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The Serendipity #1

We've Met Before #1

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Monica never expected a holiday fling to turn into anything more, but when she returns to work, she discovers that her new boss is none other than Chase, the guy she shared a passionate night with on her trip. As their professional relationship grows, so does the tension between them, blurring the lines between business and pleasure. With sparks flying and emotions running high, Monica must navigate her feelings for Chase while keeping her career intact. But can she resist the irresistible pull of the man she never thought she'd see again?

Monica
What was supposed to be a laid-back post-graduation holiday with my best friend quickly took a turn when I ended up having a memorable night with a stranger. Fast forward, and guess who's my new boss? Chase. So now, I'm trying to balance the awkward vibes with my brand-new job. Apparently, life’s got a real talent for mixing business with pleasure in the most inconvenient ways!

Chase
I’ve got the career, the success, pretty much everything I thought I wanted. But I always felt like something was missing—until I met Monica. One unforgettable night with her, and suddenly, work didn’t seem like the only thing worth chasing. Now, she’s my new hire, which is adding even more chaos to my already hectic life. Between the sparks flying and my goals, I’m trying to figure out how to juggle it all without making a complete mess of things.

308 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 2025

3 people are currently reading
32 people want to read

About the author

Miriam O'Boye

3 books4 followers
A romance author crafting love stories filled with heart, humour, and a dash of serendipity. Their debut, We’ve Met Before, launches The Serendipity Series—a journey of unexpected reunions, irresistible chemistry, and the kind of moments that change everything.

When not lost in writing swoon-worthy scenes, they can be found curled up with a heartfelt romance, a page-turning fantasy, or any story that stirs every emotion. Based in the UK, they adore connecting with readers and sharing tales that linger long after the last page.

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5 stars
15 (46%)
4 stars
11 (34%)
3 stars
4 (12%)
2 stars
1 (3%)
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1 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for A .Joanne.
Author 1 book9 followers
December 9, 2025
This book pulled on my heartstrings in such a beautiful way! This had made me feel so many emotions and I loved every bit of it! I absolutely loved the relationships between Chase and Monica.

The dirty mouth Chase has on him🤤😍

Anyways this is definitely one to read!
Profile Image for Ria Chauhan.
12 reviews
January 21, 2025
Workplace romance? Check.
Filthy MMC with a penchant for whiskey? Check.
Unapologetic FMC? CHEEEECK.

Monica and Chase brought tears of laughter and heartache, but also smut that made my eyes water in disbelief. Their relationship serves as a powerful reminder that yes, it might possibly be the best idea to go to pound town with the boss, but also that finding someone who sees you despite your emotional walls is no common experience.

Miriam O’Boye writes a strong FMC who navigates her relationship with a playboy MMC, and with the added hilarious and complex secondary characters, the sweetly crafted book has me begging for more of the (future) Marino’s.

I can’t wait to see more of the first couple in the Serendipity series develop as we delve into the next book. Rain and Jordan, anyone (wink wink)?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kristina Brutsch.
58 reviews1 follower
June 16, 2025
This is book 1 of the Serendipity series featuring Chase and Monica, who met in Rome in passing and life just seems to keep throwing them in the right places at the right time. They have one memorable night and never thought they would see one another again, but as fate would have it. The new job Monica gets hired for is the same one that Chase is the boss of.

Monica is a lovable FMC, she constantly loses her favorite lipstick and has an amazing friendship with Rain and Skye. When they get together, it's completely realistic as to how friends are supposed to be, supporting one another and having fun eating pizza and drinking wine. It reminded me of my friends 🧡

Chase is a sexy MMC, who likes to hang with the guys and knock back a few drinks or bottles. He is completely smitten by Monica and doesn't shy away when he knows he wants something, he goes for it. He expressed in more ways than one that he wants her and eventually, she gives in, but they have to keep their relationship in the down-low since he is her boss and she doesn't want to be known as the person that sleeps her way to power.

Even though, they met before the job, should they continue this forbidden romance? What if they were to get caught or feelings become one-sided, is it worth it? Monica has a lot more to lose. Is Chase willing to further explore this relationship or is he just looking for a warm body in his bed at night? If you're into a fast-paced workplace romance, then definitely check this book out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rhi.
33 reviews
March 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Firstly, thank you so much to Miriam O’Boye for the ARC of debut novel We’ve Met Before, book #1 of Serendipity series.


🤎Short, snappy chapters with a fast-pace made this book impossible to put down. I literally HAD to keep reading into the early hours
🤎Likeable FMC
🤎Super relatable and likeable friendship group. I definitely want to join pizza and wine night with Monica, Rain and Skye?!? Also, petition to hear more about Luna the kitty in the next instalment of the series please!
🤎The playlist at the beginning of the book was a nice touch and very reminiscent of my some of my own Spotify playlists!


