When millionaire Chaz Monroe goes undercover at the ad agency he bought, he has to figure out why his star employee, Kim McKinley, won't work on the very important Christmas campaign. He'll go to any length to get answers from the beautiful go-getter.
Kim can't believe Chaz's nerve. So why is she always falling into his arms, and into his bed? Soon, this exasperating man unlocks her secrets just in time for a Christmas she'll never forget, and one he may never live down!
Linda is the author of contemporary, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy books for Kensington, Amazon Montlake, GothicScapes, Harlequin Nocturne, and Harlequin Desire. She loves more than anything to write, and has a resident Muse who loudly sings all these stories to her.
Linda swears that all of her books come loaded with good karma for the readers, for helping to support her writing dreams.
Just finished this story - won it as an advanced copy in an online contest Linda held with other authors, and devoured the print.
I really liked this book. I liked it from the first two lines ... "Chaz Monroe knew a great female backside when he saw one. And the blonde with the swinging ponytail walking down the hallway in front of him was damn near a ten."
The Boss's Mistletoe Maneuvers is light, fun, fresh, and very sexy. The attraction between the two main characters is intense throughout, and the pace is quick.
Kim has issues that Chaz wants to help solve, at first to keep her at his new agency, and then because he's hooked. The goal is to solve all problems by Christmas. Kim doesn't want to confront the holidays alone, but pain in her past prevents her from celebrating. Yet the magic of the Christmas spirit lends a hand as Chaz and Kim try to outwit each other, and get to what they both want most...
So... you are 24 (even I know you are too young to be believable but...let’s forget it for the moment), you’re good at your job, you’re competitive and you’ve just find out that an outsider have just stolen away your promotion....wouldn’t you look him up online???? Exactly. That’s the reason why the plot was dumb just from the start.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
What It's About: Going undercover at the ad agency he's just purchased, Chaz Monroe learns that his top employee, Kim McKinley, absolutely refuses to work on Christmas campaigns. Determined to find out why, he relentlessly pursues the matter (and Kim), even if it means seducing it out of her.
What I Liked:1) It was a short read. Not necessarily a quick read, but short. 2) Kim could actually be a bit of a badass, especially when she and Chaz first meet. It's just too bad most of the book is spent with her being kinda depressed and plagued by self-doubts. 3) If I can give the author anything, it's that the second half was a bit more realistic than the first half, at least with regards to the battle of wills Kim and Chaz had going on.
What I Didn't Like:1) The insta-love just didn't work for me. Also didn't much care for the way Chaz was already in insta-lust with Kim after meeting her for all of five minutes. I get that he's attracted to her right off the bat, but there's a difference between being attracted to someone and being possessive of them after meeting just once. 2) I was trying really hard to be sympathetic to Kim, but her reason for rejecting anything to do with Christmas actually seemed rather dumb. In fact, I had a hard time caring about her even trying to work through those issues, especially since I knew she inevitably would. 3) To say that Kim and Chaz's relationship got off to a rocky start is an understatement. I normally love couples who bicker, whose interactions crackle with sexual tension, but when threats of sexual harassment suits get thrown around, things get icky for me. Plus, I felt it was far beneath Kim. 4) I didn't care for the way Chaz was portrayed. He at times came across as a stereotypical male, like the author tried to write him how she figures most men are. Case in point, from page 153:
Chaz swiped at the prickle on the back of his neck that was a warning signal to either get out of there with his masculinity intact, or get on with things. Talking about emotions wasn't listed in his personal portfolio of things he liked to do best. He was pretty sure no guy excelled at this kind of thing.
Also, he comes across as a bit of a pig, as when he first met Kim and instantly became obsessed with her "world-class breasts" and "admirable backside" (direct quotes, by the way). But then there were times when the author portrayed him as a nice guy, just trying to understand where Kim's coming from and concerned only with doing what's right by both Kim and the company. I would complain about inconsistency, but I really could've done without the stereotyping.
Disclaimers (if any): Standard not-safe-for-kids disclaimer.
Overall Verdict: I feel like the Grinch that stole Christmas. I dunno, maybe my expectations were too high going into this, but I'm gonna have to give the book only 2 mistletoe sprigs out of 5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Welcome to Christmas . . . and "THE BOSS'S MISTLETOE MANEUVERS," where Chaz Monroe's takeover of a New York advertising firm sees him go undercover as the new VP, and pits him against the agency's Wonder Woman, Kim McKinley, who was a contender for the office Chaz now occupies.
Sparks fly from the minute Chaz and Kim meet. Their attraction to each other escalates as Chaz works to convince Kim to re-write the clause in her contract that prevents her from dealing with the biggest add campaign of the year. You got it - CHRISTMAS!
This is a light-hearted book, though there are serious family issues at its core. I loved seeing what happens to Chaz and Kim as they overcome those issues and get together . . . and hope you will, too.
If you enjoy holiday books, written with a light hand . . . I hope you'll pick this one up.
Well written, passionate (almost obsessive) yet pithy. Exactly what I needed in an afternoon distraction read. A great concept in that the female lead's advancement in business meant she would have to work on all marketing campaigns including Christmas, regardless her personal trauma. Add in a hunk-a-hunk-a and mutual attraction = great fun. But then unexpectedly they connect on a deeper level and she lets go of her childhood neglect. Happy neither are flat characters.
Great descriptions: perfectly on the line that I could actually imagine the characters and their setting, adding appropriately to the storyline but not LOTR level description where it stops the novel's pacing. Lately many things I've read have bare-bones descriptions and I really like this book for this balance.
This book was a complete mess to me. I didn't like the romance at all and thought the end was rather abrupt. The hero comes off as desperate and semi-stalkerish and the heroine's behavior was just as bad.