Book Review: V.B.’s impression of Jules by Ellie Penn
Hi, readers! The latest I Love Romance Blog review selection is Jules by Ellie Penn.
Take it away, V.B.!
Thanks!
Jules by Ellie Penn
This is an awesome contemporary love story. Kat and Jules hit it off immediately, though it takes some time for Jules to get through hypersensitive Kat’s barriers. Once they get going, it’s the kind of love story we all want. And the storyline is pretty near perfect. If you long to see someone finally being brave for a lover who’s worth it, this is a book for you.
The heat level is mid-hot; the sex scenes are steamy, especially if you like a dominant male lover. The relationship notes are off the charts. It’s the first time I’ve found someone laying out their relationship expectations as they start to date in a romance book. This helped me, because the entire story until the epilogue is written in Kat’s POV. She is so scared and anxious I continually worried she would drive Jules away. And, I expected Jules being unable to keep the agreement he proposed as the barrier to their happily ever after. It wasn’t. Jules was true to her, and even pushed back sex until their relationship had progressed.
NOTE: I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed it enough that I bought my own copy.
I give this book 5 hearts because the love story was phenomenal. Jules is the whole package, a dream guy, and Kat’s a better person, living a more fulfilled life because of how he loves and supports her.
Many thanks, Virginia! ♥
Book Info:
Kat likes her morning coffees extra sweet, popcorn dinners by the TV, and curling up with her sketchpad. She can also be bribed with donuts.
Her steady life of routines has no surprises around the corner, no landmines to step on, and that suits her just fine. But then comes Jules with his dark eyes and beckoning smile, wild and devastating as the sea. And she finds herself reaching forth, daring to drench in his aftermath.
Suddenly Kat is adding brown eyes and dimples to her favorites list.
But as Jules sweeps into Kat’s life, she finds herself struggling to gain footing in the currents of their attraction. What does it mean to love in the face of self-doubts? And as her walls crumble in his wake, can she find steady ground in the storm that is him?
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/u/bz2OnD
Here’s a teaser from the book…
I always looked back to our first meeting with fondness, the day Jules
breezed in and unhinged my quiet life. The winter had dragged and even at
February, snow lingered on the streets and nipped the air.
I sat tucked away at the back of a little cafe, head bent over my drawings
like usual, when he walked in, tall and darkly handsome with a magnetic air
that drew all eyes. He had black hair clipped at the nape and sun bronzed
skin, sleeves rolled up to show off a pair of sculpted forearms. And they
were pretty spectacular forearms, in the quick glimpse that I allowed myself
before looking away. The guy had confidence etched into every step. I was
a quiet wallflower who shied away from people like him.
I went back to my sketching pad on the table, drawings of the scenery
outside sprawled across the pages. The chilly spring morning had
pedestrians rushing about to escape from the cold. Their frenzy pace stood
stark against the soft, drifting snow, and my fingers itched to capture the
contrast.
A shadow draped over the table and I looked up to see the
aforementioned pair of forearms leaning on the other side. They were even
more sculpted up close, but I forced myself to look away.
Curse my weakness for strong arms.
I glanced up to meet swaths of olive skin, a defined nose, and stubbles
over a square jaw. Dark eyebrows framed heavy set eyes lit with warmth.
Two dimples flashed as he smiled in greeting, turning his face from
handsome to breathtaking. I already knew I was in trouble.
“Mind if I join you?” He asked, pointing at the empty chair across the
table. His voice was deep and confident, with a lilt that said he wasn’t a
native to Toronto.
I smiled politely and he took it as permission to sit down. Long legs
kicked out underneath, brushing against mine before pulling back.
“Excuse me,” he said, though there was no hint of apology in his grin.
I laughed in spite of myself. “No other tables available in this cafe?”
“None with a view like this,” he said, meeting my gaze.
My cheeks warmed from his attention. He watched with rapt focus as I
tugged back my long hair, and I felt unhinged that this handsome man
would be interested in me. There was no shyness to him; I couldn’t help but
wonder what it must be like to take on life so surely.
He leaned forward to look at my sketchpad. “The details are remarkable,
you even included all the street signs.”
My cheeks warmed. “It’s the little details that make a picture come to
life.”
“Do you mostly draw landscapes?”
“I dabble in portraits too. Sometimes animals, sometimes people. But
scenery is always a fun choice.”
Full lips stretched into a white grin. Deep brown eyes met mine and I
couldn’t look away. His fingers crept forward, brushing the edge of my
notepad. “And do you take commissions as well?”
I ducked my head, feeling another wave of shyness hit. “No, my
drawings are a hobby only.”
“But what if I were to, say, ask for a picture from you, would you do it
then?”
“You can have this doodle I’m working on now.”
He chuckled. “I want a proper drawing, one that was done with me in
mind when you looked down at the paper.”
I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed now by his attention. This was
why I didn’t believe in opposites attracting. His bold energy nipped at my
quiet morning. My ordinary weekends weren’t scripted to include
handsome men flirting up a storm. I began packing up my things, needing a
breather from this stranger unhinging my routine.
“Wait.” He reached out for my hand as I stood, his fingers gentle but firm
against mine. They were warm and neatly clipped at the nails. The world
fell silent as, ever so briefly, I marveled at the steadiness of his touch.
“I apologize if I come off too strong,” he said. “Please stay a bit. I just
want to get to know you more.” He saw the hesitation on my face and
gently pressed, “Or at the very least, tell me your name.”
I didn’t know how to react to this man, with his warm smile and dark
eyes. But neither did I want to let go of his hand, to lose the touch that made
the world go quiet. “I’m Katherine. My friends call me Kat.”
He flashed those dimples again, as if reading my acquiescence. Grabbing
a pencil left on the table, he scribbled on the corner of my notebook.
“Nice to meet you, Katherine. I’m Jules.” That low timber washed over
my senses. “Call me.”
***
I didn’t call him, not the first week nor the week after. Once I left the
cafe, I chalked up the experience as a random encounter. Maybe I had felt
attraction there, drawn by his attention and magnetic touch. But attraction
was volatile and distracting, and my life didn’t need any more distractions.
Past relationships already taught me that.
“So you’re going to be spinster or what?” Nelly asked in between
mouthfuls of Cheetos, her attention glued to our latest Netflix binge.
I cringed, watching my roommate wipe orange stained hands on her shirt.
“You’re so old, no one uses that word anymore.”
“Old my butt. And no sane person should be turning down hot guys
who’s practically drooling to see them.”
“Only the sensible ones.”
“In that case, sign me up for the freight train.”
“First of all, he’s too charming to drool. Second, guys like him are fickle;
they change attention with the seasons. I’ll just end up cast aside when the
next person catches his eyes.”
She launched a Cheetos at me. “Stop right there, you’re no one’s
castaway. I’ll dump this whole bag on you if you keep talking like that.”
I threw my hands up in concession, mostly to avoid her barrage. Nelly
was a hopeless romantic and perpetually single because she believed in
soulmates and love at first sights and yadda, yadda, yadda. We met during
rush week in university where she practically adopted me into her social
circle. She was the brash to my calm, the rum to my coke, and I couldn’t ask
for a crazier, or more loyal, friend.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s a big city, we probably won’t cross paths again,” I
said.
My roommate smirked. “Famous last words.”
AUTHOR: Ellie Penn
TITLE: Jules
GENRE: Contemporary Romance, Steamy Romance
RELEASE DATE: February 25, 2019
PUBLISHER: Indie Published
ISBN/ASIN: B07NJJ7W2N
OUR RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 stars
REVIEWED BY: V.B. “Can Do Indie Author”
Reviewer Bio: VB is an indie author who writes romance and Sci-Fi, and voraciously reads anything (with some limits). When she’s not reading and writing, she’s working a day job to pay for her truck habit and puttering around her house.
Thanks for reading our latest book review on ILRB! ♥ Have a great weekend, everyone!
Originally published at http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com on August 22, 2024.
