To be honest. I love Stacey Kennedy books, and there hasn't been anything like this that she has written. It was hard for me to read for some reason. I could not put faces on the characters like I have in the past. This was a hard read, it was too similar to C.L. Parker's Million Dollar Duet series. I am sitting here trying to figure out how to better explain it and I cannot. Once this book is published and our library purchases it for our customers, I will give it a try. I did not post a Goodread's review so it would not influence the ratings.

I enjoyed the first story, it was cute, hot and had a good pace. I thought the second story was just silly and the premise juvenile.

Two best friends end up on the winning end of a jealous boss bet. How will this work out?

**Received ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review**
Bought by the Boss is a standalone book by Stacey Kennedy, it is also two books in one. I'd rate the book overall at 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed both stories, but I did like Liam and Aria's book a little bit better.
Liam and Jackson were best friends and roommates in college. Then an event occurred that would change the course of their lives and their friendship. Liam has had a crush on Aria for years. The only problem is, she is Jackson's assistant and because Aria is friends with and is loyal to Jackson, she will not entertain anything to do with Liam. But when he buys a weekend with her at a charity benefit auction, all bets are off. Liam and Aria have flirted for years, so when they have their weekend, the chemistry is off the charts, but the weekend won't be enough. The characters were very enjoyable and had good chemistry. If you like hot and steamy you will enjoy both stories. Both Liam and Jackson are the quintessential high profile, high power attorney, alpha type males. Aria is his rivals assistant, but Liam has been in the proverbial boardroom with her before and thinks she's highly intelligent, perceptive, loyal, trustworthy, kind, etc and the author tries to convey that in the story. Liam and Aria at the end of the weekend aren't ready for it to end, but in order for it to continue fences need mending. Which leads into Jackson and Mallory's story. It picks up right where Liam and Aria's ends. Jackson only bought Mallory to get even with Liam. Right after the closure of an important deal Jackson whisks Mallory off on their getaway. But he wasn't planning for it to be anything other than platonic, get away, get some R&R. But Mallory has had a crush on Jackson for a while and if they are going to be together for the few days, she's going to make it memorable. Mallory isn't as close with Liam as Aria is with Jackson, and Mallory and Aria are best friends. Jackson suspects that Liam has poisoned Mallory when it comes to anything to do with him. I enjoyed their story, which moved very quickly just like the first. Again the characters were very enjoyable and had good chemistry. What made the first story more enjoyable was they knew each other and there was mutual interest for a long time. Jackson had no interest or anything for Mallory until they spent time together. But after spending time with Mallory, he discovered she was smart, funny, sexy, etc One thing I really liked is at the end the author didn't just stop the book, she left you with a sense of closure which I really enjoyed. Hope this helps! Happy Reading!!!

I received an arc from Netgalley. I enjoyed this book and the double romance that happened. I am glad Liam and Jackson resolved their issues with each other in the end.
Definitely will look for more by this author. 4.5 stars

3.5 Stars

Bought by the Boss is a quick, smart and sexy read by Stacey Kennedy! I am really enjoying Stacey’s writing. This is the third book I’ve read by her and would love to read more. This book is actually 2 separate stories mildly entwined with each other about 2 lawyers and their respective assistants. First you’ll read about Aria and Liam. Liam is sweet, kind and sexy. I enjoyed his story with Aria but to be honest- I liked Jackson and Mallory’s story better. I related more to Mallory and my heart bled for Jackson a little throughout their story. Jackson is SERIOUSLY hot and the sexy times between these two are STEAMY yet also creative :). I loved these two characters together and really wanted more of them!

I felt like this book could have been a little longer which is the only reason it didn’t get to a 4 for me. I literally devoured it and was left wanting just a little more!

Two ropes tied in knots at both ends! How can they be un-knotted and made into a bow? Two former friends, two current friends make for illegal romantic possibilities. College buddies Liam and Jackson have fought a feud with each other for many years. Both are lawyers and have amazing assistants. Aria works for Jackson but craves passion with Liam. Mallory works for Liam and dreams of romance with Jackson. Both men seek to find true love by the opening of their wallets to win an auction. Two novellas together make this for instant reader gratification. "A copy of this book was supplied by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." Everything Stacey Kennedy writes is on my list to read!! Yes she is that good.

Received ARC copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley~
Liam n Jackson~2 strong male protagonists...Xbest friends with a difficult past.
Aria n Mallory~2 female professionals stuck in the middle!
The beginning of the story kinda' threw me and almost DNF but I persevered and was not disappointed. The intimacy of the couple was so much fun that it rekindled the steam factor!
First time reading Stacey Kennedy and would certainly read again <3

A very spicy read with lots of quick wit and banter. Lots of passion and lots of back and forth that made for a great read!

Stacey Kennedy has written another fantastic book. This book has two parts that will intertwine with each other.

Liam and Jackson were college roommates until Liam was betrayed by his friend. Now they are both lawyers with great assistants by their sides. Unfortunately they are no longer friends. They both attend a charity event where women are auction off. At this auction Liam decides to bid on Aria Jackson's assistant. Aria and Liam have had this strong attraction to one another but have never acted on it. Jackson however is not pleased with the outcome. He will do whatever it takes to get back at Liam for bidding on his assistant Aria for the weekend. The best revenge would be to bid on Liam's assistant Mallory. How will this feud between these men affect these woman? Must Read to find out.

I voluntarily received an ARC from Net Galley for a honest review.

Bought by the Boss was a fun, sexy read. I liked that there were 2 parts and a story for each couple. I couldn’t put the book down.

With the Christmas fast approaching, my stress level was through the roof. I needed to read a book that I could read and have to worry about the plot or the characters. Bought by the Boss wasn’t that for me. But, I couldn’t get into it. The characters annoyed me to the point where I wanted to smack them. The plotlines were flimsy.

Bought by the Boss is made up of two books, His Price and Dirty Money. Both stories are told from alternating male and female first-person perspective. While I don’t like it when a book changes perspectives every chapter or so, it did work for this book. It gave me a great insight into the characters of each story and the backstories that went with each. It also connected each character together. Which is something that I rarely have seen done when books are written from this perspective.

His Price is Liam and Aria’s story. Aria is in one of those “buy the girl and spend the weekend with them” charity auctions. Liam and Aria have known each other forever. They have wanted each other forever. The only thing keeping them apart was that Aria is the PA for Liam’s arch nemesis, Jackson. So when Liam sees an opening for having Aria all to himself, he jumps for it. Neither Aria or Liam were expecting their weekend to turn into something more.

Dirty Money is Jackson and Mallory’s story. Mallory is Liam’s PA and she was won by Jackson at the same charity auction that Liam bought Aria at. Jackson’s buying of Mallory is fueled by rage. He is PO’d that Liam is having alone time with Aria….even though he has no romantic feelings for her. Mallory, on the other time, has been crushing on Jackson for a while. She decides to go for it when he whisks her away to Canada. What happens in Canada stays in Canada, right? Can Jackson make peace with Liam and get the girl? Or will he strike out with both?

I did not like Liam. At all. Something about him rubbed me the wrong way. He came across as very cocky. I like cocky but he was too much. My distaste for him started with the gold dildo he sent Aria. Then increased the entire time they were in Malibu. It peaked when he had her get off in a restaurant with the waiters watching. I did lose some of my distaste when he revealed why he was so afraid to approach Aria in the past. If I had been burned like that, I would have been afraid. But then it turned right back up when he started acting like a dog marking its territory with Jackson. Even though it was understandable, it still turned me off.

I was on the fence with Aria. I liked that when Liam pushed, she shoved right back. That whole scene with the gold dildo cracked me up. I didn’t like that she felt that she had to hide her relationship from Jackson. She was a big girl, she didn’t need to explain anything to Jackson. She also seesawed with doing the right thing versus doing the wrong thing. At that point, I was like “Ugh“.

But, I did like Jackson. I felt he was more upfront about everything than Liam was. He was still cocky but he toned it down when he brought Mallory to Canada. He became more personable and likable after the first few chapters. It was nice to see him become normal instead of keeping that cocky persona. Also, when his side of the story was revealed, I understood. Put it this way, actions speak louder than words and Jackson chose to act when talking failed. Then he tried to talk. Which ended badly for everyone.

I liked Mallory. She knew what she wanted and went after it. Much to Jackson’s surprise. She showed Jackson, through actions and words, that she was the perfect girl for him. More importantly, she listened. She also knew when to back off and let him come to her. She also didn’t feel the need to explain her relationship to Liam. Like I said, I liked her.

The sex in Bought by the Boss was hot. For those who don’t like graphic sex scenes, don’t read these books. Because they are graphic. I like all sorts of sex scenes but I tend to gravitate to the graphic when the mood is right. Even if I don’t like the characters (which I didn’t like two out of the four), the sex can still be hot.

I mentioned at the beginning of the review that I thought the plotlines of the book were flimsy. Let me clarify. I felt the plotline for His Price was flimsy. I felt that sex was used to distract the reader from the fact that there wasn’t a plotline. Which again, drove me nuts because I liked Dirty Money. I felt that the plotline was more complete and solid than His Price.

The end of Bought by the Boss was sweet. I was not expecting what happened to happen but it made me happy. Happy endings make me very happy.

Bought by the Boss was a sexy read. While I didn’t like His Price, I felt that Dirty Money eclipsed it. Which is why I gave the book a 3.5 rating. This is a book that I could reread but I am not sure if I would recommend it to family and friends.

Age range: Adult

Why: Explicit sex, language, and mild violence

I would like to thank Loveswept, Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing to read and review Bought by the Boss

All opinions stated in this review of Bought by the Boss are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

This was a fun romance that had a little revenge, a little love, a little suspense, a little banter and a lot of sex! It is really 2 novellas then tied up with a nice bow at the end so you get 2 couples stories then how they all relate to one another. A fun read for sure!

I like that this story focuses on two couples and both women are in control. They are strong, simple, mature and they know what they want. They know how to handle these guys and their feud that has lasted forever. They are tired of it so the ultimatum is set, in order for these hot alpha men to have the future they want and need, they need to fix the mess. Plus just FYI... it is fan yourself hot!

What's better than one alpha male? Two!! Liam and Jackson were law school college roommates turned enemies. Mallory and Aria are their respective assistants, now ten years later.
Liam wants Aria with the very sure he breathes, problem is she's loyal to get boss. The only way to break through the barriers is to purchase her in the charity auction. Three days to get her to see him in a new light and fan the flames that are always present between them.

Jackson is a playboy and is very protective of his assistant Aria, when his enemy wins her for the weekend he is determined to for back. His plan didn't go quite as expected when he's faced with Mallory and she much more than he bargained for. He certainly didn't plan to end up against a wall, the floor and the rocks with her, but their barriers are down and they are setting the place on fire.

Two interwoven novellas that keep you engaged with the characters and the very interesting ways they break through to each other.

This was a great standalone book by Stacey Kennedy! It was two interconnected novellas combined into one book. Bought by the Boss is a sexy, intriguing book with a happy ending. You dint want to miss it.

I sat down and pretty much devoured this book, It's super cute and I loved how the stories are connected but separate. We dive into Liam and Aria's story, learning all about the feelings and chemistry that they have been repressing for the past 3 years. We also learn the reason behind the feud between Liam and Jackson, which is the main reason why Liam and Aria were forced to stay apart. By the end of their section, I was so in love with this couple. The story of Jackson and Mallory starts off right where Liam and Aria's ends, and it is such a perfect continuation of the story. We get the other side of the story behind the animosity between Liam and Jackson, as well a discover more about who Jackson really is.

I loved everything about this book, from the couples, to the writing, and the overall storyline. It is such a good read and the ending is just perfect.

I am voluntarily reviewing this arc of this book. Two shorts stories in one book. Aria is Jackson's assistant and Mallory is Liams assistant. Both go to an auction and both ladies are purchased aria is bought by Liam and they have an awesome time together and they both wanted each other before that but didn't make a move on the other. Mallory is purchased bit she doesn't know by who it's a mystery. But it turns out that it was Jackson who did. Liam and Jackson has a history they were friends but when Jackson proves something to Liam it tears them apart. Will the couple's make it together with the men with their differences

Stacey Kennedy never fails to bring the heat along with a great story. Totally enjoyed

“Bought By The Boss” consists of two stories taking place in the same fictional world in Los Angeles. The main characters are Liam Maxwell, Aria Finley, Jackson Keller and Mallory Beckett. Everything starts at a charity auction where Liam “buys” Aria and Jackson “buys” Mallory but secretly for a weekend.
Liam and Maxwell know each other since college days when they were best friends but now they both have their own law firm and they are enemies. Mallory and Aria are their secretaries, but they are also roommates and best friends.

The first story “His Price” is about Liam and Aria who have desired each other for more than two years and who are looking forward for their weekend together. Liam has a plan to make her his by the end of the weekend. Aria just wants to live her fantasy even if only for a weekend. Liam takes Aria in his beach house in Santa Monica and the chemistry between them takes off.

The second story “Dirty Money” is about Jackson and Mallory and picks up from where the first one ended. Jackson is pissed off with Liam and he wants to get back to him by “playing” with his beloved secretary Mallory who anonymously bought at the auction. He takes her to his lake house in Toronto where unexpectedly gets to know the real Mallory and they both get carried away in a weekend full of passion and personal reveals. When they get back to Los Angeles everything changes and Jackson needs to clarify things and persuade Mallory that what they lived and what he said was real.

Stacey Kennedy created an amazing atmosphere for her fictional world taking us from the fast pacing and competitive world of law firms to relaxing escapes where one can get away and find his inner balance and recharge his batteries. Both love stories were progressing fast without making the reader bored and as always the loves scenes was as descriptive and hot as a romance reader would expect. I really enjoyed reading this book.