FREE READ Office Grump (Bad Chicago Bosses, #1)
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a fierce and hilarious office romance where two sworn enemies make undeniable lovers.
My “interview” with bosshole supreme was anything but normal.
He picked the worst day ever to chase me off my favorite park bench.
I retaliated with a spray of cinnamon latte all over his Italian shoes.
Then—for some unholy reason—Magnus Heron offered me a job.
Even his name sounds like a piece of work.
Guess what? He is.
But when you're single, broke, and barely surviving in Chicago, you hop on the gift horse offering a six-figure salary and ride.
I picked the stallion on a one-way trip to hell.
It's not the impossibly long hours working under Grump-zilla.
It's not the fact that he's snarly, demanding, horribly rich, and chiseled.
It's not even the pesky way he makes me blush every flipping time we're together.
Mag is my boss. I'm his lowly assistant. Some rules are carved in stone.
That's my mantra until we're sharing a sunset too beautiful for life.
Alone with wandering lips, whispered secrets, and disaster in the making.
The plan was simple: punch the clock, get paid, and keep hating my boss.
What's the blueprint when the office grump brings me to my knees?
Full-length enemies-to-lovers romance with the banter, intrigue, and slow-burn love worthy of a Happily Ever After. The bossman from Hades meets the hellion he totally can't stand—until he can't live without her.
Office Grump (Bad Chicago Bosses, #1)
When I started Office Grump, I like it. I thought this is the book that finally nailed it. The banter, the explosive chemistry are just so good and funny. Miss Snow had the talent to start her story well.
Alas, as the story progresses, that's where everything went downhill. There are too much plot/ focus/ twist/ explanation tjat derailing the romance. To be honest somewhere in the middle I got bored.
Anyway, it is still an OK book.
3 stars Kindle Edition
She intrigues me in a way no woman ever has. I knew it the second she baptized my shoes in cinnamon latte.
Once in a while I like to take a risk and buy a random book off Amazon and I'm so glad I took a chance on this author because Office Grump ticked all of my boxes! It was the perfect office rom-com I was in the mood for. The sizzling chemistry, hilarious banter and slow burn romance made this read so addictive! How is it possible that I’ve never read anything by Nicole Smith before?? Her writing style was so on point, it hurt my soul to put this book down and do actual work…
♡ Plot:♡
It’s Friday the Thirteenth…
Sabrina Bristol (23) is a graphic designer who’s barely getting by in big town Chicago. After being let go from her job and stood up on a Tinder date, she decides to treat herself to a cinnamon latte and plop down on a park bench.
Used to getting what he wants, the insufferable CEO of Heron Communications, Magnus Heron (31), asks her (none too kindly) to get off the park bench for his company’s photoshoot. Completely unimpressed by his lack of manners, Sabrina fires back. And before they know it, their heated exchange leads to her spraying her coffee all over his expensive shoes.
After the impression she leaves with him, Magnus gets his HR manager to track her down and hires her to be his executive assistant, a job that no one seems to be able to keep due to his tyrannical slave driver ways.
Without much choice and rent day looming near, Sabrina begrudgingly accepts the offer. What ensues after is both simultaneously the most hilarious and endearing CEO/Assistant rom-com I’ve read in a while.
♡ Characters♡
“I can’t say I really like the forced socializing. It felt like high school on steroids.”
Sabrina was a feisty hellion. I loved her so much! She's a little quirky, superstitious and incredibly strong willed. Her witty and spitfire personality had me bursting in laughter the whole time. Nothing beats reading about a heroine you would totally love to befriend. Sabrina was also a really strong heroine; I really admired her drive to prove people wrong while not letting others overstep their boundaries. I also love how she took care of her parents. Sabrina was just such a fantastic character through and through.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED the hero! If you look up “bosshole” in the urban dictionary, you’d probably find Magnus listed there. He’s a grumpy workaholic with a stick up his butt. Despite his egotistical and assholish behaviour, Magnus was such a lovable character. Beneath his hard-ass exterior, he had a strong set of beliefs he adhered to. One of them being his determination to not fall into the footsteps of his scumbag father.
Office Grump had many wonderful secondary characters too. I really loved Sabrina’s dynamic with her parents. Her mum and dad were just so adorable, living in their little hobbit hole of a house! Her mom, a romance writer, was such a scene stealer with her weird romance stories. Crack up! Sabrina’s friend/roommate, Paige, was an interesting character. She was just as feisty Sabrina, if not more, and I can’t wait to read her book.
