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galleytrot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
READ: May 2023
FORMAT: Audio
BRIEF SUMMARY:
In this contemporary romance, Justin lands a job as Sam’s assistant in his new consulting firm, but the CFO always seems to either be disapproving or antagonistic towards Justin. Eli can’t help but act on the subtle and not-so-subtle submissive cues that Justin keeps sending his way, and their attraction to one another keeps ramping up in a way they cannot ignore for long. Once their tastes are all but confirmed, all bets are off and the sparks are electrifying, but they both have demons from their pasts to face before they can give themselves up entirely.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4 / 5⭐
Oh boy, and also: wow.
If the first book in the Takeover series felt like a barely-serious romp with a passable attempt at plot and an underwhelming wrap-up, this one sure takes a wild turn in tone from what we started with. This book leans far heavier into angst and complications from past tragedies, and their affect on an already-complex relationship dynamic. This one also has an extensive foreplay before it explodes with the spice, where the first book just dives right into it head first. I was not adequately prepared for what I was getting into here.
Oh boy, and also: wow.
If the first book in the Takeover series felt like a barely-serious romp with a passable attempt at plot and an underwhelming wrap-up, this one sure takes a wild turn in tone from what we started with. This book leans far heavier into angst and complications from past tragedies, and their affect on an already-complex relationship dynamic. This one also has an extensive foreplay before it explodes with the spice, where the first book just dives right into it head first. I was not adequately prepared for what I was getting into here.
Eli is a dom in the scene with a reputation for being rather intense. He has survivor’s guilt from an accident in his teens, an event which was also the catalyst for losing the love and support of his parents. The struggle of both his damaged leg and his mental health is ongoing but being managed. Justin has uprooted from his old life and left the scene behind after losing control to someone with bad intentions, and is diligently working towards getting things back on track. Eli’s attentions are igniting Justin’s fires again, and he feels ready to begin exploring the Pittsburgh scene – on the same night Eli happens to be there, looking to blow off some steam.
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 3.25 / 5⭐
Right off the top, I felt like the length of this book was disproportionate to the content of it, which is a fancy way of saying: I think this book was longer than it needed to be, and I think that the conflict was dragged out for longer than it should have been. The first book was a 7 hour listen to this book’s 10 hours, and I’m thinking the opposite would have been more appropriate in both cases. This one didn’t even have the excuse of a business plot – all business-related story goes completely out the window the moment our men bone down.
I have a fairly complex relationship with angst in romance books. If it feels properly earned, I can sit in on a lengthy healing process for our main characters and wait for them to reach their destination over a reasonable span of time. That being said, I took issue with how much time was spent on Justin’s spiral, and then again with how long it took to start repairing things after they went terribly wrong. I liked Justin’s character decently well, right up until every other thought was a constant flux between: “Eli’s just like the rest of them.”/ “Eli’s different from the rest of them.” From that point on, I was impatient and ready for him to be done with his arc. Unfortunately for me, it went on for much too long.
FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 3.75 / 5⭐
Boy, I did not expect this turn in the series from what the first book established. This one felt far more like one of my typical reads than the previous one did. It also shows me that I ought to give it more than one chance for an author to wow me – book one kept me biased away from trying another Zabo work, and I see now that was unfair of me.
This book has representation for gays. A couple of characters experience physical impairments and chronic pain from traumatic incidents. A large number of side-characters are given ethnically diverse names, and one of our leads was raised Jewish and is largely respectful/accepting of his faith, despite the hurt it has caused him.
The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Outing, Cursing, Sexual violence, Ableism, Car accident, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Emotional abuse, Confinement, Toxic relationship, and War
littlewishling's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I adored this! I loved Eli so much and Zabo’s writing was truly captivating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Car accident and Death
Minor: Homophobia
_isabel_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Well, excuse me while I cry my eyes out.
"Just Business" was gut-wrenching, intense and absolutely beautiful. Anna Zabo is slowly but surely becoming my go-to author when I want to read something deliciously kinky AND wonderfully angsty.
I loved and preferred "Takeover" a bit more, but I'm still very, very satisfied with this book.
I'm also quite surprised: I was expecting kink and romance and yes, angst too, but not the sheer intensity of this book. Eli and Justin were both fabulous (and fabulously real and complex and flawed) leads, but they're both very, very intense. And both of them are also scarred and vulnerable and insecure, and they fit together so well.
Witnessing their journey was difficult, but an absolute joy at the same time, and I'm so very proud of them both. Eli in particular, I fell for him from the start and I simultaneously wanted to blush from the stuff the says and does and jump into the book to keep him safe.
Justin, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult to love, unconditionally at least: he's been through hell though, and I appreciated how much his past trauma must have scarred him and changed him. I ended up loving him in the end.
Sam's presence was very, very welcome (I LOVE HIM SO MUCH UGH: is it too soon to re-read "Takeover"?), and now I'm so looking forward to reading the next book. I'm not sure what I should expect, but knowing Anna Zabo (and their talent!), I'm sure I won't be disappointed.
"Just Business" was gut-wrenching, intense and absolutely beautiful. Anna Zabo is slowly but surely becoming my go-to author when I want to read something deliciously kinky AND wonderfully angsty.
I loved and preferred "Takeover" a bit more, but I'm still very, very satisfied with this book.
I'm also quite surprised: I was expecting kink and romance and yes, angst too, but not the sheer intensity of this book. Eli and Justin were both fabulous (and fabulously real and complex and flawed) leads, but they're both very, very intense. And both of them are also scarred and vulnerable and insecure, and they fit together so well.
Witnessing their journey was difficult, but an absolute joy at the same time, and I'm so very proud of them both. Eli in particular, I fell for him from the start and I simultaneously wanted to blush from the stuff the says and does and jump into the book to keep him safe.
Justin, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult to love, unconditionally at least: he's been through hell though, and I appreciated how much his past trauma must have scarred him and changed him. I ended up loving him in the end.
Sam's presence was very, very welcome (I LOVE HIM SO MUCH UGH: is it too soon to re-read "Takeover"?), and now I'm so looking forward to reading the next book. I'm not sure what I should expect, but knowing Anna Zabo (and their talent!), I'm sure I won't be disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
millah's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked this one, especially the writing style with the tempting mix of emotion, tension and humour. The love story pulled me in from the start and the characters and their interaction were engaging. Justin and Eli had huge traumas in their past and I was curious about how that would influence their story. I liked how the tension and attraction built between them. It was intense (almost too much to be believable but not too much, if that makes sense). The hot times between them and the kink were steamy and seemed well negotiated. We got some hints that they both had issues that they didn't talk about and that these things could end up destroying everything. And yes, when the shit finally hit the fan, it was really shitty. I couldn't help feeling that some of it could have been avoided, so the last part of this book felt a bit heavy on miscommunication and trauma-induced angst. Still, the writing was good, and the whole situation made my heart ache for Justin and Eli and kept the tension up. It's hard to resolve a conflict like this in a satisfying way (at least for me and my hangups), but it ended up better than I feared. I won't spoil it, but I appreciated the communication. The last part of the book and the ending was a very sweet HEA ending. To sum it up, this book was an enjoyable read and I'll definitely read the next book in this series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Minor: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Classism, Homophobia, Outing, and Religious bigotry
penguinsquack's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
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