Thursday, May 22, 2014

Review: It Happened One Wedding

IT HAPPENED ONE WEDDING
FBI/US Attorney #5
Julie James
304 pages
Adult Contemporary Romance
Jove
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
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…


MY THOUGHTS
Reading a Julie James novel is like going to a best friend’s house for a simple night in: Warm, welcoming, and easy, leaving us with a satisfied smile on our faces as we return home at the end of the evening. It Happened One Wedding is no different from her previous novels in that regard, giving us a couple who starts out fairly high on the antagonistic charts only to be worn down by the other’s snark, charm, and persistence as the story continues. It’s a feel-good romance perfect for picking up on a dreary day or after an exhausting week, substance and fluff beautifully combining to guarantee we have nothing but a good time while reading.

Sidney is a woman who has little time for dating games, a cheating ex forcing her to learn the hard way that things aren’t always what they seem, so her new tactic is to be honest (sometimes brutally so) with the men who approach her and demand the same in return. She weighs and measures Vaughn instantaneously and puts zero effort into sugarcoating the fact that she finds him wanting, and given Vaughn has an inordinately healthy ego on him, we can’t help but smile when she knocks him down a peg or two. She’s not overbearing in her interactions though, her snark wielded precisely and with skill, and since Vaughn learns to take her hits on the chin after their first meeting and then return fire, their interactions have a fun and flirty quality to them rather than making us wince as they banter back and forth.

Vaughn is not quite as instantly likable as Sidney as a result of his aforementioned ego, his self confidence and his repeated admissions that he has no interest in anything other than fun and games leaving us little choice but to root for Sidney to give him hell. Over the course of the story however, while he clings desperately to his supposed disinterest in commitment, the heat of their hostility transforms into a different type of heat entirely, and he begins to see the value in having someone in his life for more than a single night. His romance with Sidney is free of games and low on drama, the two of them slowly progressing from belligerence to friendship to love in a way that’s both believable and oh-so gratifying in the end.

Overall, It Happened One Wedding is light and sweet, a classic contemporary romance that delights with every page and has us seeking out the entirety of Ms. James’s backlist if we haven’t devoured it already.

Rating: 4/5
 

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

33 comments:

  1. I really need some more Julie James in my life, I think I only ended up reading the first book in this series, but I do remember thoroughly enjoying it. I think I should certainly try and read these books over the Summer, they sound like fun reads for then. Lovely review Jenny!

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    1. YES JASPRIT! I love her books:) I've skipped around in this series, so you can definitely pick this one up without having read the ones that came before it and be good to go.

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  2. This is the first Julie James books I've really enjoyed in a loooong time. While I've liked the past three installments in this series, I haven't loved them quite like the first but I simply clicked with this one. Lovely review, Jenny!

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    1. YAY! I had so much fun reading this one Keertana:)

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  3. Oh! I've never heard of this series before, but man, this sounds really good! Glad to see you enjoyed it so much. I have a feeling I need to read a Julie James novel soon. :D

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    1. I hope you give her books a try Lisa! And you can start in the middle - so even though this is book 5, you'll be fine starting with this one as the romance starts from scratch.

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  4. Sounds like a fantastic read, hopefully once I feel more in the right place for reading romance, I'm sure to be adding this one to that list!
    Great review, Jenny!

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    1. I hope you do Pili! She writes really great characters:)

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  5. I love that you describe this book like visiting a best friend's house. This sounds like a great book for vacation. I have never read anything by this author, but I'm going to check her out now. Great review, Jenny!

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    1. I just know I'm in for a treat when I pick one of her books up. I know I don't have to worry about epic drama or massive miscommunications, I get to just enjoy the ride:)

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  6. I've read a few books in this series that I have really enjoyed and I need to read more books by the author. Also, I feel like I'm already going to root for Sidney to give Vaughn hell too. I'm glad that he grows out of his egotistical phase with the help of Sidney. I can definitely see myself enjoying this.
    Lovely review, Jenny.

