*This is NOT an Office Romance* by Eloise Fox offers readers a refreshing twist on the office romance genre, blending humor, wit, and heartfelt moments in a story that transcends typical romantic tropes.

Emily Taylor, a strong-willed and successful New York lawyer, is our protagonist, who’s just beginning to piece her life back together after a tragic accident. Having spent the past year recovering in rural England, Emily is finally ready to re-enter the corporate world. She lands a position at a boutique law firm in London, determined to focus on her career with no distractions—especially not of the romantic kind. However, her plans go awry when she’s partnered with Jack, a handsome but emotionally distant British lawyer who’s as successful in his field as he is aloof.

Jack is the epitome of professional success, seemingly having it all, including a perfect fiancée. But beneath his polished exterior, Jack feels an unsettling void in his life. When he’s tasked with working closely with Emily, including on a high-stakes business trip to Bermuda, the sparks begin to fly—both professionally and personally.

Eloise Fox masterfully builds the tension between Emily and Jack, creating a dynamic that’s as much about professional rivalry as it is about their undeniable attraction. The cultural clash between Emily’s brash New York style and Jack’s reserved British demeanor adds another layer of complexity to their interactions, making their journey from colleagues to lovers both unpredictable and delightful.

What makes this novel stand out is how Fox subverts the expectations of a typical office romance. Emily and Jack’s relationship is more than just a love story; it’s about two people grappling with their own personal challenges and professional ambitions. Emily’s determination to rebuild her career after a life-altering event, paired with Jack’s quest to find meaning beyond his professional success, gives the story a depth that elevates it above a simple romantic comedy.

Fox’s writing is sharp and engaging, with plenty of witty banter that brings the characters to life. The chemistry between Emily and Jack is electric, and their interactions are laced with both humor and emotional intensity. The author does a fantastic job of balancing the lighter moments with the more serious themes of love, loss, and self-discovery, making the novel a compelling read from start to finish.

The setting of the novel—split between the bustling city of London and the exotic backdrop of Bermuda—adds a touch of glamour and escapism, further enhancing the story’s appeal. The secondary characters, from quirky office colleagues to Jack’s seemingly perfect fiancée, add depth and richness to the narrative, ensuring that the world Fox creates feels fully realized and vibrant.

*This is NOT an Office Romance* is more than just a story of opposites attracting. It’s a smart, funny, and ultimately life-affirming novel about how love can emerge in the most unexpected places, and how it can bridge the gaps of career, culture, and confusion. For readers looking for a romance that’s both heartfelt and humorous, this book is a must-read. Eloise Fox has delivered a novel that will leave you rooting for love, even in the most professional of settings.

This had the makings of a cute romcom book but everything fell flat. I had zero connection to, or any feeling at all toward the characters. Also, as a Deaf person, the phrase "Deaf and dumb" is the worst you could use and the fact that it was in this book made me dislike the author. Why would I want to read anything else from this author if they're going to use "deaf and dumb"? That stereotype /slur has been proven wrong time and time again. 0 stars in my opinion

Ich habe mich über das Buch sehr gefreut. Es ist nicht nur fließend zum lesen sondern auch sehr spannend.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I think this book struggles with too much telling and not enough showing by the characters. I like the two main characters and their individual backstories, but I miss the subtle clues as to how they are feeling as opposed to having a running internal monologue. If those sections were tightened up, the romance would stand out a bit more, as well as the case they are working on. I enjoy the premise and look forward to a final version.

Thank you netgalley for this eARC!

I really thought this was a fun read! I enjoyed this and would recommend this to my book groups! I enjoyed the writing and the characters.

It's not often I don't finish a book, but this just wasn't for me. I couldn't connect with the characters and I felt that the chapters were really long.

I just could not get into the book. I tried to dive in as soon as I can but I didnt feel connected to the characters and therefore it wasnt for me to continue any longer

I almost DNF'd this book and I wish now that I did - I didn't like the characters, the chapters were too long and I found myself struggling to continue. This felt like a Wattpad piece.
I am sure someone will love this book but it just wasn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh my word. This one was a hard read.

I wanted to like this book. I hope it finds its audience, but I fear it was not me.

Positives: I liked the premise. I felt it had a lot of promise and I LOVE Suits, so I went into this with an open mind. Emily was driven, independent, and strong, and I love female characters like that. Elouise describes trauma and heartbreak with care.

Unfortunately, that's about all the positives I can give this book. This will contain spoilers.

Critiques: The ableist language used within the first two chapters was abhorrent. Please don't use "deaf and dumb" to describe a disability.

Second, I understand that liberties need to be taken to move the story along, but it was extremely jarring to be thrown into a cyclist getting hit by a car in the first few chapters ... and then a doctor hitting on our FMC in the midst of it? Don't get me started on their date. And then there was a near-fire, a gun pulled, a tumble down a hill, a broken/twisted ankle...

Third, the way our MMC acts towards Emily seemed so out of place in the beginning given what we know about the firm's past with scandal and harassment, while he's engaged, too. Conveniently, it seemed like everyone forgot about this fact. His talk about how strong his and Kate's foundation was when he found out what she was doing was ... well, wrong, given the facts that lead up to the revelation.

