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Bossed

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He’s the boss. But she’s ready to take charge.

In this provocative and sexy* office romance, a cheeky new hire tempts a hotshot sports agent to mix business with pleasure.


Jenny: Job interviews are a bitch under the best of circumstances, but when your potential boss is the world’s biggest prick, that’s when you should simply walk away. It’s just that I need this job so badly—and I’m mesmerized by Ethan Mason’s piercing gaze. Men like him aren’t supposed to exist in real life. But under the tailored suits and GQ looks, Ethan simmers with barely restrained ambition. And no matter how hard I work to fight the attraction, I’m going to get burned.

Ethan: You don’t become a top agent without learning how to close a deal. I always get what—or who—I want, by staying cool and in command. Then Jenny Jackson walks into my office with her lush curves and “screw you” attitude and blows away my intentions of keeping things professional. All I can think about is exploring the perfect body hidden beneath those conservative clothes or shutting her saucy mouth with one hot kiss. Jenny’s worth breaking the rules over—if I can convince her to break the rules for me.


*By sexy, we mean sexy. Like, 18+ sexy.

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 2017

91 people are currently reading
1815 people want to read

About the author

Sloane Howell

47 books3,328 followers
Sloane Howell lives in the Midwest United States and writes hot romance stories. A former college baseball player turned author, when not reading or writing he enjoys hanging out with his family, watching sports, playing with the dogs, traveling, and engaging his readers on social media. You can almost always catch him goofing off on Facebook or Twitter and trying to convince Mrs. Howell that it is "work"

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 474 reviews
Profile Image for SueBee★bring me an alpha!★.
2,417 reviews15.4k followers
Want to read
March 29, 2017
LIVE! | AMZ US | AMZ UK | B&N | KOBO | iBOOKS |


LIVE! Oh a sports agent!

Stand-alone
Release: March 28, 2017
ARCs: https://goo.gl/Vcy4r4
LIVE! | AMZ US | AMZ UK | B&N | KOBO | iBOOKS |
Blurb:
He’s the boss. But she’s ready to take charge.

In this provocative and sexy* office romance, a cheeky new hire tempts a hotshot sports agent to mix business with pleasure.

Jenny: Job interviews are a bitch under the best of circumstances, but when your potential boss is the world’s biggest prick, that’s when you should simply walk away. It’s just that I need this job so badly—and I’m mesmerized by Ethan Mason’s piercing gaze. Men like him aren’t supposed to exist in real life. But under the tailored suits and GQ looks, Ethan simmers with barely restrained ambition. And no matter how hard I work to fight the attraction, I’m going to get burned.
Ethan: You don’t become a top agent without learning how to close a deal. I always get what—or who—I want, by staying cool and in command. Then Jenny Jackson walks into my office with her lush curves and “screw you” attitude and blows away my intentions of keeping things professional. All I can think about is exploring the perfect body hidden beneath those conservative clothes or shutting her saucy mouth with one hot kiss. Jenny’s worth breaking the rules over—if I can convince her to break the rules for me.
Profile Image for The Sassy Bookworm.
4,057 reviews2,867 followers
March 13, 2017
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descriptionThis cover is OK. The dude is hot I'll give you that. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a lot of personality to it and comes across a bit bland in my opinion.description

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descriptionI really enjoyed this one. It was a super sweet read. It was well-written and nicely paced. No OW/OM drama. The only angst came from the couple themselves. It had some nice sex scenes. A little bit of humor. A little bit of sadness. A couple of interesting side characters (who will be featured in the next book.) A set of likable main characters. Though Jenny DID get on my nerves a couple of times with her tendency to blame Ethan for things that were out of his control. This was especially frustrating when something happens at the end, and her reaction was so OTT and distasteful if I had been Ethan I would have washed my hands of her right then. Overall though this was a really enjoyable way to spend a few hours.description

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Profile Image for Natalie  ~ The Biblioholic.
2,713 reviews1,419 followers
April 3, 2017
It's LIVE & on Blog Tour!!

I love everything that this author comes up with and BOSSED was no exception! Although it covered some elements that could be considered deep, such as abandonment, I'd still classify it as a light romantic read. Both Ethan and Jenny suffered similar issues, which caused them to erect walls of steel to protect themselves. It was fun to watch the both of them persist in trying to drill holes.

The chemistry between Ethan and Jenny was sexy AF, the banter was entertaining if a bit antagonistic, and the plot was fluid and easy to enjoy. If I were to change one thing about this story, it would be make Jenny a little less confrontational and aggressive. I'd probably have enjoyed the story more if I had received less of her POV. I admired her strength, but I cringed a bit with the way she chose to exhibit it at times. And there were one too many occasions in which Ethan came off as too soft, in my opinion, in order to appease her.

Regardless, I enjoyed Ethan and Jenny's story and I'm excited to read the next book, Scored (hit that link and add it!!) and I hope it's about Matt and Kelsey!! *wink*

Release Date: March 28, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Dual - 1st person
Steam: 4 out of 5
Book Type: Standalone
Publisher: Loveswept
Profile Image for Nicola.
1,390 reviews287 followers
March 14, 2017
As far as firsts go, Bossed was pretty great. It wasn't flawless, but it ticked the hot and sexy boxes, has characters who have a strong presence and Sloane Howell has a writing style that, on the whole, worked well for me.

"I’d worked my ass off building my agency, and I’d be damned if my dick was going to ruin all that hard work."

It's no secret that I have a love-hate relationships with alphaholes. 9/10 I sit here giving my eyeballs a workout whilst wanting to kick their arses into oblivion for their behaviour. And this was the case with Ethan Mason when we first meet him--I admit I was rapidly becoming wary. However, sometimes I am wrong (shh that's our secret, hubby need never know) and once Ethan softens his ways and shows us what's underneath all the bravado, I settled down and very much enjoyed the ride. Even with the odd moments when he was a douchecanoe and I wanted to kick his arse to kingdom come, because it was all in the balance and Sloane Howell got that right.

description

Enter Jenny Jackson, Ethan's newest employee and a stubborn woman who doesn't mince her words and calls him on his crap from the moment they meet--my kind of lady. They butt heads and are soon bumping many other body parts because they have a passionate chemistry in every sense of the word. And as the story progresses, the emotional card comes into play because neither of these characters has had/are having an easy time of things.

"When I was with her, I was happy. When we were apart she was all I thought about."

There were a couple of things I would have liked to have seen: the descriptions of Ethan and Jenny were pretty thin, yet their best friends were described much more so, the pacing was a little off in the middle with the story seeming to have a momentary stall and . But overall this was a sound start to the series, I do like a man who isn't quite as he seems and who falls and falls hard, that's what you get here and I'm looking forward to seeing what Scored brings when it's released in May.

Copy received courtesy of Loveswept via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Profile Image for Claire.
2,324 reviews738 followers
March 28, 2017
4 - "You were definitely a surprise." Stars!

Nothing gives me greater pleasure than in the discovery of an author whose writing I really gel with. Sloane Howell hit the spot for me on every level with Bossed and I am eager to read more from him in the future.

Its LIVE!
Amazon US - http://a.co/equWbys
Amazon UK - http://amzn.eu/5JEGWcD
B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bosse...



You know you are onto a winner, when you are snort laughing from the first chapter of a book onwards, and the spark and snark between Jenny and Ethan, kept me entertained for the whole book.

"Are we finished here..?"

"I bet you hear that a lot fro the ladies."


Both very strong personalities, it took milliseconds for Ethan to rub Jenny up the wrong way, and that was pretty much the theme of the story from then on in. It also doesn’t take them long to realize that along with their insane verbal chemistry there is a large amount of attraction as well, an attraction that Ethan is initially reluctant to explore.

A woman I was attracted to had no business working at my agency. That would only end up with one outcome… a disaster.

This is one of those books that does what it says on the tin, you can work out pretty early on what the potential pit-falls are going to be for this couple in a relationship sense, but it was so well written, with whip-smart dialogue that it really didn’t bother me.

"We can’t keep doing this. This cycle of running hot and cold. I need warm. Constant warmth…"

"I can do warm."


Ethan was your typical cocky and arrogant businessman, but he had the goods to back up that arrogance. Whilst Jenny stood up to him and fought her corner rather than back off and let him have the upper hand all the time, even though her needs for the pay packet her job bought in were bigger than just her own.

"I can't fuck this up. I need this job..."

I am so pleased to see that Kelsey and Matt (Ethan & Jenny’s BFFs) are going to get a book, both were strong secondary characters in Bossed, and I am looking forward to seeing what sort of story Sloane gives them when Scored releases in May.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was a pleasure to provide the above honest review.
Profile Image for ✰♊ Angie ♊✰.
325 reviews157 followers
September 8, 2017
This book was very difficult for me to get through.
It was sooooo promising in the beginning.
I was totally digging it.

description

It was 'butterflies in the stomach' kind of feels. I was hooked right up front.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way it just got juvenile and immature.

description

Like, grade school immature.
Successful-adults-don't-behave-this-way immature.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" immature.

description

The characters didn't hold true to the initial impression I got from either of them.
This was overall just disappointing and meh.

description

description
Profile Image for Sloane Howell.
Author 47 books3,328 followers
March 28, 2017
BOSSED is LIVE!!!

I hope you guys enjoy! If you haven't picked it up yet, grab yourself a copy below!

Buy Links:
Amazon US ➜ http://amzn.to/2bylJyK
Amazon UK ➜ https://goo.gl/PRH9HO
Amazon AU ➜ https://goo.gl/DkCddj
Amazon CA ➜ https://goo.gl/fGSeMK
B&N ➜ http://goo.gl/JTHdPd
Ibooks ➜ https://itun.es/us/auTCeb.l
Kobo ➜ https://goo.gl/lqyMMd
Google Play ➜ https://goo.gl/FkBdST

Thank you so much for all the support!
Profile Image for Alex ♈.
1,568 reviews1,405 followers
dnf
April 3, 2017
DNF chapter 10.

