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Cover of By a Thread

By a Thread

by Lucy Score

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️steamy
4.0 on MoodReads (1 rating)4.1 on Goodreads (176,940)

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Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

You get a deeply satisfying enemies-to-lovers arc where the intense friction finally ignites into passionate romance.

Synopsis

Dominic was staring at me like he couldn’t decide whether to chop me into pieces or pull my hair and French kiss me. Dominic I got her fired. Okay, so I’d had a bad day and took it out on a bystander in a pizza shop. But there’s nothing innocent about Ally Morales. She proves that her first day of her new job… in my office… after being hired by my mother. So maybe her colorful, annoying, inexplicably alluring personality brightens up the magazine’s offices that have felt like a prison for the past year. Maybe I like that she argues with me in front of the editorial staff. And maybe my after-hours fantasies are haunted by those brown eyes and that sharp tongue. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be the next Russo man to take advantage of his position. I might be a second-generation asshole, but I am not my father. She’s working herself to death at half a dozen dead-end jobs for some secret reason she doesn’t feel like sharing with me. And I’m going to fix it all. Don’t accuse me of caring. She’s nothing more than a puzzle to be solved. If I can get her to quit, I can finally peel away all those layers. Then I can go back to salvaging the family name and forget all about the dancing, beer-slinging brunette. Ally Ha. Hold my beer, Grumpy Grump Face. Author’s Note: A steamy, swoony workplace romantic comedy with a grumpy boss hero determined to save the day and a plucky heroine who is starting to wonder if there might actually be a beating heart just beneath her boss’s sexy vests.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

Dominic Russo is a grumpy magazine boss who got Ally Morales fired and then watched his mother hire her to work directly under him—and Lucy Score makes every second of that setup sing. This is a workplace romance with real teeth: a genuine harassment subplot, a hero who actively refuses to use his position against someone he wants, and banter so good it carries the considerable page count. Ally's reasons for working three jobs land with real weight when they finally come out.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

4.07 ★ (176.9k)

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

584 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2020

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Contemporary Romance

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

M/F

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Dual POV

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Slow Burn

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

reveal ending

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

Single Narrator (unspecified)

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Lucy Score

Narrator Count

Single

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
boss/employeeworkplace romancehate to loveforced proximitysingle parent romancesecret relationshipopposites attractbillionaire romance
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

steamyhumorousromanticintensedramaticangstywittysatisfyingemotionallighthearted

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

conversationalhumorousbanter-heavysharpwarm

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

medium

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

moderate

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

medium

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

comfort read vibespage turner

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

career womansurvivorsnarky/sarcasticgeneral badass

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

possessive alphagrumpy protectorsecretly softbillionaire / CEOsingle dad

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

enemies to loversgrumpy sunshinebanterslow burnpower imbalanceprotective love interesthurt/comfortmutual pininghe falls firstonly soft for themwho did this to you

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
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Spice Level 4

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

frequent explicit scenes

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

praise kinkwall pinningdirty talk (sweet/playful)size difference focussoft dom energypossessive/protectiveneck kisses / neck touchingjaw holding / face cuppingmine declarationsclothes rippingtensionanticipation

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

rough/aggressive intimacydom/sub dynamicsoffice/workplace intimacy
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (12)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
sexual assault (referenced)emotional abuseviolencesexual harassmentstalkingdementiagriefclassismsexismabandonmenttoxic relationshipsmental illness
Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

contemporary

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

big city / metropolisworkplace / office

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

humans only

RepresentationIdentity representation in the book. LGBTQ+, race/ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, body type, age and more.

Latinx MC

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

tension finally satisfiedromantic fulfillmentthe grovel deliveredcathartic releasecomfort reread material

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

anytime

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

vacationlazy Sundaysummer eveningbeach tripbedtime

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Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️steamy
PagesHow long the commitment is.584
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2020
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.4.07 ★ (176.9k)
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending
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