Butt-dialing the Billionaire is an undercover boss romcom. It’s lighthearted with fun characters and made me happy, annoyed, and then happy again with its wonderful ending. It has a found family, workplace humor – much more than I would have expected from a romance novel about a billionaire boss who goes undercover to find a butt-dialer.
As was true in the earlier books from Martin’s amusing Billionaires of Manhattan series, the hero here is a (mostly) loveable man. Jaxon Harcourt Eadsburg von Henningsly inherited the multinational company Wycliff, Inc. when his parents died in a plane crash. As the book begins, he is trying hard NOT to give a speech his advisors have written that praises his parents and reassures employees that they can count on Jaxon’s new leadership. Jaxon however hated his parents – he had a very lonely childhood and his parents paid him no attention. Carrying on their legacy by running Wycliff Inc., the company they devoted themselves to is low on his list of things he’d like to do with his life.
Jada Herberger works as a senior designer at SportyGoCo which is a part of Wycliff Inc, a company owned by Jaxon Harcourt Eadsburg von Henningsly. She is with her team finishing up a conference call and doesn’t realize she’s butt dialed their billionaire boss as she hilariously imitates him. Jaxon hears her and is NOT HAPPY. He sets out to find the butt-dialer–he wants revenge on this person who clearly doesn’t understand he is doing the best he can.
Jaxon tracks down the location of the Butt-dialer to the NYC office of SportyGoCO and goes undercover. He becomes Jack Smith, gets a nineties makeover with bleach frosted tips, square glasses, a giant mole on his face, and a bright print party shirt and hires himself as a gopher in the office’s design department. He is a terrible employee. He doesn’t know how to do anything, has a poor work ethic, and leaves at five on the dot. I genuinely wasn’t sure he’d be able to redeem himself. Fortunately I was wrong.
From the moment Jaxon meets Jada, she gets under his skin. I can see why – she is a wonderful heroine. Jada is a stellar employee who keeps the office running. She will do anything for her work family and, since this now includes “Jack,” she tries hard to help him. She takes him under her wing and draws him into the office found family. Jada is a born nurturer. She spent her teen years caring for her mother when she had cancer while her brothers and father escaped into video games. She left home after her mother died, headed to NYC where she went to work for SportyGoCO where she found the connection she’d missed since her mom died. Those she works with adore her – she’s always trying to protect them from their awful boss Bert who seems to be sabotaging their work. Martin has created a wonderful cast of office compatriots. They all have clumsily knitted blue hats and it’s lovely when they make one for Jack. I especially loved the story of Keith, the office cactus who has his own Instagram page!
Jack is flummoxed by both the group and his lowly job. The funniest part of the story is when he tries to fit in with the rest of the team but doesn’t know basic things like how to use a vending machine, work with a spreadsheet program, or bring a packed lunch. But he begins to try and the group supports him. It turns out he can do somethings well. For example, since he was once a Formula One race car driver, he is able to zip around town quickly when he makes deliveries. His verbal missteps when he talks like the CEO he really is are amusing as well.
I did struggle when Jada and Jack made flirty comments with each other about going into the storage supply closet. It felt unprofessional. I squirmed when Jack figured out that Jada is the butt-dialer and he blackmails her into kissing him. Some of the humor became repetitive. Overall though, this is a sweet, heartwarming read. The very best part of the story is the end. I found it exceedingly satisfying. It almost made up for the things I didn’t love.
If you’re looking for a sexy, funny, feel-good book, I can recommend Butt Dialing the Billionaire.
Buy it at: Amazon
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Grade: B
Book Type: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Publication Date: 10/2022
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