Books › Playing hard to get
Playing hard to get
First published 1992 · 220 pages
A soapy, high-angst newsroom romance where professional boundaries clash with undeniable attraction.
What it feels like
Stepping into this vintage romance feels like walking onto the set of a 1990s workplace soap opera, where the hum of the newsroom is merely a backdrop for intense, simmering interpersonal drama. The narrative moves at a brisk, dialogue-driven pace, plunging the reader straight into a high-stakes game of emotional push-and-pull. It is a world defined by sharp suits, hidden vulnerabilities, and the electric tension of office politics colliding with private desires. The prose is direct and unapologetically dramatic, focusing heavily on the internal angst and guarded secrets of its fiercely independent heroine. It will thoroughly delight fans of classic category romance who crave the nostalgic thrill of relentless pursuit, stubborn emotional walls, and the inevitable, passionate surrender.
- Mood
- tense
- passionate
- bustling
- secretive
- Tone
- dramatic
- earnest
- intense
- soapy
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- workplace romance · fear of commitment · hidden vulnerabilities · office politics · emotional walls
- The writing
- Direct and emotionally charged, relying heavily on sharp dialogue and internal romantic angst.
- The arc
- A guarded professional slowly dismantles her emotional walls in the face of relentless, passionate pursuit.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love the high-stakes emotional drama and push-and-pull dynamics of vintage 90s category romance.
Content notes
- workplace power dynamics
- mild sexual content
About the book
Was she leading a secret life outside of the office?
Valerie Knight knew the meaning of commitment. As a feature writer with the Sentinel she'd fought for the articles she believed in. She knew the risks and rewards of getting the story.
But what about commitment in her private life? Gib Collingwood, the paper's financial editor, had been relentlessly pursuing her. Valerie was obviously attracted to him, yet she seemed determined to keep him at a distance.
Was there someone else - someone Gib didn't know about - in Valerie's life? Or was she simply emulating her employer, Gina Tyrrell, whose rejection of Sentinel boss Nick Caspian was common knowledge? Was she avoiding office gossip? Or was Valerie simply playing hard to get...?
Barbary Wharf is home to more than a newspaper. It's home to a group of men and women whose careers - and passions - are intertwined....
Description from Open Library.
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