ThornFrom the first time I played army as a kid, the military has been my life. As an Airborne Major, I’d led my men through two tours in Afghanistan. But when my father was elected president, I became an even greater target for the enemy—a prize for someone to take out. To ensure not only the safety of myself, but of my men, I got stripped of my cammies, shoved into an Armani suit, and placed … placed into a management position at my father’s company. After years of trekking through the desert with an assault rifle, I was way out of my area of expertise, which my transition coordinator was more than happy to let me know on a daily, if not hourly basis. The brunette bombshell would be the death of me in more ways than one, especially since I hadn’t been with a woman since my last deployment. She’s turning out to be one of the greatest foes I’ve ever done battle with.
Isabel
In the backwoods Georgia town I was born in, you either married right out of high school or got the hell out of town. I chose the second and never looked back. After graduating top in my class, I started working for The Callahan Corporation. Fast forward five years and I was about to become the youngest female manager in the history of my department. And then all the blood, sweat, and tears I’d put into my career were for nothing when the boss’s billionaire son was handed my position on a silver platter. Not only that, I was expected to help transition him into the job that was supposed to be mine. Sure, he’s easy on the eyes with his chiseled good-looks and impossibly built physique, but I’m not going to let that distract me. I hope soldier boy is good at military strategy because sabotage is the name of the game I’ll be playing.
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I love Katie Ashley’s books and this one doesn’t disappoint!
This is a new favorite of mine for this year, I loved not only the writing but the character development. As a wife of a for marine, the thing that the men and women in our military see/do is so unknown to the average person. I loved how Ashley put a focus on PTSD and what Thorn was experience after leaving his long career in the military.
Anywho this was a great love/hate relationship romance. Office Mate follows Isabel, who thinks she’s getting her dream promotion as VP in her company after working her butt off and being the best at what she does. But her dream is shattered when the CEO’s son get placed in the position and he hasn’t had the same experience in the company as her. Thorn has a business degree and knows his way around the office and his families company, however he decided to go to the military, where his heart lead him and that’s where he stayed until his father, who is now the President of the United States asked him to come home and work for the company. Isabel and Thorn start off on extremely shaky grounds, with Isabel’s bitterness and thorns rudeness (him trying to hide his attraction).
Overall I loved watching Isabel realize her bitterness towards not getting her promotion was not the way to go. She was tough for me to like at the beginning, but totally redeemed herself and I felt for her when I realized why she wanted the promotion. She has a good heart, especially towards her family and eventually Thorn. Thorn has a whole other problem, he was attracted to her but wanted to stay professional since he was technically her boss. It was a battle for both of them and I enjoyed watching them become friends.
In the end the romance was a slow burn until it exploded! It was great to see these two grow and learn more about each other and really be there when they both needed someone. The epilogue was a huge winner for me, the best ending ever.
A heartwarming romance that will make you smile. Always exciting to read a new Katie Ashley book.
Thorn and Isabella are so hilarious together and they are also perfect for each other. Thorn had to resigned from his military career since his father became the President of the United States. After resigning, Thorn is not sure what to do with his life until his family tells him that he should work for the family corporation since he is an ivy league graduate with a business degree. With no ideas of what else he could do, Thorn takes the job as Vice President of the investment banking division.
Isabella came from the poor side of town outside of Georgia and worked her way through college and graduate school and moved up the corporate ladder at Callahan Corporation. She is up for a promotion to Vice President of the investment banking division.
On the day of her expected promotion, Isabella runs into Thorn but she doesn’t know who he is. Thorn literally runs into Isabella and spills her coffee on her blouse and decides to help her out by cleaning up her shirt for which Isabella punches him for it. The day doesn’t get any better when she finds out who Thorn is and that he stole her promotion and she is also expected to help him transition into his position!
Thorn isn’t putting all his efforts into the new position and Isabella resents the fact that Thorn isn’t performing to his position that she sabotages some of his work. The sabotages are so hilarious and even though it is perfect, Isabella still feels guilty about what she is doing to Thorn.
