Review: Beautiful Bastard – Christina Lauren

An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling. Discover the story that garnered more than two million reads online.
Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.
Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family’s massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who’d been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he’s never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe’s so tempting he’s willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office.
As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they’re willing to lose in order to win each other. Originally only available online as The Office by tby789—and garnering over two million reads on fan fiction sites—Beautiful Bastard has been extensively updated for re-release.

Series:
Release Date:  February 13, 2013
Publisher:  Gallery Books
Source:  Edelweiss
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

I’d been hearing the raves about this story and was excited to get my hands on it.  I was curious about the story and wanted to see what all the hubbub was about.  Sadly, I didn’t get it.

Chloe Mills in an MBA intern working for a large multimedia company.  She loves her job and most of the people she works with, with one exception.  Her beautiful bastard of a boss, Bennett Ryan.  He may be the hottest things since sliced bread, but he’s egotistical, argumentative, judgmental and a huge pain in the ass.  But one interlude in the company boardroom leads to a relationship that is as destructive to both Chloe and Bennett, as it is eye opening to what they really feel for each other.

Here’s my problem with the story.  Bennett is an executive in the family business and Chloe’s immediate supervisor.  While he appears to have disdain for Ms. Mills, he has the balls the touch her ass and then press her against the windows in the boardroom while he punishes Chloe and her underwear for attracting him.  Instead of filing a huge ass sexual harassment lawsuit against him, Chloe bills him for hew new underwear and then begins this weird hostility ladened relationship with her boss. What?  NOO!!!

Half the time, I was convinced these two hated each other and I couldn’t figure out why either of them would continue down this path.  Their whole relationship bothered me…especially considering how close Chloe was with everyone else in Bennett’s family.

Then there was the fact that I didn’t like either one of these characters.  Bennett was an ass.  Plain and simple.  There wasn’t one redeeming quality to the man.  I would have much rather beat the crap out of him than have him touch me…hot or not.  Chloe wasn’t much better.  I’m all for a woman with a sharp tongue (since I’m told I have one), but use it to cut the man down and keep him there.  Don’t lap him up afterwards for your sexual satisfaction!

Now that I’m done with the book, I can at least say I finished it.  That’s about all I can say.