Fun hot series. Jessica Lemmon writes a great romance.

THE BASTARD BILLIONAIRE is hot yet sweet, with sympathetic, unforgettable characters you root for. I was so invested in Eli and Isa's story that I was disappointed when I reached the end!

Eli is a bear to work for, but Isa stood her ground and wouldn't let him run her off. I love that while Eli was attracted to Isa's beauty, it was her fiery spirit that captivated him and "felled" him. Because of Eli's insecurities due to his prosthetic limb, the story was full of angst and bittersweet longing on his part, yet Isa's ready acceptance of him--all of him--finally made him realize there's this woman who didn't care about his missing limb, because she saw him--the man underneath the physical attributes. Although of course, aside from his missing leg, he was all man, every mouthwatering, muscled part of him.

The couples in the previous books made cameo appearances, and I love the dynamics among the brothers. Series fans should not miss this! However, newbies can also start with this book, as each couple's romance is fully contained within the story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Very satisfying.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1907058411?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Up to this point I've found Eli to be the most mysterious of the Crane siblings. Then he when he was injured in an explosion toward the end of The Billionaire Next Door (Tag's book), I felt like we were finally seeing a little piece of his character. I liked where things were leading. And I was happy to finally get to know this mysterious Marine.

Eli Crane is trying to acclimate himself to his new / old life. A life that has been irrevocably changed since his honorable discharge from the Marines, and the loss of two of his best friends in the same explosion that cost him his leg. His family is there for support, and they're ready to help him move forward with his life and to take up a position at Crane Hotels. Eli is not so ready to move on quite yet, and thwarts all his family's attempts. Namely, they've hired a number of personal assistants, and Eli has fired every single one of them.

So in steps Isabella Sawyer. Her new employment agency could desperately use all the business the Crane name can ensure. She won't let Eli Crane tarnish her reputation. So she decides to pose as another assistant. Isa is not one to back down from a challenge, so when Eli Crane pushes, she pushes right back. Eli finds he likes the challenge and soon the natural attraction between the two becomes serious. But, are Eli's feelings for Isa enough to make him finally move forward and can he open up enough to let her know his thoughts and feelings?

Right away I loved the clear play on Beauty and the Beast. The Bastard Billionaire is not a complete retelling, but it has a few of the same themes.

I loved the way Jessica Lemmon deals with Eli's life post-injury. We definitely get to see Eli working through his remaining issues. He may try to play off, to the outside world, that everything is fine, but it's his internal monologues where we get to see what's really going on in his head. One of the things Eli needs to work out is being able to share those inner thoughts with others. Being able to ask for help, or being able to tell someone he's in pain. We see that Eli has a lot of preconceived ideas about other people's reactions to him and his injury. We see this a lot when Eli first meets Isa. He'll misconstrue her silence or a look she gives him as being repelled by his leg, but then when we get Isa's point-of-view we understand misunderstanding. I loved that we got both Isa and Eli's perspectives in this story. I think it was really important to show the distinction in some cases. There was a great progression of where Eli begins this book and where everything ends. It was paced just right.

I also have to say that I think Jessica Lemmon outdid herself with the heat level in this one. The relationship between Eli and Isa is absolutely hot, hot, hot. I'm pretty sure I said this about Tag and Rachel too, but I'm revising my statement in saying that I think Eli and Isa are my favorite couple in this series.

This being, what I'm pretty sure is, the last book in this particular series, I was happy that the other couples / characters got frequent page time, and l really liked seeing all the brothers kind of connect, finally, with one another. Jessica Lemmon always leaves me wanting more in all of her books, which is definitely not a bad thing, but I would have loved an epilogue giving readers a little bit more info on where all our couples wind up in a few years down the line. But if that's the only complaint I can find, then it's a safe bet that this is a good read. I look forward to whatever Jessica Lemmon has for us next. She's become one of my go-to authors.

“I haven’t dated anyone in three years and then the absolutely wrong guy comes along and I fold like an origami goose.”

When the absolute wrong guy is Elijah Crane, then he's not the wrong guy at all. He's perfect… in a grumpy, craggy, scarred, asshole kind of way.

