A review by lauriereadsrom1
Butt-dialing the Billionaire by Annika Martin

funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Billionaire Jaxon Henningsly and his parents have never been close, so when they're killed in a plane crash, he's not exactly overwhelmed by grief. He is, however, annoyed at having to take control of the family business, Wycliff Inc. He has less than zero interest in continuing his father's legacy, but in order to stabilize share prices in the wake of the tragedy, the company's managers persuade him to give a prepared speech via conference call. It's mandatory listening for employees from across the company's business units, including senior designer Jada Herberger and her team at garment firm SportyGoCo, which Wycliff owns. 
 
Normally very professional at work, on the day of the call Jada is frustrated and upset at having just lost a major business opportunity due to her boss's poor management. She jokingly begins to mimic Jaxon's stuffy speech to cheer up her equally depressed co-workers, not realizing that they've accidentally unmuted the phone and he can hear her making fun of him. Jaxon is furious and makes plans to punish the guilty party, but company management is unable to identify her. He decides to take matters into his own hands by going undercover at SportyGoCo as an office assistant named "Jack Smith." He has no work experience whatsoever, but he's sure that won't be a problem, at least until he's nearly fired on his first day. Further, it's more difficult than he thought it would be to unmask the butt-dialer, and a strange thing happens the longer he's there: he finds himself wanting to save the company from its financial troubles. A big reason for that is his attraction to Jada. But what happens when the secrets they're each hiding are revealed?
 
It's been a long time since a book made me laugh as hard as this one did. I especially loved Jack's reaction when he saw the cubicles in the SportyGoCo office and his musings on "the world's most obnoxious computer program, ironically named Excel." It was like the TV show Undercover Boss on steroids, but with the addition of deliciously steamy chemistry between main characters Jada and Jack. Even though they tried to hide their feelings for each other behind a game of blackmail, I could tell how much they secretly cared about each other. The problem was that Jack didn't know what to do with his feelings because he'd never experienced an emotional connection like the one he had with Jada before. He'd learned to hide his big heart after being hurt too many times by his neglectful parents, and it wasn't until he found himself unwillingly becoming part of the team at SportyGoCo that those feelings began to come back to life. 

I highly recommend this book for all romantic comedy fans and look forward to whatever Annika Martin writes next. 
 
*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own. 
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