Heartbreak for Hire by Sonia Hartl

Synopsis

Brinkley Saunders has a secret.

To everyone in the academic world she left behind, she lost it all when she dropped out of grad school. Once a rising star following in her mother’s footsteps, she’s now an administrative assistant at an insurance agency—or so they think.

In reality, Brinkley works at Heartbreak for Hire, a secret service that specializes in revenge for jilted lovers, frenemies, and long-suffering coworkers with a little cash to spare and a man who needs to be taken down a notch. It might not be as prestigious as academia, but it helps Brinkley save for her dream of opening an art gallery and lets her exorcise a few demons, all while helping to empower women.

But when her boss announces she’s hiring male heartbreakers for the first time, Brinkley’s no longer so sure she’s doing the right thing—especially when her new coworker turns out to be a target she was paid to take down. Though Mark spends his days struggling up the academic ladder, he seems to be the opposite of a backstabbing adjunct: a nerd at heart in criminally sexy sweater vests who’s attentive both in and out of the bedroom. But as Brinkley finds it increasingly more difficult to focus on anything but Mark, she soon realizes that like herself, people aren’t always who they appear to be.

Goodreads

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Review

This is going to sound strange, but I think I would have preferred if Heartbreak for Hire if it hadn’t been a romance.  

I liked the premise.  It was very original, the idea of women getting even on behalf of other women.  The relationships between these women were so interesting; there was friendship and manipulation.  It was great seeing Brinkley making strides to get over her ex-boyfriend and realize her dream.  I liked Brinkley, she was funny, and though she could do with a little more self-esteem, she was highly engaging.

The part I didn’t like was the romance.  While I liked Mark, I just didn’t feel like he and Brinkley made sense.  There was some serious insta-love going on here. I felt like they barely even met, and then they were confessing their love to each other.  I would have liked a little more time spent on their relationship.  I understood the attraction, but especially given Brinkley’s experience, I would have anticipated her to take it a little slower. 

Overall I enjoyed this book, but I just didn’t love the romance aspect of it.