Fourth, the repetition of phrases (including scenes), names in dialogue, and conversations pulled me out of the book even more than the MAJOR plot holes did. (Did Jack tell Emily about Kate cheating on him? Yes. Did Emily "forget" what Jack told her? Yes. Why was she on a date with Anjay at the end? Why didn't she tell Jack Kate FOLLOWED HER HOME?). The Russian mafia subplot was NOT what I was expecting out of this, either. Sometimes it read like Jack thought he was a detective rather than a lawyer. This book felt like it was trying to be something it wasn't... an action movie maybe? "This is NOT an office romance" ... but does the book even know what it is? When she got to Scotland and the writing turned Scottish, I almost DNFed but by that point I was 90% in.

Fifth. Sometimes, in an Emily chapter and vice versa, we'd get an inner monologue from the other MC. Emily shouldn't be knowing the way Jack typically handled strategy or how he was feeling in the moment. Why in the world would Jack have to tell Emily about his romantic relationships?

How old are these characters supposed to be if Bronwyn is called a "petulant millennial"? They definitely don't act like they're in their thirties.

The fact that there seems to have been zero editing is unfortunate. "She had been hoping for a chance to prove herself, but she didn't want her first opportunity to be one where someone like Jack Taylor had doubts about her ability." His name is Jack Braun. Her name is Emily Taylor. Things like this shouldn't happen, and while I understand this is an ARC, continuity like this should have been nailed out earlier on and not on the ARC readers to call out.

Unfortunately, without major edits, I can't recommend this book.

I'm very sorry to say that this book was not for me, at all. I did not enjoy the writing or the characters, the chapters where very long at it felt unmotivating to finish a single chapter. The MMC frustrated me a lot, and the way he acted just seemed weird sometimes. Overall, would I recommend this? No. Is there someone out there who will enjoy this? Maybe.

Dnf at 53%

Naaah i didn't enjoy this book at all. The characters in this book annoyed me so much.... Can't recommend it

I felt that the writing style was much younger than I’d anticipated and maybe I’m not the right audience but the dialogue was very cheesy and cringey. Unfortunately this wasn’t for me

This was an easy to read romance book but also touches on some difficult topics like trauma and heartbreak.

I liked the FMC Emily who is a successful lawyer, I found her relatable as she is just a normal woman who has been through a traumatic time and just wants to start a fresh plus she’s very driven and independent. I also liked Stacey who comes into the book later on - she’s very likeable and would have liked to have seen her friendship with Emily a bit more.

I struggled with the MMC who also has a troubled past but I felt frustrated with the way he acted towards his feelings. He isn’t honest in parts which annoyed me and kept hiding his feelings - like just say how you feel!!

Overall though it’s a nice little read - perfect for a break between a big series or if you just want a quick easy read.

In the most women supporting women way possible, this was not the romance book for me. I will say that if you like excitement in the form of involvement with Russian organized crime there is a little sprinkle in there for you lol.

For the romance, I do respect what Eloise was trying to do here with creating characters who were complex to find and love one another. Their story just wasn’t grabbing in a way that appealed to my style. I recognize that Emily and Jack were both hard working, driven, and kind at their core but also deeply flawed and struggling individually with their own traumas. It leaves great opportunities for your characters to connect on a deeper level of understanding which can be very fulfilling in a love story. For my impatient little soul it was frustrating to follow the characters musings of their feelings to every single person they came into contact with including random people on the street, but not with one another, and have that go on for as long as it did.

Small piece of loving constructive feedback that I did find confusing is that often I would start a chapter labeled as one persons POV, but partway through the chapter find a short paragraph that seemed to switch POVs without warning or separation in the form of paragraph break, then in the next paragraph go right back to the original POV. Just made it slightly more difficult to follow along at times.

This book was so cute! The romance and banter between the main couple was very entertaining and the writing was very good!

Ambos protagonistas fueron una decepción, se enamoraron a primera vista, pero hay un problemita, él está comprometido y cada que está con ella se le olvida. Cuando Emily se entera de la prometida no le importa.
Me decepcionó que ella viniendo de una relación en donde le fueron infiel, sufrió mucho y ahora que está en esta posición en lugar de alejarse, sale con sus tonterías.

Toda esta situación se "salvo" porque al final Kate, la prometida, terminó siendo primero infiel. Odio la infidelidad y a los infieles, pero lo que hizo fue lo mejor que pudo hacer por ella.


Odie las platicas entre Jack y Nate porque cuando le contaba sobre su enamoramiento por Emily, el amigo le aplaudía, nunca le dijo que estaba mal e incluso lo insito para que intentara algo. Pero cuando escuchó lo que hizo Kate, el tipo no dudo en hablar pestes de ella, ¿o sea cuando lo hace un hombre está bien, pero cuando lo hace una mujer está mal?

Odie a J, el tipo no se hace responsable de sus acciones, por ejemplo: lo que pasó con Bronwyn.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily is a sucessful outspoken NY lawyer working in London after an accident. Her first project is with an uptight British lawyer Jack.

Love the sparks with Jack and Emily. It's funny and romantic. Really enjoy the banter. I really like Emily. A great character and someone that I can see myself being friends with. Jack took me a lot longer to warm up to.... But a light fun book overall.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Sadly the writing style wasnt mine. The Charakters wasnt really near to me.
So i really Wanted to like this Book, it really speaks to me when i read Whats about.

I read this book in less than 24 hours which means it’s a quick read and held my interest. It was not a great book, but it wasn’t bad either. For some reason I was expecting a romcom. This book was not funny, nor was it romantic. It was kind of a love story with two professionals who aren’t that nice to each other. I’m not sure how they fell in love other than they were both hot and respected each other as great lawyers. It was also way too wordy and at times it felt like a self-help book. YET, it kept my interest! This book was not as bad as what the other reviews gave it.