When she’s stranded with her sexy boss, keeping it strictly business proves impossible in this 404 Sound novel from Kianna Alexander!
Her boss is off-limits, but their chemistry is off the charts.
Ainsley Voss is an assistant—not a seductress. So why the steamy fantasies about taking Atlanta music mogul Gage Woodson to bed? She knows the sexy bachelor was burned by his last office romance and won’t go down that road again, especially not with a single mom. Until a storm leaves them stranded. Alone. Together. But once they’ve crossed that line, is there no turning back?
I've always loved the written word. For as long as I can remember, I read as much as I could, as often as I could. Cereal boxes, newspapers, product packaging. Ebony, Essence, and Jet Magazine. Billboards. I loved it all. I read the entire Fear Street series, as well as the Sweet Valley Books, from Twins and Friends through Sweet Valley High. Each week I'd bring 15 or 20 books home from the library, and read them all before the due date.
Now, my mother owned a pristine, barely touched collection of Harlequin romance novels, and I was not to touch them under any circumstances. Well, as a teenager, you know what that meant. I read some of them, and got my first introduction to romance.
When I was sixteen, I picked up my stepmother's copy of Night Song, by Beverly Jenkins. The cover showed an obviously historical image of a black couple, against a beautiful backdrop, locked in a passionate embrace. With my love of history, I had to crack this book. What I read inside literally blew my mind. I was exposed to a wonderful, touching love story involving people who looked like me! What a thrill. To this day Night Song remains my favorite book, and I credit it with planting the seed of desire to write romance. I didn't get serious until many years later, but that's where it all began.
This book was going to be a 3 stars but the confession of the MC was awful so I'm dropping it to 2. I never felt the attraction or the love between them. It was as if they were forced to be together.
I was liking this until about chapter 12 and that’s when everything went down hill and then completely sped up. The third act argument/break up was so anticlimactic and I just didn’t care. He didn’t grovel or fight to win her back at all which I guess is fine because their whole breakup fight was ridiculous to begin with. Stunning cover though
After Hours Attraction by Kianna Alexander is a sexy workplace themed romance and the second engaging story in the author’s 404 Sound series.
Ainsley Voss has always found her boss attractive but since he’s her employer he’s off limits. She’s an effective and efficient assistant and he relies on her, though recently she’s thought about applying for an open position in HR. When an equipment shipment doesn’t come through, her boss Gage Woodson decides to go personally to collect the next order as they have an important recording artist coming soon and keeping the business profitable means keeping the talent happy.
Gage has secretly found Ainsley attractive too, but hasn’t acted on it for good reasons. When he asks Ainsley to accompany him on the private jet to get the equipment order, she’s excited for the mini trip, her neighbor happy to take care of her 11 year old son Cooper while she’s away. But when Gage and Ainsley’s plane has to make a detour due to a storm, they end up in a small town and staying at a bed and breakfast – in one room! It’s the perfect opportunity to explore their mutual attraction – but will it lead to more?
I enjoyed this story! The background setting of the running of a music business and all it entails is unique and interesting. Ainsley is a dedicated single mom and her loving relationship with her son (and how it feels to parent a pre-teen) comes through clearly. In fact, that’s the snag in the possible relationship between her and Gage – he isn’t a kid person. He’s awkward around them. Not to mention the working together thing. Gage had a previous relationship with a coworker that ended badly (she’d embezzled money from the company) so he knows that getting involved with Ainsley is a mistake.
Still, once the two of them are alone together with no other distractions, forced to wait out the storm, it’s easy to justify a ‘what happens in Summer Village, stays in Summer Village’ mentality, leading to some steamy love scenes and giving them a chance to know each other in a new way. But once they’re back on their way and going home, the reality of their situation sets in and the obstacles to continuing their relationship. Overcoming these requires honest discussion and the will to work things out, which they do, ensuring their happy ending. I look forward to reading more by this author!
I have fairly low baseline expectations for red-spine titles, but this one lost itself in the last quarter. Lots of good build-up and backstory and then the HEA is so swift and tidy it made me question if I was mixing up this book with a different one.
Single mom Ainsley Voss has had the hots for her boss, Gage Woodson, for quite a while now. Gage feels similarly, but both don't acknowledge the attraction given their professional situation. Then a work trip leaves them stuck in a small town and in a hotel room with only one bed, and things start to heat up. But is Gage ready for a relationship with Ainsley, with all that she brings with her?
This definitely had more of a sexual focus than the last few Harlequins I've read. Which is not a bad thing, but I did feel like I wasn't entirely convinced of their emotional connection in addition to the physical.
I will say that the third act breakup and solution is one of the better I've come across. There were some real issues that needed to be addressed before these two could get their HEA. And the small town that they were stuck in for half of the book was pretty fun.
An overall fine read, but one I'm not likely to remember.
Attraction has been simmering for several years between Gage and Ainsley and when they finally give in to it, things go astray. They work it out, but the book leaves me with questions.
Not my taste. Of course she would make the argument about her being a mother. The story line was rushed trying to fit it all in so many pages. Should have been on the dnf list.
Grant Woodson was part of 404 Sound. Ainsley Voss was his assistant. They were attracted to each other but tried their best not to act on it. Fortunately for them, new sound equipment that was ordered was lost/stolen. New equipment was ordered and Grant and Ainsley went to California to get it. Bad thunderstorms forced them to temparily stay in small town in Louisiana. The people at the Bed & Breakfast, the diner and stores were interesting characters. The time together forced Grant and Ainsleyt to get to know one another on a personal level. Grant was also concerned that Ainsley had a young son. Grant was not comfortable around children. By getting past their issues they admitted how they felt about one another. Also Grant's father was forced to admit he had help in founding the company. I enjoyed reading the story.
Ainsley and Gage worked together. She was his assistant and they had feelings for each other but never acted on them. A chance business trip out of town and over night stay, changed that. Work place romance works sometimes.