Series Review: Man in Charge by Laurelin Paige

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Synopsis for Man in Charge (from Goodreads):

The Sebastians own this city. Hell, they own the whole world. All I want is one little piece of it, a corner that I can call my own.

So when my boss runs away to “find herself”, I seize the opportunity and dive head first into the Sebastian’s glamorous universe. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted – fast paced and high stakes – and, even though I don’t fit in, I’m excellent at faking it.

Until I come face-to-face with the man in charge, Scott Sebastian, the arrogant playboy heir with the mind of a devil and the body of a god and a mouth I can’t stop thinking about.
He’s infuriating. He’s a distraction. He’s the man who wants me in his bed as much as I want to be there.

And, if I get too close, he’ll be the one person who could expose me for what I really am – a fraud.

SERIESous’ Top Picks: Favourite Author
Author: Laurelin Paige
Series: Man in Charge
# of Books: 2 (Full Reading Order Here)

There are two novellas: #0.5 Man on Top & #2.5 Man in Love

Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Heat Rating: Hot
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: October 2020 – November 2020
Source & Format: Own/Kindle Unlimited–eBook

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

Most of Laurelin Paige’s novels take place in the same universe so I had encountered Scott and Tessa in other stories before. Those little inklings I got in those other novels had me eager to get the full story. I really don’t know why it took me so long to read this series though; I think it just fell through the cracks of my TBR.

The Concept / The World:

This series serves as a nice bridge between the Dirty Universe and the new Sebastian Universe: Brutal Billionaires.

The Plot:

The idea of this plot was very intriguing to me, which is why I was slightly disappointed it seems to get pushed to the wayside for most of the story. The focus shifts to exploring the explosive chemistry between these two–and it is strong, fantastic chemistry–but I just wanted a better balance. Plus, I figured out the big cliffhanger early on so I was missing that big OMG moment.

The Characters:

I liked these two a lot. While not major standout characters for me in the Laurelin Paige universe, they are solid characters.

The Romance:

These two had awesome banter from start to finish and I enjoyed every scene they shared. Plenty of heat along the way too!

When to Read the Novellas:

Man on Top (#0.5) is the prequel to Man in Charge (#1) and is often included at the start of the novel. It is best to read it then to set the stage.

Man for Me (#2.5) is more of a side story to a pair that we meet and can be read anytime, but I’d read it after you finish the original duet.