Total Book Geek: Julie James

SHE KNOWS BETTER THAN TO SAY “I DO”

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

BUT HE MAKES IT HARD TO SAY “I DON’T”

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

Julie James delivers one book each year and she is well worth the wait. It Happened One Wedding is another hit. I don't know how she does it, but I love all her books. Seriously each and every one of them I've rated five stars. Not once has she disappointed me. Each time she simply me drags me into this FBI/US Attorney world and I always feel sad when I have to leave again.

It Happened One Wedding was a bit different than the other books, which you can also see by the covers. There is still an FBI agent, but no US attorney in this one. We've met Vaughn in the previous books (though it's not necessary to read those first) and I liked him. He brought some humor to the stories, always teasing his colleagues. He is a fine agent and you can take that any way you want.

Sidney is an investment banker and she has recently moved back to Chicago, to leave a certain past behind her and to be closer to her sister again. When said sister announces her engagement and Sidney finds out who the best man is, things start getting interesting. Seriously that first chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book and I loved it. There is so much banter between Vaughn and Sidney it made me all giggly and I could not stop smiling. You know sarcasm is my second language and Julie James translates this perfectly on paper.

Vaughn isn't ready to settle down. He can understand why some people do it, he just hasn't felt the need so far in his life. Also he isn't used to being turned down. So when things start heating up between him and Sidney and she turns him down, he's not prepared for that. The attraction between them is undeniable, but Sidney isn't looking for someone like Vaughn. She was already engaged to someone like that, what she wants now is someone steady, someone wanting to settle down.

The chemistry between these two is of the charts. All that bantering, the humor, the smexy scenes and I just couldn't get enough. The attraction is there, now the rest just needs to follow and they take their precious time. Which to me was excellent, because this meant just more to read. I can not recommend her books enough. Julie writes strong, independent, smart, witty yet approachable heroine meets handsome, smart, confident, determined hero like no other. It never gets boring, it is always something different. The attention to detail in the backstory is astounding and making it so much more than a fluffy read.

Julie James is my drop-everything-I'm-doing-right-now-and-start-reading author.

FBI/US Attorney - Reading order and purchase links

*All novels can be read as a standalone*

Something About You: Amazon - Kindle

A Lot Like Love: Amazon - Kindle ($0.99)

About That Night: Amazon - Kindle

Love Irresistibly: My review - Amazon - Kindle

It Happened One Wedding: Amazon - Kindle

The Author

New 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 sixteen languages and Julie’s new novel, IT HAPPENED ONE WEDDING, hits bookstores on May 6.

Julie James lives with her husband and two children in Chicago, where she is working on her next novel.

Connect with Julie James:

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

I truly love Julie James' books. She takes things to a whole other level that has me laughing, sighing and entranced.

Love Irresistibly is the fourth book in the FBI/US Attorney series and it does not disappoint at all!

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 . . .

Review:

Cade needs Brooke's help in an investigation. He namely needs to bug on of her restaurants in order to catch a bad guy. In the previous books the investigation was a huge part of the story, usually this meant that the two main characters were forced to work together for a long time. This time that was not the case. The investigation was only the beginning, it's their undeniable attraction that makes them come together again and again.

It's new revelations and opportunities that might get in the way of a happy ending. Not to mention Cade's apparently emotionally unavailable and Brooke's not the "big picture kind of girl".

"She gave one hundred and ten percent to whatever is was she was doing, and basically had one speed when it came to her career: full speed."

Brooke indeed goes all out for her career as it sort of has come to define her. She's a woman with character, competitive, accepts no help, wants to make it on her own and just realized she might have to make some sacrifices for that (love). It's not that she doesn't want love, it's just isn't so simple to do her job the way she does it and still have all the rest. At least that's what she thinks.

"I think by definition, one actually has to have a father in order to have father issues."

Cade is very driven. When he had to give up football, he put his focus on being a lawyer and completely went for it. He isn't afraid to take on profile cases, he even prefers them (see Twitter terrorist). The guy doesn't know the word giving up, not just when it comes to work, but also in every other aspect of his life. He does obviously have daddy issues and they play a big part in the story. He continually has that urge to prove himself.

"In every hot, hope-the-neighbors-didn't-hear-but-damn-that-was-some-great-sex sense of the word."

As always Julie James delivers. We've got depth and complexity, well rounded characters with a great sense of humor that even makes ma laugh out loud while reading. Sex scenes where the steam just rises out of the pages. The main characters are bot very strong willed, determined and hardheaded, creating sparks that nearly make you burn with excitement.

Julie James is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. When you read her books you really notice the difference between the adult and new adult genre. While new adult is fun and a lot of drama combined, Julie James' writing takes it up a notch, more subtle humor and all around better developed and written.

I can not recommend her books often enough. So start reading!!!