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Thompson Brothers #2
Hate You Up Close
Hate You Up Close is a STANDALONE novel following Love You From Afar.
A new job. A new city. This was supposed to be a fresh start for me.
I expected the move to come with challenges, but no one could have prepared me for him. My new boss - Elliot Thompson.
He’s cold, selfish, miserable, and the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on. I hate that he smells of whiskey and leather. I hate that his eyes remind me of the sun. I call him the golden boy, but he’s hiding a dark past. Beneath his perfect exterior, something is eating him alive. A devastating secret that he’s kept bottled up for years. For some insane reason, I want to be the person to discover what he’s keeping in the dark.
I will be the woman to break Elliot Thompson.
A new job. A new city. This was supposed to be a fresh start for me.
I expected the move to come with challenges, but no one could have prepared me for him. My new boss - Elliot Thompson.
He’s cold, selfish, miserable, and the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on. I hate that he smells of whiskey and leather. I hate that his eyes remind me of the sun. I call him the golden boy, but he’s hiding a dark past. Beneath his perfect exterior, something is eating him alive. A devastating secret that he’s kept bottled up for years. For some insane reason, I want to be the person to discover what he’s keeping in the dark.
I will be the woman to break Elliot Thompson.
426 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2024
40 people are currently reading
575 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
October 23, 2024
Warning! Do not read this book first if you intend to read book 1, Love you from Afar.
This was a first for me–I’ve never read an office romance before and I doubt it will become my favorite romance sub genre, but this book was a hit. Morgan Paige created the perfect mix of humor and drama and her heroes are absolutely awesome.
Elliot is a control freak and giant asshole: arrogant, compulsive, obsessed, and insanely jealous, and usually I loathe all these characteristics in a romance hero. But I loved Elliot. It’s clear from the very beginning that there’s more to him. He’s not only a extremely handsome misanthrope, but broken and lonely, a workaholic at day and an alcoholic at night, when he drowns his sorrows and his past in whiskey until he blacks out.
Roxanne is his perfect counterpart. She doesn't put up with his insolences, but she realizes quickly, that there’s another side to him. She’s a great and quick-witted heroine, strong, sweet, saucy, and sexy all in one. And she’s unwavering in her patience with him and in her love for him, even in the moments when it’s really hard not to lose faith in him and their love.
The story has it’s flaws and is pretty over the top regarding some aspects, especially the uncontrollable lust between the heroes, the risks they take in the office, Roxanne’s looks (every man is instantly hot for her), or Elliot’s breakdown in the end. Actually, I didn’t care. It was a wonderful read anyway. Elliot and Roxanne’s interactions and inner fights when dealing with each other are so witty und entertaining, their growing understanding and care for each other and their slowly developing relationship are so wonderful and heart-warming to watch. And well, let’s not forget the chemistry between them, the sex scenes are steamy!
I can’t wait to read Skylar and Everett’s story.
Overall rating: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 5/5
This was a first for me–I’ve never read an office romance before and I doubt it will become my favorite romance sub genre, but this book was a hit. Morgan Paige created the perfect mix of humor and drama and her heroes are absolutely awesome.
Elliot is a control freak and giant asshole: arrogant, compulsive, obsessed, and insanely jealous, and usually I loathe all these characteristics in a romance hero. But I loved Elliot. It’s clear from the very beginning that there’s more to him. He’s not only a extremely handsome misanthrope, but broken and lonely, a workaholic at day and an alcoholic at night, when he drowns his sorrows and his past in whiskey until he blacks out.
Roxanne is his perfect counterpart. She doesn't put up with his insolences, but she realizes quickly, that there’s another side to him. She’s a great and quick-witted heroine, strong, sweet, saucy, and sexy all in one. And she’s unwavering in her patience with him and in her love for him, even in the moments when it’s really hard not to lose faith in him and their love.
The story has it’s flaws and is pretty over the top regarding some aspects, especially the uncontrollable lust between the heroes, the risks they take in the office, Roxanne’s looks (every man is instantly hot for her), or Elliot’s breakdown in the end. Actually, I didn’t care. It was a wonderful read anyway. Elliot and Roxanne’s interactions and inner fights when dealing with each other are so witty und entertaining, their growing understanding and care for each other and their slowly developing relationship are so wonderful and heart-warming to watch. And well, let’s not forget the chemistry between them, the sex scenes are steamy!
I can’t wait to read Skylar and Everett’s story.
Overall rating: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 5/5
January 28, 2024
I will always love an office romance, but this one just hit so hard. Elliot is one of my fav MMCs ever. He had me wanting to slap him one second, laughing out loud at his internal dialogue the next, and then kicking my feet and blushing. His redemption arc in this story was SO well done. Roxy is also such a strong FMC and a breath of fresh air. I loved how they were exactly what each other needed. The entire story I was kept guessing and on the edge of my seat trying to figure out where it was going to go and what happened in Elliot’s past, and when it was all revealed I was not disappointed! And I can’t go without mentioning the spice in this story because holy hell. Morgan just keeps getting better and better!
February 7, 2024
“I’m a raging hurricane, and she’s the rising sun. She calms my waters and brightens the ever lasting darkness that is my life.”
Boy oh boy, do I love our broken man Elliot. There is so much under the jerk exterior that he hides behind to protect himself. I had been waiting impatiently for Elliot’s book and his redemption did not disappoint. His story was full of self reflection, feelings, heartbreak and so much growth. He needed someone in his life that would put him in his place and hold their own with him and Roxy was that girl. My girl is fierce and a bad ass. I love her. She gave it right back to him when he would push her but also continuously showed him support and unconditional love to be his true self. I loved these two, they are meant to be. The build up was the perfect pace and the tension was so good. These two brought the spice! Seeing Elliot fix his relationships with Everett and Skylar had me in my feels. The ending was wrote perfectly and really showed how far Elliot had come. The love they have for each other regardless on how tough things could be or mistakes made was everything. And the epilogue?! Cue the tears..absolute perfection.
Boy oh boy, do I love our broken man Elliot. There is so much under the jerk exterior that he hides behind to protect himself. I had been waiting impatiently for Elliot’s book and his redemption did not disappoint. His story was full of self reflection, feelings, heartbreak and so much growth. He needed someone in his life that would put him in his place and hold their own with him and Roxy was that girl. My girl is fierce and a bad ass. I love her. She gave it right back to him when he would push her but also continuously showed him support and unconditional love to be his true self. I loved these two, they are meant to be. The build up was the perfect pace and the tension was so good. These two brought the spice! Seeing Elliot fix his relationships with Everett and Skylar had me in my feels. The ending was wrote perfectly and really showed how far Elliot had come. The love they have for each other regardless on how tough things could be or mistakes made was everything. And the epilogue?! Cue the tears..absolute perfection.
February 12, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥
Wow. Morgan really out did herself with this one. I absolutely ate this one up and I didn't want the story to end! It was such a powerful read as it touched on so many topics that really helped shape the story as well as played into the character development!
In this story we meet Roxy who has always wanted to live in Dallas and once she turned twenty five she took the leap. She begins looking for jobs and finds one for an assistant at a company called Ace Financial. But during the interview process there are a few red flags. But she needs the money and accepts the position.
She shows up for work and comes face to face with her new boss..Elliot Thompson. Yes he is extremely attractive but she soon learns he is a workaholic and a huge a**hole. But Roxy isn't a doormat and refuses to accept the treatment that Elliot is giving her.
Elliot is a workaholic but the reason he is so closed off is because of his past. No one knows what happened when he was younger so he keeps it bottled up inside and finds himself drowning his misery in booze. But Roxy sees right through that.
Once they finally gave in to each other there was no turning back. Elliot kept pushing Roxy away but she was the only person that was ever there for him. She picked him up when no one else would.
Elliot got the help he needed and wanted to be a brand new man for Roxy and it was everything. This book was emotional and I definitely cried but it was such an amazing story! It had it all... spice, emotion, and can't forget the witty banter! Also a super cute cat named Spooky :) Great job Morgan!
