Irresistibly Broken

Irresistibly Yours #1

by J. Saman

From USA Today bestselling author J. Saman comes a steamy hot grumpy/sunshine age-gap romance about a broken billionaire and the irresistible woman who flips his world upside down. Aurelia Whitlock is an ex-stepsister I forgot long ago. Until she shows up as a design intern at my fashion company. And that's the easy part. The part where she heats my blood, drawing me away from my grumpy, miserable side is another. She has no business being here. The more I learn about how she got this job, the more perilous things become for me and my company. I can't trust her. I can't fire her. And I definitely can't claim her full lips with mine. Now it's a keep your friends close and your enemies even closer situation. Except keeping this stunning woman who surprises me at every turn close isn't as easy as it sounds. She's a delicious load of sunshine wrapped in smiles and enticing laughter. Her secrets and troubled past make me desperate to swoop in and fix them. And did I mention the mouth on her? The one that challenges me and argues with me at every turn. The one I can't stop staring at or fantasizing about. I'm in trouble. So much trouble. So where does that leave me? In one hell of a mess with a woman who has the power to destroy everything. Including what's left of my heart.
IRRESISTIBLY BROKEN is a super steamy grumpy/sunshine, enemies-to-lovers, age-gap romance loaded with tons of feels and laughs. It is a standalone in a brand-new series set in the same world as Boston's Billionaire Bachelors about five best friends whose lives were torn apart by tragedy and the irresistible women who piece them back together.

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Workplace Romance, Contemporary Romance, Workplace, Forced Proximity

350 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2023

About the author

J. Saman is a USA Today and Amazon top 10 bestselling author who writes sassy, swoony, and scorching contemporary romances. She is addicted to Diet Coke, sour candy, and indie rock. She swears way too much (especially after a glass of wine) and has a penchant for sarcasm (or so her husband and children like to tell her).

J. is an admitted lover of second chance romances, enemies to lovers, and the perfect amount of angst. She is best known for writing funny and emotional romances filled with smart, strong women, and sexy alphas who have a softer side - especially for their women.

Want to learn more about J. Saman? You can check out her website http://jsamanbooks.com

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Reviews

[Dora Koutsoukou]

For the readers who do not only want to read a romantic story but also expand their... horizons, this is a very good chance!

“Feeling bold and a touch insane, I find the corner of my desk and grind my pussy on it.
I moan as I roll my hips, my clit grinding down on the wood. He grips my ass, almost frantically, spreading my cheeks wide as his foot pushes my legs farther apart.
......
The wand flips back on and he spits on it before pressing it against my clit as he eats me out from behind. Holy shit. He just spat on my vibrator to lube it. That alone has me spasming—so fucking dirty and yet undeniably hot and deliciously wrong.” Aurelia

Regardless, it was slow burn and then it became explosive, the banter was good. I didn’t like that many years had passed where the hero hadn’t overcome the loss of his girlfriend.

Not my cup of tea...
Dnf @ 71%

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t stop reading this book. It’s sweet and fun and the characters are amazing.
It’s worth the reading.

[Susan Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book it has all the feels. I absolutely loved Zax and Aurelia’s story. This was my first book by J. Saman and I can’t wait to read more of her books. It’s a definite must read.

[Joy Westerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words cannot express how much I loved this first story in a brand new series. The storyline blew me away and I fell head over heels in love with the characters, Zaxton and Aurelia. This book deserves so many stars that I can’t even count that high. I love when a story holds me captive from beginning to end like this one did. I felt every emotion the characters did, so much so I laughed, I cried, I was sad, I was happy and I felt all the angst and love between them. To me, that’s a sign of a truly phenomenal story written by an extremely talented author.

Zaxton is all alpha, tough and gruff, but he has a past that had made him this way. He feels no emotions, until the day Aurelia comes into his life like a whirlwind. She is such a breath of fresh air, witty and while young, is totally in command of her life. But can she be the one to capture his heart? Their chemistry is chart topping! I swear my kindle caught on fire! He has truly met his match with her and I enjoyed how she put him thru the paces. There is just so much to love about this story that I have to say, run, don’t walk to one click this masterpiece. You will not be disappointed!

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes: billionaire, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine
Angst: 😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

"𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘡𝘢𝘹𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘳𝘰𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴....𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭."

