In Office Hours

by Lucy Kellaway

In Office Hours is the story of Stella and Bella, two intelligent working women who each fall for impossible lovers--at work. Kellaway's keen observations on the way in which affairs move from state to state are a sort of masterclass in office love, bringing to life both the excitement of illicit romance and the ridiculousness of business behavior and language with a sharp sense of humor.

In Office Hours is intelligent, funny, moving and agonizing, but it's also so painfully reconizable to any woman who has ever worked in an office or ever been in love. Kellaway hits a real nerve with her depictions of how people come to get into the emotional messes that we do and then how very difficult it is to get out again.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Contemporary, Satire, London

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Lucy Kellaway is the management columnist at the Financial Times. Her column is syndicated in The Irish Times. In addition she has worked as energy correspondent, Brussels correspondent, a Lex writer, and interviewer of business people and celebrities, all with the FT. She has become best known for her satirical commentaries on the limitations of modern corporate culture. She is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service daily business programme Business Daily. At the British Press Awards 2006 she was named Columnist of the Year.

Reviews

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

so I already fake reviewed this book, but now I'm going to real review it, what that means is I'm going to bitch about my life first then insult the book.

so I read this over the weekend. "Oh is that the same weekend you got hit by a car" thanks for asking why yes it is. So friday a block from work I get hit by a car, I still go to work and I work all day. I'm in some pretty bad pain but 2 of the three people that teach in the other room didn't show up and the ones that did insist on working like 3 hour shifts leaving my AWESOMIST assistant to teach in that room with the one person left over. So anyway I work all day in sort of a daze and definitely don't meet my usual potential seeing as I can't really stand up. so I call my other job HI KAREN and tell a manager that I don't think I can come in. so I stay home saturday and sunday (I leave once saturday to go to a movie and almost die from the pain) and while I'm in bed for two days I do a few things. I watch tv and I read this book.

this book was not worth getting hit by a car. this book was just barely worth turning he tv off and was mildly better than final destination 5 but not as entertaining.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw IN OFFICE HOURS being heavily advertised on the Tube during a recent trip to London and, being the author of an office-based, relationship-focused novel myself, felt compelled to pick it up. Based on the (British paperback) cover design, I expected it might be something of a chick-lit romp in which the topic--marital infidelity--was dealt with lightly, played for laughs, and/or presented as something easily forgiven either by the characters involved or, at least by the reader who is privy to the "whole story" about why the characters do what they do.

Yes, there's plenty of romping. But it's certainly not lightweight. In fact, it's easy to see why this novel might divide people. Especially those who come to it with the wrong kind of expectations, or simply don't know what to expect.

So what is IN OFFICE HOURS--and should you read it?

From a plot perspective, it's a relatively straightforward telling of two mirror-image affairs between high-level executives and younger employees at the same energy company. In one case the boss-figure is a man, in the other a woman (and vice versa). The tale is told from the perspectives of the two female characters: Bella, a working single mum, and Stella, a fast-track executive playing an increasingly visible role in a highly scrutinized industry.

Yes, you should definitely read it. BUT ONLY if you want to get up a close up view of the way rationalizations give way to madness, and lies turn into mayhem for characters who are blinded by passion and willing to put careers and family lives at stake in the process

FT columnist Lucy Kellaway traces the course of these two illicit, emotional-rollercoaster relationships with reporter-like precision. It's not a novel for those looking for hearts and flowers. But a great read for those who can stomach cruelty and thorns.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts:
This book is a Romance..kinda chick lit, but not a romance in the sense of the bodice-ripping-mass-market books you see at the grocery store. The romance is the main focus in the book, even though it gives the appearance of being chick lit. However, it's not a very light-hearted book - in fact I found myself crying a few times throughout the pages. I really couldn't put this book down. I started reading the book here and there whenever I had time to read a few pages, but once I hit page 50 I sat down and finished the rest of the 300 + pages in one sitting. It was SO great, I had to find out what was going to happen with Bella and Stella.

