Review by Booklist Review
Emerson loves everything about being a kindergarten teacher. Well, almost everything. The painfully low salary leaves something to be desired. Tired of pinching pennies, she finally agrees to attend a Petunia Lemon convention with her boss to hear a pitch about selling the luxury skincare brand. The pitch works: Emerson finds herself shelling out hundreds of dollars to join the "sisters in skincare" team. While treating herself to a celebratory cocktail, Emerson meets Lucas and sparks fly all the way to his hotel room. After an amazing night, Emerson discovers Lucas is an investigative reporter doing a piece on Petunia Lemon to expose their predatory tactics, and he learns she's a newly minted sales rep. Both feel hoodwinked and are certain their paths will never cross again. But fate has other plans. When the school year kicks into gear, they discover that Lucas' daughter is a student in Emerson's class. As their chemistry rekindles, she realizes that something fishy is going on at Petunia Lemon, and they pair up to bring the MLM down. Martin's latest novel will delight rom-com readers looking for a fast-paced spicy read with a fresh plotline.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A multilevel marketing scheme leads to unexpected love in this entertaining rom-com from Martin (Next-Door Nemesis). Kindergarten teacher Emerson Pierce became a representative for skin care company Petunia Lemon to supplement her income. While at a Petunia Lemon convention in Denver, she meets dreamy Lucas Miller at the hotel's rooftop bar and they share a memorable night together. The next morning, however, Lucas reveals that he's an investigative journalist working on an exposé about Petunia Lemon and bashes Emerson for working with them. What Emerson doesn't know is that Lucas's ex-wife was sucked in by the MLM and ran the family's finances into the ground before abandoning them. Now Lucas is left to see his daughter through kindergarten alone. He's shocked when the first day of school rolls around and Emerson turns out to be her teacher. Eventually, Emerson recognizes Petunia Lemon for the scam it is, and she offers to work with Lucas to expose the company's lies from the inside. The result is an equally sweet and scintillating romance that offers plentiful humor and a feel-good vibe enhanced by Emerson's supportive friend group. Readers will have no trouble rooting for this cute couple. Agent: Jessica Watterson, Dijkstra Literary. (July)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A kindergarten teacher finds herself falling for the parent of one of her students as they team up to take down a sketchy company. Emerson Pierce loves her job as a kindergarten teacher, up to and including everything except her salary. Desperate for the opportunity to make more money--and to connect with other women her own age--she throws herself into becoming a salesperson for skincare company Petunia Lemon after being recruited by a co-worker. All she has to do is invest some of her savings first, and she'll make all that money back tenfold in no time. If it sounds too good to be true, that's because it is; investigative reporter Lucas Miller has been sniffing around Petunia Lemon and their borderline-illegal activity ever since his ex-wife got suckered into their act. He has every intention of writing an article to expose the company, and sneaking into their convention at a local hotel seems like the perfect way to do it. When Emerson and Lucas lock eyes on each other at the rooftop bar, it's lust at first sight, and a steamy hookup soon follows. Emerson expects to leave her one-night stand behind as soon as she and Lucas part ways, but the beginning of a new school year has a surprise in store for her: He's the father of one of her students. Emerson wants to keep things professional, but when she starts catching on to Petunia Lemon's more sinister underbelly, she reaches out to Lucas in a moment of desperation. Now, the two of them have to team up in order to reveal the company's dirty dealings, all while fighting the attraction between them that has never truly dissipated. Martin's latest delivers all of her signature humor, but the plot struggles to strike a balance between sizzling romance and the takedown of a predatory pyramid scheme. Still, Emerson and Lucas' chemistry, which builds within the background of their reluctant investigative work, as well as Emerson's strengthening relationship with Lucas' endearing daughter, is the book's best component. A steamy rom-com that doesn't sell all of its elements successfully. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