♡ The Romance♡
Meanwhile, Sabrina Bristol glares at me like she’s holding an invisible cigarette she’d love to stab out on my forehead.
I really enjoyed Magnus and Sabrina’s haters to lover’s romance. The moment I read their meet-cute I just knew I would love this book. The constant banter and the sassy emails between the pair made this book such an unforgettable experience. The way they clashed and fought each other was basically a drawn-out game of foreplay. I love that Sabrina was so unimpressed by Magnus’s appalling attitude and that she didn't swoon at his feet despite the hot chemistry. Even when she saw how impressive Magnus could be, she rolled her eyes at his delusions of grandeur and was always knocking him down a few pegs.
“What the hell is on your laptop? You can’t come to executive meetings looking like a college sophomore. Is that sticker supposed to be garlic?”
“Yep. Garlic wards off evil spirits and vampires. Like my boss, for one.
The alternating dual POV was a great choice for this story because watching Sabrina and Magnus try to figure each other out was so amusing. I LOVED THE WAY THAT Magnus was enamoured with Sabrina from the very beginning. Despite his grumpy and offhandish ways, when he falls, he falls hard! Before he could even register, Sabrina had changed his stone-cold heart. He was always doing little things for her, constantly aware of her comforts. Even though he was such a hard-ass, he made sure Sabrina always had her favourite cinnamon latte and pastries – SO CUTE AND THOUGHTFUL!
“Don’t forget I know my place, too. I’m so fucking yours forever, Brina Heron, and it’s the only place I was ever meant for.”
The sweet moments between them were also incredibly tender. The slow burn was perfect; it was slow but not agonizingly slow. There was a substantial amount of time for Magnus and Sabrina to build a solid foundation which I always appreciate. If you ask me, their romance was *chef’s kiss*
♡ Other thoughts / Criticisms:♡
Okay, so this book was CHUNKY – 478 pages to be precise. Did it need to be that long? Honestly, I didn’t mind the length because I loved the back-and-forth banter between Sabrina and Magnus, but I do feel like the story lost its momentum around the three-quarter mark. Magnus being assholish got a little old because it broke my heart to see Sabrina get hurt like that BUUUUUT it did make for some pretty good grovelling. I loved it when he got all jealous thinking Sabrina had moved on.
There was quite a bit of drama regarding Magnus’s dad and other scandals which was heavily skimmed over in the end. I also thought that this book would focus more on the forbiddenness of a relationship between a CEO and an EA but it doesn't. I didn’t quite buy into some of the workplace matters so this book definitely requires a willing suspension of disbelief. But I mean, I got my perfect epilogue and HEA, so who cares? (Also, if I really had to nitpick, I hate the cover. Seriously, don't be staring into my soul like that...).
Overall, I loved Office Grump. I’m so glad I took a chance on this author because it paid off! If you’re in the mood for an all-consuming office romance with lots of wicked banter and an intense slow burn romance, definitely add this book to your TBR! Now… I’m off to binge Snow’s backlist! Apparently she writes small town romances too… And ya’ll know I’m a fan.
Rating: 4.75/5 Kindle Edition 3.5 stars
i wish i could get a high paying job as easily as spitting my latte on some hotboss CEO’s fancy ass shoes.
She gave me faith. She gave me fire. Then she reached down inside me and gave me back that crumpled rose in my rib cage I thought would never bloom again.
this book was a lot of fun. it was very romcom movie-esque, complete with the corny public grand gestures. i give my respect for the MCs’ workaholic-ness. their banter was amusing. loved that the heroine was a spitfire and didnt cower from the hero despite the age difference and their position as boss vs. assistant. on the other hand, i also felt like she was too willing and forgiving. she never at least TRIED to stop his advances. whenever he had family issues and took his frustration out on her, she was still worried for him.
meanwhile, as much as i was living for it, i also got tired of the hero’s hot and cold behavior. the grovelling was great and LOL entertaining. however, i felt like his asshole-ness never really changed through a meaningful character development. it was more like the author had decided he had messed up enough times, so she made the heroine dumped him, and it was time to wrap it up with some chick flick worthy grovel and ride off to the sunset HEA. not saying that there werent moments when he was being sweet, sexy, and thoughtful.
the forbidden relationship aspect was a little unconvincing. though i suppose it couldve been worse and messier. but then, maybe i was also hoping for a bit more drama??? i didnt like how the hero handled it—hiding, not telling HR and making official statement sooner. the fact that it took him some lecturing to go after the heroine, nothing wrong with it but also proved she deserved better imo. on another note, the side characters were lovely. i enjoyed all of their page time. overall, my issues notwithstanding, i liked this more than i didnt.
“Don’t forget I know my place, too. I’m so fucking yours forever, Brina Heron, and it’s the only place I was ever meant for.”
if you liked this book, i HIGHLY recommend:
↠ By a Thread Kindle Edition I originally DNF'ed this when the typical hero f-up happens. Enemies to lovers? Boss and assistant? The hero's gonna f up. And it was just as typical and expected and done a million times before. So yeah, I rolled my eyes really hard and quit.
But then I got curious...
And wasted the rest of my day.
What bothers me the most is that Magnum douche never really changes. He CONSISTENTLY talks down to the h, insults her, tortures her and refuses to apologize or lower himself in any way for her. And she constantly goes back to him, asking if HE's okay and what SHE can do to make things better. He mistreats her and she's the one that grovels? I regret ever coming across this book.
2 stars just because there's no ow drama, this book managed to avoid at least that.
Also, I skipped ALL the sex scenes so I'm thinking the heroine wasn't a virgin? I hope she wasn't. I'm not sure why I couldn't read them. Maybe because I saw NO chemistry between these two and I wasn't interested in their sexy times. Kindle Edition 3.5 stars
All over the place review but here it is
I liked the main characters and I loved the fact that there was no OW or OM drama (except for that date the h had which I don’t really wanna consider one because he just ran off). H was different here he doesn’t date around much and as far as I know has been celibate for quite awhile.
I liked how their relationship was sometimes but unfortunately there was no chemistry.
I would say this is on the long side which I would have preferred it more to be 200 pages shorter but it is what it is.
I think the h deserved more because she was just so caring and giving and the H would get upset about something and take it out on her. I liked how she doesn’t take any shit from him though and is very strong.
The H had a kind side to him which was nice to see.
Overall I think this was a nice read and quite surprising because I expected to DNF this from the start. Kindle Edition
A hot, steamy and emotionally charged romance, this enemies to lovers, office romance will deliver in a big way.
Their first meeting leaves an impression on them both. Sabrina left hoping to never see his infuriating face again. One would think Magnus would run the other direction from the crazy he witnessed, however he respected her backbone. Most people cower before him and she was not even slightly intimidated. This unexpected run in may just be fate. She's newly unemployed and he's looking for a new executive assistant. Magnus may have just met his match.
Sabrina gets the offer to interview at HeronComm and cannot believe that it is real after her run in with the infamous Magnus Heron. But when the bills are stacking up, she makes the decision to go for it. A job opportunity she cannot walk away from, leaves her with a boss that is practically unbearable. He works her like a dog, but she rises to every challenge.
Magnus is known to be a workaholic that demands one hundred percent all the time. His past executive assistances usually run for the hills within the first month of employment. He'll push her as far as he can, but he never expects that while he pushes, his attraction to her just pulls him in.
Magnus and Sabrina are FIRE! She never backs down and he's just trying to keep things professional. When tensions run high, Magnus crosses that line between boss and employee and Sabrina is smitten. Keeping things professional in the office will not be an easy task. He's trying to escape the sins of his father, but he doesn't want to let her go. Life happens and the lines get blurred even further. She's the lifeline he needs to help him navigate his new responsibilities, but he's still working through his own baggage.
Magnus will have to get his priorities in order and lay it all on the line if he wants to win the girl.
I love a sexy office romance and this story brought the heat and the drama to keep you invested. Sabrina was a strong, capable heroine that rose to every occasion. She definitely held her own and earned Magnus' respect as well as his heart. Magnus was the grumpy, billionaire, CEO who needed to learn that there was more to life than just work. When he hired Sabrina, he gained more than an executive assistant. He finally got the family he deserved. A memorable read with humor, sass and a love that was worth fighting for. Kindle Edition Predictable and didn't have me laughing as I hoped but still made for an easy one time read. Some amusing moments.
Acquired via KU. Kindle Edition 4.75 grumpy-cinnamon latte-big hands stars
It’s been a while since I read a Nicole Snow book… what took me so long? Lol glad I finally got onto this series (fb book challenge accepted 👏🏻)
Sabrina (23) just lost her job. She’s down in her luck and feeling sorry for herself. So what does she do? Well, she goes and buys herself a cinnamon latte and goes to the park to reflect on her life. She’s enjoying her introspection when she’s asked to move because she’s blocking the shot of an important shoot. Does she care. Nope. She’s gonna enjoy her coffee, slowly, because she gives no f’s. But then, a handsome blue-eyed man demands that she finish her coffee so she can leave. So she does… and she does it the best way she can- by spitting what’s left of her coffee onto the man’s velvet (or suede) shoes 🤣😅.
Magnus (31) can’t believe the audacity of this woman. When he peeks at her work portfolio and sees she has experience with ads, plus she has a feisty personality, he decides to hire her. He keeps losing EAs and he needs one desperately. Plus, her salary is hundreds and thousands. She’ll take it 💁🏻♀️.
What I liked-
—that Magnus only has eyes for Sabrina. As soon as he hires her, he only wants her 👀. I also love that he’s not a manhooooar. It’s actually been a while since he’s been smexual- he’s so busy he doesn’t have time
—how feisty Sabrina (Brina) could be. She learns when the pick her battles and when she could question Magnus since he’s her boss, but she still manages to retain a backbone and not succumb to his grumpiness.
—the banter. I giggled a lot
”You know what they say about large hands?” he whispers, intetrrupting evil thoughts. “Huh?” My face heats. “No, what?” “All the better to handle large hoses,” he rumbles.
—the tension. From the beginning, there’s this rawness to their tension. I love chemistry-filled pages
His finger pumps in and out again, stroking against fragile, insanely sensitive places I didn’t know I had. I’m reeling. Wrecked. Thoughtless. “Mag, we shouldn’t—” “You worry too much. Let me help you stay quiet.” His lips seal mine shut and his tongue chases me into delirium.
—the smexy times. This is medium burn… and oh so delicious. Their first kiss is at 41% and full smexxy time by 62%. Magnus is ALL about pleasing Sabrina. He’s obsessed with her curvy body too 👀
—the grovel. Magnus messes up, so he needs to make up for his mistake. And Sabrina doesn’t give in easily 💁🏻♀️ 💅
—the side characters. From Ruby to Armstrong to Paige, shoot, even her parents were a delight
What I wanted more of:
—when Magnus messes up, I would’ve liked him to be a little bit more… ahem… aggressive 😅 in his apology. Maybe a little bit more… um… alpha👀? Lol
Overall, I loved it. I’m excited to read book 2
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd/omd
-H hasn’t had smex in a loooooong time
-no c0nd0ms/they’re both clean/she’s on the pill Kindle Edition Office Grump gave me all the bantering I could ask for and more!
In it, you will meet Sabrina and Magnus. She is very feisty and completely lovable. Honestly, I was completely in love with her personality the entire time. As for Magnus, oh man, I loved his boss-hole-ness as well. He's a very relatable grumpy workaholic in my eyes. He somehow, magically really, became a lot more likable once Sabrina came into the picture.
Now these two weren't the only lovable ones in my eyes. I loved Sabrina's family as well. They were just really adorable and always put a smile on my face. I felt bad for Magnus though since he didn't want to end up like his dad but since he was a stubborn asshole in so many people's eyes.. it was kind of hard. At least in the beginning.
Other than that, I really enjoyed seeing every tiny detail through their POV. Mostly because of the bantering - which was hilarious in my eyes. It made the romance easy to devour as well. The chemistry was there and the sexual tension was delightful. I think I just really enjoyed this book today and I can't wait to jump into the next book.
In the end, I'm definitely going to dive into the sequel. I just need more. So much more. Kindle Edition I've said it before, I'll say it again, enemies to lovers is only fun when the protagonists are equals, not when one has 100% of the power. I like that the heroine here isn't a doormat, but it doesn't change how incredibly lopsided the dynamic is. And beyond that, in an attempt to manufacture drama and keep the love/hate trope going, the hero is just insufferable.
And in case the author is reading her reviews - your math is badly off. Kindle Edition
