mountains of Lydovia, just before Christmas, I realize my feelings might not be completely one-sided.

Ryan’s afraid of losing my brother’s friendship, but how can I go back to not being with him?
How do I make him see that what we have is worth the risk?

Caution! contains:
Excessive pastry consumption
Food-themed underwear
A voyeuristic deer
A meddling royal family

How To Catch the Boss is a 30k, MM romance holiday novella set in the world of Chester Falls.
This novella can be read as a standalone, although it will be better enjoyed as part of the Chester Falls series since it contains recurring characters.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Holiday, LGBT, Christmas, Contemporary, Audiobook

4 pages, Audiobook

First published December 14, 2020

About the author

Meet Ana Ashley, your friendly neighborhood romance author!
Ana has been lost in the pages of books for as long as she can remember, taking a few amusing missteps with her childhood writing attempts. But everything changed when she discovered the magical world of LGBTQ+ romance—cue the confetti!


Ana's books offer sweet and sexy romance with a charming mix of humor and heart. Getting her guys together wouldn't be the same without the meddling but well-intentioned cast of secondary characters, who always insist on having their own story.


When she’s not crafting heartfelt tales, you can find her indulging in her favorite pastime of baking delicious treats, enjoying quality time with friends, or staying up late immersed in the pages of a good book.

You can find out more about Ana and her works-in-progress by joining her Newsletter. To sign up visit Ana's website anawritesmm.com

Reviews

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It takes a special author to write a book about two friends who love each other but are afraid to express themselves. Ana pulled it off without the usual frustration. Ryan and Luca were great characters and it was fun to visit with Charlie and Kris once again.

[Elyxyz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rece su copia ARC
Siete fan di protagonisti ‘beati ignari’ e di prossimità forzata? Allora questa novella natalizia fa per voi!
"Come accalappiare un boss" fa parte della serie “Chester Falls”, anche se è interamente ambientata fra le montagne della Lydovia, il regno di Kris.
I nostri nuovi protagonisti sono come Charlie e James, ossia una parte di cittadini chester-fallsiani che si sono trasferiti al di là dell’oceano per lavoro o per amore.
Abbiamo già letto di Charlie e del suo principe, della sua guardia del corpo, James, e il fratello di Charlie, Connor, e ora tocca a un’altra coppia di bodyguard reali: Luca e Ryan, che mantengono la sicurezza dei loro nobili amici.
Peccato che sia Luca sia Ryan siano segretamente innamorati l’uno dell’altro da sempre, fin da ragazzini, nascondendolo durante l’adolescenza e la carriera militare in Medio Oriente, sotto il comando del fratello di Luca, e pure dopo, quando hanno continuato la carriera militare come guardie del corpo reali.
Probabilmente, se non ci fosse stata una piccola spintarella e un complotto a fin di bene, i nostri eroi starebbero ancora a struggersi dolorosamente in silenzio, ma dei buoni amici organizzano loro una trappola natalizia perfetta che li costringe a vivere gomito a gomito, isolati dal mondo, e a lasciar esplodere la passione.
Fra una ciambella alla cannella e dolcetti vari, un sacco di buon rotolamento e un po’ di patimento, questa novella mi è piaciuta parecchio.
Ha la giusta dose di dolcezza, tenerezza e sensualità ben gestita e un pizzico di problemi, ma soprattutto ha tanti buoni sentimenti e altrettanti amici leali e pronti – alcuni dei precedenti protagonisti che abbiamo amato e che qui ricompaiono – a sostenere i protagonisti di turno.
Confesso che mi piacerebbe leggere una storia tutta per il fratello di Luca, perché devo ammettere che Santi mi ha incuriosita parecchio e ha del potenziale per farci appassionare.
Nel frattempo consiglio la lettura di questo volume per continuità e se cercate una bella storia di Natale fra amici che coronano il loro sogno d’amore.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up.

