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Honeybrook Love, Inc. #2
Bargaining with the Boss
She’s addicted to love…
The only thing worse than Natalie Gains’ love life is her current employer. Not only is he a veritable man-whore, but when he’s not dictating commands, he’s nearly impossible to find. Even for a CEO, this guy is too demanding, and that rubs Natalie in all the wrong ways…
…he’s allergic to commitment…
Brooks Adams’ new secretary has a stick lodged so far up her butt he’s amazed she can sit down. Lucky for her, he’s the exact kind of guy who can help her relax. But even if she did, could Brooks really be with a girl who can’t love ‘em and leave ‘em?
…and they’re both in way too deep.
The only thing worse than Natalie Gains’ love life is her current employer. Not only is he a veritable man-whore, but when he’s not dictating commands, he’s nearly impossible to find. Even for a CEO, this guy is too demanding, and that rubs Natalie in all the wrong ways…
…he’s allergic to commitment…
Brooks Adams’ new secretary has a stick lodged so far up her butt he’s amazed she can sit down. Lucky for her, he’s the exact kind of guy who can help her relax. But even if she did, could Brooks really be with a girl who can’t love ‘em and leave ‘em?
…and they’re both in way too deep.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 23, 2015
313 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
About the author
Allison Gatta
28 books93 followersAllison Gatta is an avid writer of steamy contemporary romance, an obsessive viewer of bad television, and an occasional player of overly-complex board games. In her free time, she thinks up fun, new characters and argues with her family over sci-fi trivia. She is a firm believer that Voldemort would vanquish Darth Vader in a duel.
Allison lives in the bustling city of New Haven, CT with her husband and their scrappy pup, Sophie. She is fueled by coffee and feedback, so feel free to get to know Allison though twitter (@Allison_Gatta), Facebook (Allison Gatta), or her website www.AllisonGatta.com.
Allison lives in the bustling city of New Haven, CT with her husband and their scrappy pup, Sophie. She is fueled by coffee and feedback, so feel free to get to know Allison though twitter (@Allison_Gatta), Facebook (Allison Gatta), or her website www.AllisonGatta.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 11, 2016
Okay so the writing itself is good but the plot is horrible. There is no character development and to top it off her boss throws a bargain down to have sex with her out of no where? Really. I would have sued his butt so fast for sexual harassment. And the main girl... Well she's pretty weak to not fight for herself and then to accept the bargain to begin with...
April 26, 2017
Nice
4 stars
This was a really good book but for me I couldn't get into it it just wasn't popping book for me but it might be for somebody else.
Something about the book just gave me a weird vibe I guess you could say but all in all it was a really good book it just wasn't the back for me.
Happy sexy reading
4 stars
This was a really good book but for me I couldn't get into it it just wasn't popping book for me but it might be for somebody else.
Something about the book just gave me a weird vibe I guess you could say but all in all it was a really good book it just wasn't the back for me.
Happy sexy reading
January 16, 2016
I received this book free from the author as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed Bargaining with the Bride, but this second book in the Honeybrook Love Inc. series was most definitely even better! Brooks and Natalie's story was both fun and heartwarming. Natalie is an excellent example of a strong, confident, independent woman. Brooks turns out to be surprisingly caring, intelligent, and perceptive behind his bad boy exterior. While it did not dominate the book, I really appreciated how Allison Gatta handled the issue of intimate partner/domestic violence. The fears and doubts Natalie holds that initially prevent her from coming forward are very real things experienced by a lot of very real people. One that particularly stood out to me was the fear of people somehow thinking it was her fault or that she was weak. Even though she knows, intellectually, that none of it was her fault, it doesn't change her very real conception of how too many people view an individual who has suffered this kind of violence. She mentions that she feels that she can come out with it even less since so much time has passed, believing some might view her as lying or a gold digger or attention seeker. Thankfully, in the end, she is able to do what too many are not able to do for a variety of reasons, tell her story. It is the job of everybody to give individuals suffering from DV (whether it be physical, emotional, sexual, financial, social, or otherwise) a chance to speak and a chance to believed. Even better: a chance to be helped if they need it. I also think Natalie gives a rather adept metaphor for one experiencing DV, which involves a rug being pulled out from under oneself so slowly that, by the time it's gone, leaving only cement, one convinces them self that the rug was never there to begin with. All of this being said, I need to remind you that this theme does not necessarily dominate the book (it just happens to be something I am passionate about). The book as a whole is fun, hopeful, light, and uplifting. It has a HEA ending and has no cliffhanger (can be read as a stand-alone). Overall, I applaud Gatta in this book! I am so looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Bargaining with the Billionaire: Honeybrook Love, Inc. Novel Three!
