Bred by the CEO

Breeding Season #10

by Sam Crescent, Stacey Espino

Rose Henshaw was content working as a basement level accountant. It didn't matter if she wanted more out of life because the cards had been stacked against her since she was born. So she resolved to survive week to week, existing with the small hope of climbing the ladder at work. When she's unexpectedly offered the sought-after position as the CEO's personal assistant, she's as much thrilled as suspicious of the promotion. Besides, how can she get any work done when her boss is absolutely drool-worthy and constantly pushing her buttons?

Darius Blackwood is ready to trade his bachelor status after just one look at Rose. She's excellent with children and makes him think about crazy things like building a family of his own, complete with heirs to take over his empire. But he's just hired her as his PA and isn't sure he should cross that taboo boundary of indulging in an office romance. How long can he work with Rose underfoot while keeping his desires locked away? Can these two broken souls find love and security with each other or is a relationship destined for failure?

40,390

Genres: Romance, Smut, Workplace, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 18, 2022

About the author

Sam Crescent is passionate about fiction. She loves a good erotic romance and so it only made sense for her to spread her wings and start writing. She began writing in 2009 and finally got that first acceptance in 2011 by Total-E-Bound.
She loved creating new characters and delving into the worlds that she creates. When she’s not panicking about a story or arguing with a character, she can be found in her kitchen creating all kinds of havoc. Like her stories the creations in the kitchen can be just as dubious but sometimes things turn out great.

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose was tired of being skipped over. All the hard work she had done and her supervisor took the glory. I think we all have been there. I know I have. Rose decides to go to the top and ask for raise. She deserves one. When she encounters a sweet little boy, she is drawn to him. Darius is a fair man. He likes to see his employees thrive. With bring your child to work day, it seemed his employees didn’t know how to coral his nephew but one. She is different from the women he dates. When he hears about her issue and even witnesses it, he decides some changes are in order. But there is more to Rose and she keeps tempting him. He wants an heir, a family. We learn a lot about this father and what a cruel man he is. His sister and her son are sweet and kind. But it is Darius having to break through those walls that were built up by Rose. Feeling unwanted, unloved, unprotected. He had his work cut out for him. Love always concurs all but sometimes we have to fight hard and expose those that are trying to hurt us.

[Lisa Bing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun and steamy read that showcased two broken characters that sparked chemistry off the pages ;P Insecurities had to be worked through while trust was built, and tested, for a fab HEA to ensue. Love that they were perfect for each other :D

[Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི · Rating 2 out of 5]

2✯

°Virgin heroine
°Experienced hero
°Switching POVs
°Insta attraction->love
°He's 46, she's 29
°No OW/OM drama
°Alpha hero
°Insecure heroine
°No separation
°No condoms
°No cheating or scenes with OP
°No epilogue/HFN it's their wedding day and she's pregnant

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book ten of the Breading Season series a standalone you can read in about an hour or less and each series have a sexy alpha and the women that brings him to his knees so to speak 😊. Rose is curvy, quiet, introvert who doesn’t like confrontations in any form, she works hard everyday with a supervisor who takes the credit for all her hard work, and she has been passed over for a raise for the past few years so getting the courage so she decides to take her issues up with the head boss on her way up she is stopped by security happens to be his nephew which she get along with really well. Darius sexy as all get out CEO who tries to be a much better boss than his father letting go of some of the old ways believing happier employees are more productive, so one of the things implemented bring your child to work day, watching her with his nephew (she is the only one who seems to handle him) he knows instantly she is who he wants, intrigued, after realizing she is not only beautiful, kind to others, extremely intelligent, regardless of what his father or those around him think, but the moment he see Rose it is like everything broken inside is pieced together like a puzzle. The attraction is instant, insanely intense and being the boss, he decides to promote her the position of his temp. PA since his PA is taking maternity leave but both realizing it is hard for them to remain professional around each other also throw in a father who feels like she isn’t good enough for his son, the gossip of what people are saying which affects her since she is of a different race, curvy and appears to be out of his league now Darius could careless about any of that simply because he knows in his heart she is the one for but with his father creating havoc, the gossip mill running full force, an introvert who avoids conflict at all cost, where does it all lead, and will they get their very own HEA?.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[**Elle**Bee**Double U** · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel as if these two authors wrote the perfect 2 lines to sum of this book.
"What Happened when two broken souls tried to play house? Would they crash and burn or create a beautiful disaster?"
Both Rose Henshaw and Darius Blackwood are broken in their own ways.
Rose has had the deck stacked against her since she was born. But she's worked hard to get where she is and is tired of being overlooked for a promotion she knows she deserves. So rather than constantly get turned down by her manager she takes it upon herself seek out the CEO and ask for the raise.
Darius has surpassed his father in business and wealth. He's refused to bow down to his father's old school ways and refuses to let his father dictate who he can and can't have in his life. Rose is everything he wants in a woman and has him actually picturing a future where he's a family man and doing something besides work.
However, there's many circumstances and people who are determined to see that these two don't get the happy future they both see for themselves together.

I absolutely loved Rose and Darius. The Breeding series by these two authors is one of my all time favorites! Anytime a new one comes out I know that I'm putting down any book I've picked up to start on these immediately.

**I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.**

[CLorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Sam Crescent book I have read, I have loved and this one is no exception. The characters in this story are exceptional and multi-dimensional. Rose has worked at her job for a number of years; working hard with hardly any appreciation and zero recognition. Fed up, she decides to speak directly to the CEO and ask for a raise, a promotion, something! Unfortunately, the day she decides to speak to the busy CEO happens to be "take your child to work day" and Rose appears to be the only person capable of handling CEO Darius Blackwood's nephew. Darius is intrigued by this competent beauty and after investigation, finds that she is as brilliant as she is beautiful and kind. He promotes her to the position of his temporary PA, but can he keep their relationship on a professional footing? This was a sweet and awesome story. Rose really deserved to find true and lasting love.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LaBlue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really dislike when this author writes about mixed race people. It’s always glossed over on looks and yet the MMC’s always can shove their hands into the females hair even though it’s not that kind of hair. Smh.

Anyway, that’s not the reason for the low rating. The FMC was a 29 yr old virgin from the foster system and I call bull dookie! She was ridiculously insecure for the work ability the author claimed she had. It was too contrary for me. The MMC was too nice for the bossiness he had and the s e x was lame. There was barely any “breeding” going on. How is it a breeding book if it’s simply a decision to have unprotected s e x and hope a pregnancy occurs? It wasn’t like they were actively boinking at every turn with graphic details on the process to get pregnant. It was a cheap selling tactic for this weak story.

Basically, I was bored and uninvested in this story and characters. Good luck.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interracial Age-Gap Romance

This was a refreshing take on a classic romance trope. The fact that the two main characters are different races added some depth to the characters themselves as well as the storyline as well.

Rose works in the accounting department of a very successful business and is tired of going unnoticed and unappreciated. She heads up to the main office to request what she fairly deserves, but gets sidetracked by the CEO's nephew. Darius is impressed with how Rose handles him and decides to make her his personal assistant. Only one problem, now he has to figure out how to get her because Rose is everything he's ever wanted in a woman. How do they work around the taboo workplace romance?

Really well thought out and portrayed story. This was a fresh spin on a over-done trope and look forward to more!

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tas · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I have not read the other books that are in this series and I do not think that you need to. This book is an interracial relationship and I am all here for it. The CEO wants to settle down and start having children of his own but he can not find the right woman until he sees an employee of his dealing with his energetic nephew. He knew then that she was the one for him, later he found out how smart she was and the things that she could do. There were people of course that would create gossip and she would think that she did to belong in his "circle" because she was of another race and she was curvy, but he did not care at all. This does in HEA and I really did enjoy it, although I would have like it to go deeper with the relationship with the father.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Black Sheep · Rating 2 out of 5]

The insecurities bleeding from the heroine are.. wow.
She has no business being with ANYONE.

Strong start, flopped middle, dead & shriveled plot by 85%.

The storyline was uneventful. Trying, but uneventful.
This marriage? I give it 2 years, tops. And that’s being generous.

Jesus Christ.

I purchased Mistress to a Monster ahead of time, so I’ll be reading that next.. but after that.. this is the end of our book journey, Sam. I’ve been a long time fan however in recent years the writing enthusiasm has gotten worse, the stories bland, the plots repetitive with no bursting climax, the heroines weaker/more pathetic.

Can’t continue & there’s no need to do so.

Best of luck, SC.

- B.S.

[Kristine L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the character of Rose. A hard worker, overlooked for promotions but great with children. She goes straight to the CEO, Darius, to ask for a raise. While there she meets his nephew and she is great with the child. Darius is a great boss and finds that Rose is a great worker but he's also attracted to her. He promotes her to his PA but is ready to promote her to his wife and life partner. They are great together and helps her get past some of her insecurities. There are still people who don't want to see these two happy. Will Darius and Rose get their HEA? Lots of emotional drama, and plenty of love. Great story.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story. Rose had it rough. I love when the heroines and even the heroes are in need of "rescuing". These people are self-sufficient and successful but lonely; not necessarily broken. Oh, and commitment is sexy. When you know the character created will never ever be unfaithful. What really gets me is emotional maturity and common sense.

I want Sam and Stacy to know it is alright if the woman is a Black American or more popularly known as "African American". Or is the description of "mixed-race or bi-racial" to make her more palatable to your non-Black readers? Whatever it is. Thank you for adding BWWM to your lineup. I've read dozens of your books, so the addition of interracial is the cherry.

[Flavia Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite tropes is office romance. I like the secrecy, the se*ual tension through all the shared hours and this story has them in spades.
The age difference and the class difference is important. But I like that Darius is very grounded and Rose is exactly the same. Their connection is on an intellectual level, despite their obvious initial attraction, and then they lose their heads over each other. I love it!.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[lf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining read with a lot of hot and smexy fun

Bred by the CEO is the tenth book in the Breeding Season series by writing duo Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino. This is a fast, entertaining and very dirty smexy hot story about Rose and Darius. He is the CEO of the company that she works for. But when he sees her he knows he has to have her. So what better way to do than than hire her as his personal assistant....and then knock her up six ways from Sunday.

I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own

[Janet R · Rating 5 out of 5]

😍😍😍Darius & Rose

The title of this book doesn't truly reflect the story arc. This is a true romance filled with angst & passion, and the IR trope is written very realistically. I definitely felt the anxiety of the MFC (Rose) who is an awesome young lady who rose like a Phoenix, despite being abandoned by her parents as a young child. Navigating a relationship with a White corporate billionaire titan of industry is challenging for any woman not born in that world, but even more so for a woman of color. Darius is a 💯 alphalicious shield that knew Sweet Rose was his forever person & moved between heaven & earth to show her his unconditional love. I wish there was an epilogue, but alas, it was not to be. Happy reading🍷

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bred

I was a little hesitant to purchase because sometimes the author is hit or miss. I can definitely say this is a hit. I love the chemistry between Darius and Rose. The y came from different backgrounds but really had the same feelings of isolation about them. Rose insecurities did not just magically disappear when the got together, but Darius was patient and believe able in his love for her.

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some decent aspects to the book, but it felt a little paint-by-numbers for me. Rose was likable, but I couldn't understand how such a meek, insecure person would ever get the courage to go straight to the billionaire head of a company.

Overall, I'd say it wasn't bad, but would recommend the Chaos Bleeds or Skulls series by Sam Crescent over this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ..

She worked for him and went to his office to complain that her immediate boss was not giving her raises and stealing her work , he fell in love with her .. She fell in love with him .. Do to her life she had no self worth .. The only thing that truly bothered me about the book was the whole time she was his PA he had his real "PA" doing jobs behind her back and although she found out it was next addressed

[Mylene Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darius and Rose- unlikely souls getting tied together through work. Darius being the boss decides to take the working relationship a step further but others in and out of their circle are not happy with their decision. A good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too meek and insecure

The h was entirely too meek. Throughout the story I expected growth in the h. She remained one dimension. Plus, no WOC no matter how insecure will tell her man she's not worthy and he should be with some blonde socialite! WT% The story had promise but fell flat.

[JLH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose and Darius. Who knew? Very realistic story. The "fairytale " of barely scraping by because of the office manager to confronting the boss. Great interaction and interludes. Very steamy. Villains needed to be slain and yet a modern day HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[ENE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read.

Rose plucks up the courage to visit the CEO of her workplace and ends up looking after Darius' nephew. Instantly attracted to Rose, Darius decides to make her his PA and a way to make her more permanent in his life.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, replace the world fat with mocha and you have the new trope. In this book our h is feeling down because of the color of her skin... she was a virgin because of race... So confusing the whole thing

[Leesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick, fun, erotic read.
The characters were fun & entertaining.
The story was heart warming, fun, sexy & steamy.
I read it in one sitting.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[tburbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collaboration between two very talented authors. The story line and character work were well written and nearly seamless.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rose Sanderson]

There's a lot of emphasis put on Rose being a plus size woman and the cover does not reflect that description.

DNF because the story was venturing into "this could have been solved with one honest conversation" territory.

[Manisha Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book ten in the Breeding Season Series . This book is an erotic older man younger woman office romance . The characters Darius and Rose have great chemistry with some heat .

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mysti · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok. Not enough smut to be considered a smut book. He wants to be with her but she's black, overweight, and poor and is worried about people judging them. Racism happens. The have some sex, some of it is hot, most of it is non-descript.

[Okurimono · Rating 2 out of 5]

h had no spine. It was very upsetting. Like sis even if you’re not feeling your best don’t let anyone see. Sigh. I would have enjoyed it more if not for that

[Amy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Star!!!
I really enjoyed reading Bred by the CEO. The chemistry between Rose and Darius was super HOT!!!
Awesome book!!