This is the first book by Zara Stoneley that I have read and it might be my last. I had to force myself to finish the book. This just wasn't the book for me.

Not saying that it doesn't have its interesting moments. Once you get to the desk part it actually turns entertaining. But I couldn't get with the character letting people walk all over her for the majority of the book. I know she struggled with middle child syndrome, which I know is a real thing. But being an only child it wasn't something that I could understand.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Being a ‘hot desker’ myself at work I was intrigued by the synopsis giving me all the feels of Beth O’Leary’s ‘The Flatshare’.

I was actually quite surprised to find myself reading a book featuring the current pandemic. Alice is returning to work after the Covid Lockdown hence the reason for the office changing to hot desking. I have to admit if the pandemic was mentioned in the synopsis, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up. Like many of us, reading is my escape from the real world but to jump from the real world to a fictional world and still have Covid featuring isn’t for me.

Overall the storyline was good, keeping me intrigued throughout however I really did struggle to warm to main character Alice. I found her inner monologue chaotic and tiring, She came across as quite shallow focusing on her possessions over relationships. Thankfully, in stepped Jamie, the annoying work colleague that Alice accidentally snogged one time many moons ago and who she now shares a work desk with. Not awkward at all! Not being in the office at the same time had them becoming creative in communicating, leaving post it notes with cheeky messages giving me a warm fuzzy feeling at how lovely and caring Jamie could be, I did enjoy the build up in chemistry between the two.

I might have disliked Alice however Jamie’s infectious positivity is too hard to resist and his support helps Alice to stand up for herself which was really nice to read. Alice’s character does change throughout the story, I mean, I won’t be sending her a Christmas card anytime soon but I was pleased to see her take a step back and re address what actually means the most to her.

Putting aside the Pandemic references. ‘Hot Desk’ is a charming office romantic comedy, the ‘will they, won’t they’ keeping you guessing throughout.

Big thank yous go out for the ARC which I received in exchange for a honest review.

This book is about Jamie and Alice working at the same company and because of the events of 2020 and the pandemic the office has decided to have a flexible work hours and have half the office in certain days and the other half the opposite days. They will share desks. Alice is all about her stuff her desk and keeps a cluttered desk. Jamie is the opposite his has nothing personal on it. can they share a desk?

the 1st 50% of this book was Alice freaking out about people touching her stuff. how she doesn't want anyone to touch her stuff and that is all she talked about ALL book. It became 2 much then everyone was scared to touch anything.

Then the most random romance was thrown in. it was cute at first because of the post its and then they just couldn't be together all this stuff going on. Then a week after they decided to wait and see they can't live without each other.

I would of liked to chop out 40% of the beginning of the book and flush out the last 50% with Jamie's issues to give a more rounded story. It also felt like it ended when it could of got good.

Also the fact she has had a thing for him for over 2 years and never said she remembered him from a drunken kiss and he didn't say anything. and when he realized instead of saying something he goes home with another woman. I really don't have words It took me over a week to read I just couldn't get into it and I just wanted it to end. I hate giving books bad reviews but I really did not enjoy this story. I love a office romance and a enemies to lovers troupe. But they just worked together and she hated him for a dumb reason and she NEVER said anything to him about knowing him. She just hated him to hate him because she had feelings for him.


Overall, Hot Desk was not the book for me. The Romance almost had a chance to be cute but it didn't deliver the post-its were cute but that's it. Alice’s inner monologue about needing her own space and not wanting to share and not touching GOT OLD FAST.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, for providing me with a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 1.5 Stars

Easy to read, enjoyable and flowed quite well.
The reader really got to know into the mind of the main character, maybe a bit too much at times as there was a lot of repetition of her feelings about her desk but as that was the main focus of the book then that can be excused.
Up to date with the content being post lockdown and at a time when many companies are looking into restructuring.

Alice is probably one of the few people who truly enjoys going to the office. She doesn’t enjoy her flatmates, she enjoys seeing her office buddies.
One morning she is running ungodly late and forgets her pass and her office hottie has to let her in. Just so happens she had a one off with him years back, but it seems he doesn’t remember! The two have quite the banter. An announcement is made where she will have to desk share with him due to the Covid outbreak. Will they realize they are meant for each other?

3 Stars
This tries to set up how things will be after Covid and people are back in the offices. Sharing a desk, not having your own space can be disorienting, especially when you are used to your own things.

This is a story about two people, crossing in the day/night sharing this desk and how they discover more about themselves and each other due to it.

What a fab book, so relatable for many who find themselves in exactly the same situation as the main characters Alice & Jamie, working from home due to the covid pandemic then just as they think some semblance of normality is coming back - Bang! Hotdesking!
I love Alice's character, all she wants is a little piece of the world to call her own after sharing with a big family. Even her 'own' room in the house she shares is invaded by her annoying sister who has zero boundaries in knowing what is acceptable and what is well and truly over the line. So when her 'own' desk at the office is lost to the Dragon Lady's concept to save money and space - hotdesking- and she finds herself drawing the short straw with cocky office heart throb Jamie, her little safe haven feels lost.
The first half of this book did come to feel a little repetitive with Alice going over and over the issues she has with Jamie, her sister, her obnoxious boyfriend who wouldn't go away, yada yada yada. Then all of a sudden the book comes to life. Is Jamie really the extroverted office clown she thinks he is? Can she actually start setting boundaries and getting people to respect them? The humble Post-It note plays a fabulous part in this book in a similar vein as in The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary but to a lesser extent.
My worry for this book is that it will lose a lot of readers with being too longwinded before the action kicks in. Alice can be quite annoying with her inner monologues and does harp on quite a lot about needing her own space. The second half is SO good that it seems a shame that many won't get to enjoy it as they will have abandoned the book way before they reach it.
So in conclusion: a book of two halves. Please persevere with the start, you will be rewarded!

I read this a while ago but have been waiting for my allocated place on the book tour before posting any review/thoughts on it.

This is the definition of a romantic comedy! Filled with laugh-out-loud moments throughout, a beautiful plot based on the on-trend topic of returning to the office after the pandemic.

The characters of this book were relatable and this is a perfect read of those who have worked within an office environment. Although this is light-hearted, the underlying message of personal growth shines through thanks to this author’s writing style.

This is a very pleasant, sweet, and cozy read that will have readers smiling stupidly whilst reading (or perhaps that was just me!)

Alice having struggled to deal with working from home in the apartment she shares with others, is excited to be called back to the office. However, her excitement is short-lived as she learns she will have to hot desk with Jamie, a guy she has a bit of history with.

She wonders what’s going to become of all the stuff she displays on her desk. But Jamie is surprisingly amenable to sharing a desk with her. Then the post-it notes and other thoughtful gestures start to appear. She begins to respond. And though she doesn’t meet Jamie in person at first, this soon changes.

This quirky girl who is very vulnerable after a break up with a guy who tried to change her is suddenly drawn into a relationship with Jamie. That is until he mysteriously starts to pull back. What’s he hiding? Will they be able to find happiness with each other despite everything?

I love how Alice slowly learns to assert herself with her sister, her flat mates and with her ex!

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced, humorous read which dealt with a few serious issues such as a need for space and assertiveness in relationships.

I will certainly be on the look out for more books from Zara.

Hot Desk provides great escapism that is packed full of delightful entertainment  with really good humour and romance.
Hot Desk is set post Covid-19 and people are adjusting to being back in the office with new working practices. Something so many office workers would now be able to relate to. This reality is there, but it's not all about Covid-19. This is about Alice and how she handles going back to the office of 'We Got Designs'. It presents itself, even from the first page, to be a very funny book indeed. The comic-timing in the writing is divine. A little bit further in and there is the clear signs of romantic frission between her and fellow colleague - Jamie and it is so well written. It's great that this is set out near the beginning and then to see how this progresses. It's a bit like listening into office gossip when reading Hot Desk. It's all rather a deliciously enticing book that is so entertaining that it compels you to read to see how it all plays out.

There are serious notes to the story too, one being the real fear of the office's future. There is also the whole fear of hot desking looming and then becoming a reality, with all the terms and conditions attached and the emotion that goes with it. Readers will be able to relate to how things can be when a desk is no longer your own. Alice finds out she has to hot desk with Jamie, so confides in her friend Lou quite a bit.

There is a sweet growing romance that sprouts in the office and yet in a light way, also brings endangered animals and conservation into the conversation. It's lovely to organically watch Alice and Jamie getting to know each other.

Ultimately this is a rom-com that is properly funny and properly romantic. The mix of these ingredients with the premise of returning to the office and having to share a desk works wonderfully well and makes me smile. Readers can watch this office to see if the spark of their romance grows further into a sizzle or not, even with all the new things to get to grip with, this element still lives on.
After a hard day's work, whether you're in an office or not, Hot Desk provides entertaining, sweet and touching escapism that hits the spot very well indeed.

I have been a fan of Zara Stoneley for a while now. Her characters are sweet and complex who work hard at bettering themselves and come together to tackle some difficult challenges.

Am I the only one that is horrified by this news? Did some people actually like working at home?

When Jamie and Alice are asked to hot desk for the new work-at-home policy, she panics. Her desk is her sanctuary, her breathing space, her escape. Her own private place full of her knick-knacks and things she holds dear. The one space she didn’t have to share with anyone else…until now. I guess it’s better than losing her job, right? Just barely.

You see, Alice has a major crush on Jamie. She first met him at a packed concert a few years ago and they shared a very memorable kiss. But here’s the kicker. Jamie doesn’t remember her. Apparently, she’s forgettable. In fact, they almost shared another kiss at a Christmas party at work and, yep, you guessed it, he didn’t remember. All he is now is someone who teases her and pushes her buttons. And, now he’s her hot desk mate. He’ll be touching her stuff. Sitting in her chair. It’s time for ground rules.

If you haven’t guessed by now, hot desking is sharing a space with a co-worker at different times. Alice is quirky at best with her obsession with her desk, but there is a reason. She has had to share space with her boundaryless sisters, her ex, and now with her housemates. They have no concept of privacy. Alice finally grows a pair and starts taking back her life instead of being a pushover. She gets a lock on her bedroom door, confronts her sister, housemates, and ex, and she agrees to a hilarious hot desk contract with Jamie. Jamie’s okay with it right away. He respects her privacy and starts to leave fun post-it notes on her desk. It appears everything is going fine, until one day Jamie fesses up about the kiss and reveals a shocking truth that could ruin everything. Jamie is loveable and supportive of Alice though he lied to her. His new situation is complicated at best, but with time and patience, they work it out. It’s going to be a challenge. As for the others, it takes time, but they step up and respect her wishes.

There are several supporting characters including Alice’s chaotic and warm and loving family, Alice’s co-worker and hilarious friend, Lou, and of course, Dave, Alice’s ex who is a complete knob.

I enjoyed this delightful tale of boundaries and taking back one’s life. I laughed out loud at the lovely post-it notes and I routed for two people who changed each other’s lives by one memorable kiss.

Thank you to Ms. Stoneley for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

Hot Desk takes place in a world where the COVID pandemic is over and life is returning back to normal after a year in a lock-down/work from home way of life. While the utilization of the pandemic may not be for everyone, for me, it is a very realistic and relatable reason for the characters and associated companies to be at a certain place by the time the story begins. The concept of two people sharing the same workspace through hot desking was intriguing, especially as many companies are putting this idea out there to downsize office space. I know many people that work for companies that are planning the exact scenario portrayed in this novel with the hybrid work-from-home/work-in-the-office model. I was, therefore, very curious to see a love story forming taking the hot desk concept and putting it into action.

When the readers first meet Alice Dixon, she is very stressed about the sudden all-staff meeting scheduled at her company, We Got Designs. Honestly, it took me a minute to connect to a scenario where an all-staff meeting would equal anything negative as I work for a place where these are normal informative monthly (or semi-monthly) meetings. These pages are chaotic inner dialogue, which was a little much at times just in a reading-sense; however, this was also very realistic as most people have multiple thoughts running through their head at any given moment. As this is a constant presence in the novel, it may or may not be for every type of reader. For me, I enjoyed it to an extent, but felt that it would have been better if it was reduced a little. There are times with the inner thoughts where it would go on for a while and it would take away from the flow of the main story and I would end up lost. Again, the enjoyment of this style will greatly depend on the reader. The content itself was interesting and entertaining to experience everything around the main character.

Jamie Lowe also works for We Got Designs as Alice’s co-worker and crush. Not only have the two worked together for years, they have a shared history that Alice remembers, but Jamie has not acknowledged. When Alice was in her first year of university, she was very drunk at a Reading Festival party and had a kiss with a fellow drunk student, who turns out to be Jamie. When Alice met Jamie again when she started her job, he showed no sign of remembering this night, so Alice thought it meant nothing to him. After the hot desk (desk-sharing) concept is put into place at their company, Alice and Jamie learn that they are desk-mates. The two of them start sharing post-it notes to communicate with each other, which start more professional, but soon becomes integrated with more witty banter. Through this new relationship, the two characters begin to grow their connection. With their shared past and other obstacles in their way, the romance is not possible to develop overnight, so the reader gets to follow along a complex journey as the two characters navigate their next steps.

The novel itself is easy to read and has a decent flow as Jamie and Alice start to connect after hot desking begins. The chemistry between the two characters is fantastic and I loved their opposites attract romance. It is a unique concept to be introduced to characters based on their enthusiasm to return to the office. Jamie is content to continue working at home and is indifferent about a return to the office. On the other side, there is Alice who is ecstatic about returning to the office. This was interesting introduction to this part of her story as it is clear that she has difficulty establishing boundaries for herself. Her sister is constantly invading her space and borrowing her things without asking while Alice’s ex-boyfriend tries to control her life to “improve” it to his standards. Alice also has four flatmates, Della (a sex therapist), Kat (an actress and walks around the flat partially naked), Jack (takes over their lounge to play Xbox), and Zoe (a mobile hairdresser), that do not quite comprehend her need to have a quiet place to work. Over the course of the novel explores each of these relationships in Alice’s life as she learns to find balance to make herself happy. Overall, I enjoyed the character growth for each character, especially Alice, along with their flirty office relationship.

**I give a special thank you to Rachel @rararesources,, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to participate with this enjoyable novel via Netgalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

This book starts really slow and a lot of repeating of the same explanations about how Alice feels about her ex boyfriend. If you get past this, it does get better.
Alice and Jamie have to share a desk after company cutbacks and start leaving each other post it notes for each other. I could really see this happening in real life.
After about 50% I did start to really enjoy it, but the constant repetition put me off at the start.
Set in life after covid lockdowns but would have worked just as well with out the mention of a world pandemic.

Set in a world post-pandemic, Alice finds that returning to her office brings some unwelcome surprises. This is sure to touch a nerve with those who have been working from home and there is plenty of humour to be found from Alice's attempts to work from home or hot desk it in the office. This is a fun, entertaining read which keeps you amused to the end, with some lively characters and hilarious situations.

Alice turns out to be quite a complicated character and her reasons for wanting to return to the office are caught up with how she has been treated in the past. Jamie provides a gentle humour and turns out to be quite a surprising character with issues of his own to overcome. Family and friends are key in the story and I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of Alice's roommates and her sisters. This is a book to brighten up any weekend. Written in the first person, it has the tone of the Bridget Jones Books and by the end, you are definitely on Team Alice.

In short: Fun, flirty, fabulous!
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

After a slow start, which mostly consisted of our heroine wiggling on, this book found its rhythm. Really liked the main characters of Alice and Jamie who find themselves sharing a desk after company cutbacks.

Really enjoyed the interchange of post-it notes, which felt authentic… could really see that happening!!

Overall an enjoyable read, a return to form for this author 3.75-4*

First of all, the cover is beautiful. I loved this one!! definitely looking for the paperback to have on my bookshelf.

Zara Stoneley’s latest novel Hot Desk is a fun, escapist and engrossing romantic comedy readers will thoroughly enjoy.

Alice adores her job and she really cannot imagine doing anything else – nor does she want to. With the job market not being exactly stable at the moment, Alice is appreciative of the fact that she doesn’t have to worry about where her next pay cheque is coming from – until she receives troubling news that pulls the rug out from under her feet: her company is switching to flexible working and hot desking. Worried about her future with the company, Alice is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her job – even if her desk is a mess of epic proportions. She might knew where everything is, but as she is going to be sharing her desk with the office’s most annoying guy, Alice realises that she is going to need to up her game and tidy up – or else risk getting the sack!

Jamie is not too fussed about the company’s latest flexible working policy. He can work from pretty much anywhere and is used to keeping his professional and personal lives separate. Sharing a desk with Alice is certainly going to prove to be quite an eye-opener as the two of them are polar opposites with different working styles. Jamie cannot resist teasing Alice and pulling her leg – even when working remotely – and their shared desk soon becomes the perfect location for some office banter via post-it notes that quickly ends up leading to something neither one of them was expecting!

The temperature soon begins to rise – and it’s got nothing to do with a hot desk! Can Jamie and Alice keep it professional? Or will sharing a desk end up leading to the last thing they were anticipating: everlasting love.

Irrepressible, entertaining and so much fun, Zara Stoneley has penned another must-read romantic comedy with Hot Desk. Full of all the wit, charm and hilarity for which her books are known for, Hot Desk is a terrific opposites attract romantic comedy that kept me eagerly turning the pages and left me with a great big smile on my face (and even a tear in my eye!)

Alice and Jamie are two fantastic characters who jump off the pages and will delight readers from beginning to end. I thought it was very clever how Zara Stoneley took the present reality many employees are facing and created an uplifting and engaging romantic comedy that delivered everything we’ve come to expect from her and so much more besides without ignoring the impact which the pandemic has left on the job front.

A stellar page-turner from one of my favourite writers, romantic comedy fans are going to lap up Zara Stoneley’s latest novel, Hot Desk.

This book turned out way better than I expected from the beginning. I'm glad I stuck with it.
I wasn't a fan of main character Alice in the start. She seemed very cranky. But as the story progressed I came to understand her more. I found myself crying with some of the struggles that I recognized personally.
I really liked the love interest Jamie. His character is very supportive and sweet. Almost too good to be true, but in a way that I quite enjoyed.
The story is less about love (although that's there and it's lovely) than it is about one girl learning to set boundaries with her family and friends and the way that ultimately enriches her life and gives her greater relationships.

I thought this was a quirky fun book with a MC who found some confidence in boundaries and lots of fun flirtation. I truly enjoyed it for the lighthearted romance it was and found the hot desk situation fascinating. (No, thank you!)

I received a complimentary digital copy of this title via NetGalley.

Thank you Netgally for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

Very nice story, entertaining.