She gave up on love. He gave up on her. Now they have to work together.
On the surface, Annie has it allâbeauty, brains, youth, a flexible job, and a party girl imageâeven as a troubled childhood and a missed chance at love continue to haunt her. Then it all comes crashing down: betrayed by both her boyfriend and a close friend, sheâs forced to quit her job and spirals into a deep depression fueled by alcohol and her toxic, narcissistic mother. Beneath it all is a growing fear sheâll run into her ex, Kylan, who's suddenly back in town. How can she face the man whose heart she broke four years agoâthe one who left her life but never her heart?
Just as Annie is finally getting back on her feet and pursuing a new passion as a literary agent assistant, another bomb drops: Kylanâs New York agency is acquiring the one that just hired her. Now, she's stuck working in the same office while watching her new friend and coworker flirt with him.
Can she survive working for him while heâs in town, or will it cost her the dream job?
She gave up on love. He gave up on her. Now they have to work together.
On the surface, Annie has it allâbeauty, brains, youth, a flexible job, and a party girl imageâeven as a troubled childhood and a missed chance at love continue to haunt her. Then it all comes crashing down: betrayed by both her boyfriend and a close friend, sheâs forced to quit her job and spirals into a deep depression fueled by alcohol and her toxic, narcissistic mother. Beneath it all is a growing fear sheâll run into her ex, Kylan, who's suddenly back in town. How can she face the man whose heart she broke four years agoâthe one who left her life but never her heart?
Just as Annie is finally getting back on her feet and pursuing a new passion as a literary agent assistant, another bomb drops: Kylanâs New York agency is acquiring the one that just hired her. Now, she's stuck working in the same office while watching her new friend and coworker flirt with him.
Can she survive working for him while heâs in town, or will it cost her the dream job?
Success! I cheered silently as my toes finally managed to snag the edge of the scarlet cropped cardigan tossed nearby. I dragged my foot across the smooth linen slowly and carefully until it reached my waiting fingers. My eyes slid to the right to see if Iâd caused any stir.
The cardigan in hand, I frowned, realizing the hardest part was yet to come. I needed to wriggle out from under his heavy arm, which was lying over my waist. Not cradling me but rather lying on me, as though I were part of the bed. Indeed, I realized mirthfully, I was practically a fixture in this executive suite at the Four Seasons.
A half-seated position was all I could manage, but it was enough to slip the cardigan on over my ivory camisole while his thick arm still lay draped over me. But just as I was adjusting the sleeve, I felt a stir.
Him.
âBrandon, I really need toâŚâ I started, but his arm only tightened, his breathing still slow and steady. He was still out cold, but it was early. Heâd probably dozed off last night as soon as weâd flipped on the movieâjust as I hadâafter our late night on the town.
I smiled, letting my head sink back into the pillows.
Maybe the morning could wait a little longer.
***
âJust cancel, babe,â Brandon grumbled, trying unsuccessfully to reach out and tug me back into bed as I giggled and stepped back.
Fully dressed now, I ran my hands through my rumpled hair. âI would think youâd want me to show up to work, since I do, after all, work for you.â
âEllen can wait.â He rose to lean on one muscled arm, his blue eyes sweeping over me lazily. âWhatâs she ever done for you anyway, babe? Besides giving you the assignments Viviana doesnât want.â
My usually playful features settled into a frown. Was he right? Sure, my copyediting workload had its share of boring legal and business books, but so did Vivianaâs. My friend and fellow freelancer had commiserated with me many times on the subject. It was just the nature of the books the company published, as Ellen always said. Then again, Brandon would know better than anyone. He owned Bolder Publishing. Ellen was just the editorial manager.
âBrandon, hon, Iâd love some career advice from you, but this is a conversation for another day. I canât just not show up to a meeting.â
His cheeks dimpled as he grinned and reclined, displaying his muscled chest, undoubtedly for effect. âI could write you a doctorâs note. Dr. Bolder recommends lots of bed rest. Who could argue with that?â
I felt the corners of my lips tugging upward. He was sure of himself but not in the condescending way of some men. He knew he was a 10. Maybe an 11.
We were exactly alike in that way.
I sauntered over to him. âIâll make it up to you tonight after Ellenâs party.â I brushed my lips over his with a light hand resting on his heated chest and then, with strength I didnât know I had, rose and headed to the restroom to freshen up.
