Natasha is a barista at a coffee shop, one of her three jobs as she designs and makes furniture. She has a run in with an obnoxious customer, Trent, who gets her fired. Trent is CEO of Saunders furniture and devoted to his grandmother Nana Dee. She needs heart surgery and Trent believes that if he can get a few pieces to match one already custom designed in her house, it will make her happy. Trent is shocked when the designer is Natasha. When he learns Natasha is interested in sustainable furniture, the newest trend, he decides to hire her. He also tells Nana Dee that Natasha is his girlfriend. I loved the friends Trent surrounds himself with when his parents disregard his worth. I loved the banter back and forth as Trent and Natasha developed feelings for each other. The story is about love and trust, which both Trent and Natasha have trouble doing.

What a cute read! I love both workplace romances with a sprinkle of enemies to lovers.

Things I enjoyed:
Trent and Natasha’s chemistry
The banter
Side Characters: Nana Dee

Things I didn’t love:
Natasha not understanding boundaries with Trent’s parents.
Immediate engagement after getting back together.

Thanks NetGalley for my Arc copy

This book had it all - an independent female character, a grumpy male character, toxicity from the past that skewed perspectives, love that blossomed, and found family. Once pieces began to fall into place and the characters began to let each other in, I couldn’t help but to devour this book. My heart wrenched for each character at different points in the story and I couldn’t help peeking ahead to see if things worked out.

2.75★

This book is third in Manhattan Bossholes series, which follows our third Lost Boy, Trent Saunders and Natasha Dryer. Leslie north has always the hilarious first interaction which end up making me crack every time. Same happened in this book too, their first "meet-cute?" of spilled coffee with a mix of "Why were the hot ones always mega assholes?" and "The gorgeous ones are always complete hellcats" first impression, resulting in her losing her job at coffee shop. Stuffs happens and they were forced to fake a relationship to make Trent's grandmother Nana Dee happy due her poor health, even they can't stand each other and eventually she got hired for their furniture company.

I loved their banters and back-forth. The key highlight of this book was other couples cameo, i adored Vincent-Piper, Aiden-Cora, Paul-Chloe moments. Their appearances brought a different connection to the story which i couldn't help but enjoy every single second of it.

It pains me to say i didn't vibe with this book as much as i expected, Trent and Natasha physical attraction was hot but i couldn't connect with them on personal level, blame it on with how rushed things were with their relationship. Their chemistry lacked depth and add miscommunication into the mix? It is a recipe for disaster, but not in a good way.

Wish i could get Dominic book, cuz single dad romance never disappoints.

Overall a cute, fun time read.

Tropes:
☞ Enemies to Lovers
☞ He’s a Billionaire
☞ Found Family
☞ Coffeezilla x Hellcat
☞ Chronic illness rep(family member)
☞ Fake Dating
☞ Insta Lust

Special thanks to NetGalley and Relay Publishing for complimentary ARC copy in exchange of honest review.
#NetGalley #DesignedForDisaster

Natasha is a struggling furniture designer. She is currently working multiple jobs to make ends meet. That is until a grumpy customer gets her fired from her job as a barista. Trent runs his family’s furniture empire. He has a lot of weight to carry. Imagine his surprise when he orders a piece of custom furniture for his grandmother only to discover that the barista he got fired is the artist! They fake a relationship to keep his grandmother happy but maybe it will turn into something more.

This is a cute story. Natasha had loving parents until they died in a house fire. She loves making bespoke furniture pieces but it just doesn’t pay the bills. I like that the author gave Natasha a solid backstory. Her ex-boyfriend is a jerk. Her best friend is a fun and flirty costume designer. She feels alone most days since losing her parents. Overall, Natasha is a good, modern heroine. Trent is the character in this story that has a major growth curve. From the outside Trent looks wildly successful. From the inside his life is painful and complex. Through most of the story he waits for someone to wrong him which makes him an unstable partner. He has to hurt Natasha in order to begin dealing with his horrible childhood. All of Trent’s friends make an appearance. Trent’s grandmother is a huge part of the story.

If you have been reading this series you might note that this in ANOTHER fake relationship story. Fear not! The characters address the issue directly. I guess the author realized that readers might question why one series would have two fake relationship stories.

This is a contemporary romance. Both of the main characters are adults with complicated backgrounds and busy careers. The author sets up the next story in the series in this book (if I’m wrong about that, I’ll be shocked). I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️ 2 Spice

If grumpy-sunshine dynamics and fake dating are your thing, this book will have you swooning and laughing from start to finish.

From a hilariously chaotic meet-cute to moments of heartfelt vulnerability, this book had me hooked. Natasha is a tough, talented furniture designer with no time for nonsense, and Trent—grumpy CEO extraordinaire—secretly has a heart of gold. Watching these two clash, fake date, and fall for each other was the perfect mix of fun and feels.

✨ Why You NEED This:
• Grumpy-sunshine dynamic done right
• Banter that’ll have you cackling (hello, “mantrum”!)
• A heroine who holds her ground
• A romance full of heart and just the right dash of spice

Thank you Netgalley and Relay Publishing for letting me read Designed for Disaster! This was such a fun book, perfect vacation read, great banter between characters. Didn’t realize it was 3rd in a series, so I guess I’ll just have to go read Leslie North’s other fun books! Weekend plans decided.

This book was such a great read! The characters were well-written, and the story kept me hooked. There were a few slow parts, but overall, it was really enjoyable. The romance was sweet, and I loved the character growth.

Designed for Disaster by Leslie North is a cute and fast paced romance novel with a fake dating trope. I loved the banter between the main characters, and the snarky nicknames too. The tension and chemistry between the two felt real.

I also loved the strong element of found family in the story.

Overall, it’s an easy read. The characters grow throughout the story and I enjoyed the main characters’ journey together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Relay Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.
This is my first book from Leslie North. Designed For Disaster was a pleasant read that included meet-cute, ennemies-to-lovers, fake dating and witty banter tropes. To be honest, the first half part did not really impress me since the story line was kind of familiar. However, things became more interesting when misunderstanding happened. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t support books with all the drama and heavy miscommunication between the characters. But in this book, the author wrote this part nicely with enough tension that let my emotions build up along with the characters’ without overdoing it. I loved how Natasha stood her ground and respected herself. I also love the character development of Trent, how he worked towards Natasha’s forgiveness.
I highly recommend this book if you are searching for a delightful rom-com with a balance of humour, angst and spice.

This was a light and easy read! The writing was clear, fluid, and straightforward.

I love that Natasha is a strong and independent woman whose passion is woodworking and design! My favorite character was Dee though, she is the loving, all knowing, and strong grandmother everyone deserves.

Overall, I liked the book, however, the miscommunication trope is STRONG in this book, and unfortunately it is one of my least favorite tropes.
—
❤️Stand-alone novel in a series
🪑Found family
❤️Billionaire boss
🪑Furniture design
❤️Family member with chronic illness
🪑Fake dating
❤️Miscommunication
🪑Open door
❤️Dual POV
—
Thank you Relay Publishing & NetGalley for this complimentary ARC - all thoughts are my own! 📚
Publishers release date 1/2/2025

I read this one as a stand-alone since I got an ARC copy from NetGalley (thanks!) and I thought it was a solid standalone without reading the others in the series. I could tell which characters were in previous books but I didn’t feel like I was missing info on them like some standalones can feel like. I love a good enemies to lovers (not to mention billionaires, grumpy/sunshine, and fake dating!) so this checked all those boxes in that sense. I felt a connection to Natasha and liked her as the FMC, but I didn’t find myself swooning over Trent (MMC) like I would have hoped. I was kind of more annoyed with him than anything 😂 that redeemed itself slightly in the end but I still felt that empathy lacking for him somewhat. But definitely a solid fluffy romance which is exactly what I was looking for at this time
3.75/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️

OH MY GOSH!! This book has exceeded all of my expectations. This book is by far my favorite in the series. I cannot put into words how much I enjoyed reading this book. This book had me going through all the emotions. I teared up, I laughed, and I definitely blushed.

Leslie North’s Designed for Disaster is a delightful and spicy rom-com that delivers everything you could hope for in the genre—humor, heart, and just the right amount of heat. With its charming characters, engaging storyline, and vivid writing, this book feels like it could easily translate into a feel-good romantic movie.

North’s writing is spot-on, effortlessly blending humor and romance while keeping the emotional stakes grounded. The characters are relatable and endearing, pulling readers into their story and making you root for their happily ever after. The romance is filled with the playful banter and heartfelt moments that fans of rom-coms crave.

What sets Designed for Disaster apart is how it handles its spicy elements. Rather than glossing over the chemistry between the characters, North leans into it, crafting scenes that are as passionate as they are integral to the relationship’s development. The spice is a welcome surprise, adding depth and intensity to the romance.

This book is a perfect recommendation for readers who love romantic comedies with a bit of extra heat. Designed for Disaster is a fun, flirty, and satisfying read that will leave you smiling long after the final page. Leslie North has delivered a winner with this one!

Designed for Disaster by Leslie North is a quick, enjoyable read with an engaging grumpy-sunshine romance, with mid-level spice, lots of humor, and just the right amount of drama. The banter and chemistry between the main characters were the highlights for me. This book is ideal for readers seeking a light, entertaining read that doesn’t demand much mental effort, as the plot is very straightforward and predictable. Readers who prefer more complex character development or intricate storylines might find it a bit too simplistic.

I read On the Rocks and then immediately sought out Designed for Disaster. I love the way North writes her female main characters. They're bold and interesting and strong!

Natasha is driven and talented while also being warm-hearted. She has overcome adversity and may have some trust issues, but is very independent and self sufficient. Trent is an excellent counterpart to Natasha - he is also driven and successful with similar trust issues but excellent boundaries.

A fun story with an engaging plot, this was a fast read. The romance is always on point and North has built a world with so many wonderful characters. Highly recommend!

Fake-dating is forever and always a great time! While this wasn't your classic fake-dating storyline, it was nice to have a bit of a change even if it did sacrifice some of the usual tension. Natasha just wants to see the best in everyone, apart from Coffeezilla obviously, and Trent just wants to be loved. The banter is fantastic and the side characters are all well written (I need Dee and Stace in my life). This story is hot and fun and I LOVED it when they ditched the bar. Some character growth and heartfelt conversations and realisations made this book beautiful in parts. Overall this was enjoyable and I look forward to reading more of Leslie's work.

This was a fun and fast paced book with engaging interactions between the characters which I really enjoyed but my only issues was with how quickly the enemies to lovers arc had been resolved and how quickly the "fake dating" turned into real dating which made me miss the tension fake dating romances normally convey. Overall this was a pretty good book with fun characters though I would have hoped the "enemies" and fake dating part would have dragged on for a bit longer.

This was a cute and cozy romance! The main reason that I rated it 3 stars is that everything happened awfully fast between the characters, and I felt like the chemistry was lacking. And the proposal after the 3rd act breakup, as adorable as the moment was, just didn't feel right.

I did, however, enjoy the banter, I liked all of the side characters, and I appreciated that the FMC was a very independent person and didn't hesitate to stand up for herself. Overall, it was an enjoyable read!

I absolutely enjoyed this book! The banter was great, the push back from the fmc, the shift from grumpy to soft.... the read was fast, engaging and didn't make me feel like I had to force my way through. The naughty scenes were enough without over powering the story once we got there.

I'd definitely read another book by this author.