Amazing, published 2016, re-released 2025 with new cover. Great story, steamy, plot twists, kept me coming back, finished in one day. I read and listened to this wonderful book. Thank you @Netgalley and @SourceBooksBloomBooks for the ARC. I loved Reese and understood her working to stay focused on her new job and not to be distracted by her new Boss, Chase Parker. But the tension between these two keeps pulling them together. They both have past traumas that effect their ability to allow themselves to fall. The story plot was handled to well. I highly recommend this book

I was hooked from the very first page! Bossman is filled with humor, chemistry, angst, and sensational banter. If you’re looking for a well-rounded romance novel that will pull you in and give you all of the feels, this is the book for you. I knew that I was in for a fantastic reading experience with this book, but it far surpassed my expectations.

From the first moment they met, there was something between Reese and Chase. Their introduction was certainly unique and curious. What started out as Reese trying to get out of her boring date, turned into a random stranger giving her his unwelcome opinion about how she was handling her date. While Reese was annoyed at the gall of this stranger sticking his nose where it didn’t belong, she couldn’t help but be intrigued and interested in this charismatic and handsome stranger, especially when he attempted to make her date more exciting.

Chase Parker is the complete package. He’s cocky, intelligent, confident, gorgeous, and quirky. His ability to make up stories at the drop of a hat definitely added to his witty charm. The chemistry that he and Reese had was palpable. The back and forth and flirtatious banter that they had was second to none. It kept me laughing and flipping the pages as fast as I could read them.

When Reese gets hired on at Chase’s company, she is excited to get the new career opportunity, but she is also apprehensive to have such a flirtatious relationship with her boss. Chase has made it very clear that he’s attracted to her, but she has made it equally clear that she has absolutely no intentions of mixing business with pleasure, even if the boss gives his blessing.

I loved the romantic tension that played out between Reese and Chase. It’s the slow burn between the characters that entices me into a romance, and this book had it in spades.

Beyond all of the intense attraction and humorous moments, there were also past issues for both characters that added to the depth of the story. These events from their pasts just made me want their relationship to succeed all the more. My heart broke for both of them, especially Chase, and I wanted nothing more than for him to overcome his pain and guilt.

Bossman was a highly entertaining read that kept me laughing, swooning, and falling in love right along with the characters. It was the perfect balance of everything that I look for in a book, and I didn’t want it to end.

*5 Stars

I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading workplace romance books and this one was such a fun read! The best part of the book was at the beginning when the main characters meet. Reese is trying to get out of bad date by hiding in the washroom at a restaurant and calling her best friend for help, when her conversation is overheard by Chase who offers her some advice. Chase certainly leaves a memorable impression on Reese but she doesn’t expect to ever see him again. A month later when Reese starts her new job, she discovers the CEO of the company is Chase.

While the story initially felt like an insta love story, it was actually more of a slow burn. Then tension in the book was due to the fact that is a forbidden romance, involving a boss and an employee. Both the characters had past trauma, especially Chase who dealing with a tragedy involving a loved one. The chemistry and the banter between the two characters was amazing and the story felt like a light read even with the mention of some heavier topics. The story was told in dual POV and dual timeline, which gave the plot more depth. Both the characters were well written and highly likeable.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bloom Books, for this eARC of this trad published version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Vi Keeland’s writing is a great mix of comedy and romance! This book has a hilarious premise that pays off right from the start! I absolutely loved Chase and Reese’s meet cute and it set up a great romance throughout the book! This book also balanced having a lot of emotional moments and demonstrated the impact grief can have on someone’s life and relationships. Overall, this was an amazing book!

rating: 4
spice: 1.5

i thought this was gonna be a cutesy fluffy book with dirty talk sprinkled in, but i was wrong. this book had so many emotional and sad parts and i became a wreck.

i love reese and chase together, they’re so perfect for each other — from the way they met, to their banter, all the way to their forever.

i normally am not a fan of dual timeline, but this one was done so well. i liked seeing chase’s life before reese and what shaped him to be the man he is now. it was so sad what happened to him, and i couldn’t help but to feel the guilt he was carrying.

definitely 10/10 would recommend if you like:
- boss x employee
- he falls first
- tragic pasts
- jealous mmc

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Fun!

Reese escapes to the washroom to send her friend an SOS voice message, a request to get her away from her boring date. Chase Parker offers free advice, which Reese doesn’t want. However, Chase brings over his date to join her table, pretending to be a childhood friend. Reese's boring date got better, and they parted ways.
Then, Reese finds out after a month that Chase is her new boss. The spark is still strong, and workplace romance may or may not be a good idea!
The story comes from Reese (more) and Chase’s POVs.

