Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Beauty and the Brooding Boss by Barbara Wallace
Contemporary romance published by Harlequin Romance 01 Mar 11
I swear I see the words “beauty” and/or “beast” anywhere on the cover of a romance novel and I go completely Pavlovian. So while trolling around the Harlequin web site, looking to fill my virtual shopping basket with digital goodies, it’s no wonder that I was drawn to Wallace’s latest for Harlequin Romance.
Kelsey Albertelli needs an infusion of cash, so when she’s offered the job to be Alex Markoff’s assistant, at a hefty salary, she jumps at the offer. However, she soon learns she probably should have asked a few questions about her future boss before saying yes.
Alex Markoff is a literary superstar, having written a blockbuster book that captivated darn near everybody. However the fame, a failed marriage to an actress and the media glare have chased him to the Berkshires, where he’s living like a hermit. His editor has been after him about finishing his long overdue next book (“breach of contract” has been mentioned more than once) and a hiking accident has left him with a broken arm. Now he’s stuck with an assistant he doesn’t want, all because his book is late and he can’t type the manuscript (Alex writes his books out longhand).
What we have here is pretty standard Beauty & The Beast fare. Alex is grouchy, grumpy, and annoyed that the world won’t leave him alone. Kelsey is also a bit of a loner, having adopted a nomadic lifestyle from a young age, after being dealt a crappy set of cards. Eventually these two find themselves attracted to each other, thanks in large part to their similarities.
Unfortunately the romance took a while to cook for me, and I never really fell in love with it. Alex is grumpy for a little too long, and by the time these two begin spending a reasonable amount of time together, there wasn’t enough on the page to fully commit me to their romance. Also it’s hard to sympathize with Alex’s “invasion of privacy” when he married a bloody actress! What did he think he was signing up for? For her part, I thought Kelsey’s backstory was interesting, until the author clues the reader in on why she needs the hefty salary Alex’s publisher is paying. Self-sacrificing heroines are a dime a dozen in the genre, but Kelsy’s “reasoning” on why she has to pay back the debt strains the seams considerably.
Still, this is a nice story that offers a pleasant reading diversion. There is enough here to entice me to give Wallace another whirl, and the Berkshires setting is done with a loving touch. I’ve read better, but I’ve also read much worse.
Grade: C
Summary:
Working for reclusive author Alex Markoff sounded like Kelsey Albertelli’s dream job…until she met her new boss. Alex might be movie-star handsome, but his gruff grouchiness makes it clear that Kelsey is not exactly welcome.
Kelsey’s a fighter and she refuses to tiptoe around a man who clearly needs looking after, even if he’s too stubborn to admit it! As cracks gradually appear in Alex’s forbidding exterior, for the first time Kelsey feels dangerously close to belonging. Can she hope for her own happy-ever-after…?