Profile Image for Diana.
638 reviews18 followers
March 29, 2017
I really struggled with the rating for this one. At times it was up to 4 stars, and other times it was down to 2. I think I will go with 3 for now.

Full review now posted.

Jenny Jackson is a kick ass chick who needs a better job to help with her father’s medical bills. She is brilliant with numbers and baseball stats, hence the job interview with one of the top notch sports agency-Mason and Associates. After she tells some hot guy who knocks her into off, she only has minutes to get to her job interview. When she walk in, yup, you guessed it. It is the hot guy she wasn’t sooo nice to.

Ethan Mason is completely caught off guard to the physical reaction he has to seeing Jenny again. She is beautiful, smart, and she is not afraid of him, at all. But he has a past that is still trying to get over, and having a relationship with an employee is not acceptable. Right??

The back and forth banter between Jenny and Ethan had me giggling, and it was refreshing seeing an arrogant, obnoxious man turn to into “goo” over a woman. He was eating ice cream to drown his sorrows!!!! It was definitely at least a 4 star read, then the OTT drama with Jenny started.

A decent read with some pretty steamy sex scenes.



I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Karen Mc .
1,105 reviews770 followers
March 22, 2017


Life will always throw you curves, just keep fouling them off. The right pitch will come, but when it does, be prepared to run the bases. ~Rick Maksian

When your heart is still racing and your pulse is pounding after you finished a book, it’s the highest of highs…the best feeling ever!!! When an author bats a book out of the park, you CHEER loudly and proudly!!! Sloane Howell has upped the ante, and brought his A-Game out to play in Bossed, his BEST BOOK YET!!! Fire-hot and feisty, Bossed blazes with a lethal dose of heat and heart, hitting one hell of a home run!



As if I were at a baseball game, Bossed CAPTIVATED and CLAIMED me from the start. This story stirred up a desire—a hunger for more—that surged through me as I raced through the pages like a fastball. I was CONSUMED as Bossed became my breath, making me breathless. The brilliant banter in Bossed, a fusion of heat and hate, was both my adrenaline and amusement, and I could not get enough of this feisty hero and heroine.



“What’s wrong? You can dish it out but can’t take it?”

“Oh, I can take it. I just prefer an entrée. Not an appetizer.” I shot a glance to his crotch.

“I can assure you, there’s plenty to eat down there. And it looks like you’ve been starving yourself for a while.”


I could not stop laughing at these lines that were the best fusion of laugher, loathing, and lust! My heart beat out of my chest as the banter took control of every part of me! Utterly BRILLIANT!

If beautiful Jenny Jackson had known that Ethan Mason was so arrogant and annoying, she would have reconsidered working at his company. If only her new boss wasn’t so hot and hard-headed. If only her new boss did not throw banter like baseballs, hurling balls of fire at her for her to throw right back at him. If only she wasn’t so attracted to Mr. Power Prick. If only she didn’t fantasize about his pr--…

Ethan Mason didn’t want to hire the sexy spitfire, this hot librarian-like woman, but Jenny Jackson calls to him from her smarts to her sex appeal in spades. He doesn’t want to want his employee, but can’t help the raging desire that burns when Jenny plays this cat-and-mouse game as well or even better than him.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Miss Jackson.”


Those words, filled with passion and power, infiltrated me where I tried to catch my breath as my pulse pounded like a drum, anticipating what would happen next.

Temptation is tough to ignore as there is a fine line between love and hate, and Ethan and Jenny are towing that line…

His mouth was on mine and my hands were pinned above my head. I moaned into his mouth and he swallowed it whole, along with my kiss. His chest slammed into mine and I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see anything, vision blurry.




Now THAT is a kiss, the kind that is a full-body, passion-permeating, intense, and intoxicating KISS!!! Ethan and Jenny have a fierce connection—body to mind—with combustible chemistry. Together, they are fireworks ready to explode!!!

This game is not over until lines are crossed from forbidden to more. Forbidden fruit has never tasted so sweet. Will the boss and employee risk getting burned? Will this game end in a shut-out where only one player comes out on top?

Smoldering, sweet, and swimming with sexual tension, Bossed is ROMANCE BLISS! The heated banter bled angst and amusement, an adrenaline-filled high. My heart raced, fueled by forbidden love and feels. I did not expect the tears that fell from my face, emotions entangling around me like a baseball glove, waiting to catch me as I fell. Intense and incredible, this blazing hot baseball-meets-office romance INTOXICATED ME where I felt a FURIOUS RUSH!!! Bossed is ELECTRIC, a story that sparks with heat and heart from start to finish!

Bossed OWNED every ounce of ME!!! Bossed owned me LIKE A BOSS! I LOVED every enticing minute! Sloane Howell batted Bossed out of the park in a book that BLEW ME AWAY!!! I can’t wait to see what curveball Sloane Howell throws at readers next!

