Playing by the Rules

by Rosa Temple

On the 3rd of August, I died. Well, not literally, but it felt like my life was over. Melodramatic? Me? Just a teensy bit…

When workshy socialite Magenta Bright learns that inheritance comes with one horrific condition, she mentally kisses goodbye to the money. Get a job and keep it for a year? Not likely.

Naïve CEO Anthony Shearman is persuaded to hire her as his PA, and Magenta decides to stick it out, if only because of her sexy boss. But between the bitchy receptionist, Anthony’s beautiful fiancée and not having a clue how to be a career girl, Magenta barely makes it to the end of her first day.

So, just 364 to go then…

Genres: Chick Lit

221 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 15, 2017

About the author

Rosa Temple began writing romantic comedies and chick lit as a ghost writer. In her notebooks, she constantly jotted down story ideas of her own and she eventually self published her first novella Sleeping With Your Best Friend. Rosa went on to self publish the following novels: Natalie's Getting Married, Single By Christmas and Dear..Anybody?
HQ Digital published three of her ebooks: Playing By The Rules, Playing Her Cards Right and Playing for Keeps.
On 26th May 2022 Simon & Schuster published The Slow Lane Walkers Club in 3 formats.
Rosa Temple is a Londoner and is married with two sons. She recently escaped to the Herefordshire countryside.
Visit her website https://www.rosatemple.co.uk/ for more!

Reviews

[Bibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a big fan of chick-lit, however, this book was a pleasant surprise.
At times humorous, at times heart-lifting, this story is about Magenta and Anthony.

Magenta needs to be employed for twelve consecutive months in order to inherit a large sum of money. The thing is: she'd never held a job for more than two months at any given time plus, she's sort of a spoilt upper-middle-class girl who has been indulged by her parents and 3 siblings.

Anthony just wants to paint, having zero skill sets required for managing a business, except, his father conscripts him into taking over the family business which is on the verge of bankruptcy.

When Magenta ends up as Anthony's PA, they're thrown together into the deep end. What follows is too funny for words. I laughed and cheered on Magenta as she matured into a fierce and intelligent businesswoman. Anthony wasn't too bad, either.

A book to re-read, highly recommend.

[Liina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magenta is a 28-year-old woman, who hasn't held a job longer than a few months. Her parents and sisters have helped her and she didn't find anything wrong in that situation. It all changed, when her grandmother passed away and left money for all her granddaughters, but Magenta was the only one, who didn't get the money that easily, she gets the money when she has had the same job for a year or when she turns 45. Magenta finds the situation unfair, but she needs the money and therefore has to find a job. That's when her sister comes to the rescue and got Magenta a job interview. The job is absolutely perfect for her, as the boss is new to the job as well. Anthony took over the business after his father, even though he had other career choices in his mind. Magenta and Anthony start working together to build up the firm, because it wasn't in a good place. Magenta and Anthony have a great work relationship, but they both feel attracted to each other as well, although there's one problem-Anthony is engaged! Can Anthony and Magenta save the firm and will they eventually learn that they are meant to be together?

It was a funny and well written book that keep you turning the pages. I have to admit I didn't really like the main character Magenta very much at the beginning, but she grew so much throughout the book that I ended up liking her a lot. All in all it was a lighthearted and fun book that keeps you entertained.

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

At 28 years old, Magenta Bright has never lasted more than a few days in a job. She has been spoilt by her wealthy family, not helped by being the youngest of four girls. She would rather spend her life living the show business lifestyle than spend a day working.

When her Nana Clementine passes away, all four girls are set to gain an inheritance of £250,000 each. Sisters Indigo, Amber and Ebony are all able to have their money immediately. Magenta on the other hand has to work for her money; literally!

Her Nana added a proviso to the inheritance. She could only have it once she had worked for one full year, for the same employer, or when she turns 45, which ever came first. For Magenta this is the worse thing ever. But she needs the money, so that means she must find a job.

Having recently taken over from his father in the company business, Anthony Shearman needs a PA – Step forward Magenta. But can she last 365 continuous days in employment, when the company secretary hates her, her boss doesn’t have a clue what he is doing, and the business is losing money?

I’ve read a few of Ms. Temples books, and have enjoyed each of them, so I was happy to take on another of her books. I would say ‘Playing by the Rules’ is her best work to date.

Magenta starts off as this spoilt brat. She acts like a child, and throws hissy-fits if she doesn’t get her own way. Her sisters are successful business women, with two of them running the families lingerie company, and the other a buyer for Harrods. But although she started out as a pain-in-the-rear woman, she is still very likeable.

Anthony Shearman is the sex appeal in the book, but he starts off as a clueless guy, who quite honestly came over a bit thick, and looked like he might end up running his company into the ground with his lack of knowledge.

As the story progresses, you see these two change. How Magenta never though she would be any good, and never wanted to work baffled me. She was a natural as a PA, and a businesswoman. She was shrewd, competent and excelled at everything she did.

There were a lot of characters in the book, who all brought their own individuality and importance. I particularly liked Magenta’s best friend, Serbian supermodel, Anya. The only thing that I didn’t like about how Ms. Temple had portrayed her was the way she wrote her speech with ‘Vye not’ instead of ‘why not’, or ‘Vell’ instead of ‘well’. We were told that she was from Serbia, so changing her speech wasn’t necessary.

If you enjoy chick-lit books, but want something a little more gritty and edgy, then this is the book for you. It has a great plot, fabulous characters, and is superbly written. It will have you laughing at the many hilarious moments, but most of all, it will have you enjoying every minute of it from the first word to the last.

Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com

[Justkeepreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins uk and Rosa Temple for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance reader copy of this book.

You can find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon. On goodreads.com/karenwhittard and on Amazon under k.e.whittard from publication date.

This book is a little bit melodramatic. With characters that I didn't find too engaging to but grew on me as time went on.

There are some funny moments in this book. But it is a tad predictable. All in all not a bad book. But not the best that I have read recently. I found Megenta a tad annoying.

As always let me know what you think of the book.

Happy reading everyone

[Kavita Kumar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was internally debating whether I should give it a 3 or 3.5. I guess 2 stars won !!

I'll tell you why though. Everything seemed so bland and one dimensional. The characters and the plot just didn't feel right. Everything felt too good to happen, you know ! I mean, it all just perfectly fell into place.

So, Magenta is a smart but lazy girl. Oh but the cliche doesn't end there. Her family including grandma, parents, her 3 elder sisters are all filthy rich. Oh yeah, her best friend is a top-shot model (Russian heritage with that vot iis thiiiss accent) who gets a Ferrari for her shoots and wait for it !! She gifts it to Magenta.. why you ask..

I didn't spend a penny. Vell, only shipping costs. I drove it in an advertisement and the company said I should keep it. Who am I to argue ? Especially ven I have a best friend whose dying ambition is to drive a red flashy sports car.

Best friend's words, not mine !! Where can I get such a best friend ?? Please sign me up, PRONTO !!


Now, Madge's grandma's will states that she has to work for her inheritance. By work, she has to work in the same office for a year and then she can get her rich inheritance. And now Madge is all upset.. because she has to work.. for an entire year...because otherwise she would have lived her entire life without ever working.. DUH !! Welcome to reality !!



But the list of cliches doesn't end there.. Her sister's neighbor is retiring from his business and his son is taking it up. So, Madge is given the job of being the PA for this supposedly naive and inexperienced boss. And so the drama begins.. Of course he is cute, and she is salivating as soon as she seems him..And of course he is engaged.. And of course Madge has an ex who wants to be back in her life..And there is a part where she has to stick to this job for a year.. and of course she is brilliant in this job discovering her hidden talent.. saving the business from obvious bankruptcy.. possible love triangle.. blah blah blah..



Can you see the single dimension I am talking about ? I understand that books can take us away from our reality, give us a reprieve from our hectic lives.. But that doesn't mean that the plot can be so far fetched !! I wish the plot had a touch of reality to it, something to which the readers can relate.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great mix of fun, giggle inducing writing and with two potential love interests that kept me guessing until really close to the end.

Magenta's life really starts to change when she is informed about her inheritance, or more specifically the conditions attached to it. So long as she can stay in continuous employment at the same company for a whole year, she will inherit, otherwise its a long wait until she is in her 40s to be eligible.

