What’s worse than butt dialing the man who could make or break your career? Accidentally sleeping with him. Public speaking coach Lacey Ames has landed the client of a lifetime with Lawrence Newsom III, heir apparent to his family’s private jet empire. If she can help him land the role as the company’s president, she’ll never need to wait another table again. The job, however, proves more … more challenging than Lacey ever dreamed when Lawrence turns out to be Alex, the sexy pilot she spent one steamy night with while stranded in Chicago.
Alex knows the easiest way to win the board’s election would be to do as his grandfather advises: rekindle the romance with his ex, the daughter of an influential board member. But how can he think about anyone else when his klutzy-but-delectable new public speaking coach is a constant temptation?
If their tryst becomes common knowledge, both of their futures are at risk. The only solution is to keep the action in the boardroom strictly business. But with chemistry like theirs, that’s easier said than done.
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What’s worse than butt dialing someone? Butt dialing your new extremely hot client. Lacey is determined to remain professional and show her new skills off despite having a not your average client. Is love worth risking your career? It definitely is! I received a copy of this and volunteered to review it.
I loved this story. It is a fun listen. Lacey and Alex have instant chemistry. The butt dialing scene is hilarious. This story is entertaining from beginning to the end
Lauren Fortgang is an amazing narrator, giving each character their own personality voice. AudiobookObsession
Less Than Three was a cute stand alone rom com that I enjoyed as long as I didn’t take it too seriously. I had no idea what to expect from the title at all, but it made sense pretty quickly at the beginning of the book. < 3 I listened to the Audible version. Lauren Fortgang did a really amazing job and I'm sure I liked the story better because I listened to the audio version. She does well with both male and female voices. #AudiobookObsession
Review of audiobook version of PG, New Adult, romantic comedy
Twenty-something Lacey Ames, a theater major who struggled for several years to find any work beyond waitressing after graduating from college, is delighted with her current career. She provides public speech training to corporate executives and, after only six months on the job, is thrilled with her biggest assignment to date. Her client is Lawrence Newsom III, an executive from the upper echelons of an aeronautics corporation. Unfortunately, the same day she is scheduled to meet Newsom in person for the first time, her fancy new cellphone betrays her. Due to its hypersensitive touch screen, she accidentally dials Newsom. Fearful of making a fool of herself in front of this important client, when Newsom picks up, she impulsively hangs up on him without identifying herself. Then, to her utter dismay, she accidentally dials him again in the same manner, and hangs up on him again. When he calls her back several times and texts her, she rejects all of his calls and does not answer his texts.
When that same day Lacey arrives at the airport for a private flight on a jet belonging to her client’s corporation, she is immediately attracted to the gorgeous pilot, a man named Alex. He is around her age, and he seems as interested in her as she is in him. Just before their scheduled takeoff, they learn that they are stranded for the night due to a storm that has grounded all air traffic. Unfortunately, they are forced to stay at a hotel with only one room with one bed available, and no other rooms are available in any of the other hotels in the whole town.
Alex and Lacey become quite convivial in the hotel bar while they consume together a string of alcoholic drinks, to the point that Lacey is blatantly tipsy. In the course of hours of laughing and talking, she relates to Alex the embarrassing story of her butt-dialing and hanging up on her new client, and they laugh about her mishap together. Alex’s charming companionability, in combination with his devastating good looks and their mutual booziness, proves to be an irresistible temptation for Lacey and, completely out of character for her, she instigates a one-night stand with him. Fortunately, the two of them retain enough mental capacity for Alex to ask Lacey multiple times if she is positive she wants to have sex with him, and for her to give verbal consent.
Lacey does not discover until the next morning that her one-night fling is actually Lawrence *Alexander* Newsom, and she is outraged. It is clear that Alex knew all along who she was, and she feels humiliated and used. As an act of self-preservation, she calls her boss, claiming that she has a family emergency and cannot fulfill her assignment. He explains to her that Lawrence Newsom just called him a little while ago and stated that he wants no one but her as his coach, and she is forced to continue with the assignment, which is to last for the next two weeks.
This cute, New Adult, romantic comedy contains a quirky and enjoyable amalgam of multiple popular, romance-genre tropes, including: mistaken identity, stranded travelers who must share the last available hotel room which has only one bed, drunken confessions, a jealous and vindictive ex-girlfriend, and a one-night stand that leads to love. Lacey and Alex are sympathetic protagonists, and there is plenty of romantic conflict in the form of multiple antagonists to insure that their road to true love does not run smooth.
This novel is basically PG. There is some sex in it but there are no graphic or crude descriptions. There is no foul language. There is, however, heavy drinking to the point of drunkenness, and the romantic protagonists engage in sex while both are drunk. There is also an additional, dubious ethical taint to that sexual encounter in that Alex is under the mistaken impression that Lacey is an engaged woman, and she does not correct his misapprehension. These issues may concern some romance readers and not bother many others.
I experienced the audiobook version of this cute novel. Lauren Fortgang does an excellent job as narrator. She acts out all the parts convincingly and is quite skilled at portraying both male and female characters of all ages.
If you’re looking for a light-hearted, entertaining romance, this fun, New Adult romance is an excellent choice.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 4 stars
Hero: 4 stars
Subcharacters: 4 stars
Romance plot: 4 stars
Audiobook narration: 4 stars
Writing: 4 stars
Overall: 4 stars
Less Than Three: A Romantic Comedy (Starting From Zero, Book 1) drew me in with its hilarious synopsis. I love the curtain-raiser scenes with the tushie dialing and the unwittingly sleeping with the man who could be cataclysmal to her career. I love how the writing style is organic and witty at same time. I found the characters sweet-natured with outlandish characteristics. Chemistry between Alex and Lacey is undeniable, along with campy banter between these two creates a exhilarating listen. Secrets, and lies swirling through the pages of this office romance creating a bit of angst to the narrative. A entertaining listen.
Narator Lauren Fortgang is the perfect choice to narate this audiobook. Her elemental being intonation has a comical flair. She gives every character their own voice. She expresses all character’s in their own way creating a fun listen.
This was a fun and mostly light book. It starts off with a butt dial and a misunderstanding, and runs the gamut of nasty ex’s and meddling grandparents. The narration by Lauren Fortgang was a great performance, looking forward to hearing some of her other narrations.
#AudiobookObsession
AudiobookObsession
Starting from Zero Book One.
Lacey Ames is working at a relatively new firm in public speech coaching. She happens to end up with a major client and knows she cannot mess it up. However, her phone has other thoughts. It autodials the newest number in her phone…her new client. When Lawrence Newsom III picks up the phone, she panics. When Lacey arrives at the airport for her flight to meet her client, she meets the beautiful pilot, Alex. After several missteps, Lacey and Alex work through his anxiety and become close.
If you’re looking for a fun romance between a new speech coach and an up-and-coming executive, this is the book for you.
AudiobookObsession
Audio Review:
Lauren Fortgang remains one of the best narrators. She is fantastic.
Not A Math Book! I’ll admit, I picked this book up thinking maybe it had to do with numbers. I’m a math geek, sue me. 😀 What I got instead was a very fun, very sexy introduction to Maggie Dallen’s writing. Very much looking forward to the next book in this series, and very highly recommended. 🙂
Who knew butt dialing someone can change your life so drastically! Watching the chemistry between these two was so fun. The push and pull that they had going on made me route for them all the more. I loved this book and can only hope the future books for this series are the same.
Maggie Dallen has a real knack for writing meet cutes! The main characters were cute and quirky, real lovable. Lauren Fortgang did an excellent job bringing these characters to life. Really enjoyed a good love story.
This story is cute, funny and hooks you from the beginning when Lacey Ames accidentally butt dials her very first client, Lawrence Newsome , she hangs up on him and does it again. The whole story seems like it should be a disaster of epic proportions, all odds against Lacey, from that first butt dial, but even with a conniving girlfriend, and her father, an overbearing grandfather and Alex (Lawrence) not knowing the magnitude of his position, we get a HEA, and a job well done by Lacey.
Thank you Maggie Dallen author, Lauren Fortgang, narrator job well done, and Audiobook Obsession for gifting me this audible book for a fair and honest review.
Audiobook Version:
From the 1st scene, I was absolutely hooked! Maggie Dallen and Lauren Fortgang are an amazing Duo! The writing was superb! I love the natural, witty, writing style Maggie uses. I find myself giggling more than a school girl! I absolutely loved the characters. They were beyond easy to fall in love with. Great chemistry, great characters and great writing! Loved it!
Narration was amazing! Lauren’s narration was perfect for this book. She has a wonderful tone to her voice but better than that, she has great timing and comedic qualities. She added so much depth to her narration and made it an absolute pleasure to listen to. She absolutely made a fan of me.
Great read!
AudiobookObsession
This was my first Maggie Dallen, and won’t be the last. This is the first book in the Starting from Zero Series. I love this funny and fast-paced story. Lacey and Alex are great characters. They share an instant attraction. I love to see them falling in love. This is a great and well written story. The narration is really well done. Lauren Fortgang has a great voice, easy to understand. I enjoyed my listening. Now, I can’t wait for the next book in the Series! I received this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily written this review.
What can you do when the new client you have to work with is the same man you had sex with the night before? Lacey and Alex make the best of a very bad situation and in the end fall love. This story had me laughing out loud numerous times. Maggie Dallen did a very good job of putting the emotions out there and made the story very enjoyable to read. I look forward to more by this author.
AlexLacey More Thank <3Great Story & Audible Listen
Less Than Three: A Romantic Comedy
Starting from Zero Series, Book 1
By: Maggie Dallen
Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
“Less Than Three” is a delightful romantic comedy. The story grabbed my attention right from the start and captivated it to the very end. I adore Maggie Dallen’s writing style, she creates interesting storylines and characters giving each personality and heart. The chemistry between the leads, Lacey and Alex, was great, I was rooting for them and their relationship. Their story is an enjoyable and entertaining one, one with emotions, drama, humor and romance. Thank you Maggie Dallen for another great story!
I listened to the Audible edition, Lauren Fortgang is a talented narrator and voice performer. She brings brings the characters & story to life from the pages to your ears. She is an awesome storyteller and enhances an already great story another level. Thank you for another great listen.
Thank you AudiobookObsession