Lisa Suzanne

Julianne Becker is desperately in love with her boss, Nick Matthews. She has daydreamed about him since the day she first met him a year earlier, but she is firmly stuck in the friend-zone until New Year's Eve, when the game completely changes and she finds out how Nick really feels about her. They embark on a sexy affair that's everything Julianne ever dreamed of... except she can't tell anyone about it. What will happen if anyone finds out about their secret relationship? And how will her lifelong best friend, Travis Miller, react when Julianne begins a relationship with someone who isn't him? How He Really Feels is a novel that explores relationships and love between coworkers and friends. It contains some adult situations and is intended for mature readers.

How He Really Feels

Anna Ureta

Received from author in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie; I was really excited to read this book for a silly reason. OFFICE ROMANCE.
I’d never read a book about an office romance before so I jumped at the chance to be able to review it. During the day, I work a full-time job in a law firm, and yes once or twice it crossed my mind what it would be like to have an office romance. NOT WITH MY BOSS, but with…a co-worker of sorts, a lawyer was way too up there for me.

How He Really Feels follows the story of Julianne Becker who’s in love with her sexy new boss Nicholas Matthews. For a year they sat idly in the friend-zone until on New Year’s Eve things change and suddenly Julianne’s one-sided infatuation turns into a relationship between the two co-workers. Except there’s one problem. Nick signed a contract forbidding him to date anyone in his department. On top of all that there’s Travis, her long-time best friend who’s got a secret of his own. He’s been in love with Julianne all this time.

There are a lot of things I admire about Julianne. She’s incredibly bubbly, optimistic, and INSANELY BRAVE! I could never act so calm and be so forward with someone I was crushing on. She just makes the interaction between her and Nicholas look so casual. I’m a nervous wreck talking to anyone I’m crushing on. Some people might call her TOO eager when I think she’s young, knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it.

 “Who cared that I didn’t have anyone to kiss at midnight? The important thing was that this was the end of an old year and the start of a brand new one, and I had several goals in mind for this new year. The most important, of course, being Nick. I would find a way to push past this professional business friendship relationship we had formed. I would find a way to kiss him, hold him, make love to him in this new year.”

I seriously wish I had this kind of determination and optimism.

So then you have her love interest Nick, and her best friend Travis. Nick is just like…BEYOND…BEYOND PERFECT, I feel like this man can do no wrong. I would think he is every girl’s fantasy, their happily ever after, I mean DANG I wish I had a Nick of my own! He’s hot, he’s intelligent, he’s a smooth talker, caring, I mean he’s pretty much the DEFINITION of Prince Charming – did I mention he’s sweet to her parents. Then you have Travis. God I wish I had a best friend like him. He’s the kind of guy you want as your best friend. There for you when you need him, checks up on you when you’re sad or upset, just all around comforting to be around, someone you can really talk to when you’re having a shitty day and know he won’t judge you. The problem is which would you rather as lover?

 “I started drinking coffee because I knew you went into the kitchen every morning to get a cup. And going to the kitchen meant that I would have a moment with you, just you, to talk with you, just to be with you. But I felt like an idiot going in there without a reason, so I started drinking coffee.”

ISN’T THAT JUST THE CUTEST THING!?!?

This novel was just, perfect.
Perfect is the word that stood out to me as I was reading it.
It was the only word to me that, if someone asked me how I would describe the book, I’d say “Perfect”.

It really is just a love story. There really is no other way to describe it. I’m not saying the relationship between Julianne, Nick and Travis is perfect, but then again when is are relationships ever? You’re always going to have your ups and downs, but you really just have to go through the motions.

 “Jules, there are no guarantees in love. Just a lot of risk,” he said taking my hand in his and interlacing his fingers through mine.

I was very emotionally moved throughout it all. And I mean everything. The good and the bad. Lisa just has this way of making it feel so real. It really puts you in Julianne’s shoes and you really do just get so attached to her that during the turning point of the novel everything just hits you like a train wreck and like her, you have absolutely no idea how to deal with what you’re feeling. When things happen, emotionally, you feel just as lost as she is and are just as overwhelmed as she is and I think that’s an incredible skill Lisa has in relating emotion in such a simple manner.

I look forward to reading what Lisa Suzanne has in store for us next~

4/5 Hearts of Love!

How He Really Feels

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