Boss

by Tracy Brown

Empire meets Scandal meets Romeo and Juliet with an edgy twist in Boss, a new standalone novel from bestselling author Tracy Brown.

Crystal Scott has the world at her fingertips. At the height of her career at a wildly popular magazine and on the rise in an enviable social circle, she’s beginning to think that maybe she can have it all. But her entire life, body, and soul is threatened when Troy Mitchell steps on the scene. Crystal has never felt the insatiable passion she feels for Troy…and it was certainly not part of her plan.
Troy pursues her full throttle, making it impossible for her to resist. Crystal can’t help but fall for the handsome, powerful, enigmatic man. But the families of both lovers will not stand for their love, and a raging inferno of bitterness and revenge threatens to consume them both as tensions ignite. With deadly twists and turns, Crystal and Troy must choose each other and give in to love, or they will not escape the ties that bind them…

Genres: Audiobook, Romance, Fiction, African American

320 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2017

About the author

I am a storyteller, a painter of words, a writer who genuinely loves my craft.

Reviews

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is not a romance novel

that twist at the end...


I don't want to give too much away because the journey of finding out is the best way to enjoy this...

[Kameel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an absolute terrible story.....Too Much Violence and Unhappiness...I didn’t like the way Troy or his father were treated...they didn’t have any thing to do with the foolishness....They should’ve concentrated their revenge on Wes & Uncle Don...

[Maya B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. the plot was ok . it was a slow read because I felt the author was taking up too much time making the characters perfect. I was hoping for a lot more mystery or drama with the characters. By the time the plot unfolded, the story was over

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for creativity, development and plot twist. I skipped explicit sexual scenes. I can't wait for Troy's story!!!

Thankful to St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Boss.

[The Book Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I've read Tracy Brown before and she keeps to her writing style which is quite slow in the beginning. It's so slow that you want to give up, but right when you do, she makes it interesting.
She does a good job of feeding you bits of information that keep you moving forward to see how the story will resolve itself. She is also not a HEA type of writer. She almost always pushes her characters to the very edge and make you wonder if they will ever get or find happiness. Eventually she does bring it full circle, but for me it's never really the same. I think she really pushes them over the cliff and when she pieces it back together, you just don't get that great feeling that she gives you when everything was going well.
I didn't really care for the heroine that much. The hero was sort of weak as well, but together, they were good.
When it ends you know there will be another installment.

[Fatima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracy Brown has done it again. 'Boss' is a scandalous addicting read. I love how this story was written and just when you thought you figured it out, you get hit with a curve ball. The little things start to make sense and left you wanting more. I'm not sure who I felt more sympathy for Crystal or Troy. This is a definite must read!

[Red · Rating 1 out of 5]

So...I received an ARC of this book in exchange of a review. And here is my review : this a "meh" ! Not infuriatingly bad, but not really good either, just "meh". I didn't intensively disliked it, it wasn't offensive or badly written or anything. It was just lacking....I never really connected with the lead characters : the way Crystal was introduced, all picture perfect, "fly" and woke , was a bit too much, leaning on the "too much try". The characterization felt inauthentic and despite how the stroy evolved I didn't felt like it was a writing trick : like if I can tell from the get go that it's way too perfect and fierce and "you go guuuurl!" there is really no surprising "twist" since I expect some shady thing happening.
So...no so smart writing....Especially since the latter switched constantly between inner and outer narration, and then went on explaining pretty much everything rather than letting the plot actually unfold. But the moment I got seriously annoyed by the whole story was Vanessa was introduced and the way Chrystal acted toward her, the way the writing kept insisting that Chrystal was actually a good girl and not an total shady asshole. Same for Troy, the supposed good guy torn between his feelings and duty, who suddenly turned into a manipulative jerk. I didn't care much about Vanessa but the sub plot surrounding her was just pretty cliché and stupid and I am not sure what was the actual point of the whole thing.
And then, it went from 0 to 180, and everything happened, and then the flashback and the the confrontation and then the weak ass "cliffhanger". And all the while all I could think is was how much of a fool Chrystal had been from the get go, babbling about her family business like that (which, ok she was young and all), and then the whole big thing and her supposedly "falling" for Troy like, seriously??? But the most far-fetched aspect of the whole big thing is that none of them recognized her! Like, seriously??? I was waiting for some kind of explanation like, even the lame cliché ones like she ended up in an accident and got disfigured and needed surgery so had her entire face reconstructed. i mean it would have been a bit much but at least it would have made more sense than just...nothing. Juts nothing. She got some make up, tight dress and high heels and she was literally unrecognizable. That was the weakest and dumbest part of that plot. Not even the so called "twist of fate" about them apparently meeting "by chance" at Howard (which was just eye-rolling in its own, was more plausible to me that none of those guy recognizing her.
That is the most annoyed I got with this book which I ended up thinking : sure, it's not terribly bad per se, I've read way worse in the genre, but just so "meh".

