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Kiss Interrupted
Not his type, not her type, but when faced with the inescapable and inexplicable, all they have is each other.
Not his type.
It should have been simple. A temporary move from London to Leeds to manage the office while a boss is sick, but as Fyn watches the workforce enjoy a summer party, he feels more than guilt over the looming downsizing.
He’s tasked with making many happy people redundant, and that includes Libby Pasternak, who has her face painted as a tiger, wears boots on a summer’s day, has an ear full of piercings and is so distracting, she almost bowls him out at cricket. Unthinkable.
Most conflicting of all, why is he even thinking about seizing the moment, instead of his rule concerning getting involved with employees—especially with one so not in his league?
Not her type.
Libby likes blond surfer dudes with big dreams and even bigger smiles, not a guy like stick-in-the-mud Mr. Sensible, otherwise known as Fyn Marlowe. Then he gives her a lift home from the office party, and she finally has to admit to herself the depth of her Grand Canyon-sized crush. One that chokes itself to death two days later, when he erroneously accuses her of screwing up a major account. She may be a bit different, but her work is always the best.
Their blazing row resolves with her getting sacked, ending any chance of exploring where things could have led.
His type, her type—none of the preconceived ideas of a perfect partner matters when the world—literally—comes crashing down.
About Barbara Elsborg
Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed that to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her.
Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.
After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.
Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are much fun to read as they were to write.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2016
3 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Elsborg
100 books1,678 followersBarbara Elsborg lives in Kent in the south of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Volcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.
After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.
Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they are to write.
After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.
Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they are to write.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 19, 2016
*2.5 stars*
This is an extremely hard book to review without giving too much away, but I have a LOT to say so I'll try to explain everything as much as possible.
I'll start by saying that I'm a BIG Barbara Elsborg fan. I've read five of her books across all genres and pairings (M/M, M/F, M/F/M), and I've adored all of them... except for this one. Now, it isn't that this book is bad, but I had some issues that prevented me from really liking it.
I think my first problem with this story is the combo of the cover and blurb. That cover is seriously bad and doesn't fit the mood of the story or the plot at all. I usually don't obsess about covers, but the two MCs don't look anything like how they are depicted in the story. The male MC, Fyn, is supposed to have dark hair (this guy is too fair), and the girl.... ugh. Libby is supposed to be sort of punky and pierced with short hair, not that boring nurse on the cover. Between the bland cover and the blurb, I was led to think that this book would be a contemporary romance. NOT SO.
This book is fantasy. Sure, it isn't high fantasy or epic fantasy, but if you are expecting contemporary you will be very disappointed. The cover should have been something cooler, something that hinted that there was more here than just an office romance story. I can't tell you too much about the plot because I think that is meant to be vague on purpose, but early on this book required some suspensions of reality. I'm totally cool with that, but I wasn't expecting it.
My other issues were more subtle. I didn't like the way these two developed their romance. It seemed like too much too quickly, like these two had feelings for each other when they barely knew one another. I much prefer a slooooow burn romance, and I think that if these two had shown no attraction or chemistry in the beginning and then it developed in their strange circumstances, I would have been thrilled.
I also thought that the way the beginning of the book was written was really clumsy. I had a hard time telling what was going on and it felt really rushed.
However, once the story got going, I really enjoyed it. I liked the middle of the story the best. There are a lot of interesting things that happen to our MCs, and I found their experiences to be really fascinating. However, I also wish the middle was cut down a bit (though it was my favorite part), because the pacing between the rushed beginning, looooong middle, and rushed ending was a bit off for me. The ending was a little hard to swallow from a "how on earth does that make sense" perspective. I sort of shrugged off any questions and I went along for the ride. I think the author did her job developing the emotions between the two MCs, and I felt their love at the end.
I wish I could say that I loved this one because I love what Barbara Elsborg does with her writing, but this was a weird one for me.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
This is an extremely hard book to review without giving too much away, but I have a LOT to say so I'll try to explain everything as much as possible.
I'll start by saying that I'm a BIG Barbara Elsborg fan. I've read five of her books across all genres and pairings (M/M, M/F, M/F/M), and I've adored all of them... except for this one. Now, it isn't that this book is bad, but I had some issues that prevented me from really liking it.
