The Assignment by Penelope Ward-Review Tour

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GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60117823

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 28, 2022

Reasons why I should not be drawn to Troy Serrano.
Number one: He’s obnoxious.
Number two: He and I were enemies over a decade ago in high school.
Number three: He’s my friend’s ex-boyfriend.
I could go on and on, really.
When my boss gives me an unwanted assignment and tells me it involves spending time with the grandson of one of our residents—the grandson turns out to be Troy. He’s now as successful as he is undeniably handsome.
Lucky me. Four hours a week of having to deal with his insufferable personality and unsolicited advice.
The only consolation is getting to stare at his annoyingly gorgeous face in between our many arguments.
Eventually, though, we slowly warm to each other and our outings become something I actually look forward to.
What’s happening to me?
Apparently, I misunderstood the assignment, because it certainly didn’t include thinking about Troy when I close my eyes at night, imagining what it would be like with him—just once. All the while hating myself for fantasizing about a guy who’s all wrong for me. A guy whose car I keyed back in the day. (Long story, but he deserved it.)
That’s all this is—a fantasy.
Well, until that one night at the bar.
The night Troy and I run into each other, and all of our pent-up frustration comes barreling out.
Still, I refuse to accept that it means anything.
There’s no way the guy I’m supposed to hate is also the one I can’t live without.

••••••••••

REVIEW:THE ASSIGNMENT by Penelope Ward is a contemporary, adult stand alone erotic, romance story line focusing on twenty nine year old financial advisor Troy Serrano, and seniors activities coordinator Aspyn Dumont.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Aspyn and Troy) THE ASSIGNMENT follows the friends to friends with benefits to lovers relationship between twenty nine year old financial advisor Troy Serrano, and activities coordinator Aspyn Dumont. Ten years earlier, Troy Serrano cheated on Jasmine, his then high school girlfriend and Aspyn’s friend. Aspyn retaliated, doing damage and humiliating our story line hero, never forgiving him for the pain he caused. Fast forward to present day wherein Aspyn, now a single parent still living and working in their home town of Meadowbrook, comes face to face with a man she hasn’t seen in close to ten years, a man who gives as good as he gets. Assigned to chaperone Troy Serrano’s grandfather Giovanni on his excursions outside of the home, Aspyn and Troy would find themselves pulled together by an unknown force, a force that will be divided when the truth about what happened years before, reveals a betrayal at a different level. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Troy and Aspyn, and the potential fall-out as Troy’s time in Meadowbrook come to an unscheduled close.

The relationship between Troy and Aspyn is an enemies to friends with benefits to lovers relationship predicated by circumstance and fate. The fall-out of Aspyn’s early years have relegated our heroine to her home town of Meadowbrook, and reuniting with her high school friend’s former boyfriend feels all kinds of right and wrong. Troy Serrano is only in town for a couple of months, seeing to his grandfather while his father is away. Now working and living in Seattle, Washington, Troy has no plans for the future but his attraction to Aspyn is fuelled by the ongoing anger of a teenaged fall-out. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text but I dislike the use of a certain four-letter word, used once more for shock value than anything else.

The world building includes the troubled past of our story line heroine, the reasons she remained in her hometown of Meadowbrook, and the heart break of a man who struggles with rejection.

We are introduced to Troy’s grandfather Giovanni Serrano; Aspyn’s niece Kiki; her friend Jasmine and husband Cole, as well as Aspyn’s co-worker Shala, and Troy’s friend Eric.

THE ASSIGNMENT is a story of family and relationships, betrayal and forgiveness, love and acceptance. The premise is spirited and clever ; the characters are stubborn, animated and real; the romance is edgy and seductive.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.