Harper Jenkins is at the top of her game. A brilliant, determined journalist with a well-known knack for getting tight-lipped Hollywood stars to open up to her, Harper loves her job as Celebrity Editor at a newspaper’s glossy weekend magazine and has the best contacts in the business.
But when her awful boss hires talented reporter Ryan to be the new Features Editor, Harper is furious. Because the two have met before: a decade ago, they were interns at the same publication, where they fell into a whirlwind romance…until Ryan betrayed Harper, and they never spoke again.
Thrown together in a busy newsroom, their dynamic is a disaster from the start. They can’t agree on anything and bicker constantly—Ryan can’t bear how chaotic and messy Harper is; Harper finds Ryan’s condescending nature infuriating. They clash over who’s writing what article, and fight over who’s going to which event.
Yet as they’re forced to spend more and more time together, Harper realizes she may have misjudged Ryan and can’t help but feel a spark growing between them. Long buried feelings start to resurface and, when they’re thrown together on a romantic press trip abroad, their chemistry comes to a head.
But all is fair in love and magazines, and with the news that layoffs across the department are imminent, Harper is left to wonder: who will get the last word?
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: Macmillan
Imprint: St. Martin’s Press
Price: $11.99
Harper loves her job as a celebrity editor for a magazine. She is thriving in life, and everything is going fine at the magazine until her boss hires Ryan as the Feature Editor. She and Ryan share a strong past. Years ago, the two were in an intense relationship. Harper really thought she had a future with Ryan, but he ended up betraying her.
Harper and Ryan can’t seem to agree on anything. They are at odds, and Harper realizes they have little in common when it comes to their work style. This is her career, and she will not jeopardize that by fighting with Ryan.
Honestly, though this is probably one of my favorite tropes, it didn’t give me the feels that I wanted. The romance is a slow burn, and while I normally don’t care for that, I have learned to appreciate them when they are done correctly. In this case, the author uses the beginning of the story to focus solely on Harper to give readers insight into her personality. I might have enjoyed this more if I got to get a little of Ryan as well.
I also felt the romance is very light. It takes a long time for them to connect as older adults. Harper kept going back and forth. She blamed Ryan for every single offense imaginable. I had a very hard time connecting with her. She is a bit of a mess, both professionally and personally. Ryan isn’t much better. He doesn’t communicate well, and it’s frustrating. The two seem to go in circles, almost reliving their past mistakes.
Overall, this is a case of a strong premise that was not executed properly. I would still give this author another chance.
~ Samantha
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