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Shades of Love #1
Love On My Mind
Successful PR executive Chelsea Grant is one assignment away from making partner at her firm and nothing will stand in her way. Her big break? Turn a reclusive computer genius into a media darling in time for his new product launch. He may have been dubbed the “sexiest geek alive” but he has no patience for the press—and it shows. Piece of cake, right? Only problem is… his company doesn’t want him to know they hired her.
After a disastrous product launch two years ago, tech CEO Adam Bennett knows the success of his new device depends on the media’s support. When a twist of fate brings the beautiful PR specialist to his door, Adam hires Chelsea to help turn his image around. Their attraction is undeniable and the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep things professional.
But when Adam discovers Chelsea’s deception, will she risk everything for her career or is love the real thing on her mind?
After a disastrous product launch two years ago, tech CEO Adam Bennett knows the success of his new device depends on the media’s support. When a twist of fate brings the beautiful PR specialist to his door, Adam hires Chelsea to help turn his image around. Their attraction is undeniable and the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep things professional.
But when Adam discovers Chelsea’s deception, will she risk everything for her career or is love the real thing on her mind?
298 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 12, 2016
75 people are currently reading
1275 people want to read
About the author
Tracey Livesay
16 books957 followersTracey Livesay writes smart, sexy and emotional contemporary romances where strong, successful heroines find love with powerful, passionate heroes. Her latest release, THE DUCHESS EFFECT, is the sequel to last summer’s American Royalty, which evokes the real-life romance between Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle, if Meghan was Megan Thee Stallion. She is the 2021 Emma Award winner for Best Interracial Romance for Like Lovers Do, which was also named one of the 100 Best Fiction Books of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews. A former criminal defense attorney, she lives in Virginia with her husband—who she met on the very first day of law school—and is counting down the days until they have an empty nest. (Don’t worry, their three kids are well aware.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
July 17, 2016
This is my first read by Tracey Livesay and I am very impressed with how she immediately grabbed my attention with Adam Bennett as "the sexiest geek alive" with Asperger's syndrome and Chelsea, a PR executive hired to work her magic on the man without a tap of social cues. The catch is that Chelsea is hired by Mike Black, the COO of Computronix to work with Adam but Mike doesn’t want Adam to know he hired her. Why? Well Adam detests dealing with the press and the public! People with Asperger’s Syndrome, find it annoying dealing with people in general but after a bad launch two years earlier, Black feels it best to keep it under wraps.
So how did they met you ask? Read this charming book to see how Adam opens up to Chelsea and how he... Nope, I can't do it... I am not giving out any more spoilers... so read this humorous but sexy read and see how Adam and Chelsea deals with "Love on my Mind!"
So how did they met you ask? Read this charming book to see how Adam opens up to Chelsea and how he... Nope, I can't do it... I am not giving out any more spoilers... so read this humorous but sexy read and see how Adam and Chelsea deals with "Love on my Mind!"
August 4, 2016
Actual Ratings: 4.5 stars
This book is so cute, shippy, and everything. If you love Trade Me by Courtney Milan, you're going to dig this one as well. They have similar story-telling vibes, are both about technology business. I love the sizzling romance, and intelligent main characters. Mini review to come.
This book is so cute, shippy, and everything. If you love Trade Me by Courtney Milan, you're going to dig this one as well. They have similar story-telling vibes, are both about technology business. I love the sizzling romance, and intelligent main characters. Mini review to come.
July 12, 2016
This book captured my heart and the reason is Adam. I love complex, rich characters that are real. Adam is complex and he struggles with social cues. Yes, he's brilliant but he doesn't do well in social settings. Of course, if he wants a women in his bed, they understand pretty clearly. And I totally fell for him. He's focused and determined but he's vulnerable. He's logical. He's educated. But he's also sexy and in need of help but he doesn't want it. Adam just captured my heart.
That help comes in the form of a women who gets social as well as Adam doesn't. Driven and creative, Chelsea finds a way into Adams house and his mind. Once there, they both can't really control where things go. Chelsea battles her inner voice that tells her to come clean and tell the truth. In the end, I was proud of her.
Besides the strong characters, this book is a great story. One that had me turning the pages desperate to know how and when the truth would come out. But I was cheering for them. Hoping and happy for them. I loved that the root of Adam's issue was something many people don't understand. I feel like this story sheds light on that. I loved that Adam had supportive friends that stood by him. I'm hoping they get their own story because both of them seem like they have one. That shows how full even the secondary characters are.
Amazing characters, a great story that turns the pages and a HEA makes this one an excellent choice for an afternoon delight!
That help comes in the form of a women who gets social as well as Adam doesn't. Driven and creative, Chelsea finds a way into Adams house and his mind. Once there, they both can't really control where things go. Chelsea battles her inner voice that tells her to come clean and tell the truth. In the end, I was proud of her.
Besides the strong characters, this book is a great story. One that had me turning the pages desperate to know how and when the truth would come out. But I was cheering for them. Hoping and happy for them. I loved that the root of Adam's issue was something many people don't understand. I feel like this story sheds light on that. I loved that Adam had supportive friends that stood by him. I'm hoping they get their own story because both of them seem like they have one. That shows how full even the secondary characters are.
Amazing characters, a great story that turns the pages and a HEA makes this one an excellent choice for an afternoon delight!
July 28, 2018
Love On My Mind wasn't always believable, and it was a bit cheesy, but I forgave because everything else was so darn cute. An adorable and mildly addictive read.
"So let me be clear," he whispered. "I want to kiss you. Not only am I informing you of what I want, it also serves as a notice of my intent. I'm going to kiss you."
It was the sexiest notice she'd ever received.
I cheered for Chelsea throughout the book. A smart and successful PR agent whose professional ambitions are informed by personal pain, her heart (and panties) melt for Adam, the sexy "geek chic" genius. And if I cheered for Chelsea, I jumped up and down for Adam. He was a swoonworthy hero, smoldering and intense yet also vulnerable and sweet. He is on the spectrum, and I found his challenges and growth a highlight of the book.
While I'm normally all about that angst, I appreciated the lighter tone here. Why? Well, this was a big deception, folks. I appreciated Chelsea's explanation to Adam - she maintained an eloquence despite her fears - and I appreciated that it didn't devolve into a melodramatic months-long separation. At the same time, the fast forgiveness would have been more believable if Chelsea had revealed more of herself to Adam. I understood why he had to remain in the dark about much of her life, but I wanted more discussions of her background and how it affected her. Their physical attraction wasn't in question, but the emotional bond could have been stronger.
That said, they had many sexy and sweet moments - Adam building Chelsea an avatar was a total heart eyes emoji - and I found myself re-reading many of their interactions. I didn't like that their more monumental moments played out so publicly, but I'm admittedly a grouch when it comes to PDAs.
All in all, a fun read, humorous and lightly emotional.
Read for SBTB January - March 2018 Quarterly Challenge: a book by a new to you author.
"So let me be clear," he whispered. "I want to kiss you. Not only am I informing you of what I want, it also serves as a notice of my intent. I'm going to kiss you."
It was the sexiest notice she'd ever received.
I cheered for Chelsea throughout the book. A smart and successful PR agent whose professional ambitions are informed by personal pain, her heart (and panties) melt for Adam, the sexy "geek chic" genius. And if I cheered for Chelsea, I jumped up and down for Adam. He was a swoonworthy hero, smoldering and intense yet also vulnerable and sweet. He is on the spectrum, and I found his challenges and growth a highlight of the book.
While I'm normally all about that angst, I appreciated the lighter tone here. Why? Well, this was a big deception, folks. I appreciated Chelsea's explanation to Adam - she maintained an eloquence despite her fears - and I appreciated that it didn't devolve into a melodramatic months-long separation. At the same time, the fast forgiveness would have been more believable if Chelsea had revealed more of herself to Adam. I understood why he had to remain in the dark about much of her life, but I wanted more discussions of her background and how it affected her. Their physical attraction wasn't in question, but the emotional bond could have been stronger.
That said, they had many sexy and sweet moments - Adam building Chelsea an avatar was a total heart eyes emoji - and I found myself re-reading many of their interactions. I didn't like that their more monumental moments played out so publicly, but I'm admittedly a grouch when it comes to PDAs.
All in all, a fun read, humorous and lightly emotional.
Read for SBTB January - March 2018 Quarterly Challenge: a book by a new to you author.
July 24, 2016
If you are not associated with, or informed about, the development and marketing of software then this is a light-hearted love story about communication. The characters fall in love based in chemistry but discover more lasting relationship bonds making for a realistic foundation for the future.
If you are involved in software development then this is a grating misrepresentation relying on factual inaccuracies for everything from the central conflict to fine detail.
For example:
Developers almost never present their own work to the public, certainly not once a company is established. You see Jobs on stage, not the Woz. Our hero hates the spotlight and has already endangered the company once due to that issue. Instead of leaving the brilliant genius techie to continue making genius moneymaking products he's hauled out to see if he will destroy this product launch as throughly as he has every public appearance so far. Because that's their "best chance".
It's very tempting to list every detail that made me wince or snarl, but that would mostly just be cathartic for me and not useful. (*cough* great white shark in captivity *cough*). Had the representation been closer to accurate it would have qualified as a well written piece with interesting, vivid language and individual character voices.
I think future pieces by this author could be very good so long as she either does the research or writes about things she already knows. Geek chic ain't it.
If you are involved in software development then this is a grating misrepresentation relying on factual inaccuracies for everything from the central conflict to fine detail.
For example:
Developers almost never present their own work to the public, certainly not once a company is established. You see Jobs on stage, not the Woz. Our hero hates the spotlight and has already endangered the company once due to that issue. Instead of leaving the brilliant genius techie to continue making genius moneymaking products he's hauled out to see if he will destroy this product launch as throughly as he has every public appearance so far. Because that's their "best chance".
It's very tempting to list every detail that made me wince or snarl, but that would mostly just be cathartic for me and not useful. (*cough* great white shark in captivity *cough*). Had the representation been closer to accurate it would have qualified as a well written piece with interesting, vivid language and individual character voices.
I think future pieces by this author could be very good so long as she either does the research or writes about things she already knows. Geek chic ain't it.
October 13, 2021
she lied to him about her identity from the start and that was the main conflict
I don't like that trope of mistaken identity it just gives me anxiety...
we can flip it and reverse it and make excuses and I agree with our heroine that life is not white and black but this was a huge lie for ME..and his friend wasn't better...
all I got was me, me, me, my company, fix you..blah blah blah...Mike, you are an asshole..
overall..
I loved the Asperger's rep ..Adam is so sweet...
I don't like that trope of mistaken identity it just gives me anxiety...
we can flip it and reverse it and make excuses and I agree with our heroine that life is not white and black but this was a huge lie for ME..and his friend wasn't better...
all I got was me, me, me, my company, fix you..blah blah blah...Mike, you are an asshole..
overall..
I loved the Asperger's rep ..Adam is so sweet...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2023
5.0⭐️ All I can say is (insert synonym for WOW). This book is such a wonderful gift that’s been waiting in my Kindle since I purchased it in 2017. (I may have begun to read it then but got pulled away and never finished it.) Little did I know that this book would be such a treasure.
The backdrop of the story centers on Chelsea, a strong, ambitious black woman who has almost reached her goal of becoming the youngest partner in one of the top PR firms in the country. She is regaled throughout the industry for her monumental success in the PR field representing high profile clients. The COO of Computronix, a multimillion dollar (billon $$?) company has hired this PR firm to represent it.
Specifically, Computronix is slated to hold a press conference to launch its revolutionary device that is touted to “change the face of personal computing.” The COO of the company stresses it is imperative that the presentation, demonstration and subsequent questions from the press go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, the press conference held by the CEO, Adam, 2 years prior turned out to be disastrous, thus severely hurting the company’s revenue. The press has neither forgotten nor really forgiven Adam for his rudeness, condescension and contentiousness toward the assembled reporters. Adam is hurt by what happened and was fodder for the tabloids when his girlfriend, a model, betrayed him very publicly in an effort to boost her own relevance. So, for 2 years Adam has isolated himself from everyone, devoting himself to the exclusion of all else to the creation of this new project.
Consequently, Chelsea is tasked by her firm with the job of readying the CEO Adam, to deal with reporters appropriately and skillfully during the press conference for a successfully lucrative launching of the product. The real challenge, however, is that while Adam is a genius, he is often viewed as being arrogant, as well as being extremely difficult to deal with. He is strong-willed and has refused to work with any PR firms or professionals—no one can get through to him concerning this issue. Chelsea’s bosses have promised to promote her to Director of US Client Management, if she takes this job; however, the promotion is contingent upon her success in completing this task. There is only one small caveat: the COO is adamant that Adam cannot know about the arrangement, and a NDA is signed by Chelsea and the firm. She must devise another creative way, therefore, to approach Adam and get the job done with only 5 weeks left before the launch.
This book is quite special, and it was an emotional one, tempered with some humor along the way. It is an unforgettable tale about two extraordinary people who must find a way to navigate through the many obstacles that life has put in their path. Will they falter? Will there be lies and betrayal? If so, can there be forgiveness, understanding or second chances given? I wholeheartedly recommend this book without reservation. It is a 5 star winner to me!
NB: For inquiring minds, this is an extremely sensual and romantic story. The sexual encounters are sometimes explicit but always smoking hot.
The backdrop of the story centers on Chelsea, a strong, ambitious black woman who has almost reached her goal of becoming the youngest partner in one of the top PR firms in the country. She is regaled throughout the industry for her monumental success in the PR field representing high profile clients. The COO of Computronix, a multimillion dollar (billon $$?) company has hired this PR firm to represent it.
Specifically, Computronix is slated to hold a press conference to launch its revolutionary device that is touted to “change the face of personal computing.” The COO of the company stresses it is imperative that the presentation, demonstration and subsequent questions from the press go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, the press conference held by the CEO, Adam, 2 years prior turned out to be disastrous, thus severely hurting the company’s revenue. The press has neither forgotten nor really forgiven Adam for his rudeness, condescension and contentiousness toward the assembled reporters. Adam is hurt by what happened and was fodder for the tabloids when his girlfriend, a model, betrayed him very publicly in an effort to boost her own relevance. So, for 2 years Adam has isolated himself from everyone, devoting himself to the exclusion of all else to the creation of this new project.
Consequently, Chelsea is tasked by her firm with the job of readying the CEO Adam, to deal with reporters appropriately and skillfully during the press conference for a successfully lucrative launching of the product. The real challenge, however, is that while Adam is a genius, he is often viewed as being arrogant, as well as being extremely difficult to deal with. He is strong-willed and has refused to work with any PR firms or professionals—no one can get through to him concerning this issue. Chelsea’s bosses have promised to promote her to Director of US Client Management, if she takes this job; however, the promotion is contingent upon her success in completing this task. There is only one small caveat: the COO is adamant that Adam cannot know about the arrangement, and a NDA is signed by Chelsea and the firm. She must devise another creative way, therefore, to approach Adam and get the job done with only 5 weeks left before the launch.
This book is quite special, and it was an emotional one, tempered with some humor along the way. It is an unforgettable tale about two extraordinary people who must find a way to navigate through the many obstacles that life has put in their path. Will they falter? Will there be lies and betrayal? If so, can there be forgiveness, understanding or second chances given? I wholeheartedly recommend this book without reservation. It is a 5 star winner to me!
NB: For inquiring minds, this is an extremely sensual and romantic story. The sexual encounters are sometimes explicit but always smoking hot.
August 9, 2016
3.5
This was quite good. It's just hard for me to deal with the tension of a secret coursing through the majority of the book. I'd try the India's story later on.
This was quite good. It's just hard for me to deal with the tension of a secret coursing through the majority of the book. I'd try the India's story later on.
July 20, 2016
Love On My Mind by Tracey Livesay is a hard book to rate. I love the premise and the first half of the book, especially because it features a hot geeky hero who enjoys being a hermit, and the heroine who is a smart, savvy and tenacious. Plus this is an interracial romance because of the POC heroine. But then the last half falters big time because of the overall characterizations of the main couple, especially the descriptions the author uses to describe the physical attributes of the heroine. Also, there’s a sudden twist on why the hero is awkward and why he acts the way he does, which seems thrown into the story for no reason other than to try an add another layer of emotion for the reader that ultimately doesn’t work.
Chelsea is a queen at PR. She has worked hard, giving up much of a social life to become a woman many can admire. It goes back to her unfortunate childhood that made her feel alone and forgotten. But Chelsea is a survivor, even though she is mainly all work and no play. If she wants to her biggest dream to come true, which means a cushy job title and a big raise, she has to fix tech geek Adam, who is doesn’t do well during big media conferences, especially the type where he’s the star because he was picked as People’s Sexiest Man Alive. Adam is very handsome and extremely intelligent, but he doesn’t do well in social settings. He prefers to work from home and not be bothered by ridiculous interview questions from the media on whether he wears boxer or briefs. Soon he’ll be launching a historic media device (think of the iPhone), and has to be engaging and welcoming with the public. Since he’s acts much like a robot, he needs some lessons in how he should dress and act with reporters. Chelsea’s firm is hired by Adam’s partner, and she is picked for the job even though she has to be sneaky about how she approaches Adam. He refuses any help, and if he figures out Chelsea has to “fix” him, he’ll refuse her and possibly act even worse than he did when he was forced to do a press conference for the Sexiest Man of the Year award.
Chelsea has her work cut out for her, but thanks to a horrible storm, she ends up at Adam’s house pretending to be lost. She pretends to be his neighbor for a short time, as she has rented a house near his for her “vacation”. At first Adam isn’t thrilled with Chelsea because she invades his privacy, but then he relents. He even does something out of left field for him. When she tells him she works in the entertainment industry, he asks her for advice to help him with his launch. She accepts and gives him tips on how to act and how to dress (goes shopping with him). She even gives him a full body massage to help him relax, which does things for his libido. Soon these two are more than just friendly neighbors, and now Chelsea has crossed a big line. Does she tell Adam the truth or keep her real identity and job quiet until he does his launch? Adam hates liars, and Chelsea has become one by default because of how important her career is, even though she is falling hard for him.
Love On My Mind should have been a meet cute type of romance, but right from the start there is deception from Chelsea because she lies to Adam. It becomes even worse because she ends up having a sexual relationship with him, AFTER Adam explains how his last girlfriend lied and used him. He hates liars and fakes, which Chelsea is because of this assignment. Also Adam thinks he’s damaged and can’t figure out people for one reason that is thrown out almost toward the end- Adam has Asperger’s, but on the lower spectrum. I really didn’t understand why Adam had to have Asperger’s as to explain why he is the way he is. As if his handicap is to blame for being deceived, which if he was “normal”, he wouldn’t have been tricked so easily. Chelsea does have immense guilt at deceiving Adam, but if she told him upfront, there wouldn’t be a story, so what can you do other to keep the deception alive? But as the story moved along, and she has sex with him, she still plays a fraud. After all is said and done, I felt as if her apology and why she did what she did wasn’t realistic, as in the HEA isn’t believable. I just couldn’t see Adam accepting what she did and being fine with it to the point he believes she’s his soul mate.
Also since this is an interracial romance, there was too much of an emphasis on Chelsea’s skin color. It seems the author couldn’t explain Chelsea without using “mocha skin” or “chocolate”, which was used again when describing Chelsea’s nipples, as in they were chocolate toned. Adam is Caucasian and is never described as having “vanilla” skin or a penis or even his nipples as “vanilla”. Why does Chelsea get the food description treatment but not Adam? That alone made me twitchy. There are better ways to describe someone’s skin tone. Or perhaps just don’t do it if you can’t do it right?
I really wanted to enjoy Love On My Mind. It had some original moments I could appreciate, especially when Adam explains some techie type terms and scenarios to a clueless Chelsea, but I just couldn’t get behind his and Chelsea’s attraction or believe their HEA. I wanted to root for these two, but their characterizations failed on the delivery that should have excelled. This book didn’t.
Chelsea is a queen at PR. She has worked hard, giving up much of a social life to become a woman many can admire. It goes back to her unfortunate childhood that made her feel alone and forgotten. But Chelsea is a survivor, even though she is mainly all work and no play. If she wants to her biggest dream to come true, which means a cushy job title and a big raise, she has to fix tech geek Adam, who is doesn’t do well during big media conferences, especially the type where he’s the star because he was picked as People’s Sexiest Man Alive. Adam is very handsome and extremely intelligent, but he doesn’t do well in social settings. He prefers to work from home and not be bothered by ridiculous interview questions from the media on whether he wears boxer or briefs. Soon he’ll be launching a historic media device (think of the iPhone), and has to be engaging and welcoming with the public. Since he’s acts much like a robot, he needs some lessons in how he should dress and act with reporters. Chelsea’s firm is hired by Adam’s partner, and she is picked for the job even though she has to be sneaky about how she approaches Adam. He refuses any help, and if he figures out Chelsea has to “fix” him, he’ll refuse her and possibly act even worse than he did when he was forced to do a press conference for the Sexiest Man of the Year award.
Chelsea has her work cut out for her, but thanks to a horrible storm, she ends up at Adam’s house pretending to be lost. She pretends to be his neighbor for a short time, as she has rented a house near his for her “vacation”. At first Adam isn’t thrilled with Chelsea because she invades his privacy, but then he relents. He even does something out of left field for him. When she tells him she works in the entertainment industry, he asks her for advice to help him with his launch. She accepts and gives him tips on how to act and how to dress (goes shopping with him). She even gives him a full body massage to help him relax, which does things for his libido. Soon these two are more than just friendly neighbors, and now Chelsea has crossed a big line. Does she tell Adam the truth or keep her real identity and job quiet until he does his launch? Adam hates liars, and Chelsea has become one by default because of how important her career is, even though she is falling hard for him.
Love On My Mind should have been a meet cute type of romance, but right from the start there is deception from Chelsea because she lies to Adam. It becomes even worse because she ends up having a sexual relationship with him, AFTER Adam explains how his last girlfriend lied and used him. He hates liars and fakes, which Chelsea is because of this assignment. Also Adam thinks he’s damaged and can’t figure out people for one reason that is thrown out almost toward the end- Adam has Asperger’s, but on the lower spectrum. I really didn’t understand why Adam had to have Asperger’s as to explain why he is the way he is. As if his handicap is to blame for being deceived, which if he was “normal”, he wouldn’t have been tricked so easily. Chelsea does have immense guilt at deceiving Adam, but if she told him upfront, there wouldn’t be a story, so what can you do other to keep the deception alive? But as the story moved along, and she has sex with him, she still plays a fraud. After all is said and done, I felt as if her apology and why she did what she did wasn’t realistic, as in the HEA isn’t believable. I just couldn’t see Adam accepting what she did and being fine with it to the point he believes she’s his soul mate.
