THE BOSS'S DEMAND is the love story of a tycoon from Oman Elan Al Mansur and a hardworking girl from Wisconsin, Sara Daly. Set in the deserts of Nevada and Oman, this story will keep you hooked from the very first page. The oil tycoon who lives in Nevada is reluctant to have a twenty-five year old single woman working. He is sick of his executive assistants throwing themselves at him instead of doing their work. Sara bogged down by her mum’s chemotherapy, bills and the urge to help her siblings get out of debt, challenges her new boss to give her a month to prove herself. She does so by threatening a law suit.

Resisting her tall, dark, and handsome boss’s attraction is easier said than done. Soon Sara realizes what her predecessors had to take on a daily basis and still remain immune. Despite all the challenges Elan throws at her, Sara gives as good as she gets, excelling in her job as well as adding that extra something by making the workplace more cheerful in her inimitable way. A month later and many tasks successfully completed, Elan is forced to break his own rules when he falls for the warm and gentle yet ambitious and intelligent woman who works for him.

The inevitable happens when the two give in to the strong attraction between them but almost immediately regret the passion and the sharing.   Both Elan and Sara begin to wonder how to get beyond their surprisingly wild night and its consequences. Eventually they discover each other for who they really are on the inside. Not as a boss and his efficient assistant, but a caring, stubborn, yet vulnerable man who reveals his loving heart to the feisty and intelligent, yet deeply loving girl. As they fall in love they tackle their past and learn to open their hearts not just to each other but to family as well.

I really enjoyed this book and stayed glued to it for the three hours it took to read. It may be the same business affair cliché but the characterization of Elan and Sara is so multi-faceted and their interaction so feisty that it makes for a wonderful read. I particularly loved how Sara, an ambitious executive has no qualms in biking to her office. It may be out of financial constraints but the Greenway being worked into the plot made the story extra special for me.

The well-rounded characters, the eco-friendly twist on the standard boss-assistant love story and the wonderful dialogue makes for a novel. I give it a straight A. So people, if you are someone like me who loves tales of business affairs and the hint of the suave middle-eastern boss, go ahead and pick up Jennifer Lewis’ latest when it hits stand in July.

June 25, 2007