Another amazing escape to the lovely New Zealand

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

I already have! I love Rosalind James' books but Claire B.'s performance is what keeps me returning for another audio book. Why not share it with friends? 😊

What did you like best about this story?

The Kiwi accent that the narrator flawlessly speaks in is def. up there, but I especially love the interaction between Hugh and his siblings. You can feel the awkwardness, the love and confusion between the three while they're trying to find a foothold with each other.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene where Will, Hugh and Koti are shooting the scene for J.'s show and afterwards when J is showing Hugh her evil character's dirty secrets (in the lingerie drawer)....naughty girl! 😜

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

I did listen to it in one sitting. 😊

Any additional comments?

I love R.J's Escape to New Zealand series so keep the books coming! But for God's sake....keep Claire on for the audio books! She's brilliant!

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Stories + Narrator = KEEP GETTING BETTER!

If you’ve read any of my other reviews for this series, you know that (like a lot of other readers) the stories really piqued my interest ... and now love ... of rugby. And prompted me to set up a “New Zealand Vacation” fund, as Rosalind really shows us how gorgeous En Zed is and instills a fervent curiosity about a lesser-known country. (I’m getting close, folks! Yay!!) I can’t think of any other audiobooks I’ve listened to (or books that I’ve read) that have inspired that sort of ‘fan-dom.”

This story begins with Hugh Latimer just having one heck of a time. He’s just broken his hand, which takes him out of the line-up playing rugby for the All Blacks for the Northern Tour. That’s bad. No, that’s awful! And to make everything worse, he has to play parent to his two younger half-siblings who have been recently orphaned, as his aunt has decided to take a break from her custodial duties and travel to her native England. Well, we do learn to love Hugh, but this guy is bordering on clueless. He’s lucky to get himself places on time, never mind Amelia’s ballet lessons, Charlie’s rugby practice and ... oh! don’t even mention the grocery shopping. And hoovering ... with a cast on. He’s expected to do the hoovering, too!?!? (That’s vacuuming, for all you Yanks.)

Well, it’s hard to sleep with a cast on ... never mind worrying about all the aforementioned stuff. So, early one morning, Hugh feels like he’s just gotten to sleep, but he’s awaken by the next-door-neighbor wailing at the top of her lungs. This is just too much and he isn’t going to stand for it! He’s either going to rescue the old bag or get her to shut up. Except ... it’s not the old bag. Hugh has a new neighbor.

Okay ... with a set-up like that, you’ve got to know what happens next, right? =) So, go spend your credit!

Our narrator is the very, very talented Claire Bocking. You’ve got to know that she’s good with an Audie nomination under her belt for her very first audiobook (“Just This Once.”) [Way to go, Claire!] She just keeps getting better and better with these “Escape to New Zealand” stories. She’s funny, she makes you cry, her timing is impeccable, you never have to guess who’s talking ... well, I could go on and on. Just know that she really adds to the story and she’s wonderful!

Recommended? ABSOLUTELY!!


[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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Sometimes the best option is right in front of you

Would you listen to Just Not Mine again? Why?

I would listen to this book again. The characters were insightful and compelling, and I found myself relistening to sections to pick up the nuances of their dialogue. Claire does a nice job keeping the character "voices" separated -- the trying 12-year-old-going-on-30 voice was dead on 😄

What did you like best about this story?

I liked that Josie was such a strong character. It wasn't because she was successful and capable in her own right, but she wasn't a whiner. Yes, she had personal disappointments and worries, but those were shared with inner dialogue to the reader and she didn't complain openly to other characters in the story. I felt more connected to her character than any of the females in previous books.

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

This is a tough question because Claire did justice to all of them. It must be hard to read for the male characters, but she does an amazing job. If pressed, I think her interpretation of the children, though, may be my favorite 😊.

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

Josie and her mom had one of the strongest parts of the story. You don't even meet her mom until quite late, but their interaction was very moving. I'll admit I cried in this section... Moms tend to put things in perspective.

Any additional comments?

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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Another Fantastic Listening Experience!

Just Not Mine is the 6th book in Rosalind James’s Escape to New Zealand series. Like books 1-5 this book is stand alone. If you are lucky, and find this book on sale, snap it up and do not be afraid to start here! If I had never read another book by James, I might go into this book expecting nothing more than a light quick read-a beautiful actress and rugged rugby player find out that they live next door. I am always a bit wary of books where the main character is especially beautiful, as I find it can be too common among romance novels, lead to more unbelievable situations, and the character can be harder to relate to by the average listener/reader. As the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover, or in this case its basic premise!

In terms of overall quality this may be my favorite of all the books in the series. Both Hugh and Josie are very relatable characters; the pace builds the romantic tension between the protagonists masterfully, there are three dimensional characters to loathe or be irritated by on Josie and Hugh’s behalf, some hilarity-including my favorite comedic scene of the series-, and a great deal of tenderness and personal growth. Rather than all of the previously mentioned pitfalls of romantic books with beautiful characters, James tackles it head on and it is clear that with the multidimensional Josie, that beauty is by far the dimension with least value. She is smart and big-hearted and a protagonist that a listener/reader will both like and respect. The chemistry between Hugh and Josie is wonderful as is the growing bonds between the kids and Hugh.

Something else I love about Rosalind James’s writing that is evident here is that the conflicts between the main characters (what is a romance without a little conflict right?) arise and are resolved in a realistic and mature way. It is not melodramatic and does not lead the listener/reader to wonder can these characters really handle being in a committed relationship if they are going to have a meltdown or tantrum every other day?

This book is very easy to listen too and quite a few nights I stayed up later to listen to "just a bit more." Claire Bocking gives a great performance in reading this book and does a wonderful job with all the characters and accents. She is never too fast and always very easy to understand. Like the main characters of the book whom are easy to imagine as friends, Bocking's voice seems very much like it belongs to a friend after listening to this book.

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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Excellent!

I love all of Rosalind's books but the audio version of Just Not Mine is perfect. I am listening to it again and enjoy it just as much the second time as the first. Clair Bocking does an excellent job in telling the story of Hugh and Josie, (her voices of the children is spot on). Poor Hugh is a wounded rugby player dealing with instant "fatherhood" to his half-sister and brother, Josie is a hot soap opera star/next door neighbor. One thing I love about Rosalind's books is she always finds a new way of continuing her series but still keeps a familiar theme. Not to mention when she gets to the sexy bits I recommend pulling the ear pieces out because they will melt! So take a kiwi vacation after a long winter and escape to New Zealand for some fun with Just Not Mine! 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 postive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

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even better than the written version

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

I read this book awhile back, and did not think it was possible to improve on it. Claire Bocking really nailed the nuance of the speech of each of the characters. I have read all of the books in the New Zealand series, and listened to others on Audible, and this is my favorite so far. Rosalind wrote such believable characters in both Hugh and Josie, along with all of the supporting characters. She really accels at developing the characters in a book, and telling their back story without a long narrative that drags down the pace of the story.

Josie and Hugh both saw the good in each other before they saw it in themselves, and that added to their growing attraction. The kids were so well written, they were a big part of the story. I especially like the part when Amelia was locked in her room, and Hugh was so far out of his comfort zone, and turned to Josie for help, but still let Amelia know that he cared, and would help. I think everyone would love to have parents like Josie has, they were so supportive and loving and both gave her such great advice and encouragement.

When so many books in this genre fall back on sex to develop the story, and the attraction of the characters, I appreciate that Rosalind writes great sex scenes into her books, but it is just one aspect of the attraction between the characters. Because I was in public, I turned the volume way down on this part.

And, just like all of the New Zealand series of books, I really love that the beauty of the country, and the athletic nature of rugby are such a intrical part of the story.

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Well done all the way around!

This book is part of the "Escape to New Zealand" series but could be listened to as a stand alone without the listener feeling like they're missing something.

The Story: I'll try not to give too much away! I have to admit I didn't really like Hugh in the beginning. He's self-centered and somewhat arrogant, without being a "tall poppy". Granted, the situation he's thrown in to would be difficult for anyone but he doesn't think much in the long term past his own life and personal needs. Josie, on the other hand, has every reason to be a tall poppy and yet is very much grounded and generous to others. The story centers around Hugh's relationship with his younger half-siblings that he must care for after his father and step-mother are killed by a drunk driver as well as the relationship between Hugh and their next door neighbor, Josie. The relationship between Josie and the kids is paramount to the story as well. Along the way the relationships develop (and not necessarily in a predictable way), mistakes are made, and lessons learned. Maori culture is infused with the pieces of Josie's family as part of the story. Rosalind James does a brilliant job of adding another facet to the series while constructing a unique story. It is loosely tied to the New Zealand All Blacks theme of previous books and fans of the series will get a bit of a chance to catch up with previous characters + be introduced to characters that will have their own stories later. But as I've said, if one hasn't read/listened to the previous installments, this one easily stands on its own. Once again I laughed out loud, rolled my eyes, was frustrated and irritated, thought "s/he did NOT just do that!" and even got a bit teary-eyed. It's a fantastic printed book that becomes even more because of the audio--see below.

