
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a cute and timely read though not strong enough that it will stick with me.
Juliana's husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her to raise their two daughters; she returns to work in a Human Resources role and meets Ben, who crushes her dreams on the first day by insulting the fact that she's a working mom and implying that she's an inexperienced liability. The two never hash it out, but instead hate each other for a solid two years, sparring in the office. This despite the fact that they weirdly share a best friend, Asia, who is another colleague at their firm.
Eventually Ben and Juliana, of course, must work together on an inclusion initiative at their firm (hence the timely part - DEI haters, go away). If they want to succeed in their careers, they are going to have to suck it up and get along. Juliana has always found Ben attractive (what's more sexy than a man who insults you?), so she suddenly can't focus on her work.
What I liked: I always enjoy books set in a corporate setting; I work in one, so it's nice to see my own life in a book sometimes. Juliana has a wonderful support system in her boss, which is lovely to see. The parts about inclusion were great too. The story did a good job of exploring Juliana's grief, her struggles with single motherhood and trying to support her family after her husband's death, and her attempts to move on, both as a parent and romantically. And, the kids! I am a sucker for books with cute kids.
What I didn't like: Not much happens? The book focuses so much on Ben and Juliana hating each other to the detriment of forward progress in other areas. We get it. They both despised one another while secret sparks existed. Please move forward. And while this anger fermented, instead of driving up the chemistry, it didn't draw me to them as a couple. Their reasons to stay apart felt forced; she avoided him for TWO years due to one outburst, and Ben, oh Ben, he needed to toughen up in his own life and make some freaking decisions.
The second half of this book was definitely better than the first, so it ends on a high note. It's a cute and fun read albeit frustrating at times. 3.25 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review.
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