Read if you like :
🥃 Enemies to lovers
💙 Broken Hero
🥃 Grumpy x Sunshine
💙 Office romance
🥃 Forced proximity
💙 Witty banter
🥃 Spicy
💙 Boss x Assistant
🥃 Age Gap
💙 Forced Proximity
🔥🔥🔥
Wow. Morgan really out did herself with this one. I absolutely ate this one up and I didn't want the story to end! It was such a powerful read as it touched on so many topics that really helped shape the story as well as played into the character development!
In this story we meet Roxy who has always wanted to live in Dallas and once she turned twenty five she took the leap. She begins looking for jobs and finds one for an assistant at a company called Ace Financial. But during the interview process there are a few red flags. But she needs the money and accepts the position.
She shows up for work and comes face to face with her new boss..Elliot Thompson. Yes he is extremely attractive but she soon learns he is a workaholic and a huge a**hole. But Roxy isn't a doormat and refuses to accept the treatment that Elliot is giving her.
Elliot is a workaholic but the reason he is so closed off is because of his past. No one knows what happened when he was younger so he keeps it bottled up inside and finds himself drowning his misery in booze. But Roxy sees right through that.
Once they finally gave in to each other there was no turning back. Elliot kept pushing Roxy away but she was the only person that was ever there for him. She picked him up when no one else would.
Elliot got the help he needed and wanted to be a brand new man for Roxy and it was everything. This book was emotional and I definitely cried but it was such an amazing story! It had it all... spice, emotion, and can't forget the witty banter! Also a super cute cat named Spooky :) Great job Morgan!
Read if you like :
🥃 Enemies to lovers
💙 Broken Hero
🥃 Grumpy x Sunshine
💙 Office romance
🥃 Forced proximity
💙 Witty banter
🥃 Spicy
💙 Boss x Assistant
🥃 Age Gap
💙 Forced Proximity
February 12, 2024
This BOOK!!!!!! To be completely honest I wasn’t sure how Morgan would write a redemption story for Elliot’s character but holy SMOKES, she absolutely nailed it. I loved Love You From Afar (book 1) and obviously Elliot’s character is more than a little unlikeable so when I heard that Morgan was writing a book for Elliot, I had doubts but any of the doubts I had fully went away right when I opened this book. Elliot is EVERYTHING. I want that man, need that man, would do anything FOR THAT MAN. PERIOD.
Elliot’s story is a difficult one and I think Morgan went about writing his struggles in such a gentle and respectful way which I so appreciated. Addiction and trauma are hard ones to read and I think his story was written and handled so beautifully. He has incredible character development and I was rooting for him and I’m so happy with how his story played out.
Roxy is a WOMAN. And she is THAT woman. I loved her so much. Her energy, her personality and the way she never gives up on Elliot despite any attempts of pushing her away, she always stood her ground and I loved her so much for it.
The tropes in this book were fire as helllll. Forced prox… ONE BED, hate to love, boss x employee, office romance, tragic pasts, no strings attached. 👀👀
Although this is said to be a standalone, I highly recommend reading book one so you can fully appreciate Elliot’s story and development. That being said, I seriously loved this book. It was spicy, emotional and all around beautiful. Morgan is an author to watch out for and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
Elliot’s story is a difficult one and I think Morgan went about writing his struggles in such a gentle and respectful way which I so appreciated. Addiction and trauma are hard ones to read and I think his story was written and handled so beautifully. He has incredible character development and I was rooting for him and I’m so happy with how his story played out.
Roxy is a WOMAN. And she is THAT woman. I loved her so much. Her energy, her personality and the way she never gives up on Elliot despite any attempts of pushing her away, she always stood her ground and I loved her so much for it.
The tropes in this book were fire as helllll. Forced prox… ONE BED, hate to love, boss x employee, office romance, tragic pasts, no strings attached. 👀👀
Although this is said to be a standalone, I highly recommend reading book one so you can fully appreciate Elliot’s story and development. That being said, I seriously loved this book. It was spicy, emotional and all around beautiful. Morgan is an author to watch out for and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
January 9, 2026
Re-read January 2026
I still really like it, but a little less than the first time. I think I would rate it with 4.5 stars this time instead of 5.0 stars because of the insta-lust and ending. But overall it's still a very good book with a MMC who's vulnerable and sweet, I love it.
5.0 stars
Wow, that was surprising but in a good way. At first I was afraid this would turn into a smut-fest and stupid insta-love story after their first interaction. But in the end this was the perfect mix: romantic, emotional, cute and spicy.
I liked the first half before their business trip more than the the second half. Mainly because I'm generally not a huge fan of too much smut. It was good smut(!) and I enjoyed because it added to their relationship on an emotional level and wasn't boring but still I'm not the biggest fan of it in comparison to purely romantic and emotional scenes. I was relieved that Elliot and Roxanna had a true emotional connection and a lot of romantic chemistry before the first sex scene.
Eliott and Roxy were so a cute couple. I loved their vulnerability, especially from Elliot. It's so rare to see a hero who is broken, crying and devastated in addition to being an asshole ;) Roxy was so sweet and truly the perfect match for him.
The ending was a bit unsatisfying. It was too abrupt and I just wished for more scenes with Elliot and Roxy as a couple. A proposal would've been so nice 🥺
I still really like it, but a little less than the first time. I think I would rate it with 4.5 stars this time instead of 5.0 stars because of the insta-lust and ending. But overall it's still a very good book with a MMC who's vulnerable and sweet, I love it.
5.0 stars
Wow, that was surprising but in a good way. At first I was afraid this would turn into a smut-fest and stupid insta-love story after their first interaction. But in the end this was the perfect mix: romantic, emotional, cute and spicy.
I liked the first half before their business trip more than the the second half. Mainly because I'm generally not a huge fan of too much smut. It was good smut(!) and I enjoyed because it added to their relationship on an emotional level and wasn't boring but still I'm not the biggest fan of it in comparison to purely romantic and emotional scenes. I was relieved that Elliot and Roxanna had a true emotional connection and a lot of romantic chemistry before the first sex scene.
Eliott and Roxy were so a cute couple. I loved their vulnerability, especially from Elliot. It's so rare to see a hero who is broken, crying and devastated in addition to being an asshole ;) Roxy was so sweet and truly the perfect match for him.
The ending was a bit unsatisfying. It was too abrupt and I just wished for more scenes with Elliot and Roxy as a couple. A proposal would've been so nice 🥺
April 5, 2024
“I’ve never craved anyone or anything the way I crave her. Not even the finest bottle of whiskey.” 🤍
When Roxy moved to a new city for a fresh start and begins her new job, she didn’t expect her cold & selfish new boss. But if anyone can mellow out Elliot Thompson, it’s Roxanne. They can’t stand each other right off the bat, but after spending a weekend away together on company time and crossing every line, Elliot still can’t move past his demons and let her in.
After reading Love You From Afar, I was really hoping Elliot would get a redemption story and BOY DID HE 👏🏼 I really mean it when I say that Elliot was one of the most unlikeable characters in the previous book but this man completely surprised me. On the outside he’s got such a rough and cold demeanor, but on the inside he’s such a broken boy. I loved seeing him as a tortured hero who falls head over heels for his assistant 🤭 Roxy was the perfect match for him. Their hate to love banter was perfect and so steamy! She never backed down when his trauma caused him to push her away and she took care of him so well 😭 Elliot deserved to have his story told and I really loved to see him heal from his past 🥹 redemption arc of the century 🫶🏻
Microtropes & moments I loved:
Caretaking
Spicy office shenanigans
The pining 😭
The bar night
The elevator 👀
The entire weekend trip 🔥
Possessive MMC
Tropes:
Workplace
Hate to love
He falls first
Boss x assistant
Tortured hero
Grumpy sunshine
Forced proximity
TW: addiction/alcoholism
When Roxy moved to a new city for a fresh start and begins her new job, she didn’t expect her cold & selfish new boss. But if anyone can mellow out Elliot Thompson, it’s Roxanne. They can’t stand each other right off the bat, but after spending a weekend away together on company time and crossing every line, Elliot still can’t move past his demons and let her in.
After reading Love You From Afar, I was really hoping Elliot would get a redemption story and BOY DID HE 👏🏼 I really mean it when I say that Elliot was one of the most unlikeable characters in the previous book but this man completely surprised me. On the outside he’s got such a rough and cold demeanor, but on the inside he’s such a broken boy. I loved seeing him as a tortured hero who falls head over heels for his assistant 🤭 Roxy was the perfect match for him. Their hate to love banter was perfect and so steamy! She never backed down when his trauma caused him to push her away and she took care of him so well 😭 Elliot deserved to have his story told and I really loved to see him heal from his past 🥹 redemption arc of the century 🫶🏻
Microtropes & moments I loved:
Caretaking
Spicy office shenanigans
The pining 😭
The bar night
The elevator 👀
The entire weekend trip 🔥
Possessive MMC
Tropes:
Workplace
Hate to love
He falls first
Boss x assistant
Tortured hero
Grumpy sunshine
Forced proximity
TW: addiction/alcoholism
November 2, 2025
4.5 ⭐/ Emotional • Addictive • Heart-Wrenching
Hate You Up Close by Morgan Paige
This story is raw, emotional, and achingly beautiful. It dives deep into themes of addiction, loss, love, and learning to heal when life has broken every part of you.
Elliot is a damaged, closed-off man with a haunting past that’s left him believing he’s unworthy of love. He pushes everyone away—until Roxy. She’s strong, stubborn, and willing to love every piece of him, even the ones he despises. Their connection is magnetic, their tension thick, and the spice? Off the charts.
There are moments in this book that stayed with me.
The kind that make your chest ache and your heart race:
“You’re my heart, Roxanne.” “You’re all of me. You fucking own me.”
“I love you so much it hurts. I love your flaws. I love your past. I love your heart. You may hate yourself, but that’s okay because I love all the parts that you hate. I love you enough for the both of us.”
Those lines broke me. This story isn’t just about romance—it’s about redemption, forgiveness, and learning to be loved despite your scars. Elliot and Roxy are, without question, my favorite in the Thompson Brother Duet.
Tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Broken hero
Addiction & redemption
Found family
Emotional healing
Dual POV
Strong FMC / soft for her MMC
Slow burn with explosive spiceuet.
Hate You Up Close by Morgan Paige
This story is raw, emotional, and achingly beautiful. It dives deep into themes of addiction, loss, love, and learning to heal when life has broken every part of you.
Elliot is a damaged, closed-off man with a haunting past that’s left him believing he’s unworthy of love. He pushes everyone away—until Roxy. She’s strong, stubborn, and willing to love every piece of him, even the ones he despises. Their connection is magnetic, their tension thick, and the spice? Off the charts.
There are moments in this book that stayed with me.
The kind that make your chest ache and your heart race:
“You’re my heart, Roxanne.” “You’re all of me. You fucking own me.”
“I love you so much it hurts. I love your flaws. I love your past. I love your heart. You may hate yourself, but that’s okay because I love all the parts that you hate. I love you enough for the both of us.”
Those lines broke me. This story isn’t just about romance—it’s about redemption, forgiveness, and learning to be loved despite your scars. Elliot and Roxy are, without question, my favorite in the Thompson Brother Duet.
Tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Broken hero
Addiction & redemption
Found family
Emotional healing
Dual POV
Strong FMC / soft for her MMC
Slow burn with explosive spiceuet.
February 9, 2024
★★★★★ 5 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑠
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄✨
♡ 𝘉𝘰𝘴𝘴／𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
♡︎ 𝘈𝘨𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘱
♡︎ 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 ����𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
♡ 𝘌𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴
♡︎ 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰
♡︎ 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝑯𝑨𝑻𝑬 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑼𝑷 𝑪𝑳𝑶𝑺𝑬 is a MUST read. OMG, Elliot's story is a wild ride! 🎢 When the snarky, brooding Elliot meets his match in the bombshell Roxanne at work, sparks fly, and I was all in for their forbidden office romance. Morgan's clever wordplay in the titles adds an extra layer of fun, but the emotional depth both of these characters kept me engaged the entire time.
Initially, I couldn't stand Elliot in Book 1, but this book turned my opinion around. His self-tortured POV had me laughing, and his dedication and possessiveness of Roxy is downright sexy & adorable. The strong, sassy FMC and Elliot's tortured soul make for a perfect match. 🥰 It's a healing journey filled with laughs, swoons, and a redemption arc that won me over. Team Elliot all the way! Sorry, Everett! 😂 Can't wait for more from Morgan! 💖
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄✨
♡ 𝘉𝘰𝘴𝘴／𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
♡︎ 𝘈𝘨𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘱
♡︎ 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 ����𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
♡ 𝘌𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴
♡︎ 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰
♡︎ 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝑯𝑨𝑻𝑬 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑼𝑷 𝑪𝑳𝑶𝑺𝑬 is a MUST read. OMG, Elliot's story is a wild ride! 🎢 When the snarky, brooding Elliot meets his match in the bombshell Roxanne at work, sparks fly, and I was all in for their forbidden office romance. Morgan's clever wordplay in the titles adds an extra layer of fun, but the emotional depth both of these characters kept me engaged the entire time.
Initially, I couldn't stand Elliot in Book 1, but this book turned my opinion around. His self-tortured POV had me laughing, and his dedication and possessiveness of Roxy is downright sexy & adorable. The strong, sassy FMC and Elliot's tortured soul make for a perfect match. 🥰 It's a healing journey filled with laughs, swoons, and a redemption arc that won me over. Team Elliot all the way! Sorry, Everett! 😂 Can't wait for more from Morgan! 💖
February 13, 2024
Book 2 of the Thompson Brothers Duet. This can be read as a standalone, BUT in my opinion, I would read Love You From Afar first due to meeting Elliot and why he’s so grumpy.
Gahh! After reading LYFA, Elliot did not have me rooting for him. Still wasn’t at the beginning, but surely and slowly he started wiggling his way onto my good side. I’ve gotten to where I love a tough guy who turns into a softy for the girl he sets his eyes on.
Roxy & Elliot’s chemistry is *chef’s kiss*
🖤 Banter
🖤 Office Romance
🖤 Forced Proximity
🖤 Broken MMC
Gahh! After reading LYFA, Elliot did not have me rooting for him. Still wasn’t at the beginning, but surely and slowly he started wiggling his way onto my good side. I’ve gotten to where I love a tough guy who turns into a softy for the girl he sets his eyes on.
Roxy & Elliot’s chemistry is *chef’s kiss*
🖤 Banter
🖤 Office Romance
🖤 Forced Proximity
🖤 Broken MMC
February 18, 2024
Have not cried reading a book in a long time! 🥹
April 3, 2024
After book 1 I didn't think much of Elliot. I'm so glad I read his story because it was everything ❤️🤩
February 14, 2024
A top read of 2024 for me. My most anticipated read and it was the easiest 5/5 stars.
This story follows Elliot and Roxy, boss and employee, total enemies. Elliot is the not so great Thompson brother. After reading about him in LYFA, I loathed him. But, I knew this broken man would make the absolute 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 redemption story. Elliot is rude, stubborn and as cold as ice.
𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫.
I don’t think Morgan could’ve wrote a better and more similar fmc for Elliot. Roxy was just as stubborn as Elliot and was never scared to put the big bad wolf back in his place. Between the constant verbal sparring, forced proximity and the red hot chemistry between these two I don’t think I blinked while reading, I was so consumed by these two.
And my favorite part about this? Watching Roxy bring Elliot to his knee’s for her 😩 behind the extremely gruff exterior, snide remarks and stubborn personality, Elliot is head over heels for Roxy. To be able to read him finally have someone who is willing to fight for him felt like a full circle moment. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, but man was it soooooo good.
And the epilogue? Happy tears 🥹 Morgan wrote the ending for this as perfectly imperfect as Elliot and his struggles. It was nostalgic to see glimpses of Everett and Skylar since LYFA was a top read for me last year, I love revisiting some of my favorite couples!
𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
The. Entire. Book.
This story follows Elliot and Roxy, boss and employee, total enemies. Elliot is the not so great Thompson brother. After reading about him in LYFA, I loathed him. But, I knew this broken man would make the absolute 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 redemption story. Elliot is rude, stubborn and as cold as ice.
𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫.
I don’t think Morgan could’ve wrote a better and more similar fmc for Elliot. Roxy was just as stubborn as Elliot and was never scared to put the big bad wolf back in his place. Between the constant verbal sparring, forced proximity and the red hot chemistry between these two I don’t think I blinked while reading, I was so consumed by these two.
