Risky Business - by Annabelle Slator (Paperback)

About the Book

"When tech founder Jess Cole is struggling to gain funding for her company, she begins to wonder if it's because she's a woman in the male-dominated tech industry-especially due to a former incident and subsequent NDA that's been following her for years. In an act of financial desperation, she applies to a competition for start-ups using her twin brother Spencer's name, pretending to be a man. To her surprise, it works! As though she's discovered the ultimate industry cheat code, Jess and Spencer are invited into the exclusive world of Tech Rumble, an annual innovation competition hosted on the world's stage by tech darling Dominic Orsino. Spencer, an out-of-work actor, must pretend to be the CEO, and Jess must become his loyal "assistant," Violet. Spencer is thrust into the limelight; charming Dominic and the competition judges but making promises Jess can't keep-or afford. "Violet" is introduced to the handsome Oliver, a fellow assistant who shows her how to let her hair down and enjoy life outside the pressures of her job. But she soon discovers falling for Oliver is riskier than any mistake Spencer has made. During wild nights with Oliver in Rome, secret rendezvous in Paris, and luxurious parties in Vienna, Jess must navigate the competition and try to stay on top of her lies, especially when someone from her past comes sniffing around, putting her ruse at risk"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

In this whip-smart romance, a woman desperate to keep her start-up afloat is forced to pose as her brother's assistant during a tech competition, hoping a male-led company will be taken more seriously, only to find her secret identity compromised when she has a hot one-night stand with the head of the competition's assistant.

When tech founder Jess Cole is struggling to gain funding for her company, she begins to wonder if it's because she's a woman in the male-dominated tech industry--especially due to a former incident and subsequent NDA that's been following her for years. In an act of financial desperation, she applies to a competition for start-ups using her twin brother Spencer's name, pretending to be a man. To her surprise, it works! As though she's discovered the ultimate industry cheat code, Jess and Spencer are invited into the exclusive world of Tech Rumble, an annual innovation competition hosted on the world's stage by tech darling Dominic Orsino.

Spencer, an out-of-work actor, must pretend to be the CEO, and Jess must become his loyal "assistant," Violet. Spencer is thrust into the limelight; charming Dominic and the competition judges but making promises Jess can't keep--or afford.

"Violet" is introduced to the handsome Oliver, a fellow assistant who shows her how to let her hair down and enjoy life outside the pressures of her job. But she soon discovers falling for Oliver is riskier than any mistake Spencer has made.

During wild nights with Oliver in Rome, secret rendezvous in Paris, and luxurious parties in Vienna, Jess must navigate the competition and try to stay on top of her lies, especially when someone from her past comes sniffing around, putting her ruse at risk.

A nod to the early 2000s Shakespeare adaptations, this twist on The Twelfth Night is a fast-paced steamy ride from start to finish!

Tropes:

meet cuteone-night stand turns to moreheroine in disguisemistaken identity

Review Quotes

"Flirty and full of heart, Annabelle Slator's debut is a dream date in book form. With a deeply relatable heroine who recovers her faith in romance amid enemies-to-lovers tension and workplace hijinks, The Launch Date has everything." - Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of The Roughest Draft

"Whoop, whoop! A sensational debut rom-com has landed! This debut has everything you could want: a fabulously funny and relatable leading lady and a swoon-worthy man with just the right amount of brood. Prepare to fall in love with Eric and Grace as they battle it out for a promotion and try very hard not to fall in love. The Launch Date is a witty, sparkly, and hilarious book for fans of The Hating Game. Prepare to put Annabelle Slator on auto-buy." - Lizzy Dent, author of The Summer Job

"Slator makes her debut with a deliciously smart and fun rom-com that cheekily channels the dryly witty charm of Bridget Jones's Diary while also demonstrating her own mastery of snappy banter and sizzling sexual chemistry. With its thoughtful characterization and important message about embracing one's own sense of self-worth, this is an absolute delight." - Booklist (starred review)

"The Launch Date is a gorgeous, rivals to lovers workplace romcom with a tension-fueled setup, incredible banter and a heroine and hero I fell for on page one. It's the perfect blend of sweet and sexy, it's so uplifting and it left me with a huge smile on my face. Grace is a fabulous heroine, and everyone honestly needs an Eric Bancroft in their life - there were a couple of places where I felt my heart might actually be melting." - Cressida McLaughlin, author of The Secret Christmas Bookshop

"The Launch Date is a witty, banter-filled romance with palpable tension and heaps of charm, a workplace romance perfect for weekend bingeing" - Nadia El-Fassi, author of Best Hex Ever

"The Launch Date is what rom-com dreams are made of! With a swoony hero and a relatable heroine, the chemistry between the two is magical and sexy. I couldn't put it down! I adored this phenomenal debut!" - Katie Holt, author of Not in my Book

"Annabelle Slator's The Launch Date was hilarious and I couldn't put it down. I'm a sucker for a workplace romance and the enemies-to-lovers trope, and this book did not disappoint. I was swooning for Eric and rooting for him and Grace to reconcile their friendship and end up together." - Donna Marchetti, author of Hate Mail

"Slator, a former marketing manager for [a] real-life dating app, debuts with a slow-burn romance that will satisfy readers who enjoyed Sally Thorne's The Hating Game." - Library Journal

"Risky Business is the kind of romcom that will have you clawing at the pages, desperate to know what happens next. Sharp, witty and hot as hell!" - Chloe Ford, author of Work Trip

"Annabelle Slator has cemented herself as one of my favorite new voices in romance. Fresh and hilarious, Risky Business is full of nail-biting drama, rich character growth, and a strong message, proving that romance is anything but fluff. If you're not reading Annabelle Slator, you're doing it wrong. I loved it!" - Jack Strange, author of Look Up, Handsome

"Slator entertains with this lively contemporary romance...Jess's efforts to fulfill her business dream are admirable, and her chemistry with Oliver feels organic. It's easy to root for these two to find a happy ending." - Publisher's Weeky

"Slator's (The Launch Date) Twelfth Night adaptation is the perfect blend of romance and workplace drama, with snappy dialogue and a satisfying ending. Great for fans of Jess Q. Sutanto's Worth Fighting For." - Library Journal

"Risky Business is a total triumph of a romcom! Sparkling with witty banter and chemistry, you can't help but love the brilliantly fun chaos and steamy romance of Annabelle Slater's latest book!" - Beth Reekles, author of The Kissing Booth

"Fun, so brilliantly written...deserves to be huge and I will be grabbing strangers on the street to demand they read it" - Lucy Vine, author of Hot Mess

"Slator cleverly constructs another deliciously acerbic, British-flavored rom-com that offers readers not only plenty of saucy humor and serious sexual chemistry but also valuable insights into the challenges women face in the tech industry." - Booklist

"This is one not to be missed." - Red Carpet Crash

"RISKY BUSINESS has all the right moves for readers...a fine, enjoyable tale that you won't want to miss." - Romance Reviews Today

"Hot, romantic, and charmingly funny." - The AR Critique