This was a gentle read centred around love, self-discovery and growing up.
Alice is living a life largely driven by others and is keen to be back in her workplace post COVID where she feels comfortable and has her own space. Like many of us, she craves the normality of it. This is disrupted by a new office organisation which sees her sharing her precious desk space. However, she comes to share that with Jamie whom she has observed from afar, despite a previous meeting.
We see them get to know each other via post it notes shared on the desk and I really felt like this bought Jamie to life and showed an endearing side to his character.
We see Alice begin to open up and think about changes that could be made in her life and relationships. Her development is heartwarming and the story becomes more engaging as she gains strength and self awareness. She becomes more three dimensional as a person and is easier to relate to.

Hot Desk had a cute premise but was fairly predictable (except for one major scene/crisis). Alice has been dying to get back to the office after working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, but discovers she’s now sharing a desk with her enemy/crush Jamie.

Their friendship begins through post-it notes and emails and it was sweet and adorable. It was a little hard being in Alice’s head. She was incredibly insecure, a pushover, and heavily attached to things. I found it hard to believe the romantic progression of her relationship with Jamie when not long ago she was still hung up on her controlling ex-boyfriend.

While I was proud of her for setting boundaries and learning to live without “things” and knickknacks, it turned Hot Desk into a long and meandering story.

While Jamie seemed like a great character, I still don’t really trust in their relationship. It went from “dislike” to “jk, just pretending I didn’t like you” to “I’ll wait 1000 years for you” and it just didn’t work for me.

Light and easy read without much substance.

This was a delight! So fun, so quick and easy to read and really helped me get out of a current reading "slump" I've found myself in.

Okay so this one got me, I both liked and disliked elements in the story but I couldn’t not read it.

I found being in Alice’s head constantly annoying as she noted everything and often felt like a tangent. I did like how she started to stick up for herself and trying to not let people walk all over her.

Jamie was definitely a swoon worthy character so I can see what all the fuss was about! I wasn’t anticipating the ending, so that was a nice surprise.

All in all it was a good read, fairly longer than it needed to be if the monologues were cut down but in the bits it was good, it was really good.

TW: References to the COVID-19 pandemic, controlling ex

Alice is thrilled to be out of her flat share and back in the office at the end of lockdown, that is until her company announces it is downsizing by subleasing half their office space, forcing staff to work from home 50% of the week. Alice is sharing a desk with Jamie, a co-worker with whom she shared a kiss several years ago and has had a crush on ever since, The two rarely speak at work since Alice believes Jamie doesn’t remember here and they start a friendship leaving each other post-it notes for each other every day.

The book was cute, but very much a copy-cat of the Flatshare thanks to the post-it note romance. I appreciated the journey the author took Alice on - as she learned to be assertive with her sister, her flat mates, and by kicking her controlling, emotionally abusive ex to the curb.

I found Jamie’s plot very silly and pointless though and overall the book just fell a bit flat. 3 1/2 stars.

I’ve really enjoyed some of Zara Stoneley’s other books, but this one didn’t really work for me as well I hoped it would.

The book starts off with Alice being super excited to go back to work after COVID shut down. I, personally, felt completely opposite when I had to start working on site again, so I found that a little hard to connect with. Then the idea that desk sharing would be a plausible solution so soon after a COVID shut down didn’t really make any sense at all. I suppose that in this fictional world, COVID was no longer a concern by the time she’s back in the office, but I feel like if you’re going to include it in the story, it should be a little more accurate. I think it could have easily been left out and the idea of hot desking as a cost saving measure would make even more sense.

I also didn’t really get into the story until well past the halfway mark. The first half was just page after page of Alice thinking about how important all of her possessions are and how she always has to share and just wants her own space. Her past of growing up with three sisters in a small house was not exactly a story that had me feeling sorry for her. I thought she just came off as kind of petty and shallow. That said, I did like that she learned to set boundaries with people in her life and also that holding on to all the stuff wasn’t really necessary.

What really ended up keeping me reading was the relationship with Jamie. I thought their origin story was a little unrealistic, but I enjoyed their banter and was able to start shipping them when they FINALLY started to communicate. I liked how they supported each other and there were several cute, if sometimes cheesy, moments.

Overall, Hot Desk was not really the book for me. While the romance had it’s cute moments, their communication issues drove me a little crazy and Alice’s constant inner monologue about needing her own space and not wanting to share got old really fast. Even though this one didn’t really work out for me, I’ll still be on the look out for more from Stoneley in the future.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 2.5 Stars

3.5 stars! Poor Alice needs boundaries in her life. Everyone takes what they need from her and she is left hoarding small emotional trinkets in her office desk. I loved her growth in the story and how she took baby steps to stand up for herself and her needs.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Alice and Jamie. There post it notes were the perfect precursor to an actual romance. But the eventual impediment to a romance between the two seemed super contrived - how he finds out seems impossible, really. And then, I didn’t like how Jamie pushed her away instead of being honest, when the two of them had such open communication.