[Becky Rendon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb for this book is incorrect and actually gives away a huge plot twist. I advise ignoring it and just start reading.

A few things to note:
1. The lead in is lengthy and falsely leads you to a sense of where it's going. (I loved that surprise.)
2. It is told in third person but instead of just the main characters it gives everyone's view. It takes an adjustment to get used to the style because there's no delineation from character to character.
3. This is not, I repeat, NOT a family you want to mess with.

Crystal is a bad @ss. Period. She is truly something else.

Troy is a dog. I want to smack him upside the head but I think that Crystal handles him well...eventually. I honestly spent some time questioning how much I liked her based on her choices. But boy, was I in for the twist of the century.

I am smirking and loving the ending. The nosy b!tch in me wants more. Boss was fun and I look forward to seeing what the author does next!

Book received in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon An Alpha

[Denise Gilliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author she did a amazing job. Lord this book had more twist and turns is this book. The way those families were entwined was crazy. I truly felt bad for the kids in the families they always say sometimes you pay for the sins of your family. I'm really hoping it's a part 2. I want to see if Troy can gets his one true love back. Great read I recommend that everyone reads this book. Tracy Brown you just got a new fan........

[Carol Hornsby-mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it' great come back after White Lines". I'm hoping this is the start of a series. I was hoping Crystal/ Sidney would get back with Troy, but there are some very unusual circumstances that may never be forgotten. Yet who know that loved they bot shared was magical. Every woman's dream. Well done!!!!

[Tam Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracy Brown is one of my favorite authors!! She never disappoints!! The plot was plotting!!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boss Review (Spoilers Ahead)


SPOILERS AHEAD

I️ feel there were obvious holes in the plot that I️ struggled to ignore. How is it that Troy and ‘Sydney’ were so deeply in love during college and now that ‘Crystal’ had a nose job and became a “vixen” some odd years later she was totally unrecognizable to him? They seemed to know each other’s bodies well and were extremely intimate i️ find that hard to believe.

The story line was decent but unbelievable at times. Sydney going to the dinner party discussing very private details of her life in front of strangers through me off a bit, especially with Don’s condescending tone about what her mother could afford.

I️ like how Troy and Sydney’s lives intertwined but the connecting of it all was a bit off. How was Troy completely oblivious?

Again, there were decent, parts of the story like their undeniable chemistry and the concept of Crystal being a go-getter. Their attraction was sweet but it saddened me that she could love Troy so much and tear him down completely based on the choices her father Quincy and his uncle Don had made. Sydney/Crystal’s revenge plot did not match her character to me. She sympathizes with the young Jackson girl for almost losing her brother and comes to tears remembering how that felt and then participates in taking Wes’ life in front of Troy?

