Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: April 2nd
How we got this book: NetGalley
HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS…
A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.
AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER.
A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love . . .
*Blurb from Goodreads*
MinnChica: I’ve long been a Julie James fan, and the FBI/US Attorney series are some of my favorite contemporary romance books out there. In this installment, we get to see two lawyers from very different careers fall for each other. In this book, James seemed to change things up a little. While there was still a bit of a mystery, it didn’t take up nearly as much of the book as the past few stories have. This book focused more on the relationship between Cade and Brooke, and I loved the fact that James also gave us quite a few more sexy scenes than is typical for her books! 🙂
Lou: Like Minn, I’ve been a big fan of her current series featuring sexy FBI/Attorney characters. Julie James always delivers great romances, and Love Irresistibly is another hit in the series for me. Cade and Brooke were great characters and I loved their banter, especially tough cookie, Brooke, who wouldn’t let Cade walk all over her. Cade needs Brooke to catch a corrupt senator at one of her work’s restaurants. Brooke is the company’s lawyer, and she’s very loyal to the company and to her boss. She knows that she simply can’t say no, but she also has to protect the company. I loved Brooke’s first interactions with Cade. She fought with him toe to toe and they were a perfect match. The only downer to the book for me was the slow plot compared to previous books.
MinnChica: The plot did seem to move a little slow in comparison to previous books, however I think this was mainly because of the lack of hard-hitting action in this story. I felt as if this book took on more of a focus with the romance and the self-discovery that both Brooke and Cade had to go through. I liked the inner struggle Cade had with his father, and having to deal with the baggage of that fallout. I also loved that while Brooke didn’t have to deal with anything as emotionally draining as Cade, she struggled with her work-life balance, and the direction she wanted to take her career. It’s a problem that so many people face, and I thought James did an excellent job of showcasing that struggle.
Lou: I loved the side-story with Cade’s younger brother, and Cade dealing with the way his Father abandoned him. And not once did he ever take it out his baby brother which made Cade into a great guy. Cade had some serious baggage with his childhood but he didn’t let him turn him into a douchebag. I also loved the interactions with his friends. Julie James creates some great interactions with her characters. I rank her and Jill Shalvis at the top for creating great friendships. The romance was the main focus of the book and I loved how Brooke and Cade weren’t sure about where it was going–and there wasn’t any big drawn out arguments about it.
MinnChica: I enjoyed the side story with Cade’s brother as well, it added a little something extra to the overall story. And like you said, I think the fact that there wasn’t any kind of blow out fight between Cade and Brooke made their romance that much sweeter. They were going along with the flow of their relationship, and then when it came to do or die time, they both evaluated their lives and situations and made a conscious decision as to how to move forward. I always like these simplistic romances once in awhile, because it reminds me so much of a real life romance.
Lou: This romance was simple–and I don’t mean that in a bad way. There wasn’t any huge big black moment that tore the couple apart, and then the conclusion that brought them rushing back together. Brooke and Cade’s romance was tension filled, romantic and no drama. Sometimes you want a romance that falls naturally into place, and Love Irresistibly does that in a fabulous way. It’s a much slower paced book but I loved the characters Julie James created. I can’t wait to see who we will have next as our hero and heroine. B+
MinnChica: All in all this was a different romance for the James FBI/US Attorney series, and I really liked it. The simplistic romance was a breath of fresh air, and I loved that the story focused on the romance between Brooke and Cade, as well as their own personal development. I’m anxious to see who James has in store for us next as well, as I love all the secondary characters in this series.
I give Love Irresistibly a B+
Can’t wait to read this. Do we get a clue as to who the next hero is?
@Jane: No, it’s pretty up in the air. I’m hoping it’s one of the FBI agents though!