<b> Thank you NetGalley and Relay Publishing for this advanced readers copy of <i> Designed for Disaster </i> by Leslie North! Here's to my love for Hallmark-esque romances, and enemies to lovers </b>
<b><u> 3 ★★★'s </b></u>
<i> Designed for Disaster </i> by Leslie North is a fast-paced, steamy romance that hits many of the familiar beats you might expect from a contemporary romance. The story follows a strong-willed woman, a brooding, misunderstood hero, and a passionate love story that unfolds with a bit of tension and a lot of chemistry.<b> While this book delivers on the typical romance tropes-opposites attract, a sizzling attraction that can't be denied, and a big of emotion turmoil along the way- it does bring a few refreshing twists to the table that set it apart from others in the genre. </b>

One of the key features of this book is its central conflict. While many romance novels rely on the classic "miscommunication leads to drama" trope, <i> Designed for Disaster</i> leans more into the characters; personal growth and their efforts to overcome their own flaws, rather than relying solely on external obstacles. <b> I appreciated that the characters were given the opportunity to work through their issues in a more grounded and realistic way, adding an element of maturity to the story. </b>

However, as much as I enjoyed the premise and the chemistry between the leads, there were a few things that held the book back for me. the writing style was, unfortunately, a bit of a distraction at times. The verbiage felt overly simplistic and at times awkward. While the story was engaging overall, the occasional stilted sentence or clunky phrasing made it difficult to stay fully immersed in the narrative. That being said, I don't want to dwell too much on the negatives. This book still has its strengths, and fans of romance will likely appreciate the familiar tropes mixed with a bit of fresh character development.<b> It's definitely a fun read if you're looking for a light, predictable romance with a few emotional layers and some steamy moments. However, if you're particularly sensitive to writing style and prefer a more polished narrative, it might feel a bit rough around the edges for you. </b>

This one is a classic enemies-to-lovers story with a well-executed fake dating trope, and it had me hooked from the start. The main characters, Natasha and Trent, have electric chemistry. Natasha’s fiery personality and resilience make her easy to root for, especially after she loses her barista job because of Trent’s entitled attitude. Trent, at first, seems like your typical grumpy billionaire, but as the story unfolds, we see layers of his character that make him more than just a cold businessman. His interactions with his grandmother add a heartfelt touch, making his character transformation even more satisfying. What I enjoyed most was the witty banter. North has a way of writing dialogue that feels sharp, flirty, and full of tension, which kept me engaged. The fake relationship setup—while a well-used trope—felt fresh in this book because of the dynamics between Natasha and Trent. Their slow-burn romance, filled with denial and stolen moments, made the inevitable realization of their true feelings all the more rewarding.

I enjoyed this book while reading- is was quick and easy. However the two main characters fell a bit flat for me and thinking back I don’t remember too much of the story.
Although, this book fell flat for me this time, I can 100% see other people absolutely loving it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the box set that included this ARC.

Natasha is working really hard to keep herself afloat. Bustling with multiple part-time jobs and her side hustle of designing custom furniture, she definitely doesn't have time to squabble with some douche having a yelling match on his phone. But when Coffeezilla turns the table on himself and her, she finds herself with one less paycheck and an arch-nemesis. Trent just wants his parents to leave him alone. After all, they've been so good at that his whole life. He's got stuff to do and now some barista is giving him a hard time. Serves her right to get fired after treating him so badly. He just can't help but notice her though.

I thought this was cute. I definitely liked the first two books better. Trent was so unlikable for so much of the book. Even though he does have a sweet side and shows it often, he just wasn't my fave of the MMCs in this series. Natasha is okay. Again, she's not my favorite. She's spicy, but not as interesting a character as Piper and Cora. I love that Dom comes out of left field in this one and snags him a babe too. Good for him after what happened in Book 2.

💰🪚 Billionaire x Crafty girl
👯‍♀️ Best Friends dating Best Friends
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Drama

I really enjoyed this book! The FMC sticks to her guns and proves she has support herself without replying on the rich boyfriend and they work out a great relationship in the end. Hated that the MMC said those things but all good books have the typical 3rd act break up. I liked how it was resolved in the end. Good spice throughout as well. Only wish would be more drawn out tension between them.

I took the time to read the first two books before reading Designed for Disaster, as I prefer to read series in order. I hadn’t read anything from Leslie North before so that was a fun occasion to discover her work.

I would say that on its own, Designed for Disaster makes up for a quick and fun read. It’s a pretty simple and standard billionnaire romance, there is no surprise and I didn’t feel strongly about it but I did have a good time reading it. The writing is light and funny and the story goes on quickly.

The downside is that having just read book 1 and 2 beforehand, if felt very repetitive. There are too many plot points that are the same and used in similar fashion. All are weird circumstances where the MMC just needs to hire the FMC for some random reason. Designed for Disaster has fake dating - same as the first book had. Even down to tue FMC having a sex dream about the MMC or the third act break ups because the MMC is afraid are also repeated. Individually, they are all standard tropes, but at this point it just feels like a copy/paste of the outline of the book, and I just found it lacking originality.

Trent and Natalie don't get along as soon as they meet. But soon they are in a fake relationship.
It was good. Quick and easy to read. There is a small 3rd act breakup. Miscommunication trope again.

Omg 🤣😂😂😂 the book was a perfect stressbuster, entertaining and full of love life and joy!!!
I love Nana Dee so much.....she is an absolute Sweetheart 😍
Natasha definitely knows how to not back down while trent definitely lives riling her up!
I enjoyed every chapter and part of the book!!! I was laughing throughout!
I LOVE COFEEZILLA AND HELLMAT 😂😂🤣🤣

Designed for Disaster is the final book of a trilogy, but I went into this blind as a standalone. It features a ton of tropes, including enemies to lovers, workplace romance, and fake dating. Quite fun, and usually right up my alley after consuming novels like The Hating Game and The Love Hypothesis.

I feel like this book started off strong with tons of fun banter, but by the end I’d turned my brain off from some predictable scenes and the headaches I got from Trent’s dialogue. I really wanted to like this, but the resolution’s execution fell flat for me. Certainly one of the spicier novels I’ve touched, but the lack of chemistry between the main leads plus a strange imbalance between the pacing and the content felt frustrating–the romance skewed way more towards instalust and lacked the push/pull I always crave in a romcom. Even so, I appreciated the lighthearted humor and entertaining moments.

Thank you NetGalley and Relay for the ARC!

Fun end to the Manhattan Bossholes trilogy. This title can also be read as a standalone if you haven't read book one and two but I bet after readying this title you'll want to go back and catch up.

A fun and engaging romance with a great mix of humor and heart. Natasha, a determined furniture designer, and Trent, a grumpy CEO, start off clashing but soon find themselves in a fake dating arrangement that leads to unexpected feelings.

Their chemistry is strong, with witty banter and emotional depth making their relationship believable. Trent’s grandmother, Nana Dee, adds warmth and charm to the story. While some plot points are predictable, the characters and fast-paced storytelling keep it enjoyable.

Overall, this is a light, entertaining read—perfect for fans of fake dating and grumpy-sunshine romances!

A fun and light read that made me smile. The writing style is quite good with some amazing banter and descriptions. I was outright laughing at times.

Love the characters and the supporting characters. The premise of fake dating and enemies to lovers is cutely done. It is an adorable read that I absolutely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, Relay Publishing, and Leslie North for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

Fun
Natasha is a furniture designer who is working in a coffee shop to supplement her income as she grows her business and Trent is the coffeezilla who gets her fired but then ends up hiring her to design a sustainable line for his furniture company and to also play his fake girlfriend in front of his grandmother
I liked Natasha from the very start of this book, she is fun and feisty but she also had some habits that I really wasn’t that keen on and which quickly became to irritate me as the story went on whereas Trent was a more difficult character to bond with but who was driven and determined and although he also had character flaws I didn’t like, he was someone who I went through times of really liking
I think what made this book more interesting and captivating for me were the supporting characters, especially Trent's Nana Dee who whilst being ill was larger than life and without who the story wouldn’t have happened. The other supporting character I loved was Natasha’s best friend Stacy who was an aspiring costume designer and who reminded the reader that you should always chase your dreams, even if you have to do weird off broadway shows on the way to making it. These two characters were the main reason I liked this book and why I started to like Natasha and Trent more, seeing them through another persons eyes made them seem more genuine and likeable
Although this book did have some sections I wasn’t keen on, overall I did enjoy it and with a teaser for Stacy as a main character, I defiantly look forward to reading more books in the series
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a romance with characters you will like and a supporting cast who are amazing and bring the story together and reminds you to follow your heart and your dreams

First of all I absolutely love this cover! This is the third book in the series and I definitely recommend reading the first two because they are just as good as this one!

The first two books are a must read! Love the intermingled stories throughout them all leading to Designed for Disaster. I definitely think this was the best one of them all, and loved the ending. I enjoyed how the characters were explored and how much you learnt about them. Great read, will definitely be exploring more of Leslie North's books.

a simple story with great tropes, not my favourite but still fun to read and you definitely root for the characters!

Thank you to NetGalley, Relay Publishing, and Leslie North for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book is an enemies to lovers romance. I liked this book, but didn’t love it. The story starts with the two characters meeting in a coffee shop with their first interaction leading to the two not liking each other. The two eventually meet each other again and get into a fake relationship, The story was cute, didn’t drag, and wasn’t overly spicy. However, I was hoping to get to know the characters more.

I wanted to like this book so bad but she was infuriating and he was an ahole not in a funny or banter way he’s literally just a mean piece of sh*t.

Designed for Disaster is the next installment of the millionaire series and another strong entry. It’s always great to catch up with the other Lost Boys. This story was fun but full of a giant miscommunication and complication so just know that going in. I enjoyed it, the two characters had a lot of chemistry and an incredibly touching epilogue.

2.5 Stained Glass Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level:🌶️🌶️.5/5

Calling your book Designed for Disaster might be setting yourself up for disaster... AND WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT...

Yeah, this one was not for me! And coming off of really enjoying Aidan’s story, this just lacked everything I was hoping for.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This follows Trent and Natalie. Natalie works several odd jobs to fund her furniture-making business and one day has a bad run-in with Coffeezilla AKA Trent at the coffee shop where she’s employed. Their encounter gets her fired, but by some twisted fate, Trent unknowingly hires her to design furniture for his grandmother (OUR NANA DEE). When Natalie, the “hellcat” from the coffee shop, shows up at Dee’s house, Trent realizes it’s her. Seeing how happy Dee seems at the sight of his supposed “girlfriend,” he persuades Natalie to keep up the act. In exchange, she gets a job at his prestigious furniture company and the chance to design a sustainable furniture line. The two must navigate their differences, explosive banter, and mutual stubbornness to figure out if there’s something more between them than just a fake arrangement.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I really liked Natalie. She’s self-sufficient, determined, and doesn’t let anyone push her around. Right from the start, you can tell she’s guarded, careful with her heart, and burned from a bad past relationship. She’s clear about her goals and doesn’t waver in what she wants, which makes her a compelling and grounded character.

Trent, on the other hand, was the main reason this book fell flat for me. I wanted to like him, I really did! I might have developed high expectations based on the build-up of who he was based on his glimpses in the previous books... But I struggled to get past his personality. Yes, he’s the typical brooding businessman with bottled-up emotions, but his protective nature over his family and company came off more as arrogance than charm. His strained relationship with his parents (who sound like they came straight from a soap opera) creates tension in his relationship with Natalie. And while I can understand that trauma shapes people, it didn’t make me empathize with him in the way I wanted to.

The biggest problem was the lack of chemistry between Natalie and Trent. They were always at odds, they have different ideals, different outlooks on life, and different perspectives on relationships. Even in opposites-attract romances, there’s usually some aspect where the couple clicks or at least connects through their banter. With these two, it felt like they were constantly clashing, misunderstanding each other, and talking past each other. There was no sense of connection, just a series of miscommunications and unresolved tension.

Now both characters are guarded due to being hurt in the past, but instead of creating depth, it only adds to the miscommunication that drives the story. The third-act breakup felt forced, hinging on yet another misunderstanding and unfounded assumptions. While there was grovelling and begging for forgiveness after the fallout from Trent (because obviously he is the one that messes up), it didn’t feel genuine. Their relationship lacked the foundation to make me believe they could stand the test of time.

Leslie North often relies on the idea that just because two characters spend time together, the romance will naturally fall into place. And while that can work in fluffy, lighthearted romances, it just didn’t land here. I wanted to see actual development in their relationship, not just time spent together implying love.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Workplace Romance (Boss X Employee)
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Fake Dating
▶ Poor Girl X Rich Boy
▶ Band of Brothers

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Grovelling
▷ "Good Girl"
▷ Suit Daddy
▷ Rolled Sleeves/Forearms
▷ Nicknames
▷ Don't Stop
▷ Banter

In the end...it had some cute moments (I mean he bought her a CHURCH) and I got to see more of Nana Dee. But that doesn't fully counterbalance that for me it lacked depth and emotional resonance. So as a result, the romance didn’t feel profound or satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley, Relay Publishing and Leslie North for the gifted copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.