Love Irresistibly by Julie James

HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS...

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

AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER.

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


This is another irresistibly good read from JJ. I mean, is there any other kind that she writes? Because I really enjoyed this book from start to finish, just like her usual.

I did this book for a challenge on reading something funny. Although this may not be LOL fare, it did put several smiles on my face (and some giggles here and there) with the witty dialogue and some very well written characters. It was actually very nice to revisit with the characters from the previous books in the series but at the same time, I really enjoyed the subplots here. I didn't expect it because I really thought that I had an idea who Cade was in the previous book.

And I really thought that Cade and Brooke were two of the sexiest characters I've read in a while. A former jock who became a hotshot lawyer is sexy, sexy, sexy! (Just in case you needed some convincing.) And who better to be the perfect woman for him than someone who was also amazeballs at her job. Not only that, she had enough confidence to know what she could continue to be brilliant at her job despite having to delegate so that she could actually enjoy the life that she had made for herself.

And did I mention that Cade had a sexy teenager half-brother, too? I would really, really like to know what his story would be like down the roade. You would, too, when you get to finish this book.


Final verdict: 9/10. Great read,


FBI/US Attorney series reviews:
Something About You
A Lot Like Love
About That Night

About That Night by Julie James

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.


If I ask you to show me a bad JJ book, you will fail, fail, fail. I have yet to be disappointed by her books and I don't see that ever happening. Each book I read just keeps getting better and better and better...

I kind of fell deeply in like with Kyle Rhodes in the previous book of this series. I'm one of his high-fivers, I guess. JJ always comes up with these awesome characters so I'm not that at all surprised that Kyle became this awesome person despite my biases when someone is tagged as an ex-con. But then as Rylann said, he did not murder anyone. It was just Twitter. Which made Kyle even more interesting. (And adorable! Sue me.) By the end of this book, I was in love.

This was just the right kind of book to pick me up from an almost-two week reading slump. This was in-your-face romance at its best. No misunderstandings between two people who like and love each other. Just them coming to terms with their past and present; and then for them to move on from there. I may have mentioned this before but I just want to repeat it: Second chance romances are a-okay in my book, okay? Love them.

In short, this is the kind of book that, had I not been aware that it was part of a series, would make go scrambling for the rest of the books from the entire series...and for any more JJ reads I can find. It's that kind of feel-good, mushy awesome.


Final verdict: 10/10. Great, must-read. GET IT!!!


FBI/US Attorney series reviews:
Something About You
A Lot Like Love

A Lot Like Love by Julie James

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.


What is it with JJ's books that make me stick to them like glue once I actually start reading them? Okay, so it took me some time to start with this book after I put it on top of my TBR pile because I got sidetracked. But when I did get stared, there was just no stopping. 

Nick McCall is one heck of a sexy FBI agent! Well, JJ always writes amazing characters. I mean, the fact that Nick had to share some page time with Jack Pallas and still be hot? That takes talent to keep our man at that level of hotness because we all know from the first book in this series that Jack is cut from the same cloth.

The cracking chemistry between Nick and Jordan was really a joy to read. Right from their very first meeting, I knew it was going to be such hoot once they get together. A hoot and so, so damned hot!

Once again, there was zero time spent in boredom reading this book. I've already mentioned how much I loved reading about Nick and Jordan. But as always, JJ gave us secondary characters that are so great making me wish this was a thousand pages long and make sure everyone gets their HEAs. Just because.


Final verdict: 8/10. Great read.


FBI/US Attorney series review:
Something About You

Something About You by Julie James

Fate has thrown two sworn enemies...

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

Into each other's arms...

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


I don't know if it was something in the water or if it had something to do with my currently not-fully-up-to-speed-brain-after-two-weeks-of-doctor-advised-rest. Obviously though, this was my second successive enemies-turned-to-lovers book.

This is a JJ so I expected nothing less than to be entertained well. And of course, I was. There's some sort of flair...okay, many sorts of flair...that JJ has with her books that just leaves me all giddy and good inside. She always puts out flawless storytelling and some unforgettable characters that makes it hard when a book ends. 

This was no different. I loved Jack and Cameron. I loved how they just couldn't help not hating each other despite their ugly history. I loved the secondary characters--talk about hilarious. Wilkins will get a story in this series, right? Say yes, say yes, say yes! Mix in with the right murder intrigue and you have yourself a perfect evening read.

What else more can I say? JJ has yet to disappoint me. Although I don't see that happening. Ever.


Final verict: 8/10. Great read.

Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James

Behind closed doors, they're laying down the law.

When it comes to the laws of attraction...

Payton Kendall and J.D. Jameson are lawyers who know the meaning of objection. A feminist to the bone, Payton has fought hard to succeed in a profession dominated by men. Born wealthy, privileged, and cocky, J.D. has fought hard to ignore her. Face-to-face, they're perfectly civil. They have to be. For eight years they have kept a safe distance and tolerated each other as coworkers for one reason: to make partner at the firm.

There are no rules...

But all bets are off when they're asked to join forces on a major case. Though apprehensive at first, they begin to appreciate each other's dedication to the law—and the sparks between them quickly turn into attraction. But the increasingly hot connection does not last long when they discover that only one of them will be named partner. Now it's an all-out war. And the battle between the sexes is bound to make these lawyers hot under the collar.


Ahhh, I love this book! Let me just get that out of the away.

I was in love with JD from the start. More importantly, I was in love with the story of JD and Payton from the very beginning. There's nothing like a good ole man vs woman, love-hate relationship to make me smile like an idiot when when it starts getting romantic and all hot. Oh, lordy, lordy. Trust me, it wasn't just Payton who thought that JD was hot in jeans. 

JJ scored another winner for me with the easy banter in this fun read. Who needs smut when books like these still exist, right? And the twist at the end was really unexpected. It's always a treat when at a time when some stories get predictable, there are still some select ones that manages to pull a surprise. Just how I like my standalones!

And one more thing: JJ agreed with me that JD stands for Just Delish. So there.

Final verdict: 9/10. Great read.

Just The Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James

No woman could resist him—except the one he wanted most...

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 she may just be his perfect match.


In the time when we are swamped with all these steamy hot reads, it's so refreshing to find (and enjoy!) a good ole romance without all those, uhm, distractions.

I love this book. I love the characters. You can discount the fact that I was imagining Michael (F)assbender as the lead guy in it since the first chapter. Nope, it didn't play a factor at all. *snickers*

I loved Taylor Donovan because tough-on-the outside, soft-on-the-inside ladies will always be a hit for me. I really enjoyed reading when, even if she tried her very best to show that she was unaffected by Jason Andrews, deep inside she was still a woman who wanted. Full stop. But who wouldn't be not affected by the Sexiest Man Alive, right? Most of all, I loved how she had an identity separate that of Jason and I just knew that she would still have one after the story ended, after she became Mrs Jason Andrews.

And then there was Jason Andrews. Despite the fact that he was named the Sexiest Man Alive, my most favorite parts in the book were when he really showed his vulnerability as man falling in love for the first time. We all know how bigger-than-life Hollywood personalities can get and it was lovely to read these parts when Taylor started to catch him offguard with her reactions to him (despite him using his charms like the usual) and when he started feeling jealous. Ahh, men. Aren't they adorable when they do that?

Ahh, the only thing I don't like about this book? It wasn't part of a series. Honestly, I would've loved to read about Jeremy's story. Jeremy, by the way, was Jason's bestfriend all the way from college before they both came to Hollywood. The lady secondary characters were great, too. I adored Linda, Taylor's secretary! I'll miss them.


Final verdict: 8/10. Must read, must have.