This one, I loved. Ryan and Luca have been secretly in love with each other for years. Ryan never acted on it because Luca is Ryan's best friend's brother. Luca never acted on his feelings because he thought he'd be rejected. A little matchmaking from Charlie and Kristof (from How to Catch a Prince) help them both see what's been right in front of them for years.

It was nice seeing Charlie and Kris again.

I walked away from this series quite a while back with every intention of finishing it at some point. I recently read Antagonist, the first in another series with some of the Chester Falls characters. That had me going back into it.

A really good book.

Full review can be found at -

[Julie Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little Christmas novella in the Chester Falls series - where two childhood friends now both work for the royal family of Lydovia!

I love a friends to lovers story, and especially when it’s a “best friend’s brother” trope, with forced proximity due to a snow storm and only one bed!

I loved how both Ryan and Luca were completely oblivious to the other reciprocating their feelings, and that it took some meddling from their friends and family for them to see it. A very sweet addition to the series overall!

[Fernanda Parente · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book from this series.

[Nano Noël · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alors, c’est bête à dire après avoir adoré le tome 4 mais celui-ci a fait un flop chez moi. J’ai trouvé que le scénario était assez plat, avec un manque flagrant de péripéties. Je ne me suis pas vraiment ennuyée (en même temps, je n’en ai pas eu le temps vu que c’est une nouvelle) mais j’aurais aimé que l’auteur développe plus le sujet. Surtout que j’aime l’idée que notre héros soit amoureux depuis toujours du meilleur ami de son grand frère. Et j’aime encore plus que l’ami en question le lui rende bien et depuis aussi longtemps. Le fait que ce soit son patron est anecdotique d’ailleurs...
Heureusement, il y a quelques scènes sympas, des dialogues et de l’humour qui permettent de mettre du piment et ajoutent un côté savoureux à l’histoire (maintenant que j’y pense, c’est sans doute pour ça que je ne me suis pas ennuyée !) En fait, le vrai problème est que j’ai eu du mal à m’attacher aux personnages. Ajoutez à ça le manque de communication entre deux hommes qui se connaissent depuis de nombreuses années et j’étais assurée d’avoir envie de leur secouer les puces à longueur de pages ! Il était temps qu’ils cèdent à leur attirance, bon sang !!
Heureusement, les deux tomes qui arrivent n’auront pas un format aussi court donc je pense que j’accrocherai beaucoup plus, surtout qu’on nous vend du rêve avec un biker puis avec le grand frère de cette histoire. En plus, les récits nous transporteront à nouveau à Chester Falls où on retrouvera sans doute mes chouchous. Rien que ça me fait vibrer d’impatience...

[Love Is All Around · Rating 4 out of 5]

RECENSIONE A CURA DI ELYXYZ
Siete fan di protagonisti ‘beati ignari’ e di prossimità forzata? Allora questa novella natalizia fa per voi!
“Come accalappiare un boss” fa parte della serie “Chester Falls”, anche se è interamente ambientata fra le montagne della Lydovia, il regno di Kris.
I nostri nuovi protagonisti sono come Charlie e James, ossia una parte di cittadini chester-fallsiani che si sono trasferiti al di là dell’oceano per lavoro o per amore.
Abbiamo già letto di Charlie e del suo principe, della sua guardia del corpo, James, e il fratello di Charlie, Connor, e ora tocca a un’altra coppia di bodyguard reali: Luca e Ryan, che mantengono la sicurezza dei loro nobili amici.
Peccato che sia Luca sia Ryan siano segretamente innamorati l’uno dell’altro da sempre, fin da ragazzini, nascondendolo durante l’adolescenza e la carriera militare in Medio Oriente, sotto il comando del fratello di Luca, e pure dopo, quando hanno continuato la carriera militare come guardie del corpo reali.
Continua sul nostro blog!

[Axalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luca et Ryan avec un Culomètre à 🍑
📣 Livre reçu en service presse.

