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Southern Roots Sweet RomCom #1
Just His Secretary
alternate cover edition of ASIN B08X7HHB1Q
She's just his secretary…until he needs someone on his arm to convince his mother that he can take over the family business. Then Callie becomes Dawson's girlfriend—but just in his text messages…but maybe she'll start to worm her way into his shriveled heart too.
Callie:
Dawson Houser makes sure everyone who comes into the office knows I'm "just his secretary."
Heck, I've even said it to suppliers and CEOs when they smile knowingly at the two of us during business meetings. He scowls and grumps around the office afterward, as if the two of us dating is the most ridiculous thing on the planet.
Dawson can handle them. I can handle them—and him too, once they leave. And he's no picnic, let me tell you.
Who can't we handle?
His mother.
When Lila Houser comes to town with her faux furs and fashion sunglasses, she only has one question for her spoiled rotten son: When are you going to get married, Dawson, darling?
I expect him to laugh and tell her he's never getting married. I mean, I've heard those exact words come out of his mouth.
Instead, he pulls me to his side and says, "Maybe sooner than you think, Mother."
Oh, that Lila Houser can make a woman feel two inches tall with a simple up-down look. I think I'm a pretty good catch...no matter what my last three boyfriends say.
When Lila says, "I thought Callie was just your secretary," I suddenly want to prove her dead wrong...
Get ready to laugh out loud in this hilarious, sweet workplace romantic comedy! The romance is clean, the jokes witty, and the office grump swoon-worthy.
She's just his secretary…until he needs someone on his arm to convince his mother that he can take over the family business. Then Callie becomes Dawson's girlfriend—but just in his text messages…but maybe she'll start to worm her way into his shriveled heart too.
Callie:
Dawson Houser makes sure everyone who comes into the office knows I'm "just his secretary."
Heck, I've even said it to suppliers and CEOs when they smile knowingly at the two of us during business meetings. He scowls and grumps around the office afterward, as if the two of us dating is the most ridiculous thing on the planet.
Dawson can handle them. I can handle them—and him too, once they leave. And he's no picnic, let me tell you.
Who can't we handle?
His mother.
When Lila Houser comes to town with her faux furs and fashion sunglasses, she only has one question for her spoiled rotten son: When are you going to get married, Dawson, darling?
I expect him to laugh and tell her he's never getting married. I mean, I've heard those exact words come out of his mouth.
Instead, he pulls me to his side and says, "Maybe sooner than you think, Mother."
Oh, that Lila Houser can make a woman feel two inches tall with a simple up-down look. I think I'm a pretty good catch...no matter what my last three boyfriends say.
When Lila says, "I thought Callie was just your secretary," I suddenly want to prove her dead wrong...
Get ready to laugh out loud in this hilarious, sweet workplace romantic comedy! The romance is clean, the jokes witty, and the office grump swoon-worthy.
362 pages, ebook
First published March 21, 2021
2136 people are currently reading
3144 people want to read
About the author
Donna Jeffries
10 books116 followersAuthor Donna Jeffries loves everything about the South, from the big ships to the food. Oh, and the office grumps in her Southern Roots Sweet Romantic Comedy series. Get ready to laugh out loud, sigh at the sweet, tender moments, and swoon over the office grumps in her sweet office romcom series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 632 reviews
June 2, 2021
I finished this for the sake of finishing it (and getting it off my currently reading).
This was bland. Fatphobic. Misogynistic.
For a novel titled a romcom, it was neither romantic nor comedic.
I found the feelings between the main characters to be unconvincing. All of the scenes that would show the characters falling for each other were skipped over. They would make plans to go out to dinner and next section/chapter is 3 days later (as an example), barely mentioning what happened. And if it did mention what happened, it was retrospective; something I question often, couldn't put the reader in the moment?
And tying in with time jumps, the timeline made no sense. Pieces of information was then later contradicted.
This was unsatisfying, unconvincing, and boring.
This was bland. Fatphobic. Misogynistic.
For a novel titled a romcom, it was neither romantic nor comedic.
I found the feelings between the main characters to be unconvincing. All of the scenes that would show the characters falling for each other were skipped over. They would make plans to go out to dinner and next section/chapter is 3 days later (as an example), barely mentioning what happened. And if it did mention what happened, it was retrospective; something I question often, couldn't put the reader in the moment?
And tying in with time jumps, the timeline made no sense. Pieces of information was then later contradicted.
This was unsatisfying, unconvincing, and boring.
January 2, 2022
The emphasis on the mc’s size and food obsession was weird. Not triggering but just weird. And like 4 kissing scenes just isn’t enough for me or the type of tension included here. It wasn’t the worst book but too tame for me. And the dude blowing her off like that before the gala? Then bringing her food to apologize like a week later then another week later they’re engaged? Nah.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2021
Y'all know how much I love finding new authors to try. What you probably don't know is, while searching for said authors, I ALWAYS check Goodreads to see if any of my friends have read their books. And when they haven't I get really excited. It's like finding gold at the end of the rainbow.
From the moment I read the synopsis, I was intrigued and could not wait for this book to be released. How long have I had my eye on it? For about a month. I may or may not have let out a little squeal as I was one-clicking this baby.
Callie is a very strong, independent woman who knows what she wants in life and is not afraid to go out and get it. Her self-confidence is rather inspiring. She's definitely someone I can see myself being friends with. You can't help but want to do better and be better when she's around. Dawson is a prime example for that.
Speaking of Dawson, the man can definitely be a beast to others around him. He's jaded and stuck in his ways. That is until Callie starts working her magic without him even realizing it. Watching him transform into a better person and seeing their relationship develop was a fun journey.
While I really enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down, there were a couple of things that stopped me from giving it the full 5 stars I wanted to give it. The main reason is there are parts of the book that just didn't make sense to me. People were hot and cold for reasons that readers are not shown. There's miscommunication that didn't fit who the characters are. The other part is there are some grammatical and editing errors throughout the book that beta readers and/or the editor should have caught.
But, like I said, it didn't stop me from enjoying the book. I was only about 23% in before I reached out to one amazing friend and about 34% in before I reached out to another amazing friend telling them both that they have to give this book a try! I may or may not have told one... she had me at "power panties"! 🤣
I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the books in this series. I've already read the sneak peek of Tara and Alec's book and I cannot wait to discovery their story!
This is Ms. Jeffries debut novel and I can already tell she's going places. I can't wait to see where her writing journey takes her.
As for my casting... *dreamy sigh* Y'all! I'm in love! What do you think?!
From the moment I read the synopsis, I was intrigued and could not wait for this book to be released. How long have I had my eye on it? For about a month. I may or may not have let out a little squeal as I was one-clicking this baby.
Callie is a very strong, independent woman who knows what she wants in life and is not afraid to go out and get it. Her self-confidence is rather inspiring. She's definitely someone I can see myself being friends with. You can't help but want to do better and be better when she's around. Dawson is a prime example for that.
Speaking of Dawson, the man can definitely be a beast to others around him. He's jaded and stuck in his ways. That is until Callie starts working her magic without him even realizing it. Watching him transform into a better person and seeing their relationship develop was a fun journey.
While I really enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down, there were a couple of things that stopped me from giving it the full 5 stars I wanted to give it. The main reason is there are parts of the book that just didn't make sense to me. People were hot and cold for reasons that readers are not shown. There's miscommunication that didn't fit who the characters are. The other part is there are some grammatical and editing errors throughout the book that beta readers and/or the editor should have caught.
But, like I said, it didn't stop me from enjoying the book. I was only about 23% in before I reached out to one amazing friend and about 34% in before I reached out to another amazing friend telling them both that they have to give this book a try! I may or may not have told one... she had me at "power panties"! 🤣
I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the books in this series. I've already read the sneak peek of Tara and Alec's book and I cannot wait to discovery their story!
This is Ms. Jeffries debut novel and I can already tell she's going places. I can't wait to see where her writing journey takes her.
As for my casting... *dreamy sigh* Y'all! I'm in love! What do you think?!
March 30, 2024
Eww. Brother eww. What’s that? What’s that brother?
Dawson is such a red flag he literally gave me the ick.
Callie got on my nerves, I just wanted to jump off a bridge.
Callie’s cat was the main character imo. Made the book so much better.
This could have been great, it had so much potential at the start. But no no no. It wasn’t slow-burn (which I hated) and it it felt like there was no tension between them. The ending was a HUGE disappointment. I tbh expected so much more😔
(I give it 2 ⭐️ because of Callie’s cat)
Dawson is such a red flag he literally gave me the ick.
Callie got on my nerves, I just wanted to jump off a bridge.
Callie’s cat was the main character imo. Made the book so much better.
This could have been great, it had so much potential at the start. But no no no. It wasn’t slow-burn (which I hated) and it it felt like there was no tension between them. The ending was a HUGE disappointment. I tbh expected so much more😔
(I give it 2 ⭐️ because of Callie’s cat)
July 8, 2021
This book was the wooooorst! The main characters have no chemistry, there are jump cuts on the story were it was supposed to be the relationship development and some interactions, the "comedy" part, is definitely not funny at aaaalll.
I was quite disappointed on this one, we want cheesy but c'mon, that ain't it, sis!
I was quite disappointed on this one, we want cheesy but c'mon, that ain't it, sis!
October 14, 2025
*Trust Issues*
***3.5 Stars*
This is a light-hearted and ideal romance story that’s easy to follow. Callie made me laugh out loud at times.
Dawson Houser has never had it so good. He has the best secretary/pa, Callie, who can handle him more than anyone else. He’s grumpy, but she never lets him get away with his offhand manner. Most people are scared of him, but she’s not. Without Callie, his business would never have reached the heights it has. She has lists and organisation down to a tee.
All is ticking along nicely until his mother decides to make an appearance. She wants to leave the reins of the main business over to Dawson, but there’s a condition: he needs to produce a girlfriend, and the relationship has to be strong and marriage has to be on the cards.
Since he’s been single for so long, he asks Callie to stand in as his pretend girlfriend, and things get hilarious. Whenever anyone sees them together, his catchphrase is, “She’s just my secretary.”
***3.5 Stars*
This is a light-hearted and ideal romance story that’s easy to follow. Callie made me laugh out loud at times.
Dawson Houser has never had it so good. He has the best secretary/pa, Callie, who can handle him more than anyone else. He’s grumpy, but she never lets him get away with his offhand manner. Most people are scared of him, but she’s not. Without Callie, his business would never have reached the heights it has. She has lists and organisation down to a tee.
All is ticking along nicely until his mother decides to make an appearance. She wants to leave the reins of the main business over to Dawson, but there’s a condition: he needs to produce a girlfriend, and the relationship has to be strong and marriage has to be on the cards.
Since he’s been single for so long, he asks Callie to stand in as his pretend girlfriend, and things get hilarious. Whenever anyone sees them together, his catchphrase is, “She’s just my secretary.”
August 17, 2021
This book was so great! I loved everything about this romantic comedy by Donna Jefferies. In fact, as soon as I finished I borrowed the second one and read that one as well.
This one is about Callie and Dawson. Callie is Dawson’s secretary. I loved these two together. They were the only two that were always in the office. And they were just perfect for each other. But they weren’t dating. At least not until they had to because Dawson’s mom was coming to town.
I loved Callie. She had plenty of spunk. I loved the way she worked hard to get what she wanted. And she had plenty of idiosyncrasies to make the reader laugh.
I liked Dawson too. He was a bit dense sometimes. That made him a little endearing. I loved the way he loved the little things about Callie.
Everything about this book was great! I loved the plot, the characters and the comedy. This is one you definitely want to read!
This one is about Callie and Dawson. Callie is Dawson’s secretary. I loved these two together. They were the only two that were always in the office. And they were just perfect for each other. But they weren’t dating. At least not until they had to because Dawson’s mom was coming to town.
I loved Callie. She had plenty of spunk. I loved the way she worked hard to get what she wanted. And she had plenty of idiosyncrasies to make the reader laugh.
I liked Dawson too. He was a bit dense sometimes. That made him a little endearing. I loved the way he loved the little things about Callie.
Everything about this book was great! I loved the plot, the characters and the comedy. This is one you definitely want to read!
June 1, 2021
I did finish
Usually when a book starts going downhill, I close it out and move on. A free afternoon is too rare and precious to waste on a book that isn’t good.
But I did finish this one. Not because it was good. It wasn’t. I just was not in a location where I could download another.
To me, there was zero chemistry between the main characters. Dawson was an utter jerk, beginning to end. Callie was a doormat, beginning to end.
Even the hea felt flat and cold.
This was not a relaxing romance. It was much too on again, off again, for me.
Combine that with the shear lack of chemistry, and the hea that is more fizzle than sizzle, and all I can say is, if I had the option of downloading a different book, that would have been my first choice.
Usually when a book starts going downhill, I close it out and move on. A free afternoon is too rare and precious to waste on a book that isn’t good.
But I did finish this one. Not because it was good. It wasn’t. I just was not in a location where I could download another.
To me, there was zero chemistry between the main characters. Dawson was an utter jerk, beginning to end. Callie was a doormat, beginning to end.
Even the hea felt flat and cold.
This was not a relaxing romance. It was much too on again, off again, for me.
Combine that with the shear lack of chemistry, and the hea that is more fizzle than sizzle, and all I can say is, if I had the option of downloading a different book, that would have been my first choice.
September 1, 2021
I can’t decide. I really liked this but there are still some troublesome interactions. The characters acknowledge them, but they still bother me. I loved this book a lot. I like the characters admitting to themselves they’d like the relationship to be real but I feel like they shut down real talk with each other several times in a way that seems unhealthy. But, I loved them and this book. And i want to read the rest of the series.
Also, I much prefer single viewpoint narrators. This one not only has the two main characters, but the best friend gets some narration time too.
Also, I much prefer single viewpoint narrators. This one not only has the two main characters, but the best friend gets some narration time too.
March 12, 2023
Iš tikro miela graži ir linksma RomCom knyga. Žinoma tradicinė, bet tikrai ne kartą nusijuokiau, ne kartą buvo “awww” momentų ir ne kartą pagrindinį veikėją vyrą pavadinau Asilu už jo poelgius😁 tad jei norisi gražaus, švelnaus, neapkraunančio galvą romano, ir nesinori 🔥 scenų, ši istorija puikiai tiks👌
November 15, 2022
no.
i did not like this book.
originally i was going to give this book two stars but then i thought about it…and just…everything about this book sucked. the story sucked, the writing was weird and was for some reason revolved around food, the characters sucked, and even the cover of the book sucked.
let’s start with the story. i didn’t think the idea of the story was that bad but the way it was executed certainly was. it started out way too fast. we didn’t get to know the characters and who they were and the situation of their previous relationship before they were just one day…out of the blue, both swooning for each other. IT WAS JUST BAD. quite frankly, the only reason i kept reading after the second chapter was because i hate quitting anything. i’m sorry to say that i’ve read stories on wattpad better than this.
next the writing. i’m sorry donna, it’s just that your writing style is so weird. it wasn’t interesting, it wasn’t funny, the chapters skipped all over the place. the parts in the story when the characters are supposed to be “bonding” just get skipped over? then next thing you know they are in the office again. JUST SO YOU ARE AWARE, the office is boring. i’m impressed with myself for even making it through those dumb meetings.
i didn’t like the characters or their relationship with one another. i didn’t think they had chemistry. i thought they were annoying. callie and dawson were cliche (not in a cute way) and boring. their portrayal was nothing short of vomit. also dawson felt misogynistic. callie was supposed to be this powerful, hardworking woman and yet even though he “loved” her, i saw ZERO respect for her as a person and a female in the work place. too much writing was spent trying to catering to “the male gaze” when donna, you must know 99.99999% of the readers of this book will be females…it’s a “rom-com!”
last, the cover of the book. disclaimer: i know this book is probably self published but i’m just being honest. not only are there flaws in the art design (there’s a mistake in callie’s shoulder, and dawson it supposed to have a beard) but the cover LIES. the cover states, “a sweet romantic comedy” and i am here to tell you this book is none of the above. not sweet, not romantic, and certainly not comedic.
don’t read if you have any respect for yourself.
i did not like this book.
originally i was going to give this book two stars but then i thought about it…and just…everything about this book sucked. the story sucked, the writing was weird and was for some reason revolved around food, the characters sucked, and even the cover of the book sucked.
let’s start with the story. i didn’t think the idea of the story was that bad but the way it was executed certainly was. it started out way too fast. we didn’t get to know the characters and who they were and the situation of their previous relationship before they were just one day…out of the blue, both swooning for each other. IT WAS JUST BAD. quite frankly, the only reason i kept reading after the second chapter was because i hate quitting anything. i’m sorry to say that i’ve read stories on wattpad better than this.
next the writing. i’m sorry donna, it’s just that your writing style is so weird. it wasn’t interesting, it wasn’t funny, the chapters skipped all over the place. the parts in the story when the characters are supposed to be “bonding” just get skipped over? then next thing you know they are in the office again. JUST SO YOU ARE AWARE, the office is boring. i’m impressed with myself for even making it through those dumb meetings.
i didn’t like the characters or their relationship with one another. i didn’t think they had chemistry. i thought they were annoying. callie and dawson were cliche (not in a cute way) and boring. their portrayal was nothing short of vomit. also dawson felt misogynistic. callie was supposed to be this powerful, hardworking woman and yet even though he “loved” her, i saw ZERO respect for her as a person and a female in the work place. too much writing was spent trying to catering to “the male gaze” when donna, you must know 99.99999% of the readers of this book will be females…it’s a “rom-com!”
last, the cover of the book. disclaimer: i know this book is probably self published but i’m just being honest. not only are there flaws in the art design (there’s a mistake in callie’s shoulder, and dawson it supposed to have a beard) but the cover LIES. the cover states, “a sweet romantic comedy” and i am here to tell you this book is none of the above. not sweet, not romantic, and certainly not comedic.
don’t read if you have any respect for yourself.
July 8, 2021
So Very Cute!
Very, very, very cute!! I enjoyed this one from beginning to end. Callie is simply awesome. I adore her. I want to be her friend. This story is so much fun! I'm looking forward to the next one.
Very, very, very cute!! I enjoyed this one from beginning to end. Callie is simply awesome. I adore her. I want to be her friend. This story is so much fun! I'm looking forward to the next one.
April 21, 2021
Well, well I really enjoyed this one. I am for sure going to try another book by this author. I really enjoyed the flirtyness of this one. It is clean but not squeaky. We gotta be real people, we are thinking of kissing and what is under those clothes while dating and books that don't show that, just are not realistic. So I like a flirty book like this that shows we can keep it clean and out of the bedroom but still show some great chemistry. I really liked how real these characters were. They were real people having a real relationship with issues. He really is a jerk and he has reasons to be, but realizes he wants to change. I wish it had been a little more but this book does take place in just 2 months so we can't expect miracles. Now on to the next!
March 8, 2024
3.5 🌟 nice light read. I enjoyed it
April 9, 2023
2.5
This was a 3 throughout but the last 30% bumped it to 2.5.
This was fun for the most part. I liked the idea of them being so close in the office and then getting to know one another outside of that setting while developing feelings for one another.
The fake dating trope was wasted here given that there wasn’t much done with it and they started to properly date soon after. That whole ending was silly and seriously ruined this read for me. Dawson was just so angry, seemingly out of nowhere and showed his true colours. But of course, they blamed it on his tragic history and hun drinking as if that excuses anything. At one point, Callie mentions that’s he’s amazing st apologies…no he’s not, I found it pathetic. He said “sorry, love you, I was wrong ig forgive me pls” it felt incredibly surface level. Sure, some balloons and skittles and cookies are bound to earn you forgiveness.
I’m upset that I had to give this a lower rating as it started out pretty well. I just don’t get the author. I’m guessing she figured there needed to be a little drama before the end and instead of giving us something well thought out that made sense, she just wrote some drivel that got solved the very next day. That’s not good writing as far as I’m concerned, I’m sorry.
This was a 3 throughout but the last 30% bumped it to 2.5.
This was fun for the most part. I liked the idea of them being so close in the office and then getting to know one another outside of that setting while developing feelings for one another.
The fake dating trope was wasted here given that there wasn’t much done with it and they started to properly date soon after. That whole ending was silly and seriously ruined this read for me. Dawson was just so angry, seemingly out of nowhere and showed his true colours. But of course, they blamed it on his tragic history and hun drinking as if that excuses anything. At one point, Callie mentions that’s he’s amazing st apologies…no he’s not, I found it pathetic. He said “sorry, love you, I was wrong ig forgive me pls” it felt incredibly surface level. Sure, some balloons and skittles and cookies are bound to earn you forgiveness.
I’m upset that I had to give this a lower rating as it started out pretty well. I just don’t get the author. I’m guessing she figured there needed to be a little drama before the end and instead of giving us something well thought out that made sense, she just wrote some drivel that got solved the very next day. That’s not good writing as far as I’m concerned, I’m sorry.
July 1, 2024
Just His Secretary
Sweet Roots RomCom, Book 1
I Picked Up This Book Because: Free from “Stuff Your Earbuds” Day
Media Type: Audiobook
Source: B&N
Dates Read: 6/27/24 - 6/29/24
Rating: 4 Stars
Narrator(s): Terri Clarke-Linden
The Characters:
Callie:
Dawson:
The Story:
This was really cute, and a perfect summer read. It gives Hallmark movie in the summer vibes.
The Random Thoughts:
The only thing I had trouble with was the narrator when voicing the male chapters. She did not change her voice unless he was speaking and I found it difficult to discern which character had the POV sometimes.
Sweet Roots RomCom, Book 1
I Picked Up This Book Because: Free from “Stuff Your Earbuds” Day
Media Type: Audiobook
Source: B&N
Dates Read: 6/27/24 - 6/29/24
Rating: 4 Stars
Narrator(s): Terri Clarke-Linden
The Characters:
Callie:
Dawson:
The Story:
This was really cute, and a perfect summer read. It gives Hallmark movie in the summer vibes.
The Random Thoughts:
The only thing I had trouble with was the narrator when voicing the male chapters. She did not change her voice unless he was speaking and I found it difficult to discern which character had the POV sometimes.
October 31, 2021
Great story, lazy editing though and a couple of other peeves.
I can't stand the cruelty of declawing cats. If you don't like what they do then don't own one. Plus she feeds him cooked chicken with bones OMG! Even though this was a fictional story there has to be a level of acceptance for this by the author and this disturbed me greatly. I wrote asking if the author usually includes declawed cats in her books but she has ignored me. So this is the first and last that I'll be reading of Donna Jeffries.
I can't stand the cruelty of declawing cats. If you don't like what they do then don't own one. Plus she feeds him cooked chicken with bones OMG! Even though this was a fictional story there has to be a level of acceptance for this by the author and this disturbed me greatly. I wrote asking if the author usually includes declawed cats in her books but she has ignored me. So this is the first and last that I'll be reading of Donna Jeffries.
June 9, 2024
Would have been a 1 star if the ending wasnt so dang cute!! I wanted to give this a chance cuz it was a free audiobook on spotify but it was horrible. The vocied creeped me out!! The writing was beyond horrid too. Also why is this women have a master’s degree and the man forces her to work as a secretary?! Misogyny if i ever see it! 10/10 would not read again!!!
November 5, 2023
I think this is so far from my genres that I can't critique it fairly on all points but I can say I know good grumpy/sunshine when I see it and this ain't it.
Also why is the author telling us the cat is declawed so often?
Also why is the author telling us the cat is declawed so often?
free-on-amazon-owned
September 30, 2021Free 30 sept 2021
November 6, 2025
Silly little book lololol but good easy read at the gym!
April 17, 2021
Just, yes, wanting the next in the series.
I kept waiting for this book to disappoint me, but it never did. Loved the writing and dialogue. The hero and heroine are great together. And I adore a good grump who is cheerworthy.
Sweet and clean, but totally page worthy.
I kept waiting for this book to disappoint me, but it never did. Loved the writing and dialogue. The hero and heroine are great together. And I adore a good grump who is cheerworthy.
Sweet and clean, but totally page worthy.
April 11, 2021
Strap in for a swoony ride! I laughed out loud many times and loved Callie. She was confident in her skin and kind to everyone. Dawson really was like a beast at times but I think it’s proof what love can do. Loved their banter!
Want to read
April 9, 2021Eligible for a 2021 Swoony Award, to nominate/vote click here: https://tinyurl.com/y593ce67
April 19, 2022
2.5/5 ⭐️
The first half was lackluster, the second half was straight up ridiculous. First of all, there was zero background to the characters, if they were any more one-dimensional they would literally fade away. The development of the relationship was done poorly, to put it kindly… the whole thing moved to the speed of light, I can’t even say this was fake dating, they jumped right into a real relationship from minute one, it was obnoxious, I love an angsty book, but the angst here was literally non existent. Still, the relationship managed to be somehow straight forward while also being all over the place and extremely confusing, were they really dating? Were they pretending? Did they know they were supposed to be pretending? Did they think they were on a real relationship from the start? What the bloody hell??? I swear to god there was no build up, in chapter one they both came to the sudden realization that they were both attracted to each other and decided to act on it… how is that interesting? They were professional for like five minutes and then she was talking about her power panties and he was mentioning he actually saw her panties, what the fuck? At some point being awkward stops being endearing, you’ve had a professional relationship for FIVE FUCKING YEARS, how was it so easy for them to blur the line with no questions asked? Also, the drama by the end, absolutely pathetic, I can’t believe she took him back, someone needs to grow the fuck up and his name rimes with Lawson, it’s been ten years, darling. Move on!
The first half was lackluster, the second half was straight up ridiculous. First of all, there was zero background to the characters, if they were any more one-dimensional they would literally fade away. The development of the relationship was done poorly, to put it kindly… the whole thing moved to the speed of light, I can’t even say this was fake dating, they jumped right into a real relationship from minute one, it was obnoxious, I love an angsty book, but the angst here was literally non existent. Still, the relationship managed to be somehow straight forward while also being all over the place and extremely confusing, were they really dating? Were they pretending? Did they know they were supposed to be pretending? Did they think they were on a real relationship from the start? What the bloody hell??? I swear to god there was no build up, in chapter one they both came to the sudden realization that they were both attracted to each other and decided to act on it… how is that interesting? They were professional for like five minutes and then she was talking about her power panties and he was mentioning he actually saw her panties, what the fuck? At some point being awkward stops being endearing, you’ve had a professional relationship for FIVE FUCKING YEARS, how was it so easy for them to blur the line with no questions asked? Also, the drama by the end, absolutely pathetic, I can’t believe she took him back, someone needs to grow the fuck up and his name rimes with Lawson, it’s been ten years, darling. Move on!
April 11, 2024
Every now and again I’m approached by a new to me or new author and I decide to try one of their books.
Just his secretary sounded like a fun premise and I enjoyed the office/enemies to lovers/fake relationship tropes.
Callie is a talented hard working secretary for her very grumpy boss Dawson. What I loved about her was that she was very confident in who she was and what she could do. She saw her own worth, without being rude. She also saw her weaknesses, but chose to accept them. Her strength of character was my favorite thing about this book.
Dawson has been spurned by love and has also lived in the shadows of his family’s great success in business. As he attempts to make a name for himself on his own, he’s also pulled by the expectations of his family and their legacy.
These two main characters lived a roller coaster of emotions towards each other and it was fun to see them finally come together. Not a spoiler! It’s a romance. 😊
If you like enemies to lovers, office romance and body positivity, this might be just right for you.
Just his secretary sounded like a fun premise and I enjoyed the office/enemies to lovers/fake relationship tropes.
Callie is a talented hard working secretary for her very grumpy boss Dawson. What I loved about her was that she was very confident in who she was and what she could do. She saw her own worth, without being rude. She also saw her weaknesses, but chose to accept them. Her strength of character was my favorite thing about this book.
Dawson has been spurned by love and has also lived in the shadows of his family’s great success in business. As he attempts to make a name for himself on his own, he’s also pulled by the expectations of his family and their legacy.
These two main characters lived a roller coaster of emotions towards each other and it was fun to see them finally come together. Not a spoiler! It’s a romance. 😊
If you like enemies to lovers, office romance and body positivity, this might be just right for you.
December 19, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
1.5 🌶️
I listened to this book as an audiobook, and I liked it a lot! I thought it was a super cute romcom. While it’s slightly predictable, I really enjoyed hearing the story play out. It was a pretty clean read, and I loved Dawson and Callie’s love story. I also liked the way it was written, with the two point of views. I think it added to the novel and was fun to hear how each character was thinking.
I really enjoyed this, but I do still want to know why Hadley left Lance, and I feel like there are some strings left untied. I do think there are more books and this may be a series, though.
I liked this book, but it wasn’t life changing for me. But I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it for someone wanting a quick, feel-good type of read. I think it’s sweet, and I don’t feel like I wasted my time while listening to this book.
1.5 🌶️
I listened to this book as an audiobook, and I liked it a lot! I thought it was a super cute romcom. While it’s slightly predictable, I really enjoyed hearing the story play out. It was a pretty clean read, and I loved Dawson and Callie’s love story. I also liked the way it was written, with the two point of views. I think it added to the novel and was fun to hear how each character was thinking.
I really enjoyed this, but I do still want to know why Hadley left Lance, and I feel like there are some strings left untied. I do think there are more books and this may be a series, though.
I liked this book, but it wasn’t life changing for me. But I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it for someone wanting a quick, feel-good type of read. I think it’s sweet, and I don’t feel like I wasted my time while listening to this book.
July 2, 2024
Definitely not a good book. To be honest I should have expected that going into a free romance on Spotify but I guess I just got my hope up.
I felt like at the start the book and so much potential but it quickly went down hill. Callie got on my nerves so much. Just the way she acted was honestly so stuck up! And don’t get me started on Dawsons mother!
Dawson wasn’t that bad but some of the stuff he would do or say literal made me feel grossed out.
Overall I potentially hated this book! (I only gave it a 2 stars because of Callie’s cat.)
I felt like at the start the book and so much potential but it quickly went down hill. Callie got on my nerves so much. Just the way she acted was honestly so stuck up! And don’t get me started on Dawsons mother!
Dawson wasn’t that bad but some of the stuff he would do or say literal made me feel grossed out.
Overall I potentially hated this book! (I only gave it a 2 stars because of Callie’s cat.)
October 4, 2021
There were too many conflicting ideas and too much confusion for me to enjoy the story. Such as, did Dawson’s mother like Callie or not? Because at one point she was liking her fine then she tried to break them apart then she was back to liking her… it made the story confusing. It seemed like the author wanted his mother to be awful…but didn’t… Also, the way Dawson treated Callie at the gala was unacceptable, in my opinion, and also didn’t make much sense.
April 27, 2024
This book was so much fun to listen to while I worked. It's a cute rom-com by Elana Johnson, and it's my first time reading her work. Callie, the FMC, decides to play pretend with her boss, Dawson, as his fake girlfriend to get his mother off his back, but you know how it goes - fake feelings turn into the real deal. You'll get both Callie and Dawson's perspectives, which makes it even more interesting as you learn more about them.
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