For a debut? Pretty solid, and I can definitely see this writing duo growing into authors on my one-click list. While I thought that the heroine overreacted to every little thing and the writing felt drawn out at times, I sincerely enjoyed the core of this office rivals romance and the playful feel. It gave me Hating Games/Spanish Love Deception vibes, with a sweetheart of a hero and tons of banter. These two love sparring with each other, and their arguing was part of their love language. Sure, I struggled with the heroine sometimes – she made an instant judgment about the hero that colors their interactions – but the story itself was engaging and fun. I liked a lot of this, and wouldn’t hesitate to try the next interconnected standalone in the series.
The story follows Avery, a woman who is excited about finally landing an interview for her dream job. Unfortunately, things don’t go quite as expected, and a buttoned-up lawyer ruins Avery’s plans… or so she believes. The next time Avery runs into Luca, they’re working at different companies with similar environmental goals. So when the two companies team up for a competition, Avery and Luca find themselves working together. They’re completely competitive and can’t seem to stop bickering every time they see each other, but there’s also a flicker of something else beneath all that tension.
I can definitely see what these authors were going for, and I was all for it. I love a lighthearted office rivals romance, and it was easy to see that Luca was falling for Avery hard and fast. She’s a little more stubborn and set in her ways, which causes some friction along the way. I did struggle with her personality at times, and there was just something missing for me the whole way through. I can’t really pinpoint what the problem was, but I was compelled to continue reading. So I think this ended up being a strong debut effort, with some room for improvement as well.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QmmKZQ
Blurb:
A laugh-out-loud, sexy, slow burn, office romance.
Avery Soko, a bright-eyed and ambitious do-gooder, is on the cusp of getting her dream fundraising job at the Oceanic Research Organization. Luca Navarro, a former corporate lawyer with an extravagant tie collection and an irritatingly handsome smirk, holds Avery’s future in his very large hands. When he calls with the news of her rejection, Luca seems to revel in crushing her dreams.
But Avery will do anything to pursue her passion, even accept a job at a struggling start-up. Her spell of bad luck finally changes when a competition is announced at a grandiose gala that could save her and her new team from going under. Of course, Avery’s least favorite person, Luca, also joins the running for the multimillion-dollar prize.
At the height of the competition, Avery and Luca realize they’ve met their match. Will the tense moments, absurd attempts to out-do each other, and the string of games and bets they’ve concocted turn into a series of failures, or will it make them into something more than adversaries?
Water Under The Bridge is book one of the Perks & Benefits series but can be read as a standalone. Warning: This book contains explicit content, and profanity.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QmmKZQ
About the Authors:
Kels writes impactful love stories with strong heroines and swoon-worthy love interests with her best friend, Denise. Apart from spending her days writing, Kels enjoys long hikes and watching cult-classic scary movies.
If there is one thing that has always been true about Denise is that she is hopelessly in love with love stories.
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