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Verdict: A funny, very Australian debut: hapless electorate office manager Emma Ives falls for her polished, presumed-straight MP boss, and a political scandal lands them in bed. Readers love Emma’s voice and the humour; the single point of view leaves Bridget a mystery, and the closeted-boss dynamic won’t convince everyone.
Best for: Readers who like workplace age-gap romance with humour and heat.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (readers mention steamy scenes)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.7/5 — a 3.92 Goodreads average across 1,320 ratings, 3.59 on StoryGraph from 231 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 663 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Boss/employee, age gap, workplace, secret relationship, closeted love interest, humour.
Perks of Office is Liz Rain’s 2022 debut contemporary lesbian romance from Ylva, set against Australian politics. Emma Ives is thrown in the deep end running the electorate office in her home town. Her new boss is Bridget O’Keefe, a high-powered politician who is hot, untouchable and, Emma assumes, straight.
It holds a 3.92 average across 1,320 Goodreads ratings, with 67% of them four or five stars, 3.59 on StoryGraph from 231 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 663 Amazon ratings.
What Is Perks of Office About?
Emma knows an instant crush on her boss is a terrible idea. Then a political scandal hits, and Bridget turns to Emma for comfort — and one long night changes everything.
Is it just one night? And if it’s more, can Emma live with a relationship kept in the dark?
What Works in This Book
- Emma’s voice: Readers love her first-person narration and laugh-out-loud internal monologue.
- Aussie humour: Australian readers in particular felt seen; one calls a line the funniest they’ve read in a decade.
- A polished debut: Many readers say it doesn’t read like a first novel.
- Polly and the office: Emma’s friend Polly and the supporting cast are favourites.
Book Synopsis
An electorate officer crushes on her MP boss — until a scandal brings them together.
Passion is easy; being loved in the light is harder.
My Review
This is a witty, fast read with an inside look at how an electorate office works and a heroine who is easy to root for. One reader who felt it deeply points to Emma’s refusal to be hidden as the emotional heart of the book.
The most repeated criticism is the single point of view: several readers say Bridget stays an enigma and her reactions are hard to understand. One reader found the first half slow and the power imbalance uncomfortable, another wasn’t sold on the relationship and noted debut bumps and grammar errors, and one found not a lot of romance. Readers outside Australia may miss some references.
My honest note: Come for Emma, and accept that Bridget stays behind glass.
| Element | In Perks of Office |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Emma Ives (electorate office manager) & Bridget O’Keefe (MP and minister) |
| Core tropes | Boss/employee, age gap, secret relationship |
| Setting | An electorate office in Australia |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | 178 pages (paperback) |
| Series | Standalone |
| Content notes | Boss/employee power imbalance, closeting, homophobia (StoryGraph) |
How Spicy Is Perks of Office?
Readers describe steamy scenes; one says the slow start turns hot.
StoryGraph users flag sexual content and minor homophobia; the boss/employee dynamic bothered one reader.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you enjoy a funny first-person heroine and an office romance with heat. It is on our low-angst lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you need both points of view or dislike closeted love interests.
In short: Funny, hot, a little lopsided.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 31% five stars, 36% four, 25% three, 5% two and 1% one. On StoryGraph, 84% tagged it lighthearted and 47% funny.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Emma’s voice first. Second, the humour. Third, the polish. Fourth, the heat.
What readers argue about and complain about: Bridget’s opacity, above everything. Second, the power imbalance. Third, a slow first half for one.
The comparison worth making first: Other picks on our low-angst list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Perks of Office have a happy ending?
Yes. One reader sums it up as funny, romantic and a bit angsty, but happily ever after.
Whose point of view is it told from?
Only Emma’s, in first person. Readers love her voice, but several say Bridget stays a mystery as a result.
How spicy is Perks of Office?
Hot. Readers mention steamy scenes, and one says the slow build turns very hot.
Is it really low angst?
Mostly lighthearted — 84% of StoryGraph readers tagged it that way — but Bridget being closeted brings some angst, and readers mention it.
Is Perks of Office on Kindle Unlimited?
Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $6.99. Cat Gould narrates the audiobook.
If You Loved Perks of Office, Read These Next
Browse our low-angst lesbian romance list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Perks of Office sets out to be a light-hearted age-gap office romance, and Emma’s voice carries it. What holds it back is how little we see of Bridget. A strong debut. Check Perks of Office on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Perks of Office ranks as a good debut — witty, one-sided.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ 3.92 average across 1,320 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 67% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.59 on StoryGraph from 231 reviews
- ✓ 4.5 stars across 663 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Boss crush
- ✓ Secret affair
- ✓ Not sold for one
- ✓ Power imbalance
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Endearing Emma
- ✓ Enigmatic Bridget
- ✓ Polly
- ✓ Real supporting cast
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Funny first person
- ✓ Polished debut
- ✓ Aussie references
- ✓ Grammar slips for one
Emotional Impact ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Tagged lighthearted by 84%
- ✓ Some angst
- ✓ Loved in the light
- ✓ Hard to read Bridget
Heat Level ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Steamy scenes
- ✓ Hot
- ✓ Slow then hot
- ✓ Adult
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Happily ever after
- ✓ Emma stands up for herself
- ✓ Satisfying
- ✓ Earned
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ $6.99 Kindle price
- ✓ 178 pages
- ✓ Cat Gould audiobook
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
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