"When I look at you, I can't stop."


★★★★★ home runs

A MUST-CLICK ---> http://amzn.to/2nyr8Kr



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Profile Image for Jen .
814 reviews624 followers
Read
April 20, 2017
DNF @ 41%

Initially I picked Bossed from the list of too many ARCS I still have to read because it seemed to be a perfect fit for me. I love employer/employee enemies to lovers type stories but unfortunately I'm not connecting with this one. Both characters feelings seem to change at the drop of a hat and I'm over the childish back and forth both seem to be sporting. The continuing "I love you/I hate you" thing's just not working for me this time around.



ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Dali.
2,086 reviews591 followers
April 2, 2017
A sexy office romance.

A job at this sports agency isn’t just welcome with its fabulous pay, it’s something Jenny desperately needs to help pay her father’s accumulating medical bills. But when she realizes her boss would be an insufferable sexy jerk she can’t stand, will she walk away or will she stay and try to fight the undeniable attraction between them?

He knew he shouldn’t have hired her. Ethan felt the instant pull towards her when they bumped into each other on the street. He felt it even more when her feisty personality was revealed during her interview. He understood that keeping a professional relationship between them would be next to impossible, but Ethan Mason is man that get who and what he wants and he wants her.

This is my first book by Sloane Howell and I found it to be fun and sexy with a good pace and likeable characters including Ethan’s best friend Matt, who was a total sweetheart and Jenny’s best friend Kelsey, who stuck by her through thick and thin.

Ethan is one of those heroes you love to hate because he hides his goodness hides behind defenses that make him barely tolerable, but a good man he I, he just needed the right woman to help get over his past pains. I really liked Jenny’s strength and feistiness, she had no problem putting the man in his place. Her backstory was similar to Ethan’s, I only wish that her reactions weren’t so visceral and over the top.

Oh but there were other gut reactions that made my eReader heat up because Jenny and Ethan’s chemistry was sexy hot and their banter was amusing in its rivalry.

Bossed is a standalone contemporary romance by Sloane Howell. It light and easy to read. Told from both points of view and has a happy ending.

3.5 light, fun, and sexy stars

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Profile Image for Helena Hunting.
Author 79 books26.4k followers
September 3, 2017
Sexy, smart, funny and full of heartfelt emotion, Bossed will keep you laughing and swooning to the very last page.
Profile Image for Lisa (Two Bookish Brits).
907 reviews165 followers
March 7, 2017
Bossed

Book Description

He’s the boss. But she’s ready to take charge.

Jenny: Job interviews are a bitch under the best of circumstances, but when your potential boss is the world’s biggest prick, that’s when you should simply walk away. It’s just that I need this job so badly—and I’m mesmerized by Ethan Mason’s piercing gaze. Men like him aren’t supposed to exist in real life. But under the tailored suits and GQ looks, Ethan simmers with barely restrained ambition. And no matter how hard I work to fight the attraction, I’m going to get burned.

Ethan: You don’t become a top agent without learning how to close a deal. I always get what—or who—I want, by staying cool and in command. Then Jenny Jackson walks into my office with her lush curves and “screw you” attitude and blows away my intentions of keeping things professional. All I can think about is exploring the perfect body hidden beneath those conservative clothes or shutting her saucy mouth with one hot kiss. Jenny’s worth breaking the rules over—if I can convince her to break the rules for me.






ARC given in exchange for an honest review

Jenny is a feisty woman who won't take shit from anyone especially not her new boss who just so happens to awake certain parts of her body.

Ethan is an agent, his life is all about business and no woman or relationship will ever get in his way like it had with his father that is until Jenny comes along and turns his world upside down.

As they spend more time together their attraction for each other becomes to much to handle ending in an extremely hot night of passion but not everything goes smoothly. Lies are unleashed and heartbreak is thrown upon them both, will they be able to become something or will they both keeping pushing each other away?

Sloane Howell did an amazing job with this. Ethan and Jenny have quickly become two of my favourite characters. The supporting characters were absolutely amazing too and as always Sloane never failed to make me laugh with their sarcasm and witty banter and let's not forget the SEX, Jesus Christ, it'll leave you needing to fan yourself off or jump into a cold shower, wow just wow.

If you've never read a book by Sloane then shame on you, you're missing out on some real awesome books here!
Profile Image for Liv ☾.
70 reviews
April 8, 2017
4 STARS!

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

☾ Fangirling! I absolutely loved this book - Ethan's assholeness and all! I'm going to be honest and say I read a few reviews of this book before I decided to read it, and not all of them were pleasant. I was more attentive to this book due to those reviews and it just made me love it even more. It's not anything special or 6 stars on my rating scale, but I can assure you it's better than you probably think it is.

