The Work Husband: An absolutely unputdownable and uplifting contemporary romance

by Sophie Ranald

You’re just friends that work together. Nothing more. Riiiiiiiiight?

When Georgia’s boyfriend Sam tells her he’s meeting up with his ex, she’s living every girlfriend’s worst nightmare. Because it’s not just any ex, it’s his first love – the relationship everyone thought would last forever. Convinced she’s one pinot-grigio-fuelled evening away from having to argue custody of their beloved cat, she turns to her work husband for help.

Jamie fixes all Georgia’s work crises (like that time she jammed the printer so badly it started smoking…) so when he suggests faking a romance to make Sam jealous, she’s all ears. After all, he’s already her work husband, how hard can it be to pretend he’s something more?

From flirty texts to a dangerous number of G&Ts in the local pub, Jamie’s declarations of love soon start to get out of hand. Suddenly, Georgia’s not sure her work husband was the best choice to help her keep hold of her (hopefully) future husband.

Georgia has watched enough romcoms to know office romances are not a good idea and, as she soon finds out, even fake ones can be dangerous… Is she prepared for what happens when fake dating turns out to be not so fake after all?

A warm and fabulous romantic comedy, perfect for anyone who has ever thought about crossing the line at work. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Sophie Kinsella and Mhairi McFarlane.

What readers are saying about Sophie

‘I absolutely LOVED it… What an absolutely fantastic laugh-a-minute must-read!!! Absolutely loved it!!!… Was absolutely unputdownable so make sure you clear your schedules before starting to read it!!… Made me laugh out loud so many times I lost count… A HUGE success!!! I loved every page.’ bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘SIMPLY BRILLIANT… I finished the book at 3:40 am and I was so happy that I lost my hours of sleep over this book. One of my great midnight reads.’ Book Reviews by Shalini, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A brilliant, *brilliant* romcom… I couldn't help but smile and laugh all the way through. Loved… I read it in just two days, I didn’t want to put it down. Snap this up… if you’re looking to laugh out loud.’ Sarahsreads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! Could not put this book down. Ended up sneaking a few lines in here and there, even in a lift whilst shopping!… Fab read, funny and LOL.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I ate this book up in one sitting. I loved it, it was perfect. Witty, funny, and heartfelt, exactly what I’d expect from a romance like this… I felt like my heart was in my hand the whole time.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I LOVED THIS!!!… I raced through it and genuinely laughed out loud.

Genres: Romance

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2026

About the author

Sophie Ranald is the youngest of five sisters. She was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until an acute case of itchy feet brought her to London in her mid-20s.

As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she’d never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time. After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) seemed to write itself.

Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion and running. She lives in south-east London with her amazing partner Hopi and Purrs, their adorable little cat.

Reviews

[Shannon Aitchison]

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review x

This was the first Sophie Ranald book I’ve read, and it’s fair to say I won’t be racing to read another one. The overall plot of this seemed good in theory, but the execution wasn’t there and did not take the direction I thought it was going to. Some parts of the book were so difficult to read, I’ve never wanted to throw my kindle against a wall more.

The fact that Sam just says to Georgia “I’m meeting up with my ex on the reg, not telling you why and you just need to deal with it.” Like what??? No one would put up with that in their right mind. And she’s just meant to take it, naaaaaah. What’s even more baffling is the fact that she ends up engaged to him and pregnant by the book. Effectively this portrays to the reader that it’s ok to put up with this behaviour and treated like a door mat.

[Giselle Wrigglesworth]

📚 ARC Review 📚

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.

When Same tells Georgia that he’s going to be spending time with his ex, she is cautiously optimistic. However, when Sam won’t reveal why they’re spending so much time together, Georgia starts to have doubts about what is actually going on.

She explains the situation to Jamie, her ‘work husband’, who suggests trying to make Sam jealous so he feels the same way Georgia is. Georgia is not 100% on board with this plan but Jamie is a bit pushy. When a kiss is shared between them, everything changes.

I honestly thought this was going to be like a steamy work place romance but it was nothing like that. There felt like such a build up of trying to figure out what was going on with Sam and Ava and why Sam couldn’t tell Georgia what Ava was going through. You figure this out about 80% of the way through the book. Leading up to it just felt like Sam was gaslighting Georgia. Also, Georgia found the letter in Sam’s pocket, which was never brought up besides the fact that Sam said ‘it’s not what you think’. When Ava did finally tell Georgia what she was going through it just sorta felt shoehorned in there.

I’m all for side characters, but Ben and Molly really didn’t offer much to the story. Honestly I don’t think they needed to be in the book at all. Felt like fluff.

I enjoyed the writing style and the storyline wasn’t terrible but felt way too long for what actually happened.

[aribooks]

I’m gonna very very very honest but I actually never rated an ARC 1 star before….im usually very easy to please, and not difficult. The premise sounded sooo good, and interesting, and quite different from what I read what I actually didn’t enjoy this AT ALL.
The beginning was very very slow…it begin around 12% in…and I do understand that sometimes it’s very necessary to have the basics before really starting but it was so unnecessary here…and there was sooo many moments that were so unnecessary and felt like just putting it for the sake of having more pages….
For me, having likeable characters in a book is very very important and sadly I didn’t have this in this one. All of them very unlikeable, and without any profound depth. I’m not asking for perfect characters of course, but when characters are doing something morally grey, I prefer when they have a why behind it, and a why being deep, not just “I’m doing it because he’s an asshole”.
I did dnf this book at 40% so I’m only speaking on what I read, and the main reason I dnfed this book is because I do not enjoy cheating or close to cheating tropes. Like for example being close to your “work husband” who’s constantly flirting with you AND even calling you babe, even though you are dating, and you don’t put any boundaries. Even more when the same guy tells you that you’re overreacting when your boyfriend go see his ex out of nowhere…or even propose a plan do getting a kind of revenge on him by faking “a secret boyfriend of your own” with him. And this just made me annoyed with him, and not root for him…
In fact I didn’t root or get attached to ANY of the characters. And the same thing goes for the FMM who is playing with the plan, and even though she’s insecure with her relationship, she does the same thing her boyfriend does….

The only thing I did enjoy was the writing that was very smooth and very easy to get into.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

[Jade Devorak]

Dnf at 34%

Thank you to netgalley and bookotoure for providing me with this arc💗

I’m sorry I just can’t do this anymore. I’ve been reading this for a week and I never wanted to break my kindle in half before. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just that it’s written so poorly I just can’t torture myself like this anymore. The trope and concept seemed fine but it’s execution was terrible im so sorry. I’m genuinely so fucking bored out or my mind, so goddamm terrible that this shit put me in a reading slump. God help me, this is like the worst arc review I’ve ever written and It genuinely hurts me, istg.

*Spoilers*

Jamie seems like a gay bsf who cares abt u at best and Sam is shady asf. Like the whole ex thing he pulled???? Hell NAH. That’s a dealbreaker right there. Then the whole fake dating scheming shit, so damm toxic. I’m so genuinely disappointed that it’s a contemporary romance and not a thriller. Like it has so much potential as a thriller with a shady bf trope, hint of mystery with the ex gf and maybe an obsessed coworker trope with some added in stalking. Boom. Perfection. I hope someone actually writes this as a thriller coz ts is js wasted potential and that genuinely stings me.

After practically dying of boredom, I tried to hype myself up by reading a few reviews, but bro wtf?! I go and find out that she ends up engaged to Sam and pregnant with his baby?? Like wtf. I just can’t take it anymore.

P.S: I’ve read over 150 books since I was 15 and I’ve only ever dnf’d 2 books. This is my third. I hope this explains everything else.

[Sue Plant]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

unfortunately this book wasnt for me..... i was excited at first as i love a good uplifting fun read but i found this one not to be what i first thought it would be...

i didnt warm to the two main characters and i had a mind that one of the other characters had had something bad happen to them but i really couldnt get past those two and in the end i couldnt finish the book... i was putting other things in front of me so i didnt have to carry on reading and in the end i did a dnf...

sorry other people may like this book

[Staceywh_17]

This was my third venture into one of Ranald's novels. It was warm, witty, and so much fun to read. The entertainment value was high, and Ranald's humour found me sniggering into my coffee more than once.

