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First Class Novels #1
First Class to New York
A year after losing her husband, her high school sweetheart and the love of her life to cancer, Janie Anderson embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York City. Trying to escape the oppressive loss and hopelessness of a life without him, Janie sets off on the adventure she has dreamed about since she was a little girl. Exploring New York City, she secretly hopes that this landmark event will free her from her grief and unlock a future as wonderful as the life she had lost with Robert’s passing.
After a series of embarrassing encounters with a man in a dark grey suit during the flight, Janie wonders if this trip might be more than she bargained for. At 42, she is much too young to spend the rest of her days as a lonely widow, but is resolved to the fact that, like lightning, a love like that of her first marriage rarely strikes twice.
When she accepts his invitation to dinner that evening, Janie is terrified at the realization that she’s actually attracted to him. The handsome and wealthy Matt Lathem is sexy as hell, but, as Janie comes to realize, has baggage of his own. Can they help to heal each other in time to realize that a second chance at love is within their grasp?
‘First Class to New York’ is a contemporary, adult romance novel.
After a series of embarrassing encounters with a man in a dark grey suit during the flight, Janie wonders if this trip might be more than she bargained for. At 42, she is much too young to spend the rest of her days as a lonely widow, but is resolved to the fact that, like lightning, a love like that of her first marriage rarely strikes twice.
When she accepts his invitation to dinner that evening, Janie is terrified at the realization that she’s actually attracted to him. The handsome and wealthy Matt Lathem is sexy as hell, but, as Janie comes to realize, has baggage of his own. Can they help to heal each other in time to realize that a second chance at love is within their grasp?
‘First Class to New York’ is a contemporary, adult romance novel.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2012
275 people are currently reading
2073 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Harmon
36 books219 followers AJ grew up in Perth, Western Australia. She is the third of six children and her first exposure to romance was her parents. Now married for almost 55 years, they have always been her example when working on her own marriage and parenting skills.
Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and Georgette Heyer, were the writers she grew to love in adolescence and still loves now. Her list of favorite authors now has grown to include, not only historical but also contemporary authors as well. Sadly, she doesn’t have as much time to indulge in novels as much as she would like. Her family and now writing her own novels, keeps her very busy, but you will always find a book on her nightstand.
Other hobbies include cooking, one her favorite television shows is The Next Iron Chef on Food Network, and traveling, the UK and the Caribbean her favorite places to visit.
She and her husband of 28 years, reside on the west coast of the USA and have two grown children, making them empty-nesters, and recently adopted a rescued puppy, Max, from the local humane society.
Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and Georgette Heyer, were the writers she grew to love in adolescence and still loves now. Her list of favorite authors now has grown to include, not only historical but also contemporary authors as well. Sadly, she doesn’t have as much time to indulge in novels as much as she would like. Her family and now writing her own novels, keeps her very busy, but you will always find a book on her nightstand.
Other hobbies include cooking, one her favorite television shows is The Next Iron Chef on Food Network, and traveling, the UK and the Caribbean her favorite places to visit.
She and her husband of 28 years, reside on the west coast of the USA and have two grown children, making them empty-nesters, and recently adopted a rescued puppy, Max, from the local humane society.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
November 21, 2014
I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.
Total amazeballs!! And it was a freebie!! That A.J. Harmon is a sneaky woman! She knew this book was awesome and she knew by giving this one away that she would suck romance lovin fools like me right into her web! Did I go download the next book in the series already.. nope.. I WENT AHEAD AND DOWNLOADED THE ENTIRE SEREIES IN BUNDLE!. Aside from the use of the word "penis" (which I loathe) the rest of the story was just perfection for me. Absolute perfection!
The h Janie, is a 42 year old widow with twin boys about to graduate college.. and Matt is a 40 year old man that's been divorced twice ( he has lots of $$$ too). When these two meet, Janie is on vacation in NYC.. taking the trip she always wanted to.. Her husband passed away from cancer more than a year ago and she loved him very much. They were high school sweethearts and were happy and content. Janie is ready to start living her life again.. and that starts with a 2 week vaca in NYC. She's dreamed of going all her life and she has a list of things she wants to do. She didn't expect to bump into sexy Matt on the plane there.. and bump she did, literally. One spilled water, one plane ride side by side across the country ( she's from Portland, OR and he was there on business) and the chemistry was zinging.. Matt offers to give Janie a ride to her hotel.. and that ride ends in him asking for a date..
What follows is 2 weeks of total sweetness, complete sexiness, and two people that seem totally different for each other.. completely falling for each other.. but Janie is only there for 2 weeks.. throw in a big misunderstanding and well.. things go downhill quickly -- but Janie has a best friend back home, Katy, that is going to make things right. Which is why I am rolling onto book 2 right away!
The first two books in this series are Janie and Matt's.. the rest of the series , I think, revolves around the rest of his brothers. He has 6! Matt has an awesome big family and his parents are great. They all LOVE Janie.
This book was just so easy and fun.. it was kind of like a typical chic flick you'd see on tv.... and I loved every single minute of it. If you love those romances that make you sigh out loud and grin.. those books where the couple are a little older than the typical 20 something's we normally read.. the you need to give this one a shot. And its free ,so there is no reason for you not to try it out.
http://www.amazon.com/First-Class-Nov...
Total amazeballs!! And it was a freebie!! That A.J. Harmon is a sneaky woman! She knew this book was awesome and she knew by giving this one away that she would suck romance lovin fools like me right into her web! Did I go download the next book in the series already.. nope.. I WENT AHEAD AND DOWNLOADED THE ENTIRE SEREIES IN BUNDLE!. Aside from the use of the word "penis" (which I loathe) the rest of the story was just perfection for me. Absolute perfection!
The h Janie, is a 42 year old widow with twin boys about to graduate college.. and Matt is a 40 year old man that's been divorced twice ( he has lots of $$$ too). When these two meet, Janie is on vacation in NYC.. taking the trip she always wanted to.. Her husband passed away from cancer more than a year ago and she loved him very much. They were high school sweethearts and were happy and content. Janie is ready to start living her life again.. and that starts with a 2 week vaca in NYC. She's dreamed of going all her life and she has a list of things she wants to do. She didn't expect to bump into sexy Matt on the plane there.. and bump she did, literally. One spilled water, one plane ride side by side across the country ( she's from Portland, OR and he was there on business) and the chemistry was zinging.. Matt offers to give Janie a ride to her hotel.. and that ride ends in him asking for a date..
