BEAUTY AND THE BOSS by Diane Alberts is Book 1 in the
Modern Fairytales series. A villainess of epic
proportions, and one worthy of any fairytale, forces
researcher Maggie Donovan to be in an engagement of
convenience with her sexy boss. Benjamin Gale III isn't
so much The Beast some people call him, so much as a
workaholic who has had to scrape his way to the top and
fight for his position because of his horrid mother. I
like how Diane Alberts does eventually offer an insight
into Ben's mother and what motivates her cruelty. It is
no excuse for her behavior, but is interesting
information for the reader anyway. There had already been
a little bit of an attraction on both sides before Maggie
felt compelled to act as Ben's guardian angel and rescue
him from being verbally flayed alive by his mother. The
engagement of convenience is created to thwart mamma bear
and preserve Ben's image as a stable and mature
businessman, rather than the carefree and slightly wild
playboy he was.
Diane Alberts does an excellent job of creating sexual
tension between Ben and Maggie. I like that Maggie pushes
Ben to expand his view of romance and to get real with
her. The flirty scenes when they're hanging out, having
fun, and just enjoying their own company, make the
romance irresistible. Ben and Maggie both carry financial
family burdens but the nature of those burdens varies
wildly. Maggie puts pressure on herself and has parents
who love her. Ben's pressure is partly put on by himself
out of guilt and partly by his wicked mother. I love how
Ben and Maggie are able to connect on an emotional level,
and that Ben let his emotions get involved so early in
the relationship.
Diane Alberts bucks tradition by having the billionaire
hero long for and idealize the cozy, family-centered,
simple life that is the reality for his girlfriend.
Typically, in these "billionaire boss" stories, the
glamorous world of the wealthy is envisioned as being
part of the happy ending. Diane Alberts reimagines the
traditional happily-ever-after in a refreshing way.
Knowing Maggie changes Ben's life and way of looking at
the world for the better, and provides the love he never
felt from his family. The scenes near the end with
Maggie's family provide a nice counterpoint to the
toxicity of Ben's.
BEAUTY AND THE BOSS is a mix of sexy fun and family
drama, with a unique twist. BEAUTY AND THE BOSS made me
curious about Ben's brother and his story. I look forward
to reading other stories by Diane Alberts as well as the
next Modern Fairytales romance.
Beauty is about to tame her beast... Researcher Maggie Donovan has no luck with men, and it doesn't help that she can't keep her eyes off of her sexy boss - the one everyone else in the office calls The Beast. Relationships in the office are forbidden. So no one is more surprised than Maggie when she pretends to be his fiancée to save him during a difficult situation. Not only has she put her job on the line, but the future of the company. Billionaire Benjamin Gale III doesn't believe in love or romance, but the look on his mother's face when Maggie tells her that she's his fiancée is worth millions. Instead of firing her for her insubordination, he goes along with the ruse. In his arms-and in his bed-she'd be everything he could ever want…which is why he can't have her. But if he doesn't let her go, they'll lose everything…
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