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Off Balance

L.E. Royal (Goodreads Author)

4.25 · Rating details · 223 ratings · 48 reviews

When she lands her dream job, Maya Scott thinks her luck may finally be about to change. Eager to prove herself a successful adult and win back custody of her young daughter, Maya is determined to excel at the Mars Fund. Her new boss, New York’s notorious ice queen, Elena Mars, could prove difficult to please. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start and Maya learns fr ...more

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Published August 10th 2020 by NineStar Press

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 4.25 ·

Rating details

· 223 ratings · 48 reviews

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Aug 06, 2020 Lex Kent rated it liked it

Shelves: f-f-ninestar-press, erotic-romance, age-gap, ex-con, ice-queen

3.25 Stars. I liked this read but I wasn’t wowed by it. There were a few things I felt that really worked well and a few things that rubbed me the wrong way. I heard that this was originally a SwanQueen fanfic, and I can see that a little bit. There was an ice queen character which is always one of my favorites, so there were definitely things I enjoyed here I just wish that everything had come together for me. I guess I can say close but no cigar.

This was an age-gap -I believe about 14 years- 3.25 Stars. I liked this read but I wasn’t wowed by it. There were a few things I felt that really worked well and a few things that rubbed me the wrong way. I heard that this was originally a SwanQueen fanfic, and I can see that a little bit. There was an ice queen character which is always one of my favorites, so there were definitely things I enjoyed here I just wish that everything had come together for me. I guess I can say close but no cigar.

This was an age-gap -I believe about 14 years- office romance. I’m not the biggest office romance fan, I feel like I have read a ton of them so I’m a little picky, but when they are done right -Lee Winter for example- they can be excellent. I really liked how this book started off. You have an ex-con trying to get her life together and the hot power femme ice queen that also has cerebral palsy. I don’t know much about CP so I can’t speak to how authentic this character was, but I appreciate it in this book since I almost never see characters with CP.

The book was off to a really good start and I liked that Royal was slowly building the connection between the characters. It worked and they ended up having good physical chemistry. One issue for me is that Royal fast-forwarded some chunks of time to show that the characters where connecting for a longer period. I get why Royal did this, but missing some of these early interactions I feel like I did not experience the emotional chemistry between them as much. This wasn’t a huge issue for me, but I do prefer the emotional chemistry to be as high or close to the sexual chemistry.

Where things got a little bumpy for me were certain character interactions. After second guessing myself I think I need to put a spoiler tag on this just encase. (view spoiler) Maybe I’m being too sensitive, but both scenes rubbed me the wrong way and dropped my rating down by at least a half of star.

Due to what I mentioned in the spoiler, I’m not sure what I think of the sex scenes. Sometime they seemed pretty great and hot, other times I felt a little uncomfortable. There is a D/S relationship which included one scene of spanking. I really wished there was more communication about them having this kind of relationship near the beginning, but they sort of just fell into instead. In the end there were some good steamy scenes, but also some that I didn’t care for.

As you can see there was a bunch of ups and downs for me. This was close, I was almost at a 3.75 or 4 stars, but there were too many things that bothered me. I think some ice queen and age gap fans might really like this, and I think there will be some people with some issues like me. So in the end I can’t really recommend this one, but I would not say stay away either. I do think some people will enjoy this more than I did.

A copy was given to me for a honest review. ...more

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Jul 27, 2020 mishi rated it liked it

Shelves: z-mc-su, 3, sapphic, ice-queen, disability-injury

This book was quite an unexpected treat as a SwanQueen/OUAT fan. Many of the main characters from the show were present in some way including the parents and love interests.
The main relationship had good chemistry and the right amount of angst. But I do have a few small issues. I think their insecurities could've been discussed a bit more. And I would've preferred for the emotional component to be as as strong as the sexual one in their relationship. Like the bathroom scene didn't feel right af ...more

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Aug 11, 2020 Luce rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020-read, age-gap, disabled-challenged, ice-queen, romance, there-is-a-kid, job-ceo-executive-owner, job-business-accountant-finance, rich-girl-not-so-rich-girl, diversity-latino

