Bossy Mr. Frosty

So this was an enjoyable read. An employee and boss romance that played out rather nicely. I enjoyed how bold Rylan was in knowing what he wanted and going for it, even if that happened to be his boss. But what made the story most interesting was how Adrian was dealing with emotions new to him. It was simply fun to read. But the closer it got to the end the more it started to feel less fun.

This book relied on the ever overused ‘he doesn’t really want me,’ or the ‘I know it’s all going to end trope to create some sort of weird tension in the end. It’s done so much I wonder if authors ever consider that it’s okay to have a HEA without some sort of forced situation at the end. It’s perfectly reasonable a guy as busy as Adrian might not have time for flirtations. It’s also perfectly reasonable that when someone says they want all of you, and says they can’t see themselves living without you that they might actually mean it.

When Ryland was all ‘I know it won’t last’ the first time I was slightly annoyed. The second a bit more, but that was it for me. Anymore mentions or leanings towards this idea, considering all of Adrian’s actions gave zero hints or opportunities for this line of thinking, pretty much lost me. Maybe if, for once, one of the people in these romance novels actually behaved, acted or even hinted that the HEA wasn’t coming I’d be on board. However, authors seem to almost go out of their way to make it so obvious not one, but both characters really really want this. This in turn makes it feel so forced trying to end the book on some sort of miscommunication drama that drops you right out of the steamy, and if I do say so perfectly executed insta-love. And I don’t even like insta-love.

It’s safe to say, that the ending did not sit well with me because I was already set up to not enjoy it when Rylan was lamenting how their fun one-off weekend, which Adrian gave no indications of it being a one-off quite the opposite really, was over and it was back to the real world. So when it played out I was just reading to finish since it was barely three pages or so left.

Leaving on the high of them being together and shooting straight to the end that happens after an also overused jealous rage trope would’ve kept the energy high and left the story on that steamy flirtatious I want more emotion. Instead, I was left with a dramatic scene of tension and ill-placed conclusion jumping and miscommunication that took the high out of my high.

The book still gets four stars because, before the end and without Rylan bringing up how this relationship was doomed a few times, this was a good light read. Which was exactly what I came into it for so on that end it was satisfying.