I think my first problem with this story is the combo of the cover and blurb. That cover is seriously bad and doesn't fit the mood of the story or the plot at all. I usually don't obsess about covers, but the two MCs don't look anything like how they are depicted in the story. The male MC, Fyn, is supposed to have dark hair (this guy is too fair), and the girl.... ugh. Libby is supposed to be sort of punky and pierced with short hair, not that boring nurse on the cover. Between the bland cover and the blurb, I was led to think that this book would be a contemporary romance. NOT SO.
This book is fantasy. Sure, it isn't high fantasy or epic fantasy, but if you are expecting contemporary you will be very disappointed. The cover should have been something cooler, something that hinted that there was more here than just an office romance story. I can't tell you too much about the plot because I think that is meant to be vague on purpose, but early on this book required some suspensions of reality. I'm totally cool with that, but I wasn't expecting it.
My other issues were more subtle. I didn't like the way these two developed their romance. It seemed like too much too quickly, like these two had feelings for each other when they barely knew one another. I much prefer a slooooow burn romance, and I think that if these two had shown no attraction or chemistry in the beginning and then it developed in their strange circumstances, I would have been thrilled.
I also thought that the way the beginning of the book was written was really clumsy. I had a hard time telling what was going on and it felt really rushed.
However, once the story got going, I really enjoyed it. I liked the middle of the story the best. There are a lot of interesting things that happen to our MCs, and I found their experiences to be really fascinating. However, I also wish the middle was cut down a bit (though it was my favorite part), because the pacing between the rushed beginning, looooong middle, and rushed ending was a bit off for me. The ending was a little hard to swallow from a "how on earth does that make sense" perspective. I sort of shrugged off any questions and I went along for the ride. I think the author did her job developing the emotions between the two MCs, and I felt their love at the end.
I wish I could say that I loved this one because I love what Barbara Elsborg does with her writing, but this was a weird one for me.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
February 16, 2016
“You’re the craziest woman I’ve ever met.”
We absolutely love Barbara Elsborg here at TB. Her range is amazing, her writing fabulous as she makes us cry, laugh and swoon in equal measure. We’ve devoured her romances be they contemporary or paranormal or sometimes even both with an otherworldly feel.
Before we start this review we have to get our issue with the cover for this story out of the way. We dislike this cover immensely and see it as a perfect example of why readers may be turned off buying a book. It’s not only a turn off, it also completely misrepresents this story. The characters look nothing like what they look like in the book and some may even say this cover reflects a couple in the medical profession, her being a nurse and him a doctor. Wrong! This cover is wrong in every aspect possible and whoever designed it and gave it the go ahead clearly didn’t read this story or in our opinion didn’t care. Its pure laziness and disregard for the Author and potential readers. This was a beautiful and unique romance that deserved much better. Yes, this sounds harsh but it’s a side of the book industry we feel very strongly about as do the majority of readers. This cover will not sell this book in fact it may even hinder sales. Covers are important no matter what anyone says and should at least reflect the character descriptions and or aspects of story. They should invite the reader in not turn them off. We hope readers look past this mistake or injustice and take a chance on a beautiful romance.
So, cover aside how did we feel about Kiss Interrupted? The writing was typical Barbara Elsborg, what with her attention to detail, her humour and her quirkiness. We were immediately intrigued as we got drawn into a bit of a thrilling mystery with an unlikely romance forming in the midst of it. We definitely have to say that readers will have to suspend beliefs, let go of their rational side and just believe in the romance and somewhat otherworldly nuances. The synopsis, the cover and the marketing tag does not reflect this story so some may be turned off by this fact.
“I want to remember….I want to remember every tiny thing.”
We loved Libby and Fyn, two completely contrasting characters, each with their own issues and complicated pasts shaping who they are today. Libby’s was particularly intriguing and thrillingly scary! Their story was exciting and mysterious as this Author sure did flesh out her characters and we completely felt their connection. Also, we were dying to find out just what the hell was going on. The story did taper off towards halfway and began to drag so we have to admit we were tempted to put it down and call it a day as it seemed that we weren’t really getting anywhere. However, an overwhelming need to find out how the story would unfold kept us going and we’re glad we didn’t put it down as the last forty percent or so was brilliant. It really picked up and our book hearts soared with the emotion and passion. Again, we have to say we that we were not expecting it to go where it did but we accepted it with an open mind. We just wish there’d been a more even balance and correct representation of this story in cover, synopsis and marketing.
‘Their last first kiss had to be perfect because he wanted to remember this moment for as long as he could, hold it in his head and his heart.’
There’s no question that Barbara Elsborg is an original which is what we love about her and her stories. She can write anything with her sense of humour, her passion and her knack of the ultimate *surprise* she often manages to weave into her books. Also, her characters always have something quirky about them making them completely lovable.
❥❥❥❥
♥ ♥ ♥
Come say hi and follow us at:
✦ TotallybookedBlog
✦ TB on Facebook
✦ TB on Twitter
✦ TB on Pinterest
May 16, 2022
Oh my gosh... freaking brilliant!
I had tears streaming down my face several times throughout. Barbara Elsborg's Kiss Interrupted is a perfect blend of romance, humor, erotica, and fantasy. With the dark edges which always make her stories grab my attention, and the explosively happy endings which keep me up till 2:00am, Kiss Interrupted is too good to be missed!
I had tears streaming down my face several times throughout. Barbara Elsborg's Kiss Interrupted is a perfect blend of romance, humor, erotica, and fantasy. With the dark edges which always make her stories grab my attention, and the explosively happy endings which keep me up till 2:00am, Kiss Interrupted is too good to be missed!
May 31, 2016
4-4.5 stars
I received a free ARC of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
This is a hard review to write. I can't really tell much about the story, without giving important plot points away.
I will say that the cover and blurb doesn't really fit the story, not that it's wrong as such, but it would lead you to believe that this is a contemporary adversaries to lovers kind of tale. And while it is that, it is also something more, and it has an element of the paranormal, which might be a nasty surprise for some and a happy one for others, if not warned beforehand.
To me, the paranormal aspects worked well. I enjoyed the MC's immensely and even if the story is a bit insta-lovey (which I am normally NOT a fan of) it worked well within the circumstances the characters were forced to navigate.
Fyn, a strait laced commitment-phobe, is sent from London to the Leeds branch of the insurance company he works for, to take the place of a manager off sick and to trim down the organisation at the same time. Libby is working as a trainee and on his list of people to let go.
She is everything he is not. Full of spark, imagination, colour and life. And she intrigues him and turns him on as well as pushes all his buttons in the wrong way. They are a very unlikely pairing, even if the depictions we get before they are thrown together are limited - I would have enjoyed a little more about them in the workplace beforehand.
I love the way Barbara Elsborg writes. It's fast paced, fun and engaging. You are grabbed right from the word go and it doesn't let up. So many emotions get tangled up in it, I laughed, I was freaked out, I was turned on, I even got a bit misty eyed and I worried. A lot!
Now, however much I love her writing, there can be no doubt that Ms. Elsborg is an evil woman. I don't think I have ever worried so much about a couple reaching their happy ending as I do every time I read a book by her. You would think I would have gotten used to it, but apparently not! I am happy to say though, that Libby and Fyn DO reach their Happy ever after - so do not fret (even though you will!)...
I enjoyed this story immensely and will absolute recommend it. I have read quite a few of Barbara Elsborg's books by now, both her MF and MM pairings, all of them very enjoyable, well written, fast paced, enagaging and heart wrenching, all at the same time. This one is no exception.
I received a free ARC of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
This is a hard review to write. I can't really tell much about the story, without giving important plot points away.
I will say that the cover and blurb doesn't really fit the story, not that it's wrong as such, but it would lead you to believe that this is a contemporary adversaries to lovers kind of tale. And while it is that, it is also something more, and it has an element of the paranormal, which might be a nasty surprise for some and a happy one for others, if not warned beforehand.
To me, the paranormal aspects worked well. I enjoyed the MC's immensely and even if the story is a bit insta-lovey (which I am normally NOT a fan of) it worked well within the circumstances the characters were forced to navigate.
Fyn, a strait laced commitment-phobe, is sent from London to the Leeds branch of the insurance company he works for, to take the place of a manager off sick and to trim down the organisation at the same time. Libby is working as a trainee and on his list of people to let go.
She is everything he is not. Full of spark, imagination, colour and life. And she intrigues him and turns him on as well as pushes all his buttons in the wrong way. They are a very unlikely pairing, even if the depictions we get before they are thrown together are limited - I would have enjoyed a little more about them in the workplace beforehand.
I love the way Barbara Elsborg writes. It's fast paced, fun and engaging. You are grabbed right from the word go and it doesn't let up. So many emotions get tangled up in it, I laughed, I was freaked out, I was turned on, I even got a bit misty eyed and I worried. A lot!