The pacing was perfect, the tropes were out in full force, and it had a cast of extremely likeable characters.

Emotions ran high, and for me this was the part of the book that resonated with me on a personal level.

Marvelously messy and most enjoyable.

[Love]

1 star

First of all, thank you & Netgalley so much for sending me a copy of this book.

Oh boy. Where do I start. This book was a mess. Its about a couple. The FMC thinks her BF is cheating on her, so she starts to fake date her coworker to make him jealous.

This book wanted to be so many things, the author forgot to add likable characters or made a plot work well. It added so many subplots, I just ended up getting a headache often because it all didn’t make sense. Every character is so self centered and they can’t communicate at all. It’s just a hot mess.

And I am sure there are people who will like this book, it just wasn’t for me.

[Delphine Corcoran]

⭐️⭐️

This just didn’t work for me. Probably best suited for very YA - with a lack of maturity.

The biggest issue for me was the complete lack of trust between the characters. And I don’t mean just Ava’s behavior or Georgia’s insecurities. Sam was just as guilty, and honestly, that was what frustrated me the most.

I could understand Sam being conflicted about Ava. She’s his ex, there’s obviously a complicated history there, and I understood that he felt responsible for her. But at some point, he needed to stand up for Georgia and tell her the truth—or at least enough of the truth to let her make informed decisions about her own relationship. Instead, he repeatedly dismissed her concerns and basically expected her to just trust him while he gave her absolutely no reason to.

And this is where I really struggled with believing that Sam actually loved Georgia.

Because if you love someone, shouldn’t you be willing to stand up for them? Shouldn’t you be willing to have a difficult conversation with your ex rather than allowing the person you’re supposedly building a future with to feel like she’s losing her mind?

Instead, Georgia was left questioning herself over and over again. Sam knew there were things happening that she wasn’t aware of, yet rather than being honest with her, he dismissed her concerns. And honestly, some of his behavior toward her felt gaslighting to me. He made her feel like she was overreacting or imagining things when her instincts were actually picking up on the fact that something was being kept from her.

And Ava’s role in all of this made it even worse. I didn’t just dislike that she was interfering; I disliked how much power everyone allowed her to have over their relationship. Sam continually prioritized protecting Ava and her feelings over being honest with Georgia. At some point, I just wanted Georgia to say, Enough. I’m not going to keep being the only person in this relationship who doesn’t know what’s going on.

The irony is that the book spends so much time dealing with jealousy, insecurity, and trust, but I never felt like the characters actually earned the trust they were asking from each other.

I also struggled with the whole Jamie situation. The fake relationship was a fun premise initially, but once everything became so tangled in jealousy and manipulation, I stopped finding it romantic and started finding it exhausting.

And maybe that’s my biggest disappointment: I went into this expecting a fun, messy rom-com, but I didn’t find the relationship particularly romantic. I found myself frustrated by the characters’ choices far more often than I found myself rooting for them.

[Lottie Pickering]

⭐⭐ 2.5/5 stars ⭐⭐

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC of The Work Husband in exchange for my review.

Right, so. I read this entire book on trains between Nottingham and London, which felt fitting because by the end I was just as ready to get off as I was to get to my actual destination.

The blurb had promise, genuine promise, and I went in fully prepared to be charmed. Instead I spent most of it in a low, simmering rage at nearly every single person on the page. Which, look, isn't always a dealbreaker for me... some of my favourite reads have had characters I'd happily leave on a platform. But here it just felt exhausting rather than compelling.

Sam. SAM. All you had to do, mate, was be honest from the start. "My ex is going through something; she's confided in me because of when we were together. I'm helping her find support." That's it. Any rational woman isn't going to throw a party about it, but she'd be tolerant; she'd want the other woman to be okay, she'd get it. Instead we got secrecy dressed up as protectiveness, and I was not having it.