Overall, I️ am not upset I️ read the story I️ am just a little disappointed. It wasn’t bad but It wasn’t that great, hence the 3-star rating. Despite the above, I️ will still continue to read Tracy Brown’s work.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big Tracy Brown fan. After waiting so long for another book from her, I was excited to see Boss.
It was a little different than her other books. The story line was a little darker.
I liked the twists and turns. Little by little you learned exactly what happened to Crystal/Sydney's brother Malik, her mother and how Troy was connected.
But, I'm a little confused as to how he didn't recognize her? How could she have changed so completely? Not even her mannerisms remained the same?
Losing a sibling, and plotting a takeover can make one cold. But... I was feeling like I missed something.
Also, the constant descriptions of how beautiful Crystal/Sydney was and how fine Troy was? A little too much.
I was a little sad that Troy and Crystal/Sydney couldn't be together.
But, I'm wondering if this is truly a standalone?
3.5 stars

[Bridgett Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
OK this book wasn't the best book I've ever read. I think the author had a lot of Ideas and then tried to put them all into one book. I really liked parts of it. But then other parts drove me crazy. overall I think if the author can focus on trying to tone down some of it, It will be a good book.

[Nakia Singleton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really just couldn’t get into the story. I didn’t like any of the main characters. And I really couldn’t buy into Troy and Crystals love story. He was an arrogant asshole who clearly only liked Crystal’s body. Crystal was vain, annoying. I can believe the two of them were sexually attracted to each other but that’s it.

[Gemma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am honestly astounded that this book has a rating of 4.17 stars: I have so many gripes I hardly know where to start! ;-(

The timeline of the story felt so forced and unnatural. Towards the end of the book there was a huge chunk of backstory. There was no building of suspense or mystery: everything just happened unceremoniously then and there. I feel the story would have worked 100 times better by having the backstory be at the beginning if the book as a Part 1, and then skip forward to the "present" as Part 2. I feel this could have been achieved remarkably easily, and would have added the sense of mystery, revenge and tension that the book, in its current state, was sorely lacking.

I commented when first starting to read this book that the sentence structure was choppy and abrupt to the point of distraction: it was almost like reading like a child's "Spot the Dog" book. I'm sure there is a literary term for it, but as I don't know what it is, I will stick with a description: The sentences were essentially a series of statements with no sense of flow or rhythm. It was the adult version of "Spot is a dog. Spot likes to run. Spot ran in the park. He had fun. It was a sunny day". This continued throughout the book, and never got any less irritating. It was the worst example of "telling" rather than "showing" that I have read in a while.

The plot itself also jumped around so much that for the majority of the book (at least until the "big twist" aka ginormous chunk of backstory) I was left wondering what the book was actually wanting to be about. There were so many chunks unrelated and random "things" that it felt like the author had a massive brainstorm of ideas to possibly include in a novel and then decided "heck with it, I'll include 'em all". The lack of a coherent theme throughout the book and underlying the entirety of the storyline really let it down.

So yes, I unfortunately did not enjoy this book. I forced myself to read it as quickly as possible so that I could finish it and be done with it. And yes I feel horrible about how mean I sound in this review, but I am honestly writing it how I see. Needless to say, I won't be checking out any more books by this author.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me of The Perfect Find by Tia Williams, as the premise was kind of similar. Magazine/newsroom setting, woman making moves, getting seen, making money, doing her thing. Boom, bam, pow, meets a man who sweeps her off her feet, but he’s the son of the boss, so he should be off limits until… so that’s where the similarities end for the most part. However, I got kind of bored in the beginning with the set up and slight subtle drops of a pending plot twist throughout the first half of the book. However, the sex scenes in this book are good, and not over the top, but it made me question a lot about the plot, as there are huge gapping holes in the beginning. Second half of the book there is a plot twist, then things get interesting.

I’ve read Tracy Brown before, specifically I read White Lines, and that was stellar to me a decade ago. Urban fiction isn’t my go-to genre, so I am not interested in the thug/bad boy trope or the ghetto queen who raises herself out of squalor to make herself into the best there is, or drama on top of drama. Some people like that rags to riches-esque/drama/bad boy type of trope, but that just isn’t my preference.

Anyways, this book, was a good read once you hit the plot twist. There is an unreliable narrator who tries to make you believe something else is happening when it’s not, but I liked being mislead a tad in this story. It brought the story to life a bit more in the end and plugged some of the holes that were gapping in the beginning.

Brown does a great job in making sure her characters seem like real 3D people, which is much appreciated, but sometimes, she pushes it to the edge with their storyline that sometimes you lose heart that things will work out for them. The ending doesn’t seem as satisfying as you would like since you and the character was stressed out throughout the whole book.

There were a few things that just didn’t sit well with me in this story that made it seem less believable, but overall the storyline was decent, fun, and engaging at the end. Brown left the ending open-ended teasing us all with a possible sequel.

Overall this book is 3.5.

[Dj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Empire meets Scandal meets Romeo and Juliet with an edgy twist in Boss. Crystal Scott (magazine editor) has the world at her fingertips. At the height of her career at a wildly popular magazine and on the rise in an enviable social circle, she’s beginning to think that maybe she can have it all. But her entire life, body, and soul is threatened when Troy Mitchell steps on the scene. Crystal has never felt the insatiable passion she feels for Troy…and it was certainly not part of her plan. Troy pursues her full throttle, making it impossible for her to resist. Crystal can’t help but fall for the handsome, powerful, enigmatic man. But the families of both lovers will not stand for their love, and a raging inferno of bitterness and revenge threatens to consume them both as tensions ignite. His uncle was responsible for her fathers’ 25-year incarceration and her brother Malik’s death. With deadly twists and turns, Crystal and Troy must choose each other and give in to love, or they will not escape the ties that bind them…

Does have an interesting twist, but a little convoluted

[Free Ekpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good and reminded me of why Tracy Brown is one of my favorite writers. This book is about a mid to late twenties black woman named Crystal who is on top of her game. She’s the chief editor at a magazine that she single-handedly revitalized, making her super close to the owner, an older black man named Fox. After many years, Fox is now choosing to retire and is having his son, Troy, replace him as owner. As you can expect, Troy is super fine and coincidentally around Crystal’s age. As they become involved in a love affair, old history and family secrets may come to light which could threaten their future relationship.

I loved this book because it was well written and has a very fascinating story line. I liked getting to know the characters and realizing how they all fit together. I enjoyed the big reveal and was satisfied with the conclusion. I love books that end decisively although they may not always have the happiest of endings. This book does just that, giving you everything you want from an urban romance novel, with added suspense and mystery - 4 stars!

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read other books by this author, and all were good. This one has to be one of the best!! Crystal/Sydney is a woman on the rise. She has worked very hard to attain the position she has reached in the magazine business. As you read this book , you think it is a romance novel between herself and her boss's son. You are also introduced to other characters that you think are secondary characters but this is where the spin comes in. All characters add a piece to the puzzle. When the puzzle comes together, WOW. This book will leave you with your mouth open, in a good way. Could there be a part 2? Yes, I sure hope so. I for one will be waiting for it to drop. Please note, the book is also enjoyable even if there is no part 2. Ms Brown has done it again, she knocked this one out the park. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

[Diane Rembert · Rating 4 out of 5]

After years of hard work, Crystal Scott landed her dream job at a popular magazine and a boss who loves her. When she met his son Troy, there was an instant attraction. The fact that he had a fiancée did not deter her from sticking to the plan.

From the minute the reigns to the family business was handed to him, Troy Mitchell was eager to succeed. Newly engaged, his sights should’ve been on his fiancée, but instead they were on Crystal.

Unfortunately, one soon finds out that everything isn’t what it seems and everyone isn’t who they say they are. My favorite character would go to Fox and my least favorite is definitely his brother Don. The plot twist was absolutely crazy, which made the book intriguing. I don’t think I’ve read anything like it from this author.But, I was left with questions…one of which “How could you not know?”

[Chastity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that this book was current and modern! It's a completely different side of urban fiction that we don't get to see too often and that was very appealing to me! This story was far from the usual. Guns and drugs are fine to read about, just not all the time. It gets old after a while. This novel will definitely stand out among its counterparts. Despite enjoying the novel, there were some errors, such as repeated paragraphs, oddly spaced phrases. Not to mention, once you delve into the text, the clothing and other descriptions became too much! I spent a decent amount of time reading just waiting for some dialogue! I could've done without so much of it. It kind of became exhausting and a bit boring to read. Overall, great novel!! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review it!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Ms. Brown developed this story so well. Sydney carried out her plot for revenge so meticulously. I noticed that the author chose not to embellish on her features. Sydney was described as plain Jane as Sydney and beautiful as Crystal. No detail as to what was different about her aside from weight loss and a nose job. Troy was still attracted to her in either form simply because of her intellect. I still did not get how he didn’t realize that Crystal was Sydney. He should of known a mannerism, birth mark, beauty mark, her eyes, her touch. You can’t change those things.
Since this ended with him watching her it leaves me in hopes that there will be a sequel. This was well worth the read.

[Charlotte Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was interesting to say the least. I give the author credit for writing a romance story with almost zero romance and a fckton full of violence.

My main qualm is that the story could have been edited down. In part 1, the author gave plenty of back story for each of the characters. In part 2, where the flashback is unfolding, the author repeats the same back story that she laid out in part 1. Why are we covering old ground? Other than a name or two, nothing has changed.

And there was a whole bunch of stuff that went down at the end of part 1, involving the downfall of the company that could have been fleshed out more. So much went down so quickly with little to no build up, that I re-listened to that part of the chapter four times thinking I had missed something.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

“Sometimes you have to give people a taste of their own medicine”
It’s said that REVENGE is a dish best served cold. Cold is definitely what Crystal Scott is. Set out to shake up the family that took everything from her family, Crystal devises a plan of revenge. Not once did she think that she would fall in love with Troy Mitchell, again. Soon Crystal learns that you can’t tell your heart who to love, but will she be able to will her mind not to listen.
Boss is a fast-paced, page turner from beginning to end. It is edgy and has some twists and turns that will drop your jaw. I definitely recommend this read!

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this was a good read! The author did an excellent job of weaving two different stories together. I did feel like there were a bunch of fillers in the story, but towards the end I recognized how she may have thought this was necessary for the story to come together. There were a few parts of the story that were completely unbelievable, one that contributes to the overall plot of the story. But overall it’s meant to be entertainment and it was definitely entertaining! Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. I have to say it is my least favorite out of the other books are read by Mrs. Brown. But she’s a great author, and this was a good book.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Am A Sucka For A Love Story

Tracy Brown had hooked me again. This story was like Romeo and Juliet with a twist.
As always Brown captured the pure essence of what it's like to be in love.
While some of the story was repeated in the flashback the meat and beans if the plot was there. Instead of rewriting and repeating some of the areas she could have just finished the story instead of alluding to a part two. That I will still read by the way.
Great job overall though.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good story and it was well written with the exception of later parts of the story being a complete duplicate of earlier parts. The love story between the "women" in Troy's life was completely believable. The story held just the right amount of mystery to keep you asking what exactly does everyone in Crystal's family know that I do not know. I feel like I smell a sequel in the works to know where this book is going but it is good that is a stand alone book for now. I have been reading way too many sequels lately so keeping up is a bit much.

[thee.millennialreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me some Tracy Brown. One of my favorite authors. I like how the details were revealed and I didn’t expect the ending. It wasn’t what I wanted, but that’s good. Lol, Tracy said “nah”. The ending was lowkey a cliff hanger. The only thing I didn’t like was the repetitiveness of details about the mom’s characteristics as well as other parts of the background story. A lot of things were repeated multiple times and that was irritating. The events of the book made up for it a little. I had to know what happened next.

[LaChelle Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right away I was intrigued by this story. First off all, the cover is hot! It caught my attention as soon as I saw it come across my timeline on social media. I loved Crystal's character from her introduction in the first few pages. She worked for a magazine like that of Essence and was at the top of her game. As the story progressed we got to see her layers and my eyes were glued to the pages. At some points, the scenes were quite steamy and in my opinion a little drawn out. I didn't necessarily need to know every detail. But, if you are a fan of urban erotica, that's what it felt like. Overall, it was a good read. This was my first by the author and I enjoyed it.