Love Down Under Box Set

One of my favorite authors, Rosalind James, recently put together a box set of other books set in New Zealand. Most are written by authors who live in Australia and New Zealand as well as setting their work there. It's a fun box set and extremely reasonably priced - just 99 cents for 8 full length novels.

100% pure escape. Escape to the Land Down Under, where the sky is bluer, the living is slower, and the loving is sweeter. This summer, dive into eight heartwarming feel-good beach romances by bestselling Australian and New Zealand authors. And because size matters, they're all novel or long novella length! We've got cheeky, sexy, funny, steamy, sweet--and all with heaps of heart. Enjoy with a tall pitcher of iced tea or a bottle of chilled white wine--we'll never tell! * Eight standalone novels (NO cliffhangers!) spanning 1,500+ pages * Over 95% off retail for the individual books sold separately * Only available through July--get your copy today! Eight perfect indulgences to get your summer sorted! ROSALIND JAMES, - Just for You (Escape to New Zealand) TRACEY ALVAREZ - Melting Into You (Due South) DIANA FRASER - The Playboy's Redemption (The Mackenzies) H.Y. HANNA - Playing to Win (Summer Beach Vets) JOANNE HILL - Falling for Jack KRIS PEARSON - The Boat Builder's Bed (Wicked in Wellington) ANNIE SEATON - Beach House (Bondi Beach Love) SERENITY WOODS - A Secret Between Friends (Treats to Tempt You)

Elizabeth's Review

4 Stars

Review Copy provided by Author

It's hard to rate a box set like this. Some of the books I loved and some were just okay. Since there are 8 books involved, I've given each one just a small little blurb.

Melting Into You – 3.5 stars

I wasn’t sure about this one early on, I really didn’t like Ben at all. The author did a great job of peeling back his layers and showing that he could be a really good guy. His sisters and friends are an absolute hoot and were perfect for moving the story along. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Playboys’s Redemption – 3.5 stars

A great second chance romance. Susie and James reconnect 10 years after adolescent heartbreak and just when things seem to be perfect, James keeps a secret and trust goes out the window again. Parts of the story seem rushed to me, especially how Susie “falls back in love” with James after 10 years apart and then at the mere hint of trouble runs away.  The author makes it work, but it would have been nice to see that a little more fleshed out. 

Playing to Win – 3.5 Stars

A sweet, quick read.  American PR executive, Ellie has moved to an Australian beach community to help get a new resort up and running. A no-good, very bad day leads her to meeting local vet, Dan, a cute little boy and his dog, Will and Milo. Romance and friendships bloom and Ellie discovers that there is more to life than work. She messes things up and gets in her own way before she gets her priorities straight. A great read for a relaxing afternoon.

Falling for Jack – 3 stars

A sweet story – Jack and Robyn knew of each other growing up and run into each other as adults where they discover roles have reversed to a certain extent. When Jack discovers that he has a son he never knew about, he turns to Robyn for help. The story is more about relationships and personal growth with elements of attraction and love woven through. I like both Jack and Robyn and the growth curve they each experienced, but I didn’t really connect with either of them.

Just for you – 5 stars

It was a true treat to see how Hemi and Reka came to be together. This is a fun read to be enjoyed by anyone just discovering the Escape series as well as anyone who has joined Ms James on her wonderful trips before.

The Boat Builder’s Bed – 4 stars

The build-up in this one is worth it! The beginning is a little slow as it seems like Rafe and Sophie have this odd tug-of-war going on, but once they finally give in they are great together. There is a snarky ex and secrets revealed at the worst time to deal with, but they make it through and they both get the ending they want.

Beach House – 3 stars

While I enjoyed this story, I felt like it really could have been so much more. The premise is a lot of fun; an aunt/guardian who meddles in the lives of loved ones by making them share a house in order to inherit. Rosie’s longtime crush on Taj complicates things for her. There are a couple of really fun moments and there is great chemistry between them, but we don’t get to know either of them very well. We see a little bit of what drives Rosie, but Taj’s motivations are a little murky for me even though what he does is very kind. My only complaint is that this story doesn’t seem to live up to its potential.

A Secret Between Friend’s – 4.5  stars

I think this may have been one of the books I enjoyed most in the set. Genie and Niall are both genuine and like-able characters who are also a lot of fun together. They have history together and a pretty big tragedy in between them that makes them and unlikely pair, but I loved how Niall fought for them. Interesting secondary characters add a great flavor to the story too.

If you want to go buy this box set - and it's really a great summer read - go here to pick it up.