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Billionaire Brits #1

Déteste-moi si tu peux

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Liam London's most ruthless financial hotshot and the big boss at Ashbury Thornton Equity Group. Just whisper his name and even the city’s toughest traders break out in a cold sweat.

And lucky me, Gemma Jones, as the head of HR at his company, I’ve got a front-row seat to the McLaren Show. Brooding intensity, perfectionist demands, and a glare that could stop your heart mid-beat. Every. Damn. Day.

I’ve spent years perfecting my professional mask. It’s the only way to survive in this cutthroat corporate shark tank. Never let them see you sweat. Or cry. Or show any human emotion, really.

But now, I've gone and committed the ultimate HR I've accidentally shared my diary with him. Yes, him. And when I say shared, I mean all of it. Every scathing thought about him and the company. Including some, ahem, personal musings that were never meant for public consumption. And certainly not for Liam’s piercing dark eyes.

And the look on his face?

Oh, I’ve seen Liam angry—I’ve watched him verbally eviscerate boardrooms and turn grown men into blubbering wrecks.

But this? This is pure, unfiltered fury that would make the devil himself cower.
God help me.

Love to Loathe Him is a standalone office romance with a grumpy, arrogant, billionaire boss.

592 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2024

4249 people are currently reading
3950 people want to read

About the author

Rosa Lucas

12 books1,516 followers

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5 stars
4,855 (42%)
4 stars
3,985 (35%)
3 stars
1,972 (17%)
2 stars
388 (3%)
1 star
139 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 639 reviews
Profile Image for Olga 🌺.
505 reviews8 followers
November 14, 2024
This book started off so so well, it had all the potential to be an easy 4 star 🌟 rating.

The MMC, Liam, is a brooding, grumpy billionaire that DOES NOT turn into a golden retriever once he meets her. Nope! He's a grumpy asshole through and through till the end. She's been working for him for five years and he has used all his restraint and then borrowed some so as not to make a move on her, after all he is her boss and he doesn't do flings at work. It complicates everything.

The MFC, Gemma, is a siren-like beauty who has brains, is a hard worker and has the hots for her boss. Her therapist recommends her to start a diary to write down her frustrations and everything that stresses her at work.

In the diary, she talks about her sexual frustration and fantasy starring yours truly, the boss. She accidentally saves it in a shared folder with him. He sees it, he goes after her, after some pull and push they get to a weekly arrangement of dining and a tumble in the sheets.

So far so good. I loved the slow burn. I loved that she didn't immediately pull down her "knickers". I loved the tug of war between her brain and her heart (lust). And I loved the fisherman ⚓️ and Ginger 🧜‍♀️ 🥰

But then, all hell gets loose. I mean I get it she is a cat lady. I have two and I love them to death but I don't freak out if suddenly I can't find them in the house. Cats need their privacy. She goes ballistic after a night not finding her cat. She usually lets her stroll around the neighbourhood. 🤷‍♀️
She cancels on an important meeting, THE meeting of all meetings. The one billion dollar deal meeting that she has personally worked so hard on it and begged Liam to be part of, the meeting where she was supposed to do a presentation to seal the deal. All because she thought something happened to her cat.
She was frantic, in tears and looking like crazy everywhere. Woman! Calm the shit down. Attend the meeting, you deserve all the credit THEN take a week off for all I care and look for your cat.
Liam, as expected, is frustrated with her actions but despite of it he then takes part in this grand fiasco (stupidity) and as a gesture of love and good will he hires an army of "pet detectives" so they can find her cat which after a couple of hours they find in an old lady's neighbourly house. 😶😶😶😶😶😶😶

She goes to his apartment to thank him, they make out in the lobby, invites her for the first time to his house but she declines because she's celebrating a welcome home party for her cat and needs to get back. LOOOOLLLLLLL for the love of God woman!!!!!

Her relationship with her cat was ridiculously excessive and I did not appreciate the humour of it.

But then the much awaited third act breakup occurs.
You see, our Liam was a man with a kink. He used to go before her to a sex club to f*ck random women while wearing masks. I don't appreciate MCs with kinks but anyway....
She's been told that he still goes there despite being with her and that he's f*cking his nemesis' wife, who he's "allegedly" in love with.

