I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first read from Denise Williams and I enjoyed it. This story follows Pearl Harris and Cord Matthews. Pearl is the director of OurCode , a non profit that focuses on getting high school student into coding. Cord is a programmer who has recently come on board to work for OurCode. After the meeting these two had in an elevator 8 years ago Cord has been waiting for the chance to be everything that Pearl wants needs and deserves.

I absolutely loved Cord’s character. He was head over heels for Pearl. Pearl was scared to mix business with pleasure. She was also trying to safeguard her heart. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and this one was a good read. 4.25 out of 5.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Denise Williams you are the end of the year moment for me. Please keep up with these excellent end of the year releases. An absolute joy to return to her writing!

Thank you so much for giving me an ARC for this delightfully enjoyable romance. I loved the setting and the characters... tech isn't a setting I read much about, so I enjoyed that element of the story. I'm also a sucker for a self-made millionaire, so Cord was fun for me.

I liked the representation in this story, especially because the characters weren't reduced to only their gender identity. It was part of the characters but not really related to the story in a way that would make them seem one-note.

At times the pacing of the story was off for me--it went quickly, and then some things happened off page that felt important). I'm thinking that the flashbacks could have been reduced or the stories could have been woven in to the current timeline to make the pacing feel more steady.

But I loved the romance and the tug the characters felt even if I couldn’t always relate to Pearl’s thinking. The pepper scenes were peppery 🌶️🌶️🌶️ which you’ll never see me complain about! All in all, this was steamy and fun and I would absolutely read this author again!

Pearl and Cord's story was a spicy second chance romance. I was ALL IN with Cord. He was so patient with Pearl. He wore his feelings for her on his sleeve (hello cinnamon roll), in all his actions. He stole my heart and I was honestly annoyed at how much Pearl fought for her feelings for him. He was the perfect mix of nerdy, sexy, established and emotional.

I enjoyed the Then & Now storylines and how we get their love story over time, in pieces. I was not a huge fan of the breakup - again WTF Pearl!?! Cord, the secondary characters, the diversity and the LGBTQ+ representation were all amazing. I adored Tye so much and of course the sibling relationship between Pearl and her sisters.

Also, we hear from Wes and Britta from The Fastest Way to Fall, which I absolutely loved!

Technically Yours by Denise Williams follows the undeniable connection between two coworkers, Cord & Pearl, who are technically boss & employee as they toe the line between colleagues & chemistry. Five years later, they are unexpectedly back in each other’s lives & that spark is still there…Will work & the logic of their head prevail over their heart?! Read Technically Yours to find out!

Technically Yours is great for fans of
💙Workplace Romance
💙He Falls First
💙He Falls Hard
💙Forbidden Romance

Nothing makes me giddier than when I read a book with effortless quick-witted banter between the two leads & this book has that. They easily volley back & worth off each other in a way that’s riddled with their own language of understanding each other, inside jokes & humor.

It is hard not to get frustrated with one of the main character’s actions but at the same time, I loved that they stuck to their convictions. I appreciated how they tackled their own history & struggles & how it shaped how they loved. It was a lovely love story & it was a joy to read.

I also am such a fan of nerdy romances & the fact that the majority of this takes place in computer programming & showcases their loves of fandoms was right up my alley. I love the mentoring aspect of Cord with Pearl’s sister’s teenager & the humor & brevity only teenagers can bring forth.

This is my second Denise Williams read & I highly recommend checking out their incredible work!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted arc which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Content Warnings: This book contains mentions of pregnancy & gaslighting from a previous partner.

A page turner for romace fans!

I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I wanted to jump inside the book. Yes, it's THAT good so let me tell you why.

"Technically Yours" by Denise Williams tells us the story of Pearl, a strong woman determined to achieve her goals with zero distractions, like falling in love. Cord is ready to drop everything at her feet if she gives him the chance. And so the perfectly angsty, dual time line romance begins.

But this book is more than just romance. It tackes a lot of social issues like discrimination, traumatic experiences during relationships and how it affects in the future, the most amazing family dynamics I've read in a long time, and so much more.

Also, let's give an applause to Cord for being the most amazing and patient MMC I've read about in history. He was supportive, caring and VERY romantic *chef's kiss*, basically perfect!

If you haven't read this already, you should 100% do it right now and thank me later!

Ok so I added all of Denise Williams's books to my TBR after reading this one! I actually bought her book Love and Other Flight Delays at the airport earlier this year and her writing style is fantastic. Technically Yours is a second chance romance told in alternating first person POV and with flashbacks to their past together. I love that the author has Pearl explain her stars tattoo in the beginning and then when she reconnects with Cord in the present he notices that she's added a star which has meaning that I will not spoil but just thought was a small but really meaningful part of the story. Also, I love the prevalence of pronoun diversity throughout the novel; it felt really refreshing that it was done in a way that just made it the norm. The chemistry between Pearl and Cord was off the charts and their struggle to keep their hands off each other and then keep their relationship under wraps was well done and left the reader wanting them to give in to love. Pearl's sisters were also great comic relief with the way they tease each other and are always butting into Pearl's love life. The characters are all really down to earth and relatable, especially Pearl's concerns about dating Cord when they work together because the consequences for situations like that always affect the women more than the men. Cord gives such white knight, cinnamon roll vibes! He just wants what's best for Pearl and is so supportive and sweet, I love him. Pearl is a strong, smart, gorgeous woman succeeding in a field primarily dominated by men and with a lack of BIPOC representation. This was a sweet, funny, emotional ride and I would recommend it to all the romance readers out there!

- Second Chance Romance
- Forbidden Love
- Coworker Romance
- Women in STEM
- White Knight MMC
- Steamy

Technically Yours released last week so it should be available at your local bookstore or library if you want to check it out!!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the digital ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ugh, I'm so sad to write this review. This is the second (or possibly even third) book of Denise Williams that did not vibe with me at all. I've loved a few of hers but now we're about even with like/dislike. Let me say though - the writing, pacing, and plot setup were all fantastic, as usual with Williams books.

Now - this is probably (clearly) a personal issue because so many reviews are loving this book, but I just didn't enjoy it. I didn't love the setting/content because it's just not of an interest to me and I found there was a ton of descriptions of their jobs in coding. Much like the last book of hers, I couldn't really stand the female MC - she was just slightly unlikeable, mean to her male counterpart and frustrating. The male MC was lovely, but we didn't learn enough about him other than how obsessed and willing to ruin his life for a girl. Due to both of these issues, I didn't really buy into the chemistry they had either. There was some great steamy scenes, but I even found myself skimming them because I wasn't interested enough. I'm very sad I didn't love this.

Ugh, I'm so sad to write this review. This is the second (or possibly even third) book of Denise Williams that did not vibe with me at all. I've loved a few of hers but now we're about even with like/dislike. Let me say though - the writing, pacing, and plot setup were all fantastic, as usual with Williams books.

Now - this is probably (clearly) a personal issue because so many reviews are loving this book, but I just didn't enjoy it. I didn't love the setting/content because it's just not of an interest to me and I found there was a ton of descriptions of their jobs in coding. Much like the last book of hers, I couldn't really stand the female MC - she was just slightly unlikeable, mean to her male counterpart and frustrating. The male MC was lovely, but we didn't learn enough about him other than how obsessed and willing to ruin his life for a girl. Due to both of these issues, I didn't really buy into the chemistry they had either. There was some great steamy scenes, but I even found myself skimming them because I wasn't interested enough. I'm very sad I didn't love this.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I have read all the books in this universe/series from Denise Williams, and Technically Yours did not disappoint. I am not a huge fan of second chance romances, but this one was cute and steamy. Pearl and Cord find love in a work-place, forbidden, second chance romance. The thing that I liked best about this book is Pearl. I feel like she’s realistic, bad-ass, smart, and even her anxieties about commiting to Cord and advancing in a tech office culture as a Black woman really rang true. This book was easy to read and had one of my favorite micro-trops - getting tipsy and confessing your “not so hidden” love for a friend/co-worker. Also, the side-characters were great - I loved Pearl’s sisters, seeing characters from William’s past books, and the non-binary child of Pearl’s sister - they were a great addition and very well portrayed. Overall, I recommend for fans of Denise Williams, work-place romances, second-chance romances, and open door contemporary romances.

