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FBI/US Attorney #2
A Lot Like Love
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romance (2011)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.
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.
274 pages, ebook
First published March 1, 2011
About the author
Julie James
19 books9,574 followersNew York Times bestselling author Julie James practiced law with one of the nation's largest firms for several years until she began writing screenplays. After Hollywood producers optioned two of her scripts, she decided to leave the practice of law to write full-time. Her books have been translated into twenty-two languages and Julie’s ninth novel, THE THING ABOUT LOVE, is now available.
Julie James lives with her husband and two children in Chicago, where she is working on her next novel.
Visit Julie's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/JulieJamesfan...
Follow Julie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/juljames and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliejamesa...
Julie James lives with her husband and two children in Chicago, where she is working on her next novel.
Visit Julie's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/JulieJamesfan...
Follow Julie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/juljames and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliejamesa...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,814 reviews
October 8, 2018
This is one of those books that's hard to review because it's just so middle of the road on the star scale and in my future memory.
Meaning:
I didn't hate it.
I didn't love it.
I enjoyed it while reading it...but will have basically forgotten it by tomorrow.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it well enough (I actually picked it up because it was supposedly recommended by Nalini Singh - one of my all time favorite authors- via Book Bub); however, it just didn't stand out from the pack of FBI/undercover-esque romances I have read in the past.
Also, while the plot was decent, I thought everything moved a little too quickly - especially the relationship. The H's conversion from lifelong commitment-phobe dedicated to his profession to a man dropping the L word and taking an office job seemed to happen overnight and with very little character explanation. They just didn't seem to spend all that much time together to predicate such a changeover, in my opinion.
But whatever.
If you are in the mood for a light, entertaining romance, this one will do you right. Just don't come in expecting to be blown away or anything.
Maybe I'll pick up another Julie James in the future and maybe I won't...I'm just glad I got this one cheap.
Meaning:
I didn't hate it.
I didn't love it.
I enjoyed it while reading it...but will have basically forgotten it by tomorrow.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it well enough (I actually picked it up because it was supposedly recommended by Nalini Singh - one of my all time favorite authors- via Book Bub); however, it just didn't stand out from the pack of FBI/undercover-esque romances I have read in the past.
Also, while the plot was decent, I thought everything moved a little too quickly - especially the relationship. The H's conversion from lifelong commitment-phobe dedicated to his profession to a man dropping the L word and taking an office job seemed to happen overnight and with very little character explanation. They just didn't seem to spend all that much time together to predicate such a changeover, in my opinion.
But whatever.
If you are in the mood for a light, entertaining romance, this one will do you right. Just don't come in expecting to be blown away or anything.
Maybe I'll pick up another Julie James in the future and maybe I won't...I'm just glad I got this one cheap.
February 7, 2017
A Lot Like Love is the first book I've read by this author, Julie James and I am definitely going to be reading more of her books in the future.
This was such a fabulous contemporary love story with a bit of suspense thrown in...........leaving me with a warm, fuzzy and good feeling!!!
The two main characters.............such a great and engaging couple!!!
FBI agent Nick McCall..........what a hero!!! Sexy, yes!!Alpha, yes!! But not an overbearing ass.@@@@....I adored him.....open minded, caring......he's the kind of man I love..........
The dialogue is fun and witty.....
The writing is so good....flows beautifully making it such easy reading.
Fun plot....emphasis on romance more than suspense. Loved reading the parts about wine and the vineyards that Jordan and Nick visit in Napa Valley.....hell, I admit, I learnt a few things about wine!!!!
This was such a fabulous contemporary love story with a bit of suspense thrown in...........leaving me with a warm, fuzzy and good feeling!!!
There were so many things I liked about this story......let me tell you a few of them!!
The two main characters.............such a great and engaging couple!!!
FBI agent Nick McCall..........what a hero!!! Sexy, yes!!Alpha, yes!! But not an overbearing ass.@@@@....I adored him.....open minded, caring......he's the kind of man I love..........
Heiress and Businesswoman Jordan Rhodes....what a breath of fresh air she turned out to be. Not some neurotic and spoilt heiress but a funny, independent, hardworking, caring and down to earth person...she felt so real and I found her endearing and so engaging - and how could one not fall in love with her...
I liked seeing their relationship and sexual tension building up and the chemistry was potent....and the sex scenes were pretty hot and well written.
The dialogue is fun and witty.....
“He raised an eyebrow. ‘Wine with cheese fries? No thanks.’Some quirky and engaging secondary characters.....I especially loved Jordan's brother, Kyle.......what a hoot!!! Can't wait to read his own book!!
‘Wine with everything. Because wine means the responsible part of the day is over.’”
The writing is so good....flows beautifully making it such easy reading.
Fun plot....emphasis on romance more than suspense. Loved reading the parts about wine and the vineyards that Jordan and Nick visit in Napa Valley.....hell, I admit, I learnt a few things about wine!!!!
“Time for Wine Tasting 101.If you love contemporary romance that makes you "feel good"...then this is a book for you. I am definitely going to be checking out more books by Julie James.
“So here’s how this works. When tasting a wine, as opposed to casual drinking, there are four basic steps you need to remember: sight, smell, taste, then spit or swallow.”
Nick paused at that last part and cocked his head. “And your personal preference on the latter would be…?”
“Only lightweights spit.”
His right eye twitched.”
August 3, 2022
Re-read August'2022:
5+ stars - Contemporary Romance
I enjoyed this book just as much, maybe even more, this time around. I absolutely love the story, the writing, and the characters! Still big 5 stars!
"You came into my life and messed the whole thing up and now I’m screwed. Because I’m in love with you. As in balls-out, head-over-heels, watching-Dancing-with-the-Stars-on Monday-nights, wine-and-bubble-bath kind of love. Hell, I think I’d even wear a scarf indoors for you."
Jack leaned over. "Ever get the impression that these women are way out of our league?" "I shot the last guy who said that to me." "And people say I'm cranky."
Please, please, please start writing books again, Ms. James!!
Original rating/review:
5+ stars – Contemporary Romance
I just read and adored Something About You and then started this immediately afterward, and there’s a whole lot to love about A Lot Like Love.
FBI Agent Nick McCall is coming off a grueling undercover assignment and looking for a little R&R before taking his next case, but instead finds himself tasked with assisting a junior agent in an undercover money laundering investigation. In order to infiltrate an exclusive charity event held by one of Chicago’s wealthiest restaurateur’s at an elite wine club, the FBI needs the cooperation of billionaire heiress and wine entrepreneur Jordan Rhodes.
Jordan will do anything to help her incarcerated brother get early parole, even if it means aiding an arrogant, gruff, and rough around the edges agent known for his “don’t-fuck-with-me” look who pushes all her buttons, both good and bad, like Nick McCall. Nick grew up in Brooklyn and would rather take on dangerous criminals and kick back with a nice glass of bourbon after a hard day than attend fancy wine tastings with stuffy, high society types, and polished rich women like Jordan aren’t his type. But opposites definitely attract, and when Nick and Jordan are forced to spend more time together masquerading as a couple, fighting their combustible chemistry and drawing the line between lies and love becomes impossible.
It’s a flawless, vastly entertaining contemporary romance with a hot alpha hero, a smart and sassy heroine, great secondary characters, clever dialogue, refreshing and witty banter, laugh out loud humor, and steamy love scenes. And who knew that wine could be so damn sexy?!
I absolutely loved A Lot Like Love and highly recommend it for contemporary romance fans! 5 stars!
Here’s my favorite quote:
5+ stars - Contemporary Romance
I enjoyed this book just as much, maybe even more, this time around. I absolutely love the story, the writing, and the characters! Still big 5 stars!
"You came into my life and messed the whole thing up and now I’m screwed. Because I’m in love with you. As in balls-out, head-over-heels, watching-Dancing-with-the-Stars-on Monday-nights, wine-and-bubble-bath kind of love. Hell, I think I’d even wear a scarf indoors for you."
Jack leaned over. "Ever get the impression that these women are way out of our league?" "I shot the last guy who said that to me." "And people say I'm cranky."
Please, please, please start writing books again, Ms. James!!
Original rating/review:
5+ stars – Contemporary Romance
I just read and adored Something About You and then started this immediately afterward, and there’s a whole lot to love about A Lot Like Love.
FBI Agent Nick McCall is coming off a grueling undercover assignment and looking for a little R&R before taking his next case, but instead finds himself tasked with assisting a junior agent in an undercover money laundering investigation. In order to infiltrate an exclusive charity event held by one of Chicago’s wealthiest restaurateur’s at an elite wine club, the FBI needs the cooperation of billionaire heiress and wine entrepreneur Jordan Rhodes.
Jordan will do anything to help her incarcerated brother get early parole, even if it means aiding an arrogant, gruff, and rough around the edges agent known for his “don’t-fuck-with-me” look who pushes all her buttons, both good and bad, like Nick McCall. Nick grew up in Brooklyn and would rather take on dangerous criminals and kick back with a nice glass of bourbon after a hard day than attend fancy wine tastings with stuffy, high society types, and polished rich women like Jordan aren’t his type. But opposites definitely attract, and when Nick and Jordan are forced to spend more time together masquerading as a couple, fighting their combustible chemistry and drawing the line between lies and love becomes impossible.
It’s a flawless, vastly entertaining contemporary romance with a hot alpha hero, a smart and sassy heroine, great secondary characters, clever dialogue, refreshing and witty banter, laugh out loud humor, and steamy love scenes. And who knew that wine could be so damn sexy?!
I absolutely loved A Lot Like Love and highly recommend it for contemporary romance fans! 5 stars!
Here’s my favorite quote:
May 18, 2011
The woman who sat in front of me on my flight from Detroit to Denver is very lucky I had this book loaded on my Kindle. I loved the story, and it distracted me from the misery of having a seat back rammed against my knees for three hours. You know the book has got to be good.
A LOT LIKE LOVE tells the story of Jordan Rhodes, heiress to half of a billion-dollar fortune, and Nick McCall, FBI agent. Rhodes isn't a prissy heiress whose biggest worries are ruining her manicure or being seen with the right people; she's a solid person who's down to earth and who has worked to build her own successes in life. She owns an upscale wine store — can they actually serve wine in a wine store in Illinois? They can't in Colorado — and is an expert on fermented grape. Her social circle includes someone the FBI would like to know more about.
Nick McCall makes Jordan an offer she can't refuse to win her cooperation in helping him establish covert surveillance — i.e., bug — of this person of interest. And thus Jordan and McCall are forced to deal with one another. They trade sarcasm and quips — a kind of banter at which Julie James excels — and slowly fall into lust and then love with one another.
So, I have to ask myself whether deep in her heart, the attorney side of Ms. James has a hankering for suspense. James writes contemporary romance, but both books I've read would satisfy fans of romantic suspense, as well.
This is the first non-attorney heroine that James has written, and I have to give her props for doing that. It would be like me writing romantic suspense novel without a journalist heroine, something I haven't been brave enough to do yet. I think she does a splendid job of it, clearly having done her research into wine. I found myself wanting to write down tips, which I KNOW other readers have done, as the most frequent highlights in the Kindle version involved the various steps of wine tasting. So James is helping to launch a new cadre of oinophiles, which is all to the good.
Romantic fiction and wine go well together — almost as well as romance and wine.
I found myself giggling out loud at some points, which no one heard because planes are so noisy. I felt the characters were believable and endearing, including secondary characters, and I enjoyed seeing Cameron and Jack again. I got a real kick out of Nick's relationship with his long-suffering mother.
Also, I found the sex scenes very hot and fun to read. That's important.
And I'm just so grateful to James for writing this book because otherwise I probably would have gotten thrown off my flight by TSA for yelling at the person in front of me. I need to go back now and read her first two titles.
A LOT LIKE LOVE tells the story of Jordan Rhodes, heiress to half of a billion-dollar fortune, and Nick McCall, FBI agent. Rhodes isn't a prissy heiress whose biggest worries are ruining her manicure or being seen with the right people; she's a solid person who's down to earth and who has worked to build her own successes in life. She owns an upscale wine store — can they actually serve wine in a wine store in Illinois? They can't in Colorado — and is an expert on fermented grape. Her social circle includes someone the FBI would like to know more about.
Nick McCall makes Jordan an offer she can't refuse to win her cooperation in helping him establish covert surveillance — i.e., bug — of this person of interest. And thus Jordan and McCall are forced to deal with one another. They trade sarcasm and quips — a kind of banter at which Julie James excels — and slowly fall into lust and then love with one another.
So, I have to ask myself whether deep in her heart, the attorney side of Ms. James has a hankering for suspense. James writes contemporary romance, but both books I've read would satisfy fans of romantic suspense, as well.
This is the first non-attorney heroine that James has written, and I have to give her props for doing that. It would be like me writing romantic suspense novel without a journalist heroine, something I haven't been brave enough to do yet. I think she does a splendid job of it, clearly having done her research into wine. I found myself wanting to write down tips, which I KNOW other readers have done, as the most frequent highlights in the Kindle version involved the various steps of wine tasting. So James is helping to launch a new cadre of oinophiles, which is all to the good.
Romantic fiction and wine go well together — almost as well as romance and wine.
I found myself giggling out loud at some points, which no one heard because planes are so noisy. I felt the characters were believable and endearing, including secondary characters, and I enjoyed seeing Cameron and Jack again. I got a real kick out of Nick's relationship with his long-suffering mother.
Also, I found the sex scenes very hot and fun to read. That's important.
And I'm just so grateful to James for writing this book because otherwise I probably would have gotten thrown off my flight by TSA for yelling at the person in front of me. I need to go back now and read her first two titles.
August 16, 2017
This is my first Julie James book and I have to admit, I have a soft spot for police/FBI/military romance, because all the heroes are soooo bad ass and you just can’t stop falling for them.
“A Lot Like Love” is a very cute, light story between Nick McCall, an FBI agent and Jordan Rhodes, a very smart, gorgeous woman from the wine industry. The blurb was very interesting and I began immediately with this love story, believing it will be action packed, because, duuuh, FBI and stuf..It was not as predicted, but I liked it.. It was funny and had a lot of steamy moments, with a great chemistry between the characters.
To make a summary, Nick is an FBI agent, specialized in undercover operations. When he is offered the chance to take down a money launderer, he takes it without blinking. All his life he was the best in the field, always delivering excelent results and making his superiors proud. Only that there is one bad side to this >> no personal life. He doesn’t do relationships because of the complexity of his work, being constantly on the field and having no time for love. Nick needs help from Jordan to infiltrate him in the world of the notorious money launderer and in exchange, he will help her brother which is imprisoned get a milder sentence. Jordan was amazing as a heroine, I loved her sassy ways and her confidence.
She has an excelent wine business and her passion for his industry made her well known at the top of the chain. She is also the heiress of an empire, but this didn’t stop her for gaining everything on her own. When Nick makes her that proposal, she agrees to help in order to save her brother. Their mission will be to attend a wine party organized by their target and manage to give Nick time to bug the place to gain info. Of course complications will arise and the two of them will have a lot of time to spend together, that will gradually became something bigger and more powerful.
They were very funny together, with a lot of good dialogues, that manage to catch the essence of this couple. They are very much alike, stubborn and passionate about their jobs, but also kind of proud and would never give in first in an argument. Why only 3.5 stars? I wanted something else… Beginning with the characters and ending with the plot. Their relationship should have been more explored and I wanted to see them in various circumstances.. It felt kind of short and shallow in some parts of the book. And as for the plot, it was very researched and well written, but predictable. I liked Julie’s research in wine that were passed on to Jordan, but the action parts were slow and didn’t go far beyond average…
So, an easy and cozy read, which takes like 2 days to read. If you want something cute and uncomplicated, this is surely for you:)
For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com
“A Lot Like Love” is a very cute, light story between Nick McCall, an FBI agent and Jordan Rhodes, a very smart, gorgeous woman from the wine industry. The blurb was very interesting and I began immediately with this love story, believing it will be action packed, because, duuuh, FBI and stuf..It was not as predicted, but I liked it.. It was funny and had a lot of steamy moments, with a great chemistry between the characters.
To make a summary, Nick is an FBI agent, specialized in undercover operations. When he is offered the chance to take down a money launderer, he takes it without blinking. All his life he was the best in the field, always delivering excelent results and making his superiors proud. Only that there is one bad side to this >> no personal life. He doesn’t do relationships because of the complexity of his work, being constantly on the field and having no time for love. Nick needs help from Jordan to infiltrate him in the world of the notorious money launderer and in exchange, he will help her brother which is imprisoned get a milder sentence. Jordan was amazing as a heroine, I loved her sassy ways and her confidence.
She has an excelent wine business and her passion for his industry made her well known at the top of the chain. She is also the heiress of an empire, but this didn’t stop her for gaining everything on her own. When Nick makes her that proposal, she agrees to help in order to save her brother. Their mission will be to attend a wine party organized by their target and manage to give Nick time to bug the place to gain info. Of course complications will arise and the two of them will have a lot of time to spend together, that will gradually became something bigger and more powerful.
They were very funny together, with a lot of good dialogues, that manage to catch the essence of this couple. They are very much alike, stubborn and passionate about their jobs, but also kind of proud and would never give in first in an argument. Why only 3.5 stars? I wanted something else… Beginning with the characters and ending with the plot. Their relationship should have been more explored and I wanted to see them in various circumstances.. It felt kind of short and shallow in some parts of the book. And as for the plot, it was very researched and well written, but predictable. I liked Julie’s research in wine that were passed on to Jordan, but the action parts were slow and didn’t go far beyond average…
So, an easy and cozy read, which takes like 2 days to read. If you want something cute and uncomplicated, this is surely for you:)
For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com
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February 19, 2015
3+ stars
Despite not loving this I'm so addicted to JJ's writing style. She writes such fun characters. Although the suspense side seems less and less as the series goes on, this one had good suspense.
I think what was missing was I was already spoilt by Jack and Vaughn. Jordan was just an okay heroine. Also there was too much wine talk.
Book 1 and book 5 are my favourites. The fact that I read all 5 books in the series almost back to back just shows how much I adore this series and the writing. Can't wait for the next book!
Despite not loving this I'm so addicted to JJ's writing style. She writes such fun characters. Although the suspense side seems less and less as the series goes on, this one had good suspense.
I think what was missing was I was already spoilt by Jack and Vaughn. Jordan was just an okay heroine. Also there was too much wine talk.
Book 1 and book 5 are my favourites. The fact that I read all 5 books in the series almost back to back just shows how much I adore this series and the writing. Can't wait for the next book!
March 20, 2011
2.5 ~ 3 stars
Things I love about Julie James novels:
HOWEVER this book did not live up to my expectations...
this is my least fave Julie James novel so far. I still enjoyed reading it and breezed right through it ~ but I was disappointed.
I don't mind a cliché set-up: the love/hate vibe between two main characters, the typical rich but misunderstood herione, the "alpha male" FBI persona, etc. I actually can go into a book looking forward to those ingredients making it a fun ride.
BUT the characters fell flat for me.
Jordan was fairly bland. She lacked the snark or feistiness and pizazz of Julie James' other female leads such as Taylor in
or Payton from
.
Nick lacked the charm of some of her former male leads ~ so that there wasn't much too him other than him being hot, buff and an aggressive, horny male. (although, you know, he was still HOT :)
The book gets off to a slower start and I felt a bit bored wading through the set-up. While I liked the premise, I was waiting for sparks to fly and they never really did. Most of the romantic tension (which drives a lot of the book) relied solely on lust and sexual temptation. The flirting, rather than being character driven banter, relied mostly on sexual innuendo.
PLUS: I do remember being pleased in her former books at the tastefully done sex scenes ~ which were heated enough to satisfy the build-up of the sexual tension ~ but never turned into a smutty play-by-play. Not so in A Lot Like Love. The sex scene arrived with a BANG and laboured for a good chunk of more detailed content which may satisfy some readers but makes me either scoff, chuckle or roll my eyes (sometimes all three). I much prefer the thrill of tension rather than the actual nitty-gritty of characters "finally succumbing", haha.
Despite my mostly negative sounding review ~ I still did enjoy this book for what it was but I would recommend her earlier books as a much more fun and satisfying read. My fave of hers is
.
Things I love about Julie James novels:
witty/snarky banter between the two main leads
the dual POV which adds to the experience
the build up of sexual tension/attraction which ends in some HOT (but not too smutty) bedroom scenes
the rom-com feel
the fact that it's a light breezy smiley kind of read
it's fun chick-lit vibe without being too chick-litty...
