How to Handle...Accidentally Hiring Your One Night Stand

How to Handle ...RomCom #2

by Sharon Ireland

After that night…neither thought they’d ever see each other again.
Until his office manager hired a nurse online…with a contract…for a year!

Cole
I should never have gone to that conference.
Or sat in that bar doing shots with a gorgeous, tipsy nurse.
Definitely shouldn’t have taken her up to the honeymoon suite, or left the way I did.

Now she works for me. And did I mention she hates me?
Says I used her. I didn’t.
But when she starts hinting at a possible pregnancy, I think she just might be using me!

Sydney
This is why I don’t drink! Or at least I didn’t before that night.
And I wouldn’t have if that lying, cheating scumbag’s wife hadn’t enlightened me with her palm slapping my face!

It gets better because now I might be in the same boat as my mother was from an encounter I barely remember with a sexy doctor I’d like to forget!

Not going to happen, though, since through some crazy act of fate, he's my new boss.
I left my job, signed a contract via email, and moved here lock, stock, and barrel. So, I can’t quit.

I can, however, make him miserable so he fires me!
If I’m not pregnant.

Cole and Sydney’s story is the second book of my How to Handle Series, with plenty of slow burn workplace friction, sweet sentiments, and hot kisses without the graphics

356 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 30, 2026

Reviews

[Katie Yepez · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing is so bad. Grammatical errors all over the place, character names spelled multiple ways. The Edna and Agnes confusion. So many ellipses. This concept was interesting and it could have been a cute book if it didn’t feel like a rough draft.

[Steven Finkelstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise for this book is simple enough. A doctor hooks up with a woman following a night of overindulging at a bar during a conference. She's a nurse, and though he intends the event to be a simple one-night stand, things become complicated when his office manager hires this same nurse to work in his office on a one-year contract.

Though the setup seems a little contrived, the author more than makes up for it with smart, often humorous writing and strong character development. It's easy for the reader to sympathize with both of the main characters, which isn't easy to pull off. There are elements of suspense, romance, and intrigue, making this a fully enjoyable page-turner and a breezy read.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Cole helped Sydney, a very drunk nurse, his last night at a medical convention. He left her in his room and drove home. He fired his current nurse after she cheated on him and needed his assistant to hire a new one. Sydney found out the doctor she was dating was married, causing her to drink too much and need a new job right away. They were shocked when she showed up for her first day at Cole's clinic. This is a fun read. I loved Sydney's sister, and the friends and family of Sydney's and Cole's. Sydney swore off dating doctors and I loved her dates with the grocery guy. There is a lot of love in the book with some surprises along the way.

[Almiria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The unexpected title of this book piqued my interest, and I was hoping for a fun and quirky read. While How to Handle...Accidentally Hiring Your One Night Stand by Sharon Ireland does tick some of those boxes, I found the prose a bit challenging to enjoy. The constant short sentences, ALL CAPS and italics in the text annoyed me and made the story less immersive than it otherwise could have been. The plot is light-hearted and fun, as I was expecting, but I would certainly enjoy this more if the prose was smoother and trying less hard to be funny all the time. If you’re looking for a quick read with a funny premise, then this book may interest you.

[Vicki Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, overall. The characters were well developed and relatable, for the most part. The romance aspect was a slow born, which is smart given these two character's histories. They have a clear chemistry, but don't want to end up in another bad situation again. I was a little surprised at the extra caution they used in taking their relationship to the 'next level' physically, given that they were obviously both in relationships before. It just didn't make a ton of sense. Overall it was a good story, and great for someone who prefers their romance novels to be more on the tame side.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in Ireland's The How to Handle...RomCom series and a wonderful addition to the series. Captivating, and well balanced with sweet, heat and humor. Our main characters are Dr. Cole and nurse Sydney. I liked the premise and overall storyline. I thought the characters were fun and appreciated the smooth flow of the storyline. I'm already looking forward to more in this series and from Ireland.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I won this copy from a giveaway on goodreads. This is a fun lovely story about when your life is crap that something good can still happen even when yucky things continue to happen.lol

Its a sweet story that starts off bumpy but misunderstandings get eventually straightened out with some work and persistent trogging , the author even gives a surprise near the end. I loved the story and authors style.

[Cyndel Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

I enjoyed the first one so much I was so excited when I saw this one was out. It was just as good. I am so looking forward to all of the rest of the Gentry Clan finding love.

[Lesa M · Rating 1 out of 5]

the plot wasn’t bad at all..i would have enjoyed it if it weren’t for the grammatical errors
also all of the exclamation points and all caps words drove me crazy

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some really great bits to this book, some fun witty banter particularly between the brothers, and the story moves nicely. The male main character occasional gives ick vibe usually when he is making wild and unlikely assumptions but a fun, fast read that is not regrettable in any way. Thanks netgalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.