Week-End's Minis XL: Love Irresistibly by Julie James

Wow, didn't think I'd get my mini up today, but I did! Yay! Also very happy because I've been wanting to review Love Irresistibly for a while! The last few days haven't really been great, so it's nice to have one good thing happening :) Now, I'm going to continue enjoying my long week-end and I hope you guys do too! And hope this review will be part of it LOL.


Love Irresistibly by Julie James
published by Berkley in April 2013

He's used to getting what he wants…

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

And what he wants is her.

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

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: FBI/Attorney, Book #4

What do you need to know? The event that is described in the blurb - Cade needing the help of Brooke to nail a corrupt state senator - is not the conflict of the book and is actually dealt with quite rapidly... However, it is how Cade and Brooke meet. From that first meeting, they bump into each other a few times and start a relationship despite their busy schedule.

While everything is going well on the relationship front, their personal lives become more complicated. Brooke loves her job, but gets a very tempting offer. One that's almost too good to pass, but would take her in another city. As for Cade, he discovers the existence of a half-brother, Zach, from his father who's never been part of his life...

What did I like? There was a lot that I enjoyed about Love Irresistibly... but what stood out the most for me was the wittiness of Cade and Brooke's relationship. I think they were really well matched, had great chemistry and it all translated into excellent banter :) As a result, I really enjoyed their romance. I also liked the characters a lot. I liked that they were dedicated to their job, had ambition and were able to juggle their love, professional and personal lives. For me, Love Irresistibly was a good representation/portrayal of a budding romance between two professional nowadays.

I thought the conflicts were good and interesting and really liked how they were resolved. What's more, the resolutions felt very natural, not forced nor rushed which is quite rare. In the case of Brooke, I liked that she knew what she wanted in life and that her decision didn't revolve around Cade and their relationship. To me, her loyalty for her company and the fact that ambition didn't equal dollar signs were very commandable and told us a lot about Brooke. And I was so happy that she didn't actually take the job and come back because of Cade! How many have we read that kind of ending when the hero or heroine is confronted to a choice? It's just getting too typical and boring. As for Cade, I enjoyed his story as well. What he was facing wasn't easy, but he handled it with maturity. I liked how he got to know his half-brother Zach who was such a sweet character!

What didn't work for me? Not much. I really enjoyed Love Irresistibly :) There are only two niggles that prevented this book from being a wowzer in my opinion. The first is that I wished there had been more scenes of Cade and Brooke together. I didn't need a conflict between the two - I was happy with their issues, but it would have been nice for them to interact more, just be together. The other niggle is that the story is not very memorable ^_^; It's been a few months since I've read Love Irresistibly and I know I enjoyed it a lot while reading it, I even remember what I liked about it... but ask me for details about the story? I'm not sure I could answer. Just writing the synopsis for this review was really hard and I usually have a very good memory for it :(

My Grade? B+. Very solid and enjoyable read, but not without some minor flaws.

Review: About That Night by Julie James

How was everyone's week-end? I spent almost the whole week-end switching the pictures of my blog... and I'm still not done ^_^; Can you imagine?!? I have about another 6 months to go. I can't imagine how much I used to blog back then! The good thing is I added those books to my Goodreads as well and even cross-posted some of the reviews :) Oh and there was a moment of panic when I thought the lightbox image viewing didn't work on my blog. If you're wondering what is the lightbox imagine viewing, it's when you click on a picture and it appears on a grey/black overlay over the content of your browser window. While trying to figure out the problem, I read that sometimes, it was due to the customization of template, etc. So I tried to figure out the html codes, but couldn't... In the end, turns out I simply didn't give my blog enough time to load ^_^; Oups. Anyway, after this week-end, I think I'll be doing next year's Bloggiesta :)

All right, I won't hold you up any longer. I go some comments on my last Hauling Sunday post about how people were looking forward to About That Night :) Since I've already finished it, I thought I'd review it :) Here you go, enjoy!


About That Night by Julie James

published by Berkley in April 2012

He's playing games

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

But she's making the rules

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

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: FBI series, Book #3

The Story: Nine years ago, Rylann Pierce was celebrating the end of her first year as a law student at the University of Illinois when she met Kyles Rhodes in a bar. Sparks flew between the two and they arranged a date to see where it would lead them. Unfortunately, due to some extenuating circumstances, Kyle never picked up Rylann... and the two of them went their separate ways.

Now, Rylann is an assistant U.S. attorney (AUSA) who is looking for a fresh start from a relationship gone awry by moving back to Chicago. Her first case at the Office of Chicago is an agreed motion involving none other than Kyle Rhodes, the Twitter Terrorist.

To their surprise, sparks are still flying between them. However, a relationship between them would not be easy. Especially when Rylann gets a new case about an inmate being killed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, engineered by a prison guard, and Kyle is her only potential key witness.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed Ms James' previous release, A Lot Like Love, and therefore, like many, About That Night was one of my most anticipated read this month. And as soon as I got my copy, I proceeded to devour it :) Overall, I think Ms James has delivered another solid book; however, there was something that bugged me a little and as a result, I did not enjoy this book as much as its predecessor :(

First, let's talk about what worked for me in About That Night: Kyle. I loved, loved Kyle! LOL. He was such a great hero and made the book for me :) I'm trying to think of words to describe him and actually, I think Ms James did it best: (p248)

Twitter Terrorist, billionaire heir, ex-con, computer geek, bad boy - none of those terms came close to describing Kyle Rhodes. He was, simply, a good person, and a confident, intelligent man to boot, and she found that combination absolutely irresistible.

Just like Rylann realized, I loved Kyle because he was such a good guy. Not only that, he was also very genuine. Even though he was a billionaire heir, there was no arrogance in him. Confidence - yes, but no arrogance. You have to give credit to his parents for Kyle's upbringing :) No one could accuse him from being spoiled. He worked to be at the top and he never expected to get his way simple because who he was. I also liked that he was honest with himself, knowing what he did was stupid, but also admitting the reason behind: male pride. I felt that in the 5 months since the whole debacle started, it made him more mature and humble and taken all together, he simply was a great hero.

Something else that I really enjoyed was the interactions between the characters, especially the twin connection. I enjoyed all the scenes with Kyle and Jordo together :P They were just so fun. Their bond was really strong and it was also great for Kyle to know that he could always count on Jordo, that she'd always have his back. It also made me smiled that Jordan had her way with all the men in her life and that Kyle and Nick had to have a bonding session :) I also liked how close-knitted the Rhodes were. I think this is the first time we really see family interactions in one of Ms James' books and she definitively needs to add more if they are going to be this good. And as usual, Ms James added some friendships in the mix and they work well :)

Oh and before I forget, something else that worked for me is Ms James writing style :) Or more accurately, how "current" her books feel. Last year at RWA, I attended a workshop where she was a speaker and Ms James said she liked adding current elements in her stories, even if later, it would date them in the future. In this case, there was a mention of The Hunger Games movie and the whole Twitter aspect. A lot of contemporary romances now take place in small towns or if it's in big cities, it's a bit nondescript. So I find all these little additions very fun and I think it really gives her books an edge.

When it comes to the storyline of About That Night, I think it falls in the middle. I wouldn't say I loved the story, because I think something was missing... perhaps a little action, especially compared to the first two installments of this series. At the same time, I didn't dislike it. If anything, I thought it was interesting. Hmmm, in a way, I'd say it was more akin to Just the Sexiest Man Alive and Practice Makes Perfect in the sense that there was a lot of lawyer-ish stuff and minimal involvement of the FBI. In About That Night, Ms James introduces us to the life of an AUSA and that's what I found interesting. I have to say, before reading this book, I had no idea what was an agreed motion or what was the processes to get an indictment. Also, it was a clever way to bring Rylann and Kyle back together, because I don't think otherwise, they would have gone after each other. However, I have to say when I read Kyle was a witness, I was expecting something a bit more exciting. I thought at the end, the resolution for the indictment was a bit anti-climatic... but Ms James made up for the lack of action and excitement with sexual tension :)