HOWEVER this book did not live up to my expectations...
this is my least fave Julie James novel so far. I still enjoyed reading it and breezed right through it ~ but I was disappointed.
I don't mind a cliché set-up: the love/hate vibe between two main characters, the typical rich but misunderstood herione, the "alpha male" FBI persona, etc. I actually can go into a book looking forward to those ingredients making it a fun ride.
BUT the characters fell flat for me.
Jordan was fairly bland. She lacked the snark or feistiness and pizazz of Julie James' other female leads such as Taylor in
or Payton from
.Nick lacked the charm of some of her former male leads ~ so that there wasn't much too him other than him being hot, buff and an aggressive, horny male. (although, you know, he was still HOT :)
The book gets off to a slower start and I felt a bit bored wading through the set-up. While I liked the premise, I was waiting for sparks to fly and they never really did. Most of the romantic tension (which drives a lot of the book) relied solely on lust and sexual temptation. The flirting, rather than being character driven banter, relied mostly on sexual innuendo.
PLUS: I do remember being pleased in her former books at the tastefully done sex scenes ~ which were heated enough to satisfy the build-up of the sexual tension ~ but never turned into a smutty play-by-play. Not so in A Lot Like Love. The sex scene arrived with a BANG and laboured for a good chunk of more detailed content which may satisfy some readers but makes me either scoff, chuckle or roll my eyes (sometimes all three). I much prefer the thrill of tension rather than the actual nitty-gritty of characters "finally succumbing", haha.
Despite my mostly negative sounding review ~ I still did enjoy this book for what it was but I would recommend her earlier books as a much more fun and satisfying read. My fave of hers is
.
February 23, 2014
4 Cute Stars.
Jordan is a billionaire heir that suddenly sees herself with the FBI trying to make a deal with her.
She is connected with powerful people that the FBI wants behind bars so they make a deal with her: if she help them, they will find a way to set her brother free.
Nick is the agent responsible for her, but when they pretend to be a couple in a party and things go south, they have to keep pretending in order to keep the façade.
But there’s the thing about pretending, it can become very real and very fast.
I only found out recently about Julia James, but she definitely writes good books. These are probably one of the sweetest and funny series I’m following and I can’t wait to read the next books.
Rating: 4 Stars.
Storyline: Sweet and funny. A little predictable but extremely enjoyable.
Writing Style: Third person, dual POV. Fun, addictive writing that leave us with a funny tingling sensation in the stomach.
Character Development: Nick was great and I loved him. It was great to see some insecurities in a guy and that didn’t made him less sexy. Jordan was really sweet and for a billionaire heir that had everything to go wrong, she is pretty good.
It was also great to see more of the previous main characters.
Steam: Seriously heated moments.
HEA:
Jordan is a billionaire heir that suddenly sees herself with the FBI trying to make a deal with her.
She is connected with powerful people that the FBI wants behind bars so they make a deal with her: if she help them, they will find a way to set her brother free.
Nick is the agent responsible for her, but when they pretend to be a couple in a party and things go south, they have to keep pretending in order to keep the façade.
But there’s the thing about pretending, it can become very real and very fast.
I only found out recently about Julia James, but she definitely writes good books. These are probably one of the sweetest and funny series I’m following and I can’t wait to read the next books.
Rating: 4 Stars.
Storyline: Sweet and funny. A little predictable but extremely enjoyable.
Writing Style: Third person, dual POV. Fun, addictive writing that leave us with a funny tingling sensation in the stomach.
Character Development: Nick was great and I loved him. It was great to see some insecurities in a guy and that didn’t made him less sexy. Jordan was really sweet and for a billionaire heir that had everything to go wrong, she is pretty good.
It was also great to see more of the previous main characters.
Steam: Seriously heated moments.
HEA:
July 5, 2011
Another fun, easy and enjoyable read from Julie James! This is my second favourite book of hers that I've read so far, better than Just the Sexiest Man Alive and Something About You but it still doesn't quite match up to my first and favourite: Practice Makes Perfect (I'm still obsessed with J.D.).
As her latest release, this was the steamiest of the lot with some very sexy and descriptive bathtime fun and the tall, dark and stubbled hero we can always expect from Ms James. The story this time didn't feature a heroine who's a lawyer but a billionaire heiress and expert wine taster (makes for some very interesting dirty talk about smooth fullness) called Jordan, whilst mr dark and sexy (Nick) is an FBI agent. The FBI approach Jordan to help them infiltrate the charity fundraiser of a fellow wine lover and suspected criminal. Nick is Jordan's fake date who's mission involves planting recording devices inside the suspect's office.
When not everything goes to plan at the party, Jordan and Nick are forced to keep up the charade a little longer than originally planned. As they are both so dedicated to playing their parts they 'reluctantly' smooch and get close - only in case anyone's watching, of course ;)
Julie James knows how to write excellent chick lit and always manages to pull off witty and sarcastic banter better than most writers I know. Even if you're not really into romance novels or chick lit, you can't help but be amused by the neverending humourous remarks thrown back and forth between the characters. That's what I love so much about James' novels and why I know I'll be reading more from her in the future.
As her latest release, this was the steamiest of the lot with some very sexy and descriptive bathtime fun and the tall, dark and stubbled hero we can always expect from Ms James. The story this time didn't feature a heroine who's a lawyer but a billionaire heiress and expert wine taster (makes for some very interesting dirty talk about smooth fullness) called Jordan, whilst mr dark and sexy (Nick) is an FBI agent. The FBI approach Jordan to help them infiltrate the charity fundraiser of a fellow wine lover and suspected criminal. Nick is Jordan's fake date who's mission involves planting recording devices inside the suspect's office.
When not everything goes to plan at the party, Jordan and Nick are forced to keep up the charade a little longer than originally planned. As they are both so dedicated to playing their parts they 'reluctantly' smooch and get close - only in case anyone's watching, of course ;)
Julie James knows how to write excellent chick lit and always manages to pull off witty and sarcastic banter better than most writers I know. Even if you're not really into romance novels or chick lit, you can't help but be amused by the neverending humourous remarks thrown back and forth between the characters. That's what I love so much about James' novels and why I know I'll be reading more from her in the future.
May 13, 2020
Yazarın kalemi gerçekten çok akıcı( şarap muhabbeti bir yerden sonra biraz sıktı ) çiftler tatlıydı ve güçlüydü salak degillerdi çok şükür ama ilk kitap benim için bir tık daha iyiydi 🙈
March 3, 2011
Holy Smokin' 5 Star Read!!
Holy smokin’ hotness! Julie James just keeps getting better and better and has delivered on all aspects with her 4th contemporary romance and has totally blown me away with the sinfully mouthwatering Nick McCall. This was exactly what I needed after my last read which I had similar high expectations which ended up being a huge disappointment and in euphoria over how well this one turned out, I just might end up blowing a couple of kisses through Twitter to Ms. James because simply put, she just rocked my world with this one!
Special Agent Nick McCall works in the FBI Chicago field office and is one of the top undercover agents in the agency. Coming from a family of 3 brothers of whom Nick is the eldest, their father having served 30 years in law enforcement, Nick and one of his brothers had followed in their father’s footsteps and become law enforcement professionals. Six years working vice for NYPD had seen Nick restless for more and he had ended up training to become an FBI agent and the undercover work keeps Nick on his toes providing him with a challenge that he relishes in when it comes to his job. A man who likes his drinks fiery and hot, Nick is a man who doesn’t do relationships – ever. That is until his one on one encounters with his latest undercover stint leaves him wanting & feeling much more than he should and sees him breaking every damn rule in his dating guide for bachelors who wants to maintain their bachelorhood status.
33 year old Jordan Rhodes is a billionaire heiress and one of the richest women in Chicago. The proud owner of the DeVine Cellars, Jordan is not your typical rich woman as she and her twin Kyle has always been taught to make their own way in the world regardless of how rich their father might be. Stunningly beautiful with long blond hair, a svelte figure and Caribbean blue eyes, Jordan is not at all prepared when Mr. Tall, Dark and Smoldering himself walks in requesting her assistance in an undercover mission making her an offer that she would never be able to turn down.
Once Jordan makes the deal to help the FBI along in nabbing Xander Eckhart who has been laundering large sums of money for Roberto Martino who had run the largest crime syndicate in Chicago for years and had just recently being arrested, its puts her in close proximity to Mr. “Sex on a Fucking Stick” as her friend Melinda puts it, and there is no turning back from the fact that Nick manages to get under her skin unlike any other man that she has known.
Nick’s plan and assignment is a simple one. Assist the agent in charge with his first undercover assignment until inevitable circumstances end up with him playing out the designated undercover role. Prepared to dislike Ms. Rich Princess all the way, Nick is surprised and a little bit wary to find out that there is more to Jordan than that meets the eye and underneath all the media frenzy and public image is a sassy, kick-ass woman who makes him lose his senses – all in a good way.
Whilst Nick and Jordan both try to forget and fight how they start feeling about each other, the smoldering attraction that flares and heats up refuses to let go of its hold making this an immensely enjoyable read. And amidst all this, the villain makes evil plans of his own, driven to the brink of insanity by the way in which he has been betrayed by a woman who he trusted and had set his sights on before his world had started crumbling and crashing down on him.
All in all, a very satisfying read with a hotter than sin hero that I would just love to find wrapped in one of my birthday presents this month! Well a girl can always hope, can’t she?
List of things I loved:
1- Nick McCall. He is smoldering sensuality rolled into a very enticing package with a bad boy scuff around his angular jaw from time to time which makes me just want to run my hands all over him. Julie James can certainly create the heroes hot; hot enough to make this girl’s salivary glands work overtime throughout the story.
2- Jordan Rhodes. She is smart, beautiful, down-to-earth, loyal to the boot and entirely lovable. She is just sassy enough with the sarcastic quips that she exchanges with Nick, exactly what Nick needs to stand up and notice that his life as a bachelor was going through its very last stages with her in his life. I loved everything about Jordan and found her to be just perfect for Mr. Tall, Dark and Smoldering!
