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Escape to New Zealand #4
Just for Fun
What if the person who broke your heart turned out to be the only one who could mend it?
Nic Wilkinson is a responsible, organized, disciplined rugby player at the top of his game. Emma Martens is a sometimes-scattered, often-emotional, and always-broke would-be designer with a big chip on her shoulder where Nic's concerned.
They have no history together, except one perfect week. Nothing in common anymore, except the most important thing of all. Getting together again would be messy. Complicated. Scary. And, just maybe, worth every risk.
Nic Wilkinson is a responsible, organized, disciplined rugby player at the top of his game. Emma Martens is a sometimes-scattered, often-emotional, and always-broke would-be designer with a big chip on her shoulder where Nic's concerned.
They have no history together, except one perfect week. Nothing in common anymore, except the most important thing of all. Getting together again would be messy. Complicated. Scary. And, just maybe, worth every risk.
390 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2012
596 people are currently reading
1544 people want to read
About the author
Rosalind James
55 books1,219 followersRosalind James writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense published both by Montlake Romance and independently. Her stories are set in New Zealand, Idaho, California, New York . . . really, anyplace that seems cool. (Research trips, especially those involving lots of rugby, are a bonus.) Her books are available in ebook, paperback, and audio formats. Rosalind is a former marketing executive who spent several years in Australia and New Zealand, where she fell in love with the people, the landscape, and the culture of both countries. She attributes her rapid success to the fact that "Lots of people would like to escape to New Zealand! I know I did!"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
December 31, 2012
This was a nice contemporary romance set in New Zealand. The story had a slow steady pace, the romance didn't really start until about 40%, up until then the leads were working through the details of the hero getting to know the son he just found out about at age six. This is one secret baby story that I didn't mind, she tried very hard to let him know even after he never called her back after a week long fling. I enjoyed the Kiwi lingo but I have to be honest, I had no idea what the author was referring to sometimes (this also includes rugby lingo).
I plan on checking out other books by this author.
I plan on checking out other books by this author.
June 12, 2021
“The thing about kids is,” she said, “they take your heart. And it’s never entirely your own again. A piece of it is always with them, forever.”
“I know what I did, and I'm sorry for it. But I'm not that man anymore. If you give me your heart again, it'll be safe with me.”
**Synopsis:**
Emma was jilted at the altar and ends up going on the Fiji “honeymoon” alone. She meets a gorgeous guy (Nic) who convinces her they should spend their time in Fiji together.
Some passion and some missed birth control pills result in a baby surprise for Emma.
Fast forward seven years and Nic (now famous rugby player) sees a kid (Zach) and just knows he’s his son.
Nic immediately steps into his father role, but his fiancé is none too happy with the new wrinkle in their relationship.
As Nic incorporates Zach into his life, there are adjustments for everyone involved.
~ “Do everything you can to stay in that boy’s life. Because he needs you. And whether you know it or not, you need him too.”
** The following are my thoughts about this book: **
* * I was sucked in right away in Chapter 1 when Nic realized he had a kid he didn’t know about. I’m glad he immediately sought answers and got involved in his son’s life
* * I liked the New Zealand lingo. It made the story feel authentic to that region and it was a refreshing change from what I normally read. I will probably check out other books in this series.
* * I thought Emma’s attempts and obstacles she encountered trying to tell Nic about the baby were believable.
* * there were a few trips down memory lane, but no long flips between past and present. Because the story didn’t provide any great connection to their past, I didn’t fully feel their present connection.
* * The jump from Nic being in a relationship with someone else to Nic telling Emma that he loved her was a bit of a miss for me. I liked both characters, but I just didn’t feel a ton of sizzle between them.
* * I enjoyed this book. I thought it was a little long, but it didn’t stall or feel repetitive, so it moved along well.
**Overview:**
- Content warning: an almost rape (on page)
- Setting: New Zealand
- Do you need to read previous books in series?: No. This is the first book I’ve read in this series and I’m guessing there are recurring characters that are from previous books. However, I didn’t feel lost because I hadn’t read their stories.
- POV: Dual POV
- Tropes: cute kid, single mom, baby surprise, famous athlete, second chance
- Who is the Hero? Dominic Wilkinson (aka Nic) (age: 28). Professional New Zealand rugby player
* H likable? Yes.
- Who is the Heroine? Emma Martens (age: 27). She has a degree in Fine Arts but works at an engineering firm as a CAD operator and her boss is awful. She designs knitwear on the side. Mother of six year old Zach. She’s a good mom.
* h likable? Yes.
- h virgin? No
- First time they kiss: 54%
- First time they sleep together: 58%
- First time they say I Love You 76%
- steamy? This was a bit of a slow burn and the chemistry didn’t massively sizzle, but there were some bedroom scenes that brought the steam factor.
- OW/OM drama? yes. Nic has a fiancé (they don’t have any bedroom scenes) and Emma goes on a date (no romance on the date)
- H/h cheat? Not after they are together at the 50% mark. Nic was broken up with his fiancé by the time he and Emma got together.
- Time apart? Initially 7 years. But their time in Fiji was really just a fling and they never committed to each other. Once they are together for real, no separation
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? No.
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? There we’re some cute kid moments
- Did I swoon🥰? Nic was a great guy, but I didn’t have any big swoony moments
- Cliffhanger? No
- HEA? Yes
- Epilogue? Yes
- Recommend? There isn’t a ton of action that keeps you on the edge of your seat and for that reason some might find it boring. However this book is about family and the struggles of juggling life. This story touches upon dynamics between older children and their parents, single moms, the introduction of a new parent, navigating coparenting and dissenting goals and ideas between couples. So, it’s all about the various dynamics of families and relationships. It’s everyday stuff that can sometimes feel a bit boring in a story.
So, if you’re looking for a page turner with a gripping plot that will leave you breathless, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for a relatable story, that’s low on angst and drama but has a storyline steeped in real life (minus the famous professional athlete 😉) this would probably suit your needs.
**Quotes**
“When you’re going through Hell, just keep going.”
“A mother bear doesn’t stop to think about whether somebody has a right to approach her cub, does she? She just charges right in there to protect him. If bears know that, why don’t human parents?”
“I keep thinking I’ve got you. Then you say something like that, look at me the way you do. And I realize that you’ve got me.”
“I know what I did, and I'm sorry for it. But I'm not that man anymore. If you give me your heart again, it'll be safe with me.”
**Synopsis:**
Emma was jilted at the altar and ends up going on the Fiji “honeymoon” alone. She meets a gorgeous guy (Nic) who convinces her they should spend their time in Fiji together.
Some passion and some missed birth control pills result in a baby surprise for Emma.
Fast forward seven years and Nic (now famous rugby player) sees a kid (Zach) and just knows he’s his son.
Nic immediately steps into his father role, but his fiancé is none too happy with the new wrinkle in their relationship.
As Nic incorporates Zach into his life, there are adjustments for everyone involved.
~ “Do everything you can to stay in that boy’s life. Because he needs you. And whether you know it or not, you need him too.”
** The following are my thoughts about this book: **
* * I was sucked in right away in Chapter 1 when Nic realized he had a kid he didn’t know about. I’m glad he immediately sought answers and got involved in his son’s life
* * I liked the New Zealand lingo. It made the story feel authentic to that region and it was a refreshing change from what I normally read. I will probably check out other books in this series.
* * I thought Emma’s attempts and obstacles she encountered trying to tell Nic about the baby were believable.
* * there were a few trips down memory lane, but no long flips between past and present. Because the story didn’t provide any great connection to their past, I didn’t fully feel their present connection.
* * The jump from Nic being in a relationship with someone else to Nic telling Emma that he loved her was a bit of a miss for me. I liked both characters, but I just didn’t feel a ton of sizzle between them.
* * I enjoyed this book. I thought it was a little long, but it didn’t stall or feel repetitive, so it moved along well.
**Overview:**
- Content warning: an almost rape (on page)
- Setting: New Zealand
- Do you need to read previous books in series?: No. This is the first book I’ve read in this series and I’m guessing there are recurring characters that are from previous books. However, I didn’t feel lost because I hadn’t read their stories.
- POV: Dual POV
- Tropes: cute kid, single mom, baby surprise, famous athlete, second chance
- Who is the Hero? Dominic Wilkinson (aka Nic) (age: 28). Professional New Zealand rugby player
* H likable? Yes.
- Who is the Heroine? Emma Martens (age: 27). She has a degree in Fine Arts but works at an engineering firm as a CAD operator and her boss is awful. She designs knitwear on the side. Mother of six year old Zach. She’s a good mom.
* h likable? Yes.
- h virgin? No
- First time they kiss: 54%
- First time they sleep together: 58%
- First time they say I Love You 76%
- steamy? This was a bit of a slow burn and the chemistry didn’t massively sizzle, but there were some bedroom scenes that brought the steam factor.
- OW/OM drama? yes. Nic has a fiancé (they don’t have any bedroom scenes) and Emma goes on a date (no romance on the date)
- H/h cheat? Not after they are together at the 50% mark. Nic was broken up with his fiancé by the time he and Emma got together.
- Time apart? Initially 7 years. But their time in Fiji was really just a fling and they never committed to each other. Once they are together for real, no separation
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? No.
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? There we’re some cute kid moments
- Did I swoon🥰? Nic was a great guy, but I didn’t have any big swoony moments
- Cliffhanger? No
- HEA? Yes
- Epilogue? Yes
- Recommend? There isn’t a ton of action that keeps you on the edge of your seat and for that reason some might find it boring. However this book is about family and the struggles of juggling life. This story touches upon dynamics between older children and their parents, single moms, the introduction of a new parent, navigating coparenting and dissenting goals and ideas between couples. So, it’s all about the various dynamics of families and relationships. It’s everyday stuff that can sometimes feel a bit boring in a story.
So, if you’re looking for a page turner with a gripping plot that will leave you breathless, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for a relatable story, that’s low on angst and drama but has a storyline steeped in real life (minus the famous professional athlete 😉) this would probably suit your needs.
**Quotes**
“When you’re going through Hell, just keep going.”
“A mother bear doesn’t stop to think about whether somebody has a right to approach her cub, does she? She just charges right in there to protect him. If bears know that, why don’t human parents?”
“I keep thinking I’ve got you. Then you say something like that, look at me the way you do. And I realize that you’ve got me.”
August 29, 2020
2 stars - My new least favorite book of the series. This book really has me questioning if I should continue on to the next or just switch to something totally different. Once again, listened to this on Audible Escape.
Here's the deal... I’m disappointed in this author. In each of the stories thus far, the men are still getting some in the beginning and the women are all nearly virginal. Rosalind James had a great opportunity for the heroine to have relations with an OM in this one, but instead made him into an almost rapist. Meanwhile the hero of this book is still having sex with his fiancée until she(!!!!) breaks it off (he doesn't even want to part with her). It's all just such an awful double standard. Why are all the women in this series poor and nearly celibate?? DO ANY WOMEN ACTUALLY LIKE READING BOOKS LIKE THIS? And if so, why? Someone help me with this, I'm lost. Seems awfully misogynistic for a female writer.
Here's a quick recap... so I can get back to bitching some more. Nic and Emma have a short fling 7 years before this story really begins. Emma has just been dumped by her fiance on their wedding day, and goes on the honeymoon by herself. She meets Nic on the plane and they end up spending the "honeymoon" together. Fast forward 7 years later, and she is a single mother to a 6 year old boy. Nic never contacted her after their time spent together, and she had no luck contacting him. He sees her and her son together and realizes that he's the boy's father pretty quickly. One good thing that I'll say about the hero is that he did not ever try to get out of his responsibilities with his son. He immediately stepped up and became a father figure.
However, things are a bit messy because ofc he is immediately attracted to Emma, but WHOOPS! he's already engaged. Luckily Nic is just such a standup guy that he never once considers ending his engagement and continues to have sex with his fiancee (Claudia), even after spending the day checking out Emma's ass(ets). Claudia is totally not on board with his new situation (she wants nothing to do with being a step mother or getting to know his son) and Nic once again lets it all slide and either just gives her space or tries to get into her pants. He makes a half-assed effort to discuss the situation with Claudia, and gets kinda upset because she's not cooperating. Still, he figures they can just get past everything and even mentions going to counseling when she finally breaks off their engagement. I'm sorry, but in my mind...that makes Emma absolutely second best. The author later tries to backtrack and show that Nic loves Emma best, but na, it's too little too late for me.
Ofc then we get into issues with the heroine. She's a fucking pathetic pushover. She lets him back into her pants almost immediately after he is no longer engaged. All of their sex scenes are similarly pathetic. She talks constantly about how he was always the best she's had in bed- and does he ever say anything similar? No. But there are definitely several mentions about how many women he's been with since they were last together. She begs him to do anything he wants to her, so he ties her up.... OOO SO KINKY. 🤔😂 Frankly, it's laughable how bad most of their sex scenes are. I was praying with each one that there were no more coming for me to have to live through.
Anyways, this book is just a mess. Both the hero and heroine mostly suck. She's pathetic and he's an idiot. The end of the book got a tiny bit better, but not by much.
Hard to say if this would be considered safe...probably for most normal people...but for me, idk. I am too irritated by the injustice of it all to judge accurately right now.
Here's the deal... I’m disappointed in this author. In each of the stories thus far, the men are still getting some in the beginning and the women are all nearly virginal. Rosalind James had a great opportunity for the heroine to have relations with an OM in this one, but instead made him into an almost rapist. Meanwhile the hero of this book is still having sex with his fiancée until she(!!!!) breaks it off (he doesn't even want to part with her). It's all just such an awful double standard. Why are all the women in this series poor and nearly celibate?? DO ANY WOMEN ACTUALLY LIKE READING BOOKS LIKE THIS? And if so, why? Someone help me with this, I'm lost. Seems awfully misogynistic for a female writer.
Here's a quick recap... so I can get back to bitching some more. Nic and Emma have a short fling 7 years before this story really begins. Emma has just been dumped by her fiance on their wedding day, and goes on the honeymoon by herself. She meets Nic on the plane and they end up spending the "honeymoon" together. Fast forward 7 years later, and she is a single mother to a 6 year old boy. Nic never contacted her after their time spent together, and she had no luck contacting him. He sees her and her son together and realizes that he's the boy's father pretty quickly. One good thing that I'll say about the hero is that he did not ever try to get out of his responsibilities with his son. He immediately stepped up and became a father figure.
However, things are a bit messy because ofc he is immediately attracted to Emma, but WHOOPS! he's already engaged. Luckily Nic is just such a standup guy that he never once considers ending his engagement and continues to have sex with his fiancee (Claudia), even after spending the day checking out Emma's ass(ets). Claudia is totally not on board with his new situation (she wants nothing to do with being a step mother or getting to know his son) and Nic once again lets it all slide and either just gives her space or tries to get into her pants. He makes a half-assed effort to discuss the situation with Claudia, and gets kinda upset because she's not cooperating. Still, he figures they can just get past everything and even mentions going to counseling when she finally breaks off their engagement. I'm sorry, but in my mind...that makes Emma absolutely second best. The author later tries to backtrack and show that Nic loves Emma best, but na, it's too little too late for me.
Ofc then we get into issues with the heroine. She's a fucking pathetic pushover. She lets him back into her pants almost immediately after he is no longer engaged. All of their sex scenes are similarly pathetic. She talks constantly about how he was always the best she's had in bed- and does he ever say anything similar? No. But there are definitely several mentions about how many women he's been with since they were last together. She begs him to do anything he wants to her, so he ties her up.... OOO SO KINKY. 🤔😂 Frankly, it's laughable how bad most of their sex scenes are. I was praying with each one that there were no more coming for me to have to live through.
Anyways, this book is just a mess. Both the hero and heroine mostly suck. She's pathetic and he's an idiot. The end of the book got a tiny bit better, but not by much.
Hard to say if this would be considered safe...probably for most normal people...but for me, idk. I am too irritated by the injustice of it all to judge accurately right now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2022
3.5 stars. A cute second chance romance. Nic and Emma had a holiday fling years earlier, but hadn't seen each other since then. This time around their relationship quickly develops into something much more real and serious. Another enjoyable book in this long series about New Zealand rugby players. Some books (as in any series) are better than others, and for me this one sits in about the middle. Enjoyable, although not a fav.
February 21, 2024
4.5 stars.
This book like an explanation why I like a secret baby story of H and h or their second chance story while at the same time hated secret baby story between H and OW.
I can see Nic more suitable with Emma, even though he faithful to Claudia, but asking Claudia to feel all rainbow and sunshine few months before their wedding when he found out about his secret baby? That just ridiculous!🙄 Also his feelings towards Emma? Oh dear me 😘
Just no, Claudia made the right decision, ended their relationship, if she marry him, Emma will always be there in the background and he will always running to her if something wasn’t perfect between her and Nic, Zack sealed their connection forever! 😜
Yup, love the story because their story perfectly ended.
Wish all the best for Claudia, she’s an alpha female, Nic is too sweet for her.
Also Rugby is a Kiwi’s religion? And have you seen Haka, yet? 😻🫣😜😂
With my own personal Kiwi at home? I’m 💯 agree to that! 😜😘😂
This book like an explanation why I like a secret baby story of H and h or their second chance story while at the same time hated secret baby story between H and OW.
I can see Nic more suitable with Emma, even though he faithful to Claudia, but asking Claudia to feel all rainbow and sunshine few months before their wedding when he found out about his secret baby? That just ridiculous!🙄 Also his feelings towards Emma? Oh dear me 😘
Just no, Claudia made the right decision, ended their relationship, if she marry him, Emma will always be there in the background and he will always running to her if something wasn’t perfect between her and Nic, Zack sealed their connection forever! 😜
Yup, love the story because their story perfectly ended.
Wish all the best for Claudia, she’s an alpha female, Nic is too sweet for her.
Also Rugby is a Kiwi’s religion? And have you seen Haka, yet? 😻🫣😜😂
With my own personal Kiwi at home? I’m 💯 agree to that! 😜😘😂
May 19, 2016
1.5 stars rounded to 2.
I gave this book one star because I liked the writing and I liked the h (kind of). I did not like the rest of this story.
What I liked:
1) The different povs.
2) The engaging writing style of Rosalind James. I really am getting used to the NZ lingo since I've read most of it already in her previous books.
3) I liked the h from the six years before this book takes place. She really tried her hardest to do the right thing by the H, and then she hunkered down and did what she had to do for herself and her family. Unfortunately, this translates into her being a total doormat later on, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
4) No cheating. No real ow/om drama.
5) Claudia. I know. It's weird, but she was my favourite character in this story. She might have been a little unemotional, but she was honest about what she wanted. She didn't beat around the bush. And she set things to rights at the end. Bravo to her.
What I didn't like:
1) All the bedroom scenes. Honestly, I couldn't bring myself to read them since I was mad at the h for giving the H another chance so easily and I found the H so undeserving of her. For those reasons alone, it felt like there were too many intimate moments between the MCs.
2) The h was too forgiving, too understanding, and I felt like she was just desperate for someone to help her out, someone for her to lean on so that she didn't have to go at it alone. I wish she had a serious love interest in this story, and wasn't just available for the H to swoop in and save the day.
3) The H. What can I say? He's an idiot and a total jerk. Kudos to him for paying child support and a back payment, too, but honestly, that was the least he could do. I admired him for trying to make it work with his fiancee, but his faithfulness to her might have been his only other redeeming quality. He betrayed the h, no ifs and or buts about it. He said he would call, he broke his promise, and I'm glad that he realized that everything that happened afterward was on him. He also realized that he needed to make up for it, but he didn't do much to do that other than giving her money. One month between his fiancee leaving and picking up with the h was hardly enough time to make up for what he did. He is the reason I can't rate this story any higher.
I gave this book one star because I liked the writing and I liked the h (kind of). I did not like the rest of this story.
What I liked:
1) The different povs.
2) The engaging writing style of Rosalind James. I really am getting used to the NZ lingo since I've read most of it already in her previous books.
3) I liked the h from the six years before this book takes place. She really tried her hardest to do the right thing by the H, and then she hunkered down and did what she had to do for herself and her family. Unfortunately, this translates into her being a total doormat later on, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
4) No cheating. No real ow/om drama.
5) Claudia. I know. It's weird, but she was my favourite character in this story. She might have been a little unemotional, but she was honest about what she wanted. She didn't beat around the bush. And she set things to rights at the end. Bravo to her.
What I didn't like:
1) All the bedroom scenes. Honestly, I couldn't bring myself to read them since I was mad at the h for giving the H another chance so easily and I found the H so undeserving of her. For those reasons alone, it felt like there were too many intimate moments between the MCs.
2) The h was too forgiving, too understanding, and I felt like she was just desperate for someone to help her out, someone for her to lean on so that she didn't have to go at it alone. I wish she had a serious love interest in this story, and wasn't just available for the H to swoop in and save the day.
3) The H. What can I say? He's an idiot and a total jerk. Kudos to him for paying child support and a back payment, too, but honestly, that was the least he could do. I admired him for trying to make it work with his fiancee, but his faithfulness to her might have been his only other redeeming quality. He betrayed the h, no ifs and or buts about it. He said he would call, he broke his promise, and I'm glad that he realized that everything that happened afterward was on him. He also realized that he needed to make up for it, but he didn't do much to do that other than giving her money. One month between his fiancee leaving and picking up with the h was hardly enough time to make up for what he did. He is the reason I can't rate this story any higher.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2018
I tried one other book in this series and just couldn't get into it but this one sucked me right in. I really appreciated how the hero was portrayed realistically as having not called her back all though years ago because he was young and dumb and full of himself. Also good reading is that he is engaged to be married when he finally meets the heroine again. He is in the position of having to tell his fiancé that he had a 7 year old son that would be taking up finances and time in their lives. The hero and heroine do not instantly consider getting married to give their son a happy family but start down the road to shared custody and during that time eventually fall in love again.
On the strength of this book I might go back and try some of the others in the series. Maybe the one I tried first was just not for me.
On the strength of this book I might go back and try some of the others in the series. Maybe the one I tried first was just not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2017
Actual rating: 2.5 stars, but rounding up in fairness because I honestly suspect this is a case of "It's not you, book, it's me." The writing was fine, it just wasn't my thing.
Seven years ago, Emma was very immature young woman, just jilted at the altar, who goes alone on what was supposed to be her honeymoon in Fiji, and literally tumbles into the arms of carefree and handsome rugby player, Nic. She forgets to take her birth control pill a couple of times--whoops!--and fast forward to the present, Nic sees her and their six year old son Zack, puts two and two together, and decides to step in and do the right thing as dad.
Mostly, it is a very domestic story about childcare and cozy dinners and decorating kids' rooms (first on a shoestring budget and then with a credit card). Emma is a capital-M mom and her life revolves around Zack. Yes, in real life that is to be expected of mothers with young children, but in fiction, I find it kind of dull. Every once in a while, a fictional child can be engaging, but Zack is no Scout Finch, I'll just say that.