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    1. Hehe, you will definitely root for Sidney to make life a little difficult for Vaughn. She doesn't do it in a irritating game-playing way, she just needles him on occasion and he's a man that needs a little needling:)

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  7. I think that Vaughn would initially grate on my nerves, if only because his ego sounds cloying to start. I love to hear that Sidney changes him though. There's something about a transformative process like that that just makes a story even better. Lovely review, Jenny!

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    1. Yes. He's definitely the type where you just want to walk up to him and go "seriously?", but he'll win you over in the end for sure:)

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  8. I'm trying to avoid any books that feature wedding whether it's in a good light or a bad one. Mine's right around the corner, and I don't have to give myself nightmares or end up with super high expectations. I think I'm going to hold-off on this one until later in the summer. It sounds like the perfect beach read!

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    1. I HOPE YOU HAVE THE MOST AMAZING WEDDING CARMEL! So excited for you:)

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  9. I love this "substance and fluff beautifully combining to guarantee we have nothing but a good time while reading." because they are the type of reads I live for and just need every now and then.

    Lovely review Jenny!

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    1. Exactly! I need books like this to break up my darker paranormal reads. Books where I know I'll just be left smiling instead of sobbing over a cliffhanger:)

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  10. Poor Vaughn. He did have an ego bigger than his brain! Loved the tension between the two and how Sidney didn't put up with any of his sh*t.

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    1. Yes, yes he did. I'm only good with guys like him when they're paired with a woman like Sidney. I just loved the two of them together:)

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  11. Sounds like cute story. I like wedding stories and it seems like she found something better. Good thing though is that I don't have any sisters so nothing to compete with.

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    1. I'm competition free too Savy! I just have one brother:) I hope you give this story a try, it's great fun!

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  12. How many people was so hurt by cheating exes that they ended up making a mess of all future relationships? I'm glad Sidney didn't fall into that trap, she sounds like such a fabulous character and I'm glad she didn't fall head over heels, instalove and instatrust with Vaughn. Sometimes, a book like his is exactly what I need.

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  13. This sounds delightful, and I think I actually have this series on my wishlist probably because of you. I adore the cover on this :) and love when an author/series makes you feel that way before you even crack open the book..love that feeling.

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  14. I have never read anything by this author, sounds like a need to change that, who couldn't use a light summery romance like this one?

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  15. You know I loved this too, Jenny! I did totally root for Sidney, and was completely behind her desire to not waste time with guys who didn't share the same goals. Her ex was a total douchebag, right? What a way to find out about the cheating! That girl had no heart or class, but I firmly believe what goes around comes around. And yes, I do realize I'm ranting about fictional characters, lol! :)

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  16. I haven't read anything by this author, but I do love how you compare It Happened One Wedding to visiting a close friend. Cozy and relaxed reading - perfect for summer and a good break! Glad you enjoyed :)

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  17. I can't believe I've need read this author. Must get on it! Great review, as usual!

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  18. Glad you enjoyed this one! It's always nice to have a nice easy read to enjoy between dramas.

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  19. Just your description of Sidney and Vaughn had me smiling, so I can just imagine if I read the book. I love relationships like that!

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  20. Oh I'm going to have to check out this author. These characters sound so great. Sounds like a perfect summer read.

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  21. ZOMG! Julie James was one of the very first contemporary writers that I ever read, and I LOVE her! I can't wait to read this one too. Sadly, I have already devoured her entire backlist, so once I'm finished, there will be no more. Why aren't there more Julie James books? I NEED more Julie James books!

    Jessica @ Rabid Reads

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  22. Describing this as "like going to a best friend’s house for a simple night in" makes me want to grab this immediately! I think I'm going to enjoy Sidney and Vaughn's relationship immensely. I hadn't heard of this book (or Julie James, the rock I'm living under is large :D), so thanks for putting it on my radar!

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