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ssejig's review against another edition
3.0
Zach Powers used to be a professional football player and now he's a high school football coach. He's hot, rich, and single in a small town. But he only has eyes for teacher Josie Barnes.
Josie isn't really interested in dating. She just wants to live her life. But Zach sure pushes her buttons. And on top of that, he's really interested in her and her life, even when her mother (not the greatest) comes to town. And he's not a jerk when she benches his players, because it's deserved.
A fine Burton addition to the Hope series, I wish we had seen a bit more of both Josie and Zach but overall a nice read.
Josie isn't really interested in dating. She just wants to live her life. But Zach sure pushes her buttons. And on top of that, he's really interested in her and her life, even when her mother (not the greatest) comes to town. And he's not a jerk when she benches his players, because it's deserved.
A fine Burton addition to the Hope series, I wish we had seen a bit more of both Josie and Zach but overall a nice read.
ritareadstrash's review against another edition
1.0
I liked the glimpses of Josie in the previous book, but the more I read in this book, I hated her.
Her whole "you can't fall in love in a few months because I thought I was in love but he was a tool and now I must fret over my friends too" was a flimsy reason to be wary of relationships. She clearly needed therapy. Lots of it. Not a relationship.
Her whole "you can't fall in love in a few months because I thought I was in love but he was a tool and now I must fret over my friends too" was a flimsy reason to be wary of relationships. She clearly needed therapy. Lots of it. Not a relationship.
vickylou's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't think that we knew enough about these characters. It felt like it was assumed we would know them from the previous books almost. Which we didn't. I think the bulk of the characters throughout the series are very much surface with absolutely no depth. There seems to be a propensity to chuck some sort of 'trauma' in to drive the story forward... which doesn't really work. It just makes all feel too predictably unrealistic.
Josie started out OK. But soon when downhill with her random skewed view of men in general... and her fixation on Jillian and her relationship felt a little... odd. Zach was a little better... but again, I didn't feel that he was fleshed out as a character... at all.
There was one weird thing that also put a bump in the road for me... at one point 'A' levels are mentioned in relation to the education at the school where Josie works. Now, I thought 'A' levels were a British exam ( I took them... )... and not part of the US education system. A little thing... but, often, it is the little things that jerk you out of concentrating on the story being told...
Josie started out OK. But soon when downhill with her random skewed view of men in general... and her fixation on Jillian and her relationship felt a little... odd. Zach was a little better... but again, I didn't feel that he was fleshed out as a character... at all.
There was one weird thing that also put a bump in the road for me... at one point 'A' levels are mentioned in relation to the education at the school where Josie works. Now, I thought 'A' levels were a British exam ( I took them... )... and not part of the US education system. A little thing... but, often, it is the little things that jerk you out of concentrating on the story being told...
allingoodtime's review against another edition
2.0
I’ve started and stopped writing this review a few times now. I think it’s because I very much respect Jaci Burton and enjoy many of her books. Some I have loved and praised, some were just so-so. But I don’t believe I ever felt she was phoning it in…until now.
The storyline is great. I love the concept and really had high hopes for this story. There’s actually no reason it shouldn’t work. In fact, if I remember correctly, I enjoyed seeing Josie and Zach interact in a previous book or two. Yet in this story it all fell flat. Even scenes that should have had the chemistry hopping off the page I felt nothing. Not to mention the sweet scenes that should have had butterflies taking flight in my stomach. Nada. I can only guess there was too much telling and not really any showing.
Zach is an amazing character. There are some things about his past that are kept vague, which may have messed with the way his chemistry came across. But really, he should have had me swooning over him. In some ways I was. Especially when he was interacting with Wilson. It’s pretty sad that the most reaction a story gets from me is the interactions between the hero and his dog and not the hero and heroine.
It was very hard for me to get behind Josie. Where I understand her thought process, it was hard for me to care about her internal struggle with her feelings when I never felt those feelings coming off the page. I hate to blame her, but I do feel she was the downfall of this book. I couldn’t connect with her character at all and everything after that just didn’t work.
I want to stress again that I have loved many of the stories this author has written. This seems to be an anomaly. Since I’ve enjoyed most of the books in this series I will be reading the next one when it’s published in the hopes this was a fluke.
This review can also be found at All In Good Time Book
The storyline is great. I love the concept and really had high hopes for this story. There’s actually no reason it shouldn’t work. In fact, if I remember correctly, I enjoyed seeing Josie and Zach interact in a previous book or two. Yet in this story it all fell flat. Even scenes that should have had the chemistry hopping off the page I felt nothing. Not to mention the sweet scenes that should have had butterflies taking flight in my stomach. Nada. I can only guess there was too much telling and not really any showing.
Zach is an amazing character. There are some things about his past that are kept vague, which may have messed with the way his chemistry came across. But really, he should have had me swooning over him. In some ways I was. Especially when he was interacting with Wilson. It’s pretty sad that the most reaction a story gets from me is the interactions between the hero and his dog and not the hero and heroine.
It was very hard for me to get behind Josie. Where I understand her thought process, it was hard for me to care about her internal struggle with her feelings when I never felt those feelings coming off the page. I hate to blame her, but I do feel she was the downfall of this book. I couldn’t connect with her character at all and everything after that just didn’t work.
I want to stress again that I have loved many of the stories this author has written. This seems to be an anomaly. Since I’ve enjoyed most of the books in this series I will be reading the next one when it’s published in the hopes this was a fluke.
This review can also be found at All In Good Time Book
abbielairson117's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good I’m happy for them even though it took them a while
lauraanne9's review against another edition
4.0
***ARC Provided by the Publisher***
I think I am attracted to small town romance as it is such a different life than the one I live, and in some ways, it feels like a simpler life.
Zach is a high school teacher and the town football coach. Football matters in the small Oklahoma town of Hope, so when Josie turns in a progress report for a couple of his students that show they are failing her English class, the first time you see them together is when he shows up in her classroom to tell her she is messing with the success of the town's football team. There are some minor other issues in the town, but, really, it's all about the football.
I had a few moments where Josie irritated me a little, I can't lie. I understand being a little disillusioned by love with her past, but she was a little annoying in her treatment of her feelings as she shared them to others...however, her friends seemed to take this in stride, and really, a character who has a couple of annoying traits tends to feel more like a real person.
Their romance starts as an attraction that exists before the book begins, but nothing has happened between them. There is the minor issue that they are both teachers at the same school, but this doesn't seem to cause much issue, it just is mentioned a couple of times, and I was glad of that.
I enjoyed them together, I enjoyed the build up of their relationship. I also liked that Josie was the one with the hesitation, and that Zach was all in for their relationship...from the beginning. That made her hesitance something that it was believable that she would work through, as you know he isn't going to leave.
And, the cat. I adored the cat...and, so does Zach, although it's clear he is never going to admit it.
I enjoyed and recommend this title.
I think I am attracted to small town romance as it is such a different life than the one I live, and in some ways, it feels like a simpler life.
Zach is a high school teacher and the town football coach. Football matters in the small Oklahoma town of Hope, so when Josie turns in a progress report for a couple of his students that show they are failing her English class, the first time you see them together is when he shows up in her classroom to tell her she is messing with the success of the town's football team. There are some minor other issues in the town, but, really, it's all about the football.
I had a few moments where Josie irritated me a little, I can't lie. I understand being a little disillusioned by love with her past, but she was a little annoying in her treatment of her feelings as she shared them to others...however, her friends seemed to take this in stride, and really, a character who has a couple of annoying traits tends to feel more like a real person.
Their romance starts as an attraction that exists before the book begins, but nothing has happened between them. There is the minor issue that they are both teachers at the same school, but this doesn't seem to cause much issue, it just is mentioned a couple of times, and I was glad of that.
I enjoyed them together, I enjoyed the build up of their relationship. I also liked that Josie was the one with the hesitation, and that Zach was all in for their relationship...from the beginning. That made her hesitance something that it was believable that she would work through, as you know he isn't going to leave.
And, the cat. I adored the cat...and, so does Zach, although it's clear he is never going to admit it.
I enjoyed and recommend this title.
ashesofabookdragon's review against another edition
3.0
I was so excited to grab this new book by Jaci Burton!
(www.ashesofabookdragon.com)
~Disclaimer: Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. ~
One Perfect Kiss will be out on September 4th, 2018 for purchase!
One Perfect Kiss is book number eight in Jaci Burton's "Hope" series. You don't TECHNICALLY need to read the others first, but you'll feel more connected to the story if you do. This can, in my opinion, almost be read as a stand-alone.