There were other things that also made Just for Fun just not for me, such as how Emma is such a huge girly-girl and Nic is a professional athlete, two other things I find rather boring. So I ended up skimming all the parts that had to do with rugby and Emma's chatting with the rugby wives about babies and knitting.
So what did I like? As I said, the writing was fine, and I liked how Nic was presented as such a thoroughly decent character from start to finish, a nice change after some of the stalkerish alpha idiots I've run across in contemporary romances this year. Emma was nice too. Honestly, don't take my lukewarm praises to heart, I suspect it's all just a case of "not for me," and if you like stories were children and parenting take center stage, you will probably enjoy it more than I did.
Read for Unapologetic Romance Readers 2017 challenge: Secret Baby Category.
Seven years ago, Emma was very immature young woman, just jilted at the altar, who goes alone on what was supposed to be her honeymoon in Fiji, and literally tumbles into the arms of carefree and handsome rugby player, Nic. She forgets to take her birth control pill a couple of times--whoops!--and fast forward to the present, Nic sees her and their six year old son Zack, puts two and two together, and decides to step in and do the right thing as dad.
Mostly, it is a very domestic story about childcare and cozy dinners and decorating kids' rooms (first on a shoestring budget and then with a credit card). Emma is a capital-M mom and her life revolves around Zack. Yes, in real life that is to be expected of mothers with young children, but in fiction, I find it kind of dull. Every once in a while, a fictional child can be engaging, but Zack is no Scout Finch, I'll just say that.
There were other things that also made Just for Fun just not for me, such as how Emma is such a huge girly-girl and Nic is a professional athlete, two other things I find rather boring. So I ended up skimming all the parts that had to do with rugby and Emma's chatting with the rugby wives about babies and knitting.
So what did I like? As I said, the writing was fine, and I liked how Nic was presented as such a thoroughly decent character from start to finish, a nice change after some of the stalkerish alpha idiots I've run across in contemporary romances this year. Emma was nice too. Honestly, don't take my lukewarm praises to heart, I suspect it's all just a case of "not for me," and if you like stories were children and parenting take center stage, you will probably enjoy it more than I did.
Read for Unapologetic Romance Readers 2017 challenge: Secret Baby Category.
April 3, 2013
A 307 page book without a conflicting theme that turned to be a very long and boring story.
March 15, 2022
3.5 STARS
Overall, another solid installment to the series. I adored Zach and all his cuteness. However, I wanted more a buildup to Nic and Emma's reconnection; it went way too quickly. Even though there were great rugby scenes, I wish there were more personal interactions between the players themselves. Could have done without the FSOG knockoff scenes but given the year it was originally written, I guess it was to be expected.
Overall, another solid installment to the series. I adored Zach and all his cuteness. However, I wanted more a buildup to Nic and Emma's reconnection; it went way too quickly. Even though there were great rugby scenes, I wish there were more personal interactions between the players themselves. Could have done without the FSOG knockoff scenes but given the year it was originally written, I guess it was to be expected.
February 26, 2014
4 stars
This was a very good story. I liked Nic and Emma and the way the story played out. I was rooting for them to get together from the start. ;)
Emma is a sweet woman that hasn't had an easy time of it. She's a single mother that works at an Engineering firm as a CAD operator. She's unhappy in her work because her supervisor goes out of his way to make her life hell. She gets by on the money she makes but doesn't fight back when her supervisor is a pain because she can't afford to lose her job. She loves her son, Zach, very much and does her best to take care of him. Emma struggles to not to let him feel the strain of their money situation but it's hard to hide, even from a child.
Nic is a professional rugby player and a good guy. He played on a team in another country for years and just got traded back to New Zealand recently. He has a fiancee named Claudia, who is a high-powered lawyer. She's not exactly the warm type but Nic does his best to make things work with her.
Nic and Emma spent a week together in Fiji 7 years before. Emma had just been dumped at the alter and was looking to escape for a bit. Nic was on break from Rugby in Fiji. They meet on the plane and spend a wonderful week together. When they split it's with professions of love and Nic promising to get in touch with Emma once he gets settled in with his new team. Unfortunately, Nic had a bout of relationship dumbassedness and let his young and stupid brain convince him that Emma wasn't all he remembered and that there would be other women as good as her after he'd experienced some adventure. Well He didn't call her and due to his celebrity status, Emma had no luck trying to get a message to him about her unexpected pregnancy (even through legal channels). She gave up thinking that Nic wasn't interested in having anything to do with Zach. 6 years later, Zach is on a kids rugby team and Nic is there helping out a friend with coaching the kids. He notices Zach's resemblance to him as a kid but doesn't think much of it until he gets a look at Zach's mom, Emma. He quickly adds it up and finds that 2+2=4, realizing that Zach must be his kid.
Nic wastes no time getting in touch with Emma and he apparently hadn't been told about any of her attempts to get in touch with him. He decides he wants in Zach's life and immediately gets paternity tests set up and promises to start paying maintenance (aka Child support). He also wants to get to know Zach. Emma cautiously agrees but makes Nic promise to let her decide when Zach finds out Nic's his dad. Nic tells Claudia about Zach and she's not happy at all and doesn't relish the thought of being a step-mom or giving up some of Nic's money for the maintenance payments. Nic starts to spend time with Nic (and Emma at times by default) and he tries to get Claudia involved but she soon makes it clear that it's her or Zach and Nic makes the right choice so Claudia packs up and leaves him. The attraction between Nic and Emma was still there and they'd been doing their best to ignore it when Claudia was in the picture but after she left...well lets just say that after a bit of a wait Nic makes it clear to Emma that he wants her. Emma is very worried about her heart being broken but more importantly Zach being hurt if they started seeing each other and things go wrong. It takes a bit of time a persuasion but Nic gets his chance and proves to be worthy of her trust. There is drama and some hard decisions that have to be dealt with but Nic and Emma are both strong, caring individual and they do what they need to in order to make things work for them as a couple and all 3 of them as a family. I liked the way things were wrapped up at the end and loved seeing Nic and Emma (and Zach) starting their HEA.
This was a very enjoyable story. I really liked all the characters (well except maybe Claudia) and thought the story was well written. Although it's pretty much a romance with no action plot, the story is still interesting enough that I stayed fully engaged until the end. This was a very good addition to the series and I plan to read more of the series in the future. I'd recommend this book. Thumbs up. :D
This was a very good story. I liked Nic and Emma and the way the story played out. I was rooting for them to get together from the start. ;)
Emma is a sweet woman that hasn't had an easy time of it. She's a single mother that works at an Engineering firm as a CAD operator. She's unhappy in her work because her supervisor goes out of his way to make her life hell. She gets by on the money she makes but doesn't fight back when her supervisor is a pain because she can't afford to lose her job. She loves her son, Zach, very much and does her best to take care of him. Emma struggles to not to let him feel the strain of their money situation but it's hard to hide, even from a child.
Nic is a professional rugby player and a good guy. He played on a team in another country for years and just got traded back to New Zealand recently. He has a fiancee named Claudia, who is a high-powered lawyer. She's not exactly the warm type but Nic does his best to make things work with her.
Nic and Emma spent a week together in Fiji 7 years before. Emma had just been dumped at the alter and was looking to escape for a bit. Nic was on break from Rugby in Fiji. They meet on the plane and spend a wonderful week together. When they split it's with professions of love and Nic promising to get in touch with Emma once he gets settled in with his new team. Unfortunately, Nic had a bout of relationship dumbassedness and let his young and stupid brain convince him that Emma wasn't all he remembered and that there would be other women as good as her after he'd experienced some adventure. Well He didn't call her and due to his celebrity status, Emma had no luck trying to get a message to him about her unexpected pregnancy (even through legal channels). She gave up thinking that Nic wasn't interested in having anything to do with Zach. 6 years later, Zach is on a kids rugby team and Nic is there helping out a friend with coaching the kids. He notices Zach's resemblance to him as a kid but doesn't think much of it until he gets a look at Zach's mom, Emma. He quickly adds it up and finds that 2+2=4, realizing that Zach must be his kid.
Nic wastes no time getting in touch with Emma and he apparently hadn't been told about any of her attempts to get in touch with him. He decides he wants in Zach's life and immediately gets paternity tests set up and promises to start paying maintenance (aka Child support). He also wants to get to know Zach. Emma cautiously agrees but makes Nic promise to let her decide when Zach finds out Nic's his dad. Nic tells Claudia about Zach and she's not happy at all and doesn't relish the thought of being a step-mom or giving up some of Nic's money for the maintenance payments. Nic starts to spend time with Nic (and Emma at times by default) and he tries to get Claudia involved but she soon makes it clear that it's her or Zach and Nic makes the right choice so Claudia packs up and leaves him. The attraction between Nic and Emma was still there and they'd been doing their best to ignore it when Claudia was in the picture but after she left...well lets just say that after a bit of a wait Nic makes it clear to Emma that he wants her. Emma is very worried about her heart being broken but more importantly Zach being hurt if they started seeing each other and things go wrong. It takes a bit of time a persuasion but Nic gets his chance and proves to be worthy of her trust. There is drama and some hard decisions that have to be dealt with but Nic and Emma are both strong, caring individual and they do what they need to in order to make things work for them as a couple and all 3 of them as a family. I liked the way things were wrapped up at the end and loved seeing Nic and Emma (and Zach) starting their HEA.
This was a very enjoyable story. I really liked all the characters (well except maybe Claudia) and thought the story was well written. Although it's pretty much a romance with no action plot, the story is still interesting enough that I stayed fully engaged until the end. This was a very good addition to the series and I plan to read more of the series in the future. I'd recommend this book. Thumbs up. :D
March 26, 2017
What an enjoyable book! I downloaded it because I'm in the middle of an audio book and a hard cover book but I prefer to read on my kindle in bed. So I went looking for a 'secret baby romance' to read as part of the Unapologetic Romance Readers group challenge and this one, set in NZ, with a sports theme looked like a reasonable choice. The problem being that I read it in one day so now I need to find another kindle book.
It turned out so much better than I expected - I loved it.
I liked Emma, she didn't feel threatened by Nic coming back into her life and she did a good job controlling the way that Nic became integrated into Zack's (their son's life). She did an awesome job under difficult circumstances I reckon.
Emma had career problems that are probably faced by many people who are in an economically fragile situation - putting up with abuse and bullying for fear of losing her income. This was a very powerful part of the story for me. But GEEZ this author has it in for engineers! There are heaps of them in this book and they are all arseholes :-( I would have liked to see a little bit of balance in Emma's workplace.
I liked that Nic was right on board with the fatherhood thing, and he didn't go off in a rage when he found out (like happens in many of these sorts of tropes). In fact, he is generally a dude who uses 'his words' to resolve conflict. I also enjoyed the sports aspect of the story line and the NZ setting.
Kudos to the author also for not making Nic's ex-fiance into an evil bitch. She wasn't on board with the new developments in their relationship and she called it quits with a minimum of fuss and defended Nic's reputation when it was needed.
It turned out so much better than I expected - I loved it.
I liked Emma, she didn't feel threatened by Nic coming back into her life and she did a good job controlling the way that Nic became integrated into Zack's (their son's life). She did an awesome job under difficult circumstances I reckon.
Emma had career problems that are probably faced by many people who are in an economically fragile situation - putting up with abuse and bullying for fear of losing her income. This was a very powerful part of the story for me. But GEEZ this author has it in for engineers! There are heaps of them in this book and they are all arseholes :-( I would have liked to see a little bit of balance in Emma's workplace.
I liked that Nic was right on board with the fatherhood thing, and he didn't go off in a rage when he found out (like happens in many of these sorts of tropes). In fact, he is generally a dude who uses 'his words' to resolve conflict. I also enjoyed the sports aspect of the story line and the NZ setting.
Kudos to the author also for not making Nic's ex-fiance into an evil bitch. She wasn't on board with the new developments in their relationship and she called it quits with a minimum of fuss and defended Nic's reputation when it was needed.
August 6, 2015
Rosalind James did not fail...again provided another wonderful story about the All Blacks. Nic and Emma met by chance in Fiji, had a great week together then lost contact after leaving each other at the airport. 6 years later they happen to meet again when Emma's 6 year old son, Zach, is at a Rugby camp that Nic is helping at. Any quesses as to who his father is...yep Nic's!! This story is about their getting a second chance with each other but not without others having a say or effect on them of course.
I really enjoyed this one as much as I did the first three and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
I really enjoyed this one as much as I did the first three and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
December 27, 2025
Review to come.
May 26, 2017
Just For Fun is book four in Rosalind James’s Escape to New Zealand series about the fictional members of the New Zealand All Black rugby team. These books could be read as standalones - there are recurring characters, but not interrelated plots, so you won't be confused about what happened previously. However, these are very well written stories so I highly recommend you start at the beginning!
This book is about All Black member Nic Wilkinson, and Emma Martens, a woman he met years ago and had a week-long whirlwind affair with in Fiji. When he runs into her seven years later, he's surprised to discover she went back to New Zealand with something more than just good memories…
Once they spend more time together, they both realize the spark they felt all those years ago is still there. Nic is ready to forge full-steam ahead, but Emma’s heart was broken badly last time, and she's not so sure getting involved again with Nic is a good idea.
“I know what I did, and I'm sorry for it. But I'm not that man anymore. If you give me your heart again, it'll be safe with me.”
There are so many things I love about this series. Besides being well written (the dialogue is good, the plots move at a good pace, the characters are well developed), I love the heros and heroines in the stories. There could be a tendency for each book to have a different plot but seem like it's just with different characters, but that isn't the case. Each character is their own “person” with a different personality. There's conflict, but the stories aren't overly-angsty or dramatic in a cliched way.
There is also a different tone for each book - some are more on the sweet romance side, whereas this book touched a little more on the “darker” side (while not very explicit at all, there are some hints to a mildly dominant/submissive relationship). Some of the men are stereotypical alpha-males, while others are just manly men. They’re all pretty swoony though!
If there's one negative about the books, it’s that frequently there are large sections about rugby. Since I have no knowledge of that sport whatsoever, those parts are difficult for me to be interested in. But the rest of the book is so good I don't hold it against the book!
Probably the best thing about these books, though, is that you can actually feel like you're reading a book IN New Zealand! Many of the heroines are from the US, so there's this great contrast between the English dialogue and the New Zealand dialogue, and you can truly believe you’re reading how an actual Kiwi would speak. Plus, you get a glossary of terms at the end of the book to help you understand what they are saying. Every time I finish one of these books, I really want to book a trip to New Zealand.
I really like these books! I’m sure there will be some I like more than others, but so far, I haven’t been disappointed by any of them.
PS I’m reading this as part of the Escape to New Zealand Boxed Set, Volume 2, which contains books 4-6. So guess what?! Reviews for books five and six are comin’ up next!
This book is about All Black member Nic Wilkinson, and Emma Martens, a woman he met years ago and had a week-long whirlwind affair with in Fiji. When he runs into her seven years later, he's surprised to discover she went back to New Zealand with something more than just good memories…
Once they spend more time together, they both realize the spark they felt all those years ago is still there. Nic is ready to forge full-steam ahead, but Emma’s heart was broken badly last time, and she's not so sure getting involved again with Nic is a good idea.
“I know what I did, and I'm sorry for it. But I'm not that man anymore. If you give me your heart again, it'll be safe with me.”
There are so many things I love about this series. Besides being well written (the dialogue is good, the plots move at a good pace, the characters are well developed), I love the heros and heroines in the stories. There could be a tendency for each book to have a different plot but seem like it's just with different characters, but that isn't the case. Each character is their own “person” with a different personality. There's conflict, but the stories aren't overly-angsty or dramatic in a cliched way.
There is also a different tone for each book - some are more on the sweet romance side, whereas this book touched a little more on the “darker” side (while not very explicit at all, there are some hints to a mildly dominant/submissive relationship). Some of the men are stereotypical alpha-males, while others are just manly men. They’re all pretty swoony though!
If there's one negative about the books, it’s that frequently there are large sections about rugby. Since I have no knowledge of that sport whatsoever, those parts are difficult for me to be interested in. But the rest of the book is so good I don't hold it against the book!
Probably the best thing about these books, though, is that you can actually feel like you're reading a book IN New Zealand! Many of the heroines are from the US, so there's this great contrast between the English dialogue and the New Zealand dialogue, and you can truly believe you’re reading how an actual Kiwi would speak. Plus, you get a glossary of terms at the end of the book to help you understand what they are saying. Every time I finish one of these books, I really want to book a trip to New Zealand.
I really like these books! I’m sure there will be some I like more than others, but so far, I haven’t been disappointed by any of them.
PS I’m reading this as part of the Escape to New Zealand Boxed Set, Volume 2, which contains books 4-6. So guess what?! Reviews for books five and six are comin’ up next!
August 1, 2019
For some reason when I think of this book I think the word fluffy. Maybe because of Nic and Emma's personalities, both were pretty chipper, which was a bit surprising as Emma had a lot of reason to not like Nic at the start and how she struggled for the last few years. There wasn't a lot of drama in this one, so maybe that helped too. I did like how Nic and Emma worked their way back to each other and how once committed they didn't waste any time to start a new life together.
April 12, 2018
really didn't do it for me - even with my lowered standards for this type of book I can't round up the 2.5*
There were some good things about it though. The trope this time is the man finding out he has a child he did not know about. Not my favourite type of story. However she did try to let him know he had a kid and as soon as he found out he immediately wanted to do everything a father should. He was also up front with his girlfriend. I liked him well enough but I really was not enamoured of Emma. In the end it was just meh.
There were some good things about it though. The trope this time is the man finding out he has a child he did not know about. Not my favourite type of story. However she did try to let him know he had a kid and as soon as he found out he immediately wanted to do everything a father should. He was also up front with his girlfriend. I liked him well enough but I really was not enamoured of Emma. In the end it was just meh.
dnf
June 28, 2025I like the book, I just don’t have the brain power to decipher New Zealand slang at the moment
August 23, 2019
Cute read, can’t complain!
January 18, 2025
Nic Wilkinson a disciplined rugby player has a great life. He helps volunteer and coaches kids, has a gorgeous fiancee and plenty of money and fame. While coaching some youngsters one weekend he sees a kid... he sees himself... he has to find out if this kid is his? He is stunned to find out that he probably is his son from a short 1 week fling 6 yrs ago.
Nic tracks down the mom and kid and it is the girl he spent an amazing week with in Fiji with almost 7 yrs ago.
He is angry she never told him, but she proves to him she tried everything to reach him but was turned away by team's PR people so she figured he didn't want to be involved.
I loved this book as I have been reading a lot of light weight stuff and this is like getting a meal instead of a snack. The main characters were so likeable and the way Nic took to his son was just chef's kiss.
Nic tracks down the mom and kid and it is the girl he spent an amazing week with in Fiji with almost 7 yrs ago.
He is angry she never told him, but she proves to him she tried everything to reach him but was turned away by team's PR people so she figured he didn't want to be involved.
I loved this book as I have been reading a lot of light weight stuff and this is like getting a meal instead of a snack. The main characters were so likeable and the way Nic took to his son was just chef's kiss.
February 20, 2013
Welcome back to New Zealand ... land of Kiwis and everything rugby! In the fourth book of the Escape to New Zealand series, author Rosalind James provides the reader with another tale of romance, this time with the story of Nic Wilkinson and Emma Martens.
Seven years ago Nic and Emma meet on a plane to Fiji, and because of air turbulence, Emma literally lands on Nic's lap. Nic was going to the island for a week's holiday before heading to England to play rugby; while Emma was spending the week on her non-honeymoon after her ex-fiance left her at the altar. They had an intense week-long island affair and then went their separate ways, but a little gift in the way of a son came out of their time together. Fast forward six years later, Nic is volunteering at a kid's rugby camp and discovers that he has a son when he sees six year old Zack's mom, Emma. Nic is determined to do right by his son, and as their story unfolds, there is some bumps along the way: Nic's engaged to a snotty high-maintenance lawyer named Claudia, but the mutual attraction that simmers beneath the surface between Nic and Emma, and the love they share for their son brings them back together. As they work through their newly formed family dynamic, can their long ago Just For Fun affair turn into a forever relationship?
Just For Fun follows the same relationship and rugby themes set in New Zealand as the previous three books in the series, but this storyline is a bit different as it focuses on a love child born from a long ago quick affair that brings two people together for a second chance at love. I loved each of the four books in the series, but I have to say that this one is my favorite, it is a happy feel good kind of romance story that simply makes you smile. Written in the third person narrative, the reader follows Nic and Emma's journey from each of their perspectives as their love story unfolds. Their story is about two people who had a youthful affair seven years ago, only to reunite as parents who begin their relationship as friends, and gradually build it into a second chance at becoming lovers. The story flows smoothly as Nic and Emma move forward with realistic co-parenting issues and basic relationship yearnings, with occasional steamy flashbacks to their affair, and some dramatic twists and turns that keeps the reader turning the pages.
True to the other books in the series, the author provides the reader with stories that are set in New Zealand and revolve around the popular sport of rugby. The attention to detail and description of New Zealand's history and dialect, and the nuance of the professional game of rugby will peak the reader's interest and imagination.
I enjoyed the author's character development of Nic and Emma throughout the story. Emma is a gentle and caring woman who is very protective of her son. Nic is a lovable man who is determined to be a father to his son, while being rough and tough on the rugby field. I really appreciated the author's style of building their relationship from one of coming together because of their son, to their growing mutual attraction, overcoming emotional baggage, to getting a second chance at love and a building a family.
With an interesting cast of characters, some who make cameos appearances from the other three books in the series; engaging dialogue and interactions; a storyline that mixes humor, drama and romance; Just For Fun is a heartwarming and enjoyable read!
Just For Fun is the fourth (but hopefully not the last!) book in the Escape to New Zealand series.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Reading Addiction Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
Seven years ago Nic and Emma meet on a plane to Fiji, and because of air turbulence, Emma literally lands on Nic's lap. Nic was going to the island for a week's holiday before heading to England to play rugby; while Emma was spending the week on her non-honeymoon after her ex-fiance left her at the altar. They had an intense week-long island affair and then went their separate ways, but a little gift in the way of a son came out of their time together. Fast forward six years later, Nic is volunteering at a kid's rugby camp and discovers that he has a son when he sees six year old Zack's mom, Emma. Nic is determined to do right by his son, and as their story unfolds, there is some bumps along the way: Nic's engaged to a snotty high-maintenance lawyer named Claudia, but the mutual attraction that simmers beneath the surface between Nic and Emma, and the love they share for their son brings them back together. As they work through their newly formed family dynamic, can their long ago Just For Fun affair turn into a forever relationship?
