Saving the CEO (49th Floor)

"A Little Exercise in Breaking Rules" This quote from the book should have been the title of this contemporary gem by Jenny Holiday. If not for a positive review by a friend, I would have bypassed this book simply because of the title and the trope. I'm bored by billionaires. Books about them rarely make it into my TBR pile. However, this one had a blurb that caught my attention and a sample featuring likable and approachable lead characters that made me want to read more. Jack is the CEO in question. You immediately get the sense that although aloof he is a hardworking, good guy who is surprised by his sudden and crazy attraction for the smart and efficient bartender at his regular haunt, where he works while eating dinner three nights a week. It was amusing how his mind repeatedly wandered into Smutlandia whenever he saw the voluptuous Cassie, and then he would give himself a mental shake to get back to the present. "She was carrying too much, hugging an armful of bottles....He had a sudden vision of her doing the same thing naked. The bottles would compress her ample breasts, and as they slid down her body, those breasts would bounce back to their pertly rounded shape. Jesus. Stop it." Jack had it bad for Cassie. I liked how he first notices her out of a mutual appreciation for good scotch. It was a very ordinary interaction, and then the attraction on both sides builds exponentially from there. Holiday writes these early scenes with perfect, careful detail. After a couple of chapters, I was totally sold on following the romance of these two unlikely people. Luckily, Holiday enhances the romance with a little more plot regarding a merger, an embezzlement and Jack needing the impressive mathematical skills of non-traditional college student Cassie. It is far-fetched, but I didn't care since it meant that Cassie and Jack spend nearly every minute of the book together. They both had some baggage but were characters with a high degree of integrity and work ethic. They were genuinely nice people and it was fun watching them fall in love. The love scenes were hot and frequent, but it stayed curiously tasteful because every once in a while a scene faded to black. Sometimes it was all laid out there, but sometimes it wasn't. Plus, Jack and Cassie were just SO DARN NICE. Loved 'em. I am off to pick up another 49th Floor Novel by Jenny Holiday.

I discovered this author/series early in 2016 when I devoured Sleeping with Her Enemy. This book is the prequel and I found it to be even more engaging. I think I have found a new author to become obsessed with! The hero is Jack Winter, owner and CEO of Winter Enterprises which is a prominent real estate company in Toronto. He is in a tight spot because he has discovered that an employee is stealing money from his company, but he doesn't want the news to get out until he can complete a major business deal. Cassie James is the bartender at a restaurant that Jack frequently dines at and, through a series of events, Jack ends up figuring out that she is a math wizard who is exactly the type of person he needs to help get the deal done. It also doesn't hurt that they have insane sexual chemistry even if that will complicate things much further when the facade has to end. I loved almost everything about this book. I found both Jack and Cassie to be super likable and down to earth. Jack has a lot of responsibility and his personality shows that along with his issues with math that force him to turn to an outside person for assistance. Despite his alpha attitude, I thought Jack was very sweet and it was obvious that he was falling for Cassie from the beginning. For her part, Cassie is exactly the type of heroine Jack needed as well as being a strong character in her own right. She has had to work very hard to get where she is at and still struggles to keep her head above water with school, work, and a troubled mother. Jack and Cassie's romance is super steamy and lots of fun to read. They don't really beat around the bush when it comes to their chemistry though both of them agree that there is a time limit for this "relationship". These types of stories are intriguing to me because there are always repercussions for when things get real and feelings get in the way of just sleeping together for fun. The relationship develops fast, but it didn't feel rushed because of the amount of time that they spent together, both in and out of bed. This was a very quick read, but that does not mean it isn't powerful or underdeveloped. All the characters are richly drawn from the protagonists to their co-workers to their friends/family. The plot, while a little out there, was easy to follow and never went off the rails crazy. There was a minor communications problem toward the end that I thought got fixed too quickly, but that is the only quibble I had with the story. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more of Jenny Holiday's work especially in the 49th floor series.

With a title like "Saving the CEO," I figured this contemporary romance would be one of those generic "billionaire guy falls for poor but beautiful heroine" that maybe had some good sex scenes. Good for a couple of hours of mindless entertainment, but nothing special or memorable. But it was free through BookBub, so I figure, what the heck. Imagine my surprise when this novel turned out to be not only better than average, but a nuanced character study of two damaged people who take the long, hard road to find love. And the secondary characters and subplots are equally compelling. Set in Toronto, in a realistic world of splashy big business deals and the secret hurts, longings and foibles of its characters, this novel is hard to put down once you have started it. I wonder now if this author's publisher forced such a stupid title onto this excellent romantic read. If so, they have done her no favors. Most regular romance readers will dismiss this effort as a by-the-numbers romance without turning the first page. I know I would have had this book not been free. I'm really glad I have discovered this author. I will be buying her other books.

I loved the two main characters, and her very protective gay friend Danny, too. I thought the writing was good; but there was more very explicit sex than I like in a story. Otherwise I thought it was a pretty good read. Both Cassie & Jack had to overcome significant obstacles to be successful, and as it turned out....they sort of helped each other grow and blossom along the way. I liked that the author gave us a short epilogue at the end. But..... I would have loved it even more, if she had let us know if they ever ended up married.

While this book is easy and fun to read, you've read it before. Billionaire falls for bartender. However in other stories the female character seems to be "broken". In this book, Cassie is a smart, strong and independent woman. Neither of the characters have an over abundance of baggage they bring into the relationship. The sex scenes are tastefully done. Not a lot of graphic details. So if you are looking for hot, steamy sex this is probably not for you. If you are looking for a solid, story line, sweet, easy romance then this is for you. This is a stand alone book. There is no cliff hangers.

Oh my gosh. I can't even begin to sing enough praises to this fabulously entertaining book. As my review header states, this book has it all. The writing is great, the dialogue is witty and charming, the characters are perfectly developed and absolutely endearing. The romance is wonderfully written and the steamy sexy scenes match the relationship perfectly. The book starts with our h and a coworker - at the restaurant she works at - talking about the H and his unusual Tuesday night appearance. He's a regular with a very predictable schedule so when he shows up on a different day and his usual table is unavailable he sits at the bar where it puts him right smack in the presence of the h (she's the bartender). At first, he doesn't notice her, but then he doesn't notice or acknowledge anyone so it's no surprise he just sits there and focuses on work. However, the h and her charismatic quirky personality is really hard to overlook. They have small talk and before you know it the H is intrigued. From then on, he sits at the bar and so begins a tenuous flirty friendship of sorts. The H fights his attraction to her but considering he's attracted to her personality not just her physicality the fight is futile. The H is very regimented. He's got strict rules and rarely goes off course, but his feelings for the h keep making him break his rules. It was lovely to read about their journey to their HEA. I am beyond happy that I stumbled across this book. I am now a fan of this author and can't wait - but I'm forced to - see what her next book will be about. I highly recommend this book.

What a fantastic book! I don't know why I didn't expect much from this book when I bought it. Maybe something about the cover? Well, never judge a book by its cover, right? I absolutely adored Jack and Cassie. They were so well matched in wit, intelligence and passion, but there was a lot of hidden vulnerability in both characters and I really liked that aspect of the story. I felt like there was a lot of heart to the story - particularly the main conflict that brings Cassie and Jack together. And I don't believe I mentioned it, but this book was hot! I was really surprised to read that this is Ms. Holiday's first book. It was definitely a stand out. Great start to a new series. I look forward to book 2 of the 49th Floor novels.

Oh how I love couples with insane chemistry that cannot keep their hands off one another. Throw in a super smart woman trying to be independent and taking care of family and I love it more. Cassie was an amazing female lead. I loved that she was putting herself through school and is a major math girl. Her scenes with Alana were very cute. Her first interactions with Jack put a smile to my face and I loved that he was drawn to her then. The way she drew him out and humanized him was perfect. He softened from the beginning of the book and became a more likeable character. And what he did for her in the end was beyond sweet! I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.

So I first found this on an app called chapters but you have to spend so much to choose the preffered choices so I decided to look for the book and found a series. I love the characters in this. The leading lady is brilliant, makes you feel like it could be you, a down to earth person with hidden talents for numbers. Just working your way through life hoping to finally get that grade to give your life a boost then out of nowhere Mr hot ceo just happens to notice you and see all the positive that you looked over. I love the too and throw of the chatecters and the hope they will eventually work it out at the same time as wanting to pull your hair out when the main man misreads a situation. The flow of the book was great and kept me reading until the early hours as I just could t put it down. Not what I'd call your normal ceo novel which was so refreshing!

Engaging characters and an interesting story - it was a good read and over too soon. I'd love to read more of Cassie and Jack.

This my favorite of the serie so far. The writing is excellent, the story great and I loved the main characters. Amazing book.

Loved the book kept me on edge of my seat

Devo confessare che il tema della riscossa di Cenerentola mi è sempre molto piaciuto ed è per questo che ho acquistato il romanzo. Qui abbiamo un multimilionario immobiliarista, Jack Winter, che, a causa di un forte sospetto di frode e di una discalculia, si trova a proporre una consulenza a Cassie James, brillante universitaria vicina alla laurea in matematica che si mantiene facendo la barista in un locale il cui proprietario era un amico del padre. E' una vicenda dal lieto fine assicurato ed in cui l'autrice descrive molto bene l'attrazione fisica dei due protagonisti. Se vogliamo trovare un limite, lui sembra il meno consistente dei due perché si ritiene molto disciplinato e corretto e poi, dopo appena qualche pagina, inizia a buttare alle ortiche tutte le regole che si è autoimposto e si comporta come un adolescente in preda al primo innamoramento; salvo poi pentirsi per qualche pagina e comportarsi da cafone. Più cinica e posata è lei che ha davvero un problema serio e concreto nella vita e che, invece di piagnucolarsi addosso, si rimbocca le maniche e procede verso il suo futuro senza darsi false speranze ma senza perdere la serenità. Persino troppo perfetta per essere vera. La storia è improbabile all'estremo, ovviamente, ed il fraintendimento finale non mi è piaciuto proprio, ma la risoluzione è dolce e dà l'idea che la storia d'amore funzionerà (se non altro perché, dove conta, c'è lei al timone). E' poi evidente che, per concludere in un determinato numero di pagine, la caratterizzazione di altri personaggi è stata ridotta e alcune parti della vicenda che promettevano sviluppi, finiscono nel nulla o si concludono fuori dalle pagine. Pazienza, magari negli altri libri della serie se ne saprà di più.