Escape to New Zealand Boxed Set, Books 1-3

By: Rosalind James

Narrated by: Claire Bocking

Length: 27 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

Three best-selling sweet and steamy New Zealand rugby romances: Just This Once (Audie nominee in Romance, 2015), Just Good Friends, and Just for Now.

Book One - Just This Once

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 sexy fling with a professional rugby player, no matter how attractive he is. Hannah doesn't do casual. But maybe just this once....

Book Two - Just Good Friends

Some bets were made to be lost. Kate Lamonica can't believe she's made a bet to be "just friends" with playboy star Koti James. New Zealand had seemed like the perfect escape from the stalker who'd threatened first her peace of mind, and then her life. She certainly doesn't need any more trouble. Why on Earth has she agreed to spend time with a Maori rugby player who's far too handsome and charming for his own good, and knows it? But there's more than one game Koti's good at playing.

Book Three - Just for Now

There's no place like home. For teacher Jenna McKnight, nothing spells "heartbreak" like finding her husband with somebody else - in her bed. It's clearly time to reinvent herself. A new body, a new city, and a new job later, she's done just that. The beautiful Auckland villa isn't really her home, though. Finn Douglas and his kids aren't really her family, however much she wishes they were. And playing house can be a dangerous game.

©2012 Rosalind James (P)2015 Rosalind James

98% Cute; 2% Domestic Violence

I started to read this series when it was first published, and enjoyed learning about New Zealand. However, when listening this month to the beginning books, I recognized the subtle incidents of domestic violence that the author seems to believe are acceptable in all romantic relationships.

Example: In Book 1, after having sex for the first time, Drew asks Hannah if he hurt her then discovers that he left bruises on her skin. Sadly Drew doesn't apologize, just says he got carried away and Hannah assures him that being bruised and battered is not a problem, since she has no self esteem.

Example: In Book 2, Kate moves to NZ to escape a crazy stalker ex-boyfriend, then gets involved with another violent jerk who hits her. Koti is described as a great guy, who loves his mother and sisters yet he beats Kate without regret. And sadly, like Hannah, Kate somehow believes that being battered is normal.

The most disappointing part is that Ms. James is an incredibly gifted author who could write entertaining and erotic stories that do not condone or promote sexual violence against women. Steamy and sexy are not the same as violent and degrading; and hitting another human being is always, always, always wrong...

The beginning of a great series!

Where does Escape to New Zealand Boxed Set, Books 1-3 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I fell in love with the Escape to New Zealand Books quickly - and the first three are at the absolute top of my list, so having them all on audio book together is GREAT!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love Kate and Koti - and hearing them interact instead of just reading them brings them even more to life

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

Claire does a great job at voicing the children in book 3 - it really sounds like listening to adorable little children!

Any additional comments?

received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Loved this audiobook! Great series well done.

Any additional comments?

I am a fan of the series and read them then wanted to hear them. I am very, very glad I did. Listening added a dimension that I missed from just reading them. I think it was the Kiwi accents. I thought I had them, but listening took it kept me from having to create the voice in my head.Ms. James does a wonderful job of giving us a great story, romance and travel to a fabulous country-all in one book. Combine three books together and you truly have a great adventure! She wrote strong female characters, all with great back stories, sexy men and trips to scenic locations which are well described without being boring. I have read plenty of books were I end up skipping through the detailed descriptions. Not here, I felt like I was transported and it makes me want to journey to New Zealand to see the sights for myself- and maybe catch and All Black match in the process. The rugby angle is a great one. I didn’t know much about it and it opened my eyes to a sport which isn’t popular in the US. I found myself looking up the haka. Now, I am a fan and any tome that can do that is a winner in my book- excuse the pun.The women in the books are all different with different career goals and personalities. Some I liked more than others, not to the point of dislike, but I related better to some more than others. I loved their stories and how they coped with all that was thrown at them. I think the narrator, Claire Bocking, did an amazing job. Her voice changed in rhythm, pace and tone and volume at all the right moments. Her Kiwi accents were spot on. There are many characters in this series and I could clearly tell them apart. All female voices, American and New Zealand were distinct and pleasant to the ear. I found I could even tell the children apart which is hard to do with accents, different ages and genders. Most importantly with these books, she made the men sound like men. Big strong rugby playing men! Their voices matched their characters. Koti, book two, sounds like the handsome charmer he is and in the third book, Finn sounds like an older battle scarred player. Also, I want to mention that I thought she did a great job modulating for the quieter and sexier bedroom scenes. Although it is heated, they aren’t raunchy and she seems to walk that fine line with skill. I enjoyed listening to them without cringing. Definitely recommend these audiobooks!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here was my own.

Completely Drawn In!

No words for how much I loved this box set. My only question is what's next.

Very Amateur as compared to The “As Sin” Series

I made it to partway through the first book and had to stop. It reads like someone’s travel journal, or a teenager’s dream sequence. Very immature compared to other works from James, not to my taste.

Narrator did great with accents; however her voice is very high pitched for the males. Emma Wilder does a better job IMO.

Great listen if you love a good romantic story!

What made the experience of listening to Escape to New Zealand Boxed Set, Books 1-3 the most enjoyable?

The stories are wonderfully narrated by Claire Bocking. You believe her, and follow her, even when she's doing the male voices.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Three books, but two were my favorite, main character from book one: Hannah Montgomery and from book three: Jenna McKnight. Both strong women knowing what they want from life.

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

From book three: Finn Douglas, because he's a real diamond in the rough.

Who was the most memorable character of Escape to New Zealand Boxed Set, Books 1-3 and why?

The children and Finn Douglas in book three, they reached my heart.

What a GREAT deal!!

Any additional comments?

Three huge audio books for this price is amazing. I love this series and have read them all. But listening to them is a treat. It's fun going back to the beginning and seeing how the series started. It's also great being reintroduced to the characters. The narrator does a wonderful job of getting you into the characters. There is a common thread in the first three books. All the men play Rugby for the All Blacks and the women are all from America starting over or vacationing in the country. But that's where the common thread ends. Each of the stories is unique and has different complications. Each romance plays out in it's own way. And don't worry, they all have some heat :) The great thing about these books is that each one is better than the last. Drew and Hannah start off the series, followed by Kate and Koti and lastly is Finn and Jenna. Finn and Jenna's story is a favorite of mine. But I love Kate's personality. If you have previously read them, or are new to the series, these will not disappoint. They should come with a warning that they will make you want to visit New Zealand though :) I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Not keeping my interest

I am having difficulty staying interested in this one. The writing it's fine. The narrator is okay. Other than the accent, she uses the same voice all the way through, so in places, it's difficult to tell who's saying what.

female characters

It was hard for me to like any of the female characters. they were really annoying. Kate of the second story was the worst of the bunch. i just don't think I'll be able finish and i have been trying for a month.

dragged on

I made it to chapter 9 then shut it off, the story had no substance it droned on don't like someone just talkin aimlessly about their vacation very boring.

Brains have been rucked

I've just listened to and enjoyed the three stories on this Escape series. Nice and simple romantic stories with regular plots. Well written and very well narrated. I like Rosalind James as an author no higher recommendation . Puts a bit of probability into what I've always suspected , AB players are great at their sport but lacking elsewhere. "Swing low " lol

A magical escape

Narrator has such an incredible voice. love her characterization. What a lovely set of stories to get lost in.

Awful NZ accent

Where does Escape to New Zealand Boxed Set, Books 1-3 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Average

What was one of the most memorable moments of Escape to New Zealand Boxed Set, Books 1-3?

-

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Claire Bocking?

Anybody dreadful narration would have been ok if she hadn't used the accent, spoilt the book for me