Ok so here's what I didn’t like.
He took his nemesis' wife's virginity like 20 years ago, to get back at him. He claims the choice of being with her was never there and it was a once and done.
But THEN he says that a few "months" before Gemma, he would have given his left nut to bed his nemesis' wife! 🙄🙄🙄 He fell from my eyes, oh how he fell hard and fast. Where you secretly pining for her all those years? That's why you were flirting and laughing with her in charity events? Even while poor Gemma was witnessing it?! Was it all a show or did you fancy her?

I hated this fact about him, if it weren't for this comment of wanting to bed her, I would have been more generous with the rating but that paired with the cat fiasco led to a mere 2.5.

After she thinks that he "allegedly" sleeps with another woman while with her, she turns from a badass intelligent woman to an immature, childish and spiteful one. I expected more from her. Something that could have been avoided by a healthy dose of communication.

The chemistry was there yes, but the romance was lacking. He's a man who hasn't received a lot of love in his lifetime and thus didn't know how to reciprocate, he did show some emotion at the end but for me it was more about the sex, their lust and the sexual tension.
The end and epilogue are cute but expected.

P.S: I don't get how and why he sent flowers, cards and sometimes jewellery to his "lady friends" if they're just some random ho's in a sex club! 🤷‍♀️

Oh also, this was a BR with the amazing Lori and Chris. Though I think we don't see eye to eye with this one 😄
177 reviews2 followers
December 22, 2024
the constant dialogue with the cat was fucking weird.
Profile Image for Shelby.
303 reviews1,608 followers
November 16, 2024
4⭐️

Another billionaire romance banger from Rosa!!! This had serious potential to be better than Taming Mr Walker which is my fave, but unfortunately the last 20% let it down slightly for me 😩

However I still fuck with this. Hard 🥰

✅ billionaire romance
✅ he’s her boss
✅ she’s 33, he’s early 40’s
✅ hate to love

This is funnier than Taming Mr Walker straight up facts!!!! The cat poo sample? 🤣😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I died a death. The inner monologue about the damn cat, the diary about Liam, when she was naked under the bed on the boat LMFAO IT WAS TOO MUCH!!

Loved that the FMC was 33. Did not love that Liam was from Yorkshire, the accent is not it idec 🤣🤣🤣 he was not northern in my head.

This is what I didn’t like and SPOILERS BELOW:

❌ The ending felt rushed
❌ How did Liam find out Alastair told Gemma about Liam frequenting the club? Still don’t really understand why he did that tbh
❌ didn’t know enough about Gemma and her backstory, what her folks are like, how she got the HR job etc
Profile Image for Rosa Lucas.
Author 12 books1,516 followers
Want to read
October 17, 2024
Love to Loathe him is now live on Amazon.

❣️British Billionaire Boss
❣️Workplace romance
❣️Age gap
❣️Swoony & spicy
❣️Enemies to lovers (well , she hates him)
❣️He’s her boss
❣️Relatable and sassy FMC
❣️Grumpy ruthless workaholic MMC
❣️Lots of banter