Also since this is an interracial romance, there was too much of an emphasis on Chelsea’s skin color. It seems the author couldn’t explain Chelsea without using “mocha skin” or “chocolate”, which was used again when describing Chelsea’s nipples, as in they were chocolate toned. Adam is Caucasian and is never described as having “vanilla” skin or a penis or even his nipples as “vanilla”. Why does Chelsea get the food description treatment but not Adam? That alone made me twitchy. There are better ways to describe someone’s skin tone. Or perhaps just don’t do it if you can’t do it right?
I really wanted to enjoy Love On My Mind. It had some original moments I could appreciate, especially when Adam explains some techie type terms and scenarios to a clueless Chelsea, but I just couldn’t get behind his and Chelsea’s attraction or believe their HEA. I wanted to root for these two, but their characterizations failed on the delivery that should have excelled. This book didn’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2016
I've read a couple of geek-guy /creative girl romances this year and this is by far the best of the group.
This is smartly written, moves at a great clip, has a really good conflict at the center, and a couple who have a ton if chemistry on the page.
Chelsea the heroine is a PR executive who is tasked with helping anti-social PR disaster Tech genius Adam through a new, revolutionary product launch. The twist? She has to do it without his being aware that she is actually a PR person or that she is even helping him. Adam is an incredibly literal minded person and has some pretty rigid ideas about honesty and honor.
I really enjoyed the author's depiction of both Chelsea and Adam. Chelsea's job as a PR person was integral to the story and I liked that the author included the steps Chelsea took to usher Adam along. It made her look competent in her profession and it did that increasingly rare thing in romance novels -- it actually showed someone performing their job.
Adam is presented mostly through the force of his personality. He is also on the spectrum and this is not overplayed, but rather conveyed with some nice subtleties through language and action.
The only thing I was not a great fan of -- and this is more of a personal pet peeve -- was there was a grand gesture at the end. Romantic sure, but I have a strong dislike of public grand gestures.
But overall I enjoyed this book mightily!
This is smartly written, moves at a great clip, has a really good conflict at the center, and a couple who have a ton if chemistry on the page.
Chelsea the heroine is a PR executive who is tasked with helping anti-social PR disaster Tech genius Adam through a new, revolutionary product launch. The twist? She has to do it without his being aware that she is actually a PR person or that she is even helping him. Adam is an incredibly literal minded person and has some pretty rigid ideas about honesty and honor.
I really enjoyed the author's depiction of both Chelsea and Adam. Chelsea's job as a PR person was integral to the story and I liked that the author included the steps Chelsea took to usher Adam along. It made her look competent in her profession and it did that increasingly rare thing in romance novels -- it actually showed someone performing their job.
Adam is presented mostly through the force of his personality. He is also on the spectrum and this is not overplayed, but rather conveyed with some nice subtleties through language and action.
The only thing I was not a great fan of -- and this is more of a personal pet peeve -- was there was a grand gesture at the end. Romantic sure, but I have a strong dislike of public grand gestures.
But overall I enjoyed this book mightily!
September 10, 2020
Despite this book being cheesy and far from realistic, I appreciate the take on mental health and having a main character with AD 💕
March 9, 2018
Why did I wait so long to start this book? Or any book from Tracey? BAD TBQ, BAD.
Chelsea is a black heroine. She’s a PR executive, with her eyes on finally landed a promotion. The deal: if she can whip the hero’s MIA people and interview skills into shape successfully, the firm’s partnership is all hers. Oh, and he can’t know that she’s from PR and trying to help him out. Yeah, that’s going to cause a problem later on.
Adam is a rich tech genius, about to launch his latest invention – basically a holographic interface. After he was burned by his last girlfriend, he can’t believe he’s considering opening up to another woman again, but there’s just something about Chelsea that he can’t say no to.
Oh! And Adam has Aspierger, which I thought was handled pretty well, but you must remember that this is not my lane so it’s not on me to say if it was a good representation of Asperger or a bad one.
Because you know I’m a quote whore, let me give you a few quotes that I adored. First, a fun one:
“Those things are nice, especially that showerhead.” Indi exhaled and her gaze wandered upward. “Ewww!” Chelsea slapped her arm. “I don’t want to hear about that! Now I’ll have to redo the entire bathroom.” Indi’s light brown eyes widened. “Don’t. Jeremy would think it was all his fault.” “Jeremy? Who’s Jere— You named my shower head?” “Of course!” She looked shocked. “I certainly hope you take the time to find out the name of your orgasm-givers.” “Ugh. Now I’m definitely getting rid of it.”
Now how about some swoony ones? Like this:
He smoothed back a curl that had flown forward to touch her cheek. “I can’t wait to taste every inch of you.” Her mouth fell open. She caressed his cheek, then claimed his lips in a fierce kiss. He moaned and her hands rose to encircle his neck. Her lips were perfect, as if created specifically for his kisses, and he savored her like a rare and expensive delicacy. He intended to spend all night renewing his acquaintance with the angles and contours of her body. He had nowhere else to go, nothing else to do.
And this might be my favorite part. They’re playing a game together and he sees that there’s no women of color in the avatar selection so he makes one for her and I died of the cuteness: “The choices were narrow-minded and shortsighted. So I modded details about your character’s face and body.” She said nothing for several seconds and he frowned. Had he done something wrong? Maybe she would’ve preferred a generic avatar and was annoyed that he’d made the choice for her. When he looked at her, she had a hand pressed against her chest. “That’s . . . amazing. Thank you.” Warmth dispersed throughout his body. “It was my pleasure. It makes the experience more enjoyable. My feedback will contain a recommendation for more ethnically diverse options in creating game characters.” A nanosecond after her sweet fragrance provoked his senses, her hand landed on his thigh and she kissed his cheek."
I really enjoyed Love on My Mind by Tracey Livesay, and totally recommend you pick it up. Even better, it should still be $1.99, with books 2 and 3 also on sale. This was my first time reading her, and I’m kicking myself for putting it off for so long because her books have been recommended to me so many times over the past year. Now that I’ve finally read this one, you bet your ass I’m looking forward to reading more from her! The next book covers Chelsea’s sister, India, and Adam’s friend, Michael. These two threw some sparks in this one so I can only imagine what their own story will do. Bring it on!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
I will be talking about the book on my next Whatcha Reading? podcast which will go up on TBQ's Book Palace Saturday (03/10).
If you wish to look at some quotes/thoughts I highlighted, please check out my Twitter feed
Chelsea is a black heroine. She’s a PR executive, with her eyes on finally landed a promotion. The deal: if she can whip the hero’s MIA people and interview skills into shape successfully, the firm’s partnership is all hers. Oh, and he can’t know that she’s from PR and trying to help him out. Yeah, that’s going to cause a problem later on.
Adam is a rich tech genius, about to launch his latest invention – basically a holographic interface. After he was burned by his last girlfriend, he can’t believe he’s considering opening up to another woman again, but there’s just something about Chelsea that he can’t say no to.
Oh! And Adam has Aspierger, which I thought was handled pretty well, but you must remember that this is not my lane so it’s not on me to say if it was a good representation of Asperger or a bad one.
Because you know I’m a quote whore, let me give you a few quotes that I adored. First, a fun one:
“Those things are nice, especially that showerhead.” Indi exhaled and her gaze wandered upward. “Ewww!” Chelsea slapped her arm. “I don’t want to hear about that! Now I’ll have to redo the entire bathroom.” Indi’s light brown eyes widened. “Don’t. Jeremy would think it was all his fault.” “Jeremy? Who’s Jere— You named my shower head?” “Of course!” She looked shocked. “I certainly hope you take the time to find out the name of your orgasm-givers.” “Ugh. Now I’m definitely getting rid of it.”
