Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book.

I’m always a sucker for a fake dating romance and this one did not disappoint! Not only did Sierra and Finn manage to grow on their own and become their best self, they also grew together and it was awesome to read. I love the side characters, especially Ro, and how in the end everyone got their happy ending! Sierra and Finn were so cute together and I loved them both so much (except Finn in the beginning/middle but that’s okay because he redeemed himself). All of that to say that this was so well written and I loved their love story. I just love how a good fake dating scheme brings lovers together.

I love a good third act breakup, some of them are even necessary, I think. But WTF WAS THAT???

“It was meant to be Layla’s anyway.” ????!?!??!??!!!!!

Finn needed a lot of therapy for Sierra to forgive him, and why was he so easily deterred from winning her back just because she blocked him???? IF HE WANTED TO HE WOULD and all that. He knew where she lived and worked, WHY would he wait so much? I don’t remember the last time I didn’t want the FMC to forgive the MMC.

So, anyway, I stayed bc poor Sierra but I had to take all stars away because of Finn idiocy.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for this ARC.

An enemies to lovers romance, with a fake dating story line too. Finn and Sierra do not get off to the best start, but when they are working together to make his next film a success will they be able to get along. I liked how it was told from both points of view. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

I thought the premise of the book was interesting, but the characters felt flat. The plot of the book did not feel believable. I felt like Finn had a major character shift toward the second half of the book. Finn wasn't likable, and I did not sense any chemistry between Finn and Sierra.

Tropes: fake dating, enemies-to-lovers

Spice rating: 2 out of 5 🔥

This workplace enemies to lovers romance was so much fun. I loved the banter between them while trying to make their fake relationship convince the outside world. Finn is bossy but then has a cute cat? I was sold. Great tension and loved how they got to know each other little by little.

This was such a fun romance! The story was so easy to read and I could not put it down! The banter was top tier!

The Boss I Can’t Stand just didn’t work for me. I could never really get into the story, and I think I might just be over billionaire romances at this point.


If you’re still loving the billionaire/fake dating trope, this might hit differently for you—but personally, it wasn’t my favorite..

While Leslie North books aren't great literature, they're short enough to scratch an itch and I've found anything with billionaires or bosses to be fairly entertaining from her -- usually, ok reads. This one didn't feel brief as I slogged through weeks to finish, not because it was long, but because I couldn't really care. It took forever for the author to generate any heat between the leads, probably because there was no chemistry from the start and she didn't continue to fan the flames to keep me interested in the relationship. Disappointing.

A classic grumpy sunshine billionaire boss romance that’s easy to read and full of humor. The story is fun, light, and thoroughly entertaining — just what you need when you’re in the mood for something uncomplicated. It was my first book in the series, and now I’m excited to check out the other installments. The characters are charming, and the witty banter keeps you hooked from beginning to end. If you're looking for a feel-good read, this one delivers!

A classic grumpy sunshine billionaire boss romance that’s easy to read and full of humor. The story is fun, light, and thoroughly entertaining — just what you need when you’re in the mood for something uncomplicated. It was my first book in the series, and now I’m excited to check out the other installments.

3.5 stars
This was a charming romance with a mix of enemies-to-lovers and fake dating, two of my favorite tropes. What stood out most to me was the way the author explored family relationships, especially the parent-child dynamic. It added unexpected depth and gave Finn, the male lead, a chance to grow in a way that directly impacted his romance with Sierra. The story carries a strong message about letting go of control and allowing relationships—romantic or otherwise—to unfold naturally. While some parts didn’t fully land for me, I still found it enjoyable and would absolutely read more from this author in the future.

4.25⭐
1.5🌶️

This book was definitely another winner from Leslie who never fails to bring the banter, heat and spice with her books.

The Boss I Can't Stand in set in the film production business, which features our grumpy Finn Lockhart - CEO of Hart of Gold Productions and Sierra Banks, our feisty costume designer. Together, they were a right hoot from their initial meet cute. Their chemistry was just palpable 🥵🥵

I loved Sierra's character - strong, resilient and sassy, and who is passionate with her job. She isn't afraid to stand up to Finn either when he underestimates her ability to do well with his new period film in production. Not one to back down from a challenge, she accepts the job to prove him wrong.

Finn is one heck of a character with many layers to him. He wears a façade to the outside world, but to the exception of his family, he's just Finn. The boy who grew up having to look after himself whilst having an 'absent' mother. He's witnessed first hand and experienced what love can do to destroy someone and vows to never fall for that trap again.

