Just This Once

Escape to New Zealand, Book 1

By: Rosalind James

Narrated by: Claire Bocking

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Everyone needs to be rescued sometimes.

Everyone but Hannah Montgomery, that is. She just needs a vacation. Three weeks in New Zealand to sort out her life, figure out what she wants, seems just right. Oh, and to relax. She should definitely put that on the agenda. She certainly isn't looking for a fling with a professional rugby player, no matter how attractive he is. Hannah doesn't do casual. But maybe just this once.…

Drew Callahan is happy to help Hannah find all the fun she's been missing. But as much as he's shared with her, he's kept one very big secret. And learning the truth, now that she's back home again, has made Hannah more wary than ever. Drew knows that she's right for him. But how can he convince her to let down her guard enough to explore what they could have together?

Note: This romance, like New Zealand, contains a bit of steam. If that isn't your cuppa, you may want to visit another country…er, book.

©2012 Rosalind James (P)2014 Rosalind James

Didn’t get Hannah

Hannah’s character really bothered me. What guy could put up with that?! She really ruined the story for me. I almost stopped before the end. It was a struggle to finish this book with how aggravating Hannah was. LOVED Drew though! He’s the only reason I finished.

Pat plot, but oddly pleasing

This is the perfect palette cleanser between those heftier tomes that leave you a tad bereft.
Roslaind James tells a lively story and Claire Bocking has a lovely voice.

Must admit, have had a small obsession with New Zealand since I was 7. Had two Kiwi pen pals and snuck it in most elementary school reports, no matter the supposed topic. This whole Escape to New Zealand series is as fine a travel guide/lure to the country, as it is fairly good chick lit. In between occasional groans at the more predictable plot twists, I'd bathe in the vivid descriptions of the beaches, mountains, waterfalls, extreme sports and towns of "eN Zed". Yes, also loved the Kiwi slang. Rosalind James could be a member of their chamber of commerce, but we'll forgive her that, because I too think everyone should visit New Zealand, now.

Do not understand really why I so enjoyed this and the next three books in the series so much, but I've unhesitatingly dropped credits for one book of the series to the next. There's some fine female wisdom intertwined in the lightweight drama.

You can't help but root for the female lead character, though she is supposedly flawed in some way, she of course still has that subtle sexy, gorgeous, somewhat conservative, leery, brilliant, talented, thing going. She's that girl you don't appreciate right off—BUT—ever so quickly she's so compellingly beautiful you want to ravish her on the spot, simultaneously finding her the most interesting woman in the world. She's in the chick lit/romance arena, but definitely one of the gladiators. Spoiler alert: Did you know 99% of New Zealand's rugby league is married to an American/Canadian (they're interchangeable here)?

But I digress. The book is fun. The plot does move in some tricky ways with cliff hangers that will have you listening far longer than you planned. As unrealistic as it is, tis always satisfying ending with justice having been done and goodness and honesty won out. Chick lit super heroines. Nothing wrong with that.

Love the Idea of It

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, if someone wants an easy read with not much depth.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I loved the idea of a young woman going on vacation, meeting a wonderful man, and her life changes.

Which character – as performed by Claire Bocking – was your favorite?

Favorite character was Drew. Least favorite Hanna, she was written too insecure and self-deprecating and it got old that Drew had to reassure her all the time he was serious and that she was worth it.

Did Just This Once inspire you to do anything?

No

Rugby Lessons with Mundane Love Story

Being an American, I found Drew and his culture to be quite entertaining and dreamy. Hannah’s story, on the other hand, was the long and drawn out and boring. The story was way, way too long. You could skip through huge parts and miss nothing since the book is extremely predictable.

Whoever called this a slow burn was dead wrong. This story is about a workaholic woman who refuses to let a professional Rugby player take care of her because she’s a control freak. That’s the whole story and there’s absolutely no burn whatsoever. Don’t worry, it not a spoiler if you get all that same info in the first chapter anyway.

The narrator is amazing and was really the only reason I was able to finish.

Overall, it was a book I’ll never read again or really think about in the future. However, I want to go to New Zealand now.

not enough "angst" in thier romance for me

What did you like best about Just This Once? What did you like least?

I agree with the other readers that the heroine just got on my nerves. I just didn't get her aversion to commitment. And sometimes she was just clueless. For example, (mild spoiler...) he convinces her to quit her job and move across the country to try to make this work, and a few weeks in, it suddenly occurs to her that maybe they've never discussed if they're exclusive...and then she freaks.

Someone commented that the relationship developed just like a real relationship. This reviewer meant it in a positive way. I guess I don't read romances to see that. They were too realistic *yawn* for me. That being said, I kept saying, "if it doesn't pick up by 50% done...or 60% done...etc, I will return for credit." But it did keep me in until the end.

Would you recommend Just This Once to your friends? Why or why not?

I wouldn't recommend Just This Once, as I thought it was slow and somewhat boring.

Have you listened to any of Claire Bocking’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I believe this is the first Claire Bocking read for me, and I thought she did a phenomenal job. Her accents were so enjoyable to listen to.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

I would have liked to see a little more angst....These people never loose their cool. I like a little hot-blooded dueling/loving.

Love the audio as much as I do the book!

Where does Just This Once rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed this narrative.

What did you like best about this story?

The narration and accents are done quite well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

Overall, I really enjoyed!

Great Story but awesome Narrator choice!

I loved the story and although I often own and read as well listen to the same story; I truly believe that a lot of my enjoyment would be lost in the print version. The narrator was just that good.

GREAT BOOK - GREAT READING

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this audiobook to anyone because the story is well told by the dramatic reading. But the acting is not over the top, just enough to make the story even better. Enhanced what the author had written.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Just This Once?

I enjoyed Drew rescuing Hannah from the ocean when they first meet.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene in the book was when the characters tested Hannah's new bed. This author writes steamy scenes so well that I wasn't sure how that would translate to an audiobook, but the narrator did a really good job with it. She did a good job with all the accents,

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The Epilogue where they talk about their baby boy. Then Drew picks her up and carries her upstairs.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed reading the book then listening to the audiobook. This author's way with words just speaks to my heart. I hope she writes many more books and then they are done as audio books.
Well done!!

Love this series!

If you could sum up Just This Once in three words, what would they be?

Happy, rugby, real

What other book might you compare Just This Once to and why?

This book is similiar to some Jill Shavis books I've read.

Which scene was your favorite?

Most definitely the World Cup scene.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cried drivingi home from work. Never a good idea!

Great book

Very lighthearted and relaxing book. I like that the story was simple but fun and that there is not a lot of fighting which it seems like many authors focus on in relationships. I was addicted and couldn't get enough of this book. Although, I was sad the epilogue gave away a ton of information because I was looking forward to the next book in the series as a continuation. I definitely recommend this book!