By a Thread by Lucy Score

Romantic Comedy
Publication date: 04/23/2020
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

She had me at "grumpy boss romantic comedy." 

via GIPHY

Plot Overview
Grumpy, rich jerk Dominic gets waitress Ally fired from her job at a pizza joint. His mother gives her a job at her company to make up for her son's rudeness. Too bad that her company is also Dominic's company. Lots of sexual tension and clever verbal sparring ensue. If you're playing trope bingo, it's office romance, forbidden romance, opposites attract, and "the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one" rom com at it's finest. 
  
I one-clicked with a quickness, folks. There are few things that grab my attention faster than grumpy heroes in romance. Plus, I've read books by Lucy Score before and really enjoyed them, so buying this one was a no-brainer. On to what I loved without further ado...

Dominic, the hero 
He really is grumpy, y'all. He's been forced into a job he never really wanted in order to clean up a horrible mess his father made, and he's not at all happy about it. But he's a stand-up guy, so he's doing everything he can to prove that he's not the sexual harasser and all-around asshat his father is. He has a fair amount of emotional baggage and daddy issues, but nothing that makes him unsuitable for a relationship with Ally. His main reasons for being broody and angsty revolve around not wanting Ally to think he doesn't respect her, so it's hard to stay mad at him when he does stupid stuff. (And he does...I won't spoil anything, but even though I loved Dominic, I DID want to smack him a few times while reading. He's just such a...man sometimes, you know?) And even though he has a gruff, grumpy exterior, on the inside he's an ooey-gooey cinnamon roll hero of the highest order--the kind who always gives money to the less fortunate and even rescues dogs. That makes him prime book boyfriend material in my opinion.  

Ally, the heroine
She's spunky without being annoying, confident without being stuck-up, loyal to a fault, and more hard working than any 10 heroines put together. Is she stubborn to the point of insanity at times? Yes. (I mean...come on...if you have a millionaire who is willing to ease your terrible burden and isn't asking anything of you in return, please, for the love of all that's holy, TAKE HIS MONEY. It's the grown-up thing to do.) But I overlooked it because she's so darn likable. 

Female friendships
There's one horrible witch Ally works with who veers into stereotypical female villain territory, but the other women in the story are all pretty awesome and supportive of each other. They were a joy to read. And in the end, even the horrible witch redeems herself. So all-in-all, this is a pretty empowering read for women. 

Stanley Tucci vibes
There's a character who gives me SERIOUS Stanley Tucci in The Devil Wears Prada vibes in this story, and I am THERE FOR IT. 

via GIPHY

Now, if I was going to complain, I'd say that this book is a little long for my liking (over 500 pages), and the will-they-or-won't-they angst dragged out way too long. But I didn't deduct any stars for that from my rating, because honestly, I'm just a fan of shorter books. It's my personal preference. That says more about my limited attention span than it does about the book. #SorryNotSorry  

So, long-story-short, this one's a funny, sweet, sexy, and hilarious-at-times read that I highly recommend. Then, when you're done reading, go watch The Devil Wears Prada. You'll thank me later.  

Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
Totally stigma free. No rehab needed.