Didn't think I could enjoy this story any more than I did the first time I read it but I did!! Shane August is a hard working guy that has built his business one step at a time. His one steadfast rule - never date an employee. Crickett Day desperately needs a job so when Shane offers her the position of his personal assistant she grabs the opportunity. Now all they have to do is fight the burning attraction between them!

I absolutely adore the writings of Jessica Lemmon and this is the book that got it started! Great plots, great characters, and laugh out loud humor makes this series one of my favorites. Recommend it to everyone! ( )

When Crickett goes out to a club to get over her ex-husband and the loss of her job, she could never have imagined that she would get a job offer.

No, no, not as a prostitute, but as a secretary for a billionaire. One Mr. Shane August. And then... well, let the sparks fly. Office romance, here we come!

Okayyyy, so this is definitely a guilty pleasure that I am almost embarrassed to admit I've read. It borders on the edge of mindless romance. But hey, sometimes a girl's gotta indulge in fluff and romance novels.

But it does help that Crickett is actually not a simpering girl who has crazy mood swings. And it's a slow progression, not a jump-in-the-bed sort of book. So that's always a plus.

Other than that, eh. It's a typical romance novel. Impossibly perfect guy who is not only smart, hot, and a billionaire to boot, but also sweet and kind and heads-over-heels for our protagonist.
A sassy girl who is trying to get over her ex, but still wants to do a good job.
Typical miscommunications about feelings and how far you want to go with the relationship.

I'm not sure what else I can review in this book. They get together.

Yep.

2 stars. It was okay. Not a bad book if you're looking for a typical romance novel. ( )

Booklist review:

When self-made billionaire Shane August hires recently divorced Crickitt Day as his personal assistant, little do either of them realize they are only a few steps away from happily-ever-after in the first entry in Lemmon’s Love in the Balance series. Shane is a down-to-earth billionaire who shies away from commitment because of his traumatic childhood, and Crickitt, after nine years of marriage to a man who dropped her without warning, isn’t ready to give matrimony another whirl. But as they work together, all the while denying their attraction and taking two steps forward and one step back in their personal relationship, they come to appreciate what they’ve found in each other. Meanwhile, Crickitt’s best friend, Sadie, has been dating Shane’s cousin Aiden, whose recent divorce is being kept secret from his ill mother, and Sadie seems to be as close to heartbreak as Crickitt does when Shane starts to back away. Lemmon’s glib writing style and worn plot make for a predictable but solidly escapist read. — Pat Henshaw ( )

You can find this review at My Favorite Things (heffroberts.blogspot.com)

Tempting the Billionaire by Jessica Lemmon is NOT what I expected and I was very pleasantly surprised. I expected light-hearted and fluffy and it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, it's not a sobbing, emotional wreck causing book, it is witty and touching, but there are some really intense scenes that will have your heart in a vice grip.

Crickitt is still getting past her failed marriage and dealing with those wounds. Meanwhile, Shane has been on autopilot for the past few years, going through the motions while working tirelessly at making his company a huge success. When Shane sees Crickitt sobbing at a bar he feels for her. He wants to help her. Fix whatever problem she has so that she doesn't have to cry any more. This is the point where you begin to realize you want a Shane all for yourself!

***QUOTES***
She angled her head to glance up at him. His jaw was slightly shadowed with stubble, his eyes shrouded by thick lashes. He looked dark and dangerous, and it was all too easy to imagine the scrape of that five o’clock shadow against her neck.
-Crickitt

Why hadn’t he just winked and pointed his finger like a gun while saying, Ball in your court, babe? What was he thinking, trying to pull off that Pierce Brosnan crap? He should have kissed her or not, and left it at that.
-Shane

A goofy smile stretched across his face as he closed his eyes and watched flashes of what they’d done together this evening on his eyelids.
-Shane

She stood statue still, fingers curled over her lips even though she couldn’t remember lifting her hand to her mouth. He didn’t come here because of work. Her eyes filled with tears. He’d come for her. Because he loved her.
-Crickitt ( )

The romance genre is oversaturated with billionaire plots and even though I had my doubts, Jessica Lemmon's Tempting the Billionaire was a pleasant surprise.

Crickitt Day is down on her luck and needs a job. Hoping to chase the blues away she agrees to a night out with her best friend Sadie. While at the bar Crickitt breaks down into tears as she takes stock of her life and what she's lost. Across from Crickitt is Shane August and his cousin Aiden. Shane reluctantly agrees to go out with Aiden to help him get back into the dating scene. Aiden quickly zeroes in on Crickitt and seeing her tears assumes she'll be easy to seduce; however, Shane takes one look at Crickitt and his heart stops. He's interested in her and convinces Aiden that Crickitt's friend is where his interest lies. When Shane begins to talk to Crickitt, she confesses she needs a job and acting on impulse he hands her his business card. She's hesitant about the job interview and in fact turns down his offer, but reconsiders when he interviews her a second time. Both are clearly attracted to each other and Shane tries to set up guidelines of how to go about their relationship, but Crickitt doesn't want what he's offering. Realizing he can't give her what she wants, they both agree to maintain a professional relationship. When Crickitt's ex-husband calls her, Shane believes she's gone back to him and what ensues is a beautiful story about a man and a woman realizing what true love is.

What I really liked about Tempting the Billionaire is the fact Shane is normal. He wears cargo pants and isn't flashing his cash telling the whole world "oh look at me! I'm filthy rich!" When he does, it's to help people who need it. He's also not going around showing up where Crickitt is or demanding to know her whereabouts. Nor is he showering her with endless gifts. He's not interested in buying her love, but rather he's more interested in getting to know her. Shane does have some issues that are rooted in his past as a child. It's easy to understand his reluctance at falling in love because he witnessed firsthand what it did to his father and he wants to spare his children the heartache he experienced. The scene in which he realizes he can't live without Crickitt was the best. It's also refreshing to read a book where the two protagonists are aware of their sexual attraction and have an adult conversation about what to do about it.

Some people think Crickitt is a doormat but I disagree. You have to take into account her past. Most people enter relationships with some baggage and what she has is normal for a woman who is divorced. Remember she's only known one man and spent the past eleven years catering to him. Besides she's perfectly able to stand up for herself and knows what she wants. When Shane takes off to distance himself from her, she had one of two of options. The first was to continue to work for him as his personal assistant or quit and leave him hanging. Instead she took the initiative and became the face of August Industries when Shane didn't care.

Lemmon's characters are believable and flawed. Her writing is engaging and witty. If I had been reading this book out in public, everyone would have seen the HUGE grin on my face. I had so much fun reading this and adore it immensely.

Some of my favorite quotes:

Women may throw themselves at you like live grenades, but the rest of us commoners have to come out of the trenches and hunt.

She looked at it a beat before taking it. "Crickitt."
"Like the bug?" He flinched. Smooth.

Her mother pulled her to one side. "You stay as long as he needs you, you hear?"
Pimped out by my own parents. "Yes, Mother."

I'm not ashamed to say I read this book in a day. I kept insisting I would only read one more chapter and just kept going. If you're looking for a book with lots of sexual tension that will make your heart beat, this is the book for you. Heck if you're just looking for a good fleshed out romance this is your book. There's a side romance between Sadie and Aiden and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in book 2, Hard to Handle. ( )