The Thing About Love by Julie James – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway
Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository
Description:
FBI agents Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd have a past. The former lawyer and cocky Army ranger clashed during their training at Quantico, gladly going their separate ways after graduating from the Academy. Six years later, the last thing either of them expects is to run into each other again–assigned to work as partners in a high-profile undercover sting.
For both of them, being paired with a former rival couldn’t come at a worse time. Recently divorced from a Hollywood producer and looking for a fresh start, Jessica is eager to prove herself at her new field office. And John is just one case away from his dream assignment to the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. In order to nail a corrupt Florida politician, they’ll have to find a way to work as a team–a task that becomes even trickier when they’re forced to hole up at a romantic, beachfront resort as part of the investigation. Suddenly, the heat behind their nonstop sparring threatens to make the job a whole lot more complicated. . .
Review:
The Thing About Love by Julie James is another one of her wonderful adult romances. Julie James is one of my favorite romance authors, who always gives us a wonderful story, great couples that are successful in their careers, with a perfect blend of sassiness and hot sexual chemistry.
Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd, met each other 6 years ago, during their FBI training at Quantico. The competition was fierce, and snarky; when the training was over, they both walked away not caring if they would ever meet again. In present time, Jessica returns to her home town of Chicago, after a broken marriage. John is coming off of an undercover job, only to find his girlfriend in bed with his best friend. When Jessica is given an assignment in an undercover sting, involving a corrupt mayor of Jacksonville, she is shocked and not too happy to see her new partner in this case is John. Needless to say, John, who is already in a bad frame of mind, isn’t too keen on seeing Jessica again. Their old hostilities resurface, but they are now seasoned professionals and determined to work together in the sting operation.
In a short time, both Jessica and John will reveal things from their training time that causes them to realize that their perceptions were off base. The attraction for each other begins to heat up, and their chemistry together was super hot. They also made a great team, setting up the mayor for the fall. I loved watching both of them fall in love with each other, and at the same time become impressed with their partner’s skills.
The story was very well done by James, as she is an expert in FBI suspense types of stories, with a wonderful romance filled with fun banter, sassiness and a sexy couple. With our couple both coming off of their own heartaches, it helped add to the story, especially when John tries out for the elite counterterrorism Hostage Rescue Team. Jessica was our perfect heroine, who being a woman, had it harder to prove her worth as a smart savvy kick-ass agent. John, having been an army ranger before signing up for the FBI, was not only tough, but was also a hot hunk. I loved everything about them both, as they were super great characters that Julie James always seems to give us.
From the moment I started to read this book, I could feel my happiness, as I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book. So many romances are about those in their twenties; when it comes to reading about two people successful in their lives, and in their thirties, beyond the angst of those just starting out…no one does it better then Julie James. I love her stories; her awesome couples; the fun & sexy romances, which you just can’t get enough of. I strongly suggest you read The Thing about Love, and if you have not read Julie James, what are you waiting for?
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
In response to his dry tone, she threw him a glare so cold it could’ve frozen all nine circles of Dante’s Hell. Fittingly, just nine of the many places he would rather be than stuck working with her on this investigation.
“Look, I’m not thrilled about this, either.” Keeping her voice low, she came to a stop next to him at the elevator bank. “I thought you were supposed to be on the Hostage Rescue Team already.”
“And I thought you were supposed to be in L.A.”
There was a quick flash in her eyes before she shrugged off his question. “Change of plans.”
The elevator arrived at their floor, and they both stepped inside. She hit the button for the seventh floor, where the public corruption squad was located. Standing on the opposite side, he pressed the button for floor five.
They faced off as the doors shut. She folded her arms across her chest and studied him with those crystalline blue eyes that could so cleverly mask her emotions.
As he knew well.
“We’re going to have to figure this out,” she said. “We’re supposed to be business partners in this.”
Thank you, yes, being a professional, he was aware of that. He took a step closer. “It’s called “undercover” work, Harlow. If I can pretend to be a gun-buying, murder-for-hire thug, I think I can handle playing some rich investor-type who wants to skirt a few measly zoning laws.” Even a rich investor-type who was apparently masochistic enough to get in bed with the likes of her.
Professionally-speaking.
“Measly zoning laws?” she repeated.
Ooh, now he’d gone and pissed her off. How nice it was, really, that they could pick up like this, right where they’d left off.
She drew in closer, tilting her head back to meet his gaze. He was over a foot taller than her, although he noticed that she was heightening a bit with those expensive-looking three-inch heels she wore.
“Our target in this investigation is the mayor of the thirteenth largest city in the United States. That’s a pretty big deal in my book.” She gestured to his facial scruff and hair. “And while I appreciate that this . . . Sons of Anarchy motif you’ve got going might ingratiate yourself with the gun-buying, murder-for-hire, organized-crime thugs of the world, that’s not quite going to fly with this sting operation.”
“’Thirteenth largest city in the United States?’” he scoffed. “Just how many hours did you spend reviewing the case files last night?”
She smiled sweetly as the elevator arrived at her floor. “Enough to get the jump on you.”
Then the doors sprang open, and she gave him a friendly wave, once again stepping into the role of Ms. Congeniality. “So glad we got to catch up like this, Agent Shepherd. We’ll talk again soon.”
He watched her stride confidently down the hallway as the elevator doors closed between them.
Enough to get the jump on you.
Not for long, sweetheart.
Time for him to get cracking on that case file.
After graduating from law school, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie James clerked for the United States Court of Appeals. She then 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.
Julie’s books have been listed on Amazon’s Best Books of the Year, the American Library Association’s Reading List for Top Genre Novels, Booklist‘s Top 10 Romances of the Year, and have been featured as a Cosmopolitan magazine Red Hot Read. Her books have been translated into nineteen languages and Julie’s ninth novel, The Thing About Love, hits bookstores everywhere on April 18.
Julie James lives with her husband and two children in Chicago, where she is currently working on her next book.
To learn more about Julie James, you can check out the following links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads
Julie’s publisher is offering a paper copy of THE THING ABOUT LOVE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe
1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.
NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).
2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.
3. LIKE Julie James on Facebook
4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.
5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.
6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.
7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr
8. Giveaway open to USA only
9.. Giveaway runs from April 18 to 22, 2017
