Tailored for Trouble. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff. 2016. 368 pages. Ballantine Books. [Source; ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.]
Bennett Wade is a man you love to hate. At least, you would if you could bring yourself to fully dislike him. Like Rhet Butler, he’s a man used to getting what he wants when he wants it. He’s definitely a control freak without a filter who runs roughshod over those around him. Unfortunately, there’s something oddly endearing about him. Like how much he dotes over and indulges his mother, or how generous he was to his assistant Candy.
Taylor Reed, however, has the fortitude to dislike Wade. His rudeness (and her temper) cost her a job, and now he has the nerve to seek out her executive coaching. All she wants is to move on with her life, start her company, and share her insights with CEOs who lack the skills they need to really shine in their roles. When Bennett says he needs her help, Taylor’s approach is to accept, and destroy him while she’s at it.
The two are constantly at odds throughout the book, which makes for great tension. Taylor actually has a bit of a conscience, despite how little she and Bennett get along. But her struggle with removing herself from “coaching” him actually brings the two closer together once she sees him interacting with others in his own settings. What really makes the book compelling, though, is Happy Pants. This bakery is renown for cookies that send the eater into love. Barrett’s doting (read: meddling) mother has given him a cookie … does that mean Taylor is going to steal his heart? I never was really sure, and that’s the fun of of reading “Tailored for Trouble.” I never felt completely safe about the outcome, and was thrown for loops a few times.
Overall, this is a fun and engaging read. There’s enough lust to keep things hot, but it’s not enough to overshadow the story. The characters have enough depth to feel real, without getting bogged down with a sob story that depresses you. I would definitely recommend this, and look forward to future books in this series.
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