Photo credits: Foundry Co (pixabay) Edited by Vaishali Title: Battle of the Sexes Author: Adriana Locke Publisher: Self published Year of Publication: 2017 Edition: 2019 Format: E-book/kindle app Genre/Themes: Contemporary romance, Adult fiction, Novella, Short story, Office romance, Enemies to lovers Review... Next on my short story spree? Adriana Locke's Battle of the Sexes. Two business-oriented protagonists are in the running for the CEO position of their parents' co-founded and co-built company. Carver is too busy dreaming about finally stepping into the role of CEO of Jones and Gallum. Ready to take the role, make it his own and slip it on like a finely-pressed suit tailored just for him. When he finds out he's not the only one in line for the newly-available role, he's a ring above outraged that his hard work, commitment and career trajectory is threatened by a recommendation that feels like a bolt from the blue. Amity's no less an equal to anyone within office space though, and just because she's been absent from her father's company, doesn't mean she's without an utterly impressive portfolio of her own. And she's not just armed with the savvy, the smarts, the maturity and the acuity. She's also still sporting a slight from their shared past, where her now-opposition might've once even been something close to a friend in their formative years together. It starts with a battle, laced through with lust and evens through with a kindred boardroom settlement more intimate than ice cold. Similar to Adriana Locke's Restraint, the characters in Battle of the Sexes present with similar traits and personalities, more specific to Amity and second-act Carver. There's a sensible maturity that's traited to the protagonists (though this shows itself later in Carver), which sees them suitable to be in the professional field they're in. Carver's the more cocksure, confident, dapper and quick to throw in a bawdy quip. Amity's equally confident, level-headed, sharp-tongued when faced with her hero and owns her place in an office. But there's also the initiation (which doubles as a reunion) with neither of them willing to give an inch or back down from a position they both want. And to add another layer into the enemies vibe, there's a history of many years shared, which was ruined by a teenaged situation that broke Amity's heart and her trust going forward in life. Below the battle is really the emotional component of Amity's childhood as the group reject. After some bickering to and fro, challenging snubs, thorny conversations and sexual tension, Carver does get to the heart of the issue and pulls from the sincerity within (rather than the obnoxiousness) to apologise in a way that settles the struggle. The energy of the enemies turning to lovers was something I appreciated but didn't always enjoy. The development is interesting and intimate, albeit still rushed and admittedly incomplete, but still fairly solid for a standalone short story. Even as the added backstory levels up the Intrigue. Amity definitely enters as a strong protagonist with incredible assets, and yet she's vulnerable enough to find resonant. Where she once slips up during a tipsy night and invites Carver (whom she still feels unresolved with) for some nocturnal fun felt poorly judged when a big part of her arc revolves around past pain caused by him. Carver's response to that situation did make him grow in my estimations though, and continues to grow when he doesn't use a certain later situation - that might've guaranteed his chances - against her. There's also the comparison of a heroine who's sacrificed a lot of her personal life to feed her career aspirations and yet Carver - who shares the same professional field as her with the same working demands - admits to having as much as a successful personal life as a professional one, even though he spends a lot more than just his office hours in the office. If his dedication to the company has him not comfortably familiar with his own apartment, I'm confused about the believability in that. Whether Amity's reluctant to having a personal life doesn't really explain why she can't have one. Especially when Carver can. I really enjoyed the presence of the history brought into the mix. I wouldn't say that Amity and Carver were quite friends growing up, but they spent a lot of their younger years within each others' company because their parents maintained a friendship. So there was a lot of familiarity, close proximity and sharing In joint memories. Amity more or less saw herself as the black sheep and carried that story into her adulthood. Carver seemed quite immature and naïve about the situation (which I'm putting down to boyhood), dismissive of the distance she'd established between them after she felt humiliated enough to change schools. I did like the gist of the general story, and the backstory was an added reflection that was nice to travel back to for context to provide some pillars of added recognition. But while the historical element makes this interesting, I wouldn't say that Battle of the Sexes was an entirely engageable read. Similar to Locke's Restraint though, the realistic mood of the story strikes a convincing realist chord. The biggest underwhelm for me was an ending that doesn't just dabble in but yields to an oversight. While neither Amity or Carver backed down from the 'battle' even after forming an intimacy with each other (which was something I really liked), that the author chose to direct what developed into a fair battle into one where a forfeit was involved was disappointing. The competitive angle for the grand seat ends with the heroine making a sacrifice and ceding an opportunity even though she did seem comfortable and committed to her place in the running. The truth is, I can understand the rationale because Amity does seem a bit more 'elsewhere', with her heart set more on her life in California if her thoughts are suggestive enough (even though that’s not where she ends up), but the route to 'victory' was something of a let down. Who I saw as a fierce career woman easily relinquishes an end goal. So while I did find that the resolution wasn’t particularly up to snuff, I still think that this novella is a more on the solid side of successes compared to the ones I have read. There are a few holes and gaps in places and there was some confusion, but overall, Battle of the Sexes is a well-grounded office romance short story with realist-minded protagonists with something to challenge, something to overcome and something to gain. In the spirit of encouraging the theme of second chances there's some heat, some sweet, some ice and spice. And a familiar history for some roots. Prepare for something confidently Adriana Locke if you're a fan of her work. I gave this book 3 stars - Content Warning/Content Listing: Some swearing, one or two bedroom scenes (not full bedroom smut scenes). --------------------------------------- M Y R A T I N G S Y S T E M: ★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read --------------------------------------- ______________________________________________ R E L A T E D P O S T S: ● BOOK REVIEW: Restraint by Adriana Locke ______________________________________________ Extra Thoughts: 1) There is some misogyny in the beginning of the book by way of Carver's attitude, especially when he meets Amity for the first time on-page. Nothing extreme, but it's there. He also (once) calls her the five lettered 'b' word for readers (like myself) who don't always like being subjected to heroine name calling. When I wasn't sure how to feel about Carver to begin with, that particular name calling moment might've made me grimace... 2) Some technical misdemeanours did sometimes disrupt the story for me. I love interacting with fellow readers, reviewers, bloggers and writers. Hearing about reader opinion is the fuel to my reader appetite, so get in touch and comment below! SHARE ON FACEBOOK Leave a comment and let's talk about |
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February 2024
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