The interaction between Isabella and Thorn is so much fun to read about. The chemistry between these 2 people is just perfect. Once the two of them admits their feelings for each other and tell each other things that they have never told anyone, they become a couple. However, their personal life ends up causing issues with their professional lives. Thorn however will do anything to keep Isabella in his life since he knows she knows him for the person that he really is and he knows that he loves her. This is such a great story of two people who are great together and their chemistry is just perfect!
This book made me smile the entire time. Pure Katie Ashley goodness!
Office Mate is the perfect enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance!
First of all, after finishing Office Mate I’m beating myself up because I haven’t read Running Mate yet and now I really want to read Barrett’s story.
I can’t tell who I love more: Thorn or Isabel. Honestly, I fell head over heels for both of them!
Thorn was forced to give up his career in the military for his team and his own security, now that his father was the President, he would put his team at risk just by being on it. But having a career in the military was always his dream and that means his adjustment to civilian life isn’t going very well, furthermore he’s struggling with PTSD, so when he starts a job that he doesn’t really want, he isn’t expecting the fiery, beautiful, sexy that batles him at every turn…
Isabel is a small town girl who studied and worked really hard to have a bright future and a successful career. She’s a perfectionist workaholic and she’s really angry that all her extra hours and hard work didn’t get her the promotion she fought so hard for. Now, she has to help Thorn to transition into the job that was supposed to be hers. So, she knows she has to sabotage him to get her very deserved promotion. But then there’s that amazing chemistry between them…
I think that two of the main reasons I loved this story was: 1) Thorn isn’t a playboy, sleeping around with every female available (I’m a little tired of playboys, can you tell?); 2) it’s a slow burn romance and I was desperately needing one (also kind of tired of insta love “let’s bang now” stories).
Overall, I really loved the characters, their background and how they were slowly falling in love with each other, the sabotage was hilarious, their chemistry is off the charts and I also loved the secondary characters, Office Mate is the perfect summer romance! (and now I’m just wishing for Ty’s story…)
This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased, honest opinion.
This office romance featured a slow burn romance between Thorn and Isabel. Thorn was a retired Army veteran who unknowingly took Isabel’s position at his family’s investment banking corporation. This set off a major feud between Isabel and Thorn. Isabel was quite childish in how she handled the situation in my opinion. Granted she deserved the promotion and more than earned the position, however she had no control over Thorn getting the job over her. Her solution was to try and make him look bad. Isabel’s antics really gave me a bad impression of her that I never quite got over. She came across very immature which didn’t go with the hard working employee impression that we first saw.
Thorn was someone that I was really drawn to throughout the book. The fact that he was in the military and fought for his country gave him some major brownie points. He also didn’t let the status of his father’s employment go to his head. Thorn was this down to earth guy struggling to find his way outside the military. I loved how old fashioned he was when it came to dating. Thorn didn’t want to just hook up, he wanted the relationship too. I also loved his brother’s cameos. I really want to go back and read Barrett’s story in Running Mate.
While I wasn’t a huge fan of Isabel, I still enjoyed the story overall. I also adored all the side characters. I think Ty deserves his own happily ever after!! Hopefully he will get a book too *fingers crossed*. I’m excited to read more books from this author as I really enjoyed the writing in this one.
3.25 stars–OFFICE MATE by Katie Ashley is the second instalment in Katie Ashley’s contemporary, adult, erotic romance series focusing on the Callahan siblings. This is thirty-one year old, US Army veteran Thorn Callahan, and twenty-nine year old, financial investor Isabel Flannery’s story line. OFFICE MATE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Thorn and Isabel) OFFICE MATE follows the building romance between thirty-one year old, US Army veteran Thorn Callahan, and twenty-nine year old, financial investor Isabel Flannery. Now that his father was elected the President of the United States, US Army veteran Thorn Callahan has been pulled from active duty in an attempt to keep any potential enemies from targeting our story line hero. What Thorn never expected was to be named Vice-President of his father’s Wall Street investment firm-Callahan Corporation-a position originally intended for someone else. Enter Isabel Flannery, scorned co-worker, and the woman with whom Thorn would fall in love. What ensues is the enemies to lovers relationship between Thorn and Isabel, and the potential fall-out as their relationship goes public, and is in direct confrontation of the corporation’s no fraternization policy among executives.
Isabel Flannery is beyond pissed that the promotion for which she had been groomed was now going to the President’s son-president of the corporation as well as President of the USA. Unable to persuade management that she was entitled to the vice-president position, Isabel begins to sabotage Thorn Callahan, hoping the repercussions would push Thorn out of his current position. Thorn Callahan never thought about leaving the military but when his last mission went all to h*ll, and his father was elected to the highest office in the USA Thorn found himself the new vice-president of Callahan Corporation. But things start to fall apart, rather quickly, including a sudden illness that pulls Thorn from the job at hand.
The relationship between Thorn and Isabel is one of immediate attraction but Thorn’s attraction is tempered by the knowledge that Callahan Corporation has a no fraternization policy. In order to remain distant and aloof, Thorn becomes a demanding a$$hole pushing Isabel to retaliate in return. The $ex scenes are limited but erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Thorn’s brother Barrett Callahan and his fiancé Addison (Running Mate #1), as well as their sister Caroline. We are introduced to Thorn’s bodyguard and secret service agent Ty, and Isabel’s roommate Mila. Ty and Caroline’s story line is next in Roommate.
OFFICE MATE is a slow building enemies to lovers/office romance story line. Isabel Flannery’s acts of sabotage were immature and in one instance, dangerous and bordering on assault. In all honesty, Isabel’s behaviour was unethical, and thusly proves she was ill-prepared for the position she did not receive. Insubordination and reprimands were necessary to negate her verbal outbursts but her behind the scenes sabotage were concerning and wrong. There was nothing funny about our heroine’s behaviour, and I struggled with my overall enjoyment due to the nature of the acts. The premise is engaging; the characters were charismatic; the romance is spicy and hot.
What a story!
Isabel has busted herself working for the Callahan Corporation. She is up for promotion to Vice President. This is the culmination of all the years of studying and sacrificing herself to reach this goal. And then, she literally gets run over by a man in an Armani suit… and before long, she finds out he is the one who is getting her promotion!
Well, it was a great dream while it lasted! Do not underestimate a woman passed up for a promotion! She will get her revenge!
What starts as a story of enemies swiftly becomes a story of two people who become friends. One Isabel gets a chance to know Thorn a little more (and he stops being a douche) they find common ground and parallel dreams. This then becomes a love story to remember.
Whimsical and full of emotions, this book is perfect for all of you romantics out there!
NO SPOILERS!
Office Mate was a sexy and entertaining standalone contemporary romance, and I really enjoyed it! The storyline and characters were wonderful, and I loved Katie Ashley’s writing style. If you’re looking for an office romance with heat, humor, romance, excellent characters, and an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers element, then Office Mate is the book for you!
The storyline and characters were great. I’m a big fan of the office romance, as well as enemies/friends-to-lovers, trope, and Office Mate fit the bill. Thorn and Isabel were wonderful characters, and I immediately connected with them. I loved their personalities and chemistry together, and how most of their relationship progressed throughout. I loved reading the book from both Thorn and Isabel’s point of view, and all of their banter and interactions with each other. Thorn and Isabel got off to a rocky start, which was understandable considering the circumstances, and it was slow going for a while. Their relationship was definitely a slow-burn romance, and those aren’t always my favorite. There were certain times and areas where I would’ve loved more between them, but overall, I was very happy with the conclusion to Thorn and Isabel’s story. I also enjoyed most of the secondary characters, and I’m looking forward to reading the next interconnected standalone, Roommate.
Office Mate was a sexy and entertaining standalone contemporary romance, and while I didn’t love every aspect of this book, I would definitely recommend it! Katie Ashley did a great job with Thorn and Isabel’s story, and I was satisfied with the outcome. Office Mate, as well as Running Mate, have been highly enjoyable standalone romances from Katie Ashley, and I’m looking forward to her next one, Roommate!
This is definitely one of those slow burn romances. I loved Thorn and I kinda loved when he was being an A-hole to Isabel…I mean, come on, what girl doesn’t secretly love a guy that is an A-hole? Of course, he has to have a good heart to match it, but call me a glutton for punishment, because I like d-bags… sometimes anyways haha.
I was definitely sucked into this book and I was cracking up at Isabel and her sabotage. It was totally unprofessional, but I couldn’t help cracking up at it either. He kind of had it coming to him…the last one tho…yikes! At least she put an end to it, and I love how she admits to him what she did. It was embarrassing and pretty entertaining. It does take quite a while for the two to bump uglies, but I love the way they came together.
Aside from the humorous parts, there were also some tender moments that had me crying. For Thorn and what he had been through and the aftermath of it all, and Conan, ugghh…talk about feels. I really enjoyed this book. It kept me thoroughly entertained and had me completely in love with Thorn. I’m a newbie to this author, and really like that she has a nice flow to her writing making it very easy to read and I will definitely be checking out her other works.
#B2BKristina
Office Mate is a funny and sweet read from Katie Ashley. Isabel and Thorn are pushed together under unlikely circumstances that causes both of their normally wonderful dispositions to become adversarial as they set out to either destroy or avoid one another. But as they get to really know each other they learn there’s much more to their characters than meets the eye.
Thorn is a hero to his country, and also the son of the commander of his country as well. When he’s forced back to civility and into the family business, he becomes public enemy number one to Isabel. their back and forth banter is witty and fun, but as the story progresses they become incredibly cute and sweet with one another. The slow burn of their attraction kept me in anticipation, and once they finally gave in it wasn’t just their emotional connection that I hungered for more of, it was experiencing how hot they could truly burn.
This book is a good reads. I definitely enjoyed it, and will absolutely be going back to visit Barrett’s story because somehow I missed it!
Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
What do do when you lose your coveted promotion to your boss’ son? Or when you have to abandon you career because of your father’s? Isabel and Thorn were in a cross-road in their lives, and when they cross paths, they became instant enemies, but not without some instant lust. This is the kind of book to read in one sitting, a romance that leave you breathless, make you laugh out loud and cheer both of them in their attempt of gaining the upper hand. Throw in the mix some not well planned vengeance and you have the recipe for a 5 star read.
I’m so glad that Ashley provides readers with chapters from both Thorn and Isabel’s point of view because if the story was told completely from Isabel’s perspective, readers’ attitude towards Thorn and the way he treats her would have been seen as reprehensible and it would have been difficult to sway readers’ feelings about him once it’s revealed that it’s all been an act on Thorn’s part to keep Isabel at a safe distance from him.
If readers were to judge Thorn and Isabel solely on their outward actions and words towards one another, neither one of them would be seen as someone with a good heart and kind soul, but because we get their internal musings, their inward struggles, and their repentant feelings when it comes to the things they’ve done to one another, it’s more than clear that these two characters are truly remarkable people – ones who deserve success but more importantly love and commitment, and because Ashley doesn’t leave Thorn and Isabel’s misdeeds from being exposed until the very end of the story, a foundation can be built – one of friendship, one of mutual respect, and one that provides an avenue for more to occur between them.
There’s great banter between Thorn and Isabel, especially when ‘Operation Asshole’ is in full effect, and it’s more than clear that Isabel can give as good as she gets. There were so many times throughout those first few weeks working together – a time in which Isabel exacted her plan of sabotage that I thought they both were going to blow their tops and expose the truth, but the push and pull between them continued, which only amped up the attraction and the desire they felt, proving that their methods of coexisting with one another were not working as well as they wish they were, making things incredibly awkward and volatile until Thorn and Isabel laid their cards on the table and raised the white flag.
Katie Ashley’s Office Mate is a highly entertaining and, at times, infuriating enemies-to-lovers romance told through both the hero and heroine’s perspective; it’s definitely a slow burn love story despite the clear attraction felt by both characters because there are a multitude of obstacles in their way to a happily ever after, partly due to their co-worker status but mostly due to the fact that Isabel feels that Thorn usurped the position of vice president of investment banking at The Callahan Corporation that by all rights should have been hers.
4.5 Poison Apples
I’ve been in a bit of a reading funk for what seems forever so when
I decide to read I choose authors I can count on to keep me satisfied.
Katie Ashley is one of those authors!
Officemate delivered.
The characters are likeable and strong.
The relationship between Thorn and Isabel
was a slow burn not rushed.
Many times, I found myself laughing out loud or thinking
Oh no, don’t do it!
