Suddenly One Summer
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4.5 • 104 Ratings
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Wedding comes a novel about a man and a woman whose summer is about to get very, very hot...
Divorce lawyer Victoria Slade has seen enough unhappy endings to swear off marriage forever. That doesn't mean she's opposed to casual dating—just not with her cocky new neighbor, who is as gorgeous and tempting as he is off-limits. But once she agrees to take on his sister's case, she's as determined to win as ever—even if that means teaming up with Ford...
Investigative journalist Ford Dixon is bent on finding the man who got his sister pregnant and left her high and dry. He's willing to partner with Victoria, despite the fact that the beautiful brunette gets under his skin like no other woman. He might not be looking to settle down, but there's no denying the scorching attraction between them. Still, the more time he spends with Victoria, the more he realizes that the one woman as skeptical about love as he is might be the only woman he could really fall for...
“If you need a great read to throw in your beach bag, make sure Suddenly One Summer is one of your choices.”—USA Today
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sparks fly when divorce lawyer Victoria Slade moves in next door to Chicago Tribune reporter Ford Dixon but they are not the falling-in-love kind of neighbors. She thinks he's an arrogant jerk with a parade of women; he finds her judgmental and abrasive. This has the makings of a long and uncomfortable summer, until Victoria is roped into helping Ford's sister. Their childhoods Ford with an alcoholic dad and Victoria taking care of a mother with depression taught them to sidestep relationships and entanglements. The boundaries they place around their tentative friendship and eventual affair are distressing but realistic, and it's gratifying to see the barriers eventually fall. Victoria's struggles to face her fears and acknowledge her shields are raw and heart-wrenching, but each healing step toward a future with Ford feels like a victory. Ford is a genuinely nice guy, and it's easy to root for him to win the woman of his dreams. Their happy-ever-after is not a sweet and foregone conclusion, but a hard-won battle involving risks and blind faith.
Customer Reviews
Loved This One!
Suddenly One Summer is another winner by Julie James! It was sweet, humorous, and plain fun to read. I enjoyed seeing familiar characters, and the two main ones in this story were wonderful! It had an entertaining storyline, and I enjoyed every second spent reading it.
Victoria Slade is a very successful divorce attorney with her own practice, who begins experiencing panic attacks after two men break into her apartment one night in an attempted robbery. She doesn't feel safe in her home any longer, so she sells it and moves temporarily into an apartment until the close on her new condo. She soon realizes that she has a nightmare neighbor with a plethora of women coming to his door. When Victoria meets this man, Ford Dixon, things are contentious between them until she meets his younger sister and offers to help her find the father of her young baby. Ford and Victoria team up to locate the man, and they begin a friendship which quickly develops into more. Both are commitment-phobes due to their pasts, so as their feelings go beyond their control, they have to decide if they are wiling to risk their hearts.
I truly loved both Ford and Victoria. The banter between them was wonderful, and their chemistry was great too! The secondary characters all added to the elements that made for a great book, and as usual, I enjoyed James' Chicago setting. I loved seeing the characters go to familiar places. This one is right up there with all of the others by the author.
Fun Read!
I just finished Suddenly One Summer by Julie James and I am left with another warm and happy heart. James knows how to write fun, witty contemporary romance that keeps you turning pages while smiling, laughing and sometimes shedding a tear along the way.
In Suddenly One Summer we are treated to Ford’s romance. I first met him in Love Irresistibly as the best friend of Brooke, the heroine of that story. It is so fun watching Ford fall in love. As in all of James’ stories, the heroine in this books is quite kickass. Victoria is a Divorce Attorney with her own successful law firm who lives next to Ford, an Investigative Journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Both of them have (surprise) intimacy issues and while Victoria is seeing a therapist about hers and we get to experience her growth during the story with her, Ford is dealing with his on his own.
There are several side plots to this story. I enjoyed them yet sometimes I felt as though they stalled the overall romance between Ford and Victoria a bit. I wanted more of them and less of Ford and Victoria individually. I would have liked to see Ford and Victoria’s relationship build a little more since her character didn’t trust easily so I was surprised at how quickly they became intimate, but all in all I was happy with it and it ended well.
Suddenly One Summer is a solid contemporary romance. It is flirty, fun and enjoyable. If you are looking for a good contemporary romance to read, give this one a try.