Although I knew when I started the book that there couldn't possibly be a happy ending for both of the main characters (Stella and Bella), I still was wishing the entire book that they could all live happily ever after. Stella (married) starts an affair with her much younger unmarried intern (Rhys), meanwhile Bella (Single Mom) becomes entangled with James (married) her much older boss. (You know you love all the parentheses).

The book isn't overtly sexual, however since this a book about extra-marital affairs, there are quite a few sex scenes. One of the most interesting ones, involves the Board Room Table. (ooo-la-la). The focus of the book wasn't really at all about the sex, it was more about the emotion that the characters (married or not) felt for each other. The book was very realistic and captured the emotions of the two women incredibly well. I was heartbroken, ecstatic, in love and obsessed right along with the two women.There were a lot of beautiful quotations throughout the book about love. Little things that Bella or Stella would say about their relationships really stuck with me.

I wish I could elaborate on a specific part of the book more because it really got to me, but I don't want to give away any major plot points. Let's just say it was really interesting to see the difference between the treatment of men and women in the workplace regarding their affairs.

The ending was not at all what I thought it would be, but it was still a strong solid ending. I absolutely loved this book. I immediately texted my best friend when I was through to let her know that she HAD to read this book RIGHT NOW!

Judge a Book By It's Cover: Looks really chick-lit-ish. The cover doesn't really depict the emotionally-driven novel. It is cute though!

[Valentina Markasović · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horrible people in horrible relationships.

[Joemmama · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really the stories of two women, Stella, married to a successful documentary filmmaker, with children, middle aged and at the top of her game, and Bella, a young, single mother, doomed to be an assistant at the bottom rung of the success ladder. They both work for a major British Energy Company. They are both foolish women.

Stella embarks in an affair with a much younger assistant, leading to a bad end. Bella embarks in an affair with her boss, never a good idea. It made me wonder what the heck was wrong with these gals? Do they not read? Do they not watch movies? Do they want drama and heartbreak?

Things for both women start out fun and exciting, but quickly, the bloom is off the rose, as things go downhill. Dating a married man is never a good idea, and dating your employee can get you into hotter water than you can imagine. I am not sure about the laws in England, but here you are asking for it.

Stella was blinded by flattery, and attention. Bella thought she was finally being recognized, and saw a way out of poverty for herself and her daughter. I can see the excitement for both of them, but it seemed unrealistic to imagine it in real life.

As the downward spiral began for both Stella and Bella, I just wanted to slap them both.

I read a review just yesterday, that said it was a biting, funny look at business life. I am sad to say, I did not find it funny or biting. I thought it was just sad. (And the Stella Bella thing just bugged me)

Unfortunately, I won't be recommending this one. I did not hate it, but it was not my cup of tea at all. If you think you might be interested, check out some other reviews, and take your chances.

[Jelena Živković · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superiška

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stella is in her mid-forties, happily married with two children, and seriously successful at work. She is the only female executive at AE, a big oil company. Bella is in her late twenties/early thirties, a single mom, and works as a personal assistant (also at AE). Bella's boss, Julia, is fired because she had an affair with another man at the company. The story is told alternatively from both of their perspectives. The similarity in their names seems unnecessary in the context and leads largely to confusion; it's not like the parallels between their lives would have been difficult to see without this connection.

I expected this to be a chick lit novel about office romance. Although chick lit has not been my genre of choice for a number of years, a good one here and there can be quite enjoyable. Office romances are a bad idea in general, but it's not like they don't happen. Still, this could have been a different book.

This novel seems to suggest three things.

1. Adultery happens. A lot. At least, if you're high-powered in a company.
2. Age gaps are hot. Successful women will date younger men and successful men will date younger women.
3. Women cannot focus on work in the midst of an affair, but men can.

The last of the three is the one that really pisses me off. During Stella's affair with her subordinate, he still manages to get his job done, but she mentions many times how little she cares about work compared to her trysts. She constantly skives off work for a rendezvous and is extremely non-productive. Despite that, she gets promoted and receives accolades for her excellent performance. Is this because even when half-mad with obsession she does amazing work or because the standards for female employees are lower and no one notices? Meanwhile, Bella seems to do very little, as her position was created so she can stay in the department with her cheating boss. She constantly invents reasons to go to his office and sends whiny text messages wondering why he is cold to her at the office.

Bella and Stella both obsess about their men constantly. The men certainly seem interested too, but are they really agonizing over whether a text message ends with an x? I just could not deal with how childish and absurd all of the people in this book were.

[Barbara Elsborg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up because - it said on the front - a funny and moving tale of two affairs - well it isn't funny. More plaudits on the back - comic novel, funny, etc etc - that obviously aren't about this book and that annoys me.
Bella and Stella - I think we get the link between the two female leads without having the point hammered home by the similarity in the names. It took me a while to remember who was who.
It was compulsive reading in an uncomfortable sort of way. Affairs are never easy things and for the four involved in this story - they weren't easy at all. The reader is pulled skilfully into the mire that is their lives but the women just annoyed me. I wanted to feel sympathy but I couldn't. Maybe because I have never had an affair and wouldn't. I liked the detail on office politics. I could easily see all this happening. Though I did feel Rhys seemed to change character. He started off a bolshy cunning bloke and somehow lost the plot. If this was down to his affair - I don't know as we never hear from his POV.
If you like angsty novels from a female POV - and a lot about affairs and office politics - you might like this. I sort of did but I'd like to have found the characters a bit less repellent.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

what a waste of time.

[Spritz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this when I was younger and loved it so when I found it back while visiting my parent's house last month, I thought "YES!!!" However, this quickly turned out to be a big NO! Clearly I have matured and outgrown this kind of theme in story telling. The 2 main female protagonists, despite being intelligent, beautiful and successful, are dependent on men to give their lives any sort of meaning. How these women did not find the strength to get out of the situations they found themselves in, which only contributed to their misery, is beyond me. We need to be building women up and empowering them, not continuously writing them in such weak characters where they don't have the strength or ability to leave and count on men to give their lives any sort of purpose. Given this book was written awhile ago, perhaps this was normal or the general atmosphere back then, but I am not buying it. And how many times can we go through "a back and forth" relationship in a book before we grow tired of it? We are the reader and not the person who is emotionally involved, we can leave if we want to....which is what i should have probably done instead of finishing it.

[Jane Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a waste of time. Both characters, Stella and Bella, were most unlikeable human beings as were their lovers. At first I wanted to scold them. Then shake them. And finally I wanted to slap some sense into the women. Falling for your employee or boss and then whining about the trials and tribulations of said relationships is stupid beyond belief. At the end, I'm still not clear about whether or not the author actually meant for readers to feel this way or if she was trying for our sympathy. If the latter, she failed miserably. Cannot recommend this book to anyone for any reason at any time.

[Jandira Pimentel · Rating 3 out of 5]

“However, I’ve always believed that anything like this in the office, is not only wrong, it is unprofessional, and it reflects badly on the entire organization.”

Why women are the 1rst ones to throw other women under the bus? It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about professionally or privately matters, we condemn ourselves.
Is it truly envy of one another?!
I’m not saying I agree with Stella or Bella’s behavior but in the end we are the only ones thrown away while men get to be cheered no matter what.

[Margaret Retsema · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF yet and don’t think i plan to.
Seems like a book a teenager would write about people having affairs. It doesn’t seem likely, or accurate.
The first thing Bella did was tell us that her boss was unattractive. Immediately lost interest in reading about a vulnerable single mom pining like an idiot over a balding loser.
Stella seemed relatable until the hot 27 y/o said he LOVES her. Now I just don’t believe it.
I’m not sure exactly what it was, but the whole thing was dull and sad. I don’t mind reading about hot liaisons but these aren’t hot.

[Victoria Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this. The short sections between Bella and Stella meant it was easy to stop and start and pick it back up again. Each bit left me wanting to read on to see how they got on. Don't ever mix work and and pleasure, ha ha.

[Bregje Pieters - Breg Blogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

fijne roman, ik vond de afwisseling tussen Annabel en Stella leuk, dit hield de vaart in het boek.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juxtaposition of 2 different affairs at work, both from the point of view of the women involved.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read, funny and well observed.

