‼️My review might contain some spoilers‼️

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (the second and the last spicy scene🥵)

Emma Conway comes from old money. But nobody knows that her parents made several bad investments within the last few years and she had to help sell paintings and summer houses to pay off their debts. And she’s working and living paycheck to paycheck, while living in a run down apartment complex. She works hard and even has a hand in the changes around the office, but sadly her nemesis gets the accolades and again she’s overlooked.

Charlie Walker, a foster home kid that didn’t go to college, now has a good job, great apartment and designer suits that he likes to wear to work every day. He works hard and has been for 8 years. So when he gets the change to climb the corporate ladder, he doesn’t say no. If only he don’t have to work with her…

Sparks of hatred fly between Emma and Charlie, as their boss puts them on a project together to see who will come out as the winner and get promoted, while still working normally in their own departments.

At the beginning we learn a lot about the company Emma and Charlie work at. It’s a lot of stuff I didn’t really understand as to what exactly they were working on. This goes on throughout the book and at the end it kind of fizzles out to where we are told about redundancies and that he should put his notice in…I didn’t understand who works there anymore.

Noticing the way Emma gets treated by their boss and other men in charge, Charlie gets the feeling that it’s already a done deal that he’ll get the promotion. So he offers a truce and that they work together and be friendly. But Emma has a more pressing (very personal) problem that she thinks Charlie might be able to help her with….to get her ex Logan back.

The way he falls first but is also the scared one is heartbreaking. I loved Charlie in his suits 😍
Emma and her “issue” is a very common one and I want to thank the author for shining a light on this and that it’s ok, but also not and that the typical Logan reaction to it, is really sad.

Thanks to NetGalley, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I liked the chemistry between Emma & Charlie. I usually like workplace romances but in the beginning, there was too much of detail about what's going on in their office so it was a bit hard for me to feel engaged. I liked both Charlie & Emma and their rivalry was good to see but the miscommunication and the third act break up in the end was so off putting tbh. And the last chapter was the epilogue due to which I felt like some of the plot points were left unresolved. Still, the characters were strong, smart and well sketched and the intense attraction between Charlie & Emma was also well portrayed. Overall, this was a good read and the issues discussed were also solid but some details in the last two chapters felt vague tbh.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

Take It Offline by Dani McLean is book one the Out of Office series.
I thought his was a super cute story.
With the best cast of characters. I loved Emma and Charlie so much. And their chemistry was amazing.
I love Dani McLean’s writing. It never fails she always keeps me so entertained and coming back for more.
The story captured my attention, but the steamy and cutesy romance kept me interested.
A steamy, rivals to lovers contemporary romance.
This can also be read as a standalone.

I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for book two!

i thought this was a really cute read! i think that emma and charlie had great chemistry, their banter was *chefs kiss*

however, i unfortunately found myself feeling the same way quite a few others reviewers did in the sense that the work related content made this a bit hard to enjoy in the beginning and the end felt like there was really no conclusion.

I’m a sucker for workplace romance and this book delivered! It was a quick and easy read that kept me kicking my feet, the banter was bantering and the spice was definitely spicing!! Definitely recommend this book to get you out of a slump or if you’re looking for a cute, romance that flows quickly!

This was a very fun, witty, chemistry filled workplace romance between two rivals, Charlie and Emma, who aren’t what they seem. I loved how McLean really highlighted how appearances aren’t always true and that there is so much more to people than what meets your eye. Charlie was a fantastic male main character with heart of gold. He has a difficult back story which makes it hard to be open and trust others but once “his”, he is protective and loyal, like with his sister and then Emma. Emma is equally awesome with her sense of humor, confidence, and intelligence. Also loyal to her family, she works so hard and just wants to be taken seriously in her role and not just seen for her family’s money. I loved that the rivalry aspect quickly turned to a partnership and a friendship, with a little intimacy pact on the side that, of course, turned to more. I loved that the two characters really grew to respect each other and that miscommunication was not the drive to their conflict but rather their own personal feelings that they had to work through. This was my first McLean but I really enjoyed how she wrote banter and the quick pace of the novel. I did feel like there were some continuity issues or places where the story jumped. I really enjoyed this novel though and would recommend to it contemporary romance readers and those new to the author!

Take It Offline
By Dani McLean

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

ARC Review: Pub Date September 24, 2024

𝑰𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑰𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉, 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒕. 𝑰𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒘, 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒃 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘. 𝑵𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒊𝒏.

Dani McLean is officially an auto read author for me. I had such a good time with this book. I was giggling and kicking my feet one minute and then sending Dani rage messages the next.

She wrote characters that are so easy to root for, and balances them with characters you hope will step on a Lego every morning for the rest of their lives.

I loved Emma and Charlie so much. They were both working so hard. Emma to be taken seriously. Charlie because it's what he felt like he had to do. But with each other they got to let down the barriers. They were precious.

They were also 🔥🔥🔥🔥. The spice in this book? 😮‍💨 It is hot. And it kicks off early. But let me tell you, Dani somehow managed to still make a slow burn. It was delicious.

This book reminded me of Not Safe For Work by Lindsey Lanza. Mostly because they are both stories of women in tech. These books are written by authors from different countries and still portray a very similar experience of women in tech, STEM, and corporate spaces. And let me tell y'all, you will also want to send ragey messages when you see what Emma has to deal with in this book.

Go read it. It's delightful and hysterical and spicy and you'll have a great time.

𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐’𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆.

Read September 8, 2024

Dani McLean is an auto-buy author for me for sure. I love that her characters are always in such beautifully developed worlds but this is her first slight miss for me in terms of setting (probably my own ignorance!) I must say I didn't understand what either of the characters did for work but I appreciated their ambition and the enemies to lovers of it all. McLean writes such quick and witty banter and such hot and kind characters - I could live in her worlds forever.

I had a hard time getting into this just because the characters' job was the main focus at the beginning and it honestly made zero sense to me. Once the story ramped up and the romance started, I started to get into it and really enjoyed that portion. I've read most of Dani's work and this is definitely the spiciest thus far! I really liked the characters, especially all of the side characters, and I love how Charlie showed up and stood up for Emma. The ending threw me off a bit just because I feel like it could've been labelled an epilogue and how far into the future we were seeing. Overall, besides having to gloss over all of the work talk, I enjoyed this spicy and fun romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Set the Mood Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this! I don't think this romance has ever been done before. Quick and cute read. The cover is also very awesome!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a workplace rivals to lovers romance between Emma and Charlie. After reading the book, I still couldn’t tell you what their job was or what the project was that they were forced to work together on. The work-related part of the book was just way over my head. There were lots of random side characters mentioned that weren’t relevant to the story. Charlie and Emma had cute banter and interesting backgrounds. The names of the chapters were funny. Emma had to deal with a sexist boss and an ex that treated her terribly. I loved the way she handled it and didn’t need Charlie to fight her battles for her. If you are just here for the spice not so much the plot, you may like this one more than I did. Warning: there is a ridiculous third act break up. I wouldn’t have taken Charlie back. The last chapter is more of an epilogue, and I liked that it was a little different than the typical romance epilogue. 2.5 stars.

Thank you, netgally and Dani McLean, for allowing me to review this book early.

Take it offline, follows Emma and Charlie while they compete for the same job, neither of them trusting or liking each other when Emma's boss tells Charlie he wants to sabotage Emma's work they are forced to work together to bring him down.

I'm not gonna lie at 1st. I wasn't enjoying Emma's povs. Everything she said was irritating me. That was until she revealed more about herself. Charlie, on the other hand, I loved, especially his relationship with his sister. As the book went on, I couldn't put it down. But it took me over 50% of the way to get there

Overall, I liked the book, but I thought it would be something different than what it was. The story's premise is about two coworkers, Emma and Charlie, who hate each other and are forced to work together on a project to determine who will ultimately land a promotion. Emma makes Charlie a proposition after getting to know him to help her with a personal problem and help her win back an ex.

I'm still unsure if I am left wanting more, or just something different. The plot started strong, but it felt like there were too many problems to solve. The corporate jargon was also laid on superrrrr thick and at times I asked myself "Is the author assuming everyone knows what some of these terms mean?" By the end, I had many questions about things that were left unresolved.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!

It’s only my second book from Daniel McLean but they were both sooo good. Emma and Charlie’s story is fun, full of flirt and banter and friendly (well, in the end at least) competition. They’re both endearing and their stories are heartbreaking, but the way they help each other every step of the way once they start really finding each other is amazing.

I usually find the « ennemies to lover » trope in an office setting in contemporary romance unrealistic because what can someone do at work that would warrant to be called your enemy. But a man that takes credit for your job? Yeah, I get it Emma. Hate him fiercely, they deserve to burn in hell. I’ll just get in line. (Thankfully Charlie did apologise and it wasn’t on purpose, and he made it up to her tenfold)

Take It Offline follows Emma Conway and Charlie Walker, two rival colleagues at a tech startup, as they are forced to work together on a project that will determine who will receive a promotion.The close proximity of working together, the cheeky banter, and the obvious attraction between the two leads Emma and Charlie toward something more than just an office rivalry.


Emma is determined to prove she is more than just her family name in a male dominated field. She works tirelessly to appease everyone around her both in her professional and personal life. While reading, Emma’s character grew more and more on me. I loved her storyline of trying to succeed for herself and all her connections to her Nana.


Charlie, on the other hand, is full of charm and adored by everyone around him, well, everyone except Emma. Though he may appear to be mister perfect, he has a rough past that helped shape him into the man he is today, strong exterior with a soft interior. I absolutely fell for Charlie very early on in the story, he had me by the chokehold as he kept calling Emma “sweetheart”.


Do I understand all the work talk in this book? No. Did it deter me from wanting to continue to read? Also no. If anything, it made me realize how smart Emma and Charlie must be and how compatible they are.


This isn’t even getting into all the steamy scenes in this story. Dani was right to warn her parents in the beginning because those scenes had me blushing. Charlie… wow…. That’s all I can say.


I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of workplace romance and rivals to lovers, sprinkled with a little bit of spice on top. Thank you to Dani McLean for allowing me to read this ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you Dani and NetGalley for this arc. This is a well done workplace rivals to lovers. Lots of fun banter between Emma and Charlie, they were great main characters. I loved the development of their professional and personal relationship. They both had a lot of baggage to work through, but when they come together they were brilliant!

Highly recommend!

Thank you, Victory Editing and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4+ stars!

This story follows Emma and Charlie, colleagues at a tech company who are put up for the same promotion and forced to work together on a project. To be honest, all the tech talk in the beginning was hard to follow, and I glazed over some of that while reading. But Emma and Charlie's story was totally worth getting through that! They're both driven, hard workers and have an intense attraction that neither of them wants to act on, until Charlie kisses her in a way that had me knowing the spicy scenes were going to be epic (and they were)!

Being a woman in tech, Emma hasn't gotten the recognition she's deserved, and her boss is a real piece of...work. Seeing her interactions with colleagues and superiors through Charlie's eyes was really well-done and the turning point for us to see his true colors. He's a secret softie who had a really tough childhood and is completely devoted to his sister and her partner. The Charlie in the book turns out to be nothing like the guy in the book's description; he's so much better!

It was almost like the last two chapters were both epilogues, one being a few months in the future and one being several years in the future. I liked that the second epilogue (last chapter) was set further in the future. I feel like a lot of times in books like these, we fast forward a few months or years to a proposal or wedding, but this was deeper than that.

Dani McLean, please tell me the next story is going to be about Ivy and the sexy Brit! I'll be all over that one!

The romance was very good and spicy. The work rival energy was strong. Just don’t ask me what it is that they do at said workplace because I have no idea. There was a lot of work talk that I didn’t understand or it was just too much to consume. But the characters were strong and well developed.

I'm giving this book 3.5 stars. I feel like some of the situations in this book were very relatable for a lot of people. The struggling during sex, the striving to be successful despite generational trauma. The sexist business world. I liked that they had good banter and the had good chemistry. There were about 3 spice scenes. maybe a 2.5 rating out of 5 for level of spice. I did feel like some words were way overused. I was tempted to count how many times he said sweetheart..ha! I also felt like the angst or miscommunication at the end felt out of character and then after that the story felt very rushed. I didn't understand why there was more redundancies and why does she want him to put in his notice. The end was supposed to be an epilogue but was also confusing as it ends saying a ring is on her finger. Nothing is explained. It was an ok read for me, but I feel like small tweaks could've elevated this for the reader.

This is a steamy workplace romance set in the competitive tech world. Emma Conway, on the verge of a big promotion, faces her rival Charlie Walker, a charming corporate star who previously derailed her progress. As professional rivalry intensifies, so does their mutual attraction. Despite Emma's resistance, Charlie's charm breaks through, and a staged kiss sparks undeniable chemistry, turning their competition into a passionate romance. Both carry personal baggage, adding emotional depth as they navigate their relationship. I love the humor, tension, and romance, creating a compelling story of love and ambition in a high-stakes environment.