Flirting with the Playboy

Harbor Highlands #2

by Gia Stevens

Flirting with the sexy stranger on a dating app was easy.
Finding out the sexy stranger is also the office playboy...
I wasn't expecting that.

They don't call Bennett Pierce the office playboy for nothing. The parade of women through his doorway makes me want to dry-heave. Sure, he looks as if he strolled off the page of a male fashion magazine, but his personality is anything but desirable.

But after catching my ex cheating on a dating app and Bennett witnessing my very public break up, his offer of margaritas is too hard to pass up. Tequila didn't make my clothes fall off, but it did lead to one scorching hot kiss.

Instantly, I regret it but an unexpected message on the dating app distracts me from too much self-loathing. And when the friendly banter quickly turns into steamy flirting, Bennett Pierce is one swipe right forgotten.

And when we finally meet, I realize…
I've been flirting with the playboy.

Flirting with the Playboy is a fast-paced, workplace, enemies to lovers romcom. Be prepared to laugh-out-loud one minute and swoon the next in this steamy standalone romance.

Genres: Romance, Ebooks, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Rom Com, Chick Lit

229 pages, ebook

First published August 14, 2022

About the author

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Gia Stevens is a romantic comedy author who believes love should come with plenty of laughs—and maybe a little heat. Known for her fun, lighthearted, and spicy stories, Gia writes the kind of books that let readers escape into swoony romances filled with witty banter, quirky characters, and happily ever afters that feel both cozy and exciting.

She lives in Northern Minnesota with her husband and their cat, forever counting down the days until summer and surviving long winters with tea, blankets, and a stack of romcoms. When she’s not busy writing your next book boyfriend, you can usually find her binge-watching shows everyone else finished years ago or curled up with a romance novel.

If you’re looking for stories that guarantee laughs, swoons, and plenty of LOLs, you’ve come to the right place.

Reviews

[Kyla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on the reviews, I feel like I’m a minority with my feelings about this book which to me was quite unremarkable.

60% of the book were the two characters dancing around each other, no true interactions, one dating other people, the other pining in secret. Then when they “get together”, it was instant commitment/love … followed by the most useless plot twist in the last few chapters.

I didn’t feel like there was any character build up, which made everything feel superficial. The connection was not believable, and while reading, my inside voice was narrating “blah blah blah blah”.

[Abby Omlor · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 out of 5 Stars

I could've done without the fetishization of lesbians, or her friend's insistence that she is worthless without a man, or turning everything into a sex joke, or the absolute cringe dialogue/text messages, or the absolute lack of a "grand gesture", or the fact that these characters had no chemistry or personality, or....

[Agusta · Rating 1 out of 5]

To say it was like a wattpad book would be an insult to 12 year olds everywhere.

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give this 1.5. And I read the whole thing. It was a bit choppy, and lacked finesse but the flirty app stuff kept my interest, and I am actually tempted to read another because it was so easy.

Just beware, there's nothing subtle here.

[LianaReads blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, flirty and romantic. That's how I would describe this: enemies to lovers, office romance story.

Charlie and Bennett are so good for each other. She tried to get over her ex-boyfriend and catch him cheating on a dating app.

He wants to live more and his sister is setting him up on the app as well.

So of course they met and what happens next is just a crazy, hilarious and steamy roller coaster.

Some miscommunication towards the end, but it is all resolved as it should be.

I loved the mix of characters, how supportive the secondary characters are for the main ones, how the story never stalls and just keep at a great pace with the romance part and hilarious scenes.

Being a debut novel, I think it has been executed with great talent.

I’m looking forward to seeing where the author is taking us next on her journey.

🆓📖 Arc Review

4.5 stars

[Luma Souza · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an easy read until 80%, than it became hard word and it took me 2 weeks and a lot of skipping to finish this.

It was a good beginning, but out of nowhere they had a fight and she started dating someone else? Jump 2 months, nothing happened between OPs and she is in love with the new guy (2 MONTHS) and thinking of moving?

But then they get together again and is instantly love (1 DAY)????? WTH, it's just plain dialogues, no personality characters and a lot of nonsense.

[Britnii Fraser · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was like a 1.5 but I'm rounding down on my stars because the fact that this has a Goodreads score of 3.5 is mind boggling and misleading. To label this as enemies to lovers is an insult to the trope. The writing felt very amateur like it was written over the course of a weekend and sent off to publishing. The whole thing felt lacking in so many ways, it was an easy read, and an easy skim through a lot of parts since there's quite a bit of pointless conversations but all in all, it's predictable and really nothing noteworthy. The "playboy" persona Bennett supposedly has is literally one scene with a client meeting that just so happened to be two pretty women. The most these two coworkers talked was on the app which was still very seldom, there's really not much interaction between the two or much build up of anything. I'm pretty sure they spent more time separately with each of their guy/girl friend groups than they did with each other yet they very quickly fell in love out of nowhere. I'm not even going to mention the explicit smut because it was so cringy I couldn't even read it. And to top it all off, it had one of my absolute least favorite things in books... when the main characters get into a "fight" over a slight miscommunication and one person doesn't let the other person explain... they just run off and pout instead of hearing the other person out.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her on a dating app, and her breakdown is witnessed by the office playboy, Bennett, who loves to push her buttons, and she accepts his offer of margaritas Charlie stays on the app and starts flirting with a man, having no idea who he is. This is a well written story which has humor, witty and flirty banter, palpable chemistry, tension, and is a fun, sweet, and steamy page turner.
I received a free copy of this book via Enticing Journey Book Promotions and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amazeballs Book Addicts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flirting with the Playboy is a great cute read. Bennett and Charlie work together. He comes off as a player at work. He likes to get under Charlie's skin. There is an attraction between the two, but Charlie doesn't want to go there. Charlie ends up on a dating app to catch her boyfriend cheating, and she stays on it after. Bennett is also on the app after his sister urges him to date. I loved the interactions on the app. Charlie and Bennet have sexual tension and a lot of chemistry. At points, I wanted to shake them and make them move on together quicker. This one was a quick read because I was pulled into the story and didn't put it down until I finished it. I loved these two and their friends. I hope the friends get their own books.

[tanya c · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’ve never had someone give up so much for me. To love me so much they’re willing to sacrifice so much.”🥲

essentially charlie finds that her boyfriend is cheating on her on a dating app & decides she’s going to join the same dating app. she meets this guy bennett on the app who happens to works at the same place as her & is the office playboy. but she doesn’t know that and the boy on the app and the boy irl are completely different, one’s annoying & one’s sweet!

this is such a cute story & i really enjoyed it. i was literally routing for charlie & bennett the whole time🤭it had the perfect amount of spice, humour, tension & plenty of DRAMA!❤️

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in love with this debut! When it says romantic comedy, it does not lie. Or disappoint. I found myself laughing out loud throughout the entire book!

Charlie and Bennett are so much fun--they're cute, quirky, LOVABLE. You'll want to be part of this group as soon as you meet everyone.
Their friend groups are the best. If you're in a book for the supporting characters, Flirting with the Playboy nails it.

I can't wait for the next book in the series!

[Isha Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute read that goes from tempting to irresistible. Flirting with the Playboy is a comedy of errors that goes straight to the heart. Bennett is a book boyfriend worth sinking emotions into. Spice and witty are a sweet combination.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie's boyfriend cheated on her and suddenly she's using this dating app to blow his cover. Well now that he's her ex...why not try this app to have a good time while she's single?! Good thing there's this sexy stranger!
But how will she react when she'll find out WHO this guy really is? 😉

Oooooh Flirting with the Playboy by Gia Stevens was such a funny and sexy love story!!
I loved it right from the beginning!
The humour in this book! OMG! I laughed so much that I got sore muscles! LOL
The chemistry and attraction between Charlie and Bennett WAS PERFECT AND PALPABLE!
Awwww! I loved it! Absolutely loved it!
And of course I fell in love with Bennett! Oooh Bennett Pierce! The sexy Playboy! Charming and so much nicer than he seems! ❤️‍🔥
And Charlie is BRILLIANT!
Sexy, sassy and strong! A self-confident woman who stands up to Bennett!
Flirting with the Playboy was such a funny, sexy and fast read!
PERFECT! I want more please! ❤️

[Cindy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great debut novel; I felt like I was reading a seasoned author’s book! This couple is adorably hot! Comedy n heat is a great combo in this book.

[Vikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish this. Poorly written with unlikeable characters. A reminder to myself to stop participating in stuff your kindle day.

[Alyssashelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flirting with the playboy by Gia Stevens is so funny and relatable. Charlie and Bennetts friend are so funny and are great supporting characters! The chemistry and relationship between them is something else, this book is hot, sexy and hilarious 😂 I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

[Andra-Mihaela]

DNF at 70% ....I simply don't care about Bennet and Charlie...she has a great story but I don't see why they should be together...

The book is well written, serious despite the title, he doesn't really apologies for not telling her stuff, she's waaaay to desperate to have a relationship..>.>.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review. I really enjoyed Bennett and Charlie's story in this book. I love Gia Stevens' writing style with her wit and humor. Definitely can't wait to read more from her!

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I regret learning to read

[shells.RomCom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Honestly, I loved this RomCom and truly laughed and smiled. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this author and book. It was exactly what I needed and I loved the storyline.

They are Co-workers but it’s not a boss/assistant relationship. It’s so much more, he’s been pinning for her since they met but always came off looking like a total playboy and rubbed her the wrong way. But thankfully he’s a hot Adonis and she’s a beauty herself. Things get spicy and oh so very very funny.

Can totally be read as a standalone and you won’t regret it.

[Jenn Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun with this read. I loved the flow, the back and forth between Charlie and Bennett, the ups and downs and everything in between. Charlie has been burned, I felt that played well with how she handles life and dealing with those feelings. Bennett is hooked on her but maybe doesn't handle it as he should to start. I love the friendships that they both have, that closeness adds some laughs and heart to the story. It's an enjoyable read and I'm hoping that we get to dig in to their friends as well.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Candy Habin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful debut story! Bennett is a charming playboy that has met his match with the strong and sassy Charlie. It's filled with witty banter and so many laugh out loud moments that I couldn't put it down. It's a fun, flirty, steamy and sweet treat all rolled into one, and I can't wait to see what she writes for us next!

[Avery · Rating 2 out of 5]

caveat - i read this on the airplane because i had nothing else to do.
this book is down right filthy but not in a fun way??? like the chapters without anything sexy are written so blandly and there’s basically no real character development, and then the sexy chapters are SO EXPLICIT
i think we really gotta pick one and stick to it

[Caitlin Horst · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of this amazing book! Right from the start Gia had me in laughter from Bennett and Charlie’s banter. I love how they weren’t directly boss and employee cause sometimes it just doesn’t work. I loved seeing the character growth between the two and the slight groveling Bennett does to win Charlie over. The ending was so cute too 🥹 this book had the PERFECT mixture of comedy and romance and just a slight dash of spice 🌶. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something cute, easy and a quick read. I had wished Gia had built up their story line just a little bit more but overall it truly was a great read. I do think the character growth was a slight growth but enough to make the main characters relatable in a sense. I honestly cannot wait to read more from this author 🥹

[Chardonae Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bennet + Charlie

This was such a cute book and I really liked that they end up on a dating app & he messages her without knowing it’s her. Super cute idea!

I didn’t know going into the book that it had a third act breakup. It’s the reason for a 4 star. I can’t stand this trope. While this breakup makes logical sense, it’s the miscommunication that goes along with it and NOT TALKING like adults.

[Jenna Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flirting With a Playboy is a fun and sexy enemies to lovers story. When Charlie learns that her boyfriend has been cheating on her with other girls from a dating app, she sets up her own profile to lure him into a trap. What she didn’t expect was to attract the attention of the office playboy, Bennet that she works with. While he drives her crazy at work, his dating app alter ego knows how to say all the right things.
This story has all the right things, tension, drama, enough humor to lighten the mood and lots of steamy romance. Bennet is the bad boy you love to hate at the beginning but end up rooting for in the end. Charlie has had so many bad luck relationships that you just feel for her, you want her to finally get a win. You want to hug her and cry with her.
I loved this book so much, I read it in one day. Don’t sleep on this catfishing enemies to lovers, it will not disappoint!

[Bailey Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought this would be a more enjoyable book! The whole dating app aspect was fun and cute but was dropped so quickly, it left me so disappointed. I really did not enjoy the humor, it felt very cringey and forced. Trey was beyond unlikable. He was so gross and misogynistic, it made me dislike other characters for being friends with him. I liked Bennet and Charlie but they he had anger issues and she would go from smart to dumb so fast. The smut was meh, some parts made me straight up gag though.

The fact they said I love you and moved in together after barely being together was so frustrating, and how they both quit their jobs they loved so they could run Bennet’s woodworking business made me cringe. He only had it open for two months but yeah, quit your 9-5 so you can help him run it even though you have really just started dating. I felt like I was reading a fanfic! So little made sense to me.

[Bindingly Bookish · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️.5/5 chili peppers

This was a fast and quick read.

This is the type of book I love to read between the more intense books I read or as a break between series. Just a super quick and fun read with minimal time commitment.

It isn’t one of those books that keep your attention or makes it a memorial read you give a bunch of stars too but it does its job as a quick read for your Goodreads goal and to take a break mentally.

Highly recommend if you need a little break to get away from the longer and more mentally taxing reads of your life.

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when you have a “he falls first” Rom Com where the ‘he’ is such a sweetheart that he will not let on how he feels to ‘her’ while she is with someone else? Of course, if you are using total Guy Logic, you hide what you’re thinking and feeling behind the facade of being a Playboy. How can you pull this off so easily? Again, with Guy Logic it’s simple, when she works just one floor below you, put on your Flirt whenever you are around her and be sure that you extend this to all the women that you see, no matter what you’re really thinking. Make sense? Well it does if you are Bennett Pierce. But, what if you are Charlie -- his ‘her’? She feels this attraction too but cannot allow it to grow because she’s been burned by unfaithful men at every turn and she knows first hand that Bennett is no different than her cheating ex, thanks to Bennett’s carefully crafted public persona. The result of Bennett’s simple plan is a complicated game of Believing is Seeing and it does nothing more than keep these two inevitable lovers apart. For us, the readers, we get to watch the interaction that comes from this pent up sexual tension that simmers and shimmers on the edge of explosion each time the pair come into contact. That is until Bennett starts taking the back entrance to avoid Charlie. But what changed? It turns out that Bennett has met his perfect woman on a new dating app and his chats with her are everything he is looking for: intelligent, witty, opinionated, and sexy. And Charlie, she’s met her perfect man, one that is caring, intuitive, insightful, and charismatic. But there is one catch... Bennett knows he is chatting with Charlie, now will he end this relationship immediately or will he not be able to resist her and keep challenging and chatting with her, until she sees him for who he really is? A sexy, banter filled, and emotionally charged book, Flirting with the Playboy will keep you up reading past your bedtime while struggling to stifle your laughter and fighting the need to give this amazing couple the common sense advice they both need to reach their Happily Ever After.

I received this as an ARC for an Honest Review

[Charli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but kept me interested.
Almost small town romance as always same places talked about (sisters, pub, work).
Story moved quickly, but continuous plot changes kept it interesting (ex, kiss, ex, together, apart, together).
Spicey talk throughout and couple of short spicey scenes.
Want to read the rest of the series!