And my favorite part about this? Watching Roxy bring Elliot to his knee’s for her 😩 behind the extremely gruff exterior, snide remarks and stubborn personality, Elliot is head over heels for Roxy. To be able to read him finally have someone who is willing to fight for him felt like a full circle moment. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, but man was it soooooo good.
And the epilogue? Happy tears 🥹 Morgan wrote the ending for this as perfectly imperfect as Elliot and his struggles. It was nostalgic to see glimpses of Everett and Skylar since LYFA was a top read for me last year, I love revisiting some of my favorite couples!
𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
The. Entire. Book.
March 9, 2024
Spoiler free review of 𝓗𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓤𝓹 𝓒𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮
I was so nervous going into this book because we met our MMC in another book and he was not the most loveable character. But hey, I’m always here for a good redemption story!
This romance follows Elliot and Roxy. She’s been hired on to be his new assistant. Elliot is a grumpy workaholic and Roxy has a takes no sh*t attitude and loves to challenge him. Their banter and tension were everything!
It was so good to understand Elliot and why he’s become the man he is today. Roxy was everything he needed!
The spice was absolute top tier!
Additional Info:
• Workplace Romance
• Boss & Employee
• Forced Proximity
• One Room
• Broken Hero
• Banter
4.25 ⭐️ (great) and 2.5 🌶️ (perfect amount!)
I was so nervous going into this book because we met our MMC in another book and he was not the most loveable character. But hey, I’m always here for a good redemption story!
This romance follows Elliot and Roxy. She’s been hired on to be his new assistant. Elliot is a grumpy workaholic and Roxy has a takes no sh*t attitude and loves to challenge him. Their banter and tension were everything!
It was so good to understand Elliot and why he’s become the man he is today. Roxy was everything he needed!
The spice was absolute top tier!
Additional Info:
• Workplace Romance
• Boss & Employee
• Forced Proximity
• One Room
• Broken Hero
• Banter
4.25 ⭐️ (great) and 2.5 🌶️ (perfect amount!)
October 7, 2024
I read this book for our 2024 Reading Bingo Challenge, to go towards: Read a Grumpy x Sunshine.
🏦 Hero: Elliot, the grumpy bank/loan officer. Experienced the loss of a loved one when he was 16 yrs old, and has bottled up the grief and guilt for 19 yrs, with only alcohol able to dull the pain. He would much rather push people away, than let them get close, otherwise he feels he will inevitably hurt them too.
“Before Roxanne, I never knew peace. I’m a raging hurricane, and she’s the rising sun. She calms my waters and brightens the everlasting darkness that is my life.”
👩🏻💼 Heroine: Roxy, not Roxanne, the newly hired assistant for Elliot. Experienced the loss of her mother when she was 3 yrs old, and then her father within the last year or so. She grew up constantly moving as her dad was in the military, so she longs for a stable places to call home and make lasting friendships.
“I’ve never known what home feels like, but I imagine the feeling would be similar to the way my heart lunged for him the first time he kissed me”
😍 The good: I loved how Elliot claims to despise the heroine (in the beginning) yet would get sooooo jealous and possessive/protective of her. I honestly felt their love connection and believed in their mutual love for each other. There were a plethora of sex scenes to portray the longing, sexual tension and ultimately their devotion to each other. As Elliot said, “Suddenly, I see why sex is so special to people. I see why it’s so much more than a physical transaction. Because this…what we just did together, is so fucking beautiful. It’s more than dirty words and getting each other off. It’s allowing a piece of your soul to leave your body and permanently attach itself to someone else.”
😐 The eh: the 87% meltdown drama. I get why it happened, why it needed to happen, it was his way to get on the road to recovery. But it was really heavy too. And… a bit too much of repetition on the “I’m not good enough for her, so I’ll push her away” thought process. This is him, after a week of refusing to answer her texts, calls or voicemails, because he is determined to break up and avoid her from here on out:
“But I’m still so fucking scared of hurting her. I would never recover from the pain of truly losing her for good.” So which is it? You want to push her away or don’t want to lose her?
😖 The bad: This looks to be a new author, only her second book, and I have to say she did a great job. Very good storytelling, great characters all around, great steamy times, great dialogues, great emotions displayed thru out….. But! There was a phrase that was so over repeated it took me out of the story each time. I am surprised these characters didn’t get eye strain with all of the flickering going on. “…glances between my eyes” - “…his eyes bounce between mine” - “Everett’s eyes flicker between mine as he nods.” - “His golden eyes flicker between mine” - “Everett’s gaze bounces between mine as if he’s trying to read my mind.” I’ve never noticed that I look back and forth btwn someone’s eyes when I’m talking to them… Are we all doing that and I’m just not aware of it? Anyway, I had to manually do a McFussy Word Count™️ for all of the “between eyes” and it was a total of 43. 🥴
⚠️ Content warnings/possible spoilers: alcoholism, death of a parent, cheating in the past.
Bingo square #19 - Read a Grumpy x Sunshine. Thank you for the book recommendation, Irina! I really enjoyed it.
[01] [❤️] [❤️] [04] [❤️]
[06] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️]
[❤️] [❤️] [🎰] [❤️] [❤️]
[❤️] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️]
[❤️] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️]
🏦 Hero: Elliot, the grumpy bank/loan officer. Experienced the loss of a loved one when he was 16 yrs old, and has bottled up the grief and guilt for 19 yrs, with only alcohol able to dull the pain. He would much rather push people away, than let them get close, otherwise he feels he will inevitably hurt them too.
“Before Roxanne, I never knew peace. I’m a raging hurricane, and she’s the rising sun. She calms my waters and brightens the everlasting darkness that is my life.”
👩🏻💼 Heroine: Roxy, not Roxanne, the newly hired assistant for Elliot. Experienced the loss of her mother when she was 3 yrs old, and then her father within the last year or so. She grew up constantly moving as her dad was in the military, so she longs for a stable places to call home and make lasting friendships.
“I’ve never known what home feels like, but I imagine the feeling would be similar to the way my heart lunged for him the first time he kissed me”
😍 The good: I loved how Elliot claims to despise the heroine (in the beginning) yet would get sooooo jealous and possessive/protective of her. I honestly felt their love connection and believed in their mutual love for each other. There were a plethora of sex scenes to portray the longing, sexual tension and ultimately their devotion to each other. As Elliot said, “Suddenly, I see why sex is so special to people. I see why it’s so much more than a physical transaction. Because this…what we just did together, is so fucking beautiful. It’s more than dirty words and getting each other off. It’s allowing a piece of your soul to leave your body and permanently attach itself to someone else.”
😐 The eh: the 87% meltdown drama. I get why it happened, why it needed to happen, it was his way to get on the road to recovery. But it was really heavy too. And… a bit too much of repetition on the “I’m not good enough for her, so I’ll push her away” thought process. This is him, after a week of refusing to answer her texts, calls or voicemails, because he is determined to break up and avoid her from here on out:
“But I’m still so fucking scared of hurting her. I would never recover from the pain of truly losing her for good.” So which is it? You want to push her away or don’t want to lose her?
😖 The bad: This looks to be a new author, only her second book, and I have to say she did a great job. Very good storytelling, great characters all around, great steamy times, great dialogues, great emotions displayed thru out….. But! There was a phrase that was so over repeated it took me out of the story each time. I am surprised these characters didn’t get eye strain with all of the flickering going on. “…glances between my eyes” - “…his eyes bounce between mine” - “Everett’s eyes flicker between mine as he nods.” - “His golden eyes flicker between mine” - “Everett’s gaze bounces between mine as if he’s trying to read my mind.” I’ve never noticed that I look back and forth btwn someone’s eyes when I’m talking to them… Are we all doing that and I’m just not aware of it? Anyway, I had to manually do a McFussy Word Count™️ for all of the “between eyes” and it was a total of 43. 🥴
⚠️ Content warnings/possible spoilers: alcoholism, death of a parent, cheating in the past.
Bingo square #19 - Read a Grumpy x Sunshine. Thank you for the book recommendation, Irina! I really enjoyed it.
[01] [❤️] [❤️] [04] [❤️]
[06] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️]
[❤️] [❤️] [🎰] [❤️] [❤️]
[❤️] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️]
[❤️] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️] [❤️]
January 30, 2024
This book is the second in the series. It kinda of duets the first book since it includes the same characters minus the FMC.