Just For Fun follows the same relationship and rugby themes set in New Zealand as the previous three books in the series, but this storyline is a bit different as it focuses on a love child born from a long ago quick affair that brings two people together for a second chance at love. I loved each of the four books in the series, but I have to say that this one is my favorite, it is a happy feel good kind of romance story that simply makes you smile. Written in the third person narrative, the reader follows Nic and Emma's journey from each of their perspectives as their love story unfolds. Their story is about two people who had a youthful affair seven years ago, only to reunite as parents who begin their relationship as friends, and gradually build it into a second chance at becoming lovers. The story flows smoothly as Nic and Emma move forward with realistic co-parenting issues and basic relationship yearnings, with occasional steamy flashbacks to their affair, and some dramatic twists and turns that keeps the reader turning the pages.
True to the other books in the series, the author provides the reader with stories that are set in New Zealand and revolve around the popular sport of rugby. The attention to detail and description of New Zealand's history and dialect, and the nuance of the professional game of rugby will peak the reader's interest and imagination.
I enjoyed the author's character development of Nic and Emma throughout the story. Emma is a gentle and caring woman who is very protective of her son. Nic is a lovable man who is determined to be a father to his son, while being rough and tough on the rugby field. I really appreciated the author's style of building their relationship from one of coming together because of their son, to their growing mutual attraction, overcoming emotional baggage, to getting a second chance at love and a building a family.
With an interesting cast of characters, some who make cameos appearances from the other three books in the series; engaging dialogue and interactions; a storyline that mixes humor, drama and romance; Just For Fun is a heartwarming and enjoyable read!
Just For Fun is the fourth (but hopefully not the last!) book in the Escape to New Zealand series.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Reading Addiction Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
December 12, 2012
This is another great escape to New Zealand by Rosalind James. I loved this story, but I love second chance romances. This is actually the first secret baby romance I have read where there wasn't a point in the story where I wanted to reach into the book and shake the heroine for being stupid. This is a beautifully written story about two people who meet and "fall in love" when they are too young and immature to really know what that means. When they are reunited years later they....talk, they don't jump right into bed thinking that will solve all their problems. They communicate and build their relationship (and family) slowly from the ground up. I liked that most everyone in the story is essentially a good person, even Nic's fiance (she's cold but not "evil" and she does her best to do the right thing and knows herself well enough to know what she is and isn't capable of doing or feeling regarding Nic & his son) and it was nice to read a story with no real villain actively causing problems for the couple. I liked the slow build up of sexual tension between Emma & Nic and the sex scenes when they do arrive are very well written (and hot). What I really like best about this series is it's all about relationships and not just the main couple but between the guys on the team (I love the scene with Finn & Nic talking about making babies and Finn wanting to do it on purpose some time) and the relationships between the wives and girlfriends. I highly recommend this book, especially if you've enjoyed the rest of this series, if you haven't read the other books you can read this first without being lost, but I dare you to not want to read them when you finish this one.
September 20, 2018
I loath secret baby books, they are emotion bombs of anger and pain.
Emma spends years trying to get child support from Nico but is coldly pushed off by the professional rugby money making machine. There are layers of protection insulating professional athletes from inconveniences like children.
Emma has emails with the names of everyone who pushed her off and hurt her child but nothing is ever done to hold them or the system accountable. WTF?
When Nico meets his child he decides to step up, make a back payment, monthly payments, and weekly visits leading us to believe he's a good guy.
Wrong.
Nico was the kind of guy who spent a passionate week in Fiji with Emma telling her he loved her then left for England without a word because he knew there would be "plenty more girls and good times" as a professional rugby player. Nico tells Emma this was a youthful error in judgement because, although he had all those good times while she was a starving single mom, she was his best time leading us to believe he's a good guy.
Wrong.
Ms. James writes Nicos fiancé as coldly as possible and repeatedly points out that Nico did not act out his sexual desires toward his old flame during his solo visitations with Emma and their son leading us to believe he's a good guy.
Wrong.
This whole book reads like a bad Robyn Carr novel. Compared with Drew Callahan, Koti James, or Finn Douglas, Nico Wilkinson is a dead loss. The high point of the book was the riveting, if short, description of the rugby Super Bowl.
Emma spends years trying to get child support from Nico but is coldly pushed off by the professional rugby money making machine. There are layers of protection insulating professional athletes from inconveniences like children.
Emma has emails with the names of everyone who pushed her off and hurt her child but nothing is ever done to hold them or the system accountable. WTF?
When Nico meets his child he decides to step up, make a back payment, monthly payments, and weekly visits leading us to believe he's a good guy.
Wrong.
Nico was the kind of guy who spent a passionate week in Fiji with Emma telling her he loved her then left for England without a word because he knew there would be "plenty more girls and good times" as a professional rugby player. Nico tells Emma this was a youthful error in judgement because, although he had all those good times while she was a starving single mom, she was his best time leading us to believe he's a good guy.
Wrong.
Ms. James writes Nicos fiancé as coldly as possible and repeatedly points out that Nico did not act out his sexual desires toward his old flame during his solo visitations with Emma and their son leading us to believe he's a good guy.
Wrong.
This whole book reads like a bad Robyn Carr novel. Compared with Drew Callahan, Koti James, or Finn Douglas, Nico Wilkinson is a dead loss. The high point of the book was the riveting, if short, description of the rugby Super Bowl.
December 26, 2012
Usually I intensely dislike stories involving a secret baby plot, but this one was different and it worked. Nic and Emma had an intense, whirlwind vacation romance 7 years ago which resulted in a baby. A baby Nic didn't know about, and a baby Emma did everything she knew to do to inform him of. Now baby Zach is a cute tyke of 6 and ends up at a rugby camp where Nic is volunteering. A+B = C.
This was a nice story about second chances, two people growing up and finding themselves, and eventually each other again. I thought it was realistic and believable and the pacing was just right. They didn't fall into bed immediately, but felt their way along a tenuous, if somewhat rocky road, from former lovers to co-parenting to lovers again. It helped that the kid wasn't annoying and that Emma didn't smother him or try to keep Nic away in a "mother knows best" attitude. I even teared up a few times.
4.5 stars
This was a nice story about second chances, two people growing up and finding themselves, and eventually each other again. I thought it was realistic and believable and the pacing was just right. They didn't fall into bed immediately, but felt their way along a tenuous, if somewhat rocky road, from former lovers to co-parenting to lovers again. It helped that the kid wasn't annoying and that Emma didn't smother him or try to keep Nic away in a "mother knows best" attitude. I even teared up a few times.
4.5 stars
October 28, 2014
I've loved the Escape to New Zealand books. I mean, Rugby players, New Zealand... YUM!
↑↑↑↑ That says it all.
But this book just didn't thrill me like the others. The story line was obvious. There were very few twists. The stakes weren't high for the couple. It was a fun read, just not my favorite in the series.
↑↑↑↑ That says it all.
But this book just didn't thrill me like the others. The story line was obvious. There were very few twists. The stakes weren't high for the couple. It was a fun read, just not my favorite in the series.
October 16, 2020
Wow...Ms James continues to write great romance fiction. She has me hooked on New Zealand rugby players!! :)
I'm looking forward to finding #5 in this series and adding it to my IPAD.
Keep up the good writing, Ms. James.
[Just please hurry up and get #5 in this series finished! ;) ]
I'm looking forward to finding #5 in this series and adding it to my IPAD.
Keep up the good writing, Ms. James.
[Just please hurry up and get #5 in this series finished! ;) ]
November 29, 2013
This is a very enjoyable read that pulls off the secret baby theme with realism and empathy. It is a lovely romance in a series I really like. If you are looking for a good sports romance, look no further!
August 16, 2014
3.5/5.0
Emma and Nic have the type of relationship which is commonly used in contemporary romance; however, it is nonetheless inviting to the reader.
Full review in March 2013 issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Emma and Nic have the type of relationship which is commonly used in contemporary romance; however, it is nonetheless inviting to the reader.
Full review in March 2013 issue of InD'tale Magazine.