Let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed Bargaining with the Bride, but this second book in the Honeybrook Love Inc. series was most definitely even better! Brooks and Natalie's story was both fun and heartwarming. Natalie is an excellent example of a strong, confident, independent woman. Brooks turns out to be surprisingly caring, intelligent, and perceptive behind his bad boy exterior. While it did not dominate the book, I really appreciated how Allison Gatta handled the issue of intimate partner/domestic violence. The fears and doubts Natalie holds that initially prevent her from coming forward are very real things experienced by a lot of very real people. One that particularly stood out to me was the fear of people somehow thinking it was her fault or that she was weak. Even though she knows, intellectually, that none of it was her fault, it doesn't change her very real conception of how too many people view an individual who has suffered this kind of violence. She mentions that she feels that she can come out with it even less since so much time has passed, believing some might view her as lying or a gold digger or attention seeker. Thankfully, in the end, she is able to do what too many are not able to do for a variety of reasons, tell her story. It is the job of everybody to give individuals suffering from DV (whether it be physical, emotional, sexual, financial, social, or otherwise) a chance to speak and a chance to believed. Even better: a chance to be helped if they need it. I also think Natalie gives a rather adept metaphor for one experiencing DV, which involves a rug being pulled out from under oneself so slowly that, by the time it's gone, leaving only cement, one convinces them self that the rug was never there to begin with. All of this being said, I need to remind you that this theme does not necessarily dominate the book (it just happens to be something I am passionate about). The book as a whole is fun, hopeful, light, and uplifting. It has a HEA ending and has no cliffhanger (can be read as a stand-alone). Overall, I applaud Gatta in this book! I am so looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Bargaining with the Billionaire: Honeybrook Love, Inc. Novel Three!
February 29, 2016
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book a bit more than the first one, mainly because there was drama. I felt like overall this book was really good, but at some parts I was like "what is going on..." There was more drama in this book than in Bargaining with the Bride, which I definitely liked because it was suspenseful. It kept me wanting to continue reading the book until the end without any snack or bathroom breaks.
So, Brooks Adam is the CEO of some love matching company and he is the brother of Garrett Adams, they are both co-owners of the company, I believe. Anyways, at first I thought Brooks was just some big ol' douche to Natalie (commenting about the amount of husbands she has, etc.) but it turns out that he has actually been harboring a crush on her and he's all douche-y to her because she's not interested in him. He ended up being a sweetheart, he really cared for Natalie.
Natalie Gains is 28 years old and is Garret's secretary (it said in the synopsis that she's Brooks' new secretary, but that's not right, because Eliza is his new secretary???), she is also best friends with Rachael. She has been married more than once . She's not fond of Brooks because of his playboy ways and when she first worked in the company, he kept calling her by incorrect names.
The two sort of make a deal, it's Brooks' plan because he wants her out of his system and Natalie needs help from Brooks for her friend.
The two fall in love quickly and honestly, it's such a fun and quick read that it's easier to read the book than it is to read this review! I really enjoyed the book and the characters.
I liked this book a bit more than the first one, mainly because there was drama. I felt like overall this book was really good, but at some parts I was like "what is going on..." There was more drama in this book than in Bargaining with the Bride, which I definitely liked because it was suspenseful. It kept me wanting to continue reading the book until the end without any snack or bathroom breaks.
So, Brooks Adam is the CEO of some love matching company and he is the brother of Garrett Adams, they are both co-owners of the company, I believe. Anyways, at first I thought Brooks was just some big ol' douche to Natalie (commenting about the amount of husbands she has, etc.) but it turns out that he has actually been harboring a crush on her and he's all douche-y to her because she's not interested in him. He ended up being a sweetheart, he really cared for Natalie.
Natalie Gains is 28 years old and is Garret's secretary (it said in the synopsis that she's Brooks' new secretary, but that's not right, because Eliza is his new secretary???), she is also best friends with Rachael. She has been married more than once . She's not fond of Brooks because of his playboy ways and when she first worked in the company, he kept calling her by incorrect names.
The two sort of make a deal, it's Brooks' plan because he wants her out of his system and Natalie needs help from Brooks for her friend.
The two fall in love quickly and honestly, it's such a fun and quick read that it's easier to read the book than it is to read this review! I really enjoyed the book and the characters.
May 23, 2017
I like the way this series is developed, but the first book was stronger -- better, more believable plot, better character development. I liked the concept of this plot, but the bet was a weak motivator for getting these two characters together. Natalie's backstory provides a lot of potential that could have been used earlier in the book to set up the situation between her and Brooks. Not a bad sophomore book. Hoping that the third book will pick up where the first one left off in terms of plot quality.
June 12, 2017
I did make it through this whole book... but for the life of me I can't remember much about the plot. At least it didn't leave a bad taste, but it was not memorable either. I think this one had a strange bargain that if they had sex, it would help their professional relationship. It was a love hate kind of a story. The bargain didn't make since. It was sexual harassment. Don't remember anything romantic about this story. It was mostly plot driven and sex driven.
March 23, 2020
Snappy repartee good for a few chuckles
The Berlin's relationship with Franco is left deliberately vague until a heart-to-heart with the hero offers the blatant clues needed to figure out the backstory. The dialogue is snappy and delivers a few chuckles. The book proceeds at breakneck pace with a few clumsy errors indicating the need for another round of proofreading. Good story, though.
The Berlin's relationship with Franco is left deliberately vague until a heart-to-heart with the hero offers the blatant clues needed to figure out the backstory. The dialogue is snappy and delivers a few chuckles. The book proceeds at breakneck pace with a few clumsy errors indicating the need for another round of proofreading. Good story, though.
May 8, 2017
Good read
I was a little hesitant about this book in the first few chapters but then it started to pick up. It turned out to be likeable when you suspend your disbelief. I think crazier things may have happened in real life but I enjoyed the storyline. I think in one place the names may have gotten confused or perhaps that was just me :)
I was a little hesitant about this book in the first few chapters but then it started to pick up. It turned out to be likeable when you suspend your disbelief. I think crazier things may have happened in real life but I enjoyed the storyline. I think in one place the names may have gotten confused or perhaps that was just me :)
June 17, 2017
Her past haunts here
Natalie is trying g to hide from her wife beating X. Her boss, Brooks, is fascinated with her and determined to bed her. Although it is a mutual attraction, she fights it.
Natalie is trying g to hide from her wife beating X. Her boss, Brooks, is fascinated with her and determined to bed her. Although it is a mutual attraction, she fights it.
August 22, 2017
This was cute, but didn't really grab me and pull me into the story.
I just didn't relate to Natalie and Brooks as a couple. The "hate" element seemed forced and there were just too many other things going on to buy the "love" angle.
I just didn't relate to Natalie and Brooks as a couple. The "hate" element seemed forced and there were just too many other things going on to buy the "love" angle.
January 10, 2023
Cute story but…
I mostly enjoyed reading this book. It was a cute story but I was really aggravated by all of the misspellings and grammatical errors. Makes no sense for any book to be sold with so many mistakes.
I mostly enjoyed reading this book. It was a cute story but I was really aggravated by all of the misspellings and grammatical errors. Makes no sense for any book to be sold with so many mistakes.
March 5, 2017
3.5 stars
May 8, 2017
Review
This was the most poorly written book I have ever read. This was a waste of my time and money. There were multiple pages missing and I am going to ask for my money back.
This was the most poorly written book I have ever read. This was a waste of my time and money. There were multiple pages missing and I am going to ask for my money back.
May 18, 2017
Rushed and a little sloppy
The book was rushed and sloppy. There were some good parts but the characters and plot were a little blah feeling.
The book was rushed and sloppy. There were some good parts but the characters and plot were a little blah feeling.
June 9, 2017
It was a cute, quick read. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I enjoyed the first one, but it was still an enjoyable read.
June 28, 2017
It is a great book to read
August 14, 2017
Enjoyed the book but found it a bit predictable. Understand that many romantic novels are unrealistic but this seemed to push even me a bit far.
August 27, 2017
Cathy Wooten gamil
January 25, 2018
Enjoyable
Cute series so far I’ve read 1 and 2. I’ll look for 3. Next. Anyone else agree. The couple in the next book will be funny
Cute series so far I’ve read 1 and 2. I’ll look for 3. Next. Anyone else agree. The couple in the next book will be funny
January 5, 2019
Too short
While I loved the book, Natalie and Brooks very likable, I wanted more closure;epilogue. But for sure deserve the 5 stars
While I loved the book, Natalie and Brooks very likable, I wanted more closure;epilogue. But for sure deserve the 5 stars
June 8, 2019
Good Book
October 13, 2024
What a mess.
I only read the first 2 chapters and lost the story into nothingness
It’s childish, immature, stupid
But somewhere halfway through the book it kinda changed
I only read the first 2 chapters and lost the story into nothingness
It’s childish, immature, stupid
But somewhere halfway through the book it kinda changed
May 3, 2017
Not bad
More an outline than a novel. At no point did it feel real even the pink robe seemed contrived. Natalie had none of the signs of having been in an abusive relationship. And I'm tired of authors just slipping in dominant/submissive scenes just for the neck of it
More an outline than a novel. At no point did it feel real even the pink robe seemed contrived. Natalie had none of the signs of having been in an abusive relationship. And I'm tired of authors just slipping in dominant/submissive scenes just for the neck of it
June 6, 2016
Natalie Gaines is Garrett's executive assistant at Brooks and Garrett Adam's matchmaking company. Natalie is training Eliza, Garrett's fiancé's sister to be Brooks secretary. Natalie and Brooks have been sparring for over a year now. Natalie warns Eliza not to let Brooks corrupt her and go out with him. He never hires a secretary that know how to do her job, just ones that are good looking and wears short skirts. Natalie gets roses sent to her at work everyday and throws them in the trash every day. Eliza asks her who they are from, but she won't tell her or anyone else. Brooks is interested in Natalie and it is driving him crazy that she gets the flowers every day.
Natalie talks to Franco Del Rossi on the phone a lot and is upset about the bad publicity he is getting. We do not know for quite awhile what her relationship is with Franco, but she wants to help him. She decides that it would be good for him to get set up with a nice woman so he can quit getting the bad publicity from an actress that he has split with. Natalie goes to Brooks and says if Brooks will help Franco with getting a match, she will consider sleeping with him. Brooks agrees, but doesn't understand her relationship with Franco. They don't end up doing the deed, and Natalie tells Brooks that the deal is off. Read the book to see what happens.
Natalie is such a strong person, but has a terrible secret that she is hiding. It is fun to hear the banter that goes back and forth with her and Brooks. Brooks is maturing and finds Natalie a nice challenge in a good way. I liked Franco too and how much he helps Natalie. I can't wait to read his story. I enjoyed the book and encourage you to read it.
