Trope it Up: Workplace Romances

Posted May 23rd, 2015 by in Blog, Features, Trope it Up / 28 comments

Trope it Up: Workplace Romances

 

If you love reading romance novels as much as we do here at HJ, you definitely have a trope or two that you love to read about.

 
Tiup

Today we are Troping up on Workplace Romances

 
One of my favorite tropes is the workplace romance. Whether it’s dating the boss, a coworker, or a client, it’s always fun to watch the sparks fly when two people can’t deny their chemistry and embark on a relationship that is both personal and professional. Since they work together, they are forced to interact with each other regardless of the state of their personal relationship, whether they are in the honeymoon phase, fighting, or broke up.

 

Recommendations:

Here’s a list of ten of my current favorite books in the workplace romance trope. There are more books I could (and should) list, but these are the books I’ve read more than once.
 
1. Real (Real series #1) by Katy Evans: I fell in love with Katy Evans after reading Real! Both Remy and Brooke are in their second chance careers. To date, Remy is still my #1 book boyfriend!
 
2. Hero by Samantha Young: Caine seeks to punish Alexa for her father’s sins while Alexa seeks redemption for those sins. I loved that Alexa’s presence in his office allowed for them to get past their misperceptions and give in to their attraction.
 
3. Beautiful Bastard (Beautiful Bastard series #1) by Christina Lauren: Chloe and Bennett are two intelligent, independent, and strong-willed characters who perfectly complement each other. They give as good as they get which makes for a steamy and highly entertaining ride!
 
4. Tangled (Tangled series #1) by Emma Chase: Told entirely in Drew’s POV, Tangled is hilarious and hot romance between two intensely competitive and intelligent rivals. Drew is a memorable and entertaining narrator!
 
5. Animal Attraction (Animal Magnetism series #2) by Jill Shalvis: As one of my favorite authors, I feel like you can never go wrong with a Jill Shalvis book! Dell and Jade are a great combination as they dance around their attraction in the vet clinic.
 
6. Nothing but Trouble (Chinooks Hockey Team series #5) by Rachel Gibson: Chelsea is the latest person hired as a PA to the former hockey star and Mark makes her life difficult. Neither envisioned their life as it is, but they find something unexpected in each other.
 
7. Match Me if You Can (Chicago Stars series #6) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips: Annabelle landed Heath as a client in her matchmaking business, which makes their attraction very inconvenient! This opposites attract romance is a fun read as Annabelle is willing to go to great lengths to impress her number one client.
 
8. Hot Number (Hot Zone series #2) by Carly Phillips: The Hot Zone is probably my one of my favorite series by Ms. Phillips. Micki is a relatable heroine as she’s fought for her place in a male-dominated world. I love the pairing of the tomboy with a jock with a preference for Marilyn Monroe types.
 
9. Locke (Corps Security series #5) by Harper Sloan: Emmy made no secret of her love for Maddox, but he pushed away the seemingly innocent secretary time after time. The sparks fly as this alpha male finally goes after the woman he believes he doesn’t deserve.
 
10. Reasonable Doubt Full Series by Whitney Gracia Williams: Andrew has no patience for liars, but Aubrey is his exception to the rule! The hotshot lawyer and the intern are an explosive combination as Aubrey constantly challenges Andrew.
 

 I’d love to hear your thoughts! Are you a fan of workplace romances? What are some of your favorite workplace romances?

 

Kim

 
 

28 Responses to “Trope it Up: Workplace Romances”

  1. elisabethhobbes

    My forthcoming release is a Medieval workplace romance. The hero is the heroine’s father’s steward and he engineers matters so she has to work alongside him so he can win a wager to get a kiss out of her. I wanted to see if the trope would work in other time periods.

  2. Tammy Y

    I love workplace romances. I met my husband at work, I liked Double Exposure by Erin McCarthy

      • jstgeorge1

        Hi Kim, Love you to look them up!!! The Love Deception (hot lawyer romance) and Seducing the Secret Heiress (reality TV producer and one of the contestants find filming hot, hot, hot). Cheers Jennifer

  3. Jennifer S.

    Very nice list! I agree with most of the books you listed. I’d also add Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James, The Plan by Qwen Salsbury, Trust in Advertising by Victoria Michaels, and Wicked Intent by Lora Leigh.

  4. Jennifer @ The Book Nympho

    I loved both Beautiful Bastard and Tangled. Animal Attraction was cute.

    Here’s a couple of books I’ve read that was in the work place.

    Betting on You: A Danvers Novella (Danvers #4.5) by Sydney Landon
    The Expert’s Guide to Driving a Man Wild (Bluebonnet #3) by Jessica Clare
    Weekends Required (Danvers #1) by Sydney Landon
    My Bluegrass Baby (Bluegrass #1) by Molly Harper
    Snow Falling on Bluegrass (Bluegrass #3) by Molly Harper
    Instant Attraction (Wilder #1) by Jill Shalvis
    Unraveled (Mastered #3) by Lorelei James

  5. Kathleen O

    You have listed some on my favs.. I love a good work place romance and one that I am enjoying is Carly Phillips “Dare” series.. lots of love in the work place with these books.

    • Kim

      I’m a fan of Carly Phillips, but I haven’t read any of the books in the Dare series quite yet.

  6. Yvonne R (@txgrll)

    I’m iffy on those. We’ve all had those office crushes but I have never acted on them so it makes harder for me to relate to. I will give known authors a try though.

  7. R Bullard

    I liked “Legal Affairs” by Sawyer Bennett, “In His Angel’s Arms, by Lynne Marshall, “Just Dare Me…”, by Stephanie Bond, “His After-Hours Mistress”, by Amanda Browning, just to name a few. I love to read workplace romances.

    • Kim

      Legal Affairs is another great recommendation! I really enjoyed that series!

    • Kim

      Thanks, Sara! Let me know what you think after you get a chance to read some of these books.

  8. Leanna

    I have read four of the books on your list. I would add Practice makes Perfect by Julie James a great book, love her!

    • Kim

      Julie James is one of the authors that I’ve been meaning to read. Thanks for the recommendation!