☾ The book is centered on Ethan and Jenny. Ethan is a sports agent, an asshole, but at the same time caring and sweet. He has a weak spot for Jenny from the moment he met her and although he's a jerk for a good 50% of the book, he always tends to make up for it in the most considerate ways. Seriously if I had an Ethan for a boyfriend I would never complain.

☾ Then there is Jenny. Jenny is struggling to pay her fathers medical bills. Growing up with an absent mother, her father is her world and taking care of him is the most important thing in her life. Her and her best friend Kelsey spend almost every day with him unless their working. This is tough especially because working for Ethan means work work work.

☾ I loved how there was no delay in Ethan and Jenny's relationship. Although in the first few chapters they struggle to step across the employee and boss line, soon enough they give in to their mutual attraction and take a chance. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to shake Ethan and tell him to just shove it! Seriously he poor his foot into his mouth quite a few times, but he always manages to make their arguments worth while...if you know what I mean.

☾In all seriousness I highly suggest reading this, it was a light and easy read but also really silly at the same time. Maybe even a tear jerker if you're highly sensitive!
Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews870 followers
March 29, 2017



I was not expecting the story that I ended up reading in Bossed. Sloane Howell hit one out of the park with this book. I absolutely, positively loved it! It was fresh, exciting, sad, happy, fun, loving, sexy as hell … well, the list goes on and one. So, what I did expect was a take-charge boss and a sassy secretary. What I got was a take-charge boss with issues because of his past, a woman who can seriously hold her own against him … consequences be damned, and BASEBALL!

Jenny is a hot-mess when she walks into her interview. Raised by a single father, she knows how to dish out the sass and the come-backs as well as any man on the planet. Knowing the interview is blown, she decides to leave with her dignity, her head held high and a parting statistic for the prick behind the desk. She’d put him in his place and leave knowing that he just let the best candidate for the job walk out of his office.

Mason was not ready for Jenny. He screwed up every piece of common sense that he had. She was smart, sassy and could probably recite stats better than him. A sexy, baseball loving woman that he could not – would not, hire. There was no way he could work with her. Then, why did he hire her on the spot after she schooled him?

From the time Jenny is hired, Mason cannot keep his head in any game. She put him in his place whenever she got the chance. She called him on his inappropriate behavior, his treatment of his employees, his attitude. She didn’t stand for anything … and that just turned him on more. It was time to get the game out of the first inning, grab his balls, act like a man and take charge. Yea, fat-chance on that. He soon found out that the only place she would even allow him to think he had control was in the bedroom.

I can honestly say that I laughed my ass off through most of this book. There was the issue with Jenny’s dad and the outcome that I suspected, but, how we got to the end of this story was just so much fun. I loved watching Mason turn from a bastard to a human being. I loved Jenny’s way of getting him there. Seeing the air knocked out of his lungs, his feet swept out from under him was just so enjoyable.

The supporting characters were required to make this story work. Matt Stallworth was the perfect man to compliment Mason. Knew him better than anyone else and knew that it was time for some hard love to get his head out of his ass. And, Kelsey was the perfect fit for Jenny. Between Matt, Kelsey and Mr. Jackson, Mason and Jenny didn’t stand a chance of not being together.

Sloane Howell’s writing was spot on. It was fresh and exhilarating. What angst there was in the book was needed and not overly done. The characters all came alive and there was nothing that disappointed me in the least. He honestly wrote a true romance with a hint of kink, a love story with a very fitting HEA and a book that I will definitely go back to when I need a fix.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
Profile Image for Mindy Lou's Book Review.
2,997 reviews799 followers
March 23, 2017
3.5 Bossy Stars!

Overall, this was a good read. I liked the storyline, a boss/employee, hate to love theme. They clashed at the beginnng and I loved their interactions. Jenny is no wallflower and I liked that she called Ethan on his bad behavior. There was a little resisting due to the boss/employee relationships but just the right amount to be believable. Really the only negative I have is both reacted in the extreme in certain situations that made it distracting and hard to connect with them later in the story. I'm still very interested in reading the next book in the series. ARC provided by NetGalley.
Profile Image for Carlene.
1,027 reviews277 followers
February 7, 2017
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Stars

I so badly want to give this book a low star rating for making me have feelings, but the truth is that Bossed is one of Sloane Howell's best works. A contemporary romance at its core, Bossed features Sloane's famous witty dialogue, hilarious interactions, and heartfelt moments. Though the book is one that is already known as a "love-it or hate-it" kind of novel with Sloane's longtime fans, contemporary romance readers will not be disappointed in Sloane's newest release with Loveswept. The romance is forbidden, the female heroine is a bullheaded beauty, and the alpha-male shines with every reader's handsome looks and cocky attitude.

'"I wanted you.'
Gravel. His voice was gravel."


Ethan is the owner of an incredibly successful sport's agency with an incredible chip on his shoulder and a true lack of empathy. His past has defined how he's looked at the word and how he's treated others around him, at least until Jenny. Jenny's all about family and sports, she's spent the vast majority of her time caring for her ailing father, but a job opportunity that could change their finances can't be passed up, even if it comes from the jerk she spit word-venom at on the sidewalk. What starts as lust at one another's looks soon turns into complete desire, as each unveils the true character of one another. Their attraction, though immediate, is not one of insta-love and is built upon as they work together, meet on more personal levels, and as other angst-driven plots take place.

"He was getting close. Close enough to hurt me for sure, but I couldn't stop him if I tried."

Though I have minor complaints about both Ethan and Jenny's character development, I found myself forgetting those minor details as I was swept up in the story of lust, love, and baseball. While the majority of the story focuses on the romance, Sloane also included minor plots focused around family and friendship, specifically those of Jenny's father and best friend Kelsey, and the friendship Ethan shares with childhood friend, Matt. The secondary characters provided the layers that the main characters lacked, allowing the reader to fully understand the ins and outs of why both Ethan and Jenny are so closed off and why their connection isn't as easy a road as most contemporary romances have. The drama between these two is at times immature and highly insensitive when you consider their level of care for one another, but as far as romance novels go, there are definitely more novels out there with more nonsensical angst-driven plots. Then there's the smut, you know there had to be some! Sloane Howell can write the dirty with the best of them, these two are down and dirty, and while at times I felt they allowed it to be the priority of the connection, it also brought down the walls of each as they were vulnerable to one another in the barest of ways. The novel was equally as sexy as it was emotional, while also being sports and office-relationship driven.

"I'll be wherever you want me to be."

So, you're wondering about why I could possibly give a low rating after reading all that good, right? Sloane knows...and you'll know too if you read this book. I had tears rolling down my face by the end, I honestly considered quitting the book at the part I considered the best, but I continued because Bossed really is that good, from beginning to end. It isn't Sloane's normal fare, but it does incorporate his well-known and well-liked style of blunt humor, character banter, and the smut readers only dream about. I was highly impressed with the plot and I liked that Sloane gave us a driven, smart female heroine, even if she was a bit crazy when it came to Ethan. I can't wait to see what else Sloane has for readers who are fans of contemporary romance.
Profile Image for Irene.
1,908 reviews129 followers
March 30, 2017
4.5 stars

Bossed by Sloane Howell was a very entertaining read.
I enjoyed the storyline, it was well written, it was easy to follow and once I got started I didn't want to put it down.

Ethan and Jenny were such great characters, I found myself easily connecting with them. They were passionate, stubborn, frustrating and highly amusing all throughout the book.
I loved watching them banter, they both needed to have the last word and some of their comebacks had me laughing out loud.

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These two had an instant attraction which grew from hate to love the more time they spent together.
It warmed my heart the way they both slowly opened up to each other, we get to see the real man with the big soft heart that would do anything for the people he loved.

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From the first few pages I fell in love with Jenny. I loved her snark, I loved her sass and I loved her passion. Some people might find her a little too much, but not me, I loved her character. The way she loved her dad and best friend Kelsey touched my heart.
I shed a few tears watching the three of them together, they talked openly, held nothing back and loved each other unconditionally.

Another plus was the secondary characters, Matt and Kelsey. They were wonderful, likable characters and I enjoyed them both equally.
I'm excited to hear the next book in Scored will be their book. =)

Overall, Bossed was a quick, steamy and very entertaining read that will bring out all the feels.

I highly recommend Bossed.

*Buy Links*
Amazon US ➜ http://amzn.to/2bylJyK
Amazon UK ➜ https://goo.gl/PRH9HO
Amazon AU ➜ https://goo.gl/DkCddj
Amazon CA ➜ https://goo.gl/fGSeMK
B&N ➜ http://goo.gl/JTHdPd
Ibooks ➜ https://itun.es/us/auTCeb.l
Kobo ➜ https://goo.gl/lqyMMd
Google Play ➜ https://goo.gl/FkBdST

*Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via NetGalley for the advance copy*
Profile Image for maggieandteddy.
1,222 reviews143 followers
April 8, 2017
I just love the workplace romance trope, combined with a sports agency setting ( which seems to handle mostly professional baseball players).
The story opens up with a Meet Cute that I really enjoyed. Jenny is applying for a job at a sports agency that's a step-up in pay that will help her pay some medical bills. Jenny has been trying to cope with taking care of her ill Dad and paying his medical bills. I couldn't understand why she would be responsible for her dad's medical bills. He would be eligible for at least Medicare and Medicaid. Oh well, she's taken on the burden of the finances. Jenny's been very close to her dad ever since her mother left them years ago. One of their mutual interests is baseball.
Jenny lands a job working for Ethan Mason. They start off on the wrong foot when they meet. Ethan is an alpha hole & the entire office walks on eggshells around him. Not Jenny. She's got some kind of attitude. She sure can dish it out. Amazingly, she lands the job AND Ethan sorta lets her get away with her frequent snarky comments.
There's mutual attraction that they dance around. This wasn't quite "Beautiful Bastard" -not as mean spirited either.
Ethan recognizes that Jenny knows her baseball, and the business. She's very good at her job.
At first Ethan tries to fight his attraction to Jenny. Meanwhile, Jenny settles into her job. She has to ask Ethan for time away from work to care for her dad. Jenny has a bff, Kelsey that pitches in to help while Jenny works. . I really liked Kelsey and Jenny's relationship. Kelsey is just the right amount of kookiness. She's Jenny's protector and sounding board.
Ethan has a good friend, Matt that has known him since childhood. Matt was Ethan's first client when Matt was starting out in MLB and Ethan was starting his company. Matt is actually a sweetheart. If he gets his own book, we need to find a flaw or two. Maybe a misspelled tattoo? Hairy knuckles?, Nah. ;)
There's some smokin' hot sex scenes. Jenny really knows when NOT to argue. Hmmm.
Ethan has a jackass moment or two. He grovels like crazy...The grand gesture. Matt is a great help when Ethan can't figure out what to do.
I was thinking that Jenny was the grown up one.
But..............
Near the last 10% or so, Jenny has a reaction that's 180 degrees to what I think would be natural and understanding.
Ok, she's upset. Gah. In real life I would have told him to dump her ass. Jenny really wore her dad's illness like a badge-dammit. I've been in very similar circumstances before- you JUST don't treat people like that.
Ethan had changed from the beginning of this book to the end. I worried that he was losing his manhood.
The author really pulled out the tender sweet ending. It did border on corny IMO
This author is new to me. I received this ARC through NetGalley. Thank you. I liked it. 4 stars
I want to read Matt's book.. Please... Did I hear a rumor
103 reviews
February 6, 2017
I wasn't very keen on this book. The writing was OK, not memorable, but adequate enough for me to finish the book, although admittedly I did skim read it. But what frustrated me was the fact that the male protagonist is introduced as supposedly an arrogant, rude womaniser, but a successful businessman, yet after knowing the female protagonist for perhaps less than a week, he turns into a whiny, whipped man-child just because she decides that she's no longer speaking to him.

Ethan claims at the start that he'd let nothing jeopardise his business, but before you know it, he's moping at home, seemingly forgetting that he has a company to run. It was like he'd had a lobotomy! This wasn't believable to me. A successful businessman wouldn't act like this. After building his company from scratch, why would he forget about his business in favour of drowning himself in Chinese food over a woman he hardly knows? The answer is simple - he wouldn't.

Overall, Ethan came across as pretty immature, not alpha at all, if that's what the author was going for. But then that's not surprising considering he compares Jenny to a man because she likes to eat carbs. But I guess one of them has to wear the trousers in the relationship!

I was in the mood for a light and easy read between thrillers, and that's exactly what I got. But it just wasn't as enjoyable or engaging as my usual thrillers, unfortunately.
Profile Image for Lexi Cubbins.
Author 1 book75 followers
April 6, 2017
Sexy office romance alert!

A refreshing, witty, well-written book with strong characters that's packed with fun and sweetness, but also sadness and issues that run deep.
I'd rather focus on the first 65-70% or so, because until then it was a fabulous 5-star read for me. The chemistry between Ethan and Jenny was palpable and their banter was so good, I couldn't get enough of them. Love my heroes to be a bit of jerks and heroines to give back as good as they get.
After that, the story felt a little rushed and the conflict a little forced, I wish Ethan kept some of that asshole in him and Jenny her strength and attitude.

Enjoyed it very much and looking forward to Scored!
Profile Image for Mandy.
1,559 reviews234 followers
March 31, 2017
4.5

This was a really good enemies to lovers story. When Jenny goes on a job interview, she is surprised that her new boss would be the jerk she got into an argument with earlier in the day. If she didn't need the job to help pay the bills for her sick dad, she would've turned it down but she had no choice. Ethan is a sports agent and hires Jenny to figure out the financial worth of players. He is a jerk, but underneath all that is a man who is fighting his attraction to his new employee. I love boss/employee books especially when you add in enemies to lovers. Jenny was a strong heroine, she stood her ground with Ethan and wasn't afraid of his surly personality. There were a couple moments when she got on my nerves and I didn't like the way she acted in certain situations but I did like her. Ethan was actually pretty perfect, even with his moods. I really enjoyed this book and I'm hoping Matt is going to get his own book in the future.
Profile Image for Timitra.
1,745 reviews10 followers
January 23, 2017
Bossed sounded really good but sadly it did not turn out that way for me. The hero, Ethan was just an asshole there was no rhyme or reason to it he just was. I also found him quite juvenile and lacking in redeeming qualities.

As for the heroine, Jenny every time I think I could get behind her she goes and gives the hero another chance that he clearly was not deserving of. She was too weak for my tastes. The hero constantly messes up and his best friend, Matt always steps in to smooth things over with Jenny. Ethan never grovels which might have made him more likeable instead he gives what comes off as half hearted apologies. There was nothing endearing or sexy about him. Nothing whatsoever.

