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All By Design: A 2000's High-Rise Romcom
I thought I was finally on the right path—new job, fresh start, and a strict no-romance policy that should’ve been easy to follow. Then Mark Staltz walked into my life.
A gorgeous film director with a disarming smile and inconvenient timing, he swept me off my feet and straight into Toronto’s celebrity world. One minute, I’m decorating for Hollywood royalty Kim and Timothy Reynolds, the next I’m sneaking late-night calls and Sunday movie marathons with a man who swears he wants to take things slow—because he respects me too much. (Which, obviously, means I’m doomed.)
But then one disastrous afternoon—thanks to my meddling coworker—spirals into a headline-grabbing scandal that paints me as the woman who tried to steal Timothy Reynolds from his wife. Mark sees the story and disappears.
He ghosted.
I leveled up.
Now my career is thriving, my name’s back in the press for all the right reasons, and I’ve stopped waiting for closure. But when Mark suddenly reappears, I have to decide if a second chance is worth risking the fresh start I fought so hard for.
meet-cute • celebrity world • workplace enemies • big misunderstanding • sweet romance, HEA
For fans of Christina Lauren and Sophie Kinsella.
A gorgeous film director with a disarming smile and inconvenient timing, he swept me off my feet and straight into Toronto’s celebrity world. One minute, I’m decorating for Hollywood royalty Kim and Timothy Reynolds, the next I’m sneaking late-night calls and Sunday movie marathons with a man who swears he wants to take things slow—because he respects me too much. (Which, obviously, means I’m doomed.)
But then one disastrous afternoon—thanks to my meddling coworker—spirals into a headline-grabbing scandal that paints me as the woman who tried to steal Timothy Reynolds from his wife. Mark sees the story and disappears.
He ghosted.
I leveled up.
Now my career is thriving, my name’s back in the press for all the right reasons, and I’ve stopped waiting for closure. But when Mark suddenly reappears, I have to decide if a second chance is worth risking the fresh start I fought so hard for.
meet-cute • celebrity world • workplace enemies • big misunderstanding • sweet romance, HEA
For fans of Christina Lauren and Sophie Kinsella.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2025
6 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 19, 2025
Eve, a sweet, socially-awkward introvert goes on a journey of personal growth and learns that she is enough and doesn’t need to rely on others to be happy.
After graduating design school, Eve is offered her dream job at a respected interior design studio and is swept into the world of corporate pettiness, hateful mean girls, having an angry boss and dealing with her school bully, who is working as an intern at the same company.
These things put together are almost enough to make her want to leave and go back to the small town she came from, where things are safe, albeit boring. However, some new and unexpected friendships – both at work and after a chance encounter with a celebrity actress – and a budding relationship with Mark, a total golden retriever of a man, combined with her belief in her own professional capabilities has Eve staying put to live her dream and not letting things from her past dictate her future any longer.
Always helping others and putting their happiness first, Eve isn’t used to others being there for her in the same way. And when a scandalous misunderstanding with a married celebrity actor threatens her new relationship, she discovers that she needs to start looking out for herself and doesn’t need anyone else, least of all a man, to feel validated.
The author made Eve a gripping character and many times throughout the story, when she was having a hard time, I just wanted to step in and give her a hug. That being said, there were also times when I felt I needed to shake Eve and tell her to “stop being so damn nice to everyone else” and constantly letting people off the hook.
I like that the story is about a young woman’s journey of personal growth and claiming her own power, but I feel that at times there is too much attention given to the many side developments in the story and “filler scenes” that don’t really add to the overall plot, rather than the main story line. I would like to have seen even more character growth from Eve and for her to temporarily abandon her sweet, forgiving nature when it comes to Mark and really demand some proper groveling.
After graduating design school, Eve is offered her dream job at a respected interior design studio and is swept into the world of corporate pettiness, hateful mean girls, having an angry boss and dealing with her school bully, who is working as an intern at the same company.
These things put together are almost enough to make her want to leave and go back to the small town she came from, where things are safe, albeit boring. However, some new and unexpected friendships – both at work and after a chance encounter with a celebrity actress – and a budding relationship with Mark, a total golden retriever of a man, combined with her belief in her own professional capabilities has Eve staying put to live her dream and not letting things from her past dictate her future any longer.
Always helping others and putting their happiness first, Eve isn’t used to others being there for her in the same way. And when a scandalous misunderstanding with a married celebrity actor threatens her new relationship, she discovers that she needs to start looking out for herself and doesn’t need anyone else, least of all a man, to feel validated.
The author made Eve a gripping character and many times throughout the story, when she was having a hard time, I just wanted to step in and give her a hug. That being said, there were also times when I felt I needed to shake Eve and tell her to “stop being so damn nice to everyone else” and constantly letting people off the hook.
I like that the story is about a young woman’s journey of personal growth and claiming her own power, but I feel that at times there is too much attention given to the many side developments in the story and “filler scenes” that don’t really add to the overall plot, rather than the main story line. I would like to have seen even more character growth from Eve and for her to temporarily abandon her sweet, forgiving nature when it comes to Mark and really demand some proper groveling.
June 13, 2025
I really loved your story. I liked the length of the story. It was so interesting when Eve graduated from design school and she was told she didn’t get the intern position and it took her a bit to understand that Madge had hired her as a designer as a full time job. It was interesting how Eve had a hard time with all the girls and the boss about her being hired by Madge. Being caught by the girls out on the roof was indeed harrowing. I really enjoyed when she met Mark and he got Kim to hire Eve to do the interior decorating at their new apartment and it really got Miki mad that Eve was the lead designer for the movie stars. Then when Eve got stuck out on the balcony and they took pictures of her and Timothy prying her off the balcony was so detrimental for her with Mark. It really hurt me when she went to Mark to explain and he said he knew and did nothing to stop her leaving. I really didn’t like what happened but then you fixed it and had Mark come to their first gala and talked to Eve and fixed what he had done wrong. Then Eve said she didn’t need a ride home she was going with Mark was a great happily ever after. It was so very well written. I really enjoyed reading this and couldn’t put it down till I was finished. I received a free copy of this book but am freely leaving this review of my own free will.
June 1, 2025
This story is a great romp.
Eve is given an opportunity for a job over the fake and conniving Carla.
When she gets there, not all is at is seems and she’s ostracised while intern Carla is celebrated.
Through a series of events, she meets Kimothy (Kim & Timothy) and Mark, and she gets a new job opportunity…
Poor Eve, a nasty boss, a nasty intern, hijinks on the job and an insecure not-quite-boyfriend result in a very confusing (yet hilarious) situation.
This was a cute read - put me in mind of the bingeworthy 2000’s rom-com movies. The only issue is that the ending was a bit abrupt. It’s definitely a HFN.
Eve is given an opportunity for a job over the fake and conniving Carla.
When she gets there, not all is at is seems and she’s ostracised while intern Carla is celebrated.
Through a series of events, she meets Kimothy (Kim & Timothy) and Mark, and she gets a new job opportunity…
Poor Eve, a nasty boss, a nasty intern, hijinks on the job and an insecure not-quite-boyfriend result in a very confusing (yet hilarious) situation.
This was a cute read - put me in mind of the bingeworthy 2000’s rom-com movies. The only issue is that the ending was a bit abrupt. It’s definitely a HFN.
June 2, 2025
All by Design” by Sylvia Grant
-Eve finally scores her dream job—until her rival Carla turns it into a nightmare. Office antics, eccentric friendships, and romantic stumbles make for nonstop laughs. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily sharing my honest opinion.
The writing sparkles with wit, echoing the best of early-2000s rom-coms. A breezy, hilarious read—though the ending could’ve lingered just a little longer.
-Eve finally scores her dream job—until her rival Carla turns it into a nightmare. Office antics, eccentric friendships, and romantic stumbles make for nonstop laughs. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily sharing my honest opinion.
The writing sparkles with wit, echoing the best of early-2000s rom-coms. A breezy, hilarious read—though the ending could’ve lingered just a little longer.
September 8, 2025
Such a fun, cute romcom! I enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews