Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Total Creative Control
SERIES: Creative Types #1
AUTHORS: Joanna Chambers and Sally Malcolm
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 364 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 28, 2021
BLURB:
Sunshine PA, meet Grumpy Boss…
When fanfic writer Aaron Page landed a temp job with the creator of hit TV show, Leeches, it was only meant to last a week. Three years later, Aaron’s still there…
It could be because he loves the creative challenge. It could be because he’s a huge Leeches fanboy. It’s definitely not because of Lewis Hunter, his extremely demanding, staggeringly rude…and breathtakingly gorgeous boss.
Is it?
Lewis Hunter grew up the hard way and fought for everything he’s got. His priority is the show, and personal relationships come a distant second. Besides, who needs romance when you have a steady stream of hot men hopping in and out of your bed?
His only meaningful relationship is with Aaron, his chief confidante and indispensable assistant. And no matter how appealing he finds Aaron’s cute boy-next-door charms, Lewis would never risk their professional partnership just to scratch an itch.
But when Lewis finds himself trapped at a hilariously awful corporate retreat, Aaron is his only friend and ally. As the professional lines between them begin to blur, their simmering attraction starts to sizzle
… And they’re both about to get burned.
REVIEW:
Total Creative Control is a workplace romance between Aaron, a PA, and his boss, Lewis, the creative director for the wildly popular TV series, Leeches. Lewis and Aaron are a grumpy/sunshine pair. After a long line of failed temps who couldn’t tolerate working for the shockingly rude, blunt, and prickly Lewis, Aaron was hired for a one week PA position. Three years later, he’s still there working on script revisions and plotlining, in addition to catering to his boss’ every whim. Except sex. Lewis made it clear on day one there would never be sex between them.
Aaron is able to succeed in the job because he sees the brilliant talent, creativity, and passion beneath the gruff exterior. And Lewis had never had a better employee – someone who innately understands his vision and “gets” the characters. They work together on scripts as a well-oiled pair. Aaron passes up better job opportunities because he can’t resist staying inside Lewis’ electrifying orbit. But there’s an underlying connection that necessitates unspoken rules and boundaries like never socializing outside of work and maintaining physical distance from the other.
When they’re forced to attend a work-related, new age retreat consisting of chakra cleansing, attitude adjustment, and other exercises to get the creativity flowing, their relationship shifts. Aaron’s lust for Lewis multiplies, but he believes he’s an unremarkable guy who could never compete for Lewis’ affections. Meanwhile, events in Lewis’ past have sadly left him convinced he will never be a worthy romantic partner or anything more than just a sexual partner. He’s not built that way and knows nothing about feelings and intimacy.
The aspects of the book devoted to Leeches are quite interesting. The authors created a strong visual and understanding for life in a TV production office. There are strong side characters and Aaron’s involvement in the world of fanfic are also highlights. What I didn’t enjoy as much was the time spent at the Safehaven retreat where I felt the pace grew sluggish. There are some important aspects of Aaron and Lewis’ dynamic that occur there, and there’s some humor, but the strange body movement workshop became annoying after twenty pages. And the host’s obnoxious attitude toward Aaron and his bullying of Lewis were unbearable.
Overall, this is a solid romance. Readers who particularly enjoy grumpy/sunshine, boss/employee tropes should find the book satisfying.
RATING: 
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