The Performance: Claire Bocking knocks it out of the park again! Narrating, male voices, female voices, children's voices, Kiwi accent or not, it's all there and done phenomenally once more. She does a brilliant job of giving each character their own voice through tone, pitch, inflection, and cadence. You know who's talking even when the narration doesn't explicitly state it. The story, as with all of Rosalind James' books, is solidly written and thoroughly enjoyable on its own. However, Bocking brings that "something special" in her performance that takes the story to the stellar level. I've listened to dozens of audiobooks that I have also read in print and some audio performances have actually made me not like the original story as much. This has not been the case at all with any of the 6 audio performances Bocking has done for the series. I honestly don't know if I'd continue to listen to the future audiobooks in the series if they were done by someone else because I'm afraid that no one else could do the stories so exquisitely!

Now the legal part . . . 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. However, I am not the type of person that would give a "whitewashed" review of a mediocre or poorly done book or performance, so take my review as written.

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Love Hugh!

Story flows well, characters realize the connection and don't drag it out. Young Amelia is hilarious, trying to teach Hugh.

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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Rosalind and Claire- Another Winner!

Any additional comments?

This is the sixth book in the Escape to New Zealand series. This time, the story is about Hugh Latimer, an All Blacks rugby player who has broken his hand, is out of rugby for a while and is helping to raise his half brother and sister.

Hugh lives next door to the very beautiful and talented Josie Pae Ata- a TV soap opera star. How the sparks fly... and how they don't (remember, there are kids involved!) makes for a great story!

Claire Bocking, the narrator, continues her amazing command of Rosalind's books. Her narration is nothing short of brilliant. She manages to seamlessly switch between American and New Zealand accents, all the while changing her voice for each character. Not only that, but the depth of the characters' joys, sorrows, and overall understanding of what makes each character "tick" is fabulous! And the love making scenes are HOT!!!

Another fan of Rosalind's said recently: even when I'm reading the book, I hear Claire's voice. This is so true! Claire absolutely brings the characters to life!!Do yourself a favor and get hooked on the Escape to New Zealand series. And be sure to listen/read in order. You'll enjoy the books more that way!

And now, for the "legal part": 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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Not the Game Plan

Would you listen to Just Not Mine again? Why?

Yes, listening to Claire is so enjoyable. She just has a special way of bringing you into the story and holding you there.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hard to choose one, but I will go with Hugh. Hugh was single enjoying his life as a big rugby player with little responsibility till he received the life changing news his father and step-mother had been killed leaving his half-siblings alone. Hugh dropped everything to be by their side. Hugh grew in the story as man, a brother, and a lover. He wasn't afraid to ask for help nor was he afraid to admit he didn't have a clue how to take care of his siblings, but he "stuck in" and was there for his brother and sister and he didn't give up on Josie either.

What about Claire Bocking’s performance did you like?

I just love listening to Claire is a wonderful narrator and makes all of the "Escape" books an even bigger hit. She effortlessly moves from character to character. She is spot on with the children's voices I absolutely adored Charlie!

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

The moment when Josie's mom sits her down and has a heart to heart with her about Hugh and their situation was amazing. I felt like I was sitting in the room with them. She captured the deep emotion so well.

Any additional comments?

Rosalind James writes amazing books and Claire narrates them perfectly. The pronunciation of the Maori is astounding, Reading about New Zealand and the Maori culture is one thing, but hearing it makes you feel as though you are there with the characters! Once again Rosalind tackled real life issue and made it into a beautiful book. Family doesn't always happen in the most traditional sense. There is romance and there is steam and it's so very tastefully done. I look forward to the next book from Rosalind and Claire, such a fantastic couple.

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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