virgoreader

★★★★ Desperate writer gets The Devil Wears Prada treatment playing assistant to the boss from hell.

Here's the thing: I hate when books feature a playboy hero who fucks everything that moves after he meets the heroine. And when Tali is hired as Hayes' temporary assistant, he does just that - forcing her to wake up women from his bed, take them to breakfast, send them flowers. There isn't a ton of jealousy from Tali, she takes it in stride, but damn... iiiiiiii was offended. He had her kick out the THREE WOMEN he had a foursome with! 

This is a single point of view, slowburn romance - on the lower end of the spice scale but I didn't hate or miss the lack of spice. It's enemies to lovers (or antagonists to lovers), a workplace romance, some hurt comfort, richy-rich hero. No cheating, really no other woman drama except what I lined out above. 

I had a blast reading this. Tali is competent, which is such an underrated trait in a heroine. She's committed to her family to a detriment and stands on her own as a character with dreams, hurt in her past, and a good personality. 

Hayes was less defined to me - maybe because it's single point of view. We see him through Tali's eyes but at times, it wasn't enough to me. So many chapters end with something kind of ominous, alluding to Hayes beginning to change. But I needed a bit more... like, him suddenly NOT having 3/4 somes and forcing Tali to clean them up doesn't make him a bang up guy to me. There were moments of vulnerability but I would have loved more clarity. 

There are a lot of laugh out loud moments. This was on one of her first days, after she kicks out a woman who begs to swap clothes with her so she can go to work. 

"Are you... are you wearing my date's dress?" he asks, horrified.

The silver lining to having nothing left to lose is that... I have nothing left to lose.

"Do you like it?" I whisper, raising nervous, hopeful eyes to him. "I disposed of her, just like you asked."

He's frozen. There's confusion in his gaze, and the tiniest seed of dawning terror.

"What?" he barks.

I bite my lip and clasp my hands together like a penitent child. "I thought you'd like it. Now we can be together forever."

His mouth hands open and I can read his thoughts so clearly - This can't be happening. Oh my God, what has she done? 

"Try not to act creepy in public."

He shrugs. "I generally try not to act creepy as a rule."

"I would not have guessed that." 

"Tada!" I cry, arms wide as we walk beneath the faux-stone entry to Harry Potter World. "We're here. Doesn't it remind you of home?"

His teeth sink into his lip as he takes in the rides and shops. "Ah, yes, Ye Olde Butterbeer Kiosk. There was one on every corner growing up." 

CW: worrying about money; death of a parent; sibling who tried to commit suicide / sibling in a mental hospital/therapy