Fired

Worked Up, Book 1

By: Cora Brent

Narrated by: Carly Robins, Aiden Snow

Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

In this fiery series debut from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Brent, a workplace romance might prove too hot to handle.

Still reeling from a nasty divorce, Melanie Cruz's pride takes another beating when she loses her enviable job at an upscale resort. After a flurry of unsuccessful interviews, she finally - desperately - accepts a job managing a small chain of family-owned pizzerias in a quaint downtown Phoenix neighborhood. The job also comes with Dominic Esposito, her overbearing but ridiculously handsome boss. Falling for him might be the last thing she expects, but maybe it's the one thing she needs.

As hard as they try to resist, Melanie and Dominic embark on a romance as hot as a brick oven, and Melanie has every reason to believe that maybe, this time, she's finally found "the one."

But Dominic has a secret - one even his family doesn't know. And the scandal could threaten everything he and Melanie have worked for...in business and in love.

©2017 Cora Brent (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Importance of family

it's more than a romance book. it's a feel-good book. it makes you smile laugh and cry. you really get into the characters.

Very heartwarming book

Love the book, Narrators were amazing! It's a great story of family betrayals, redemption, finding love.

Good series starter

The loss of a job works in Melanie's favor, landing her a different position and an unconventional relationship with the hot but brooding owner Dominic. But it's not as simple as that, and angst ramps up pretty quick. This book is a good start to another great series by the author.

I've enjoyed listening to the narrators Carly Robins and Aiden Snow. Both made this story come to life.

Fun Story

Is this a multi-part story? Yes
Does it end in a cliffhanger? No
Genre(s) : Romantic Comedy
Instalove? Instalust
Was cheating involved? No
Any major triggers to be aware of? Parent with dementia

3.75 Stars for me!
My rating range of this story... 3 - 4 Stars
If significant, why? n/a
Biggest deduction?

Main Character Ratings...
H (Domonic Esposito) = 6/10
h (Melanie Cruz) = 6/10
TSTL Moment(s)? no

Narrator Rating(s)
M (Aiden Snow) = 8/10
F (Carly Robins) = 8/10
If below 5/10, why?

If Comedy... Type? Mostly funny and cute with a bit of cringe
Funny, Cute, Cringe Inducing, Mixed or Just No!

Angst Level? Heavy
Light, Moderate, Heavy or Please Stop

Internal Monolog/Dialog? Heavy
Light, Moderate, Heavy or Please Stop

Scenes with heat... Yes
What point does it start? 50%
How much of the story? 10%
Anything beyond M/F?
If yes, explained

Heat Rating... 7/10
Clean or Fade to Black - 1 or 2
Normal to Descriptive 3-5
Detailed Descriptive Sex - 6-7
Um, Wow, Beyond Descriptive Sex - 8 or above

Was there so much sex or unrealistic sex that you rolled your eyes and/or skipped forward? Amost

The back story... The h was blamed for a disasterous wedding at an upscale resort in Scottsdale (very close to the name of an amazing resort there) and she believes that she was at fault... even though she wasn't. The H's brother hires her to help manage the first restaurant and help with the completion of their second restaurant, much to the chagrin of the H. They do not get along at first but are instantly attracted to each other. The H is trying to avoid work place romances after a previous one went bad for him.

Romance or Gist: There is a lot of heat between the two throughout and when they finally let go, they definitely get to know each other.

The drama explosion... A story breaks about the H's extended family and he freaks out a bit.
Did it feel Real, OK or contrived? Mostly Read
Was it OTT? A tiny bit
Separation involved? slight
Was it resolved properly or rushed? properly

Final Notes... This was a pretty entertaining story with a lot of moving parts. I definitely liked the MCs and loved that it took place in the Scottsdale and Tempe area.

HEA or HFN? HEA
Book Source: Kindle Unlimited

Good story, struggled with narration

I really enjoyed this boss/employee romance. Dominic is trying to revive the family restaurant business with his brother and they're opening a second location. Melanie recently lost her job and is looking for something else when her friend suggests her for the position at a new restaurant. From the moment Dominic and Melanie meet, there are sparks and insane chemistry. Dominic won't touch an employee but there's something special about Melanie and he can't resist her. I really liked that these two actually got to know each other before anything sexual happened between them. They had a great connection and I liked both characters a lot. Dominic could be a little rough around the edges but overall he was sweet and kind. Melanie was independent, driven and smart. I have no complaints about the story but struggled a bit with the female narration. I have listened to other books narrated by this narrator and never had an issue but for this particular book, the Italian-American accent was overdone and in contrast to the male narrator and how he did his parts. Other than that, I really enjoyed this audio and look forward to more in this series.

absolute fire!

Gah!! I loved this sweet and sexy story by Cora Brent! Aiden Snow was fantastic! I really enjoyed Carly Robins as well. This is a story that will stay with me for awhile. I loved the progression of their love story and how their "obstacle" wasn't overdone or over-dramatized. They worked through it. All the supportive characters were awesome and memorable as well. A very well-woven story.

4 Stars for femh Cora Brent and Carly Robins

What three words best describe Carly Robins and Aiden Snow ’s performance?

Carly rates 5 stars as usual. Aiden Snow needs to narrate a different genre altogether. He doesn’t have the voice of a leading male character. I cannot listen to his books. I purchased this book because the synopsis sounded good but forgot to check the narrator first.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I immediately returned it because of the male narrator. I’ll read the book instead of listening.

Excellent story and performance

I loved this story and the performance. Both readers are my favorite and they don’t not disappoint me. I was sucked in from the beginning to the end. This story was more than romance. It’s about family and commitment. I highly recommend!

Fired

Cora Brent is a very entertaining author. The story was sweet and interesting. I liked it being set in a city other than NYC. I loved the strong family influences and unconditional love shown by their grandmother and the brothers. The theme of forgiveness and new beginnings left room for more stories and more pizza! Thank you for making this a read and listen book!

very good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall