Just Say (Hell) No

Escape to New Zealand, Book 11

By: Rosalind James

Narrated by: Emma Wilder

Even a hard man needs a soft side.

Marko Sendoa isn't a beach man. He's not an Auckland man. He's a hard man. Born Basque, raised in the heart of New Zealand's Southern Alps, and bred on hard work, discipline, and getting the job done. It's not easy for a rugby flanker to make it to age 32 at the top of his game, but he's done it. Next year is the Rugby World Cup, and he'll do whatever it takes to be on the field in the black jersey when the anthems are sung.

He doesn't need a kitten.

He doesn't need a pregnant cousin.

He definitely doesn't need a too-short, distractingly curvy, totally unimpressed Maori barista and part-time pet portraitist who fills his house and his life with too much color, too much chaos, and too many secrets.

He's getting them anyway.

©2018 Rosalind James (P)2018 Rosalind James

Loved another great New Zealand book

Purchase

I've read all of Rosalind James books that she's written then listened to them as they've become available on audiobooks. To say she's one of my favorite romance writers is a given. She puts so much everyday problems, issues & happiness into her storyline and characters that you can always relate and empathise. This is the 11th book in her Escape to New Zealand series & I loved it as much as the 1st.All of the books are definatley stand alone but it's fun to see the characters from book to book. Just Hell No deals with some sensitive issues and she handled it so well as always. And Emma Wilder did an amazing job with all her character voices. I love listening to her.As ever I wait to see if there will be a next book in the series

Laughter and Tears

The day you get a brand new Escape to New Zealand book is surely one of the best days of all. A story of second chances for many people in so many ways, this book made me laugh out loud and reach for the kleenex a couple of times.

Marko is on the comeback trail after a devastating injury, leaving his team on his South Island home to play for the Blues in Auckland. As if changing your entire life isn't enough turmoil, his teenage cousin shows up needing his help and he meets Nyree, who turns everything upside down for him.
This book has layers and important things to say about love, about family and about the ways we all need each other. Marko sees things about Nyree she could never see about herself and encourages her not to settle for second best because she deserves to have everything.

This author's books have always touched me deeply, but this book really shows an evolution of style that makes it similar to the stories in Robin Carr's Virgin River series, where real life issues are woven around the couple falling in love and they deal with them along with their growing romance...kind of like you would in the real world. And past characters appear, not just as "drive bys' like in many long running series, but as integral parts of the story...again, like real life. This book is exactly what I look for in the "perfect" book...it has everything I love to read and I'd say the only thing wrong with it is that it ended too soon.

Emma Wilder gets better with every book. So many feels.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and was not required to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.

One of James’ best

While I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series, I think this is one of the best. Great characters, plot, plot twists and sub plots. And the narrator, Emma Wilder, does a terrific jobs with all the different voices. I especially liked the way James handled the dilemma that Ella deals with. Very nuanced. Looking forward to the next book!

Romance and discovery amid real challenges

This may be one of my favorite Rosalind James books. The challenges of family obligations and professional demands meant that the romance developed for a couple trying to figure out how to manage family drama, self-care, creativity, and career goals. The internal reflections of the characters were also written and read in a style that was both approachable and immersive.

Ultimately this is a book that escapes a number of overworked problems in the romance genre—most especially the irritating portrayal of couples who are too young to (believably) have their emotional lives in order. Where romance novelists need to do better, Rosalind James has done better with this book. Further, the prose of this book, at least to the ear, told me that she had a more varied sentence structure than in some prior novels—that made for a better listen. Buy it now and listen.

Well worth your listening time!

As I've come to expect, Rosalind has written another fantastic book. It is a great story with better characters. Marko is an impressive protagonist (definitely in my top 5 favorites). I really loved Nyree. And Ella. Oh, I adore her and want to bring her home with me. She has a beautiful heart and is so smart and spunky.

I love the story so much. Yet again the author had me in tears more than once. So realistic and descriptive that you can't help but be sucked in and enjoy every minute of it. It is a great book that you'll want to listen to over and over again!

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