Book: His Personal Assistant
Series: Men of New York #1
Editor: R.E. Hargrave
Cover Artist: The Graphics Shed
Publication Date: January 26, 2018
Length: 257 pages
Reviewed by Meredith
Synopsis
At the tender age of twenty-one,
Kade Hutchins is at a crossroads, having endured enough hardship to last a
thousand lifetimes. With money tight and career at a standstill, he's running
out of time and options. The day he applies for a job that isn't exactly in his
field of expertise and meets his new boss, Mr. Preston, is the day his fate is
changed irrecoverably.
Luke Preston is the kind of man
others envy. Rich, successful and unattached, his no-nonsense, ‘take no prisoners
attitude’ has made him one of the highest profile litigators in Manhattan. He’s
also a man with secrets. Secrets he wants kept under wraps since tragedy rocked
his privileged existence to the core. When Kade, a man some fifteen years his
junior steps foot inside his office, Luke wonders if his heart will survive.
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Review
The blurb for this immediately drew me in. I loved the concept
of a spoiled rich man who had the world at his beck and call, hires a man who is
down and out and the complete opposite. Yes, opposites attract would be the
category I’d put this in. I want to say enemies to lovers but it just wouldn’t
work there. Why? Because Luke is the snobby boss who is truly the rude one
here. At no time is Kade mean to Luke. He tries countless times to reach the
heart he knows is buried in there somewhere.
I want to talk about Kade for a moment. This is an awesome
character. He was so warm and loving and when the time was right' strong and
steadfast. He loves his mother and is an amazingly loyal friend. I admired this
character a great deal from start to finish.
I can’t say the same for Luke. I didn’t like him for a good portion of this book. He
was very hot and cold for me. When we get his backstory we really begin to
understand why he is so closed off and scared. But I wanted more consistent
warmth from him. Kade gave him more chances than I would, I’ll tell you that.
There’s some romantic suspense, a little mystery, a few
tears, and a lot of heart in this story. You realize that there could never be
anyone else for Luke than Kade and in the end, all Kade is put through serves a
purpose.
You have to try to understand Luke’s character and trust
that they will get to their happiness.
This is book one of this series and I can see some
possibilities for other characters to get their stories. I’m looking forward to
more!
Excerpt
Brushing an errant piece of fluff
off my shoulder, I straightened the hem of my shirt and took a deep breath. Not
that it did much good. By the time the elevator doors opened on the tenth
floor, my nerves were beyond frazzled. With less than a minute to spare, I
stepped inside the plush, modern offices.
A striking woman sitting behind a
large reception desk greeted me, looking most business-like. What didn’t make
sense was the way she seemed ready to pounce the second she saw me. I was
surprised she didn’t fall flat on her face, considering she wore a pencil-thin
black skirt and high-heeled shoes and was on her feet and running toward me
like a crazy person.
“Thank God you’re here!”
“Um, what?” I took a wary step
backward. She was kinda scary.
“Please tell me you’re Kade
Hutchins.”
“Oh. Yes, I am.”
She held out her hand and when I
took it in mine, I was impressed by her firm, assured grip. “You have no idea
how relieved I am to see you.”
“Uh, thanks?” The warm smile she
gave in response made her round, hazel eyes sparkle. Her hospitable attitude
made me feel at ease in an instant, and I couldn’t help but grin back.
“The name’s Kimberly O'Connell.
I’m the paralegal around here.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Ms.
O’Connell.”
“Oh, please, I insist you call me
Kimberly.”
“Okay.”
Releasing her hold on me, she
pointed a manicured finger at the closed office door located behind the desk.
“Come on, Kade. Let’s get you in to see His Highness.” Covering her mouth, she
giggled.
“Who?” I stopped myself from
joining in, but it wasn’t easy. She had an infectious laugh.
“Luke Preston. The ass you spoke
to on the phone.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know whether it
was appropriate to agree with her or not, but decided it would be best to err
on the side of caution.
“Sorry about him, by the way.”
Kimberly knocked, before lowering her voice to a faint whisper, and adding, “I
had no idea he was going to answer the phone when I went to make his coffee. He
usually lets the machine pick up, but I didn’t think to switch it on since I
was only going to be gone a few minutes.”
The moment I let out a nervous
chuckle, the door to Luke Preston’s office flew open.
Tall and broad-shouldered, the
strong jaw, high cheekbones, and dark brown hair slicked back so not a lock was
out of place, coupled with the way his body filled out that navy suit, made
Luke Preston look more like a model than a lawyer. My guess was that he was in
his mid-thirties, but holy shit, did he wear it well. Startling emerald eyes
fringed by long, dark lashes stared at me with such intensity that, for a split
second, I forgot to breathe. His sharp features were softened by flawless, pale
skin and full lips so plush, I wondered what they would feel like pressed against
my own. In that briefest of moments, I knew I was in trouble as my head began
waging a war with my heart so fierce, I didn’t know whether to pull him in for
a kiss or run for my life.
All I could do was wait for him
to say something… anything to break the tension.
About the Author
L.
J. HARRIS is a mother, wife, an introvert and author. Her family is her life,
her soul, and the very reason she gets out of bed every day. Coming a close
second is her writing.
She
discovered a passion for putting pen to paper in her later years, jotting down
poems in birthday cards for family members.
It
was then a spark was lit, and ever since, she's been unable to switch off the
urge to share her stories.
L.J.
Harris discovered that as much as experiencing pain, loss and betrayal can be
devastating, capturing the feelings of anguish and loss that some of her
characters have had to endure without firsthand knowledge would have proved
difficult.
L.J.
has been previously published and has shared several online stories and looks
forward to continuing to share her work. She can be found at:
CONTACT LINKS:
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Thank you so much for this wonderful review :) Much appreciated!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new book. It sounds like an interesting read. Thank you for the review!
ReplyDeleteThanks booklovez! :) LJ
DeleteNice Post Thanks For Sharing
ReplyDeletePersonal Assistant