Paul Rutland,III: I’m successful because I always have a plan, and I’m always in control. When Khari Fletcher comes crashing into my world with her bright colors, intriguing laughter, and enticing beauty, I immediately recognize she’s a threat to my sense of order. And I know for a fact she’s stealing my lunches out of the company refrigerator. But as usual, I have a plan to get what I want and keep the situation manageable. No, things are not exactly turning out as I thought they would, but I can adjust in the moment to make sure I get what I want…even if Khari makes me question what that is.
Khari Fletcher: Paul Rutland, III is rich, arrogant and suffering from a king of the hill complex for which there is no cure. I don’t need to get to know him, I know the type and no thank you. I just don’t understand why someone with such an unappealing inside is wrapped in the most compelling package I’ve ever seen. Why would the universe do that? But it doesn’t matter, I want no part of that green eyed voodoo. And, ok, maybe I slipped and fell on him, but it will not happen again.
I loved this book. In Mercedes, Paul is the jerk we all hated. He was a cold, arrogant, no feeling jerk. How could Ms. Joy redeem this character? She did it and it was awesome. Paul starts the book still being a jerk. But, Khari is no pushover and Paul has met his match. The author brings together two individuals that have lived their adult lives based on lies and deceptions from their youth. It's a great read as both Paul and Khari realize they have been existing and not really living. There is a little suspense, a bit of drama, comedic relief (August and Ashley), and a bit of sex. This book is not about Paul's and Khari's sexcapedes with life in the background. It is about their journey towards happiness that includes a healthy sex life. There are couple of editing errors but not enough to interfere with the enjoyment of the book. If the next book is as good as Mercedes and The Book of Paul this author could easily become a 1-Click author. Enjoy the book.
You first meet Paul in Mercedes book, the first book in the series. He was controlled, unlikable and arrogant. There are things that happened in his past that account for his behavior. He lost control in his younger years which led to life altering experiences. So, now he is tightly wound and has rules in place he wants followed. He meets Khari and his world is turned upside down. Paul soon realizes Khari cannot be controlled and she will not follow his petty rules. Lochlan and Connor know Khari’s worth to the Company. They will not support Paul’s disgruntle attitude. Is Paul’s bad attitude just because Khari doesn’t always do everything exactly the way he would like or is the attraction he has to her and the connection he feels towards her because it’s something he’s never felt before? Or, are both sharing an untenable connection? Read the book to find out in this moving, flowing story. This book has suspense, secrets, some surprises, steam, emotional situations and funny moments. Khari is delightful and engaging. The author does a great job showing how Paul let’s go, evolves, opens himself up to live, love and embraces life. Grab this book, relax and enjoy the ride.
After I read Mercedes, I immediately went in hunt of other books to devour by Lola Joy, only to find that there weren't any. So, to say that I've anxiously been awaiting her second novel would be an understatement. The Book of Paul did not disappoint.
We first met Paul in Mercedes, and I have to say that I wasn't a fan. I was a little unsure how I'd feel about him going into his story, but my opinion of the guy quickly turned itself around. Paul has a dire need to be in control at all times. So when Khari walks into his office, he is completely thrown off guard. He doesn't like the way that she makes him feel, but Paul always has a plan. Sometimes though, even the best laid plans don't work out.
One thing that I love about this author's work is the dialogue. She writes some of the most entertaining dialogue between her characters. I found myself smiling and laughing out loud at their banter, even in the midst of some pretty serious context. These are characters that I could imagine as my friends, and I enjoyed the relationships between not just the main characters, but the secondary characters as well.
This story had a few surprises, some twists that I didn't see coming. It kept me a bit on edge, trying to figure it all out, but it wasn't overly angsty. Just the right amount of drama while still keeping it light at times. I definitely want the stories on the the rest of Paul's family so I hope that there will be a few more books to come from this world. Highly entertaining read and definitely worth the wait!
I’m in love with Paul and Kharie, their relationship started with Paul’s version of pigtail pulling. I must say this book is way better than the first (not saying that I don’t like the first) but character growth, and storyline of The book of Paul was beautifully done. In spite of the sex scenes not being described to a T, feeling and understanding the pleasure they both received was still possible. All in all I’m happy I came across Lola Joy. I’ve enjoyed her books so far and I’m excited to see what Conner and Andrew’s story will be. Highly recommended!
This enemies-to-lovers story was lit from the first paragraph. Beautifully written, witty, captivating, and hilarious all at once. Khari's and Paul's energy was everything! They were exact opposites that definitely attract. Paul, with his robotic demeanor, was secretly attracted to Khari who was a ray of sunshine that upset his stiff and regimented lifestyle. Khari was also drawn to Paul, but hated him too. This is a poignant story of a couple that took a chance and came out winning. The other cast of characters also enhanced the drama. Do yourself and favor grab this book. Enjoy the ride!
I'm going to keep this simple if you haven't read the first book "Mercedes" then please do that before reading this one it just gives continuity and gives you context to the characters especially the supplementary characters. So for those of you who have read the first book rest assured this book was truly an enjoyable read. The laughter that I found in Mercedes was just as good if not better in this one. The author does a great job weaving a story and developing characters that you love and find relatable. Basically its like being around family you love but know that its just a matter of time before something pops off cue the popcorn ( book joke lol you'll understand when you get to that part). I'm also happy to report that our girl Mercedes gets that closure she deserves. Look forward to the next installment great job Mrs. Joy. Enjoy readers!
When work enemies Paul and Khari spend a weekend together in the Hamptons, their relationship goes from antagonizing to loving.
I was nervous to read this as I wasn’t a fan of the first book Mercedes, but I was pleasantly surprised. While Paul comes off as a complete asshole initially and in the first book, once we see why he does what he does and how he approaches life he instantly became more likable to me. And Khari? Well I just loved her. Normally the h in romance books is either whiney, stubborn, or somewhere in between but not her. She seemed like a real person with a real and not over the top personality which made it easy to love her because she reminds me of my friends.
While there was some miscommunication or really lack of communication that cause some drama I’m glad it was worked out fairly quickly and without over the top drama and how adults would actually work through something like that.
While this is the second book in this series, I think you could read this as a stand alone and still keep up for the most part.
This is exactly how I like my books to go. I need to be able to picture the main characters in my mind. With so many books, you barely get a description of the black woman and I hate that. I loved the storyline and Paul was crazy interesting. The entitle cat of characters makes me want a story about each of them. Well done!
It truly is a thin line between love and hate. This story is effervescent, bubbly and refreshing. The sizzle between the two mains is swoony, and the supporting characters are hilarious. Worth a reading encore, for sure!
Lola Joy you have done it again! Honey you had me wanting to hurt Paul then had me loving Paul then I was ready to beat him again! Poor Khari probably felt like a yo-yo with the way Paul's attitude was going up and down, hot and cold! I'm glad he was able to pull his self together to get the Love of his Sunshine that he deserved! I truly enjoyed this read and all the emotions you gave us!!!!! The family dynamics is off the chain!!!@ The triple A's!!!!!!! Crazy ass Emerson!!!! Sexy man whore, brother that's a surgeon! The rich and sexy basketball stars......whew chile you did this with this series right here! I can't wait to see who's next to fall in love!
I’m in love with Paul and Kharie, their relationship started with Paul’s version of pigtail pulling. I must say this book is way better than the first (not saying that I don’t like the first) but character growth, and storyline of The book of Paul was beautifully done. In spite of the sex scenes not being described to a T, feeling and understanding the pleasure they both received was still possible. All in all I’m happy I came across Lola Joy. I’ve enjoyed her books so far and I’m excited to see what Conner and Andrew’s story will be. Highly recommended!
This book is so funny. Lochlan and Conner were funny, especially when it came to Paul. I love how honest Paul and Khari were with each other. This is the type of book I will read again. All characters were soooo funny. It was really a five hour read and more. But it was well worth it.
This book allowed us to see behind Paul's veneer and see the real person, a very caring,thoughtful and loving guy. Boy, he shifted his focus to Khari and that was it. Ashley and August are a barrel of laughs. I'm really looking forward to Connors story and Jules' comeuppance.
I enjoyed a book where diversity was not preached but enjoyed. They respected each other by what they brought to friendship or family. They had flaws. Paul was interesting as was his nemesis, Khari. Their chemistry along with his quirks were fun banter. I really enjoyed the characters and story.
Both Paul and Khari were living their lives affected by lies and deceit from their teen years. Paul was dealing with the death of his parents and thought he was responsible for what happened to Emerson and Khari was thinking about what she and her sister witnessed with their father which gave her trust issues. Besides that, she had a bad experience with another trust fund baby in college. Both Khari and Paul were attracted to each other but displayed their none interest at work and did everything to stay as far away from each other as possible. Khar could no understand how such a grumpy, arrogant, and unlikeable man like Paul could be wrapped in such a beautiful package. Khar's straight-shooting personality was what drew Paul to her and he took advantage of her need to draw her into his world. Both of them fell hard for each other until a flash from Paul's past threw a hammer in that relationship. Just by that conversation did Paul start digging to find out things were not what he thought they were. On the other hand, Khari also found out things were not as she thought they were either.
Now that their past lives have been cleared up, Paul and Khari were able to move on with their lives together. This story was full of twisted story plots that had me scratching my head. There was also some comic relief with August and Ashley as well. This story touched on how mental illness showed not only affects the person but radiates around to affect other lives in a very significant way.
The author should warn the reader in the description that reading book one is advised as I felt a little lost. This was my first book by this author and read it as a recommendation. She did not give the warning until the epilogue.
This book made Facebook BWSL's Top 2021 Book List.
The story could have totally been a 5 for me if not for 2 major things: 1. The complete INSENSITIVITY to mental health. The author’s complete use of the trope ‘crazy ex’ was so tone death and insensitive especially by 2021 standards. The surprising lack of empathy and ‘blame it all on the crazy lady’ was disturbing and it got downright annoying towards the end. Sadly, I couldn’t even finish the chapter by the time Paul went to visit Emerson. Mental health is a real thing and it’s books like this that makes people ashamed to admit they have emotional problems of any type. For this author to be so progressive with great characters of all colors, sexual identities and well written personalities- I am frankly saddened by her lack of sensitivity when it comes to mental health. The villain was lazy, trope writing that could have been so much better. My 2nd issue isn’t as much of a big deal than my 1st. 2. Where the hell is the sizzle and steam? For a romance novel in this modern era, I was expecting a little more when it comes to the love scenes. To say they’re glossed over is an understatement! All in all, I love the side characters (especially triple A) more than anything and they honestly kept the story interesting. Khali’s mom as well. This author is a very good writer with great characters. I hope someone shares this with her. Her handling of mental health and addiction comes across as insensitive and she can do so much better.
I liked the book and the two main characters, their back stories and their relatives. The one character I could've done without was August. He sounded like a creep for constantly hitting on & commenting on straight men who were disinterested in him. Is this a new trope in books women's books now? Transmitting the message that straight men 'prove' they're not "homophobic" & are comfortable with their manhood by not telling gay men to back off with borderline sexual harassment & comments & behavior makes them uncomfortable? If women shouldn't have to tolerate that behavior from men, then men shouldn't have to tolerate that from each other. I also have a hard time believing huge bouncers at a straight party would have been hitting on a gay man, b/c in my in experience going to straight & gay clubs the same huge bouncers rotate btwn straight & gay clubs in town and they flirt with the women wherever they go. 🙄
This was such a great story! Ms. Lola Joy has done it again! In the previous book, I did not like Paul. I thought of him as arrogant and thinking he was "above it all" that he caused problems for his cousin's romance with Mercedes. This story proved how he was changing and he even apologized for his behavior in the previous story. This one is all about the beauty of a true romance and the love of family. I love the way that the side characters that appeared in the previous story continue to be presented in this one as well. It was comical as usual with August and Ashley and their interactions with everyone. Paul has truly fallen in love with Khari and was not afraid to show his feelings to her. I cannot wait for the next books on the other characters (Andrew and Connor) and their stories. This was really good! Whew!
The Book of Paul was decent. It's a sweet story, but it could have been better if the bulk Paul and Khari's enemies to lovers relationship didn't happen between the prologue and first chapter. Khari jump into a relationship with Paul after one weekend. A guess the sex made her forget that she Really didn't like him. Also, Paul has these interesting quirks in the beginning, but they stop because he's in a relationship. The Emerson storyline didn't enhance the story. It was a contrived plot point to add more drama. Joy could have spent that time better developing stronger character arcs. This story had a lot of potential, but it's not executed as well as it could have been.
Another good read by Lola Joy. As always August is a complete fool!! Love me some August. LOL But this is not about him. It’s about Paul and Khari. These two couldn’t stand each other. And Paul was acting like a Kevin and getting on my nerves. I’m glad he finally got over himself. Now there is a crazy person. And what book is not complete with a lil bit of crazy. LOL Now I need Conner story. Because I know August is going to lose his mind when Conner falls in love and it’s not with him! LOL
This was slow but good still. I mean Paul was never and still is not as interesting or enigmatic as Connor or Andrew are, but Khari bought everything out even though she was also very boring. I am hoping that Aleesha would have gotten with Connor (so left field) or I would even take Andrew for her. Now that’s cute. In any case this story was just there and just blah, but MS. Joy made it fun and bearable to finish it and to be able to rate it at a high note still.
I know I should have started with Mercedes book but I was able to read this book without to much confusion. I had many laugh out loud moments in this book and loved the carefully controlled Paul. Thank you for addressing work place harassment policies. In the age of “me too” you would think more authors would address this when having a work place romance. Wondering about Conner’s book… the hints about his sexuality make me doubt I’ll read his book. Just not my thing 🤷🏽♀️
Just finished book two anddd what happened to book three? 🥺
Just finished book two anddd what happened to book three? 🥺 I loved book two, the two lead character had a love/hate relationship. Things changed and then the drama, a crazy ex-lover and balancing work, relationship and a control freak. This story was also told by two personalities. I love the previous characters from book one were in this book as well, this book could be read as a standalone although I recommend reading the first book. Really want to know what happens next…😫 I’m invested!
This was a good book. Paul and Khari worked together and Paul seemed to have a crush on Khari but instead of being nice to her be antagonize her with emails about company policies they she was in violation of. Circumstances happened and they ended up in close proximity for a weekend and sparks flew. I would consider this a clean book, meaning no description of sex is in here. There was just talk like it happened i.e. lying around in bed after having sex. Despite that I still enjoyed the book.
Wow I tried this series after reading the synopsis since this was book 2 I first started with the first one and I was pleasantly surprised these are great and I loved the way it all came together I hope that she continues the series cause all of the characters need their story told looking forward to the next book this author is going on my must read list for sure
I really enjoyed reading this book. The leading man is complex, straightforward with layers to his character. His love interest is feisty, honest and humorous. They are destined to be together. I read a lot of romance novels and hardly ever give a 5 rating or leave a review. The book really has to make an impact for me to do it. I highly recommend this book.