The Negotiator (A Hot Romantic Comedy)

Avery Flynn

Apr 2017 · Harbor City Book 1 · Sold by Entangled: Amara

About this ebook

Wanted: Personal Buffer
Often snarly, workaholic executive seeks “buffer” from annoying outside distractions AKA people. Free spirits with personal boundary issues, excessive quirks, or general squeamishness need not apply. Salary negotiable. Confidentiality required.

Workaholic billionaire Sawyer Carlyle may have joked he needed a buffer from their marriage-obsessed mom, but he didn’t need a waiting room filled with candidates to further distract him. (Thanks, bro.) But when a sexy job applicant shooes his mom and the socialite in tow out of his office, Sawyer sees the genius of the plan. And the woman. In fact, Miss Clover Lee might just get the fastest promotion in history, from buffer to fake fiancé...

This free-spirit might look like hot sunshine and lickable rainbows, but she negotiates like a pitbull. Before Sawyer knows what hit him, he’s agreed to give up Friday nights for reality tv, his Saturdays for flea markets (why buy junk still baffles him), his Tuesdays and Thursdays for date nights (aka panty-losing opportunities if he plays his cards right). And now she wants lavender bath salts and tulips delivered every Monday?

Yup, she’s just screwing with him. Good thing she’s got this non-negotiatable six-weeks-and-she’s-gone rule or Sawyer may have just met his match.

Each book in the Harbor City series is STANDALONE
* The Negotiator
* The Charmer
* The Schemer

Ratings and reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed THE NEGOTIATOR by Avery Flynn and highly recommend it. The premise, is basically the fake engagement (so the busy workaholic billionaire can avoid his mother's marriage traps) where two people who seem opposite in every way are perfect for one another and eventually find their unexpected HEA. Sawyer Carlyle is the oldest son who feels the full weight of the responsibility of his family and of his family's business after his father's recent and unexpected passing. His mother is worried about him and his sole focus on the business so she is constantly shoving possible brides in his way. He doesn't want to hurt his mom, but he also doesn't have time for dating. He makes an off-hand comment to his brother, Hudson, about wishing he had a buffer to keep his mother and her bride candidates at bay. His brother runs with it to the annoyance of Sawyer. Jane "Clover" Lee is one of the Buffer candidates Hudson brings into the office. She is a free-spirit who takes odd jobs (very odd and random jobs) merely to pay for her need to make a difference while at the same time experiencing different cultures and places around the world, for instance teaching English to poor children in Singapore. She is by design rootless and carefree, not to be mistaken as flighty or naïve. She can negotiate with the best of them and easily out maneuvers first Helene Carlyle and then Sawyer himself. This story was delightful at every turn and mostly due to the charm, wit and intelligence of Clover. Ms Flynn fully develops her characters and shows their wide emotional range, drawing you in not just to their outward personalities, but the inner reasons for how they became that way. The dialogue is well-written with plenty snark, laughs, and also some seriously touching moments. Overall a great read that I didn't want to put down and read in one sitting! 4.5 stars ~Complimentary copy downloaded from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I absolutely adored this book! It was funny, sweet, heartwarming and very sexy! Sawyer Carlyle had to take over the family business after his father's sudden death. His mother is afraid that he is working too much and wants to find him a wife. When his brother Hudson places an ad to help Sawyer dodge unwanted attention, he never expected to find a force of nature like Clover Lee. She was beautiful, intelligent and sassy. When she effortlessly and hilariously steps in and sends his mother away, he reluctantly hires her. Negotiations between the two are fast as Clover out maneuvered and beguiled Sawyer. Clover is only looking for a temporary job to fund her next adventure. She never wanted to stay in one place and turn into her mother. When she must pose as Sawyers fake fiance, and move in with him, the re-negotiations are even more hilarious. Clover has a way of rising above her insecurities and challenging the socially awkward but super sexy Sawyer. She entices him to do things he never thought would be so much fun. Their banter is hilarious and their chemistry is explosive. When they both start to imagine the possibility of a future together, their big picture plans get in the way. There were so many laugh out loud moments but many sweet and heartwarming moments as well, not to mention their fiery passion! Their family and friends are all intriguing and wonderful characters adding to the fun and rounding out this story. This is the perfect blend of humor, charm, emotion and steam. It captured my heart and had me totally engaged from start to finish. I definitely recommend this must read romance!

3.5 stars — OK, so I enjoyed so much of this book, but somewhere in the middle I started to lose focus while reading it, so I just can’t go full 4 stars on this one. I honestly don’t know if it was just me, I was tired, or if it was the book. I think part of my problem was that I had *just* read a fake relationship/billionaire trope story LAST WEEK, so it just felt a bit familiar you know? I love these tropes for a reason, but I think they stand up better when interspersed between other things. I really enjoyed both characters, and I loved them together. I loved how Clover brought Sawyer out of himself, and how Clover seemed to find a bit more purpose and direction while helping Sawyer. And they really did have great chemistry, I honestly believed their attraction to one another. In fact, them together was definitely the highlight. Part of that is because their individual stories weren’t really strong necessarily…there wasn’t a big background story for each of them, and while they both definitely grew, it wasn’t really a strong component of the story. It really was a fun romance in a lot of ways. And I guess that is one area where I wouldn’t have minded a bit of expansion…a bit more of what made each of them tick. We were told a lot of what made them tick, but I didn’t always see it. Clover was fun and spunky and I LOVED how she gave as good as she got. But I don’t think I ever quite understood what she was looking for out of life, or how she thought her life was going to go. I never really *felt* her passions and her purpose. Heck, I kind of wish I knew why she called herself Clover…never did get that. I did enjoy seeing her finally see the light about her Mom and the life her Mom chose though! And Sawyer could be awkward and adorable, and I loved how he couldn’t help but allow Clover to bring some fun into his life. And I LOVED how he turned everything into a negotiation, and how that was part of their foreplay. But, as with Clover, I guess I just didn’t understand his passion for his company so much as was told about it. He was a bit of a mess of contradictions at times. The secondary characters were not bad. I didn’t always get Sawyer’s Mom, but I didn’t dislike her. I enjoyed both Linus and Irving, though their parts were tiny. And I enjoyed the bits we got to see of Clover’s family…though I will admit I never really connected with her BFF Daphne. The standout for me for secondary characters was Sawyer’s brother Hudson. His one-liners made me laugh and laugh, and I loved the sibling relationship they seemed to have. So yeah, the romance was fantastic…I just wouldn’t have minded a bit more other stuff to flesh it out a bit.

About the author

When Avery Flynn isn't writing about alpha heroes and the women who tame them, she is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. She has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and has a slight shoe addiction. Find out more about Avery on her website, follow her on Twitter, like her on her Facebook page or friend her on her Facebook profile. Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life. Contact her at [e-mail]. She’d love to hear from you.