ANYONE BUT NICK (Anyone But …#3) by Penelope Bloom-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 21, 2020

Seven years ago, I swore I’d never date Nick King. Ever.
Now I’m supposed to work under him—and no, despite the way he glares like he wants to strip me bare, I mean he’ll be my boss. But what better way to prove I’m really over him, right?
I was a nerdy overachiever in high school, and Nick was my hopeless crush. I even laminated a note he passed to me; granted, I had a thing for laminators, but that’s beside the point.
Now, my only shot at getting my life back on track is to crawl to him on my knees and pray I nail the interview. Maybe I should pray that’s the only thing that gets nailed in his office—especially since he looks like he wants to devour me.
Nick broke my heart once. But hey, I’m still pretty handy with a laminator. Maybe I could run my heart through one before I take this job.

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REVIEW: ANYONE BUT NICK is the third and final instalment in Penelope Bloom’s contemporary, adult ANYONE BUT… romance series focusing on the King brothers: twins Rich and Cade, and younger brother Nick. This is billionaire businessman Nick King, and Miranda Collins’ story line. ANYONE BUT NICK can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: Seven years earlier high school friends Miranda, Kira and Iris made a promise to never date the King brothers in response to heartbreak, secret and lies that spiralled out of control. Fast forward to present day wherein the King brothers have returned to their hometown of West Valley, North Carolina in an effort to upstart a new division in their billion dollar high tech industry.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Nick and Miranda) ANYONE BUT NICK follows the enemies to friends relationship between billionaire businessman Nick King, and Miranda Collins. In high school, Miranda Collins had been secretly in love with Nick King but our hero mistakenly thought that an anonymous poem written by Miranda was written by her friend Kira, and made a play for someone else. Fast forward to present day wherein Miranda is at a crossroads in both her personal and professional life finds herself the new vice-president of the King brother’s latest business acquisition. Working for Nick King means up close and personal with the man that destroyed her heart, a man who had been secretly in love with our heroine, in return. What ensues is the tempestuous but building relationship and romance between Nick and Miranda, and the potential fall-out as Miranda’s past comes looking for a second chance by taking aim at the King family dynasty.

Miranda Collins has a love-hate relationship with Nicholas King, a relationship destroyed by a case of mistaken belief, and a perception of unrequited love. Working directly under our story line hero forces all of the old feelings front and center, especially when Nick organizes a employee weekend, that is about to pull the couple into a potential disaster that will quickly get out of control. Nick wants Miranda Collins, and making a play for his new vice-president means admitting his heart has always wanted our story line heroine but the yin and yang of their personal relationship is fraught with sexual tension and barely controlled tension and anxiety. The $ex scenes are passionate and intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters are colorful and fun. Reporter Max Frost is looking for some dirt on the King Brother’s empire. We are reintroduced to Nick’s twin brothers Rich and his wife Kira; Cade and Iris, and Cade’s son Bear; as well as their parents Harper and Edna King. Miranda’s ex boyfriend Robbie is determined to pull Miranda back into his life even if it means using every game necessary to destroy the man with whom she has fallen in love.

ANYONE BUT NICK is a story of family and friendships; betrayal and revenge. The premise is fast paced and entertaining; the romance is seductive and captivating; the characters are energetic, and real-the witty banter and child-like humor of Cade King is alone, worth the price of admission to Anyone But Nick.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Anyone but Rich
Anyone but Cade

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy