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My (Mostly) Funny Romance #1
My (Mostly) Secret Baby
You know that instinct to run when something bad is coming?Yeah. I apparently missed out on that one.Because Damon Rose came, and instead of running, I got pregnant.DamonYes. I remember Chelsea Cross.I remember five years ago when she thought she could handle me.Proving her wrong was… enjoyable.With hair I wanted to fist. A mouth that only stopped when I kissed it. A body that I needed to press against the nearest wall and claim.And now she wants a job.A smart man would say “no”.Or, I could teach her the same lesson I taught her five years ago.She can’t even begin to handle me.Author’s Buckle up for the ultimate grumpy boss in this steamy, workplace romantic comedy with a sassy heroine and a stubborn grump who wants to ruin her day.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2020
3199 people are currently reading
1958 people want to read
About the author
Penelope Bloom
69 books2,610 followersUSA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts Bestselling author Penelope Bloom is taking her first flight into romantasy—and yes, there are dragons. After years of contemporary romance, she's temporarily trading meet-cutes for magical academies and coffee shops for castles that reek of blood. She promises the banter is just as sharp, but now it comes with deadly consequences.
Fun fact: “Penelope Bloom” started as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the family dog, Penelope—never meant to be anything serious. But then the books took off, and the name stuck. Behind the scenes, Penelope Bloom is actually a husband-and-wife team. He handles the writing; she edits, helps with brainstorming, and runs the reader-facing side of things (like social media and messages). So if you’ve chatted with “Penelope” online, you’ve likely been talking to her—with the author chiming in whenever needed. Together, they’ve built the voice readers know and love.
Fun fact: “Penelope Bloom” started as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the family dog, Penelope—never meant to be anything serious. But then the books took off, and the name stuck. Behind the scenes, Penelope Bloom is actually a husband-and-wife team. He handles the writing; she edits, helps with brainstorming, and runs the reader-facing side of things (like social media and messages). So if you’ve chatted with “Penelope” online, you’ve likely been talking to her—with the author chiming in whenever needed. Together, they’ve built the voice readers know and love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 571 reviews
August 19, 2020
2 stars
The “boss” wasn’t grumpy.. he was just an a**hole. And if you think it’s one of those situations where there’s some layers behind it, or it’s all a facade.. think again, because no, he’s just not a good person.
The heroine was inconsistent. I honestly still don’t know what to make of her. As a mother, as a woman, as a person.. she was all over the place.
The humour in this one wasn’t right for my taste. There were some witty lines and good banter but mostly it was crude and over the top which didn’t fit the story or characters.
The initial meeting between the leads (before the time skip of 5 years) was very confusing.
Minor spoiler (it’s at the beginning of the book)
Here’s how it went:
They meet by coincidence outside a hotel where they both want to attend some conference - the hero acts nastily towards a child, the heroine calls him out on it then she keeps pestering him and following him.
Within what is supposedly less than a 15 minute window of meeting, they find themselves all over each other. I don’t get it. She was literally appalled by his jerk-ish behaviour and he insults her countless times but then she decides “eh, so what, I’ll just jump this complete strangers bones after having been insulted by him and witnessed him being a complete douche- all within a matter of minutes” -THAT made no sense.
Not to mention she was there as an athlete trying to gain sponsorship at that conference and she just throws it all away to do what again? - then she throws a fit, makes crude comments and gets herself kicked out.
Also, the reason for her keeping her child a secret was not a reason at all. So he was good enough to mess around with 15 minutes into their first meeting but he was supposedly a “bad guy” to have as a child’s father. Also, how do you make that assumption after such a fleeting interaction where the only things exchanged were names and semen?! Honestly?!
Myeah, the whole book continues pretty much in the same vein of absurdity.
The “boss” wasn’t grumpy.. he was just an a**hole. And if you think it’s one of those situations where there’s some layers behind it, or it’s all a facade.. think again, because no, he’s just not a good person.
The heroine was inconsistent. I honestly still don’t know what to make of her. As a mother, as a woman, as a person.. she was all over the place.
The humour in this one wasn’t right for my taste. There were some witty lines and good banter but mostly it was crude and over the top which didn’t fit the story or characters.
The initial meeting between the leads (before the time skip of 5 years) was very confusing.
Minor spoiler (it’s at the beginning of the book)
Here’s how it went:
They meet by coincidence outside a hotel where they both want to attend some conference - the hero acts nastily towards a child, the heroine calls him out on it then she keeps pestering him and following him.
Within what is supposedly less than a 15 minute window of meeting, they find themselves all over each other. I don’t get it. She was literally appalled by his jerk-ish behaviour and he insults her countless times but then she decides “eh, so what, I’ll just jump this complete strangers bones after having been insulted by him and witnessed him being a complete douche- all within a matter of minutes” -THAT made no sense.
