Man Code Explained

Just My Luck: Escape to New Zealand, Book 5, continues in the same fashion as many of Rosalind James’ books with the rugby and New Zealand theme with romance interwoven. If you read any of her previous books, this may be one of the reasons you continue to read the Escape series. I know it is a big plus in my book. Book 5 does not rely on reading many, if any, of the previous Escape books. I would say that Just My Luck could act as a stand-alone if you are looking to give James a try. As far as the Audible version goes, Claire Bocking is dead on with her performances. After listening to her for several other Escape to New Zealand books, I would be willing to give any of her audio performances a go. She’s really that talented.

In Book 5, you are introduced to Nate and Ally, with a sub-story of Kristen and Liam. You get a taste of New Zealand outdoors with this pair and I found the accident prone Nate to be a bit refreshing as he had many romantic missteps in this romance. I have to say I really enjoyed Ally and Kristen's conversations on Man Code. Spot on and hilarious. This book presents a strong female lead, don't go looking for the submissive in Ally.

To give you a peak hole into James’ writing, she leads you along a path of realistic story line while adding humor and some New Zealand flavor (at least in the Escape series). I gravitate towards book that are more likely to be realistic so that willing suspension of disbelief is not stretched too far. If you like books that are not only impossible, but lack continuity and character development I suggest you move on and miss out on these books. If you are one who likes a quick wit with a zing of adventure and travel, give the Escape series a knock.

I depend on reviews to purchase books, like many of you. While I receive an ARC on occasion from several authors, my reviews are not automatic positive reviews. 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, for whatever that is worth.

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Stories about real-life hot men in NewZealand

This is shortest review I've ever written for two incredibly difficult, detailed romances for the price of one. A lot of sadness that James injects with great realism, fortitude, old fashioned "winning" the girl, but modern courtships and pain that lead to Very Teary Happy-Ever-Afters. Nate and Liam really work hard to win their burned ladies in very different and concurrent courtships. Hardcore romantics are gonna love this.

NO Need to have read previous books in series to love this book. This is my first in series, and I'm gonna buy them all. My gratitude to Rosalind James is huge.
For younger readers who "haven't been around the block", pay very close attention to the insight into male behavior which is completely on par.
CAUTION: I actually looked up the team mentioned in the book--New Zealand's All Blacks and not only do they exist, but everything the author says about the bodies in the book bear out online and will cause old-fashioned fainting spells. Hyperventilation, hot sweats and other adverse reacations may occur. Be forewarned.
-teary, but hot n' bothered
Buy this book.
tina

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Another Gem from Rosalind James

Any additional comments?

Because this is a review of the Audible version, I will start there. I really love listening to Claire Bocking. Her narration is wonderful- she puts sincere feeling into all the characters. I love how effortlessly she moves back and forth between an "American" accent and a New Zealand accent. Doing this truly brings the characters to life. Her story-telling skills take you right into the heart of the characters and their emotions. When a character cries, she cries (and so do I!). Her breathless narration of the love making is hot!!! I am a fan!

The story is another Rosalind James gem. In fact, it is basically two love stories in one- meaning the Audible version is 13 hours of listening pleasure! Both sets of characters (Allie/Nate and Kristen/Liam) are good people and Rosalind brings depth to all of them. She does such a great job with character background and development.

I also love the almost travel book descriptions of New Zealand. Rosalind has a true love for the country and it is evident in her beautiful accounts of the scenery.

This is Book 5. Please do not start the series here. Go back and start with Book 1 or the prequel so you will be well acquainted with the storyline and why Nate is the complex character he is.

I received a free copy of this audiobook 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.

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Definitely got Lucky with this book!

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

It's one of the best books in my library. I could listen to this one multiple times.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Just My Luck?

I like how the moments were real. Guys not comprehending their feelings, people that have a past and aren't perfect. It feels real. One of the moments that stuck out was when the girl said "I love you," first and wasn't met with an immediate response. I like it because it isn't a straightforward path. More story to build on.

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

Liam <3 I loved her accent and he's just a fantastic character.

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

When one of the characters was so heartbroken and everything was falling apart.

Any additional comments?

As usual, anything with the James/Bocking combo will be a homerun. Bocking reads the story well and the story is full, leaves you wanting more, but doesn't feel like it's missing parts.





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.