3- How the relationship between Nick and Jordan unfolded. It wasn’t lust at first sight which has both or either the hero or heroine panting after each other before the first couple of pages are through. However, the attraction that smolders and leaps into the pages comes out subtle at first and then kicks the reader’s ass making this book so very worth reading. And Nick when he decides to stake his claim does it so very well that I wouldn’t mind being pressed up against a red brick wall and shown just how much he would love to claim me! *winks*
4- The rest of the cast of characters that lent a rich feel to the story. They didn’t steal the limelight (thank God for the fact!), but lent interesting tidbits to the story that makes me want to find out more about for instance the romance between agent Jack Pallas and the US Attorney which is hinted at throughout the story.
5- Nick’s “don’t-fuck-with-me” face! Just cracks me up whenever that reference comes up!
6- The invigorating banter between Jordan and Nick. Always a plus point when the conversation is a stimulator in a romance.
7- The cover. I just love the fact that both Something About You and A Lot Like Love has book covers that depict both the hero and heroine attired in outfits described in the story.
A story that earns big, fat 5 stars from this reader, and very highly recommended for fans of Julie James and fans of contemporary romance which features a hot hero, a sassy heroine and a little bit of danger thrown into the mix to give the story an extra edge. Next up is Jordan’s twin brother Kyle’s story. With women swooning all over him over his likeness towards Lost’s actor Josh Holloway, I am all set to enjoy his story. When will that be out is the question of the month. Hopefully Ms. James would answer that before I burst from the innate curiosity that is simmering inside of me right now.
For the full review with quotes: http://bit.ly/dMmnDK
Holy smokin’ hotness! Julie James just keeps getting better and better and has delivered on all aspects with her 4th contemporary romance and has totally blown me away with the sinfully mouthwatering Nick McCall. This was exactly what I needed after my last read which I had similar high expectations which ended up being a huge disappointment and in euphoria over how well this one turned out, I just might end up blowing a couple of kisses through Twitter to Ms. James because simply put, she just rocked my world with this one!
Special Agent Nick McCall works in the FBI Chicago field office and is one of the top undercover agents in the agency. Coming from a family of 3 brothers of whom Nick is the eldest, their father having served 30 years in law enforcement, Nick and one of his brothers had followed in their father’s footsteps and become law enforcement professionals. Six years working vice for NYPD had seen Nick restless for more and he had ended up training to become an FBI agent and the undercover work keeps Nick on his toes providing him with a challenge that he relishes in when it comes to his job. A man who likes his drinks fiery and hot, Nick is a man who doesn’t do relationships – ever. That is until his one on one encounters with his latest undercover stint leaves him wanting & feeling much more than he should and sees him breaking every damn rule in his dating guide for bachelors who wants to maintain their bachelorhood status.
33 year old Jordan Rhodes is a billionaire heiress and one of the richest women in Chicago. The proud owner of the DeVine Cellars, Jordan is not your typical rich woman as she and her twin Kyle has always been taught to make their own way in the world regardless of how rich their father might be. Stunningly beautiful with long blond hair, a svelte figure and Caribbean blue eyes, Jordan is not at all prepared when Mr. Tall, Dark and Smoldering himself walks in requesting her assistance in an undercover mission making her an offer that she would never be able to turn down.
Once Jordan makes the deal to help the FBI along in nabbing Xander Eckhart who has been laundering large sums of money for Roberto Martino who had run the largest crime syndicate in Chicago for years and had just recently being arrested, its puts her in close proximity to Mr. “Sex on a Fucking Stick” as her friend Melinda puts it, and there is no turning back from the fact that Nick manages to get under her skin unlike any other man that she has known.
Nick’s plan and assignment is a simple one. Assist the agent in charge with his first undercover assignment until inevitable circumstances end up with him playing out the designated undercover role. Prepared to dislike Ms. Rich Princess all the way, Nick is surprised and a little bit wary to find out that there is more to Jordan than that meets the eye and underneath all the media frenzy and public image is a sassy, kick-ass woman who makes him lose his senses – all in a good way.
Whilst Nick and Jordan both try to forget and fight how they start feeling about each other, the smoldering attraction that flares and heats up refuses to let go of its hold making this an immensely enjoyable read. And amidst all this, the villain makes evil plans of his own, driven to the brink of insanity by the way in which he has been betrayed by a woman who he trusted and had set his sights on before his world had started crumbling and crashing down on him.
All in all, a very satisfying read with a hotter than sin hero that I would just love to find wrapped in one of my birthday presents this month! Well a girl can always hope, can’t she?
List of things I loved:
1- Nick McCall. He is smoldering sensuality rolled into a very enticing package with a bad boy scuff around his angular jaw from time to time which makes me just want to run my hands all over him. Julie James can certainly create the heroes hot; hot enough to make this girl’s salivary glands work overtime throughout the story.
2- Jordan Rhodes. She is smart, beautiful, down-to-earth, loyal to the boot and entirely lovable. She is just sassy enough with the sarcastic quips that she exchanges with Nick, exactly what Nick needs to stand up and notice that his life as a bachelor was going through its very last stages with her in his life. I loved everything about Jordan and found her to be just perfect for Mr. Tall, Dark and Smoldering!
3- How the relationship between Nick and Jordan unfolded. It wasn’t lust at first sight which has both or either the hero or heroine panting after each other before the first couple of pages are through. However, the attraction that smolders and leaps into the pages comes out subtle at first and then kicks the reader’s ass making this book so very worth reading. And Nick when he decides to stake his claim does it so very well that I wouldn’t mind being pressed up against a red brick wall and shown just how much he would love to claim me! *winks*
4- The rest of the cast of characters that lent a rich feel to the story. They didn’t steal the limelight (thank God for the fact!), but lent interesting tidbits to the story that makes me want to find out more about for instance the romance between agent Jack Pallas and the US Attorney which is hinted at throughout the story.
5- Nick’s “don’t-fuck-with-me” face! Just cracks me up whenever that reference comes up!
6- The invigorating banter between Jordan and Nick. Always a plus point when the conversation is a stimulator in a romance.
7- The cover. I just love the fact that both Something About You and A Lot Like Love has book covers that depict both the hero and heroine attired in outfits described in the story.
A story that earns big, fat 5 stars from this reader, and very highly recommended for fans of Julie James and fans of contemporary romance which features a hot hero, a sassy heroine and a little bit of danger thrown into the mix to give the story an extra edge. Next up is Jordan’s twin brother Kyle’s story. With women swooning all over him over his likeness towards Lost’s actor Josh Holloway, I am all set to enjoy his story. When will that be out is the question of the month. Hopefully Ms. James would answer that before I burst from the innate curiosity that is simmering inside of me right now.
For the full review with quotes: http://bit.ly/dMmnDK
June 25, 2015
5 Stars! Another engaging, smart, witty, sexy, fun book by this talented author!
What I like about Julie James' style of writing is the snappy dialogue, the strong female characters…and of course their sexy male counterparts. Jordan and Nick have terrific chemistry...combustible! Jordan’s a wine connoisseur with her own shop; Nick’s an FBI agent who knows one wine, Zinfandel. She samples wine the conventional way, swirling, swishing and spitting, he wants to pour and taste… in a most unconventional way. Very sexy and so much fun.
Some of the characters from Something About You are along for the ride, but we also get to meet some terrific new characters, namely Kyle who looks to be the focus of her next book. I’m hoping that Wilkins, a man who really knows women… gets one of his own…a book and a woman, that is.
Amusing banter, sizzling sexual intimacy, a strong-willed heroine who stands on her own, a sexy alpha hero who wants her flat on her back, throw in a some suspense, and you've got yourself another first-rate read in this entertaining series!
What I like about Julie James' style of writing is the snappy dialogue, the strong female characters…and of course their sexy male counterparts. Jordan and Nick have terrific chemistry...combustible! Jordan’s a wine connoisseur with her own shop; Nick’s an FBI agent who knows one wine, Zinfandel. She samples wine the conventional way, swirling, swishing and spitting, he wants to pour and taste… in a most unconventional way. Very sexy and so much fun.
Some of the characters from Something About You are along for the ride, but we also get to meet some terrific new characters, namely Kyle who looks to be the focus of her next book. I’m hoping that Wilkins, a man who really knows women… gets one of his own…a book and a woman, that is.
Amusing banter, sizzling sexual intimacy, a strong-willed heroine who stands on her own, a sexy alpha hero who wants her flat on her back, throw in a some suspense, and you've got yourself another first-rate read in this entertaining series!
March 19, 2011
Despite the positive reviews I’ve seen all over the place for books by Julie James, I haven’t read one of them before now. That’s right, I’m a bona fide James virgin. Why would I wait so long? Well, contemporaries and I rarely agree. I find a lot of the characters ridiculous and not at all authentic. It’s like they walked straight out of Mayberry. It just drives me insane, so I rarely pick them up. But I finally had to take a chance on James. I had to see what all the fuss was about.
Luckily, this did not turn out to be another one where I ended up wanting to strangle the characters. I actually enjoyed it a lot! It was funny and cute and was a quick read.
I really liked Nick. He was masculine, but he wasn’t too over the top. He was approachable and funny and had a great relationship with his family. I loved all the conversations he had with his family and thought his mom was hilarious. Nick also had a great ‘voice’ when we were in his pov.
Jordan was likable as well, but she was a little too perfect for me. I think most of her shining moments came in dialogue with other characters. By herself she wasn’t that interesting, but when you paired her with her funny brother or her pretend boyfriend she was perfect. Especially with her brother. I loved her trips to the prison to visit him. The bickering between them was spot on and I giggled every time Jordan would get exasperated over him being in so much trouble because of Twitter. LOL.
I think some of the jokes in the book might not be as funny to some people who aren’t current in pop culture. I picked up on them easily, but I know that if I hadn’t watched Lost I might have been a little irritated on missing out on the joke. Plus, I think this book will date itself pretty quickly with all the pop culture references.
Speaking of Lost, Kyle (Jordan’s brother) looking like Sawyer from the show was a running joke throughout the book. I found the teasing he received from people to be funny, but I have to admit that I rolled my eyes when I heard the comparison. I liked seeing him being ragged on, but I would have preferred it to be for another reason. I just found the whole Sawyer is so hot thing to be tired and overplayed.
I enjoyed the fast pace of the book and found it hard to put down. I can’t really put my finger on anything I specifically didn’t like about the book, but it never really pulled me in enough to love it. It felt a little too short for me to get really attached. I found myself entertained by it, but I never became too invested. I suppose I would have needed a bit more depth in the characters and relationship for that. It’s hard to explain what was lacking except to say that it was just too easy for me.
Despite not being as wowed as some by my first experience with Julie James I still plan to try a few more by her. She had an engaging style that I enjoyed and I’m really hoping I can find one that’ll suck me in and make me love it.
Favorite Quote:
Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.
Luckily, this did not turn out to be another one where I ended up wanting to strangle the characters. I actually enjoyed it a lot! It was funny and cute and was a quick read.
I really liked Nick. He was masculine, but he wasn’t too over the top. He was approachable and funny and had a great relationship with his family. I loved all the conversations he had with his family and thought his mom was hilarious. Nick also had a great ‘voice’ when we were in his pov.
Something inside Nick snapped.
That was his fake girlfriend in there. Sitting at the table where they had just shared cheese fries the night before. And if she thought she could throw scorching hot sex-looks to any pansy-ass scarf boy who wandered into her shop, she had another thing coming.
Jordan was likable as well, but she was a little too perfect for me. I think most of her shining moments came in dialogue with other characters. By herself she wasn’t that interesting, but when you paired her with her funny brother or her pretend boyfriend she was perfect. Especially with her brother. I loved her trips to the prison to visit him. The bickering between them was spot on and I giggled every time Jordan would get exasperated over him being in so much trouble because of Twitter. LOL.
I think some of the jokes in the book might not be as funny to some people who aren’t current in pop culture. I picked up on them easily, but I know that if I hadn’t watched Lost I might have been a little irritated on missing out on the joke. Plus, I think this book will date itself pretty quickly with all the pop culture references.
Speaking of Lost, Kyle (Jordan’s brother) looking like Sawyer from the show was a running joke throughout the book. I found the teasing he received from people to be funny, but I have to admit that I rolled my eyes when I heard the comparison. I liked seeing him being ragged on, but I would have preferred it to be for another reason. I just found the whole Sawyer is so hot thing to be tired and overplayed.
I enjoyed the fast pace of the book and found it hard to put down. I can’t really put my finger on anything I specifically didn’t like about the book, but it never really pulled me in enough to love it. It felt a little too short for me to get really attached. I found myself entertained by it, but I never became too invested. I suppose I would have needed a bit more depth in the characters and relationship for that. It’s hard to explain what was lacking except to say that it was just too easy for me.
Despite not being as wowed as some by my first experience with Julie James I still plan to try a few more by her. She had an engaging style that I enjoyed and I’m really hoping I can find one that’ll suck me in and make me love it.
Favorite Quote:
"And I don't see you grabbing the remote away from me when that countdown clock starts chiming," she said to Pete. "Unless it's to get a quick check of the scores on Monday nights."
Nick's ears perked up at the mention of scores. Sports. Now there was a topic upon which he could wax poetic. "Too bad Monday night Football is over," he lamented to Pete. "But there's always basketball. Who are you eying for the Final Four?"
Pete looked mildly embarassed as he gestured to Melinda. "She's, um, referring to the scores on Dancing with the Stars."
"He likes it when they do the paso doble," Melinda threw in.
"The dance symbolizes the drama, artistry, and passion of a bullfight. It's quite masculine," Pete said.
"Except for the sequins and spray tans," Melinda added.
Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.
June 17, 2011
View review here at Under the Covers
I have a confession to make. I don’t read many contemporary romance novels. It’s not that I have anything against them. They’re just an avenue I have yet to explore in romance. I’ve heard a lot about Julie James and her books for awhile now. But it wasn’t until the DABWAHA competition that I realized that there must be a reason why readers adore her. And after reading A Lot Like Love, I know why.
I’m not quite sure how to even begin speaking about all the good things about this book. I fear I’ll sound like a complete fangirl and embarrass myself. But you know what? To hell with it! JULIE JAMES ROCKS!
First off, I want to talk about how AMAZING her characters are! When I first read the blurb to ALLL, I saw that the heroine, Jordan Rhoads was a gorgeous blonde (am jealous) and a heiress (even more jealous). With this description, it’s obvious who came to mind first – Paris Hilton (I’m trying to suppress my shudders here). But when I started reading ALLL, I realized that Jordan is NOTHING like what I thought she would be. James surprised me by making Jordan a down-to-earth sweetheart who has a great work ethic and a sassiness that I loved! Jordan is not your typical heiress. In fact, I would definitely agree with Xander and Nick on this and say that Jordan was seriously out of their league! She was a fantastic heroine that I loved to bits!
And then there’s Nick McCall who is a dream! I loved all his sarcastic quips and his don’t-fuck-with-me stare! And let me tell you, the fact that he can handle a gun is hotter as hell! Jordan and Nick were perfect together! I loved their idle banter and their heated arguments. The two were amazing!
I can’t forget Kyle Rhoads aka Sawyer who is Jordan’s brother. Kyle is a trip even as he is doing his time in prison for his twitter meltdown. He has some of the best lines in this entire book and I thought that if Nick or Jordan weren’t such strong characters on their own, then Kyle could have stolen the show! I loved the brother-sister love between Kyle and Jordan. I cannot wait to read About that Night which will be Kyle’s book! So excited!
Apart from the amazing characterization and hot romance, there’s a great suspense subplot that had my eyes glued to the pages. I devoured this book and I almost wished I slowed down a little. In the end, it was worth it. Every page is fantastic. With the right amount of humor, James had me laughing out loud, gaining me some pretty awkward stares in public.
If I wasn’t a Julie James fan before, I certainly am now! For fans of all types of romance, Julie James is one you must check out. A Lot Like Love is a perfect summer read to heat up your vacations!
P.S. IS THAT JED HILL ON THE COVER?! I recognize that sexy jaw and mouth!
Favourite Quote:
Something inside Nick snapped.
That was his fake girlfriend in there. Sitting at the table where they had just shared cheese fries the night before. And if she thoughts he could throw scorching hot-sex- looks to any pansy-ass scarf-boy who wandered into her shop, she had another thing coming. He had a look of his own to show the douchebag. It was time to break out the don’t-fuck-with-me face.
I have a confession to make. I don’t read many contemporary romance novels. It’s not that I have anything against them. They’re just an avenue I have yet to explore in romance. I’ve heard a lot about Julie James and her books for awhile now. But it wasn’t until the DABWAHA competition that I realized that there must be a reason why readers adore her. And after reading A Lot Like Love, I know why.
I’m not quite sure how to even begin speaking about all the good things about this book. I fear I’ll sound like a complete fangirl and embarrass myself. But you know what? To hell with it! JULIE JAMES ROCKS!
First off, I want to talk about how AMAZING her characters are! When I first read the blurb to ALLL, I saw that the heroine, Jordan Rhoads was a gorgeous blonde (am jealous) and a heiress (even more jealous). With this description, it’s obvious who came to mind first – Paris Hilton (I’m trying to suppress my shudders here). But when I started reading ALLL, I realized that Jordan is NOTHING like what I thought she would be. James surprised me by making Jordan a down-to-earth sweetheart who has a great work ethic and a sassiness that I loved! Jordan is not your typical heiress. In fact, I would definitely agree with Xander and Nick on this and say that Jordan was seriously out of their league! She was a fantastic heroine that I loved to bits!
And then there’s Nick McCall who is a dream! I loved all his sarcastic quips and his don’t-fuck-with-me stare! And let me tell you, the fact that he can handle a gun is hotter as hell! Jordan and Nick were perfect together! I loved their idle banter and their heated arguments. The two were amazing!
I can’t forget Kyle Rhoads aka Sawyer who is Jordan’s brother. Kyle is a trip even as he is doing his time in prison for his twitter meltdown. He has some of the best lines in this entire book and I thought that if Nick or Jordan weren’t such strong characters on their own, then Kyle could have stolen the show! I loved the brother-sister love between Kyle and Jordan. I cannot wait to read About that Night which will be Kyle’s book! So excited!
Apart from the amazing characterization and hot romance, there’s a great suspense subplot that had my eyes glued to the pages. I devoured this book and I almost wished I slowed down a little. In the end, it was worth it. Every page is fantastic. With the right amount of humor, James had me laughing out loud, gaining me some pretty awkward stares in public.
If I wasn’t a Julie James fan before, I certainly am now! For fans of all types of romance, Julie James is one you must check out. A Lot Like Love is a perfect summer read to heat up your vacations!
P.S. IS THAT JED HILL ON THE COVER?! I recognize that sexy jaw and mouth!
Favourite Quote:
Something inside Nick snapped.
That was his fake girlfriend in there. Sitting at the table where they had just shared cheese fries the night before. And if she thoughts he could throw scorching hot-sex- looks to any pansy-ass scarf-boy who wandered into her shop, she had another thing coming. He had a look of his own to show the douchebag. It was time to break out the don’t-fuck-with-me face.
August 17, 2020
4 Chemical Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
This is a TOTALLY Spoiler-Free review because I read this before I joined Goodreads. What I can say is I gobbled up this whole series back in the day. Loved the banter, the sexy times, and the intrigue. Julie James brought all of her legal background to her crafting and storytelling.
Something About You (FBI/US Attorney, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A Lot Like Love (FBI/US Attorney, #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
About That Night (FBI/US Attorney, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Love Irresistibly (FBI/US Attorney, #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It Happened One Wedding (FBI/US Attorney, #5)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Suddenly Last Summer (FBI/US Attorney, #6)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * Spoiler Free
This is a TOTALLY Spoiler-Free review because I read this before I joined Goodreads. What I can say is I gobbled up this whole series back in the day. Loved the banter, the sexy times, and the intrigue. Julie James brought all of her legal background to her crafting and storytelling.
Something About You (FBI/US Attorney, #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A Lot Like Love (FBI/US Attorney, #2)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
About That Night (FBI/US Attorney, #3)https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Love Irresistibly (FBI/US Attorney, #4)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It Happened One Wedding (FBI/US Attorney, #5)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Suddenly Last Summer (FBI/US Attorney, #6)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
March 9, 2011
Surface charm!
A fun read...
