My Thursday afternoon meeting was a no show. Imagine my surprise when a drenched, flustered brunette slipped into the booth across from me, acting like she was supposed to be there.
When she slipped back out with a snappy goodbye, I never thought I’d see her again.
Until I walked into my Friday morning meeting.
At first, I didn’t recognize her—she was dry this time. But from the look on her face, she recognized me.
When she gave the worst pitch I’ve ever sat through, I thought my boss, and mentor, was going to show her the door—except he accepts the proposal and tells me we have to work together.
I didn’t anticipate I would like her, let alone be interested in her. Sure, she was hot and sassy.
But something about her rubbed me the wrong way.
And yet I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
So, when she leaves the room and her phone chimes with a new text, I knew I wasn’t supposed to look.
I also knew I wasn’t supposed to cancel her date for later that evening.
And I definitely knew I wasn’t supposed to delete the entire exchange, so she had no idea what I’d done.
But I did. And then I showed up at the restaurant, pretending like this was all a big coincidence.
When the date is over, I want more. I need more.
We start pretend-dating because she needs practice, and I tell myself, New York’s most eligible billionaire bachelor, that this is just a bit of fun.
What could possibly go wrong?
| Title: | Mister Manhattan |
| Author: | Alexandria Sure |
| Series: | Cocky Hero Club |
| Pages: | 269 |
| Category / Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Enemies to Lovers Office Romance |
| Point of View: | First Person, Past Tense, Dual Viewpoint (H & h) |
| Location: | New York & Michigan, USA |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 14th February, 2021 |
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A good time read
I seem to continually be drawn to the Cocky Hero novels set in the world of Stuck-Up Suit despite never having read that original book. Mister Manhattan is also based in that world but like all the Cocky Hero Club novels, it stands completely alone with its own couple and HEA.
This story centres on Jurnee Messer – a girl from Michigan who finds herself in New York for the first time and plans to make the most of every second. Not only is she planning to visit all the sights of the city, but she’s pitching her business idea to a powerful investor and getting her dating groove back by heading out on blind dates.
That first blind date is with Anderson Douglas. He’s gorgeous. He’s got secrets and he’s the rudest, most arrogant man Jurnee has ever come across. When the pair find themselves working together, they soon find that it might not be irritation that they’re feeling towards each other, but something a little more permanent.
Jurnee was a likeable character and while she was ditsy and a bit of a hot mess, she was also strong, sassy and principled. She never came over as a stereotypical country girl in the city but I do feel that I didn’t get to know her as much as I could have. She was a little insecure as her relationship with Anderson progressed but as I didn’t feel like I really knew her deeply, this didn’t irritate me as much as it normally might. And I suppose I should mention her more than unusual name – pronounced like ‘journey’. At first I was all grumpy as I hate a ridiculous name in a story – but I honestly got used to it and I quickly forgot that it wasn’t even a real name after a chapter or so!
“I couldn’t bring myself to skip any part of it as I just wanted to read.”
It took me a lot longer to warm up to Anderson after our first meeting. I quite like cocky. I don’t mind arrogant. But I hate rude. And Anderson was rude. Needlessly rude. Luckily for him, we slowly get to know him and while his attitude was never explained, I did forget about it as he seemed to become someone different when with Jurnee. He was a bit of a softy where she was concerned and it was quite sweet to see. In the end, I admit that I liked him!
As a couple, I enjoyed Anderson and Jurnee and felt they had good chemistry. Sadly, while we get a couple of kisses, they are described very matter of factly and the sex is non existent. Our pair go for dinner and then it’s the next day and there’s a one-liner saying our pair slept together. A bit of a shame, really, as I would have liked a bit more heat.
The story didn’t really take the route I had expected and I found it a more meandering read with lots going on at all times. Sometimes this led to confusion as who was saying and doing what and what was even happening. Similarly, we’re kept in the dark as to Anderson and his friends which left me feeling a little in the dark for a good part of the book. As with our main characters, I didn’t feel we ever went deep enough to really understand every little thing in the story – which was another shame.
So why did I give this book 4 stars even with my complaints? Well, it was such a good time. I couldn’t bring myself to skip any part of it as I just wanted to read. And now that I’m done, I admit to being a little disappointed that I don’t get to read just a little more of the story. What else am I looking for in a story than to be entertained? Not much. 4 stars from me.
Alexandria Sure is from Michigan and adores her supportive family, her two rescue pups, and her mighty Spartans. Her coffee obsession leads her to writing in local coffee shops where characters come alive between salted caramel lattes and large cups of “cold brew extra cream two Splenda,” which are usually on the counter when she walks in because the baristas know her car. (Thanks, Biggby!)
When she is not writing, she spends a great deal of her time perfecting her craft. She is an active member of Capital City Writers Association and attends several writing conferences each year.
Sure’s first novel, Before Him Comes Me, is an unconventional romance of self-discovery, described by readers as “the first BDSM book with no sex.”
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Cocky Hero Series:
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