What do you think?
Rate this book
High Stakes
Emotional entanglements just aren't on Kate's wish list. Her one goal is to climb the corporate ladder, and no one is going to get in her way, especially not Pete Forest. When her boss, Shelley, tells her she is in line for a promotion, she should be thrilled. The catch is she has to work on a weekend project with Pete. The stakes are high because the one who performs best will get the promotion. Sparks fly, especially from a determined Kate. But, by Monday morning, both Kate and Pete discover that promotion is the last thing on their minds.
48 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2020
7 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 19, 2021
Short rivals-to-lovers office romance.
At around 11,000 words, this book is certainly short. Luckily, it is also fairly sweet. I picked it up on a promotion, and on the whole I enjoyed it.
The story takes place at an unnamed workplace, somewhere in Australia ,over the course of a single weekend.
Kate is ambitious, hardworking, and determined to have her boss’s job within the next few years. In the meantime, she is actively pursuing every opportunity for promotion. One Friday, the possibility of a step up the ladder is dangled, temptingly, before her. All she has to do is work through the weekend to come up with a new staff development policy. That doesn’t sound so hard, until her boss drops the bombshell that Kate will need to collaborate, very closely, with Pete, her rival for the position. Pete is smug, English, and everything Kate distrusts, but somehow they will need to work together.
As I am sure you can tell from the setup to this story, something stirs between Kate and Pete as they work together, particularly when they have to complete a staff profile for each other, listing good points as well as bad. By the end of the story they have both had good cause to re-evaluate their lives and career choices.
The story hits the right beats for a romance, and it’s hard not to root for the two workaholics to get together in the end. There are a few things that knock it off a top score for me, though. Other than a very small cast of characters (Kate, Pete, their boss Shelley and one-dimensional rival Carmichael) we get to know hardly anything. It’s in Australia, but no clue where other than it seems to be a fairly large city. They work for a fairly large company, but we have no idea what it does. The whole setting seems bland and lacking in individuality. A whole romance over a single weekend also feels a bit rushed. I see why the story is this way, but a bit more time to breathe might have helped it feel a bit more real.
I also got a bit frustrated by the way that the author kept sticking a big bold time in between every few paragraphs. It was probably supposed to increase engagement with the pace of the story, but I just found it annoying and tried my best to tune it out.I don’t really care that something happened at 9:35am. I’m much more interested in the characters and their journeys.
At around 11,000 words, this book is certainly short. Luckily, it is also fairly sweet. I picked it up on a promotion, and on the whole I enjoyed it.
The story takes place at an unnamed workplace, somewhere in Australia ,over the course of a single weekend.
Kate is ambitious, hardworking, and determined to have her boss’s job within the next few years. In the meantime, she is actively pursuing every opportunity for promotion. One Friday, the possibility of a step up the ladder is dangled, temptingly, before her. All she has to do is work through the weekend to come up with a new staff development policy. That doesn’t sound so hard, until her boss drops the bombshell that Kate will need to collaborate, very closely, with Pete, her rival for the position. Pete is smug, English, and everything Kate distrusts, but somehow they will need to work together.
As I am sure you can tell from the setup to this story, something stirs between Kate and Pete as they work together, particularly when they have to complete a staff profile for each other, listing good points as well as bad. By the end of the story they have both had good cause to re-evaluate their lives and career choices.
The story hits the right beats for a romance, and it’s hard not to root for the two workaholics to get together in the end. There are a few things that knock it off a top score for me, though. Other than a very small cast of characters (Kate, Pete, their boss Shelley and one-dimensional rival Carmichael) we get to know hardly anything. It’s in Australia, but no clue where other than it seems to be a fairly large city. They work for a fairly large company, but we have no idea what it does. The whole setting seems bland and lacking in individuality. A whole romance over a single weekend also feels a bit rushed. I see why the story is this way, but a bit more time to breathe might have helped it feel a bit more real.
I also got a bit frustrated by the way that the author kept sticking a big bold time in between every few paragraphs. It was probably supposed to increase engagement with the pace of the story, but I just found it annoying and tried my best to tune it out.I don’t really care that something happened at 9:35am. I’m much more interested in the characters and their journeys.
July 8, 2020
Thank you to Hidden Gems for the review copy of this book. High Stakes is the first novella in the Short Sweetz series by Robin Martin, and it is definitely that - short and sweet. This can be read and enjoyed in a short sitting if you need a quick escape from the real world. For me, the fact that this took place in Australia gave it an added ‘go somewhere when you need to stay where you are’ bonus.
Kate and is up for a promotion at work and the problem is that her rival Pete is also up for the same promotion. In order to find out who is better suited for the job, their narcissistic boss Shelley, gives them a project to work on together. There were a few quirks that kept me from giving this five stars, one being that boss’s apparent philosophy that only employees that can afford professional development on their own deserve to get promoted (the basis of the project Kate and Pete are working on). Also, I really just needed there to be MORE (Which would defeat the purpose of what the author was trying to do in the first place, so I can forgive that!) The fact that I wanted more really does speak to how enjoyable it was.
I did, however, learn some wonderful new words and phrases (reef and beef, starkers). All in all, I really enjoyed this story. I found the quips between Kate and Pete delightful.
Kate and is up for a promotion at work and the problem is that her rival Pete is also up for the same promotion. In order to find out who is better suited for the job, their narcissistic boss Shelley, gives them a project to work on together. There were a few quirks that kept me from giving this five stars, one being that boss’s apparent philosophy that only employees that can afford professional development on their own deserve to get promoted (the basis of the project Kate and Pete are working on). Also, I really just needed there to be MORE (Which would defeat the purpose of what the author was trying to do in the first place, so I can forgive that!) The fact that I wanted more really does speak to how enjoyable it was.
I did, however, learn some wonderful new words and phrases (reef and beef, starkers). All in all, I really enjoyed this story. I found the quips between Kate and Pete delightful.
July 7, 2020
This is a novella that is based in Australia, neither of which I was aware of when I selected it. Once I realized those things the ratings went up for sweet, short story.
1. What is the trope?
- Office enemies to friends to more
1. Are the character's developed in a way that makes me care about them?
- Not really, the story is short so there isn't much time for character development, but we do learn a little bit about the heroine.
2. Did the dialogue flow?
- Sometimes. Most of the time it was a bit stilted, like reading texts.
3. Were the events believable?
- Yes. Predictable, but believable.
4. Did any of the characters do anything that made you cringe in a "real people are not this dumb" way?
- At first I was cringing over the slang, but once I realized it was based in Australia then there was no more cringing.
5. Is there anything you wish would have been different (without spoiling the story)?
- No, I think this is just right for those looking for a quick, sweet read.
6. What do you mean by your star rating?
- 3 stars for me means it was okay, I finished it.
I received a free copy of this book and am giving my review voluntarily.
1. What is the trope?
- Office enemies to friends to more
1. Are the character's developed in a way that makes me care about them?
- Not really, the story is short so there isn't much time for character development, but we do learn a little bit about the heroine.
2. Did the dialogue flow?
- Sometimes. Most of the time it was a bit stilted, like reading texts.
3. Were the events believable?
- Yes. Predictable, but believable.
4. Did any of the characters do anything that made you cringe in a "real people are not this dumb" way?
- At first I was cringing over the slang, but once I realized it was based in Australia then there was no more cringing.
5. Is there anything you wish would have been different (without spoiling the story)?
- No, I think this is just right for those looking for a quick, sweet read.
6. What do you mean by your star rating?
- 3 stars for me means it was okay, I finished it.
I received a free copy of this book and am giving my review voluntarily.
July 7, 2020
This is a quick and easy read. (An hour or less.) It's quick and to the point. She doesn't like him. Doesn't trust him, and now they are forced to work together on a project, and afterwards one will be given a promotion. After spending some time with him working, she realizes he may not be as bad as she thought. She's a bit stubborn and brash and has a snarky attitude most of the time. While the story-line itself is good, I felt it hard to really like her character and want to root for her. I didn't hate her, but we didn't get to see much compassion coming from her... at least not until the end, and that was mostly due to him acting and her responding. While she hated him, he showed a kindness that we didn't get from her. And when he was nice and caring towards her, she was suspicious of his motives. There is no sexual content, and the book is clean and safe for teens and up. It is written from her POV.
*I received an ARC of this book.
*I received an ARC of this book.
Want to read
July 17, 2021Emotional entanglements just aren't on Kate's wish list. Her one goal is to climb the corporate ladder, and no one is going to get in her way, especially not Pete Forest. When her boss, Shelley, tells her she is in line for a promotion, she should be thrilled. The catch is she has to work on a weekend project with Pete. The stakes are high because the one who performs best will get the promotion. Sparks fly, especially from a determined Kate. But, by Monday morning, both Kate and Pete discover that promotion is the last thing on their minds.
July 15, 2020
This is definitely a short and sweet read. It was just what I needed as it was lighthearted and relaxing. The story is about Pete and Kate who are in line for a promotion which only one of them will get. They have to work together to prove themselves to get the promotion. However, they don't get along and have to learn to work with one another.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
July 10, 2020
This short story is perfect for when in need of a quick romance fix during a hectic day. It's very entertaining, she's a force to be reckoned with yet he is not intimidated. Their both very smart and although their perceptive is different, they blend very well.
I received a free copy and am voluntarily reviewing.
I received a free copy and am voluntarily reviewing.
August 2, 2021
i love me a good rival coworkers romance but i must say this fell rather flat. the transition from animosity to like was at once too sudden and too late from kate's side, and to be honest i have no clue why she disliked pete before then anyway. i suppose she thought him a little arrogant? but then he didn't seem particularly self-absorbed at any point, so. just a case of bad vibes. okay
July 7, 2020
Cute little story. My favorite part was the office scene in the beginning, with the underhanded "compliments". Very funny. I love the lesson at the end. I received a free copy of the book for review and really enjoyed it.
July 24, 2021
Cute and quick
This is a delightful and quick read. There's a happily ever after and actually meaningful thoughts about what happens after work. More work or a life? I'll be looking for more of these books.
This is a delightful and quick read. There's a happily ever after and actually meaningful thoughts about what happens after work. More work or a life? I'll be looking for more of these books.
July 18, 2021
Cute short story that is perfect for when you don't have a lot of time to read. The characters were good, just the whole story rushed without good development. But HEA and a good lesson in the story.
July 27, 2021
Fun, quick read. Sarcasm, humor, and a little romance.
August 25, 2024
This was a cute little office romance.
September 7, 2020
I enjoyed "High Stakes" by Robin Martin, a funny and charming tale which reminded me of Sally Thorne's "The Hating Game." In this very short enemies-to-lovers romance, workplace rivals Pete and Kate were suddenly forced to work together in order to demonstrate their qualifications for the same promotion. The banter between them as they completed their project was quite amusing, and I especially liked when they begrudgingly recognized each other's strengths while still pretending to hate each other. There was very little in the way of character development because the story was so short, but it still managed to convey a good message about the importance of work-life balance.
I wasn't really a fan of the way the story ended because it didn't seem to leave much room for Pete and Kate's eventual HEA, but I suppose it worked as a HFN. In any event, I would recommend this novella for all romantic comedy fans looking for a cute story that can be enjoyed when you only have a short amount of free time. (I read this novella in under an hour.)
*Review copy provided by the author via Hidden Gems Books. All opinions expressed are my own.
I wasn't really a fan of the way the story ended because it didn't seem to leave much room for Pete and Kate's eventual HEA, but I suppose it worked as a HFN. In any event, I would recommend this novella for all romantic comedy fans looking for a cute story that can be enjoyed when you only have a short amount of free time. (I read this novella in under an hour.)
*Review copy provided by the author via Hidden Gems Books. All opinions expressed are my own.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews