There are all kinds of Christmases, and all kinds of families. The family you’re born into. The family you make. And the family you choose.Christmas means summer in New Zealand, and All Blacks wedding season, too. Plans made and plans changed, because no matter how well you plan, life happens. Especially if, say, you’re marrying your late husband’s brother, you’ve got a couple of kids in the mix, … of kids in the mix, and everybody’s talked too much about all that already.
And then there’s the rest of the family. A stepbrother who’s carried too big a secret for thirty years and needs to lay that burden down. Another whose romance with the maid of honor went south, for reasons neither of them quite understand. A sister who wants her teenage romance to stick, and the man who wants to make that happen.
From the beaches of New Zealand’s Far North to the shadow of the Southern Alps, Christmas brings family tensions and family bonds, secrets revealed, and promises kept, including the most important promise a person can make: to be there.
Note: You will enjoy this book even more if you’ve read JUST SAY (HELL) NO and JUST COME OVER. (Escape to New Zealand books 11 and 12.)
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Just Say Christmas is exactly what a family Christmas should be. There’s so much going on in this book. We catch up with some of our favorites, we find out more about others that have been lingering from previous books and we have family secrets! Be ready to be thrown into the mix of this Escape to New Zealand holiday whirlwind. Busy schedules, commitments and trying to find time for each other without losing each other reminds us how crazy life can be especially during the holidays. I especially love the children in this book. All their little personalities are shining bright and they are becoming their own little people. The attention to detail the author gives in her stories will enlighten, if you’ve never been to New Zealand or know the seasons during the holidays. This family of rugby players are strong and protective of their teammates and family. The bonds shared are evident throughout. I encourage you to read the previous two books, Just Say (Hell) No and Just Come Over.
Just Say Christmas is the latest by author Rosalind James. Ms. James writes a beautiful story, filled with characters that feel like friends. They feel like real people, with real problems, and she does a fantastic job of making it feel like you get to know the guys behind Rugby sensation the All Blacks. This one is a compilation story with multiple narratives allowing us to catch up with past characters, and meet some new ones. Every single storyline filled my heart, made me cry, or just made me happy. The storyline between Luke and Hayden had me in tears. There seems to be a trend lately with many favorite authors coming out with same sex storylines. It only needs to be done if it feels real and not like some gimmick to show how inclusive you can be. Ms. James brought all the feels with this one.
This book is not a stand-alone. There are so many couples from previous books, that if you have not read their story, you will have a hard time following along with their updates. BUT, if you want to enjoy a good read filled with real emotions don’t miss this one. New Zealand tops my list of places I want to visit, mostly because of the detail James provides in her books.
Loyal readers of Ms James’ Escape to New Zealand series will be excited to return to the much loved characters in Just Say Christmas.
While the book focuses mainly on two of the prior main couples and them taking the next steps in their relationships, we also see the larger series cast play key roles. Due to the “continuation” aspect of the story and the larger than normal cast/dual storylines, I would caution new readers about starting here.
In typical Ms James fashion, we see several potentially sticky issues handled with grace and dignity. Family and the strength of a true partnership is at the core of the book. I enjoyed the excellent story telling, the fantastic characters and seeing their journeys. Just Say Christmas also primed me for wanting more – I’d love to see a full story for Tom and Ella as well as more from Nyree’s brother’s Kane and Luke.
I seriously have struggled with this book. I honestly do like Ms. James’ books but I did not like this one at all. There are no new characters so it isn’t the characters nor the setting. It is that the simple fact that the POV is very disjointed to me.
This book is not a standalone book like the others in this series since it is really tying up some minor storylines and updates on others.
Rosalind James’ newest book in her Escape to New Zealand series was everything I knew it would be. This book, a little different from the others, interweaves multiple storylines. We get caught up on some familiar characters and meet some new ones. This is a fun, romantic, steamy story about characters that I’ve grown to love. Even though this book is written from the viewpoint of many different characters, they are all fully developed people with great stories to tell.
As always, Rosalind’s writing makes the reader feel as if they are in New Zealand. She draws me in from the very first page, and has me loving the characters she has created. Even though this book can be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the previous books in the series to get the full experience
Just Say Christmas is book thirteen in the Escape to New Zealand series. This was an interesting follow-up to previous characters. An update of sorts. I enjoyed it, and I really recommend reading at minimum the two books before this one.
This is a strong contribution to the series but the main drawback in my opinion were the numerous story lines that were explored in the book. I like the characters and love that we get to see what is happening to each one but I felt the book was a little overloaded with events. That being said it is still an entertaining book that shows there is a life after the love story and its not all roses but sometimes there are serious challenges that test the love two persons have declared for each other. I give this one 2 thumbs up and recommend it for someone that likes a nice, sexy contemporary romance
Another great NZ story from Rosalind James. Five stars.
I really enjoy reading the stories Rosalind James creates. When this book became available, I put aside what I was reading and picked this book up and was happy I did. Nicely done!
I was so excited to be back in NZ with my favourite rugby team at my favourite time of year, this book had a lot to live up to but it was anything I have come to expect from this author and so much more.
Just Say Christmas not only catches up with past favourites it also introduces to new characters to fall in love with. If you are a fan of Rosalind James you will love Just Say Christmas and if you are new to her work you will be left wondering why you haven’t picked one of her books up before now….
This book is everything I want in a great read, it’s a very powerful emotional read that will have you shedding happy as well as a few sad tears, it has characters with depth and it weaves a tale of friendships and loyalty as secrets are revealed, it’s a story that will captivate you and touch you on so many levels , so what are you waiting for get that finger one clicking now you won’t be disappointed.
5 Star Review of Just Say Christmas (Escape to New Zealand #13) by Rosalind James
I know when I pick up a Rosalind James story that I am going to be drawn right into the story that she weaves and Just Say Christmas is another great addition to the Escape To New Zealand series.
From start to finish I was fully invested in the story lines. There was so much going on that I simply could not put this one down. It is certainly a bit of an emotional roller coaster of a read and tears were shed.
Just Say Christmas is a story of love and family, not all blood related, families that come in all shapes and sizes and that is what is so wonderful about this series. It was wonderful to see some familiar characters and although there are several story lines within this book, I had no trouble following them all.
Well written with strong characters that I found I could easily relate too. Ms. James brings New Zealand to life for me and I appreciate it.
I’m a huge fan of this author and her NZ series! I always enjoy meeting new couples and catching up with all of the old friends from the other books. Loved this book about family and friendship! As always, the author intertwines love, sexy times and romance so beautifully, with an extra spot of laughter too. I just adore her words, stories and each and every character! Highly recommend this book and the entire series! It’s well worth the read
This book is so full of emotion. So full of family, friends, love, and support.
I imagine you could read this book as a standalone, but I would not recommend it as the first Rosalind James book you read. I think you may find it a bit confusing as there are so many couples involved, and so many back stories as well. You ultimately get the backstory, but you do have to read further into the book before it is laid out. This makes it 4.5 stars for me. You get to revisit so many couples from previous books.
If you haven’t read JUST SAY (HELL) NO and JUST COME OVER (Escape to New Zealand books 11 and 12), reading those books first will make this one much more enjoyable, and much less confusing.
The characters have great chemistry. Both the women and men are strong, loving, faithful, loyal, family oriented, and sexy.
One thing that I love about these characters is that even when they are described as not being overly attractive physically, their characters and personalities are so well written that the physical aspect takes a back seat. Koti and Nic are always described as being pretty, but all the guys and their ladies are special.
There were a couple of pleasantly surprising twists which made me want a couple of characters to get their own books. The kids, Isaiah and Casey, were engaging and funny. It was interesting the way Rhys and Zora handled their situation. Marko’s reaction to his grandmother pulled at your heartstrings. You couldn’t help but feel for Luke. Kane and Victoria’s issue is just what I thought. I was glad to see how things worked out for Luke. I was also really happy for Hayden.
I won’t go any further other then to say there were happy, sad, anxious, angry, steamy, and sensual moments through the entire book.
Once again, I will say that there was a LOT to this book, but it left me with a smile on my face, and looking forward to the next NZ book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.