The Girlfriend (The Boss Book 2)

I've been writing this review in my head pretty much since I started reading the book itself. I really enjoyed "The Boss" and quite enjoy Abigail Barnette/Jenny Trout (especially on Twitter) and I had high expectations for "The Girlfriend". I was sadly disappointed."The Boss" ends with the cliffhanger that Sophie is pregnant, and "The Girlfriend" picks up from there. I pretty much guessed how that plot was going to be resolved by the blurb for this book, and I was right. Though I have no problem with the manner in which the situation was resolved, it was very unpleasant to read about it. It was the first of many times that I put the book down and wondered if I could continue on. Now, after finishing the book, I have to wonder why that sub-plot was even there to begin with. One of the author's criticisms of "Fifty Shades of Grey" (in her wonderful "Jenny Reads Fifty Shades" series on her blog) was that there are pointless sub-plots that do nothing to really move the story forward. I think the pregnancy cliffhanger/subplot was pretty much the same thing. If anything it existed merely so that the author could point out just out feminist, PC, and not-FSOG this book is/tries to be. And really, that continues through the entire story.What I mean by "feminist, PC, and not-FSOG" is that I constantly felt that the author was trying to convince me of something. And I don't need convincing! As a reader I was constantly reminded of how wealthy Neil is, how much Sophie is NOT there for his money (or interested in it), how much she loved him, how healthy their BDSM lifestyle was... It was just a constant assault of preaching and self-confirmation. We get it! This isn't Fifty Shades of Grey. This isn't an abusive relationship. BDSM is healthy, not sick.Except... the last sex scene in the book is Neil and Sophie going further in their D/s play than ever before, and it is really uncomfortable to read. When both characters consent to rough sex and taking it beyond any point they've previously gone, Neil calls her a whore and a dirty slut, and then Sophie has to tell us that oh no, in real life if he said this to me I would be back on a plane to New York, but this is A CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIP and oh by the way, being called a dirty slut is the most erotic thing I've ever heard in my life! But I wouldn't tolerate this talk in any other capacity. But it turns me on incredibly. Blah blah blah. More convincing. I read excerpts of those scenes to my fiance, trying my best to put it in proper context, and all he could say was that sounds like rape to me. I explained it was consensual, that they both wanted it, and still he was like nope, rape. Fine, that's his opinion and he's entitled to it. I don't know why I was trying to defend the characters so much when the whole thing really bothered me.And then there's the biggest storyline of the entire book: cancer. "The Boss" was so refreshing and fun, and "The Girlfriend" plunges you into the deep end of reality to the point where it all quickly becomes so. very. unsexy. There is too much of a difference between the fantasy of the BDSM/erotica and the bleak reality of awful cancer, and they did not mesh well together. If anything the cancer serves more as a plot device to convince the readers that Sophie and Neil's relationship is based on more than just sex, that they really have a deep, loving relationship. I'm still not convinced. I have what I feel is an absolutely deep, loving relationship (of 5+ years, not 5+ months) and nothing about Neil and Sophie reflects my own experiences in such a relationship. Yes, everyone is different, as is every relationship, but I can only trust with my own experiences and their relationship really is nothing more than two people who like to have sex.And I'm sorry, but this time around the sex is not that great. I'm so preoccupied thinking about how Neil's physicality and mental health is affected by the leukemia that I cannot get into the "good" stuff. And the author falls into the very same crap she accused EL James of doing in FSOG where every orgasm is explosive (and of course Sophie has one every single time, often five or more in one go) and it's really just the same sex over and over again with slight variation in prop/toy usage. I guess what I mean to say is that "The Boss" was 'Look how much better FSOG could have been' and "The Girlfriend" is 'But really, it's all the same as FSOG, only this time with icky cancer'.Let me just be clear: there is no reason in the world why someone suffering from cancer should not enjoy sex. It's just not effectively written here, and often times reads more like the book Sophie is writing about cancer (how meta) than the sequel to an erotic book about a billionaire and his younger girlfriend.And as a final point of contention - and it really is a small thing - it is very unrealistic that Sophie goes from occasional YouTube tutorial hobbyist to audition-for-this-television-show-as-a-beauty-content-creator. I mean, Sophie gets a few thousand hits on a nail tutorial about French manicures and suddenly she's the second choice by a national morning news program to contribute beauty content? And Michelle Phan (arguably the most famous beauty guru ever) was the first choice who turned the opportunity down? Sorry, I don't buy that either. Not to mention Sophie films her videos on a Flip cam and the whole thing just reeks of I didn't research this but rather just used a few YouTube videos as an example (because surely they are all the same).Ugh, I am just really disappointed. I had such high hopes and this was a chore to finish. An absolute chore. And then it ended almost abruptly and I was left feeling even more unsatisfied. I just didn't really like it, I guess. At least I still have a high opinion of the author. When I read FSOG I developed a contempt for EL James. At least the same didn't happen here. I'd definitely check out the author's other works, despite how much I disliked "The Girlfriend".