Quoi de mieux qu'une petite romance de Noël en plein été ?! 🤣

Si vous avez juste besoin d'une petite dose de romance en mode "j'ai envie de porter les enfants du meilleur ami de mon grand frère depuis que je sais la signification du mot hormones" alors ce tome est fait pour vous. Et, pas de panique, pas besoin d'avoir lu les autres livres de la saga pour comprendre celui, il est tout chaud pour vous !

En plus, vous aurez un supplément "bloqués dans un chalet en pleine montagne", je ne sais même pas quoi demander de mieux ?

Et si vous ne connaissez pas cette saga d'Ana Ashley, pourquoi ne pas vous laisser tenter avec l'histoire d'un prince incognito qui va tomber amoureux du son voisin de palier ? 😉😉😉

[Devoted❤️Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Nosy Deer

I missed Lydovia and was happy to see some old faces of characters I’ve missed and to meet some new ones. Luca and Ryan are quite adorable and very “deer” to me. While they may have been laughably oblivious about the other’s feelings and Ryan’s actions frustrating at times, their friendship made me smile and their connection lit up the room. Full of adorable banter and clothing, this novella is a fun, cheerful and delightful read.

[Fedora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

HOW TO CATCH THE BOSS is part of Ana Ashley’s Chester Falls series.

Luca and Ryan have known each other for years. Ryan and Luca’s older brother Santi have been besties since childhood, and Luca’s been part of their tight friendship as well.

The holiday season gives their friends the chance to throw them together and see sparks fly.

Tropey brother’s best friend/boss story with lots of mutual pining

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this novella. It was cute, and it was nice to see a snippet of how Kris and Charlie are faring this days

[Daniela Tirrito (Tivvys_books_world) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*

https://www.letturesalepepe.com/recen...

[Valentina Campi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anche la storia di Luca Torres & Ryan Lee Thomas, guardie speciali della sicurezza dei reali di Lydovia, è stata meravigliosa!!
💖💖💖💖💖💋

[E.Muddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet and warm novella in the Chester Falls series. I enjoyed the visit to Lydovia at Christmas time; it feels wonderfully magical. And the romance between Ryan and Luca is beautiful and sweet and so very hot. Oblivious mutual pining, brother’s best friend, some meddling friends, hilariously themed underwear, and a cameo from Kris and Charlie - this was everything I was hoping for from this snippet of life in Lydovia.

[Lyndsay TC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryan and Luca were so cute! These long-time friends had both been in love with one another but each had reservations of expressing their feelings. With some gentle pushing from Kristoff and Charlie, the two got to spend a snowy night together. A perfect addition to this super sweet series!

[Jamie Lee Zonneveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Catch the Boss is book 4,5 in the Chester Falls series by Ana Ashley. This is the story of Luca and Ryan and I loved it. Their story was sweet, sexy and very well written.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan does not know how to navigate his feelings for Luca other than trying to ignore them. When they are stuck together (after a little manipulation) and they both admit how they feel he still sticks his foot in it. I liked the support both Luca and Ryan had from those around them and I love how well they clicked.

I received a copy of this book and am giving an honest review

[emi.bookslover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Con questa novella natalizia ci trasferiamo per un po' in Lydovia e conosciamo la storia del capo della guardia reale Ryan e di Luca suo sottoposto ma anche frattello del suo migliore amico. Sono innamorati l'uno dell'altro ma non hanno mai fatto niente a riguardo fino a quando non si trovano per 'puro caso' a dover condividere una baita in mezzo al nulla. La loro storia mi è piaciuta tantissimo sono davvero teneri insieme e si vede la chimica che li lega. Mi è piaciuto come si è comportato Santi nei confronti di Ryan e mi sarebbe piaciuto vedere un'interazione tra i tre dopo ma essendo una novella non è stato possibile ma sono fiduciosa di leggere qualcosa del genere quando toccherà alla storia di Santi. Consiglio di leggerla comunque per avere un quadro a 360⁰ della serie.

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that I preferred the story this time around, it certainly helps that I've now read and listened to all of the Chester Falls series.
Best friend's brother isn't always my favourite trope but I loved it here. Santi getting involved was so sweet.
The steamy parts were better with the audio with both narrators adding something extra to it.
Dual narration was a great choice for this story and I enjoy Nick Hudson's narration a lot. I really liked the addition of Andre Santana. He has a lovely voice

[Kendra T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great novella to add to the series. Ryan and Luca have known each other for ages and have harbored feelings for the other just as long. They e tried to keep it hidden, but when Kris and Charlie intervene and force the guys to spend time together, they finally give in to their desires. I really liked the story. I do with there were some better formatting transitions in areas (it changes scene with no differentiation that it is a new scene; threw me for a loop a couple of times). Overall, though, lovely story.

[Karolina Cebula · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

"How to Catch the Boss" is yet another part in Ana Ashley's "Chester Falls" series, as well as a Christmas novella that is sort of a seasonal surprise for the author's fans. The novella focuses on two bodyguards who ensure the safety of the royal family of Lydovia, which members we already know quite well from previous volumes. I think this is a big plus as the series continues to focus on this one, big group of people, which really gives it that special family vibe. In "How to Catch the Boss" it was also intensified by the fact that other characters known from previous volumes of the series are actively involved in Ryan and Luca's story. I must admit that the very fact that other characters we know appear in this novella is a lot of fun for the readers, because they really feel like a part of this story, this found family.

As for the story we learn in "How to Catch the Boss", it is really christmassy, and its purpose is undoubtedly, among other things, to put the reader in an optimistic, festive mood. Nevertheless, there is also a bit of drama in the story. After all, when it comes to feelings, friendship, and a very honorable person, there is no way to avoid some love problems. Especially when, instead of an honest conversation, a person will rely on guesswork. Yes, for Ryan and Luca the path to "happily ever after" is not the easiest and the most pleasant one.

To sum up, "How to Catch the Boss" is a short, interesting novella that every fan of the series and of Any Ashley will love. If you haven't read this story yet, you must catch up quickly. It's worth it.

__________________________

„How to Catch the Boss” jest kolejną częścią serii „Chester Falls” autorstwa Any Ashley, jak również świąteczną nowelką będącą sezonową niespodzianką dla fanów. Nowelka skupia się na dwóch ochroniarzach, którzy dbają o bezpieczeństwo rodziny królewskiej Lydovii, którą doskonale już znamy z poprzednich tomów. Myślę, że jest to dużym plusem, ponieważ seria w dalszym ciągu skupia się na osobach ze sobą powiązanych, co naprawdę daje jej tego wyjątkowego, rodzinnego klimatu. W „How to Catch the Boss” został on spotęgowany także faktem, iż w historię Ryana i Luci aktywnie angażują się inni bohaterowie, których znamy z poprzednich tomów serii. Nie ukrywam, że już sam fakt tego, iż w tej historii pojawiają się inne znane nam postaci jest dla czytelnika ogromną frajdą, ponieważ czuje się częścią tej historii, tej znalezionej rodziny.

Jeśli chodzi o historię, którą poznajemy w „How to Catch the Boss”, jest ona niewątpliwie świąteczna, a jej celem jest niewątpliwie między innymi wprowadzenie czytelnika w pozytywny, świąteczny nastrój. Nie mniej jednak, w historii tej nie brakuje też odrobiny dramatu. W końcu, kiedy w grę wchodzą uczucia, przyjaźń oraz osoba bardzo honorowa, bez odrobiny dramatu się nie obejdzie. Tym bardziej, kiedy zamiast szczerej rozmowy, postawi się na domysły. Tak, dla Ryana i Luci droga do „długo i szczęśliwie” nie jest usłana różami.

Podsumowując, „How to Catch the Boss” to niedługa, interesująca nowelka, którą pokocha każdy fan serii oraz Any Ashley. Jeśli jeszcze nie przeczytaliście tej historii, musicie szybko to nadrobić. Warto.

[Larissa_S · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*
(review of audio)
If you’ve read How to Catch a Vet, you’ll recognize that one of the protagonists there, Santiago Torres, is the older brother of Luca and best friend of Ryan, the couple featured in the novella How to Catch the Boss. Santiago may not appear much here, but he plays a pivotal role in the relationship between Ryan and Luca.

In contrast to most of the Chester Falls series, How to Catch a Boss takes place entirely in Lydovia. I enjoyed the different perspective, especially because the novella otherwise relies heavily on tropes - brother’s best friend, boss/employee, stuck in a cabin in a snowstorm at Christmas time, age gap, forbidden romance. Misunderstandings about mutually held attraction underline the plot here, and Ashley does a nice job maintaining the UST until Luca and Ryan give in. That relationship progression felt a bit rushed despite their long history. I think the characters could have been fleshed out more, and perhaps a larger story about them would have facilitated that.

As for the narration, Nick Hudson narrates Luca and Andre Santana narrates Ryan. I typically enjoy Hudson’s narration, but he has a very distinctive stop/start pacing and upward inflection that is more pronounced and distracting here. That may be because of the alternating dual narration with Santana, whose vocal performance couldn’t be more different. Santana’s portrayal of Ryan is very different from Hudson's in just about every way. His voice is too high-pitched and thin for how I pictured Ryan (deeper, fuller voice). The transitions between chapters is particularly jarring.

That being said, Hudson captures the emotions of the scenes well, as does Santana although he is a bit less successful at it. Overall, the audio experience felt disjointed. I would have preferred Hudson to narrate the entirety.

How to Catch the Boss itself is short and sweet, and definitely an enjoyable, holiday romance. It's particularly impactful in my opinion and the audio doesn't help, so I liked it better on text alone.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all the other books in this series and loved them. Read the first chapter preview in the author's newsletter and was very excited to read the rest of the book. Didn't quite live up to the initial hype but was good nonetheless.
Spoiler/minor rant to follow: One thing I hate in the best friend's brother or brother's best friend trope is when one party resists or refuses to publicly acknowledge the relationship with the second party for fear of anger/ disapproval from the third party. Particularly when they don't knew with certainty that this will be the case and aren't willing to even talk about the possibility with that person. This is what happened with this book and it distracted me from what would otherwise have been a great read.
Other than this one issue, it was a very enjoyable read. I liked the main characters and enjoyed the cameos from other MCs in the series. Though I don't think you need to have read the other books in the series to enjoy this one, they're all great reads and I definitely recommend them. I would have liked to have had the characters flushed out more and given more depth but that would have required a longer book and this was a nice short holiday read.

[Xanthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really sweet novella from the Chester Falls series featuring two clueless men who have known each other forever. Ryan is Luca's boss as well as his best friend's brother so he has many reasons, so he thinks, to not pursue anything with the younger man. However, a plan is set in motion by their friends to bring the two men together at the very romantic setting of a log cabin up in snowy mountains.
Attraction and tension is clear right from the start between these two and its entertaining to read them be oblivious to what the other man is feeling. Though its a short story, I really like how things developed. The story flows and keeps moving, keeping the reader and characters on their toes as conflicting emotions battle with what will make the men truly happy. There is a lot of fun to be had along with hot moments in between snow fights and Christmas decorating.
Just as good are the group of men who have become their friends and are mischievous in their planning and loving in their support.
A great addition to the series that fans will love and can also be read as a stand alone.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[Brianne McCallum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was short but super sweet and a little steamy. I didn’t even mind that it was talking about Christmas as I was listening to this for the first time in July. The characters were loveable, the plot was great and it was a wonderful love story with elements of friends to lovers, brothers best friend, forbidden romance and close proximity.