Top 5 silly reasons that made it fun for me :
(1) Hero was
(a) burn-holes-through-your-bra HOT FBI agent
(b) half-scottish, half-Italian ..calls his mother Ma (my fav line in the book, "Well, Ma, see...there's this girl")
(c) Tall, Dark, and Smoldering
(d) Tall, Dark, and Sarcastic
(e) Tall, Dark, and Scruffy-jawed
(f) ALL OF THE ABOVE
(2) The tennis speed wise-crack exchange where the readers zing back and forth..the result being always the same..LOVE ALL:)
(3) The warm, funny interactions with the secondary characters whether family or friends added dimension to the main characters (esply. enjoyed the girl talk.. psst! I liked how he called her Rhodes too!)
(4) The interesting intro to the hero in the next book.. a twitter terrorist with a certain appeal enough to steam up a jacuzzi..seriously?!! (can't picture him as a hero but definitely curious to read more *grin*)
(5) Oh! not to forget.. JJ randomly mentioned Gerard Butler in 300
again, read above...s-i-l-l-y reasons:)
nitpicks:
- built-in wine-tasting innuendos somewhat clichéd as 'old wine in a new bottle'
- build-up to the love scenes was more interesting than the actual love scenes
This book was A Lot Like.. Something About You but I think I liked SAY better.. I have to re-read but somehow I felt there was more intensity and depth to Jack & Cameron's romance.. Btw, Jack still hasn't proposed? Living together is for real life & chick lits, if you are mentioning my favorite characters from before, I want my favorite kind of bended-knee-hea for them..
A fun read...
Top 5 silly reasons that made it fun for me :
(1) Hero was
(a) burn-holes-through-your-bra HOT FBI agent
(b) half-scottish, half-Italian ..calls his mother Ma (my fav line in the book, "Well, Ma, see...there's this girl")
(c) Tall, Dark, and Smoldering
(d) Tall, Dark, and Sarcastic
(e) Tall, Dark, and Scruffy-jawed
(f) ALL OF THE ABOVE
(2) The tennis speed wise-crack exchange where the readers zing back and forth..the result being always the same..LOVE ALL:)
(3) The warm, funny interactions with the secondary characters whether family or friends added dimension to the main characters (esply. enjoyed the girl talk.. psst! I liked how he called her Rhodes too!)
(4) The interesting intro to the hero in the next book.. a twitter terrorist with a certain appeal enough to steam up a jacuzzi..seriously?!! (can't picture him as a hero but definitely curious to read more *grin*)
(5) Oh! not to forget.. JJ randomly mentioned Gerard Butler in 300
again, read above...s-i-l-l-y reasons:)
nitpicks:
- built-in wine-tasting innuendos somewhat clichéd as 'old wine in a new bottle'
- build-up to the love scenes was more interesting than the actual love scenes
This book was A Lot Like.. Something About You but I think I liked SAY better.. I have to re-read but somehow I felt there was more intensity and depth to Jack & Cameron's romance.. Btw, Jack still hasn't proposed? Living together is for real life & chick lits, if you are mentioning my favorite characters from before, I want my favorite kind of bended-knee-hea for them..
January 7, 2019
Hayatımda hiç içmedim ama bu kitaptan sonra getirin önüme bir kadeh şarap yapım yılına kadar söyleyeyim size hghghfhf
March 22, 2019
I'm really enjoying this series. It's a great mix of serious and fun. The audiobooks are fantastic. It's such an easy listen and it grabs you immediately. I have a tough time stopping when I need to get back to life.
The serious part comes when the FBI ask billionaire heiress, Jordan Rhodes to help an undercover agent get into an exclusive wine party. When the host that the FBI are investigating is jealous of Jordan's new companion, FBI agent Nick McCall and Jordan must pretend to be dating for longer than one night.
That's where the fun begins. Nick has a preconceived notion of Jordan being a princess due to her fathers money. Jordan has fun proving him wrong. What follows is a fun story with lots of banter. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
The serious part comes when the FBI ask billionaire heiress, Jordan Rhodes to help an undercover agent get into an exclusive wine party. When the host that the FBI are investigating is jealous of Jordan's new companion, FBI agent Nick McCall and Jordan must pretend to be dating for longer than one night.
That's where the fun begins. Nick has a preconceived notion of Jordan being a princess due to her fathers money. Jordan has fun proving him wrong. What follows is a fun story with lots of banter. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
March 1, 2018
I SO love this series! The quips, the sarcasm, the love-hatiness of it all!
So I’ve read the series in absolutely a random order and I’m only now going back to the beginning and following the proper 1,2,3 ... but I’m having so much fun with it this way. First, because each book can be 100% read as a stand-alone and second, because I got peeks of these characters from later book and it’s been delicious to read their stories first hand. It’s all very “nice to see you again,” and “oh, so that’s how it happened.”
As always I could do without the super steamy bits, but that’s just me.
So I’ve read the series in absolutely a random order and I’m only now going back to the beginning and following the proper 1,2,3 ... but I’m having so much fun with it this way. First, because each book can be 100% read as a stand-alone and second, because I got peeks of these characters from later book and it’s been delicious to read their stories first hand. It’s all very “nice to see you again,” and “oh, so that’s how it happened.”
As always I could do without the super steamy bits, but that’s just me.
April 11, 2012
I have to congratulate Julie James. She writes spicy with a lot of class! This second book in the FBI series does not disappoint. With an engrossing plot, and sexual tension that gradually heats up to fire-hot, you can't put this down once you start!
FBI agent, Nick McCall and billionaire heiress, Jordan Rhodes lives are thrown together when Jordan is "asked" to help on a money-laundering case. It seems Jordan is part of a select group that gets invited to Xander Eckhart's restaurant once a year for a charity event. Eckhart is suspected of laundering money for a notorious mobster the FBI has been trying to pin down for years. To aid in this capture, the FBI asks Jordan to take one of their agents, as her date to this exclusive event. Of course it ends up being Nick, the ruggedly handsome, and maybe a little dangerous, tough FBI agent. He is evenly matched, because Jordan is smart, sassy, independent, and has the elegant looks of Grace Kelly.
This story was so much fun with lots of great lines, like this one:
And of course any woman spending Valentine's Day with a date who looked like Nick was guaranteed a night of endless great sex. Hot, scruffy-jawed, throw-me-down-on-the-table, mindblowing sex. Probably with dirty words.
Or this:
"Think it'll do?"
Ahem, *cough* I won't elaborate on that one! ;)
Julie James is fast becoming one of my favorite smutty/spicy, contemporary romance writers. I can't wait to pick up the next installment to this series, which just came out this month: About That Night. This was another fabulous pick for our Smut Monday Club! The reason I now find Mondays to be my favorite day of the week!
FBI agent, Nick McCall and billionaire heiress, Jordan Rhodes lives are thrown together when Jordan is "asked" to help on a money-laundering case. It seems Jordan is part of a select group that gets invited to Xander Eckhart's restaurant once a year for a charity event. Eckhart is suspected of laundering money for a notorious mobster the FBI has been trying to pin down for years. To aid in this capture, the FBI asks Jordan to take one of their agents, as her date to this exclusive event. Of course it ends up being Nick, the ruggedly handsome, and maybe a little dangerous, tough FBI agent. He is evenly matched, because Jordan is smart, sassy, independent, and has the elegant looks of Grace Kelly.
This story was so much fun with lots of great lines, like this one:
And of course any woman spending Valentine's Day with a date who looked like Nick was guaranteed a night of endless great sex. Hot, scruffy-jawed, throw-me-down-on-the-table, mindblowing sex. Probably with dirty words.
Or this:
"Think it'll do?"
Ahem, *cough* I won't elaborate on that one! ;)
Julie James is fast becoming one of my favorite smutty/spicy, contemporary romance writers. I can't wait to pick up the next installment to this series, which just came out this month: About That Night. This was another fabulous pick for our Smut Monday Club! The reason I now find Mondays to be my favorite day of the week!
April 25, 2012
Why I read it:
I have sadistic friends. Some of them keep borrowing me copies of romantic fiction, especially when I am planning to go away for a day or two. I am a compulsive reader, I am an addict, I read everything, good, bad and ugly and they take advantage. Sometimes I shrug these offers off, sometimes I succumb to them. This one had good reviews on Goodreads so I thought: “why not? A freebie for a dull train trip…it might be actually fun…” Right.
Synopsis:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that that a single woman in a possession of a good fortune (like several millions and a wine shop not to mention a fine prospect of inheriting more when the daddy kicks the bucket), must be in want of a husband. Or at least a steady boyfriend. Or two. Jordan Rhodes finds herself in such a position – she is incredibly beautiful, young, rich, educated, intelligent, independent, down-to-earth, not spoiled at all and so very conspicuously single you really have to wonder what’s wrong with that girl. Something must be wrong with her, right? Some skeletons in a closet full of Gucci shoes? It’s not that she has no social life because she has to work 24/7 to feed her twelve illegitimate children and an alcoholic mother, paying off her mortgage all along, right?
Soon you find out. Beware, it is shocking, even heartrending. You see, her twin brother, Kyle, has created a kind of Twitter crisis when his ex-girlfriend broke off by posting a video of herself giving another guy a blowjob. Yuck. Small wonder poor little Kyle hit the roof, hacked into the system and immobilized the whole site for 48 hours or so. Imagine that. No Twitter. How people communicated during that period? Texting? Sign language? Skype? Snail mail, perish the thought? Really, a terrorist attack, nothing less!
Anyway now Kyle, like every other criminally-inclined citizen, is serving his time. As you perhaps know (or maybe not) a prison is not exactly a health spa. Our poor millionaire is being on the brink of mental breakdown, not to mention the fact that his inmates pick on him constantly, (complete dumbasses all of them but they have to be that way so the story continues). When the FBI agents in their government issue dark suits and glasses appear in Jordan’s posh wine shop’s door, offering to release Kyle from prison if Jordan will take an undercover officer to a wine tasting party, she doesn’t feel she has a choice. Not really. You see, she is not only a great girl (see the section above) but she also loves her bro insanely. Aww…
Off she goes to a party organized by a certain Xander Eckhart, a restaurateur who is doing business with gangsters or mafia and secretly nourishes other plans concerning Jordan (guess what). Her partner for the night a.k.a male arm candy is, despite initial complications, a smolderingly handsome undercover agent extraordinaire, Nick McCall. Nick, his manly charms, intelligence and bedroom skills notwithstanding, hasn’t found what he is looking for (U2 anyone?) in the prospective wife department so he also remains conspicuously single…Awww…two stars collide, angels are singing “All You Need Is Love”, St. Valentine is smiling benignly from one fluffy cloud and white doves are crapping on your car while kissing furiously…sorry, just a daydream.
