When the best night turns out to be a bad choice…

Synopsis

Keeping it strictly professional…

Radio DJ Lula Lazenby isn’t often lost for words, but this time she’s speechless! The man she just shared an exquisite one night with turns out to be her new boss…and his first job is to fire her!

Executive Tristan Bamfield wasn’t planning to stay in London long. Turn up, handle his father’s business and leave. But his inconvenient and instantaneous attraction to Lula has really gone and complicated things!

Tristan is a professional and everyone deserves a second chance – especially when you can’t escape the red-hot memories so he quickly reinstates Lula. Until that leads to weeks of tantalizing torture working with Lula in the studio. Tristan’s not here for a happy ever after, but his challenge now is going to be figuring out how to keep their off-the-charts attraction under wraps until it’s time to leave.

Previously published as Fired By Her Fling.

My review

Radio DJ Lula Lazenby decides, after some persuasion of her colleagues and friends, to act a bit out of character. That results in having the best night of her life, together with a complete stranger. But the day after, it turns out that her steamy encounter has become a real nightmare, as the stranger turns out to be her new boss, and he is firing her.
Tristan Bamfield has temporarily come to stay in London, as a favour for his father, to handle his father’s business. It was never his plan to stay for a longer period. But when he discovers that the radio station is in bad papers, he has no other option to stay longer and asking Lula for help to save what is salvageable.
However, working together with Lula is a real torture, as despite both trying to remain professional, they both cannot forget that one night. But is there a future in store for them, as Tristan isn’t looking for love at all, won’t be staying in London and Lula is afraid of showing her real self…

Even if I am a forever single person, and I am still searching for my Prince Charming, I have two rules I stick to: I don’t do one night stands and I don’t start anything with someone from my work. Now, don’t shoot me, but those are my personal thoughts, so if you don’t agree with me, and you want to do any of the above, it’s fine by me. Whatever makes you happy 😊.

And of course that doesn’t take away the fun I have reading books about exactly that!

In so many different ways I could relate with Lula. While she truly enjoys her job, in her free time she rather enjoys the quiet and calmness. As a DJ she can be this exuberant persona, being loud, cheerful and full of confidence. But take the mic away, put her in a room full of strangers, and she closes herself off, doesn’t want to be the centre of the attention at all.
And that truly resonated with me, because often I am being this bubbly, wonderful (😊 ) person, but I have my peace the most just sitting in the quiet. And don’t let me start on entering a room on my own!

But I could also understand how Lula has the need that one evening to be someone else, to be this confident, sexy, seductive woman. Sometimes stepping outside yourself is what you need, even if it’s just for one night only.

And I was happy for Lula that the night was such a memorable one, because I could understand she needed that release. But I could also comprehend why she leaves that quickly, as ‘reasonable’ Lula reasons that getting away asap is the less awkward thing to do.

And yes, I am that kind of person that enjoys reading about that awkward encounter when Lula is faced with her new boss Tristan, to only realize it is that same guy that she spend that memorable night with! Yes, I am that evil 😊.

But even if Lula is not that exuberant in real life confrontations, I liked it how she stood her ground with Tristan. Obviously when she gets fired, there isn’t a lot she can do about it, how wrong and unjust that may be. But when Tristan realizes his mistake, Lula just doesn’t give in that easily, and stands her ground, demands proper apologies and even more.

With Lula standing tall for once, we see that there isn’t just one kind of Lula, but she is a blend of the DJ and the quiet version. And that slowly she starts to realize with Tristan, while opening up to up, even at moments confiding in him. Because we also see that the Lula of that one night emerges when the attraction with Tristan is too much handle!

I have to admit, Tristan for sure physically had my interest. But the way he acted when first arriving at the radio station, made me cringe a little bit. It seemed like he just follows what his fathers asks him to do, and he for sure adds his weights in the man’s world…

But I also quickly learned that Tristan is the kind of person not ashamed or scared to apologize when he makes a mistake. He even is very inventive in his apologies! 😊

The sparks for sure fly between Lula and Tristan, despite their resistance. And I admired that in a way, as they want to keep their professionalism and they for sure aren’t looking for love. But of course it’s too difficult to resist each other, resulting in several heated moments!

Beside that attraction, it’s crystal – clear that both characters are afraid. They are scared to let love in, for past experiences, for fear of not being (good) enough. And those fears are so relatable, so real, as I truly believe that everyone has felt that way before or still does.
But if you don’t take that leap of faith, if you don’t dare to open up, to expose yourself, to let the love in, what is that outcome? That you are alone… and while you can have the perfect match if you just dare…

Perhaps the pace in this story was a bit too fast, but as love works in mysterious ways, perhaps that was also a good thing. Because you never know who you will meet and how that will affect you. Perhaps one meeting with a complete stranger will turn out to be meeting that one person that makes you not only open up to him/her but also understand yourself much better.

I enjoyed reading this story, as it tells you so much even in a rather limited time!