Author: Sally Thorne
Genre: Romance; Adult
Rating: 8/10
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman are nemeses. Lucy’s the nice girl, loved by everyone at Bexley and Gamin Publishing, except him – cold, intimidating, and distractingly attractive Joshua. They’ve been boxed in the same office room together, week after week, and are deeply involved in ridiculous, yet strangely addictive games. The Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. When a huge promotion is suddenly up for grabs, Lucy can’t let Joshua best her and become her boss. Let the games begin.
This book was light-hearted and very easy to fly through. I have to admit, I didn’t really go in with many expectations, but I was surprised by how entertaining and enjoyable this book was to read.
The characters – Lucy and Josh – were adorable, and very well fleshed out. I couldn’t help but fawn over how cute each of their characters were (even though they’re adults and I am… decidedly not). Each of their histories and backgrounds were intricately thought through, really helping us understand their personality and behaviours a lot better. It made their interactions not only enjoyable, but also logical.
Of course, the characters had their flaws, and I did get frustrated by how difficult and stubborn they were being at times, considering it was pretty evident that they were really into each other. Nevertheless, they were quite realistically written, and I rooted for them throughout the story.
The banter between the two was especially amusing, as were their dorky games. There were times when I had to pause to reread a line of dialogue, because it didn’t seem like the sort of thing people would say in real life. Overall though, the characters and their interactions made for an engaging read!
“I want to know what’s going on in your brain. I want to juice your head like a lemon.”
The chemistry between the two was certainly palpable and steamy. Initially, I was a bit concerned about their relationship seeming a little superficial in nature, but it evolved to become something based on mutual understanding and respect over the course of the book, so that was definitely a win for me.
Moving on to the plot. Looking at the storyline as a whole, I have to admit that it wasn’t the most riveting or intriguing in my opinion, and there were quite a few places where it seemed too fantastical and far-fetched. Some scenes were also a bit cheesy, for lack of a better word, quite a few cliches were sprinkled throughout the book, and the ending seemed a little anticlimactic.
That being said, the whole idea of rivaling publishing companies merging together was very original, and I thought it was executed quite well. It also laid out a solid foundation for the whole enemies-to-lovers story to play out. I found myself flying through the pages simply to read more of the characters’ interactions because it was so addictive, and I couldn’t get enough. After I finished the last page, I remember seriously CRAVING for more Lucy and Josh. I longed for just another chapter, a novella, anything really. Essentially, while the plot didn’t twist and turn around a lot, the writing style greatly made up for it and kept up the pace of the story from start to finish.
Overall, I’d say that this was a really light and breezy, enemies-to-lovers, office romance. Highly recommended for romance readers, especially for fans of this trope!
Both love and hate are mirror versions of the same game - and you have to win. Why? Your heart and your ego. Trust me, I should know.
Reviewed by: S.R. Scribbles (1st reading)
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