Review: About That Night by Julie James

@KyleRhodes

Profile: Blonde billionaire heir with a love for flannel, exceptional wine, and likes his women hot and spicy just like his chicken wings; hater of all things Victoria’s Secret.

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Call it fate or two ships crossing in the night, but that is exactly how Kyle Rhodes, son to billionaire Grey Rhodes, has stumbled upon Rylann Pierce in a bar celebrating her grad student status and temporary respite before heading off to law school.  Never one to be shy, Kyle engages Rylann in conversation doing his best to charm her with his piercing blue eyes and sexy dimples.  Sparks immediately fly for both and when the night wraps and Rylann is left alone, Kyle offers to walk her home.  After much flirting and teasing from both, Rylann ends the night taking an unforgettable kiss as well as agreeing to a date for beer and chicken wings with the persistent Kyle Rhodes.  But fate intervenes again as tragedy strikes the Rhodes family and their date never transpires.

“There are some things a girl never forgets.  And one of those is a kiss from the right guy.”

Fast forward nine years later and Rylann has moved to Chicago to start her new position as Assistant U.S. Attorney.  Kyle Rhodes is serving his last week on home arrest after being convicted for hacking and shutting down the social media website, Twitter for 48 hours.  After an agreed motion is set for court and the hearing starts, Kyle is shocked to see that the federal prosecutor on his case is none other than Rylann Pierce.  And what do you know…the spark is still there for both of them.  Thanks to the motion set forth by the U.S. Attorney’s office, Kyle is once again a free man and now knows he has unfinished business with one sassy federal prosecutor.  Circumstances are in his favor, as Kyle is approached to be a witness in Rylann’s investigation into a prison murder and he is all too happy to assist.  Rylann knows that she cannot ethically pursue a relationship with Kyle Rhodes while he is a witness to her case, but that does not damper the feelings of desire she has for the ex-con.  And for someone who plans her life to a tee, Rylann has no clue what will happen once the case is over.  What she does know is that she doesn’t want Kyle walking out of her life a second time and she makes that clear the night he is no longer her witness.

There are a handful of authors that have the eagerly anticipated once a year release that you are dying for and Julie James is at the top my list.  Ever since I discovered Ms. James and her sexy FBI man Jack Pallas, from Something About You, I immediately claimed him as mine and became a fan girl of the engaging contemporary author.

The best off the cuff way to describe James is a “sure thing” for a captivating, sexy, contemporary read.  Ms. James seasons her FBI series with her own personal knowledge of the legal world and then develops sizzling and enticing characters to live and find love within the pages. Kyle really grabbed my heart early on.  Although he is a billionaire, he doesn’t flaunt it, nor does he have the attitude of the typical “trust fund baby”.  He is a hard worker, desiring to build a career outside of his father’s business and ultimately desiring to “pay it forward” as a result of past mistakes.  What is evident early on is under the self-assured cockiness and wit he exudes while trying to “get the girl” there is also a hit of insecurity in himself as well as a fear of committed relationships given his past failures.  Those moments of vulnerability make him all the more adorable.

Kyle is considerate, thoughtful, sentimental, witty, and embodies every woman’s dream of the quintessential male.  Rylann is a strong, assured woman driven to succeed in what many would consider a “man’s domain”.  She is a planner, sets solid goals and is not one to “fly by the seat of her pants” under any circumstance.  So, what is refreshing to see is how Kyle breaks down some of that rigidness in his relentless pursuit and down right flusters her to the point that she’s unable to stay on her designated track.  His mischievous and honest pursuit of Rylann combine with the intense sexual tension that radiates from both is enamoring to watch and as the reader, I didn’t want their story to end!

About that Night is a sexy, sizzling addition to the FBI series and while it can stand alone, it is more gratifying to know the characters from the prior two books that interact with both Kyle and Rylann. Kyle is a total swoon worthy hero as well as Jack Pallas and Nick McCall.  Trust me when I say you will not be disappointed!  So to sum it up I leave you with my tweet to Julie James upon finishing the book:

@juljames Oh Julie, you’ve gone and done it now. Jack Pallas is my lighter fluid & now Kyle Rhodes has arrived and torched my heart! *swoon*

Rating: A
About That Night by Julie James
April 3rd 2012 by Berkley Sensation
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