Piece of Work by Staci Hart

Series: Red Lipstick Coalition, #1
# of Pages: 297
Publication: March 12th, 2019
Genre: Romantic Comedy
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Marble isn’t the only thing that’s hard at this museum. His body is as chiseled as Adonis. His lips are as sculpted as David. And his ego is the size of the Guggenheim. You know the type—wolfish smile and the gravity of a black hole. The kind of man who sucks all the air from the room the second he enters it. My cocky boss thinks this internship was wasted on me, and he doesn’t hesitate to let me know. But he’s wrong, and I’m going to prove it to him. If I can stay away from his devil lips, that is. Lips that cut me down and kiss me in the same breath, leaving me certain he’s on a mission to ruin my life. And maybe my heart.

For some reason over the past couple of weeks I've been really engrossed in reading any and every romance book that I can get my hands on. Prior to this year, I wasn't really the reader of a lot of romance books; however, after listening to a few of my friends in the book community I raced for the opportunity to try some out. Every since then I've been devouring them. Piece of Work is a romantic comedy title that I specifically checked out for a small reading marathon that was happening here in the blogging community. Read for Grace was a way to honor the memory of Grace over at Rebel Mommy Book Blog. This year she lost her battle with breast cancer so a few of her closest friends created a day in which we would honor her by reading books off of her TBR. I saw this title and definitely thought it would be an interesting read. Piece of Work focuses on Rin, a PHD candidate, that is completing a required internship at The Met. Awkward and quirky, Rin struggles on her first day when she meets her confident, yet asshole of a boss Court. After several horrifying and embarrassing encounters, Rin fights to build her confidence and prove that she belongs at the Met.

"Ever seen a six-foot tall Korean girl? Because trust me when I say it's not something you see every day. And to answer your questions--the one time I ever played basketball, I broke two bones and bloodied my nose, I could get a sunburn in the subway, and yes I will get that off the top shelf for you."

It was the character development and the friendship that really drove me to enjoying this novel. Rin reminded me a lot of myself in a sense that she was more immersed in the world of academics than thinking about her clothes and make up choices. What Hart successfully does in her character development is the ability to make neither knowledge or clothes/makeup seem better than the other. I love that she emphasizes that it is perfectly normal for a woman to want and to have both. And to help Rin come to this realization, Hart created a dynamic friendship between Rin and her three friends: Val, Amelia, and Katherine. The four young woman made a pact with each other that has them emotionally and mentally dependent upon one another; however, when Rin makes the decision to step out and find her confidence they are all super supportive of her journey. This probably was my favorite part of the entire novel: watching the friendship between these four continue to grow and develop. As for Court, I found his character to be a little difficult to relate to. I think that at some point everyone in this world gets hurt; however, it does not excuse or justify one's need to be cold and cruel to others. And Court was just that. He was cold and cruel and utilized every excuse in the book as to why he couldn't allow himself to let go and love Rin. While I found this to be problematic, I did like that Hart provided us with the opportunity to see things from his perspective. It allowed the reader more insight to why and how he behaved in certain situations.

"'Okay, I take it back. The only thing wrong with wanting more is being too afraid to go after it. Let me tell you something, Rin--when you walked out of that dressing room in that outfit yesterday, I have never seen you so happy and confident and sure of yourself. That is the person you are inside. That is the person you want to be. So let's let her out.'"

Like a lot of romantic comedies,  Piece of Work moved quickly in terms of the romance as well as the resolution to the conflict. One moment Rin and Court were strangers to each other and then the next thing they were screwing each other in the museum. I think that I would have preferred for the romance to be a little bit more of a slow burn, but they definitely did have great chemistry. The plot was predictable in some areas and formulaic, but it also is what made this book so fun to read. For example, I knew that Rin was eventually going to have a makeover; however, the process of actually reading those scenes was really enjoyable and Hart handles it in a way that is both fresh and exciting. The only thing that really bothered me about the plot was how easily Court and his father make amends. The level of horrendous things that he does to Court didn't seem as though it should have been forgiven that quickly, but that remains to be my personal opinion.

"Really, the posture seemed to make it easier to walk, and with it came something I wasn't accustomed to--pride. I feld good, strong."

In terms of writing, I found Piece of Work to be extremely accessible to all readers. However, there were a few points where it felt as though the Hart was confused on the tense in which she was writing the book. The book took place in present tense; however, there were moments when she allowed Rin to speak as though she was remembering the development of the relationship between herself and Court as if it took place in the past. It didn't make sense and threw me off when I read the story.

"And like a fool, I thought it would last."

Overall, I enjoyed the book and Hart's ability to display resilience in her main character. It was a quick read and I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series.

"I hereby call the first meeting of the Red Lipstick Coalition to order. We do so solemnly swear to use this shiny little tube of power to inspire braveness, boldness, and courage. We promise to jump when it's scary, to stand tallk wehn we want to hid, to scream our truth instead of whisper our fears. May we be mistresses of our own destinies, and to hell with anyone who tries to us otherwise."