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Just for Now
(Escape to New Zealand #3)
by
For teacher Jenna McKnight, nothing spells “heartbreak” like finding her husband with somebody else--in her bed. It’s clearly time to reinvent herself. A new body, a new city, and a new job later, she’s done just that. The beautiful Auckland villa isn’t really her home, though. Finn Douglas and his kids aren’t really her family, however much she wishes they were. And playi
...more
Kindle Edition, 312 pages
Published
August 29th 2012
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Start your review of Just for Now (Escape to New Zealand, #3)

Rugby romance YES YES YES you betcha I grabbed it

Does rugby excite me much, yes it does. The game is invigorating and the men are smoking hot- bonus ! Finn the main character an an All Black, is perfect example. he's tall, hot, smart, lovable, and a family man. Did I mention he's an All Black ? < fans self > Well his family is a bit broken and he needs a nanny for a short while. The nanny he find is a 29 year old teacher who is looking for a simple break from real life to get herself back on her ...more

Does rugby excite me much, yes it does. The game is invigorating and the men are smoking hot- bonus ! Finn the main character an an All Black, is perfect example. he's tall, hot, smart, lovable, and a family man. Did I mention he's an All Black ? < fans self > Well his family is a bit broken and he needs a nanny for a short while. The nanny he find is a 29 year old teacher who is looking for a simple break from real life to get herself back on her ...more

My August Prime Read. Loved it! 4.5*. I loved Jenna- strong, with a sweet personality (rare to have both!). Finn, another Rugby player-one of the older players on the "All Blacks" New Zealand national team. He's a widower with a son Harry and a daughter Sophia. Jenna is the nanny and Finn appreciates Jenna's great qualities--that have been ignored up until now (need I say more?)
The kids don't get in the way of the story-as far as being too unrealistic or too devilish- in fact, they are my favori ...more
The kids don't get in the way of the story-as far as being too unrealistic or too devilish- in fact, they are my favori ...more

Yeh, nah -that should sum it up
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Meh. Ultra Mary Sue MC and the romance was boring.

Overall rating: 4 stars!
Triggers:
Cheating: (view spoiler)
Love triangle: (view spoiler)
Sex with om/ow: (view spoiler) ...more
Triggers:
Cheating: (view spoiler)
Love triangle: (view spoiler)
Sex with om/ow: (view spoiler) ...more


Fourth reread and first listen. Finn is my favorite All Black save for Drew! These audiobooks are the best, they even had Maori songs.
*****
A sweet romantic tale by Ms. James. This one doesn't have as much Maori culture as the previous novels but I still enjoyed it. ...more

3.5 to 4 stars. Finn and Jenna's story. The tried and true widower-with-kids-falls-for-nanny trope. But it was done quite well here. A sweet and enjoyable read.
...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Dec 22, 2016
Vintage
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
bad-parents,
groveling,
hunky-heroes,
nice-guy,
widower,
cheating,
a-real-sweetheart,
baby-on-board,
spine-of-steel,
bad-ex
Just a quick review.
Very solid romance between a divorcee trying to reinvent herself and a widower with two very credible children as characters.
There are no overwhelming tropes to make you pull your hair out, but it's a developing romance between two people who respect each other. I know, sounds boring. It's not.
One essential character in the book that really stands out is New Zealand. The writer does such an excellent job with the setting and the colloquial jargon, it's charming. In fact, I wa ...more
Very solid romance between a divorcee trying to reinvent herself and a widower with two very credible children as characters.
There are no overwhelming tropes to make you pull your hair out, but it's a developing romance between two people who respect each other. I know, sounds boring. It's not.
One essential character in the book that really stands out is New Zealand. The writer does such an excellent job with the setting and the colloquial jargon, it's charming. In fact, I wa ...more

This book started out so promising, but it went on for way, way too long considering all of the scenes were essentially the same. Also, none of the characters' ages worked for me. The children were written much older than the 7 and 4 they are declared, and Jenna read much younger than 30 - extreme naivete in modern heroines is one of my least favorite tropes, especially when that woman has been married and didn't grow up in a crazy religious household. There was also a lot of time spent on flash
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For me this book can be summarised in two quotes
You're sexy as hell, you love kids, you can cook… what more is there?
And
I'm still mad. I can't help it. Because I wasted all those years. I wanted kids. That's what I've wanted most in my life. The one thing. It doesn't seem like too much to want, doesn't it? And now I'm thirty.
I can't even bother with the rest 😐 ...more
You're sexy as hell, you love kids, you can cook… what more is there?
And
I'm still mad. I can't help it. Because I wasted all those years. I wanted kids. That's what I've wanted most in my life. The one thing. It doesn't seem like too much to want, doesn't it? And now I'm thirty.
I can't even bother with the rest 😐 ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

I'm not really sure how I felt about this book. Being that it's located in Auckland, I gave it a bit of leeway due to the differences in language... until I realized that the h was supposed to be American. Sure, she lived there for the past 7 years, but, it just seemed awkward at times. The author should have either made the h from the area, or had her use more of the American slang.
I learned a lot about rugby, maybe a little too much, which brings me to what I didn't like about the book the mos ...more
I learned a lot about rugby, maybe a little too much, which brings me to what I didn't like about the book the mos ...more


It's like All Black fan-fic! Of course I'm in!

For teacher Jenna McKnight, nothing spells “heartbreak” like finding her husband with somebody else--in her bed. It’s clearly time to reinvent herself. A new body, a new city, and a new job later, she’s done just that. The beautiful Auckland villa isn’t really her home, though. Finn Douglas and his kids aren’t really her family, however much she wishes they were. And playing house can be a dangerous game.
Rugby star Finn Douglas is just looking for a ...more

Jan 12, 2018
Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞
marked it as kindle-freebies
kindle freebie 1/12/18 (Thanks YM!)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00... ...more
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00... ...more

I have really enjoyed the Rosalind James series Escape to New Zealand. There are 5 books in all, and each one tells a unique story of a relationship blossoming from first introduction on. The first book is Hannah and Drew’s story. It is arguably the slowest of the 5, providing the New Zealand setting and the Rugby football instruction. While the slowest of the 5, it is in no ways a negative on the book itself. In book one, Hard working Hanna meets hard working Drew, and together they learn that
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I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. I rated it 5 out of 5 Stars.
A transplanted American starting her life over, a professional rugby player who wants to be loved for himself and two precious children are the main characters in Rosalind James contemporary romance, Just for Now. The third book in the Escape to New Zealand series, I found myself able to enjoy this book on it's own. With likable characters, good dialogue and ...more
A transplanted American starting her life over, a professional rugby player who wants to be loved for himself and two precious children are the main characters in Rosalind James contemporary romance, Just for Now. The third book in the Escape to New Zealand series, I found myself able to enjoy this book on it's own. With likable characters, good dialogue and ...more

Domestic sizzling bliss
Loved these two so much !
Harry and Sophie (H's) kids were so cute. Loved his sister Sarah and the heroine was badass. I have a slight niggle about the ending but not significant enough to deduct a star. ...more
Loved these two so much !
Harry and Sophie (H's) kids were so cute. Loved his sister Sarah and the heroine was badass. I have a slight niggle about the ending but not significant enough to deduct a star. ...more

Another winner!! This New Zealand based series is very, very good. This is the 3rd book in the series for me. This one concerns Finn, a major rugby player, and Jenna McKnight. She's had a difficult childhood and then a marriage gone awry, through no fault of hers. She and Finn are both very believable characters as are the others in the novel. Once again there are occasional references to the other rugby players I met in books 1 & 2. I'm looking forward to the next one that I've already purchase
...more

Loved this one. Good story and you real,y got to know each of the characters, one by one. This book reminds you that you can find love again after heartbreak. My idea of who Finn is...Google: Richie McCaw. He is the captain of the All Blacks Team (in real life). Exactly what I pictured Finn would look like!

I love the Maori and how this series is teaching me more about their culture. Let's not forget about the drool-worthy Maori men. The storyline did leave me confused a bit because it seemed like the author was leaving out information, but that could also be due to the fact that I haven't read the first or second book yet...
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This definitely feels like one of those romances where a widower with children falls in love with a woman because she's good at taking care of his kids.
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I really wanted to drop the book to 2 stars but overall it was a 3 star book.
Why 2 star? The book style was written like i was watching a sitcom from "The Leave it To Beaver." Yes mam, No mam, riding on a pretty basic line. Just a tad of low key drama.
It was almost like everyone was to perfect and to accommodating and down right to understanding.
Towards the end, the "expected" drama did occur but actions seemed to be a little over the top considering how everyone was the rest of the story.
Good r ...more
Why 2 star? The book style was written like i was watching a sitcom from "The Leave it To Beaver." Yes mam, No mam, riding on a pretty basic line. Just a tad of low key drama.
It was almost like everyone was to perfect and to accommodating and down right to understanding.
Towards the end, the "expected" drama did occur but actions seemed to be a little over the top considering how everyone was the rest of the story.
Good r ...more