I stared at my reflection, assessing the state of my tangled red hair and frowning slightly. In truth, I felt annoyed that Brandon wanted me to simply skip a work meeting. But just a bit. Whenever I found myself even slightly annoyed with anything about him, I reminded myself I was looking too hard for flaws. Because he must be too good to be true. He must.
Because Brandon Bolder was, as much as any man could be, perfect.
And I had dated a string of assholes for so long, I couldnât even remember how long.
Four years.
Since him.
I ignored the tiny voice, barely even a whisper, in my mind.
Men were jerks, but they were fun. And that was fine. Fun was all I needed.
Brandon was fun. Maybe he was even more.
***
âIâm having a really hard time finding anything wrong with this one, Viviana,â I said as I sifted through my friendâs closet. âHeâs, heâs âŚâ Unfortunately, my difficulty finding words was not only due to the topic. As much as Iâd tried to ignore it, Iâd developed a nasty cough as the day had progressed.
âYour soulmate?â Viviana said, a wide smile on her face. âAfter all these years, youâve finally found the one?â
I rolled my eyes, ignoring the tiniest whisper in my mind reminding me that, once upon a time, I had found the one.
No, I hadnât.
âThatâs so cheesy, Viv. Itâs not like 26 is so old. But I find thatââ I paused, staring in the distance as intense eyes from the past stared back in my mind, against my will.
No, Iâd never found the one.
A cough rose up in my throat. âUh, Brandon, I find him soââ I started again hoarsely.
âSo perfect?â Viviana flashed an indulgent smile, as weâd had some version of this conversation more than a few times before.
âIâm actually finding it hard to spot anything wrong with him too, Iâll admit,â she continued. She seemed about to say more, but after I sneezed, she gave me a motherly look. âHey, donât cough all over my clothes now. Are you feeling OK?â
âOh, Iâm fine. Donât start your worrying thing. Just a tiny cough, probably just a touch of hay fever.â I didnât actually know what hay fever was exactly, but it was a common allergy, right? People had allergies in the spring, didnât they?
âAnnie, is Gregory coming?â
After blowing my nose as delicately as I could, I glanced at Viviana and grinned. She wasnât even trying to be subtle. She must have it bad for him. âAs if Brandon would go anywhere without him. Maybe I shouldnât be telling you this, but heâs just as keen on setting up you and Greg as I am. Brandon speaks well of you to Greg.â
âOh, I didnât realize ⌠well, then.â She looked away and laughed softly, though her warm brown eyes showed a touch of uncertainty. âI hope we live up to your expectations.â
âWe? Youâre speaking in âweâ now? That has to be a good sign,â I said with a grin as I sat next to her on the bed, outfit selection forgotten for the moment. âTell me everything! I promise I wonât cough on you.â
Viviana didnât speak at first and instead played with her wavy brown hair, and I frowned. It wasnât the first time I suspected she didnât really trust me. It was as though we werenât truly friends on an equal level but were still mentor/mentee as weâd been in college. Iâd been a junior who still hadnât chosen a major when we met, and Viviana had been in the masterâs English program. Weâd become fast friends as she guided me through my newly declared English major and capstone, among other things. Things Iâd prefer to forget.
âWell, there isnât much to tell,â she said at last. âGregory is Gregory. Rude, cold, but also unfairly hot.â We both laughed. He was definitely all those things and probably worse. He was a snob of the highest degree. But the hot/cold thing was kind of intriguing to her, I could tell. And I couldnât blame herâIâd probably be a bit smitten myself if Brandon hadnât occupied all my thoughts lately. âItâs justââ
I didnât hear the rest as I began to cough again.
Stupid, stupid cough.
I canât be getting sick. I just canât.
âAnnie, are you sure youâre OK to go out tonight? Iâm sure Ellen would be fine with you sitting this one out,â Viviana said, her brows furrowed as she searched my face, which likely featured a reddened nose and tired eyes by now. She picked up a water bottle from her nightstand and took a sip.
I scowled. âYouâre changing the subject. You know, youâre not as good at that as you think you are.â
She nearly spit out her drink and laughed. âWell, maybe, but you really do seem ill. I am starting to worry about you.â
âIâll be fine.â I walked back over to the closet, dodging the piles of clothes Iâd discarded on the floor because they werenât up to my party standards. âI would press you for more deets, but I need to focus. I wish we had time to go shopping. You just donât give me much to work with here, Viv. And Iâachoo!âI still have to do my hair, but we will continue this conversation later,â I warned. If I was going to find the perfect dress for my friend in this dated, minimalist wardrobe, I was going to need my full concentration and creativity. I sighed, looking again between the discarded heap and what remained in the closet before a series of sneezes overtook me.
***
Early on at the party, hosted at Ellenâs more than comfortable house in the neighboring city of Edina, Viviana looked increasingly concerned as my coughing worsened. She and Brandon traded looks before encouragingâno, commandingâme to go home.
âWe havenât even eaten yet,â I pouted, though I had no appetite. Honestly, I hadnât been able to taste or smell food all day. Viviana was right; I was feeling progressively worse, and it was becoming harder to hide it. But I couldnât bring myself to miss a party with my potential soulmate, could I?
âAnnie, babe, I think Vivâs right. You should call it a night. You look âŚâ When Brandon saw me blanch, he backtracked. âI mean, you look gorgeous as always, even sick, but you are sick. You should go home and get some rest.â
âOh, I couldnât possibly just abandon you. Iâm fine!â I protested with all the feeling I could muster.
âYouâre not, love,â he said. When he started massaging my shoulders, I couldnât think of anything but his warm hands. âGo homeâIâll bring you some chicken soup tonight after weâre done here.â His breath warm against my face, he added for my ears alone, âand maybe some more, uh, massage or other things I can do with my hands.â
Itâs a good thing my face was likely already reddened from all the sneezing and congestion. âOh, if you insist,â I said, biting my lip to hide a smile. I sighed and looked at Viviana, forcing the fuzzy-headed feeling to clear before I spoke. âBe sure to keep Brandon company. Maybe if youâre sober, you can give him a ride to my place afterward?â
Gregory appeared out of nowhere and offered to take Brandon home himself. âBrandon will be fine without you,â he barked. âGo home before you infect the rest of us.â
Although Brandonâs best friend was being a jerk as usual, Gregory was probably just protective of his friend. I ignored him and pulled Brandon close. âIâm going to miss you so much,â I whispered.
âWill you though? Youâll be passed out on cold medicine,â he said with a pouty expression and then chuckled. His hands roamed down my back until I giggled and pulled them away.
âNot now, hon. Germs, you know. We will have an epic makeup session when I feel better. Which will be tomorrow, if I have anything to say about it.â I wanted to kiss him but settled for a forehead nuzzle and stepped away reluctantly.
Sighing, Viviana mumbled, âProbably too late for that.â
âWhatââ I started to ask, but when I saw her glaring at Gregory, I shrugged. It wasnât worth interrupting whatever was going on between those two.
Sometimes perspective is everything, and Annie has found that out the hard way. One day she has a good career, a hot boyfriend, and great friends. The next day she realizes that sheâs settled for a career that she isnât passionate about, has more of a âsituationshipâ than a relationship, and a falling out with her best friend.
After throwing herself a pity party, she realizes she needs to start fresh - starting with finding a job that sheâs passionate about. Sheâs putting herself first and nothing can stop her. Until she runs into Kylan, the one that she let get away. And of course, as fate would have it, his agency just acquired the agency where Annie was just hired. How can she possible start over when she has to face her one regret from the past everyday?
Austen Persuaded is the second book in the series and I love the inspiration behind it, as I did was with the first book. Despite Annieâs initial reluctance to come to terms with how things ended up in her life, I appreciated her determination and passion when she finally recognized that things needed to change. I loved the focus of putting yourself first and finding what makes you happy, rather than trying to find someone to provide that happiness for you.
I did appreciate that the book wasnât focused solely on Annieâs love life, and that there was a gap between things ending with Brandon and Kylan coming back into her life. It allowed her the time she needed to rediscover herself without getting sucked into a whirlwind romance. That being said, the genre for this book is romantic comedy, but it didnât really feel all that romantic until the end. I wish there was more interaction between Annie and Kylan, and more insight into their past relationship. I also liked Kylanâs character and would have enjoyed seeing more of him.
Overall, I think this was a fun read with an important theme of finding your own happiness rather than depending on someone else to provide it for you. This likely isnât for readers who have their hearts set on a full blown romantic comedy, but it is definitely worth the read.