But also in a hidden heart-of-gold kind of way.

I've been loving on this series from Jessica Lemmon from the start, with each installment feeling fresh and funny, sweet and sexy, and I was more than a little excited to get my hands on The Bastard Billionaire. (The book, sadly, not the man himself… damn you, fiction!) Turns out, I had very good reason to be excited.

Two, in particular. Eli Crane and Isabella Sawyer. He's a grouch, she's the HBIC and together they're MAGIC. Their relationship is more than just boss and assistant—although that makes for a hell of a dynamic—because he's still recovering from the tragic end to his military service and she's working to find her feet, alone, in the business world. They need each other in a way that's hard to explain—but it's all there between the lines, wrapped in a chemistry that had me rooting for them from the start.

Mixed in with that, though, was a little something deeper. Respect. Admiration. Kindness. And it took this book from a fun, employee/employer read to a story about misplaced guilt, misplaced desire, and—in the end—forgiveness.

But here's the thing: it's also hella sexy, chockablock with cameos from Eli’s delightful brothers and their significant others, and laced with some sort of you will smile and swoon book crack that makes it impossible to put down.

And makes Eli Crane absolutely the right guy.

“Sorry. I’m…tired.”
And hopelessly attracted to a Marine with a beard and a complicated reasoning system.

~ FIVE STARS ~

The Bastard Billionaire is one of the books I've been looking forward to most in 2017. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and fell completely in love with the second book. I couldn't wait to find out what Jessica Lemmon had in store for me next with the third Crane brother.

In The Bastard Billionaire, Eli Crane has returned from war missing a limb. He's recuperated nicely, unless you count his surly attitude towards everyone and everything. He's purposely pushed every personal assistant his brother hires for him out the door. Eli plans on continuing his successful streak of quitting assistants, but Isabelle Sawyer is determined to outlast him. As owner of the employment agency, she knows she has everything to withstand Eli's torture. What she doesn't count on is being so attracted to him.

I have to admit that The Billionaire Next Door set the bar really high for this book. I loved that one so much that this one had a hard time measuring up. Don't get me wrong, it was still a great read. It just wasn't quite as amazing as The Billionaire Next Door. I think part of that was the characters.

I loved Eli and all his crankiness. He had gone through what no one should have to. He'd healed but not completely. He still didn't see himself as the person he was before he lost his leg in combat. I was impressed with how Jessica Lemmon portrayed him and his personal struggle. It felt real and honest. I liked Isabella in regards to her relationship with Eli, but I wasn't a fan of her back story. I'm not sure why, I just didn't like the story behind her turning away from her wealthy family. It made it harder for me to connect with her. Luckily, I loved her relationship with Eli.

The push and pull between Eli and Isabella created fireworks. They knew how to light a fire under each other and get what they wanted and needed. Their chemistry was so sexy. I would have loved to see even more of it in the story.

The Bastard Billionaire was another great addition to the Billionaire Bad Boys series. I'm really sad to see this series ending, but it was so much fun to read. I would highly recommend it to contemporary romance readers.

Surly, sexy, wounded vet, Eli has running off personal assistants down to an art form. His family knows he needs help but he won't accept it until he meets his match in Isabella. Isa runs the agency that sent the PA's out but she's running out of people to send. To preserve the agency's reputation Isa goes herself. They are attracted to each other but Eli doesn't want pity and keeps trying to get rid of Isa. Isa wants to be professional so she won't give up. Great romance!

Fun and flirty, there was still enough depth and character to make this story stand out. Great read!

This beauty and the beast story is pure sexiness and wit.

Acclimating to civilian life after serving in the marines is never easy, but it’s especially tough for Eli Crane who was honorably discharged after an explosion took a piece of him, literally and figuratively. He’d like to be left alone working on the charity his trying to create. However, his siblings have other ideas. They’d love it if he took an active part in their hotel empire and have hired a personal assistant company to help him in this endeavor. How many times will he fire the smart, take no nonsense, won’t back down beauty before he realizes she’s not like any of the ten predecessors he’s severally dismissed?