Now how about some swoony ones? Like this:
He smoothed back a curl that had flown forward to touch her cheek. “I can’t wait to taste every inch of you.” Her mouth fell open. She caressed his cheek, then claimed his lips in a fierce kiss. He moaned and her hands rose to encircle his neck. Her lips were perfect, as if created specifically for his kisses, and he savored her like a rare and expensive delicacy. He intended to spend all night renewing his acquaintance with the angles and contours of her body. He had nowhere else to go, nothing else to do.
And this might be my favorite part. They’re playing a game together and he sees that there’s no women of color in the avatar selection so he makes one for her and I died of the cuteness: “The choices were narrow-minded and shortsighted. So I modded details about your character’s face and body.” She said nothing for several seconds and he frowned. Had he done something wrong? Maybe she would’ve preferred a generic avatar and was annoyed that he’d made the choice for her. When he looked at her, she had a hand pressed against her chest. “That’s . . . amazing. Thank you.” Warmth dispersed throughout his body. “It was my pleasure. It makes the experience more enjoyable. My feedback will contain a recommendation for more ethnically diverse options in creating game characters.” A nanosecond after her sweet fragrance provoked his senses, her hand landed on his thigh and she kissed his cheek."
I really enjoyed Love on My Mind by Tracey Livesay, and totally recommend you pick it up. Even better, it should still be $1.99, with books 2 and 3 also on sale. This was my first time reading her, and I’m kicking myself for putting it off for so long because her books have been recommended to me so many times over the past year. Now that I’ve finally read this one, you bet your ass I’m looking forward to reading more from her! The next book covers Chelsea’s sister, India, and Adam’s friend, Michael. These two threw some sparks in this one so I can only imagine what their own story will do. Bring it on!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
I will be talking about the book on my next Whatcha Reading? podcast which will go up on TBQ's Book Palace Saturday (03/10).
If you wish to look at some quotes/thoughts I highlighted, please check out my Twitter feed
Read
August 21, 2018I feel like there was a good book under here trying to get out. Chelsea and Adam were both engaging characters. I appreciated getting to read a book with a woman of color as the love interest, since I haven't done enough of that. But this read like a second draft, before another set of eyes had come through to help Livesay smooth out her writing. I'm not sure how sentences like these get past an editor:
"She didn't know if she should [...] allow the awareness of another obstacle to hurdle to suffocate the burgeoning lightness in her limbs."
"Adam placed a palm flat against the window and watched the tan canopied figure..."
"The action was done absentmindedly, but it had a deliberate effect on her..." (Did she mean definite?)
"His ears pricked at the pulpous sound of her body sinking into the cushions of his sofa..."
There are also parts that just don't make sense given the world and characters Livesay has set up. For example, Chelsea's people skills kind of suck for someone who's supposed to have worked successfully with celebrities. Instead of acknowledging Adam's many points about how the world SHOULD work, and gently bringing him to understand how the world DOES work, she just gets riled up and argues with him.
As a piece of fluffy entertainment, this almost worked, if I hadn't been so distracted by the writing quality. :(
"She didn't know if she should [...] allow the awareness of another obstacle to hurdle to suffocate the burgeoning lightness in her limbs."
"Adam placed a palm flat against the window and watched the tan canopied figure..."
"The action was done absentmindedly, but it had a deliberate effect on her..." (Did she mean definite?)
"His ears pricked at the pulpous sound of her body sinking into the cushions of his sofa..."
There are also parts that just don't make sense given the world and characters Livesay has set up. For example, Chelsea's people skills kind of suck for someone who's supposed to have worked successfully with celebrities. Instead of acknowledging Adam's many points about how the world SHOULD work, and gently bringing him to understand how the world DOES work, she just gets riled up and argues with him.
As a piece of fluffy entertainment, this almost worked, if I hadn't been so distracted by the writing quality. :(
May 22, 2021
I really didn't like this. When books are centered on deception as this one was, the presence of sexual encounters while the deception is ongoing make me incredibly uncomfortable. At the end of the book, when the hero is resolving things with both his best friend and his love interest, all I could think was that he deserved better. Not what you want from a romance.
July 19, 2016
Solid 5 stars.
Wonderfully written, characters with amazing depth and awesome chemistry. Everything just flowed together. It's been a long time since I've clicked with a book and I'm so happy I discovered this book and more importantly, this author.
Wonderfully written, characters with amazing depth and awesome chemistry. Everything just flowed together. It's been a long time since I've clicked with a book and I'm so happy I discovered this book and more importantly, this author.
August 4, 2016
I am living for more characters on the spectrum. I loved Adam and I loved his relationship with Chelsea.
June 11, 2020
Part of me wants to say this is well-constructed, because its theme is crystal clear--communication is essential to successful relationships--and all the conflicts support that. You'd be surprised how often I see romances pile on dozens of unrelated conflicts onto their characters without even a hint of a central organizing theme.
But, on the other hand, the conflicts themselves are paper-thin, both ignored and then solved with no real effort. Adam got his pride and reputation ruined by the last women he was serious about, and he has Asperger's, which in his case makes social interaction difficult for him. Chelsea values her career more than anything, to the point where she uncomfortably accepts the order to lie to a client (Adam) about her presence in his life, engaging in a business relationship with him under false pretenses.
Both of them start by telling themselves they shouldn't make it a personal relationship despite their obvious chemistry, though Adam folds on that far faster than Chelsea, who has far more reason to stand her ground. But she doesn't (of course) and after an incredibly brief span of happiness together, everything blows up in their faces (also of course.)
But they both make huge changes/concessions in their lives almost instantly--Adam having an epiphany about trust, and Chelsea resigning from her job to prove love is worth more than her career--and while those about-faces make logical sense from a thematic standpoint, they come with basically no soul-searching, both of them in less than a day of story time. Then they apologize and get back together and she gets her job back and everything is totally fine now happy ending whee!!!
Also, there's a stiff quality to nearly everything. Chelsea has no apparent personality or interests to speak of beyond her job, and Adam's video game habit is poorly executed. Nobody calls video game characters "avatars." Source: I'm a lifelong gamer. They're playing a thinly-veiled version of one of the Uncharted games, apparently, based on the name and what little description is given. You'd just call the thing you control on screen a "character" like everyone else does. It makes no sense to use "avatar" in this context, because Uncharted specifically is a story-based game following a main character on his adventures, he's how the player interacts with the video game, sure, but he's not a meaningless shell encasing the player with no traits of his own.
Judging from other reviews, the techie-corporate aspect is just as poorly executed. I wasn't knowledgeable enough during my reading to know the specifics of the industry, but the whole setup felt off. Adam's best friend and COO hiring a PR firm but insisting they work undercover, essentially? How was anyone supposed to be successful in doing their job while having to disguise who they were or why they were there? If Adam hadn't been attracted to Chelsea, how on earth would she have accomplished what was basically an impossible task, on her own, with no support or direction from her firm?
I have the second book in the series--they were both freebies or maybe 99 cents back when I picked them up--so I'll read that too before I decide if this author is a no-go in the future for me, but I have to say, I was hoping for better.
But, on the other hand, the conflicts themselves are paper-thin, both ignored and then solved with no real effort. Adam got his pride and reputation ruined by the last women he was serious about, and he has Asperger's, which in his case makes social interaction difficult for him. Chelsea values her career more than anything, to the point where she uncomfortably accepts the order to lie to a client (Adam) about her presence in his life, engaging in a business relationship with him under false pretenses.
