Pushing the Limits

by Nancy Fraser

When a case of mistaken identity puts Cade Tucker in the wrong place at the right time, he can't believe his luck. Drawn to the beautiful Julia McCormack, he flirts his way into her bed and they welcome the New Year together.

Though they agreed their time together was no-strings-attached, first-name only, Julia's having a hard time letting go of the best sex she ever had. She dives into work at her corporate law firm, hoping to get her mind off the man who rocked her world.

Then Julia finds out the senior partner has appointed a new attorney to work with her on her biggest case, and her co-counsel will be Cade Tucker. Her plans to make partner are in serious jeopardy when she and Cade disagree on the best legal strategy for their case, but what will happen when they can no longer fight their desire, and the company's strict non-fraternization policy threatens both of their jobs?

Genres: Romance, Novella, Contemporary, Adult

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 30, 2013

About the author

Nancy Fraser has been writing since she was a child, most often on walls and with crayons or (heaven forbid) permanent marker.

Since first becoming published in 1996, Nancy has received numerous five star reviews for her futuristic, time travel romance.

She’s also published in short contemporary, historical romance and is contracted for a series of ten vintage historical romances set during the Golden Decade of Rock & Roll (1955-1964).

When not writing fiction, Nancy likes to spend time with her five wonderful grandchildren.

Reviews

[Yanli · Rating 5 out of 5]

He mencionado ya que adoro los romances explosivos??? que buena esta esta historia, <3 <3 <3

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Flirty Stars!

She’s not the office secretary. He’s not the man that has been hired by her company to play Santa. But mistaken identity doesn’t stop Julia and Cade from agreeing to spend some no-strings, first-name only, steamy days and nights together. When the New Year begins and vacation is over, it is revealed that Julia and Cade will actually be working together – Cade has been retained by Julia’s law firm to consult for them on the case she is working on – and tension heats up. Julia sees Cade’s involvement in her case as a threat to her plans to make partner, and the undeniable attraction the two of them have towards one another must be denied since the law firm has a strict “no fraternization” policy. As Julia and Cade work together and deny the feelings they have towards one another, they quickly learn that they are as good a team in the courtroom as they are in the bedroom, and a choice must be made.

I loved Julia, she was smart and strong, career-minded, and always wanting to make the right decisions, yet she was also highly passionate, especially when it came to Cade.

“I was just trying to decide whose clothes to remove first – yours or mine.”

Cade was everything you would want in a man:
Totally hot….

“Santa was supposed to be a portly, jolly old man with a white beard, not a six-foot-plus hottie with a fit body and a killer smile.”

….a bit of a dirty talker….

“Santa could be a lot of things. Provided, of course, you’ve been a good girl.”

….and totally sweet.

“I’m having second thoughts,” Cade said suddenly, the first words they’d spoken in over an hour.
“About?”
“I’m not sure I can give this up. It’s too perfect.”

This was such a fun read with some heat, lots of sweet, and a great story from beginning to end. Unlike other novellas where the story can feel rushed and incomplete, Nancy Fraser does a great job spending enough time developing the characters and plot to leave you feeling satisfied and happy. A great quick read that left me smiling at the end.

[Lynn Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.
Cade Tucker gets an interesting job that he wasn’t expecting. Julia McCormack is a woman who doesn’t know what she’s in for once she meets Santa. Too bad the Santa’s in my neck of the woods just seem a little too old for me – I guess I don’t visit the right places.

As I read about Cade, one song comes to mind, “Smooth Operator” by Sade. If you’ve never heard her song you can find it out on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TYv2P.... And in his case, that’s not a bad thing.

Let me tell you that by the time you get to the end of chapter two, you’ll need to have a fan handy. Or if you’re in the middle of winter where you are, you’ll be able to turn off the heat or open a window. This is a fantasy come to life and Nancy has done a great job. The only disappointment I had was that the story was going too quickly.

I enjoyed the interactions of our couple – they are the perfect pair. I was reading as slowly as I could but that didn’t stop the pages from turning and getting closer to the end. But I do have a warning; don’t try to read this book before going to work. I almost made myself late for work because I didn’t want to put it down. And the same would happen if you tried to read this at lunch so I recommend leaving this for a day off or evening read.

The ending is most definitely an HEA – or at least I’m assuming it is. You will have to be the one to decide that one for yourself. If you like your romances short, hot, and with the perfect HEA then you will want to make sure to have this book in your library. And if you are so inclined make sure to stop over to Nancy’s web site, http://www.nancyfraser.ca, and check out her other books.

[LJT · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Pushing the Limits by Nancy Fraser is a well-written novella with engaging characters, a wonderful plot that sizzles in all the right places, and an incredibly honest heroine.

Julia McCormack is an intelligent and sexy attorney working diligently towards being the first female partner at Montgomery and McQuade, Attorneys at Law. She is quite lonely, due to devoting her life to her career. Julia finally loosens up after the company holiday party and ends up having mind-blowing sex with the guy posing as Santa Claus.

After a few days of hot, passionate sex with Julia, sexy, corporate attorney Cade Tucker finally has to fess up about his true identity, when he is assigned as co-counsel on Julia's latest case. Cade is hopeful that if all goes well, he will be offered a permanent position.

Once Julia understands Cade's innocent deception, they are able to work together flawlessly and win their case.

Their chemistry is dynamic both in and out of the courtroom, and thus, they now have to decide on how to proceed with their respective futures, because fraternization is not permitted at Montgomery and McQuade.

This is an intoxicating novella. It perfectly combines professionalism, flirting, and love, to create an exciting, fast-paced read.

ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia McCormack is determined to be the first female partner at the Montgomery and McQuade, Attorneys at Law. Cade Tucker is hoping that relocating to Dallas is the right move for him professionally but the last thing he thought he would be doing when he popped into the office he would be consulting for would be mistaken for would a Santa contractor. Unable to deny the attraction they feel for each other, they spend they couple the holiday season with each other getting to know each other inside and outside of the bedroom.

One thing they do not discuss though is Cade’s new position of consulting contractor for the law firm and to top it off, he is consulting on the case Julia’s assigned as lead counsel. With having to choose between both working at the same office or having a relationship due to non-fraternization clause their employer has for employees and those involved with its office. When a surprise happens, it will test their boundaries and more.


Final Thought:

A full story in a small package, this is a great holiday read to kick off the New Year.

[Melody May (What I'm Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posted on What I'm Reading

I finished reading Pushing the Limits by Nancy Fraser and I have to say that I enjoyed reading this story.

All right, Pushing the Limits had me chuckling with the situation with mistaken identities. You have Cade Tucker believing Julia McCormack is the secretary at a law firm. While you have Julia believing Cade to be the rent of Santa. Boy they were wrong. After the office part they have fabulous time together. After the holidays are over they find out the truth. Of course, they find that can't keep their hands off each other, but there is one problem "No fraternizing". Yep, that's a challenge.

This is a quick read that was highly enjoyable. I would consider this a little steamer than most flirts I have read, but that's ok it's still pretty good. Plus, Cade and Julia make a pretty awesome team in and out of the bedroom. So, if you are looking for something like Pushing the Limits give it a go.

Copy provided by publisher

[Zarith dol · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC received from netgalley
Read a lot novella, but this is the BEST one ever.
This story start with a mistaken identity where the hero, Cade got to dress up as a Santa for Julia's party at her law firm. The night end with flirtatious banter and them heating up the sheets. Julia is a shark lawyer, very spunky and independent but she is lack of companionship, but with Cade she felt her life is full. One night turned to several, and that turn into unexpected events. Cade attendance to the firm meeting, let the secret out as he is the new lawyer consultant and emotions clash as the firm forbid inter-office romance. But, Love triumph all at the end and the readers are not disappointed. Even though it is a novella, it is full-pack in every scene with fireworks cracking. The couple is one of my favourite and recommended story to start the new year.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This to me was a quick read. It was just what I needed. Sometimes you need a Lifetime movie in a book form. That is exactly what this was.

Cade Tucker was ripped into being someone's work party Santa. Right place, right time. That is not what he was at the company's Christmas party, but he went with in anyway.

There he meets Julia McCormack. She is an up and comer who wants to be the first female partner at her firm.

One thing leads to another and these two have a few crazy weeks. When they both go back to work after the holidays they realize Cade is working for her company and since the company has a strict no dating policy, the couple calls it off.

But then an unexpected even brings them back together and turns their lives around.

[Catherine Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very solid short story. I read it in less than 3 hours. The plot is a slight alteration on the meet at work theme. While this book isn't going to blow you away, it is a good way to relax. The characters were likable and relatable. The plot was well developed, if a bit common. It has a HEA. The introduction says it is part of a series, but this story is still the full story. For those who hate grammar and punctuation errors, this book is going to make you very happy. I was unable to notice any grammar errors during my reading. A great way to relax after convincing someone to fix you dinner.

Received an ARC from Entangled Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mistaken identities is the premise of this short light read from Nancy Fraser. What Ms. Fraser did superbly was balance the story with her character development. No one thing suffered from the novella format, which a very difficult challenge to accomplish. The pacing was fast, the characters full, rich and engaging, the settings detailed, and the dialogue and situations laugh out loud at times. There was quite a bit of heat generated by the lead couple and I thought it was done tastefully and fit the story needs. Great Job!
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

[Reads by Starburst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pushing the Limits by Nancy Fraser is a sexy office romance with a solid plot. It has conflict and the character growth is quite steady throughout the story. The ending wrapped up the story very neatly and nothing felt incomplete or missing. Julia is a attorney who is strong and self sufficient in every way. She was confident and a good match for Cade. They both shared an enjoyable chemistry and their dialogues were fun to read.Read More

[Christa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, fun read about two people, Julia and Cade, who meet at a Christmas party and harbor misunderstandings about the identities of one another. Once they meet again and find out more about one another, they have to figure out how to make their budding relationship work around strict office policies. Julia and Cade were both very likeable characters, and they had smoking hot chemistry together. This was a thoroughly entertaining, short novella.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great story of two people meeting at a party, hitting it off, and ending up in an unpredictable way. Cade and Julia have a strong attraction that's impossible to ignore. This is the first time reading anything from Nancy Fraser. This was well written and enjoyable.

