When in Rome … don’t tell your boss you’re in love with him.
Ava has the perfect job - with one exception. She’s been in love with her boss for years, and she’s finally resigning. If only she could do it without telling Daniel how she feels about him.
Daniel’s billion-dollar empire is thriving, and Ava is crucial to its success. Which is why Daniel absolutely can’t let her know he’s fallen for her. Keeping his distance is key.
But a work trip to Rome threatens to shatter their carefully constructed defenses. Spending time together in the beautiful ancient city brings out feelings they can no longer hide. Their careers and their happiness will crumble if they refuse to open their hearts.
With this clean romance novella, you’ll enter the romantic world of billionaires: you’re guaranteed an evening of sweet escape. Get Give Me a Dream today!
This is the first book in the Billionaires Abroad Series. Is Ava and Daniel's story. A sweet love story about two colleagues that are in love secretly. None of them could see the little signs to notice that. What makes difficult to Ava work side by side and take a decision to end with her torture of see every day the person who she felt in love, her boss. But unexpectedly, a business trip put in hold her next step.
Daniel is the perfect gentleman. Polite, courteous, gallant. Over the years he learned everything he could about Ava. How sweet is that! In some way or another, he took care of her. Not only as her boss, but as a friend. He is a prince charming.
Both characters are likable. The descriptions of the places where the story developed is great and makes you wants to visit Rome.
I was so happy when I knew that Zoe was writing a romance novella. I love her writing, which I enjoyed in her debut paranormal romance series as Zoe Ash Wood. She did great. And you can have a shot in this short and adorable story.
There's nothing more delicious than a romance where both characters are in love with each other, but they have no idea what the other one is feeling. Ava has a fantastic job, but feels she has to quit after this one last business trip to Italy...because she's desperately in love with her boss. Meanwhile, Daniel just can't stop thinking about his vivacious, gorgeous, and efficient employee.
I loved exploring Rome, Italy along with Ava and Daniel and the romance was as exciting as the setting and history of this beautiful, ancient place. While short and sweet, this novella gives the reader a delightful taste of culture and love that can be enjoyed in the amount of time one savors a decadent dessert.
Content: mild+ romance (a little steamy clean kissing, some innuendo)
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
This story is just so adorable! We start with the two colleagues taking a work trip to Rome. They both have feelings for the other and Ava's are so strong, she thinks she's going to need to quit. This is a travesty as they are SO right for the other. The draw and the connections between them make them the perfect match and I can't recommend this well-written and lightly-humorous story more. Five stars - Ava and Daniel gave me all the feels.
This was a cute novella. I read it all in one sitting. It was short and sweet—mostly. On the scale of “clean” romances, I would consider this one a little on the steamier side, with the hero fantasizing about the heroine with thoughts I would consider sexual, and a kissing scene that left me the reader almost as breathless as the heroine. ;) (Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but it was intense.)
This was well-written with just a few typos. The author did a great job of incorporating the setting into the story without dragging out the pacing with long, poetic descriptions. It was just enough to make me want to visit Rome even more.
I thought the characters of the hero and heroine were both well-done, unique voices and slightly flawed.
But there were several things that either made me roll my eyes or pulled me out of the story: 1- how gorgeous this redheaded heroine was supposed to be – most of us redheads are freckled things that were teased mercilessly for being a “Copper top.” 2- how the romantic relationship was propelled forward merely by physical attraction. 3- the Italian businessmen were stereotypical of misogynistic males, and I wasn't happy to be forced to read their vulgar remarks. I think we could have skipped Daniel's conversation with them altogether and went straight to when Ava asked him what happened, getting a summarized, sanitized version. 4- I must admit that I did not relate to all the environmentalist talk. It was obviously very important to Daniel as the head of his company, but it almost felt a bit heavy-handed, like the author tried to force these ideals onto us at every place possible.
Overall, I liked it and probably will read it again.