This was my first book by J. Saman and I am completely blown away! I have no idea how I've missed this author up until now! Absolutely wonderful storytelling with characters that really grab you by the heartstrings. The pacing was fantastic and I really never felt like it slowed down at all. It had a little bit of (albeit pretty predictable) suspense to add to the storyline, but the real story was all in these characters and the story they had to tell.

"𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰. 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰."

Zax and Aurelia have a complex history that definitely adds to the angst between them, but I really loved how once they decided they were in, they were all in. The chemistry between the two of them was OFF. THE. CHAIN. It was actually a little bit of a slow burn, but you never felt it, because the heat between them was crazy. This was definitely a complex enemies to lovers situation that fed their fire and the witty, cut throat banter just cranked it up that much more. I'll definitely be reading J. Saman's backlog while I anxiously await the next book in the series. Totally invested!

⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fashionably Sexy

This book started out interesting with well-drawn characters and a unique plot. I was enjoying the book until it turned into a will-they/when will-they romance which became very repetitive and lost the plot line altogether. Then it was all about cringey sex scenes which I couldn’t bring myself to read in their entirety.

Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t like I didn’t expect a romance to end up with sex scenes, but don’t lose the plot just to write porn. I give this a one and a half star and rounded up to two because I was feeling generous.

[Travelogged Blogs · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Brutal realization grips my throat, restricting my air and causing my body to seize up. That’s why she’s so dangerous to me. It’s more than she’s under my skin. I care."

There was nothing wrong with the story or the writing style. I think I just wasn't in the right mood to read the book tbh. I skimmed over a lot of long paragraphs and tbh, I felt like both the main characters (Aurelia & Zax) were kind of superficial which is why I couldn't feel a connect with them. I liked Aurelia's personality, she was strong, smart, talented and confident but I felt like I knew nothing about Zax apart from his loss. I started liking the book somewhere after 75%. It was a good book but just did not manage to hold my interest.

[Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

And this book ladies and gentlemen...this book is pure perfection for me. I fell in love in Julie Saman books since I started reading the "Boston Billionaire" series and I couldn't wait for this one to land on my kindle.

Zax and Aurelia were the perfect couple. It was also kind of insta-lust and slow burn. They were attracted to each other since the beginning, but they didn't wanted to act on it, because everyone had something to lose. I am happy that any unnecessary drama got resolved in the beginning and after that there were only Zax and Aurelia, their feelings and their attraction.

Now, let's talk about the smut. This book was literally next level spicyness, fire and smut. At the moment they got together, the heat and erotic moment were there. I loved them all over. Because of those two I was able to read the book for less than a day, even so that I was quite long.

I am thankful to Grey's Promotion and Valentine PR, because through them I managed to discover this beautiful author and her books. Oh, and one more thing....

I am soo soo happy that I am finishing my book year with this awesome book and I can't wait for the next books that Julie has in store for us in the 2023.

*** I received and ARC from Grey's Promotion and this is my voluntary review.***

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

When each boy in the band gets a book <3 I love a series of interconnected standalones!! Can’t wait to read the rest.


Loved this book! The TENSION

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy hotness of slow burn forbidden romance perfection! Irresistibly Broken by J. Saman had so much build up of raw sexual tension and emotional energy throughout the story. Ex step sister and current boss- employee, grumpy ex rock star fashion mogul billionaire with sassy model/designer genius..I am sure it sounds exciting and delicious and let me tell you, it really was. Think it like a twisted sexy edition of The Devil Wears Prada..if Meryl Streep was a man and ended up in love with Anne Hathaway.

Ex Rockstar and presently fashion mogul Zaxton Monroe is surprised and shocked to see his new intern. Renowned fashion model and budding designer Aurelia "Lia" Sage was also his step sister for a short time ( her mother married his ahole father ) and he was cruel to her. She is trying to make a new step in her career after another designer stole her design and blacklisted her. Zaxton is insanely attracted to her but he doesn't know if he can trust her because his father helped her to get the job..and also they are forbidden. Aurelia is fighting her own emotions too. Things are going to be messy...

Zaxton has been through a lot of trauma..from his evil father, his rockstar life, the love he lost. As a result, he is now a grumpy brooding ahole. People are scared of his scathing words and harsh criticism. He is the best in business and he demands perfection. Aurelia sent his world toppling down with her no nonsense attitude, her sassy personality and her unique ability to get under his skin. She has always taken care of herself as no one really ever supported her. And she won't let her attraction towards Zaxton to jeopardize her career. It was a sinful and sexy as h3ll slow burn. Zaxton was all..."touch her and die" even when he couldn't have her and who doesn't love a possessive alpha hero? Aurelia really broke down his walls. But that issue about his father who was actually removed from the business for his evil side..was bound to come back someday. It shook them down and caused heartbreak and it was a bumpy ride for a while. But our girl saved the day and I loved that! I am excited to read more about Zaxton's old bandmates who are in different professions now but their bromance is really awesome. I just felt the slow burn was starting to drag the story a bit and it lost the tension a bit in the middle with lots of action packed in last few chapters.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

[BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hot tamale, this one is Irresistible in every way! Irresistible magnetism and chemistry, irresistible conniving and backstabbing, an irresistible and broken hero you’ll want to wrap in your arms, and an irresistible and strong, spunky heroine you’ll be cheering for. Shew! Saman raised the bar impossibly high and left it all on the page with this one!

Zax Monroe is a bit of a conundrum. He's a member of a band, Central Square, that's wildly famous even after their retirement. He's the head of a successful fashion house, and he’s locked up his heart and destroyed the key ten years ago when tragedy struck. He's the guy every girl wants, at least until they meet him, and the thing he likes best about himself is that he doesn’t feel.

That is, until Aurelia Whitlock comes stumbling into his life, and life as Zax knew it will never be the same. She’s the new fashion intern, and Zax responds to her viscerally before he even knows what’s happening. But he doesn’t trust her.

Lia Whitlock has a work ethic like none other and it's gotten her nothing but used, abused, and blacklisted. But Lia is a fighter, and fiercely determined to start her own fashion label, and Monroe Fashion is the first step. And if she can drive Zax crazy and get under his skin in the process, all the better.

Oh, my heart, y'all, I love this one so much! The witty banter, the push and pull, and the scorching heat keep things lively while the vulnerability and uncertainty of the characters as they navigate their attraction and find a new normal kept me reading late into the night. I couldn’t get enough of Zax and Lia!

Set in the same world as our beloved Fritz brothers, we have cameos from favorite characters and a place that feels familiar. But with a new cast of characters we have lots more amazing, humorous, heartfelt romance to come. Run, don’t walk, and 1-Click this one and start reading now. You'll love every second you spend with the Central Square family!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zaxon Monroe is a sad man with an impenetrable shield around his heart. He has sworn off love after his first love died years ago.

Aurelia has been screwed over for the last time. She is done putting her faith in people. These two people who have no business trusting each other for multiple reasons somehow end up connecting and becoming a force to be reckoned with. I really enjoyed how Zaxon supported Lia’s goals and really listened to her, even when he wasn’t sure about her motives.

I loved the push and pull of their relationship. They know they shouldn’t give in to their attraction, but they just can’t help themselves. And when they do give in, man, it about melted my kindle. That Zaxon was a world class dirty talker and Lia was up for anything too. Whew. *fans self*

But I really loved the end when Zaxon orchestrated the best possible revenge for Lia !

So excited for this new series. I loved Zaxon and the rest of the Central Square boys are going to be so much fun to read about!!

[Julie Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in less than 24 hours; I was hooked and did not want to put it down. The slow burn, the story's quick pace, and how much I loved Zax and Aurelia. Both are a bit broken and damaged, but together a powerhouse of chemistry and sass. Add in the trust issues for a good reason, backstabbing, and drama of the fashion industry.

Irresistibly broken is the first of a series, but many characters from other series have cameos. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

[Shatarupa Dhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Irresistibly Broken is powerhouse Aurelia and her boss, fashion label owner Zaxton’s irresistible story.

Trigger Warning: Mugging, Blackmail

Synopsis
Zaxton Monroe has an interesting encounter with his new intern on the day that he normally considers his worst. He doesn’t recognise Aurelia Whitlock though.

The world already knows her as the famous model, Lia Sage, but Aurelia is more interested in making a name for herself as a fashion designer. With a terrible incident in her past, she has nowhere to go but to Monroe Fashion to kickstart her journey in the fashion world.

Review
What a beginning to the story, where the boss bumps into the design intern while trying to prevent a mugging. Not a great start to a new day at a new place after the latest disaster in her life, but Aurelia seems to have them neatly lined up.

I never knew I liked fashion/modelling as much as I liked it in this story, with Zaxton and Aurelia being the perfect sweet-and-sexy package.

Twenty-three-year-old Aurelia wants to avoid Zax the grump. And Zax wants the same, though he’s surprised that he’s all of a sudden attracted to a woman after eight years of thinking he will never be the same…

I spin her to an applause of clicking cameras. She tosses her head back, allowing her blond, blond hair to fly along with the dress, and then I give her a tug, pulling her to me.

This is only the beginning and I’m more in love with J. Saman’s writing. Aurelia’s sass and Zax’s comebacks had me laughing throughout the story.

Irresistibly Broken takes us back to Boston, where all the Fritzes are (from the author’s previous Boston’s Billionaire Bachelors Series). And it’s just the beginning of a five-book series, with the others being Zax’s brother Greyson – rockstar extraordinaire, ER doctor Callan Barrows, Lenox – the recluse computer genius, and Asher – championship-winning quarterback in the NFL.

What can I say, it’s been a lonely few years where men are concerned and something about texting and sparring and emailing with him is addicting. And yes, I completely understand it’s in a totally unhealthy way.

The witty emails and texts between Zax and Aurelia were a bonus. Narrated in the first person from a dual perspective, Book One of this series will always have a special place in my heart.

You’re just so much fun to rile up. Like playing with an irritable bear after hibernation.

Oh, Aurelia, you are so charming and fun to be around. Will you please be my friend? And I believe every woman needs a Lamar in her life.

I loved everything about this book. Whether it be the icons that announced whose narrative it was going to be or their cute banter.

Irresistibly Broken is a breath of fresh air from the first page. With fashion and rock bands and all things pretty and juicy.

Stepsibling and age-gap tropes are hot.

Haha…I never thought I’d say that and never have I ever come across such a statement in a romance that I’ve read. And I’ve read many!

Zax and Aurelia set the pages on fire, whether it be the slow burn intense stares during the first half or the equally hot role-playing and dominating scenes in the second half. There’s so much tension and dancing around each other before finally taking the plunge.

Firm lips kiss down my back in the same way the wand moves over my front. I squirm and he nibbles on my hip. I gasp and he sucks on the dip of my waist. I sigh and he swirls his finger around my opening.

I never expected to read what I describe as lyrical prose in a romance. In literary fiction, sure. But this seems to be a book of firsts and I have fallen more in love with Saman’s writing.

Aurelia and Zax are so playful and wonderful together, right till the very end, even when someone tries to tear down what they have. The story ends with a powerful and beautiful epilogue. Eagerly waiting for Greyson’s story now.

Thank you to Grey’s Promotions for an e-ARC of the book.

Originally posted on:
Shaina's Musings

[Maja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aurelia now works for Zaxton, who is her ex-step brother and is completely broken because his ex died 8 years ago.
This book would be much better if Suzie (his ex) wasn't mentioned in literally every chapter from his pov. He plays a guitar and we get from the scene how they were happy and in love. Zaxton and Aurelia sleep together for the first time, and two minutes later he talks about Suzie, while he is proposing to Aurelia, he starts a speech about his ex, etc.🙄 I don't think he is over Suzie, she was the love of his life. I feel like Aurelia is one day going to end up seeing him crying and saying how is he still not over Suzie lol.
There were many things where it looked like I read a story from a Wattpad from 16 years old. One day he barely got himself out of bed because that day was birthday of Suzie (or the day she died, I can't remember), two hours later he was full lusting after Aurelia. The first time something happened between them was in the bathroom and his ex died in the bathroom.😀 We got from lust to love from nowhere, I really don't how they fell in love with each other when their conversations were basically about a job or their lust for each other.
I liked that Aurelia is a strong and independent woman, but you will not get any depth from Zaxton's character, his personal traits are that he is grumpy and that he lost his ex, that's it.
I have to say that the spicy scenes were good.🤷‍♀️

✨️boss/employee
✨️ex-step-siblings
✨️dislike to like
✨️insta-lust
✨️they both have past traumas (MMC's ex died, and she had problems with her mom and in her job)
✨️Dual POV, written in 1st person
✨️spicy: 🌶🌶🌶.5
✨️HEA
✨️first book in the series, standalone

[Hailey Goshert · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so fun! i don’t think i’ve ever read a book based in fashion, but i loved it! Auriela was such a badass, and i liked how absolutely obsessed Zax was with her. Lamar was also super freaking funny… just a really great cast of characters all around:)

also so cool to get cameos from the Fritz family! def wasn’t expecting that

[cakecoffeeandbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘He was crass and prickly and so irresistibly broken I had no choice but to fall head over heels in love with him. And while I wanted to save him, I think, in the end, we saved each other.’

Book 1 in J Saman’s new series and what a great start to the series it is!
Former model Aurelia starts her new job as a design intern at Monroe Fashion, where her ex stepbrother Zaxton Monroe is CEO. But how did she get the job? And can she be trusted?

Zaxton has a tragic past and has kept his heart closed off for 8 years since the death of his girlfriend. He is immediately drawn to his beautiful new intern. Sparks fly and the chemistry between them is off the charts.

Whilst he may have a rough exterior, Zaxton truly has a heart of gold and was such an interesting character to get to know. I adored Aurelia. She was so funny, strong and confident. The way she wound Zaxton up and handled him was brilliant.

Without giving away any spoilers- I particularly liked the way the ending came about and how those issues were resolved. There were a few more issues alluded to earlier on in the book that I felt could have been a little more developed but overall I really enjoyed this story and would recommend reading it! Special mention to the little cameo appearance from some of the Fritz family too!

Thank you to the author and greys promotions for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Frances O'Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t understand the high ratings for this book.

The first 50% is mostly the leads talking about how hot the other is and how attracted they are to them when they shouldn’t be. That’s basically it, with some backstory thrown in. I get that everyone is hot, but with the constant inner monologues and descriptions of what the FMC was wearing each day it felt like I was being beaten over the head with it.

By 60% I was really bored, but I had already downloaded the audio so I persevered.

The second half of the book improves and finally introduces some drama, but honestly, it wasn’t enough to save it. The angle of “she’s his stepsister” was misleading. They barely knew each other and their parents weren’t married anymore - in fact, no one in the world knew about this apparently.

I felt no connection between these two. They describe themselves as “broken” but I didn’t buy any of it. The MMC is apparently a “grumpy asshole” but at the same time, knows everyone he works with family’s, fired a designer for fat shaming models and seems to be a fairly normal guy outside of having sex in clubs only after his ex died. The character description did not match his actions.

I don’t understand what they found in each other, other then their mutual hotness, of course. Side note; the MMC talked about his ex in his proposal to the FMC, so yeah, make if that what you will.

[Raquel.Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hit from one of my favorite authors. I fell in love with Julie Saman books when I read my first book in the "Boston Billionaire" series, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

I loved Zax and Aurelia, their dynamic and the level of steam stemming from the fact that their relationship was “forbidden” was off the charts. I loved and appreciated that Aurelia was a strong character up to the task to stand up to Zax.

Regardless of if you are you are a fan of J. Saman or not this book is sure to delight you.

[Sadan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zaxton & Aurelia

[Emily Johnston (Booked.Up.With.Emily) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing start to a new series by J. Saman! I fell in love with Saman's doctor series books and I have never looked back.

Here we have the story of Aurelia and Zaxson. Both are undeniably broken in their own way and both are resistant to letting others in. Zaxson's long term girlfriend died unexpectedly 8 years prior when he was in the same hotel room as her. Aurelia had her design stolen by a famous worldwide fashion designer and essentially black balled from the industry. Both of these characters have learned to live on their own and only trust themselves.

"You're not an except. You're not a bit. You're not a however. You're an addition I do't know how to claim or conquer.". This right here is my absolute favorite quote from this book.

Aurelia gets a new job, suspiciously, with Monroe Fashion. Zaxson is instantly wary of her, but especially when he realizes that she is his ex-step sister and got this job until false pretenses. Instead of firing her, he promotes her to his design intern so that he can keep a watch over her.

Even though Zaxson wants to hate Aurelia, he can't. The push and pull between these two for the first 2/3 of this book was INTENSE. I felt how much they wanted each other jumping through the pages. There was no doubt that there was sexual chemistry, but as they got closer, it was more intimate than that. Their love story is so beautiful to watch unfold.

"Thank you, Aurelia. Thank you for reminding my what it is to live. To love. To have passion. To believe in happiness. To look forward to tomorrow. To want forever."

I loved this book so much and I can't wait to read the rest of this series! The sneak peek of Greyson's book has been wanting more ASAP!!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I finished Doctor Untouchable I have been craving @jsamanbooks new Boston series and Irresistibly Broken was a great kick off book! This series will follower 5 guys who used to be in a band together, starting with Zaxton Monroe who is now the CEO of a Monroe Fashion.

Aurelia Whitlock is a new design intern at Monroe, she also happened to have been his stepsister for a hot second over a decade ago. She reconnects with Zaxton on her first day but he doesn’t recognize her. He just helped her after their unfortunate meeting. She hated him when they were younger so she isn’t very nice during their reunion. When Zaxton realizes who she is and how she got the job (his father pulled strings) he is immediately suspicious and distrustful of her.

Zaxton decides to follow the saying keep your friends close but your enemies closer, however I don’t think the saying meant as close as they got. They forced together at work and as they get to know each other they simply cannot stay away. Their love was a force of nature and I loved following along with it. She was perfect for him and his broken parts, while he helped support her and care for her a way no one else ever did.

I am so excited to read about Greyson next after the first chapter was teased here. These seem like the perfect guys to follow up the Fritz Family!

Thank you J. Saman and @greyspromo for the ARC!
Release Date: January 2, 2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥 Scene: ♣️

[J L · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️s! This book hit the spot. The banter between Zaxton and Aurelia was amazing, it seriously made the book so fun to read!! Aurelia is one of my new fave FMCs; I admired her drive to be successful, especially because she was left on her own at such a young age. The was so angsty is the best way. I loved Zaxton and Aurelia so much 🥺🤍

Tropes:
Office Romance
Ex-Stepbrother
Age-Gap

Thank you Greys Promo and J. Saman for the arc <3

[Sarah~Book Obsession Confessions · Rating 4 out of 5]

The banter, the flirting and the wit in the first half of this book is so incredible! I was thoroughly entertained, delighted and loving the hot chemistry flying between Zaxton & Aurelia.
It’s a mix of forbidden, celebrity and workplace romance. I’m a big fan of all three tropes.
There were so many clever and entertaining quips traded between the main characters and the very likable, entertaining secondary characters. I fell in love with the characters and the fashion world they work in.
There are quite a few deep and profound aspects to this story. Looking at more than image, beauty and success. There are a lot of smart and emotional points in the story.
Past the halfway point the story slowed its pace in my opinion and I was less entertained.
The chemistry is hot, the emotions happened a bit too suddenly for my liking. I still enjoyed the story and liked the characters a lot.
Before it got a bit slow for me, I was certain it was going to be a 5 star read. With that said I liked it very much, it has a lot of wit, depth and sexiness. The characters are very likable. I love the deeper undertones of the characters journey and the romance is very swoony.
I will read the next book in this series. I like the authors way with words, her smart characters and the balance between emotions and sexual desire.
Overall a very enjoyable romance.

[Franzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so so good!! J. Saman is back and I'm so ready to devour every book of this series 😍

I loved how job-focused this was — Aurelia (what a weird name) is really invested in growing in the fashion world, making her own name and Zax (even weirder name) supports her through it all. Absolutely loved these two! Their relationship progressed so naturally and I could really believe every part of it!

So, normally I love Saman because we *don't* have the third-act-breakup/drama (or if it's the latter, it's Drama™ and someone almost dies <3 love that) but even if we did get a third-act drama here, it was handled so well. They really acted like adults through it all (damn, we've got low standards 😭) and I could feel for both of them :( I don't think what Aurelia did was as bad as she made it out to be but that's the only thing I don't agree with.

This was absolutely adorable at times, beautifully spicy at others AND had a well rounded plot!! Everything I want in a romance and more 🥰

[Bookstagrambrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This story blew me away. It has all my favorite ingredients for a contemporary romance book, enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, workplace romance, and grumpy sunshine. The banter was on point, the characters were easy to fall in love with, and the story was fun to read.

Aurelia is a 23 year old woman who has been on her own since she was 16, and working as a successful model while she attended and graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology. She was an intern at a design house until she was screwed over and black balled from the industry. Desperation had her accepting an odd but inviting internship with a fashion house whose CEO is her former step brother Zaxton who she hasn't seen in over 10 years. The last time she saw him, she was 11 years old and he was 18 and on his way to becoming a rockstar with his band. Now she is working at his company as an intern and she knows who he is, but he doesn't recognize her. Their meet cute was the best, by the way. It isn't long before he discovers her identity and how she got the position, so not knowing if he can trust her, he relies on that old saying, "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" by having her work as his executive intern. They have amazing chemistry but both have heavy baggage and trust issues. Their banter and the push pull they had was top notch. The story line was extremely interesting, holding my attention until the last page. I honestly loved everything about these characters. They were written perfectly.

Side note- There was this one part of the story I thought was a bit far fetched. So 4 young guys playing in a band are discovered and become a sensation. Something happens 4 years later and the band breaks up, but they are all still close friends. Jax, the bass player is now a billionaire CEO to a fashion empire, another member is a successful doctor, another, a super bowl winning football player, another, a computer hacking recluse, and the last one is now a successful solo artist. It's the last one that makes the most sense to me, but the other guys, not so much. Especially the football player. I mean he was in college when the band took off, they were together for 4 years and after they quit, he somehow becomes this great football player in the NFL? Many football players are retired, quitting or injured by the age that he is just getting started. And medical school plus residency equals 7 or 8 years. Anyway, if you can overlook that and a few other minor details that seem a bit far fetched like I did, I think you will enjoy the story. The focus on the main characters is what keeps this story together anyway. I like the other guys, they definitely have interesting stories that I'm sure we will get, and I will certainly read. Although my favorite side character is Lamar. He's the kind of guy who has zero f's to give, calls it like he sees it, and the kind of personality that makes you want to be best friends with him.

Anyway, I absolutely loved this story, even with the few minor details that I mentioned above and I would recommend this book.

Bookstagrambrielle

[Layna&#x1f4da;⭐️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 25% This just couldn’t keep my interest. Bland!

[CLEO · Rating 4 out of 5]

The banter between Zax & Aurelia keeps you entertained throughout their slow burn chemistry.
Zaxton has the longest broken hurt someone could ever have. After losing the love of his life he’s vowed to stay away from love and live a life committed to his work and his closest family and friends.

Aurelia is trying to get back into the fashion industry and when an opportunity is given to her she goes in apprehensive but fully determined to succeed and try to stay under the radar at the same time.

Zaxton & Aurelia found love at the right time and the right place. Others may have had other intentions of bringing these two together but this was fate at its best.

[Josmely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the push and pull Aurelia and Zaxton had. They tried to ignore the attraction they both had until it they just couldn't anymore.

I felt like the book was a little slow but I kind of liked that just because it gave us time to learn more about the characters. We got to read about them slowly falling in love. Seeing how supportive zax was of her dreams made me fall so hard for me.

I LOVE how Aurelia is not one to just keep her mouth shut and let Zax talk to her any type of way. She stood up for herself a couple of times. Which made the banter between that much better.

The side characters made the story even better. They were funny, sweet and very supportive. Can't wait to read their books too!

Theres a lot of tropes in this i loved like boss/employee, grumpy/sunshine, age gap and enemies to lovers. If you like any of these would 100% recommend this book to you!

[Mrs A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is new to me and I really enjoyed this book. I was thoroughly engrossed from the first few chapters and finished this in less than a day!The plot flows really well with plenty of drama and actionand steam. Love the push and pull between Aurelia and zaxton. Their chemistry is undeniable and their banter is witty and sarcastic and I loved it. It also has some incredible side characters in Iris and Lamar, I want them to be my besties. If you enjoy stepbrother romance, enemies to lovers themes you’ll enjoy