Review:The Bastard Billionaire (Billionaire Bad Boys #3)

The Bastard Billionaire (Billionaire Bad Boys #3)

by Jessica Lemmon 

Blurb:

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 . . .

Themes: Contemporary

Rating:  4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 
Review:

The Bastards strike again.  This story was one that I knew going in would cause me some serious sadness and I was reluctant a long time to bite the bullet and read it, but sooner than later the pull to the Crane boys became irresistible. I picked up this series on a lark when I found it on netgalley because the first story looked like a quick and easy read, but boy was I wrong. Eli Crane returned from the war in the previous novel and was obviously damaged both from before the war and the events that led to his early return. While his brothers have both found love, he doesn’t really believe in love and he surely doesn’t need the sexy Isabelle around him every moment, digging into his secrets, and sharing his day to day activities with his brothers.  He has managed to successfully run off all the other personal assistants sent his way by his meddling family, but Isa just won’t give up and leave him in the peace he swears he needs. Isa has never backed down from a task and she isn’t about to let Eli Crane get in the way of her business becoming a booming success. The heat between these two is not something either of them are prepared for but it is certainly undeniable, and when they finally give in to the passion, they quickly discover that the heat might not be the only thing between them.  But they only have a chance at a future if they can both admit that what they really want can’t be found outside of their relationship, only between the two of them can they truly find happiness everlasting.  Let’s face it, the lifestyles of the rich and famous have always given those of us that are nowhere near millionaires, much less billionaires, a special kind of entertainment and these billionaires have become the new trope all over the world of romance.  That being said, the best way that I can relate to these stories is to understand that having money doesn’t make them better or different than us, just gives them a whole different set of problems to deal with day in and day out. I truly loved seeing Eli begin to come out of his shell and show his family and Isabelle just what kind of man he really is and has always been.  If you are looking for an amazing story of two people changing for the better by coming together and finding love, then The Bastard Billionaire is the perfect story for you.  I am looking forward to whatever comes next for Ms. Lemmon and can’t wait to see where she takes us on our next journey.

p.s. I loved Jessica’s take on the challenges that Eli and Isa faced as a couple with the damage done in the war.  So often stories focus only on the challenges faced by the injured warrior, but it never hurts to remember that these things affect everyone in the warrior’s life including anyone they try to bring into their lives after the fact.  Being a proud military brat and a great supporter of our military men and women, I felt a special kind of warmth in reading this story and seeing that Jessica doesn’t shy away from those issues, instead bringing them into the light and allowing her couple to move past them together.

*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.