A fun office romance with lots of quirks!

I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, and these are my honest opinions.

I really struggled with this book and the main character Alice who seemed to moan all the time instead of getting on with things
Considering it was set during the Covid 19 pandemic it surprised me that not only were people returning to the office they were hot desking which should be discouraged along with cluttered desk areas and sharing biscuits/sweets etc 🤔
Some parts were funny and I enjoyed reading about the post it notes left between Alice and Jamie but felt a lit more could have been done with this book
Thanks to Harper Collins and netgalley for the arc

When I read the premise of this book I was super excited, I love the office romance trope so it seemed right up my alley. I will say it took me a little bit to get into the book, the first 10-15% I did not overly enjoy, I felt like it could have done with some more edits instead of Alice rambling on and on for pages on end, in saying that, I did read an advanced copy so this may not be the case in the final finished copy.

Once the plot picked up I loved it and could not put it down and read the majority of it in one sitting.

I will definitely pick up some more of this author's work.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion. I've had a hard time figuring out how to star this book. There was so much I loved!

I loved the conversations! I thought the notes between Alice and Jamie were so much fun. (I even put a note on my hubby's desk because it was so cute.) I also thought Alice's friends and family developed in a wonderful way. I also liked how the relationship developed between the love interest. The lies, misunderstandings, and miscommunication.

The couple of things that brought it down for me was mentioning the pandemic - I was NOT ready to read about it. However, it was part of the setup for the hot desk share. I was on the fence about being in Alice's head so much, and I felt like she repeated epiphanies. I'm also never a fan of f-bombs and crude language. And this one is full of "colloquial cursing".

In the end, I left it at 4 stars because I don't think I should ding stars just because I wasn't ready to think about how the pandemic affected our world and relationships. The notes, conversations, and interactions trumped everything else for me. If you love romances (especially ones taking place in England) this is the book for you!

As always I jumped at the chance to read the latest release by Zara Stoneley, as I love her way with words.

I really enjoyed getting to meet the characters in this story as they return to work post covid into a totally different environment to the one they left as they embark on a world of desk sharing and post it notes.

Alice was a character who always put others first and would do anything for a quiet life so she has never mentioned to Jamie before that she thinks he was her drunken snog at a festival, so when he becomes her new desk buddy she doesn't know how to handle it.

As this story gained momentum, I wanted to keep reading to find out if they would become friends and if Alice would divulge who she was. I love post it notes and loved the idea behind this story and enjoyed my front row seat as I watched it unfold

It was a cute rom/com and it was an easy read which won't disappoint! You'll definitely like it - it's a feel good book for sure!

I have read a few of Zara's books and this one is another enjoyable book, although it took a while to get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

It took me a little while to get into this book, getting used to the way Alice would often go off on tangents while telling the story. I did get used to it in the end and did end up really liking Alice and Jamie as characters and loved their little notes to each other!

I think I just expected a little more from the story and wanted more to happen.

‘This is so unfair; this can’t be happening. Not now. All the Covid chaos and living in lockdown hell is finally supposed to be over. I need my job; I need to be back in the office. I need normal. They promised us normal!’

In a post Covid world (well … almost) Alice's office has to down-size and she has to share her desk with co-worker, Jamie. Whilst on the surface this may seem a fun-loving enemy to lovers read, there is in fact much more to this hot desk experience. Yes, there is romance in a fun unique way through post-it notes, however, this also tells the story of personal growth through experience.

‘What matters is what I’m doing with those experiences, what I’ve learned. What matters is the way I live my life today, tomorrow. What matters is who I let in, who I share with, where I draw the lines.’

First off, this is fun … just plain ol’ fun! The post-it notes had me grinning from ear to ear as it was sharp and witty, not all sloppy and sappy. Their written conversations were lively! It was also interesting to appreciate how words can be misconstrued and talking things out is always the best way forward.

‘You never really know people, do you? The hurt they carry, why they are like they are? I should be kinder, I should listen more to what people are really saying, not just the words I hear. We all should.’

Many readers were surprised by the Covid inclusion, but really it was hardly a feature at all. It seemed natural to have it in the background but it is often only referred to in passing and the global pandemic was definitely not front and centre. At times the writing could be a bit drawn out especially concerning Alice’s inner monologue and some of her issues I must confess, I was not truly on her side. The ending also came around a bit quick given all her indecision.

‘I need to start doing things differently. I’ve hung on to absolutely everything, because it has connected me to the times when I felt really happy.’

What I truly enjoyed from this read was all that the characters overcame. It really was a journey not just for Alice and Jamie (together and apart) but also for Alice’s sister for example - this all adds good depth to what could be viewed as an otherwise ‘fluffy’ novel. I was more engaged with Alice when she was learning to set boundaries in her personal life of which her desk at work was just the tip of the iceberg. Her character arc went from fear of confrontation and being a people-pleaser, to taking charge over what she truly wants in her life.

‘I’m a work in progress,’ I say, smiling as it hits me just how much progress I have made with my line-drawing. ‘But getting better.’

I found the concept of this book to be both fun and clever. The ‘hot desk’ was the perfect entry into a possible new office life post pandemic and how we must learn to be open to new things. A funny, light, heartwarming and poignant read for our times.

‘Those Post-it notes had been the highlight of the day for a while, reading them, and even trying to come up with a witty response had meant I’d rushed in each morning to give myself extra time before the office filled up and it all got too chaotic.’




This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

The blurb for this book gave me major Flatshare vibes, so I was very excited. Whilst it was an interesting concept, I felt that some areas were rushed. (Was the COVID inclusion necessary, or could this have been avoided and the desk sharing been done a different way?)
I found the protagonist quite irritating and hard to root for!

For me, this was not one of the author's best. The story took a long time to get going and it dragged in too many places. The relationship between Alice and Jamie could have run so smoothly but the obstacles thrown in its way felt a bit false.
Spoilers: A one night stand with another woman when he had just almost kissed the girl he has secretly loved for two years? An accidental baby (what happened to contraception?)? An ex boyfriend who is in such denial he tells his own mother he is getting married when he isn't? I don't buy it. I was looking forward to reading this book but it didn't match up to expectations.

I've read and enjoyed a few books by Zara Stoneley before, but this was not one of my favourite books sadly.
There are two things that I didn't get on with, firstly Alice and her long monologues.. I found them to be too lengthy and slightly annoying. Secondly I didn't like the way that Covid-19 was dealt with.
I have read a few books where Covid-19 is mentioned. I know that a lot of people don't like reading about the Pandemic. I prefer not to, but it doesn't bother me if it is relevant to the story.
I thought that the way this book and Alice talk about Covid-19 is inaccurate and trivialises it. Alice is looking forward to going back to the office, I don't know of many people who were excited to be returning to work, although I did understand why she was looking forward to having her own space again.
I also think that Hot Desk sharing was seen as a possible risk of cross contamination and infection risk and it was not being encouraged. It seemed unrealistic that a company would be bringing it in. There was no talk about mask wearing, hand sanitizing etc, like Covid-19 had completely disappeared. As it is very much an issue still in 2021 when the book is set it just doesn't seem right.
I did like the post-it notes that passed between Alice and Jamie. It reminded me of The Flat Share book which I really enjoyed. The notes were amusing and fun to read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

I've been a massive fan of Zara Stoneley for years, loved every single one of her books, so it pains me to say that this one just didn't hit the spot for me at all.

The notes on the desks I loved and the interactions between Jamie and Alice I did really enjoy and were up to the authors normal level of greatness.

But Alice herself just drove me mad, and I found myself not really caring as she obsessed over why she has so much stuff, why it means to much to her, can she find a backbone or not, and without feeling a connection to the main character I just found myself struggling a bit with reading this book, I'm very sorry to say.

And even reading the updated version of the ARC which I knew had less covid mentions, it was still too many pandemic reminders for me, and kept jolting me about of any story absorption I have had. I just don't want to be reminded of real life while reading a rom com.

I do still look forward to Zara's next book as I'm sure it will be back to her normal standards of excellence, and well no one can be completely amazing 24/7! I'm sure this will be a blip and I'm already keen to see what her next release will be.

The storyline is bang up to date being set post - Covid. Alice is just returning to her office after working from home during the hight of the pandemic. She loves her desk with its collection of trinkets then finds that she had to suddenly hot desk with the most annoying guy in the office, Jamie. There is also a backstory about how Alice and Jamie originally met, although he doesn't remember it.
Like many office workers my desk is my little area in the office and I'm very territorial about it so I can see exactly where Alice is coming from. As the story develops you can see why she has a particular problem with her property in the office due to her home circumstances. She also has issues with her ex boyfriend that affects how she treats Jamie.
A quiet story that gradually develops as you understand more about the characters, both Alice and Jamie plus the other office workers and family, so maybe not for those who prefer faster paced books. Carry on reading though and you will appreciate the gentle humour and developing romance. Ideal for reading of a summer evening, or even an autumnal one.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.