1장
When Love Hangs By a Thread: A Workplace Romance That Defies Convention
Lucy Score's "By a Thread" has captivated readers worldwide with its perfect blend of workplace tension, emotional depth, and sizzling romance. This enemies-to-lovers story featuring a grumpy boss and his spirited employee has become a BookTok sensation, with readers praising Score's ability to balance steamy scenes with genuine character development. The novel's exploration of workplace power dynamics in the post-#MeToo era has made it particularly relevant, while its witty banter and emotional journey keep readers turning pages well into the night. With over 500,000 copies sold and translations in 12 languages, this contemporary romance has cemented Score's reputation as a master of the genre, earning praise from fellow authors like Emily Henry who called it "the perfect balance of heat and heart."
2장
Collision Course: When Dominic Meets Ally
The story begins on a bitter January evening in Manhattan, where Dominic Russo - Label magazine's notorious creative director - reluctantly meets his mother at George's Village Pizza. The cozy, family-owned establishment stands in stark contrast to the sleek corporate environments he usually frequents. Snow falls outside the steamy windows as he strides in, engrossed in an important business call despite the prominent "No Cell Phones" sign hanging above the counter.
There, he encounters Ally Romano, a sharp-tongued server whose multiple ear piercings and paint-stained jeans hint at an artistic soul beneath her server's apron. Unlike the terrified employees at Label magazine who scatter at his approach, she boldly confronts him about his phone use. When he dismisses her with a wave, she escalates the situation by loudly announcing fake STD test results near his phone, effectively ending his call and mortifying him in front of the other diners. Their hostility reaches new heights when Dominic snidely comments about her age and "career aspirations" as a server, prompting his mother - to his horror - to declare that he'll eat whatever Ally chooses to bring him. The resulting pizza arrives with pepperoni meticulously arranged to spell "FU" - a creative touch that impresses even as it infuriates.
For Ally, this small act of rebellion provides a welcome distraction from her exhausting reality. At twenty-eight, she's juggling three jobs - serving at George's, designing freelance logos for minimal pay, and working weekend shifts at an art supply store. Her tiny Bushwick apartment doubles as a makeshift design studio, where she creates between shifts, pursuing her dream of establishing herself as a graphic designer in New York's competitive creative scene. Her bank account perpetually hovers near zero, and her student loans loom like storm clouds.
When Dominic demands to speak to the manager after their confrontation, George - who has known Ally since she started working there in college - reluctantly fires her, prioritizing his relationship with the influential Russo family. Before leaving, Ally delivers an impassioned speech about dignity in service work and the toxicity of entitled behavior, resonating so deeply with other diners that several discretely slip her tip money in solidarity.
Their paths cross again unexpectedly at Label magazine's towering Midtown offices, where Dalessandra Russo - Dominic's mother and the magazine's formidable editor-in-chief - offers Ally a position as a junior graphic designer with full benefits and a salary that would change her life. Despite her misgivings about working alongside the man she's mentally dubbed "Charming the Doucheweasel," Ally recognizes an opportunity she can't refuse. The stage is set for an inevitable collision course where professional ambition meets personal animosity - complicated by an undeniable spark of attraction neither wants to acknowledge.
3장
Professional Boundaries and Personal Struggles
At Label magazine, Dominic struggles to fill his father's shoes while dealing with employees who see him as a carbon copy of the man who was unceremoniously ousted. Every morning begins with him bringing his loyal assistant Greta her cappuccino while she scrutinizes him with Nordic efficiency. The office atmosphere is tense-employees scatter like frightened deer when they see him coming. When beauty editor Shayla confronts him about a poorly designed layout, her words cut deep: "You shouldn't be in this office. You didn't earn it."
Meanwhile, Ally juggles her new job with four other part-time gigs, including bartending and freelance design work. Her stretched-thin existence includes caring for her father who suffers from dementia and lives in a nursing home, renovating his dilapidated house for sale, and dealing with mounting debt after her estranged mother emptied her father's accounts. Despite these challenges, she maintains her sharp wit and refuses to be intimidated by Dominic.
Their professional interactions are charged with tension. During meetings, they exchange barbs and glares, yet somehow their antagonism creates a more relaxed atmosphere in the office. Dominic finds himself watching Ally as she types and sways to an invisible beat, while she deliberately provokes him with eye rolls and gestures. Their verbal sparring becomes a strange highlight in both their days, with Dominic actually smiling after their exchanges-something his colleagues notice with surprise.
As they're forced to work more closely together, the line between professional animosity and personal attraction begins to blur, creating a dangerous dynamic that neither is prepared to acknowledge or address.