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Escape to New Zealand: a Double Play

Nate is the new captain of the All Blacks. He has a past and is not ready to be in a serious relationship – he needs to focus on his new job. He likes to stay organized and keep his feet on the ground. Ally is on a work visa in New Zealand with her friend Kristen, whose sister married the past All Black captain. Ally works at a rock climbing gym. She loves the outdoors and adventure sports. Ally and Nate have an antagonistic relationship that grows into something neither expected. Meanwhile, Nate’s good friend Liam dates Kristen, who is determined to be celibate for at least six months. One couple comes together naturally, and the other struggles all the way. Their scenes are realistic and believable, and with New Zealand as the backdrop and rugby as the hook, you can't go wrong!

Claire Bocking does an incredible job narrating this entry into the Escape to New Zealand series. Her characterizations are right on and I love her accents.

If you haven’t enjoyed this series, you can start anywhere. Characters from past books pop up, but it is so natural that there is no confusion. A great series – you should read the books and listen to the audios. Both are awesome!

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

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My favorite series still!

I adore this series-it's not a secret. I've decided that the narrator Claire Bocking is one of the best narrators out there. She can speak with an understandable accent-regardless if it's a New Zealand or American one. She puts the emotions into her stories. This book was like 2 in one, as it followed two couples-Nate & Ally, and Liam & Kristen. The only thing I will say, is Liam stole the book for me. This was not my favorite of the series to read, but it was one of my favorite to listen to. I was driving home from work crying. If you want a really sexy, fun, engaging read, this is the one for you. Spend your credit!
I was given an ARC of this to provide an honest review. The opinions here are strictly my own.

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It's your lucky day when you listen to this book!

I loved the book when I read it in print. After having listened, I love it that much more! Why? First, the story itself fits nicely in the series yet it's its own "entity"--there's no obvious "recipe" to Rosalind James' books in this series other than the ties because of the All Blacks and family/friendships. If you haven't read or listened to the other 4 books in the series, you might miss some details previously shared but I think that it would still be highly entertaining. Ally & Nate and Kristen & Liam get a story that is each their own and each relationship is unique to the characters. I'm drawn to Ally because she's strong and assertive and not the least bit apologetic for not being a girly-girl. She gives as good as she gets and yet her vulnerability is very real. Nate is, well, Nate. He's a strong man in a new leadership position open to public scrutiny which requires that he be mindful of how he conducts himself at all times and he struggles with how to handle his new job as well as relationships--and not just the romantic ones. Kristen is well written as well. (For those of you that have read or listened to "Just This Once"--I found Kristen to be highly immature and irritating. Not so in this book.) I appreciate the insight into why she is the way she is and does what she does. She's one of the "beautiful" people that doesn't see herself that way. Liam is real. He's screwed up in the past--didn't know how good he really had it until he (nearly) lost it all. This time, he realizes how good he does have it and works for it. I found myself empathizing with Ally, getting frustrated at Nate, and chuckling at the repartee between them. I also found myself cheering for Kristen, barracking for Liam (wouldn't want to "root" for him in NZ ;)) and having lots of "aww" moments with them.

Claire Bocking does yet another phenomenal job of narrating. She does a great Kiwi accent and seamlessly switches between different character voices, as well as the "narrating" bits. I love that, even though the it's just her narrating, the pitch/tone and speech patterns/cadence really gives each character their own voice and you can tell who's "talking". I'm not sure if I'd like the audiobooks as well if there was a different narrator--they'd have a lot to measure up against to even come close to Bocking's narration.

"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.”

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Ah, loved it!

Would you listen to Just My Luck again? Why?

Yes, yes, yes! I would definitely listen to Just My Luck again. This book is one of my favorites from the Escape to New Zealand series. I loved the story of both couples. Each couple were so different, but loveable. I love how Claire brought their stories to life through her own voice. Superb job Claire!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hmmmm, my favorite character. This is a hard one because I loved both couples (Nate and Ally, and Liam and Kristen). I guess I would.have to say Ally. Loved everything about her. So spunky and sassy. New what she wanted and in the end got it. Or should I say got him. She definitely knows how to push Nate's buttons.

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

Bravo to Claire! She did an awesome job on all the character voices. So hard to choose, but I would have to say my favorite character performed by Claire would be Ally, no Nate. Ok, so maybe both of them. I loved the sassy and the spice in Ally' s voice and the sexiness in Nate' s.

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

Just My Luck had a little bit if everything in it for me. I found myself smiling and laughing at times, but also found myself frustrated (with Nate). I also found myself a little teary-eyed and felt so much compassion for Ally. Especially at the end, I caught myself blinking back the tears, but found a smile on my face in the end. So many different emotions for me.

