Just Good Friends: A Rugby Romance (Escape to New Zealand Book 2)

I have really enjoyed the Rosalind James series Escape to New Zealand. There are 5 books in all, and each one tells a unique story of a relationship blossoming from first introduction on. The first book is Hannah and Drew's story. It is arguably the slowest of the 5, providing the New Zealand setting and the Rugby football instruction. While the slowest of the 5, it is in no ways a negative on the book itself. In book one, Hard working Hanna meets hard working Drew, and together they learn that sometimes it is ok to relax a little bit and to have someone to share the down time with. This review is about Book 2 - the story of Koti and Kate. They have a bet that he can't be friends with a girl without sex getting in the way. They can barely stand each other, her strong Italian personality a unique experience for him, as well as the fact that she is completely unimpressed with his celebrity status. They have a rocky start, and only begin to like each other when they begin to leave the preconceived notions on the wayside, and take each other at face value. It was refreshing that this couple were together for over 6 weeks before anything happened, and in the end they both end up losing the bet. Book 3 tells of Jenna and Finn. She is a nanny to his children. His love evolves from watching her with his kids, watching her maternal instincts, her strong character. They bond over failed marriages and feelings of unworthy, to learn that it was only because they needed each other to heal. Again, a relationship that develops first as friends over the course of several months before it becomes anything more. Book 4 is about Nic and Emma. One week six years ago was the best of their lives, but when they split apart to go their separate ways, something was left behind, something neither one ever forgot - for him it was a week of his life where he felt unconditional love for who he was, not what he could do on the field. For her it was a son, a son she is unable to let Nic know about even though she tries several times over the years. Chance brings them together again, and while Nic is getting to know his son, Emma and Nic are getting to know each other, too. Emma has to learn how to trust Nic again, even as outside forces try to make her doubt him. Last is Book 5, a dual love story with Nate and Allie, and Kristen and Liam. Kristen and Liam are secondary characters, though their story gets only slightly less development than Nate and Allie's. Kristen is a woman who has been used and hurt and is recovering from past failed relationships and he a recovering alcoholic recovering from a past failed marriage, learning to be strong on their own, and strong together, as this recovery takes place. Nate and Allie's relationship takes center stage with Nate doing everything he can to ruin the relationship before it ever starts, and Allie a strong independent woman hoping he can learn to get it right.I came across this series with book 1, a free kindle download. I did not expect to like it, especially when I realized it had a foreign setting. I expected the book to be step 1. Meet at the beach. Step 2. Have wild passionate relationship for 2 weeks. Step 3. Realize you can't live without each other and get married. End of story. I was so pleasantly surprised that that wasn't the case with book 1, or with any of the books in the series actually. The relationships evolved. The couples courted. You got to see the relationships develop over realistic conversations and realistic events. The books that Rosalind James writes for this series all have this formula. It is refreshing to read a book that doesn't have a couple falling madly in love after 4 days together and living happily ever after. Some of these couples have real problems they have to overcome. Each of these characters stick with you long after the story is over, and it was such a pleasant surprise to have past characters pop up in each new book I read. Rosalind James made believe characters, with believable lives, in a memorable setting that made me want to learn about New Zealand and the world of Rugby Football. And as a nice little bonus, each book comes with a dictionary of common New Zealand terms so that you can see just what it is that these handsome Rugby players are saying. Try the books and you won't be disappointed. I'm only disappointed that book 5 seems to be the last one.

Caveat: I have read the Escape to New Zealand rugby romance series and this may be my least favorite, but only because I didn't "feel it" for the two protagonists, Kate and Koti. I was spoiled by falling in deep like with the characters in Just This Once and Just For Now (which bookend Just Good Friends).However, Rosalind James continues to be an author whose books I want to read (even if I'm not taken with the main characters) because of how she treats the reader: as if we're smart and interested in the world around us with a lot of plausible romance and a dash of fun sex. As a bright, highly educated, professional woman, **these** are precisely the kinds of books I want to read. I hate being pandered to, or books graphically filled with ridiculous, meaningless sex, or reading books by authors who clearly aren't as bright as I. (sounds horrible but if you're reading a book by Rosalind James you're probably just like me and therefore you'll know how lucky we are she's writing!)Kate is a petite American woman who was being stalked in California, to save her life flees to NZ on the advice of her former colleague, Hannah (whom we met in the first book of this series, Just This Once), and Hannah's husband, Drew, who help her settle in Auckland. Drew is a professional rugby player, so a big part of his assistance is getting Kate's resume into his rugby team's business office (she's an accountant) where she secures a job.There she meets Koti, a Maori and supposedly gorgeous player -- in both senses of the word (rugby and womanizer). They bicker, figure they can't be friends but make a bet otherwise, that they will become friends, nothing sexual (even though they like the looks of the other).Kate is prickly, no doubt partly from her scary experiences with her would-be murderer / stalker, but also because she just seems to be that kind of personality. Koti is immature and entitled; he's the only son in a family with three older sisters and a single mother. He is reputedly too handsome for words, so has women dropping at his feet and numerous (and lucrative) endorsement deals capitalizing on his scrumptious appearance. Meaning: he has been repeatedly rewarded for his looks so he takes them (his looks) and people's reaction for granted.And for me, that's the rub. I just didn't care much for either of them. I didn't *dis*like them, but I wasn't taken with either of them. Probably in real life I'd get a kick out of Kate and her feistiness and we'd be friends, and wouldn't give Koti a second thought (although if he's so handsome I might give him a second *look*).I loved the amount of dialogue, extended, real-seeming and real-sounding dialogue these two had. Loved it. I love reading how the characters come to like and fall in love with one another, and in this book I could really see it. We never have to fill in any blanks -- it's clear they are physically attracted to one another (again, credit the author), but due to the thoughtful conversations they have throughout, we witness and totally understand Kate and Koti falling in love.Rosalind James writes dialogue so fantastically: in each of her books I've now read I can hear each character and they really have their own voice and are consistent not just throughout the book, but throughout the series (as they tend to pop up in the other books, too). My biggest nit(s) about Just This Once is (are) that we didn't get enough of Hannah and Drew's conversations, especially as they conducted a long-distance relationship for a while, and we also didn't get enough of Drew's perspective (except toward the end which was super). I don't have that issue with Just Good Friends -- we get to be a fly on the wall both to their conversations and also to Koti and his thoughts and thought processes. That's why his immaturity and entitlement make sense and we're able to root for him to figure it out even though he's acted somewhat stupidly.Another boon to Just Good Friends is how much we get to learn about Maori culture and the (young) history of NZ -- it never felt like a history lesson from the author, or being hit over the head with the "healthy stuff" (as opposed to the "good stuff"). Rather, it was presented in their dialogue, with Koti being understandably proud of his heritage and both sharing with and informing foreigner Kate of mores. What a treat to have learned so much about New Zealand and the Maori culture in such a fun, entertaining way.Needless to say, Kate and Koti both lose (or win?) the bet, becoming good friends and then becoming lovers. There is more sex and it's more graphic in this book than in Just This Once, maybe than in the other books, too (? have to think about it). In general I enjoy reading well-written sex scenes but a few seemed a little out of character for Kate who is actively recovering from being stalked, but who knows? As Kate herself says after one encounter she surprised herself by liking it, so maybe Koti brings it out in her.My favorite parts of the book, though, are getting to revisit Hannah and Drew from Just This Once. The extended scene where Hannah is due to give birth is my favorite section of the book, which is telling (to me). And truthfully, if just for that the book is worth it. It's also worth it for learning about NZ's history and the Maori culture. As I wrote, I just wasn't that invested in Kate and Koti either individually or as a couple, but I happily kept reading for both the reasons mentioned above and also because I love a dialogue-heavy book.

This is the second book in Rosalind James’ Escape To NZ series, but I read the third book “Just For Now” in the series first. It is a standalone with a HEA, although the previous couple does feature. Well written with no typos or bad language, there are several (kinky) sex scenes. A little predictable in parts, I had hoped the stalker element would play a bigger part, & felt the end was a little rushed.Kate leaves America for NZ to get away from her ex, who turned stalker & threatened to kill her. She settles down in NZ & finds a job as an accountant for the Blues, where she meets the not-so-charming Kori.Koti is a Maori rugby player, who knows he’s good looking & can charm the ladies with little effort. Unfortunately he rubs Kate the wrong way. They decide to have a bet that he cannot have a female friend who’s not a relative or married, & start spending time with each other. Along the way, they realise they like one another’s company & their relationship turns into a “with benefits” friendship.When Kate learns from a colleague that Koti is planning on signing up with an English club, she’s devastated & breaks things off. It makes national news. Koti tries to explain, but every time he approaches her, he says the wrong things. In the end, Kate refuses to have anything to do with him. Just as she’s feeling secure, her ex turns up...I liked Kate. She was a strong & independent lady, very brave to travel across the world to make a fresh start for herself. I also liked Koti, who had more depth to him than one expects. This author integrated the rules of rugby & the Maori history & customs into the story very well. The psychology of a stalker’s victim is well portrayed as is the girlfriend of a national sport star. There’s also a map & a dictionary of NZ words/ phrases etc included & an excerpt of book3.

Kate is desperate to get away from her stalker ex and with the help of her friend in New Zealand she moves there. She gets a job working as an accountant for a rugby team and one of the first people she meets is Koti a Maori. He is handsome and god does he know it. He is surprised when she gives him the brush off but after a while they take a bet to see if he can be a friend to a woman without sleeping with her. Koti has a big ego and complains about not getting picked to play and Kate encourages him to work harder and get help from his team mates. The story has everything you want, love, sex, angst, danger, heartbreak and a exceptional piece about New Zealand itself.

Kate Lamonica has moved half-way across the world to get away from her ex-boyfriend who has been stalking her to the point that he know wants to kill her. The only people who know she has gone to New Zealand are her parents and her friend Hannah who is helping her settle in. Kate has sworn off men for the time being as she no longer trusts her judgement. She is also tells people whats she sees and has been warned off Koti James from the beginning.Koti James is a players of the Blues and wants to be a player of the New Zealand All Blacks. He immediately butts heads with Kate when she says that he has no female friends that are not family or already married. They lay down a bet that he cannot be just friends with her, he will have to wear a pink hoodie if he loses of which she is sure he will win.They start off slow just swimming once a week together and learning about each other. Soon he is teaching her how to surf and they are doing other physical activities in which they both start to really fancy what they see and what they find out about each other. Kate finds hidden depths in Koti that she didn't think a man like him would have.Kate tells Koti of why she left America and how be became violent and that he is still looking for her. Their friendship soon takes over into a love affair in which they are both infatuated with each other especially their slightly kinky sex, which works for them both.When Koti doesn't get what he wants with the All Blacks he starts shopping around, and Kate only finds out by colleagues. Deeply hurt that Koti has said nothing she breaks up with him and the break up is made public in the national paper.Later that week Kate goes to leave for her weekly swim when she is attacked by her ex-boyfriend. It is of course Koti that comes to the rescue.We get a nice happy ending however just like in the first book it is filled to bursting with details about New Zealand and its Māori history and rules of the game of Rugby which can get to be too much and to be honest i started to wonder if i would really miss much if i skipped those parts. As in the first book i would say that the book tries too hard in selling New Zealand rather than be the romance novel it is supposed to be.

Rosalind James is an amazing writer. This book has every emotion, tension, excitement and a lot of information about Maori culture, and is well written and well edited. The book is about Kate, an American woman who has fled to New Zealand to escape a vindictive ex-boyfriend stalker, who wants to kill her; and Koti, a rugby footballer who plays for the Blues and the All Blacks. Their relationship is interesting because Koti is very laid back, and Kate, because of the stalker, is abrasive, anxious and doesn't trust anybody. They have many arguments and rows that spark off the page, they feel extremely real! It is an interesting and lovely story.If you have never read any of Rosalind James' books before try this one, you won't regret it.

This book really surprised me as I thought it was going to be massively predictable and cliched. It was both of those things (which romance novel isn't ??) but there was also just enough depth of character and fun that Rosalind James completely got away with it.I really, really liked Kate. I thought she was very easy to invest in and not the damsel in distress I was expecting. Koti, similarly, was just a dream and I don't know if I'm ever going to accept anything other than a rugby player in my life now.Actually, make that a New Zealand rugby player because I absolutely fell in LOVE with the setting. It wasn't necessary to the story for the descriptions of the country to be there but they made it so much better.The only reason for 4/5 is that I didn't find anything in this purchased book that I haven't in some of the free ones.I've now read all the books in this series, albeit out of order. Just Good Friends was the first that I read and it honestly doesn't matter one bit. The excellence of this one prompted me to purchase the others and they don't disappoint either.If you want an easy read that's going to make you wish you were the heroine then this is possibly the best example.