Who can you trust?
Ally Michels is fresh out of her MBA program at Cal and has landed her dream job at hot, up-and-coming video game developer, Jet Stream Studios, all thanks to her uncle, Jet’s largest venture capital investor. She’s feeling pretty good about her future until an inadvertent blurt in a company meeting brings down upon her the dangerous attention of Jet’s co-founder and chief developer, Marcus Abby.
Beautiful, brilliant, and vicious, Marcus is every bit the arrogant, deceitful founder her uncle warned her about. But in the power-fueled world of venture capital investing, things aren’t always what they seem. When Ally finds herself caught up in a play for corporate control, she must work with Marcus to save the company and an ideal she believes in, while navigating perilous family loyalties and fighting to hold onto her own integrity.
For Ally, there’s just one rule: never, ever trust Marcus Abby. Because the one man she needs to stop a high-stakes plot is the one man who has every reason to want her gone.
This is my first book by the author but although it’s part of a series, it does just fine as a standalone. I didn’t feel like I was missing any information needed for this story. Ally is immediately likeable, a very real character. She makes an honest comment in a big meeting, drawing the ire of a company founder and he reacts so strongly, she expects to lose her job at any moment. Things get even worse when he requires her help with a special project and they’re forced to work together closely.
Their story is a slow burn and there’s so much tension in the office already, the sexual tension is almost too much by the time it’s in full swing. But it’s actually just the right amount because Marcus and Ally’s story is fantastic. There’s suspense on multiple fronts due to the complex situation with the company and also because of their professional relationship. I couldn’t put this book down and read it in less than a day because it’s that good, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
I really enjoyed these characters and the way they complement one another so well. This was suspenseful but still fun, with plenty of sweet and steamy moments. I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author.
I received an ARC from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Hi Daisy! I’m so glad you liked Side Effects and so appreciative of your featuring it on your site. It is always a special honor to be reviewed by a fellow author AND one just recently published!!! Congratulations on Go for Broke!! I too am a music lover (with absolutely no musical or vocal talent, BTW) and wrote Sound Effects (Jamie and Mel’s story) in homage to that. Best of luck with your book! Warmly, LJ Greene
Thank you so much, that’s very kind. I wish you much luck with this release, Side Effects is awesome!