Loverboy

The Company, Book 2

By: Sarina Bowen

Narrated by: Joe Arden, Emma Wilder, Vanessa Edwin

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Secrets, desires, and exquisite pie. It’s all in a day’s work at The Company.

Growing up, I was the rough guy from the wrong neighborhood who couldn’t catch a break. Posy was the pampered girl I tried to impress. But I managed to steal only a single kiss before I had to skip town.

Now I’m back, and the tables are turned. Posy runs a struggling pie shop. I’m the VP of a secretive billion dollar security company.

Not that I can tell her.

There’s a murderer on the loose in New York, and he seems to spend a lot of time at Posy’s shop. I can’t let on that I’m here to bring him down before he can harm a hair on her pretty head.

Going undercover as Posy’s new barista wasn’t my idea. I don’t even drink coffee. But now I have to call her “boss” and do everything the curvy perfectionist asks of me. I’d forgotten how much we infuriate each other, and that she somehow fills me with both irritation and desire in the same breath.

There’s nobody more skilled at stealth ops than me. I can bring this killer down. Right after I take a cold shower. And just as soon I figure out how to make a skinny peppermint latte with milk poured in the shape of a kitten....

©2020 Sarina Bowen (P)2020 Sarina Bowen

Entertaining Romance with a bit of suspense

Clever dialogue with some amusing scenes where KEY partner and coffee hater Gunner poses as a barista in college rival Posy’s coffee shop and bakery. Of course they have strong chemistry and he has to hide that the real reason for applying for the job is surveillance. Interesting characters- we learn more about their team- and some exciting action. Some of the parental issues are very predictable but the romance eventually turns steamy. The story moves at a good pace, is well written and nicely edited, and has great narration. Not everything gets settled at the end - this is book two in the series- but most of the couples story is removed and there was no cliffhanger. Worth a credit!

Great Romantic Suspense Story

Gunnar is a Company man. He's gruff, sexy, and dislikes coffee so it's only fitting that he takes on an undercover assignment as a barista. Posy owns a struggling pie shop and after her last barista left without notice, well, you know where this is going. Oh, and Gunnar & Posy have history and can't stand each other. Let the fun begin!

There is so much fun going on in this story- espionage, suspense, danger, and so much humor. I absolutely loved Vanessa Edwin's internal monologue, which was voiced as her hormones. She and Joe Arden had great comedic timing. Will definitely be adding this to the favorite list.

Definitely hungry for pie! and more of this series!

Loverboy, the second book in Sarina Bowen's The Company Series is an addicting story full of suspense, mystery, humor and a TON of heat. I loved this book so much and the intense, passionate characters. The story-telling is stellar and impossible to put down.

Posy Paxton owns Posy's Pie Shop and is in desperate need of a coffee barista. She is running the shop on her own and just cannot keep up any longer. Out of the blue Gunnar Scott randomly shows up in her shop asking for a job. She reluctantly agrees to hire him even though they have a history and even though he is the worst coffee barista EVER! There is also the fact that he is really working undercover but he REALLY turns on the charm to convince her. I loved Posy. She has a sweet side but also a fierce and protective side as well. It doesn’t take her long to figure out that Gunnar is keeping something from her that isn’t adding up. I loved how she follows her instincts and her heart where Gunnar is concerned.

Gunnar Scott is one of my most favourite heroes Sarina Bowen has ever written. He is the FULL package. A huge heart, insanely charming, sexy and irresistible. Max has just hired Gunnar to join his team at “The Company”. He is in need of some intel and undercover work in order to catch a dangerous criminal that is lurking from Max’s past.

Posy and Gunnar have an undeniable connection but they also some unresolved feelings to sort through due to a lack of communication from their past. I really liked how that was all handled, it was not at all drawn out or handled immaturity like sometimes can happen in a second chance love story. Their chemistry and banter I could not get enough of.

Joe Arden's sultry voice as Gunnar sucks you in from beginning to end, and Vanessa Edwin voices the sweetest Posy. Their chemistry was fabulous. I loved how easily their voices complimented each other. Incredible performances! I am now more eager than ever for Max’s story! Fingers crossed he and Scout are next up in this amazing series!

*Advanced audio review copy received in exchange of an honest review.

Swoonworthy, Intense and Fun. It is perfection!

I am seriously in love with this book, and the audiobook is so good! It is amazing. Joe Arden and Vanessa Edwin did an outstanding job. They are perfect as Gunnar and Posy, especially Vanessa. Wow. They killed it. I have listened to it so many times and I love it more each time. This one is for keeps, people. It is the kind of audiobook perfection one can listen to over and over again.

Loverboy is a must read, page-turner, second chance/frenemies to lovers romance with a side of danger, incendiary chemistry, and laugh-out-loud banter that will leave you breathless and craving pie desperately. And I’m especially serious about the pie.

Get yourself some pie and be ready to not be able to put this gem down until you reach the end.

Loverboy brings us back to the world of private cyber security, intrigue, and crazy conspiracies of The Company. It is the second book in the series, but a complete standalone, so you can jump right in!

Loverboy is suspenseful, sweetly romantic, hilarious at times, and definitely steamy. Gunnar is ruthless, cocky, and charming, definitely book boyfriend material. Swoonworthy. Posy is resourceful and smart, strong and independent, but also vulnerable. They make such a wonderful couple.

Gunnar and Posy are old rivals with enough chemistry to set her pie shop on fire. Their banter is witty, the attraction between them is palpable, and the anticipation will keep you on the edge of your seat. They have history, a single but earth-shifting kiss fifteen years ago, so the tension between them has been simmering for a very long time. And they’re about to explode.

Gunnar Scott runs the West Coast side of The Company, but his previous connection to Posy is what makes Max assign him the task of going to work for her, undercover as a barista, in order to find a murderer that is targeting hackers. The guy doesn’t even like coffee. Making kittens and hearts with foamy milk feels like a waste of his time. And he’s definitely not looking forward to seeing Posy again.

Posy is having a hard time. She’s struggling to make ends meet. She’s recently divorced and is having trouble finding reliable employees for her fairly new pie shop. And having Gunnar show up for the barista job awakens her crush on him. She has no idea why he showed up, but she can’t turn him away.

I love everything about this series, and about this book. Sarina Bowen is a truly gifted writer. Her words are beautiful, compelling, and witty. She shines every single time. Her characters always have depth and are people you can relate to. They’re three-dimensional and likable. She writes about good guys and strong women, and there’s nothing better than that, in my opinion. Gunnar and Posy are not the exception. And the side characters are just as compelling. That’s probably why I keep wanting to read their stories next.

Loverboy is a masterpiece. It’s the perfect combination of suspense, danger, romance and comedy. The plot is flawless, the setting is perfection, the characters are wonderful, and the story will keep you glued to the book until the end. It is unputdownable.

I know Ladykiller—Max and Scout’s story—is next, but I sincerely hope she has the time and inclination to keep writing in The Company’s world of espionage and cyber security, because it is definitely an amazing series, and she excels at it.

I would recommend this book, and series, to everyone who likes a bit of intrigue and danger with their romance. Seriously guys, Sarina Bowen writes the best book boyfriends.

Entertaining

This is not my favorite Sarina Bowen book but it is an entertaining listen. The pies and coffee.made my mouth water.

Loving this series!

I can’t wait for the next book! Hoping there are at least 2 or 3 more, at least! This is a fun book w/ mystery and suspense! The narrators are fantastic and writing kept me glued to ear buds! Must listen!!!

Love it!

Listened to it from start to finish. Absolutely love the world Sarina Bowen has continued. Did not disappoint.

This book gave me all the warm fuzzies!

I'm 100% sure that Sarina Bowen wrote this series for me. Or at least that's what my delusions say. All kidding aside, LOVERBOY is just another reason why I love this author so much. It just checks all my boxes.

I had the chance to listen to an early copy of the audiobook and let me tell you, Joe Arden and Vanessa Edwin are SLAYING it. You actually hear Joe Arden's twinkle in his eyes. This man has so much charisma in his voice I can't recommend his narration enough. I'm new to Vanessa Edwin and I'm very pleased to report that she did a beautiful job with her portrayal of Posy. Sometimes I find it jarring when I hear a new voice narrating the male part in a chapter (takes a couple chapters until I don't notice anymore), that didn't happen here.

Now Gunnar and Posy I adored. They have some past baggage but they weren't overly antagonistic. Their chemistry is captured in fabulous banter and I could have listened to Posy's hormones, which hijack the mic (obviously), forever.
I loved how they dealt with their past. I hate drama that comes from miscommunication and misunderstandings because characters fail to explain what bothers them. That didn't happen here at all, their past issues were handled just like grown-ups do. Calm, collected, clear. That's something that stood out to me.

Also, is phantom smell a thing? I swear, the ongoing talk about coffee made me imagine smelling coffee everywhere. And if you aren't a coffee addict and aren't the least bit tempted to at least try one after Ms. Bowen's ODE TO THE BLACK GOLD I don't know what will.

Sarina Bowen mixes romance and suspense with a dash of mystery like a pro (duh!) and the result is a thrilling, captivating read that is on the lighter side and perfect to take your mind off the heavier things these days. This series is just awesome, fingers crossed we get many more books set in THE COMPANY in the future. I had the best time with these easy-to-love characters and hope you'll give this one a whirl!

I loved this book!

I would definitely recommend this book. You don’t have to read Moonlighter (book 1) to follow the characters and enjoy the story. Gunner and Posy are the perfect mix of bad ass alpha male and strong minded perfectionist. They have issues from their past that they need to work through and watching them find their way together is simply wonderful.

male voice yuck!!

male voice was terrible!! not realistic at all you could tell it was her changing her voice deeper. Great story but his voice was a turn off#!!