Jemma Peeters knows exactly what she wants out of life, right down to the very last detail. She has it all planned out – the perfect career, the perfect husband, the perfect family. It's going to be. . .well, perfect. She knows how she wants things, and even how her perfect man will be.
Reid Padin is NOT it. He's dangerously sexy and annoyingly arrogant. He smokes too much, drinks too much and drives his stupid motorcycle way too fast. He curses like a sailor and goes through so many women he can't even remember their names. He's wrong for her in every way.
So why can't she stay away from him?
When Jemma accidentally stumbles into the tattoo shop where Reid works, an unlikely friendship is born. He'll give her freedom, he'll make her feel things she's never felt before, he'll show her that she's just as flawed as anyone else. Soon, lines are crossed, boundaries are obliterated and Jemma learns that a person's imperfections are kind of what makes them perfect.
He wants her, she wants him, and only her stubbornness will stand in their way.
Jessica Roe is the author of The Guardians series, the Fortunate series and the Haven series.
She's the mother of one sassy daughter, two cats and the grumpiest rat you'll ever meet. She's a lover of rainclouds, Gandalf and all things fantasy. Also chocolate. Always chocolate. When she's not writing or reading she's works as a graphic designer.
She loves to write, and especially enjoys creating a character and seeing where they take the story (because we all know authors aren't REALLY in charge).
She likes strong, ready to fight, female characters who are just as capable at anything as the guys. She has a weird love for villains.
Don't hesitate to get in contact - she loves to hear from her readers!
Jessica Roe is one of my new fav authors. The way she completely changes voice from character to character, book to book, is beyond talented. And yet she remains authentic in her overall writing style throughout--brilliant.
The sexual chemistry between her MC's is so hot I feel like I need to lather on some sun cream and don a hat. I absolutely adore how beautifully flawed her minor characters are, this adds textual layers and paves the way for future novels in the Fortunate Series.
Unlike Because of Him, there was not as much complexity to this storyline and because of this, the novel was much shorter, however, I never wanted to stop reading regardless of its length which has to say something about how good this book is.
Aaaaaaaaaahhhh!! I have been craving for such a book. Sigh. At last,here it is. Just like Because of him,this book couldn't remove that stupid grin from my goofy face which took residence for the whole time I was reading. Wow. Oh Jessica Roe,you are the best. Please do add more books. Puhleaseee!! Especially for Ibbie. ♥♥ I so thought it wasn't my type,but fortunately, it was!!! Yippee! *cue fangirling* *cue swooning* Oh Blaire!!! Silvester!! How I miss them.. Those were the best parts. Just well written. Keep writing!
Though the story wasn't as deep or layered as "Because of Him", as ever the author's dynamic writing shines. It's my most favourite thing about Jessica Roe's work. It's incredibly natural and readable (and funny), and gives a boost to moments that might not have been so interesting or compelling.
Its nice to have a connection the previous story and branch out to the family. I could not stand Jemma at the start of the book, and it's been a long time since I read "Because of Him" but recall there were some clashes between her and Blair--characters like her properly annoying to me. But the point of smart writing is to be able toevolve with and change your mind about an irritating character in symphony with a character changing her mind about herself. Certainly this makes for an enjoyable read.
I will work my way through this series gradually, but as I return for each fix, at least I'm fairly sure I won't be disappointed.
As an aside, I love the way Roe got in the word "pudding" as an affectation from the English mum. aways nice to hint back to the motherland. ;D
Sped through this pretty quickly. It doesn't feel as complex as Because of Him but the emotions are there, touches on angsty but it never lasts very long. This one does get a bit more frisky than the first one, so it feels more like a romance/NA. But it's okay, but it's got that nice balance of character development I really enjoy. AND surprisingly I didn't feel like strangling either Jemma or Reid, even though I'm pretty sure if another author wrote them and not half as well, I would most definitely strangle both of them.
3.5 Stars!!! This was a good read. In this book we get Jenna and Reid's story and although I liked their characters, their story was not as capturing as Blair and Silver's. Blair and Silver are still my favorite couple thus far. However, this story was funny, sweet and steamy. I liked that Blair and Jemma has gotten closer in this book but I still dislike their parents. I guess it will just take time since I hated them for how they treated Blair in the first book. The ending was sweet and I look forward to reading the next book in this standalone series.
This was a good quick read. It's the second book in the series and I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first one. I think it was just because of Jemma and her way of thinking. I do think her and Reid were a good match and I loved their chemistry from the get go. Glad he decided not to give up on her and showed her how good they could be together.
This book was amazing I loved the fact that Reid. And Jemma came together instead of her stuffy and stuck on themselves guys she had in her future their love ❤️ story was epic another great book Jessica !!!!!’
Nie rozumiem, jak dwie kolejne części tego samego cyklu, napisane rok po roku, mogą się tak różnić. Druga część nie dorasta pierwszej do pięt - jest między nimi po prostu przepaść, a właściwie cały Rów Mariański. Książka jest po prostu ŻENUJĄCA.
He's not in her future plan, but maybe he's worth throwing that plan out the window for something real...
Jemma has her life plan laid out - she's going to marry a professional, like a doctor or lawyer, they'll live in the suburbs, have children and live happily every after. That's all well and good, except all the guys she's dated that fall into the category are dull. While trying to escape an annoying ex who just won't accept that it over, Jemma stumbles into a tattoo parlor - the last place anyone would expect her to visit. There she meets Reid, the complete opposite of every guy she's ever dated. And although she knows that he's not part of her plan, she can't help but be drawn to him. So when they strike up an instant friendship, she's determined to not cross that very thin line they both dance up against, because she'd much rather Reid's friendship than a relationship that is ultimately going to fail. But they both have feelings under the surface, and it doesn't take long for one of them to snap under the tension and demand they give the relationship a chance.
I FINALLY STARTED ON THE REST OF THE SERIES! After having read Because of Him four times in the past two years, I finally picked up book two and I was not disappointed. Jemma was a character that really grew on me by the end of the first book and I was excited to see her story, as well as continuing to see Blair and Silver's story play out in the background.
Jemma and Reid's first interaction is that cheesey-yet-cute romance cliche of her trying to hide from an ex while he covers for her, and I honestly loved it, mainly because it's been a while since I've actually seen it used in a novel. Talk about swooning over the development of this relationship - I couldn't put the book down because I just wanted to see them get a happy ending.
Of course, it was great to see Blair and Silver again, picking up a month after the end of their book. This is one of the things I love about companion novels - you still get to see the continuation of character's stories while moving the focus onto new characters. I really loved seeing how Blair's relationship with her family had progressed from the previous book, which was just as good as reading about the development of her relationship with Silver.
The only downside to this novel was it's length - it's half the length of Because of Him, Falling For Him, and Nothing Like Him (book #4 Something True is also a short installment in the series). While the story still flowed really well and we still get to see the build-up of their relationship, I did wish we got to spend more time with the characters - to have a slower build-up and a longer ending. You know what's weird, that I'm just noticing while writing this - all the 'him' novels are over 200 pages while the 'something' novels, which fit between the 'him' novels, are just 100 or less. Hmm...
Overall, despite it's length, I really enjoyed this installment in the series. It was cute and swoon-worthy, which is exactly what I wanted, and Jessica delivered that. If you're a romance fan like me, you'll enjoy this book, and series, so I really recommend checking it out! You'll fall love in with Jemma and Reid just as much as you did with Blair and Silver!
Jessica Roe’s Something Real is the second book in the Fortunate Series. This time it is Blaire’s half-sister, Jemma’s turn to narrate her story of love. Jemma is no longer the shallow high-school girl we were introduced to in ‘Because of Him’. It was refreshing to read about her personal growth and see her mature into a more caring person.
A chance encounter in a tattoo shop acquaints her with Reid. It was hard not to love Reid, as who would not like a motorcycle-riding, tatted up reformed hunk? Sparks fly right from the first moment they meet. Although Reid wants to be with Jemma right from the moment they meet, he gives her the space and time she needs. But given the person Jemma is growing up to be, she is very cautious to deal with her feelings.
I loved Something Real for the heartfelt emotions, but this book did not elicit the gut-punch emotional response I felt while reading ‘Because of Him’. Although I should not be comparing it with ‘Because of Him’, maybe it’s because I love Blaire and Silver’s love story too much :-)
Note: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was sorta hoping this would be a full length but what was in this novella was just as great. I loved that Blair and Silver played a part in Reid and Jemma's story. In fact they're a reminder of how two totally different people can work, plus I was reminded how much I liked Blair and Silver. I like Reid he, he made mistakes but he tries to make amends be better. He is very different from Jemma's normal perfect type which to me sounds way better. He has a sense of humor, passionate about his work, loves his mom, overall a cool guy, easy to get along with. At first, I wasn't too keen on Jemma but she's a good example of fake it to make it, well she didn't always start out perfectly done in Because of Him. So to me these two balance each other, they make it work. I wish this was longer but it was just right and hope to see more of these two in the next book.
I wish this was longer and more fleshed out because I really enjoyed Jemma and Reid, individually and their chemistry together. Regardless of the length, it was still a great follow up and a nice, sweet read that I'd recommend. I can't wait for more from this author and this series :)
I only have this book a 3 rating because while it was a good book, it just wasn't nearly as compelling as the first book in this series. Unfortunately, each successive book is rated against the first book since it sets the high water mark for the series. It is still worthy of a read.
Ok so I did really enjoy this. Don't think could have topped book one tho that was just brilliant. But it just seemed so quick. And then it just ended. Bit disappointed in that. But well worth the read looking forward to one of the brothers next tho.