I really like the beginning of the book, so there's an extra star for it. I went in thinking that, Piper & Vincent are really going to hate each other considering their first encounter was so heated but they immediately jumped into fake dating and the "enemies" phase completely disappeared, though there still was some banter between them. The chemistry between them was good but as individual characters, I felt like Piper's character sketch was unrealistic and Vincent was just a plain dense a*shole. <spoiler> When he messed up, multiple people had to make him realise what to do in order to go after Piper and even when he did, he still didn't say what was necessary. Piper was a considerably smart and sensible character, so I get why she didn't forgive him the first time but even after the grand gesture, I think she should've made him grovel more because all he thought about was himself and only realised his mistake when she pointed it out. Honestly, he was just unlikeable to me.</spoiler> Overall, the romance also felt superficial and I was really bored till I reached 70% of the book and after that, I felt like I couldn't finish this book fast enough tbh. From the initial chapters, I thought I'll really like this book but the way some things were executed ruined all the fun.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

The first part was a dread to read, though I really liked the "fake dating trope." and it's too "tell and not show". I am not particularly great with grammars and other technical things when it comes to writing but while it took a while to passed that first few chapters the ending is smooth and clean, i don't know how long did the author wrote the book but the last few chapters were better. The chemistry between the two is nice too.

3 Heliotrope Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level:🌶️.5/5

I struggled with this one, and I’m still battling with where I’m landing on my overall thoughts and feelings.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This follows Piper Doyle, a photographer, who on the day of a photo shoot, gets into a car park accident where some asshole drives into her and makes it seem like it’s her fault. Later, at her brother’s engagement party, she meets "said asshole" again and realises he’s one of her brother’s best friends and a billionaire who owns a perfume company - Vincent Forde.

Vincent, trying to escape his crazy ex, persuades Piper to pretend to be his girlfriend. While seated at their table, they interact with a couple who own a farm in Hawaii that happens to have a perfect plantation of the missing flower ingredient Vincent needs for a new perfume he’s been struggling to source. So, he strikes a deal with Piper: he’ll help her start her new business if she helps him secure the flower from this couple, so she has to start working for him all the while pretending they are dating.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
My main concern with this book is that some aspects just didn’t gel for me. First, I didn’t find their bickering or banter very cute. At times, it felt malicious and vicious rather than playful. I get that Vincent is a very "business-minded, focused billionaire; but honestly, the series title nailed it - he’s a total ass. I just didn’t see the appeal of him most of the time (but I do have to admit some aspects were cute)

Piper, on the other hand, is almost too talented. No matter what’s thrown at her, she just excels effortlessly. It’s like she’s spectacular at everything she does, and it feels a little unrealistic. For example, she steps into a creative director role at the company with ease, but where did those skills come from? Yes, she’s a photographer, but photographers specialise in different areas. She’s introduced as a wedding photographer, but suddenly, she’s also a product photographer, a high-fashion photographer, and an editorial photographer...all of which require very different skills, techniques, and expertise. It just didn’t make sense...

The dialogue, particularly the quips, also felt a bit fake. They came too easily and felt overly smart-alecky, making them come across as disingenuous. Overall, the characters felt like generic versions of classic stereotypes: the overly preppy, perfect-at-everything photographer trying to make her way in business, and the surly, grumpy billionaire with a bad grasp of his own emotions.

A lot of the story felt surface-level, missing the deeper emotional connection I needed. It felt like a diluted version of this type of romance, without enough standout moments to sell their chemistry, connection, or romance.

That said, I don’t regret reading it. It’s a sweet story, and if you’re looking for a workplace romance with some enemies-to-lovers vibes, it’ll give you what you want. However, it’s not going to blow you away. The plot moved too fast at times, with frequent time jumps that didn’t leave enough room to develop their relationship. This hindered the chemistry, as we weren’t often shown their connection evolving.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Workplace Romance
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Brother's Best Friend
▶ Fake Dating
▶ Billionaire Romance
▶ Found Family/Band of Brothers
▶ One Bed
▶ She Falls First - He Falls Harder
▶ Third Act Breakup

In the end, I’m still not sure how to feel. It’s not bad, and it’s not terrible to read. It's not the last book I'll read by Leslie North...because I am intrigued by her style. If the tropes it has appeal to you, this book will deliver the scratch to your itch...

Thank you to Netgalley, Relay Publishing and Leslie North for the gifted copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, my first ARC
Really enjoyed this, read this in a matter of hours. It's one of those books that once you start reading you can't put it down.
The two MC's had so much chemistry, I really enjoyed them learning about each other and the journey they took to happiness

This book had such good plot and potential. I didn’t enjoy it but it just fell flat compared to what I was expecting. It was too short and shallow for me. It didn’t dive deep enough into the characters and there relationship. It didn’t make me feel like I was in the world or make me forget I was reading or make the world behind me disappear. It just felt like I was reading about characters on pages. There were super cute moments like the market and Hawaii and other moments. I didn’t like the miscommunication and third act breakup at the end tho. The epilogue was cute and the plot was good. I’d definitely give it a chance and see if it hits differently for you than it did me.

