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Hostile Takeover #0.5
Luca & Marcel
Listening Length: 1 hour and 27 minutes
Will his temporary PA turn into something permanent when they land in Vegas?
When billionaire hotelier Luca Bernardi discovers his trusty assistant can't come with him on an important business trip, he panics. Thankfully, she calls in a backup. Only...she was a little under the influence of heavy narcotics when she made the call...and when the temp shows up wearing sequins and a tiara, Luca wonders if his PA has taken leave of her senses and arranged for a...worker of the night instead of a professional assistant.
As the PA to a renowned venture capitalist, Marcel Abbott knows his way around an investment negotiation. As far as he's concerned, he's the best temp this Luca guy could ever want for his business trip to Vegas. But when Marcel boards Luca's private jet, Luca treats him like...a rent boy. Just what does this man think the "P" in "PA" stands for?
Will his temporary PA turn into something permanent when they land in Vegas?
When billionaire hotelier Luca Bernardi discovers his trusty assistant can't come with him on an important business trip, he panics. Thankfully, she calls in a backup. Only...she was a little under the influence of heavy narcotics when she made the call...and when the temp shows up wearing sequins and a tiara, Luca wonders if his PA has taken leave of her senses and arranged for a...worker of the night instead of a professional assistant.
As the PA to a renowned venture capitalist, Marcel Abbott knows his way around an investment negotiation. As far as he's concerned, he's the best temp this Luca guy could ever want for his business trip to Vegas. But when Marcel boards Luca's private jet, Luca treats him like...a rent boy. Just what does this man think the "P" in "PA" stands for?
2 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 1, 2021
151 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Lennox
94 books4,456 followersI write M/M romance with humor, heart, and heat. Check out my backlist here on GR for a selection of series and standalone or visit www.LucyLennox.com!
I only keep a small list of my very favorite books and series in my bookshelf here. I read A LOT and it's hard to keep the list updated!
I only keep a small list of my very favorite books and series in my bookshelf here. I read A LOT and it's hard to keep the list updated!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
dnf
April 18, 2022dnf @ 46%
Almost halfway through and I still can't say I know much about the characters, except for their mutual instant attraction. Their personalities, their dialogues and the storyline in general feel a bit ridiculous, to be honest. It's not what I'm looking for in a story.
Almost halfway through and I still can't say I know much about the characters, except for their mutual instant attraction. Their personalities, their dialogues and the storyline in general feel a bit ridiculous, to be honest. It's not what I'm looking for in a story.
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October 18, 2021
Luca & Marcel is book #0.5 in the Hostile Takeover series by Lucy Lennox. I’ve been so looking forward to the first book in the series, Hostile Takeover and this was the perfect introduction.
In this book we meet Luca Bernardi, billionaire hotelier. He is a workaholic. He is single and devotes all his time to his business. He relies heavily on his assistant, Jillian, to help to keep him from making rash decisions while visiting possible investments. Like this trip, going to Vegas to visit a hotel owned by his cousin.
Marcel Abbott is the personal assistant to the billionaire business man, Grey Blackwood. Grey is out of town so Marcel has some time off which is why he got an emergency call from his cousin, Jillian, telling him she was calling in a long overdue favor. She is in the hospital and needs him to fill in for her as Luca’s PA during a business trip.
When Luca and Marcel first meet, lets just say there were some misunderstandings as to what Marcel’s purpose really was. Once they got things straightened out, they were fine and started to recognize that there was a real connection there between them. And you know what they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!
This was such a sexy, fun introduction. I loved Luca and Marcel and can’t wait to continue to book one, Hostile Takeover, where I’ll get to meet Grey Blackwood.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
In this book we meet Luca Bernardi, billionaire hotelier. He is a workaholic. He is single and devotes all his time to his business. He relies heavily on his assistant, Jillian, to help to keep him from making rash decisions while visiting possible investments. Like this trip, going to Vegas to visit a hotel owned by his cousin.
