REVIEW: "Hot Desk" by Zara Stoneley (Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy)

HOT DESK by Zara Stoneley
	Publisher: One More Chapter Genre: Romantic Comedy Publication Date: August 31st, 2021 Standalone: Yes
Categories/Tropes:
Alter Ego, Office Romance, TW: Mention of Covid Lockdowns
Description from Publisher:
Same desk, different days. A Post-it note is just the beginning.... A must-hear for fans of Beth O’Leary, Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Kinsella. Alice loves her job and wants to keep it - whatever the price. But then she’s told the company is switching to flexible working and hot desking.... Alice’s desk might look a mess, but she knows exactly where everything is. Or she did. Until she found out she’s going to share it with the most annoying guy in the office. Jamie can work from anywhere. He’s quite happy to sweep his work life into a box at the end of the working day. But can sharing a desk with Alice be as much fun as teasing her in person? With no option but to try it and see, will their relationship turn into open warfare, or will it ever progress beyond a Post-it note?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This started off a bit slow, but I really liked the human social aspects of dealing with coming back to work after experiencing lockdowns. No politics, and it wasn't a huge elephant in the room. The first several chapters, we meet Alice and really get into her head. She is someone who has a hard time setting boundaries with people and finding out she is going to have to share her safe place AND work from home permanently sets off big changes for her. The romance between her and Jamie was cute, and I loved the notes. It was what drew me into the book in the first place. I do feel it would have added a lot to the story to see Jamie's perspective at least a few timea. Especially since it is pretty obvious how he feels from the beginning. The plot twist about 70% in was where this went from a book I couldn't put down, to a book that started to lose my attention. It felt far-fetched and unnecessary, and I just wanted them together by then! Surely, their crisis could have been something else that Alice could support him through? My favorite part of this story was Alice's growth. She stops letting everyone else control her life and starts living the life she wants, learning first how to set proper boundaries. I liked that she found a balance and really started looking at her life and what she wanted. Perhaps it is because it is an ARC that I read, but the ending was surprisingly abrupt! I honestly had to double-check that there wasn't anything more! Overall, I thought this was an excellent rom com. Alice was relatable (despite wanting to work in the office), Jamie was cute in a cheeky and sweet way, their interactions fun.
My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author:
Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date. Born in a small village in the UK, she wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. After many (many) years, and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true. She writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally say 'ahhh'. Zara now lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.