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Love Where You Work #1
Love Where You Work
Warning: No mimes were injured in the making of this queer, workplace rom-com
For Clare Kolikov, her work is her life. A successful HR manager with a heart of gold and a prejudice against beach camping, the uptight Clare has no time for relationships or anything else that might distract her from climbing the career ladder at a San Francisco Bay Area matchmaking startup, W;nkdIn.
When she’s force-volunteered as an LGBTQ beta date tester at W;nkdIn, the buttoned-up Clare teeters on the edge of despair, especially when the “experiences” involve pole dancing meet-n-greets, plant healing workshops, and miming.
But Clare has her real work cut out for her when she meets Julia Dawes, the hot coworker who’s organizing her dates. Julia is a free-spirited, multiracial fashionista with “roller-blade confidence” and a Kristen Stewart haiku fan blog, whose attraction to Clare is as immediate and crippling as the debt she’s drowning in, thanks to the failed essential oils business her ex left her saddled with.
Workplace rules aim to keep Clare and Julia apart––especially after Clare becomes Julia’s boss––but their attraction only grows like an out-of-control Excel spreadsheet.
When an office rival threatens to expose their budding, secret relationship, Clare is left with an impossible choice: Give up her dream job or lose out on the girl of her dreams.
Mixing business with pleasure has never been more bold, steamy, or hilarious…
For Clare Kolikov, her work is her life. A successful HR manager with a heart of gold and a prejudice against beach camping, the uptight Clare has no time for relationships or anything else that might distract her from climbing the career ladder at a San Francisco Bay Area matchmaking startup, W;nkdIn.
When she’s force-volunteered as an LGBTQ beta date tester at W;nkdIn, the buttoned-up Clare teeters on the edge of despair, especially when the “experiences” involve pole dancing meet-n-greets, plant healing workshops, and miming.
But Clare has her real work cut out for her when she meets Julia Dawes, the hot coworker who’s organizing her dates. Julia is a free-spirited, multiracial fashionista with “roller-blade confidence” and a Kristen Stewart haiku fan blog, whose attraction to Clare is as immediate and crippling as the debt she’s drowning in, thanks to the failed essential oils business her ex left her saddled with.
Workplace rules aim to keep Clare and Julia apart––especially after Clare becomes Julia’s boss––but their attraction only grows like an out-of-control Excel spreadsheet.
When an office rival threatens to expose their budding, secret relationship, Clare is left with an impossible choice: Give up her dream job or lose out on the girl of her dreams.
Mixing business with pleasure has never been more bold, steamy, or hilarious…
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 8, 2022
95 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Anna Pulley
7 books87 followersANNA PULLEY is a queer, mixed-race, hard-of-hearing writer living in the Bay Area. She writes rom-coms and is the author of The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (with Cats!), which Tegan and Sara said was "an adorable and hilarious way to start the day," Cheryl Strayed called a "must-read," and actress Jennifer Tilly said was "thoroughly charming." She writes a weekly sex and dating advice column for The Chicago Tribune and been published in New York magazine, Mother Jones, The Washington Post, San Francisco magazine (the issue she contributed to won a National Magazine Award), Vice, Salon, BuzzFeed, and many others. She was also named a Top LGBTQ Writer on Medium. Her writing was excerpted/quoted in Esther Perel's book, The State of Affairs. She's been a repeat guest on Dan Savage's podcast, Savage Love, on Daniel M. Lavery's "Dear Prudence" podcast, and most recently on the popular 99% Invisible podcast.
When not writing or reading, you'll find her trapped under a cat, probably.
When not writing or reading, you'll find her trapped under a cat, probably.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 26, 2022
**'Some writers are considered to be labeled snitches because they do at times sell their characters out..'
Okay read!
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Okay read!
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January 31, 2022
You know how sometimes when you read a book, it feels like it would be even better if you could watch it? This is one of these, a rom-com in which the comedy aspect is as important as the romance. If I can’t get a movie, I’d settle for an audiobook so fingers crossed it happens one day.
Clare is excellent at her HR job at W;nkdIn, a dating app. What she’s not excellent at is letting people in. Behind her icy facade, she cares, very much, but that’s not enough to make her want to go out with colleagues for Friday drinks. In order to stay in the run for the promotion she’s hoping for, she’s volunteered to beta the company’s new LGBTQ+ dating experiences. Julia has always been “the pretty one” and struggles to be taken seriously. A complaint brings her to Clare’s office and attraction strikes on both sides. Unfortunately, Julia is the one in charge of planning Clare’s dates… with other people.
Love Where You Work is a debut novel, and a very funny one at that. Funny and touching, as both women navigate uneasy relationships with their families. It’s fast-paced and facetious and while it could have used tighter editing, I enjoyed this book thoroughly.
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Clare is excellent at her HR job at W;nkdIn, a dating app. What she’s not excellent at is letting people in. Behind her icy facade, she cares, very much, but that’s not enough to make her want to go out with colleagues for Friday drinks. In order to stay in the run for the promotion she’s hoping for, she’s volunteered to beta the company’s new LGBTQ+ dating experiences. Julia has always been “the pretty one” and struggles to be taken seriously. A complaint brings her to Clare’s office and attraction strikes on both sides. Unfortunately, Julia is the one in charge of planning Clare’s dates… with other people.
Love Where You Work is a debut novel, and a very funny one at that. Funny and touching, as both women navigate uneasy relationships with their families. It’s fast-paced and facetious and while it could have used tighter editing, I enjoyed this book thoroughly.
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 14, 2022
Grabbed this on sale for $1 and some change, (still onsale for a few days I believe) it was a good fun romp to read that had its strengths and weaknesses that will vary dependent on your own humour and reactions to certain scenarios.
I liked that our MC's are not perfect, they are neurotic characters who don't have all their shit together and are just trying hard to puzzle through as we all do in life. Both are mid 30's I believe. Clare may have the work and finances in balance, to a point, but on the emotional, relationship and fun side of things she is severely lacking. She's buttoned up and living in a world of beige and self-inflicted rules to not cause chaos for herself, while also dealing with the grief of losing her father, and her mother becoming a whole new person in the aftermath.
Love interest Julia is struggling with debt and a history of odd jobs, and never really belonging - while she is open to love and friendship she has been burned in those areas, too. She's a roller-skater and open to trying almost anything and seems to thrive on chaos. Both women struggle with overbearing relatives. Both want to impress their bosses at W;nkdIn - a dating site that is trying to expand it's customer base. Clare is HR while Julia is a kind of events coordinator.
They both feel the big zing of attraction between them, but Clare gets signed up by her boss to be more of a 'team player' to try out some of the new 'date ideas' Julia has come up with for the website. Julia deliberately sabotages a lot of the dates, choosing odd and bizarre situations to ensure no true connection is found for Clare. Trying to keep her for herself.
This is where it got very rom-com montage, with lots of bad awkward dates, unusual people, and crazy scenarios. It felt familiar and forced - but that is typical of any rom-com, I mostly was eyerolling in a 'typical' yet amused way. If you've seen one rom-com you've seen em all, so this played out as per usual.
But I do admit to finding a fair few scenarios very entertaining, like the plant healing workshop, where Clare bonds with her cactus only to find out she can't take it home - totally something I would do lol. The mime class also had me snort-laughing along. It was great to see Clare come out of her own shell with these things, and also do a fair bit of self reflection, too.
During this we see Julia and her connect a few times, taking part together in a few of the 'dates' and them being well in-sync, up until sharing what I thought was the most un-romantic and stodgy sexual encounter ever, which seemed to come out of nowhere with very little buildup - or payoff.
The sex scene seemed very "Straight" written. Like it was by someone unfamiliar with female on female sex, and barely wanting to mention anatomy or any skin on skin touching. Now apparently that is not the case according to the authors bio, but I can't shake that feeling, and I'm side-eyeing this pretty hard and my own mind wandered far too much. (ie: Was this done just to make it more mainstream? because having anything more detailed would have the straights clutching their pearls if they were to read?).
There was very little emotional connection to the encounter and of course right away our MC finds out about the deliberate sabotaging of the dates, and this causes a black moment to spiral into a lot of back and forth angst.
I could see both sides of things in the aftermath, what I HATED was the typical rom-com "love bombing" bullshit that happened where Julia constantly practically stalked and gifted Clare things to 'make up for' the situation. It felt icky, and again all too familiar, if you've ever seen even 1 straight rom-com.
I just don't see a woman being so performative towards another woman in this manner. Again is read very what a "Straight guy" would think to do to 'make up' with a woman in a rom com. Which had me going WTF and took me out of it to spiral in my own head again, for why the author chose to do it this way.
I also disliked the narrative that Clare was being too hard on Julia and that she should lighten up and accept these "Romantic" behaviours, as if they aren't possible red flags. Like I said I definitely saw each characters sides on this, they aren't 'bad' people - but I felt the scenarios were far too 'on the nose'. Some more involved discussion and insight should have been had here. Not just the lazy rom com "you're being too hard and they are being romantic in crossing your boundaries to get back to you" which was far too much for me to swallow.
This is where it fell down for me, there's fun and games and amusing antics - but no real emotional pull and true insight or stakes. It felt shallow. I guess I want more emotional depth from my reads, even if they are rom-com in nature.
So your own reaction is going to be down to your own issues with the rom-com script and antics.
As I said I enjoyed it for the most part, but it had its issues, for me! But everyone is different! Get it while it's onsale if you want to give it a go.
I liked that our MC's are not perfect, they are neurotic characters who don't have all their shit together and are just trying hard to puzzle through as we all do in life. Both are mid 30's I believe. Clare may have the work and finances in balance, to a point, but on the emotional, relationship and fun side of things she is severely lacking. She's buttoned up and living in a world of beige and self-inflicted rules to not cause chaos for herself, while also dealing with the grief of losing her father, and her mother becoming a whole new person in the aftermath.
Love interest Julia is struggling with debt and a history of odd jobs, and never really belonging - while she is open to love and friendship she has been burned in those areas, too. She's a roller-skater and open to trying almost anything and seems to thrive on chaos. Both women struggle with overbearing relatives. Both want to impress their bosses at W;nkdIn - a dating site that is trying to expand it's customer base. Clare is HR while Julia is a kind of events coordinator.
They both feel the big zing of attraction between them, but Clare gets signed up by her boss to be more of a 'team player' to try out some of the new 'date ideas' Julia has come up with for the website. Julia deliberately sabotages a lot of the dates, choosing odd and bizarre situations to ensure no true connection is found for Clare. Trying to keep her for herself.
This is where it got very rom-com montage, with lots of bad awkward dates, unusual people, and crazy scenarios. It felt familiar and forced - but that is typical of any rom-com, I mostly was eyerolling in a 'typical' yet amused way. If you've seen one rom-com you've seen em all, so this played out as per usual.
But I do admit to finding a fair few scenarios very entertaining, like the plant healing workshop, where Clare bonds with her cactus only to find out she can't take it home - totally something I would do lol. The mime class also had me snort-laughing along. It was great to see Clare come out of her own shell with these things, and also do a fair bit of self reflection, too.
During this we see Julia and her connect a few times, taking part together in a few of the 'dates' and them being well in-sync, up until sharing what I thought was the most un-romantic and stodgy sexual encounter ever, which seemed to come out of nowhere with very little buildup - or payoff.
The sex scene seemed very "Straight" written. Like it was by someone unfamiliar with female on female sex, and barely wanting to mention anatomy or any skin on skin touching. Now apparently that is not the case according to the authors bio, but I can't shake that feeling, and I'm side-eyeing this pretty hard and my own mind wandered far too much. (ie: Was this done just to make it more mainstream? because having anything more detailed would have the straights clutching their pearls if they were to read?).
There was very little emotional connection to the encounter and of course right away our MC finds out about the deliberate sabotaging of the dates, and this causes a black moment to spiral into a lot of back and forth angst.
I could see both sides of things in the aftermath, what I HATED was the typical rom-com "love bombing" bullshit that happened where Julia constantly practically stalked and gifted Clare things to 'make up for' the situation. It felt icky, and again all too familiar, if you've ever seen even 1 straight rom-com.
I just don't see a woman being so performative towards another woman in this manner. Again is read very what a "Straight guy" would think to do to 'make up' with a woman in a rom com. Which had me going WTF and took me out of it to spiral in my own head again, for why the author chose to do it this way.
I also disliked the narrative that Clare was being too hard on Julia and that she should lighten up and accept these "Romantic" behaviours, as if they aren't possible red flags. Like I said I definitely saw each characters sides on this, they aren't 'bad' people - but I felt the scenarios were far too 'on the nose'. Some more involved discussion and insight should have been had here. Not just the lazy rom com "you're being too hard and they are being romantic in crossing your boundaries to get back to you" which was far too much for me to swallow.
This is where it fell down for me, there's fun and games and amusing antics - but no real emotional pull and true insight or stakes. It felt shallow. I guess I want more emotional depth from my reads, even if they are rom-com in nature.
So your own reaction is going to be down to your own issues with the rom-com script and antics.
As I said I enjoyed it for the most part, but it had its issues, for me! But everyone is different! Get it while it's onsale if you want to give it a go.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2022
“No mimes were injured in the making of this queer, workplace Rom-com” Who can resist that warning label? This book promised to be up my alley and I’m really happy I gave this story a chance as it exceeded my expectations.
Clare Kolikov is a successful HR manager for a matchmaking startup, W;nkdIn. Clare has no time or inclination for dating but is forced to volunteer as an LGBTQ beta date tester for her company. Julia Dawes is Clare’s hot coworker who’s organizing her dates. When they meet, sparks fly but mixing work with pleasure will get them both in trouble…
This is a very entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny, workplace Rom-com. I really loved the sense of humor in this novel, it’s smart, sarcastic, and sometimes critical:
“… why not just ask her out the old-fashioned way?”
“You mean, swiping 8,000 times on apps until I find her, messaging back and forth for months, and then never meeting?”
Many books have described the woes of dating in the times of social media and matchmaking apps but I liked the fresh approach of this novel. The date experiences are absolutely hilarious. My favorite was the plant healing workshop in which Clare is asked to commune with a cactus. Priceless…
However, this novel isn’t just a compilation of funny scenes, it’s also a journey of transformation for both main characters who have to deal with bereavement, complex family relationships, lack of self-esteem and, in the middle of all that, determine what’s really important in life. Despite the heaviness of some issues, everything is balanced with a heavy dose of humor and self-deprecation.
