Review: The past doesn't count
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 16, 2013
** spoiler alert **NetGalley free readAlex is a young woman who does everything she's supposed to, by her family expectations to her fiance. But on her first day of working for the new partner at the her law firm, JP 'Jonathan' McKenzie changes everything she thinks her life is supposed to be.She's immediately attracted and caught the they nice gesture of the stranger who comes to her rescue after she's been doused by a puddle of mud by a passing car as she's waiting to cross the street. The stranger takes her to buy a new outfit as she explains she's concerned she will be fired if she shows up as she is, to work for the Grimm Reaper of the office. Everyone expects to be fire and she believe she won't help her chances if she shows up doused in mud.Once at work, she realizes this knight in shinning armur is her new boss.JP is attracted to Alex right off and the fact that she extremely smart helps. He was thinking she would be the one to be fired since she's the Junior PA, and they have a new policy of only one PA per partner. But she shows him that there's more to her and he suggests she could be a Paralegal and the firm would pay for her to go to Law School.Alex shocks him by being upset that he's come up with this solution, since she's engaged to another man and he wants them to get married and start to have babies. Simon, her fiance doesn't want her to work at all and believe that women shouldn't work and that they don't really have the same capacity for business as men. Alex's parents think Simon is a catch, especially since they have been family friends with his parents. She practically grew up with him. Since her parents are older and she was a late in life baby, they all have some pretty antiquated ideas of what she and her life should be like.But when JP barges into a family dinner when Simon and Alex's cousin show up to surprise her after traveling from New Zealand together, JP gives her family something to think about in the way that they think about her. He tells them how smart she is and that she has a natural aptitude for the law.Alex's rising attraction to JP causes her much stress, but she soon figures out she wouldn't be happen with Simon nor he with her and breaks it off with him, but not before a steamy moment with JP where he gives her and ultimatum of either him or Simon. The she dosen't, JP thinks she's picked Simon until her best friend and HR manager tells Simon she's broken it off with him.Simon has to move back to London to run that office and tricks Alex into going to the airport to stop him, where she declares her feelings and he asks her to come with him. He tells her that a week earlier he'd told her parents how he felt about her and got her passport from them in case she came to the realization on her own that she wanted to be with him. He didn't want to be like Simon or her parents, putting pressure on her to do what he wanted her to do.This was a cute story. Although, I agree with other reviewers that the falling in love seemed to quick. This book also reminds me of a Doris Day / Carey Grant movie, That Touch of Mink. The beginning happens much in the same way. Also, I don't know what age the author is, but I have never seen a powder blue suite be attractive in any way.It was quick and cute. That's the best I can say about it.