Breaking away from the yellow brick road her parents had carefully set for her and starting her own business was not easy, but Isabella Sawyer is not only determined to succeed, she also loves her job and is exceedingly good at it. Therefore when Eli Crane threatens her company’s reputation she decides to take matters into her own hands by becoming his PA as task which would be easy enough if she didn’t find him overwhelmingly attractive. Can she tame the beastly billionaire?

Jessica Lemmon knows how to write romances that always feel fresh. The Bastard Billionaire isn’t just about a rich and attractive man, it also incorporates a military aspect as well as an office romance setting that is entertaining to read with its sexy, smooth flowing plot and delightful characters.

Out of the three Crane brothers Eli Crane seemed like the biggest a-hole of them all. With his reluctance to participate in the family business, wanting to be left alone and scaring off all of the personal assistants that were sent to him. But in truth he was a bit lost and underneath that hard and crusty exterior lay huge giving heart and a wounded soul that carried too much misplaced guilt.

Isabella Sawyer is a great leading lady! I just loved her determination and grit in addition to the fact that she didn't choose the easy, safe path her parents had set for her. She was independent and confident enough in herself to risk security for a career she loved even when her parents thought it was beneath her. And don’t even let me rant about her not taking any grief from Eli. It was fun and sexy as all get out.

The push and pull between the two was definitely good. Even though he was attracted to her, Eli did everything in his power to get rid of Isabella. But try as he might the only thing he accomplished was to amp up the sexual tension between them. Something that blew up in his face in a spectacularly seductive explosive scene involving a knife and scattering buttons from a blouse. Resistance to her was futile. They still had to find their footing in their new relationship, there was a lot of sweet sexy romance with some light angst in between. They weren’t alone though, they had family and friends helping them out.

Speaking of family and friends, I loved getting a glimpse of the entire Crane men and their women including their patriarch. But I especially liked getting to know Isabella and Eli’s friends. I hope we get a book for both or one for each!

The Bastard Billionaire is book #3 in the Billionaire Bad Boys series by Jessica Lemon. It is a charming, easy to read standalone contemporary romance. A must for Jessica Lemmon fans. Told from both points of view and has a happy ending.

Really good book and story definitely worth the read

Final Score - 5 Stars!!!

***received ARC from Netgalley in exchange for honest review***

A solider who gave it all to his country, including his leg, who wouldn't be a grumpy ass after being discharged before his was read? A woman who is trying to provide the last and most elusive Crane Brother assistants who him promptly fires after raging at them before hand, and she's at the end of her rope!

Isabella wants to save her beloved business, which she battle her own family over, from being destroyed by the Grumpy Crane brother who's determined to send all her well placed assistants on the chopping block of unemployment.

All Eli wants to be left alone, family and business be damned. He's already sacrificed a leg for his country giving his service to it, he doesn't want to commit the rest of his life to a family business he's never felt anything other than obligation towards.

So, Isabella take it upon herself to make herself his newest, most agreeable, but not a pushover assistant. And the moment that Eli looks into her eyes ... the sparks start to fly. But, Isabella is a formidable woman. She's the perfect woman to go up against Eli's curmudgeon, bastard like attitude. I admired her feisty strength and disengaging charm. The two of them made sparks fly.

Their passion and chemistry left it's mark on the pages and made for quite an enjoyable romance. There is something so innately good about the two of them together. There was an instantaneous feeling of peace when they met that went so much farther than simple attraction/lust. The kinship and trust and they development is what true romance is made of.

I enjoyed this book so much more than the first two, maybe it was Eli's attitude and Isabella's never wavering strength, but it jumped started me back into reading as this book was personable, charming, and fun with mild angst laced throughout leaving me totally satisfied as a romance reader and feeling grateful for having the chance to fall for this series all over again.

I liked Isa and Eli's characters - their strong, yet vulnerable personas and their unrelenting stare down to each other was entertaining.
Review copy received from Forever Grand Central via Netgalley

review will be happening closer to publishing- It was a very strong read held its own in the series. Each of the main characters were strong and fought to figure out how to make things work... i liked that Isa had her own business and pushed back to assist Eli in the end

As always, a knock out read from Jessica. This one involved the third brother in this series, and I loved getting to watch him meet his match. Eli is going to be a tough nut to crack. He left the military minus a leg and seriously down emotionally. Who knew what he needed was an assistant?

