Winning the Boss’s Heart by Hayson Manning
Released: September 9, 2013
Contemporary Romance
Entangled Publishing

Reviewed by Mandi

This book has a super broody hero and a heroine who likes to give him a hard time. The author executes it quite nicely.

Mason’s infant daughter died years ago, devastating him and ending his marriage. He has never quite recovered from the guilt he felt and has submerged himself in work. He flips houses into retreats for high-end clients and his next project is a big house in a small town. A town who doesn’t want this beloved house turned into a minimalist retreat. As Mason works ridiculous hours, he has gone through a lot of assistants. He goes through them so fast he just numbers them now. And he has just hired number forty-two.

Billie wants to go to culinary school and almost has enough money. She decides to work as Mason’s assistant – cooking and doing paperwork and any other assignments he has. As they work around the clock, they both live in the house as he gets things in order.

Mason is a very serious, intense man. He never cracks a smile, he never shares anything personal. He just wants to work and make it to the next day. And let me tell you – he is damn sexy. I just love a broody/broken hero and Mason fits the bill perfectly. He doesn’t want to enjoy anything in his life because his infant daughter died and he feels responsible. But that doesn’t mean this book is a total downer. Our heroine makes sure of it.

Billie doesn’t like working for someone who calls her “forty-two” rather than her name. So she takes to calling him a different, random name every time he walks in the room. *giggle*. When she first opens her laptop there is a sticky note from the previous secretary warning her:

Dear Forty-Two, I’m going to haul uranium – it’s easier. Good luck. You’ll need it. Forty-one.

Snort. Mason is a tough guy to work for but she knows something is broken inside of him, but she marches forth, refusing as hard as she can to let him bring her down. She has a lot of spirit and I really enjoyed her. Things get complicated when one very late night of passion leads to some hard feelings the next day. Mason is so scared to move on from his previous family that he pushes her away. But he also doesn’t want her getting close to anyone else. I’m pretty sure he growled at one point.

This book surprised me. I read a previous book by this author and didn’t love it. But this book has a fresh, sexy voice. I’m looking forward to another.

Rating: B

Recent Reviews:
Swept Away by Romance – 4/5

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