🖤I wasn’t at ALL into our MMC. I know other people were but he just wasn’t for me
🖤Unrealistic plot

Do give this a read if you’re a fan of fast-paced romance novels with:
- office, second-chance, millionaire or ‘hero and damsel’ romance tropes
- dual point of view narration
- short and snappy chapters
- likeable/relatable female characters
- fast-paced (no slow burners here!) spice 🌶️
- in-text SMS messages (I’ve seen this in a few recently read books from different genres and I do like it)

Thanks so much again to Miriam O’Boye for the privilege of reading this in advance and all the best with your release! 🫶🏼
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sonja Charters.
2,777 reviews140 followers
August 9, 2025
This is the first book in The Serendipity Series and it's also my first read by this author.

 

I was instantly drawn to the cute front cover which, along with the title, looked like it promised a cute workplace romance read.

 

I loved that this story was mainly set in Manchester - I grew up there (many years ago) and always feel an affinity to stories set there.

We also see Monica and her best friend, Rain, head off for a celebration trip to Italy at the start of the book.

After my daughter moved to Milan, I also love reading books set in Italy - so this had the best of both worlds!

 

It's here on this trip to Italy, that Monica first encounters the gorgeous Chase and his brother Jordan.

The sparks fly instantly and I have to admit that I knew at this point that Chase would end up being the boss at Monica's new job starting that week.

 

This, however, didn't spoil my enjoyment of this read at all.

A lot of the story followed the tried and tested format for this genre and even though this makes it a fairly predictable read, I loved seeing how things played out for these particular characters.

 

I really liked Monica - especially her friendship with Rain and how they stuck together and supported each other through everything.

It was also great to see some of the extended family members and learn some backstory, which really fleshed out our characters even more.

 

Chase, on the whole, was the ideal hot boss who definitely fell fast and hard the second he met Monica.

I had a couple of blips with him though, especially in some of the spicier scenes, which at times just came across a little creepy. Maybe a little more build up would have created a more passion fuelled atmosphere.

 

Things became pretty intense towards the end and I was a little confused by the third act break-up. It seemed too abrupt and the reasoning didn't make sense. But if I switched who was speaking, I got the gist and this made the story flow a little better.

 

It was great to see a fast forward epilogue at the end which showed us a little way into the future and definitely gave us a big hint as to who we'd be seeing in the next book....and of course, I can't wait to dive in and see what happens next.....

 

 

 
 
Profile Image for Angelique Iannetta.
50 reviews3 followers
September 9, 2025
He’s a reformed playboy and she works for him. It was a fast and exciting read! Turns out they’ve met before! I fell asleep while reading the part where Monica looses her lipstick and Chase finds it and gives it back to her. I ended up dreaming about loosing my bra and finding it outside 😂! This book was really funny in some parts.
I loved Chase and Monica’s love story and it was very cute. It was a short and sweet book! I loved getting to see Chase really change for Monica. Monica was a strong FMC and I loved how she was basically in control of her relationship. The spice was so good and written very well I had to stop reading at times because it was so spicy lol. If you love spice you’ll love this!
My favorite line in the book was was when Chase called Monica “ Mi Cara” in the book! It made me smile and was so heartwarming! I love a romance book with a sexy Italian MMC!

I loved reading about Rain, Jordan, Skye, and Noah! I can’t wait to read about their relationship journey next!

I also really love how this book has a playlist and is in dual pov! I love listening to music while I read so this was perfect!
398 reviews55 followers
August 7, 2025
This was a short and sweet romance read. Not actually that short but it was a very quick read that I raced through and loved. A definite case of insta-love which I know some people find unbelievable and annoying, but I thought it worked perfectly for the holiday fling storyline and made for some really sweet moments between our MCs. I loved both Monica and Chase and thought the way they handled things within their relationship and the workspace were very well done. I also loved their friends/siblings and seeing who the couples might be for the next couple of books which I'm really looking forward to as well. There were a couple of little elements that I didn't quite understand but overall I enjoyed the way the story played out and it was a great start to this romance series. I also really liked the fact that the spice was spread out with lots of short spicy scenes rather than some of the scenes you sometimes get in spicy books where there's 10 straight pages of spice! I'm very excited to read Rain and Jordan's story next, having loved them in this book, I can tell it's going to be great!
Profile Image for Toni Marie Nicholson.
85 reviews
May 13, 2025
I loved this book from the get go! i liked how it was written from both Chase & Monica's perspectives & how sometimes you got part of the same scene from each one of them. I really liked the majority of the characters in this book & felt like there were alot of strong characters. There was quite a lot of spice - so just a warning to anyone incase you aren't keen on spice. There were moments in this book that I genuinely laughed out loud & I actually did cry towards the end of it too. I binged this book in 2 sittings & am already looking forward to more in the Serendipity Series. Highly recommend this for anybody who likes a romance with a protective male character & an age gap
323 reviews3 followers
August 10, 2025
This debut book is a fast read of instant sugar. The chapters fly by quickly as the story develops quickly. The power dynamics although he's her boss doesn't feel forced as she has more power in this situation. The strong secondary characters are foreshadowing the next book's themes.
If you like your FMCs strong and stories with age gap and reformed playboys, this is your book. Loved it.
2 reviews
September 14, 2025
This workplace romance is the perfect fast-paced love story! All of the characters in the book were likeable and I’m so happy Chase and Monica got their happy ending. I liked the dual pov, giving an insight to both characters thoughts and feelings as they navigate their romance. I look forward to reading about Jordan and Rain in book two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1 review
April 28, 2025
Absolutely loved every single page of this book! The character development and you feel like you know the characters in real life. An amazing, unexpected twist at the end!


