The Work Husband - Sophie Ranald

ou’re just friends that work together. Nothing more. Riiiiiiiiight?

When Georgia’s boyfriend Sam tells her he’s meeting up with his ex, she’s living every girlfriend’s worst nightmare. Because it’s not just any ex, it’s his first love – the relationship everyone thought would last forever. Convinced she’s one pinot-grigio-fuelled evening away from having to argue custody of their beloved cat, she turns to her work husband for help.

Jamie fixes all Georgia’s work crises (like that time she jammed the printer so badly it started smoking…) so when he suggests faking a romance to make Sam jealous, she’s all ears. After all, he’s already her work husband, how hard can it be to pretend he’s something more?

From flirty texts to a dangerous number of G&Ts in the local pub, Jamie’s declarations of love soon start to get out of hand. Suddenly, Georgia’s not sure her work husband was the best choice to help her keep hold of her (hopefully) future husband.

Georgia has watched enough romcoms to know office romances are not a good idea and, as she soon finds out, even fake ones can be dangerous… Is she prepared for what happens when fake dating turns out to be not so fake after all?

A warm and fabulous romantic comedy, perfect for anyone who has ever thought about crossing the line at work. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Sophie Kinsella and Mhairi McFarlane.

My review

It's no surprise that many of the reviews of this book are quite low; it's a hard book to review. From the title, blurb and cover, I was expecting something completely different. It's a bit of a shame, as I can see that might put off a lot of people, but if you put aside those first expectations, it is an enjoyable read. 

This isn't a fun romantic comedy between workmates. This is more about what makes a relationship, the trust that builds it and how sometimes a good relationship is less about the good times and more to do with how you handle the bad ones.

The main issue I have with this book is Georgia's boyfriend, Sam. I don't want to give away spoilers, but I found his behaviour to be so annoying and wrong, but that is never addressed. In all honesty, everyone seems to behave badly, one way or another, but there was something about it that felt a bit more real than most romances.

If you go into this wanting a fun romcom, then there's a good chance you'll be disappointed and not find what you're looking for. If you don't expect that and instead want to read a story of less-than-perfect people trying to find their way in a relationship, then you might get a bit more out of it.