Sierra comes into his life like a whirlwind and makes him feel vulnerable when she starts seeing glimpses of the real Finn - his acts of service when she didn't think grumpy Finn had it in him.

I loved how Sierra made Finn into a better person overall, and she could be that someone he could trust, for him to let his guard down around her. Falling in love was the last thing he expected and I loved seeing that mellow side to him.

However, despite their break up, I would have honestly loved to have seen Finn grovel to Sierra. His behaviour towards her prior to their break up was pretty ugly, and the fact it took him two WHOLE months and numerous people telling him how dumb he was for letting Sierra go.... 🙈 This man!!! #frustrated

Nonetheless, this is a book I'd recommend. Although it's part of an interconnected series, this book is also a standalone so you don't have to necessarily read the other books to enjoy this one 🫶🏻

Thank you to the publisher Relay publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

What happens when find yourself stuck in a fake engagement with a man you can’t stand? Sierra is about to find out. Sierra is a costume designer and she finds herself working on a production with the boss from hell, producer Finn Lockwood. After their disastrous first meeting Sierra did not expect to be offered the job, however she lands the job on her own merits and quickly gets stuck in. When a dropped box of cufflinks means their photo ends up in a gossip rag, Sierra and Finn enter into a fake engagement to capitalise on the positive publicity for the movie they are working on. Sierra finds herself self moving into Finn’s penthouse, his cat is giving her the side eye so clearly being broody runs in the family and maybe she thinks she sees glimpses of the real Finn. The lines blur between what is fake and what is real when Finn’s lips land on hers, Sierra’s feelings are anything but fake.

Ooh where to start, the chemistry between these two positively sizzled and that disastrous first meeting had me in stitches, Finn needed to build himself a bridge and get over himself. Sierra was lovely, very sweet, very genuine and her relationships with her mum and Ro, made me like her even more as they really support each other. Finn’s a very complicated and messy man, a lot to unpick with that one as her goes up life expecting disaster and as a result doesn’t get close to anyone, so when he meets Sierra she throws his perfectly orchestrated life into turmoil. The relationship between Finn and his family gives a lot of context into why he is the way he is, his niece though is adorable. I loved watching the relationship develop between these two and I was hoping Finn would see sense before he loses Sierra, that speech he made as he was handed the coveted award he wanted, melted my heart. I loved this book and I would not hesitate to recommend it, an easy 5 stars for me.

✨Tropes✨
❤️Fake Dating
❤️Small Town
❤️Insta love
❤️Autism Representation
This was a feel good read with meet cute vibes. I loved the relationship between Matt and Zoey. Zoey is such a strong character and I loved seeing the character evolve. There was a nice flow to the book especially with the small town aspect being described so well. The autism representation was written really well. Overall the plot and characters were very well-written and I can't wait to read more.

An enjoyable romance with a fun movie setting. Only thing that brought my rating down was the third act break up - I thought Finn could have grovelled a lot more after how he treated Sierra

Honestly it was a cute read, in truth I didn't really over think the book.
I smiled, I laughed, I giggled.

This book was good, if not a little cringey in parts. I personally do not love the name dropping of brands, ie. car manufacturers in books, just tell me it’s a sports car and I’ll use my imagination.

The MMC was a bit of an entitled jerk, and it was supposed to be endearing yet wasn’t.

It was good.
Felt like a book i have read before but in saying that i still enjoyed it.

Would recommend to those who like a slow burn.
Which i do.

The Boss I Can’t Stand was such a blast to read! The dynamic between the MMC and FMC had me hooked. . Their banter was sharp, funny, and sometimes downright delicious it made the tension between them so addictive.

What really surprised me, though, was how much raw emotion came through the story. Yes, the spice was fun (and definitely delivered 👀), but there was also so much vulnerability and depth woven into their relationship. I loved seeing the walls slowly come down and watching their connection shift from snarky to swoony.

This book gave me everything I want in an enemies-to-lovers romance: laugh-out-loud banter, crackling chemistry, heartfelt moments, and just the right amount of heat. I’ll definitely recommend it and can’t wait to read more from this author

This work has something that many romances lack: depth beyond the main characters and their relationship. The fact that their jobs take centre stage, as well as the backstories of their mothers, makes the work much richer and therefore more entertaining.
As for the writing style, it is very easy to read, which is appreciated in this type of romance novel.
Finally, I would like to point out that this novel is written in such a way that no matter which book you start with in the series, you will understand the others just as well.