The narration was great. Both expressed the emotions perfectly and brought the story to life. I give it 4/5 stars simply because while both narrators gave distinct voices to the side characters, they used the same voice for each of the MCs so although we get the narrator change between each chapter/pov change, they still don't distinguish between the 2 characters in conversation which I always find a little disappointing. I'm also not a huge fan of duel narrations but I didn't let that effect my rating cause that's just my own preference and not really having anything to do with their talent. I totally understand the authors choice for the duel 1. Wanting to let Nick finish what he started and 2. Wanting to let a person of color narrate the character that was a person of color. It totally made sense.

[Virg Lecture · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je misais beaucoup sur ce tome car je suis fan de toute la série. Ce que je n'avais pas vu malheureusement c'est que c'était un tome ''virgule 5", donc un format court.
Or, selon moi, il est très très difficile de réussir une nouvelle romance en 141 pages car tout va trop vite.

Le début m'a semblé cahotique. Poser les nouveaux personnages, leur lien avec ceux de la série et leur passé respectif en quelques pages seulement rend le tout fort confus.
Puis une fois tout mis en place, cela a commencé à enfin ressembler à quelque chose et j'ai retrouvé ce que j'attendais depuis le début, cad une bonne dose d'humour, des hommes sexy et beaucoup d'amour.
Mais encore une fois tout file trop vite de par le format ''nouvelle''

C'est un format qui selon moi, convient pour des scènes supplémentaires avec un couple déjà établi, mais pas pour une histoire complète, ou en tout cas difficilement.

C'est donc au final une petite nouvelle sympathique en attendant le biker qui arrive bientôt et qui je l'espère tiendra, lui, toutes ses promesses !

[Julie Underhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Catch the Boss by Ana Ashley is the latest book in her Chester Falls series. It is a novella about Luca and Ryan, both Royal Special Guards of the Lydovian royal family. Ryan is the boss of those guarding Prince Kristoff and his fiancé Charlie (who have their own book in the series) and Luca takes his assignments from him. Ryan and Luca grew up together and Ryan is Luca’s brother’s best friend. Both of them have basically loved each other since their teens but were afraid of the implications of what others would say and do and how it would affect their jobs so they don't tell each other their true feelings. This book tells the story of how their friends finally conspire to get them together and what happens when they do. I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it, especially if you like stories with a small amount of angst and lots of secret loving – until it finally comes out!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series, loving it
Can you imagine being in love with your older brothers best friend since you were 15, and then him becoming your boss. Well thats the fate for Luca, everyday staring at the love of his life. But he wasn't about to jeopardise his job or his brothers friendship.
Ryan, loves working for the Lydovian Royal family and classes them as friends as well as employers, I also love looking at the love of my life (apart from he doesn't know it) every day, Luca my best friend little brother.
This is a wonderful Christmas addition to an already great series, with the help from some royal friends and a little white lie, will these two stubborn men finally get what they both want or will they lose Luca's brother. This can be read as a stand alone but the rest of the series is worth it. Plus we get a HEA.

How to Catch the Boss: A brother's best friend Chester Falls Novella 
by Ana Ashley  (Author) 

❤❤❤❤ Story

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luca’s had a thing for his older brother’s best friend Ryan for a long time-- pretty much the same amount of time that Ryan’s had a thing for Luca. Now, they both work as royal security, and Ryan is Luca’s boss. They see each other every day, and they’ve been dancing around each other for ages when some creative, and deeply unsubtle maneuvering from friends/employers has them both in the same isolated cabin for Christmas. Ryan and Luca work together beautifully, and it’s fun to see them give in to their chemistry, and their holiday spirit. Their time together is the perfect blend of cooking, snowball fights, novelty underwear, steam, and true love. And despite some serious fumbles on Ryan’s part, of course they eventually get the HEA they deserve. A fun holiday read with plenty of sugary goodness (emotionally and literally).

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