I really liked this one and a big part of it was due to Jenna. I loved how level headed she was, how she managed to put Finn in his place when he needed it at the start and how great she was with the kids. Much of what happened was predictable, yet I didn't care. I was happy to be along for the ride to see how Jenna, Finn and the kids would react. I loved how this one ended, was happy to see that everyone got what they wanted.
...more

Finn plays rugby for the Auckland Blues and All Blacks. His wife died 3 years ago and he is bringing up their son and daughter who are now 5 and 7. When their nanny has to go and nurse her mother, he needs a temporary nanny. Enter Jenna who is in need of a job for a few months until she can start her new job as Grade 1 teacher. I loved the characters and enjoyed the process of healing that occurred during their time together. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Mature nanny romance - 3*
In this entry to the series our woman is still American but she is also a permanent resident of NZ having lived there for 7 or 8 years. She is also getting a divorce and needs a short term job. She ends up being the nanny for 2 small kids whose father is, of course, an All Black and a widower. With the exception of her age and the NZ locale this is pretty standard nanny tale.
In this entry to the series our woman is still American but she is also a permanent resident of NZ having lived there for 7 or 8 years. She is also getting a divorce and needs a short term job. She ends up being the nanny for 2 small kids whose father is, of course, an All Black and a widower. With the exception of her age and the NZ locale this is pretty standard nanny tale.

I just adored this book, my favorite in the Escape to New Zealand series because of the wonderful lead characters, Jenna and Finn.
The characters, Jenna, a nanny, Finn, her rugby-playing employer, and Sophie and Harry, Finn's two children and Jenna's charges, all read as real, with real affection, real flaws, real issues, real joy, real sadness, and real love.
Jenna is an American who'd moved to NZ many years before with her then-boyfriend / later husband / soon-to-be ex-husband (he cheated on her ...more
The characters, Jenna, a nanny, Finn, her rugby-playing employer, and Sophie and Harry, Finn's two children and Jenna's charges, all read as real, with real affection, real flaws, real issues, real joy, real sadness, and real love.
Jenna is an American who'd moved to NZ many years before with her then-boyfriend / later husband / soon-to-be ex-husband (he cheated on her ...more

I can't get enough of this series
I love this series. Sweet, slow burn, no angst just a sweet smart serious story mostly about the emotional development of characters. ...more
I love this series. Sweet, slow burn, no angst just a sweet smart serious story mostly about the emotional development of characters. ...more
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Rosalind 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
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Escape to New Zealand
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“QUINOA SALAD 6-8 servings (recipe can be doubled. Makes a great workday lunch over arugula and/or spinach—protein, vegetables, vitamins, fiber, AND low-calorie!) 1 c. uncooked quinoa, rinsed very well and drained (the soapy substance tastes bitter if you don’t rinse it off) Vegetable or chicken broth, if desired 1/2 c. chopped green onions, white and pale green parts only (about 2 bunches) ¾ c. chopped fresh parsley 3-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint, to taste (optional) 1 clove minced garlic 1 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in halves or quarters ½ cucumber, chopped ½ cup diced red or yellow pepper 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (optional) ½ tsp. salt, or to taste (less if you are cooking quinoa in a salted broth) ¼ tsp. pepper, or to taste 3-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 3-4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (1-2 lemons) Cook the quinoa as directed on package—normally about 15 minutes. If it is well rinsed, use about 1-3/4 cups water, or vegetable or chicken broth, for 1 cup of quinoa. It is done when the quinoa sprouts little curly “tails.” If all liquid is not absorbed, strain it to remove the liquid. Chill the cooked quinoa if possible; add vegetables and herbs (and beans, if using). Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper in a bowl with a fork until well blended. Add to salad and mix thoroughly. Taste & correct salt & pepper. Chill salad if possible; the flavors will blend as it sits. Other vegetable/herb choices: carrots, zucchini, cilantro (instead of mint).”
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