Pearl has put her career at the forefront of her life for a long time now. She is the newly appointed acting director of a non-profit organization that is facing a lot of scrutiny from a previous scandal. This position can make or make Pearl. She is ready to take on the challenge knowing this is the type of role she has always wanted. However, she just never thought she would have to work with the ex who held her heart.

Cord loved Pearl and was really upset when they broke up. The constant pressure from their careers and other factors lead to them going their separate ways. He is not interested in a serious relationship but being around Pearl again makes him want what they had. The new workplace dynamic and the issues from the past are just some of the major hurdles they would have to face if they want to try again. Is it truly worth it?

This book is lukewarm for the most part. The characters are both mature and logical. They are clear on their desires and emotions which I enjoyed most since I have been on a young adult spree lately. However, they don’t spark much passion on the pages. Yes, they are compatible in theory but nothing is making me root for them. I found myself just reading to see how the workplace rules would work itself out since they were not supposed to be.

Cord and Pearl did hold a bit of steam when it was time to be intimate. Even that did not sway me to really love this story. I think fans who really like contemporary second-chance romances may enjoy this one a bit more than me. I need some more angst and drama in my story.

Overall, I’m still a fan of Ms. Williams and will continue to read her books.

~ Samantha

technically yours was a mediocre read for me. as a reader who loves the second chance romance trope, pearl and cord's story fell flat. i didn't find myself connecting to pearl or cord in a way that would make this book memorable. i found them more irritating than anything.

although i do understand pearl's character and her story— her stubbornness was infuriating and i almost dnfed the book because of it. i appreciated how strong and resilient she was as a leader (especially at a job she was thrown into) but she could have easily balanced her job, her relationship, and her family (especially since cord was willing to help every step of the way?) without all the dramatics in the last half. (also, if starting a relationship with people you work with has been messy in the past, why would you continue to do so? pearl's first relationship outside of cord was devastating, yes, but it seemed like she never learned anything from it which seems out of character for her. the magnitude of what she went through also doesn't give her the free pass to treat cord terribly.) pearl also tended to be aggravatingly indecisive— she kept flip-flopping about both cord AND her job for over half of the book.

cord confused me. for somebody who had been in love with pearl for so long, you'd think he'd know she doesn't like people saving the day for her. he does eventually learn that in the end but they've known each other for, what, like six years? they'd know each other better than that especially if they'd been previously working with each other. i appreciated how much he cared for pearl but sometimes it was downright obsessive.

another thing, for two people who want to keep their relationship a secret from their coworkers (mostly because of the scandal that had occurred in the company) they should have been more careful? there were MULTIPLE times (including the time they had sex in cord's tent) where they could have easily been caught and punished. pearl and cord tended to be really careless and it simply didn't make sense.

on a positive note, i thoroughly enjoyed the poc and lgbtq+ representation. tye was truly the star of the show. i loved how similar to an actual teenager they were— denise williams did a good job portraying a teenager in this book. tye's humour, wit, and sass were unmatched.

finally, thank you to berkley publishing and netgalley for providing me with an arc!

⭐️ 4 🌶️ Open Door, Explicit

💻 Second Chance Romance
💻 Workplace Romance
💻 Right Person, Wrong Time
💻 Forced Proximity
💻 Forbidden Romance (Boss/Board Member)
💻 FMC in STEM
💻 Past and Present Timelines
💻 Slow Burn
💻 Dual POV (First Person)

I love Denise Williams's writing! She always has the swooniest storylines. Technically Yours was a great second-chance romance with incredible banter and a ton of diverse characters! I totally related to our two MCs and I loved the techie/nerdy vibes. Cord and Pearl were so much fun. I thought they both showed growth throughout the book.