Isabelle Sawyer was trying to get her business off the ground and having the Crane family as an endorsement would be so amazing. But she was pretty sure Reece Crane was getting tired of calling her. His a$$hole brother was going through assistants, and she was beginning to take it personally. She'd send the best she had for the eleventh chance--and she was going to make sure she stuck. Even if it meant leaving her own business in her assistant Chloe's hands in the meantime.

Eli was having a hard time adjusting to his new normal. Trying to stay in shape with his new prosthesis was hard. Plus the case of survivors guilt. So maybe he was taking it out on the women that his brother kept sending him. He didn't want or need an assistant!

That's before he met Isabelle and had his life handed back to him. Angsty men don't like dealing with their feelings or getting pushed into relationships, but he's going to have to suck it up like a butter cup when Sable hits his office.

Funny, sexy and sweet, this romance hits the high marks on all fronts. Thanks for a great series, Jessica, and I saw some couples that should star in your next! Can't wait...

Finally we get to find out about Eli Crane. Kind of a mystery through the past two books he's the bad boy of the Crane's The family wants him in the business but he's resisting with everything he has. This includes running off every assistant his brother sends to him. That is until he gets THE assistant. Isabella Sawyer is that assistant. The owner of Sable Concierge she runs out of people to send in so she takes on Eli herself. Turns out she's just what he needs. Eli is battling his inner most demons all the while learning how to love from Isa. He just doesn't realize it. He's also finding the new Eli the man after his military days after his injuries. Isa is a strong women with a parents who don't support her and a ex-boyfriend who basically was using her to make his place in her parents company. Loved how Isa and Eli were there for each other in this story and how Isa understood Eli. The two of them seemed to click pretty quickly but that didn't make the path to I love you a easy one. Wonderful ending to this series.

Find out more about this series and Jessica Lemmon here www.jessicalemmon.com

What’s it About? After an explosion ended his career in the Marines, Eli Crane was honorably discharged and sent home. All he wants to do is be left alone but his meddlesome family keeps sending him personal assistants. Ten of them, all of which he has managed to run off without much effort given his surly attitude. When number eleven walks through his door he’s not sure what to make of her. Isabella Sawyer stands up to him, challenges him, and makes him feel normal. Isabella owns the agency that has been sending Eli assistants and now that he’s run off so many she’s decided to take matters into her own hands and be Eli’s assistant. She needs to make things work with Eli Crane so that her business will become more successful but Eli is just as stubborn as Isa AND they’re attracted to each other.





Describe the hero in five words: Intense. Hurt. Insecure. Passionate. Intelligent.

Did you like him? Heck yeah.

Why? Eli was the opposite of his younger brother Tag in almost every way (Except the stubbornness which seems to be a Crane family trait), he was not a laid back guy, he felt too many emotions at the same time and at the top of that list of emotions is some severe Survivor’s Guilt. It really defined Eli as a character for about the first half of the book and it wasn't easy for him to change things. Jessica Lemmon took a tough as nails Marine, put him through hell, and then sent him home to his family with a boat load of inner demons riding on his shoulders. Eli’s struggle to acclimate to civilian life rang true and created sympathy for “Beast Crane” because he desperately needed someone to see where he was coming from and I felt that job fell to the reader first, then to Isa. I wanted this character to find something for himself that made him happy and I felt for him when he doubted himself. So kudos to Jessica Lemmon for creating a grouchy, wounded hero who could test anyone’s nerves but who at the same time could get me to fall in love with every grouchy, wounded inch of him. Especially when he showed that soft side, the “before” Eli he rarely showed to anyone.



Describe the heroine in five words: Determined. Stubborn. Intelligent. Funny. Brave.

Did you like her? Yes.

Why? Isa, or “Sable” as Eli called her was a professional career woman. I loved that she didn’t wait for someone to save her, she saved herself. She didn’t like the path her parents expected her to take so she took her skills and started her own company. Strong women make the best heroines in my opinion and Isa was definitely a strong woman. Her balance of confidence when it came to her job and insecurity when it came to her feelings for Eli made her likable and relatable. She could go toe to toe with Eli when he was in one of his beastly moods and win but when it came to her personal relationship with him, she made just as many mistakes as he did. She had a dry wit too and I do love sarcastic heroines who aren’t afraid of an irritated billionaire mountain man.


How convincing were the main characters as a couple? Eli and Isa were very convincing due to their strong and determined personalities. Eli challenged Isa like she had never been challenged before and Isa pushed Eli out of his self imposed exile so he could make the changes he needed to in his life. Their constant proximity to one another and the sizzling chemistry was just the icing on the cake with these two. I loved the way they worked with each other and the way they fought each other too. They definitely weren’t a boring couple that’s for sure.



Is there a “Scooby Gang” worth mentioning? Naturally the Crane clan shows up now and again throughout the book because Eli needed them. I’m still in love with Tag Crane because, duh he’s awesome but even when that cuddly giant was in a scene, the focus was still on Eli. The scenes with all three brothers were exactly what I expected them to be: Tense, familiar, awkward, funny, and heartwarming. Eli also brought in a friend of his to help with a special project and he seemed to be quite the charmer. Isa’s friend Chloe was capable, strong, and tended to tell it like it is which helped push Isa along on her own journey.



How “Lost” did you get in the story? The weight of Eli’s guilt and his bitterness over his losses was a big factor in his relationships with the people around him. It caused a back and forth between them for most of the book and while that might have been a no go in another setting, here it was realistic. Everything Eli went through cannot be solved overnight or by “the power of love” without sounding ridiculous. As light hearted as most of The Bastard Billionaire was I found myself enjoying the serious side of it just as much.


The Bastard Billionaire brings the Crane family full circle I couldn’t imagine a better way to do that than with Eli. I was a bit concerned that The Bastard Billionaire wouldn’t live up to Tag’s book (Which I L-O-V-E-D) but Lemmon brought her A-game, complete with all the feels and all the sexiness I’ve come to expect from her books.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. Jessica Lemmon writes billionaires the way I like them: Alpha, sexy, and sarcastic, but without the controlling/stalker a-hole complex that seems to be the trend.

3.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I haven't read Jessica Lemmon before but she's been on my radar for quite sometime. When I saw this cover and read the premise I just couldn't resist. Seriously, look at that cover! Anywho, I really liked this one and liked the dynamic between the Crane family. I definitely want to go back and read the brother stories.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Isa and Eli. I liked that they both pushed each other. There were a few times that I wanted to shake Eli and have him open his eyes and stop with the woe is me attitude, but I get it. He's been through a lot and he's hella stubborn.

All in all I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from this author.

All of the Crane brothers have struggled with matters of the heart but Eli's phobias were more complex. A life in transition set him on a course of self recrimination and the life of a recluse. He acted the part of a beast but inside that blustering exterior lay the heart of a broken man. Loss, anger, pain pity and blame have become his constant friends. That is until a caring family and a determined beauty set out to shake up his world and wake up his heart. The Billionaire Bastard travels beyond the beast and delivers sensuality, redemption and inspiration while dealing with a heavy subject. It is one of Ms. Lemmon's crowning achievements in my opinion.

The Bastard Billionaire,  Jessica Lemmon

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance

 I’d missed book one of this series, enjoyed book two and was keen, as an amputee myself, to read Eli’s story. He was in book two for short periods and for once his medical issues were very realistic.
I hate books that clearly don’t understand or research amputee limitations. Very frustrating reading about people who are doing what I know isn’t possible.
Eli is a below knee amputee, clearly had a lot of knee surgery but having that joint makes a huge difference to what amputees can do. I’m missing most of my left leg, so we have different experiences but where they crossed over, the pain etc they were very real.

I really liked Eli, understood his issues, but he feels to blame for his two colleagues that were killed in the explosion that injured him.
I think that “survivors guilt” is sadly very common and though he’s worked hard to recover physically, mentally he’s not in a good place.
He doesn’t feel right for the COO position of the family business, his brothers disagree and have been sending him assistants to encourage him to find the time for the position. Eli has become adept at getting them to leave – quickly!

Isabella (Isa/Sable) has her own business, and has been supplying those assistants, with no success so far. She needs that to change, her business needs it to succeed.
She’s got her own issues, with her wealthy family wanting her to marry someone who suits them and their business, and they can’t/won’t understand why she wants to leave all that to run her own one.
She goes in as assistant number 11, determined to best this impossible man.

Of course nether of them expected the attraction, the sheer lust for each other.
Eli still tries to be his usual, grumpy person, and fires her repeatedly. But Isa doesn’t go, tells him its his brother who hired her and she’s staying. She doesn’t tell him she’s the owner of the business, wants to keep that quiet.
Soon things are going well, and when the lust between them finally comes to a head it's explosive and  they’re quickly in a hot and heavy relationship.
That seems to really help Eli look at things differently, but he’s still very careful to guard his inner feelings. He’s been burned before, doesn’t think he deserves Isa and isn’t up for full time, picket fence future, just a fun-for-now relationship.
Of course things go wrong – as they always do – and there’s a huge leap for them both to take, lots to look at in each other and in themselves.

Its a fun read, some sensual and very real sex. Yes, that’s one place where amputations do make a difference, though its somewhat changeable for males than females as to what the issues and barriers are.
I’m really glad that was brought up though, along with things like the dread a flight of stairs brings. Something I can relate to all too well.

I enjoyed this, very well put together story, and very genuine feeling people and situations. It didn't quite have the depth and drama for a five for me but a great four star read.

Stars: Four , a very genuine feeling story, with realistic characters.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

Eli Crane is trying to find his place in the world, he once knew exactly who he was, what he was and what his purpose was in life; he was a Marine who protected and served. But now, an injury has thrown him back into civilian life and he’s no longer certain of anything anymore. His family expects him to take a position in the family business but he’s not sure if that lifestyle is meant for him. He’s definitely not sure if a life with a stubborn, determined and drop dead gorgeous personal assistant who won’t go away no matter how many times he fires her, is for him.
Isabella Sawyer has left the comfort of her family’s business to strike out on her own, much to her parents’ dismay. Her employment agency is flourishing and this latest contract with Crane Hotels could really get her own the map; except for Eli Crane who keeps running the assistants she sends away with his less than welcoming attitude. Left with no other choice, Isabella decides she’s going to take on this beast herself.
This book was nothing like I thought it would be! I just knew this was going to be the typical “Beauty and the Beast” type of story but it was far from it. Isabella very determined to say the least. I loved her “try it if you want big guy but I ain’t scared of you” attitude. She gave as well as Eli, for every insult he hurled she had a snarky come back. When he used is injury as an excuse she pretty much ignored him.
The title of the book and even the description Jessica uses to start off had me picturing the “Disney Beast” .But Eli Crane was anything but a beast or a bastard. In a bad mood…yes; grumpy…most definitely; but beastly…not at all. OMG, he was a freaking teddy bear. That’s not to say he wasn’t a pain in the ass an made you want to strangle him but for the most part he was very….wait for it…CUDDLY! And believe it or not, Mr. Eli Crane was a relationship type guy.
I’m giving this book four stars, not because the storyline was so amazing…honestly it was pretty typical but there was just something different in the way in which it was delivered. What really sold me was Eli’s character, here’s this big, burly, mountain of a man with the worst disposition under the sun but he was so loving and compassionate and showed emotion. Not just towards Isabella but towards his family. He even expressed his hurt over a previously failed relationship. I mean the actual reason why he was so hurt, not just “oh she did me wrong’ type of thing.
As usual, there’s something in the story that makes me want to kick the woman and that would be Isabella’s, in my opinion, unrealistic expectation of this many professing his love for her…but I got over it, they got together and all is right with the world.
This is book number three in The Billionaire Bad Boy series, books one and two about Eli’s brothers and have been added to my TBR list.