Loverboy

Sarina Bowen

Dec 2020 · The Company Book 2 · Tuxbury Publishing LLC

About this ebook

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 all she gave me was 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. It’s my job to identify him 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 as I figure out how to make a skinny peppermint latte with milk poured in the shape of a kitten...

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I adored Loverboy! With laugh-out-loud moments, sexy banter, suspense, and sizzling chemistry, I couldn't put it down. USA Today bestselling author Lexi Ryan

Good lord I loved this. How does one author consistently write so many good books? Gunnar and Posy were such stellar characters. Star-crossed Book Blog 

Praise for the series: 

Sarina Bowen is my favorite contemporary romance author and Moonlighter is the latest example of why! A sexy, smart and heartwarming modern love story full of heat, banter, hot athletes, strong women and lots of twists and turns. New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely 

Sarina Bowen has done it again! Alex and Eric's chemistry is off the charts! USA Today bestselling author Nana Malone 

Sarina Bowen's sexiest hero yet! New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy  

A sexy hockey player, a security firm with super secretive tech gadgets, a childhood friend who could be so much more, some misunderstandings, a great big mystery, and some very steamy chemistry. Really, what more could you want? The Book Hookup 

Sexy, funny, even a little bittersweet, Moonlighter is a terrific kickoff to a new series. Daily Waffle

An abundance of romance, heat, humour, secrets and duplicity. Totally Booked Blog

This offshoot from her Brooklyn Bruisers boys takes on an air of mystery and intrigue while still delivering the hot and heavy romance I've come to adore. Hopeful Reads

Such an adorable story! Romantic-Suspense-Comedy at its best. Bianca, BJ's Book Blog

My new favorite! Relentless Romance

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For fans of: Helena Hunting, Elle Kennedy, Catherine Gayle, Avon Gale, Toni Aleo, Kristen Callihan, LJ Shen, Mona Kasten, Corinne Michaels, Jana Aston, Karina Halle, Meghan March, Jay Crownover, Anna Todd, Geneva Lee, Audrey Carlan, Jill Shalvis, Suzanne Brockmann, Helen Hoang, Christina Lauren, Kristan Higgins, Sally Thorne, Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward, Debbie Macomber, Nora Roberts, Maisey Yates, Sarah Mayberry, Elle Kennedy, Lauren Blakely, Susan Mallery, Penny Reid, Julia Kent, Kelly Jamieson, Melanie Harlow, Carrie Ann Ryan, Kendall Ryan, Kennedy Ryan, Helen Hardt, Meghan March, Julia Kent, Meli Raine, Sylvia Day, Chelle Bliss, Brenda Rothert, Natasha Madison, Kylie Scott, Helena Hunting, Sloane Kennedy, Penelope Sky, Elle Kennedy, K.A. Linde, Nana Malone, Jami Davenport, Jaci Burton, Penelope Sky, Helen Hardt, E.L. James, Anna Todd, Chelle Bliss, Kendall Ryan, Kennedy Fox, Susan Stoker, Jo Raven, Jennifer Ryan, Linda Howard, Kristen Ashley, Dale Mayer, Katee Robert.

Keywords: romantic suspense, romantic hero, bodyguard romance, protection agency, protective hero, alpha hero, New York City romance, billionaire romance, undercover romance, urban romance, contemporary romance, private detective, bodyguard.

Ratings and reviews

Loverboy was an entertaining second chance romance. It was sweet and sexy, with a little mystery and intrigue to keep us on our toes. I like the mix of romance and suspense in this story, it’s a bit different from what I’m used to from Ms. Bowen and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s still very much a romance, but I liked how Gunnar’s job with The Company played an integral role. And speaking of the romance, Gunnar and Posy are delicious together! I loved them individually, and as a couple they were so swoony. Gunnar came back to NYC thinking he’d just be doing another job, not expecting to be reunited with someone from his past. Posy is dealing with a divorce, trying to keep her business afloat, and the last thing she expected was for Gunnar to walk back into her life. While Gunnar and Posy’ relationship never really had a chance to get off the ground all those years ago, it’s one they both never forgot. I liked seeing these two reconnect and fall for each other. Even with Gunnar having to lie to Posy about why he was back in town, I appreciated that they dealt with things that came up as adults, that there wasn’t a lot of unnecessary drama or mis/lack of communication. Posy and Gunnar are such great characters and I kind of love them both. While this is the second book in The Company series, it’s the first one I’ve read, and I honestly didn’t feel like I was missing anything at all. Ms. Bowen does a great job of adding just enough background on the business that it was easy to jump right in. I’m definitely invested in this series and need to go back and read Moonlighter, and I really cannot wait for Max’s story!

Get yourself some pie and be ready to not be able to put this gem down until you reach the end. 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. 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. But he has a sensitive side that will melt your heart. Posy is resourceful and smart, strong and independent, but also vulnerable. They make such a wonderful couple, because despite their differences, they have more in common than they ever knew. 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. And if you’re into listening, the audiobook will blow your mind. It is so good!

4.5 stars — I got sweet, sexy, playful, intense, and drooling over both food and Gunnar. 😉 I totally didn’t see some elements of the suspense aspect coming — I honestly had ZERO theories, and the reality wouldn’t have been one of them. I enjoyed all the little side aspects in the story as well, it was hard to figure out what was connected to what and it kept me on my toes. At the same time it wasn’t as big an element of the story as I’d been expecting, though that’s not a complaint just an observation. I’m not sure I remember Gunnar enough from the previous book to have any expectations, but he was adorable and sexy. I loved his swagger and charm, even if he put up blinders in his life on occasion. But in the end I loved following his journey towards love, it was super rewarding. And Posy was kind of adorable in her own right. I loved how even though it took her awhile to seek out what *she* truly wanted instead of trying to seek the approval of other people in her life, when she decided to go for it she put in her all. I truly admired her drive and passion for her pie shop. I also really want some of those pies. Like, hello recipe book? I appreciated that she didn’t really play games, but that she tried to have reasonable expectations. I don’t know, I just really loved her. And the two of them together were both fun and fire. I loved their banter, and I loved their steamy chemistry. I loved that they could be both playful and emotional. I definitely felt their connection. As always there were some pretty great secondary characters. Jerry and Aaron were both adorable. I can’t help but wonder if Ginny has a book coming. And the Company folks are always spectacular. It was everything I’ve come to expect in a book from Ms. Bowen, she never lets me down.

About the author

Sarina Bowen is the sixteen-time USA Today bestselling author of over thirty romance novels. She writes sports romance, billionaire romance, small town romance, contemporary fiction and YA fiction. She loves Vermont, hockey, and fine stationery. Visit sarinabowen.com for more.

Work by Sarina Bowen includes: Brooklynaire, the Brooklyn Bruisers, the True North Series, Him, Us, Goodboy and Stay in the WAGs series with Elle Kennedy. The Man Hands series with Tanya Eby.