Denise Williams is so good at banter. This second chance romance was full of it! The story felt a little heavier than her other books, but it fit with the characters. I loved the women in tech rep and the dual timeline format.

I was really looking forward to this book but I felt there just wasn't any spark in it for me both with the romance or the characters. It's nice to see characters pop up from previous books by Williams but this one just felt kinda.... messy. There wasn't enough tension to hold my interest and I was just kinda getting through this one if I'm being honest. I have really enjoyed other books by Willams so I will continue to read her books but I think I'm ready for some fresh characters or settings.

I think I missed an inside joke or something for this. I think we needed more back story up front because it felt confusing and discombobulated while reading. I appreciated the concept but thought that the execution was lacking

Second-chance romances always give me hope. We don’t have the luxury of going back in time (nor do I think I want to), but knowing that we can go back and find love where we once thought we lost it makes me hopeful. So that’s why I rooted for Pearl and Cord, the main characters of Technically Yours by Denise Williams.

Five years ago, Pearl Harris and Cord Matthews were almost a thing. That is until Pearl decided to uphold her rule about leading with her head and not her heart. Instead of pursuing things with her then boss Cord, she decides to take her newly-earned degree to a new job halfway across the country in California.

But now newly-single Pearl’s come back to Chicago after those five years to work at OurCode, a non-profit organization helping marginalized kids who want to work in STEM get experience and a good footing. After only three weeks there, Pearl is thrust into the top spot after former CEO Kendra was forced to resign due to, among other things, having an affair with a member of the company’s Board of Directors.

Cord is CEO of Fitme, now that his best friend and Fitme co-founder Wes has moved on to other career endeavors. But at heart, Cord is a coder. After months of begging by another friend Kevin, Cord decides to be on the Board of Directors at OurCode. Is it possible because Pearl’s the interim CEO, and he might catch the “one who got away”?

Characters That Will Melt Your Heart
This romantic comedy is the third installment in Ms. Williams’ unnamed standalone series. Pearl and Cord appear in her second book, The Fastest Way to Fall. From the minute I read Pearl’s first scene in that novel, I admired her sassiness as well as her work ethic. In Technically Yours, we see those are strong personality traits because she’s grown up to be self-sufficient, and she’s guarding her heart. She knows Cord’s not good for her head (or her career for that matter), but her heart can’t stay away from him.

Cord is lovesick in the best way, with puppy dog appeal and unwavering tenacity. This dude’s got it bad for Pearl. He knows it violates every HR fraternization rule to date her when he was her boss, but he’s head over heels for this woman, and he can’t will it away no matter how much he tries. Now, he refuses to hold back his feelings and wants to be with her – in whatever way she’ll let him.

Their chemistry on the page is so amazing, you’ll keep turning pages just for more of them.

Dual Timelines Are Like an Onion
Did I just say that? Well, it’s true here. Usually, romances are always “hold the onions,” but I love how with each chapter we get more of the story we’re missing. What happened five years ago that kept Pearl and Cord from getting together? And who was the guy in California that she left? Ms. Williams tells this story not only from Pearl and Cord’s point of view, but it alternates from moments in the past to moments in the present. And with each moment, the reader “peels back” a layer to reveal something new about the complicated bond between Pearl and Cord, and it makes us root for them even more. After all of this time, and all of these obstacles, we must see them get together, because they are definitely meant to be!

As someone who read the previous book The Fastest Way to Fall I was tempted to orient myself to Pearl and Cord’s timeline in that story to match up with what I was reading here. It was almost like a bonus puzzle that I enjoyed solving. But that wasn’t the only element that made my nerdy little heart dance for joy.

The Nerdiness We Love
Of course, my personal love for this book is the whole nerdy romantic novelties here. From the lines of binary code on the cover a la The Matrix movie franchise to Cord and his mentee Tye video gaming, this one has the nerdy geeky bent someone with a podcast called Nerdy Romantics Podcast (um, me) would love.

Whether you’re new to Denise Williams’ work or a diehard fan of her heartfelt romantic comedies with a nice helping of spice, splurge a little on yourself this holiday season and get Technically Yours. This enjoyable layered read is sure to make your holidays that much brighter, and give you a boost of hope.

Denise Williams has done it again. Every time I think I cannot fall in love with her characters and the beautiful love stories she writes she does it again and leaves me reeling. In the best possible way! I ADORE Pearl and Cord! They compliment each other so well and their love and attraction is palpable in every interaction. When I say I love the man obsessed trope the new standard to beat is Cord Matthews and I don’t know if that’ll be possible. Pearl and Cord meet while she’s finishing school and is working at Wes’ and Cord’s fitness company. They’re mutual attraction begins but because they work together and Cord is technically her boss she’s not willing to engage in a relationship. She gets a new job that leads her all the to CA and Cord is devastated and swears off serious relationships and love. Eight years later they meet again and they both realize they are not over the other. We watch them struggle to maintain their distance considering they work together once again. This book made me so happy, it made me smile, and giggle. It brought so much joy to my life and it’s definitely MY favorite Denise Williams novel. I love the way she writes romance and love and it’s very specific to me. I cannot help but fall in love every single time I read one of her books. 5⭐️ Do yourself a favor and read Technically Yours!

One of the best 2nd chance romances I have ever read, which is saying a lot because it's probably my least favorite trope. I enjoyed the alternating timelines, always my favorite and both MCs were fantastic. The female MC, Pearl also had fantastic sisters and I'd love to see more of them.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first read from Denise Williams and I enjoyed it. This story follows Pearl Harris and Cord Matthews. Pearl is the director of OurCode , a non profit that focuses on getting high school student into coding. Cord is a programmer who has recently come on board to work for OurCode. After the meeting these two had in an elevator 8 years ago Cord has been waiting for the chance to be everything that Pearl wants needs and deserves.

I absolutely loved Cord’s character. He was head over heels for Pearl. Pearl was scared to mix business with pleasure. She was also trying to safeguard her heart. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and this one was a good read. 4.25 out of 5.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Denise Williams you are the end of the year moment for me. Please keep up with these excellent end of the year releases. An absolute joy to return to her writing!

Thank you so much for giving me an ARC for this delightfully enjoyable romance. I loved the setting and the characters... tech isn't a setting I read much about, so I enjoyed that element of the story. I'm also a sucker for a self-made millionaire, so Cord was fun for me.

I liked the representation in this story, especially because the characters weren't reduced to only their gender identity. It was part of the characters but not really related to the story in a way that would make them seem one-note.

At times the pacing of the story was off for me--it went quickly, and then some things happened off page that felt important). I'm thinking that the flashbacks could have been reduced or the stories could have been woven in to the current timeline to make the pacing feel more steady.

But I loved the romance and the tug the characters felt even if I couldn’t always relate to Pearl’s thinking. The pepper scenes were peppery 🌶️🌶️🌶️ which you’ll never see me complain about! All in all, this was steamy and fun and I would absolutely read this author again!

Pearl and Cord's story was a spicy second chance romance. I was ALL IN with Cord. He was so patient with Pearl. He wore his feelings for her on his sleeve (hello cinnamon roll), in all his actions. He stole my heart and I was honestly annoyed at how much Pearl fought for her feelings for him. He was the perfect mix of nerdy, sexy, established and emotional.

I enjoyed the Then & Now storylines and how we get their love story over time, in pieces. I was not a huge fan of the breakup - again WTF Pearl!?! Cord, the secondary characters, the diversity and the LGBTQ+ representation were all amazing. I adored Tye so much and of course the sibling relationship between Pearl and her sisters.

Also, we hear from Wes and Britta from The Fastest Way to Fall, which I absolutely loved!

Technically Yours by Denise Williams follows the undeniable connection between two coworkers, Cord & Pearl, who are technically boss & employee as they toe the line between colleagues & chemistry. Five years later, they are unexpectedly back in each other’s lives & that spark is still there…Will work & the logic of their head prevail over their heart?! Read Technically Yours to find out!

Technically Yours is great for fans of
💙Workplace Romance
💙He Falls First
💙He Falls Hard
💙Forbidden Romance

Nothing makes me giddier than when I read a book with effortless quick-witted banter between the two leads & this book has that. They easily volley back & worth off each other in a way that’s riddled with their own language of understanding each other, inside jokes & humor.

It is hard not to get frustrated with one of the main character’s actions but at the same time, I loved that they stuck to their convictions. I appreciated how they tackled their own history & struggles & how it shaped how they loved. It was a lovely love story & it was a joy to read.

I also am such a fan of nerdy romances & the fact that the majority of this takes place in computer programming & showcases their loves of fandoms was right up my alley. I love the mentoring aspect of Cord with Pearl’s sister’s teenager & the humor & brevity only teenagers can bring forth.

This is my second Denise Williams read & I highly recommend checking out their incredible work!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted arc which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Content Warnings: This book contains mentions of pregnancy & gaslighting from a previous partner.

A page turner for romace fans!

I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I wanted to jump inside the book. Yes, it's THAT good so let me tell you why.

"Technically Yours" by Denise Williams tells us the story of Pearl, a strong woman determined to achieve her goals with zero distractions, like falling in love. Cord is ready to drop everything at her feet if she gives him the chance. And so the perfectly angsty, dual time line romance begins.

But this book is more than just romance. It tackes a lot of social issues like discrimination, traumatic experiences during relationships and how it affects in the future, the most amazing family dynamics I've read in a long time, and so much more.

Also, let's give an applause to Cord for being the most amazing and patient MMC I've read about in history. He was supportive, caring and VERY romantic *chef's kiss*, basically perfect!

If you haven't read this already, you should 100% do it right now and thank me later!

Ok so I added all of Denise Williams's books to my TBR after reading this one! I actually bought her book Love and Other Flight Delays at the airport earlier this year and her writing style is fantastic. Technically Yours is a second chance romance told in alternating first person POV and with flashbacks to their past together. I love that the author has Pearl explain her stars tattoo in the beginning and then when she reconnects with Cord in the present he notices that she's added a star which has meaning that I will not spoil but just thought was a small but really meaningful part of the story. Also, I love the prevalence of pronoun diversity throughout the novel; it felt really refreshing that it was done in a way that just made it the norm. The chemistry between Pearl and Cord was off the charts and their struggle to keep their hands off each other and then keep their relationship under wraps was well done and left the reader wanting them to give in to love. Pearl's sisters were also great comic relief with the way they tease each other and are always butting into Pearl's love life. The characters are all really down to earth and relatable, especially Pearl's concerns about dating Cord when they work together because the consequences for situations like that always affect the women more than the men. Cord gives such white knight, cinnamon roll vibes! He just wants what's best for Pearl and is so supportive and sweet, I love him. Pearl is a strong, smart, gorgeous woman succeeding in a field primarily dominated by men and with a lack of BIPOC representation. This was a sweet, funny, emotional ride and I would recommend it to all the romance readers out there!

- Second Chance Romance
- Forbidden Love
- Coworker Romance
- Women in STEM
- White Knight MMC
- Steamy

Technically Yours released last week so it should be available at your local bookstore or library if you want to check it out!!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the digital ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ugh, I'm so sad to write this review. This is the second (or possibly even third) book of Denise Williams that did not vibe with me at all. I've loved a few of hers but now we're about even with like/dislike. Let me say though - the writing, pacing, and plot setup were all fantastic, as usual with Williams books.

Now - this is probably (clearly) a personal issue because so many reviews are loving this book, but I just didn't enjoy it. I didn't love the setting/content because it's just not of an interest to me and I found there was a ton of descriptions of their jobs in coding. Much like the last book of hers, I couldn't really stand the female MC - she was just slightly unlikeable, mean to her male counterpart and frustrating. The male MC was lovely, but we didn't learn enough about him other than how obsessed and willing to ruin his life for a girl. Due to both of these issues, I didn't really buy into the chemistry they had either. There was some great steamy scenes, but I even found myself skimming them because I wasn't interested enough. I'm very sad I didn't love this.

Ugh, I'm so sad to write this review. This is the second (or possibly even third) book of Denise Williams that did not vibe with me at all. I've loved a few of hers but now we're about even with like/dislike. Let me say though - the writing, pacing, and plot setup were all fantastic, as usual with Williams books.

Now - this is probably (clearly) a personal issue because so many reviews are loving this book, but I just didn't enjoy it. I didn't love the setting/content because it's just not of an interest to me and I found there was a ton of descriptions of their jobs in coding. Much like the last book of hers, I couldn't really stand the female MC - she was just slightly unlikeable, mean to her male counterpart and frustrating. The male MC was lovely, but we didn't learn enough about him other than how obsessed and willing to ruin his life for a girl. Due to both of these issues, I didn't really buy into the chemistry they had either. There was some great steamy scenes, but I even found myself skimming them because I wasn't interested enough. I'm very sad I didn't love this.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I have read all the books in this universe/series from Denise Williams, and Technically Yours did not disappoint. I am not a huge fan of second chance romances, but this one was cute and steamy. Pearl and Cord find love in a work-place, forbidden, second chance romance. The thing that I liked best about this book is Pearl. I feel like she’s realistic, bad-ass, smart, and even her anxieties about commiting to Cord and advancing in a tech office culture as a Black woman really rang true. This book was easy to read and had one of my favorite micro-trops - getting tipsy and confessing your “not so hidden” love for a friend/co-worker. Also, the side-characters were great - I loved Pearl’s sisters, seeing characters from William’s past books, and the non-binary child of Pearl’s sister - they were a great addition and very well portrayed. Overall, I recommend for fans of Denise Williams, work-place romances, second-chance romances, and open door contemporary romances.

Pearl has put her career at the forefront of her life for a long time now. She is the newly appointed acting director of a non-profit organization that is facing a lot of scrutiny from a previous scandal. This position can make or make Pearl. She is ready to take on the challenge knowing this is the type of role she has always wanted. However, she just never thought she would have to work with the ex who held her heart.

Cord loved Pearl and was really upset when they broke up. The constant pressure from their careers and other factors lead to them going their separate ways. He is not interested in a serious relationship but being around Pearl again makes him want what they had. The new workplace dynamic and the issues from the past are just some of the major hurdles they would have to face if they want to try again. Is it truly worth it?

This book is lukewarm for the most part. The characters are both mature and logical. They are clear on their desires and emotions which I enjoyed most since I have been on a young adult spree lately. However, they don’t spark much passion on the pages. Yes, they are compatible in theory but nothing is making me root for them. I found myself just reading to see how the workplace rules would work itself out since they were not supposed to be.

Cord and Pearl did hold a bit of steam when it was time to be intimate. Even that did not sway me to really love this story. I think fans who really like contemporary second-chance romances may enjoy this one a bit more than me. I need some more angst and drama in my story.

Overall, I’m still a fan of Ms. Williams and will continue to read her books.

~ Samantha

technically yours was a mediocre read for me. as a reader who loves the second chance romance trope, pearl and cord's story fell flat. i didn't find myself connecting to pearl or cord in a way that would make this book memorable. i found them more irritating than anything.

although i do understand pearl's character and her story— her stubbornness was infuriating and i almost dnfed the book because of it. i appreciated how strong and resilient she was as a leader (especially at a job she was thrown into) but she could have easily balanced her job, her relationship, and her family (especially since cord was willing to help every step of the way?) without all the dramatics in the last half. (also, if starting a relationship with people you work with has been messy in the past, why would you continue to do so? pearl's first relationship outside of cord was devastating, yes, but it seemed like she never learned anything from it which seems out of character for her. the magnitude of what she went through also doesn't give her the free pass to treat cord terribly.) pearl also tended to be aggravatingly indecisive— she kept flip-flopping about both cord AND her job for over half of the book.

cord confused me. for somebody who had been in love with pearl for so long, you'd think he'd know she doesn't like people saving the day for her. he does eventually learn that in the end but they've known each other for, what, like six years? they'd know each other better than that especially if they'd been previously working with each other. i appreciated how much he cared for pearl but sometimes it was downright obsessive.

another thing, for two people who want to keep their relationship a secret from their coworkers (mostly because of the scandal that had occurred in the company) they should have been more careful? there were MULTIPLE times (including the time they had sex in cord's tent) where they could have easily been caught and punished. pearl and cord tended to be really careless and it simply didn't make sense.

on a positive note, i thoroughly enjoyed the poc and lgbtq+ representation. tye was truly the star of the show. i loved how similar to an actual teenager they were— denise williams did a good job portraying a teenager in this book. tye's humour, wit, and sass were unmatched.

finally, thank you to berkley publishing and netgalley for providing me with an arc!

⭐️ 4 🌶️ Open Door, Explicit

💻 Second Chance Romance
💻 Workplace Romance
💻 Right Person, Wrong Time
💻 Forced Proximity
💻 Forbidden Romance (Boss/Board Member)
💻 FMC in STEM
💻 Past and Present Timelines
💻 Slow Burn
💻 Dual POV (First Person)

I love Denise Williams's writing! She always has the swooniest storylines. Technically Yours was a great second-chance romance with incredible banter and a ton of diverse characters! I totally related to our two MCs and I loved the techie/nerdy vibes. Cord and Pearl were so much fun. I thought they both showed growth throughout the book.

If you've read The Fastest Way to Fall, you will recognize a few characters in Technically Yours. I loved these little easter eggs from Denise Williams's other books. I received this ARC from NetGalley, but I also listened to the audiobook. Joe Arden and January LaVoy did a wonderful job with the narration.

While I appreciated the diverse representation, it was almost a little too on the nose at certain points in the story. It felt like it was trying to do too much all at once instead of focusing on one social issue (interracial relationship, women in STEM, gender neutral pronouns, etc.). I did like the setting being in the coding world a little bit and incorporating mentorship and non profit work.
I did like the dual POV and I wish more romance books would do that. Cord was generally likeable (HATE the name) and seemed emotionally open and mature, even in the flashbacks. Pearl irked me at times. I know she was working on dealing with her over-independence and self sabotage, but there were some cringe moments where Cord was being as open and communicative as possible and she was still so anti-relationship or communication. It just seemed a little unrealistic.
Overall, I usually enjoy Denise Williams stories, but this one didn't hit as much as her previous ones for me.