This book was honestly not well written with a medicore plot. I struggled reading this and couldn’t even get halfway through before deciding not to finish. There was no emotional attachment to characters and the beginning starts off with no context. The FMC has faced this horrid tragedy and is crying and we don’t know why. There’s just these actions that are supposed to invoke emotions. The MMC is just boring. Like it’s he hates his fiancée and where she comes from but has to be with her? The story is rapidly moving with choppy, scenes yet there’s so much mundane details about the weather and outfits, etc. Do not get me started on all the internal monologue either! Some elements of the plot are meant to be enticing but the characters just aren’t likable and are constantly snapping at each other. There’s also an instant attraction that makes them “fired up” and “need” to be around each other. This felt like a whole lot of nothing instead of a story.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

Thank you for the advanced copy of This is NOT an Office Romance. Unfortunately this read fell flat for me. The story seemed rushed and not well developed. The MMC was engaged to start the story and quickly "felt" like something was off after meeting the FMC. I wanted more from both of their background and to have a better understanding of them as people. The ending felt extremely rushed and didn't wrap up the relationship or work conflicts well.

This is the 100th book I’ve read this year, and I was excited to dive into it after requesting a copy from @netgalley.
The cover and description immediately caught my attention, and as a huge fan of cute workplace romances, I had high hopes for this one. The concept and themes of the book are great, with an intriguing setup and relatable dynamics. However, while I enjoyed it, I felt that it was missing something that would have truly made it stand out. The chemistry between the main characters, in particular, could have been little bit stronger to create that spark I was hoping for. The story has a lot of potential, but ultimately, it didn’t feel like my cup of tea.

While I liked the storyline of he book, I would have liked to feel more of a connection to the characters other than their inner dialogue of their past grievances and current insecurities while finding themselves again. Don’t get me wrong. The inner dialogue was a very necessary part of the book but I wanted more angst towards each other and I love hearing how they cave each other. When I read a romance I want to feel what they’re feeling and if anything is going to be repetitive, let it be the way they crave each other inwardly. Not sure if that makes a lot of sense but it’s what kept going in my mind as I was reading.

I loved the way they came together in the end, though. It made the entire book worth reading. I hope to check out more work from Eloise in the future!

Thank you to the author and publisher for opportunity to read an ARC. Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. I loved the cover and the synopsis. Plus, the story/writing was simple to follow. I finished it in a couple of hours.

However, I didn't care for the main characters and strongly disliked the romance. If it was positioned as a thriller/spy novel with romance sprinkled in, I could have handled it. As written, I didn't see any reason for the characters to fall in love, other than the fact that they were attractive. It was too much tell, not show, no slow build to the romance.

Spoiler: He said he loved her when he met her, yet he was engaged? Then he slept with someone else? That's all a big no for me.

Eloise Fox’s This is NOT an Office Romance sets up a promising premise: two high-powered lawyers with clashing personalities are forced to work together, leading to professional tension and romantic sparks. Unfortunately, while the novel had potential, it falls short in execution, delivering a story that feels formulaic and lacking in depth.

The protagonist, Emily Taylor, is a successful lawyer from New York who has taken time off to recover from a personal tragedy. Now restarting her career at a London law firm, she’s determined to keep romance off the table. However, she’s paired with Jack, an emotionally distant British lawyer, who—surprise, surprise—starts to make her rethink her stance. While this setup could have made for an engaging slow-burn romance, the characters never fully develop beyond surface-level traits. Emily is painted as the strong-willed, outgoing American, and Jack as the uptight, closed-off Brit. Unfortunately, their interactions feel predictable, and their chemistry never quite hits the mark.

The "enemies-to-lovers" dynamic between Emily and Jack, which should have been a driving force of the novel, is underwhelming. Their witty banter feels forced, and rather than building genuine romantic tension, the back-and-forth between them often seems contrived. The business trip to Bermuda—a perfect opportunity for the relationship to deepen—comes across as cliché, with little emotional payoff. The slow burn that the novel aims for instead drags out the romance, with little to no stakes that make you root for their connection.

On top of this, the subplot involving Jack’s engagement to his fiancée is predictable from the start. The fiancée is more of a plot device than a fully realized character, and the resolution of this love triangle feels inevitable rather than compelling. The fact that Jack doesn’t address his dissatisfaction with his relationship until Emily enters the picture feels rushed and doesn’t provide enough depth to justify his romantic pivot.

The legal setting also feels flat. While Fox attempts to incorporate office politics and high-stakes professional challenges, these elements are either underdeveloped or bogged down by unnecessary details. Instead of adding tension or complexity, the workplace dynamics feel repetitive, and the legal jargon occasionally detracts from the emotional core of the story. The stakes, both professionally and personally, never feel quite high enough to keep the reader truly invested.

If you’re looking for a fun, breezy office romance, This is NOT an Office Romance might scratch that itch, but it’s ultimately lacking the depth, character development, and emotional weight that could have made it memorable. With predictable plot points and a romance that never quite sizzles, this novel feels more like a missed opportunity than a standout in the genre.

Final Thoughts:
While This is NOT an Office Romance has all the ingredients of a classic rom-com setup, the underdeveloped characters and predictable plot make it fall flat. The slow-burn romance feels forced, and the legal backdrop lacks the tension to make the story truly engaging. For readers seeking a more emotionally resonant or innovative take on the office romance trope, this one may leave you wanting more.

This story had the makings of being one of my top books. A UK setting, office romance, dual pov. However, I struggled to get into it. It was a book that I felt tried to do too much but also not enough at the same time. Still a good read, but unfortunately just not for me.

I felt very distanced from the story, like I was being told everything that was happening but not actually experiencing it. Because of this, I found it so hard to actually care about any of the characters. Largely, this is due to it being in third person, but also because the writing was so simple and almost stilted/ forced. The dialogue didn’t feel natural and there was too much “said” as a dialogue tag. One example that sticks out is “he said, and smiled” (or something like that), “he smiled” would make a lot more sense and pull me into the story more - but that could just be a personal opinion.

Really disappointed as the plot and the cover really intrigued me and this type of romance is something I’d normally love.

This is NOT an office romance
By: Eloise Fox
Release date October 10th 2024
3 star rating

This book is a story of unexpected romance. Emily is restarting her life and career after a horrible accident and Jack is figuring what he really wants with his life.
I was invested for the first two thirds of the book. Emily starting at a new firm after her accident, meeting Jack, finding out he was engaged. Jumping back into a high profile case and having to go out of town with Jack with them both having feelings but not saying anything. It kept you engaged and interested. The last third of the book literally felt like going in circles. It felt like it was repeating the same thing over and over again. The same thoughts just different setting.
While I love the ending to this book I just feel like some of it was unnecessary.

I loved the cover of this book, it was initially what attracted me to the book. I went in thinking I was getting an enemies-to-lovers workplace romance, think along the lines of "The Hating Game,"
I enjoyed the FMC and her strong personality, but felt her character fell a little flat the deeper into the story we got.
There were too many sub-plots that left me confused. I went in with high expectations and sad;y they weren't fully met.
This book had so much potential that sadly didn't hit the mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC.

The cover and synopsis really caught my attention, but unfortunately I struggled with the writing style and the plot. There seemed to be a lot of subplots that didn’t support the romance aspect of “office romance”. I felt like I was being ‘told’ rather than ‘shown’ and it was very surface-level.

Emily, the FMC, is a high powered attorney and feminist, but it seems in any interactions with men in her personal life, she is passive and timid. I just felt like the way she was described and the way she acted were contradictory.