3.5 StarsSYNOPSIS:Unemployed, blacklisted, and pregnant, Sophie Scaife’s life is totally upside down. Her relationship with publishing magnate Neil Elwood is on the rocks. Her best friend’s career is igniting. And Sophie is afraid she’ll make one of the toughest decisions of her life alone… When a devastating diagnosis forces Neil to return to London, Sophie throws caution to the wind to follow her heart across the Atlantic. Keeping a scorching D/s affair as red-hot in sickness as it was in health is a challenge, even for two lovers as inventive as Sophie and Neil. But Sophie is more than willing to try anything her Sir commands, and their fantasies of control become a welcome refuge from the daily stress of illness. While Neil’s wealth and privilege make adjusting to her new situation easier, Sophie finds herself rebuilding her life around an uncertain future. And while both of them face the changes between them head-on, they’re all too aware that their happiness may be fleeting-and Sophie could lose Neil forever.MY REVIEW:Just when Sophie thought being unemployed and blacklisted was enough, she now has learned of her unplanned pregnancy and Neil’s life threatening illness. Could things look any worse? Having to make a decision on the pregnancy rather quickly Sophie tells Neil and together they make a decision. Not willing to lose the man that she has lost her career for, Sophie makes the decision to leave her life or what’s left of it behind, and head to London to be with the man who has stolen her heart in his time of need.Still looking to explore their D/s relationship further, Sophie gathers some rather interesting experiences despite Neil’s illness. The two of them work hard on each other, however Sophie still finds the world that Neil lives in rather intimidating, not to mention despite the hurdles they have to overcome for their relationship, she now has to come face to face with his past which includes one bitchy ex.This book was a fun read. Some of the D/s experiences that Sophie encountered were rather steamy, but there were also some revelations about Neil that was a little shocking to me. I will admit that there are some parts in this part of their journey that might have you on the verge of tears, especially since it includes a journey through illness and pregnancy. But it’s a very believable plot.Now the bitchy ex is one most women can relate to and at some point I really wanted to smack her and put her in her place. I think that happens when you really get into a book. But Sophie was pretty respectful despite the woman antagonizing her, but you already know that there is only so much a woman can bare, and when Sophie let’s lose it’s very satisfying.The relationship between Sophie and Neil though still fresh and despite all the challenges seem to be stronger. Sophie begins to understand her position in Neil’s life, but is it really a position that she wants to embrace including what it could mean for the future? Neil is going through an illness that puts a strain on him physically as well as his relationship with Sophie but it’s bearable with her there, however he struggles to remain in control of a situation that he has no control over; his illness and his relationship.Now though I know how this novel ends, there has got to be more to the story (hint). It wasn’t so much of a cliffhanger as it was an opening to expand the story and I sure hope the author does. Overall, I enjoyed reading it.

This book is all about Neil's illness, and how Sophie and he get thought his treatment. However, I found it very distracting the over use of the word "super" to describe almost anything. Super excited - super gorgeous, super thrilled, super guilty. There was no need for any adjective for many of the "super's", and it is lazy on the part of the author that she barely used anything other than super!Anyway, despite Neil's treatment, there were threesomes, sex clubs (very Night and Day) and more kinky exploration of each other. Not as good as the first book (which I read in about 2 days solid) as the bedroom scenes felt a bit contrived. Also as they didn't have their jobs and the people at work to focus on to break up the monotony, so it felt very inward facing. Sophie must have felt desolate and terribly lonely during the worst of Neil's treatment, but the book never touched on that a great deal.All In all, an OK book, but a bit of a let down from the first one.

Having read the first book which left us with a cliff hanger this one tidies up a bit of their lives. This book deals mainly with Neil's Leukaemia and goes into some detail. I have to commend the author for tackling this subject quite well and without giving the story line away, Sophie's new career is launched on the back of .his illness. I did not like the three-way. Totally unnecessary to the tale and unbelievable under the circumstances of the illness. Actually I felt as if each of the main character "thought" the other wanted it when they really were not comfortable. Or so it comes across to me.An Epilogue usually wraps up loose ends and therefore one would expect this story to finish here .... but no dear reader, we still have another 3 books to go if we want to see it to the end or give up now and use our imagination. Again well written and some humour thrown in. Heavier than part one but for me better. I would recommend you read both.

This was an incredible book. Absolutely amazing.I went straight onto this after finishing The Boss, the first book in this series and it didn't disappoint.I can't say much about the story without spoiling it, but suffice to say it dealt with a subject that I would usually consider to be mawkish and melodramatic in a way that was sweet, touching and unflinchingly realistic. Incredibly it also managed to be both hot and funny. The dialogue was particularly good.There was one scene right at the beginning (again, there's no way of saying any more without spoiling it) that was incredibly hard to read about. Of all the times that plot twist has come up in other books, I have never yet read a book where it is resolved the way it is in this book. Very brave - foolhardy even - on the part of the author. But that aside, it was absolutely brilliantly done, quite breathtaking.I have never read anything quite like this before.Highly recommended.

This is a beautiful second book to 'The Boss'. To watch (or more accurately imagine as you read) Neil and Sophie navigate the difficulties of Cancer treatment, the psychological backlash of it all, and the immersion into a new culture (for Sophie), the integration into existing circles or family and friend - all the while trying onto who they both were before cancer and the recent and sometimes tentative relationship they have built. How do two people who thrive on the physical intimacy of their relationship navigate a situation where it's often not possible in the most conventional sense. How does a man so used to control live through the most dire of health wherein he has absolutely no control? And how does a young woman, who was so recently resolved to never engage in anything but fleeting affairs, come to terms with the man she loves so deeply it hurts possibly leaving her behind?What more can I say?Oh yeah, READ IT!! :)

A reasonable extension of the first book - The Boss. I did however find this far weaker than the first. The character Neil battling cancer was indeed a very difficult subject to write erotic fiction around & although very honest, it didn't for me blend as well. The devious ex-wife, the spoilt daughter, Sophies New career as a writer & beauty you-tuber were great sub-plots, perhaps it would have been better for Neil to return to England for his mother or is daughter or more controversial his ex-wife because of their business partnership. If there was a third book in the series -The Wife I am not sure I would buy it. It just didn't gel for me - but I did read it to completion.