Characters Barrett and Addison from the first book Running Mate moved
their relationship to the next level and the banter between the brothers
was priceless.
So, charge up your kindle, get comfy and enjoy!
After reading Running mate i was looking forward to the next standalone from the Callahan family.
Office Mate is Thorn and Isabel’s story, for me this was more of a slow burn read with a touch of enemies to lovers feel. It was an easy read it flowed well with great writing it just didn’t captivate me as much as Barrett’s story.
I enjoyed both characters Thorn was an honourable man. Even though leaving the service was the last thing he wanted to do. He respected his brothers in service not to put them in more danger because he was now the presidents son. He also had the respect for his family to try the corporate life, working for the Callahan corporation. He knew he wouldn’t have a problem stepping in, but his heart wasn’t really in it. I actually felt my heart hurt for him as he wasn’t living his life. He was living for others!!
Isabel grew on me at first i thought she acted like a whinny child in losing out on a promotion. Which really wasn’t anyones fault that Thorn was brought in. But then that lead to some quite funny banter and antics. With their chemistry growing in a slow burn way i grew to like her more and more.
I loved catching up with Barrett and Addison. And in the end found a fondness for Thorn and Isabel’s story.
An enjoyable read
I loved this slow burn, enemies to lovers romance. It was funny, and heartwarming and held me captive right from the very first awkward meet cute. Isabel was being groomed for a promotion that she had worked hard for. Thorn was forced to leave what he loved doing, to start working in the family business. Thorn and Isabel had instant attraction but couldn’t act on it. They both acted out of character, trying to endure their unwanted predicaments, which lead to some very awkward and hilarious moments. Isabel and Thorn were both kind, and thoughtful characters, and their chemistry was explosive. I was so charmed by them, even when they were acting less than noble, making me root for their HEA. Ms. Ashley also touched on a heart breaking topic with such honesty and empathy giving this story a depth that truly satisfied. Don’t miss this sweet and sexy romance with heart.
Office Mate is hard book for me to review. While I have enjoyed Katie’s book previously, I struggled with this one. The first half of the book was good but then it just went really flat for me. Just when I thought I was starting to finally connect with the characters, everything started to feel forced and rushed between them. I wanted the slow burn back that we were getting in the beginning of the book.
I need more connection to these characters that I wanted to love but just couldn’t.
Office Mate is a fun and sexy slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance with a charming and heartwarming story. Isabel and Thorn won me over from the moment they appear on the page and find themselves in an adversarial working relationship that is spiked with their intense, combustible attraction. They attempt to ignore the heat simmering beneath every entertaining, hostile exchange, but their push and pull eventually reaches its snapping point and ignites into a fiery and sweet union. Office Mate is a fantastic romantic comedy that will have you smiling, sighing and begging for more from Katie Ashley.
Recommendation appeared @ USA Today’s Happy Ever After on July 10, 2018
ARC provided, but this review was voluntarily and honestly written.
This was a fab little read – an enemies to friends to lovers romance, a real slow burn but with sexual tension you could cut with a knife!
Isabel is a small town girl and has worked hard to get to where she is, and is determined to make it in the business world, in fact she is up for a promotion to VP in the Callahan Corporation. Except her day doesn’t go as planned, the VP job is given to Thorn Callahan, the son forced to give his military career for security reasons as his dad is now The President. He’s not best pleased to be here to say the least. Isabel is expected to show him the ropes – she’s fuming she didn’t get the job and is planning to get back at Thorn in some way to show him up as incompetent. Problem is the attraction between them is palpable, he’s a walking Adonis and she’s beautiful, fiery and sassy – so Thorn decides to play the douchebag card to keep her away, while Isabel comes up with some delightful ways to get back at him.
The push and pull between these two is fabulous, and Isabel’s ideas to get back at Thorn were really quite mean but they had me in stitches and hoping she could pull it off!!
Isabel is a real perfectionist at work, but out of work she is a loving and caring person, trying her best to help out her family and friends when needed. Thorn is angry at having to leave the military and has PTSD issues, but amazingly Isabel is the one person who sees right through him to all the stuff underneath he is trying to hide. His vulnerability is very endearing!
A fab little read, very funny and sweet with supportive loyal families make this all in all a very enjoyable read.