Better Date than Never series, Book #7

Career-driven attorney, Jill Parnell, has worked long and hard to become a partner at Corbett, Gray, & Shaw. When the coveted position is given to the boss’s nephew, she does what any intelligent employee would do—attends a colleague’s wedding and schmoozes a high-powered partner at another law firm.

Her potential new boss has only one condition for her, that she demonstrate a personal life that will support a thriving career. Pretending to have a boyfriend is outside Jill’s comfort zone, but she invites the best man to act the part and Ryan is all-too eager to play her significant other. Sparks fly between them, but she reminds herself she’s only driven to date to get back on the partner track.

When Jill discovers Ryan is the lawyer who stole her promotion, her charade threatens to implode. But breaking off their pretend relationship could cost her the job of her dreams. And the more she gets to know Ryan, the more she’s tempted to tame the bad boy, and make him her own.

MY REVIEW:

Susan Hatler gives us another great story about a love that just can’t be denied. Jill and Ryan have a rocky road to finding love but it’s a wonderful journey and worth it in the end.

DRIVEN TO DATE is the story of Jill Parnell, an independent, focused, career-driven attorney with no quality time for a personal life. She has worked diligently for the last five years on what she believed was a partner track at her law firm. When the promotion she expected to get was given instead to an outsider her world imploded.

Just days later Jill meets Ryan at the wedding of her friends, Ethan and Kristen, where he is the Best Man. They both feel an immediate attraction between them, but Jill sees Ryan’s flirtatious lines as warning of a practiced player and heartbreaker. She doesn’t have time in her life for a boyfriend and certainly not for a broken heart so she blows him off. But then a need to prove to someone important she has a balanced life has her grabbing Ryan to be her ten minute boyfriend. He goes along, charms her, dances with her, and passionately kisses her right out on the dance floor which gets the rumors of Jill’s hot new romance flying.

Ryan Shaw is the very handsome and successful nephew of one of the partners of Jill’s firm. He went to college and law school with Jill’s friend Ethan. He is also known as the turkey who (unknowingly) stole Jill’s job as a managing attorney at her firm. Everyone at the firm knows Jill deserved that promotion, but can’t help liking Ryan. Especially when it’s apparent he’s qualified for the job.

When Jill returns to work Monday only to discover the sexy guy she kissed is none other than the rat who took her job, and her new boss, the sparks fly between them again. Jill might be furious, but Ryan is smitten and not ready to give up on his chance with Jill. He wants to change his boyfriend status to permanent and is not afraid to enlist help from her friends and coworkers.

I enjoy Ms. Hatler’s fun, realistic, and clean writing style, and reading Driven to Date did not disappoint. Jill and Ryan’s story was at times humorous and charming, yet at other times frustrating, but at all times a pleasure to read. Their story includes many beloved characters from the previous books in the Better Date Than Never series, which to me is always a bonus. It also introduced new characters I hope to learn more about in future books.