Monday, June 22, 2015

Review: Suddenly One Summer by Julie James

Julie James writes it, we read it, we love it- - rinse, lather, repeat. This time around we take an attractive journalist, add one snarky, kick ass family lawyer, multiply by their complicated pasts and a convenient "my sister needs your help, so let’s- grudgingly- work together” story line,  (and subtract a 'cavalcade' of misunderstood female companion sightings) = and you've got your next best read.

Read an except: here

Ford Dixon can get to the bottom of any story for his numerous investigative pieces for the local newspaper. His instinct bodes well professionally, but sometimes falls short outside of the newsroom - especially when Victoria Slade enters his life (and the apartment next door). 

Slade, a highly successful divorce lawyer, has seen it all. The trials of life have helped mold Victoria into the woman she is today. She’s the always on-it, semi-compulsive, love-cynic wunderkind that clients love as much as opposing counsel loathes. A traumatic episode sets her down a path of losing that hard-won control and it’s through resilience and some well-meaning prodding by her pesky-cute (new word) neighbor that she’ll begin to do the ground work needed to get to the root of her issues.

And pesky-cute neighbor guy…the one with penis pop parties with brunettes at night and mysterious blondes saying they loves him in the A.M. --well, he has his own misguided philosophies and views on love to reevaluate.  

 These two are perfectly imperfect for one another, and while working towards a mutual goal, they'll recognize that fact profoundly- or risk devastating the other in resisting. 

Rating:

3 3/4 Red Roses

My Favorite Part of the Book: Is when Victoria comes face to face with one of her biggest fears since her ordeal. Ford is on hand to catch her when she falls (quite literally) and this scene represents chapters and chapters of buildup! Reader can tell something to this effect is coming. The suspense was palpable and very well done!

The winning components to this novel are the skillfully crafted characters. James really takes her time molding an H/h readers will actually care about. You instantly connect with Victoria from the first scene as she lives through a nightmare and works through the subsequent aftershock. Fear and anxiety are familiar emotions for anyone- and the author plays with them memorably. Ford also wars with his past and the empathy you'll share spans actual sadness to tentative hope.

On the flip side, with so much concentration on developing these perfectly flawed characters, I felt slightly deprived of that interaction and romance I wanted for H/h. The therapy sessions started to crowd the story and once the H/h finally get busy it took me off guard a bit (all this time was spent developing these amazing characters separately that when they came together I wasn't prepped enough for that dynamic). I found myself wanting to scream "YOU GOT ME! I CARE!", let’s get more scenes like the Taste of Chicago that don't have the whole battle of wills thing going all out.

Ya'll know I am all action/need to see cars blowing up, etc- so therapy sessions with a lot of internal plot movement/set up kills me- only James could keep me as engage as I was considering my disposition to these methods. 

So like it, love it, you'll definitely feel the heat Suddenly One THIS Summer!


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3 comments:

  1. This has so far been my favorite book I've read this summer so far. But I recently started Leslie Hachtel's Texas Summer and I think it is fantastic as well! Great reads I've found this summer, been a good run!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This has so far been my favorite book I've read this summer so far. But I recently started Leslie Hachtel's Texas Summer and I think it is fantastic as well! Great reads I've found this summer, been a good run!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think I'll have to give this one a try! Thanks for another wonderful review :)

    ReplyDelete

 

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