Elliot is in a very dark place in life. He faced a trauma at 16 and never went to therapy for it. Due to that darkness he drinks to numb his feelings, his pain, the truths and just life. He doesn’t think about his actions and his only love is his work since he can have full control of it. He’s so busy that he needs an assistant to help so when one gets assigned to him he’s stoked. That is until his assistant shows up and she’s drop dead gorgeous. His walls that are already so high go higher and he tries to get her fired or removed but HR won’t budge. He’s so mean and rude to his assistant but she doesn’t take the punches lying down, she fights back!
Roxy moved to Dallas for a fresh start. She gets hired to be an assistant and she’s so excited to make money and memories. Being an army brat and also losing her mom very young, it’s always been her and her dad. Until it wasn’t. Meeting her new boss, Elliot, she finds him so attractive that his rude demeanor doesn’t phase her right away. She sticks up for herself and puts him in his place and this throws off Elliot.
He demands Roxy come with him to San Diego for a business trip. When they arrive, he books one room and she knows that the attraction is going from hate to passion.
I thought I was going to hate the MMC because of the way he was in book 1 but seeing his demons and why he had them opened my heart to his character. I loved Roxy was honest with him and truly loved him for who is. There was so much character growth for Elliot and I wish we saw a little more of that growth at the end in like a second or extended epilogue.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
Office Romance
Grumpy/Sunshine
Broken Hero
Age Gap
City Romance
Hate to lovers
Slow Burn
Elliot is in a very dark place in life. He faced a trauma at 16 and never went to therapy for it. Due to that darkness he drinks to numb his feelings, his pain, the truths and just life. He doesn’t think about his actions and his only love is his work since he can have full control of it. He’s so busy that he needs an assistant to help so when one gets assigned to him he’s stoked. That is until his assistant shows up and she’s drop dead gorgeous. His walls that are already so high go higher and he tries to get her fired or removed but HR won’t budge. He’s so mean and rude to his assistant but she doesn’t take the punches lying down, she fights back!
Roxy moved to Dallas for a fresh start. She gets hired to be an assistant and she’s so excited to make money and memories. Being an army brat and also losing her mom very young, it’s always been her and her dad. Until it wasn’t. Meeting her new boss, Elliot, she finds him so attractive that his rude demeanor doesn’t phase her right away. She sticks up for herself and puts him in his place and this throws off Elliot.
He demands Roxy come with him to San Diego for a business trip. When they arrive, he books one room and she knows that the attraction is going from hate to passion.
I thought I was going to hate the MMC because of the way he was in book 1 but seeing his demons and why he had them opened my heart to his character. I loved Roxy was honest with him and truly loved him for who is. There was so much character growth for Elliot and I wish we saw a little more of that growth at the end in like a second or extended epilogue.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
Office Romance
Grumpy/Sunshine
Broken Hero
Age Gap
City Romance
Hate to lovers
Slow Burn
April 1, 2024
Holy hell, this book 😍 This was incredible from start to finish. It had the enemies to lovers, the redemption, the emotion, the workplace spice - the everything! Just to note, this is the second in the series but can be read as a stand-alone.
Thoughts:
-Elliot was such a complicated character that was handled with such care. I’ll be honest, I hated him in the last book, but I am beyond impressed with the redemption he was afforded in this sequel. The depth and the pain were evident from the beginning of this book and it made you fall for his hurt interior as opposed to being turned off by his cold exterior
-Roxy was a firecracker. She was exactly what was needed to break down Elliot’s walls. The fierce way she never gave up on him was beautiful to watch
-Morgan Paige did a beautiful job of creating a complex character with deep trauma and addiction and handling him with care. She tackled the difficult topics with grace and in an understanding and warm way. She showed how you can’t fix someone until they want to fix themselves, while also showing that sometimes people just need a little help and belief that someone cares to start their healing journey
-The only thing I wish is that we got one conversation between Skylar and Elliot at the end. I still don’t fully understand the dynamic of their previous relationship and think a little closure could have helped
-As a sucker for family dynamics, watching Elliot and Everette’s relationship turn from avoidance to support and love was incredibly heartwarming
Hate You Up Close is my first 5 ⭐️ of the year and damn, it fully deserves that title. I don’t think I was ready for the gut punch that was this book but I couldn’t recommend it more!
Thank you Morgan Paige for my #gifted copy of this review in exchange for an honest review.
Thoughts:
-Elliot was such a complicated character that was handled with such care. I’ll be honest, I hated him in the last book, but I am beyond impressed with the redemption he was afforded in this sequel. The depth and the pain were evident from the beginning of this book and it made you fall for his hurt interior as opposed to being turned off by his cold exterior
-Roxy was a firecracker. She was exactly what was needed to break down Elliot’s walls. The fierce way she never gave up on him was beautiful to watch
-Morgan Paige did a beautiful job of creating a complex character with deep trauma and addiction and handling him with care. She tackled the difficult topics with grace and in an understanding and warm way. She showed how you can’t fix someone until they want to fix themselves, while also showing that sometimes people just need a little help and belief that someone cares to start their healing journey
-The only thing I wish is that we got one conversation between Skylar and Elliot at the end. I still don’t fully understand the dynamic of their previous relationship and think a little closure could have helped
-As a sucker for family dynamics, watching Elliot and Everette’s relationship turn from avoidance to support and love was incredibly heartwarming
Hate You Up Close is my first 5 ⭐️ of the year and damn, it fully deserves that title. I don’t think I was ready for the gut punch that was this book but I couldn’t recommend it more!
Thank you Morgan Paige for my #gifted copy of this review in exchange for an honest review.
January 30, 2024
I had to opportunity to get an ARC for this book and so happy that I did!!!
Rating:4/5
Spice:3.5/5
Elliot finally gets his story and damn did I end up loving this flawed man! We love a broken MMC, don't we?! His hard exterior is no match for who he is on the inside. Elliot experiences deep trauma in his youth that he's kept to himself all these years which has caused him to push everyone away who gets close. He feels undeserving of love and good things in life so he just throws himself into being the best at his job and getting with women w/no strings attached. Until Roxy, his new (gorgeous) assistant is hired...he takes one look at her and knows she's going to shake the controlled foundation he's kept all these years. He literally is GONE for this woman even though he knows he shouldn't be!
Roxy is strong, independent, & sassy. Everyone sees Elliot as a closed off grump but she knows that it's just a cover for something he's hiding. She takes no sh*t from him which is exactly what he needs, but shes determined to break down the walls that Elliot has up. She wants to be there for him & wants him to see he deserves good things, including her.
Morgan gives us strong FMCs and emotional MMCs that our heart craves! Highly recommend reading Love You From Afar and then Hate You Up Close. Both are standalone books though! Thank you Morgan for letting me read and review this book! I love those Thompson men!
Favorite Quotes:
"She's the mural that I never want to stop looking at. She's the whole f*cking museum, and I'm on my knees, begging to be worthy enough to sit before her presence."
"You're my lifeline, Rox. You're the reason my heart is still beating in my chest. When it beats, it beats, solely for you."
Rating:4/5
Spice:3.5/5
Elliot finally gets his story and damn did I end up loving this flawed man! We love a broken MMC, don't we?! His hard exterior is no match for who he is on the inside. Elliot experiences deep trauma in his youth that he's kept to himself all these years which has caused him to push everyone away who gets close. He feels undeserving of love and good things in life so he just throws himself into being the best at his job and getting with women w/no strings attached. Until Roxy, his new (gorgeous) assistant is hired...he takes one look at her and knows she's going to shake the controlled foundation he's kept all these years. He literally is GONE for this woman even though he knows he shouldn't be!
Roxy is strong, independent, & sassy. Everyone sees Elliot as a closed off grump but she knows that it's just a cover for something he's hiding. She takes no sh*t from him which is exactly what he needs, but shes determined to break down the walls that Elliot has up. She wants to be there for him & wants him to see he deserves good things, including her.
Morgan gives us strong FMCs and emotional MMCs that our heart craves! Highly recommend reading Love You From Afar and then Hate You Up Close. Both are standalone books though! Thank you Morgan for letting me read and review this book! I love those Thompson men!
Favorite Quotes:
"She's the mural that I never want to stop looking at. She's the whole f*cking museum, and I'm on my knees, begging to be worthy enough to sit before her presence."
"You're my lifeline, Rox. You're the reason my heart is still beating in my chest. When it beats, it beats, solely for you."
February 4, 2024
Thank you to Morgan Paige for the ARC of this book.
Elliot Thompson is a workaholic, alcoholic, and in desperate need of an assistant. Skylar, his ex-fiancee, is on the search and finds the perfect match to manage the administrative duties and the man himself. Roxanne Taylor finds her fresh start in Dallas, especially with this job, but is in for a rude awakening when Elliot treats her like garbage (well, at first).
Roxanne thinks that there's more than meets the eye with Elliot and is determined to figure out what that is. She wants to break down those barriers beyond the career man because she knows it's there and he does too. Can she find the more vulnerable side to Elliot and why he has been so miserable and self-centered for all these years? Can Elliot be honest with himself about how he feels about Roxanne?
Morgan featured Elliot in the other book that is a part of this same universe, which is titled "Love You from Afar" (although they are stand-alone books, I would highly recommend reading this). He was probably one of the most unlikeable characters in any book that I've ever read. However, the way in which she wrote this book made me empathetic toward Elliot and actually made me like him. I could feel the pain he was holding onto.
I completely forgot that Elliot and Roxanne were boss and employee, and that there was a sense of forbidden love with their relationship. The tension was beyond palpable in this book, and can we talk about the spice? Wow. I also really liked that we were able to read both characters' perspectives and that everything flowed with the story accordingly.
Please pick this up on Amazon on Thursday, February 8th. It's a saucy page-turner with a great redemption arc for Elliot Thompson.
Elliot Thompson is a workaholic, alcoholic, and in desperate need of an assistant. Skylar, his ex-fiancee, is on the search and finds the perfect match to manage the administrative duties and the man himself. Roxanne Taylor finds her fresh start in Dallas, especially with this job, but is in for a rude awakening when Elliot treats her like garbage (well, at first).
Roxanne thinks that there's more than meets the eye with Elliot and is determined to figure out what that is. She wants to break down those barriers beyond the career man because she knows it's there and he does too. Can she find the more vulnerable side to Elliot and why he has been so miserable and self-centered for all these years? Can Elliot be honest with himself about how he feels about Roxanne?
Morgan featured Elliot in the other book that is a part of this same universe, which is titled "Love You from Afar" (although they are stand-alone books, I would highly recommend reading this). He was probably one of the most unlikeable characters in any book that I've ever read. However, the way in which she wrote this book made me empathetic toward Elliot and actually made me like him. I could feel the pain he was holding onto.
I completely forgot that Elliot and Roxanne were boss and employee, and that there was a sense of forbidden love with their relationship. The tension was beyond palpable in this book, and can we talk about the spice? Wow. I also really liked that we were able to read both characters' perspectives and that everything flowed with the story accordingly.
Please pick this up on Amazon on Thursday, February 8th. It's a saucy page-turner with a great redemption arc for Elliot Thompson.
February 8, 2024
This book had me in an ABSOLUTE chokehold. The moment I began reading I became a non-functioning adult. I could not do anything productive until I finished this book.
After reading Love You From Afar I was like.. AIN'T NO WAY you can redeem Elliot. That man was the VILLAIN of all villains to me. So when Morgan announced her next book would focus on Elliot and his redemption, I was immediately intrigued. I think there are very few writers out there that can take a man who is in a place of such darkness, with a past like Elliot's, and give the readers something to not only root for, but deeply relate to. To take a character of such glacial rage and give him depth and softness. I was absolutely absorbed by him.
Then, giving us Roxy. Who is so fun, independent, and unapologetically herself. Roxy had so many elements of the kind of person I think we all want to be, while giving her the depth and complexity of a person we can also relate to. She was the kind of woman I want to have as a best friend. Her patience and understanding of Elliot was everything he needed, and the way Morgan wrapped this enemies to lovers storyline such a tender blanket of comfort was truly incredible.
And somehow within all that depth, vulnerability, and emotion, Morgan found a way to continually hit us with banter, laughter, and SO MUCH HEAT. The tension in this book could suspend the Golden Gate Bridge or something... like truly insane. It was one of the horniest books I've ever read, and at the same time one of the most emotional. She had me all over the place. Crying. Sweating. Laughing. She gives you the entire experience with Elliot and Roxy's story.
I'll be recommending this to the end of my days.
After reading Love You From Afar I was like.. AIN'T NO WAY you can redeem Elliot. That man was the VILLAIN of all villains to me. So when Morgan announced her next book would focus on Elliot and his redemption, I was immediately intrigued. I think there are very few writers out there that can take a man who is in a place of such darkness, with a past like Elliot's, and give the readers something to not only root for, but deeply relate to. To take a character of such glacial rage and give him depth and softness. I was absolutely absorbed by him.
Then, giving us Roxy. Who is so fun, independent, and unapologetically herself. Roxy had so many elements of the kind of person I think we all want to be, while giving her the depth and complexity of a person we can also relate to. She was the kind of woman I want to have as a best friend. Her patience and understanding of Elliot was everything he needed, and the way Morgan wrapped this enemies to lovers storyline such a tender blanket of comfort was truly incredible.
And somehow within all that depth, vulnerability, and emotion, Morgan found a way to continually hit us with banter, laughter, and SO MUCH HEAT. The tension in this book could suspend the Golden Gate Bridge or something... like truly insane. It was one of the horniest books I've ever read, and at the same time one of the most emotional. She had me all over the place. Crying. Sweating. Laughing. She gives you the entire experience with Elliot and Roxy's story.
I'll be recommending this to the end of my days.
February 16, 2024
I was eagerly awaiting this release! There is nothing I enjoy more than someone being served a taste of their own medicine and being kicked down a few pegs - Morgan Paige understood the assignment with Hate You Up Close.
If you have read book 1 of the Thompson Brothers Duet (Everett and Skylar's story) then you are familiar with Elliot - Everett's brother. He left many of readers fuming mad due to his awful behavior, not only towards his girlfriend but his family and those around him.
HYUC is Elliot's story. This is an office romance featuring Mr. Bosshole (Elliot) and Roxy, his new assistant. Roxy is trying to find a job and lands an interview with Ace Financial. It sounds a little too good to be true, a few red flags, but without any other prospects, she accepts an offer of employment. On her first day she meets her new boss, Elliot, and from their first encounter Roxy realizes life as she knows it is about to change.
I loved their story - the instant physical attraction, the push and pull, the way Roxy put Elliot in his place over and over again, the emotional connection was a slow-burn that exploded towards the end of the book. I also liked Elliot's back story and it helped me to understand him a lot more from the previous book.
This was the redemption arc that I needed, and Morgan delivered. Also, her spicy scene game has leveled x1000 in this newest release and I AM HERE FOR IT. We also get to see Everett and Skylar (swoon). If you enjoy a good office romance, enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, boss/assistant/, and a broken hero - this one is for you!
If you have read book 1 of the Thompson Brothers Duet (Everett and Skylar's story) then you are familiar with Elliot - Everett's brother. He left many of readers fuming mad due to his awful behavior, not only towards his girlfriend but his family and those around him.
HYUC is Elliot's story. This is an office romance featuring Mr. Bosshole (Elliot) and Roxy, his new assistant. Roxy is trying to find a job and lands an interview with Ace Financial. It sounds a little too good to be true, a few red flags, but without any other prospects, she accepts an offer of employment. On her first day she meets her new boss, Elliot, and from their first encounter Roxy realizes life as she knows it is about to change.
I loved their story - the instant physical attraction, the push and pull, the way Roxy put Elliot in his place over and over again, the emotional connection was a slow-burn that exploded towards the end of the book. I also liked Elliot's back story and it helped me to understand him a lot more from the previous book.
This was the redemption arc that I needed, and Morgan delivered. Also, her spicy scene game has leveled x1000 in this newest release and I AM HERE FOR IT. We also get to see Everett and Skylar (swoon). If you enjoy a good office romance, enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, boss/assistant/, and a broken hero - this one is for you!
February 12, 2024
Wow, this book was a rollercoaster of emotions...
