Excerpt + Giveaway + Review: "Not Suitable for Work" by Skye McDonald

I am very excited to be participating in the book blitz celebrating the release of Skye McDonald's debut novel, "Not Suitable for Work," the first book in the Anti-Belle series.  I've included a full review later in this post, but in short, I really enjoyed this book and absolutely recommend it.  The writing is very mature, especially for a debut novel, and I found it to be very easy to read.  I've always loved both the enemies-to-lovers and workplace romance tropes, and this novel manages to capture both of those themes superbly.

For a chance to win your own, signed copy of "Not Suitable for Work" along with a Nashville-themed swag bag from the author, click here!  (Giveaway ends October 3.)

About "Not Suitable for Work"

The competition is stiff. The stakes are high. And what happens on Halloween night is definitely not suitable for work.

Celeste Greene and Ben Addison didn’t realize the internship-to-hire opportunity was actually a contest, but neither of these talented web designers can afford to walk away.

After betrayal destroyed her fabulous life in New York City, Celeste moved home to Nashville, Tennessee broke and broken. Restarting her career is her only goal. An ice queen who drove her partner to cheat can’t even think about friends or fun. Celeste’s talent and desperation should make the competition an easy win—if only she could stop gawking at her rival long enough to concentrate.

Ben Addison doesn’t want to be a corporate climber or live in a high-rise downtown. He just needs a steady paycheck after foolishly investing everything in a pretty face and a shot at a music career. He has no business fantasizing about his competitor, even if she is the most stunning—and guarded—woman he’s ever met.

This contest can’t rival the chemistry between these two, but is the risk worth the reward? With a haunting past and her future on the line, Celeste must decide what she wants, what she needs, and what her heart is really worth.

Read an Excerpt from "Not Suitable for Work"

I heaved a sigh and pushed off the cushion, shuffling blind down the hall to brush my teeth. It was only 9:00, but exhaustion and the look on my mother’s face haunted me. I crawled into the sheets, where ideas and questions tumbled around in my head in a jumbled mess.

Give me a truth... I’m fine. Once this job sorts itself out, life can begin again. I’m not hiding, I’m... playing to my strengths. I’m better alone. I can focus. Know yourself. Your business is you.

But, as always, my thoughts turned back to That Day—the day I blew it, the day Derrick taught me the hardest truths of my life.

Stop. Don’t. Don’t think about it. Don’t go there again. I gripped my arm tight and braced against the memories I couldn’t control, could never forget. Something new. Think of something, anything else. My nails dug into my skin as I searched my mind and landed on…

Ben.

Wonder where he is tonight, what he’s doing? Is he drinking Jameson? Is he thinking of me? Definitely not, but still. What if he was? And why are you holding your elbow so damn tight?

My grip slacked, and blood began to flow again. It had been such a nothing move, only a means to stop me from driving home tipsy, but the memory of his hand wrapped around my arm made my skin tingle.

"Give me a truth."

In the dark, alone, the truth was this: I wanted him to touch me again.

My Review

As stated above, I very much enjoyed this book.  I adored both main characters, especially Celeste, and found them both to be well-developed and incredibly likeable.  It was easy to empathize with Celeste's emotional journey following the events that caused her to leave NYC and move back home to Nashville.  Ben was amazingly supportive of Celeste despite their competition for the job at Tenn Star, as well as the fact that he was recovering from a tough break-up of his own.  Both Ben and Celeste deserved to be treated better by their partners than they had been in the past, and I couldn't help but cheer them on to their HEA.

This story also featured great secondary characters, especially Nick, James, Sarah, and Liv.  I could easily see any one of them being featured in future stories.  In addition, the relationship between Celeste and her parents was super cute.  I loved how supportive they were of her, and how nicely they welcomed Ben into the fold.     

Overall, "Not Suitable for Work" is a wonderful debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Ms. McDonald in the future.

*ARC provided by the author via Xpresso Book Tours.  All opinions expressed are my own.