Reading Order: Hope Smolders, Hope Flames, Hope Ignites, Hope Burns, Love After All, Make me Stay, Don't Let Go, Love me Again, AND THEN - One Perfect Kiss.
One Perfect Kiss follows the story of Josie, a highschool teacher, and Zach, a highschool football couch. I found that the original blurb made me think there would me more conflict than there actually was between the characters. Zach is actually very nice about Josie being rough on the players, and Josie... is well.... I'll explain more below.
"Josie knew better than to trust in fairy tales, because she knew better than most that there was no such thing as a happily-ever-after." Jaci Burton, One Perfect Kiss
This was a perfect book to read as part of relaxing for end of summer. It's fast paced and easy to binge through. Having animals included in a story is always a BIG plus for me as well, and you absolutely get a few adorable fur characters. Zach's character was sweet and very relatable. He handled the main heroine well and I liked his overall personality.
Josie to me was a mix of hot and cold. Sometimes her character was warm and inviting, other times I could barely keep up with what was going on in her mind. I'm not sure if this wasn't the author's intent though as she's supposed to be burned from a past relationship. However, this continuous mix and match did pull me out of the story occasionally. I did like their budding romance and the overall story. It was fun read!
Overall, this book was a quick read and would be perfect for a weekend getaway or a relaxing 'me time' moment.
Overall Rating: 3.25 Stars
Plot: 4 Stars
Character Development: 3 Stars
Dialogue: 3 Stars
Writing: 3 Stars
I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys romance and light-hearted contemporary. If you enjoy this book and haven't read the first couple in this series, I would highly recommend those books. I probably enjoyed them more. (#spoilers)
Happy reading!!
~Ash
(www.ashesofabookdragon.com)
~Disclaimer: Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. ~
One Perfect Kiss will be out on September 4th, 2018 for purchase!
One Perfect Kiss is book number eight in Jaci Burton's "Hope" series. You don't TECHNICALLY need to read the others first, but you'll feel more connected to the story if you do. This can, in my opinion, almost be read as a stand-alone.
Reading Order: Hope Smolders, Hope Flames, Hope Ignites, Hope Burns, Love After All, Make me Stay, Don't Let Go, Love me Again, AND THEN - One Perfect Kiss.
One Perfect Kiss follows the story of Josie, a highschool teacher, and Zach, a highschool football couch. I found that the original blurb made me think there would me more conflict than there actually was between the characters. Zach is actually very nice about Josie being rough on the players, and Josie... is well.... I'll explain more below.
"Josie knew better than to trust in fairy tales, because she knew better than most that there was no such thing as a happily-ever-after." Jaci Burton, One Perfect Kiss
This was a perfect book to read as part of relaxing for end of summer. It's fast paced and easy to binge through. Having animals included in a story is always a BIG plus for me as well, and you absolutely get a few adorable fur characters. Zach's character was sweet and very relatable. He handled the main heroine well and I liked his overall personality.
Josie to me was a mix of hot and cold. Sometimes her character was warm and inviting, other times I could barely keep up with what was going on in her mind. I'm not sure if this wasn't the author's intent though as she's supposed to be burned from a past relationship. However, this continuous mix and match did pull me out of the story occasionally. I did like their budding romance and the overall story. It was fun read!
Overall, this book was a quick read and would be perfect for a weekend getaway or a relaxing 'me time' moment.
Overall Rating: 3.25 Stars
Plot: 4 Stars
Character Development: 3 Stars
Dialogue: 3 Stars
Writing: 3 Stars
I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys romance and light-hearted contemporary. If you enjoy this book and haven't read the first couple in this series, I would highly recommend those books. I probably enjoyed them more. (#spoilers)
Happy reading!!
~Ash
samwlabb's review
4.0
Rating: 3.5 Stars
It has been awhile since I visited Hope, and it was nice to be back.
Zach came to Hope for a fresh start after losing his football career to an injury. Josie was also there hoping to start anew after being betrayed by her last boyfriend. As just about the only single people left in their social circle, they struck up a friendship, which was accompanied by an obvious attraction. Both Josie and Zach were looking for some fun, but it seemed like this friendship ran a deeper than that, but would Josie and Zach be able to set aside their past and take a chance on each other?
This was what I have grow to expect from the Hope books. Likable hero and heroine, great chemistry, fun banter, a touch of drama, and lots of time spent with their awesome friends. I absolutely adored Zach. He really put himself out there, and was just so perfect. Josie was a little bit tougher to love, though her affection for unwanted animals put her in a special category for me, I still wanted to give her a good shake, or make her see a professional to help her work through her past, because Zach was too good to let slip away.