First off, I was skeptical about this book being partially from the POV of Elliot because he was such a major jerk in "Love You From Afar". I was wondering what his character arc would be like in this book and I gotta say, I was really rooting for him by the end of this book. So bravo to Morgan for turning his character around.
I seriously devoured this book in a day. I couldn't stop reading it. The dialogue was great and I loved the strong female main character Roxy. She was great and was a fierce character that you wanted to root for. I also loved how the title of the book was incorporated into the dialogue; I'm always a fan when authors do that.
I really enjoyed "Love You From Afar" but this book was excellent. I think that it was the strongest of the two books. It had witty banter, tension, and dealt with love, life and loss in a very mature way.
Personally, as a person who has dealt with the feelings of grief and loss, I thought that Morgan did a really good job of explaining how that feels to deal with and how those feelings can really eat you up inside. Bravo for dealing with such a heavy subject matter and making people know that it's okay for people to ask for help when they need it.
I really applaud you and other self published authors out there putting out your work. It's beyond impressive and brave. Keep on writing, don't give up, and stay true to your passion and what you enjoy writing.
I look forward to you reading your next book whenever it comes. 🎉
First off, I was skeptical about this book being partially from the POV of Elliot because he was such a major jerk in "Love You From Afar". I was wondering what his character arc would be like in this book and I gotta say, I was really rooting for him by the end of this book. So bravo to Morgan for turning his character around.
I seriously devoured this book in a day. I couldn't stop reading it. The dialogue was great and I loved the strong female main character Roxy. She was great and was a fierce character that you wanted to root for. I also loved how the title of the book was incorporated into the dialogue; I'm always a fan when authors do that.
I really enjoyed "Love You From Afar" but this book was excellent. I think that it was the strongest of the two books. It had witty banter, tension, and dealt with love, life and loss in a very mature way.
Personally, as a person who has dealt with the feelings of grief and loss, I thought that Morgan did a really good job of explaining how that feels to deal with and how those feelings can really eat you up inside. Bravo for dealing with such a heavy subject matter and making people know that it's okay for people to ask for help when they need it.
I really applaud you and other self published authors out there putting out your work. It's beyond impressive and brave. Keep on writing, don't give up, and stay true to your passion and what you enjoy writing.
I look forward to you reading your next book whenever it comes. 🎉
February 6, 2024
✨️Arc Review✨️
Hate You Up Close by Morgan Paige
One Big City, Two Lost Souls ⭐️
🖤Office Romance
🍓Boss x Assistant
🔥Hate x Love
🥃Hurt x Comfort
🌶Spicy
🖤Dual POV
💋Forced Proximity
✨️Witty Banter
🤫Secrets
🔥Possessive MMC
❤️Strong FMC
Please check your TW. ❤️
Elliot and Roxy, what i wouldn't give to be a fly in their hotel room. Holy shit, the bed must've been on fire. Haha, kidding, kinda. This is my first book by morgan, man. i was missing out. I need to go read everett and skylars story. The interaction between spooky the cat and elliot is absolutely hilarious.
Elliot, full of regret, living his life for work and nothing else. Keeping secrets to himself, pushing everyone away, drinking his nights away, when truly wishing someone would save him from himself.
In walks, Roxy, a beautiful hurricane full of sass, emotions, and utter belief of good in others, including Elliot. Can she tear down his walls without tearing herself down?
This was a beautiful story of second chances, unconditional love, overcoming addiction, and whatever struggles life brings you can face it. It's always better to have someone fighting alongside you, loving you when you dont even love yourself.
Releases February 8th!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
Hate You Up Close by Morgan Paige
One Big City, Two Lost Souls ⭐️
🖤Office Romance
🍓Boss x Assistant
🔥Hate x Love
🥃Hurt x Comfort
🌶Spicy
🖤Dual POV
💋Forced Proximity
✨️Witty Banter
🤫Secrets
🔥Possessive MMC
❤️Strong FMC
Please check your TW. ❤️
Elliot and Roxy, what i wouldn't give to be a fly in their hotel room. Holy shit, the bed must've been on fire. Haha, kidding, kinda. This is my first book by morgan, man. i was missing out. I need to go read everett and skylars story. The interaction between spooky the cat and elliot is absolutely hilarious.
Elliot, full of regret, living his life for work and nothing else. Keeping secrets to himself, pushing everyone away, drinking his nights away, when truly wishing someone would save him from himself.
In walks, Roxy, a beautiful hurricane full of sass, emotions, and utter belief of good in others, including Elliot. Can she tear down his walls without tearing herself down?
This was a beautiful story of second chances, unconditional love, overcoming addiction, and whatever struggles life brings you can face it. It's always better to have someone fighting alongside you, loving you when you dont even love yourself.
Releases February 8th!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2024
Hate You Up Close ARC review
👔 office romance (boss/employee)
⚔️ dislike to lovers
💔 broken hero
🔥 spicyyyyyy
When I finished Love You From Afar, the first book in the Thompson Brothers Duet, Morgan asked me to guess who she was writing about next… And I knew it was Elliot! Because we NEEDED to hear his story.
Elliot Thompson fights his inner demons with alcohol, and by being an asshole 24/7. When he finally gets the assistant that he’s been needing at work, he didn’t expect her to be the bombshell she is. Roxanne Taylor is just the person Elliot needs to put him in his place.
“𝙸𝚏 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝?”
I loved this story! I’ve been loving my flirty/giddy/happy heroes lately but Elliot was a nice break. I was in need of an asshole hero! The forbidden office romance hit the spot and seeing Roxy being the first person to make him feel after his tragic past was healing. You find yourself rooting for these two from beginning to end. I loved seeing Everett and Skylar again and the word play Morgan has with the titles 🥹
Check out Hate You Up Close for hot, quick, healing romance!
👔 office romance (boss/employee)
⚔️ dislike to lovers
💔 broken hero
🔥 spicyyyyyy
When I finished Love You From Afar, the first book in the Thompson Brothers Duet, Morgan asked me to guess who she was writing about next… And I knew it was Elliot! Because we NEEDED to hear his story.
Elliot Thompson fights his inner demons with alcohol, and by being an asshole 24/7. When he finally gets the assistant that he’s been needing at work, he didn’t expect her to be the bombshell she is. Roxanne Taylor is just the person Elliot needs to put him in his place.
“𝙸𝚏 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝?”
I loved this story! I’ve been loving my flirty/giddy/happy heroes lately but Elliot was a nice break. I was in need of an asshole hero! The forbidden office romance hit the spot and seeing Roxy being the first person to make him feel after his tragic past was healing. You find yourself rooting for these two from beginning to end. I loved seeing Everett and Skylar again and the word play Morgan has with the titles 🥹
Check out Hate You Up Close for hot, quick, healing romance!
April 16, 2024
5/5 🌟; 3/5 🥵
Hate You Up Close is a book following Love You From Afar from the same author Morgan Paige. These are office romance novels that are definitely worth reading.
Many people who have read Love you from Afar said this is the most successful redemption part for Elliot. But for someone who hasn't read book 1, Elliot made me adore him because of his layer of complexity, the way Morgan portrays him in the ways make me feel so aching for him. His background, why he became like that is all well explained at the end, I love that I can understand what really makes him through from chapter to chapter.
Roxy is such a wonderful woman. I am grateful to Morgan, thank you for bringing someone who can be good for Elliot, someone who brought all sunshine in his life, healing every broken piece of his heart.
Hate you up close brings me to every emotion, Happy, heart breaking, then healing.
This is not only a novel to me but also so vividly that I feel this is a real life story.
Morgan really nailed this, if This is an Essay, i have no hesitation in grading this A+ story !!! Highly recommend everyone read this beautiful book !
Hate You Up Close is a book following Love You From Afar from the same author Morgan Paige. These are office romance novels that are definitely worth reading.
Many people who have read Love you from Afar said this is the most successful redemption part for Elliot. But for someone who hasn't read book 1, Elliot made me adore him because of his layer of complexity, the way Morgan portrays him in the ways make me feel so aching for him. His background, why he became like that is all well explained at the end, I love that I can understand what really makes him through from chapter to chapter.
Roxy is such a wonderful woman. I am grateful to Morgan, thank you for bringing someone who can be good for Elliot, someone who brought all sunshine in his life, healing every broken piece of his heart.