Now, however much I love her writing, there can be no doubt that Ms. Elsborg is an evil woman. I don't think I have ever worried so much about a couple reaching their happy ending as I do every time I read a book by her. You would think I would have gotten used to it, but apparently not! I am happy to say though, that Libby and Fyn DO reach their Happy ever after - so do not fret (even though you will!)...
I enjoyed this story immensely and will absolute recommend it. I have read quite a few of Barbara Elsborg's books by now, both her MF and MM pairings, all of them very enjoyable, well written, fast paced, enagaging and heart wrenching, all at the same time. This one is no exception.
February 5, 2016
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have loved every book I have read of Barbara Elsborgs, and this was no exception. I was a little confused by the synopsis because the book was nothing like I expected. No spoilers here, but I couldn't put it down. The only thing I found lacking is the climax of the story. It was most definitely surprising, I was not expecting that! But I felt like it could have been more detailed. There was so much emotion leading up to it and then it just turned kinda blah. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Definitely worth a read.
January 28, 2020
Incredibly intense book. For me; other people might not find it that way. There were a few places where I had to catch my breath and come back to it later, as there were aspects to the fantasy side of this story that gave me the shivers. Possibly my own imagination is a little too good at times.
I’m really glad the re-release has a new cover as I don’t find the original one at all in keeping with the storyline, and I wonder if subconsciously it was partly responsible for my not having picked up the book before. The new cover is gorgeous and much more fitting to the book.
A really solid 4.5*.
I’m really glad the re-release has a new cover as I don’t find the original one at all in keeping with the storyline, and I wonder if subconsciously it was partly responsible for my not having picked up the book before. The new cover is gorgeous and much more fitting to the book.
A really solid 4.5*.
February 17, 2016
“You’re the craziest woman I’ve ever met.”
We absolutely love Barbara Elsborg here at TB. Her range is amazing, her writing fabulous as she makes us cry, laugh and swoon in equal measure. We’ve devoured her romances be they contemporary or paranormal or sometimes even both with an otherworldly feel.
Before we start this review we have to get our issue with the cover for this story out of the way. We dislike this cover immensely and see it as a perfect example of why readers may be turned off buying a book. It’s not only a turn off, it also completely misrepresents this story. The characters look nothing like what they look like in the book and some may even say this cover reflects a couple in the medical profession, her being a nurse and him a doctor. Wrong! This cover is wrong in every aspect possible and whoever designed it and gave it the go ahead clearly didn’t read this story or in our opinion didn’t care. Its pure laziness and disregard for the Author and potential readers. This was a beautiful and unique romance that deserved much better. Yes, this sounds harsh but it’s a side of the book industry we feel very strongly about as do the majority of readers. This cover will not sell this book in fact it may even hinder sales. Covers are important no matter what anyone says and should at least reflect the character descriptions and or aspects of story. They should invite the reader in not turn them off. We hope readers look past this mistake or injustice and take a chance on a beautiful romance.
So, cover aside how did we feel about Kiss Interrupted? The writing was typical Barbara Elsborg, what with her attention to detail, her humour and her quirkiness. We were immediately intrigued as we got drawn into a bit of a thrilling mystery with an unlikely romance forming in the midst of it. We definitely have to say that readers will have to suspend beliefs, let go of their rational side and just believe in the romance and somewhat otherworldly nuances. The synopsis, the cover and the marketing tag does not reflect this story so some may be turned off by this fact.
“I want to remember….I want to remember every tiny thing.”
We loved Libby and Fyn, two completely contrasting characters, each with their own issues and complicated pasts shaping who they are today. Libby’s was particularly intriguing and thrillingly scary! Their story was exciting and mysterious as this Author sure did flesh out her characters and we completely felt their connection. Also, we were dying to find out just what the hell was going on. The story did taper off towards halfway and began to drag so we have to admit we were tempted to put it down and call it a day as it seemed that we weren’t really getting anywhere. However, an overwhelming need to find out how the story would unfold kept us going and we’re glad we didn’t put it down as the last forty percent or so was brilliant. It really picked up and our book hearts soared with the emotion and passion. Again, we have to say we that we were not expecting it to go where it did but we accepted it with an open mind. We just wish there’d been a more even balance and correct representation of this story in cover, synopsis and marketing.
‘Their last first kiss had to be perfect because he wanted to remember this moment for as long as he could, hold it in his head and his heart.’
There’s no question that Barbara Elsborg is an original which is what we love about her and her stories. She can write anything with her sense of humour, her passion and her knack of the ultimate *surprise* she often manages to weave into her books. Also, her characters always have something quirky about them making them completely lovable.
