Technically Yours by Denise Williams
What's It About?
Whether you’re new to Denise Williams’ work or a diehard fan of her heartfelt romantic comedies with a nice helping of spice, splurge a little on yourself this holiday season and get "Technically Yours".Second-chance romances always give me hope. We don’t have the luxury of going back in time (nor do I think I want to), but knowing that we can go back and find love where we once thought we lost it makes me hopeful. So that’s why I rooted for Pearl and Cord, the main characters of Technically Yours by Denise Williams.
Five years ago, Pearl Harris and Cord Matthews were almost a thing. That is until Pearl decided to uphold her rule about leading with her head and not her heart. Instead of pursuing things with her then boss Cord, she decides to take her newly-earned degree to a new job halfway across the country in California.
But now newly-single Pearl’s come back to Chicago after those five years to work at OurCode, a non-profit organization helping marginalized kids who want to work in STEM get experience and a good footing. After only three weeks there, Pearl is thrust into the top spot after former CEO Kendra was forced to resign due to, among other things, having an affair with a member of the company’s Board of Directors.
Cord is CEO of Fitme, now that his best friend and Fitme co-founder Wes has moved on to other career endeavors. But at heart, Cord is a coder. After months of begging by another friend Kevin, Cord decides to be on the Board of Directors at OurCode. Is it possible because Pearl’s the interim CEO, and he might catch the “one who got away”?
Characters That Will Melt Your Heart
This romantic comedy is the third installment in Ms. Williams’ unnamed standalone series. Pearl and Cord appear in her second book, The Fastest Way to Fall. From the minute I read Pearl’s first scene in that novel, I admired her sassiness as well as her work ethic. In Technically Yours, we see those are strong personality traits because she’s grown up to be self-sufficient, and she’s guarding her heart. She knows Cord’s not good for her head (or her career for that matter), but her heart can’t stay away from him.
Cord is lovesick in the best way, with puppy dog appeal and unwavering tenacity. This dude’s got it bad for Pearl. He knows it violates every HR fraternization rule to date her when he was her boss, but he’s head over heels for this woman, and he can’t will it away no matter how much he tries. Now, he refuses to hold back his feelings and wants to be with her – in whatever way she’ll let him.
Their chemistry on the page is so amazing, you’ll keep turning pages just for more of them.
Dual Timelines Are Like an Onion
Did I just say that? Well, it’s true here. Usually, romances are always “hold the onions,” but I love how with each chapter we get more of the story we’re missing. What happened five years ago that kept Pearl and Cord from getting together? And who was the guy in California that she left? Ms. Williams tells this story not only from Pearl and Cord’s point of view, but it alternates from moments in the past to moments in the present. And with each moment, the reader “peels back” a layer to reveal something new about the complicated bond between Pearl and Cord, and it makes us root for them even more. After all of this time, and all of these obstacles, we must see them get together, because they are definitely meant to be!
As someone who read the previous book The Fastest Way to Fall I was tempted to orient myself to Pearl and Cord’s timeline in that story to match up with what I was reading here. It was almost like a bonus puzzle that I enjoyed solving. But that wasn’t the only element that made my nerdy little heart dance for joy.
The Nerdiness We Love
Of course, my personal love for this book is the whole nerdy romantic novelties here. From the lines of binary code on the cover a la The Matrix movie franchise to Cord and his mentee Tye video gaming, this one has the nerdy geeky bent someone with a podcast called Nerdy Romantics Podcast (um, me) would love.
Whether you’re new to Denise Williams’ work or a diehard fan of her heartfelt romantic comedies with a nice helping of spice, splurge a little on yourself this holiday season and get Technically Yours. This enjoyable layered read is sure to make your holidays that much brighter, and give you a boost of hope.
About Denise Williams:
Denise Williams wrote her first book in the 2nd grade. I Hate You and its sequel, I Still Hate You, featured a tough, funny heroine, a quirky hero, witty banter, and a dragon. Minus the dragons, these are still the books she likes to write. After penning those early works, she finished second grade and eventually earned a PhD. After growing up a military brat around the world and across the country, Denise now lives in Iowa with her husband, son, and two ornery shih-tzus who think they own the house. How to Fail at Flirting was her debut novel and she can usually be found reading, writing, or thinking about love stories.
(Photo Credit: D&Dorf Photography)
