A fun, sexy new stand-alone from New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig.

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I’m in an alternate universe and it’s every fantasy I never knew I had.
What CEO of a billion-dollar company dreams of enjoying a farm in the middle of nowhere? Who imagines waking in a small bedroom, complete with a canopy bed and sunshine streaming through pink curtains, as birds sing? What owner of a 7,000-square-foot penthouse with a to-die-for view of the Empire State Building enjoys the hominess of a hundred-year-old, 3,000-square-foot farmhouse with a wraparound porch, creaky floors, and a view of cornfields?
Sitting with a cup of steaming black coffee, I listen as Kimbra and her brother Kevin bicker back and forth while helping their mother in the large eat-in kitchen. The warm spring air is filled with the sizzle of frying as the aroma of coffee, eggs, and bacon reminds me of some of the best diners in New York.
Although Kimbra’s dad, Oscar, is talking, I can’t concentrate on anything but Kimbra—Kimberly Ann. That’s what everyone here calls her.
“Because of you, I’m out ten bucks.” Kevin says, not doing a good job of whispering.
“Me?” Kimbra asks. “What did I do?”
Kevin tilts his head my way. “You brought a real guy here. I put money on him being made up.”
Kimbra reaches out and punches his shoulder.
He lifts his hands in surrender. “No. Listen. I was sure it was a good bet. When Mom said your boyfriend’s name wasn’t Timothy, but Duncan, and you didn’t want him in the wedding, Susan and I figured he wasn’t real. I bet Jimmy ten bucks this fake Duncan guy would be a no-show. Susan and I were sure that before last night, you’d have some reason why at the last minute he couldn’t attend. You know, like you’d make up some accident or something.”
Her brother is about as good at speaking softly as he is at being nice to his sister.
“Shut up!” Kimbra whispers back. “Obviously he’s real.”
Kevin’s head falls back in laughter. “He’s real, all right. Last night I thought your old bed was going to collapse.”
Kimbra’s eyes flash to me. And though I look down at my coffee and pray her dad isn’t listening, the gleam in her expression makes my cock twitch with the memories of the night before.

Robin’s Review

If the synopsis of Plus One sounds familiar, you may have run across it in its previous life.  Aleatha Romig, who traditionally writes dark romantic suspense novels, initially wrote this story as part of a writing exercise.  Romig’s intention was to write “outside of her brand” and to expand the possibilities for her writing career.  According to Romig, Plus One actually had its beginnings as a 12K-word funny, sexy novella titled Duncan:  The Deal, which she wrote under the pen name Jade Sinner, a pen name she says no longer exists.  She recently decided to expand her novella by transforming it into a full-length, standalone novel.  In Plus One, Romig tackles a topic that is very popular these days:  the office romance.  

Kimbra Jones has been employed in the HR Department of Buchanan and Willis Pharmaceuticals for three years.  During her time with the company, Duncan Willis has remained on the periphery of her radar.  The handsome, wealthy owner of the company is well-known for his playboy ways, so Kimbra steers clear of his attention.  Unbeknownst to Kimbra, she hasn’t gone unnoticed.  He’s just been waiting for the perfect opportunity to spend some time with her.  Duncan finally gets his opportunity when Kimbra catches him in an indiscriminate position with another employee, and because she’s desperate to find a date, Kimbra blackmails Duncan into being her “plus-one” at her cousin’s wedding.

In the interest of full disclosure, I didn’t have the opportunity to read this story in its previous format as a novella.  I’m honestly not sure how much of or even HOW the original story translated from novella to a full-length novel, but it’s important for me to share that at some point I noticed a substantial difference in the writing.

Plus One is told from two points of view, alternating between Kimbra and Duncan.  Where the story had its beginnings as a writing exercise – an exploration into a new genre – the writing had a noticeably different feel for Romig.  The beginning of the novel is full of humorous quips that seem forced and a rushed sexual relationship between the primary characters.  I know everyone doesn’t have the same opinion as me, but gratuitous sex, especially early in a story, doesn’t bind me to the pages of a book.

BUT, somewhere along the way, something magic happened!  The further I read into Plus One, the humor felt more natural, the story became more interesting, and I began to notice the story had REAL substance.  Readers learn about Kimbra and Duncan’s backgrounds via excellent, in-depth dialogue, especially as both characters strive to learn about one another.  I thoroughly enjoyed the personalities and funny interactions with Kendra’s family.  At some point during the first one-third of the novel, I realized Plus One had the unmistakable feel of an Aleatha Romig story!  I was very excited to come to that realization, especially while reading a romantic comedy!

I’m a HUGE fan of Aleatha Romig.  Romig is a talented, wickedly smart author, who always keeps me on my toes while she methodically peels back the layers of mystery in her novels.  While Plus One doesn’t have the usual feel of her dark and mysterious romantic suspense novels, it’s a great start for Aleatha Romig in a new genre!  As advertised, Plus One is a sexy, fun and lighthearted novel, which I am delighted to give a 4-star rating!