The Boss of Her: Office Romance Novellas

This disappointing anthology collects three unremarkable workplace romance novellas. In Rey’s tepid “Lead Counsel,” lawyer Elisa is forced to work under Parker Jones, with whom she had a regrettable one-night stand in college. The two women don’t take long to dive back into mutual attraction, but the tension mostly stems from Elisa’s hot-and-cold behavior, and too much of the novella is spent on depictions of office work. Cannon’s “For Your Eyes Only” is a hot mess, beginning with two long and largely identical sections from each of the heroines’ points of view. CFO Riley meets a stripper named Jess and immediately becomes obsessed, hiring her for multiple private dances. Inconsistent characterization, a thin plot, and clunky descriptions make this painful to read even without the predictable plot twist. The writing is better in Ulrich’s “Opportunity of a Lifetime,” but the story struggles. Mean, work-obsessed boss Stephanie is cruel and abusive to her new assistant, Luca, who predictably wears her down with cheerful goodness. The concept of this collection is great, but the execution falls sadly short. (Apr.)