Jamie. We've all worked with a Jamie, haven't we? Charm dialled up to eleven, seems to have it all together, and every woman's gut instinct screaming "something is off here." When the flirty declarations tipped from charming into A Lot, Georgia really should have clocked it far sooner than she did. I was willing her to catch up for what felt like an age.

And Georgia herself... I'm sorry, but she just didn't have much going on for her. Self-absorbed, no backbone, decisions made with all the awareness of a woman wandering through fog. I wanted to shake her.

I don't DNF, it's a personal rule I stand by even when I probably shouldn't, and this one properly tested it. It read like a chore for long stretches, and the execution just didn't live up to what the blurb promised me. Not a disaster, but not a book I'll be pressing into anyone's hands either.

[Sara Adames]

This was my first Sophie Ranald book, and I feel a little deceived with the description. I thought Georgia and her colleague Jamie were going to have a genuine connection which could possibly lead to something more. Georgia finds out her boyfriend, Sam, is seeing his ex, Ava, who happens to be his first love. Sam is very secretive about why he is seeing her instead of being honest with Georgia. He keeps telling her she has nothing to worry about, but actions speak louder than words. Sadly, this leads Georgia down a spiral and her co-worker Jamie thinks that if they “fake date”, it will make Sam jealous and finally be honest with her.

I was optimistic that Jamie was going to be a “good guy” but turns out he is just plain scummy. He just wanted Georgia to himself. One night after work, they go out for drinks and Jamie thinks it a good idea to kiss Georgia and say that he has wanted her for a while. She did have a few drinks, but when she denies him after the kiss, he plays it off nonchalant and that he is okay with it. When she sees him at work, he makes her time in the office unbearable. It got hard to read the actions of Jamie as well as the storyline that Georgia’s boyfriend could potentially be cheating on her.

Thankfully, we finally get some honesty from Sam when Ava contacts Georgia to talk about why she has been in touch with him. I feel like if Sam was honest from the beginning or if Ava talked to Georgia earlier on, then there would have been little drama. But if that happened, it also wouldn’t have revealed how scummy Jamie was and still is. I am happy with the way the story ended where the truth is finally known.

I would give the book 2.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley, Sophie Ranald, and Bookouture Publishing for this book “The Work Husband”.

[Michela Walters]

I went into The Work Husband expecting a cute, lighthearted office romance with some fun workplace banter and fake-dating shenanigans. Unfortunately, that wasn’t really the book I got.

My biggest issue was that I didn’t particularly like any of the main characters. Instead of rooting for them, I spent most of the book frustrated with their choices. Honestly, either of the two male characters could have been the antagonist in someone else’s story, and Georgia frustrated me just as much. It’s hard to become invested in a romance when you’re not particularly rooting for anyone involved.

I’m also someone who has very little patience for miscommunication as a major plot device, and there was a LOT of it here. So much of the drama could have been avoided if these adults had simply communicated with one another instead of making assumptions, withholding information, and playing games. After a while, it became more irritating than entertaining.

The writing also felt somewhat stiff to me, which made it difficult to connect emotionally with the characters or get swept up in the story. I kept waiting for the charm, humor, chemistry, and workplace-romance fun I expected from the premise, but it never really clicked.

I think readers who enjoy messy characters, relationship angst, and complicated interpersonal drama may have a completely different experience with this one. I just went in expecting a fun office rom-com and came out mostly wanting everyone involved to sit down, have an actual conversation, and make better choices.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Bibliophile Foodie]

This book wasn’t at all what I expected, and honestly, that’s both its strength and its weakness. From the cover and blurb, I thought I was picking up a lighthearted office romcom, but instead it turned into a messy, emotional story about trust, insecurity, and how fragile relationships can be when communication breaks down.

Georgia, her insecurities from childhood were believable, but she was far too trusting of people who didn’t deserve it. Sam, her long‑term boyfriend, meeting his ex without explanation was already a huge red flag. The fact that she tolerated it, and then it exploded up (no spoiler) in a way..... made me want to shake her. It felt like the book was normalizing the idea that women should just accept dishonesty and poor treatment in relationships, which didn’t sit right with me. Georgia’s blind trust in him made her look naïve, and I wished she had been written with more backbone. It’s one thing to show vulnerability, but it’s another to repeatedly ignore obvious warning signs.


Jamie, her colleague, was charming and supportive. The fake dating plot was really good throughout.

The book did keep me turning pages. The constant sense of “who can Georgia really trust?” created suspense, and the twists toward the end were unexpected. I appreciated that the story wasn’t afraid to show flawed people making bad choices, it felt more real than a neat romcom.

I wish Georgia had been written as stronger and less willing to accept Sam’s secrecy, because women deserve better than being told to “just deal with it."

[Nikki Brooks]

As much as I love a flawed protagonist, which just make them all the more relatable, I have to say I was left a wee bit...underwhelmed with Georgia.

I expected a light hearted romcom, with maybe a love triangle, maybe a viper of an ex muddying the waters but I really got an emotional messy FMC with lots of insecurity issues and willingly uncommunicative partner. Sam started off as the perfect book boyfriend and then kind of became this elusive male at the beck and call of his ex. No wonder poor Georgia was knocked for 6. I'm not letting Georgia off lightly either, she could have demanded answers and refused to play "games" or listen to Jamie. I also detested the fact that Ava would put Sam in the predicament she did, having to either lie to Georgia or not tell her anything. Yes there were valid "reasons" but....grrrrr.

Georgia has lots of insecurities from childhood which were definitely aggravated, not least by always viewing herself and Sam as second-best to SamAndAva. I just wanted her to completely lost it at all of them!

Whilst I saw some of the plotline coming I was happily surprised on occasion and by the last few chapters of the book I felt Georgia had finally hit her stride and her confidence was growing. She was finally taking ownership of things and being a catalyst not just a passive participant.

My light hearted romcom morphed into something wee bit more angsty, emotional and left me wanting to throttle the two MMC's on a rotational basis! This wasn't the book for me but for someone else this could be the new favourite book.

[K.J. Sweeney]

It's no surprise that many of the reviews of this book are quite low; it's a hard book to review. From the title, blurb and cover, I was expecting something completely different. It's a bit of a shame, as I can see that might put off a lot of people, but if you put aside those first expectations, it is an enjoyable read.
This isn't a fun romantic comedy between workmates. This is more about what makes a relationship, the trust that builds it and how sometimes a good relationship is less about the good times and more to do with how you handle the bad ones.
The main issue I have with this book is Georgia's boyfriend, Sam. I don't want to give away spoilers, but I found his behaviour to be so annoying and wrong, but that is never addressed. In all honesty, everyone seems to behave badly, one way or another, but there was something about it that felt a bit more real than most romances.
If you go into this wanting a fun romcom, then there's a good chance you'll be disappointed and not find what you're looking for. If you don't expect that and instead want to read a story of less-than-perfect people trying to find their way in a relationship, then you might get a bit more out of it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

[Bookz4Hollz1225]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars

Georgia is completely in love with Sam, and they’ve been together for years. But Georgia carries a lot of insecurities from her childhood, and those feelings start to creep into their relationship when Sam tells her he’s going to talk to his ex.

When Sam continues talking to his ex more than once but refuses to tell Georgia why because his ex asked him to keep it private, Georgia’s trust starts to unravel. At the same time, she works with Jamie, someone she truly believes is her friend and someone she trusts—maybe a little too blindly.

This book was really good and definitely kept me on my toes! I was constantly questioning people and trying to figure out what was actually going on. And that ending?! Definitely NOT where I thought this story was going!

There was so much more to this story than just the relationship drama. It really dives into trust, childhood trauma, insecurity, and how easy it can be to let the wrong people into your life while pushing away the people who genuinely care about you.

For me, it was also about learning to find happiness and security within yourself, recognizing the good people around you, and not allowing your past to control the relationships you have in the present.

Definitely a solid 4⭐️ read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for my ARC! THIS IS MY HONEST REVIEW

[Jessica]

Loose Ends Left Untied

This review will contain some spoilers.

I would have given this 4 stars but for one of the main points of conflict being left unresolved and the comeuppance for the villain being so insufficient.

Georgia finds a letter to Sam from his ex, Ava, in his jeans. The letter plainly states that she was writing it while he was asleep, after they had been intimate. It’s also clearly stated that it doesn’t seem to be an old letter. When Georgia finally confronts Sam and Ava with her knowledge of the letter. Sam just says it’s not what it seems. And that’s it. What it actually is, is never revealed. I imagine that it was a therapy exercise or something, but I think it should have been clearly explained. With the contents of the letter, it was a stretch for me to believe that “it’s not a love letter” would be a good enough explanation for Georgia. Maybe we’re meant to understand that Ava explained it to Georgia. But the reader deserves to hear that explanation as well.

I find it hard to believe that Ava is the only woman Jamie ever assaulted. Especially given him forcing a kiss on Georgia. The fact that he just ends up humiliated and jobless, instead of rotting in jail is also unforgivable to me.

So yeah. 3 stars. And I actually think that’s maybe too generous.

[Kelly Roberts]

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.


This book was like an angst-filled Hallmark movie. I got Gilmore Girls vibes, specifically the Luke-Lorelei-Christopher love triangle and much like Gilmore Girls, I had to spoil the ending for myself. I wasn’t sure if I should be rooting for Jamie or Sam initially, but that became clear relatively early on (my own impatient read ahead aside).

While there is a lot of will they/won’t they/should they and that is not normally my cup of tea, I found myself so invested in the outcome. I wanted to see Georgia put her trust in the right person and move on from her childhood. I wanted to see Sam communicate more clearly and recognize what his silence was doing to his relationship. I wanted to see Jamie support Georgia and be more than a self appointed source of conflict. I got 2/3 of my wishes and a happily ever after, complete with character growth and a well deserved comeuppance, though my vengeful side wished there had been even more blowback!

This was definitely not the type of book I usually go for, but I’m glad I was approved for the ARC and read a little outside my comfort zone.

[Liv]

Just.... No.

I had so many issues with this book and only finished it to see how it would end but I haven't had the urge to DNF a book this badly in a long time.

First of all, this is NOT a romance and I think the cover and marketing is incredibly deceiving.

Every single character is insufferable. Just like I didn't know what genre of book I was reading, none of them knew what genre of book they were in.

Using Ava and Zahra's stories as plot devices felt so icky. Zahra's in particular brought nothing to the plot except for trying to make Georgia look like a good person. Both of their stories were important but felt like they were thrown in solely to give the book depth and bring serious matters into a story they had no place being.

The biggest issue for this was the writing. What WAS this??? I almost never leave book reviews this bad but I was absolutely baffled at the choices made here.

Do yourself a favor and don't read this. It's a complete waste of time and will leave you wondering wtf you just read. I wish I looked at reviews beforehand and saved myself but hopefully can do it for someone else.

[Nadine]

The Work Husband
Sophie Ronald

You're just friends that work together. Nothing more.
Riiitiight?

'Georgia' He still had that How do I make it so she doesn't cry again? look on his face. 'Come on. Is Sam your boyfriend or a car you nicked off this Ava woman? Does he have agency, or is he a stray cat you took in and now its owner's tracked it down and wants it back?'

When Georgia’s boyfriend Sam tells her he’s meeting up with his ex, she's living every girlfriend's worst nightmare.

Convinced shes one pinot-grigio-fuelled evening away for having to argue custody of their beloved cat, Georgia turns to her work husband for help. Jamie fixes all her work crises so when he suggests a fake romance to make Sam jealous, shes all ears.

'No tears.' Jamie passed me a napkin. 'Come on, your mascara will run. You need a strategy, not a cry!’

This book hits an emotional punch and in all the right places. I was invested in this book and loved that it didn’t go in the direction I was expecting. It was fun and lighthearted but with emotional depth and relatability. It felt realistic and optimistic. It was a delight to read.

[Laura]

✨️Spoiler Free Review ✨️

Thanks to @netgalley @sophieranald and @boldwoodbooks for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I'm really not quite sure where to start with this one if I am being completely honest. For starters, I don't think the title reflects the story. There is nothing that would lead me to think that Jamie was Georgia's work husband. He gave me the ick straight away.
I didn't like the way that Georgia was in effect gaslighted by Sam (her actual boyfriend) because I think I would have probably wanted answers/explanations myself.
For me, the story just didn't seem to flow at all and then there is the throwing in of 2 more characters and their baby, Georgia's mother, none on Sams family; it all very disjointed/disconnected. I would be completely honest and say this could have been a novella.
I have read a few by this author before so it has surprised me, the writing style seems very different to previous books. This wasn't a funny or uplifting romantic comedy

[Amanda C]

I am a huge fan of Sophie Ranald's writing and read this straight away after being approved.

The only way I can review this book honestly is with spoilers, so apologies for that. As always, I loved the writing style and was invested in the story, but I am furious with the message that the book sends and I just can't get over that. Sam's behaviour was appalling - no one would be ok with their partner saying they had to repeatedly meet up with their ex but not tell them why. The fact that Sam acted like the injured party and Georgia had to apologise to him was just.. dreadful. And the fact that they ended up engaged with a baby on the way?! She should have kicked him to the kerb immediately. Ugh.

So, in summary, I liked the book for the writing, and the subplots were good, but I don't feel that I can recommend this particular book as it encourages the reader to be a doormat and accept unacceptable behaviour from their significant other.

[KelseyReadsABunch]

I always love a fake dating trope, and when you throw in a love triangle too, I'm usually sold. Unfortunately, this one just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Going in, I was expecting something really light, fun and full of rom-com chaos based on the blurb, but the story ended up being a lot messier than I anticipated. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, just different from what I was expecting.

I also struggled to really connect with the female main character, which made it hard for me to get invested in the romance. If I'm honest, I really had to work to finish this one. It never fully grabbed my attention, and I found myself pushing through just to get to the end.

There were definitely entertaining moments, but overall this one just wasn't for me. If you enjoy romances with fake dating, love triangle drama and a bit more emotional messiness than your typical rom-com, you may have a better experience than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc x

[Uz]

3/5

What happens when you bf's ex is suddenly back in the picture. Do you grow as couple or completely breakdown? That's the question for our main character Georgia - who between her job, her boyfriend's sudden attention shift and a playboy coworker who thinks jealousy is the solution) - is struggling to find her way.

It took me alot of time to get into this book, Sophie Ranald does a wonderful job at making you feel the emotions of our main character Georgia, however throughout this book I felt so overly frustrated with the characters, lack of communication and honesty. I will say the end of the book was substantial better than the middle but that definitely my bias when it comes to my frustration about the character at one point it felt an AITA Reddit story where everyone sucked at least a little.

The characters definitely grew as the book went on and became much more likeable but I think unfortunately that alot go people might have given up before this point.

[Sonya Neal]

Georgia and Sam have been together for quite some time, live together, and have a happy life. Yet when Sam mentions that he's going to visit his ex but refuses to say any more, Georgia begins to worry.

Enter her good friend and work husband Jamie, who claims that making Sam jealous will bring him back to her. Georgia thinks it's a crazy idea that won't work, but eventually caves when Sam keeps running off to be at another woman's beck and call.

Will the plan succeed or blow up in their faces? Will Georgia pick the right guy and have her Happy Ever After?

I greatly enjoyed this book. I read it quickly, laughed out loud, teared up, and once wanted to throw my e-reader across the room in frustration (I don't recommend this btw!) It was somewhat predictable, as you'll often find with books of this type, but definitely was not what I expected at the end!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy.