This book was really fun, I liked the concept and it wasn't too much or more from the same which it seems a problem lately to be honest... I really enjoyed the characters and the story itself.
When the book starts by making you laugh how can't you not continue??

Quick Summary: An enemies to lovers, workplace romance

My Review: Perfect (mis) Match by Leslie North is book #1 in the Manhattan Bossholes series.

About the Book: "I’m not one for holding grudges. But when Vincent Forde, billionaire perfume tycoon, crashes his shiny overpriced car into mine? Yeah, I’m holding that grudge."

When a handsome perfumer with an overabundance of arrogance meets a down to earth photographer/entrepreneur, they make a smashing start. Literally. When they meet outside of their accidental meet up, they realize that they might benefit from entering into a special arrangement.

My Final Say: This was such a sweet story. There was definitely more to it than I anticipated. The character growth was evident. The relationship wins and woes made this a full service level read. In the end, the heart wants what it wants.

Other: The grand gestures were a thing of beauty.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: 💞

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Relay Publishing), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. It was a pleasure to review this work.

I loved this book! Piper and Vincent were adorable together, and their banter had me hooked from the start. Their progression from fake to real was also so believable and reading about them falling in love is squeal-inducing. The third act break-up had been a bit tough for me to get through (and also wasn’t over what I expected, thankfully), but that’s primarily because I hate third act breakups, especially for such a cute couple. The resolution was satisfying though, and by the end of the book, I really did feel that Piper and Vincent fully resolved their issues and would be heading into happily-ever-after.

The side characters of Vincent’s Dad and Chloe and Paul are also so interesting to me, and I would totally love to read their expanded stories as well.

All in all, would read this book again, and I also wouldn’t mind reading about a few more characters in this book-universe.

Witty, sexy and lot's of heartwarming moments.
There's a great chemistry between Vincent and Piper, and the many funny dialogs keeps the tension going!

Tropues:
Eminmes to lovers-ish
Brothers best friend
Workplace/ billionaires romance
Fake-dating
Steam and a bit of spice

Thanks for the ARC!

Oh, how the first chapter of this book just had me rolling with laughter - truly until tears rolled down my face. It was just SO good - first - manhattan driving, that is not for the weak as that is some scary misery right there, and then the crash? Oh my, what a uh - interesting meet-cute (perhaps minus the cute...). Piper's mouth - oh my word, she's just so spicy and fiesty and amazing! Such an introduction to the main characters of the story.

Vincent was also such a surprising delight - he's grumpy, yet he's sexy as hell and bossy. I do enjoy that combo.

This is not the most original fake-dating, enemies to lovers book that I've read but the hilarious moments more than made up for that. It also was a quick read - well paced and just descriptive enough that I finished it in less than a day. I really loved all of the side characters as well and am really hopeful that we will learn more about them in future books!

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

It’s fun to watch a man humble himself for the woman he loves..when he’s trying to deny that he’s in love. I loved Piper and Vincent’s story. It was sweet but also emotional. I’m excited to find out that there are more from Dee’s Lost Boys!!
5 stars!!

Rating: 3.5/5
Spice: 2/5

A fake relationship romance with a billionaire CEO and a determined photographer who doesn't care about money. This book was a decent read but it didn't excite me and this is coming from someone who reads the same plotlines hundreds of times and still eats it up every time. I feel like I missed out on the little moments between the MCs that lead to them falling for each other. When they first got together, I was honestly shocked because to me the tension hadn't been built. I will say I did like how Vincent just handle sh*t. If acts of service is your love language, this guy is right up your alley. Here always has a backup and he makes plans. Overall, its a perfectly cute read.

~Sometimes car crashes lead to good things.~

Thank You net galley for the arc copy!
It was a quick and fast paced read considering i finished it in a day. The concept of the flowers was amazing and intriguing at the same time. I love the whole idea behind the “Falling in love is easy, It’s the staying part that’s hard.” and MMC perceptive about commitment issues. I needed pointers.
Tho I would have loved it more if it wasn’t tilted more into insta love considering their enemies dynamics and a bit more detailed relationship development would have worked better, things got rushed a few times.

Tropes:
☞Workplace Romance
☞Fake Dating
☞One Bed
☞He’s a Billionaire

#perfectmisMatch #netgalley

A very good start to this new series by an author I didn’t know before! I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers, fake dating story with added opposites attract, grumpy-sunshine, close proximity and one bed tropes. The plot is very engaging and well written, full of emotion, romance, humor, lots of banter and bickering, conflict, ups and downs, sizzling chemistry and steamy love scenes. The characters are also endearing and I particularly liked Vincent's character development over the course of the story. At the beginning of the story he is unsympathetic, but over time you get to know his background and insecurities. Piper is an admirable, warm and intelligent woman and the perfect match for Vincent. She supports, but also challenges him. I really enjoyed Vincent’s proof of love, the ending and also the unexpected happy ending of another couple.

Piper Doyle and Vincent Forde meet when they crash their cars and it's hate at first sight between the feisty photographer and the arrogant billionaire. When they meet shortly afterwards at the engagement party of Piper's stepbrother, who also happens to be one of Vincent's best friends, they end up at the same table and by chance Vincent learns that another couple at their table has a flower field of heliotropes in Hawaii, which he desperately needs for the creation of his new perfume. But unlike Piper, Vincent has made himself unpopular with them with his rude, withdrawn manner, so he hires Piper to help him procure them. Vincent persuades Piper to fake a relationship with him in order to satisfy his father, keep his ex at arm's length and convince the romantic couple from the engagement party to make a deal with him. Piper agrees because Vincent wants to use his connections to help her with her start-up. They work well together and their relationship soon intensifies. But Vincent will always put his company first, because he doesn't believe in love...

All in all, a very entertaining read that will keep you hooked until the end! I look forward to the next installment.

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.

Fun romance with rich-boss trope. I liked Piper when I was in her head, but when the chapters switched to Vincent's head she suddenly became more ditzy and breathless and annoying.

Usually when it comes to a Leslie North book, this author factory pretty much knows how to follow a formula. I'm a sucker for a rich boss concept, this ticked the usual trope boxes, was a good enough escape from real life and the other book I have on my e-reader keep my attention.

I recently completed the other Bossy & Bosshole Billionaire series from this author and decided to dive into the start of this new collection. It was short enough and nice enough to keep me entertained.

First of all, this was my very first ARC! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I feel honored!

This was a quick and easy read—I finished it in just two days. I'm a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope, and combined with fake dating? Fabulous! I especially loved the dynamic of The Lost Boys, Nana Dee, and the found family aspect of the story. That part was well done, particularly considering Vincent's perspective on love and relationships, as well as his internal struggle with his feelings stemming from his parents' divorce.

However, I did have some issues with the pacing. The story picked up very quickly, and the transition from the characters hating each other to falling in love felt rushed. Things escalated too fast for me, especially when they got engaged and Piper ended up pregnant by the end of the book. It wasn’t even an epilogue, so I’m guessing everything happened in just a couple of months, which felt a bit unrealistic. I found myself skimming over some sections that I didn’t think were necessary, but at the same time, I occasionally felt like I had missed a chapter and had to go back to check if I’d overlooked something important. There was some confusion in the flow, and the miscommunication trope didn’t really work for me (though I know some readers enjoy it, so that might not be an issue for everyone).

One funny moment for me personally was when Vincent mentions, “She was probably talking golf with the Sullivans or charming some princess from Austria.” As someone who lives in Austria, I couldn’t help but chuckle—we don’t have princesses here!

Despite those issues, I did enjoy the book overall. I’m definitely interested in reading the following books in the series, especially to learn more about the side characters!

Who knew a simple fender bender would lead to this hilarious adventure? Piper and Vincent started with a bang, ran into each other *again* and, apparently, that is the perfect lead up to a fake to real relationship and I loved every minute of it! Mr. Grump and Ms. Sunshine started heating up from the first run in, and boy o boy did that fire keep building until it was clear that inferno was going to take over. Piper, a freelance photographer looking to turn business owner, and Vincent, a billionaire perfume industry egomaniac, are a hit in this enemies to lovers rom com. They show us just how important communication really is to a couple, and the loved ones supporting them.

Perfect (mis)Match is the first book in a new series, Manhattan Bossholes, and I really hope that the future Bossholes are the friends from Vincents friend group. I have a weak spot for a good found family and how they find their forever's alongside each other. Luckily for Vincent, his found family group of Lost Boys were able to help this egomaniac, workaholic, angsty fool and teach him that love IS real and can be a wonderful thing. Or, luckily for Piper. In the end, it was nice to see the couples growth and passion for each other as it leaped right off the page.

I undeniably enjoyed this read from this new, to me, author and I will be back for more of this series. It had heart, business know how, heat and humor, making it an easy read that I devoured in a couple of evenings. I really look forward to checking out the authors backlist!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC. The above is my honest review.

This is definitely a new scenario for a romantic almost comedy book. With the creativity of it and the descriptions, it's almost as if the author is writing from personal experience! A great weekend read for anyone who wants to sit and enjoy a quick book.

Star Rating: 5/5
Spicy Level: 4/5

This is my first book by Leslie North and I have to say, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It had me smiling too myself and waking up at 3am to binge read. I loved the instant connection and then slow burn relationship between Vincent and Piper. I loved how strong the women were in their convictions and also showing love and support. This was a homerun!