March 1, 2023
The couple: Nic and Emma
Romance trope: sports romance
Series: Escape to New Zealand
Length: 338 pages
Plot: Nic and Emma had a hot week 6 years ago and unbeknown to Nic, that vacation resulted in a child. Emma's son, Zach, is at a rugby camp where Nic is working with kids (he's an all-star rugby player) when Nic sees him and his mom and realizes Zach is his son. He tracks Emma down and they begin the process of getting to know each other again and integrating their lies as they are now. It isn't easy though; Nic has a fiance and Emma is loathed to give up her parenting of Zach after all these years. But they slowly come to an agreement, more easily than they initially thought, because the truth is that the spark they felt all those years ago isn't gone at all.
Commentary: I liked this one well enough. I'm not a big sports fan and I didn't know there would be as much detailed sports talk as there was, so that took away a little enjoyment for me, while I do know that some people would like that aspect.
I was not a huge fan of Nic at first. Honestly, I couldn't quite put my finger on it right away. He seemed like an okay guy - not deep, but committed, not passionate in his relationship with Claudia, but faithful. I think it was the recounting of their initial meeting and the fact that he was so bad with Zach at first if it wasn't directly about rugby. But I guess that's realistic if you're just meeting your kid for the first time and he's already a whole person. But also, he was a bit of a jerk at first with threatening Emma with legal action when she had already proven that she didn't keep his child from him intentionally; also he didn't know Zach, he had no set-up at home to take care of a kid, his fiancee wasn't on-board, etc. I just couldn't see how he was going to reconnect with Emma while he had a fiancee either.
But in the end, Claudia leaving took care of a lot of the problems. She was one cold fish! She really thought that the nanny would take care of Zach and they would have nothing to do with him.
In the end though it was obvious that Emma and Nic had never really gotten over their young love and it was sweet to see them reconnect. Zach was a cutie and as obsessed with rugby as his dad. Speaking of dads - Nic's dad, omg. What an absolute jackass to treat Zach that way!
There were some things that bothered me. The attack by her coworker? I don't think it added any value to the story. It seemed that it was just a vehicle to allow Nic to show some possessiveness and then show him asking for consent later on. I don't think it added enough value to be included. As I mentioned before, the detailed rugby matches. They didn't really advance the story either.
But still, overall, good story.
Previous book in the series: Just for Now
Next book in the series: Just My Luck
Romance trope: sports romance
Series: Escape to New Zealand
Length: 338 pages
Plot: Nic and Emma had a hot week 6 years ago and unbeknown to Nic, that vacation resulted in a child. Emma's son, Zach, is at a rugby camp where Nic is working with kids (he's an all-star rugby player) when Nic sees him and his mom and realizes Zach is his son. He tracks Emma down and they begin the process of getting to know each other again and integrating their lies as they are now. It isn't easy though; Nic has a fiance and Emma is loathed to give up her parenting of Zach after all these years. But they slowly come to an agreement, more easily than they initially thought, because the truth is that the spark they felt all those years ago isn't gone at all.
Commentary: I liked this one well enough. I'm not a big sports fan and I didn't know there would be as much detailed sports talk as there was, so that took away a little enjoyment for me, while I do know that some people would like that aspect.
I was not a huge fan of Nic at first. Honestly, I couldn't quite put my finger on it right away. He seemed like an okay guy - not deep, but committed, not passionate in his relationship with Claudia, but faithful. I think it was the recounting of their initial meeting and the fact that he was so bad with Zach at first if it wasn't directly about rugby. But I guess that's realistic if you're just meeting your kid for the first time and he's already a whole person. But also, he was a bit of a jerk at first with threatening Emma with legal action when she had already proven that she didn't keep his child from him intentionally; also he didn't know Zach, he had no set-up at home to take care of a kid, his fiancee wasn't on-board, etc. I just couldn't see how he was going to reconnect with Emma while he had a fiancee either.
But in the end, Claudia leaving took care of a lot of the problems. She was one cold fish! She really thought that the nanny would take care of Zach and they would have nothing to do with him.
In the end though it was obvious that Emma and Nic had never really gotten over their young love and it was sweet to see them reconnect. Zach was a cutie and as obsessed with rugby as his dad. Speaking of dads - Nic's dad, omg. What an absolute jackass to treat Zach that way!
There were some things that bothered me. The attack by her coworker? I don't think it added any value to the story. It seemed that it was just a vehicle to allow Nic to show some possessiveness and then show him asking for consent later on. I don't think it added enough value to be included. As I mentioned before, the detailed rugby matches. They didn't really advance the story either.
But still, overall, good story.
Previous book in the series: Just for Now
Next book in the series: Just My Luck
November 27, 2025
Just for Fun by Rosalind James is a story about a chance week‑long fling in Fiji that unexpectedly leaves behind a child and years later forces the two people involved to face the past, co‑parent, and decide whether what started as “just for fun” could turn into something real and lasting.
From the start I wasn’t sure what to expect but as I turned the pages, I found myself drawn into a warm, messy, hopeful kind of love story. Emma Martens, grappling with being a single mom to her son Zach, came across as weary but determined; and Nic Wilkinson, a professional rugby player who discovers he may be Zach’s father, slowly transforms from a star athlete to a man wrestling with responsibility, guilt, and the possibility of redemption. Their reunion isn’t magic, there’s no insta‑love, but a cautious, gradual rebuilding of trust, co‑parenting, and latent feelings that are complicated by Nic’s prior engagement and Emma’s understandable reservations.
What resonated with me most was how real the emotional stakes feel: the fear that someone you once loved might not ever be ready for real commitment, the vulnerability of parenting alone, and the hope still flickering, but very alive that a second chance might just be worth the risk. The setting, with nods to New Zealand’s rugby culture and even some Kiwi slang (there’s a glossary at the end), gave the story a distinct sense of place. If I had one quibble, it’s that the pace before the romance really picks up can feel slow, and the sports‑centred parts might not be for everyone. But overall, the way James balances romance with real life issues, reconciliation, parenting, forgiveness, second chances, left me feeling quietly hopeful and satisfied.
I’d give Just for Fun a 4 out of 5 stars. It isn’t a high‑drama page‑turner, but it’s heartfelt and grounded, a comforting romance that reminded me that love doesn’t always come easy, but sometimes the messy, complicated kind is the one worth fighting for.
From the start I wasn’t sure what to expect but as I turned the pages, I found myself drawn into a warm, messy, hopeful kind of love story. Emma Martens, grappling with being a single mom to her son Zach, came across as weary but determined; and Nic Wilkinson, a professional rugby player who discovers he may be Zach’s father, slowly transforms from a star athlete to a man wrestling with responsibility, guilt, and the possibility of redemption. Their reunion isn’t magic, there’s no insta‑love, but a cautious, gradual rebuilding of trust, co‑parenting, and latent feelings that are complicated by Nic’s prior engagement and Emma’s understandable reservations.
What resonated with me most was how real the emotional stakes feel: the fear that someone you once loved might not ever be ready for real commitment, the vulnerability of parenting alone, and the hope still flickering, but very alive that a second chance might just be worth the risk. The setting, with nods to New Zealand’s rugby culture and even some Kiwi slang (there’s a glossary at the end), gave the story a distinct sense of place. If I had one quibble, it’s that the pace before the romance really picks up can feel slow, and the sports‑centred parts might not be for everyone. But overall, the way James balances romance with real life issues, reconciliation, parenting, forgiveness, second chances, left me feeling quietly hopeful and satisfied.
I’d give Just for Fun a 4 out of 5 stars. It isn’t a high‑drama page‑turner, but it’s heartfelt and grounded, a comforting romance that reminded me that love doesn’t always come easy, but sometimes the messy, complicated kind is the one worth fighting for.
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