Julie Johnson – Take Your Time (Boston Love #4) – ARC Review+ Excerpt+Giveaway

Synopsis

The fourth standalone in the internationally bestselling BOSTON LOVE STORY series is finally here… 

Delilah Sinclair has a certain reputation.

Maybe it’s the way she walks (in skyscraper designer heels) or the way she talks (in total absence of a filter) or simply the shade of her hair (strawberry blonde). Maybe it’s the string of broken hearts she’s left across the city of Boston. (Sorry, boys.)

For Lila, catching a man’s attention is never a struggle. It’s the part that comes later – the happily-ever-after part – that always seems to trip her up. All her friends may be settling down, but this fiery redhead has no intentions of ever being tamed…

Until she meets a man just as wild. 

Luca “Blaze” Buchanan is the best fighter to come out of Boston in years. Men want to be him, women want to be with him, and no one smart ever bets against him. He’s more savage than knight-in-shining-armor, but that suits him just fine: he has no plans to ever allow a woman to domesticate him. 

That is, until a certain sultry redhead finds herself in need of salvation. In the midst of sudden danger, their slow-burning attraction sparks into something far hotter… an inferno neither of them knows how to put out. 

One thing is indisputable: no one is walking away without getting singed… 

** TAKE YOUR TIME is a full-length contemporary romance about a girl determined not to settle… and the alpha who tears her careful plans into pieces. It is the fourth installment of the internationally bestselling BOSTON LOVE STORY series and can be read as a complete standalone. Due to sexy scenes, a sassy, red-headed heroine, and a bossy, unbearably sexy hero, it is recommended for readers ages 17 and up. **

Értékelésem

*ARC kindly provided the Author in exchange for an honest review*

Julie Johnson Boston Love sorozata az egyik abszolút kedvencem ebben a műfajban, így alig vártam, hogy rátehessem a kezem Luca és Lila történetére. És annyira jó volt! Julie Johnson kétségtelenül a legjobb a humoros, fordulatos történetek és a pimasz hősnők és alfa főhősök megalkotásában.

Delilah James Sinclair mindig is kerülte az elköteleződést. Olyan sebeket hordoz magában a múltjából, ami miatt soha nem akart hosszútávú kapcsolatot, és ami miatt mindenkit egy kicsit kartávolságra tart. Amikor Lila és Luca először találkoztak, a lány azonnal tudta, hogy távol kell tartania magát a szívdöglesztő MMA harcostól, mert rögtön érezte, hogy ha engedne a kísértésnek, egy éjszaka nem lenne elég a férfiból. Hat hónapon keresztül mindent megtesz, hogy messziről kerülje Luca Buchanan-t, és sikerrel is jár egészen addig, amíg egy éjszaka egy lehetetlen helyzetben nem találja magát (ami természetesen nem az ő hibája. Lol. :D) és a sors ismét az útjába nem tereli a férfit.

Nagyon kíváncsi voltam Luca és Lila történetére, főleg mivel ők ketten voltak a legrejtélyesebb szereplők az egész sorozatban. Lila életéről még a legjobb barátai sem tudnak igazán, így alig vártam, hogy minden vele kapcsolatos titokra fény derüljön. 🙂 És ezek ketten! Te jó ég! Imádtam őket! Az idő nagy részében meg tudták volna ölni egymást, és annyit nevettem rajtuk, de emellett igazán sokrétű karakterek, és mindkettejüknek hatalmas szíve van. Luca az eddigi egyik kedvenc JJ főhősöm és igazán tökéletes volt Lilahoz. Egyszerre volt erős és gyengéd, és imádtam ezt a kontrasztot.

Fél csillagot csupán amiatt vontam le, mert egy picit túl sok hasonlóságot véltem felfedezni a a Cross the Line és eközött a történet között, és mert  hiányoltam magát az MMA részt. Úgy gondolom, hogy jót tett volna a könyvnek, ha kap egy kis sportrománc színezetet, valódi MMA elemekkel.

Imádom Julie Johnson könyveit, legfőképpen mert hihetetlenül jó stílussal ír. Minden történetét kiemelkedő humorral, szépséges költői képekkel, feledhetetlen karakterekkel és vicces kortárs utalásokkal veti papírra. Nem meglepetés hát, hogy az írónő ezen könyve is elvarázsolt. Vicces, fordulatos és letehetetlen volt. Őszintén ajánlom!

My Review in English

Julie Johnson’s Boston Love series is one my favorite Romantic Comedy series of all time, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the story of Luca and Lila. And it was sooo good! Julie Johnson is the very best at creating sassy heroines and alpha heroes with a twisting plot and amazing sense of humor.

Delilah James Sinclair always tried to avoid commitments. She carries some deep scars from her past and because of this, she never stays with a guy for long enough to call it a relationship.  When Lila and Luca met at the first time, Lila immediately knew that she has to keep herself away from this hot MMA fighter. She knew it right away that she would want to know him so much deeper than she could get in one night, so she managed to avoid Luca Buchanan for six month. Until one night. A night when Lila found herself in an impossible situation (what of course was not her fault. Lol. :D) and faith brought Luca into her path again.

I was so curious about both Luca and Lila, because they were the most mysterious characters in the whole series. Even her best friends didn’t know about Lila’s life, so I couldn’t wait to find out all her secrets. 🙂 And these two! OMG! I loved them so much! In a huge amount of time they wanted to murder each other and they were so funny, but they also were truly layered characters and they had so much heart inside them. Luca is one of my favorite JJ heroes and he was so amazing with Lila! He was strong and gentle at the same time and I love this contrast so much!

I gave “only” 4.5 stars because I found some elements of the book too similar to Cross the Line and I also missed the actual MMA fight parts. I think it would have been good for the book if it had got a little sports romance vibe with actual MMA elements.

I’m a huge fan of Julie’s books most of all because she has an outstanding writing style. She writes her books with great sense of humor, beautiful metaphors, amazing characters and funny contemporary references. It’s not a surprise that I fell in love with this amazing book, too, because it was funny, twisting and truly engaging. I highly recommend it!

My Favorite Quotes From the Book

“Life is a beautiful, broken mess. Closer to a Shakespearean tragedy than a Hollywood happy ending, in my experience.”

“I lean toward him, drawn to his fortitude like a moth to flame. I’m so tired, so shaken… and he’s so unflinchingly strong. A rock in the ocean, the kind you cling to in hopes of saving yourself from being swept away by the undertow.”

“In silence, he lends me his strength for the moments when mine has fled entirely.”

“Thing is, though…” He leans in an inch and I swear, the air starts humming with palpable tension. “I don’t want to be like everyone else. Not when it comes to you.”

“We walk in total quiet — two ships sharing the same ocean, buoyed along momentarily by a single current but ultimately destined to go separate ways as soon as the wind shifts.”

“His voice gets soft — not gentle, though. Soft like a blade sliding between two ribs, a whisper of steel that pierces your heart.”

“Luca sighs heavily and murmurs something that sounds like, This woman is going to kill me.”

“I might not say a lot, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been paying attention. Everyone else is so busy being dazzled by that front you put up, they never bother to look beneath it. But I see it. I see you, Delilah.”

4.5 –  ‘Force of nature’ – Stars

You can read my reviews of the other parts of this amazing series here–>

It’s Not You It’s Me (Boston Love #1)
Cross the Line (Boston Love #2)
One Good Reason (Boston Love #3)

Purchase Links

AMAZON → http://amzn.to/2qdqwKS
iBOOKS → http://apple.co/2rc4Ko3
KOBO → http://bit.ly/2qDPK6x
B&N → http://bit.ly/2rTUj9U

Excerpt

My fingers still shake as I punch in the digits, one after another, trying to think of something cute or clever to say as the call connects.

Heeeeey, what’s up? You’ll never guess where I am…

I listen to the rings — one, two, three jarring peals — and begin to think he’s not going to answer. It’s late, well after midnight… he’s probably sleeping… or his phone is on silent… or he’ll think it’s a mis-dial…

“Talk.”

His voice is deeper than usual, as if I’ve woken him, but I’d recognize that trademark growl anywhere. It’s him.

I open my mouth to say something… and find I cannot formulate one single, non-idiotic word. My tongue quite literally refuses to cooperate.

“Hello?” He waits a beat, listening to me breathe. “Who is this?”

I hear a rustling sound — skin against sheets —and an entirely NSFW image shoots into my brain.

Does he sleep naked?

“Last chance,” he grumbles, impatient as ever.

Crap con queso.

He’s going to disconnect.

“Wait!” I squeak in a small voice that makes me sound like I’ve swallowed a balloon animal. “Please, just… don’t hang up.”

Utter silence blasts across the line. I hold my breath, afraid to squeak out another word, completely at a loss as to what I’m going to say next. To my everlasting regret, before I can think of a dignified way to explain my current situation, he speaks again. And when he does, that sleepy edge is gone from his voice. It’s been replaced with something that sounds a lot like amusement and… gloating.

“That you, Delilah?”

My jaw clenches. “Don’t call me that.”

“So, she finally uses my number. If I’d known all it would take to get your attention was a sharpie, I might’ve done this months ago.” A low chuckle hits my ear, and I squirm a little. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

I grip the receiver a little tighter, wishing I could reach through the line and punch him.

“If you’re hoping for a bootycall…”  He pauses pointedly. “I can be at your place in twenty.”

“Oh, dream on,” I snap, indignant at the suggestion. (As if I hadn’t been picturing him naked approximately twenty-seven seconds ago.)

“I was dreaming,” he reminds me. “You just woke me. And it was a good dream. Amy Adams was in it. So, unless you’re about to make a point, I suggest you let me get back to her.”

I roll my eyes.

“Well?” he prompts. “What’s it gonna be?”

“I…” My teeth chew my bottom lip. “I… sort of… need your help.”

He goes silent for a beat, contemplating that. “Gonna need a few more details, babe.”

I hedge. “Well, see, I’m in a bit of a jam. I’m sort of… stranded.” My voice drops. “And… I didn’t have anyone else to call.”

I can’t see him, obviously, but there’s a tangible change in his demeanor, evident even across a phone line.

“Are you safe?” His voice is abruptly serious. In less than two seconds, he’s shifted gears from teasing to intense. It’s disarming.

“Yes,” I murmur. “I’m safe.”

I hear crinkling sounds — him, pulling on clothes. “Will you be able to stay safe until I get there?”

“Yes,” I assure him, feeling like the grandest of fools. “I’m fine. Phone-less, but fine. Honestly…” I swallow hard. “Listen, you don’t have to come. I just need you to get in touch with Phoebe for me, she won’t mind…”

“Not a chance. I’m coming.”

My eyes widen. “You’re not going to ask me any questions?”

He barely hesitates. “Babe. You called me, a man you usually refuse to give the time of day, in middle of the damn night, sounding scared instead of like your usual sassy, full-of-shit self—”

I roll my eyes, at that.

“—and you tell me you’re in trouble. I know you said you’re safe, but I also know you’re in more than a bit of a jam if you had to resort to calling me.” He pauses. “Furthermore, I know I’m gonna be the one who helps you.”

My mouth parches. “But Phoebe really won’t mind. In fact, she kind of owes me—”

He cuts me off, sounding even more growly than usual. “Address.”

I blink in surprise. “Phoebe’s address?”

“No.” I hear a door slam closed through the receiver. “I’m already on my way. Tell me where I’m headed.”

Bossy, arrogant, stubborn man.

My hold tightens on the receiver. “I could be in Tibet, for all you know.”

There’s a beat of stony silence. “Are you in Tibet?”

I sigh. “No.”

“Delilah.” An engine rumbles to life. “Address. Now.”

“Mattapan,” I mumble, wincing. “At… the county jail.”

He pauses, digesting that tidbit, and when he speaks again, his voice is almost… soft. For some reason, that unnerves me far more than his growls or grumbles or gloating comments.

“Hold tight. I’ll be there in thirty.”

The line goes dead as he clicks off.

Crap with a side of extra fries.

If you’d told me twenty-four hours ago that Luca Buchanan, Boston’s most badass MMA fighter, would be on his way to bail me out of jail… I’d have laughed in your face. Now, all I can do is set the handset in its cradle with a dull click, lean back against the gunmetal gray precinct wall, and wonder what the ever-flipping heck I’m going to do when he gets here.

Especially given the last time I saw him…

Playlist for the Book

Hey There Delilah by The Plain White T’s
Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez
Take Your Time by Sam Hunt
Style by Taylor Swift
Fire and the Flood by Vance Joy
Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur
Heart Hope by Oh Wonder
Breathe Again by Sara Bareilles
Litost by X Ambassadors
Between the Night, Between the Day by Rosi Golan
Oceans by Seafret
We Are Man and Wife by Michelle Featherstone
One and Only by Adele
White Blood by Oh Wonder
Hold On by Chord Overstreet

Other Books In This Series

Book #1, NOT YOU IT’S ME

AMAZON US → http://amzn.to/2peyXoU

iBOOKS US → http://apple.co/1LrP8Es

KOBO → http://bit.ly/2oELeyR

NOOK → http://bit.ly/1LrPevE

SMASHWORDS → http://bit.ly/1QO6AGA

Book #2, CROSS THE LINE

AMAZON → http://amzn.to/2sr2fTq

iBOOKS → http://apple.co/2fFtPDX

KOBO → http://bit.ly/2eFQlKt

B&N → http://bit.ly/1ZosHVV

SMASHWORDS → http://bit.ly/2emvsbY

Book #3, ONE GOOD REASON

AMAZON → http://amzn.to/2qnfBvv

iBOOKS → http://apple.co/1SfK6fw

KOBO → http://bit.ly/2qWsK1e

B&N → http://bit.ly/1SpyFSi

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author
JULIE JOHNSON is a twenty-something Boston native suffering from an extreme case of Peter Pan Syndrome.
When she’s not writing, Julie can most often be found adding stamps to her passport, drinking too much coffee, striving to conquer her Netflix queue, and Instagramming pictures of her dog. (Follow her: @authorjuliejohnson) She published her debut novel LIKE GRAVITY in August 2013, just before her senior year of college, and she’s never looked back. Since, she has published eight more novels, including the bestselling BOSTON LOVE STORY series. Her books have appeared on Kindle and iTunes Bestseller lists around the world, as well as in AdWeek, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today.You can find Julie on Facebook or contact her on her website www.juliejohnsonbooks.com. Sometimes, when she can figure out how Twitter works, she tweets from @AuthorJulie. For major book news and updates, subscribe to Julie’s newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bnWtHH

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