Just Like Heaven

Jersey Strong #3

by Barbara Bretton

It all started with a red lace thong. Normally Kate is a twin set and pearls kind of girl who wouldn't be caught dead in such a thing. But that's exactly what happens when sudden chest pains leave her lying in a parking lot with her skirt hiked up around her hips for all of Princeton to see.

It's a man in a Grateful Dead t-shirt who saves her life, and then disappears without a trace. A total stranger-and yet Kate would give anything to see him again. How is she to know that her mystery man is planning a new, far-away life for himself, one that doesn't include romance, even if he can't seem to get the woman in red lace out of his mind?

Romance isn't high on Kate's list of priorities either. But when the handsome good Samaritan shows up on her doorstep, they discover that even the strongest heart is no match for love...

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Chick Lit, Amazon

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 27, 2007

About the author

Barbara Bretton is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 books. She currently has over ten million copies in print around the world. Her works have been translated into twelve languages in over twenty countries.

Barbara has been featured in articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Romantic Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Herald News, Home News, Somerset Gazette,among others, and has been interviewed by Independent Network News Television, appeared on the Susan Stamberg Show on NPR, and been featured in an interview with Charles Osgood of WCBS, among others.

Her awards include both Reviewer's Choice and Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times; Gold and Silver certificates from Affaire de Coeur; the RWA Region 1 Golden Leaf; and several sales awards from Bookrak. Ms. Bretton was included in a recent edition of Contemporary Authors.

Barbara loves to spend as much time as possible in Maine with her husband, walking the rocky beaches and dreaming up plots for upcoming books.

Reviews

[Coco.V]

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[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

ORIGINAL POST at FANGS, WANDS and FAIRY DUST
http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...

JUST LIKE HEAVEN in New Jersey!

Like a lot of novels this book's forty-year old protagonist is rather an agonist about her age. This riles me - nothing to do with the book -- more to do with society. I am 52 and at 40 did not feel as awesome as I do now. Women, stop acing like life ends at forty. Everything until then was a rehearsal.

That's kind of the point, though, don't wait to live or love. You shouldn't put stuff off because you're happy enough. Kate is happy enough with her shop and her friends. But when she meets someone after a life changing experience she realizes, eventually she wasn't happy enough.

This is a well written books with pleasant characters falling in love while experiencing external and internal blockages; the internal ones are symbolized by Kate's heart attack. The external ones are all the excuses we throw in the way of getting what we want. The characters are interesting. I can piicture the story very much as a movie on Tv or if racy enough, HBO.

I was warned, there's a bit of religion in here. More than just a character's profession. Religion has a lot to do with our mortality, and there's nothing that makes it more obvious than a heart attack. The character doesn't run around bombing clinics or proselytizing, any more than erotica writers run around forcing people to use vibrators. His religion is very internal and not at all obnoxious. But, it does sort of become the white elephant in the room. Normally, I don't do religion but I didn't feel like a conversion would be forced on me, and other views were welcomed. In fact there's even, shhhhh, pre-marital sex.

What if I love him and he doesn't love me back, or he takes that job and my heart with him? This book is about learning to live with the what-ifs for the what is.


If you like Katie Fforde, Joanna Trollope you will probably find this a lovely way to spend an afternoon or two. And, if you're a Jersey Girl, the better aspects of the Garden State are expounded upon.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 4 out of 5]

It first, I thought I had stumbled into a Christian romance and gave up on it, but then had second thoughts as I had enjoyed reading this author before. I went back and picked it up again a few days later and am so glad I decided to continue. It was a sweet love story of two 40+ sensible, intelligent, and very nice people. So refreshing to read a story where the couple are not in constant conflict and struggling with themselves as well as each other. Their inner dialogs were funny yet reasonably realistic. I also enjoyed having the insights of both sides presented. So despite my initial doubts, it is aptly categorized as a contemporary romance. Religion is somewhat of an issue in the story since he is clergyman, but the story is not preachy or judgemental, and he is not trying to convert her or anyone else to his church. A little spicy sex near the end helped add flavor. I liked and cared about the characters and really enjoyed how the story unfolded.

[Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Like Heaven (Jersey Strong Book 3)

The love story of Kate and Father Mark. Father Mark is a Episcopal priest who save the live of Kate. While in the ER he lost her and with no name he start looking for her. When he find her, sparks fly. Can a relax catholic find love with an Episcopal priest? You love it. Great summer read.

[Blanca Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

So far I have enjoyed every book from this series. Moving on to book 4. I know I'm not going to be disappointed.

[E-Reader Addict · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a couple of young adult romances, one about a couple of 40-somethings really had an appeal to me. And one on sale, by Barbara Bretton? Sold!

