The Bastard Billionaire by Jessica Lemmon: Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway! ~ Diaries of 2 Thick Chicks

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The Bastard Billionaire (Billionaire Bad Boys, #3)

Title: The Bastard Billionaire
Series: Billionaire Bad Boys, Book 3
Author: Jessica Lemmon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5 Sweltering Keys

**Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Beauty and the Beastly Billionaire . . .
Eli Crane is one tough bastard. After an explosion left him injured and honorably discharged from the Marines, all he wants is to be left alone. Yet his brothers insist he take a greater role in the family business. They've hired him ten personal assistants-and Eli sent each one packing as fast as possible. But when beautiful number eleven walks through the door, Eli will do anything to make her stay.

Isabella Sawyer's employment agency can't afford to lose Eli Crane's business. Her plan: to personally take on the role of his PA, and secure her reputation with the wealthy elite in Chicago. But this beauty and her hot billionaire bad boy soon find themselves mixing business with pleasure in the most delicious ways. And passionate, stubborn Isabella won't rest until she tames this wicked beast . . .

Let me start by saying that I'm a sucker for a wounded hero so when I picked up The Bastard Billionaire, I knew that I was in for one long night because I wouldn't be able to put it down! I yelled, cried, laughed and sighed throughout the entire book and loved every minute of it.

Eli Crane is mentioned in the other two books and gets his big reveal at the end of The Billionaire Next Door. I knew that I would love his story but I had no idea that his character would have so many layers. He's a brother, a solider, a friend, an entrepreneur but most of all he's a man with a broken heart looking for a way to mend it. Like all of the Crane brothers, Eli has yet to fully reconcile with the loss of his mother. To cope, he alienates himself from his family and builds walls around himself to keep anyone from really getting close to him. You see, he has learned that closeness equals loss. He's happy just living his life in solitude, firing every darn assistant his brother sends along to assist him with his Crane Industries duties....until Isabella Sawyer walks into his world.

Isabella was everything that I love in a heroine. She walked in and let Eli know that she was not afraid of him and thus he would be unable to push her away. With each day, she breaks a little more of his resolve to live in solitude. She gets Eli to open up and to reengage in life. I love that she was patient but firm and that she had the ability to see past his anger to the heart of a man suffering from depression and loss.

The Bastard Billionaire was a heartwarming story of finding true love and learning to move past grief and pain. Jessica Lemmon weaved her magic with this one and allowed the romance to build slowly. The characters had an instant attraction but neither acted on it instantly. Instead they had a slow build which added so much more to the overall story line.

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THE BILLIONAIRE BAD BOYS SERIES

The Billionaire Bachelor, #1

The Billionaire Next Door, #2

The Bastard Billionaire, #3

Jessica Lemmon's TOP 5 FAVORITE LINES FROM The Bastard Billionaire

#5~ Isabella Sawyer’s smart-aleck remark when Eli fires her for the umpteenth time:

“Apologies, Eli, but I’m not changing my shoes.” She came into his office, her hips swaying with each sure step she took toward him.

“Fine. Then you’re fired.”

“Oh, no, not again.”

#4~ Merina, the heroine from The Bastard Billionaire shows up as yet another feisty woman who refuses to bow to Eli’s gruffness.

“I can go out into public, you know,” he grumbled, setting the beer bottle next to his plate—on the table, no coaster, thank you very much. “You guys don’t have to come in here and serve me.”

He was skilled at his new role of miserable bastard, and since everyone expected it now, he was determined to excel.

“Oh but we do, Lord Crane.” Merina smiled demurely as she leaned over and handed him a glass.

#3~ I loved this line after Eli and Isa had sex—his honesty cracked me up!

“I like this.” She touched the corner of his mouth. “I’ve been trying to get you to smile since I started working here.”

“Well now you know how to do it.”

#2~ Bold Isabella knows how to ask for what she wants!

“Is kissing you in my marching orders for tomorrow night?” he asked, his eyes picking up a trace of heat.

She wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity. No way. No how.

“Yes,” she answered. “Need to practice?”

#1~ Eli’s worry that he didn’t have what it took is my favorite line in the book.

He’d done what he needed to be a good soldier.

Now that he wasn’t a soldier, he wasn’t sure what it took to be a good man.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A former job-hopper, Jessica Lemmon resides in Ohio with her husband and rescue dog. She holds a degree in graphic design currently gathering dust in an impressive frame. When she's not writing super-sexy heroes, she can be found cooking, drawing, drinking coffee (okay, wine), and eating potato chips. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want.