Hate you up close brings me to every emotion, Happy, heart breaking, then healing.
This is not only a novel to me but also so vividly that I feel this is a real life story.
Morgan really nailed this, if This is an Essay, i have no hesitation in grading this A+ story !!! Highly recommend everyone read this beautiful book !
January 30, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
I remember when Morgan told me she was writing a book for Elliot who I wasn't a fan of in "Love You From Afar", and I told her I look forward to seeing if she can make me like the man. Well Morgan, you won. Elliot's story was heartbreaking, and devastatingly beautiful.
Elliot is broken and tortured from his past and continues to punish himself until a spitfire of a woman named Roxy comes barreling into his life and makes his whole world spin. Honestly I loved every single minute of watching this man fall to his knees for her. Roxy is all fire and sass. Her soul speaks to Elliot's and it was beautiful.
I simply cannot get over these two and their connection and fierce protectiveness for one another. They can also set a room on fire from all the chemistry they have with one another. Lord help me I was fanning myself while reading some of the steamy parts.
This story was raw and will make you tear up, but the growth and love was absolutely everything.
Read if you like
🖤 Boss/Assistant
🖤 Banter
🖤 Office Romance
🖤 Forced Proximity
I remember when Morgan told me she was writing a book for Elliot who I wasn't a fan of in "Love You From Afar", and I told her I look forward to seeing if she can make me like the man. Well Morgan, you won. Elliot's story was heartbreaking, and devastatingly beautiful.
Elliot is broken and tortured from his past and continues to punish himself until a spitfire of a woman named Roxy comes barreling into his life and makes his whole world spin. Honestly I loved every single minute of watching this man fall to his knees for her. Roxy is all fire and sass. Her soul speaks to Elliot's and it was beautiful.
I simply cannot get over these two and their connection and fierce protectiveness for one another. They can also set a room on fire from all the chemistry they have with one another. Lord help me I was fanning myself while reading some of the steamy parts.
This story was raw and will make you tear up, but the growth and love was absolutely everything.
Read if you like
🖤 Boss/Assistant
🖤 Banter
🖤 Office Romance
🖤 Forced Proximity
February 8, 2024
I've loved this author since her debut, and when I saw the announcement for Elliot's book, I was a little lukewarm, but I was interested to see if he was redeemable. Now I'm kicking myself for not being more excited because this was Morgan's best book to date!
Elliot was unlikable in love you from afar and he starts off this book the same way...which I loved. We truly get treated to a man evolving into a hero in front of our eyes. This grump workaholic meets his match in Roxy. Both unknowingly have grief to work through and challenge each other on a daily basis. Their animosity feels real and like a genuine enemies to lovers start with a hint of attraction, yet not enough to douse the mutual distaste. Roxy is so patient and nurturing while also standing up to Elliot. I loved her balance of soft and hard along with such emotional maturity. I could rave about this story for a while, there was so much to love and immense growth for everyone! This book is an absolute joy!
Elliot was unlikable in love you from afar and he starts off this book the same way...which I loved. We truly get treated to a man evolving into a hero in front of our eyes. This grump workaholic meets his match in Roxy. Both unknowingly have grief to work through and challenge each other on a daily basis. Their animosity feels real and like a genuine enemies to lovers start with a hint of attraction, yet not enough to douse the mutual distaste. Roxy is so patient and nurturing while also standing up to Elliot. I loved her balance of soft and hard along with such emotional maturity. I could rave about this story for a while, there was so much to love and immense growth for everyone! This book is an absolute joy!
February 13, 2024
I was so excited for Elliot to get his redemption arc. I did not like him one bit in Book 1 until the very end, so I was anxious to see how his story played out. Elliot's life is just in shambles. He's a trainwreck falling down a dark hole, but he brings it upon himself. He is selfish and treats people like dirt in order to essentially save them from himself. BUT!!! Underneath all of that is simply a broken boy who desperately wants to love and to be loved, but just doesn't know how.
Roxy was the perfect woman for Elliot. She was a spitfire who knew her worth and refused to let anyone treat her as less than, but she's also so kind, gentle and loving and was exactly who Elliot needed. He didn't know what to do with all of the feelings Roxy brought out in him, and even though it's in his nature to shut down and run away, Roxy loved and fought hard and refused to give up on him.
Words cannot begin to describe how much I loved this book!! It has consumed my thoughts since I finished it. It broke me and put me back together. I felt every emotion from prologue to epilogue, ranging from angry to sad to happy then back to angry and sad and then happy :) It was a rollercoaster but the kind you want to ride over and over again!
Tropes:
-workplace romance
-boss x assistant
-broken hero
-hurt x comfort
Roxy was the perfect woman for Elliot. She was a spitfire who knew her worth and refused to let anyone treat her as less than, but she's also so kind, gentle and loving and was exactly who Elliot needed. He didn't know what to do with all of the feelings Roxy brought out in him, and even though it's in his nature to shut down and run away, Roxy loved and fought hard and refused to give up on him.
Words cannot begin to describe how much I loved this book!! It has consumed my thoughts since I finished it. It broke me and put me back together. I felt every emotion from prologue to epilogue, ranging from angry to sad to happy then back to angry and sad and then happy :) It was a rollercoaster but the kind you want to ride over and over again!
Tropes:
-workplace romance
-boss x assistant
-broken hero
-hurt x comfort
January 28, 2024
Morgan has outdone herself with this one! I’ve had the immense pleasure of getting ARC for all 3 of her books now and this was the best one yet! I have loved every one but this one was just so so so good!
She did what I believe was impossible, she got me to fall in love with Elliot Thompson. If you’ve read Love You From Afar, you’ll know what I mean. (If you haven’t, GO read it!) Elliot and Roxanne are everything! Her take-no-bullshit attitude was exactly what he needed. And those power moves she made… 🫠 (the hotel, the surprise… I mean come on!!) Elliot’s trauma keeps him from letting anything good into his life and seeing him grow in the book… swoon 🥹
The spice, the tension, the broodiness, the vulnerability. I loved it all! I want more, Morgan! Give us more 🙌🏻
Get your copy on February 8!
She did what I believe was impossible, she got me to fall in love with Elliot Thompson. If you’ve read Love You From Afar, you’ll know what I mean. (If you haven’t, GO read it!) Elliot and Roxanne are everything! Her take-no-bullshit attitude was exactly what he needed. And those power moves she made… 🫠 (the hotel, the surprise… I mean come on!!) Elliot’s trauma keeps him from letting anything good into his life and seeing him grow in the book… swoon 🥹
The spice, the tension, the broodiness, the vulnerability. I loved it all! I want more, Morgan! Give us more 🙌🏻
Get your copy on February 8!
February 5, 2024
ℍ𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕌𝕡 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖 - 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕒𝕟 ℙ𝕒𝕚𝕘𝕖
𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰
𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
While reading 'love you from afar', we mee t Elliot, Everett's brother. And we are NOT team Elliot.
Hate you up close is Elliots story, his fall, his healing, his redemption.
Roxanne, aka Roxy, is a strong, independent woman who knows of great loss and sadness, but when she loves, she loves hard.
From the start, Roxy sees through Elliots walls, and she is determined to break them down. No matter how long it takes, no matter how painful it is to watch his struggle. Roxy's strength and love are ready to save them both.
This isn't all fairy tale. We have grief, trauma, addiction, forbidden but inevitable desire, and a whole lot of love and healing. Not just between the main characters, either.
Thank you, @morganpaigeauthor, for the ARC opportunity, and congratulations.
𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰
𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
While reading 'love you from afar', we mee t Elliot, Everett's brother. And we are NOT team Elliot.
Hate you up close is Elliots story, his fall, his healing, his redemption.
Roxanne, aka Roxy, is a strong, independent woman who knows of great loss and sadness, but when she loves, she loves hard.
From the start, Roxy sees through Elliots walls, and she is determined to break them down. No matter how long it takes, no matter how painful it is to watch his struggle. Roxy's strength and love are ready to save them both.
This isn't all fairy tale. We have grief, trauma, addiction, forbidden but inevitable desire, and a whole lot of love and healing. Not just between the main characters, either.
Thank you, @morganpaigeauthor, for the ARC opportunity, and congratulations.
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