[Peter Harland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have listened to Lucy on her radio pieces, plus some FT stuff, her books are just as good.

[Selena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very realistic, describing exactly how it happens and all the crises, doubts and sufferings all sides involved have to endure.

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zainteresował mnie krótki opis książki, jednak ciężko się ją czytało. Zero akcji, nudne powolne wydarzenia. Chyba nie jestem fanką biurowych romansów 🥱

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Oh picking stars in Goodreads reviews. This is one of those "it was OK but I liked it anyway -- mostly" books, so I'm rounding up.)

In Office Hours, which traces two office romances (focusing on the woman in each affair: one is Stella, a middle-aged high-level executive who falls for Rhys, a 27-year trainee, and the other is Bella, a 27-year old personal assistant/researcher and single mom who falls for her middle-aged boss, James) is compelling, funny, and also somewhat maddening. By "compelling" I mean it was a book I raced through in the course of a few days, happy to pick it up at any spare moment and reluctant to put it down: one morning when I got to work early, I nearly sloshed my tea over a co-worker as I was making my way, while reading, from the kitchen back to my desk. Even knowing (as you know from the start) that neither Stella's nor Bella's affair ends well, it's hard not to get caught up in their passions as Kellaway flashes back to show the start and development of each entanglement. And when Kellaway's lampooning the absurdity of the corporate world, she can be quite funny: at one point, one department of the oil company where all the protagonists work gets merged with another: the CEO sends out a message to the company that reads, in part, "This move is aligned with our strategy of streamlining our support operations to provide critical added value at the point of delivery"—snort (25). But at other times, the writing seemed really clunky to me: maybe this is due to Kellaway and her characters being British and British English being more formal, though I don't know—I work for a company that's headquartered in England and I think I'd notice if my British colleagues talked the way that Kellaway's characters do. The dialogue was often stilted; the characters seemed hardly ever to use contractions, leading to passages like this:

The shit has really hit the fan with Stella. She has been in with Stephen and James all this time. I think they are drafting a statement, so I feel I needed to stay around. (315).

The start of the book was differently clunky, and made me exceedingly grumpy: the opening scene is of Stella at work, after her affair with Rhys has ended and she's moved on to a new job. She's checking her email, and she sees she has a message from him. OK, so far so good. Except the way Kellaway describes the mechanics of email-checking struck me as ridiculous and unrealistic: I understand that she perhaps has plot-driven reasons for describing things the way she does, but it's a rough first few pages: you're just meeting one of the protagonists, you're not invested yet in the characters or the story, and there are these sentences that jolt, like:

With an unsteady hand she picked up the mouse, highlighted his name, and clicked delete.
"Are you sure you want to delete this message?" the computer asked.
But that was the problem: No, she wasn't sure. (1)

Really? How often do you pick up your mouse (as opposed to just grabbing it)? Does your email client prompt you for confirmation of every message you delete (as opposed to bigger actions like emptying the trash)? Right. A few pages later there's this: "She took the mouse, moved it to the message, and clicked on it to open" (3). What's up with the play-by-play? I can almost read this sentence as an expression of how Stella, is feeling: maybe everything's a bit slowed-down and she's hyper-aware of every action she takes; the moment, maybe, feels momentous to her, an exciting/frightening moment on the edge of a decision. But mostly it just feels to me like too much detail not serving a purpose, just filling the space. There are similar passages later, too: at one point Bella sends an email by mistake, walks away from her desk, and then comes back and realizes she's sent it because the screen says "Message sent to James Staunton": really? "Message sent," maybe, but with the name and everything? In a supposedly realistic novel, I shouldn't be having to suspend my disbelief over the workings of computers.

More philosophically, the other thing that sometimes bothered me about this book was part of the central circumstances and premises: as Litlove puts it in her post on this book, "Kellaway buys into the ideology that affairs are punishments in themselves; the pleasure that Stella and Bella gain is far outweighed by the grief and stress of illicit relationships." Yes, that. And the basically heterosexual/basically monogamous framework was sometimes an issue for me: you get the sense that the affairs would be doomed even without the issues of office impropriety and the threat of discovery, because the non-married parties want their married lovers to leave their spouses, to choose them instead, and even at the end of the book everyone's concern, basically, is still with settling down into a partnership in one way or another: there's no sense of there being any other alternative.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I had to change my review on this book at least 3 times already. I liked this book, even if this bothered me because the main theme is cheating. But the main reason why books exist is for moving people, telling things that need to be told even if the truth is not a pretty one. This book did this: it showed the point of view of two women, two very different women that had one thing in common: they felt in love at work with people that they shouldn´t. But the characters are so well developped that you cheer for them, you want them to be happy, even if you don´t like others characters (until now I still hate James, I think that Bella was too good for him all along).
I liked this book, even if I didn´t love it, it was a good book.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been working a total of three years now, and it's still very funny to me when the topic of workplace romance is broached during lunch hour. I've seen a few of my co-workers being romanced by their supervisors, managers, and what-not, but I have not given it much thought because they still maintain a professional attitude at work. I myself never explored such territory as I preferred having a boyfriend outside of my work environment. I am terribly easy to distract, and thinking about a boyfriend - who is somewhere around the vicinity also working - in the midst of doing an enema to a geria patient, I'm afraid I would have lost my license very early on in my career. So when I read the synopsis for In Office Hours, I was mainly intrigued to see how it goes wrong, seeing as how I can only see when it goes right: One of my colleagues just married her supervisor, but she's resigning and would be busy making a home for him. Clearly, where I work, workplace romance is the last thing to worry about as it's always conducted decently and discreetly, so I wanted to explore a situation where it could ugly and distasteful.

The story revolves around two very capable and intelligent career women: Stella is one of the more senior executives in Atlantic Energy and her career could go nowhere but up. She's married to a previously successful film maker and has two children. Bella, on the other hand, is PA to Stella's colleague. She is a single mother in constant guard from her irresponsible and dangerous ex-boyfriend who keeps forcing to see their daughter. When her boss resigns, she is transferred to another senior executive and embarks on a clandestine relationship with him. Stella is assigned to handle two management trainees - one intelligent but bland female, and one insolent but very perceptive and talented male - and after being relentlessly pursued, begins an affair with her male trainee.

In Office Hours was supposed to showcase the emotional and professional dangers of illicit relationships with your co-workers - specifically your boss or your subordinate. It was meant to narrate two affairs with parallel beginnings, circumstances, and consequences. It was expected to reveal the exciting and dreadful risk of starting affairs in the office setting, while conducting business on the side. Yes, business on the side, because as exhibited in this book, the relationship takes centerstage and the business just playing second fiddle, if not completely ignored.

This book showed that, but sadly, nothing more.

I rarely drop something I do without finishing it. But I almost did not finish this book not because it was horrible or offensive but because even early on in the first few chapters, this book became a drag and if I could just skim through the rest and get to the ending already, I would have done so. But I almost never 'not finish' books because I felt as if I was doing the author a disservice. They wrote a book to be read. Maybe not from start to finish, but if you do not finish a book, what's the point then of a writer writing an ending? So I plodded onto the story even if it was really getting boring and repetitive already. While reading, I was trying to think which parts made me think that it was getting uninteresting, but I really could not point out something specific. The characters, while sometimes feeling like mere stereotypes, can actually make me feel some sympathy. The narration, alternating between Bella and Stella's points of view, is sometimes confusing but altogether consistent and solid.

Altogether, the plot, the characters, the idea of a book about illicit liaisons in the workplace is a unique, if not remarkable, but the way it was executed was only mildly interesting. Or maybe I am the wrong person for this book, as reading the reviews, it seems like a lot of people really liked the story. Again, it may just be a question of me not having the enough number of brain cells required for such reading, or maybe the book itself clearly has its shortcomings. But whatever the answer may be, In Office Hours is a good read for passing the time, while waiting for that email from that guy from the other department, or while counting down the hours before you meet your boss in some clandestine location to conduct some 'unbusinesslike' business.


