Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

CEO #5

Rival to the CEO

Rate this book
Clashing with the stunning CEO of your new company on your first day perhaps isn't the best career move, is it?

Melanie Fox has got the promotion of her life to Head of Sales for a multi million dollar company. Melanie knows she is the best at her job and all she has to do now for the future of her career is convince the CEO, Vanessa Reiss, of her brilliance.

But, Vanessa doesn't agree with her sales strategy for their new product; in fact, Vanessa strongly disagrees and Melanie isn't the kind of woman to back down.

She's clashing with her new boss at every turn and sparks are flying between them, but she can't help but be blown away by the force of nature that is CEO Vanessa Reiss, the most attractive and impressive woman she has ever met.

Melanie can't stop thinking about her boss, and also about the fierce rivalry between them.

Where will the intensity between them lead to? And will Melanie ever get what she wants professionally and personally?

120 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 26, 2023

85 people are currently reading
155 people want to read

About the author

Emily Hayes

138 books232 followers
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
136 (40%)
4 stars
94 (27%)
3 stars
80 (23%)
2 stars
17 (5%)
1 star
9 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Guerunche.
660 reviews35 followers
January 1, 2025
Emily Hayes - if you read reviews, I’m going to ask you to stop reading this one right now and move on to another.

This platform is for readers and while the last thing I want is to hurt anyone’s feelings, I’ve got to be honest here.

This story was utterly ridiculous.

Abby Craden’s talents were wasted on this series. Can’t recommend.
Profile Image for Jo Ben-What.
75 reviews2 followers
January 27, 2023
I like a hot book, but the plot was too thin for me. The evil ex is a trope too cliche. But it is HOT.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
524 reviews10 followers
November 9, 2024
A great love story with age gap, ice queen and plenty of drama. I love the CEO, confident, smart with many imperfections, and I love the younger woman, ambitious, brave and spunky. It is not very often I enjoy a story with such emotional pull that I have to finish in one go.
Profile Image for Vita L. Licari.
921 reviews45 followers
September 8, 2023
Melanie has just got a big promotion, Head Of Sales. She has a meeting with Vanessa the CEO to talk sales strategy. However, they butt heads, yet both get hot and bothered. This is a hot and sensual story. 5 stars!
1,182 reviews
February 2, 2023
Another Good One In The CEO Series!

I love how Emily Hayes comes up with different stories in the CEO Romance. Vanessa is your strong and powerful CEO and Melanie has been promoted to marketing for sales. When the two clash, both believe in their ways but refuse to budge. Until Melanie takes things in her own hands. But not everyone is happy with what is going on and soon things start to unravel. I liked the storyline but though the last quarter of the story was rushed. Jessica who causes chaos for Vanessa just gets a small nod to her being taken care of. The story is good and still worth five stars.
121 reviews
March 19, 2023
Hot but fast moving

Emily Hayes is incapable of writing stories that are less than scorching hot. This is no exception.

However, despite liking the main characters, the plot was a little hard to believe, so you need to be prepared to just run with it. That's not a bad thing, so long as you're OK with it.

The pace seemed to rush a bit at the conclusion too. The story rounds out fine but I can't help but think this book could have been longer - the characters and Emily's writing deserve it, easily.

Still a fun, hot book. Read it but just have fun and enjoy.
584 reviews5 followers
January 27, 2023
Ok, this is hot, hot hot!

Ms Hayes has brought us a blistering love story, climaxing rapidly in very hot sex almost immediately! I enjoyed the character’s development as they grew together. There could have been a bit more with the PI, it seemed that he was superficial and the antagonist could have been better developed as well. All in all this was a pleasant read and I do recommend it.
Profile Image for Zayne.
777 reviews9 followers
March 10, 2023
It is a Ice Queen, rival-to-lover-to-soulmate, contemporary, age-gap lesbian romance and it's honestly my second-favorite behind the 2nd one in the series. I do hope that Hayes goes back to the medical scene and revisits possibility of new characters in that medical professional world. Maybe she'd like to try some more of, obviously one of her favorite themes, ice queen romance, but done within the medical scene.
Profile Image for AL.
684 reviews6 followers
January 30, 2023
Nice to read

I really like all Emily Hayes books, all her stories and the way she describes her characters and their personalities. But this time I couldn’t feel it fully on this book, the story felt in a rush, everything too quick. Plus the ending, jumping too much without feeling the connection of now and tomorrow.
532 reviews5 followers
January 28, 2023
Not what I expected

Was so looking forward to reading this book. Maybe my expectations where too high and it left me kinda disappointed. Emily is an extraordinary writer that leaves you totally entranced with her stories. Looking forward to the next book.
824 reviews19 followers
May 14, 2023
Wow another sizzling storyline

Wow another sizzling storyline I loved the main characters chemistry it was hot passionate understanding and their journey through all the twists were exceptional defiantly couldn't put it down definitely worth reading congratulations
410 reviews1 follower
March 6, 2024
Melanie and Vanessa, two career oriented ladies who clashed heads from the get go. Interesting story, steamy like all of Emily Hayes books. This story had an antagonist,. Excellent work. Recommended.
135 reviews
December 20, 2024
Hm. I felt like this one was rushed. I enjoyed the tension at the beginning of this book between Vaness, the CEO, and Melanie, the recently promoted and rising star. The talk they had after the tension abated to try to reason together. It was the best crafted part of the story for me.
11 reviews
February 9, 2023
rushed

This book felt rushed. The story took sudden jumps instead of developing naturally. It felt quite fake and forced. Not very engaging for me

9 reviews1 follower
September 27, 2025
Loved this story

I absolutely love how Emily describes the characters because I can picture them clearly. I love how easy it was to read and really enjoyable.
Profile Image for Bennett.
617 reviews3 followers
August 4, 2024
A bit weak in what has been a good series imho the change of direction at 80% jumped the shark and I almost dnf'd. Worked back from the epilogue to rush through. Not up to expected.
Profile Image for Isha.
99 reviews4 followers
October 4, 2023
It wasn’t good and I skipped pages to be done with it ASAP.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.