Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A Lot Like Love by Julie James

Julie James
Pub. Date: March 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: Mass Market Paperback , 304pp
ISBN-13: 9780425240168
ISBN: 0425240169

Agent Nick McCall has just taken a time off from an undercover job, after he had helped take down twenty-seven dirty cops, to head back home for his mother's sixtieth birthday party when unfortunately his boss call and ruined his plan. His boss wanted his help in taking down Roberto Martino. So Nick and Agent Huxley visit Jordan's wine store The DeVine Cellars to get her to help them with the FBI undercover investigation. They asked Jordan to attend as a guest with one of them at the charity fun-raiser of famous restaurateur so that they can get a proof for a arrest. And Jordan agree but on one condition, if the FBI help her get her brother released from jail. So they set up a plan to plant bugs during Xander Eckhart party, who the FBI suspect is helping launder money for Roberto Martino. Nick first has a rule where he never get personal, especially on 'date' with Jordan since she is only an assignment. But on their first meeting, Jordan and Nick just can't seem to be together for five minute without any bantering or sarcasm.

Nick was assigned to be inside a van with the tech team, a block away from party, to make sure the recording devices are working correctly during their undercover Op. And Agent Huxley was to be Jordan's 'date' at Xander Eckhart party, and plant in some bugs in his office for record of proof. The morning of the day when the plan was to take place, Agent Huxley got sick and Mick end up taking over his place instead. When the bugs were set and the plan working, Nick and Jordan thought that they can now forget about everything and move on with their life but unfortunately Xander had other plan. Because of this, to avoid blowing up their undercover op, they decided to continue to 'date' each other until they make the arrest. And while Nick and Jordan pretend to be a couple, he begin to learn more about Jordan and her love for wine tasting along the way. She gave him a tour to the winery and show him how to know the different about each wines. Jordan may be a billionaire's daughter, but she is financially independence and is the owner of her own wine business DeVine Cellers. And she won't let anyone think she doesn't know how to run her business. And even when they are bantering at each other, spark fly between them and they have fallen hard.

After his girlfriend has broken his heart, Jordan's brother Kyle was arrested for hijacking twitter and causing the Great Twitter Outage of 2011. But Jordan know that Kyle had learn from his mistake and doesn't think that he deserved to be in jail. So when an opportunity walk into her life, a chance to help her brother release from jail, she took a chance on it.

I thought A Lot Like Love is another enjoyable books I've read. It is a fun, smart and steamy. I love the sexual tension between Jordan and Nick. The bantering were so witty it made me chuckle. One of my favorite scene is when Nick saw Jordan in the dress that she is wearing to the Charity fun-raiser event for the first time. He was starring at the dress and thinking how he like her in the dress. His reaction to the back of the dress had me chuckling. And his reaction when he discovered that she was braless...priceless! I couldn't stop laughing over it! I also like that we get to see Kyle and how he adjusting his time in jail. And see the people he interacted with there and the funny comments said about him. I loved that he is said to look like Josh Holloway from the TV show Lost and his reaction to it when someone mention the look-a-like. And some of the scenes at the winery was plus. I thought the book cover is pretty sexy and I love the fact that the h/h 'look' and their clothing they worn are true to what is inside the story. I've always complaint how the front cover of the book does not match what is inside the book, but I'm so happy that this book didn't disappoint me.

I have always enjoy reading Julie James' books. Her books always managed to make me smile, laugh and made my heart flutter. I love the humors and sarcastic dialogue between the characters in her writing. I also love that her heroine are strong and smart. I have read up to the first three books and I had finished reading A Lot Like Love since this May 11th but is now just posting this review up (yes am so late in reviewing this book). I don't think there are any James' books that I didn't enjoy.

4 1/2 stars

2 comments:

Melody said...

Glad you enjoyed this book! I've only read two of her books and I enjoyed them all!

Alice said...

This is again new to me but I like the sound of it. You are the queen of romance novels,Julia!