Genre: Contemporary Romance Heat Level: 2 Word Count: 55, 180 ISBN: 978-1-927368-99-2 Editor: Karyn White Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

All's Fair in Love and War by Lila Shaw

Heat Level 2
$4.99
SKU 978-1-927368-99-2
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Only two obstacles block Shelby Donaldson’s path to success at her new job—her sizzling hot supervisor and his freezing cold attitude. Maybe her flirting got a little out of hand at first, but that’s no reason for Mr. Sighs-A-Lot to screw her over in her performance review.

Colin Montoya is not going to fall for Shelby’s sex-in-a-suit brand of temptation. He’s got her number and is not going to dial it, nor is he going to allow Shelby’s philandering brother to marry his baby sister.

After an explosive one-night stand goes awry, battle lines are drawn.  But can the warring co-workers negotiate a cease-fire long enough to realize their romantic fortunes might just lie in each other?

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Excerpt:

Colin watched Shelby leave, baffled as usual by her flighty behavior. She was the most frustrating woman he had ever met, in more ways than one. Having to work with her for three weeks had stretched his tolerance to the limit. He was grateful to finally be rid of her, the signed performance review in his hot little hands. If only his body felt the same way about her as his head.

He rose from his chair and followed her out. He checked his watch. Nearly five-thirty. Since it was also a Friday, happy hour at the usual location awaited. Good thing, too, because he always felt like a stiff drink after an exchange with Shelby Donaldson.

Shelby sashayed around the corner to her cubicle. Colin couldn’t help but track her hips as they swayed. Exasperated with his unbidden reaction, he made a hard right into his own cubicle and collapsed into his chair. After lingering over a few last minute client details, he organized and stowed his work, then headed out.

At Roscoe's Sports Bar and Grill in the heart of downtown Portland, Oregon, Colin zeroed in on the tiny table a couple of his buddies had staked out near the foosball tables. Pulling up a bar stool, he ordered a beer then dove into the order of nachos that claimed nearly the entire surface of the table. He and his friends caught up with each other, and he shared the reason for his tardiness.

"Isn’t that her over there?" His friend and colleague Allan pointed to a table of giggly women near the bar.

Colin turned and saw several women from his firm, including Shelby.

"Yeah." He spun back around, hoping she hadn’t spotted him.

"Which one is she?" his other friend, Christian, asked.

"She’s the one in the red sweater with long dark hair parted on the side, big hoop earrings with these stupid cats hanging from the bottom, sinister blood red talons for fingernails. You can't miss her if you look for the pall of obstinacy that surrounds her, sort of like Pigpen from Peanuts with his cloud of dirt."

"The one with the nice rack?"

"I hadn’t noticed." Colin feigned disinterest, struggling to keep all inflection from his voice.

“I guess you were too preoccupied with her pus – kitties.” Allen slapped him on the back, and both friends guffawed.

If Colin were being honest, he’d have to admit that not much about Shelby escaped his attention – hazel eyes that danced with amusement at the oddest things, a laugh that contrasted sharply with her delicate features in its bawdiness. And yes, she had a nice rack, as well as nice legs and a tight little body she obviously pampered. Every square inch of her was designed to distract and lure a man to his doom. Even her infectious laughter, which cut through the din of the bar, got to him. It always had, but that lethal package was marred by a personality made of piss and vinegar when she didn't get her way. Given the inappropriateness of dating a co-worker, especially a subordinate, he was almost grateful for the fatal flaw.

Colin escaped to the bathrooms to shut out the mirthful sounds. On his return, he met Shelby in the narrow hallway. They did the obstacle dance with each other before he stopped and stood to one side. As she nodded then passed, he got a whiff of her perfume, the same scent she wore every day. Over his shoulder, he watched her walk away before he continued back to his table, shaking his head. He absolutely hated how she turned him upside down.

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Product Reviews

Score: 5 out of 5 (based on 6 ratings)
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4/5
This is a contemporary, very easy to enjoy romantic comedy.
Written by Gaele on 20th Jan 2018

For purpose of disclosure: I received a PDF copy of this book from the author for review. I was not compensated in any way for my review - and all words are my own crafting and responsibility. Take a workplace encounter, two people who act before thinking, and a hilarious set of coincidences and you have this novel. The heroine, Shelby, is a fast thinking, fast talking romance novel fan who also happens to be a CPA. Colin is her `assigned superior' on two assignments, struggles to maintain the balance between professionalism and strangling his less `stoic' assistant. Shelby is more prone to dabble in flights of fancy, preferring to laugh and enjoy her time. Colin is far more a detail, point to point person, who misses the point in laughter if it distracts (his word) from the task at hand. For anyone who finds themselves wanting a traditional, lighthearted and funny read- this book will fit that bill nicely. I also appreciated the incorporation of a story within a story, Shelby is often found "dreaming" the romances she has read to great effect: Colin was appearing as a highwayman, a client of a traditional matchmaker, a lord of the realm entering through a window: you get the point. It was a nice technique to add in levity to the personality of Shelby. Even the characters that played a minor role in the story (dates and parents) were created with a degree of dimension and detail that is often missing in a character that will serve only as background.

4/5
Romantic tension...bumped into overdrive
Written by B.D. Whitney on 20th Jan 2018

4.5 out of 5 Lila Shaw's "All's Fair in Love and War" takes romantic tension and bumps it into overdrive. This story features one classic misunderstanding after another one, clashing wills that strike sparks off one another, and a love/hate relationship that verges in combustion. And it delivers this high-temperature emotion in a way that will surely make you smile. I've always maintained that all it takes to win me over is a little humor, and Ms. Shaw has gifted her readers with a wonderful dose of it in "All's Fair in Love and War." She writes with a good-natured and wry tone that is charming and utterly appealing. The squabbling between Shelby and Colin, our romantic duo, made me laugh even though they are completely nasty to each other. Of course they are perfect for each other, which we can clearly see in their unguarded moments, but there were many times that I was caught between laughter and the desire to put them in a "time out"... together. The characters in this novel are quirky, fun, and as flawed as can be. Both the hero and the heroine have believable personalities and a mixture of both positive and negative character traits that encourages us to identify with them. Shelby has a happy, bubbly personality, but she tends to get distracted very easily and drift off in her own mind at inopportune moments. It's understandable how this flightiness rubs tightly controlled Colin against the grain, even if it is a little hard to sympathize with him much, because he tends to be selfish and somewhat short-sighted. What redeemed Colin in my eyes was his admission to himself that he, too, suffers from "Walter Mitty" thinking at times. The romantic misunderstandings in "All's Fair in Love and War" seem to build on top of each other. I read this book eagerly anticipating the "moments of truth" between Shelby and Colin, but these moments are a little on the anticlimactic side. As soon as one issue is resolved, another inevitably slides into its place, and the cycle starts all over again. Truly, there seems to be no way that Colin and Shelby can possibly work out the issues between them. I found the ending of Shelby and Colin's story to be a bit of a surprise, and while it is quite sweet, I'm not completely sure that it worked for me. Regardless, I enjoyed this book. I found it amusing, very entertaining, and just the thing I needed to put a smile on my face. Ms. Shaw has done an excellent job with this book, and I would not hesitate to recommend "All's Fair in Love and War" to someone looking for a romantic comedy.

5/5
terrific, romantic, great read
Written by Christinia on 20th Jan 2018

I'm normally a fan of historical romance novels, and rarely read contemporary romances....but I very much enjoyed Lila Shaw's All's Fair in Love and War....so much so, I couldn't put it down, and stayed up way too late so I could finish it! Great read! Highly recommended for romance fans! :)

5/5
loved it
Written by julie ramsey on 20th Jan 2018

All's Fair in Love and War Shelby is a CPA. She has been working with Colin. Sexy, tall, smart and a jerk. She just got her evaluation form a job they worked on together and she is not happy. She knows she does good work and he makes her sound like she has so major work issues. As she puts her romance novel away , she remembers the dream she has the night before. Colin and her are on much more friendly terms. Her brother has always been a womanizer, so when he says he is getting married, she is surprised. When she meets Megan, she knows she is a good girl but has reservations on her brother. She loves him but is insure of his commitment. Colin has a sister named Megan. He is furious with her, she is getting married after only 3 wks of knowing some guy, who he knows is not good enough for her. As tensions rise at work and neither Shelby or Colin want to admit anything toward each other. A family dinner becomes very awkward. Everyone around them all see the attraction but Shelby and Colin. Misunderstanding after misunderstanding keeps them apart. I laughed a lot I the book. The tension of Shelby and Colin is huge. You just want them to just get it over with and jump into bed. But as the misunderstanding keep getting in the way, and tensions build, will they ever fall for each other as you know they can. Shelby's brother and Megan, help along the way. I really enjoyed this book. It was frustrating because you see the attraction and their misunderstandings keep them apart. I will have to say my favorite part of the book is how Ms Shaw ends it. It was unexpected but an awe moment! Worth the read and contains adult sexual situations! Thanks for the awesome read! complimentary book given for a free review. Please some see this review and more @ [...]

5/5
The TBR Pile Reviews
Written by undefined on 14th Jun 2012

Right from the beginning I knew this was going to be a winner. Shaw swept me up into a romantic world of love and war. The writing was excellent, the characters fantastic but what stole the show was the tension between Shelby and Colin. That fighting the attraction was so well done and made for such an engaging read. I loved the dream sequences, they were titillating, super romantic and funny. The side characters such as Shelby’s brother was a great addition. The dynamics between them kept the flow going. I can’t say enough good things about this book. All’s Fair in Love and War is one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read in a long time!

5/5
Book Wenches Review
Written by undefined on 7th Jun 2012

Lila Shaw’s All’s Fair in Love and War takes romantic tension and bumps it into overdrive. This story features one classic misunderstanding after another one, clashing wills that strike sparks off one another, and a love/hate relationship that verges in combustion. And it delivers this high-temperature emotion in a way that will surely make you smile. I’ve always maintained that all it takes to win me over is a little humor, and Ms. Shaw has gifted her readers with a wonderful dose of it in All’s Fair in Love and War. She writes with a good-natured and wry tone that is charming and utterly appealing. The squabbling between Shelby and Colin, our romantic duo, made me laugh even though they are completely nasty to each other. Of course they are perfect for each other, which we can clearly see in their unguarded moments, but there were many times that I was caught between laughter and the desire to put them in a “time out”... together. The characters in this novel are quirky, fun, and as flawed as can be. Both the hero and the heroine have believable personalities and a mixture of both positive and negative character traits that encourages us to identify with them. Shelby has a happy, bubbly personality, but she tends to get distracted very easily and drift off in her own mind at inopportune moments. It’s understandable how this flightiness rubs tightly controlled Colin against the grain, even if it is a little hard to sympathize with him much, because he tends to be selfish and somewhat short-sighted. What redeemed Colin in my eyes was his admission to himself that he, too, suffers from “Walter Mitty” thinking at times. The romantic misunderstandings in All’s Fair in Love and War seem to build on top of each other. I read this book eagerly anticipating the “moments of truth” between Shelby and Colin, but these moments are a little on the anticlimactic side. As soon as one issue is resolved, another inevitably slides into its place, and the cycle starts all over again. Truly, there seems to be no way that Colin and Shelby can possibly work out the issues between them. I found the ending of Shelby and Colin’s story to be a bit of a surprise, and while it is quite sweet, I’m not completely sure that it worked for me. Regardless, I enjoyed this book. I found it amusing, very entertaining, and just the thing I needed to put a smile on my face. Ms. Shaw has done an excellent job with this book, and I would not hesitate to recommend All’s Fair in Love and War to someone looking for a romantic comedy.

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