Both of them start by telling themselves they shouldn't make it a personal relationship despite their obvious chemistry, though Adam folds on that far faster than Chelsea, who has far more reason to stand her ground. But she doesn't (of course) and after an incredibly brief span of happiness together, everything blows up in their faces (also of course.)
But they both make huge changes/concessions in their lives almost instantly--Adam having an epiphany about trust, and Chelsea resigning from her job to prove love is worth more than her career--and while those about-faces make logical sense from a thematic standpoint, they come with basically no soul-searching, both of them in less than a day of story time. Then they apologize and get back together and she gets her job back and everything is totally fine now happy ending whee!!!
Also, there's a stiff quality to nearly everything. Chelsea has no apparent personality or interests to speak of beyond her job, and Adam's video game habit is poorly executed. Nobody calls video game characters "avatars." Source: I'm a lifelong gamer. They're playing a thinly-veiled version of one of the Uncharted games, apparently, based on the name and what little description is given. You'd just call the thing you control on screen a "character" like everyone else does. It makes no sense to use "avatar" in this context, because Uncharted specifically is a story-based game following a main character on his adventures, he's how the player interacts with the video game, sure, but he's not a meaningless shell encasing the player with no traits of his own.
Judging from other reviews, the techie-corporate aspect is just as poorly executed. I wasn't knowledgeable enough during my reading to know the specifics of the industry, but the whole setup felt off. Adam's best friend and COO hiring a PR firm but insisting they work undercover, essentially? How was anyone supposed to be successful in doing their job while having to disguise who they were or why they were there? If Adam hadn't been attracted to Chelsea, how on earth would she have accomplished what was basically an impossible task, on her own, with no support or direction from her firm?
I have the second book in the series--they were both freebies or maybe 99 cents back when I picked them up--so I'll read that too before I decide if this author is a no-go in the future for me, but I have to say, I was hoping for better.
July 13, 2016
***Review can also be found at Jackie's Book World. :)***
Adam Bennett might be wealthy, good-looking and CEO of a tech company, but not even his genius could help him be more sociable. He only keeps a very tight group of friends who have always been loyal and trustworthy. Yet when attending one of his press releases for one of his latest products, everyone was more interested on his personal life and not on his product which made him uncomfortable, and in result he turned to his home away from everyone else. With everyone around him telling him to get help from a professional PR specialist, including his closest friend, Adam has no choice but to start considering the possibility. But before he could do that, his new neighborhood suddenly appears at his door asking for help. He wasn't expecting to find her attractive, but soon he begins to get to know her better and the more time they spent with each other, their chemistry started to grow even more. Nevertheless, when she tells him that she has some experience in the entertainment industry, he wastes no time to ask her for her help without knowing what he was getting himself to. Little did he know that what he valued the most was about to be put in jeopardy, and someone was about to her hurt.
Chelsea Grant is a successful PR executive who has brought more to the company that she works for than anyone else. Yet, she longs for something much more fulling in her career, and she asks to be made partner at the company. Her bosses know what she is capable of, and waste no time to ask her to work in one more assignment before she becomes partner. Her job is to make CEO Adam Bennett look good in front of the cameras/people before the new launch of his product. So far he has refused to work with anyone, and the Adam's people know that Chelsea might just be the person to change him once and for all. The only twist in the job is that they don't want her to know that she has been hired to help him, instead she has to find a way to make Adam think that she is just helping him out as a friend. Soon she meets the reclusive CEO, and the game immediately starts to change when she is unable to keep her emotions from getting in the way of doing her job. Now she has to find a way to stop Adam from finding out or he may never forgive her.
I loved this book, the characters are well thought out that made it impossible for me to stop reading. They were complex characters whose stories and personalities began to grow on me. Adam is a good looking CEO that has problems understanding people. He loves being in his own little world that he doesn't know how to socialize and let loose. He reminded me of Dr. Temperance Brennan in the show Bones, she is a genius who lacks social cues, but Adam's issues of being unable to pick up on social cues go much more deeper than anything else. On the other hand, Chelsea knows what she wants, and wanting to have a better career for herself is one of those things. When she gets the job, she knows that she'll be deceiving Adam, but is immediately overshadowed by the growing feelings for him. Though the story starts a bit slow at the beginning, the author does a job at picking up the pace throughout the book. We get all kinds of sweet scenes that made the characters that much more likable. The ending was great, it really tied everything together, I would highly recommend picking it up. I will most definitely be reading more from the author in the future. :)
***ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.***
Adam Bennett might be wealthy, good-looking and CEO of a tech company, but not even his genius could help him be more sociable. He only keeps a very tight group of friends who have always been loyal and trustworthy. Yet when attending one of his press releases for one of his latest products, everyone was more interested on his personal life and not on his product which made him uncomfortable, and in result he turned to his home away from everyone else. With everyone around him telling him to get help from a professional PR specialist, including his closest friend, Adam has no choice but to start considering the possibility. But before he could do that, his new neighborhood suddenly appears at his door asking for help. He wasn't expecting to find her attractive, but soon he begins to get to know her better and the more time they spent with each other, their chemistry started to grow even more. Nevertheless, when she tells him that she has some experience in the entertainment industry, he wastes no time to ask her for her help without knowing what he was getting himself to. Little did he know that what he valued the most was about to be put in jeopardy, and someone was about to her hurt.
Chelsea Grant is a successful PR executive who has brought more to the company that she works for than anyone else. Yet, she longs for something much more fulling in her career, and she asks to be made partner at the company. Her bosses know what she is capable of, and waste no time to ask her to work in one more assignment before she becomes partner. Her job is to make CEO Adam Bennett look good in front of the cameras/people before the new launch of his product. So far he has refused to work with anyone, and the Adam's people know that Chelsea might just be the person to change him once and for all. The only twist in the job is that they don't want her to know that she has been hired to help him, instead she has to find a way to make Adam think that she is just helping him out as a friend. Soon she meets the reclusive CEO, and the game immediately starts to change when she is unable to keep her emotions from getting in the way of doing her job. Now she has to find a way to stop Adam from finding out or he may never forgive her.
I loved this book, the characters are well thought out that made it impossible for me to stop reading. They were complex characters whose stories and personalities began to grow on me. Adam is a good looking CEO that has problems understanding people. He loves being in his own little world that he doesn't know how to socialize and let loose. He reminded me of Dr. Temperance Brennan in the show Bones, she is a genius who lacks social cues, but Adam's issues of being unable to pick up on social cues go much more deeper than anything else. On the other hand, Chelsea knows what she wants, and wanting to have a better career for herself is one of those things. When she gets the job, she knows that she'll be deceiving Adam, but is immediately overshadowed by the growing feelings for him. Though the story starts a bit slow at the beginning, the author does a job at picking up the pace throughout the book. We get all kinds of sweet scenes that made the characters that much more likable. The ending was great, it really tied everything together, I would highly recommend picking it up. I will most definitely be reading more from the author in the future. :)
***ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.***
October 2, 2024
Pft... This book didn't work for me at all.
I probably should have known from the start that I would have trouble understanding this one. My main issue stems from the basis of the premise of the plot and that's implied in the blurb. So really, I only blame myself for having picked up the book (and the second one too...). But I was lured by the promise of an own-voices interracial romance, that ultimately didn't deliver.
If there's one thing I despise both in real life and online is when people act unprofessionally during any interaction where the source of it concerns their job. So I was annoyed and infuriated with the plot from the get go. And that's not mentioning the ethical implications of what both companies did to Adam. Plus, having one side of it coming from your supposed close friend and confidant made me wish prostate cancer on Mike. The blame of the whole skit should have rested mostly on him. At the end of the day, the marketing firm is a business, they are there for the money, not for hand-holding. What they initially did was probably unethical but not illegal. Coming from Mike? The whole thing is unforgivable.
