Jeffrey Bornic is getting over his ex. Really. So what if the rising-star attorney is angrily sleeping his way through most of Manhattan’s male population? When the time is right, the perfect partner will show up. And Jeffrey knows exactly what he’ll be like: an ambitious, polished professional who’ll make the ideal other half of a fabulous power couple.
Theo McPherson is definitely not that guy. He’s a short, fiery red-head who works in the arts and wears sneakers held together with duct tape. If it weren’t for the fact that Theo is his best friend’s little (literally) brother, Jeff would be crossing the street to avoid him. Theo, meanwhile, has nothing but contempt for guys in suits, and seems to have deliberately set out to make Jeff’s life miserable, all while grinning at him in that exasperating way that he has.
At least it’s hard for Jeff to keep moping over his ex when he’s butting heads with Theo—and suddenly wondering if the last guy he’d ever fall for might be exactly that . . .
Um, don’t mind me over here. In the corner. Hiding. In my box of shame.
I so wanted to love this. I really did.
Hackett wowed me with Where Do I Start in how he made fall for Fletch, and I was all ready to be bowled over to do the same with douchecanoe Jeffrey. In a way I did. The guy actually grows a heart, moves beyond his self involved inclinations, all because he falls for someone who he wants to be better for. Luckily, Jeffrey finds that in Theo.
Oh Theo. Overall, I can see and understand where this guy is coming from, but there were just too many instances where his thought processes made me cringe uncomfortably, and to me, bordered on pure spite and childishness. If one ever ran hot and cold in extreme, Theo is that epitome, and I actually felt sorry for Jeffrey despite the many instances where he deserved Theo’s wrath.
This goes above and beyond enemies to lovers, as Jeffrey and Theo go all out to push each other’s buttons again and again and again. Now, while highly entertaining, this just did not appeal to what I want and need in a romance. So I can see why all the readers out there loved this hard, but in comparison to the first book this lacked the sweet sweet charm that I reveled in and so wanted from this. I just couldn’t ever relax as I waited for the other shoe to drop on the next crazy drama that was going to come, and come it did. These two truly deserved each other.
Many many points to Hackett for great writing, humor, and eschewing typical romance tropes and expectations. This has all the smart snarky banter with the ultimate in one upmanship that any avid reader could want. I just needed a more solid reason to root for these two, wanting way more lovey dovey (not to mention some smexy smexy) and less hateful mean animosity. Perhaps bff-to-all Tommy, will find his HEA and be the icing on the cake!
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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