WHEN IT COMES TO THE LAWS OF ATTRACTION . . . Payton Kendall and J.D. Jameson are lawyers who know the meaning of objection. A feminist to the bone, Payton has fought hard to succeed in a profession dominated by men. Born wealthy, privileged, and cocky, J.D. has fought hard to ignore her. Face to face, they’re perfectly civil. They have to be. For eight years they’ve kept a safe distance and tolerated each other as co-workers for one reason only: to make partner at the firm.
. . . THERE ARE NO RULES.
But all bets are off when they’re asked to join forces on a major case. At first apprehensive, they begin to appreciate each other’s dedication to the law—and the sparks between them quickly turn into attraction. But the increasingly hot connection doesn’t last long when they discover that only one of them will be named partner. Now it’s an all out war. And the battle between the sexes is bound to make these lawyers hot under the collar . . .
From today's co-hostess Mary G.: Where do I start with Julie James? She has the distinction, for me, of being the first author I wrote to before I’d even finished her book. It was to tell her that I was no longer allowed to read it in public because I became a “laughing out loud” lunatic and the strait jacket look is not good for me.
This talented lawyer and author is also an award winning screenwriter. That doesn’t surprise me at all. When I read I see the story happening in my head like a movie. With Julie, you get Technicolor and 3D with the actors and music picked out. You feel you are there with the characters.
I read a lot of rom, susp, contemps & erotica with sex scenes aplenty. Julie’s books are rated hot with hardly any of that (in the first two anyway) because she's a master at creating sexual tension.
Payton works hard in a male-dominated profession. J.D. is a competitive conservative, who thinks female lawyers have an advantage because of their sex. The dialogue between these two is like watching a strategic tennis match with the witticisms volleying back & forth (sorry son, I know you hate my tennis analogies). When he calls her a “feminazi” I was laughing to the point of tears - such a great expression.
His friend Tyler uses the Pride & Prejudice book analogy to explain the chemistry between Payton & J.D. J.D. “you know, Tyler, you might want to pick up your balls – I think they just fell off when you said that.” The secondary characters are amazing too.
While the sparks fly when they rub each other the wrong way, they also have a healthy respect for each other’s intelligence. They get along at the office but outside of it they are so competitive, they even race to see who makes it to work first in the morning. When the powers that be announce that only one of them will make partner, they are shocked that all their hard work might not make a difference. This only makes things more tense between them.
Through the progression of the book, you will see that the push/pull of their relationship has years of sexual tension at its core. Julie does an excellent job of drawing that out. I’ve loved every book she’s written and I smiled through every one. I look forward to A Lot Like Love due March 2011.
In honor of Payton & J.D. I though a recipe for Sweet & Sour Sauce would suit LOL.
A quick and easy recipe that can be poured over a dish or used as a dipping sauce
Yields about 1/2 cup
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water
Preparation:
Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.
(If desired, you can add 1 green pepper, cut into chunks, and pineapple chunks as desired after adding the cornstarch. For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons while keeping the water constant.)
Julie is giving away a book of choice to one commenter today! Find out more about Julie and her books here.
