Brief Thoughts: It Happened One Wedding

It Happened One Wedding

by Julie James
Book 5 of FBI/U.S. Attorney

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.5 Stars

SHE KNOWS BETTER THAN TO SAY “I DO”

After a humiliating end to her engagement, investment banker Sidney Sinclair is done with commitment-phobic men. But when her sister winds up engaged after a whirlwind courtship, she’s thrown in to close contact with exactly the kind of sexy playboy she wants to avoid—the gorgeous best man. She’s stuck with him, for better or worse, until her sister walks down the aisle, but that doesn’t mean she has to give in to his smooth advances, no matter how tempting they are...

BUT HE MAKES IT HARD TO SAY “I DON’T”

Special Agent Vaughn Roberts always gets his man on the job and his woman in bed. So Sidney’s refusal to fall for his charms only makes him more determined to win over the cool and confident redhead. Only what starts out as a battle of wills ends up as a serious play for her heart. Because the one woman who refuses to be caught may be the only one Vaughn can’t live without...

Apparently I have self control issues when it comes to buying books and starting new books.

But that's beside the point.

It Happened One Wedding is yet another amazingly fun and entertaining romance starring two witty, mature, and intelligent individuals with their own fair share of relationship issues. To be totally honest, while I had a lot of fun reading this book, I couldn't help but notice that we are rehashing the same story line over again with the same type of "Friends With Benefits" trope with a set of almost the same type of people. The only thing that kept the book fun, as always, is James' use of witty dialogue and interesting personalities... despite all of the characters being basically the same type of people. The only difference from one story to the next (starting from About That Night onward) are the circumstances surrounding our couples.

Otherwise, these last three books in the FBI/U.S. Attorney series simply surrounds a couple who get together due to lust, become sex friends and slowly become closer friends with deeper feelings for one another, but due to their own personal issues, they refrain from taking the relationship any further. And then they finally decide that, yes, they DO love each other, make their confessions, and wrap up the story with a sappy (yet also heart-warming) Happily Ever After.

I have no complaints about these story lines and as long as they have their own personal touch, I tend to find lots of enjoyment. And of course, there were many laugh-out-loud moments, so I definitely enjoyed myself.

And so I still loved the story, which makes for an enjoyable, warm-hearted read. Of course, this couple does not quite trump the Brooke Parker and Cade Morgan love story from the previous book. Now those two were fun. In comparison, Brooke and Cade were much hotter, and Brooke is much sassier. Sidney came off a bit lukewarm sometimes, but likable nonetheless.

Vaughn Roberts and Sidney Sinclair together were just okay, to be honest, and the romance left a bit more to be desired.

---

This review was originally posted at Ani's Book Abyss / BookLikes in September 2014.

---

Sort of a Review (but really just mindless babbling and worship): Love Irresistibly

Love Irresistibly

by Julie James
Book 4 of FBI/U.S. Attorney

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.5 Stars

See Also:  Love Irresistibly First Impression

HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS...

A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.

AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER.

A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love...

This might possibly be my favorite Julie James novel thus far (though I still have two others to read and one more coming out in the summer of next year). As a contemporary romance (books that I don't really read all too often) this one just hit all the right spots for romance, humor, and heart-warming tingly feelings. I even laughed out loud several times with dialogue or antics from the characters that caught me off-guard in that awesome way that makes me love reading!

Witty quips, sassy lawyers, and a U.S. Attorney with "knock-em-dead", attractively hot personalities... It almost makes me want to go back and reread the first three FBI/US Attorney books so that I can do some re-evaluating and new comparisons to see if this really WOULD be my favorite Julie James book. After all, before Cade Morgan and Brooke Parker, Nick and Jordan had been my favorite couple.

You know, I MIGHT do just that and start from the beginning once I've finished what's already out for this series. I have a feeling I'm going to love the first three books even more now that I've eternally formed a biased love for anything and everything written by Julie James. (Yes, despite the fact that I wasn't all too impressed with her debut novel that I had recently read, Just the Sexiest Man Alive, I can't say that it wasn't enjoyable or entertaining.)