❥❥❥❥
♥ ♥ ♥
Come say hi and follow us at:
✦ TotallybookedBlog
✦ TB on Facebook
✦ TB on Twitter
✦ TB on Pinterest
February 23, 2016
Reviewed by Marissa
Book provided by the publisher for review
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
Kiss Interrupted starts out as a very nice and ordinary romance but quickly escalates into something else entirely. Part sci fi, part apocalyptic doom, Libby and Fyn must figure out a mysterious, suffocating fog that inches it’s way towards them in a world devoid of other humans, animals and any form of mass communication.
Libby is a fun character. In the opening of the book she is sporting a tiger-painted face at a carnival and enjoying herself as she fails at games and sports. She comes off as a carefree spirit, constantly scolding herself for noticing her boss, Fyn, and trying to convince herself he’s not her type. Even when the world explodes, she doesn’t break down – she keeps up the internal chatter to remain steady and upbeat and to rescue Fyn.
Fyn has his own internal chatter, battling his conscience over his attraction to Libby and the fact that he’s going to lay her off soon (along with a lot of others). Then the explosion happens and the fog comes in and all the rules go out the window. The stuffy boss becomes slightly carefree and even a little fun. He embraces his interest in Libby and sets out to make his time with her the best possible.
I wasn’t crazy about the fog part of the story – just not my genre – but the romance through it was good. I do think the time spent in the Ann Summers store was a missed opportunity. Some good times could have been had, even if it was just for the shopping and a bit of playing around. However, the writing is excellent and the book did keep me involved to the end. I had to know what the fog was and how they got out of it. Despite that it was a little sci fi-ey for my tastes, Kiss Interrupted was a good book.
Book provided by the publisher for review
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
Kiss Interrupted starts out as a very nice and ordinary romance but quickly escalates into something else entirely. Part sci fi, part apocalyptic doom, Libby and Fyn must figure out a mysterious, suffocating fog that inches it’s way towards them in a world devoid of other humans, animals and any form of mass communication.
Libby is a fun character. In the opening of the book she is sporting a tiger-painted face at a carnival and enjoying herself as she fails at games and sports. She comes off as a carefree spirit, constantly scolding herself for noticing her boss, Fyn, and trying to convince herself he’s not her type. Even when the world explodes, she doesn’t break down – she keeps up the internal chatter to remain steady and upbeat and to rescue Fyn.
Fyn has his own internal chatter, battling his conscience over his attraction to Libby and the fact that he’s going to lay her off soon (along with a lot of others). Then the explosion happens and the fog comes in and all the rules go out the window. The stuffy boss becomes slightly carefree and even a little fun. He embraces his interest in Libby and sets out to make his time with her the best possible.
I wasn’t crazy about the fog part of the story – just not my genre – but the romance through it was good. I do think the time spent in the Ann Summers store was a missed opportunity. Some good times could have been had, even if it was just for the shopping and a bit of playing around. However, the writing is excellent and the book did keep me involved to the end. I had to know what the fog was and how they got out of it. Despite that it was a little sci fi-ey for my tastes, Kiss Interrupted was a good book.
September 22, 2016
OK, first, let's get this out of the way. Totally inappropriate cover. And while the title technically does fit, maybe taken in conjunction with the cover, a prospective reader might get the totally wrong idea about this story. I wasn't quite sure what I was in for when I started this one. I know it got mixed reviews and that people hated the cover because it wasn't representative of the story or the characters, but most reviews didn't really give the story away. Thankfully. It was so incredibly imaginative, but still with Ms. Elsborg's typical plucky heroine and lots of humor. And there was lightheartedness among all the dark, and there was a bit of dark. I get that Fyn and Libby seemed to be complete opposites, but I loved them together. I wasn't quite sure where the book was going for a while, and then I was afraid it wasn't going to end like I wanted it to, but everything worked out perfectly (if maybe a little too neatly?). A completely unexpected story that kept me reading to see what happened next.
May 10, 2016
This is a completely wonderful and unexpected story! I don't read reviews before I start reading a book, so I was really surprised when this book took off into another world. Fun and Libby were so much fun together and the ending was a cool surprise
Read
April 1, 2016DNF... Just wasn't what I was looking for when I picked up a Barbara Elsborg book :(
March 19, 2016
Really enjoyable read - a little bit of magic and a really romantic tale. 28 days later meets Sliding Doors?
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews