Review: The Office Games by Whitney G
/Book Summary
All I wanted for Christmas was for my most-loathed coworker to get hit by a bus.
Unfortunately, Santa decided to give him a promotion: my BOSS…
I couldn't afford to quit, so I suffered through his egotistical reign and hoped that my wish would be granted next season.
Does Santa even read our lists anymore?
Between an ice storm for the ages, getting arrested for “breaking and entering,” I wind up trapped inside his car for a never-ending road trip, and any time I think the journey home can't get worse, the universe throws me another wicked curveball.
The games are just beginning...
The third book in the bestselling Holiday Homecoming Collection.
Review
The Office Games was a very disappointing read. Unfortunately, there is little that I liked regarding this story. Taryn and James have worked at the same marketing company for years. They have a rivalry and have been trying to sabotage each other. For example, Taryn had her assistant slash James’ tires, and James had locked her out of the building. Both are up for the same promotion. James is promoted over Taryn for a reason that isn’t explained nor does the book attempt to prove why either deserved the promotion. Instead, the book skips one year later after a few short chapters.
Something that happened before the skip is worth mentioning. James visits Taryn’s house and they have dinner together and watch television. It’s alluded that this is something that has happened often. That little detail would have made the book more compelling if it had been explored more. Two rivals who hate each other at the office but secretly find comfort in each other outside office hours? I would have loved that if done correctly. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen in The Office Games. As mentioned before there is a one-year time skip, and canceled flights force Taryn and James to drive together to Colorado for the holidays. Taryn and James lack real chemistry and almost all their interactions felt forced and rushed. I don’t for once second believe any of their love confessions. Not only that but the plot points are weak and predicted, and everything feels disconnected. I haven’t even touched on the memory loss plot.
Back when she was a teenager, Taryn was involved in an accident and lost her memory. While in college, she made a Christmas pact with a friend (Cameron) that if they were single when they were turn thirty, they would get married. I don’t understand how Taryn didn’t immediately see red flags when talking to Cameron. Like James, he had cringy dialogue, but he was much worse and so much pushier. It’s obvious how the memory plot will play out as the story progresses, and it’s a lackluster conclusion.
Final Thoughts
The Office Games was poorly written with a lackluster romance, cringy dialogue, and a weak, predictable plot. There’s zero emotional depth here. And the most hideous crime is that for a book called The Office Games, there is barely any time spent in the office. Most of the time is spent in the car.
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