Not to mention she was there as an athlete trying to gain sponsorship at that conference and she just throws it all away to do what again? - then she throws a fit, makes crude comments and gets herself kicked out.
Also, the reason for her keeping her child a secret was not a reason at all. So he was good enough to mess around with 15 minutes into their first meeting but he was supposedly a “bad guy” to have as a child’s father. Also, how do you make that assumption after such a fleeting interaction where the only things exchanged were names and semen?! Honestly?!
Myeah, the whole book continues pretty much in the same vein of absurdity.
February 26, 2022
Secret Baby set in the world of Sports Agents!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💙💚🖤💜
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌏
Character development: 😳🤬😏🤓
The Hero: Damon Rose - His brother is a huge NFL star and Damon is his sports agent. He wants to keep his brother’s name in the headlines as long as possible so he and his brother go to the Olympic committee to see if they can bring American Football to the olympics like has been done with Basketball.
The heroine: Chelsea Cross - an upcoming tennis star who needs to get her name out there. So she tries to get on the Olympic tennis team. Her parents used to support her and her tennis goals, but had summarily stopped supporting her when she took her brothers side in an argument with them.
The Story: Chelsea sees Damon at his Alpha-hole worst when he makes a little girl cry. The two of them butt heads from the very start and don’t stop until he has her against a wall in an empty conference room. They both end up late to the meeting and neither gets what they want.
Fast forward five years and Chelsea shows up for an interview at Damon’s company. When the person she has an appointment with isn’t there, she ends up being interviewed by Damon and becomes his personal assistant. Damon is the ultimate grumpy boss and a huge jerk, but he puts forward that persona purposefully.
I liked the premise, the story and the steamy romance. I liked the fact that Chelsea wouldn’t be cowered by Damon like most of the other people that work for him. I love the secret baby trope and really enjoyed the fact that it didn’t become a huge issue that she kept it from him. The narration was great. It was dual POV, dual narration and done by Benjamin D. Walker and Veronica Landon. Benjamin’s voice sounded a bit too old at first for my taste, but it grew on me and I ended up liking it.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💙💚🖤💜
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌏
Character development: 😳🤬😏🤓
The Hero: Damon Rose - His brother is a huge NFL star and Damon is his sports agent. He wants to keep his brother’s name in the headlines as long as possible so he and his brother go to the Olympic committee to see if they can bring American Football to the olympics like has been done with Basketball.
The heroine: Chelsea Cross - an upcoming tennis star who needs to get her name out there. So she tries to get on the Olympic tennis team. Her parents used to support her and her tennis goals, but had summarily stopped supporting her when she took her brothers side in an argument with them.
The Story: Chelsea sees Damon at his Alpha-hole worst when he makes a little girl cry. The two of them butt heads from the very start and don’t stop until he has her against a wall in an empty conference room. They both end up late to the meeting and neither gets what they want.
Fast forward five years and Chelsea shows up for an interview at Damon’s company. When the person she has an appointment with isn’t there, she ends up being interviewed by Damon and becomes his personal assistant. Damon is the ultimate grumpy boss and a huge jerk, but he puts forward that persona purposefully.
I liked the premise, the story and the steamy romance. I liked the fact that Chelsea wouldn’t be cowered by Damon like most of the other people that work for him. I love the secret baby trope and really enjoyed the fact that it didn’t become a huge issue that she kept it from him. The narration was great. It was dual POV, dual narration and done by Benjamin D. Walker and Veronica Landon. Benjamin’s voice sounded a bit too old at first for my taste, but it grew on me and I ended up liking it.
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July 9, 2020
I was mislead by a flashy cover, the promise of a grumpy character, and the unexpected/surprise baby trope.
This book was kinda like a mess and didn't have much substance tbh. The two main characters had a similar work area and met at a hotel when Chelsea was calling Damon out because he was an asshole, at one point they were fighting and the next they were having sex and I don't know how things escalated so fast. Five years into the future, Chelsea is struggling to support her daughter so she does what she has to do and goes looking for work at Damon's company, whom she hasn't seen in all these years and who obviously doesn't know that had a daughter.
My first problem was that Damon wasn't a grumpy man as promised but a total asshole. The guy literally takes pleasure in being a jerk to everyone around him and literally hires Chelsea just to give her stupid chores he doesn't need just because he has the money. Then there's the thing with the surprise baby where there are only like two scenes with her so there's no cuteness here. There were some funny little moments and Chelsea was a little snarky so it wasn't all that bad but whatever.
so... i'm glad this didn't take that long to read.
This book was kinda like a mess and didn't have much substance tbh. The two main characters had a similar work area and met at a hotel when Chelsea was calling Damon out because he was an asshole, at one point they were fighting and the next they were having sex and I don't know how things escalated so fast. Five years into the future, Chelsea is struggling to support her daughter so she does what she has to do and goes looking for work at Damon's company, whom she hasn't seen in all these years and who obviously doesn't know that had a daughter.
My first problem was that Damon wasn't a grumpy man as promised but a total asshole. The guy literally takes pleasure in being a jerk to everyone around him and literally hires Chelsea just to give her stupid chores he doesn't need just because he has the money. Then there's the thing with the surprise baby where there are only like two scenes with her so there's no cuteness here. There were some funny little moments and Chelsea was a little snarky so it wasn't all that bad but whatever.
so... i'm glad this didn't take that long to read.
November 29, 2021
I'm not in the right mood to write a long rant on what exactly did I not like in this book but I am going to say that the H was an asole who didn't develop a nice bone in his body until the last half. The h was really pathetic, she followed the H around like a stalker and even got caught doing that multiple times. She was nosey and couldn't mind her own business. This is a secret baby romance so obviously there was the H & h's five year old daughter, Luna involved but it felt like she was just used as a prop. There weren't many scenes with her when the entire plot was supposed to be focused on her and not her immature parents. But whenever she made an appearance, her cuteness made me melt and that's the only reason I'm even giving this book two stars tbh. The behaviour of the H and the stupid actions of the h put me off a lot but still I somehow managed to finish the book and the epilogue was pretty cute ngl.
August 28, 2020
Sam makes poor choices with a burned out brain, exhibit A.
Why do I do the things I do?
I read this entire book. It opened with a Beautiful Bastard-esque encounter that was more hostile than BB. But, I admit, I kinda liked the writing? Or something? I don't know.
The man was toxic as hell. He was an ass, but here's the thing I honestly appreciate: He sucked with words. He was awkward. And he never slid into silver-tongued devil. A hot asshole who never quite know what to say.
Any way, the heroine was whatever the hero needed at that exact moment. The kid was a nice prop to make the hero seem human
The end.
Why do I do the things I do?
I read this entire book. It opened with a Beautiful Bastard-esque encounter that was more hostile than BB. But, I admit, I kinda liked the writing? Or something? I don't know.
The man was toxic as hell. He was an ass, but here's the thing I honestly appreciate: He sucked with words. He was awkward. And he never slid into silver-tongued devil. A hot asshole who never quite know what to say.
Any way, the heroine was whatever the hero needed at that exact moment. The kid was a nice prop to make the hero seem human
The end.
August 16, 2020
4.5 Stars
When I first read some of the reviews on GR, I was debating on whether to give this a chance. I'm really happy that I decided to make my own opinion about this book because I really enjoyed it...especially the banter between Damon and Chelsea! I felt this was one of more entertaining books I have read this year.
When I first read some of the reviews on GR, I was debating on whether to give this a chance. I'm really happy that I decided to make my own opinion about this book because I really enjoyed it...especially the banter between Damon and Chelsea! I felt this was one of more entertaining books I have read this year.
August 10, 2020
Okay yikes, lots of negative reviews on this one but I didn’t hate it. I started 3 books in a matter of hours and couldn’t get into any. Then I came across this one and the synopsis intrigued me. The first few chapters were whack - not necessarily in a good way - but once you get past that, it gets better. Yeah, the h is kind of all over the place and the H is a stereotype and it all works out without drama pretty quickly - but this just worked for me today, in the headspace I’m in. Read it or don’t.
July 8, 2021
My [Mostly] Secret Baby definitely flew by for me. It is free on KU to read but it is also a free listen on Hoopla (just in case you have both - also, you're welcome!). So I'm just going to say it now, after first meeting the two main characters - Damon & Chelsea - I knew right away Damon was going to be an asshole. Things definitely moved quickly between the two and I also thought - wow, she's going to get pregnant with this logic of hers.
Again, just saying.
So, yes, it was all kinds of predictable but I ended up flying through the damn book. Therefore, it was enjoyable as heck. Plus the drama completely sucked me in because it gave me people to hate and sort of like. I guess that makes it a win-win situation when it comes to work romance books? Not sure but I'm going with it!
Also, I quite enjoyed the steam with this romance. It definitely made it way easier for me to devour it all but I also wanted a lot more at the same time. Maybe in the next book I will? Or maybe I wont. Either way, I'm bound to dive into the sequel if it's free to read or listen to.
In the end, I guess I'm off to the next book folks!
Again, just saying.