4장
The Undeniable Chemistry
Despite their mutual antagonism, Dominic and Ally can't deny the electric current that runs between them. During a car ride to meet designer Christian James, they attempt to clear the air by listing what they dislike about each other. Dominic claims he doesn't like her attitude, her shoes, her "too big" eyes, and her bed-head hair. Ally counters that he's callous, disrespectful, moody, and either too stubborn or scared to leave a job he hates. When she casually mentions that vests are her weakness, Dominic finds himself caught between attraction and his determination to keep her at arm's length.
Their chemistry becomes more apparent during a frigid Central Park photo shoot when Ally arrives with rescue dogs instead of the expected Afghan hounds. Despite his grumbling that "I'm nobody's people," Dominic finds himself amused by the chaos and even tucks a tiny, shivering "hamster" named Mr. Frisky into his coat for warmth. Linus, the photographer, notices their rapport and comments that Dominic actually smiles around Ally-something completely out of character for the perpetually miserable man.
The tension between them escalates when Ally works late one evening dressed for dance class in high-waisted tights and a cropped tank. When Dominic appears, he can't help but stare at her outfit with visible heat. Standing too close in her cubicle, the air crackles between them as he gruffly admits, "I don't hate you, Ally." When she jokes that she's irresistible, his response-"I can't afford to find you irresistible"-leaves her mind filled with inappropriate fantasies.
Their attraction becomes so distracting that Dominic finds himself seeking out opportunities to interact with Ally while simultaneously trying to avoid her. He begins cataloging everything she wears and creates excuses to talk to her, all while battling an internal fear that he might be following in his father's predatory footsteps by desiring an employee.
5장
Crossing Lines and Setting Boundaries
The tension between Dominic and Ally reaches a breaking point when he visits Rooster's, the bar where she works nights. Their conversation turns serious as Dominic awkwardly confesses he's attracted to her but won't pursue anything because of workplace policies. Initially furious at what she perceives as rejection, Ally realizes he's actually trying to make her feel safe at work despite his attraction. They agree to maintain professional boundaries despite their mutual interest.
Unable to stay completely apart, they begin exchanging personal emails using fairy tale nicknames-Charming and Maleficent. Through these messages, they gradually reveal personal details: Ally works four jobs (five counting freelance design) but refuses to explain why, while Dominic shares he once wanted to be a math teacher. They establish topics that are off-limits: Dominic's parents and Ally's multiple jobs. Their growing attraction becomes increasingly evident through their messages, until Dominic abruptly declares he doesn't like getting to know her, and Ally agrees they should return to ignoring each other.
This resolution fails spectacularly when they encounter each other at a bar where Ally is on a date with someone else. Dominic corners her in the emergency exit alcove, demanding to know what's wrong. When she finally admits, "I might be more attracted to you than I thought I was," he cages her in with his arms and demands she quit her job so they can act on their attraction. She refuses-she needs the paycheck more than she needs him-creating an impasse neither knows how to resolve.
Their attempts to maintain boundaries continue to crumble as they find themselves drawn to each other despite their best intentions. The professional lines they've drawn become increasingly blurred, setting the stage for decisions that will forever change their relationship and their lives.
6장
Financial Desperation and Unexpected Rescue
When a payroll mix-up means Ally won't receive her paycheck until Monday-after the deadline to pay her father's nursing home bill-she faces a desperate situation. With only $2,000 saved and needing $5,327.94 by the next morning, she accepts her friend Faith's invitation to perform on amateur night at her strip club, where $2,500 in prize money plus tips are at stake.
Dressed as a sexy cowgirl with checkered shirt, blue boy shorts, and sparkly pasties, Ally takes the stage as "Candie Couture," dancing with terrified determination. Unknown to her, Dominic has followed her to the club after overhearing her desperate phone call. Seething with rage at every man ogling her, he watches as she wraps herself around the pole. When she finishes her performance, he arranges for a private dance, offering $5,000 split with the club.
Their encounter in the VIP room is charged with emotion and desire. Humiliation burns Ally's cheeks until she sees the hunger in Dominic's eyes. Determined to make him suffer, she gives him a dance he'll never forget-straddling him, teasing him with her body, and ultimately making him lose control completely. When he climaxes beneath her, groaning "Ally. Baby," she pulls away before reaching her own release, walking out victorious but wanting him more than ever.
Afterward, Dominic insists on driving her home but takes her to his townhouse instead. Their argument escalates as he demands to know why she needs money so desperately while refusing to share his own reasons for keeping distance between them. When he cruelly suggests she should "have some goddamn self-respect," Ally delivers her ultimatum-they are done completely, no more interactions, no more games.
