I like stories of friends who become lovers, and this was an interesting variant of the theme, featuring old friends who now work with each other.

When Emily Wood was 17 she made a fool of herself over Jason Kingsley, an older man and longtime family friend. Emily had always thought Jason was a bit stuffy, but when she caught sight of him in a tux at her sister and his brother’s wedding, she found him unexpectedly attractive. While dancing at the reception, Emily asked him for a kiss. Crushed when he refused, Emily ran out of the ballroom, assuming that he found her foolish and unappealing.

It’s seven years later and Emily works for Jason’s London engineering firm as the head of HR. This might be an awkward situation if Jason was ever around, but he spends most of his time in developing nations on water management projects. She’s surprised one day when he appears unexpectedly at the firm and even more surprised when he asks her out to dinner.

It’s clear early on that in addition to being old friends, there’s a strong attraction between the two, but neither is willing to acknowledge or act on the attraction. Jason is determined to keep his hands off Emily, and see her as a rather flighty socialite. Emily, in turn, is determined to see Jason as a stodgy man who doesn’t believe in love. This feeling is reinforced when Emily learns that Jason is back in London to find a wife – an acceptable (read boring) wife.

Although I normally don’t like romances with a large age difference between the hero and heroine, it didn’t bother me here. I think the fact that Jason acted honorably when Emily was a teenager helped, along with the fact that Emily isn’t as ditzy as she seems to think she is.

I really liked both Emily and Jason. Tragedies early in their lives helped shape who they are and explain their feelings about love. But it didn’t turn them into bitter individuals. While both Emily and Jason come from privileged backgrounds, they lead useful lives. Jason does more large-scale good with his water management projects, but Emily is goodhearted and engages in matchmaking to try and help out her friends and co-workers.

A lot of the book takes place in the minds of Emily and Jason. I would have liked more dialog between them, but the technique worked to clearly establish their characters, and to provide insights into their feelings for each other.

I was excited when I discovered that the book is set in London. But aside from a few references to neighborhoods in the city, the book really could have been set in any large city.

If you like your romances dark and angsty, this definitely isn’t for you. I enjoy lighter romances, and despite some qualifications, I really did enjoy this book, and will try more by the author.