What follows is 2 weeks of total sweetness, complete sexiness, and two people that seem totally different for each other.. completely falling for each other.. but Janie is only there for 2 weeks.. throw in a big misunderstanding and well.. things go downhill quickly -- but Janie has a best friend back home, Katy, that is going to make things right. Which is why I am rolling onto book 2 right away!
The first two books in this series are Janie and Matt's.. the rest of the series , I think, revolves around the rest of his brothers. He has 6! Matt has an awesome big family and his parents are great. They all LOVE Janie.
This book was just so easy and fun.. it was kind of like a typical chic flick you'd see on tv.... and I loved every single minute of it. If you love those romances that make you sigh out loud and grin.. those books where the couple are a little older than the typical 20 something's we normally read.. the you need to give this one a shot. And its free ,so there is no reason for you not to try it out.
http://www.amazon.com/First-Class-Nov...
June 16, 2014
Okay...yes, I am the author, so this is weird writing my own review, but I kind of feel as though I need to.
First Class to New York is the first book in a 9-book series. It is a cliffhanger, as CLEARLY noted in the book description on Amazon, Nook, etc. Matt and Janie's story continues in First Class to Portland. In fact, they are in every one of the books in the series!
Janie is an older heroine, in her forties, and has suffered a heartbreaking loss when her husband dies of cancer. She isn't expecting to fall in love again, so when she meets the irresistible Matt Lathem, her life is turned upside down. The book ends when she flies home to Portland after her 2-week trip-of-a-lifetime to New York City, hence the cliffhanger. The story shouldn't always wrap up in a nice little bow at the end of the last chapter.
If you scour the internet searching only for free books, skip this one, cuz you'll want to buy the rest of the series, and I'd hate to have you mad at me for that ;)
First Class to New York is the first book in a 9-book series. It is a cliffhanger, as CLEARLY noted in the book description on Amazon, Nook, etc. Matt and Janie's story continues in First Class to Portland. In fact, they are in every one of the books in the series!
Janie is an older heroine, in her forties, and has suffered a heartbreaking loss when her husband dies of cancer. She isn't expecting to fall in love again, so when she meets the irresistible Matt Lathem, her life is turned upside down. The book ends when she flies home to Portland after her 2-week trip-of-a-lifetime to New York City, hence the cliffhanger. The story shouldn't always wrap up in a nice little bow at the end of the last chapter.
If you scour the internet searching only for free books, skip this one, cuz you'll want to buy the rest of the series, and I'd hate to have you mad at me for that ;)
September 9, 2016
As a writer myself, I hate to give one-star reviews to any author because I understand the time and effort that goes into writing a full novel. It is not an easy task to complete and takes perseverence. However, I don't want to give praise to a story based on mere accomplishment alone.
I don't understand why this book has received so many glowing reviews, so I will simply assume that most of my negative feelings/impressions about this book boil down to personal taste. Although I wanted, tried very much to like this book, I just could not. I hesitated about whether to give the book two stars or one, but in the end, I decided to be perfectly honest in my review and explain the reasons why I gave such a low rating.
The book started out pleasant enough, but I never really connected with the characters. Something was missing, and I did not find the writing engaging. I couldn't understand what the male protagonist saw in the female protagonist -- he seemed too perfect with no flaws. My suspension of disbelief ended completely after Janie met Matt on the plane. Her thoughts and words from that point on were not those of a middle-aged woman who had been married for many years and who had brought up college-age kids. Janie came across as very naive and weak -- more like a high school sophomore than a 40-something wife and mother. (I say this as a 46-year-old mother of three grown sons and a daughter in her twenties.)
I did not come across many grammatical issues, but there was a shocking lack of commas throughout the book. The poor punctuation was constantly pulling me out of the story as did the stilted, cliche dialogue and inner monologues of the characters. There was so much head-hopping going on that I was starting to get dizzy. The writing was middle grade English, and there were so many cheesy lines that it really started to grate on me. (Pun intended!) At a certain point, I just could not take this book seriously anymore.
Another reader noted in her review that the references to New York were all very "touristy" and that the author had only written about things that she had seen in movies. I would tend to agree with this sentiment, and after discovering that the author hails from Perth, Australia (a city that I loved visiting!) I wondered why she chose to write about a female protagonist who travels from Portland, Oregon (the city where I was born and raised) to New York and meets the man of her dreams. I think the story would have felt more genuine and real if she had written it from the viewpoint of a woman from Perth travelling to Sydney.
I guess I should have figured it out from the naked people on the cover that the sex in this book would be graphic, but I wasn't prepared for the erotica/porn stuffed into a few of the chapters. It didn't seem real and wasn't even necessary to the story -- more empty lust than true attraction between the characters. I ended up skipping over these parts and considered even chucking my Kindle across the room at one point. (I didn't!) I could not understand who the audience of this book was supposed to be since the writing seemed middle school level but with all the foul language and sex throughout, it was most definitely not YA. The story ended in a cliffhanger, and I will not be torturing myself by continuing to read this nine-part(!) story.
It's not you, it's me.
I don't understand why this book has received so many glowing reviews, so I will simply assume that most of my negative feelings/impressions about this book boil down to personal taste. Although I wanted, tried very much to like this book, I just could not. I hesitated about whether to give the book two stars or one, but in the end, I decided to be perfectly honest in my review and explain the reasons why I gave such a low rating.
The book started out pleasant enough, but I never really connected with the characters. Something was missing, and I did not find the writing engaging. I couldn't understand what the male protagonist saw in the female protagonist -- he seemed too perfect with no flaws. My suspension of disbelief ended completely after Janie met Matt on the plane. Her thoughts and words from that point on were not those of a middle-aged woman who had been married for many years and who had brought up college-age kids. Janie came across as very naive and weak -- more like a high school sophomore than a 40-something wife and mother. (I say this as a 46-year-old mother of three grown sons and a daughter in her twenties.)
I did not come across many grammatical issues, but there was a shocking lack of commas throughout the book. The poor punctuation was constantly pulling me out of the story as did the stilted, cliche dialogue and inner monologues of the characters. There was so much head-hopping going on that I was starting to get dizzy. The writing was middle grade English, and there were so many cheesy lines that it really started to grate on me. (Pun intended!) At a certain point, I just could not take this book seriously anymore.
Another reader noted in her review that the references to New York were all very "touristy" and that the author had only written about things that she had seen in movies. I would tend to agree with this sentiment, and after discovering that the author hails from Perth, Australia (a city that I loved visiting!) I wondered why she chose to write about a female protagonist who travels from Portland, Oregon (the city where I was born and raised) to New York and meets the man of her dreams. I think the story would have felt more genuine and real if she had written it from the viewpoint of a woman from Perth travelling to Sydney.
I guess I should have figured it out from the naked people on the cover that the sex in this book would be graphic, but I wasn't prepared for the erotica/porn stuffed into a few of the chapters. It didn't seem real and wasn't even necessary to the story -- more empty lust than true attraction between the characters. I ended up skipping over these parts and considered even chucking my Kindle across the room at one point. (I didn't!) I could not understand who the audience of this book was supposed to be since the writing seemed middle school level but with all the foul language and sex throughout, it was most definitely not YA. The story ended in a cliffhanger, and I will not be torturing myself by continuing to read this nine-part(!) story.
It's not you, it's me.
August 17, 2020
First Class to New York by A.J. Harmon
A year after losing her husband, her high school sweetheart and the love of her life to cancer, Janie Anderson embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York City. Trying to escape the oppressive loss and hopelessness of a life without him, Janie sets off on the adventure she has dreamed about since she was a little girl. Exploring New York City, she secretly hopes that this landmark event will free her from her grief and unlock a future as wonderful as the life she had lost with Robert’s passing.
My Thoughts
Second time reading this book and it was just as enjoyable as my first run through.
A sweet and easy read.
The author has written the characters a 'believeable' storyline that was not too farfetched. The further into the book I read I became more enchanted with the characters. It has made be think what other books I have read that I should pick up again. A very enjoyable read.
A year after losing her husband, her high school sweetheart and the love of her life to cancer, Janie Anderson embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York City. Trying to escape the oppressive loss and hopelessness of a life without him, Janie sets off on the adventure she has dreamed about since she was a little girl. Exploring New York City, she secretly hopes that this landmark event will free her from her grief and unlock a future as wonderful as the life she had lost with Robert’s passing.
My Thoughts
Second time reading this book and it was just as enjoyable as my first run through.
A sweet and easy read.
The author has written the characters a 'believeable' storyline that was not too farfetched. The further into the book I read I became more enchanted with the characters. It has made be think what other books I have read that I should pick up again. A very enjoyable read.
November 26, 2014
It took me a while to get into the writing style of this book.
It is written in 3rd person and I was struggling a bit with it at first. I don´t know if it is because recent books that I have been reading have been written in 1st person, but it didn´t sit well with me in the beginning. That being said, I got used to it and it didn´t affect me enjoying the story. I really liked it. I liked the characters and their chemistry was very hot!! Now I will have to read the next one because it ends with a little cliffhanger and I absolutely have to find out how Matt´s and Janie´s story ends!
It is written in 3rd person and I was struggling a bit with it at first. I don´t know if it is because recent books that I have been reading have been written in 1st person, but it didn´t sit well with me in the beginning. That being said, I got used to it and it didn´t affect me enjoying the story. I really liked it. I liked the characters and their chemistry was very hot!! Now I will have to read the next one because it ends with a little cliffhanger and I absolutely have to find out how Matt´s and Janie´s story ends!
February 19, 2020
Unfortunately a cliffhanger. No Spoilers
Nice story about a widow and billionaire. Just frustrated that it was a cliffhanger. Since MC was one of 7 kids figured HEA and next book=next sibling. Book two assumingly picks up where this stops.
Nice story about a widow and billionaire. Just frustrated that it was a cliffhanger. Since MC was one of 7 kids figured HEA and next book=next sibling. Book two assumingly picks up where this stops.
October 15, 2018
First let me clarify I do not read serials. I, as a rule do not buy them or read them because I want my happy ending in one book and not stretched out to two or more. When I purchased First Class to New York it was part of a box set of the 10 novels that make up A.J. Harmon's First Class series. Well I am so glad first that I discovered this incredible author and two that I did not pass up a fantastic story.
First Class to New York is about Janie Anderson. After an incredible difficult two years she is embarking on a once-in-a-life time trip to New York. After being married, happily for 23 years, to her high school sweetheart, Janie looses her husband to cancer. Trying to escape the oppressive loss and hopelessness of a life without him, Janie sets off on the adventure she has dreamed about since she was a little girl. Exploring New York City, she secretly hopes that this landmark event will free her from her grief and unlock a future as wonderful as the life she had lost with Robert’s passing. After a series of embarrassing encounters with a man in a dark grey suit during the flight, Janie wonders if this trip might be more than she bargained for. At 42, she is much too young to spend the rest of her days as a lonely widow, but is resolved to the fact that, like lightning, a love like that of her first marriage rarely strikes twice. The man in the grey suit is wealthy business man Matt Lathem, who is attracted to the pretty young woman sitting next to him on the plane in first class. After engaging in small talk and learning it is her first trip to New York he invites Janie to dinner that evening. Janie is terrified at the realization that she’s actually attracted to him.
What a great story. I love Janie and Matt. This is a perfect romance. Yes, their story covers two books. First Class to New York then First Class to Portland. But take it from someone who hates serial novels. Do not pass this one up, it is that good. I wish I could give this book 10 stars....Ms. A.J.Harmon though new to me is fast becoming a favorite author after reading this one book...we will have to see what book two holds. Sensual rating of this is a strong 9. Highly recommend this book.
First Class to New York is about Janie Anderson. After an incredible difficult two years she is embarking on a once-in-a-life time trip to New York. After being married, happily for 23 years, to her high school sweetheart, Janie looses her husband to cancer. Trying to escape the oppressive loss and hopelessness of a life without him, Janie sets off on the adventure she has dreamed about since she was a little girl. Exploring New York City, she secretly hopes that this landmark event will free her from her grief and unlock a future as wonderful as the life she had lost with Robert’s passing. After a series of embarrassing encounters with a man in a dark grey suit during the flight, Janie wonders if this trip might be more than she bargained for. At 42, she is much too young to spend the rest of her days as a lonely widow, but is resolved to the fact that, like lightning, a love like that of her first marriage rarely strikes twice. The man in the grey suit is wealthy business man Matt Lathem, who is attracted to the pretty young woman sitting next to him on the plane in first class. After engaging in small talk and learning it is her first trip to New York he invites Janie to dinner that evening. Janie is terrified at the realization that she’s actually attracted to him.
What a great story. I love Janie and Matt. This is a perfect romance. Yes, their story covers two books. First Class to New York then First Class to Portland. But take it from someone who hates serial novels. Do not pass this one up, it is that good. I wish I could give this book 10 stars....Ms. A.J.Harmon though new to me is fast becoming a favorite author after reading this one book...we will have to see what book two holds. Sensual rating of this is a strong 9. Highly recommend this book.
November 29, 2014
This was really good. Thanks to my friend Jamie for recommending this. It's exactly what I needed after a spell of reading some really dark books. Janie is a widower going to NYC for the trip of a lifetime. She meets Matt a handsome wealthy business man. The romance was really sweet. Janie isn't what Matt usually a woman he would come in contact with, she's sweet and innocent and he really likes how genuine she is. Now this did end up as a cliffy. I am hopping to book two right now!!!!!!!
February 20, 2014
First Class to New York (First Class Novels, Book 1 - A New Contemporary Romance Series) (Kindle Edition)
Is exactly how I describe this first installment of the First Class series. I so related to Jane in her loss and the need to find closure. It is hard to move forward from the grief and over whelming thought of a life alone after the death of her husband. Jane shows true strength in her decision to take her "trip of a life time", and it turns out to be just that with the help of Matt Latham, the man in the grey suit she meets on the plane who goes on to show her "His New York" and they become lovers in the process with "no strings attached."
But soon Jane realizes she has fallen in love with this handsome, sexy,wealthy man but knows he is a player so she says nothing of her feelings and leaves to go home, not knowing that Matt has come to think that she is "The One" but thinking she doesn't return his feelings, lets her go until Katy, Jane's friend, calls Matt and let's him have it with both barrels. Now he knows Jane has feelings for him, but she is gone. He let her go! I can't wait to read "First Class to Portland" to see if Matt can straighten out the miss understanding before he loses Jane.
Is exactly how I describe this first installment of the First Class series. I so related to Jane in her loss and the need to find closure. It is hard to move forward from the grief and over whelming thought of a life alone after the death of her husband. Jane shows true strength in her decision to take her "trip of a life time", and it turns out to be just that with the help of Matt Latham, the man in the grey suit she meets on the plane who goes on to show her "His New York" and they become lovers in the process with "no strings attached."
But soon Jane realizes she has fallen in love with this handsome, sexy,wealthy man but knows he is a player so she says nothing of her feelings and leaves to go home, not knowing that Matt has come to think that she is "The One" but thinking she doesn't return his feelings, lets her go until Katy, Jane's friend, calls Matt and let's him have it with both barrels. Now he knows Jane has feelings for him, but she is gone. He let her go! I can't wait to read "First Class to Portland" to see if Matt can straighten out the miss understanding before he loses Jane.
January 5, 2013
Really enjoyed this book alot. Very good read
February 1, 2015
Loved this book! Why can't things like this happen in real life?
March 6, 2023
I bought this book in the box set of all the First Class books back in 2014. They’ve sat on my kindle unread since then, so I figured it was about time to crack them open. I believe I bought them thinking it was a different author with a similar name. How wrong I was! That other author is a far more gifted writer.
I laughed through most of this book due to all the errors and this author’s apparent love of exclamation points. ‼️ Janie wasn’t a very likable character, but I liked Matt a lot once he let his shield down. I liked that his parents and brothers were in the book.
Janie is a 42 year old widow from Oregon who is taking a two week trip to New York because it’s what she’s always wanted to do since she was a teenager. Her husband passed away a little over a year ago after a battle with cancer. I didn’t like that she had negative things to say about her husband since he was supposed to be her “high school sweetheart and the love of her life.” She would think things like how he would rather stay home when she wanted to be out doing things. Or how they never had money to do anything. But all of a sudden, she doesn’t work and she’s taking a two week, first class trip to NY with all the bells and whistles.
Janie meets Matt, a wealthy 40 year old businessman, by accident in the Portland airport. He then turns out to be her seat mate on the plane. When the plane lands, he tells her he has a car waiting and he’d be willing to drop her off at her hotel so she doesn’t get stuck with a big cab fare. She agrees and so it begins. The attraction was instant between the two and they decide to spend time together with Matt showing her around NY. That led to sex (which was not written very well) and feelings that weren’t supposed to be involved and we’re left with some broken hearts by the time Janie has to leave.
My issue with Janie is that she constantly misconstrued everything Matt said. She was a flipping idiot! The author also kept cutting and pasting their conversations as Janie would replay them in her head. Matt would say something, she’d misunderstand it and go running off to cry about it. I wanted to slap her so badly! Sometimes I felt like Matt would be better off just walking away from her.
This ends on a cliffhanger with Janie flying off back to Oregon and Matt’s brother telling him to go after her. As bad as the writing was, I’m going to read the next book to see how Matt manages to get Janie back. Maybe the writing will improve. (I have strong doubts about that.) I want to attach notes/highlights to show the issues I had with this book, but it’s for a different edition. If you have any interest in looking at them, I’ll post them under the edition of the box set. (First Class Family: The Complete Collection)
I laughed through most of this book due to all the errors and this author’s apparent love of exclamation points. ‼️ Janie wasn’t a very likable character, but I liked Matt a lot once he let his shield down. I liked that his parents and brothers were in the book.
Janie is a 42 year old widow from Oregon who is taking a two week trip to New York because it’s what she’s always wanted to do since she was a teenager. Her husband passed away a little over a year ago after a battle with cancer. I didn’t like that she had negative things to say about her husband since he was supposed to be her “high school sweetheart and the love of her life.” She would think things like how he would rather stay home when she wanted to be out doing things. Or how they never had money to do anything. But all of a sudden, she doesn’t work and she’s taking a two week, first class trip to NY with all the bells and whistles.
Janie meets Matt, a wealthy 40 year old businessman, by accident in the Portland airport. He then turns out to be her seat mate on the plane. When the plane lands, he tells her he has a car waiting and he’d be willing to drop her off at her hotel so she doesn’t get stuck with a big cab fare. She agrees and so it begins. The attraction was instant between the two and they decide to spend time together with Matt showing her around NY. That led to sex (which was not written very well) and feelings that weren’t supposed to be involved and we’re left with some broken hearts by the time Janie has to leave.
My issue with Janie is that she constantly misconstrued everything Matt said. She was a flipping idiot! The author also kept cutting and pasting their conversations as Janie would replay them in her head. Matt would say something, she’d misunderstand it and go running off to cry about it. I wanted to slap her so badly! Sometimes I felt like Matt would be better off just walking away from her.
This ends on a cliffhanger with Janie flying off back to Oregon and Matt’s brother telling him to go after her. As bad as the writing was, I’m going to read the next book to see how Matt manages to get Janie back. Maybe the writing will improve. (I have strong doubts about that.) I want to attach notes/highlights to show the issues I had with this book, but it’s for a different edition. If you have any interest in looking at them, I’ll post them under the edition of the box set. (First Class Family: The Complete Collection)
April 7, 2015
First of all, I'm not convinced the author has ever been to New York. It feels as if her knowledge about the city comes entirely from watching television and movies.
I'm 54% through the book and not only am I shocked that this book has gotten such great reviews, but most of the 1- and 2-star reviews are low only because the book unexpectedly turned out to be a cliffhanger. Oh, yeah, like that's what was wrong with this book. Almost no one mentioned the juvenile, utterly clichéd and laughable prose. Did a 15-year-old write this book?! I'll give you examples of the level of writing. The punctuation, or lack thereof, is the author's. Behold:
At 11 a.m., Janie took a long hot shower, making sure her armpits were perfectly clean shaven, as her dress would not be hiding any foliage growing under there.
"I want you Janie," he breathed. "May I have you?"
The kiss went on and on.
He lowered himself to one knee, never breaking eye contact, as Janie lowered her eyes to watch him. He untied one shoe lace and removed his shoe and sock, then changed knees and untied the other shoe lace and removed that shoe and sock.
"I didn't mean to scare you, sweet Janie. But I'm going to explode if I don't f*** you soon."
[My favorite] Janie's eyes watched his hands as he slowly unzipped his pants. Matt pulled out one leg and then the other and placed them on his belt. [prosthetic legs???]
Maureen flew into 'mom' mode. She pulled out a placemat and silverware and a coffee mug and waited on her son hand and foot.
[They've gone to see The Lion King, her first Broadway show ever] They found their seats and Janie was mesmerized from start to finish. [End of section on The Lion King]
Don't know if I'll make it to the end. If I do and my opinion changes, which is not likely, I'll update my review.
UPDATE: So I finished the book, and it did not change my opinion of the prose. It just gave me more examples of the poor writing. The author put no thought whatsoever into ending this book. She merely cut it off at some convenient point.
I'm 54% through the book and not only am I shocked that this book has gotten such great reviews, but most of the 1- and 2-star reviews are low only because the book unexpectedly turned out to be a cliffhanger. Oh, yeah, like that's what was wrong with this book. Almost no one mentioned the juvenile, utterly clichéd and laughable prose. Did a 15-year-old write this book?! I'll give you examples of the level of writing. The punctuation, or lack thereof, is the author's. Behold:
At 11 a.m., Janie took a long hot shower, making sure her armpits were perfectly clean shaven, as her dress would not be hiding any foliage growing under there.
"I want you Janie," he breathed. "May I have you?"
The kiss went on and on.
He lowered himself to one knee, never breaking eye contact, as Janie lowered her eyes to watch him. He untied one shoe lace and removed his shoe and sock, then changed knees and untied the other shoe lace and removed that shoe and sock.
"I didn't mean to scare you, sweet Janie. But I'm going to explode if I don't f*** you soon."
[My favorite] Janie's eyes watched his hands as he slowly unzipped his pants. Matt pulled out one leg and then the other and placed them on his belt. [prosthetic legs???]
Maureen flew into 'mom' mode. She pulled out a placemat and silverware and a coffee mug and waited on her son hand and foot.
[They've gone to see The Lion King, her first Broadway show ever] They found their seats and Janie was mesmerized from start to finish. [End of section on The Lion King]
Don't know if I'll make it to the end. If I do and my opinion changes, which is not likely, I'll update my review.
UPDATE: So I finished the book, and it did not change my opinion of the prose. It just gave me more examples of the poor writing. The author put no thought whatsoever into ending this book. She merely cut it off at some convenient point.
February 7, 2014
A year after the death of her husband Janie decides to go on the once in a lifetime trip to New York she's always wanted to go on. In the airport in Oregon she run literally into the most handsome man she has ever seen, it's a type of attraction she has never felt and when just a little while later he runs into her and drenches her in water the attraction deepens. With fate on their side they are seated in first class next to each other and when he offers to have his driver take her to her hotel as an apology for the water insident she decides to live a little and agrees. Just when their time seems to be close to an end he surprises by asking her out. Now with two weeks ahead of her and a man she can't get out of her head it looks like moving foward with her life is gonna happen in a different way than what she expected. But what happens when the two weeks are over and Janie has to go back home 3000 miles away from Matt?
Janie is 42 and knows she is still young enough to find another man to spend the rest of her life with, or course she wasn't intending to meet a man who lives on the other side of the country. But she's is open to the possibilities in life andI loved her ability to open herself up to love again. And seeing her do what she wants and enjoy a trip she's always wanted to go on no matter how touristy some of the places she wanted to visit might have been was great to see. I enjoy reading about a person who does what they want no matter what anyone else thinks.
Matt is such a sweetie, jilted in the past by his ex-wives he has some issues of his own, but I had fun watching him grow and be happy throughout the story. And then there's his family!! Talk about a hoot and a half Ill definitely enjoy see more of them in this series.
The story of Matt and Janie is not finished in this novel you need to read First Class to Oregon to see their HEA.
Janie is 42 and knows she is still young enough to find another man to spend the rest of her life with, or course she wasn't intending to meet a man who lives on the other side of the country. But she's is open to the possibilities in life andI loved her ability to open herself up to love again. And seeing her do what she wants and enjoy a trip she's always wanted to go on no matter how touristy some of the places she wanted to visit might have been was great to see. I enjoy reading about a person who does what they want no matter what anyone else thinks.
Matt is such a sweetie, jilted in the past by his ex-wives he has some issues of his own, but I had fun watching him grow and be happy throughout the story. And then there's his family!! Talk about a hoot and a half Ill definitely enjoy see more of them in this series.
The story of Matt and Janie is not finished in this novel you need to read First Class to Oregon to see their HEA.
March 22, 2014
4.5 Stars! A.J. Harmon has written a refreshing series starting with First Class to New York. It's a REALLY good love story. What I liked best about it was that the main characters were OLDER, not young people and that there was chemistry that totally worked for them. This story is filled with good old self-doubt and misunderstandings. The ending had me racing to buy book 2, because it does end on a cliffhanger!
Goodreads Synopsis:
A year after losing her husband, her high school sweetheart and the love of her life to cancer, Janie Anderson embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York City. Trying to escape the oppressive loss and hopelessness of a life without him, Janie sets off on the adventure she has dreamed about since she was a little girl. Exploring the Big Apple, New York City, she secretly hopes that this landmark event will free her from her grief and unlock a future as wonderful as the life she had lost with Robert’s passing. After a series of embarrassing encounters with a man in a dark grey suit during the flight, Janie wonders if this trip might be more than she bargained for. At 42, she is much too young to spend the rest of her days as a lonely widow, but is resolved to the fact that, like lightning, a love like that of her first marriage rarely strikes twice. When she accepts his invitation to dinner that evening, Janie is terrified at the realization that she’s actually attracted to him. The handsome and wealthy Matt Lathem is sexy as hell, but, as Janie comes to realize, has baggage of his own. Can they help to heal each other in time to realize that a second chance at love is within their grasp? ‘First Class to New York’ is a contemporary, adult romance novel, written by AJ Harmon. It is the first book in the ‘First Class’ series, with Janie’s story concluding in ‘First Class to Portland’.
Goodreads Synopsis:
A year after losing her husband, her high school sweetheart and the love of her life to cancer, Janie Anderson embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York City. Trying to escape the oppressive loss and hopelessness of a life without him, Janie sets off on the adventure she has dreamed about since she was a little girl. Exploring the Big Apple, New York City, she secretly hopes that this landmark event will free her from her grief and unlock a future as wonderful as the life she had lost with Robert’s passing. After a series of embarrassing encounters with a man in a dark grey suit during the flight, Janie wonders if this trip might be more than she bargained for. At 42, she is much too young to spend the rest of her days as a lonely widow, but is resolved to the fact that, like lightning, a love like that of her first marriage rarely strikes twice. When she accepts his invitation to dinner that evening, Janie is terrified at the realization that she’s actually attracted to him. The handsome and wealthy Matt Lathem is sexy as hell, but, as Janie comes to realize, has baggage of his own. Can they help to heal each other in time to realize that a second chance at love is within their grasp? ‘First Class to New York’ is a contemporary, adult romance novel, written by AJ Harmon. It is the first book in the ‘First Class’ series, with Janie’s story concluding in ‘First Class to Portland’.
November 21, 2014
What an amazing story! It was refreshing to read something different. From the moment Janie “bumped” into Matt I knew it was going to be good. Janie is trying to start over and is looking for forward to trip of a lifetime, never imagining it would turn into THE trip of a lifetime. Meeting someone and falling love was the furthest thing from her mind but every time she turned around “he” was there and damn was he hot. Fate is something that we all want in our lives and the chance happening of these two meeting multiple times in one day. Matt knew he was a good looking man and never had to worry about women, but when Janie literally ran into him he knew she was different. I loved reading about all the places in New York and how Janie felt about seeing them for the first time, she opened Matt up to a whole “new” New York, after living there his whole life he forgot how wonderful it was. Matt was determined to keep seeing Janie but after hearing some things he was scared and unsure of what to do. Janie finally realizes it’s time to let go and move on, this part of the book really captivated me. I feel like this part mad the book so great, Janie deciding it is time to move on and Matt realizing he does indeed have feelings, feelings that he has never felt before. Of course it’s not as easy as them falling in love and having a happy ending. What fun would that be, I like reading about mix ups or love gone wrong, where they have to fight for the happy ending. So that leaves me hanging and I’m so glad have First Class to Portland to hear what happens to Janie and Matt, if they will find each other again and make it work this time. This is one of the best free books I’ve ever picked up. Great writing AJ!
February 13, 2013
I started reading First Class to New York and I thought that Janie was a weak woman who need to really find herself. As she walked into the airport she walked into the man that would change her life. I absolutely love this story. I laughed and cried as I read this book because I could see myself in Janie's shoes if something happened to my husband. Janie and Matt's story is super sexy and HOT! I have read the reviews about people being upset that the book "ends" before their story is complete, but I think its a perk to this book. It makes you guess what is going to happen next and adds a little suspense. Luckily, I didn't have to wait to long to read the second installment of Janie and Matt's story and I think with it being in two books, it give the stories more depth and a wow factor.
The book is very well written. I can so relate to Janie as she is an insecure woman about her body and doesn't see herself as others see her. At first I thought Matt was kind of a selfish jerk, but in the end, I started to love him. Although, at the end of this book, I was screaming at them both and crying. Forgive me, I was hormonal.
This is a great book and an awesome start to what is looking to be a yummy series because Matt does have a family full of brothers!
The book is very well written. I can so relate to Janie as she is an insecure woman about her body and doesn't see herself as others see her. At first I thought Matt was kind of a selfish jerk, but in the end, I started to love him. Although, at the end of this book, I was screaming at them both and crying. Forgive me, I was hormonal.
This is a great book and an awesome start to what is looking to be a yummy series because Matt does have a family full of brothers!
June 22, 2014
I absolutely loved this book by A.J. Harmon and she has made a fan for life! I instantly fell in love with Janie and all her little mishaps. The instant connection and chemistry between Janie and Matt was so intense and hot, that sometimes I felt like I was stepping out a sauna!
My heart broke for Janie as she came to terms with her husband Robert's death and moving on in her life. It wouldn't be easy to try to experience love a second time around, after losing someone you loved so tragically. Harmon did a fabulous job of honouring Janie's former husbands memory but allowing her to move forth in a relationship with Matt.
Matt's determination to win Janie's affection was swoon worthy and made the readers determined to see Janie and Matt together. His attempts to show Janie New York and make it a trip of a lifetime showed his thoughtfulness and caring attitude towards Janie.
I couldn't put the book down and read it one sitting! A.J. Harmon did a wonderful job of creating two characters full of passion and made them so full of life they seemed as if they were vividly acting out a play in front of you. I had to buy the follow-up to this novel as soon as I finished!
My heart broke for Janie as she came to terms with her husband Robert's death and moving on in her life. It wouldn't be easy to try to experience love a second time around, after losing someone you loved so tragically. Harmon did a fabulous job of honouring Janie's former husbands memory but allowing her to move forth in a relationship with Matt.
Matt's determination to win Janie's affection was swoon worthy and made the readers determined to see Janie and Matt together. His attempts to show Janie New York and make it a trip of a lifetime showed his thoughtfulness and caring attitude towards Janie.
I couldn't put the book down and read it one sitting! A.J. Harmon did a wonderful job of creating two characters full of passion and made them so full of life they seemed as if they were vividly acting out a play in front of you. I had to buy the follow-up to this novel as soon as I finished!
March 29, 2014
This is the first in a series called First Class by this wonderful author.
It is an amazing beginning. I was immediately drawn into the storyline and
characters. From the start of the story,I couldn't put it down. Makes for
a quick read. Each character(prime and secondary)was so realistic. I love
reading a storyline where the characters are real to life and are
described with feelings that relate to everyday. I felt so attached. My
emotions were everywhere. I really wanted to get inside the storyline. I
just loved Janie--so relatable. Can't forget that sweet yummy Matt. Oh my
goodness- expect to have a new book boyfriend. Wait till you meet Katy--
smartly feisty best friend. Excellent use of descriptive terminology and
environmental settings. Prepare for one heck of an ending. Devastated is
how I felt..but I am on to reading the next. I have to know what happens.
Each story continues the previous and introduces a new brother to fall
head over heels. I highly recommend!!! Superb author:) AndreaAH (gc)
It is an amazing beginning. I was immediately drawn into the storyline and
characters. From the start of the story,I couldn't put it down. Makes for
a quick read. Each character(prime and secondary)was so realistic. I love
reading a storyline where the characters are real to life and are
described with feelings that relate to everyday. I felt so attached. My
emotions were everywhere. I really wanted to get inside the storyline. I
just loved Janie--so relatable. Can't forget that sweet yummy Matt. Oh my
goodness- expect to have a new book boyfriend. Wait till you meet Katy--
smartly feisty best friend. Excellent use of descriptive terminology and
environmental settings. Prepare for one heck of an ending. Devastated is
how I felt..but I am on to reading the next. I have to know what happens.
Each story continues the previous and introduces a new brother to fall
head over heels. I highly recommend!!! Superb author:) AndreaAH (gc)
January 4, 2015
I WAS TORN ABOUT PUTTING THIS UNDER EROTICA/ROMANCE. IT HAS THE MOST TASTEFULLY WRITTEN SEXUAL SCENES, THEY'RE HOT AND STEAMY AS HELL BUT. . . REALLY NICE . . .REAL NICE. I LOVED THEM THEY WILL GET-YA'-HOT-N-BOTHERED BIG TIME. I LOVED THE WHOLE STORY LINE IT WAS SWEET AND BELIEVABLE FOR ME BUT IT'S-A-F*CKIN' SERIES. GRRRR! I HATE DAMN CLIFF HANGERS, I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE GOT THIS (free on amazon) BUT I TOOK THE CHANCE ANYWAY. I HOPED I WOULDN'T LIKE IT (I knew that was so wrong & dumb on my part). WELL IT WAS GOOD SO NOW I'M MAD AT MYSELF BECAUSE I KNEW BETTER. MAYBE ONE DAY I'LL CONTINUE, JUST TO FIND THE OUTCOME BETWEEN MATT & JANIE I FEAR DOING THAT. BECAUSE IT WILL JUST LEAD TO WANTING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO MATT'S (6) BROTHERS (yeah, there's 7 yummy-mo-fo bros all together) THAT MEANS 6 MORE CLUCKING BOOKS. UH-NOT! ;/
August 1, 2014
This is the first book I have read by Ms. Harmon and I will definitely continue to read more of her work. I laughed, cried, and was emotionally spent by the end of this book! Janie goes on a once in a lifetime trip with all the trimmings (first class plane ride, The Ritz Carlton Hotel, etc.) after her husband dies from cancer. That story in itself is one to get the tears flowing. But at the airport in Portland, she literally runs into Matt Lathem, a breathtakingly handsome man who ends up beside her on the flight. Conversation flows easily between them and sparks fly. Janie feels guilty about moving on thus causing kinks in this relationship. Also, Matt has women issues of his own from along time ago. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next in this series to find out what has happened with these two!
November 24, 2014
Loved this sweet and romantic story! I found it very real...a 42 year old woman who is a widow with two grown children. She has been a wife and mother for half her life and is now on her own for the first time. She decides to fulfill her dream of going to New York city and going first class. Immediately at the airport she literally bumps into the perfect man Matt, who happens to be a New Yorker. When she arrives in the Big Apple Matt shows her his New York. Janie is a weak woman, she seems almost too naïve for her age but Matt is the man to show her the world and bring her out of her shell. He has been hurt in the past and has never met someone as sweet as Janie. The story tugged at my heart and I hope they find their HEA! Will definitely be reading more from this series.
November 20, 2014
Very Refreshing to find a woman in her 40's to be written about. Most love stories today have College or 20 something, a couple even have 30's. Nice to see the struggles of what goes through the mind of a woman in her 40's. Not so easy to get out there and find some one when you think of yourself as drooping, plump and plain. This is what Janie is going through on her once in a life time trip. She finally meets some one she is attracted to, but he is a playboy. How will this story unfold, you gotta read it to find out. I don't do spoilers. I enjoyed it and recommend to those like me 40+.
January 24, 2016
I found this free on kobo and the blurb sounded interesting but it missed the mark for me.
I didn't connect with the characters, their chemistry, nothing. The writing wasn't for me. The dialogue between the main characters felt unnatural and it felt like the characters were in their late teens/early 20's as opposed to in their 40's. I was expecting this to be different and I thought it had so much potential. I really loved the idea of the story, especially set in New York, but just didn't feel anything with it and ended up skimming through some parts in the second half.
I didn't connect with the characters, their chemistry, nothing. The writing wasn't for me. The dialogue between the main characters felt unnatural and it felt like the characters were in their late teens/early 20's as opposed to in their 40's. I was expecting this to be different and I thought it had so much potential. I really loved the idea of the story, especially set in New York, but just didn't feel anything with it and ended up skimming through some parts in the second half.
January 3, 2017
To sum this book up: boring, generic, boring
The heroine is 42 years old coming across like a repressed Victorian maiden and the sex scenes felt clinical and stereotypical, as though they needed to be written because it's a requirement. Although English is not my first language, I adore it and have been reading English books in all genres for over 15 years now. While I can't use it and express myself always like I would love to, I am a sucker for a captivating writing style ... which I did not encounter in this book. At all. D
The heroine is 42 years old coming across like a repressed Victorian maiden and the sex scenes felt clinical and stereotypical, as though they needed to be written because it's a requirement. Although English is not my first language, I adore it and have been reading English books in all genres for over 15 years now. While I can't use it and express myself always like I would love to, I am a sucker for a captivating writing style ... which I did not encounter in this book. At all. D
January 3, 2013
Great book, downloaded First Class to Portland when it was free on the kindle store. As it was book two I purchased this. Well worth it :)
February 7, 2014
4.5 Stars
Review Under BookJunkyGirls
Review Under BookJunkyGirls
September 24, 2021
2021 Book Hoarders Challenge #29 First, Last, Etc. in Title
A widow treats herself to a long awaited trip to New York. At airports, she kept running into (literally) a businessman who just happens to be her flightmate and lives in New York. "Nuf said.
A widow treats herself to a long awaited trip to New York. At airports, she kept running into (literally) a businessman who just happens to be her flightmate and lives in New York. "Nuf said.
May 23, 2015
Ok, this book wasn't bad, especially since it was free from Bookbub.com. I swear Janie got on my damned nerves though. I guess I should feel a little more sympathy for the woman considering she got married at 19 and that was the only man she had known practically her whole life, so when she found herself having to start a new life she was a bit gun-shy. Dammit though, you would have thought she was still 19 the way she was SO self-conscious, and the way she took everything Matt said as a put down. Frankly speaking, you would have thought her former husband had emotionally and mentally abused her; so much so that she felt all these crazy non-existent slights whenever Matt made a comment about how she looked or how much she ate. I did like Matt despite him being emotionally shut down because he had a couple bad marriages to trifling women. I was rather surprised that he was interested in putting up with Janie's lack of confidence as much as he did considering he was such a successful businessman. I felt a man like him would much prefer a woman who was confident in herself; not cocky or conniving, as he'd already dealt with that, but a woman who knew her worth. Janie was NOT that woman! I don't see why she couldn't be portrayed as sweet, innocent, and still confident without seeming like an abuse victim that needs protection because she's scared of her own shadow!! I think that was my issue with this book; her poor(ish) attitude of herself. She was 42 for Pete's sake! What woman that age still squeaks in shock when spoken to, stutters, and rambles on like a clueless teenager who didn't raise two grown twin boys of her own who were both in college *SMH*??! Even a shy woman should be able to contain that type of kiddish behavior. Add to that fact that Janie and Matt's story did not get wrapped up in the ending of this book, but continues in book 2 of the series is another issue I have. UGH!!!! So now, even if I didn't want to read any more of the series, I have to just to get closure on how things will go for Janie (the scared rabbit) and Matt (the hero rescuer). It concerns me that the next book will be all about them AGAIN, and I don't think I want to deal with that. Just get it over with already so we can move on to two new characters!!
October 12, 2014
I picked up a copy of this book as advertised because it was free to download on Amazon. Who doesn't love free books? Well, it ended up being such a good investment decision!
I loved the fact that this book was about older, more mature characters. I've been reading a lot of new adult and it seems that some of the contemporary romance is about 23-year-olds, so it was nice to get out of that bubble.
Janie, the main character, is a 40-something year old widow who has lost her husband a year ago after a battle with cancer. While she had a fulfilled life with her husband and has twin sons who are grown, she is ready to move on, and take her fantasy long awaited trip to NYC - a trip she's wanted to take ever since she was 16 - and she pulled out all the stops with a first class plane ticket.
Poor Janie has her share of mishaps at the airport, one of them being running head on into rich and handsome Matt. Luck is on her side, though, and Matt ends up being a very sweet guy who lives in NYC and wants to help Janie make her trip memorable.
I liked this storyline and enjoyed the ride it took me on. I didn't know what to expect in the next chapter. I really wanted to read it as fast as I could so I could get to the end and see what happened with Janie and Matt. Annnnnd, insert cliffhanger.
To my defense, I didn't read the entire description, so I don't know if it was forewarned what it was going to be a cliffhanger. And it was free at the time I downloaded it. So I have absolutely no complaints about this book. I just have to decide whether I want to spend the $$$ on the next books in the series to find out what happens next!
I loved the fact that this book was about older, more mature characters. I've been reading a lot of new adult and it seems that some of the contemporary romance is about 23-year-olds, so it was nice to get out of that bubble.
Janie, the main character, is a 40-something year old widow who has lost her husband a year ago after a battle with cancer. While she had a fulfilled life with her husband and has twin sons who are grown, she is ready to move on, and take her fantasy long awaited trip to NYC - a trip she's wanted to take ever since she was 16 - and she pulled out all the stops with a first class plane ticket.
Poor Janie has her share of mishaps at the airport, one of them being running head on into rich and handsome Matt. Luck is on her side, though, and Matt ends up being a very sweet guy who lives in NYC and wants to help Janie make her trip memorable.
I liked this storyline and enjoyed the ride it took me on. I didn't know what to expect in the next chapter. I really wanted to read it as fast as I could so I could get to the end and see what happened with Janie and Matt. Annnnnd, insert cliffhanger.
To my defense, I didn't read the entire description, so I don't know if it was forewarned what it was going to be a cliffhanger. And it was free at the time I downloaded it. So I have absolutely no complaints about this book. I just have to decide whether I want to spend the $$$ on the next books in the series to find out what happens next!
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