I am pretty sure even a ten-year old girl playing with her Barbie would know what happened next. It’s always the same old scenario. Jordan and Nick fall for each other. They find they are simply compatible, there is no other word for that. They cannot get enough of…each other of course (pst, pst, yes, they go to bed!). Jordan saves her brother, Nick saves Jordan’s life, the sun is shining, the grapes are ripening in Napa Valley, summertime and the livin’ is easy, fish are jumping and cotton is high, oh your da is rich, your mum is good-looking…wait it’s from another story.
Eh.
What I liked:
Not much. It was a DNF to tell you the truth so perhaps I really appreciated the fact that I could stop reading this book at any given moment and I wasn’t compelled to start it again as if I was a completely normal, addiction-free person. Every cloud has a silver lining. ;)
What I didn’t like:
The main heroine. She was simply obnoxiously perfect. No women are like her, neither in real life nor in good books. Once again a plastic Barbie doll comes to my mind. A study in pink…
The main male lead. Nick was so incredibly boring in his special-operative routine that I gagged from time to time. Not to mention the fact that he, supposedly a great FBI agent, never hesitated to reveal his real identity to any of his casual sex partners which created quite a commotion at one point.
His relationship with Jordan lacked psychological reality. One moment he is such a macho agent with a big black gun who won’t allow any chick take any decisions, billionairess or not, the next moment he goes meekly on an expensive trip, completely funded by his girlfriend and, sipping a glass of expensive wine, he discusses his FEELINGS for heaven’s sake…when did FBI agents actually acquire feelings?
The plot. It was so very predictable. I’ve watched and read the same story like I can’t say how many times –certainly enough to make me nauseated at the mere whiff of it.
The Kyle-in-prison situation was simply artificial and false. Any millionaire would buy his way out of trouble but not Kyle. Why? Saving up for another Maserati? Or rather another Mac?
The novel contained too much backstory (infodumps et all) to make the plot really fast-flowing and interesting to me even on a completely superficial level. From time to time the well-known landscape outside my window seemed to be far more compelling. A dog barking. A cat scratching its ear. A rat in a dustbin. An old car coughing loudly on the road. Children eating ice-cream. Fascinating stuff, especially when compared to this book!
No good sense of humour to alleviate my boredom.
Final verdict:
I wouldn’t recommend this Julie James novel to anybody, not even a romance fan, but perhaps it is only me. Ok, I can criticize my own person as well. I know why Anachronist hates romances overall and this story in particular. She is jealous like hell. She will never be a wine-sipping heiress of a fortune. She will never drive a sports car and date handsome FBI agents. She will never wear a purple dress showing her bare back up to the equally bare bottom cheeks (see the cover) to a party or, in fact, anywhere else. That’s why she hated this book. Not because it was crap. Quod erat demonstrandum. ;)
I have sadistic friends. Some of them keep borrowing me copies of romantic fiction, especially when I am planning to go away for a day or two. I am a compulsive reader, I am an addict, I read everything, good, bad and ugly and they take advantage. Sometimes I shrug these offers off, sometimes I succumb to them. This one had good reviews on Goodreads so I thought: “why not? A freebie for a dull train trip…it might be actually fun…” Right.
Synopsis:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that that a single woman in a possession of a good fortune (like several millions and a wine shop not to mention a fine prospect of inheriting more when the daddy kicks the bucket), must be in want of a husband. Or at least a steady boyfriend. Or two. Jordan Rhodes finds herself in such a position – she is incredibly beautiful, young, rich, educated, intelligent, independent, down-to-earth, not spoiled at all and so very conspicuously single you really have to wonder what’s wrong with that girl. Something must be wrong with her, right? Some skeletons in a closet full of Gucci shoes? It’s not that she has no social life because she has to work 24/7 to feed her twelve illegitimate children and an alcoholic mother, paying off her mortgage all along, right?
Soon you find out. Beware, it is shocking, even heartrending. You see, her twin brother, Kyle, has created a kind of Twitter crisis when his ex-girlfriend broke off by posting a video of herself giving another guy a blowjob. Yuck. Small wonder poor little Kyle hit the roof, hacked into the system and immobilized the whole site for 48 hours or so. Imagine that. No Twitter. How people communicated during that period? Texting? Sign language? Skype? Snail mail, perish the thought? Really, a terrorist attack, nothing less!
Anyway now Kyle, like every other criminally-inclined citizen, is serving his time. As you perhaps know (or maybe not) a prison is not exactly a health spa. Our poor millionaire is being on the brink of mental breakdown, not to mention the fact that his inmates pick on him constantly, (complete dumbasses all of them but they have to be that way so the story continues). When the FBI agents in their government issue dark suits and glasses appear in Jordan’s posh wine shop’s door, offering to release Kyle from prison if Jordan will take an undercover officer to a wine tasting party, she doesn’t feel she has a choice. Not really. You see, she is not only a great girl (see the section above) but she also loves her bro insanely. Aww…
Off she goes to a party organized by a certain Xander Eckhart, a restaurateur who is doing business with gangsters or mafia and secretly nourishes other plans concerning Jordan (guess what). Her partner for the night a.k.a male arm candy is, despite initial complications, a smolderingly handsome undercover agent extraordinaire, Nick McCall. Nick, his manly charms, intelligence and bedroom skills notwithstanding, hasn’t found what he is looking for (U2 anyone?) in the prospective wife department so he also remains conspicuously single…Awww…two stars collide, angels are singing “All You Need Is Love”, St. Valentine is smiling benignly from one fluffy cloud and white doves are crapping on your car while kissing furiously…sorry, just a daydream.
I am pretty sure even a ten-year old girl playing with her Barbie would know what happened next. It’s always the same old scenario. Jordan and Nick fall for each other. They find they are simply compatible, there is no other word for that. They cannot get enough of…each other of course (pst, pst, yes, they go to bed!). Jordan saves her brother, Nick saves Jordan’s life, the sun is shining, the grapes are ripening in Napa Valley, summertime and the livin’ is easy, fish are jumping and cotton is high, oh your da is rich, your mum is good-looking…wait it’s from another story.
Eh.
What I liked:
Not much. It was a DNF to tell you the truth so perhaps I really appreciated the fact that I could stop reading this book at any given moment and I wasn’t compelled to start it again as if I was a completely normal, addiction-free person. Every cloud has a silver lining. ;)
What I didn’t like:
The main heroine. She was simply obnoxiously perfect. No women are like her, neither in real life nor in good books. Once again a plastic Barbie doll comes to my mind. A study in pink…
The main male lead. Nick was so incredibly boring in his special-operative routine that I gagged from time to time. Not to mention the fact that he, supposedly a great FBI agent, never hesitated to reveal his real identity to any of his casual sex partners which created quite a commotion at one point.
His relationship with Jordan lacked psychological reality. One moment he is such a macho agent with a big black gun who won’t allow any chick take any decisions, billionairess or not, the next moment he goes meekly on an expensive trip, completely funded by his girlfriend and, sipping a glass of expensive wine, he discusses his FEELINGS for heaven’s sake…when did FBI agents actually acquire feelings?
The plot. It was so very predictable. I’ve watched and read the same story like I can’t say how many times –certainly enough to make me nauseated at the mere whiff of it.
The Kyle-in-prison situation was simply artificial and false. Any millionaire would buy his way out of trouble but not Kyle. Why? Saving up for another Maserati? Or rather another Mac?
The novel contained too much backstory (infodumps et all) to make the plot really fast-flowing and interesting to me even on a completely superficial level. From time to time the well-known landscape outside my window seemed to be far more compelling. A dog barking. A cat scratching its ear. A rat in a dustbin. An old car coughing loudly on the road. Children eating ice-cream. Fascinating stuff, especially when compared to this book!
No good sense of humour to alleviate my boredom.
Final verdict:
I wouldn’t recommend this Julie James novel to anybody, not even a romance fan, but perhaps it is only me. Ok, I can criticize my own person as well. I know why Anachronist hates romances overall and this story in particular. She is jealous like hell. She will never be a wine-sipping heiress of a fortune. She will never drive a sports car and date handsome FBI agents. She will never wear a purple dress showing her bare back up to the equally bare bottom cheeks (see the cover) to a party or, in fact, anywhere else. That’s why she hated this book. Not because it was crap. Quod erat demonstrandum. ;)
April 10, 2012
”Thank God he annoyed her a good ninety-five percent of the time they were together, because she had no intention of being attracted to Nick McCall.”
Yeah sure, Jordan! Keep telling yourself that! :D Haha….How could we not fall for Agent Nick McCall? With those blazing green eyes and possessive, rough, passionate ways, Nick swoops in, grabs hold, and steals hearts!
I adored these two characters! Nick and Jordan’s quick, banter with a bite sparked and jumped off the page! Very hot! Julie James seems to excel at the fine line between love and hate. Jordan and Nick definitely landed on the hot chemistry side of the line! :D
The wine back story held very little interest or magic for me though. I have heard most of it before and the “spit or swallow” joke has a been there and giggled long ago feel to it for me. BUT, I did enjoy Nick’s style of wine tasting! **whistles a slow exhale**
Once again, I had a lot of fun in a Julie James world filled with strong characters and sizzling chemistry!
Thanks for another great read Ladies! :)
Yeah sure, Jordan! Keep telling yourself that! :D Haha….How could we not fall for Agent Nick McCall? With those blazing green eyes and possessive, rough, passionate ways, Nick swoops in, grabs hold, and steals hearts!
I adored these two characters! Nick and Jordan’s quick, banter with a bite sparked and jumped off the page! Very hot! Julie James seems to excel at the fine line between love and hate. Jordan and Nick definitely landed on the hot chemistry side of the line! :D
The wine back story held very little interest or magic for me though. I have heard most of it before and the “spit or swallow” joke has a been there and giggled long ago feel to it for me. BUT, I did enjoy Nick’s style of wine tasting! **whistles a slow exhale**
Once again, I had a lot of fun in a Julie James world filled with strong characters and sizzling chemistry!