Overall: A solid story, and I did grow to care about Zach, Josie, and their future.
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It has been awhile since I visited Hope, and it was nice to be back.
Zach came to Hope for a fresh start after losing his football career to an injury. Josie was also there hoping to start anew after being betrayed by her last boyfriend. As just about the only single people left in their social circle, they struck up a friendship, which was accompanied by an obvious attraction. Both Josie and Zach were looking for some fun, but it seemed like this friendship ran a deeper than that, but would Josie and Zach be able to set aside their past and take a chance on each other?
This was what I have grow to expect from the Hope books. Likable hero and heroine, great chemistry, fun banter, a touch of drama, and lots of time spent with their awesome friends. I absolutely adored Zach. He really put himself out there, and was just so perfect. Josie was a little bit tougher to love, though her affection for unwanted animals put her in a special category for me, I still wanted to give her a good shake, or make her see a professional to help her work through her past, because Zach was too good to let slip away.
Overall: A solid story, and I did grow to care about Zach, Josie, and their future.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
mslizalou's review
4.0
I really enjoyed One Perfect Kiss by Jaci Burton. It is the eighth book in her sweet romance series that takes place in Hope, Oklahoma. With One Perfect Kiss, we get Josie Barnes's story.
Josie Barnes didn't have the easiest life growing up. Her mom wasn't really there for her and cared more about her drug addition than she did her own daughter. Josie had major trust issues when it comes to love because of her past, yet is one of the best friends to her friends a person could ask for. I knew she would need a really great guy to make her risk her heart again and it appears that Zach Powers was just the man for the job.
Zach Powers is a former professional football play turned high school coach. He loves the sport, but really does love and want what is best for his players more. He is pretty much your perfect hero for a romance novel. He is hot, a great teacher and coach, a wonderful friend, and even ends up adopting a 3 legged dog when he goes to the shelter with Josie, who had planned to adopt the dog. I won't lie, I totally fell in love with Zach when he adopted Wilson.
Zach and Josie were a really great couple. Their romance was more on the sweet side, but that didn't take away from them having really great chemistry. I only had one problem with this story and it was Josie's flip-floping about their relationship through so much of the book. Yes she had trust issues thanks to her mom, but Zach never gave her any reason to believe he was anything but honest with her. It about broke my heart to see Josie run away from someone who so clearly loved her. I loved that Josie did finally realize how much she really loved Zach and was so glad they both found a way to make their relationship work for them both.
One Perfect Kiss was a wonderful sweet romance. The reader will meet many of the couples from prior books since all the characters are friends in a relatively small town. I love reading books in a series where I get to visit with past characters. Jaci Burton once again delivered an emotional romance and I highly recommend it.
Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
Review copy provided by publisher
Josie Barnes didn't have the easiest life growing up. Her mom wasn't really there for her and cared more about her drug addition than she did her own daughter. Josie had major trust issues when it comes to love because of her past, yet is one of the best friends to her friends a person could ask for. I knew she would need a really great guy to make her risk her heart again and it appears that Zach Powers was just the man for the job.
Zach Powers is a former professional football play turned high school coach. He loves the sport, but really does love and want what is best for his players more. He is pretty much your perfect hero for a romance novel. He is hot, a great teacher and coach, a wonderful friend, and even ends up adopting a 3 legged dog when he goes to the shelter with Josie, who had planned to adopt the dog. I won't lie, I totally fell in love with Zach when he adopted Wilson.
Zach and Josie were a really great couple. Their romance was more on the sweet side, but that didn't take away from them having really great chemistry. I only had one problem with this story and it was Josie's flip-floping about their relationship through so much of the book. Yes she had trust issues thanks to her mom, but Zach never gave her any reason to believe he was anything but honest with her. It about broke my heart to see Josie run away from someone who so clearly loved her. I loved that Josie did finally realize how much she really loved Zach and was so glad they both found a way to make their relationship work for them both.
One Perfect Kiss was a wonderful sweet romance. The reader will meet many of the couples from prior books since all the characters are friends in a relatively small town. I love reading books in a series where I get to visit with past characters. Jaci Burton once again delivered an emotional romance and I highly recommend it.
Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
Review copy provided by publisher