Christie's Review: One Good Reason by Julie Johnson

Title: One Good Reason

Series: Boston Love #3

Author: Julie Johnson

Release date: May 30, 2016

Cliffhanger: No

Synopsis:

Zoe Bloom has her life figured out. 

After a childhood spent begging for scraps on Boston street corners, she’s clawed her way to a successful career and a safe place to call home. She knows exactly what she needs to survive — a bit of money in the bank, a roof over her head, food on the table. Friends and family are a luxury she can’t afford. And forget about frivolous romantic entanglements. She can barely juggle her own problems; she certainly doesn’t have time to handle anyone else’s crap… 

Parker West has spent his life running.

From responsibility. From obligation. From the corporate CEO position he’s always been expected to take over. He’d rather climb Kilimanjaro than sit in a board meeting with stiffs in suits. When a crisis at the family company forces him to return to Boston, he has no choice but to stop chasing adventures — temporarily. As soon as things are back in order, he fully intends to sail off into the sunset…

Until he locks eyes with a mysterious blonde who screams trouble and sets his senses on fire. For the first time in his life, Parker doesn’t want to run. In fact, when it comes to Zoe… he may want to do something he’s never done before.

Stay. 

ONE GOOD REASON is a full-length contemporary romance about a girl who’s spent her life just trying to survive… and the man who finally teaches her how to live. Due to some sexy scenes, suspenseful moments, and a foul-mouthed heroine, it is recommended for readers ages 17 and up.

A lot of people think that the hero is the most important character in a romance book. I would have to disagree with that. For me, the heroine is equally as important in making or breaking a story and in this case, she absolutely sold this one right from the start. Zoe was a heroine who endeared herself to me with her tough as steel attitude and unique computer hacking skills. She was this vigilante chick that was impossibly brave that deep down was soft at heart. I was all over this girl, swooning with a major heroine crush.

Zoe and Parker meet at a business party where she's in disguise as one of the wait staff. Her plans to slip away and obtain vital information from the company computer system do not go as planned. She's one breath away from being taken away by security when playboy and new CEO Parker steps in to save the woman whom he couldn't take his eyes off of all evening. This tiny little blonde firecracker accepts his help, but after a short steamy encounter she storms away hoping to never see him again. He isn't about to let her slip through his fingers though and makes sure that she'll be forced to seek him out very soon.

Parker was the sweetest and very dedicated to softening up Zoe's tough outer shell and making her see the pleasures and joys in life that she deprived herself of. She's been on her own for a long time and only allows her fighter friend Killian in her inner circle. All of her gruff resistance is no match for his determination and teasing maneuvers. He is bound and determined to win over his little "Tinkerbell". He's known by this group of friends as the playboy who likes to go off on adventures and refuses to avoid adult responsibility. Which makes him the equivalent of her Peter Pan to his Tink. What could be more fated, right?

I'm totally safe with him. I'm home. And for me, a girl who never had a home...that means everything.

Probably my favorite side character was her MMA friend Luca (hot, protective, and totally alpha) and I'm pretty sold on checking out what his book has to offer. There was some foreshadowing who he was going to be paired with in the group of characters and I think it's going to be fun to read about. My least favorite was most definitely Parker's sister Phoebe. I'm not gonna lie, I'm feeling relieved that her book flew past my radar. I think I would have wanted to claw my own eyes out after two pages. Her bubbly and airhead like personality grates on my nerves in no time. She's just the opposite kind of female character I like to read.

I loved the flirtatious teasing between the two of them, and the fast paced storyline made this book a really enjoyable read. The dialogue could straddle the line between cheesy and fun here and there, but overall I can't complain too much. If you're looking for something light with a strong kickass heroine, look no further. And you don't have to read the previous books first to know what's going on, so no worries in that area. Now excuse me while I go look for Luca's book to add to my eternally growing TBR.

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