All the cast of characters, mains and secondary, family or coworkers, are absolutely amazing. Every single one has a distinct personality quirk but not ridiculously so. From Rodrigo the drag queen to Claire’s therapist Luca, they all have something inherently human about them which provides depth to the story.
In her bio, the author says that Love Where You Work is her first (published) novel and originally started off as an erotica story. It’s a curious origin but I’m not surprised that it eventually became a rom-com with the level of imagination that Ms. Pulley has. Order muppets vs. chaos muppets, Kristen Stewart haiku film reviews, and pole dancing meet n’ greet, among other disparate elements, all make sense in the context of the story. Not only that, the result is a fantastic novel that will make you laugh, think and feel. Highly recommended. 5 stars.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Clare Kolikov is a successful HR manager for a matchmaking startup, W;nkdIn. Clare has no time or inclination for dating but is forced to volunteer as an LGBTQ beta date tester for her company. Julia Dawes is Clare’s hot coworker who’s organizing her dates. When they meet, sparks fly but mixing work with pleasure will get them both in trouble…
This is a very entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny, workplace Rom-com. I really loved the sense of humor in this novel, it’s smart, sarcastic, and sometimes critical:
“… why not just ask her out the old-fashioned way?”
“You mean, swiping 8,000 times on apps until I find her, messaging back and forth for months, and then never meeting?”
Many books have described the woes of dating in the times of social media and matchmaking apps but I liked the fresh approach of this novel. The date experiences are absolutely hilarious. My favorite was the plant healing workshop in which Clare is asked to commune with a cactus. Priceless…
However, this novel isn’t just a compilation of funny scenes, it’s also a journey of transformation for both main characters who have to deal with bereavement, complex family relationships, lack of self-esteem and, in the middle of all that, determine what’s really important in life. Despite the heaviness of some issues, everything is balanced with a heavy dose of humor and self-deprecation.
All the cast of characters, mains and secondary, family or coworkers, are absolutely amazing. Every single one has a distinct personality quirk but not ridiculously so. From Rodrigo the drag queen to Claire’s therapist Luca, they all have something inherently human about them which provides depth to the story.
In her bio, the author says that Love Where You Work is her first (published) novel and originally started off as an erotica story. It’s a curious origin but I’m not surprised that it eventually became a rom-com with the level of imagination that Ms. Pulley has. Order muppets vs. chaos muppets, Kristen Stewart haiku film reviews, and pole dancing meet n’ greet, among other disparate elements, all make sense in the context of the story. Not only that, the result is a fantastic novel that will make you laugh, think and feel. Highly recommended. 5 stars.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
February 6, 2022
Clare is a buttoned-up human resources manager for an online dating website. She is all work and no play. She can't understand how her mother has moved on so quickly after her father's passing and traveling all over. Julia is a stylish, seemingly care-free employee for the same website.
Julia and Clare have a ton of chemistry but Clare simply will not allow a workplace relationship get in the way of her career ambitions. But their job keeps pairing them in ways that keep them in close contact and make it practically impossible to cross those imaginary lines.
This was a cute romance that made me feel like I was watching a movie. I found it be very funny throughout. I connected with it because it is my kind of humor.
While there was a comedy aspect to this, it also dealt with some deeper issues for both of the characters as it related to their families and past relationships.
I recommend this book to those who love to ready romance, laughing, workplace relationships, family drama, dealing with grief, moving beyond bad break-ups, and ladies that can break into things.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Julia and Clare have a ton of chemistry but Clare simply will not allow a workplace relationship get in the way of her career ambitions. But their job keeps pairing them in ways that keep them in close contact and make it practically impossible to cross those imaginary lines.
This was a cute romance that made me feel like I was watching a movie. I found it be very funny throughout. I connected with it because it is my kind of humor.
While there was a comedy aspect to this, it also dealt with some deeper issues for both of the characters as it related to their families and past relationships.
I recommend this book to those who love to ready romance, laughing, workplace relationships, family drama, dealing with grief, moving beyond bad break-ups, and ladies that can break into things.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2022
W;nkdin is the latest hot dating app and the company is pulling out all the stops to stay ahead of the pack.
Clare is chugging along in the HR Dept working toward a hoped for promotion. She's tightly strung, focused on work with no distractions and suffers from eczema so stress is an absolute no-no. Her last lover was an uninspired male who turned out to be married and has since prompted thoughts of a more exciting ex girlfriend from college. Set aside the quick fling with a co-worker that could bring problems down the line.
Julia, barely keeping her head above water is full of bravado but saddled with huge debt from a failed business initiated by her ex girlfriend (who then dumped her), mounting bills and a student loan screaming for payment. She just can't afford to fail at her job as an event planner with W;nkdin.
These two opposites meet when Julia is forced to get HR help dealing with sexual innuendo from an office colleague. Handled efficiently and satisfactorily, a little spark of attraction grows into romance but there's rough waters ahead.
The main characters are ably complimented by a supporting cast of family, co-workers and a savvy therapist - Clare's mom Carole was a hoot! Throw in a challenge regarding the HR promotion and pressure to get involved in testing a new feature of the dating app with speed dating and mime class and we've got an age-gap, work place romance with dashes of angst, sex and blackmail and gobs of humor. Who knew haiku could be sexy? Some aspects in the storyline seemed stilted but the HEA satisfied. I look forward to more from the author.
I rec'd a copy through Booksprout and this is an unbiased, voluntary review.
Clare is chugging along in the HR Dept working toward a hoped for promotion. She's tightly strung, focused on work with no distractions and suffers from eczema so stress is an absolute no-no. Her last lover was an uninspired male who turned out to be married and has since prompted thoughts of a more exciting ex girlfriend from college. Set aside the quick fling with a co-worker that could bring problems down the line.
Julia, barely keeping her head above water is full of bravado but saddled with huge debt from a failed business initiated by her ex girlfriend (who then dumped her), mounting bills and a student loan screaming for payment. She just can't afford to fail at her job as an event planner with W;nkdin.
These two opposites meet when Julia is forced to get HR help dealing with sexual innuendo from an office colleague. Handled efficiently and satisfactorily, a little spark of attraction grows into romance but there's rough waters ahead.
The main characters are ably complimented by a supporting cast of family, co-workers and a savvy therapist - Clare's mom Carole was a hoot! Throw in a challenge regarding the HR promotion and pressure to get involved in testing a new feature of the dating app with speed dating and mime class and we've got an age-gap, work place romance with dashes of angst, sex and blackmail and gobs of humor. Who knew haiku could be sexy? Some aspects in the storyline seemed stilted but the HEA satisfied. I look forward to more from the author.
I rec'd a copy through Booksprout and this is an unbiased, voluntary review.
February 26, 2025
Julia and Clare trade being MC in this workmates to lovers adventure. Most workplaces don't allow workplace romances, although so many romances actually start there. I mostly enjoyed this one, 3.5 stars.
Julia smiled faintly imagining Paula getting in a fight with anyone. She presented a tough veneer with her black-on-black attire and menacing eye makeup and shit-kicker boots, but inside, Paula was a pile of puppies. (p. 124).
Julia shook her head. Her eyes were beginning to strain from all the rolling. (p. 212).
“Asking for help doesn’t make you a loser, loser—it makes you human.” (p. 253).
Julia smiled faintly imagining Paula getting in a fight with anyone. She presented a tough veneer with her black-on-black attire and menacing eye makeup and shit-kicker boots, but inside, Paula was a pile of puppies. (p. 124).
Julia shook her head. Her eyes were beginning to strain from all the rolling. (p. 212).
“Asking for help doesn’t make you a loser, loser—it makes you human.” (p. 253).
January 17, 2022
Who doesn’t fantasize about an office romance? Love Where You Work by Anna Pulley follows Clare, a midlevel HR manager at a California dating start-up who’s just interested in her next promotion. An HR complaint introduces her to Julia, an events employee at the company - instant attraction. Eventually a long kiss is shared over drinks, but Clare is concerned about the appearances of a manager hooking up with a HR claimant and cuts it short.
At the same time, Clare has been roped into testing the start-up’s dating experiences beta, so she’ll be attending various speed dating events and first dates. Fortunately for Julia, she’ll be the one in charge of designing the events Clare will be attending, and will ensure they don’t result in Clare finding love, leaving Clare available for Julia to pursue.
While not an overly steamy novel, it is notable and refreshing that the handful of sex scenes feel very authentic and realistic to how women have sex with each other, rather than how men imagine women do. The majority of the characters are LGBTQ, with various identities represented including nonbinary, transgender, and bisexual supporting characters.
As a whole, this is a quirky, fun sapphic romcom from a small press that deserves a wider audience.
At the same time, Clare has been roped into testing the start-up’s dating experiences beta, so she’ll be attending various speed dating events and first dates. Fortunately for Julia, she’ll be the one in charge of designing the events Clare will be attending, and will ensure they don’t result in Clare finding love, leaving Clare available for Julia to pursue.
While not an overly steamy novel, it is notable and refreshing that the handful of sex scenes feel very authentic and realistic to how women have sex with each other, rather than how men imagine women do. The majority of the characters are LGBTQ, with various identities represented including nonbinary, transgender, and bisexual supporting characters.
As a whole, this is a quirky, fun sapphic romcom from a small press that deserves a wider audience.
February 1, 2022
I must admit at the outset that I'm not sure I've ever read a romance novel all the way through. It's usually not my literary jam, but I definitely respect it as a genre and do not consider it "lesser." But I wanted to pick this one up because 1) If I was going to ready any romance, I wanted it to be a queer one, written by a queer author and 2) I have read Anna Pulley's nonfiction in various outlets (including her sex advice column) for years, so I wanted to see what her fiction was like.
And it's fun! I enjoyed this, even if I find myself frustrated by the romance-style "obstacles stand in the couple's way!" plot points. I like that no one was 22 and naive, nor were there any questionable power dynamics, and there isn't a silly "billionaire boss whisks lady off her feet" premise. How their work-related power dynamics appear to others is a main plot point, sure, but it's all dealt with in a pretty honest and believable way, especially considering how anxious one of the main characters is.
Also, the sexy bits are good! I know that's why a lot of people read romance, so trust you won't be disappointed here.
So even if I'm not the ideal romance reader, I'm still glad I read it.
And it's fun! I enjoyed this, even if I find myself frustrated by the romance-style "obstacles stand in the couple's way!" plot points. I like that no one was 22 and naive, nor were there any questionable power dynamics, and there isn't a silly "billionaire boss whisks lady off her feet" premise. How their work-related power dynamics appear to others is a main plot point, sure, but it's all dealt with in a pretty honest and believable way, especially considering how anxious one of the main characters is.
Also, the sexy bits are good! I know that's why a lot of people read romance, so trust you won't be disappointed here.
So even if I'm not the ideal romance reader, I'm still glad I read it.
March 5, 2022
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club in exchange for an honest review.
This story follows Claire, the interim Chief of HR who gets voluntold to participate in a beta program at her work, W;nkIn, a dating website. There she meets Julia, the coordinator of User Experiences who sets up the dates.
This is a tough review for me. I enjoyed the first part of the book. The crazy dates that Claire went on and the shenanigans that resulted from them were a lot of fun to read. I can't imagine going to a mime class for a dating event, but it would definitely be an experience! But a little over halfway through the book, the first domino fell leading to the typical dramatic moment in romance novels. I love romance novels and generally accept the formula of them with minimal annoyance at the predictability. However, there was a plot error at this point of the book that took me out of the story. The error was a plot device to set the dominoes falling and I found myself struggling to get back into the book after that. I'm curious what route Pulley would have taken if that plot device hadn't been used. Either way, after that moment it was hard not to wish that the story would surprise me and change course.
A solid romance with a promising start but a stumbling ending. I look forward to what else Pulley publishes. Recommend for fans of romance.
This story follows Claire, the interim Chief of HR who gets voluntold to participate in a beta program at her work, W;nkIn, a dating website. There she meets Julia, the coordinator of User Experiences who sets up the dates.
This is a tough review for me. I enjoyed the first part of the book. The crazy dates that Claire went on and the shenanigans that resulted from them were a lot of fun to read. I can't imagine going to a mime class for a dating event, but it would definitely be an experience! But a little over halfway through the book, the first domino fell leading to the typical dramatic moment in romance novels. I love romance novels and generally accept the formula of them with minimal annoyance at the predictability. However, there was a plot error at this point of the book that took me out of the story. The error was a plot device to set the dominoes falling and I found myself struggling to get back into the book after that. I'm curious what route Pulley would have taken if that plot device hadn't been used. Either way, after that moment it was hard not to wish that the story would surprise me and change course.
A solid romance with a promising start but a stumbling ending. I look forward to what else Pulley publishes. Recommend for fans of romance.
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April 2, 2022 A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club for free in exchange for an honest review.
This book is about a hardworking HR manager to a startup dating app company, named Clare that burns the candle at both ends in an attempt to move up the ladder. Nothing and no one will stop her from climbing to the top...except for maybe the spontaneous and fun seeker, Julia who bumps into her life like red paint on a beige outfit. The two could be no different from each other as night and day but opposites attract and they struggle to keep their attraction to each other hidden from the rest of their colleagues until Clare gets the promotion of her dreams. What will she sacrifice and what will really make her happy in the end?
This book was both hilarious and heart-rending! At times the characters would have me rolling in laughter (especially when side character, Paula, was there) but it also had some very important life tips in it. Clare had to learn how to let go of her father's death, how to let go of herself and how to let herself live without fear holding her back. Though it wasn't the pivotal point of the book but I noticed a very important life lesson in it, there are and will be people you don't "click with" those you don't connect with and those that will hurt you, so it's important to hold onto to those who you do connect with and loves you back immensely. This is a good book and I really enjoyed it.
I didn't notice the contradictions until I read others pointing it out but there are some confusing plot contradictions in the story, but I didn't see them myself at the time. It may just be my obliviousness or my inexperience with reading for the purpose of critique but it didn't effect my reading and I think any errors are too minor to be overtly noticeable. As always, I'm very grateful to be given the chance to read this novel!
This book is about a hardworking HR manager to a startup dating app company, named Clare that burns the candle at both ends in an attempt to move up the ladder. Nothing and no one will stop her from climbing to the top...except for maybe the spontaneous and fun seeker, Julia who bumps into her life like red paint on a beige outfit. The two could be no different from each other as night and day but opposites attract and they struggle to keep their attraction to each other hidden from the rest of their colleagues until Clare gets the promotion of her dreams. What will she sacrifice and what will really make her happy in the end?
This book was both hilarious and heart-rending! At times the characters would have me rolling in laughter (especially when side character, Paula, was there) but it also had some very important life tips in it. Clare had to learn how to let go of her father's death, how to let go of herself and how to let herself live without fear holding her back. Though it wasn't the pivotal point of the book but I noticed a very important life lesson in it, there are and will be people you don't "click with" those you don't connect with and those that will hurt you, so it's important to hold onto to those who you do connect with and loves you back immensely. This is a good book and I really enjoyed it.
I didn't notice the contradictions until I read others pointing it out but there are some confusing plot contradictions in the story, but I didn't see them myself at the time. It may just be my obliviousness or my inexperience with reading for the purpose of critique but it didn't effect my reading and I think any errors are too minor to be overtly noticeable. As always, I'm very grateful to be given the chance to read this novel!
February 11, 2022
Trigger Warnings: Death of a parent, midlife crisis, doctor visit, eczema/itching, sex, sexual harassment, parental abandonment, money issues, alcohol, homophobia, smoking, mimes, sex, vibrator, cancer, theft, blackmail
Representation: Polyamorous, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender
Love Where You Work: An Office Romance is the story of two women who work for a dating app. Julia and Clare both work for W;nkdIn and struggle to not fall for each other.
This eARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very cute story! I loved the forbidden workplace romance and the steamy portions add a nice flare to the story. Definitely satisfying for anyone looking for that type of story! Both women are fully developed and show both their flaws and strengths. The supporting characters needed a bit more development in my opinion, but add to the story effectively. I also loved the amount of queer people in the story.
This rom com had a great balance between romance and comedy. I felt like this book was very visual and would make to be a great movie! I loved how quirky the story was. Overall, I would def recommend this book!
Representation: Polyamorous, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender
Love Where You Work: An Office Romance is the story of two women who work for a dating app. Julia and Clare both work for W;nkdIn and struggle to not fall for each other.
This eARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very cute story! I loved the forbidden workplace romance and the steamy portions add a nice flare to the story. Definitely satisfying for anyone looking for that type of story! Both women are fully developed and show both their flaws and strengths. The supporting characters needed a bit more development in my opinion, but add to the story effectively. I also loved the amount of queer people in the story.
This rom com had a great balance between romance and comedy. I felt like this book was very visual and would make to be a great movie! I loved how quirky the story was. Overall, I would def recommend this book!
June 21, 2022
I wanted to like this book. It definitely had potential and some interesting elements. As a whole though, I don't feel like any of it really blended well together. None of the situations felt very believable and the characters weren't well developed. They all mostly just felt awkward and I didn't get attached to them or their difficulties.
February 12, 2022
I’m in the right mood when reading this!
I can definitely see this book as a web series; it’s funny and bizarre. You know sometimes when you’re watching a rom-com, even though lots of things didn’t make sense but you still enjoy it anyway. Well, this is that kind of book, and I do really enjoy it!
I can definitely see this book as a web series; it’s funny and bizarre. You know sometimes when you’re watching a rom-com, even though lots of things didn’t make sense but you still enjoy it anyway. Well, this is that kind of book, and I do really enjoy it!
October 16, 2022
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club in exchange for an honest review.
Anna Pulley’s workplace romance pairs HR manager Clare, buttoned-up and a little envious of her mother’s new lease of life since her father’s death, and Julia, who feels like she’ll never measure up to her sister in her mother’s eyes.
I enjoyed the characters, who felt rounded and had convincing chemistry. The first arc of the narrative was very entertaining, as Julia arranges a series of increasingly excruciating dates for Clare as she tests out experiences for W;nkdIn, the agency they both work for. Although the power dynamics in workplace romance can often be uncomfortable, this was handled well here, acknowledging the ethical questions. The second half of the story fell flat for me, however, with the tension between the couple feeling rather forced. The pacing here also felt a little slow, losing the light touch that made the first part so engaging.
This is a promising debut romance, and I’ll be interested to see Pulley’s future work. I’d recommend this to romance readers who enjoy workplace romance.
Anna Pulley’s workplace romance pairs HR manager Clare, buttoned-up and a little envious of her mother’s new lease of life since her father’s death, and Julia, who feels like she’ll never measure up to her sister in her mother’s eyes.
I enjoyed the characters, who felt rounded and had convincing chemistry. The first arc of the narrative was very entertaining, as Julia arranges a series of increasingly excruciating dates for Clare as she tests out experiences for W;nkdIn, the agency they both work for. Although the power dynamics in workplace romance can often be uncomfortable, this was handled well here, acknowledging the ethical questions. The second half of the story fell flat for me, however, with the tension between the couple feeling rather forced. The pacing here also felt a little slow, losing the light touch that made the first part so engaging.
This is a promising debut romance, and I’ll be interested to see Pulley’s future work. I’d recommend this to romance readers who enjoy workplace romance.
February 14, 2022
Great read from a great writer. AP chronicles the development of an office romance set in a contemporary high-tech office environment. The relationship between Clare and Julia develops with twists and turns that build dramatic tension. I found the characters interesting, and although not a fan of the romance genre, i became absorbed in the lives of the two characters. I thought the description of the office environment at W;nkedin was realistic, having worked in technology myself over 40 years. My only critique was of the protagonists previous relationship with Erik - I don't think it was ever developed fully enough to contribute to the plot and i felt like i was missing something when ever the author made a reference. The climax and conclusion were satisfying and somewhat unexpected. A great read for a rainy day on the couch.
February 25, 2022
I received this arc copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this will be my last review on Goodreads, as I am switching to Storygraph (which suits me better).
Review also available on my blog Lu's Digital Bookshelf
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Rating: 4.5☆
Age-range; Genre: Adult; LGBTQIAP+ Historical Romance
Trigger warnings (Summary): Graphic: Cursing, Alcohol, and Death of parent. Moderate: Biphobia and Sexual content. Minor: Sexual harassment, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship.
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“Indeed, Clare thought she belonged somewhere else entirely, perhaps running a small anarchist bookstore”
To address the most prominent issue in this novel (or supposed issue, I guess), the age gap. It is inferred by the theme and setting that there will be one, as it features an older HR manager and a newly-hired employee. However, it is made clear throughout the novel that this age gap doesn’t, in reality, exist. Julia is said to have spent years changing professions while Clare climbed the ladder in one company alone, and the descriptions of the characters never focus on age-related details.
Regarding a supposed power imbalance because of their work positions, the author constantly demonstrates that there isn’t any, mainly through Julia and Clare’s balanced advances for a relationship and their conversations about personal boundaries and feelings. The romance itself was very typically rom-com style, with many plot twists and obstacles in their way. It was surprisingly healthy, though, as they had good communication, and both their mistakes and their over-the-top apologies were discussed in a realistic setting.
The plot of this novel was fast-paced and touching, a rom-com full of LGBTQ+ representation and wholly developed characters. Both Clare and Julia had complete character arcs outside of one another’s proximity. Meeting and falling for each other was merely the push they needed to grow, not their stepping stone or codependent networks. The small amount of spice this novel had was also realistic, different from how straight cis men usually depict sapphic sex.
Love Where You Work is a quirky and delightful sapphic rom-com that deserves more recognition. The writing was witty and fun, filled with pop and cult references, and one of my only issues with this book is that sometimes this writing style felt slightly forced or over-perfected. My other issue was the editing, which could have used a tighter hand. However, this is a debut novel, so it understandably did not have that.
