REVIEW: Love to Loathe Him by Rosa Lucas

In Love to Loathe Him by Rosa Lucas, Gemma Jones has worked for Ashbury Thornton Equity Group in London for about five years and has watched countless grown men cry when facing down their CEO, Liam McLaren. Even as the head of HR, she still has to take a deep breath before walking into his office most days, not knowing how grumpy he’ll be. But never in her wildest dreams did Gemma ever think she’d make such a huge mistake as accidentally sharing her private online journal with Liam. Something she doesn’t realize until he’s read every. Single. Entry. Probably multiple times from the look in his gorgeous eyes. Oddly enough, he doesn’t fire her. Instead, he nearly praises her for speaking her mind and instead asks Gemma to use her insight in the company to help him close a deal he’s been working on for months. She’s not sure she can trust Liam. But it’s too intriguing of a proposition to turn down.

“Your diary tells a rather different story about your feelings toward me.”
“What?” I croak out. What diary? What feelings? What fresh hell is this?”
“You didn’t realize you’d shared it with me? …I must say, I’m shocked at such a glaring oversight. Especially from you.”

Liam was shocked, amused, dismayed, and a tad pissed off when he read Gemma’s diary. At first, he didn’t realize she had shared it accidentally. He thought it was her way of telling him off for being grumpy and broody. But once Liam figures out that he has an inside look into the true Gemma, not the uptight, beautiful HR manager, he can’t get her out of his head. He knows working even closer with her isn’t a smart idea. But she’s just the right person to help him with his newest huge deal that’s going nowhere fast. Liam makes the mistake of seeing Gemma outside of work and soon he realizes not only is he attracted to her, but he has feelings for her. Something he actively avoids. It likely won’t end well, but he decides to turn their casual arrangement into something more meaningful–if Liam can get Gemma on board with it before a long-time rival interferes in their relationship.

“I love you.
There it is. Laid bare. No bullshit, no games. I, Liam McLaren, am head over heels in love with you, Gemma Jones. Do with that what you will.”

Rosa Lucas paired together hilarious predicaments with simmering tension between a billionaire CEO and his HR manager in LOVE TO LOATHE HIM. Enemies to lovers office romance has never been so much fun–or so sexy.

‘Fondness is not something I’m supposed to have for Liam McLaren. Lust? Sure, I’ve got that in spades. Hatred? Oh, absolutely. But fondness? That’s unchartered territory.’

I’m rather new to Rosa Lucas’s work but I know that after not being able to put LOVE TO LOATHE HIM down for even a minute, I will definitely be checking out her other novels. I fell hook, line, and sinker for both Gemma and Liam right from the start. Where this was told from dual POV, it was so easy to see under Liam’s gruff exterior and know he was a good guy, just like Gemma was obviously a smart and sassy people-person who knew how to play the corporate game. The two of them together were nothing short of spectacular.

The thing that really grabbed my attention was how seamlessly Rosa Lucas wove together the shenanigans poor Gemma always found herself getting up to along with the way Liam fell so hard for her even though he never mixed business and pleasure. It was funny. It was decadent and passionate. And it made me like both of them more for not immediately giving in to their attraction. Gemma and Liam were consummate professionals. They knew a relationship, even casual, could interfere with their careers. But when they did give in? Utter magic.

The heat level, the bawdy humor, and the great secondary cast reminded me a bit of Jodi Ellen Malpas’ work. But Liam and Gemma’s romance was absolutely wholly their own. And I enjoyed watching them fall in love and wrestle with that knowledge every bit as much as I did the over-the-top sweet HEA ending they finally, finally got. A finale that I think readers will adore.

QOTD: Do you prefer office romances that are boss-employee or between two same-level employees?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: October 17th, 2024 | Rosa Lucas Romance |

Liam McLaren is London’s most ruthless financial hotshot and the big boss at Ashbury Thornton Equity Group. Just whisper his name and even the city’s toughest traders break out in a cold sweat.

And lucky me, Gemma Jones, as the head of HR at his company, I’ve got a front-row seat to the McLaren Show. Brooding intensity, perfectionist demands, and a glare that could stop your heart mid-beat. Every. Damn. Day.

I’ve spent years perfecting my professional mask. It’s the only way to survive in this cutthroat corporate shark tank. Never let them see you sweat. Or cry. Or show any human emotion, really.

But now, I’ve gone and committed the ultimate HR I’ve accidentally shared my diary with him. Yes, him. And when I say shared, I mean all of it. Every scathing thought about him and the company. Including some, ahem, personal musings that were never meant for public consumption. And certainly not for Liam’s piercing dark eyes.

And the look on his face?

Oh, I’ve seen Liam angry—I’ve watched him verbally eviscerate boardrooms and turn grown men into blubbering wrecks.
But this? This is pure, unfiltered fury that would make the devil himself cower.
God help me.

Love to Loathe Him is a standalone office romance with a grumpy, arrogant, billionaire boss.Liam London’s most ruthless financial hotshot and the big boss at Ashbury Thornton Equity Group. Just whisper his name and even the city’s toughest traders break out in a cold sweat.

And lucky me, Gemma Jones, as the head of HR at his company, I’ve got a front-row seat to the McLaren Show. Brooding intensity, perfectionist demands, and a glare that could stop your heart mid-beat. Every. Damn. Day.

I’ve spent years perfecting my professional mask. It’s the only way to survive in this cutthroat corporate shark tank. Never let them see you sweat. Or cry. Or show any human emotion, really.

But now, I’ve gone and committed the ultimate HR I’ve accidentally shared my diary with him. Yes, him. And when I say shared, I mean all of it. Every scathing thought about him and the company. Including some, ahem, personal musings that were never meant for public consumption. And certainly not for Liam’s piercing dark eyes.

And the look on his face?

Oh, I’ve seen Liam angry—I’ve watched him verbally eviscerate boardrooms and turn grown men into blubbering wrecks.
But this? This is pure, unfiltered fury that would make the devil himself cower.
God help me.

Love to Loathe Him is a standalone office romance with a grumpy, arrogant, billionaire boss.