Marcel Abbott is the personal assistant to the billionaire business man, Grey Blackwood. Grey is out of town so Marcel has some time off which is why he got an emergency call from his cousin, Jillian, telling him she was calling in a long overdue favor. She is in the hospital and needs him to fill in for her as Luca’s PA during a business trip.
When Luca and Marcel first meet, lets just say there were some misunderstandings as to what Marcel’s purpose really was. Once they got things straightened out, they were fine and started to recognize that there was a real connection there between them. And you know what they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!
This was such a sexy, fun introduction. I loved Luca and Marcel and can’t wait to continue to book one, Hostile Takeover, where I’ll get to meet Grey Blackwood.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
September 29, 2021
3.5 Stars
This prequel shorty was just the sweet and sexy little number I needed in my life today, to joyfully pass a bit of time and effortlessly put a smile on my face.
With an amusing set-up, featuring a zany but short-lasting case of mistaken identity, this story served as a lovely intro for Lennox’s upcoming novel, Hostile Takeover.
It’s insta-love on crack, but I was happy to throw reality to the wind to enjoy Luca and Marcel’s meet-cute romance. ❤️
This prequel shorty was just the sweet and sexy little number I needed in my life today, to joyfully pass a bit of time and effortlessly put a smile on my face.
With an amusing set-up, featuring a zany but short-lasting case of mistaken identity, this story served as a lovely intro for Lennox’s upcoming novel, Hostile Takeover.
It’s insta-love on crack, but I was happy to throw reality to the wind to enjoy Luca and Marcel’s meet-cute romance. ❤️
November 21, 2021
Sooo, this was fun! Short and sweet with a dash of spice. It was fairly “insta” but still left me smiling. I’m interested in the next book…guess it did it’s job! 🥰
November 23, 2021
okay now i understand the gripes. i love novellas and short stories for the ease of consumption, but it’s pretty jarring to go from 0 to 100 with any and all inquisitive “getting to know each other” conversations happening off page. a single sentence mentioning they spent the whole night talking and 💍 in ~two days isn’t it 🤣
October 23, 2021
2.5 meh stars
April 30, 2025
Omg. This book is a hot mess.
It’s only 76 pages, so I’m trying to be gracious, but I’ve read my share of short stories that had a lot more relationship building and chemistry than this one.
Let’s start with the good parts: the audiobook narration is ok. Lucy Lennox has most (maybe all) books read by Michael Dean, and I know his work well enough by now to know that while he’ll never become my favourite, he’s… ok.
On top of that, I got the audio during some kind of bookhub promo, so there’s that.
The trope itself isn’t too bad, either: Luca is a millionaire investor, and he needs a (temporary) PA accompanying him to Las Vegas because his regular one broke her leg. Said “temp PA” is Marcel, who joins Luca on the plane, still dressed in an outfit he wore for a bachelorette party. Because sparkly gays love that, and he had time to pack, but not to change 🙄
After that, it’s all very insta everything and awkward. Insta lust might work in some scenarios, but never ending love? Married and sappy after 2 days?
Safe to say, it didn’t work at all for me. It did set the scene for the first real book in the series, but it didn’t make me want to rush and pick it up.
Sorry 😕
2 stars, mainly for the plot idea and the narration.
It’s only 76 pages, so I’m trying to be gracious, but I’ve read my share of short stories that had a lot more relationship building and chemistry than this one.
Let’s start with the good parts: the audiobook narration is ok. Lucy Lennox has most (maybe all) books read by Michael Dean, and I know his work well enough by now to know that while he’ll never become my favourite, he’s… ok.
On top of that, I got the audio during some kind of bookhub promo, so there’s that.
The trope itself isn’t too bad, either: Luca is a millionaire investor, and he needs a (temporary) PA accompanying him to Las Vegas because his regular one broke her leg. Said “temp PA” is Marcel, who joins Luca on the plane, still dressed in an outfit he wore for a bachelorette party. Because sparkly gays love that, and he had time to pack, but not to change 🙄
After that, it’s all very insta everything and awkward. Insta lust might work in some scenarios, but never ending love? Married and sappy after 2 days?
Safe to say, it didn’t work at all for me. It did set the scene for the first real book in the series, but it didn’t make me want to rush and pick it up.
Sorry 😕
2 stars, mainly for the plot idea and the narration.
November 11, 2021
4 sugary-sweet stars!!! ❤️ Short and cute prequel to Hostile Takeover . Marcel and Luka's story is too short to actually get much insight into their characters, and I think LL wrote this to introduce her new series. It is a very Vegasy 😉 story, but cute nevertheless. A fast read, it took me about an hour to finish it.👍 👍
October 12, 2021
This freebie novella is so cute and funny. Is very short with insta-love, but it got me laughing from page 1. I wish there is another 100 pages of Luca, the adorably awkward tycoon and his sassy (not) PA, Marcel.
November 1, 2021
Short, ridiculous and lacking any sort of substance, you have to fully go in to a state of suspension of disbelief to enjoy this. But it was fun and I did enjoy Luca and Marcel together.
October 17, 2021
Ridiculously fun prequel
I don't know how Lucy Lennox does it but she absolutely pulls off the most instant of 'instalove' romances I've come across.
It started life as a weekly newsletter serial building up to the release of Hostile Takeover but it works as its own sweet story and now I can't wait to see Luca and Marcel in the that book.
Just a super fun read.
I don't know how Lucy Lennox does it but she absolutely pulls off the most instant of 'instalove' romances I've come across.
It started life as a weekly newsletter serial building up to the release of Hostile Takeover but it works as its own sweet story and now I can't wait to see Luca and Marcel in the that book.
Just a super fun read.
October 31, 2021
Luca needs a temp personal assistant, and after some talking with his PA he expects a mostly fake PA who also put out in bed- *ouch*
Sweet sweet sweet but a step too far for me. Since this romance is only 75 pages anything else I say here is a spoiler, so let's just leave it with insta-attraction going to insta-love in a heartbeat.
If someone can shut their brain off completely and just go with it, ignoring how completely unbelievable both characters and the conclusion is, it's probably a really good read.
I can't. Characters this stupid would never be in the positions they are in real life, no way.
Sweet sweet sweet but a step too far for me. Since this romance is only 75 pages anything else I say here is a spoiler, so let's just leave it with insta-attraction going to insta-love in a heartbeat.
If someone can shut their brain off completely and just go with it, ignoring how completely unbelievable both characters and the conclusion is, it's probably a really good read.
I can't. Characters this stupid would never be in the positions they are in real life, no way.
October 18, 2021
I loved Marcel's snarkiness and wit! Now on to Hostile Takeover book 1. Due out Oct 26thhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
October 14, 2021
Likable MCs, humor, good start. And then super rushed ending. I understand that this is a short story but I still expect it to be balanced
October 20, 2021
It was ok, there just wasn't much to it.
October 31, 2021
⭐︎2.75 stars!⭐︎
This was alright. Luca and Marcel were okay together. Luca was very cute (although, which super wealthy person - who got that rich on their own in the business world - is that cute and sweet and stutter-y? Idk) and sweet, and Marcel was kind but tough.
But things happened way too fast between these two. They did the whole get married in vegas thing after a day of knowing each other, but...sober? And we don't even get to see it, just them the next morning and Marcel freaking out a tad even though he was apparently of sound mind when they got married???
And we get a little smut between these two, but idk why it couldn't have shown them going all the way? It felt like at that point that the author wanted the story to get to the end and so sped things up and did telling more than showing. Yes, even for a short story, showing things is possible instead of telling.
They were having a sweet connection the first half, but then kinda lost it the second half - with the telling us they made lots of love and telling us they got married and then telling us they were happy forever - and I just wish them getting married (while sober) in vegas that quickly had made more sense. That their connection could have been better. (Like why can't they been dating even a few weeks, or months, before doing it? Like it's still quick but not a just a DAY of knowing each other quick.)
But still, they were cute together at first and the beginning was fun and funny at times.
Not too bad, but could have been better, even for a short. Short stories don't have to equal "okay-ish" like a connection can be established better and a relationship built up better, in my opinion. Also this ended about 20 to 30% before the actual ending, because there's a preview for Hostile Takeover at the end. So it was even shorter than what the page count led me to believe (and hey, those extra pages could have been used for this story instead of the next, to improve it, I think.)
So that's why I'm giving this 2.75 stars rounded up, instead of any higher. This could have been better.
But, I am excited to dive into Hostile Takeover. The premise sounds promising and if it is actually a good enemies-to-lovers or rivals-to-lovers or close to that, I'm excited to dive into it!
This was alright. Luca and Marcel were okay together. Luca was very cute (although, which super wealthy person - who got that rich on their own in the business world - is that cute and sweet and stutter-y? Idk) and sweet, and Marcel was kind but tough.
But things happened way too fast between these two. They did the whole get married in vegas thing after a day of knowing each other, but...sober? And we don't even get to see it, just them the next morning and Marcel freaking out a tad even though he was apparently of sound mind when they got married???
And we get a little smut between these two, but idk why it couldn't have shown them going all the way? It felt like at that point that the author wanted the story to get to the end and so sped things up and did telling more than showing. Yes, even for a short story, showing things is possible instead of telling.
They were having a sweet connection the first half, but then kinda lost it the second half - with the telling us they made lots of love and telling us they got married and then telling us they were happy forever - and I just wish them getting married (while sober) in vegas that quickly had made more sense. That their connection could have been better. (Like why can't they been dating even a few weeks, or months, before doing it? Like it's still quick but not a just a DAY of knowing each other quick.)
But still, they were cute together at first and the beginning was fun and funny at times.
Not too bad, but could have been better, even for a short. Short stories don't have to equal "okay-ish" like a connection can be established better and a relationship built up better, in my opinion. Also this ended about 20 to 30% before the actual ending, because there's a preview for Hostile Takeover at the end. So it was even shorter than what the page count led me to believe (and hey, those extra pages could have been used for this story instead of the next, to improve it, I think.)
So that's why I'm giving this 2.75 stars rounded up, instead of any higher. This could have been better.
But, I am excited to dive into Hostile Takeover. The premise sounds promising and if it is actually a good enemies-to-lovers or rivals-to-lovers or close to that, I'm excited to dive into it!
January 1, 2026
Ok, so this was cute, but after reading Hostile Takeover...this was just....less than. The premise and misunderstanding were adorable AF but could have been dragged out even longer, It's just that Marcel deserved all the bells and whistles of a longer book. This felt like an afterthought. And Luca just looked like a dumb mess at the start.
A missed opportunity.🤗
A missed opportunity.🤗
October 22, 2021
A short sweet, sexy and fun read.
The book sets the premise for the first book of the series where we are introduced to the mysterious billionaire Grey Blackwood and Ellison York.
Excited to read Grey's story! Wonder what Lucy Lennox has in store for us with this new exciting series.
The book sets the premise for the first book of the series where we are introduced to the mysterious billionaire Grey Blackwood and Ellison York.
Excited to read Grey's story! Wonder what Lucy Lennox has in store for us with this new exciting series.
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November 30, 2021
MM Romance
Prequel To Hostile Takeover
I read this a week or so ago and can’t remember enough of it to do a proper review. However, I do remember not liking it much because of the instalove and the characters in general. I own Hostile Takeover and I can’t say this made me excited to read it. ☹️
Prequel To Hostile Takeover
I read this a week or so ago and can’t remember enough of it to do a proper review. However, I do remember not liking it much because of the instalove and the characters in general. I own Hostile Takeover and I can’t say this made me excited to read it. ☹️
November 5, 2021
A short fluff
This is a short, sweet fairy tale with a billionaire and a temporary PA in wegas… you can guess the story right?
This is a short, sweet fairy tale with a billionaire and a temporary PA in wegas… you can guess the story right?
Read
October 12, 2021Yikes. If this was supposed to entice me to read the next book in the series, it really, really didn't. I haven't read a book by this author in a couple of years, but I didn't think the writing was this bad then?
December 1, 2022
Cute, but not indispensable. I'm not a fan of instalove when there's no magic involved, so it does feel iffy to me. Glad they're happy though
October 18, 2021
3.5 stars…A sweet, funny, hot little short for Luca And Marcel finding what they needed when they least expected.
March 24, 2025
2.5/5
Este libro lo leí porque estaba en oferta de menos de un $1 USD y además es cortito, así que esperaba algo entretenido que no requiriera mucho de mi atención.
Y ciertamente al inicio la autora mostró un humor que extrañaba y me pareció que sus personajes tenían una dinámica interesante (se trata del CEO de una compañía y su Asistente Personal Temporal), sin embargo, lo que hizo que mi rating fuera más bajo fue lo apresurado del final. Es decir, van a Las Vegas para revisar un contrato y en ese mismo día están juntos y a la mañana siguiente hay una propuesta de matrimonio. ¿Es en serio?
No soy para nada fan del insta-love y con todo y que sé que es ficción, me parece irreal. Creo que hubiera preferido que decidieran salir para conocerse y ver si funcionaban juntos, y que fuese un HFN en lugar de un HEA sacado de la manga –eso tendría más sentido.
Este libro lo leí porque estaba en oferta de menos de un $1 USD y además es cortito, así que esperaba algo entretenido que no requiriera mucho de mi atención.
Y ciertamente al inicio la autora mostró un humor que extrañaba y me pareció que sus personajes tenían una dinámica interesante (se trata del CEO de una compañía y su Asistente Personal Temporal), sin embargo, lo que hizo que mi rating fuera más bajo fue lo apresurado del final. Es decir, van a Las Vegas para revisar un contrato y en ese mismo día están juntos y a la mañana siguiente hay una propuesta de matrimonio. ¿Es en serio?
No soy para nada fan del insta-love y con todo y que sé que es ficción, me parece irreal. Creo que hubiera preferido que decidieran salir para conocerse y ver si funcionaban juntos, y que fuese un HFN en lugar de un HEA sacado de la manga –eso tendría más sentido.
October 27, 2021
2.7 stars rounded up to 3.
I really liked the MCs. It was funny, sweet and had an adorably awkward meet cute but the last 50% was more telling than showing and a rushed ending. However, it was still an enjoyable read although I’m not fully satisfied. But it served its purpose coz now I’m salivating for Gray’s story!!
I really liked the MCs. It was funny, sweet and had an adorably awkward meet cute but the last 50% was more telling than showing and a rushed ending. However, it was still an enjoyable read although I’m not fully satisfied. But it served its purpose coz now I’m salivating for Gray’s story!!
March 2, 2025
Too short for anything to feel real. We didn't get to hear any of the supposed deep conversations that got them from strangers to married in less than two days - without a prenup! And one of them was a billionaire!! If I were to marry a rich person, I'd be demanding a prenup myself - it gives piece of mind to the people in his life that I'm not in for the money and if you love the person, you shouldn't care.
Gets 3 stars because it was funny. That hotel concept was hilarious.
Not sure this gave me any desire to read the next book in the series.
Gets 3 stars because it was funny. That hotel concept was hilarious.
Not sure this gave me any desire to read the next book in the series.
Read
January 8, 2022I know I’ve read this but my review is missing!!🤷♀️🤷♀️
January 10, 2022
It was fun listening to Luca and Marcel’s story. It was a short instalove prequel with just the right amount of steam. Can’t wait to start Hostile Takeover soon.
March 2, 2025
3.5 stars
October 26, 2021
✮3 Stars✮
Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews