{"id":6931,"date":"2015-08-02T10:46:08","date_gmt":"2015-08-02T14:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=6931"},"modified":"2016-12-26T06:36:11","modified_gmt":"2016-12-26T11:36:11","slug":"review-not-you-its-me-boston-love-1-by-julie-johnson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=6931","title":{"rendered":"Review: Not You, It’s Me (Boston Love, #1) by Julie Johnson"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\r\n <\/div><\/div>\n
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Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\u201cYou\u2019re <\/em>my karma, sunshine. And I\u2019m pretty sure you were made for me.\u201d <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

3.5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love the set up for this book! Gemma hasn\u2019t had much luck in love, and in a last-ditch effort to save her sagging relationship she is courtside at a basketball game with her douchebag boyfriend after winning tickets in a radio competition. When the kiss-cam lands on them, he ignores her \u2013 to her extreme embarrassment \u2013 but she is rescued by the gorgeous man sitting on her other side who swoops her up into a bone-melting kiss, to the delight of a cheering crowd. Fairy tale stuff, huh? Yep, even though it was just the beginning of the book, the chemistry is zinging and I was giddy with anticipation at all that was to come.<\/p>\n

Her saviour offers her a ride home, and the conversation and banter is sensational! It\u2019s funny, it\u2019s flirty, and the connection between them is clear from the very beginning. Gemma is hilarious, she\u2019s quirky but confident, and her lack of filter had me laughing out loud.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, do you?\u201d
\n\u201cDo I what?\u201d he asks.
\n\u201cDo a lot of lunges.\u201d
\nA full smile breaks out on his face. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to come to the gym with me sometime, find out for yourself.\u201d
\n\u201cOh, no. Working out isn\u2019t exactly my thing. Seriously, the last time I did a lunch I think I sprained by vagi-\u201c My lips slam closed. \u201cMy leg. A muscle in my leg.\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Chase Croft is a mysterious billionaire bad boy who is newly arrived back in town after a five-year hiatus and is ready to take over the family business. Controlled, and used to getting his own way, he is intrigued by Gemma \u2013 she is a breath of fresh air in his dull world – and he very quickly makes his intentions known.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne night. No strings \u2026 That\u2019s all I can offer. That\u2019s all I need \u2026I don\u2019t do long term. Not ever.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When I saw this line I actually rolled my eyes \u2013 here we go again! It\u2019s not a new concept for romance readers, but it\u2019s one that drives a stake into the heart of hopeful heroines everywhere. Gemma isn\u2019t interested in what he\u2019s offering, so she immediately pulls away. Thankfully Chase realises pretty quickly that he\u2019s already in too deep with Gemma, and if he wants her, his usual MO isn\u2019t going to work. His job now is to convince Gemma of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t date,\u201d I remind him\u2026 \u201cYou don\u2019t do <\/i>more\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s true \u2026 Maybe that\u2019s because I wasn\u2019t doing it with you.\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The \u2018relationship\u2019 is a non-starter for most of the book. In fact, after their first epic encounter, it\u2019s all push and pull, intense brooding, hot kisses, then more push and pull and intense brooding. They\u2019re both guilty of it, and granted, they both have their reasons, but it\u2019s frustrating, and it goes on for way too long.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you ever gonna do it?\u201d he asks abruptly.
\nI stare at him, confused. \u201cDo what?\u201d
\n\u201cLet me in.\u201d His eyes narrow. \u201cBecause this running away, pushing me away, keeping me at arm\u2019s length shit is getting old.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yep, agreed! But Chase is a persistent man, and his controlling billionaire tendencies certainly come in handy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going back to the city now. Specifically, to my apartment. More specifically, to my bed,\u201d he says, his voice rough. \u201cWe aren\u2019t leaving until we\u2019ve worked out whatever this is between us \u2013 so, you might want to clear your schedule, sunshine. I have a feeling that\u2019s gonna take a while\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When they FINALLY get it together, the romance is gorgeous. They are sweet and passionate, and they open up to each other beautifully, falling hard and fast. Gemma has a complicated past and she has erected walls to protect herself, but Chase makes quick work of breaking through to her, and it was beautiful to watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell me I don\u2019t care about you, because it\u2019s bullshit. Don\u2019t tell me I\u2019m not in this with you, because I am. <\/i>I\u2019m in it, sunshine. And I care \u2013 a hell of a lot more than I ever thought I would.\u201d He drops his forehead to rest against mine, and his voice loses a tiny bit of its edge. \u201cThis relationship \u2013 it\u2019s happening. You and me \u2013 we\u2019re partners.\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Then there is the added complication of Chase\u2019s celebrity status, and the nature of their first meeting making them a hot target for the media. Gemma\u2019s life is quickly turned upside down by the interest in her life \u2013 with the paparazzi permanently camped outside of her home, and unsavoury characters paying her attention, spying her as a potential weakness for the smooth, controlled billionaire. The drama got a little bit much towards the end. All external to the relationship, thankfully, but it did seem a bit extreme.<\/p>\n

But the story ends well, and there is a lot of humour throughout the book so it never feels overly heavy.<\/p>\n

I really like the way the story is written. It\u2019s like Gemma is having a conversation with us, and even though there is way more monologue than I usually like in a book, I did enjoy the way Gemma\u2019s mind would wander, and the crazy tangents that she would take. It adds a great sense of lightness to the book, and reveals a lot about Gemma\u2019s personality, she\u2019s so endearing. I really liked her.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a <\/i>sculpture.
\nPainstakingly chiselled into perfection over the course of years<\/i>, until arias could be written about his eyebrows, his cheekbones, the freaking shape of his nostrils.
\nAnd <\/i>me?
\nWell, I\u2019m probably a finger-painting.
\nDone by a three-year-old.
\nWithout supervision.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And I loved Gemma\u2019s friends, they were hilarious, and the girls all together were an absolute riot! And I love the introduction of Phoebe \u2013 I sense a possible story there, and would definitely be keen to read that one!<\/p>\n

So yeah, I had mixed feelings about this one. It started off great and I love the set up – it\u2019s imaginative, hot, exciting and my heart was pounding through the big moment and the sensational banter-fest that followed. The story lost momentum for me a bit with all of the back and forth, and I wasn\u2019t invested in the love story as much as I wanted to be, but it was still an enjoyable read.<\/p>\n

When you start to fall, don\u2019t talk yourself out of it \u2013 the right man will be there at the bottom, to catch you. Take a risk on messy. Live fearlessly. Love recklessly. Most of all, just <\/i>love.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

3.5 stars.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Boston Love series<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Not\u00a0 \"Cross\u00a0 \"One\u00a0\u00a0\"\"\u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

Not You, It’s Me (#1)<\/strong> (Chase & Gemma)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Cross the Line (#2)<\/strong> (Nate & Phoebe)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

One Good Reason (#3)<\/strong> (Parker & Zoe)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Take Your Time (#4)<\/strong> (Luca & Lila)
\nBuy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook<\/a><\/p>\n

So Wrong It’s Right (#5)<\/strong> (Conor & Shelby)
\nBuy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Check out our Contemporary Romance Recommendations<\/a> page for more great reads.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback Review \u201cYou\u2019re my karma, sunshine. And I\u2019m pretty sure you were made for me.\u201d 3.5 stars I love the set up for this book! Gemma hasn\u2019t had much luck in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":3.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[179,57,9,29],"tags":[321,154,48],"class_list":["post-6931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-billionaire","category-celebrities","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-boston-love","tag-julie-johnson","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Not-You-Its-Me.jpg?fit=150%2C232&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-1NN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6931"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6931\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}