Thanks for another great read Ladies! :)
June 30, 2021
3.25 stars
60% - Yup, 60% before I found solid interest in the romance. Both Nick & Jordan seemed a little generic, missing some charm & quite frankly, chemistry too. Everything pretty much was middle of the road/3 star at best/forgettable. With only the exception of when Jordan was visiting her brother in prison & their sibling banter.
Not exactly my preferred motivation, but it wasn’t until Nick suddenly had a jealous jag I felt sparks between them. Finally! Finally, there was banter & heat between them I could get behind that carried on the remainder of the story. Ugggh! I wanted so much more of that last 40% in the first 60%. Nonetheless that 40% is why I’m bumping up my rating from a 3 stars(maybe lower even) to 3.25 stars.
Oh! One other thing…I gave it a pass in SAY/book 1, but I wasn’t crazy about it happening again (here in ALLL/book 2) where extended sequences were focusing on the villain without the presence of the h or H. I still plan on reading the rest of the series, but I hope this particularly doesn’t become a trend.
60% - Yup, 60% before I found solid interest in the romance. Both Nick & Jordan seemed a little generic, missing some charm & quite frankly, chemistry too. Everything pretty much was middle of the road/3 star at best/forgettable. With only the exception of when Jordan was visiting her brother in prison & their sibling banter.
Not exactly my preferred motivation, but it wasn’t until Nick suddenly had a jealous jag I felt sparks between them. Finally! Finally, there was banter & heat between them I could get behind that carried on the remainder of the story. Ugggh! I wanted so much more of that last 40% in the first 60%. Nonetheless that 40% is why I’m bumping up my rating from a 3 stars(maybe lower even) to 3.25 stars.
Oh! One other thing…I gave it a pass in SAY/book 1, but I wasn’t crazy about it happening again (here in ALLL/book 2) where extended sequences were focusing on the villain without the presence of the h or H. I still plan on reading the rest of the series, but I hope this particularly doesn’t become a trend.
August 30, 2016
*4.5 UNDERCOVER STARS*
“First Pallas and now you, it’s like I’m running a goddamn dating service around here.”
Dear lord, I can't believe how fast I've breezed through Julie James' books so far! Just like the previous one in this series, I read this in one sitting of about 4 hours. I just couldn't stop!
As everyone probably already knows, I have a weak spot for romance/adult novels with a bit of action involved, so this was just perfect for me!
Review coming soon!
“First Pallas and now you, it’s like I’m running a goddamn dating service around here.”
Dear lord, I can't believe how fast I've breezed through Julie James' books so far! Just like the previous one in this series, I read this in one sitting of about 4 hours. I just couldn't stop!
As everyone probably already knows, I have a weak spot for romance/adult novels with a bit of action involved, so this was just perfect for me!
Review coming soon!
December 28, 2010
You know how I judge whether a book is awesome or not? If I don't want to put it down and work on my own book--then a book is awesome. A LOT LIKE LOVE was one of those books I didn't want to put down. I absolutely loved it. Smart, sassy heroine, and a hot and sexy hero coupled with a dynamic, well thought out plot make this a must buy. Add in Julie James typical humor and crackling dialogue and this is another winner. If she writes it, I'll read it.
December 7, 2017
Writing: A semi-action writer. So of course Julie James is becoming a fave!
Characters: I enjoyed Jordan and Nick's chemistry much more than the MCs in the first book. I still want a little more, but it’s moving in the right direction. BUT they are both sarcastic! YAY!!!
Storyline: Jordan Rhodes is the daughter of a billionaire. She has connections that the FBI desperately needs. In order to make her comply FBI Agent Nick McCall dangles a carrot that she cannot refuse.
I enjoyed Jordan and Nick’s dance. It added to the building chemistry and it felt almost organic.
I did want more from Nick’s family. I was really hoping for an appearance from his mom or brothers. They seemed like a fun bunch.
Intimacy Scenes: Although I would classify this as steamy, be aware that the real SHEBANG does not happen until much later in the book. BUT there are touches and kisses and those smoldering looks.
Overall: I liked it and I’m happy to see that the series is improving. I loved Nick’s back story so much that I was hoping it would find its way into the story more. I’m ready for book 3.
Characters: I enjoyed Jordan and Nick's chemistry much more than the MCs in the first book. I still want a little more, but it’s moving in the right direction. BUT they are both sarcastic! YAY!!!
Storyline: Jordan Rhodes is the daughter of a billionaire. She has connections that the FBI desperately needs. In order to make her comply FBI Agent Nick McCall dangles a carrot that she cannot refuse.
I enjoyed Jordan and Nick’s dance. It added to the building chemistry and it felt almost organic.
I did want more from Nick’s family. I was really hoping for an appearance from his mom or brothers. They seemed like a fun bunch.
Intimacy Scenes: Although I would classify this as steamy, be aware that the real SHEBANG does not happen until much later in the book. BUT there are touches and kisses and those smoldering looks.
Overall: I liked it and I’m happy to see that the series is improving. I loved Nick’s back story so much that I was hoping it would find its way into the story more. I’m ready for book 3.
April 10, 2011
Julie James never let me down before, and I knew she wasn't going to let me down for this book. After reading, I must say that I loved it. Hence the 5 stars. I can't say its my favorite though. More on that later.
Jordan, our heroine, is a billionaire heiress, who has her own wine business. She's hot, stylish, and passionate about wine. Oh yea, she normally dates clean-cut, loafer-wearing preps. Nick is the 'Tall, Dark and smoldering' undercover FBI agent who needs Jordan as his cover to infiltrate the villain's office. This man is all man, tough, rough, and sexy. He's also friends with Jack Pallas, the hero from Something About You. Originally clashing in personality and preferences, the attraction between Jordan and Nick sizzles. They, obviously, fall in love, followed by a HEA.
Julie James does well when writing her h/h interactions. They are funny and sexy, making sex even optional. Surprisingly, it seems that Ms. James is adding more sex scenes to her books. Secondary characters (and previous characters) cracked me up throughout the whole book. I loved Kyle, for being incarcerated for hacking Twitter. Jack and Cameron scenes were also cute. And I love mixing family with romance. Nick's relationship with his mom makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.
My only problem was the wine-tasting - which is actually great for foreplay - became tedious with repetition. Maybe its just because I've never indulged in wine-tasting. The villain was kinda crazy and dumb, but not too painful.
I didn't love it more than 'Something About You', but I didn't connect with Jordan that well, either. Not really a big problem. I loved everything else. While reading, I cultivated a strange attraction to Kyle, aka 'Sawyer' and I want to hear more about him.
I recommend this to all CR readers. Julie James is a must-read/must-buy author for me. I can't wait for her next book.
Jordan, our heroine, is a billionaire heiress, who has her own wine business. She's hot, stylish, and passionate about wine. Oh yea, she normally dates clean-cut, loafer-wearing preps. Nick is the 'Tall, Dark and smoldering' undercover FBI agent who needs Jordan as his cover to infiltrate the villain's office. This man is all man, tough, rough, and sexy. He's also friends with Jack Pallas, the hero from Something About You. Originally clashing in personality and preferences, the attraction between Jordan and Nick sizzles. They, obviously, fall in love, followed by a HEA.
Julie James does well when writing her h/h interactions. They are funny and sexy, making sex even optional. Surprisingly, it seems that Ms. James is adding more sex scenes to her books. Secondary characters (and previous characters) cracked me up throughout the whole book. I loved Kyle, for being incarcerated for hacking Twitter. Jack and Cameron scenes were also cute. And I love mixing family with romance. Nick's relationship with his mom makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.
My only problem was the wine-tasting - which is actually great for foreplay - became tedious with repetition. Maybe its just because I've never indulged in wine-tasting. The villain was kinda crazy and dumb, but not too painful.
I didn't love it more than 'Something About You', but I didn't connect with Jordan that well, either. Not really a big problem. I loved everything else. While reading, I cultivated a strange attraction to Kyle, aka 'Sawyer' and I want to hear more about him.
I recommend this to all CR readers. Julie James is a must-read/must-buy author for me. I can't wait for her next book.
November 21, 2023
Reread 11/20/23: 4 stars. I liked this more the second time around. The hero’s past didn’t bother me as much this time, probably because I knew he was going to be a manwhore, so there was no surprise. I was still annoyed beyond words that the hero never figured out that his fling was the reason that the heroine’s life was out in danger! 🤬 I just needed him to know and to feel like the turdwaffle he used to be. Instead, he rescued her and was treated like the hero…. 🤡
Safety below
Original 1/1/22: 3.5 stars. Not as good as book 1, but not terrible either. There were a few things that really irritated me about this book, and without them, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more.
Major Spoilers Ahead
I really hated the hero's attitude towards the heroine at the end of the book. The way that he wasn't really into anything serious before her was a major turn off (as in... he's a major manwhore). However, what really irritated me about him was how long it took him to actually admit any deeper feelings. He walked away from her and tried to put her out of his mind until it was nearly too late. I also really hated that he never found out that his own asshole actions were what led to the heroine being put in danger.
All that being said, the book was still well-written and kept my attention throughout.
Mostly safe;
No scenes with OM/OW
No virgins
Hero was a manwhore who didn't do commitment
OW drama from a woman who hero had a short fling with
OM drama from a man interested in the heroine
No cheating
Safety below
Original 1/1/22: 3.5 stars. Not as good as book 1, but not terrible either. There were a few things that really irritated me about this book, and without them, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more.
Major Spoilers Ahead
I really hated the hero's attitude towards the heroine at the end of the book. The way that he wasn't really into anything serious before her was a major turn off (as in... he's a major manwhore). However, what really irritated me about him was how long it took him to actually admit any deeper feelings. He walked away from her and tried to put her out of his mind until it was nearly too late. I also really hated that he never found out that his own asshole actions were what led to the heroine being put in danger.
All that being said, the book was still well-written and kept my attention throughout.
Mostly safe;
No scenes with OM/OW
No virgins
Hero was a manwhore who didn't do commitment
OW drama from a woman who hero had a short fling with
OM drama from a man interested in the heroine
No cheating
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2013
I love how Julie James contemporaries always include smart and intelligent characters as the hero and heroine, and A LOT LIKE LOVE does it in spades. Nick and Jordon were awesome, and I love the cheaky conversations between them. A very romantic story.
February 7, 2022
Simply amazing.. :)
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