So, yes, it was all kinds of predictable but I ended up flying through the damn book. Therefore, it was enjoyable as heck. Plus the drama completely sucked me in because it gave me people to hate and sort of like. I guess that makes it a win-win situation when it comes to work romance books? Not sure but I'm going with it!
Also, I quite enjoyed the steam with this romance. It definitely made it way easier for me to devour it all but I also wanted a lot more at the same time. Maybe in the next book I will? Or maybe I wont. Either way, I'm bound to dive into the sequel if it's free to read or listen to.
In the end, I guess I'm off to the next book folks!
July 8, 2020
DNF@40%
The heroine is all over the place. She seems to do things with no rhyme or reason to them, literally starting with how they meet in the first chapter and every other encounter after that. She's juvenile and completely immature, not something you'd expect from a single mother with a druggie brother. Her character doesn't really seem very fleshed out, it's like she does things for the sake of doing things, with zero logic or reason behind them. Her actions are basically equivalent to strapping a toddler with zero coordination to a pair of roller blades, if that makes any sense.
The hero is basically one dimensional, and "asshole" seems to be his only trait. I only started this book because the cover seemed fun. I suppose I got what I deserved for literally judging a book by its cover. I didn't really like the writing style either. Now I remember why I could never finish the couple of other Penelope Bloom books I had picked up before.
The heroine is all over the place. She seems to do things with no rhyme or reason to them, literally starting with how they meet in the first chapter and every other encounter after that. She's juvenile and completely immature, not something you'd expect from a single mother with a druggie brother. Her character doesn't really seem very fleshed out, it's like she does things for the sake of doing things, with zero logic or reason behind them. Her actions are basically equivalent to strapping a toddler with zero coordination to a pair of roller blades, if that makes any sense.
The hero is basically one dimensional, and "asshole" seems to be his only trait. I only started this book because the cover seemed fun. I suppose I got what I deserved for literally judging a book by its cover. I didn't really like the writing style either. Now I remember why I could never finish the couple of other Penelope Bloom books I had picked up before.
June 17, 2024
What a crazy first encounter!
MMC a real grump and FMC a sarcastic stubborn woman. They hate fuck just after 5min of meeting each other.
They don't see each other for 5 years. FMC ended up having his baby but never wanted to tell him cuz he's an awful person. But poverty landed her a job at his firm.
So far every thing worked for me. The banter was excellent and the sparks were flying every chapter.
It just that the title and the main trope were non-existent. Him knowing about the child was done soooo late and so lamely.
He accepted the kid pretty quickly. Hell, the child accepted the stranger telling her he's her dad pretty quickly. And there was no bonding family time.
I felt that should've been more of a employer/employer second chance romance.
Also, they knew each other for only 5 minutes+ the hate sex 5 years ago, yet the MMC wanted the FMC secretly. And despite him knowing her name and where to find her, he proceeded to fill the void with getting married to another woman 2months after knowing the heroine. Why? That came out of nowhere at the end of the book and it did not make sense or seem romantic.
MMC a real grump and FMC a sarcastic stubborn woman. They hate fuck just after 5min of meeting each other.
They don't see each other for 5 years. FMC ended up having his baby but never wanted to tell him cuz he's an awful person. But poverty landed her a job at his firm.
So far every thing worked for me. The banter was excellent and the sparks were flying every chapter.
It just that the title and the main trope were non-existent. Him knowing about the child was done soooo late and so lamely.
He accepted the kid pretty quickly. Hell, the child accepted the stranger telling her he's her dad pretty quickly. And there was no bonding family time.
I felt that should've been more of a employer/employer second chance romance.
Also, they knew each other for only 5 minutes+ the hate sex 5 years ago, yet the MMC wanted the FMC secretly. And despite him knowing her name and where to find her, he proceeded to fill the void with getting married to another woman 2months after knowing the heroine. Why? That came out of nowhere at the end of the book and it did not make sense or seem romantic.
March 17, 2022
An in-the-moment hate sex fueled romp between strangers results in pregnancy. Five years later and Chelsea is desperate for a job to support her daughter Luna. When she got pregnant by the grumpy McHotpants agent she lost all hopes of a tennis career and has been struggling since. As a last resort she is about to apply for a position in his agency but when she shows up and finds that her interview has been rescheduled as "luck" would have it she runs into Damon himself and he gives her a job if only to torture her. Damon is as grumpy as ever and Chelsea is the only one who doesn't cower in his wake. He secretly loves the challenge she brings to his life. The more time they spend together the more he realizes that for the last five years since she first came barging into his life something has been missing. She has been missing. Can they work through the fact that she has kept their daughter a secret for the last five years? Read to find out.
August 6, 2020
Despite the bumpy start, I ended up loving this book. If you can suspend belief enough to get past the first few chapters, it will be well worth it.
Best line ever... "How do you get Dick from Richard, anyway?" "Oh, it's easy. Jut buy me dinner."
Best line ever... "How do you get Dick from Richard, anyway?" "Oh, it's easy. Jut buy me dinner."
April 1, 2021
Okayish...
Read
April 1, 2022OKAY NOW I KNOW THE TITLE IS CRINGE BUT IGNORE IT BAHAIDJDH
I haven’t been in the mood to read so I listened to this audio book in hopes to get me going and let me tell you it worked. I don’t know if the book is actually good or not but it’s so batshit crazy that I couldn’t stop. From chapter one you can tell how chaotic and unhinged it is. Sure the characters are shallow with no real personality other than fighting with each other but at least they’re funny…and insanely horny. Anyway this was a great chuckle and y’all can hate me but I will be ready the rest of the series because I’m too invested in this dumpster fire.
I haven’t been in the mood to read so I listened to this audio book in hopes to get me going and let me tell you it worked. I don’t know if the book is actually good or not but it’s so batshit crazy that I couldn’t stop. From chapter one you can tell how chaotic and unhinged it is. Sure the characters are shallow with no real personality other than fighting with each other but at least they’re funny…and insanely horny. Anyway this was a great chuckle and y’all can hate me but I will be ready the rest of the series because I’m too invested in this dumpster fire.
July 8, 2020
Steamy but not 100% satisfying
I love a grumpy boss and I also love Bloom's brand of comedy, so I took a chance on this one despite the fact that secret babies are my least favorite trope. While I didn't necessarily love that element of the storyline, there's a lot of fun humor and playfulness to this romance. It's also the steamiest book that I've read from Bloom in quite a while, with a relationship that's part bickering and part sexual tension. The office romance and comedy both work well, but I definitely had a few issues with the storyline that kept me from fully connecting to this one (more on that in a minute).
The story follows Damon, a sports agent who relies on being a jerk to manage his employees. When he meets Chelsea, it's both loathe and lust at first sight. The two combust in one quick and kinda mean hookup before parting ways. Five years later, Chelsea shows back up for an interview at Damon's company. Thinking that it will be fun to torture her into quitting, Damon offers Chelsea a position. But that logic quickly backfires as the two spend more time together and it becomes apparent that their combustible chemistry was not a fluke. The only problem? Actions have consequences, and Chelsea never told Damon about the adorable result of their first encounter.
My love of Bloom's comedy made me willing to overlook the secret baby storyline, assuming it was handled correctly. However, while I can KIND OF understand Chelsea's reason for not telling Damon, they knew each other for all of two minutes before hooking up the first time (seriously), so I don't personally feel that his moodiness was a good enough reason to not mention the pregnancy. That encounter also seemed to be the catalyst for all of their feelings, and I just didn't buy it. They essentially meet, bang, and move on within 15 minutes. Add in some OW drama, a playboy past, mixed messages, and a very instalove feel, and this started to lose me. I can handle all of those things in small doses but they built up until they overtook the love story. There's a lot of good here but it wasn't enough to make up for the issues that kept me disconnected. So while this one doesn't top my list of favorites from the author, it's still a fun (and very sexy) read, especially if you're looking for steamy comedy. I received an ARC via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review of this office romance.
I love a grumpy boss and I also love Bloom's brand of comedy, so I took a chance on this one despite the fact that secret babies are my least favorite trope. While I didn't necessarily love that element of the storyline, there's a lot of fun humor and playfulness to this romance. It's also the steamiest book that I've read from Bloom in quite a while, with a relationship that's part bickering and part sexual tension. The office romance and comedy both work well, but I definitely had a few issues with the storyline that kept me from fully connecting to this one (more on that in a minute).
The story follows Damon, a sports agent who relies on being a jerk to manage his employees. When he meets Chelsea, it's both loathe and lust at first sight. The two combust in one quick and kinda mean hookup before parting ways. Five years later, Chelsea shows back up for an interview at Damon's company. Thinking that it will be fun to torture her into quitting, Damon offers Chelsea a position. But that logic quickly backfires as the two spend more time together and it becomes apparent that their combustible chemistry was not a fluke. The only problem? Actions have consequences, and Chelsea never told Damon about the adorable result of their first encounter.
My love of Bloom's comedy made me willing to overlook the secret baby storyline, assuming it was handled correctly. However, while I can KIND OF understand Chelsea's reason for not telling Damon, they knew each other for all of two minutes before hooking up the first time (seriously), so I don't personally feel that his moodiness was a good enough reason to not mention the pregnancy. That encounter also seemed to be the catalyst for all of their feelings, and I just didn't buy it. They essentially meet, bang, and move on within 15 minutes. Add in some OW drama, a playboy past, mixed messages, and a very instalove feel, and this started to lose me. I can handle all of those things in small doses but they built up until they overtook the love story. There's a lot of good here but it wasn't enough to make up for the issues that kept me disconnected. So while this one doesn't top my list of favorites from the author, it's still a fun (and very sexy) read, especially if you're looking for steamy comedy. I received an ARC via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review of this office romance.
October 12, 2020
I am pretty baffled by the negative reviews on this one. I think some people just need the stick removed from their behinds, if I'm being honest. (*shrugs*)
This isn't my first rodeo with this author's books. So, going into this one, I knew that I was going to get true FICTION. I try not to take books so seriously, especially romcoms. And especially from authors who write in more slapstick romcom. And that is just what this one is... A fictional slapstick romcom.
It's cliche' in all the right places. It's over the top like it's no one's business. The characters are exaggerated. And guess what? It totally works for this book. I found myself giggling and laughing throughout this book. It's not perfect. But guess what? None of us are. This book was exactly what I expected it to be when I went into it.
If you're looking for a book that's low on the emotional level, slapstick funny, and entertaining, with characters you might not quite like but work in within the story, then this is for sure right up your alley.
This isn't my first rodeo with this author's books. So, going into this one, I knew that I was going to get true FICTION. I try not to take books so seriously, especially romcoms. And especially from authors who write in more slapstick romcom. And that is just what this one is... A fictional slapstick romcom.
It's cliche' in all the right places. It's over the top like it's no one's business. The characters are exaggerated. And guess what? It totally works for this book. I found myself giggling and laughing throughout this book. It's not perfect. But guess what? None of us are. This book was exactly what I expected it to be when I went into it.
If you're looking for a book that's low on the emotional level, slapstick funny, and entertaining, with characters you might not quite like but work in within the story, then this is for sure right up your alley.
July 8, 2020
This author does a rom com like no ones business. I am guaranteed to be in much better spirits by the time I finish, than I was when I started.
Damon & Chelsea are a quick trip into tension fraught comedy. They can’t stand each other, but things of course take a wild turn and leave us somewhere totally different.
This couple had the right amount of banter to really bring everything to an excellent conclusion.
Damon & Chelsea are a quick trip into tension fraught comedy. They can’t stand each other, but things of course take a wild turn and leave us somewhere totally different.
This couple had the right amount of banter to really bring everything to an excellent conclusion.
October 21, 2020
What a great read! This was my first book by this author, I was looking for something funny to take my mind off all the sad going on in my real life right now and boy did this book deliver! I loved it! It's short and sweet, funny and sexy, it's just what I needed! I love secret baby reads and this one was so cute! It was very practically no angst at all, just a little bit of mystery. I'm dying to read the next book in this series.
April 3, 2022
Po přečtení Jeho banánu jsem si říkala, to bude jen překladem...a byla jsem rozhodnutá další díly nečíst. Pak jsem si řekla, že dám autorce ještě jednu šanci s její další sérii. No a tahle kniha mě utvrdila v tom, že s Penelope opravdu nebudeme kamarádky.
August 25, 2022
Knížku jsem četla na dovolené a dostala jsem od ní přesně to, co jsem chtěla. Jednoduchou oddechovku, při které nemusím přemýšlet a vypnu. Penelope opět nezklamala. Od začátku to mělo svižné tempo, bylo to zábavné a napjaté.
July 7, 2023
Not my cup of tea but I enjoyed it. Im nit reading those books often, sp cant compare, but in that moment i had fun. :-)
3,7 🌟
3,7 🌟
September 6, 2020
4 Grumpy Stars!!!
September 28, 2022
2.5
Sigo enojada con Naomi Novik, por eso empecé y terminé otro libro que nada que ver con ese desastre.
Sigo enojada con Naomi Novik, por eso empecé y terminé otro libro que nada que ver con ese desastre.
February 9, 2021
It was fun story at the beginning, but it became meh at the second half of the book.
July 8, 2020
Too good !
September 13, 2020
What can be said that already hasn’t been really?
I’m not usually a fan of the secret baby trope, but the blurb caught my attention and I thought I’d give it a go. Sadly, this book is a prime example of why I don’t like the trope.
Firstly, Chelsea is a heroine that, frankly, is completely unlikeable and the prime example of TSTL. The way she follows Damon at the start of the book really should have been the first clue. So what if he didn’t catch a balloon? I’m a mum and if my kid let go of a balloon I’d bought him, I wouldn’t expect a stranger to just make a grab for it and I certainly wouldn’t then have a go at them for not grabbing said balloon.
Secondly, if the condom had broken the way it was written, then I’m pretty sure Damon would have known. It literally talks about Chelsea pulling a bit of the condom out of her. You’re not telling me a guy wouldn’t notice a clear hole when he took it off?? And then there was the blase way Chelsea just assumed she wasn’t ovulating.
Thirdly, her complete disregard to letting Damon know that she was pregnant. For 5 yrs she knew exactly who he was and where he worked and decided that based on their briefest of encounters he wasn’t fit to be a father and didn’t deserve to know - THAT IS NOT YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE. She then decides to get a job at his company because no one else will give her a job and thinks absolutely nothing of flirting with him but doesn’t think she should let him know he’s a dad. In fact she doesn’t give this any thought at all until after they’ve slept together and all of a sudden she’s full of regret for not telling him?! Well you weren’t full of regret literally 2 pages ago Chelsea.
She even has an internal monologue about how if she did sleep with him again she could end up with another fatherless child. IT’S YOUR FAULT YOUR CHILD IS FATHERLESS!!!
Let’a not talk about how irresponsible a parent she actually is, because we’d be here all day.
But, alas, Chelsea isn’t the only character in the book that has problems. Damon is a problem in his own right.
He’s not grumpy, he’s just an arsehole. The author then tries to fool us he is actually a decent guy because he looks for clients that are being taken advantage off and he wants to help them. But then he also makes millions and millions off of them, so I’m not convinced he’s much better than the other agents.
There’s no emotion whatsoever from him about being told he’s a dad. He just walks away and then two days later he’s forgiven her. Surely you’d feel something a bit more when being given life changing information like that?
There’s no chemistry between the main characters, which is weird given how caught up they are in their own drama, that the fact there’s a 4 yr old child in all this, is just sort of a footnote to the story.
The last thing that really irritated me was the whole Worcestershire sauce conversations, which I assume was the authors attempt at the comic relief for the story, but it falls seriously flat.
It’s just a really super frustrating read and one that I think you either love or hate.
I’m not usually a fan of the secret baby trope, but the blurb caught my attention and I thought I’d give it a go. Sadly, this book is a prime example of why I don’t like the trope.
Firstly, Chelsea is a heroine that, frankly, is completely unlikeable and the prime example of TSTL. The way she follows Damon at the start of the book really should have been the first clue. So what if he didn’t catch a balloon? I’m a mum and if my kid let go of a balloon I’d bought him, I wouldn’t expect a stranger to just make a grab for it and I certainly wouldn’t then have a go at them for not grabbing said balloon.
Secondly, if the condom had broken the way it was written, then I’m pretty sure Damon would have known. It literally talks about Chelsea pulling a bit of the condom out of her. You’re not telling me a guy wouldn’t notice a clear hole when he took it off?? And then there was the blase way Chelsea just assumed she wasn’t ovulating.
Thirdly, her complete disregard to letting Damon know that she was pregnant. For 5 yrs she knew exactly who he was and where he worked and decided that based on their briefest of encounters he wasn’t fit to be a father and didn’t deserve to know - THAT IS NOT YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE. She then decides to get a job at his company because no one else will give her a job and thinks absolutely nothing of flirting with him but doesn’t think she should let him know he’s a dad. In fact she doesn’t give this any thought at all until after they’ve slept together and all of a sudden she’s full of regret for not telling him?! Well you weren’t full of regret literally 2 pages ago Chelsea.
She even has an internal monologue about how if she did sleep with him again she could end up with another fatherless child. IT’S YOUR FAULT YOUR CHILD IS FATHERLESS!!!
Let’a not talk about how irresponsible a parent she actually is, because we’d be here all day.
But, alas, Chelsea isn’t the only character in the book that has problems. Damon is a problem in his own right.
He’s not grumpy, he’s just an arsehole. The author then tries to fool us he is actually a decent guy because he looks for clients that are being taken advantage off and he wants to help them. But then he also makes millions and millions off of them, so I’m not convinced he’s much better than the other agents.
There’s no emotion whatsoever from him about being told he’s a dad. He just walks away and then two days later he’s forgiven her. Surely you’d feel something a bit more when being given life changing information like that?
There’s no chemistry between the main characters, which is weird given how caught up they are in their own drama, that the fact there’s a 4 yr old child in all this, is just sort of a footnote to the story.
The last thing that really irritated me was the whole Worcestershire sauce conversations, which I assume was the authors attempt at the comic relief for the story, but it falls seriously flat.
It’s just a really super frustrating read and one that I think you either love or hate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2020
Dnf 75%
It didn’t hold my interest unfortunately.
It didn’t hold my interest unfortunately.
July 8, 2020
My favourite Penelope Bloom release in a long time! It's back to the style that made me fall in love with her books to begin with. : ) The heat level is off the charts between Damon and Chelsea, whether he's lusting after her or trying to torment her enough to quit the office, the chemistry between them is absolutely electric.
I loved that Chelsea was smart and strong, not willing to fall at Damon's feet until he proved that he could be the kind of man that she and her daughter deserved. And as for Damon, if you love bossy, controlling, alpha-holes, he's a doozy. He was perfect in this lovers- to-enemies-to-lovers romance. Tough outer shell, but with a good heart deep down. Damon is delicious!
Very funny, great banter, seriously sexy times and just a fabulous summer read. Grab this one for the beach or to liven up your quarantine. ;)
I loved that Chelsea was smart and strong, not willing to fall at Damon's feet until he proved that he could be the kind of man that she and her daughter deserved. And as for Damon, if you love bossy, controlling, alpha-holes, he's a doozy. He was perfect in this lovers- to-enemies-to-lovers romance. Tough outer shell, but with a good heart deep down. Damon is delicious!
Very funny, great banter, seriously sexy times and just a fabulous summer read. Grab this one for the beach or to liven up your quarantine. ;)
July 8, 2020
Surprise baby 👶 🍼
This book by Penelope is NEXT level amazing❣️ This is the type of storyline, characters and humour one can expect when reading something by Bloom😍 This is her ‘A’ game and it’s a fast paced read that keeps you on your toes❤️
Damon and Chelsea meet and it’s sarcastic, funny and outrageously steamy. Five years later they meet again when Chelsea applies to Rose, Damon’s business for a job. They both come bearing secrets and neither want to admit the attraction and chemistry they still have after five years is there. Some drama and boom boom bang we have an HEA😱
Loved it and I’m hoping we get more in this genre as it seems to flow more naturally from Bloom in this genre and is spectacularly well done 👍 I received an advanced copy via Booksprout and I voluntarily leave my honest review😁
This book by Penelope is NEXT level amazing❣️ This is the type of storyline, characters and humour one can expect when reading something by Bloom😍 This is her ‘A’ game and it’s a fast paced read that keeps you on your toes❤️
Damon and Chelsea meet and it’s sarcastic, funny and outrageously steamy. Five years later they meet again when Chelsea applies to Rose, Damon’s business for a job. They both come bearing secrets and neither want to admit the attraction and chemistry they still have after five years is there. Some drama and boom boom bang we have an HEA😱
Loved it and I’m hoping we get more in this genre as it seems to flow more naturally from Bloom in this genre and is spectacularly well done 👍 I received an advanced copy via Booksprout and I voluntarily leave my honest review😁
March 27, 2021
Alright. So Damon's kinda an a-hole when he and Chelsea first meet and Chelsea has ZERO sense of self-control during that first *ahem* explosive encounter and THINGS HAPPEN. But, hey, why not have a quickie in a janitor's closet with a total stranger, amirite? What could possibly go wrong?
HA. Right. Given the title of this book, consequences happen. But Chelsea womans up and deals with it and turns into a pretty darn good mama. Inserting herself back into Damon's life (however unwillingly it might have come about) does NOT change her initial impression of the guy. Until, you know, it does. Because Damon might not be warm and cuddly, but he has his reasons and he has a softer side that occasionally slips its leash. Occasionally.
On Damon's end, he had to learn a hard lesson about mixing business with pleasure and trusting the wrong person with his secrets. His solution is to not be friendly to anyone and let people think the worst of him. Except Chelsea gets under his skin and soon he's making exceptions to his rule about not getting close. Then the bombshell that Chelsea's firecracker kiddo is his drops and suddenly he has to figure out how to be a dad real quick. (Don't worry, he does a-okay on that front.)
A little antagonistic foreplay, a lot of grump, more than a handful of sass and snark. Damon and Chelsea were pretty dang fun to read.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
HA. Right. Given the title of this book, consequences happen. But Chelsea womans up and deals with it and turns into a pretty darn good mama. Inserting herself back into Damon's life (however unwillingly it might have come about) does NOT change her initial impression of the guy. Until, you know, it does. Because Damon might not be warm and cuddly, but he has his reasons and he has a softer side that occasionally slips its leash. Occasionally.
On Damon's end, he had to learn a hard lesson about mixing business with pleasure and trusting the wrong person with his secrets. His solution is to not be friendly to anyone and let people think the worst of him. Except Chelsea gets under his skin and soon he's making exceptions to his rule about not getting close. Then the bombshell that Chelsea's firecracker kiddo is his drops and suddenly he has to figure out how to be a dad real quick. (Don't worry, he does a-okay on that front.)
A little antagonistic foreplay, a lot of grump, more than a handful of sass and snark. Damon and Chelsea were pretty dang fun to read.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
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