Natalie talks to Franco Del Rossi on the phone a lot and is upset about the bad publicity he is getting. We do not know for quite awhile what her relationship is with Franco, but she wants to help him. She decides that it would be good for him to get set up with a nice woman so he can quit getting the bad publicity from an actress that he has split with. Natalie goes to Brooks and says if Brooks will help Franco with getting a match, she will consider sleeping with him. Brooks agrees, but doesn't understand her relationship with Franco. They don't end up doing the deed, and Natalie tells Brooks that the deal is off. Read the book to see what happens.
Natalie is such a strong person, but has a terrible secret that she is hiding. It is fun to hear the banter that goes back and forth with her and Brooks. Brooks is maturing and finds Natalie a nice challenge in a good way. I liked Franco too and how much he helps Natalie. I can't wait to read his story. I enjoyed the book and encourage you to read it.
April 16, 2015
This new book has emotion and handles issues in a way that brings them to attention but doesn't beat anyone over the head. Ms Gatta hints at Natalie's past and feeds us clues through out the story.
Playboy boss Brooks wants her and isn't used to rejection. After a year of failing to get anymore than testy remarks, he has to regroup. What can he bargain with to change her mind? What can he give her besides great sex?
There is humor, sexual tension and steam. No one seems to know the whole story. Different people in her life know parts of the whole. What would happen if she told all to Brooks?
I love Ms Gatta's light love stories, however this one made me think and empathize with Natalie. My new favorite book by Alison Gatta
I was provided an ARC for an honest review.
Playboy boss Brooks wants her and isn't used to rejection. After a year of failing to get anymore than testy remarks, he has to regroup. What can he bargain with to change her mind? What can he give her besides great sex?
There is humor, sexual tension and steam. No one seems to know the whole story. Different people in her life know parts of the whole. What would happen if she told all to Brooks?
I love Ms Gatta's light love stories, however this one made me think and empathize with Natalie. My new favorite book by Alison Gatta
I was provided an ARC for an honest review.
February 29, 2016
Things get hot and steamy very quickly when Natalie goes to Brooks with a bargain to try and save her friend and ex-brother-in-law Franco from a vindictive ex-girlfriend. They have both tried to hide the fact that they have wanted one another for some time now by being snide to each other but it hasn't worked and now the cards are on the table. I have to say that I was drawn in from the start and couldn't stop til the end. Can't wait to see what happens in book 3. Definitely love Gatta's writing style even with the minor gramatical errors.... Keep 'em coming girl!!!
August 14, 2016
Natalie and Brooks
Bargaining with the Boss centered around Brooks (Garrett's brother) and Natalie, their company office manager. Brooks and Natalie appear to despise each other. Elisa, Brook's newest secretary, sees through the digs and harassment and constantly points out to Natalie the sexual tension between her and Brooks. While Natalie tries to deny her feelings towards the Boss, the Boss is trying to devise a plan to seduce his next woman, realizing she is nothing like his previous conquests. There is never a dull moment for sure.
Bargaining with the Boss centered around Brooks (Garrett's brother) and Natalie, their company office manager. Brooks and Natalie appear to despise each other. Elisa, Brook's newest secretary, sees through the digs and harassment and constantly points out to Natalie the sexual tension between her and Brooks. While Natalie tries to deny her feelings towards the Boss, the Boss is trying to devise a plan to seduce his next woman, realizing she is nothing like his previous conquests. There is never a dull moment for sure.
April 28, 2016
Excellent,loved this story
March 28, 2017
I read this book as a complete collection with the other books in the series on my Kindle app for my phone. I do not know whether it would have been the same anywhere else but there were many typos/spelling errors! It really made it hard to read! I was interested in the story line which was why I finished all three books and the whole series is great, just wished that the collection I had was proofread a bit more! Many times the words that were there were actual words, just not the words that were supposed to be there and sometimes it took a bit to figure out what it was trying to say! I would have given all of the books in the series a 5 if there were little to no spelling errors.
April 24, 2017
3.5 Stars. Quick read, enjoyed the banter.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews