Tabs’ review of Mr. Hotshot CEO (Kwan Sisters, Book 2) by Jackie Lau
Contemporary Romance published by Jackie Lau Books, 10 Jul 18
When Julian Fong’s family forces him to take a two-week vacation and he fails spectacularly on only day two, he impulsively asks a woman in a coffee shop savoring her latte if she’ll teach him how to have fun. There are a metric ton of romance novels out there where a spirited young woman teaches a reluctant billionaire to loosen up. This book, however, subverts the usual execution with a pair of Chinese-Canadians in their thirties, a heroine whose clinical depression has taught her to savor life’s small pleasures, and a workaholic hero who took on the helm of the family business at too young an age and needs to find a work-life balance before he runs himself right into the ground.
Trigger Warning: This story is told in first person alternating POV and the POV of someone in the midst of a depressive episode could be triggering for some readers.
Courtney Kwan doesn’t think she’s qualified to be anyone’s manic pixie dream girl, but when Julian offers to pay her for her time and they establish boundaries for said time, she agrees to help. Pineapple buns, walks in the park, lewd cacti, and quietly reading in lounge chairs then commences. Julian and Courtney, of course, fall totally in love while both insisting they can’t have a relationship because of past experiences.
This book is fun and breezy, but it also deals frankly with clinical depression in a way I wasn’t expecting. Courtney’s been managing her mental health for many years, so she’s in a place where she understands what does and does not work for her. She’s also come to the conclusion that romantic relationships aren’t something she can have. The risks are too high and the stress on a partner too much. She falls hard for Julian, but can the two of them really work out?
I really enjoyed this book. I did think that the editing could have been tighter in spots and there was some unnecessary repetition, but those aren’t deal breakers for me if the voice is strong. The characters all spoke to me and I was happy to keep reading about their adventures. I enjoyed the previous book, Grumpy Fake Boyfriend, as well, and I really hope that Lau plans to write stories for Julian’s younger brothers. What will their grandmother threaten them with? I really need to know.
Grade: B+
Summary:
As CEO of Fong Investments, I’m a busy man. In fact, my family claims I’m an obsessive workaholic, and when they force me to take two weeks off, I have no idea what to do with myself.
While brooding over an espresso, I meet Courtney Kwan, a biomedical researcher who savors the little things in life. And, suddenly, an idea strikes me—I will pay this woman to teach me how to enjoy my vacation from work.
Soon, I find myself doing crazy things like baking cookies, reading for pleasure, buying a phallic cactus, and falling in love. But Courtney is dealing with some serious issues of her own, and I fear that when I return to work, I won’t be able to give her what she needs, and I’ll lose her forever…
No excerpt available.
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