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I received this book free of charge from the publisher, Hachette Book Group through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest and truthful review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

[Dainy Bernstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com
In Office Hours is a tragic romance, following two women, working in the same office though in different departments and at different levels, who each have a romance with a co-worker - in Bella's case with her boss, and in Stella's case with her assistant. Switching back and forth between the two stories, which intertwine at points, the book details all the steps of the relationships - from the first tiny buds to the dramatic end of each, and finally to the closure each woman attains when it's all over.
I love this book! Besides feeling like I got an accurate picture of what goes on in an office and how relationships and gossip work in this setting, I acutely felt the ups and downs of each saga. And there are many of both! It felt so real, each event following so naturally from the other, and the emotions feeling so authentic and so clearly portrayed.
The emotional roller-coaster both characters go though totally affected me. I felt along with each of them (so I guess it's a good thing that the arcs of the two stories follow each other pretty closely, or else I really would have been up and down and up and down...!). Even when they were doing things that made no sense and I was saying "no, no, don't do that!" I understood why they were doing such ridiculous things, and I could really feel how love makes you do crazy things that you would never do otherwise.
I like the structure of the book as well. The love and romance (if you could call it that) are grounded in real life, they don't exist in a vacuum - it's very clear how the affairs affect each woman's (and the men's) life at work and outside of work. The different parts of the story are so closely interwoven that all the various pieces work together to create the fuller picture of what's going on. I do like, though, that the outside world is marginalized, which gives the effect of magnifying the romances to epic proportions, which seems to be what the lovers would feel - obsessing with the affair to the point that everything else fades to be only a minor irritation, and disappears whenever they're with their lovers.
The e-mail technique works really well, too. The writing and thinking and re-writing and re-thinking and re-re-writing sounds so real, because that is what actually happens in real life - thinking about how each word sounds before hitting send, hitting send and then regretting it...
I kept flipping back to re-read parts of the book, because each page is filled with so much emotion, and I definitely will be reading this book again in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for providing a digital copy for review.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading many of the other reviews of In Office Hours, one thing seemed abundantly clear. This book touched a nerve for many people. Given that the plotline of the book (one workplace, four employees, two torrid, illicit affairs), that’s not surprising. But some of the vehemence behind some of the negative reviews was surprising.

This isn’t a great book, but it is a good one. I’d give it 3.5 stars if the rankings allowed it. The readers who didn’t like it seemed to do so for three main reasons, and I’d like to touch briefly on each of those reasons.

Reason one – this wasn’t a typical “chick lit” novel. It’s hard to argue with that assertion. The tone of this novel is more subdued than most books in that genre. So if you’re looking for a chick lit book, this probably isn’t it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good book.

Reason two – many readers claimed the book wasn’t funny, as advertised. Personally, I disagree. It is not a comedy, by any means, but there are plenty of comic moments throughout the book, revolving around the peculiar but somewhat universal behaviors and language adopted by employees in a corporate setting. Kellaway’s descriptions of that setting are spot on – and very funny. If you’ve worked in a large company, I suspect you will agree.

Reason three – many people seemed to think the basic storyline around the affairs was tawdry, or drivel. Again, here I simply disagree. Kellaway’s treatment of the affairs is thoughtful and deep, and explores the gamut of feelings and emotions that accompany the affairs’ life cycle – joy and anguish, lust and anxiety, jealousy, guilt and desperation. The author doesn’t condone the affairs. There is a messy end to both affairs with the resulting consequences you might expect. I did think the fallout section of the book dragged some; then again, real breakups are often messy and drag on longer than necessary as well.

I listened to In Office Hours as an audio book, rather than reading it. For me, that was a novel (pun intended) experience. It’s not something I ordinarily do. However, I think I unwittingly selected a good book to listen to on audio. The dialogue-driven story, with all the character’s hidden meanings and other characters’ various interpretations of what is said, lends itself well to that treatment.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shares some of the Who Moved My Blackberry? Martin Lukes traits of story by email (and in this case also text) and some of the corporate absurdities exposed in the author's famous FT column, but otherwise a solid, enjoyable but unambitious read. Some implicit and explicit comment on the discrepancy in how both affairs are seen and resolved (the woman leaves in each case).

[Brandi Bryant · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book really annoyed me, but I pushed through and finished it. There were a few times that I just kept thinking "put it down...it isn't worth it", but a very small part of me had to know what was going on.
First of all, I was so annoyed and confused by the fact that the main characters names were Bella and Stella. It was like I had to keep stopping and reminding myself which was which. Not that it really mattered, both women were pathetic, hopeless and completely self-centered.
It always makes me laugh when people talk about office romances, so I really thought this would be a good read. It is never a good idea to fall in love with someone you work for, or someone that works for you...however I strongly believe that you cannot help who you fall in love with. It was just too coincidental and cliche that these women happen to work in the same office, and their situations are almost exactly opposite. Stella is in a high position at the office, married, two children, sleeping with her assistant. Bella is a junior at the office, single, one child, sleeping with her boss. *yawn*
Throughout the book I was annoyed at how pathetic these women were. I mean I've never really been able to understand the thought process that goes on in someones head when they decide to have an affair -- maybe because I am a loyal, honest, loving person...but who knows. I've worked with plenty of good looking men, but nothing has ever had me think "well, things at home are really great, but you know, having a fling with this guy would be great..."
I think that in the end, both women deserved what they got, and I was glad that it ended the way it did. Now, this isn't to say that the men in the story weren't at all to blame, they were as well, but with the focus being on the women, I just couldn't help but hate them.

[Bettie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me - painful description of naff corporate procedures complete with a stab at the jargon that always did leave me cold

BBC blurb - "In Office Hours" is the new novel by Lucy Kellaway about men and women at work, and illicit love. In today's opening episode, changes are underway at the oil giant, AE, and new challenges beckon high flying Stella Bradberry, and the PA Bella Chambers.

The latest novel from the columnist, Lucy Kellaway, is a witty and sharply observed exploration of today's contemporary corporate world, and what happens when passions run high. The economist Stella Bradberry is at the top of her game, juggling a high powered career with motherhood. Bella Chambers is a bright and pretty single mother who was forced to drop out of college, and is working as a PA to make ends meet. Both women work for Atlantic Energy, a global oil company based in London, where risk taking is a way of life. When the Head of Press resigns unexpectedly, new opportunities and challenges open up for Stella and Bella, which ultimately lead them both to embark on obsessive and destructive affairs.

Readers: Hadyn Gwynne has recently returned from Broadway where she was appearing in the award winning hit musical "Billy Elliot" after it transferred from London's West End. Award winning actress Lyndsey Marshal has most recently appeared on stage in "Three Days of Rain" and on television in "Being Human" and "Garrow's Law".

Writer: Lucy Kellaway is the "Financial Times" management columnist. She lives in London and is married with four children.
Abridged by Sally Marmion

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently there was some study that showed that a quarter of British office workers had some kind of inappropriate relationship with a co-worker. Lucy Kellaway is a columnist for the Financial Times so she knows these sort of things. Seems pretty astonishing to me but since I don't know any details of the study and its methodology, I can't pass judgement on that. Bella is a single mother and a personal assistant having an affair with her boss, James. Stella is middle-aged, married and a hard-nosed corporate executive having an affair with a young Welsh trainee (intern, I assume), Rhys. They both work at a global oil company in London. Bubbling below the surface is the risk-taking and rosy forecasts recently exhibited in the business practices of large companies - this is the most interesting part of the book and presumably, something Kellaway knows a lot about. The most annoying part is that these folks are constantly away from work in hotels or on the roof snogging. Personally, I have to be at work during work hours. I rather liked the character of James, overwhelmed by desire one minute and in office mode the next sending emails and texts that read more like business memos than love letters. Texting and emailing feature large in these romances and that works pretty well on audio. I liked Alison Reid - she sounds a bit upper class and a bit aloof but keeps these women distinct which I gather isn't so easy when reading the book. I have no idea if Rhys actually sounded Welsh or not but the voice was entertaining anyway.

[Kemi looves 2 read · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice light read. It would have been nice to read the POV of the men involved.