“HE DOES DRAG?’ CLARE ASKED, A SURPRISED LOOK ON HER FACE MIXED WITH ENNUI, AS IF DRAG QUEENS WERE A MORE ADVANCED SPECIES OF HUMANS THAT CLARE WAS SAD NOT TO BORN INTO”
Review also available on my blog Lu's Digital Bookshelf
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Rating: 4.5☆
Age-range; Genre: Adult; LGBTQIAP+ Historical Romance
Trigger warnings (Summary): Graphic: Cursing, Alcohol, and Death of parent. Moderate: Biphobia and Sexual content. Minor: Sexual harassment, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
“Indeed, Clare thought she belonged somewhere else entirely, perhaps running a small anarchist bookstore”
To address the most prominent issue in this novel (or supposed issue, I guess), the age gap. It is inferred by the theme and setting that there will be one, as it features an older HR manager and a newly-hired employee. However, it is made clear throughout the novel that this age gap doesn’t, in reality, exist. Julia is said to have spent years changing professions while Clare climbed the ladder in one company alone, and the descriptions of the characters never focus on age-related details.
Regarding a supposed power imbalance because of their work positions, the author constantly demonstrates that there isn’t any, mainly through Julia and Clare’s balanced advances for a relationship and their conversations about personal boundaries and feelings. The romance itself was very typically rom-com style, with many plot twists and obstacles in their way. It was surprisingly healthy, though, as they had good communication, and both their mistakes and their over-the-top apologies were discussed in a realistic setting.
The plot of this novel was fast-paced and touching, a rom-com full of LGBTQ+ representation and wholly developed characters. Both Clare and Julia had complete character arcs outside of one another’s proximity. Meeting and falling for each other was merely the push they needed to grow, not their stepping stone or codependent networks. The small amount of spice this novel had was also realistic, different from how straight cis men usually depict sapphic sex.
Love Where You Work is a quirky and delightful sapphic rom-com that deserves more recognition. The writing was witty and fun, filled with pop and cult references, and one of my only issues with this book is that sometimes this writing style felt slightly forced or over-perfected. My other issue was the editing, which could have used a tighter hand. However, this is a debut novel, so it understandably did not have that.
“HE DOES DRAG?’ CLARE ASKED, A SURPRISED LOOK ON HER FACE MIXED WITH ENNUI, AS IF DRAG QUEENS WERE A MORE ADVANCED SPECIES OF HUMANS THAT CLARE WAS SAD NOT TO BORN INTO”
April 13, 2022
Workplace romances are one of my favourite tropes. This book made me want to scream while reading it because of how frustrating the characters were. I love and connect with Julia so so so much. Her insecurities of not knowing what she wants to do with her life while getting older is so relatable, despite having tried multiple things and wanting to do absolutely anything to get out of debt. Overall, this was a cute book and I enjoyed the multitude of dates that occurred during it.
December 1, 2025
3,25/5
Pleasant. What was a really big turn off was the noticed absence of dialogue. They were cute tho .
Pleasant. What was a really big turn off was the noticed absence of dialogue. They were cute tho .
May 12, 2022
The puns bought this book a star. Clare works at a dating app for yuppies called WinkedIn. Her mom's senior travel group is named "Yes We Cane!" That is the beginning and the end of her personality.
Love Where You Work is the latest in a long line of books with potential that didn't live up to it. Clare is desperate for advancement, so she signs up to be part of a beta program at her job. Julia is her designated "date coordinator." After a quick make out turns into a deep crush for Julia, she decides that it's her mission to set Clare up on the most ridiculous dates imaginable.
It sounds great, right? Wrong. It falls so flat. We need way more of these dates, they're mostly glossed over. The most we get out of them is that Clare loves to mime—amazing that she manages to be more interesting with her mouth shut.
Her emotional beats are worthy of an eye roll at best and flat out stupid at worst. At the emotional climax of the book with her mother—not her love interest, naturally—her mom literally calls her a softy. It's a cliche moment to begin with and that just ruins what may have been the only time I felt anything during this book.
Honestly, Julia deserves so much better at that. She's interesting, but her major developments come way too late in the story so the payoff is rushed and the foundation is thin. She's not perfect, but she's living a rom com to Clare's depressing work place "romance." Emphasis on work. But Julia was a little too flat to carry the story on her own. She was almost there, much like everything in this story. She just happened to be the closest.
The side characters are all wasted on this book. I'd say Paula's novel when, I'd advocate for Rodrigo, who set up Clare's dating profile to get a story, but I don't trust Anna Pulley with either of them. They should have been on the page a thousand times more, especially when the other options were their drab families.
Don't waste your time. There are way better wlw books out there. Also, would it kill one of these authors to talk to a lesbian?
Love Where You Work is the latest in a long line of books with potential that didn't live up to it. Clare is desperate for advancement, so she signs up to be part of a beta program at her job. Julia is her designated "date coordinator." After a quick make out turns into a deep crush for Julia, she decides that it's her mission to set Clare up on the most ridiculous dates imaginable.
It sounds great, right? Wrong. It falls so flat. We need way more of these dates, they're mostly glossed over. The most we get out of them is that Clare loves to mime—amazing that she manages to be more interesting with her mouth shut.
Her emotional beats are worthy of an eye roll at best and flat out stupid at worst. At the emotional climax of the book with her mother—not her love interest, naturally—her mom literally calls her a softy. It's a cliche moment to begin with and that just ruins what may have been the only time I felt anything during this book.
Honestly, Julia deserves so much better at that. She's interesting, but her major developments come way too late in the story so the payoff is rushed and the foundation is thin. She's not perfect, but she's living a rom com to Clare's depressing work place "romance." Emphasis on work. But Julia was a little too flat to carry the story on her own. She was almost there, much like everything in this story. She just happened to be the closest.
The side characters are all wasted on this book. I'd say Paula's novel when, I'd advocate for Rodrigo, who set up Clare's dating profile to get a story, but I don't trust Anna Pulley with either of them. They should have been on the page a thousand times more, especially when the other options were their drab families.
Don't waste your time. There are way better wlw books out there. Also, would it kill one of these authors to talk to a lesbian?
March 7, 2022
I really enjoy Anna Pulley's essays and poems, so it was interesting to read her debut novel. There were some funny moments, some heartwarming ones, and a fun dash of creativity. However, there were also a couple of plot inconsistencies that threw me off and moments when the writing felt overly descriptive. The conflicts often seem manufactured, including characters' somewhat over-the-top reactions, but perhaps that's part of the rom-com genre. The 'realest' moments for me are the characters' family lives - I like how those dynamics are developed. Overall, it's a light-hearted and entertaining read for those looking for a fun romance story.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2024
Love Where You Work is a quirky novel with an interesting premise and questionable execution. Overall, it is a very entertaining and funny novel that I enjoyed, however there are several places where it dropped the ball. The characters and their romance are somewhat inconsistent, and I didn’t enjoy all the plot choices that were made. This novel ultimately reads like watching a romantic comedy and I think its entertainment value will vary depending on the readers preferences.
Possible minor spoilers below:
The Good:
-Its funny. This is a big selling point for me and its simple and straightforward: the novel is very funny and entertaining throughout. It reads like a romantic comedy movie, mostly in a good way.
-Good characters (mostly), and particularly a great selection of side characters. The side characters were very well done and for side characters they were very detailed and lifelike. The main characters were mostly well done and were entertaining.
The Not as Great:
-The characters were inconsistent, particularly Claire. She seemed to very a lot from scene to scene in the ways that she acted and it sometimes made the story feel disconnected. I had a hard time really getting into the minds of these main characters and some of their decisions didn’t always make sense to me.
-Ick factor. I don’t know how else to phrase this, but there were some parts that just didn’t work for me. Julia love bombing, refusing to respect Claires boundaries or wishes, and borderline stalking her following their fight just didn’t work for me. Its not endearing behavior, except maybe in a poorly written romantic comedy. The grand gesture at the end (and the other one in the middle) was just……..ehhhhhh. It was a swing and a miss from me.
-The villain character was cartoonishly villainous, and her motivations were either not given or vastly underwhelming. Very 2-dimensional character and they played a significant role. I was not impressed with this character or their plotlines.
-The sex scene (and that whole step in the romance) came out of literally nowhere. Also, it wasn’t good. In general the romance was hit or miss with me and didn’t seem to flow organically as much as just randomly progressing or stalling.
-In one scene Julia did something and then “smelled like algae”. They mention the odour more than once, but its never explained why she smells that way! This ultimately doesn’t matter at all but it stuck out to me and bothered me lol
Possible minor spoilers below:
The Good:
-Its funny. This is a big selling point for me and its simple and straightforward: the novel is very funny and entertaining throughout. It reads like a romantic comedy movie, mostly in a good way.
-Good characters (mostly), and particularly a great selection of side characters. The side characters were very well done and for side characters they were very detailed and lifelike. The main characters were mostly well done and were entertaining.
The Not as Great:
-The characters were inconsistent, particularly Claire. She seemed to very a lot from scene to scene in the ways that she acted and it sometimes made the story feel disconnected. I had a hard time really getting into the minds of these main characters and some of their decisions didn’t always make sense to me.
-Ick factor. I don’t know how else to phrase this, but there were some parts that just didn’t work for me. Julia love bombing, refusing to respect Claires boundaries or wishes, and borderline stalking her following their fight just didn’t work for me. Its not endearing behavior, except maybe in a poorly written romantic comedy. The grand gesture at the end (and the other one in the middle) was just……..ehhhhhh. It was a swing and a miss from me.
-The villain character was cartoonishly villainous, and her motivations were either not given or vastly underwhelming. Very 2-dimensional character and they played a significant role. I was not impressed with this character or their plotlines.
-The sex scene (and that whole step in the romance) came out of literally nowhere. Also, it wasn’t good. In general the romance was hit or miss with me and didn’t seem to flow organically as much as just randomly progressing or stalling.
-In one scene Julia did something and then “smelled like algae”. They mention the odour more than once, but its never explained why she smells that way! This ultimately doesn’t matter at all but it stuck out to me and bothered me lol
March 26, 2022
Their eyes met and Clare felt herself move to Julia like a magnet once more. Julia was a cymbal crashing. She was a winking garden gnome in a pristine church yard. A tiger’s soft chin. A tumbleweed rolling perfectly past an unmarred desert sky.
I was thrilled to pick up a romance novel written by the same author of The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book. This story was HOT and very satisfying. I’ve always fantasized about what a queer relationship in the corporate world would look like because it is very common to meet your significant other at work. Thank you for including bisexual and trans characters.
Clare and Julia both work for W;nkedin, a company that runs a dating app!
Clare: HR manager, Straight-laced, perfectionistic, risk averse, a fan of neutral/muted shades
Julia: Marketing Dept., weird, quirky, really cool and creative, a fan of bold fashion choices, author of “The K Stew Haiku Review”-a compilation of haikus for each of Kristen Stewart’s movies.
I laughed my ass off. Especially during the mime class and the plant healing workshop.
The main characters are imperfect and relatable. I'd want to be friends with them in real life.
I really loved the therapist character, Luca, who tells it like it is. “You don’t understand—talking to my parents, it’s like dismantling a piano … while it’s on fire … and surrounded by crocodiles … and the crocodiles have swords!”
The special way Clare and Julia came to each other’s rescue was melty and romantic; I found myself wishing I knew someone who would root for me like that at work.
For some reason, I didn’t get the main conflict between the two characters. But Luca the therapist really helped Clare sort through her emotions and reaction to Julia’s plan. Julia had good intentions all along and I felt that even though she sabotaged Clare’s dates, it was all for a chance for them to be together! *swoon*
This book will be enjoyed best by people who desire forbidden romance, femmes, and quirky comedy.
I was thrilled to pick up a romance novel written by the same author of The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book. This story was HOT and very satisfying. I’ve always fantasized about what a queer relationship in the corporate world would look like because it is very common to meet your significant other at work. Thank you for including bisexual and trans characters.
Clare and Julia both work for W;nkedin, a company that runs a dating app!
Clare: HR manager, Straight-laced, perfectionistic, risk averse, a fan of neutral/muted shades
Julia: Marketing Dept., weird, quirky, really cool and creative, a fan of bold fashion choices, author of “The K Stew Haiku Review”-a compilation of haikus for each of Kristen Stewart’s movies.
I laughed my ass off. Especially during the mime class and the plant healing workshop.
The main characters are imperfect and relatable. I'd want to be friends with them in real life.
I really loved the therapist character, Luca, who tells it like it is. “You don’t understand—talking to my parents, it’s like dismantling a piano … while it’s on fire … and surrounded by crocodiles … and the crocodiles have swords!”
The special way Clare and Julia came to each other’s rescue was melty and romantic; I found myself wishing I knew someone who would root for me like that at work.
For some reason, I didn’t get the main conflict between the two characters. But Luca the therapist really helped Clare sort through her emotions and reaction to Julia’s plan. Julia had good intentions all along and I felt that even though she sabotaged Clare’s dates, it was all for a chance for them to be together! *swoon*
This book will be enjoyed best by people who desire forbidden romance, femmes, and quirky comedy.
July 20, 2022
Cute & Funny workplace romance
A little late to the party on this one - I was scrolling through my looong TBR list and the bright yellow cover of “Love Where You Work” caught my eye and I dove into this fun workplace romance.
Clare is an “order muppet” and being an HR manager a stickler for rules, till she meets Julia a veritable “chaos muppet” and suddenly Clare’s having a hard time remembering what the rules even are as she battles her attraction and career goals.
I think any author who uses muppets as the primary means of describing a character’s qualities has my ❤️. I quite enjoyed this cute workplace romance and maybe more so because the location was near where I live and I was nodding along to all the descriptions and observations. As Clare puts herself out there enduring those awful dates, setup by Julia, which were an awesome mix of hilarity and tragedy given the scenarios. - there’s a nice alt storyline playing through it all about her relationship with her mother / father and letting go. In the end I loved the slow burn build up of the attraction between the two MCs and the scene(s) where they finally succumb (each time 😉) was just 🔥.
So since this is a workplace romance the angst angle is obviously the impropriety given the professional boss-subordinate relationship which also means that there’s a LOT of push-pull and I may have yelled “oh come on already” a few times. But the very sweet ending and resolution won me over and made it all worth the read.
Love Where You Work by Anna Pulley is a funny and cute workplace romance and its muppet references may have made me go 🥰 all the way till the end.
A little late to the party on this one - I was scrolling through my looong TBR list and the bright yellow cover of “Love Where You Work” caught my eye and I dove into this fun workplace romance.
Clare is an “order muppet” and being an HR manager a stickler for rules, till she meets Julia a veritable “chaos muppet” and suddenly Clare’s having a hard time remembering what the rules even are as she battles her attraction and career goals.
I think any author who uses muppets as the primary means of describing a character’s qualities has my ❤️. I quite enjoyed this cute workplace romance and maybe more so because the location was near where I live and I was nodding along to all the descriptions and observations. As Clare puts herself out there enduring those awful dates, setup by Julia, which were an awesome mix of hilarity and tragedy given the scenarios. - there’s a nice alt storyline playing through it all about her relationship with her mother / father and letting go. In the end I loved the slow burn build up of the attraction between the two MCs and the scene(s) where they finally succumb (each time 😉) was just 🔥.
So since this is a workplace romance the angst angle is obviously the impropriety given the professional boss-subordinate relationship which also means that there’s a LOT of push-pull and I may have yelled “oh come on already” a few times. But the very sweet ending and resolution won me over and made it all worth the read.
Love Where You Work by Anna Pulley is a funny and cute workplace romance and its muppet references may have made me go 🥰 all the way till the end.
November 23, 2022
"When he died, she felt like someone had turned the volume of her life all the way down. She hadn't meant to mute herself--she only wanted to feel closer to him. Perhaps if she became unreadable she could tap into some hidden vibration, some cosmic jostling of the particles that she shared with him. But instead it only hardened her, gave her a glossy, candy-coated shell that kept everyone at a safe distance." FULL DISCLOSURE: This is a hard book to objectively review for two reasons. One, this book is WAAAAY outside my typical read in terms of genre (I am not a reader of romance, even if it is of the rom-com and/or queer categories). Two, the author is my student from a gagillion years ago (my first full year of teaching), and I knew when she was a senior in high school that she would be writing books as a grown person. Okay, so the review: this is a really enjoyable and fun read. The characters of Clare and Julia are really likable, both individually and in their possible couplehood. I gotta say that I really liked Paula the most of all the characters, and it looks like Paula gets the attention she deserves in the second book in the series. Clare's father, or rather his ashes provide some bittersweet moments where Clare has to allow herself to grieve; the IHOP mug provides a nice touch at the end. Also it is great to see AP hasn't lost her love of puns and the haiku format.
March 19, 2022
"These cracks, you see them? That's you growing and healing. Own them! Say yes to crack!"
Wise words spoken by Dave the kintsugi artisan and I cackled when he said yes to crack because all I can think was cocaine hahaha. Actually there were countless lines that got me chuckling and very amused. The author definitely an expert in relatable comedy that much I can say.
Comedy all aside, Love Where You Work has two main characters Clare, the rather uptight, prim and proper HR, who can be really tough on herself. She's also borderline a perfectionist and difficult to move on from incidents that wounded her deeply. The only flaw is she has never watch any Kristin Stewart movie but fell for her work-colleague, Julia, a hardcore Kristin Stewart fan who runs a blog review on the side for said actress. She's the most funniest between the two and definitely the more laidback one. Just like Clare, they dont have the best memories with their ex-es but these two somehow really click!
It's a fun read really, even though there were times, near the end where I think the plot went back and forth and a bit repetitive in some way that deducted a star from me. But overall, nice read!
Wise words spoken by Dave the kintsugi artisan and I cackled when he said yes to crack because all I can think was cocaine hahaha. Actually there were countless lines that got me chuckling and very amused. The author definitely an expert in relatable comedy that much I can say.
Comedy all aside, Love Where You Work has two main characters Clare, the rather uptight, prim and proper HR, who can be really tough on herself. She's also borderline a perfectionist and difficult to move on from incidents that wounded her deeply. The only flaw is she has never watch any Kristin Stewart movie but fell for her work-colleague, Julia, a hardcore Kristin Stewart fan who runs a blog review on the side for said actress. She's the most funniest between the two and definitely the more laidback one. Just like Clare, they dont have the best memories with their ex-es but these two somehow really click!
It's a fun read really, even though there were times, near the end where I think the plot went back and forth and a bit repetitive in some way that deducted a star from me. But overall, nice read!
February 10, 2023
Falling in love with someone where you work can be a messy affair. There's rules, and the fact that whatever the outcome, you'll see them every day. But what if that attraction is hard to ignore, what if you both want it, and what if the universe is being just plain mean?
I absolutely love Anna Pulley's style of writing. The way the words flow, the descriptions, the humor that is woven into it all. She breaths a life into her words that I don't often see elsewhere, making the book a joy to read.
But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. This book also frustrated me, and brought me to tears (not necessarily in a bad way). Things are not easy for either character, and that's ignoring the baggage that each of them carries. Sometimes life is cruel with its twists and turns. But yet, in the end, they still do get their HEA.
For all that it put me through, I very much enjoyed this story. It's ups and downs, the tough and tender moments. It's well written, engaging, and definitely worth the read.
I absolutely love Anna Pulley's style of writing. The way the words flow, the descriptions, the humor that is woven into it all. She breaths a life into her words that I don't often see elsewhere, making the book a joy to read.
But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. This book also frustrated me, and brought me to tears (not necessarily in a bad way). Things are not easy for either character, and that's ignoring the baggage that each of them carries. Sometimes life is cruel with its twists and turns. But yet, in the end, they still do get their HEA.
For all that it put me through, I very much enjoyed this story. It's ups and downs, the tough and tender moments. It's well written, engaging, and definitely worth the read.
February 20, 2022
This story pulled me in right from the beginning. I loved both MC's even though they are complete opposites. The chemistry is there right off the bat and I was here for it! This is the sort of novel you can't wait to finish but also you pause to read it through in one sitting because you don't want it to be over. Does that make any sense?! Anyway that's how it was for me. I loved these characters so much I wanted to hang out with them for a couple of days so I managed to spread my reading over a couple of days so I could think about it when I wasn't busy reading it.
If you like work romance, mutual pining, hot scenes, evil exes and apparently muppets this is the story for you!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
If you like work romance, mutual pining, hot scenes, evil exes and apparently muppets this is the story for you!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 21, 2022
4.5*
Well, what a nice surprise this was! I have very bad luck with lesbian romance, so I wasn't expecting much, but this was entirely charming. Uptight Clare, whose goal is to head up the HR division of W;nkedIn, a dating site, meets quirky Julia, an employee who's being sexually harassed, and they are immediately drawn to each other. The MCs are likable and their connection feels real.
It's a romance novel, so there are obstacles to overcome, but unlike so many romance books, the obstacles seem like the kinds of things actual humans might experience.
The sex scenes are realistic and hot which might be a first for me in reading lesbian romance. Maybe I'm just not reading the right books.
Bonus: The author came up with dozens of unique metaphors that were a pleasure to read.
Well, what a nice surprise this was! I have very bad luck with lesbian romance, so I wasn't expecting much, but this was entirely charming. Uptight Clare, whose goal is to head up the HR division of W;nkedIn, a dating site, meets quirky Julia, an employee who's being sexually harassed, and they are immediately drawn to each other. The MCs are likable and their connection feels real.
It's a romance novel, so there are obstacles to overcome, but unlike so many romance books, the obstacles seem like the kinds of things actual humans might experience.
The sex scenes are realistic and hot which might be a first for me in reading lesbian romance. Maybe I'm just not reading the right books.
Bonus: The author came up with dozens of unique metaphors that were a pleasure to read.
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