Excerpt
Here’s a fun little tidbit: apparently, 4 percent of people are sociopaths. But here at Ashbury Thornton Equity Group, we strive for excellence—and that means exceeding our sociopath quota. Sniffing out cutthroat individuals is our bread and butter. Especially for me—I’m the head of HR, so hunting down those delightful little psychos is literally in my job description.
I spend my days surrounded by a bunch of money-hungry sharks who’d gleefully punt Grandma into oncoming traffic for a Rolex. Actually, that’s not fair—they’d hold out for a Patek Philippe watch before tossing Granny to the wolves. But still, my point stands.
Even my adorable little kitty is a stone-cold bitch.
But the biggest, baddest sociopath of them all?
That would be the owner of those smoldering brown eyes currently trying to incinerate me through the glass walls of his fancy fishbowl office.
Liam “I-make-grown-men-sob-like-babies” McLaren.
London’s most ruthless financial hotshot and the big kahuna at Ashbury Thornton Equity Group. Just whisper his name and even the toughest traders need a fresh pair of tighty-whities.
Oh, and I call him Mr. McLaren, like we’re in some ’70s office porno, because he never bothered to correct me during my interview. Never said, “Please, call me Liam.” Then, on my first day, I called him Mr. McLaren, expecting a warm “Call me Liam! Welcome aboard.” But nope, I just got the same brooding glare.
My office, conveniently situated across the chaotic finance floor on level thirty-five, offers me an unobstructed view of his devastatingly handsome face. All. Damn. Day.
Sure, having my own office with a killer view of the Thames is a sweet perk. But when you’re the company’s resident therapist and the bearer of bad news, it’s an absolute necessity.
I heave myself out of my chair, storming through the sea of shouting suits, phone glued to my ear as I verbally flay the incompetent recruiters on the other end.
McLaren’s moody gaze finds me through the glass. He’s sprawled in his leather throne, hands clasped behind his head while Ollie, his senior-level manager, perches on the edge of the desk like a well-trained lapdog.
On autopilot, I flash him my bring it on smile. Years under McLaren’s rule has hardwired this fearless smirk into my DNA—the only way to survive dealing with guys like him. Never let ’em see you sweat.
Yes, McLaren is unfairly hot—smoldering eyes, chiseled jawline, muscles you could crack nuts on. But that’s just his human suit, the bait he uses to draw in unsuspecting victims before tearing them to pieces. Mother Nature sure is a bitch, making the deadliest creatures the most irresistible—like Venus flytraps or those tiny cute frogs that could kill you with a single lick.
And this fucker is no exception.
Ladies, don’t be fooled.
Underneath that handsome exterior beats the pitch-black heart of a raging See-You-Next-Tuesday.
Watching the female new hires around him is comical. As HR, I get a front-row seat to their faces morphing from “I want to scale that godlike tree” to “holy shit, this terrifying bastard is going to fire me before I’ve had my morning poop” in a single blink.
He jerks his chin, summoning me in like I’m some misbehaving schoolgirl.
I stab the end call button on my phone and smooth my already flawless blazer on reflex. Drawing in a deep breath, I stride into McLaren’s office.
“Take a seat,” he orders, hands still locked behind his head. His shirt strains against his chest, like it’s one deep breath away from sending a rogue button flying straight into my eye. I wonder if he’s physically restraining himself from wringing my neck.
My pulse quickens, and I give myself a stern mental slap. Five years. Five freaking years, and this man still makes me feel like I’ve grabbed a live wire every time he glares at me.
Profile Image for Hanife.
Author 29 books342 followers
October 22, 2025
Rosa Lucas yine şaşırtmadı ve kendinden bekleneni karşıladı 😄
Profile Image for Justine.
288 reviews
October 31, 2024
**received as an arc from the author and publisher**

i’m usually a sucker for these books and honestly really like rosa lucas’s books in general, but this book… i don’t know it just didn’t hit as the other books.
honestly the set up fun(??????), with the boss getting his hr to be honest with him to win this bid, but like… when they got together i just got the ick from their roleplaying lol and then idk the reasoning behind the underlying plot with the bid seemed eh at best and idk the backstory with the enemy’s wife seemed rushed and lackluster like ???????
and then home girl ruining the bid bc of personal life when she was the head of hr????
i’m sorry but girlie what??????????
and then the bid in the end goes to the ML anyway like??? what’s the point lol

anyway this was not my cup of tea but still looking forward to the next one!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Monique.
465 reviews
November 2, 2024
This feels like the London Mister series and I couldn't be happier. The sexual tension in this one was 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Profile Image for Chris ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥.
474 reviews24 followers
November 14, 2024
3.75⭐️ My first read by Rosa Lucas and it definitely won’t be my last. Were there some things that bothered me? Absolutely! There were some cringy stuff with her cat that were completely unnecessary, but for the most part, I really enjoyed the banter and pent-up tension between the main characters. And even though I am normally very critical of the things I dislike in my books, this author’s writing style and sense of humor, made me ignore (not forget) the negative aspects of it. Some of the scenes and inner monologues were so hilarious that I was laughing out loud, tears streaming down my face. 😂

I don’t have the time to write a long review, but here is what you can expect going into this:

- Workplace romance (billionaire boss & hr employee)
- Extremely grumpy mmc & feisty, sassy fmc
- Age gap (but not the weird kind, she was 33, I believe and the mmc was 40 years old)
- Slow burn
- Great banter
- British humor 🤌

What I didn’t like:

- The fmc’s obsession with her cat (there were some really funny scenes, but there were also some where she overreacted when it came to that cat). You are a grown woman, pull yourself together!!😒

- That the mmc used to go to a sex club and that he used to lust after his nemesis wife. *yiikess*

- Lack of communication when it came to the third act break up

Excerpt from the book:

“The diary, Gemma. Where you chronicle all your precious thoughts about the company.” His eyes narrow to slits, glinting dangerously in the low light. “And about me. What was it you called me again?”
I swallow hard, trying to get my voice back. “A . . . visionary leader?” (😂)
He lets out a harsh, humorless chuckle. “No, try again. It was something a bit more colorful.” He pauses, clearly enjoying this. “Ah, yes. A ‘tyrannical, control-freak, big swinging dick,’ I believe.”
His gaze drops pointedly to his tie, then back up to brand me with its intensity. “Tell me, is this the tie you imagined strangling me with?”
I gape at him, frozen. Not breathing. Not blinking. Is this what a stroke feels like? An aneurysm? Surely my head can’t contain this level of horror without exploding.


If you want an in depth review of this book, go read the reviews of my BR girlies Olga & Lori.
Profile Image for Naii.
52 reviews1 follower
Read
September 16, 2025
Why are we doing friends with benefits in our 40s?

I loved the characters tho
Profile Image for Sheia (Hiatus).
611 reviews39 followers
November 17, 2024
☆3.45☆

✅️ office romance : boss/employee
✅️ grumpy moody MMC
🆗️ plot
✅️ third act conflict
❌️ ending
❌️ good grovel

REVIEW

Started off great, kept up the pace, good writing, and decent plot-sailing, but the exit quarter literally shaved off stars like it was its goddamn job! All that build up, only for a non-cathartic third-act conflict that didn’t even make sense? Like...

⬇️⬇️SPOILERS⬇️⬇️

1. You do not confront the guy?
2. You sabotage and betray the deal of his life, which he has a personal stake in, because you ASSUMED shit about him without actually knowing the truth?
3. You defame him in front of a client? Do not give me 'nobody listens to HR' excuse!
4. The author think it's okay for the MMC to initiate groveling, be the bigger person, after THAT?

Not to mention, I lost every thread of emotional connection I had developed with the book because that ending was so rushed.

THE PLOT HAD POTENTIAL.
THE WRITING HAD POTENTIAL.
Urghhh.. I hate when this happens. -_-
Profile Image for Emma B.
151 reviews
November 15, 2024
Why are books which are set in the U.K. with British characters who are narrating their own stories using American English spelling??!!
Liam is from Yorkshire for crying out loud, he would use a chequebook and not a checkbook.
This is one of my biggest book peeves! I hate it.
Especially when the author is apparently British too.
Profile Image for Jessamine.
63 reviews
October 2, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rosa has done it again. I knew I’d love this as I have devoured everything else she’s written. This was no different! I enjoyed every second and read it within 24hrs. Rosa just knows how to combine all of my favourite things - billionaires; office romance; UK based; age gap - and create a love story (with lots of spice!) that tugs at the heart strings. Yes, I cried at this one 🤭.

I adore a story with older characters, the FMC, Gemma, is 33 and the MMC, Liam, is 40. Still an age gap romance (which she is brilliant at 🙌🏻) but it makes a nice change from seeing a 21 year old FMC.

The banter between the two leads is excellent and I loved how strong willed and self assured Gemma was. She really gave her own with Liam and it made for some exciting scenes.

The romance was 10/10, the spice 10/10 and the epilogue was perfection 🥰. If you love billionaire romance, or hey, even romance in general, then 100000% read this. You’ll love it, I promise 😏.
Profile Image for Catherine.
1,344 reviews9 followers
November 6, 2024
I loved the beginning of this book. LOVED IT. But then they started sleeping together and strong, badass Gemma became weak and uncertain and so annoying. And then she truly betrays him, believes his enemy without question, and he's ok with that. I may never read another book by this author because of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for iremucka.
319 reviews18 followers
September 2, 2025
Love to Loathe Him aka Ondan nefret etmeyi sevmek? Hmmmm 😑 Bizim tayfa bassa adını ne koyar acaba? Benden nefret etsen de olur ? haahahaklhsdl 😄😄

Bu yazarı ilk kez okuyorum ve evet redditten geldim. Son düzlüklere doğru dümeni kırmasaydı solid 4 verecektim ama rota yeniden oluşturuldu ve efsane olamadı. 😟

Gemma (33) bir finans şirketinde çalışan aşırı işkolik İK (İnsan Kaynakları) müdürü, Liam (40) ise onun acımasız patronu. Bu ikili 4-5 senedir gayet güzel çalışırlar ta ki Gemma’ nın online günlüğü yanlışlıkla Liam’ ın klasöründe belirene kadar. Etrafında aman efendim tamam efendim yalamaları olduğundan Liam aşırı bıkmıştır ve Gemma’ nın dürüstlüğünden bir parça ona çölde vaha gibi gelir.

Gemma’ nın iç sesi ve tanımlamaları aşırı iyi “Liam karşı tarafta Titanic’ in batışını bizzat görmüş gibi görünen bir adamla konuşuyordu” gibi tanımlamalarla ilk yarı kopa kopa gitti. Aşırı bi tansiyon vardı gerisi pek iyi gelemedi. Karakterlerin olgun olmasını beklemekle hata mı ettim? 33 yaşında kadın son 50 sayfa liseli ergene bağladı.

Liam da Allah var çizgisini bozmadı aynı kabızlıkla son sayfalara kadar ulaştı.

Aradığımı bulduğum okuması zevkli ama bi tık uzun bi kitap oldu.
Profile Image for Luckylovesbooks.
949 reviews19 followers
Read
January 2, 2026
November 6, 2024
DNF @ 21%

One of the few books I’m genuinely bummed about DNFing.
I knew going in that the MCs knew each other for 5 years (worked together) so there was no way they were going to be celibate after meeting each other. I accepted that. The prologue starts with the MMC in a high-end sex club. There’s no sex with OW on page but it I didn’t like it. At all. Still, I decided to give it a chance and I absolutely LOVED it. The turd debacle 😂😂 omg I was wheezing

Once both MCs started to have attraction on page (enough that they masturbated to the thought of each other), for me it was already a start of something: a relationship.
Then at 21%, MMC goes to his sex club, The Athenæum after saying bye to his friend:

“An hour later, we settle our tab and say our goodbyes, and I’m headed to the Athenæum. I need to find a redhead to play out this angry secretary fantasy.

Maybe even put in a request to get her to wear a dress like Gemma’s. I wonder if I could find out where it’s from without sounding like a creepy stalker with a fetish.

But there’s a nagging suspicion in the back of my mind that no one is going to live up to the real thing. And that is an alarming thought considering I cannot and will not go there.”

Not sure what actually happens but I can guess. This killed my interest. Not entirely, but I was left feeling sick. I didn’t event want to read the next chapter. I felt… betrayed tbh.

I absolutely do not find it sexy when the MMC wants to fuck/actually fucks another woman who looks like FMC.

I was tempted to continue with the book but I knew, just knew, that that scene would gnaw at me, and gnaw at me and ruin my experience (further).

It’s so easy to DNF books that you disliked from the beginning. But a book you were absolutely loving? It takes strength.

With that, I’ll definitely be checking out more of Rosa Lucas’ books!

November 7, 2024
Update: I checked out their other books and I’ve already put two in my ‘thank u next’ list. I.e, you can’t pay me to read them. Maybe Rosa Lucas isn’t for me.
Profile Image for Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus].
763 reviews113 followers
November 8, 2024
I was really craving a CEO hero and I wanted to be hearing about the meetings and numbers and everything so this delivered. It also takes place in London which is fun because I’m currently in England on vacation haha.