Any additional comments?

I love the Escape to New Zealand series! There is not one book that I don't like. I do have my favorites and yes Just My Luck Is one of my faves. Nate and Ally's story is so different from Liam and Kristen' s. Nate and Ally are a little rough around the edges, but Liam and Kristen' s story was so sweet and innocent. Both couples kept me wanting to read more and more. I love to read, but I love listening to the audio version, Claire brings these books to life! Another satisfied customer! :)


* I received a 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.

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Becoming a favorite

I highly recommend Just My Luck by Rosalind James to anyone looking for a good romance novel with realistic characters and situations or anyone looking for a story about people going through challenging transitional periods in a fun way in New Zealand in all its lively and culturally rich glory.

Claire Bocking again does an excellent job. Her voice is very clear and very likable. She does an excellent job of switching from reading from book to book so the characters have a unique personality and sound to them. It is noteworthy in a romance book like this that she does a great job with both the female and male characters, nothing is lost in the chemistry between the characters. I listened to this book a lot at night before bed, and found her reading to be a relaxing way to unwind and close the day.

This book features two plots developing side by side and revolving around roommates Ally and Kristen. The two women are very different and likeable. Ally is figuring out her life and what she wants to do with it. She is spontaneous, passionate, and dedicated person. She meets Nate who is by the books and very driven. I really enjoyed reading about their relationship and the challenges they faced. It seemed very realistic. Also, I found the character developments and challenges revolving around her career to be equally engaging. Her roommate Kristen is recently divorced and facing different issues trusting herself and romantic partners. Her romantic counterpart Liam himself has been through personal issues as well and is perfect for great character developments and dialogue between the two. He really is the most steadying character in the entire book, and it feels that way for the listener too.

Just My Luck, like several of the books in this series, is about physically active women. The way James writes about physical activity, particularly in this book, is empowering and is really encouraging to the reader/listener to go out there and exercise or to get outside. It would make a great audio companion for exercise that permit listening to an mp3 player. I don't mean to suggest that reading/listening to this book is like reading a romance book by Jillian Michaels though, its just an aspect of the book that is thoughtfully and very well done, and one I appreciate as I try to keep working out as a regular part of my schedule.

More than any other of Rosalind James's Escape to New Zealand books, I have thought about the best way to read/listen to this book. Like the rest of the series, you can read this book easily as a stand alone and enjoy it without worrying about getting lost. Ideally, of course, in a series you read them in order in order to understand additional background and appreciate the cameos of characters from previous books. Its not really a spoiler to say that in this book Nate takes over the All Blacks captaincy for the retiring Drew. Even as a reader/listener, and even with Drew and Nate being fictional characters, I found I did have some loyalties to the retired captain when I first read this book when it came out. Listening to it some time later, I found it easier to enjoy the story and to get into Nate's character and to appreciate the story for the great book it is. If you are someone that like me, gets attached to characters, I would recommend putting some time between starting this book and finishing books 1 and 2 (the ones with the most Drew). You have all the background of why Nate has big shoes to fill, but it is (at least for me) much easier to like Nate as a character.

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.

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Just another hit!

What made the experience of listening to Just My Luck the most enjoyable?

I have read this book and was lucky to receive a free copy to listen to and asked to give an honest opinion. I loved it as much or more the second time around. I ignored my family so I could listen to this over the weekend and am sad that it's over. I love the characters in this book and love that there are two relationships in this book. Both couples have different situations that they have to make hard choices and learn to over come. I like that these are real situations that you can relate to, not just a fantasy. Every time I listen to one of the Escape to New Zealand stories, I am transported to New Zealand and don't want to come home. I love the way the characters are developed and how they grow.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's hard to pick a favorite character because I love them all. If I had to choose, I would say Liam. I loved learning about the struggles and obstacles he has overcome and learned from. The chapter "Liam's song" made me cry...it was beautiful. I would actually love to hear that song sung for real.

What does Claire Bocking bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I absolutely love Claire Bocking and the way she brings all different characters to life. You can hear the difference in each of the voices and she does it so easily! I don't think I would like to listen to anyone else read anyone else's books! She is that good.

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

It was hard for me to put this down over the weekend and actually get some sleep. I have four kids that I totally ignored so I could listen to this book. I'm ready to listen to it again!

Any additional comments?

I would definitely recommend this book. If you have never listened to an audiobook, it's a great one to try and you will love Claire's voice.

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