I needed something sweet to read to start off October, and Bad for Business by Kat Singleton seemed like the obvious choice to me. Needing something with banter, bickering, and a whole lot of tension, I knew I could count on those elements in this story, and I was correct.
Bad for Business by Kat Singleton
Bad for Business by Kat Singleton is the second book in the Pembroke Hills series. It released on September 23rd, 2025 and is 334 pages long. It is a contemporary slow burn romance with characters in their 20’s and a dual first person POV. You can find the book on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and the author’s website here.
Premise
Camille Vaughn has been desperate to win over her father’s approval, and she may have just found a way to do it. A publicist at one of Manhattan’s best PR firms she’s been put in charge of their latest account, Ryker Davenport. The job is fairly simple and straight forward, spend the summer in the Hampton’s with Ryker and help him impress the Davenport Media board members after so they’ll give him the reins.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Camille and Ryker have run into each other. And just like that one New Year’s night, the tension and chemistry between these two is going strong. Except this is business and in order to convince her father to make her partner at his firm, she needs to stay focused on the job, no matter how much Ryker pushes her buttons or fights her.
Triggers
Triggers found in Bad for Business by Kat Singleton include:
- Mention of parent death’s, one is death by cancer.
- Bad relationship with a parent.
- Mental health struggles including anxiety and depression.
My Thoughts
Kat Singleton can always give me the rich but hard working MMC and strong FMC pairing. In this story both characters are seeking the approval of their father’s, one after making a pretty bad mistake, and the other because they’ve always been seeking it.
The two are pushed together for a summer with one goal in mind, Ryker needs to win the approval and trust of board members who control his family’s company. And after being promised that she’d be made partner, she is determined to make this happen, no matter what her father actually thinks of Ryker.
Except these two have a past, one Ryker isn’t willing to not talk about while Camille just wants to forget it ever happened. Of course this doesn’t sit well with Ryker and he’ll push every single last one of Camille’s buttons to try to get her to break. Except not everything is as it seems.
“You’re already breaking rule number two,” she points out with an annoyed tone. I shrug before tucking my hands into my pockets. “To be fair, I never told you I was going to follow the rules.” – Bad for Business by Kat Singleton
These two bicker hard and consistently fight, warring over the best ways to win over the board while Ryker consistently brings up their one night stand that he hasn’t been able to get out of his mind since it happened.
As far as the spice goes, you’re going to wait a while for it. While we have a couple of kissing scenes and maybe some foreplay around the half way mark the actual big scene doesn’t happen until later in the book making it a slow burn in my opinion.
“You don’t have to like me to come for me.” – Bad for Business by Kat Singleton
Both Ryker and Camille have internalized beliefs that they struggle with. For Ryker it’s finding his role in this world after the death of his mother and wanting to not just make his father proud, but be proud of himself as well.
Camille struggles with feelings of love and acceptance. She’s often described as cold and closed off but those are defensive measures she’s had to take to protect herself.
Both characters have to work through misguided beliefs while their forced to live and work together. There is a lot of miscommunication as the two made snap judgments early on in their meeting. Both characters grow over the summer, spending time learning about each other and a little something about themselves too.
“Just because you can do something alone doesn’t mean you have to.” – Bad for Business by Kat Singleton
As typical with Kat Singleton books, the side characters often make the story and in this case Jude is in a strong lead for my favorite side character. He comes off as mischievous but there is a heart of gold beating inside his chest. Jude cares for his friend and isn’t afraid to be the voice of reason Ryker desperately needs.
If you are looking for the low-angst, push and pull relationship vibes that give off annoyances to lovers vibes, this is an excellent read.
Who Would Like This Book?
The tropes found in Bad for Business by Kat Singleton include:
- Forced Proximity
- Annoyances to Lovers
- Strong FMC
- Slow Burn
If you liked Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver, Dear Rosie by SJ Tilly, or Hungry for Love by Liz Zerkel you will likely love this book.
Make sure you check out all of my posts for the Pembroke Hills Series below:
Have you read Bad for Business by Kat Singleton, or are you adding it to your TBR? Let me know in the comments below. I love interacting with other readers over books I enjoyed.