Kate French is a busy professional woman in her early 40s. She’s strong, independent, and has a mind of her own. But a medical emergency in the middle of a mall parking lot has stopped her in her tracks.

Mark Kerry happened to be in the right place at the right time. When he witnesses Kate’s fall in the parking lot, he’s there to help. When he ends up in possession of some papers he thinks may be important, he asks a ex-cop friend to track her down.

Their reunion isn’t anything like either expected, and soon both are surprised to be having feelings for the other far stronger than they had ever had before. But Mark is moving 300 miles away in six weeks, and Kate isn’t one to believe in happily-ever-after.

It’s refreshing to read a story where there’s no angst, no major drama. No dwelling on their baggage from the past. No over-telling about how they can’t be together, or lamenting about what can’t be. Just a lovely couple who find love when they weren’t looking. Mark and Kate are charming and funny, their banter is witty, and their romance more on the sweet than steamy side. Watching them fall in love was delightful, even if Kate did get there kicking and screaming. With an entertaining side-cast of secondary characters, this was a good, solid entertaining read with realistic people and realistic situations. There’s a time and place for over the top and ridiculous, but for the most part I like my romances just like this one.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a decent read.

A type a single mom comes back from a business trip and has a heart attack in a mall where a man wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt saves her life. He tries to go with her to the hospital, but he is unable to and he doesn't know her name. He has her belongings and tracks her down.

You can pretty much guess the rest, some angst, some issues to overcome, HEA. Not bad, but not great either.

[Jeanne (love2cook) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting love story, about a woman who has a heart attack in a parking lot and a man in a Grateful Dead T-shirt who saves her life. "Romance isn't high on Kate's list of priorities either. But when the handsome Good Samaritan shows up on her doorstep, they discover that even the strongest heart is no match for love...…." A good read!

[Stefanie Keeling-Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love,love,love!

Loved reading this story...it's always a pleasure to get lost in Barbara Bretton's happy imagination. Her stories are always a good balance of reality and fantasy. Already looking forward to reading more!

[Sassafrass · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute. I liked the humor (the red thong) and the characters. They weren't your traditional romance hero and heroine by any means and that's what made them so great. I truly enjoyed spending time with them. I may go back and read other stories in the series.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Light read but well-developed characters.

[Evelyn M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breath of fresh air

This book was different from all of the other romance novels I have read. The story was inspiring the characters real. I throughly enjoyed this book

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jersey Strong # 3 - Had It - Read It - 2007

[Ana Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cute...

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woman has a heart attack. Man in a Grateful Dead tee shirt saves her life. Will they ever find each other? Can they be meant for each other? Keep reading for more....

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

gd read

[Erinn · Rating 1 out of 5]

So predictable… what a terrible read.

[Emily (Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate is a very career oriented women who is filled with apprehension and has no need for a man, which she continually tells her mother and daughter. One fateful day she has just come back from an acquisition in London, she is running late to a meeting with a buyer, has no clean underwear except a sexy red thong which she must wear, has not eaten since before take off, has her daughter chatting her ear off on the phone, and is in traffic. Not a good combo which over rides her and gives her a heart attack in the front of the mall.

Kates savior comes in the form of a man named Mark who gives her CPR and gets an ambulance to take her to the hospital, but he can not ride with her…. What will he do now?
Mark is a man that has had a troubled past, over come his demons, and uses his experiences to help others. He also can not get the women he saved out of his mind. He tries his hardest to track her down and when he thinks all hope is lost he comes face to face with Kate at her home and there is no going back.

If you are looking for a predictable and mellow romance novel this is for you! In the beginning when Kate is rushing from the airport, to her home, to her meeting, and to breakfast we are filled with anxiety and the need to rush right along wither her. The hurriedness is palpating and I felt like I was going to have a heart attack my self! The suspense lasts all the way up to the point when the two come face to face after all the close encounters, then I could finally relax. Unfortunately that is were all the unpredictable and anticipation ends. The rest of the story is mellow and easy going. I had no worries that the two would not be together and had no problem believing that everything would work out. I had no real connection with any of the characters and there were no real “aww” or “OMG” aspects for me.

This was a plain old feel good love story. It was a great story line and left you feeling satisfied. If you are looking for a mellow read with love in abundance this if definitely for you

[Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful sweet fun and romantic story. I loved the fact that it was set in my state of New Jersey and that the characters were "real" people and did not appear to fall into any of the standard stereotypes. It made the reading so much more fresh and interesting. These characters are real people dealing with real life issues. I also loved that this was the first time in forever that I've been able to pick up a read about characters that are actually older than I am. (That's how I know I am getting old...it's so hard to find stories about characters my age! lol)

Barbara Bretton's writing is, as expected, flawless. All of the characters are completely imperfect and yet totally relatable. I loved the supporting characters - Kate's Daughter and Mother, Best Friend and even Ex Husband. as well as the glimpse into Mark's friends. The arc of the story was perfect as was the pacing. You won't be sitting of the edge of your seat throughout this one, but you will be comfortably anticipating what is to come and waiting with baited breath for the Happily Ever After.

