I found this book on NetGalley and it was my first time reading any of the authors. I’m normally not a fan of the novella, but the F/F and boss/subordinate themes appealed to me. I’m also happy to report that the stories didn’t feel like novellas, since they were well written and we got a lot of character development and backstory.

The first story, Lead Counsel by Aurora Rey was my favorite. I felt it was the strongest in terms of story line, believability, and the connection between Elisa and Parker felt sustainable long term.

For Your Eyes Only by Julie Cannon was also well written, though we received far less background information. I’m not entirely sure even where the story was set, besides a generic city. I found the stripper/professional pairing to be new and exciting, though the reveal of Jess/Dana to be an employee was a bit forced. I did, however, appreciate that there was a layer of management between Jess/Dana and Riley, so the boss/subordinate didn’t seem to be TOO improper.

Which means that the third story, Opportunity of a Lifetime was my least favorite. Honestly, I felt Stephanie was an inconsistent yo-yo and I mostly wanted to thump her in the center of her forehead. I never connected with Luca, either, and thought they both deserved a different relationship. I did, however, appreciate the ending.

Overall, I enjoyed this anthology and will keep an eye out for more books by these authors! If you’re looking for some F/F boss/subordinate action, go ahead and give this a read! You’ll love it!

I haven't read many f/f novellas, so when I saw this anthology, I jumped on it. These are all new-to-me authors as well, so I was excited to find some new favorites. While some of these are off-shoots of existing series, all the novellas can be read as standalone.

“Lead Counsel” – Aurora Rey ★★★

“It’s kind of humiliating to want someone who hooked up with you when they were drunk, but the next morning was, ‘eh, no thanks.’ And now she’s my boss. I’d be an absolute idiot to give her even a passing thought.”
For whatever reason, this first story didn’t really work for me. I liked Elisa and Parker, and I liked the backstory of a hookup gone wrong in college and an unrequited crush, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between them. I kept checking to see how many pages were left in this one while reading it.

“I’ve seen the way Parker looks at you.”
So much for being subtle. “How’s that?”
“Like she’s the hero in a Nicholas Sparks movie and you’re the heroine.”
Elisa narrowed her eyes. “Is that a compliment? I can’t tell.”

“For Your Eyes Only” – Julie Cannon. ★★★★

This one has a really interesting POV. It starts out with Riley’s POV. Riley is a CFO who’s, well, she’s been described as “frigid,” and while I don’t think that fits, she is rather introverted and rigid in her ways – for instance, she likes having her shirts tucked in all the time. She’s having a not-so-great time at her best friend’s birthday party until Jess, the stripper, arrives. Something between Riley and Jess clicks right away, and after a bit of deliberation, Riley calls and schedules a private dance with Jess, then another, then another. This being a work-related anthology, I think you can figure out where this is going. The second half of the story rewinds and retells the same events from Jess’s POV, until the big reveal, when it switches to a dual third-person POV. There’s so much chemistry between Riley and Jess, though it does end a bit suddenly, but on a HFN. I really wished this was longer – I wanted to know how they would overcome their issues.

“Opportunity of a Lifetime” – M. Ullrich. ★★★★

“Sometimes we all need a moment of weakness to remind us of how strong we really are.”
I think this was my favorite, and the one that had the most angsty work-related dilemmas. Stephanie is one of LGR Financial’s top hot-shot forensic accountants, and the last thing she needs is an assistant – she works best alone. Luca is surprised to be assigned to Stephanie, who has a bit of a reputation at the office, and then frustrated when it’s obvious that Stephanie wants nothing to do with her. The author, however, manages to straddle the line with making the reader frustrated for Luca without paining Stephanie as a complete bitch. This was my favorite of the three novellas, and it felt almost like a full-length book. There’s a lot of character development, and a ton of intensely delightful sexual tension. I finished out the novella feeling like they had a solid chance at a HEA.

Overall, this was a fun anthology, with mostly strong stories. I’d give it 4 stars overall.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I’m a big fan of novella compilations, because sometimes I only have a couple of hours to read. The Boss of Her is the best one I’ve ever read, because each of the three stories from Aurora Rey, Julie Cannon, and Megan Ullrich are so different from each other. “Boss” means something completely different in each of the stories. Individually they work perfectly because each is long enough to really flesh out the characters and fully develop the stories.

*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion*

4 stars. I enjoyed this book for novellas. The novellas were cute and all of them consisted of a boss and subordinate relationship, which seems obvious from the title. I enjoyed the first and third one more than the second, but I still enjoyed them all. The third story was probably my favorite of the three. It was also the longest of the three novellas.

The first novella was about two lawyers, Parker and Elise. Parker and Elise went to law school together and had made out in law school, but Parker had ignored her feeling for Elise to be a successful lawyer. Years later, Parker becomes Elise's boss at her law firm in New Orleans and they have to confront each other again. It was an interesting story where it was well developed and interesting.

The second novella was about a Financial assistant/stripper named Dana/Jess and a CFO named Riley. They met at a birthday part for Riley's friend and they both saw something in each other. This story was probably the shortest, and my least favorite. I did like how the story was told twice, once in each of their point of views. It made it interesting to see it from both sides.

The third novella was about an assistant named Luca and her boss Stephanie. I really liked this one. The assistant was unwanted by the Stephanie at first but wears her down and they finally enjoy working together. Stephanie is a little hard headed and does not want to be wrong about anything, including needing an assistant. Luca tried again and again to change her mind about needing an assistant since Stephanie is the best in the business. This novella was well paced and the characters were both evolving throughout the novel.

All in all, I enjoyed all three novellas and would recommend this for someone looking for some short stories.. These novellas made me want to look up these authors and read their other full length books since I enjoyed their short stories a lot.

This book had three novellas in it. And as the title implies they all somehow involve two characters where one of them is a boss, and the other an employee.

It started with one called Lead Counsel by Aurora Rey. I did wish that it was a little longer, but, it also worked in the shorter format. Elisa and Parker went to Law School together and had a fateful meeting at a party during that time. Now, years later their careers are definitely different. And Parker comes on as Lead Counsel on one of Elise's cases. It was a fun story, and I liked especially that I wasn't sure how it would end.

For Your Eyes Only by Julie Cannon was the second story. It consisted of three smaller parts, two of which were in first person (which I don't think I've read in a while now that I think about it). One from Riley's point of view, one of Jess' point of view, and then the third part in third person. Riley is the CFO of a company and a bit controlled. While Jess is a dancer/stripper who dances at a friend of Riley's birthday party. Riley then hires Jess to dance for her (no funny business) a couple of times, and then there is the fateful (and awkward) meeting when Riley meets another side of Jess she didn't know about. It was an intense novella. And all of that packed into a small package. Yikes.

Opportunity of a Lifetime by M. Ullrich was my least favorite of the novellas, but, that was probably because it took me a little longer to get into it. Luca and Stephanie are both Forensic Accountants and when Luca is assigned to Steph as her assistant to learn from Steph, well, that doesn't go well at all since Steph likes to work alone. They have a lot of misunderstandings, but slowly start understanding each other and falling in love.

I loved the first two stories, and liked the third one. And for all of them I was very impressed by just how much was fit into the novella format.

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to Bold Strokes Books.

So, I am often wary of novellas because they can feel rushed and incomplete, but these were pretty good. They felt no more or less insta-love than your usual full length lesbian romance novel :) One of the novellas even managed to throw in some conflict (and resolution, of course) <i>after</i> the main characters had fallen for each other, which is impressive for such a short offering.

I was impressed by the fact that each of the characters had their own personality, and you felt like you got to know the characters and who they are. Each of the three novellas was a stand-alone story. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Brilliant. Sexy. Perfect.

These little novellas were amazing! They were all beautifully paced - short and sweet but not rushed at all, and the romance developed naturally.

Lead Counsel (Aurora Rey) - Eliza Gonzalez finds herself working a new case with a big shot lawyer from out of town, who also happened to be her one upon a time crush in law school. Will the past stay in the past? Or is this the beginning of something new? Aurora Rey always writes a story that touches my soul. Her stories always really hit home with me. Eliza's character meant everything to me. I really liked how fully developed this story was as well. The romance was perfectly swoon worthy and damn sexy. The characters were unique and really relatable. I loved seeing Sam and Tess again (Crescent City Confidential).

For Your Eyes Only (Julie Cannon) - What happens when Riley's perfectly controlled life get's set on fire by a sexy stripper. When happens when that stripper is her newest employee? Wow. This was sexy. One of the sexiest things I've ever read. It started out sexy and sensual and then developed into a really lovely romance. The POV use was really clever. This is the first story I've read by this author - I'll definitely be checking out some of her other works.

Opportunity of a Lifetime (M. Ullrich) - Luca finishes her internship at the top, and she's assigned to the firms top forensic accountant. But Stephanie refuses to acknowledge she has an assistant and she makes Luca's life a living hell. But it's not long before the combination between Luca's skill and her attractiveness starts to thaw the ice queen. I really love a good ice queen story and I loved how this story progressed really naturally. They were both really cool characters and I enjoyed the gradual way the layers of the characters were revealed. I feel like M. Ullrich has only become a stronger writer with each work she writes. I really looking forward to what's in store next!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 Stars. This is a really good collection of novellas. I tend to have mixed feelings with novellas since they can seem a bit rushed. I’m happy to say all of these novellas had the quality of full novels. All three stories felt complete and only one had an ending that was a little rushed. This was a good quality collection and I’m glad I read this.

Lead Counsel by Aurora Rey- 4 stars. This was my favorite of all three novellas. The writing was good. The story was full and not rushed. It was a real feel good story. It also has a cameo from the couple in Crescent City Confidential.

For Your Eyes Only by Julie Cannon- 3.75 stars. This had a really interesting premise. This was about falling in love with a stripper, but with a twist. What really impressed me was the writing. To me this felt like classic Julie Cannon back from when I used to love her books. The only issue was the ending was rushed.

Opportunity of a Lifetime by M. Ullrich- 3.75 stars. An ice queen boss falls in love with her assistant. I was really enjoying this story. It had the chance to be my favorite, but the major conflict felt a little too forced, especially for a novella. I did really enjoy the “one year later” ending. Anyone who is a fan of Ullrich’s book Fortunate Sum, will get a nice treat. We get to experience what is next in Catherine and Imogene’s life.

This was a really nice collection of novellas. If you are a fan of these authors, or just a romance fan, I think you will enjoy this.

Three nice novellas by three experienced BSB romance authors. All three well written, interesting and enjoyable. One big complain though. I would have liked a more fleshed out ending in For Your Eyes Only by Julie Cannon. It felt very rushed and not well thought out and it knocked a star off my rating.
Recommended to all romance fans.

There were three different stories. The first one Lead Counsel was very well written. I liked both of the women in the story and I thought the story was okay. I thought that Elisa was a little whiny at times and she held on to the dismissal by Parker for a very long time. A pretty good story though. The second story about the stripper and the CFO Wasn’t very interesting and I did not like either character. I felt like Riley was way too rigid and Dana just wasn’t developed enough for me to care. The third story Oppurtunity of a Lifetime was phenomenal. It was a perfect story, just the right amount of angst. Very well done.

The title of this compiliation of novellas piqued my interest immediately. The dynamic of a boss/subordinate affair has almost too many delicious possibilities to consider. I have to admit, the first two stories were teasers and a warm-up to the absolute gem that you will find with the third book.

Lead Council is the first book featuring two lawyers Elisa and Parker. Their brief hookup in college is now given a second chance years later when Parker suddenly becomes lead council on a big case with Elisa’s firm. I found both characters a bit bitchy and selfish despite the sizzling chemistry between them. By the end of their story I was relieved I wouldn’t have to spend more time in their Dr. Jekyl/Ms. Hyde world. Two and a half stars.

The second book, For Your Eyes Only (cue opening chords of the Bond movie of the same name - sorry, couldn’t help it) features an insta-love story between sexy stripper Dana and CFO Riley. Their dynamic included an interesting juxtaposition of opposites attract and whoops, now they are forced to work together. Dana is sexy and swaggering on the outside but intelligent, warm, and fuzzy inside while Riley is controlled and poised in the board room yet charming and friendly away from it. It’s a fun and light story with funny and ironic twists and turns. Then it just ... ends. It felt unfinished and like there was more to tell. Too bad, because I really liked their journey. Three stars