[Diah Didi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read, interesting plot.
I liked how both got caught up with the the chemistry. It's a bit surprising that they didn't only spend a night, but for days.
I also loved the fact that no matter what happened before, they managed to work professionally and teamed up very well. And well, I always loved this kind of theme.

[CL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was a very cute Novella about two people meeting in unusual circumstances, finding a connection and then having to deal with the consequences.

I liked Cade's 'grand gesture' at the end.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It had a smart woman and a very nice man. They didn't have horrible hang ups and the sex was mildly described but still with clever banter that made all the more intimate. Good work but short.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how Cade and Julia didn't know what position each were in the office at the first meeting. They hit it off and think it will be a short office romance but love has a way of sneaking up this couple. .

I received this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Thanks Netgalley for ARC
This book was a quick read. It was short cute and fast read.the characters were likeable and of you are looking for a good fast read this is it.

[Denise Koopman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good short story. Never read anything by this author before but I sure did like this book.

[♡Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un bonito relato corto para pasar la tarde

[Agostina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Pushing the Limits is one of those novellas which actually feels like a full, complete, self-contained story. Too bad it's not an interesting one. It starts off good, with Julia mistaking Cade for the man who's suppose to play Santa at her firm's Christmas part, and him thinking she's the receptionist. Sparks fly, and she invites him over for Christmas dinner. He stays for a lot more than dessert. Then again for the New Year's Eve. It isn't until work resumes that they learn that he's her co-counsel on Julia's first big case, and the firm has a strict no fraternization policy.

Something has to go wrong, right? There has to be some conflict for our love interests, and it's one that I absolutely cannot deal with: accidental pregnancy by stupidity. As soon as Julia and Cade start going at it like rabbits, with only the condom (maybe two) from his wallet, I knew it was going to happen. How can you not think you'll not get pregnant if you're not protected and "forgot" about your birth control shot appointment?! This is only slightly less stupid to me than when characters have unprotected sex while the woman is on BC and antibiotics. From there, Pushing the Limits just went downhill as Julia thinks she has the flu until she takes a pregnancy test and has to worry about whether to choose their relationship or her career. Yawn.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Paris · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I didn't know what to think about this. There was a lot of sex, with a hint of there might be some plot at some point and I was getting bored with the sex part (weird, I know). Then a really beautiful story developed. Julia and Cade were definitely smoking hot and I liked them together, but I was always hoping that wasn't all this was going to be. Thank goodness it wasn't. The court case, the two of them finding their way around things, all of that was perfect.

This book was a huge surprise to me and I loved every minute of it, even the beginning that started to seem boring to me. Pushing the Limits is a perfect example of why you should push through and finish a book even if it doesn't feel like your cup of tea. I am so glad I finished it and really wish I could get a look at Cade and Julia's future together. I'm really curious to see where things go from here.

Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 solid stars

Pushing the Limits by Nancy Fraser was a very enjoyable read.

It was a fast paced and romantic read, the characters were likable and relatable.
Cade and Julia have a strong attraction for each other and what started off as one night of fun turned into another and another.

Once Julia and Cade realised they were going to be work colleagues they agreed to keep to the work policy of no fraternization at the workplace. But try as they might the attraction and chemistry they shared was difficult to ignore ;)

I was very impressed with Nancy Fraser's writing, I'm usually left with wanting more from a novella but this story was so well written I was left satisfied that Julia and Cade had found their HEA :)

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Flirt for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Mariana Bezerra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story. Cade was the perfect Santa and we can clearly see these two were so right together. Christmas was the right setting for this novella and I loved meeting Julia. She’s fierce and a little romantic, her job is above anything else, but she found the perfect guy in Cade. Their time together was so amazing that even forbidden, they boke the rules and had another hot weekend together.

I was super cheering for the rules to change and these two have a happy ending, but in the end Cade was better than that and made the right choice. I only thing Julia needed a friend to talk about her problems in the job and with her family, she was really lonely.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short fun, light and amazing read..
if you don't want anything heavy and something short you should definitely read this one

[Flor · Rating 4 out of 5]

La verdad es que me gustó bastante.. me quedé como con ganas de un epílogo para saber un poquito mas.