This is the first book I’ve read by this author, I thought it was brilliant. It was a great story with likable characters. I thought that the cover was nice and bold, which made a change.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

One of they key differences between this book and many other romances I read is that the woman is the one in a position of power in the relationship. Not only is it Sam that instigates a conversation with Ryan initially. She’s the one that sets out how their relationship plays out after that.

Throughout the book we read how Ryan is feeling, and it’s strangely insecure. Being a girl, I don’t know if many guys feel like this in relationships, but it was great to have such a strong male lead who was also so in touch with his emotions and what he wants from a relationship. While also being honest with himself about how he truly feels rather than trying to hide behind walls.

In many ways I respect what Sam has achieved and sympathise with what she’s had to go through thanks to Damien. Yet I also think she was a little silly to get involved with someone she worked with. Something my dad always told me growing up was to never get involved with someone I worked with because society always makes the woman out to be worse off.

At the same time, if you’re falling for someone that hard why should you have to deny your heart?

And then my logical business brain switches on being like “aren’t there laws against this in England?” coz I know there are here in Australia. Even for small businesses like Sam’s.

The way Kathryn wrote about both Ryan and Sam’s emotional turmoil and their insecurities kept me enraptured the whole way through. I kept wondering when they’d finally talk openly and honestly, what would happen after they’d done that? Would Ryan keep working for Sam? If he did, how would their relationship end up?

Rather than trying to sort through that minefield I think Kathryn did the right thing for the story and left it on a high. But also open for the reader to decide how they want their love story to play out. Does it end up a fully open office romance? Does it go down in flames? Is it a fairy-tale ending?

Who knows? You get to pick what you want!

Sam, upset after her grandfather passes away, talks the ear off of the guy next to her at the bar. They end up back at her place and when she wakes in the morning, he's gone. When she gets to work and meets her new employee, she finds out it's the guy from last night, and his name is Ryan. Will they be able to move past the employee/employer relationship and have a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship?

I loved this book. I love that the woman is the boss and the one with money. She's sassy and smart (and a redhead!), but she's also got her baggage and past.

Ryan is a sexy, brooding guy with a past of his own.

When Sam gets to know Ryan, she finds out under that hard exterior shell, he's actually a really understanding, sweet and observant guy.

This book was fun and sexy. It had good side characters and aside from the romance, a good story about a team of coworkers trying to keep their company afloat. I felt the characters had real life struggles and issues to work through.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book for a review.

While I loved the trope and the idea of this book, I didn’t love this one.
It was a light, easy read. Plenty of romance and steamy moments but I found the characters difficult to love. They seemed too set in their ways, unwilling to bend even a little bit. I also found the book had a bit too much conflict. When one issue seemed resolved, another would pop up in its place. It got a bit tiresome.
Overall, a decent read.

------‐-------Book Review--------------
The New Guy by Kathyrn Freeman
Sass-o-meter 4/5💜s - Great SASS
Released Date: 3/13
#thenewguy #NetGalley #harpercollinsuk #onemorechapter
------‐-------Quote----------------------
“‘Hey, your parents are fun. Well your mum is, anyway. Your dad looked like he wanted to have a poke around inside my head. See what made me tick.’ ‘He’d have to be either very brave or very stupid,’ she muttered. ‘True.’ He paused, his eyes searching hers, a small smile on his face. ‘Well then. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.’”
------‐------Description-------------------
Tag Line: She’s the CEO, He was the One Night Stand….

Sam Huxton doesn’t do one-night stands, especially not with men she’s just met! But the hot guy at the bar was hard to resist and one night is all they share – no names, no numbers, just some much-needed fun…

Until the same guy walks into Sam’s life the next day as her new employee. Sam never mixes business with pleasure and makes it clear an office fling with Ryan is off-limits. But after-hours…one thing can lead to another. Can Sam trust her heart and her business with the new guy?

-----------------Sassy Review---------------
Thank you @netgalley, @harpercollinsuk, and @onemorechapter for the advanced copy to provide my own sassy opinions.

I adore a good British romance book and this book delivered. And the banter 👍🏻👏🏻

Such a refreshing book when compared to some other new releases lately.

If you are looking for a real man following in love with a strong woman character then this book is for you!

Don’t get me wrong - I love a good romance that takes you away from your real-life problems - Amen. But this time I loved reading a romance that totally could happen to anyone in real life.

Not that I have picked up any one night stands….. Or a CEO of a company… but its the dialogue... Its what the characters go through … its how they weather the storm together that made it more REAL.

--------Sassiest character - Ryan---------
Qotd: What is your favorite pick up line?

A rom-com with a one-night stand and new employee! It's my introduction to a new for me author too. 

Sam Huxton has a shock when she returns to her office and meets the new guy, Ryan Black. Employed on her behalf by a trusted employee and friend, his job is to fix a problem within a new phone app they're developing at her company Privacy Solutions. Therefore it's a shock for everyone when they realise Sam had a one-night stand during her time away and it was with the new guy! It's awkward, but they agree to keep their distance from each other. That's until they can't bear to be apart.

What lacked for me is Sam's ability to come across as a convincing CEO at Privacy Solutions. I can understand her wanting to build a company with an enticing working environment, but the fact she's too close and friendly with all the staff took away the edge she should have had when making tough decisions. I liked Ryan Black because he's an underdog, looking to improve his current situation. He's flawed, but has good intentions… if only he could keep his temper under control. As a pair, the protagonists are mismatched but somehow manage to meander their way out of tricky situations. There's plenty to humorous dialogue and sizzling chemistry but not enough to convince me they are the real deal.

The highlights are the exchanges between Ryan and Lucas Baker. They're two very different men but find a common link to forge a friendship built on trust and respect. You'd not ordinarily expect to find this pair within the same company so it's admirable they look past their differences and focus on what's important.

The story finishes with a happy ending for Sam and Ryan although, if this couple lived in the real world, I don't feel confident their relationship would last a lifetime.

Overall, it's a soundly written novel full of details and paced to keep a reader invested within the narrative. The story didn't hit the spot for me, however, I enjoyed Ms Freeman's writing style and will definitely pick up and read another of her novels.

3.5 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of One More Chapter via NetGalley***

Sam is grieving the loss of her beloved "Grumps" and decides to drown her sorrows in the pub. Ryan has moved to London to start a new job at a software company. The pair meet whilst he is trying to escape the walls of his new flat. Sam being slightly inebriated starts to waffle to the handsome stranger that's sitting near her who couldn't really give a fig! Wanting to get out of his own head the pair end up going back to Sam's for a one night stand. Fast forward to the following day and Sam is getting ready to meet the new guy at work and is in for a shock when it turns out to be her mystery one night stand.
The start of this book really put me off. Ryan comes across as such a huge arse that his attitude just really turned me off this one. His attitude didn't really let up though out a huge portion of the book and I couldnt get past that. Aside from that I liked the office romance vibe especially as it was a female who was in charge for a change. I was really looking forward to this one but it was just OK for me

People talk about favorite romance tropes all the time...okay, well, scratch that...READERS talk about favorite romance tropes all the time, and while friends to lovers, second chance love, and small town romances are high rating on my list, an office romance can be pretty darn read worthy too! Take this one...

Two strangers meet, reluctantly on at least one of their parts, and have a one night stand that is a first for both of them. A night of passion later and boom...real world strikes again because wouldn't you know it? He's the new employee, and she's his boss. Oops. Well, they're adults...they can handle this...or they can handle each other, stumble along the way, and maybe come out better on the other side. You know, it could really go either way and with her unexpectedly posse of friends supporting her, Sam would probably come out the better or the two if it went sideways...though I'm not saying it does actually go sideways. That's for me to know and you to find out by taking a spin through the epages, but as much as I loved Sam (and friends), and absolutely LOATHED Lynch (total a**hat with a side of chips!), I couldn't quite bring myself to love our leading man, Ryan, either. For me, he was too surly...I just never felt that wall completely break down. I get it, it was a part of him, and it worked well enough for those in his life, but it proved to be a tangible barrier for me truly getting completely lost in the story like I wanted to.

So, all in all, still a rousing tale of broken hearts, techie subterfuge, and potential HEAs, but it was carried more so for me by our leading lady. She had her heart in the right place, and though guarded (with reason!), she wasn't afraid of letting it show. Word to the wise...there are a few scenes that are blush worthy, so adult readers is probably a good suggestion.

A classic rom-com, if ever there was one!
Imagine, being in a grief-stricken stupor, adding alcohol to it, and ending up at home with a hot stranger who leaves you wanting more, but disappears the next morning,
Then, finding out the next morning that said hot stranger is actually the new employee at your own company!
That is exactly what happens here and the ups and downs that ensure make for a great, addictive story!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter fort an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

The New Guy is another romance novel with the usual ingredients and expected plot. That said, I did still enjoy it. Though it was predictable, it was an easy read with an interesting premise. So if you want to read something without too much thought and effort, then this is the easy read for you.

Sam has come to a pub to drink away her sorrow's after her grandfather's funeral. Desperate to unload and talk to practically anyone, she unloads on a handsome stranger despite the fact he looks like he doesn't want to hear a word of it. This ends in a somewhat predictable one night stand though she always thought she wasn't the type to do that.

Fate it's last laugh however when Sam realises the man she slept with is her new employee and she now has to face him every day at work. He will be working for her and she's not sure how to contend the new power balance and for her new employee, Ryan, nothing seems to be going to plan. Nobody in the firm seems to like him and he can't seem to help himself from making it more awkward with his new boss.

You've got all the typical ingredients of an office romance and cliched read here. This is usually something I will probably enjoy but I just didn't connect with Sam at all. At times I felt like she needed a good friend shake her up and drag her out of her self! She's really insecure and doesn't come across as a CEO of her own business at all. I just felt like I was waiting for her to show her kick-ass CEO business woman side and it never seemed to happen.

Despite that, Ryan and Lucas were my favourite characters and their interactions were hilarious. It lightened the story every time they were both together.

This isn't a story which will change your life. It's a very standard romance with all the cliches going. That said, it's still enjoyable and light.

A quick and easy read with an interesting role reversal, with Sam being the CEO in the story.

Review will be posted onto my blog on Friday 20/03.

Sam Huxton is not a one-night stand type of woman, but she's having a horrible day, and she needs a distraction. Shes' drowning her sorrows in a pub when she decides to take a walk on the wild side with a hot, brooding grump in a leather jacket. Their chemistry is off the charts, but they agree to one night, no names, no numbers.

But things go awry the next day when the new guys turns out to be Sam's new employee. Ryan is the programmer that she hopes is going to rescue her new app launch, and she has a strict no-mixing-business-with-pleasure rule after things went very badly with her ex.. Ryan is off-limits. But with their blazing chemistry, how long can that really last?

On paper, it seems Sam and Ryan are polar opposites. Sunshine to his gloom, Sam eventually pulls Ryan out of his shell and he opens his heart and soul to her. All in all, this is a fun, smart and sweet romance.

This book was a cute, quick read. Will I remember it months down the line? Probably not. But it’s a great pallet cleanser between heavy books and worth the read! At first I was put off by how blunt Ryan was and found him to be pushing the line of being rude, but as I learned about his past and what makes him tick he started to grow on me.

Such a great romantic story about two people who meet at a bar and think their story ends with only one night. However, when they meet again the next day at work they realize that their story is only beginning.
In most of the office romances the man is always in the position if power so it was interesting to read a story where the roles are reversed. I think this book touches on a lot of importan topics as self belief, accomplishing your goals and being successful even when you have to fight for it.
I am sure people who enjoy rom-com movies will enjoy it because I totally imagined this as a movie in my head. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

This one is both sweet and series and about a lot more than an “office romance.” The trope is forced proximity between a high-powered female boss and a grumpy/nerdy hero. This is an endearing read and about overcoming insecurities.

Blurb: Sam and Ryan have a one night stand without even knowing each other’s names. So when Ryan walks through the door of his new job, low and behold, there stands Sam, his new boss. The two have to learn to navigate a working relationship and decide if they can forget their one night of wild sex and be just friends.

I really loved the role reversal in this one and how the female was in the power position and the guy was the insecure, quiet one. There is almost no steam, which is surprising based on the fact that it starts out with a one night stand.

The beginning was a little slow moving for me, but Ryan ended up winning me over. The author did an awesome job of making the plot about so much more than romance. This one is about overcoming obstacles and believing in yourself. It’s an honest and realistic portrayal of office romance and how love can make a way.

This is the first book I've read from Kathryn Freeman and I'll definitely be reading more of her work in the future.

The New Guy is such a fab rom-com. I haven't read one for a while but when I saw this I just knew I had to read it.

Sam was my absolute favorite. She was brilliant.

Ryan... That guy took a little time to warm up to as he was a little bit of a grumpy bugger lol.

If you enjoy office romances I'd definitely recommend this one

3.5 stars.
The New Guy was a great rom-com. It’s exactly what I needed to get out of my book funk. The female lead was my favorite part of the story. She was awesome. The male lead took some warming up to get me to enjoy him. He was just such a grump. If you are looking for an office romance, I definitely recommend. It’s nice to see the woman having the power.

Kick-ass female CEO of a successful tech company. Heck yes! And then she sleeps with one of her employees and completely throws off the power dynamic and turns it into a pretty disturbing story in my opinion. It just feels a bit off to me, especially since I’m a teacher and I have a strong sense of wrongness when it comes to these types of relationships. On some moments I did like the two of them together, but then I remembered the situation and was put off a bit again.

There’s a lot of back-and-forth between the two main characters, Sam and Ryan. They meet before either of them knows they‘re going to be working together, and I liked their witty banter in the beginning. Eventually it just ran on for too long, though. I was annoyed at their behaviour and wanted them to just decide whether they were going to be together or not. Both of them jump to conclusions about the other very quickly, which creates tension between them again and in turn just annoys me. Ask each other what you mean, instead of just assuming the worst each time!

One of the parts in the book that I did really enjoy reading about were the workings of the tech company called Privacy Solutions. Like I said before, I’m a teacher and I work with programming students each day. I recognised many of the issues that Ryan had to deal with while developing the app from the classroom, which is fun to see.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad book to read, there were just a few things that didn’t sit so well with me. In the end, I am happy that Sam and Ryan ended up together, however the circumstances are still nog my cup of tea.

After burying her beloved grandfather, Sam decides to do something she normally wouldn't do: have a one night stand. But when that one night stand turns out to be her new employee, Ryan, Sam is in big trouble. Ryan is bad-tempered, too honest, and anti-social, but he's also really good at his job. Ryan is trying his hardest to help Sam save her company - but will it be enough? And can he get over his insecurities so he can be with Sam?

I enjoyed reading this book - the characters were fun and likeable, and the premise was interesting. It was a quick read, and it definitely was something that I looked forward to reading on my lunch break and when I got home from work.

Ryan initially comes off as a giant asshole, but quickly won me over with his hidden kindness and dedication to honesty. Also, it was sort of refreshing to see a man have the bulk of insecurities in a relationship rather than a woman.

There were a few odd POV shifts with no formatting to suggest a change - hopefully this is just something wrong with the digital copy and not something that will make it to the final book.

A great romcom , flirty fast paced fun from page one to end, I loved Ryan so much, took me longer to connect with Sam, but they are great relatable characters, well written and a fun story. I wish there was a bit more afterwards, more about them, like an epilogue, but a great book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Sam is in a pub, she has just left her Grandfather's funeral. She is missing him and the time she should be spending with her family, but her business needs her to be back. The guy sat next to her id brooding and not that unattractive and so she starts chatting to him. He eventually listens to her chatting away and one thing leads to another and a one-night-stand. A steamy opening for this book to say the least!!!

Sam arrives to work the next day to meet her newest employee who has been hired while she was away to help with programming her latest app. In walks Mr One-night-stand!

This was such an enjoyable book to read, high on the sultry and the sexual tension to say the least. Sam is reluctant to so start a new relationship as her last one left her with issues of trust. The New Guy, his name is Ryan by the way, it is not exactly a team player. It is not that he is untrustworthy, or unscrupulous, but he is wary of people. He is a loner and you soon get to work out why as the story unfolds.

The story is like a back to front romance, first the sex and the relationship. Now, this is a relationship that neither says they want but the sexual tension between them is definitely there.

The author has done a wonderful job of creating a story that has a good theme of trust and friendship within a working environment, Sam sees her employees not as employees but as trusted friends. Ryan by way of his nature is so different from the rest of the characters and it was great to see him gradually warm to them and engage with them. The banter between them all covers barbed sarcastic comments, innuendos and just general fun.

I really enjoyed this book and what a steamy opening, the story then emerged to be very enjoyable as Sam tries to get her business venture up and running. Sneak peeks into the lives of the other characters was good but the main focus is on Sam and Ryan and I loved it.

A bit of a mix of rom-com and contemporary romance that I was hooked to and found to be a right riveting read and I would definitely recommend it.