Now, onto what bugged me in About That Night. Basically, it has to do with Rylann. As a character, I didn't have an issue with her. She's the type of person who's very career-orientated and who has a tendency to have plans - 6-years plan for her career, 6-months plan for forgetting her ex, etc. I admit that I have a bit of difficulty connecting with Rylann, but overall, she was a good character. What bothered me though is the way she treated Kyle and her relationship with him. Even in the flashback, she was attracted to Kyle, but didn't want to... and it felt like she was deliberately trying to find faults in him, think the worst of him. That bothered me a little. And then, in the present, she starts this relationship with Kyle. At first, they were simply "hooking up," but even then, she was worried about the consequences of their relationship in her career because Kyle was not only an ex-con, but one that her office prosecuted zealously. And at one point, it just felt like she was "ashamed" of their relationship and that really rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, why would you be ashamed of such a great guy?!? Like Jayne in her review for Dear Author, it wasn't such a big deal for a non-lawyer person like me and therefore, the fact that she was "hiding" the truth, skirting the comments of her co-workers when it came to Kyle bothered me greatly. And seriously, if her boss wasn't happy because Rylann was dating the "Twitter Terrorist," well she'd only have her own office to blame. That's another sore point for me, the whole Twitter Terrorist. I thought it was a bit overkill ^_^; I understand the context where they wanted to make an example out of Kyle... but being called a terrorist for shutting down Twitter for two days? Overboard :( In A Lot Like Love, I already thought it was absurd, but hey, it was quite funny. In About That Night, from Kyle POV, not so funny anymore. While thinking of this review, I kept wondering about Kyle's prosecution. I couldn't help but think that his 5 lawyers must have been really bad not to get him a better deal considering the motives behind Kyle's action. Couldn't he have purged the sentence at home with an anklet? A la Martha Stewart? And it's because of these two issues that I find I didn't enjoy About That Night as much as I wanted, despite a great hero like Kyle :(

My Grade: B. As I said earlier, About That Night was a solid book with a great hero. Overall, I did enjoy it, but could have enjoyed it more if it wasn't for a few issues.

Review: A Lot Like Love by Julie James

To popular demand, I am bringing you this review :) Hope everyone enjoys and that it'll give a few people the shove they needed to go buy the book :)


*Warning: The review contains spoilers. Beware*

A Love Like Love by Julie James
published by Berkley in March 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...

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Connected to Something About You

The Story: After the events in Something About You, the FBI was been able to arrest Roberto Martino, head poncho of the largest crime syndicate in Chicago, and is now working towards shutting down all of his operations. One of them is a money laundering scheme that is run through Xander Eckhart's bars and restaurants. In order to gather evidence, the FBI needs to plant some bugs in Eckhart's office; however, security is tight and access, limited. The only opportunity would be during Eckhart's Valentine's party; however, the guest list is extremely exclusive... which is why, the FBI wants Jordan Rhodes' cooperation. What makes Jordan an excellent candidate is not the fact that she is the daughter of a billionaire or the owner of a successful wine shop, but instead, that the FBI has the perfect incentive to ensure her cooperation: the release of her twin brother from prison.

Jordan would do anything to help her brother and sneaking an FBI agent as her date to a party seems like a fair trade. The only problem she has is Agent Nick McCall grating her nerves. Luckily, he was only brought in to coach her and Agent Huxley and offer assistance as he has extensive experience of undercover work.Unfortunately, things never go as planned and when Agent Huxley falls sick, Nick has to step in... and when Eckhart gets jealous and wants to find dirt on Nick, the charade must go on... but what if it becomes the real thing?

My Opinion: Ms James is an author that I always enjoy, but while everyone looooved her books, I only liked them. My biggest issue with the books has been they weren't contemporary romance enough, a touch too chick-lit-ish. As a result, I went in A Lot Like Love with low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised :)

I think what worked best for me in A Lot Like Love were the characters and the storyline. I really liked both Jordan and Nick. I thought Jordan was a very interesting character, very sophisticated but at the same time, grounded to earth. Although she's the daughter of a billionaire, her father made his fortune while Jordan and her twin brother were growing up and is a firm believer of making it on your own. So Jordan pretty much grew up like everyone else, went to school, got a degree in business and drafted a business plan to open her wine shop. Even now, she does not depend on her father's money... and that's what made Jordan so interesting in my opinion. She wasn't born with the silver spoon in her mouth, but she knows both sides of the medal. When Nick meets Jordan, he thinks she is a spoiled princess, but she is anything but. Instead, she's independent, capable and smart. Another check in the plus column for me was Jordan's relationships with the people she loved. Her loyalty to her brother Kyle, which means she's behind him and also there to lend support. The fact that she goes each week to visit him and cheer him up, it means a lot and is very commendable. Also, she's known her best friends and maintained a relationship with them since college and fortune has not changed that. Really, she's just a regular woman with a very expensive car :) As for Nick, I liked him as well, although I thought his character wasn't as developed. Then again, what is there to say about a single man who's dedicated his life to his work which mostly consisted of undercover work? What I can say about Nick is that he did come across as manly, rough around the edge, but not overboard alpha and that was good for me :) It made him more normal and real in my opinion, although who doesn't know Dancing with the Stars nowadays? His reaction was funny though :) Something else I liked about Nick is that he was not too stubborn. For example, he had preconceptions about Jordan because her father is a billionaire and so he thought she was princess-y in the beginning. However, his opinion changed once he got to know her and admitted he was wrong. So a good guy who is able to match everything Jordan throws at him and even more :)

The story is as I described above. Jordan and Nick pose as a couple to go to the party so Nick can plant those bugs. What neither expected is Eckhart has been after Jordan, but because of Kyle's trial and imprisonment, his seduction has been on hold. He was planning to resume it at the Valentine's party and Jordan showing up with Nick really doesn't please him. He wants to find dirt on Nick to get him out of the picture and so, Jordan and Nick have to continue to pose as a couple... that means kisses and spending time together. I quite enjoyed the romance; it worked for me. I like that they had to spend time together, which means they got to know each other. I think that's really made Nick realize who Jordan was truly, how hard-working she was. It also showed Jordan's a better side of Nick as well, like picking her food, helping her close the store. It's all small things, but it gives you such insight.

Other things that worked for me and made this book better: Jordan and Kyle's relationship. Also, that Kyle wasn't such a criminal... what he did was stupid, but seriously didn't warrant jail time... and LOL, the Twitter Terrorist. It was a bit absurd, but all in good fun :) Nick's family - we don't actually see them (and I actually wished we did!), but there are phone calls and I think the dynamics said it all :) Finally, probably one of the best part, was the FBI's office. Loved seeing Nick and Jack Pallas competing with each other, their trash-talking, it's really what guys do :) Then you add in Huxley and Wilkins, LOL. I also loved Wilkins reaction when their boss told him the next assignment would be his LOL.

All in all, I think Ms James wrote great characters and a good story ;) The balance between the romance and plot worked well too :) I thought it was actually interesting. The humor was good and I had some nice LOL moments. My only complaint and why this book isn't getting an A grade is the way Nick's cover story broke. Having an ex-girlfriend coming and confronting Jordan and then, blowing Nick's cover, ugh. That's just too frustrating. I guess it could happen, but I felt it was the easy way out here. Also, I felt it really reflected badly on Nick's professionalism. What if Jordan had been the mark? As it is, it still put the whole investigation in jeopardy, with their suspect catching on! I didn't mind Nick's identity being discovered, but the way it was done, it really left a bad taste in my mouth...

Finally, I do think once Jordan and Nick really got together, the storyline snowballed to the ending. It was a bit rushed and the disagreement between Jordan and Nick seemed a bit foolish. However, it was all counteracted by all the goodness in this book :)

My Grade: B++. I am soooo looking forward to Kyle's book now! :) Also, I hope Ms James will continue with the FBI office, I think it's really a good set up for her stories :)

Review: Something About You by Julie James

I've been looking at my Google spreadsheet and the archive on my sidebar for June and I've decided that I really must get cracking on my reviewing ^_^; Especially since I've been reading a lot this month and have reviewed almost nothing ^_^; So hopefully, you guys will enjoy :)


Something About You by Julie James
published by Berkley in March 2010

FATE HAS THROWN TWO SWORN ENEMIES...