I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

Review: 3.5⭐️
Okay first of all i love the cover and the idea of this book. The setting was cute and it had a lot of potential! All in all it was a bit confusing and the storyline wasn't as clear as it could have been. Also the thought of officers rivals to lovers was cute but the rivals part lasted maybe what once chapter? Also im so so so sorry but the ending felt way too rushed to me and due to that it just felt weird. I did like the writing style though! And it was a fun read, however I don't feel like it reached the potential it could have.

Thank you netgalley for the arc copy in exchange of an honest review.

This is an interesting story. Everything about it, from the cover to the description and marketing, suggests it will be a fast and fun “office rivals” romance. And while it has elements of that, reading it is a different experience. We have the tension of workplace dynamics & the budding romance, but the real focus throughout is the emotional wellness of each MC – trusting in themselves as well as others, overcoming their fears, balancing their ambitions and figuring out what they want/what fulfills them.

This novel actually reads more like a screenplay for a tv drama than a standalone novel. [And honestly, I would love watching this show. That format would allow further development of characters and plot points that were abruptly abandoned. And more time for the romance, so it feels more real]. This impression is furthered by the writing style – the book has a tell-not-show approach that keeps you on the outside watching rather than pulling you directly into the story. And, the narration has a slow and steady pace that is easy-reading but less engaging than I anticipated based on the cover/description/marketing. So maybe the audiobook is the best way to consume this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Burning Chair for this ARC to review. Pub date for this book is Oct 10, 2024.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have dnfed it after trying, truly trying because I honestly wished to love it. I rarely read romcoms but when I do then I’m quite a picky romcom reader and this unfortunately didn’t meet the bar for me. It was so confusing, contradictory, boring and annoying - an abysmal combo truly.
Definitely wouldn’t recommend.

When I read the title of the book and saw its cover, I expected to absolutely love this novel. However, although I liked the premise of the book, I never fully connected with the characters or the plot. Overall, the writing style just wasn't mine.

This book has a lot of potential but there was so much going on it felt rushed and all over the place. The main characters didn’t have any chemistry build up and the arguments they had seemed forced.

Spoilers ahead:

I didn’t like some of the side characters or the engagement/cheating ex trope so the MMC finds someone else to sleep with that very same day. Weird to me.

And then mysteriously the woman he used for a night ends up working with them and makes it awkward as heck for the two main characters. It was just all over the place. The main plot however had so much potential and this could be a great book with some edits!

This book fell flat for me. It was hard to get into and never hooked me.

Thank you Burning Chair for providing me an ARC! Unfortunately, this one just isn’t for me.

NetGalley gave me this book to read and review and I am so sorry to say, I hated it. I wonder if it could have been pitched more as a physiological office drama thriller and I could have liked it? Everyone is horrible and they all make terrible decisions. I don’t like any of them.
I think the tangents are pointless. The title is “this is not an office romance” and I think it’s true. I honestly think turning this into another book would be great as you don’t have to like the characters in anything except a romance.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This is a first by this author but will not be my last! I read this in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this book. I was taken in by the title, I thought the cover looked fun, but I did not like this book at all.
-It felt very forced, whenever a character was having a moment they would immediately explain why they shouldn't have lashed out, which is great in theory but it gave the feeling of being spoon fed and in reality there has to be room for them to reflect and come back to the issue.
-There were times where we would drop into the POV of someone who was not one of the two MCs and it was a little confusing, I had to go back and reread these sections because I had no idea who was talking.
-Then there was the romance, it was way too fast for me and honestly didn't make sense considering they both were dealing with heavy baggage. I believe at some point Emily even says she needs to take things slow, which ultimately did not happen. Not unless I got the pacing of the book wrong and they knew each other for longer than a month.
-It was over all very cheesy, the plot with the Russians was a bit much and the ending of that issue was very much swept under the rug.
-There was also little dimension in the characters, I wish Emily had been more fleshed out considering she was supposedly a great feminist lawyer.


I gave it two stars because I could get through it easily enough, but overall this book did not do it for me.