I will say that I was a tiny bit unpleasantly surprised by the amount of talk that there was circling around the religion issue. I guess it was to be expected with an Episcopalian Priest for a main character...but it still caught me off guard and there were a few conversations that I could have done without. That said, the book was still completely captivating and heart warming..and I have no problem recommending Bretton to lovers of Romance and HEAs.

[Jo Notary]

355p A beautiful morning in early spring. What could possibly go wrong?
Just returned from a buying trip in England, Kate French was jet-lagged and exhausted and running on fumes. She was already running late for an appointment but a wave of dizziness forces her to pull into the shopping mall parking lot in search of a quick fix of caffeine and protein.
When the pain first hit, she ignored it and continued racing across the parking lot toward the food court. But within moments she realized something was terribly wrong as her wobbly legs gave out and she dropped to the ground. The last thing she remembered as she started to fade away was the guy in the Grateful Dead T-shirt who held her in his arms and promised he'd never let her go.
Mark Kerry didn't think of himself as a hero but the story of a Good Samaritan who had saved a woman's life in the parking lot of the Princeton Promenade was attaining the status of suburban legend. Determined to return a stack of documents that had been left behind when the ambulance swept her away, he called in some favors and tracked her down at home one week later.
The moment Kate saw him, the world and everyone in it disappeared. She knew his voice, the smell of his skin, the way his hands felt against her skin, the taste of his mouth, everything that mattered. All the things she would ever need to know about him.
And then she took another look . . .

[GoldenjoyBazyll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it takes a big life event to make us realize we haven't been living and so it was for Kate! Kate has a heart attack in a mall parking lot and a stranger in jeans and a Greatful Dead T shirt sves her life by performing CPR. The stranger turns out to be a priest on sabbatical. The two of them finally meet and sparks fly.....

I like Bretton's books and this was a very enjoyable one. Hey ya gutta love a priest wearing a Grateful Dead T shirt administering CPR and saving someone... their is a certain amount of humor there!

[Just - The romance reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man this was such a good book! On the one hand it's a little bit humorous, on the other hand it's a little bit hot and steamy. Mostly it's touching and romantic.

So apparently I just re-read this book and totally don't remember anything about it from the first time because it didn't seem familiar to me at all. I enjoyed the plot and the characters this time around too though. Original finish date: August 1, 2009

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very unusual story about a heart attack patient and a recovering alcoholic priest.
Written in a very traditional style, this sweet romance will make you sigh at points and laugh at others.
Barbara Bretton gave this book a pretty interesting twist when she added the priest as the hero. I gotta admit I have never looked at a priest that way and probably never will look at one the same again.

[J.B. Stockings · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful romance with spark and sizzle, as well written as any Christi Craig novel, but with characters that don't jump in the sack after two days of just meeting. (I seriously doubt an Episcopal priest would jump in the sack at all before they were married, but at least they waited six weeks.) There are a number of characters to keep track of, and amazingly they all have a lot of depth. Very enjoyable!

[Ilene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book review with the word religion in it automatically has me turning away. Sorry, just not my preference. But, For some reason I wanted to read this one. I was very pleasantly surprised. It was a sweet story with a VERY HEA, which is one of my favorite thing to read.

Yes there was a good amount of church talk but it made me think of a very loving family not rules, etc. Religious or not the love they fond, everyone would be better off if they had it as well!

[Tasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was ok. I struggled with it for several reasons. I think if you are going to write about a minister then you need to stay true to character, or at least the idea of what a minister represents. This is a confussing topic for me personally so I'm not sure how I feel about it. She's a good writer though.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Bretton's books are a peek into real life. How do people honestly react to everyday problems? You will find it here. I enjoy these even more because they mention places in NJ that I am very familiar with since I am a Jersey girl (even though I live in NY!) I would recommend her to anyone who enjoys a pleasant read.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not know why this was on my list. I usually don't go for romance all by itself. But it was clean (mostly), and had some humor. The age of the protagonists was early forties, which is unusual. And one of them was an Episcopalian(spelling??) priest. I enjoyed it. I must have been in the mood for a change of pace.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, romantic story that answers the question: Can a recovering Catholic really fall in love at first sight with an Episcopalian Priest? It hooked me in the first few pages and kept me interested with Kate and Mark's intense attraction. I liked this book a lot.