If you've read The Fastest Way to Fall, you will recognize a few characters in Technically Yours. I loved these little easter eggs from Denise Williams's other books. I received this ARC from NetGalley, but I also listened to the audiobook. Joe Arden and January LaVoy did a wonderful job with the narration.

While I appreciated the diverse representation, it was almost a little too on the nose at certain points in the story. It felt like it was trying to do too much all at once instead of focusing on one social issue (interracial relationship, women in STEM, gender neutral pronouns, etc.). I did like the setting being in the coding world a little bit and incorporating mentorship and non profit work.
I did like the dual POV and I wish more romance books would do that. Cord was generally likeable (HATE the name) and seemed emotionally open and mature, even in the flashbacks. Pearl irked me at times. I know she was working on dealing with her over-independence and self sabotage, but there were some cringe moments where Cord was being as open and communicative as possible and she was still so anti-relationship or communication. It just seemed a little unrealistic.
Overall, I usually enjoy Denise Williams stories, but this one didn't hit as much as her previous ones for me.

I really liked this! While most (all) of the coding and programming speak went over my head, it didn't take away from my enjoyment.

It was an emotional second chance workplace romance that had its ups and downs. I love Pearl’s tattoos and their meanings, and all the characters were really well fleshed out.

3.5 stars!

📖𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀
🖊️Denise Williams
💘Romance
★★★½

𝙀𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙤, 𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚—𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚.

💭 𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦
I first discovered author Denise Williams after devouring 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘛𝘰 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I loved the premise of a forbidden, second chance romance in a workplace, filled with all the angst between Pearl and Cord.

🎧I listened to the audiobook format and felt the emotional longing between Pearl and Cord, but felt their chemistry was off.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧
💕workplace romance
🩵dual timelines
💕second chance
🩵enemies-to-lovers

*many thanks to Berkley Romance, PRH Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review.

I really liked this contemporary romance novel. Cord is my favorite, especially when he’s with his cat. Pearl tries so hard to do everything perfectly that she sometimes loses sight of what is actually best for her and those she cares about. It’s a flaw I identify with, even if I did want to shake some sense into her more than once.

The book has several diverse characters, in particular people who are nonbinary. I loved Tye and their mentor/mentee relationship with Cord. Actually, the entire Harris family is awesome. I’m hoping Shae and Bri will eventually get their own books.

Also, can we talk about that gorgeous cover?? I love everything about it! Pearl in her dress from the donor event, Cord in his jeans and hoodie, the binary code in the background scattered with little hearts—it’s all just perfect for this book!

I really wanted to love this one but I just didn't connect with the story as much as I had hoped.

What I loved: Sister group chats, a camping retreat, Pearl’s niece Tye, and Peach the hairless cat.
What I didn't: Some of the plot points specifically for the FMC, similarities to her predecessor's shortfall, and her repeating past. I would have preferred the conflict to be one or the other. Both felt like too much and made it a little harder to root for her.

Tropes: Second chance, STEM romance, alternating timelines/flashbacks, and forced proximity

Overall I did enjoy the writing style of the author so I'm looking forward to reading more of her work in the future.

💻 Technically Yours 💻

We love women in STEM rep! Technically Yours is a pining story following Pearl, who is setting out to prove herself in her new job at an organization supporting and mentoring kids in STEM. Cord, her former boss, has recently joined the board and stepped back into her life. The chemistry they denied themselves years before is palpable as they continue to maintain a professional relationship and avoid their feelings.

Check this one out if you’re looking for:
💻 Dual POV
💻 dual timelines
💻 Second chance
💻 Only one tent 😏
💻 Open door
💻 Women in STEM rep

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for this ARC!

This was such a fun read!

In this book, we meet Pearl who returns to Chicago, after landing her dream job, only to run into a man, Cord Matthews, who, five years prior, asked her to stay in the city for him. Yikes! Pearl is a director at the company and Cord is on the board, and as you have it they keep running into each other.

This book is a combination of workplace romance meets second-chance romance, with a dash of interracial relationship; and I was here for all of it.

I enjoyed the characters' banter and connection as well as the dual point of view.

A worthy read!