As I started writing this review, I saw that this book is part of the Happy Pants series. And while I remember reading something about Happy Pants in the book, I feel like Happy Pants is one of the funnest names for a series I’ve ever heard. Which is just a bonus, since I really enjoyed this book.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One-Sentence Synopsis
A woman is hired by the man who got her fired, but she has a hard time trusting what his motives for hiring her are. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.
Rage Quit
Taylor has decided to go out on her own after being fired from a job due an exec who insulted her and her boss. Unfortunately, her new venture isn’t doing so well, and she’s close to having to call it quits. So she’s shocked when that same exec, Bennett, wants to enlist her services to help him win a deal with a well known woman business owner. It takes some convincing, since Taylor really can’t stand him after their first meeting, but eventually she goes with it because she needs the money.
Trust Issues
She has a really hard time trusting Bennett at first, and for good reason. He’s aloof and secretive and from what she’s seen, he’s not the easiest guy to get along with. Her business centers around teaching executives how to treat their employees well, and she has a hard time seeing where Bennett does any of that. At least at first. It doesn’t help that she finds out that some of Bennett’s business pals have made a bet (one that he’s part of) to see who could sleep with her first.
Air of Mystery
The story is told almost completely from Taylor’s viewpoint, and it drove me nuts not to know what Bennett was thinking. At the same time, I really enjoyed the mystery of finding out things as Taylor did. From the beginning, you get the feeling that things aren’t really what they seem with Bennett, but it’s never clear if he’s a good guy or a not-so-good guy. Taylor makes things more complicated when she sets out to sabotage his business meeting as revenge for his part in the bet.
Travel Makes for Hot Bedfellows
The story also as a road trip trope, as Bennett makes Taylor travel with him to conduct business, ultimately leading to his meeting with the woman he’s hoping to strike a deal with. Of course, Taylor starts to change her mind about him, and we start to see a softer side of Bennett.
Inner and Outer Voices
Taylor’s inner monologue was pretty hysterical, though sometimes it made her seem a bit nutty. There was some great banter and dialogue, and though the story was mostly lighthearted, there were a few punches to the feels that gave it some major poignancy.
The Romance Factor
I loved the conflict in this book and the major enemies to lovers vibe happening. I also loved seeing the glimpses of Bennett that showed that he actually cared for Taylor. This book hit all of my catnip buttons. 5/5
The Steam Factor
There really isn’t a lot of sex in this story, but there is quite of bit of penis ogling. Taylor, in fact, has a really hard time not focusing on Bennett’s penis. And while sometimes it got a little old, it was mostly entertaining. 4/5
Final Thoughts
This book had almost everything I love in a story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m happy to see that it’s the first in the Happy Pants series, so I’ll definitely be on the lookout for other Happy Pants books.
The Romance Factor 