My Thoughts:
Last year, I saw many Goodreads friends read the author’s romantic suspense thriller. The general consensus was that it had a bit too much romance since the author excelled in the genre. I decided to read her book from that genre. Luckily, this one was available as a rerelease.
I can see why she has so many fans. The banter is funny and hot. Despite the slowish pacing, the book doesn’t feel boring at any point. Yeah, it has a few weak points too.
We get the FMC’s POV more while the MMC’s is mostly limited to the past track. I like how this works in the plot. It keeps things in their track while also showing us the character backstories. We can see that the MMC is the same yet different from the past to the present. This shift is subtle but noticeable after we read half the book. That said, I’d have liked a Chase chapter from between times to create a proper bridge between the past and present.
The MMC is pretty much in from the beginning and makes no excuses for it. While I could see the FMC’s hesitation (all valid reasons), I don’t like that she thought it was okay to string along another (actually a decent) guy for that long. Maybe I should consider it a character flaw.
Despite instant attraction, the push-pull dynamics go on for a good time. This works in favor of the relationship as readers have time to root for the characters. The steam is 3.5+ and quite a bit of dirty talk thrown in. However, it feels seamless due to the MMC’s arc.
I like side characters too, especially Sam. The sister is great too and adds to the laughs.
The book has many lighthearted scenes in the first 70%. After this, it gets a bit heavy (with reason). There are still a few light moments, though the mood shift is clear.
While I like that the third-act breakup is handled in stages, I did want a bit more of a couple time with the lead pair before the epilogue. Moreover, the epilogue was over too soon.
This rerelease has a bonus scene (I won’t tell you what it is) I enjoyed much.

To summarize, Bossman is an entertaining read despite a few flaws. I’ll be sure to check out other books by the author.
Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Reese finds herself hiding in the bathroom, trying to get out of date, when I am overheard by a stranger who offers her some dating advice. When he returns to his date, she catches him looking over but is mortified when he comes over to her table and pretends to be an old friend. When they part ways, there is no way that it could be predicted that Chase would end up being her boss one month later.
This is a book filled with humour and romance, and whilst at times cliched, it just seemed to work. Reese is a likeable character, while Chase is definitely the charmer. The chemistry between Reese and Chase is fairly intense, but it manages to maintain a lightness due to the wicked banter between them. An enjoyable read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bossman was previously published as an indie book and is now being rereleased by a publisher.
Vi Keeland definitely has a way with words and you can feel the chemistry between Reese and Chase coming out of the page! Their banter was top notch and while both had troubled pasts, their relationship brought out the best of them.
This books has some heavy moments but also so many fun ones. Both characters had actual fun together! While there is an element of insta attraction, this is kind of a slow burn since they officially get together later in the book.
I loved how patient Chase was with Reese, and I just loved Reese so much in general, she was funny and headstrong.

Thank you netgalley for allowing to read this book!

Something in the formatting made this impossible to read on my kindle. Lines were uneven, chapters started mid-page, and it was hard to manage to stay in the story because of it.

I love this book so much. The banter, the relationship, and the sad history both characters had to deal with. I really wasn't expecting the dark part of Chase's life, but that made me love his character even more.

.Workplace
.Forced Proximity
.Forbidden
.Past Trauma
.Dual Timeline
.Dual POV

I went into Bossman with high expectations after loving Dirty Letters from the same author, and while it was a solid romance, it didn’t completely blow me away. Vi Keeland writes her signature banter, hot chemistry, and a strong, resilient FMC, but something felt… missing. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I do know two things that didn’t work for me: first, the MMC’s name is Chase. After Chad, is there a worse name for a romance hero? And second, the third-act breakup. I would’ve preferred if they stayed together and worked through their trauma as a couple rather than taking the predictable break-apart-and-reunite route.

That said, Chase is undeniably hot, and the romance itself is good. If you’re looking for a fun workplace romance with great banter and some emotional depth, this is still a solid pick. I just wish I loved it as much as I wanted to.

Vi Keeland, I could never rate anything you write less than 5 stars.

Now I love a good workplace romance, if done right the trope is definitely one of my favourites, and to say Keeland delivered here is an understatement.

The characters are delightful and you can't help but fall in love with them as their story goes on, and man did I devour this book from start to finish with barely a break in between.

A well deserved 5 star story.

I’m not new to the Vi Keeland fan club. She has a way of writing characters with such depth while also putting together a sexy, smart & witty story - case in point, Bossman. Chase & Reese are two of the most compelling, relatable characters. Both having gone through their share of hard times, but they no doubt have a dynamic chemistry! Also, can we talk about that meet-cute for a minute? Reese is on the date from hell – sneaking away to make an SOS call to her BFF, when in comes this sexy stranger to save the day. SWOON.

It's clear from the start with these two, we’re in for some fun banter, but it’s so much more than that. Their passion radiated off the page, both in and outside the bedroom. If you’re looking for a book featuring a cocky businessman and the girl who can bring him to his knees + literally all the feels… fun, steamy, sweet, and so much heart, this is definitely the book for you!

I loved the first meeting between the characters. It really set the tone for a great and entertaining read. I enjoyed the slow development between Reese and Chase. Reese was ambitious and strong with just the right amount of quirkiness. Chase was cocky but also sweet. The banter between them was so great and entertaining. So much chemistry!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc of this book.

Bossman is a perfect blend of humor, wit, office romance and healing. This was my first read by Vi Keeland and I was hooked! Will be reading her other books!

It all started when Reese needed a job and was in a dating rut. Her current date was bad so she called her friend to fake an emergency but a stranger overheard her phone call and decided to jump in. Chase has crashed her date with his own and started creating fake stories and being old friends.

Reese ends up working at Chase’s company, which he didn’t want to hire her since he wants her. Reese had boundaries and Chase respected them until they were over the boundaries. Both of them had tragic events in their past. It took some time for them to open up to each other. Chase had some setbacks and it took some time to figure out what he wanted and how to fix their relationship.

Chase and Reese worked so well together! They both were able to help each heal in ways they didn’t know they needed.

I received this as an arc from NetGalley and I’m voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This was such a fantastic boss employee romance. This was not my first time reading this book but I just couldn’t help myself when I saw this arc as this book, when I first read it back in 2018, was the beginning of my love of steamy romance. Reading it again was like meeting an old friend who you haven’t seen in years, it felt new and familiar all at the same time.

It was a really well written story and I loved the pace of the story. It was a bit slow burn but it still had so much tension and chemistry between Chase and Reese so it doesn’t seem to be that slow burn. I again fell in love with Chase right alongside Reese and I just loved the dynamic between them. This was a favorite of mine the first time I read it and it still is one to this day.

4 stars for this very pleasant read from an author I didn't know.

I can't really grasp why and how Chase got hooked so badly with Reese from their very first encounter. And it kept bothering me a long time before they started really "dating", when he got to know her.

But as the story unfolded, I really fell for these two smart and cute people who went through such trauma it left them a bit (or lot) broken.

I really liked the flashbacks to Chase 's past : it explains why this gorgeous man isn't already in a relationship and why he became so protective of the people he loves.

The story is very funny, steamy and sometimes sad.
The secondary characters are well written and I wish Reese had stayed at Chase's firm as I really liked her colleagues (or most of them...).

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloom Books for Providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This romance was a cute rendition of the angsty boss trope. I enjoyed the characters and the plot developments as I read. Reese was a fun character--I loved her relationship with her brother. I enjoyed the twist with Eddie as well! A fun read for those who love forbidden office romances!

Such a rollercoaster of emotions. While the present day story is light and funny, Chase’s story flashes back to 7 years ago..and it is tragic.

Reese starts out on a boring date, and as she tries to get ahold of a friend..to give her an emergency, a stranger Chase overhears her. After some banter, they go back to their tables. But Chase and his date join Reese and her date and he acts like he and Reese have been friends since middle school. They both go back and forth with the elaborate stories until their night comes to an end. Both of them hated to see the night come to an end but what were they to do? But that was just the start of their story. Reese ends up working for Chase’s company and loves her job. It is clear they both are intrigued with each other but Reese doesn’t want to mix business with pleasure. That doesn’t stop Chase from trying though. He goes out of his way in an attempt to get Reese to go out with him. So much banter, so much chemistry. Things are good between them until his past catches up to his present. The issues that plagued him 7 years ago are back, and he didn’t handle it well the first time around.

Like I said, rollercoaster. So much of this story is funny and entertaining and at the same time, your heart will hurt for Chase. Love the banter and chemistry between Reese and Chase and love their crazy random stories they come up with. Both of them have stories of their pasts that have shaped them into who they are today. With each other, they grow, they love, and learn how to move forward. Great story.

3.5*
Steamy boss/new employee romance where both parties have past trauma to deal with. Lots of heat, great characters, nothing ground-breaking, but will scratch the itch if this is your type of romance story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.