Brooke and Cade just radiated chemistry of every level possible. They are such a hot couple together and at the same time also such a perfect couple and oh so entertaining. Individually, they shine well on their own in their separate circle of friends.

And that's the thing I've come to appreciate about a Julie James book. The characters are all written well, even if they are all modeled as perfection. But even among those same witty, intelligent, good-natured, yet sarcastic character personalities, they each manage to be unique in their own ways.

Cade seemed like the standard male protagonist in a romance novel when we first met him in the previous book About That Night, but getting to know him in this book was just too delightful for words. He's got his own brand of humor as well as his own inner conflicts beyond the good looks and successful career.

I had so much fun reading this sweet and breezy romance that despite some brief moments of straying attention, I'm still going to place it as a personal favorite and ignore everything else that might have gone bad with it. The characters in this particular book are so great with each other, between Ford Dixon and his two roommates and the little brother, Zach who was just downright adorable.

I'm not gonna lie. I'm really looking forward to summer 2015 for Ford's turn in the spotlight.  And not just because he's been pretty good about being the best friend as well as the fact that he freely uses the word "penis" on several occasions throughout the book.

Old favorites showing up also made my day with this one: Cameron, Jack, Nick, Huxley, Rylann, and especially Sam Wilkins with his very brief appearance. You know, I wouldn't mind too much if we could get a Sam Wilkins story at some point in time--THAT'd be pretty awesome!

And now there's a new guy to look forward to meeting, front and center: Vaughn Roberts in the next book following this one. I had been hesitating to spend anymore money, but It Happened One Wedding isn't going to read itself.

So much for finishing up some other reading lists I've begun... though to be fair, It Happened One Wedding really is on one of my several reading lists.

On one last note, I have highlighted several really good scenes, lines, and dialogue exchanges that I feel the need to share, but I'm not quite sure I should clutter up this "review" with.  This post already sounds like the mad babbling of a rabid fangirl who doesn't quite know how to word properly how much love goes into this book and this series and this couple.

---

This review was originally posted at Ani's Book Abyss / BookLikes in September 2014.

---

First Impression & Quote: Love Irresistibly

Love Irresistibly

by Julie James
Book 4 of FBI/U.S. Attorney

~ Goodreads ~

See Also:  Official Love Irresistibly Review

**Side Note on 6/19/2016:  For my own reasons (because this is one of my favorite books, and because the original post was kind of lengthy, I decided to re-post this first impression as a separate post.  Whatever--just enjoy. :D

Not that I ever forgot, but nearly one year after reading the previous Julie James book, with just the first chapter, I continue to remember why I love Julie James.

Because Julie James is awesome.  And because I'm already in love with Brooke and her best friend Ford.

That was her third breakup since starting Sterling.  She seemed to be in a pattern with her relationships, where everything was great in the beginning, and then somewhere around the four-month mark things just kind of fizzled out.  The men would give her some speech about not getting to the "next level," or about wanting "more" than hot sex at midnight after a long workday.

"Hold on.  A guy said this to you?"  Her best friend, Ford, had looked both shocked and appalled by this when they'd met for drinks after Breakup Number Two.  "As in, someone with an actual penis?"

"Two guys now," Brook had said, her pride admittedly wounded at being dumped again.  "I don't get it.  I don't put any pressure on these men, I'm happy to give them all the space they want, and the sex is good enough.  What else could your gender possibly want in a relationship?"

"Beer and nachos in bed?"

"This is the advice you offer, your sage insight into the male perspective?  Beer and nachos in bed?"

Julie James announced not long ago that her next book coming in summer of 2015 (which is why I decided that I needed to get a crack on reading the rest of her books) will be starring Brooke Parker's snarky best friend Ford Dixon.  For some reason, this little piece of dialogue made me giggle, and not because of the fact that we're barely a chapter in and someone's already used the word "penis".

Or maybe it's because he used the word "penis" after barely being introduced in this book.  I mean, it's not like this was the most earth-shatteringly funny exchange I've ever read in a Julie James novel, but I'm already liking Ford and hope he shows up a lot more in this book.  Now I'm also kind of enticed to wait at the edge of my seat until the next Julie James book gets published in May of 2015, even if it won't be part of this series.

Of course, I also need to get to finishing the rest of the Julie James books I haven't read yet.

Anyway...

There were some parts of the first chapter that I kind of zoned out on, but I've no doubt that I'll enjoy this book.  Cade Morgan was introduced in the previous book, About That Night, and he seemed like a witty, unique kind of guy... I guess, no different than the rest of James' male protagonists.  The point is that they've all got their own form of wit and intelligence, and the dialogue in James' books are always so much fun to read.

Despite the disappointment that was her debut novel, Just the Sexiest Man Alive, it still had her trademark sarcasm, wit, and dry humor.  So I'm inclined to continue enjoying any and all the rest of books written by Julie James.

Also, Brooke seems like she'd be a fun one for Cade Morgan to tango with.

---

This review was originally posted at Ani's Book Abyss / BookLikes in September 2014.

---

Short Review: About That Night

About That Night

by Julie James
Book 3 of FBI/U.S. Attorney

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.5 Stars

He's Playing Games

Though Rylann Pierce tried to fight the sparks she felt for billionaire heir Kyle Rhodes the night they met, their sizzling chemistry was undeniable.  But after being stood up on their first date, Rylann never expected to see him again.  So when she finds herself face-to-face with Kyle in a courthouse nine years later, she's stunned.  More troubling to the beautiful assistant U.S. attorney is that she's still wildly attracted to him.

But She's Making The Rules

Just released from prison, Kyle Rhodes isn't thrilled to be the star witness in a high-profile criminal case—but when Rylann comes knocking at his door, he finds she may be the one lawyer he can't say no to.  Still as gorgeous and sharp-tongued as ever, she lays down the law: she doesn't mix business with pleasure.  But Kyle won't give up on something he wants—and what he wants is the one woman he's never forgotten.

Hmmm...

Well, I was excited going into this book, but I wasn't all too excited as the book progressed.  There is definitely that all too familiar witty banter and humor between our main couple, but other than that, not much else seems to happen.  This is more or less a contemporary romance first and foremost with law and proceedings coming in at a close second.  I was kind of expecting some suspense and crime thriller type (since the first two were sort of in that genre), but there wasn't much action going on.

Nonetheless, if you look at it as a standard contemporary romance, it's an excellent book.  The characters are wonderful, intelligent, fun, and lovable; the story line is cute and trendy.  But since I went into the book expecting a side dish of suspense and crime and thrill, I came out of it a little conflicted... and feeling kind of meh.

I tried giving the book two days to sink in before deciding how I REALLY felt about it, but since the excitement was lost on me while I was reading it, I don't think I ever got it back.  And honestly, I know it's unfair to this book since it IS written well, and it DOES have excellent characters.

On a side note, I find it really strange that my interest in Kyle when I was reading the second book kind of deflated after he became center stage in this third book.  On the other hand, while I was reading A Lot Like Love I didn't really feel like Nick McCall stood out too much outside of being the hot, hero, FBI agent type.  However, in THIS book, I found that I fell in love with Nick as a side character.

Stranger things have happened, I must say.

A few things I DID appreciate about this book:

• Rylann's law geek tendencies.
• The sibling banter between Kyle and Jordan.
• Sam Wilkins and his "meet cute" line.

---

This review was originally posted at Goodreads in September 2013.

---

Short Review: A Lot Like Love

A Lot Like Love

by Julie James
Book 2 of FBI/U.S. Attorney

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

The FBI wants her cooperation...

