Behind Frenemy Lines

Cho (The Friend Zone Experiment) charms in this sparkling tale of contentious coworkers discovering unexpected love. Londoner Kriya Rajasekar believes she and fellow lawyer Charles Goh are “bound together by an evil fate.” He’s been there to witness every one of her professional missteps, from misspeaking during a conference to literally falling flat on her face. When Kriya follows her boss, Arthur, to new firm Swithin Watkins, she’s distraught to learn that she and Charles, who also works there, will be sharing an office. The vibe is tense at first, but Kriya soon learns that Charles’s standoffishness stems from awkwardness rather than malice. As the two grow closer, Kriya uncovers Charles’s heart of gold—and his gifts in the bedroom. Her personal life is on an upswing, but escalating sexual harassment from one of Swithin Watkins’s partners puts Kriya’s professional life in jeopardy. Add in Kriya and Charles’s mutual inability to admit what they’re feeling, and their budding romance may well be doomed. Readers will have no trouble rooting for these two to overcome the obstacles to their relationship, and Cho makes her villains just as detestable as her protagonists are lovable. Several cute subplots, including the anime-themed wedding of Charlie’s cousin, Loretta, to her American fiancée, Hayley, add to the fun. This is a joy. (July)