Opportunity of a Lifetime, the final book, is by far the best of the three and I want to give it more than 5 stars because I enjoyed it that much. Stephanie doesn’t need an assistant, nor does she want to have to mentor newly minted forensic accountant, Luca. Stephanie is one of my all time favorite ice queens, primarily because she literally had to become one to earn the respect in the male-dominated business world. She’s controlled, fiercely independent, and incredibly good at what she does. Both Steph and Luca have their adorable socially awkward moments that belay their impressive credentials, and it makes them endearingly human. When the delightful Luca gradually worms her way into Steph’s heart, we find just how caring and adoring Steph is, and how much she bolsters Luca’s confidence while giving her valuable work experience during her mentorship. This is a classically done story of two souls becoming so much more together than when they stand alone. They are so different but somehow manage to blend together to form an incomparable professional team and an impenetrable love. I can’t gush enough about this story. The price of purchase is well worth it for this story alone.

There is something very appealing in stories about boss/subordinate relations... If written skillfully, it's a winner ! These novellas I've practically devoured in over 2 hours! Considering the "theme", I'd wished it was more M rated than it was, but still - it felt very good reading them!

This is a pretty nice book, which consists of three short stories with the subject boss/subordinate.

As usual in short story books, there are better stories and others not so much, although this time there are only three stories and the level is quite similar and quite good in my opinion.

The first story, written by Aurora Rey, I thought it could be a novel perfectly. As the two protagonists have a past together, although brief, many things remain unexplained or too simplified.

The second, written by Julie Cannon, is the most interesting for my taste, since it  is told from three points of view, the two of each protagonist and the third of a narrator. Also, the two protagonists and the story itself are the ones I liked the most.

The third, written by M. Ullrich, is the one that, in my opinion, has more disconcerting situations, within the problems that are created when proposing a relationship between a boss and a subordinate.

In short, this is a book that is easily read and although the shorts always leave you wanting more, at least to me, it is worth reading.

<i>An ARC was sent to me from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley for an honest review </i>

This was one of the better anthology books I've read! I think it really helps when there aren't 10+ authors, and instead kept at 3 or so since it gives the stories enough time to feel fleshed out and complete. These three authors in particular are three of my favorites, so I was really excited to have a book that I knew would have three solid stories.

The summaries of each story are well done and accurate, so I won't spend time rehashing those. If the summaries interest you, you're going to enjoy the book.

All three stories felt like whole tales, although I have to admit that I want Julie Cannon's "For Your Eyes Only" to be a prequel. NOT that it didn't feel fleshed out, but I really want to know how their relationship is going to work out in the long run. How do they work around the whole boss/employee thing? How is Riley's friends going to react when they find out who she's dating? Will she want to keep it a secret, and for how long? Does Dana/Jess need to keep dancing?? I feel like there is so much left of this story that could easily go into its own book. Just think about it Julie :)

I'd give this 4 1/2 stars if I could. Good buy!

I thought this was ok, nothing special really, 3 different stories by 3 different authors, all the characters were nice enough, I really don’t have much to say about this book because it was just average romances which is always nice to read...

Lead Counsel by Aurora Rey

My favorite of this anthology, Elisa Gonzalez is startled to learn that the lead attorney her firm is bringing in is the same woman she had a crush on in law school, Parker Jones. They had had one night of heavy making out but Parker burned her the next day. Now they're both powerful women who are better able to deal with their emotions as well as the pressures of life.



Four stars



For Your Eyes Only by Julie Cannon

The Boss of Her by Julie CannonRiley Stephenson is a powerful CFO but she's awkward. Like, super shy and awkward. So she's astonished to find herself making the first move and ordering a stripper for herself after meeting her at a friend's birthday party where Jessie, the stripper, performs. I liked this story because the two were able to meet outside of work and Cannon really worked to make Jessie have her own agency in the romance. I wish we had had a better/softer ending to the story.



Three stars



Opportunity of a Lifetime by M. Ullrich

Luca Garner is a stellar intern who is assigned to work under VP Stephanie Austin, known as the office ice queen. She works hard and eventually the two find that they appreciate each other both for their good working rapport and their mutual attraction.

This was the story that worked least for me. I'm not sure how we're supposed to connect to either character nor how we're supposed to believe they work as a couple. There was so much packed into this short story that I felt a little whiplashed from how fast emotions went from love to hate.



Two and a half stars



Four stars overall

This book comes out April 17

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

All the stories in this collection could be so much more, but they weren't. Even for short stories or novellas I don't think they were handled all that well.. three amazing writers, three great stories, three missed opportunities.

I'd pass this one

This is a well written collection of novellas, each of the novellas are about a couple of hours' worth of reading. I enjoyed the second and third stories more than the first, however they were all well paced with interesting characters and a well developed plot squeezed into novella length. I would definitely recommend this book.

All three of these novellas were enjoyable and well-written.

Lead Counsel by Aurora Rey
Elisa Gonzalez finds herself assigned as co-counsel to Parker Jones, out-of-town high-powered litigator and former law school crush. This is a nice easy read with two women trying to figure out if they can reconnect.

For Your Eyes Only by Julie Cannon
Riley Stephenson, a highly respected CFO, finds herself instantly attracted to a stripper at her best friend’s party. This has a fantastic sexiness and sense of anticipation but, as I’ve found with most of Cannon’s books, I feel as if my fingers get slammed in the book with the abruptness of the ending.

Opportunity of a Lifetime by M Ullrich
Luca Garner, an astute and hardworking junior forensic accountant, is assigned to VP Stephanie Austin as her assistant. ‘Stone Cold Stephanie’ is not known to have ever taken an assistant and her reputation precedes her. This was my favourite of the three novellas.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

The Boss of Her is three unique novellas written in three distinctive voices. Julie Cannon, Aurora Rey and M. Ullrich are top-notch authors so it’s no surprise that this trio has produced a very satisfying compilation of workplace romances.

The first short story, Lead Counsel, by Aurora Rey takes the premise that opposites attract, but rather than have the two main characters out of step with each other, they are quite compatible once they realize that at their core, they want the same things. A civil lawsuit finds Elisa working with Parker, a woman from her past whom she had a brief hook-up with. Elisa doesn’t know what to make of it, but realizes that she is still drawn to Parker. Parker has changed a lot since law school and once the women reconnect not only do they find out they have great chemistry in the bedroom, but they also see their futures following the same path. Rey balances the task of writing a credible legal novella while making it sexy and relatable. She gives Elisa an honest vulnerability and Parker a sincere charm. Rey also writes a great bedroom scene that is anticipated from the very start. Kudos to Rey for including a woman of color as one of her main characters.

The second short story, For Your Eyes Only, by Julie Cannon is sexy from the get go and the slow burn is palpable. Although Riley Stephenson is a top-notch CFO who excels in the business sector, she is a shy and retiring wallflower away from her corporate life. She meets Jess, a stripper, at her best friend’s 50th birthday and she is mesmerized by her beauty and raw sexuality. Jess becomes a drug that Riley can’t put down and she starts scheduling private dances with Jess on a regular basis. Imagine Riley’s surprise (and chagrin) when she finds out that “Jess” is actually one of her new hires, Dana Mason. The story is broken into three parts. There is Riley’s portion, which is written from her point of view in the third person. Then, you get Jess/Dana’s point of view of the same events. Finally, the third portion of the story picks up after they come face to face. This story is the ultimate slow burn. For me, the most interesting aspect of the story is how Cannon convincingly portrays the two sides to Riley. Riley is both the picture of professionalism; totally in control and at home in her skin while she is at work, yet completely ill at ease in her social life.

The third story, Opportunity of a Lifetime, by M. Ullrich was my favorite. This story is all about character development and Ullrich does this with perfect pacing and her wonderful sense of humor. Luca Garner finds herself landing the Personal Assistant position for the most revered forensic accountant on the East Coast, Stephanie Austin. Unfortunately, Stephanie makes it perfectly clear that Luca’s presence is unwanted. Stephanie and Luca’s early interactions are more than awkward, but Ullrich infuses them with such humor that Stephanie doesn’t come across as a complete bitch. The character development in this story keeps this from becoming the typical “melting the ice queen” trope and the miscommunication that disrupts the budding relationship doesn’t feel forced as in many stories in this genre. This story has all the makings of a full-length novel and is the strongest in the group.

Due to the fact that these stories are novellas, there are times when information is told rather than shown, but this wasn’t so problematic that it kept me from enjoying them. Sure these shorts follow the typical formulas of this genre, but they are romances so they wouldn’t live up to our expectations if they didn’t. This is not an in depth look at the complicated dynamics of the workplace romance, but if you are looking for a satisfying romance about capable, professional women then this book is for you.

I received this book as an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review.