This book is amazing! Give it a read! It’s romantic, it’s raunchy and it’s beautiful!
1 review
May 7, 2025
Great easy read with a surprising twist at the end. The main characters chase and Monica keep you wanting to read more. Surprisingly spicy In places.
Profile Image for Ema✨.
81 reviews2 followers
May 7, 2025
Absolutely perfect to pop in your holiday suitcase for a summer sizzler!
3 reviews
July 16, 2025
The perfect fast paced work place romance book. Had such a fun time with all the characters and can’t wait for the rest of the series. The spice was perfect loved the office phone scene, it was everything. Such a banger that everyone needs to read.
Profile Image for Rosie-May.
30 reviews6 followers
March 19, 2025
This book was such an easy 5* for me, I loved everything about it.

This is a fast paced workplace romance. The relationship between Chase and Monica is one of my absolute favs. Their chemistry/tension was a pure delight to read and Chase’s dirty mouth with a perfect dose of ‘good girl’ are also highlights.

The additional characters were relatable, preferably Monica’s friends. Sign me up for wine and cheesy movie nights with them any day!

The ending had me 😮 I didn’t know what was going to happen. @miriamoboyeauthor wrapped it up perfectly and I cannot wait to dive into the next instalment of this series. I really hope we dive deeper into Rain and Jordan’s relationship.

Oh and just one more thing.. the spice? Pure perfection from the beginning almost immediately after diving in.

This is a must read if you like dual POV, workplace romance, millionaires with a filthy mouth and a nickname for the FMC, the odd twist and fast-paced spice!

★★★★★
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Profile Image for Kizzie.
13 reviews4 followers
April 6, 2025
ARC review

I found this such a fast paced read, with great short and snappy chapters. It felt like a whirlwind romance and great for getting out of a slump!

Tropes:
🩵Grumpy X Sunshine
🩵Hero X Damsel
🩵Age Gap
🩵Office romance
🩵Boss X Employee
Profile Image for Hannah Ramsden.
46 reviews1 follower
June 13, 2025
This is a sweet office romance with “he falls first” trope. I really enjoyed the set up of the storyline & how they meet. The spice scenes were good but I do prefer a little more spice, personally. The MMC is very sweet in how he treats her & speaks to her so I loved that. Can’t wait for book 2!
46 reviews
June 25, 2025
This is the first book in a series and I’m excited for what’s to come. Great office romance with tension and spice!! Chase and Monica are next level!!! So looking forward to the next installment!!
13 reviews
September 22, 2025
Absolutely loved it! The writing kept me hooked from start to finish
185 reviews5 followers
June 3, 2025
This needed to be longer to iron a few things out that were never explained properly.
Profile Image for Liane Collins.
86 reviews
March 20, 2025
This a very fast paced workplace romance trope which is an easy read to consume.

The characters Monica & Chase meet on holiday and have interactions before discovering he’s her new boss when they arrive back home. Working together doesn’t complicate anything though, they still get together and spend time together with plenty of office spice scenes.

The female characters friendships are lovely and I enjoy the white jacket connection of them all to be like ‘the pink ladies’. They have a lovely female friendship that all women hope for.

For me, I would have loved more depth in interactions as it all happens quite quick and I personally love tension and build up. Also more emotional connection between the characters to reflect on their pasts and why they are as they are would have been great, particularly the male character.
Profile Image for bewdley_reads.
78 reviews2 followers
January 14, 2025
I enjoyed seeing the relationship that developed between Monica and Chase during the story.

It's an easy short read with lots of spicy scenes. If you love an age gap romance, then this is for you. This isn't a plot driven book, but for an in-between read, it was perfect.

This is the first in the series, and I like that you get to know the other characters introducing you to their stories.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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