What really put the nail in the coffin with this book for me was the fact that the heroine's and the hero's best friends told her that the hero really liked her when he was being an ass, no just no. Being an ass to someone is not the way to show them you like them. I really disliked that this story perpetuated that and it's ultimately why this book did not work for me at all.

ARC provided by publisher through Net Galley in exchange for a honest review
Profile Image for Lady Heather .
1,312 reviews772 followers
November 3, 2017
This is the first book I read by Sloane Howell and this story was such a nice surprise for me.
I loved the characters!
Jenny Jackson was a friggin amazing character to read!
She was strong and smart and did not put up with bullshit. She was also sensitive and only two people were allowed past her walls... until Ethan Mason gradually made his way through.
Ethan Mason was also a great character to meet and slowly develop through the story.
Mr Howell did a wonderful job of developing them to the point where I would've loved to hang out with these people.
They were smart, loyal, strong, sarcastic and funny.
The story was great.
It had everything I like in a contemporary romance.
A great storyline, a little angst, instant chemistry and attraction to which the protagonists fought tooth- and- nail until they finally gave in, and of course, well-written sex scenes.
I really like this author's voice and can't wait to read the next book in the series "Scored".
Profile Image for Mirjam.
1,890 reviews112 followers
March 27, 2018

There’s nothing sexier than a woman who can hold her own in the wits department

This is an employee-boss to lovers romance that I had a hard time connecting with.

At the beginning I thought it would be a light fun read with amiable characters. I loved their witty banter and insults flying over. But in the end I did not like the heroine, at all.
She started to be a nice smart mouthed female character with a sense of humour. But when things do not go her way she becomes a selfish whiny bitch who did not deserve Ethan, at all! Throughout the book it is clear she was in desperate need of the job but she did not behave like an employee. She was rude and undermined Ethan’s position in front of the staff and I did not understand why he did not acted on it. The way she acted it did not look as if she indeed needed the job.

And Ethan? Yeah, Etan is supposedly this CEO that everyone is afraid of and IMO he is a pussy!
The sex though? Hot and off the charts!!!

I'm giving this 3* stars, because I do like Sloane Howell’s work. But this one just did not work for me, although it was well written and gave me some laughs.





ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Karin.
2,178 reviews
March 29, 2017
Loved Loved this book!!! Another home run by Sloane Howell. This story was sweet, funny & steamy! Jenny and Ethan were so well written just like the supporting characters in the book.
This is probably my favorite boss/employee book cause of the humor aspect of it. My face hurt after reading this book, lol

Ethan is overly confident pain whose never been stood up until his new employee Jenny. Jenny was full of sass and I loved it, she never backed down or coward to Ethan no matter what. These two had a love/hate relationship that was hilarious, they always wanted to top the other and couldn't help to egg each other on at any given opportunity.

I voluntarily reviewed a advanced readers copy of this book

Profile Image for Christi Snow.
Author 69 books740 followers
March 28, 2017
My Review:
OMG, this was such a fabulously fun book. I loved the way the story started and exactly the way that Jenny and Ethan maintained that contentious relationship throughout most the story. I love her and that she doesn't let Ethan cow her. She speaks her mind and many times that's to her detriment, but Ethan is so surprised by that, he's intrigued...and that means he lets her get away with more than anyone else ever would.

As well as their crossed words, their attraction is pretty much immediate. There is a lot of sexual chemistry happening in this story and I love that.

I've never read Sloane Howell. I assumed he was female until I got to the author bio at the end, but I'll admit I wasn't that surprised to find he was male. There were little tells in the story...mainly just in some of the language that the women used. Most women don't call each other pussies...at least in my experience. But beyond that, everything about this book worked for me (and it should be noted, that the language certainly didn't bother me...it just felt a tiny bit off....but again, the heroine is a tomboy, so it works for her still, too).

I ADORED the sports/baseball aspect of this story and how much Jenny knows about the sport. I loved her and listening to the explanations of working a deal and figuring worth was fabulous. I also really enjoyed Ethan, especially his relationship with Matt. Their bromance was a fabulous addition to the story. It made it especially fun that Matt just happens to be one of Jenny's favorite players.

Note: the competition between Jenny and her dad with their fantasy baseball teams...so much fun and in the end so bittersweet. Seriously, that was the best ending...LOVED it so much...even through the tears.

I loved this book so much. Gah...I wish I could get it in print. I'd love to have it on my print reread shelf. While this was my first Sloane Howell read, it won't be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading this story and look forward to reading more from this incredible author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,073 reviews40 followers
March 16, 2017
I really enjoyed this one. It's and employee/employer office romance story with a couple of really snarky characters that made me laugh. I do love a good smartass remark. The secondary characters are quite interesting and I'm looking forward to reading their story. There is a wide range of emotions going on in this story as well. The H Ethan doesn't come across quite as Alpha as I think he was intended to be but I did enjoy him. The h Jenny is a bit out of control at times but she was ok. Overall a very enjoyable read and one I definitely recommend.
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