This review was originally posted on One Curvy Blogger
2.5 stars
You know how all of us book reviewers have all said at least once that a character has totally ruined a book for them? A character in Tempting the New Boss did that for me. Not just a character – the main character. The heroine. Camilla Anderson. Sigh.
I could have dealt with the unrealistic sex scenes, the ick factor that the lack of condom between two virtual strangers gave off and I could have dealt with the insta-love. What I couldn’t deal with was the preachy, hypocritical, holier-than-thou heroine that just had to go and ruin everything.
Tempting the New Boss actually started out swell. I was really getting into the book and enjoyed the vibe between Mason and Camilla while they were feeling each other out. It’s when they got more comfortable and started to get to know one another that all hell broke loose.
Now that it was just the two of them, he really should be asking her to call him by his first name. She was about to suggest it, more of that etiquette training, when he said, “Listen, do you think we could, you know, have sex? I could pay you extra, of course. I know it’s not part of your job, but I’d love to strip you bare to just those pearls and bury myself in your–“
“What?” Only it came out as more like a squeak. Enough to stop him in his tracks, though.
Of all the…! Fury pounded through her veins.
Okay, so I get it. I would be extremely pissed off as well. Even though we are warned that Mason is extremely socially awkward going in and Camilla was told that she way partly hired to teach him to communicate with other humans, Mason propositioning her was definitely over the line and she rightly tells him off. She tells him that it is not only is it inappropriate to ask a coworker for sexual favors of any kind it is illegal.
What pisses me off? An hour later, she is tipsy and still telling off the new boss and then proceeds to proposition him! Seriously.
This kind of bullshit kills me. The hypocrisy kills me. As the book moves on, she continues to treat him like the socially inept boss and dares to continue to judge him, even after the multiple times they have sex and everything.
Yes, he made a huge mistake. But he apologizes and owns up to his mistakes. He is honest about his inability to connect with others, but it is clear that underneath his inability to make eye contact, talk to large crowds or stop himself from blurting out whatever is on his mind, he is a good guy.
Camilla, however, preaches about manners and etiquette and never seems to have a handle on either. Gah, she kills me. She really does.
Honestly, besides the heroine Tempting the New Boss wasn’t a terrible experience for me. Yes, there were other things about the book that I didn’t like, but I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the writing and I enjoyed the characters (except for Camilla) and I am interested in reading more from Angela Claire. Provided her other heroines are less snotty and they remember to don condoms, or course.
Even with all the issues I had with Tempting the New Boss, I still want to read more from the series so I guess the book wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read!