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

...INTO EACH OTHER’S ARMS

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

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: none

The Story: Okay, let see. What can I write that will sum up this book even more than the back blurb? :P Cameron Lynde has been redoing her hardwood floors. As a result, she had to vacate her house and ended up at the Peninsula next to the room 1308 in which the occupants have been having a sex marathon. When she finally complains about the noise, all the staff find is a female body... and Cameron becomes the only witness as she peeked through the peephole and saw the man who left the room.

Unfortunately for Cameron, the case is assigned to Jack Pallas, FBI. Jack and Cameron had crossed paths in the past and it hadn't gone well. Basically, the case Jack went undercover for never made it to trial, Jack insulted Cameron on national TV and ended up exiled to the Nebraska bureau and believes that Cameron is responsible for the transfer. After three years, he's finally made it back to Chicago and is now stuck baby-sitting Cameron. However, it seems these two might be able to get over the past as they get re-acquainted and their attraction re-ignites.

My Opinion: I'll be honest here, I had some apprehension coming in Something About You. Basically, it's because everyone seems to enjoy Ms James so much. There's been a lot of buzz surrounding each of her books and while I think her writing is good, the books were only okay to me, not the wowzer it has been for everyone. I feel that her books are not "romance" enough for me. There are a cross of chick-lit and contemporary romance; much closer to contemporary romance than chick-lit... but not there yet. So yeah, wasn't sure how I would feel about this one, especially since Hilcia felt it was too focused on the mystery.In the end though? Something About You is my favorite read by Ms James so far :)

What made Something About You work for me was the characters. I really enjoyed Cameron and Jack; they were solid and well developed. Some might think they were too "perfect," especially Cameron... but I thought instead that they were driven. However, they were not completely closed off to the world, focused on their work; they were also ready to make place in their life for a relationship. I thought that was refreshing. The chemistry between them was undeniable, backed with a generous dose of witty banter and yummy sexual tension :) I really liked the fact that they cleared up their misunderstandings before falling in bed. The romance was a bit quick, but it made sense since they were attracted to each other three years ago :)

While it's true the mystery played a big part in Something About You, I thought it was engaging and solid. In fact, the suspense was weaved in with the romance rather well in my opinion. It could have been heavier on the romance, but it was balanced enough to please me. I liked that Ms James continued with the lawyer element, but that Something About You was different enough from Just the Sexiest Man Alive and Practice Makes Perfect to stand out.

To me, the little extra that made me enjoy Something About You so much was the secondary characters and the interactions the H/H had with them. I loved Collin and the complicity and friendship he had with Cameron. Wilkins as Jack's partner was a nice touch... and the cops that were supposed to keep an eye on Cameron. Loved how they gossiped and knew far more details about what was going on in Cameron's life than they should LOL. They were a nice touch of humor, but even better, they made Cameron and Jack more real, human and fun :)

My Grade: B+. I truly really enjoyed Something About You and while her books are still not truly contemporary romance, Ms James is definitively getting there :)

Review: Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James

This book was on my TBB list for October for a few reasons. The main reason was that it was a contemporary romance and there's never enough of these :P The storyline sounded interesting as well :) Also, it's always fun to discover new authors.

Apparently, I'm not the only one to think this way. It seems like the increase of traffic at my blog is due to search results for Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James. I guess people must have been disappointed, not finding any information on it... So to make it up, I've read the book and decided to review it right away :)


Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
published by Berkley in October 2008

COOL. CALM. COLLECTED.

Nothing fazes Taylor Donovan. In the courtroom she never lets the opposition see her sweat. In her personal life, she never lets any man rattle her–not even her cheating ex-fiancé. So when she’s assigned to coach People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” for his role in his next big legal thriller, she refuses to fall for the Hollywood heartthrob’s charms. Even if he is the Jason Andrews.

CONFIDENT. FAMOUS. IRRESISTIBLE.

Jason Andrews is used to having women fall at his feet. When Taylor Donovan gives him the cold shoulder, he’s thrown for a loop. She’s unlike any other woman he’s ever met: uninterested in the limelight, seemingly immune to his advances, and shockingly capable of saying no to him. She’s the perfect challenge. And the more she rejects him, the more he begins to realize that she may just be his perfect match...

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: none

The Story: The storyline of the book pretty much goes as described in the back blurb. Taylor Donovan is a lawyer from Chicago, presently on loan to the firm's LA branch to work a case against the EEOC. While in LA, the firm partner asks her to coach Jason Andrews, the number one star in Hollywood. Not having much choice, Taylor accepts reluctantly as it puts her behind in her work... Therefore, when she discovers that the superstar did not show up at either of the meetings planned because of an impulsive fun trip to Las Vegas, she is understandably pissed off and blows the star off when he finally shows up for his coaching. Taylor's attitude and rejection baffle and intrigue Jason... and the courting is on.

My Opinion: Okay, so what did I think of Just the Sexiest Man Alive? This was definitively an interesting book. Some parts I liked; others, not as much... but that's to be expected.

Let's start with the characters. I really liked the heroine. Taylor Donovan is pretty much the perfect woman: strong, driven, ambitious and she loves her job. I enjoyed her wit, sarcasm and humor. She got a lot of backbone and I liked that she wasn't easily swayed by Jason Andrews :P My only complaint is that we got very few information on her background and her relationship with her family. Perhaps, instead of seeing her with her friends, I'd rather see her and her family. Then, there's the hero. To tell the truth, I'm not sure whether I liked Jason Andrews or not, but he was an interesting character. Jason Andrews has been a star in Hollywood for 16 years and it shows. He's not the typical celebrity hero in romance looking for some normalcy in life... He likes his celebrity life to a point where he seems totally disconnected with "real" life. If it wasn't for his best friend who brought him back to Earth, I wonder how bad it'd be. The man is arrogant, macho and very conscious of his status in Hollywood. All these things aren't necessarily bad, but hardly endearing. Also, his ego is sooo big that it seems to fry his brain and therefore, he acted very immature in certain instances. Of course, he could be charming and friendly and he did a few cute things for Taylor... however, I don't know... I'm not sure if Taylor and Jason were truly a perfect match together.

The storyline was quite interesting and I liked the whole courtship between Taylor and Jason. I liked that Taylor didn't fall for Jason immediately and it took time for him to woo her. However, I'd like to have seen a bit more of them together. The ending seemed rushed to me and their HEA ending, a bit premature. Perhaps it would have been better to focus on Taylor and Jason instead of adding a third party - Scott Casey. (Okay, Scott Casey is definitively based on Orlando Blooms, LOL... and it was kind of funny, but it makes me wonder at Orlando Blooms real personality and it begs the question, does Ms James know him personally?)

It'd say the strong points of this book were the lawyer-ish aspect and how Ms James didn't sugar-coat the Hollywood scene. As it turns out, Ms James was actually a lawyer for many years before focusing on her writing and it shows in the book. Taylor really felt like a lawyer to me, the way she acted, the way she thought... that cross-examination scene between her and Jason was quite powerful and entertaining. Ms James' experience added authenticity to the book that perhaps other books lacked.

Finally, I think that Ms James' writing style is very easy to read, but it doesn't flow very well. All of her scenes were rather short and there was a break every time there was a narrator change, breaking the flow. Therefore, there is place for improvement... but I have a feeling that her voice will become stronger in the next book :P

My Grade: B. Ms James has definitively delievered a good effort with Just the Sexiest Man Alive and it is quite a good first book. My grade would probably have been higher if I've enjoyed Jason's character more and of course, as I said, there is place for improvement. However, I'll definitively be giving a chance to Practice Makes Perfect, Ms James' next book, released in March 2009. I'm sure that it'll be an even better book since Ms James will really be in her element, as both the H/H are lawyers :)