I did enjoy this book, but I found Gemma’s actions especially at the end to be very immature, she’s the HR manager for Christ’s sake…that was so unprofessional to involve her personal issues in work but🤷🏼‍♀️ I just feel like Gemma got away with too much shit without ever really apologizing and Liam changed too much/forgave too easily. Also the prologue to this book has ABSOLUTELY not one thing to do with the book, literally can someone tell me who he spots at the end and what that’s about? I wish the kinky sex club was relevant to the plot at all and I was expecting weird shit, but it was all quite tame. So yeah I don’t get what the point was of giving that place so much attention. This was still an enjoyable read though and I love a cat character haha so Winnie was a fun addition. I’m curious if there are any books about side characters like Liam’s brother who was only briefly mentioned to be a kilt wearing hottie or Liam’s hot surgeon bff 🧐
Profile Image for Laura McGinnis.
34 reviews1 follower
January 11, 2026
Had to go back to my roots to try and escape the choke hold that sports romance has had be under and boy this book did not disappoint! GOSH I love a brooding billionaire in a custom Italian suit!!!! This book took me by surprise! I did not expect to like it as much as I did! The banter was great and there were many parts I did not see coming that made my jaw DROP! Even though the epilogue did go a direction I wasn’t expecting it still didn’t take away from the book and fit with the story! Gemma the FMC was also a redhead who talked to her cat a lot so that was extremely relatable for me!😻I definitely would recommend this book!
Profile Image for Ali.
465 reviews42 followers
May 27, 2025
Billionaire romances with a messy af third act break up are my drug. Leave me be
Profile Image for mel.
167 reviews25 followers
December 9, 2024
oh my gosh, this was so boring!!!!
1. the role play? cringe
2. her alias during the role play being ginger? girl, pls.
3. the mole not even being the most obvious choice? just a random guy from IT... come. on.
4. believing oh so convenient circumstances all the while QUESTIONING how the setup was convenient.
5. the random sabotage? the resigning? made seriously no sense.
6. pregnancy trope? lame af.
7. also no side characters even worth mentioning.
Profile Image for Joud.
232 reviews23 followers
April 28, 2025
This was my first book by Rosa Lucas. The banter between the characters was so fun and sharp—it really kept me hooked. I also appreciated that they didn’t fall for each other too quickly (thank God for that slow burn!). However, I found the ending a bit too classic and predictable, which made it feel a little boring..
Profile Image for Michele.
2,263 reviews
October 15, 2024
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
Now this is how to write a billionaire hero and his sassy, smart heroine counterpart. Between the hilarious predicaments Gemma found herself in, to the simmering tension between her and Liam, I couldn't get enough of them. The side characters were great, even the drama at Liam's company worked well in tandem with their growing romance without overshadowing it. Full review to follow.
17 reviews
October 23, 2024
Brilliant read!!!

Liam is my new book boyfriend!!! Loved both lead characters, they were written so well! This is a laugh out loud, heart warming and at times soul destroying read!!! Spicy at times too!! The chemistry between Liam & Gemma was off the charts!! Loved it!!
108 reviews
October 19, 2024
Huge Rosa Lucas fan. I love her witty writing style, i genuinely laughed out loud at some parts my husband thought i was going mad. Gemma is my ultimate fave, hilarious, spunky and just the right amount of realistic thoughts thrown in. Winnie is a close second, i mean come on who doesn't love a judgy cat?! Liam isnt the most swoonworthy male Rosa has written about, but i do like the two dimensional character, being more than just dominant billionaire ceo. Fisherman Liam was nice to see. Thanks for another triumph Rosa, highly recommend.
Profile Image for Alicia Martinez.
9 reviews
October 9, 2024
Rosa Lucas, you’ve done it again. Not surprising really.

Liam is the very hot, very rich, grumpy CEO boss.
Gemma is the red headed, sunshine, cat loving HR boss. Liam starts to see Gemma on “different terms” once he reads her diary that she accidentally sends him, of how she really thinks about him and boy, did I cackle! No, really. Rosa knows how to write her banter! And that’s why I love reading her books. Not only that, BOY does she write very good office billionaire romances.

Rosas ability to write characters that feel like real people, never fails. Including the pets (I love Winnie).

So if you like a good:
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy/Sunshine
Cat Owner FMC
Office Billionaire Romance

Then pick this up! You won’t regret it!
57 reviews
October 27, 2024
Notes for memory.
2.25 🌟
10/27/24

The ending didn't have good pay off for me. Clear that she didn't trust him. Believed Alistair, without fact checking, about cheating with no proof except him walking inside the club? Then chose to tank the deal all due to such circumstantial evidence? Without ever questioning him about it???? I'm sorry but that ruined the book for me cuz now I don't believe the love story, where before i chose to gloss over the lack of true bonding or believe romance here outside of lust. There should have been some work to rebuild trust or more acknowledgement of her wrongdoing outside of a couple lines of I'm sorry and Liam just accepting the flimsy apology because he loved her. The fact that he was also the one to seek her out and make the grand gesture of love???

This was honestly an underdeveloped story with too high of a page count. Quite a few characters and plot lines thrown in that didn't have much or any good pay off to them as they fizzled out. The characters overall felt surface level to a degree.

I read a previous story by this author that I also gave 2 stars but I genuinely couldn't remember even reading the blurb again. Since it was a couple years back I chose to read this one with an open mind. Now maybe that 2 star from my past self was justified and presented itself in similar forgotten ways in this book. Won't be returning to this author in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Luna's Library.
80 reviews
March 3, 2025
Seriously? The prologue? I thought he saw Gemma working there or what. But, it was never revealed. Damn.

Sucker for CEO boss x strong female employee here but, Gemma? Are you freaking serious? Not only you claimed to know everything about him because you work for 5 years for him but also, you said you are professional.

Then the steamy weekend happened and now, you can't handle him being strictly professional at work??? And then, you decided to not give him a chance to explain himself, you just assumed everything. Not to mention, you ruined his multi million deal that he worked for several months, trusted his rival and everything he says, and worst, you just suddenly quit and left him???? Girl, are you for real?

Liam, who just had a recent accident and still recovering from Gemma's incident, STILL the first one to make a move and Gemma is not sorry at all?

Damn you Gemma. Liam please find another girl worth of you.
Profile Image for Alison.
1,507 reviews108 followers
July 16, 2025
Good but not totally for me…

Firstly, it was well written, paced pretty decently, and I ended up liking the two MCs a lot.

I enjoyed the concept of her accidentally sharing her diary. Oh the second hand embarrassment! And I like that it has its full circle moment.

The love confession and “grovel” were pretty good but honestly the problems came from both of them and a misunderstanding.

What I didn’t like… the smex club stuff. Literally, the first scene of the book is the hero at a smex club (nothing explicit). Later he goes to the smex club hoping to find a girl that looks like our heroine because he can’t have her which I think is kind of gross. I’m personally not a fan of smex clubs in romances but that’s only my preference. Other people might not care or enjoy it. Honestly, the author did a good job of keeping the activities there pretty vague and not on page so there was that. I also like that it plays a role in the dark spot.

A decent read but not going on my re-read shelf.
Profile Image for BookishMya.
1,125 reviews16 followers
May 26, 2025
Where do I begin? This book had me in a chokehold. The intensity of this man is next level. Knock your socks off sexy. From a ‘casual arrangement’ to ‘pet detective swat teams for your missing cat’! He falls hard and fast!
The ball-busting CEO has nothing on his head of HR, Gemma. The one person he can’t walk all over. She stands up to him and doesn’t take his nonsense. Until she mistakenly shares her therapy journal with him, where she vents all her ‘frustrations’ in and ‘out’ of the office. Things got very interesting after that and I loved seeing the playful, torturous side of Liam. Once they gave in to their attraction, it was gloves off. They went from 0 to HOT in 3.2! The number of times my eyes were bugging out of my head at their intensity was unreal. These two have electric chemistry, unbelievable banter and a heat level of 1000. I couldn’t get enough.

Narration notes are simple, Shane East! That sums up what I thought. Chapter 25! That’s all I’m gonna say! When this man loses control, it is incredible! Bravo, Shane! Bravo! Only Shane can hit that level of gruff intensity that literally has you leaping out of your seats or squirming in them. And Lulu Russell did a fantastic job reading Gemma. I was equally captivated and wanted to just hang out with her. Their back and forth had me giggling, cheering and panting. A truly fabulous listen!
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