As the daughter of a billionaire and the owner of the city's top wine store, Jordan Rhodes is invited to the most exclusive parties in Chicago.  But there's only one party the FBI wants to crash: the charity fundraiser of a famous restaurateur, who also happens to launder money for the mob.  In exchange for her brother's release from prison, Jordan is going to be there—with a date supplied by the Bureau.

Agent McCall just wants her...

As the top undercover agent in Chicago, Nick McCall has one rule: never get personal.  This "date" with Jordan Rhodes is merely an assignment—one they're both determined to pull off even if they can't be together for five minutes before the sarcasm and sparks begin to fly.  But when Nick's investigation is compromised, he and Jordan have no choice but to pretend they're a couple, and what starts out as a simple assignment begins to feel a lot like something more.

Another good one from Julie James with one of my more favorite story tropes: Pretending to be a couple... for whatever reason.  So much potential for sizzling romances to begin this way.  These FBI/US Attorney ones aren't as intense and action-packed as the I-Team novels, but what I love about Julie James books are the characters and their witty, insightful, intelligent banter.  These are great characters you can't help but fall in love with.

I think I liked the chemistry and the dialogue exchanges between Jordan and Nick more so than when I was reading the first book with Cameron and Jack (also witty and fun, but not as sassy). I also loved the relationship between Jordan and Kyle and hope to see more interaction between the twins in the next book as well.

Lots of fun to read and highly entertaining.

Also... Tall, Dark, and Smoldering...?  lol That's a good one (and also a nice descriptive fit for Nick, I guess).  But I think I also liked Kyle's description of "Tall, Dark, and Sarcastic."  It fits, and it also gave a little foray into Kyle's character, which I immediately took a shine to, so I'm looking forward to seeing how his story pans out in the next book.

---

This review was originally posted at Goodreads in September 2013.

---

Short Review: Something About You

Somthing About You

by Julie James
Book 1 of FBI/U.S. Attorney

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

Fate has thrown two sworn enemies...

Of all the hotel rooms rented by all the adulterous politicians in Chicago, female Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde had to choose the one next to 1308, where some hot-and-heavy lovemaking ends with a death. And of all the FBI agents in Illinois, it had to be Special Agent Jack Pallas who gets assigned to this high-profile homicide. The same Jack Pallas who still blames Cameron for a botched crackdown three years ago—and for nearly ruining his career.

Into each other's arms...

Work with Cameron Lynde? Are they kidding? Maybe, Jack thinks, this is some kind of welcome-back prank after his stint away from Chicago. But it's no joke; the pair is going to have to put their rocky past behind them and focus on the case at hand. That is, if they can cut back on the razor-sharp jibes—and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension.

This was a cute and fast-paced crime thriller romance with sizzle (which I've been enjoying a few of lately), and took me a whole of eight hours to finish reading, with some breaks for bathroom and food and sleep. Considering my track record, this means that I highly enjoyed the book and that it had my attention from beginning until the end.

It helps when the story has a good dose of romance, action, crime thrill and the like included. It helps a lot when you really like the characters because they are created quite beautifully and have that lovely spark, even if it's just on paper.

Of course, I walked into this book looking for a mystery and a little bit more of a thrilling ride than I got; the book itself was a little more tame than I had been expecting, both plot-wise and character-wise. But I must say, I DO enjoy a good witty banter every so often between characters, and witty banter I got LOTS of from both Cameron and Jack, as well as the rest of the supporting characters. All of the characters I loved, especially the friendship between Cameron, Collin, and Amy.

The writing style could have been a little smoother, and the story progression was predictable and not so much a mystery like I would have preferred, but nonetheless, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I will definitely move onto the next one if the characters continue to be sassy badasses and witty charmers. Characters created wonderfully, of course, is something that stands out among others in any book I thoroughly enjoy.

---

This review was originally posted at Goodreads in July 2013.

---