Let me first say: Reed York was never my boyfriend. He was the pen. I was the company ink. Though if you want to get technical, we were more like colleagues-who-hated-each-other … with benefits. Everything was fine until the charming jerk went behind my back, stole my promotion, and became my boss—literally overnight. Refusing to work beneath him (professionally speaking and otherwise), I … otherwise), I transferred 2,014 miles away to our Chicago division, and I’ve spent the past year trying to remember how much I hated his panty-melting smirk so I can forget how much I secretly loved the way his ocean eyes lit every time I walked into the room.
But he’s just announced a last-minute site visit next week, and on top of that, he’s audaciously designated me as his ‘right hand gal’ during his visit. If he thinks he has a snowball’s chance in this hell at getting back in my good graces, he’s got another thing coming.
Reed York might be a man used to getting everything he’s ever wanted, but Joa Jolivet is a woman that never forgets.
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Wow this author sure has a way with her words & the characters. So much so I’ve become addicted to her books. I just loved the chemistry & sexual tension between Joa & Reed.
Joa left her friend with benefits& LA when Reed took the job she longed for. However it was so much more than that, which you will find out later on. If you’re familiar with Bitcoin, the company they work for is like that.
Chicago was also Joa’s family home & they are all a typical, loving dysfunctional group. As the story progresses you can’t help but feel sorry for Reed & his idiosyncrasies, a lot of which relate to his wealth & family. You get why he’s the way he is.
Also being a Xmas story this has a lot of feels & is very heart warming with a touch of hotness. Winter just keeps outdoing herself with her couples & I like they are original & not the flavour of the moment ones.
If you’re a fan of this author, like me you won’t be disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this story. However, if you don’t like a lot of flashbacks to the past that help explain the present, this might not be the best story for some. Those flashbacks were never long and they generally addressed what was currently happening in the book.
Joa is a young ambitious woman working in the financial business of cryptocurrency. Reed comes from a family of wealth and has a load of brick walls standing between him and any real emotional connections. The sparks fly the moment they meet when she gets hired to work in the same department as him.
They spend nearly a year working together in the office and between the sheets, but a betrayal tears all that to pieces. When Reed shows up like a bad penny where Joa has relocated, she figures she just has to grit her teeth and wait it out until he’s gone again. Things don’t exactly go as either of them expect.
From Joa’s perspective, I completely understand her feelings towards Reed. I felt they were justified which supported the reservations I had from the book blurb on how well I would like him. Through the flashbacks and the slow reveals, I came to adore Reed by the end. Their first year together was more important to both of them then either of them realized until things went very south.
Another great addition to Ms. Winter’s work!
That’s another fantastic read from Winter Renshaw. This time the plot is built differently in a quite interesting manner with the flashbacks to the past.
I enjoy reading stories where hero and/or heroine claims that no strings attached relationship is what they want. Often times it is that their past is holding them back from having what they really deserve which is love. I loved how they slowly removed the walls build around their hearts. This story has a little bit of mystery, unexpected events and it it really kept me captivated.
Oh, Joa and Reed…silly kids, games aren’t for kids!!
I absolutely LOVED these two!! Ms. Renshaw has mastered the art of enemies to lovers/romcom stories. The flashbacks were great and appropriately supported the present; their emotional growth and shifts were subtle and genuine and I felt myself genuinely invested in their experience. The subplots were thoughtful and craftily wrapped into the centerpiece of their love story. What an enjoyable journey…I’m going to miss them!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I fell in love with Joa and Reed from page one. What wonderful, flawed, sweet, loving, fun characters. The more I learned of how Reed had grown up, the more my heart broke for the little boy he had been. Joa is a lucky woman living a life filled with a loving a supportive family. Joa and Reed spend a year being each others fling, but Reed finally accepts that Joa is his more. Just when he accepts more, Reed has to break her heart to save her and can’t tell her anything about why. They spend the next year separated by miles and misunderstandings in two different cities, neither being able to move on. But Reed has a plan and he is going to do everything in his power to make it work. He never stopped wanting his more and he is going to do everything he can to get it. Joa and Reed’s journey is a little heart breaking, a little sweet, sprinkled with a whole lot of hope. The way Winter Renshaw writes characters making them seem like your best friend, your sister, your family is mind blowing. The pace, world building and character development are always done in a way that the reader does not become overwhelmed or bored with to much detail, but just enough to spark your imagination and be a part of what has been created. I have had a lot of favorites by Winter Renshaw but this one feels like a special gift written just for me. I loved it!!!! I highly recommend you add this one to your reading list.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4 1/2 Stars
Joa is heartbroken by Reed’s underhanded betrayal. Being the tough woman she is, she leaves their secret relationship and transfers back to her home in Chicago. Determined to move on with her life without Reed, it’s been a year and her life is finally settling down. When she hears that he will be visiting her office, she’s a bit thrown off.
Reed is commitment-phobic. Throughout their clandestine affair, he set up rules and boundaries to make it clear that they were not involved or a couple. Confusion sets in when Reed realizes keeping things casual with Joa when they were together was a big mistake, and sets to win her back and explain his part in his betrayal.
This was a sweet and sexy story with two very likeable characters. I liked the plot and storyline that was well written, easy to follow, and had good pacing. Their dual POVs and inner dialogue never lagged, and kept the story interesting.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this book. A well written, entertaining storyline grabbed and held my interest well. I liked both characters and their chemistry. Joa and Reed’s book has quite a bit of drama and emotional turmoil. The friends with benefits to second chance, enemies to lovers plot was fun and engaging. A very good read!
A second chance story about family and details we take for granted
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I loved this one. Totally loved it and couldn’t read fast enough. It had all the feels. And the ending bordered on pure magic that plastered a huge smile across my face.
Reed and Joa had a no string attached relationship back in LA. Co-worker/friends-with-benefits and rules. No labels, no ties. And it worked for twelve months. Until he got the promotion she desperately wanted. Fast forward a year later and Reed is nearing the end of a plan and hopes to reconnect with Joa, the one who got away. With his heart.
This is a story about sacrifice, love, and appreciation with a grand focus on family. The author does a stellar job of showing two very different lives and people without throwing massive amounts of information in your face. It was as if each chapter revealed another clue to their character, their history, their family or upbringing. Joa has no idea why Reed could have done what he did, and yes, there’s a reason. And while you want to dislike him for what he did, as each tiny piece of himself is revealed, you can’t help but cheer for them to finally make it together.
The sexual tension between the character is obvious. You can feel it jumping from the page. Through Reed, you see the tiny things many people take for granted. Everyday things he never had. I loved Joa’s family. Loved them. And it’s obvious how critical they were to her strength of character and I loved their role in awakening Reed’s desire for more. I wasn’t thrilled about the jumping back and forth in time frames, but the author does preface the story with a note that the “past” sections can be skipped. I’m glad I didn’t skip them. The story is not the same without the additional insight.
There’s emotion here. Tons of passion and love. It’s a story about family and not knowing what you want because you’ve never experienced it. But once you realize it’s that missing “thing” you’ve wanted your entire life, you will fight for it and never take it for granted. It’s a common plot element in stories, but here, I genuinely felt it.
Not all books hit all the notes with all reads. This one did for me. Although this wasn’t a perfect book (no book is), I didn’t care. The emotions and the appreciation for the tiniest of details were so beautiful to read and eloquently written, they outshined anything else for me.
This was a steamy, sexy read. Before we find out what happened and why, I thought it was obvious after a while. But the way we get there was awesome. With an agreed benefits only relationship, Reed and Joa don’t realize that they reach a place they need to change their relationship til it’s too late. This was a great read.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Office romance passionate friends with benefits story that will have you not wanting to put the book down. The chemistry between Joa & Reed is electric, both are smart and enthusiastic about what they do. Another fantastic book by Winter Renshaw a must read and you it will not disappoint.