For Magenta has never held a job for longer than 2 months at a time, and it appears on the surface at least she is the outsider in her high flying family who all seem to have far more determination to succeed than she does.

She gets a job purely as one of her sisters pulls in a favour, but the CEO, Anthony Shearman is actually more clueless at business than she is, so its fantastic to see them pull together and learn a lot about themselves and each other, and just what they are capable of.

There are two potential men in her life, and I enjoyed seeing her agonise over ways to distract herself and her heart from either of them for the majority of the story. She was reasonably determined to stay single, at whatever cost to her happiness.

I loved Magenta's family, there is just something about their dynamics that was great to see, and the party that was given to celebrate Magenta first getting the job is hilarious. Magenta's best friend was also great character, even if her accent could get slightly annoying at times.

Playing By The Rules is just generally a light hearted, entertaining story that doesn't take itself too seriously, but is a coming of age story of sorts for Magenta.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Playing by the Rules by Rosa Temple follows the story of rather unlikable Magenta, a melodramatic, wealthy socialite who is left money as part of an inheritance on the proviso that she holds down one job for 365 days.
Her sister helps her find a job and on accepting Magenta realises her true potential and finds that she is more then capable of having a successful career and love.
Throughout the story Magenta's character becomes rather likable despite her character flaws (i.e being spoilt) and you can't help but hope that she gets the happily ever after that everyone deserves.Definitely a story of learning to grow up, become independant and stand on your own two feet!

I really liked the cover of this book and found it to an entertaining read with a fair few funny moments. It definitely grew on me as the story progressed.

Thankyou to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review which I have been more then happy to give.

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

On first introduction, Magenta was more than a bit spoiled, immature, aimless and wallowing in all of the things she ‘wasn’t’: wasn’t in a relationship, wasn’t as clever as her sisters, wasn’t as driven and, perhaps the biggest one, wasn’t getting the substantial inheritance from her beloved Grandmother’s death without strings. At 28, I actually found her to be more of the ‘stuck at 18’ sort of woman, but her sense of humor, the struggles with her own perceptions of herself, and the more than dramatic air that she cultivates around her were intriguing. I really wondered if she would be able to change, grow, and make me care about her successes and empathize with her failures.

But, the caveat for her inheritance: find a job, any job, and work at it for a year seemed to be her own personal Everest, from someone who wouldn’t walk to the corner shop if she had to. And then, her younger sister made a phone call and set a meeting, and we are off.

Anthony has been brought out of his happy place painting in Italy to run the family leather goods company: one focused on high end products for men of a certain age and income, and he’s got zero idea of where to start. He’s mourning the loss of a life he wanted, while completely clueless as to where to begin. Magenta is still mourning her Nan’s bequest, and even worse – still mopey over a 2 week insta-love relationship that ended ten years ago. Two people, reasonably clueless, tasked with saving a company on a downward slide, neither really wanting to be there.

And then, something happens. All of Magenta’s posh party girl moments, her best friend the supermodel, her contacts and a desire to have her inheritance, combined with a new perspective and approach start to turn things around. She’s marvelous at organizing parties and events, she’s got an eye for fashion and sisters in marketing who are willing to answer her many questions. And then, there’s a crush on Anthony (who seems to return it) and the unexpected return of the one who got away years ago. And drama – plenty of drama and perseveration, most of Magenta’s doing.

Light and breezy, this story contains surprising depth as Magenta actually finds her footing in a potential career – if only her love life (and her incessant meddling in her divorced parents’ lives) would turn around. Temple brought her character to life and offered us plenty of twists, turns and more than a few surprises to keep the story moving forward, always entertaining and amusing. Magenta went from ugh to ok – there is a charming, if occasionally awkward woman here- one that many can relate to on many levels. A wonderful read, perfect to lose yourself for an afternoon.

I received an eArc copy from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
This review was originally posted on I am, Indeed

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playing By The Rules offers nothing really new or surprising as far as chick-lit goes, but it is still an enjoyable read. This book follows Magenta, a wealthy socialite who is forced to get and hold a job for 365 days as a term of her inheritance. In the course of accepting and working at a job, Magenta finds her true potential (and, obviously, love). Despite Magenta's spoiled ways, she is still a likable and surprisingly easy to relate to main character. Reading this book, you will find yourself really rooting for her at work and in love.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Kirstie Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me in from the very first page and kept me there the whole time. What a great array of characters. At first I thought it might be a cheesey poor little rich girl story but it definitely wasn't. It was more about growing up and becoming someone. There were a couple of twists in the storyline which I didn't see coming which is a nice surprise. I would definitely buy this book as a gift for a friend.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first half of the book I debated even finishing. The second half is slightly better. If you want a total fluff chick-lit book (which is what I was looking for between reading some meatier choices), it's borerline ok. But I found it cliche and not at all believable. I'm normally pretty easy on chick lit since I read it when I'm wanting something fun, but I really found this book weak and eye-rollingly contrived.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read about a woman growing up. Magenta is not an appealing character (selfish, childish, etc) at the start but you might enjoy watching her realize that you enjoy life a lot more when you have a purpose. I liked Temple's writing style- its breezy and perfect for this genre. THanks to netgalley for the ARC.

[Etinosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

so i stayed up all night to read this book and i have mixed feelings. I actually liked the book but i felt it could be so much better.
- The main character is magenta and I didnt really like her at first but as I kept reading I totally loved her. She is smart and I really dont get why she didnt like to work because she is an amazing P.A. She came up with brilliant ideas for the company and she knows how to throw a party. Though she seems to fall in love too easily.

- I loved the female friendship in this books. Magenta is close to all her sisters but she is even closer to her best friend Anya. They have been friends for years even after one got famous and they support each other really well. I was sort of envious of their friendship.

- Most of the characters in this book are actually well developed and make the story more believable. Anthony, the clueless boss who later is able to learn more about the business but tends to rely on Magenta, Magenta's divorced parents, her sisters, the snotty receptionist Cassandra, the former love interest Hugo and several others.

- The writing style in this book was great, easy to follow and i liked how anya talked in the book, to reflect her accent (her W's were replaced with V ), felt like i could hear her voice in my head. There was also a plot twist i really didnt see coming too.

- Yes there was a love triangle, it was actually okay. Not unbearable like some ive seen in other books but i feel Magenta shouldnt have ended up with either one of them and just gone on to live her life. Neither of them was worthy of her.

- I didnt like the ending a lot either.

Overall, the book was good but i feel a lot more could have been done because magenta is such a great character so i was a little disappointed at the end. I would love to read more of Rosa Temple writing. I also would love a book about one of the sisters, they are quite intriguing,

[Bobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Netgalley is spoiling me with its selection of entertaining chick-lit at the moment. This is another fun read, inept posh girl learns how to be a proper adult and finds love would sum it up in a few words. Okay so I need to write a slightly longer review than that. I just reviewed the Little Lady Agency, and I feel this book is in a somewhat similar vein. Playing on the high society types, though with a hint of destitution, and a healthy smack of 'life isn't fair'. Magenta starts out as a little over-dramatic and annoying, but quickly becomes much more readable, as she begins to figure out life and find herself. Love interest Anthony is made out to be a bit of a bumbling fool at first, and I felt rather sorry for him, but he too seems to find himself somewhat by the end of the book, thankfully. A charming bit of escapism.

[MetLineReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good little book that allowed me to escape from reality and enter the world of filthy rich Magenta who HAS to get a job and stick with it for 365 days in order to inherit £250,000 from her grandmother.

Although it felt far fetched, the romance aspects were sweet and created interest with the will they/won’t they aspects of both potential relationships.

Whilst not the most challenging of reading material, it made a change from the grisly thrillers...

3* as a little far fetched but enjoyed this nonetheless

[ItaPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good and enjoyable read.

I've loved to see our heroine growth as a person and as a worker.
Magenta's journey from wild animal party to smart and dedicated PR kept my attention throughout the whole book...I won't unveil too much of the plot to not risk to ruin it to you all.

Rosa Temple made an excellent work,mixing up funny and thought provoking scenes,delivering an entertaining story.

[Natasha Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable story! I will be looking for another by this author.

[Chantal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and cute at the same time. A good book about a girl finding her way in this crazy thing we call life.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5*

[Lux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something is missing or maybe it was too much... It was more ‘Trouble in Paradise’