The next day, Ally discovers an email from HR about a "Temporary promotion and signing bonus," offering $5,000 wired directly to her account-just enough to cover her father's care. Her relief turns to horror when she learns her new position is as Dominic Russo's personal assistant, replacing Greta during her two-month European tour. Despite her outrage, the compensation is too good to refuse given her father's situation.
7장
Walls Down: Vulnerability and Connection
Ally wages a cold war against Dominic from day one as his assistant-ordering him plain oatmeal for breakfast, instituting an email-only communication rule, and having a barista spell "ass" in his latte foam. Their professional relationship remains frosty until Christian James' fashion show, where Linus transforms Ally with a miracle dress-a bold red gown with a leg slit and billowing chiffon that makes her feel like a goddess again.
At the event, Ally learns from coworkers that Dominic had personally arranged Greta's two-month European vacation, calling HR at 2 a.m. that Friday night after she'd left his townhouse. This revelation stuns her as she realizes how deliberately he'd manipulated the situation to get her working for him-not to control her, but to help her financially without directly offering charity she would reject.
The night ends with a drunk Dominic needing Ally to drive him home. In his inebriated state, he can't stop the confessions from tumbling out-admitting he thinks about her constantly and revealing he paid Greta to leave for two months to give Ally the job because she needed money but wouldn't take it directly. As she helps him upstairs, he begs her to stay, and confesses he can't sleep with her despite wanting to because he doesn't want to be like his father who "takes whatever he wants." In his drunken vulnerability, he admits he feels responsible for his father's actions and that he doesn't deserve her.
This moment of honesty marks a turning point in their relationship. Ally finally understands him: he wants her but refuses to act on it because he fears becoming like his father. The next morning, she suggests they try being "friends"-a concept that fills Dominic with dread but which he agrees to attempt.
Their friendship evolves into something deeper when Ally reveals the truth about her father's dementia and her financial struggles. Dominic is furious when he discovers the conditions in which she's been living-a house with a hole in the ceiling, water-stained floors, and freezing temperatures. Despite her protests, he insists on helping her, eventually completing all the renovations on her father's house without telling her.
8장
Love Tested by Past Wounds
Just as Dominic and Ally finally give in to their feelings for each other, their relationship is tested by the appearance of Dominic's father, Paul Russo. During lunch, Paul asks Dominic for "a few hundred thousand" to tide him over until his divorce settlement. When Dominic refuses, Paul makes veiled threats and suggests Ally is only using Dominic for his money and status. The confrontation escalates until Dominic punches his father, breaking his nose.
The situation worsens when Dominic discovers his father is attempting to blackmail him using a sex tape featuring Elena, Dominic's ex-girlfriend. The shocking truth emerges: Paul Russo not only has this tape, but made it himself during his year-long affair with Elena-an affair that overlapped both with Dominic's relationship with her and Paul's marriage to Dominic's mother.
Consumed by jealousy and pain after seeing Ally in Christian James's Instagram photo, Dominic confronts her with unfounded accusations of cheating. Despite Ally's explanations that nothing happened, Dominic's trauma from learning about his father's betrayal clouds his judgment. He lashes out, calling her a "user" and suggesting she only stayed with him for convenience and financial benefit. The fight culminates with Dominic telling her to leave.
This devastating argument tears them apart, with Ally moving out and leaving behind all of Dominic's gifts except painful memories. At Faith's house, she finally breaks down in tears, admitting, "I really loved him, Faith. Like really. A lot." Meanwhile, Dominic realizes his terrible mistake but doesn't know how to fix it.
In an attempt to win Ally back, Dominic sends a series of increasingly vulnerable emails. He admits he's terrible at apologizing, confesses his nickname is "the Vault" because he doesn't trust or share easily, and reveals personal details about himself. In his most vulnerable email, he shares how he kept his father's infidelity secret at age thirteen, blaming himself for enabling his later predatory behavior at Label. He promises to email her daily for the rest of his life until she responds.
9장
Healing and Second Chances
As March turns to April, Dominic's emails continue arriving nightly, and Ally reads them all repeatedly despite never responding. Her heart bleeds for the boy charged with keeping his family together, but the man he became shattered her heart. She doesn't know how to forgive-not her mother for abandoning them, not the contractor who stole her money, not the nursing home administrator who threatened her father's care.
Then good things start happening. Ally discovers she's the first recipient of the "Lady George Administration Memory Care Grant," covering her father's expenses for twelve months. She receives a full-priced cash offer on her father's house from a mysterious trust called "Alominic." The police recover her father's stolen pocket watch, and a Manhattan design firm contacts her about a job opportunity.
The pattern becomes clear-Dominic has been quietly filling needs she had without taking credit. The "Lady George Administration Memory Care Grant" connects to their relationship: Lady (Faith's club), George (the pizza place where they met), Administration (the admin pool). Ally is overwhelmed realizing how much Dominic has been doing for her behind the scenes.
Working at Jorge's Wood-Fired Pizza, Ally is stunned when Dominic appears at Table Three. When she asks for his order, he says "pepperoni pizza" with such meaning it hits her hard. When she returns with his pizza, he's gone, leaving an envelope containing checks from her mother repaying what she stole, the deed to her father's house with a note saying "It's yours. No one can ever take your memories from you," and other evidence of how he's been working to right the wrongs in her life.
Ally grabs her pizza and runs after Dominic, finding him at a bus stop. She tells him she loves him through pepperonis arranged on the pizza, and he sweeps her into his arms as onlookers cheer. Their reunion is passionate and complete, both finally ready to embrace their love without fear or reservation.
In the epilogue, during Ally's birthday vacation with Dominic, she reveals she's pregnant. After a moment of shock, his eyes fill with tears of joy. Later, Dominic proposes with a diamond ring, revealing he'd visited her father daily until he had a good day to get his blessing. As happy tears flow, Dominic asks how long these pregnancy hormones will last, and Ally sobs, "I guess we'll find out."
10장
The Power of Forgiveness and Vulnerability
"By a Thread" is ultimately a story about the courage it takes to be vulnerable and the healing power of forgiveness. Both Dominic and Ally carry deep wounds from their pasts-he from his father's betrayal and predatory behavior, she from her mother's abandonment and the crushing responsibility of caring for her father alone. These wounds create barriers that prevent them from fully trusting and connecting with each other.
Dominic's journey involves learning that he is not his father and that caring for someone doesn't mean controlling them. His initial attempts to help Ally are heavy-handed and secretive, stemming from his fear of rejection and his belief that he doesn't deserve happiness. Only when he learns to be vulnerable-to share his fears, admit his mistakes, and ask for forgiveness-can he truly connect with Ally and find healing.
Ally's path requires her to accept help without seeing it as charity or weakness. Her fierce independence comes from years of being the only reliable person in her father's life, creating a pattern of self-sacrifice that leaves no room for personal happiness. Learning to trust Dominic means acknowledging that interdependence can be stronger than independence, and that accepting support doesn't diminish her strength or autonomy.
Their relationship transforms from antagonism to friendship to love as they gradually lower their defenses and reveal their true selves. The workplace setting provides a backdrop that highlights issues of power, consent, and professional boundaries, while their personal struggles add depth and complexity to their romance. Through their journey, Lucy Score delivers a powerful message about the importance of honest communication, the courage to be vulnerable, and the transformative potential of love that sees and accepts us completely.
In the end, what begins as a tenuous connection hanging "by a thread" becomes an unbreakable bond woven from shared experiences, mutual respect, and unconditional love-proving that sometimes the most unlikely beginnings lead to the most beautiful endings.
11장
Breaking the Cycle: Healing Generational Wounds
The novel powerfully explores how generational patterns of behavior can be recognized and broken through conscious choice and emotional growth. Dominic's greatest fear is becoming like his father-a man who abused his power and treated women as disposable objects. This fear creates a paralyzing conflict within him: his attraction to Ally feels dangerous precisely because it's so powerful, making him worry he might exploit their power imbalance just as his father did with employees.
What Dominic gradually realizes is that awareness is the first step toward change. Unlike his father, he constantly questions his motives, sets boundaries, and prioritizes Ally's wellbeing over his desires. His journey illustrates that we are not doomed to repeat our parents' mistakes if we face them honestly and choose a different path.
Ally similarly carries the weight of her mother's abandonment, creating a fierce self-reliance that becomes both her strength and her limitation. Her determination never to be a burden mirrors her father's same quality, creating a cycle of isolation that prevents either of them from accepting help. When she finally allows Dominic to support her-not by taking over but by standing alongside her-she breaks this pattern of lonely self-sufficiency.
Through their relationship, both characters learn that vulnerability isn't weakness but courage, and that true strength comes not from facing challenges alone but from building connections that sustain us through life's difficulties. Their story reminds us that while we cannot change our past, we can heal from it and create a future defined not by our wounds but by our choices to love and be loved authentically.