The deception on which every thread of the plot hinges bothered me immensely and it never stopped being a huge problem for me, so the rest of my reading was completely coloured by those feelings. By the time the plot turned from the unethical to the outright unprofessional I was done. I kept reading out of obligation, but I wasn't enjoying it at all. What Chelsea does is callous. And I was never completely sold on her reasons.
As for the rest of it? I don't know if it was because my perception of the book was already smeared with bad feelings or if the writing really bothered me on it's own, but I couldn't get behind the extreme cheesiness of some of the sentences. The narration style irritated me to no end. When done right, flowery prose actually works for me, but here it kept irking me. Some of the sentences were ridiculous, like:
I mean, seriously: LOL.
There's a lot of flared nostrils, fanning of oneself and fluttering lashes here. And the cliché-filled sentences kept antagonising me towards the MC's.
Another thing that kept bugging me is how there's a lot of low-key women hate in the book. Besides Chelsea, the MC, and her best friend/sister (who's the MC of the next book, so we can't have the readers hating on her), every other woman who appears in the book is an awful person. Be it the two mothers who, each in their own way, are neglectful and cruel or the women who keep flirting with Adam (while on the job, may I add) or the horrible, manipulative ex that causes Adam to think that all women are despicable and not-to-be trusted. There's a publicity assistant that makes some off-page appearances that seems to be the only woman not portrayed as an unpleasant person.
Finally, the HEA that comes after only 3 weeks or so of the MC's knowing each other was never gonna work for me unless it had been superbly done. Added with the betrayal of confidence that's there from the start, I found it even less believable than mermaids.
I probably should have known from the start that I would have trouble understanding this one. My main issue stems from the basis of the premise of the plot and that's implied in the blurb. So really, I only blame myself for having picked up the book (and the second one too...). But I was lured by the promise of an own-voices interracial romance, that ultimately didn't deliver.
If there's one thing I despise both in real life and online is when people act unprofessionally during any interaction where the source of it concerns their job. So I was annoyed and infuriated with the plot from the get go. And that's not mentioning the ethical implications of what both companies did to Adam. Plus, having one side of it coming from your supposed close friend and confidant made me wish prostate cancer on Mike. The blame of the whole skit should have rested mostly on him. At the end of the day, the marketing firm is a business, they are there for the money, not for hand-holding. What they initially did was probably unethical but not illegal. Coming from Mike? The whole thing is unforgivable.
The deception on which every thread of the plot hinges bothered me immensely and it never stopped being a huge problem for me, so the rest of my reading was completely coloured by those feelings. By the time the plot turned from the unethical to the outright unprofessional I was done. I kept reading out of obligation, but I wasn't enjoying it at all. What Chelsea does is callous. And I was never completely sold on her reasons.
As for the rest of it? I don't know if it was because my perception of the book was already smeared with bad feelings or if the writing really bothered me on it's own, but I couldn't get behind the extreme cheesiness of some of the sentences. The narration style irritated me to no end. When done right, flowery prose actually works for me, but here it kept irking me. Some of the sentences were ridiculous, like:
"When she finally twisted to face him, his breath fled the prison of his being."
I mean, seriously: LOL.
There's a lot of flared nostrils, fanning of oneself and fluttering lashes here. And the cliché-filled sentences kept antagonising me towards the MC's.
Another thing that kept bugging me is how there's a lot of low-key women hate in the book. Besides Chelsea, the MC, and her best friend/sister (who's the MC of the next book, so we can't have the readers hating on her), every other woman who appears in the book is an awful person. Be it the two mothers who, each in their own way, are neglectful and cruel or the women who keep flirting with Adam (while on the job, may I add) or the horrible, manipulative ex that causes Adam to think that all women are despicable and not-to-be trusted. There's a publicity assistant that makes some off-page appearances that seems to be the only woman not portrayed as an unpleasant person.
Finally, the HEA that comes after only 3 weeks or so of the MC's knowing each other was never gonna work for me unless it had been superbly done. Added with the betrayal of confidence that's there from the start, I found it even less believable than mermaids.
February 9, 2017
Chelsea has worked very hard to become partner at the PR firm she's working for. There's one condition, if she manages to make computer geek Adam look professional when he presents his company's new product the promotion will be hers. Adam is gorgeous, but he always says the wrong things. He doesn't like getting media training and keeps firing his PR people. That's why Chelsea needs to approach him without telling him what she's been hired to do. Adam has to want her advice to improve his media appearance skills. Chelsea knows she can pull it off, but she hasn't counted on having feelings for Adam. While their attraction for each other seems to grow Chelsea guilt increases as well. Will Adam ever give her a chance when he finds out she lied to him from the start and will that influence the launch of Adam's new product?
Love On My Mind is a fun and sexy story. Chelsea is driven and determined. She's also sweet and caring, which is a great combination. It makes her successful at everything she does. Adam knows more about computers than about people. He's awkward in social situations, but Chelsea understands him and knows how to explain things to him. She tells him exactly what kind of changes he has to make and he listens. They are endearing together and that sweetness contrasts with their inspired professional life in a lovely way, which is something I really liked.
Tracey Livesay has written a fabulous story about two people who are always working hard and finally find the love they deserve. Adam and Chelsea are adorable together and I loved the chemistry between them. Their relationship gradually becomes more meaningful and turns into something wonderful. That was another thing I liked a lot. It's easily understandable that Chelsea struggles with her deception, which adds some extra tension to the story. I couldn't wait to find out where that would lead and enjoyed reading the fitting and romantic ending very much. Love On My Mind is an extremely cute lighthearted story.
Love On My Mind is a fun and sexy story. Chelsea is driven and determined. She's also sweet and caring, which is a great combination. It makes her successful at everything she does. Adam knows more about computers than about people. He's awkward in social situations, but Chelsea understands him and knows how to explain things to him. She tells him exactly what kind of changes he has to make and he listens. They are endearing together and that sweetness contrasts with their inspired professional life in a lovely way, which is something I really liked.
Tracey Livesay has written a fabulous story about two people who are always working hard and finally find the love they deserve. Adam and Chelsea are adorable together and I loved the chemistry between them. Their relationship gradually becomes more meaningful and turns into something wonderful. That was another thing I liked a lot. It's easily understandable that Chelsea struggles with her deception, which adds some extra tension to the story. I couldn't wait to find out where that would lead and enjoyed reading the fitting and romantic ending very much. Love On My Mind is an extremely cute lighthearted story.
January 9, 2021
I read this book to familiarise myself with Tracey Livesay's writing style, ahead of the release of her upcoming series, American Royalty.
In the context of a romance novel, the Secret Identit(t)y™ trope is difficult to pull off without making the undercover party look/sound evil. But Ms. Livesay executed it really well, and the conflict between Chelsea's career ambition and moral conscience was game of tug-and-war that kept me engaged throughout the story. Adam's perspective, as someone with Aspergers, was written with equal strength. The pacing of Chelsea and Adam's love story was (almost) perfect , and they were so cute together. Truly heart-melting stuff🥺🥺🥺 .
In the context of a romance novel, the Secret Identit(t)y™ trope is difficult to pull off without making the undercover party look/sound evil. But Ms. Livesay executed it really well, and the conflict between Chelsea's career ambition and moral conscience was game of tug-and-war that kept me engaged throughout the story. Adam's perspective, as someone with Aspergers, was written with equal strength. The pacing of Chelsea and Adam's love story was (almost) perfect , and they were so cute together. Truly heart-melting stuff🥺🥺🥺 .
July 15, 2016
Love, love, love this book. It's beautifully written, emotionally satisfying and so smart! Adam, the ultra-hot genius hero, has Asperger's Syndrome. The author has captured this so well in his internal thoughts, mannerisms and dialogue. And the conflict she set up between Adam and Chelsea, the heroine, is excellent. And did I mention smart? The one thing Adam absolutely can't tolerate is the one the Chelsea does -- even before they have a relationship. It takes trust and understanding for their relationship to survive and grow.
Ms. Livesay is a must read for me. I look forward with much anticipation to her next book (already pre-ordered), and unless I miss my guess we've already been treated to the beginning of that relationship.
Ms. Livesay is a must read for me. I look forward with much anticipation to her next book (already pre-ordered), and unless I miss my guess we've already been treated to the beginning of that relationship.
August 14, 2016
I need more stars! This book was fantastic from start to finish. The characters were delightfully quirky and flawed and completely believable and loveable. There didn't seem to be any wasted scenes, everything flowed nicely and the pages flew by. I can't say enough about how these characters worked their way into your heart until you were rooting for them, crying with them, then celebrating their happy ending. And, wondering what happens next. I can't wait to find out.
August 7, 2016
I loved this book. I don't often give five star reviews but I really love the combination of things. We have a hero with asbergers, an interracial relationship and characters I related to!!!!!! Everyone should read this book. plus tell the author she's amazing because she is!
June 3, 2018
A really lovely romance book. The heroine is black and our hero has Asperger's. Their dynamic is really well done and it's really one of the best romance novels I read recently. Highly recommend!
November 4, 2017
3.5* for this pleasant read.
My first book by this author and I think I'll read more! Chelsea had to grapple with her personal / professional principles and need for that promotion to partner in her firm. With her lousy childhood she worked so hard to achieve what she did, and to her the partnership was her way to prove all those bullies wrong, that she had made it with her own capabilities and nobody dared ever look down on her again!
But to get this promotion meant lying to her client, Adam which was something she prided herself in never doing. What a moral dilemma. But since she didn't know Adam she hardened her heart to get this assignment done.
She did not expect to like Adam so much and even fall for him; by then she knew the truth would hurt Adam more as it would affect his presentation. The truth could wait...so she thought. Now I really did not like the way Mike threw her under the bus (figuratively). He wanted Chelsea to help Adam but she's not supposed to let him know she's a professional. And after the initial meeting in her offices, only her partner boss was pushing her for updates. Did Mike not question at all and wonder just how Chelsea was going to help Adam? He knew Adam had help with his interview questions, and there's a new neighbour yet he didn't think to link them?
That could be a plot issue...but I liked Mike less for how he handled this.
The pacing in the plot was just nice, things moved along fast but credibly.
My favourite has got to be Adam customising the avatar for Chelsea and realising there wasn't enough choices for women of colour.
Adam having Asperger's was also sensitively and factually dealt with. I know people on the spectrum and Adam was just like them! They were totally literal so idioms were a killer. Reading social cues also was challenging so parents worry the most about their kids being conned by so called friends, like Birgitta did to Adam.
Good read!
My first book by this author and I think I'll read more! Chelsea had to grapple with her personal / professional principles and need for that promotion to partner in her firm. With her lousy childhood she worked so hard to achieve what she did, and to her the partnership was her way to prove all those bullies wrong, that she had made it with her own capabilities and nobody dared ever look down on her again!
But to get this promotion meant lying to her client, Adam which was something she prided herself in never doing. What a moral dilemma. But since she didn't know Adam she hardened her heart to get this assignment done.
She did not expect to like Adam so much and even fall for him; by then she knew the truth would hurt Adam more as it would affect his presentation. The truth could wait...so she thought. Now I really did not like the way Mike threw her under the bus (figuratively). He wanted Chelsea to help Adam but she's not supposed to let him know she's a professional. And after the initial meeting in her offices, only her partner boss was pushing her for updates. Did Mike not question at all and wonder just how Chelsea was going to help Adam? He knew Adam had help with his interview questions, and there's a new neighbour yet he didn't think to link them?
That could be a plot issue...but I liked Mike less for how he handled this.
The pacing in the plot was just nice, things moved along fast but credibly.
My favourite has got to be Adam customising the avatar for Chelsea and realising there wasn't enough choices for women of colour.
Adam having Asperger's was also sensitively and factually dealt with. I know people on the spectrum and Adam was just like them! They were totally literal so idioms were a killer. Reading social cues also was challenging so parents worry the most about their kids being conned by so called friends, like Birgitta did to Adam.
Good read!
April 16, 2019
Love on My Mind is a story of a woman who works in PR who gets assigned to secretly assist an introverted computer genius navigate the public side of his business.
Adam Bennett was a genius and had a public launch of his tech company's product coming up. But during a previous press conference, he seriously bombed. So his CEO and best friend arranged for a PR firm to handle Adam. Under the condition that Adam never knows they were hired to work with him because he'd resist. Enter Chelsea. She's at the top of her game and looking to be promoted to partner. If she succeeds with Adam, she's guaranteed the parternship.
She arranged an "accidental" meeting with Adam and they are both instantly attracted to the other. But Chelsea has a job to do and as it turns out, Adam has a serious aversion to lies. He was hurt badly in the past by a woman who was using his success for her career and wants to avoid that happening again.
But Adam and Chelsea can't resist each other and soon fall in love. Chelsea vows to tell him the truth after his presentation. But he accidentally finds out on his own. They have to deal with the fallout of the truth and figure out where to go from there.
The story was a little slow starting out, but Adam and Chelsea ended up being SO cute. They made a great couple and I found myself smiling more and more as they fell more and more in love. I really enjoyed this.
Adam Bennett was a genius and had a public launch of his tech company's product coming up. But during a previous press conference, he seriously bombed. So his CEO and best friend arranged for a PR firm to handle Adam. Under the condition that Adam never knows they were hired to work with him because he'd resist. Enter Chelsea. She's at the top of her game and looking to be promoted to partner. If she succeeds with Adam, she's guaranteed the parternship.
She arranged an "accidental" meeting with Adam and they are both instantly attracted to the other. But Chelsea has a job to do and as it turns out, Adam has a serious aversion to lies. He was hurt badly in the past by a woman who was using his success for her career and wants to avoid that happening again.
But Adam and Chelsea can't resist each other and soon fall in love. Chelsea vows to tell him the truth after his presentation. But he accidentally finds out on his own. They have to deal with the fallout of the truth and figure out where to go from there.
The story was a little slow starting out, but Adam and Chelsea ended up being SO cute. They made a great couple and I found myself smiling more and more as they fell more and more in love. I really enjoyed this.
July 2, 2018
I honestly have not read straight-up romance for YEARS, maybe not since I was in high school. Task #10 on the Read Harder challenge is "a romance novel by or about a PoC" so I picked this one up. I absolutely love that the guy lead has Asperger's and that it is stated explicitly and discussed accurately. It is a well-written, super-cute story with engaging characters and I was totally entertained. What more could I ask for, honestly? Three stars instead of four because (1) the fact that the resolution of the book's central conflict was played out in a highly public and professional setting was kind of unbelievable to me and (2) there was a little more explicit sexytimes than I might have preferred. (Maybe that's not fair. I'm easily embarrassed and that's not the author's fault at all.)
Then in the acknowledgements, I read that, like me, the author has a son with Asperger's and is a former attorney and now I pretty much want to be her best friend.
Then in the acknowledgements, I read that, like me, the author has a son with Asperger's and is a former attorney and now I pretty much want to be her best friend.
December 27, 2017
Source: Library
I LOVED THIS!!!
I LOVED THIS!!!
December 29, 2019
The author handled the big reveal really well. I liked the heroine and the hero--both are memorable. I also liked the workplace parts of the novel. This was a good purchase.
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