[Chasity Hogan]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley - All reviews of this book are my own

Life is so good for Georgia and Sam, together for 4 years, cat parents, own a home together. When one night he gets a text from his ex first love, 6 years after they broke up. When he quickly makes plans to travel 3 hours away to talk to her which turns into an over night stay. We go through the motion of reconnecting and Sam telling Georgia that ‘nothing is going on but I cant tell you anything’

This book personally was hard for me to read as it hit too close to home, lots of lying by omission. While I understand that there are some stories that are yours to tell, there could have been a vague conversation to clear up the doubt.

Overall loved the writing style, there’s real growth in the main characters... I just never got romcom vibes. Not sure the title or description fit the book well

[Book Addict]

What’s marketed as a snappy, feel‑good workplace rom‑com ends up reading more like a story about a woman being repeatedly lied to — or lied to by omission — and ultimately taken for granted. The Work Husband has moments of humour and a decent will‑they/won’t‑they tension, but I struggled with how often the heroine is positioned as a doormat. It left me feeling as though the central message unintentionally encourages women to tolerate far too much.

Ranald absolutely captures the charm of office friendships: the shared jokes, the quiet support, the blurred lines that make workplace bonds feel special. This could have been a warm, relatable story about choosing what truly makes you happy. Instead, the plot leans heavily into emotional imbalance, and the ending left me more taken aback than satisfied.

A story with potential, but one that didn’t land the way I hoped.

[Caroline]

I thought my moral compass wouldn't stop me from getting into this fake romance... but it did.

It's very rare that I DNF a book, but this one is an exception. I stopped right when Jamie starts to launch the fake relationship.
Considering the situation, I couldn't get past the fact that Georgia should just have more guts (or Sam should have more guts... or both, probably) and have a real conversation about what ws going on with Sam's ex. To this day, I still don't know what absolutely unspeakable thing is preventing Sam from telling the woman he's shared his life with for years... and frankly, I don't care.

The pacing of the story was too slow, and I wasn't invested enough in any of the characters to get past the 23% mark.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tasha]

The Work Husband by Sophie Ranald was a cute and easygoing contemporary romance with some funny moments and an uplifting storyline. I enjoyed the friendship between Georgia and Jamie, and the fake-dating setup made for some entertaining situations. Their chemistry was sweet, and there were several moments that made me smile. That said, I found the story a little predictable at times, and some parts felt slower than I would have liked. While I liked the characters, I didn’t always feel completely invested in their relationship, which kept this from being a five-star read for me. Overall, The Work Husband was a pleasant read, but not one that will stick with me for a long time.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley. Thank you for giving me the chance to read this novel and share my honest review of the novel

[Melissa * bookedwithmel]

This story was definitely more deep than I expected. There was a lot more to the story than, let’s pretend to make the boyfriend jealous. We really get into the relationship that Sam and Georgia have.

The MMC drove me nuts. I get wanting to keep his ex’s secret, but he could see how upset Georgia was about the whole thing (and who could blame her?!) Georgia’s decision to use her work husband to make Sam jealous was definitely not the way to go though.

I’ve had my share of work husbands. And I’m the work mom, and have had work moms. Spending so many hours a week with people really forms special bonds. I’ve never had a work relationship quite like Jamie and Georgia though.

This was another quick story, right in my sweet spot for page count (just over 300 pages).

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of this book.

[Charly Murg]

DNF @ 37% I’ve tried but the idea of reading another 60+% of this book has made me decide I just can’t.

There’s not a single nice character in this book, they’re all awful people, her bf doesn’t care that she’s uncomfortable with him seeing an ex and is keeping secrets, she’s constantly moaning about how he’s gonna run off with someone else whilst flirting with her co-worker, her co-worker is happy to flirt with a woman he knows has a boyfriend.

On top of that, the “plan” developed from just one sentence of weird “lol we should make him jealous” which seemed to be made as a joke and then with no further discussion suddenly they were doing the plan, it was really weird. There’s absolutely no chemistry and I’m also pretty sure her work husband is gay. It all just makes no sense and feels really flat