Roslyn Sinclair

Just. So. Good.

What took me so long? I bought this book some time ago, after enjoying Roslyn Sinclair's "The X Ingredient". But the cover didn't grab me and nor did the blurb so it sat on my kindle until this week. And wow!

Somehow this book is both a gorgeous "Disney Princess"-style story (in space!) and a steamy "age gap" romance with D/s elements. I was captivated from the first chapter, and while it was fairly clear from the outset precisely where the story was going, that didn't stop it show more being a joy to experience.

Very, very recommended. This will be one of my top reads of the year. show less

I regret not writing a review when I first read this book. It would have been nice to compare my first and second reactions to the story. I’m a big fan of Roslyn’s [b:Truth and Measure|34910209|Truth and Measure (Truth and Measure-verse, #1)|Telanu|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495635263s/34910209.jpg|56172065], which is rated number one on my all time faves list. Like Truth and Measure, this story is a spin on the popular The Devil Wears Prada fanfic. This age gap, romantic tale show more is a mixture of opposites attract, ice queen versus old-fashioned sweetness, and good guy, bad guy role-reversals. There’s sweet, adorable, naïve, quirky, and seriously green-thumbed Ari on one end of the character spectrum. On the other end, there’s Ari’s “Assistant” who is witty, confident, cerebral, and mysteriously perceptive. The chemistry between Ari and Assistant is clear the moment they meet. (Or, maybe it’s just me! I have a weakness for the sexy, silver forelock look coupled with steamy sex scenes with said person with sexy, silver forelock.) Moving on, the story is well-paced, which adds to the believability of Ari‘s feelings for Assistant. In addition, given a stun-gun mishap and the thievery of a one Dr. Phylyxas, it’s obvious Assistant cares a great deal for Ari. The whole "Don‘t ask me to let you go" statement still makes me shudder, in a good way. The situational irony component of the story did not ruin my HEA expectations because for me, it’s all about the journey which I thoroughly enjoyed, again. Overall great story, great characters, and a satisfying ending. show less

I often rave about Ice Queen characters in my reviews. And rightly so, in my opinion. They are intriguing, and there is always a meltingly soft core behind their hard shell. So it was no coincidence that I picked up one of Roslyn Sinclair’s most recent publications. She has already proven in the past how much such characters suit her. For this very reason, I had great expectations for this book, which comprises two parts and goes by the name “Carlisle series”. However, this first part show more could not convince me to 100% for simple reasons.

But first to the main characters. One is Vivian Carlisle, a 42-year-old fashion mogul who is the boss editor at one of the most renowned fashion magazines. She is known for her direct and brusque manner, which is why many fear her. In addition, she is facing her third divorce and another unexpected private surprise. Basically, her character is based roughly on Miranda Priestly from “The Devil Wears Prada”.

Her counterpart is 25-year-old Jules Moretti. She is Vivian’s overworked but eager and competent assistant. She aspires to a career as a writer but, for the time being, is trying to gain a foothold in the fashion industry as an assistant. Because of Vivian’s great power in the industry, Jules looks up to her. But when the fashion mogul opens her private life to her assistant, the lines between idol and crush blur for Jules.

I had a few problems with the pace of the plot. Out of the blue, their working relationship suddenly became romantic. Jules was heavily in love from one moment to the next, and then Vivian came along with an offer that I thought was strange. It got even weirder for me when Jules made a pro/con list about a possible relationship. Where one of the most significant cons, which also drives the plot, didn’t seem to be a problem at all. This left me completely confused, but I think, or instead hope, that the author pushed the twist into the second part of the series.

Despite my criticism, I must say that I enjoyed this book and had to finish it soon because I wanted to know how the author had ended the first part. Of course, there were still some unanswered questions, so I will get the second part in due course to follow Vivian and Jules’ journey further. However, I hope that Sinclair has put aside some mistakes in the second part of the “Carlisle series”. show less

If you like age gap, ice queen, boss x employee, and lots of spice, this is the perfect story for you.

Laurie is a sociology student going for a job interview with one of Atlanta's top firms. Diana is one of the best lawyers in the city and needs a new assistant. What she gets with Laurie is not what she expects at all.

I've heard about this book a LOT, so I had to give it a try. I did not realize how spicy it was going to be. I'm not a big fan of boss x employee, but this was tastefully show more written to not even give a hint of power imbalance after the first incident between Laurie and Diana. I didn't really care for either of the main characters much, but I enjoyed the role reversal where Diana had to let go of control. show less