His by Design

by Dani Wade

He's her boss. He'll do what he wants with her

Ziara Divan came from nothing and worked hard to earn her position at Atlanta's most prestigious bridal fashion house. So when her new boss Sloan Creighton tries to seduce her in a power play, she's not having it. She won't climb the corporate ladder right into the boss's bed…even if he's irresistible.

Sloan will have his way—in business and in pleasure. He'll regain control of his father's company, and he'll have this woman—not necessarily in that order. But just as his plans fall into place, Ziara's past threatens to tear them apart at the seams….

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Contemporary, Category Romance

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Dani Wade astonished her local librarians as a teenager when she carried home 10 books every week – and actually read them all. Now she writes her own characters who clamor for attention in the midst of the chaos that is her life. Residing in the southern U.S. with a husband, two kids, two dogs, and one grumpy cat, she stays busy until she can closet herself away with her characters once more.

Reviews

[Andrea Lujano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nombres: Ziara & Sloan.

Profesiones: Asistente & Empresario/Diseñador de Modas.

Pais: USA

[Desere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loads of woman with no regard for being descent have slept their way to the top. They see the position they want and no matter what or who they have to do, they will for in the end it will all be worth it, or so they think. But we all know that in the end those woman get exactly what is coming to them and they come tumbling down from their little built up pedestals really fast!

So most of us are more the woman that believe they can make it in any industry and they work for it too, they go by the book and stick to the rules, but when temptation comes along it takes a really strong and confident woman to be able to fight back and not lose her job, especially when told to "spy" on the new boss, and the new boss is no other than tempt-me-to-cover-every-inch-of-you Sloan.

So Ziara not only has the hard decision to make of using the spying information she finds to aid the company, but to let go for once and fall at the feet of delicious temptation and hope for the best, but will her decision be worth it in the end of will this be her downfall?

The character of Ziara was phenomenal! Strong, confident, passionate about her job, ambitious and has a drive to succeed. I loved that she has worked so hard to get to the top and done so honestly and with hard work and dedication. I adored that the author lets Ziara go from this almost lame "I dress so I don't entice" woman to "I am going after who I want" woman. It is not everyday I come across a heroine that is strong and confident in her work yet at the same time non leading in her personal life, the contradiction was simply fascinating, well done Dani!

The change in her personality happens very slowly but the author does not do so at a slow and boring pace, as I often find the stories of similar situations dragging on and on before it gets to the point. This author kept it interesting and moving with moments of true chance, conflict and passionate, emotional understanding shining through the haze of drama.

The character of Sloan, was at first a real idiot, as in I really wanted to slap this man and yell, I did not appreciate the manner he uses to approach Ziara, it is one thing to know you are beyond good looking and can get any woman into bed, but to go after a woman while knowing her involvement with you could cost her work and everything she has worked for, while not really caring is just plain nasty!

But I was very pleasantly surprised and delighted when the author started showing the kinder side of Sloan and he became a man worthy of Ziara's love.

The dialogue was a mixture of funny here and there, fantastic words of conflict, emotional truth and hot passionate spoke words. The backdrop setting was so beautifully incorporated by the author that it felt as if I could touch the surroundings and feel the pure elegance of it all.

I am taking away a message of, letting your past influence your future does not always have the desired outcome, you can fight your way to the top but there as to be a limit when it comes to letting go in order to be able to walk away as a new person with the courage to know you deserve happiness. And never let what people say about you influence you badly, push past the moment and focus on your goals, those who truly know you will know and see you are the real you and not as those out to get you try to portray you.

I highly recommend this read for all fans of romance, this read is sweet, sensual, emotional , sexy, fast paced and simply gorgeous! I look forward to many more terrific reads from this author.

Dani get writing, we want more!

5/5 star review

"Together they will design the perfect future"

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Ziara is happy with her job at Eternity Designs. The CEO, Vivian, is training her to move into the executive assistant job, when the late owner's son arrives. The business isn't doing well and he is stepping in to try to turn the company around. Her boss sends Ziara to act as EA to Sloan, with the understanding that Ziara will report back to her with what he is doing. Ziara is torn because she wants to be loyal to the CEO but she likes Sloan's ideas.

I liked Ziara a lot. She has worked very hard to get to where she is. She grew up with a mother who was a prostitute and swore that she would never move up the ladder by sleeping with the boss. She also dresses very conservatively in an effort to be less appealing. When Sloan arrives he is immediately attracted to her and starts to flirt right away. Ziara tries very hard to remain aloof and keep everything professional but she is also attracted to him. She also starts to see that what he is doing will be very good for the company. This creates a huge conflict for her since she still feels a lot of loyalty toward Vivian. I loved seeing the way that Sloan opened Ziara's eyes to the fact that she can still be professional and show her true self at the same time. I really enjoyed her growing love for Sloan as she sees what he is capable of. In spite of how far she has come on her own she still has major issues with her past. This creates some real trouble when her mother shows up and starts to make waves. I loved seeing Ziara have the confidence to stand up to her.

Sloan bugged me at first with his attitude toward Ziara. He really didn't seem to care that she was an employee and that seducing her would create huge problems for her including the possibility of losing her job. He was focused on his own wants and how he could use her against Vivian. I was glad that it didn't take too long before he began to see the error of his ways. It still took him awhile to see that he wanted more than a fling. I enjoyed seeing him interact with her. He could easily see the effect he was having on her but it seemed to take a long time for him to notice that she was also changing him. I enjoyed his battles with Vivian and the way he was so determined to make things right with the company. I loved the way he went about it and thought his friend Patrick was fantastic. Sloan's blindness when he was approached by Ziara's mother was irritating but not unexpected. I was very glad to see him wise up in time and loved what he said at the fashion show.

[Christa Runge · Rating 4 out of 5]

His by Design by Dani Wade

Sloan Creighton still ended up with 40% of the shares in his father’s bridal fashion company, despite his step-mother trying to get him cut out of the company all together. The company is in financial trouble and Sloan swoops in, making his stepmother a deal: if he can turn the company around by the time the fall line comes out then the company will be his, if he doesn’t the company will solely be hers. He was given Ziara Divan as his EA. Ziara is training to be an EA by Vivian, the current CEO of Eternity Designs But knowing she was a spy, reporting everything back to his step-mother was a challenge to him; soon her allegiance will shift from his step-mother to him. Ziara finds herself in the middle. She grew up with very little, a prostitute for a mother and has worked hard to get where she was, and soon everything will be within her grasp with Vivian’s mentoring. She won’t allow herself to be seduced by Sloan either. She won’t climb the corporate ladder by sleeping with the boss.
While I really enjoyed this book, I had some problems with some characters some of the time. I couldn’t believe how ruthless Vivian ended up being; making me believe all the accusations Sloan threw her way. It was shocking to see how far she would go to make sure she was the sole owner of Eternity Designs. It was also shocked me how quickly she could turn on Ziara. For growing up the way she had grown up, Ziara was naïve at times. Sorry to me everything Vivian did for her and kept reminding her would have been a warning flag to me. Knowing if I ever crossed her, my job would be history. (maybe I’m just cynical) At the beginning, Sloan only cared about his goals, with no regards to Ziara being collateral damage. I’m glad that it didn’t take Sloan long to wise up.

[Aarthi Prabhakaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the portrayal of Ziara's and Sloan's characterisation, which included their vulnerabilities as well, in such a beautiful manner, that I could see a part of every people in each of them including myself. I relished the slow unfolding of their characters in the initial chapters by breaking my reading of the book to relish them as individuals. There came a point in the plot after which I did not want to let go off the book without reaching the end... Well written.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read.

I actually was really curious about the dresses and being a wedding dress designer as I'm getting married in May and this is just really relevant to me at the moment.

[Calysta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly good, though I feel that the villain of the piece should have suffered more. I liked the leads and the resolution for the most part.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5
En mi opinión es un muy buen libro. Se trata un romance natural dentro de una situación de trabajo. No es un romance sin sentido de: “Te vi y caí rendido a tus pies”. No. Por el contrario, Ziara, nuestra protagonista, le cae terriblemente mal a Sloan, el héroe. Y lo hace porque cree, y no tiene razones para pensar diferente, que Ziara fue puesta a su disposición en la empresa porque Vivian, su madrastra, quiere que lo espíe. Lógicamente, es completamente cierta la idea de Sloan.
Ziara por el contrario es un personaje que ha podido caer terriblemente en la monotonía y en el montón de personajes que por querer escalar hacen hasta lo imposible. En cambio, vemos que ella tiene algo que las protagonistas actuales en muchos casos han perdido. Ziara tiene principios. Es una persona honesta, honrada, fuerte, confiable y con la mente clara en lo que es bueno y malo. Por lo que rápidamente cambia el mal concepto que tiene Sloan de ella. Es cierto, Ziara le da los pormenores del trabajo de Sloan a Vivian, como es de esperarse, pero en el momento en que Sloan necesita que ella sea completamente fiel y celosa del trabajo que hace o que intenta hacer, sin que él se lo pida, ella guarda los secretos del protagonista como si fueran propios; pero a la vez, menos lo que le cuesta el tener “cara de palo” con la mujer que la ayudó. Su personalidad me gustó mucho, así como el hecho de que ella no dramatizara las cosas. Ninguna. Lo único que me pareció que no coordinaba mucho era esa actitud fría, por no querer parecerse a su madre; quién tenía la profesión más antigua del mundo, pero que no fuera virgen. Porque, seamos realistas, si es que ella realmente tuviera la convicción de no ser como su madre, no se dejaría tentar por nadie si es que no sintiera algo muy especial por él, y por el chantaje de su propia madre más adelante, deja ver que en algún momento de la vida, Ziara se metió con su jefe o algo por el estilo. Pese a ello, la autora manejó muy bien el tema no dando muchos detalles al respecto, aunque en la noche del héroe y Ziara, si se llega a vislumbrar que ella de inocente no tiene nada.
Sloan es un personaje que desde el inicio me encontré amándole. XD. Es de esos personajes que a la vista del mundo van de PlayBoy con la braguetta inquieta y que en realidad son muy controlados y bastante centrados cuando el resto del mundo los ve como unos dementes sin sentido de la razón. Cuando él asume el control de la empresa es bastante serio y frío, pero no una frialdad que te hiela los huesos, sino de esa frialdad que en fondo resulta ser irónica, casi bufónica, lo que le da la apariencia juguetona. Sloan suele poner en aprietos a Ziara, no solo en la oficina, sino también en su vida diaria y le dice claramente que él sabe que ella es la espía de Vivian. Ziara tiene la decencia de no negarlo, y por el contrario, cuando viajan a las Vegas, ella le dice: Dame un solo motivo para no coger el teléfono y decirle a Vivian lo que estás haciendo. Y se lo da, con eso, Ziara comienza a confiar en él y en que su intención de sacar a flote la empresa es verídica. Lo que no me gusta para nada de Sloan, es que cuando pasara lo del chantaje de la madre de Ziara, él le creyera y que no dejara que Ziara dijera ni pío en el asunto. No me molestaría de un protagonista que fuera un terco sin sentido, prepotente y dominante, pero me molesta de Sloan, porque a lo largo de toda la trama, la autora nos muestra un personaje racional que primero analiza cualquier situación y luego toma una decisión, incluso cuando de Ziara se refiere. Porque él aunque quiere llevarla a la cama desde el primer momento, analiza todas las circunstancias y da avances pequeños para saber si realmente quiere hacerlo o no. Y luego se lanza a la piscina. Así que no me parece muy lógico el que de repente se vuelta un ser irracional que ve todo rojo y embiste cual toro en san Fermín.
Como libro, me gusta mucho. La trama es interesante y está bien llevada salvo detalles. En cuanto a la forma, me parece que la autora es bastante objetiva al momento de escribir y no suele explayarse mucho en narración y en la localización de los lugares.
La recomendaría sí, porque me pareció buena, pero no como una inolvidable.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, MAN, this one was a tough one to rate. Writing quality and story would overall get at least a four-star out of me. But...I don't know, the hero's behaviour just left me uncomfortable more than I few times. I didn't like how he kept pushing her, particularly considering the far from appropriate situation. Then he believes the lies her mom spouts...when HE was the aggressor and the one who made everything happen. Basically, I think he was a spoiled brat of a dickhead.
But to counter that, we have a beautifully written and vulnerable heroine who I just want to bake cookies for! The chemistry between them was really well-written, and the hero balanced being a dickhead with being really sweet in other ways...Argh.
Basically this was really well-written, but I am not the biggest fan of stories where the one of the parties (in this case the hero) CLEARLY does not deserve the other (the heroine). So, kept stars for excellent writing, but lost at least one because I just didn't like the hero.

[Tawnya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good storyline. The step-mother Vivian shows her true colors by forgetting her own past and being quick to judge others who actually work their way up the chain of command, not marry it. She tops it by turning Sloan's own father against him, basically causing inside threats to tear a family business apart. Of course Sloan woke up to the truth of Vivian's lie with the help of his best friend, but not before destroying Zeara's faith in him.

[Harlequin Books]

"Set against the fashion world of Atlanta, in this book, summer in the South has never been hotter or more appealing. An interesting storyline of revenge and likable and well-developed characters round out a strong debut from Wade." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 stars

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoyed Pretty Woman this book is the same premise. She works as an executive assistant to a man who designs Wedding Dresses. Took off a little slow in the beginning but after the preliminary background was done, I flew through it.

[Brendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

She did an awesome job. Very well written and thought out. It went from something I was doing just to see, to actually getting involved in the story and wanting to know the ending.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creativo, Deslumbrante, rápido y tórrido , un libro fascinante

[Mem · Rating 4 out of 5]

D2250 Aug13 Sloan Creighton wants the bridal fashion house that's been in his family for three generations back. His father's wife, Vivian, got him to leave her 60% of the business and Sloan is back to save the business she's almost bankrupted. Vivian makes, Ziara Divan, her assistant, his so she can keep an eye on what he is doing. Vivian fights dirty and make Sloan believe the worst about Ziara because her mother was/is a prostitute.