Published 3rd April 2025 by Aria.
From the cover of the book:
They say you should keep your enemies closer.For Fliss, the prospect of a team building work trip fills her with dread. Mostly because she cannot stand her pushy colleague James, who often attempts to derail her brilliant plans. But when the two arrive in the Scottish Highlands, they find themselves facing a unique challenge: their boss has abandoned them in the middle of nowhere with only one tent, two sleeping bags and a few protein bars.
Cut off from the outside world, the pair are forced to put aside their differences to weather the unpredictable elements of the Highlands and get home. As they set out on a journey across miles of rugged wilderness - pushing each other to survive and testing their physical and emotional limits - they remain fully aware of their boss's manipulative plan to orchestrate a hook up between them.
But even with only each other for company, Fliss and James stand firm in their resolve: they won't give in to any romantic notions. Or will they?
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A team building exercise with office colleagues at a really busy time is an unattractive prospect for Marketing Manager Fliss, especially when it means spending time away with work nemesis James from Sales. But it is so much worse when Fliss arrives in the Scottish Highlands to discover that their smug boss Michael has made this a trip for her and James alone, in the hope they will stop bickering and hook up with each other.
Abandoned in the wilds with a tent, two sleeping bags, very few clothes, the odd protein bar, 180 tampons, twenty-something condoms and some lube fails to bring a smile to either Fliss or James' faces, but their anger at Michael is something to unite them. It is clear they will have to find a way to move past their differences in order to make their way back to civilisation... but can they also manage to hide the fact that they are attracted to each other.
This is a delicious debut rom-com, following the enemies-to-lovers route, and it was just the tonic I needed. With lashings of humour and heart, the story unfurls with fierce rivals Fliss and James thrown together in the Scottish wilds, having to tramp through fields and forests, ford raging torrents, and sleep in a chilly tent. Determined to get through the experience and prove their worth to their boss, the over-worked pair are both pretty unlikeable to begin with. However, pitting themselves against inhospitable surroundings means teamwork of a sort - in no time the atmosphere is thawing between them as they have to navigate absurdly hilarious issues, cuddle up to keep warm, and help each other out of sticky situations of the hardcore outdoorsy kind.
Before long, that good old forced proximity magic is sparking, and heart-to-heart conversations bring those workplace barriers tumbling down as vulnerable sides are revealed. The romantic tension sizzles nicely between Fliss and James, and Ford throws in a few steamy scenes to get the temperatures rising under the canvas.
Of course, and rom-com worth its salt has to have its fair share of bumps on the road to happiness, and Ford uses the return to reality after this Scottish adventure to provide the twists and turns that make a beautifully pitched rom-com ending all the better.
This was absolutely lovely, and so much fun. Chloe Ford, you made me laugh, you made me cry, and you hit the romantic soft-spot to perfection! I cannot wait for the next one.
Work Trip is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Aria for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.
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