3.5 Stars for this story of Maya Scott. Maya is trying to regain custody of her three year old daughter, Livvie. Robert Holt, Livvie’s grandfather on her father’s side, won custody when Livvie was arrested and served 6 mo. for drug possession, which appears she had been set up. Maya is excited to start a new job as a project coordinator at The Mars Fund, a charitable organization that raises funds from corporate and individuals for various projects. She is apprehensive to meet her boss, CEO Elen 3.5 Stars for this story of Maya Scott. Maya is trying to regain custody of her three year old daughter, Livvie. Robert Holt, Livvie’s grandfather on her father’s side, won custody when Livvie was arrested and served 6 mo. for drug possession, which appears she had been set up. Maya is excited to start a new job as a project coordinator at The Mars Fund, a charitable organization that raises funds from corporate and individuals for various projects. She is apprehensive to meet her boss, CEO Elena Mars. Elena Mars, with a reputation of being a demanding ice queen boss and as Maya learns later also has Cerebral Palsy (CP). The ice queen melts when she meets Maya’s daughter, Livvie. She entertains Livvie, when she is dropped off by her grandfather earlier than Maya expected for a weekend visit. For me, Elena and Livvie’s special bond is one of my favorite parts of the book.

It was interesting to have a main character with a disability such as CP. In Elena’s case her symptoms are not as debilitating as many with CP although at times it can be severe. She has tremors and sometimes slurred speech. Such that she is often mistaken to be drunk. I liked how the author showed Elena’s struggles controlling (or inability to control) her CP in everyday and work situations.

The romance itself was good. Although there was an age gap of fourteen years, I felt the biggest gap to overcome for the pair was social and financial rather than age. There were elements dom/sub relationship which normally I’m OK with but in this case, I tended to skim over these parts. I don’t know why but it may have been my mood at the time or the way it was written. . Your mileage may differ.

In general, I liked this story and the main characters. I liked the diversity. For example, Elena is a Latina and Maya’s best friend is non-binary. Its rare to have a main character with any disability. I myself am mobility disabled but it’s nothing compared to someone with CP goes through every day.

An ARC was given to me by Nine Star Press and Netgalley for an honest review. ...more

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Aug 05, 2020 Skip rated it really liked it

I’m still struggling a little with how I feel about this book, even though I’ve sat on it for a while.

Firstly, it’s not quite a four star book - more of 3.75, so I’m rounding up. There are some parts of this book I really enjoyed and others that left me with a bit of a sour taste. I like a workplace romance, and an age-gap romance and I didn't mind the power dynamic as such - I was uncomfortable with some of the conversations - however I can imagine someone saying these things - so they aren't ...more

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Oct 20, 2020 Loek Krancher rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent!

Feeling lost until you find someone who loves you because of who you are, the women with all the imperfections. But when you are finally in a good place and your lover is doing the wrong thing for the right reason, it could ruin everything. Off Balance was everything I wanted it to be: a strong storyline, well defined characters, emotional, juicy, captivating, age-gap, a cute kid and a romance to die for. It is truly an amazing story that you don't want to end. Needless to say, I can h ...more

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Jan 17, 2021 Kexx rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: boss, age-difference, lesbian-romance, single-mum-carer, disability, made-me-cry

Quite an edgy writer, I found the begining unsafe - I didn't have confidence in the author, but the more I read the more I was sucked in - and by the end I was totally sold, really pleased that I read on! ...more

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Jul 25, 2020 Sam rated it liked it

This book has me a little off balance as I don’t really know what I think about this one. It was a fast and good read, it the story was so-so for me.

Maya is starting a new job at the Mars Foundation, she needs this job to make sure she has a stable home and financial position in hopes to get custody of her young daughter again. When Maya meets her new boss Elena in the bathroom she thinks she is drunk, slurring her speech and uncontrolled movements make her jump to this conclusion. Turns out Ele ...more

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Jul 28, 2020 Jenna rated it liked it

I really enjoyed L.E. Royal's last book, Never Knew Until You, in fact it's one of my favorite books, so I was super excited to get into this one. I finished it a couple of days ago but wasn't ready to write a review as soon as I was done. I needed some time to think about the book as a whole. First, there is no way to compare this book to Never Knew, they are two completely different plots. I like the fact that this author wrote a character with Cerebral Palsy was a main character. I give the a ...more

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Jul 26, 2020 Aj Smith rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is not an enjoyable book. I picked it on the basis that I really liked a previous book by the same author, (Never Knew Until I Met You, featuring a kinky dominatrix), but this was a different kettle of fish altogether.

The two main characters/love interests are in what can only be described as an abusive relationship, that is dressed up and presented as love. The emotional manipulation visited upon Maya by Elena are horrendous in isolation, even without factoring in that Maya is the newest ...more

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Jul 24, 2020 nutmeg rated it it was amazing

There are some seriously good books published in 2020 and this is one of them.

The blurb enticed me. Single mother who lost the custody of her child vs an Ice Queen with Cerebral Palsy. It has all the makings of some of the comebacks and pairing you want to see succeed in life. I was itching to start the book and before I did I delved a little into CP.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture. I dove into the book with th ...more

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Jul 24, 2020 Alyce Caswell rated it liked it

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maya is desperate to regain custody of her daughter and needs to keep a steady job to do it. She think she's finally found that steady job but on her very first day, she manages to get on the wrong side of Elena, the irresistible Ice Queen who happens to be her boss. Maya just might be able to thaw the Ice Queen - with the help of a child.

This is a very sweet story with two leads who seem like opposites but are just perfect for ...more

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Jul 29, 2020 K rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-favourites

Wow. I'm struggling to find the right words to describe how this made me feel.
I enjoyed every page of this story. My main thought while reading the first few chapters was that Maya and Elena were moving a little too fast for my taste, but in the grand scheme, it makes more sense this way. Okay, Elena doesn't get to show off her ice queen side until later, but it works perfectly. This isn't a slow-burn but a story about their struggles, as a young mother without custody, and as a powerful CEO wi Wow. I'm struggling to find the right words to describe how this made me feel.
I enjoyed every page of this story. My main thought while reading the first few chapters was that Maya and Elena were moving a little too fast for my taste, but in the grand scheme, it makes more sense this way. Okay, Elena doesn't get to show off her ice queen side until later, but it works perfectly. This isn't a slow-burn but a story about their struggles, as a young mother without custody, and as a powerful CEO with cerebral palsy. I did think the time skips were obvious, maybe a little confusing, but it was necessary to fast forward to establish their relationship for the sake of the plot. It would have been nice if the overall story was longer, thus allotting more time for the build-up, but that's me wanting more time with the characters.
I can't say I know much about what it means to have CP. My opinion is that Elena's condition was demonstrated clearly and respectfully, and it certainly wasn't incorporated just for the sake of representation. Even to the ignorant reader like me, it was easy to understand Elena's insecurities, even before the extent of her symptoms are described. Still, Elena's sense of authority is so formidable that I felt guilty any time I started to sympathize with her.
When it comes to conflict, I'm used to lowering my expectations just a little. It doesn't matter how intelligent the characters are, I usually come away feeling that their communication skills were lacking, and that I could do better to resolve the tension were I in their shoes. This was not the case here. The communication was balanced perfectly, no party withholding their feelings at the crucial moment. Sometimes it was messy and repetitive, and a reader might wonder how many times one needs to say "I love you," but this was exactly the way I like it. Their conversations seemed reflective of real life, because we aren't all perceptive enough that the important things only need to be said once. The flawless and yet flawed communication between Maya and Elena resonated with me. I haven't cried for fictional characters in a while, and I'm not embarrassed to say that I did for these two.
Lest I write an uncomfortable, essay-long review: unquestionable five stars. Six if possible. ...more

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Oct 15, 2020 Alex Lfr rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It was 3,5 stars for me because, as a lot people around here, there are things I really liked, things that should have been more developed in my opinion and things that threw me off.

Likes: Elena's CP and Maya's baggage because I think those "details" make the characters deeper, more interesting, and the story more complicated than the typical age-gap ice-queen situation. Cheers to those authors that show us other situations and differ from the very perfect main characters we are used to read and ...more

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Jul 27, 2020 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemp-rom, disabled-char, netgalley, queer-lit, read-on-kindle, sapphic, lesbian-char, age-gap, nonbinary-char, single-parent

I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes. This in no way influences my review; all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own.

Content notes:(view spoiler) I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes. This in no way influences my review; all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own.

Content notes:(view spoiler)

DNF 44% but I’m counting this as read and I enjoyed what I read. I’m just having trouble staying engaged in contemporary once the couple is together, so rather than force myself to keep reading and potentially get too bored, I’m stopping at what I consider happy ending.

Maya is in her early 20s and is a single mom, though she doesn’t have custody of her three-year-old daughter because while she was pregnant, Livvie’s grandfather got Maya arrested on drug possession charges and gained custody after her birth. Livvie is Maya’s whole word and she’s doing her best to her life together so she can gain custody of Livvie.

In that process, Maya gets a job at The Mars Fund and meets Elena Mars. Elena has cerebral palsy and comes across as very cold at times, but when Robert brings Livvie to Maya’s job early one day, Maya sees the softer side of Elena when she plays tea party the rest of the day. There was immediate aesthetic and sexual attraction on Maya’s part, but seeing Elena with her daughter is the beginning of softer feelings.

This isn’t one of the best romances I’ve read, and maybe a little more focused on attraction than feelings, but I do love the interactions between Maya and Elena over the course of the book, especially scenes with Livvie. I love domesticity, and this book has that in spades!

Overall, what I read was really enjoyable, especially if you enjoy single parent romances. I have confidence that the custody situation will be resolved in Maya’s favor, especially with Elena at her side, but I was unable to stay interested long enough to see that arc concluded. ...more

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Sep 10, 2020 Doug Elliott rated it liked it · review of another edition

The main characters in this workplace, age-gap romance make for an unusual pair. They do not seem to have much in common and each sees themselves as broken in significant ways. Their respective willingness to confront these issues is what ultimately makes the story work.

In addition to the workplace and age-gap issues the story arc touches on a number of other themes including cerebral palsy, custody disputes, life of a foster child, parenting with a criminal record, dominant/submissive sex, step ...more

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Aug 01, 2020 Laila rated it really liked it

I reviewed a copy of this book to review from Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.
This book is a sweet contemporary romance which is well written and had a good pace to it. The writing is clear and crisp without unnecessary content.
I really liked how the author made her MC's disabled and a single mother which added more depth and inclusivity to your romance novel. It allowed exploration into other issues and readers should take note of the content warnings.
At times, it felt as though the ...more

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Jul 26, 2020 Porsha rated it it was amazing

Recieved a copy of this book from the generous publisher and author via Netgalley.

Omg! This is the first book I've read by this author and I could not put it down. I spent my whole day reading this book and what a treasure it was. I love the author's writing style. Maya went thru so much in her young life that she had to overcome. Elena also has gone thru a lot and suffers with a disability. I know first hand how it is to be bitter towards people when you are dealing with health issues. So it wa ...more

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Aug 01, 2020 Christian M. rated it it was amazing

All I can say is “Wow!”
It’s my first time reading a book from L. E. Royal and I am not disappointed. I don’t like to spoil the fun from giving out spoilers but all I can say is that the MCs are really fun and amazing. The flow of the story is not boring, I don’t want to stop reading until I finish it. The story really captivated me and I’m not ashamed to admit that it made me cry and made my heart ache.
I would recommend this book to my friends and to everyone, it really is a book worth reading. ...more

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Aug 06, 2020 Danni Mladenovic rated it it was amazing

This is how you properly turn a fanfiction story into a novel, and a good novel at that! I loved this book, I loved the characters, I loved how CP issues were written. I heartily recommend this book!

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Aug 06, 2020 Elizabeth rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020-releases, contemporary, read-for-review, lgbtq, arc

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book. It was a fun, fairly quick read. There was lesbian, non-binary, and cerebral palsy representation which I appreciated. However, the actual romance developed too fast, and the conflict hindered on miscommunication and withheld information. Also, I really didn’t like the abuse of power in their relationship. There was a lot of build up about whether our MC would get custody of her daughter back, and it is resolved in a paragraph.

And if one more person gets “off ba ...more

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Jul 30, 2020 Sukanya (theemptycartridge) rated it liked it

Its an office romance between the moody boss and her employee. Elena Mars is a strict boss who falls in love with her employee Maya Scott. They both enjoy a rollercoaster ride of LGBT romance.

I would say this book doesn't have much of a story. Its either the two main characters having sex or fighting. There's no uniquity. If you're searching for a light LGBT fiction, you might like this. Also the bond between Elena and Livvie, Maya's daughter is really cute and beautiful.

Thanks Netgelley for p ...more

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Sep 23, 2020 Helen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Nice story

This is a nice age gap love story. The main characters are a single mother and an older boss with Cerebral Palsy. They had their share of ups and downs. There were great love scenes with a nice ending.

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Oct 19, 2020 pipsqueakreviews rated it it was amazing

I'm giving this book five stars because the romance was so dynamic and explosive that it kept me reading on and on. But there were a lot of hurtful words being thrown around. So much insecurities between the couple and so much misunderstandings. ...more

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Jul 28, 2020 Hallie rated it really liked it

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. I am currently at that in-between age for YA and adult and haven't read too many adult romances, but this one was a solid pick. I felt for both of the main characters, and I have read very few books that feature a character who is both LGBT and disabled, so I enjoyed that a lot, as it felt very real. I could have used a little more character ...more

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Sep 21, 2020 Jeanne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Really steamy and a solid romance

MC is pretty weak and mentally broken when she meets someone that’s physically broken but strong as hell regardless. I didn’t even doubt about the age gap issue because they fit so well. Great story and great romance. I thought the winking substory romance happened out of thin air but mostly the MC and her love interest were wonderful.

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Aug 04, 2020 Best Lesfic Reviews rated it it was amazing

L. E. Royal is a must-read author for us. Well-realised characters, rocking chemistry, convincing relationships -- her books have it all.

Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co... ...more

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Aug 14, 2020 Karen rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020-published, arc, age-gap, woc

Maya Scott goes to work at the Mars foundation where Elena Mars is the CEO. Maya has had a really rough time in her life and she is hoping this job turns around her luck. The main things she hopes to get out of this job is enough money to be able to gain custody of her young daughter. Elena Mars is an Ice Queen who just happens to have Cerebral Palsy. From an infant she was told she could do anything so she has become a high functioning adult.

So I have been reading some very interesting romance ...more

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Sep 28, 2020 Karen rated it liked it

I liked this but I didn’t love it. It had plenty of enjoyable tropes from the age gap to class disparity to ice queen. Maya is a young single mother who has only a couple of weekends a month with her daughter. Elena is the boss at Maya’s new job. She comes across as very cold, especially after an awkward first meeting in the bathroom, during which Maya puts her foot in her mouth. It turns out Elena is disabled with CP and visibly so. I felt like her disability led to the walls she kept between h ...more

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Sep 01, 2020 Pamla Messinger rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Intriguing

Characters of Maya and Elena are very in-depth, you just wanted to read from start to finish. You have a lot going on from the beginning, disability of Elena's, the underdog in Maya, then the intense moments of the relationship they are working through. I appreciated that the bedroom sequences were well thought out and not just added in to occupy space. Love isn't always easy and neither is life but there is hope and not giving up. Very much enjoyed it. Livie is adorable.

Thank you ...more

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Jan 07, 2021 Kirsty Grant rated it it was amazing

I loved this book, really loved!

This is the first time I’ve read a book where one of the main characters has a physical disability, which I really felt took the book to another level. It added so much depth to the story! It moved quite quickly, but I didn’t feel like it was too rushed- more that it kept the story interesting.

This is honestly the first book in a while that made me pick up my kindle as soon as I had a spare second to read another paragraph or two, I couldn’t put it down!

Looking f ...more

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