Favorite quotes: “She couldn't do it, couldn't stand two hours of exchanging glances with him at particularly exciting moments, or worse, hiding her blush at romantic scenes. Even watching action movies wasn't safe those days—characters kissed left, right, and center, and she'd had to keep her gaze pinned to the screen, nearly perishing from the knowledge that Daniel was sitting right there.” I laughed out loud & had to explain this to my husband. ;)
“When in Rome, huh?” lol! They are.
“Ava laughed, glancing down the aisle. A glamorous lady gave her a thumbs-up, and an elderly couple clapped quietly, smiling at them. Their private moment wasn't as private as they'd thought, but it was still perfect.” <3 Awww!
One of the sweetest books I've ever read! This new to me author nailed every aspect of this book from characters to plot to the HEA ending.
Ava Burke has a job she absolutely loves, which would be great, if she wasn't madly in love with her boss. But he has never given her any reason to believe he was interested. She knows cutting all ties is the only chance she has of moving on. But she doesn't expect a sudden business trip to Rome. Now she just has to get through this trip without letting on how she feels.
Daniel Howe has built his father's company into a thriving billion dollar industry and he couldn't have done it without Ava Burke. She has helped to make it the success it is. He just wishes he could tell her how he feels about her without risking losing her altogether.
Now in Rome together both will struggle with their feelings for the other. Will Ava and Daniel be able to put their hearts on the line for love?
This sweet and clean novella is worth the read. I highly recommend it and look forward to more books by Zoe Ann Wood.
I received an ARC and voluntarily offer this review.
Ava Burke has been in love with her boss Daniel for years but doesn’t think he notices. She has decided to quit her job instead of having to work side by side with someone she doesn’t think she’ll get.
Daniel has been in love with Ava since she stepped into his office but doesn’t want to ruin their working relationship and doesn’t know if Ava feels the same way. So when Ava goes to give her resignation, he tells her that they have a last minute business trip to Rome so she decides to wait until the end of the trip.
Needless to say she doesn’t quit and they both confess their feelings for each other.
I loved this book. Ava is awesome and her love of cheese is a girl after my own heart. Daniel is clueless but lovable. They are perfect for each other. I love how they act more like friends then boss and employee. I also loved all the information thrown in about Rome. Italy is one of my favorite places ever. Can’t wait to read more from this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A clean romance that's a joy to read! It will hold your interest from beginning to end.
When you are in love with your boss, even the perfect job can be difficult to go to everyday. It's a secret that Ava has to keep close to her heart, don't let her boss know she loves him.
Daniel has a billion dollar empire that is thriving and his employee Ava has been a key piece to it's success. But he can't let her know he has feelings for her so he decides to keep his distance.
When they travel together to beautiful, romantic city of Rome for work, they each realize it's hard to keep their feelings for each other a secret.
For very smart people Ava and Daniel have no clue about how the other feels and it has now reached tipping point for Ava, but before she can act they have a business trip to Rome to deal with. You start to see the cracks in their business facades and the real them shine through, however nothing is straight forward and as they are new to showing how they feel they don't always deal with it the right way and in some instances epicly fail at communicating lol. but you can see they lurve each other, so much that you know they will make it right and be together. 💘
This is a sweet billionaire romance. I liked it! It is interesting and fun to read. The characters are very likeable. Especially liked Daniel, who is a sweetheart...
I voluntarily received this book for an honest review.
I loved this clean workplace romance. The characters were great and their long-standing affection made for a very sweet story. I really enjoyed exploring Rome with them!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
What a great story. Ava feels she will have to quit her job as she is in love with her boss. Unbeknownst to her, he loves her too. One last trip to Italy leads to a very happy ending for both of them.
This is a sweet fast read that holds your attention from the first page until the last. This book is the perfect length to curl up with after a long hard day.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’m not too sure if I’ve read a true sweet romance before, so I’m not sure I have anything to judge this book by in its respective genre. However, I did have many aspects that I liked, and a few I didn’t quite like so much.
What I did like was the strong theme of equality and the need to be environmentally conscious. One of my main issues with equality (well one of a few…) is that women are often given equal opportunity for jobs (in developed countries) but we’re expected to behave a certain way.
Zoe addressed this astutely by having a really strong female lead who’s respected and loved for who she is. Ballsy behaviour and all. When many women in real life probably find this wouldn’t happen. I wish we didn’t live in a world where people were judged because of their sex, race, religion or any other difference you can think of. We’re all people wanting to same things (general themes) from life so why can’t we just move on and let it happen?
What I didn’t like so much was how little story there was outside of the romance. It’s a little bit like those cheesy porn movies where the “plumber” or whatever comes over to fix something and the housewife inevitably has sex with him and there’s not much else to the story. This had a great telling and development of the romance building between Ava and Daniel. But outside of their romance there really wasn’t anything to the story.
As I said, I don’t think I’ve read a true sweet romance before. So, I’m not sure if this is something I don’t like about the genre of this story. Do you know?
Overall, I think that this book is well worth reading. This was a light romance set in Rome. I enjoyed the list-like description of the places with-in the city and the jaunts that they took, both together and separately. I thought the author did a great job describing the Colosseum. This and the plot were the strong points for me. But, when I finished the book I didn’t even have a picture in my head of what the male lead looks like. I feel like I should know what he looks like and feel a tingle when I think about him, if I’m reading a romantic novel… He seemed nice, but for some reason details about him weren’t strong enough to make an impression. The setting was more events driven, and less visually and tactually driven. I wanted to smell and taste the Italian food, feel the spray off of the textured fountain, marvel at the rounded feel of bricks under my feet that bear the impressions of thousands of tourists before me(Think Sariah Wilson, an author who quickly immerses you in the people and places without bogging down the flow of the story). The characters were supposedly in Rome, but I didn’t get to be there with them.
This isn't an original premise - in fact, I was fairly sure I had already read it, but hit a point about a quarter of the way in where I finally knew with certainty that I had not.
But there are only so many tropes, and so one can hardly consider that in itself a fault - in fact, I had liked the other so much that it attracted me more to this one. So the real issue is how well the author handles it. And in this case, she does a great job.
There is the usual longing & 'if only' angst, but it never strays past credible or into annoying. The setting in Rome seriously enhances the romance.
I didn't really appreciate the conflict initially, until the two finally spelled out their concerns to one another. The resolution seemed a little too hasty or overdone, but it still doesn't qualify as an insta-love so I was more on board with it than not.
It's a fairly quick read, but it takes the time needed to tell a full, satisfying story. I'll definitely be looking for more by this author.
This was a cute, clean, short romance about two people who take almost four years to admit their feelings for each other. Ava has worked for Daniel for four years and has loved him for at least 3 1/2 of those and has now decided that she can't deny her feelings any longer and so she decides to resign. As she is trying to decide when would be best to give her resignation letter to Daniel, he pops into her office and informs her that they have to go to Rome to finalize a contract. During the plane ride over, Daniel begins to realize that he is starting to feel more than he probably should for his right hand person and tries to keep denying those feelings. Eventually, things come to ahead and now they must face the reality of dealing with both their feelings and the company where they work.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A big Thank-You, Zoe Ann Wood, for allowing me to read Give Me a Dream in exchange for an honest review.
Well, what can I really say about Give Me a Dream? This story was truly what I was hoping for.
Ava and Daniel’s story is what I like to read in a romance story. Their story is like, peak romance for me. PEAK. ROMANCE.
I adored that this story was straight to the point. There was no dilly-dallying, no messing around. In fact, Give Me a Dream was an incredibly fast read–I read Give Me a Dream in under an hour!
And for a romance story that doesn’t contain sex, I appreciate Ava and Daniel’s story even more.
When I started reading Give Me a Dream I didn’t know what to expect–I knew what I was hoping for but that was it. With what I read though, I liked what I read.
58• Give Me a Dream by Zoe Ashwood Billionaires Abroad
Can you imagine being in love with your boss and he’s completely oblivious then getting told you have a work trip to Rome, damn! This book is super sweet, whilst also having it’s challenging that the main characters have to go through.
It’s a short Novella that I was able to get through in one go. Ava has been in love with her boss for year and has done amazingly well to hide it, but for her it’s come at a cost and she finally feels she can’t do it and decides it’s time to leave.
Daniel is living his best life, running the business his father gave him and making its extremely successful, but he feels likes something is missing and he just can’t put his finger on it.
I absolutely loved this book, and I can’t wait for book 2!
Give Me a Dream is a sweet, fun novella about the need for communication. Ava and Daniel have enjoyed a great working relationship for four years. Ava has written her letter of resignation because she can no longer bear to work for a man she loves who does not see her that way. Daniel makes brilliant business decisions but is afraid to tell Ava how he feels. They have traveled to Rome to close a big deal but the meeting is postponed. Will the magic of the city force these two people to actually communicate with each other? This is a sweet romance set in a beautiful city. I enjoyed it very much.
A sweet entertaining read. It will keep you interested till the end. The story flows well, with enjoyable characters with great chemistry. Ava has been in love with her boss for ever. The work well together, but she wants more and can't have it. So when she decides to move on, Daniel asks her to Rome for a business meeting. Daniel has been in love with Ava since the first time her saw her, but he doesn't want to mess up their friendship and work relationship. So when in Rome they let their guard down. A great read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I just love an office romance story and what made this even better was that it was a clean read. But seriously how these 2 managed to work together for 3 years without saying anything to each other about how they felt. Just Wow, talk about restraint. Also how close they came to loosing it all just because they never discussed it. Thank fully it all worked out in the end. They had some moments and the descriptions of the places they visited was written in such a way that I felt I was right there too. Very enjoyable
I received this as an arc and I am giving my honest review voluntarily
This was a sweet romance about a boss and his executive with the majority of the story taking place in Rome during a business trip. Ava is ready to quit a job she loves because she has unrequited feelings for her boss Daniel. Meanwhile, Daniel has had feelings for her for years, but is afraid to act on it and lose his employee. Plus, there are legal issues with dating an employee. There were misunderstandings, fear of rejection, and hot and cold moments. I loved reading about Rome and all the interesting places to visit and food to eat.
Ava and Daniel have worked together for almost four years. But for three years and eleven months Ava’s feelings about him have been anything but platonic. When she finally decides to resign and “get a life” outside of work, things get interesting. A quick trip to Rome sets the stage for more than Daniel had hoped for. But can they work out the problems of mixing work and a romantic relationship? This is a great short read for a pleasant evening.
Give Me a Dream is a sweet romance between Ava and Daniel. Ava, unable to control her ever growing feelings for her boss and friend, Daniel, she decides the only option is to quit her job, move on in her life, and forget about her lust over the rich and handsome man she’s sure has no desire to date her. After a last minute work trip to a foreign country, Ava has to decide if leaving her job, and Daniel is really what she wants. Enjoyed this book. Was definitely a feel good read.
I'm not usually a romance reader, but this novella is so sweet that it immediately won me over. I loved both the characters and the lack of alpha male vibes. The setting in Rome is also fantastic. One of my favorite aspects is that Ava has asthma, and it's an actual part of the story/her life. If you're looking for a short, fun summer read, Give Me a Dream is the perfect choice. I'm looking forward to more stories from Zoe Ann Wood!
The writing draws you in and keeps you involved throughout the whole story, I found myself in love with not only the characters but also the world that was created.
The descriptions of the characters and their feelings are so involved, you can truly picture it in your mind. Their attitudes toward the events that are happening makes the story even richer.
I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily.