CW/TW: death of a loved one, selective amnesia

Among Therese's books, this one is my least favourite so far. I found it a bit hard to get into the story in the beginning as I couldn't connect with the characters, but I think it was halfway through that I finally warmed up to the story and both Brooke and Tyler.

I love their chemistry and how they couldn't stay away from each other. I also love Tyler's commitment towards his family, he's such a good son and big brother.

I really don’t care for amnesia plots but this one was done pretty well. A classic Harlequin book full of,tropes and fun flirtation . It isn’t the. Best I’ve read from. Beharrie. It does fit the harlequin model

4.5 Stars

Therese Beharrie’s Awakened by the CEO’s Kiss is a fun, fresh and flirty romantic tale sprinkled with all the warmth, sass and sparkle that have become her trademarks.

When handsome CEO Tyler Murphy turns up on her doorstep, nobody is more surprised than Brooke Jansen – he was definitely not the housekeeper she was expecting! Looking like he has just strutted off the front cover of a magazine, Tyler certainly does not fit the image Brooke had in her head of what a housekeeper looks like. The incredibly attractive CEO makes it clear from the start that he is only a temporary fill-in and that Brooke shouldn’t get too used to him, however, the more time she spends in his company, the more the lines between the professional and the personal begin to blur!

Brooke had had her heart shattered into a million pieces once before; she is certainly not interested in going down that path again! Her heart is strictly off limits and relationships are off the table for her. She had stuck to this resolve to remain single and to keep everyone at bay -until Tyler Murphy had turned up on her doorstep and upended her entire life! With her carefully curated life in disarray, nobody is more surprised than Brooke that for the first time in a very long while, she feels alive again. Tyler had changed her life for the better and as her frozen heart begins to thaw, she wonders whether the time has come for her to smash the walls she had built around herself and take a chance on happiness.

Is Brooke ready to let go of the past and start living again? Will she find the courage to tell Tyler how she really feels about him? Or will her insecurities end up costing her everything?

Therese Beharrie does it again with Awakened by the CEO’s Kiss! An uplifting, poignant and irresistible contemporary romance about new beginnings, second chances and the healing power of love, Awakened by the CEO’s Kiss will enchant readers with a beguiling blend of intensity, humor, pathos and plenty of heart.

Therese Beharrie’s Awakened by the CEO’s Kiss is an immensely enjoyable romantic tale readers are simply going to love!

Awakened by the CEO's Kiss by Therese Beharrie was a nice read. I included the book in my monthly roundup of new releases on my blog.

I really love Beharrie's writing so I think my overall enjoyment of this book suffered from my mood rather than any actual flaws with the book. For me, Awakened by the CEO's Kiss struggled to hold my attention for more than a chapter at a time and I never fully fell into the story. There's a bit of an amnesia plot here so that could be part of it, but honestly, I'm not sure. I do know that I love Beharrie and the fact that my enjoyment of this book wasn't entirely there is not going to stop me from reading many more books from her in the future.

Essentially, the premise here is that widow, Brooke Jansen, is in need of a housekeeper to help her out until her newest app launches and so she hires Tyler Murphy's sister through a service. She is startled when a man appears in her place and Tyler is startled too though for different reasons. About five years ago, Tyler thought he and Brooke were building something and then she disappeared. Now he's filling in for his sister and doesn't understand how Brooke won't acknowledge him. The two build a friendship even with this past between them.

When his nephew comes down with the chicken pox, business owner Tyler fills in for his sister as housekeeper for a new client. He's shocked to find that the employer is Brooke, a woman he had an almost-fling with five years earlier. Only she's acting as if she's never met him before. Can he keep the relationship professional, when what he really wants is to rekindle that old flame?

This is a deeply emotional book. Brooke is still struggling with the loss of her husband, and Tyler with his father's betrayal. It's difficult for them to move forward with a new romance when those old hurts are holding them back. The pace is a little slower on this one, but it's the kind of slow where you savor it without getting bored. Definitely worth the read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Awakened by the CEO’s Kiss is a sweet romance from Therese Beharrie. I was a bit unsure about the amnesia trope, but I really liked the original take on it, exploring how it’s rooted in psychological trauma, and how memory is linked (or not) with our choices as to who we become as people.

The exploration of Brooke’s past pain as the story unfolded was really well done, and while it can be hard to do tougher topics justice in category or novella length works, I think Beharrie does so here.

The idea of a CEO playing housekeeper is a bit gimmicky, but I really respect that it’s related to Tyler’s “family-first” mentality, as he’s covering for his sister. And even though Brooke doesn’t remember meeting him, he remembers her, and in spite of initial awkwardness between them, Brooke is able to open up again. The romance is really quiet and while not lacking in issues they need to work through, it’s more generally sweet than melodramatic, to contrast with the darkness in their pasts.

This is a beautiful, heartwarming romance, and is perfect for anyone looking for a sweet, cozy, romantic read.

Awakened by the CEO's Kiss was a wonderful book. It starts with the mystery of why the homeowner does not remember the man who is now working as her housekeeper.. He takes the job to help his sister out so she won't lose her job with the temp agency. His sister needs to stay at home to takes care of her ill son. The story unexpectedly asks the question how do we as family members and as a society help those who are caretakers for others in their families. The story builds showing the growing friendship between the two leads and their dogs. I recommend this book for those who love mystery, romance, and family stories.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly July New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

The synopsis of this book sounds so sweet and intriguing but for me this book was pretty flat. The fact that Tyler is a CEO is barely mentioned and in fact he doesn’t even seem to even work for his company other than owning the rights to it. Which isn’t really a problem except for the fact that this book has the word CEO in the title and is even mentioned in the synopsis. I honestly thought the CEO the book was referring to was Brooke and I was baffled when it turned out to be Tyler. The romance had the potential to be so much more and I thought we were leading to a big emotional conflict but that never truly materialized. The biggest problem with this romance is that there were very few moments between Brooke and Tyler where we got to see them falling for each other. Instead we were in both characters heads so much that we ended up being constantly told how they were feeling which in turn led me to not having that strong of an emotional connection to the characters. This book did have moments of brilliance and the cameos by their dogs were always a high point. Unfortunately, the great moments were surpassed by the unremarkable moments and so for me this was just an average romance. Which doesn’t have to be a negative since I’m sure this book will be a great one for many people. If you enjoy clean romances that take place mainly in the heroine/heroes heads then you might want to consider picking this one up.

Awakened by the CEO's Kiss has an interesting premise and it kind of falls into the second chance romance trope. It's a slow-burn love story, and it's more dialogue-driven than I've seen in the genre for some time. That can go either way for me, but it works well with this storyline. Brooke and Tyler each have some things to work through, including a past that Brooke can't remember, but they have good chemistry and they're easy to root for. The book is a relatively quick read that's perfect for a weekend by the pool read.

Could the sexy Tyler Murphy, who is actually a CEO, be Brooke Jansen's temporary housekeeper? If his looks aren't enough, which cause of spark of attraction Brooke has a hard time denying, his love of dogs and family - which Brooke soon becomes aware of - make him all but irresistible.

Why is Tyler willing to take on the job as a housekeeper? He certainly is not in need of money, so the question that begs an answer is what is the draw. Both Tyler and Brooke have painful pasts, albeit for different reasons. With regard to Tyler, he always puts the needs of his family above his own. When his nephew gets the chicken pox, he takes his sister's place as a housekeeper. This alone proves his altruistic nature.

Brooke has had traumatic experiences that scarred her in the past and still are plaguing her now. She lost her husband years ago, but what is more is that she has a type of amnesia that is difficult to explain. What is more is that as far as she can tell, Tyler is just a temporaty employee, so explaining her memory loss is not high on her list of topics for discussion. However, the draw between her and Tyler is palpable and gives Brooke pause.

Tyler wants to bring up their shared past, but what is holding him back? In fact, when he "meets" Brooke to take on the temporary job, she acts as if she doesn't remember him at all. So, he puts on a professional air, all while dealing with a powerful connection to Brooke that he must resist.

I loved this story and the amnesia trope. What is more is that while seeing what pain that affected each of them and how their original connection revealed itself proved to be quite an enjoyable journey in this touching story.

Many thanks to Harlequin Romance and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I received Awakened by the CEO's Kiss as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

Tyler Murphy is shocked when, while filling in for his sister's housekeeping job, he finds that his client is none other than Brooke Jansen, the mysterious woman with whom he spent an unforgettable week five years earlier. But, confusingly, Brooke seems immune not only to Tyler's charms, but Tyler himself. As they spend more time together, their relationship and attraction grows, but both Tyler and Brooke will need to reckon with past losses, discover unknown facets of the other, and determine their future goals in order to achieve their happy ending.

*spoilers ahead*

This is what I like to call a "quiet" romance...it's dialogue-heavy and action-light. I say this because the format's not for everyone, though I personally appreciate it because I like watching the relationship develop through conversation. I'll say that I thought the limited amnesia storyline/conflict felt a little forced; I thought the career opportunity was sufficient enough a roadblock, but the characters and their relationship were well-developed, and I appreciated the slow-burn nature of their love story.

Of course anything Harlequin gets my attention, and that is because their authors are consistently bringing believable love stories with great characters and lots of passion. This novel is no exception. Although not my very favorite, it does come pretty close, providing a welcome escape with its easy entertaining and diverse story.