Loved this even more than the 2nd book of the series. This book has the perfect blend of characters, plot, drama,love and happiness.
Highly recommend, one of Leslie North's best books

Natasha and Trent are both passionate and hard working individuals, with such soft hearts too. They're so perfect for each other, and their relationship felt very natural and not forced. They had such fantastic, simmering chemistry, and the author captured the classic grumpy and sunshine trope very well.

This book handled the difficult topics the characters had experienced, like parent loss, really well. Although Trent had come across in the beginning as cold, he was very kind and emotionally intelligent towards Natalia's pain, and vice versa. I loved the way they opened up to each other and how understanding they were. It was refreshing and comforting to read.

I will say the 'conflict' of the book and the resolution wasn't my favourite. It would have worked better if Trent hadn't seemed so emotionally intelligent and present throughout the book, but the way he reacted felt very blown out of proportion. At least there was an explanation as to why he reacted the way he did, so I can forgive it a little.

The book was also just super fun. There was lots of banter and a natural (and every hot) sort of flirting between the characters. The dialogue was really well written, and I sunk into the scenes like they were playing before me. I breezed through this book and had a great time. I often find romances to feel a little unrealistic to keep things comedic and fun, but I loved how realistic and possible this romance read as.

All the friendships were so good in this, it was just so heartwarming to read. Everything felt well balanced, and the pacing was spot on. I had a much better time than I expected, and ended up really loving this novel.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to review this!

*I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Relay publishing and the author for providing me with a copy for review purposes!

3 ⭐

Designed for disaster was my first approach to Leslie North, this is the third book in the Manhattan Bossholes series but since it’s interconnected standalones they can be read in any order. I really liked the premise of this book, and when I started reading I really enjoyed the meet cute and the banter that came from it. But as I kept going, I realized I didn’t really care for the characters. The story was fine, and that was it. There wasn’t anything that was keeping me focused on the book and away from distractions.

It was an enjoyable read but nothing more. It was funny and cute, but as I already said I personally felt no connection to the characters.

OMG, another fantastic book from Leslie. I was smiling through the entire thing and enjoying the pure SASS from Tash is wonderful. I love the relationship she has with Trent and how it evolves within the story. Seeing how Trent is with his brother is adorable as ever and I loved seeing the resolution with Nana Dee. This book was a wonderful wrap up and I cannot wait to see what Leslie has in store for us next.

This is a delightful read for fans of lighthearted, humorous romance novels that explore the complexities of trust, vulnerability, and the blurred lines between love and deception, with a dash of witty banter and a swoon-worthy hero.

3.5 star

This was a quick, entertaining read that kept me hooked from start to finish. The fast pacing worked well, and I never found myself bored with the story.

The side characters were a fun addition, but the real standout for me was the main male character. He’s the perfect blend of grumpy and soft, especially when it comes to his grandma. I also appreciated how he sets boundaries with people who don’t deserve a place in his life—it made him feel grounded and relatable.

The chemistry between the main characters was great, and the spicy scenes were just right—not overdone but enough to keep things interesting. I also loved how the FMC and MMC had such opposing views on family, which created a lot of tension and added depth to their personalities.

The only downside for me was the ending. It felt a bit too rushed, and I wish the resolution had been given more time to unfold. A slower build-up would have made the conclusion more satisfying.

Cute romcom about a freelance furniture designer and a corporate CEO of a major furniture chain who fake date their way into love. Overall concept and dialogue were fun and believable. The only major plot issue i had was with how the MMC brings the FMC into his work. I'm all for serendipity and a little silliness to bring a couple together but the general hiring/firing antics were to far fetched and took me out of the story. I haven't read the other books in this series but would definitely pick up the other ones!

I’ve really loved this series. Watching all of the Lost Boys find love. There’s certainly no lack of drama and emotion between Trent and Natasha. There’s time to shed a few tears and time to hate Trent for clearly getting the assignment of running with a misunderstanding.
I was wishing there was more from these guys but I’m thinking there’s not much more to tell for Dominic and Stacy. I guess I can be content with this ending.
5 stars!!!!

This story was sweet and entertaining. Yet a lot of the plot seemed repetitive which the characters themselves even acknowledge. I will still read the next book because I really love the characters.

This book was everything I wanted and more. Typically, I’m not the greatest fan of billionaire romances but this book blew me away. Natasha and Trent were a match made in heaven. Grump sunshine is one of my favorite tropes and they brought out the best in each other. Expect some steam, a good laugh, and a couple to swoon over for days.

A really fun, light-hearted read!

Likeable characters and an interesting storyline made this an enjoyable and easy-reading book, perfect for lovers of romance/romcoms. The motivations behind each character really added to the depth and pace of the storyline, lifting this book into my four star rating!

A fun enemies to lovers fake dating romance. With plenty of humor and developed side characters, I was invested the whole time. I loved their chemistry and banter. A good read that will have you laughing....plus the perfect amount of spice.

The pace of events in this book is extremely fast, and that was something I didn't enjoy. I've read a couple books by this author in the past and I haven't given them five stars, I think they are pretty entertaining though. Not the biggest fan of this one with the miscommunication trope being dominant. I'm used to second act breakups but this one took it way too far with it feeling too plot driven. I didn't love Trent after many such instances. The highlight for me was Natasha's banter with Trent's brother. This book isn't something I strongly recommend.

This was a fun book to read! The Coffeezilla and the Hellcat. They were great characters and I loved their banter and watching their romance grow.

The Hellcat - Natasha is a furniture designer working as a barista to support herself and her designs. She's fired after an altercation with Trent, the Coffeezilla. Trent happens to run a furniture company and inadvertently hires Natasha to build something special for his Nana Dee.

Their stories are so different - Natasha grew up surrounded by love and Trent grew up in a cold home, except for his grandparents and little brother. I liked their interaction and their romance and watching their stories grow together.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Designed for Disaster is a captivating romance that grabs your attention from the very first page. Natasha, a budding furniture designer in NYC, is working multiple jobs while struggling to overcome the challenges of her past. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she receives a tempting offer from the person she’d least expect. As they navigate their new, complicated relationship, both must confront their personal traumas and decide whether they can move forward together or let their emotional baggage pull them apart. This story skillfully blends tension, growth, and romance, creating a heartfelt and entertaining journey with just the right amount of drama.

Designed for Disaster is a book that has every trope you could possibly want, and they work together perfectly. Enemies to lovers, fake dating, Billionaire boss and boyfriend. The Manhattan Bosshole series are fun romantic comedies that are for everyone that needs a little love and spice in their life.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of Designed for Disaster by Leslie North

Did not know this was part of a series when I received it, but it can be read as a standalone. Although I will go back and read the other ones cause I was hooked on their stories right from this one. In this book, we have a few different tropes. Fake dating enemy to lovers. Natasha works at a coffee shop and gets fired because of a customer whose name is trent. Natasha designs furniture on the side and through happenstance meets up with Trent. At his grandmas, and in order to make grandma feel better, they began a fake dating relationship and natasha ends up working for trent, who owns a famous furniture company ( natasha designs furniture.) Will they fall in love like the famous founders of the furniture company? Or will it all blow up? I think you know what happens but it was a quick fun read. I read it in about a day and a 1/2. I enjoyed it definitely gonna go back and read the first 2. Hoping the next book is more about Natasha's neighbor. I really enjoyed the secondary cast of characters in this book

Thank you, nat galley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

I liked this, I love a good haters to lovers/ forced proximity/ fake dating read. Natasha is fierce & kinda bratty I loved it. Trent is jaded but you can tell he cares so much for his people. An easy, quick read! I’m looking forward to reading others in the series.

4.5 ✨️✨️✨️✨️
🌶🌶.5

Trent and Natasha blew my heart and put it together.
I know it was the book #3 and even if it's the only book i read, it was totally worth it to try as a standalone even with spoilers from the other two. i wanna read.
For starters, the found family moments were so cute.
This book was almost perfect. The dislike to love, the miscommunication, and the try to fix it was done PERFECTLY. The couple was honestly a vibe altogether
Plus the end was magical also given the impact of the last two books.

The only thing i kinda didn't put up too much was the spice (not the spice per se cause it was swoony and very good but at what point was put in) that ruined some cute moments into lust for me but i get it and so it didn't impact much.

I definitely wanna read the two previews book now :)

Thanks for the Arc from #netgalley given in exchange for a honest review (thoughts totally mine)

Fake dating & enemies to lovers are my favorite tropes, so I assumed I’d enjoy this one. Boy, was I right! This one kept me chuckling from beginning to end. I’ve never read Leslie North’s books before, so I’m really glad I found her. I’ll definitely be digging into her catalogue. This one was part of a series, but I felt immersed in the story without reading previous books. I felt like I already knew the characters, which is a tribute to Ms. North’s writing.

4.5 ⭐️