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Verdict: A slow-burn workplace romance with a dramatic opening: paralegal Chrissy Kramer, a single mom abandoned by her family as a pregnant teen, is hurt stopping a gunman who targets her boss, law partner Reggie Esposito, and recovers at Reggie’s home with her son Ben. Fans love the sparks, the suspense and Ben; critics found the present-tense style uneven and the storytelling choppy.
Best for: Readers who like a boss/employee slow burn with danger, a loving teenage son and a heroine learning her own worth.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.4/5 — a 3.90 Goodreads average across 163 ratings, 3.6 on StoryGraph from 16 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 161 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Boss/employee, single mom, forced proximity, slow burn, romantic suspense, found family.
You Matter is Jazzy Mitchell’s contemporary lesbian romance, first published in 2019 by Desert Palm Press. A disgruntled former client tries to kill Reggie Esposito, a senior partner at Boston law firm Hawk, Esposito & Associates, after she loses his lawsuit.
It holds a 3.90 average across 163 Goodreads ratings, with 67% of them four or five stars, 3.6 on StoryGraph from 16 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 161 Amazon ratings.
What Is You Matter About?
Chrissy Kramer, Reggie’s paralegal, stops him from shooting Reggie but is hurt in the process. Kicked out by her parents when she became pregnant as a teenager, she has raised her son Ben alone and is used to rejection.
While Chrissy and Ben stay with Reggie so she can recover, their connection deepens, and the two women begin a romance, if Chrissy can believe she deserves it.
What Works in This Book
- Chrissy: Readers are moved by a caring mother who does not see her own worth.
- The opening: Several readers say it starts with a bang.
- Slow burn: Fans enjoy the sparks, and one says she has never read a kissing scene written so erotically.
- Ben: The supportive teen son is a favourite.
Book Synopsis
A paralegal who takes a bullet for her boss. A boss who would like her to stay forever.
First, Chrissy has to believe she matters.
My Review
The heart of the book is Chrissy’s journey from survival to self-worth, with Ben cheering her on and Reggie patiently showing up. Readers who loved it call it heartfelt and mature, a page-turner with enough intrigue and danger to keep the slow burn moving and villains in the form of an ex and her parents. One reader who knows the author from fan fiction was delighted to find a published novel with the same familiar, comforting feel, though another fan fiction reader was disappointed.
Execution is the sticking point. A couple of readers found the constant present tense jarring, and others felt the book told rather than showed, with emotional development summarised and scenes that seemed to be missing, as if it had been cut down. Others found it dragged in the middle, crammed too much into a rushed final act, or added unnecessary angst at the very end.
My honest note: A heartfelt premise with uneven execution.
| Element | In You Matter |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Reggie Esposito (senior law partner) & Chrissy Kramer (paralegal, single mom) |
| Core tropes | Boss/employee, forced proximity, slow burn |
| Setting | Boston |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | 206 pages (Kindle edition) |
| Series | Listed on Amazon as Book One |
| Content notes | Gun violence, injury, family rejection, teen pregnancy (past) |
How Spicy Is You Matter?
Readers describe real passion between the leads after a slow burn, and one found the kissing unusually erotic.
Readers mention the workplace shooting, Chrissy’s injuries and her rejection by her parents.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a slow-burn boss romance with suspense and a devoted single mom. It is on our single mom lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: present-tense narration bothers you.
In short: Big heart, bumpy telling.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 33% five stars, 34% four, 26% three, 7% two and 1% one.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Chrissy first. Second, the slow burn. Third, the suspense. Fourth, Ben.
What readers argue about and complain about: The present tense, above everything. Second, telling over showing. Third, the rushed final act.
The comparison worth making first: Temptation, another boss/employee romance with a single parent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is You Matter a romantic suspense?
Partly. It opens with a disgruntled former client’s attack on the law firm, then flashes back, and readers describe it as a slow-burn romance with thriller and crime elements.
Why is it written in the present tense?
That is the author’s style, and it divides readers: a couple found it made the book hard to settle into, while one reader said it worked well for them.
Who is Ben?
Chrissy’s teenage son, whom she has raised alone since her parents threw her out when she became pregnant as a teenager. Readers love him, and he encourages his mom to ask Reggie out.
Which edition is this?
You Matter was first published in 2019 by Desert Palm Press. The current Kindle edition is listed on Amazon as Book One.
Is You Matter on Kindle Unlimited?
Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $8.95.
If You Loved You Matter, Read These Next
Try Temptation or Reading Her. Browse our single mom list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
You Matter sets out to be a heartfelt slow burn about a woman learning her worth, and Chrissy, Ben and the sparks deliver. What holds it back is uneven, present-tense storytelling. Best for readers who value heart over polish. Check You Matter on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, You Matter ranks as a fair single-mom pick — heartfelt, uneven.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ 3.90 average across 163 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 67% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.6 on StoryGraph from 16 reviews
- ✓ 4.5 stars across 161 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Slow burn
- ✓ Sparks
- ✓ Forced proximity
- ✓ Late angst
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Chrissy
- ✓ Reggie
- ✓ Ben
- ✓ Villainous ex and parents
Writing ★★★☆☆ 2.8/5
- ✓ Present tense
- ✓ Telling over showing
- ✓ Choppy for some
- ✓ Strong opening
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Self-worth
- ✓ Family rejection
- ✓ Danger
- ✓ Heartfelt
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Passionate
- ✓ Erotic kissing
- ✓ Slow burn
- ✓ Adult
Ending ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ Happy
- ✓ Rushed final act
- ✓ Extra angst for one
- ✓ Book One
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3.1/5
- ✓ $8.95 Kindle price
- ✓ 206 pages
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ Quick read
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