Part of a series, but reads alone fine. Elise needs a job desperately and soldier, turned thrill writer with odd habits, needs a typist that he can't scare away by throwing knives and other things that are "part of his creative process". Elise takes the job, bringing along her cat, Mr Wiggles. Jed hates cats and women, until Elise and Wigs capture his heart. The Catio that he built was quite funny. ( )

It took a bit to get into this new story by Rimmer, but once I got past Elise's downer of a background story, I was immersed in the tale of author Jed and his new assistant. The romance bloomed quickly and the chuckles were real, especially with a cat named Mr. Wiggles around. ( )

Ms. Bravo and the Boss by Christine Rimmer is a 2016 Harlequin Special Edition publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Christine Rimmer pulled out all the stops with this edition of the ‘Bravos of Justice Creek’.

Jeb Walsh is a popular author of thriller novels, but when his long-time secretary leaves, he finds himself in a serious bind. Missing deadlines, and firing one typist after another, Jeb is earning a very nasty reputation.

Elise has experienced a serious spate of bad luck, and is now working two jobs just to make ends meet. When Elise finds out Jeb is looking for someone to type his dictation, she knows she would be perfect for the job. However, Jeb’s reputation precedes him, making her think twice about applying for the position. But, when she finds out how much he is paying, it’s an offer she can’t refuse.

So, with her beloved cat, Mr. Wiggles, in tow, she moves in to Jeb’s home.

Elise is so good at her job, it’s not long before she and Jeb actually forge a bond and the chemistry between them began to sparkle and shine in a most amusing and delightful way. But, once Jeb’s deadline is met, Elise plans to go back into business for herself. Can Jeb continue to create without his obsessive and eccentric routines or without Elise?

This story was so fun! Jeb is a terrifically flawed character, who is a little self -absorbed, is slightly alpha male oriented, and has some pretty peculiar habits. But, wow, can he be romantic and so sweet and charming!! It’s no wonder he swept Elise off her feet!

But, of course, those aforementioned flaws come back to bite him, and Elise knows she has to make a stand, even if it breaks her heart to pieces.

Naturally, the delightful Mr. Wiggles was a wonderful little scene stealer and a charming part of the story, as he helps Jeb and Elise find true love.

I always enjoy Christine Rimmer’s romance novels, but this one was especially sharp, with great dialogue and perfect pacing. This is such a super romantic story, I felt light as feather once I finished it.

5 stars ( )

Very good book. Elise has had some really bad luck lately, compounded by some bad decisions. Most recently, her catering business burned to the ground and her business partner decided to move on. There was insurance money, but half went to her partner, and Elise used hers to pay off her debts. Her finances are especially tight because she had made the decision to loan money to two "friends" who then declined to pay her back. So in order to make the money to restart her catering business she has been doing odd jobs for several of her sisters. Then one of her sisters tells her that thriller writer Jed Walsh is looking for a new assistant and is paying top dollar.

Jed is a very interesting man. Raised by a survivalist, he then did some time in the military before turning to writing. He dictates his writing to a typist and has very exacting demands. He also has some very interesting quirks, such as knife-throwing and gun cleaning when he's working through a rough patch. He'd had the perfect assistant, but she left to be near her grandchildren almost a year before. Since then he has acquired a reputation for being impossible to work for. When Elise shows up at his door, he's pretty much reached the end of his rope.

I loved his "interview" with her, and how he was pretty blunt about his requirements. It was really amusing to see her deal with each of his demands, then make a few of her own, including that she would only work for him for the length of this book. Jed was also very up front with her that he was attracted to her, but that he had no intention of doing anything about it. He doesn't want to screw up a potentially good thing. I loved her first day at work and how she had no trouble keeping up with him and dealing with his attitude. By the end of her three day trial period, Jed had decided that not only was she perfectly suited to his needs, he wasn't going to let her go,

It didn't take long for their professional relationship to turn to friendship. For all his gruff and grumpy exterior, Jed is actually a pretty sensitive guy. When Elise had a meltdown over the problems she'd been having, Jed did an awesome job of comforting her. That comfort also underscored the heat that had been building between them. It doesn't take much longer before their "professional only" vow goes up in smoke. I loved seeing how suited to each other they were. Jed shows Elise that she is beautiful just as she is. And I loved seeing her challenge Jed's rigid ways and even help him with his writing. It was also really sweet to see how the guy who says he hates cats had a "catio" built for Mr. Wiggles.

However, there were problems ahead. In spite of Elise's statement that she would only work for him for the length of this book, Jed is determined that she will stay with him. He completely ignores every indication that she is perfectly serious about it. Then he has the nerve to be mad when she goes ahead with plans to restart her catering business. I loved seeing Elise take her reinvigorated self-confidence and explain to him exactly what his problem is. Now it is up to Jed to decide how to go about getting Elise back in his life. I loved his wedding crasher scene and his oh-so-sweet and vulnerable moment with Elise as he tried to tell her how he felt. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in later books.

*copy received in exchange for honest review ( )