The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
elenajohansen's review against another edition
2.0
Coming back to this after having read the first three full-length novels in the series, I found this to be bland. In the small space allowed, neither Reka nor Hemi really has a chance to develop much personality beyond the gently sarcastic tone that is apparently the way all Maori characters speak in James' novels. Reka sounded exactly like all her sisters, and pretty much the entire rest of her family. Hemi did a decent job apologizing for his boorish behavior in the past, but eager-puppy-hounding-the-heroine isn't much of a personality, and if that's all he is, it's not exactly a strong argument in his favor.
Honestly, I like these two much better as the happily married couple who shows up from time to time in the series. I didn't need this back story, because it's just not very interesting.
Honestly, I like these two much better as the happily married couple who shows up from time to time in the series. I didn't need this back story, because it's just not very interesting.
juvball3's review against another edition
5.0
Hemi and Reka's story was just as good as I thought it would be.
bananatricky's review against another edition
3.0
I have totally binge read a good proportion of Rosalind James' back catalogue over the New Year break after receiving a copy of one of her books (Take Me Back) from NetGalley and realising that I had only read a couple of her Escape to New Zealand series previously.
As a result I am copying and pasting part of this review into the other books. The Escape to New Zealand series is a set of romances featuring players from New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team. All the books are full of En Zed (how the letters NZ are pronounced in New Zealand) slang and contain a handy glossary of terms at the back. Although being English I understood the vast majority of terms, or could guess their meaning from the context there were a few (like Domain and Jandles) which I had to look up. Each of the books also describes at least one rugby match in some detail - although I am English I have to confess I don't really follow/ understand rugby and I tend to gloss over these bits although I am picking up some of the terms.
This books features Hemi Ranapia and Reka Harata.
Hemi and Reka had a torrid interlude at a wedding. When Hemi didn't call afterwards Reka was devastated but chalked it up to a one-night stand. A year later Hemi is on a fishing trip with some friends when he runs into Reka again. He realises what a mistake he made and wants to start over but Reka feels she's been played by him once and won't be fooled again.
Although this novella is probably of more interest to those who have read one or more books in the series (explaining how the senior couple came together), it is an easy introduction to the series - if you like the Maori and New Zealand cultural references you will probably like the rest of the series.
As a result I am copying and pasting part of this review into the other books. The Escape to New Zealand series is a set of romances featuring players from New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team. All the books are full of En Zed (how the letters NZ are pronounced in New Zealand) slang and contain a handy glossary of terms at the back. Although being English I understood the vast majority of terms, or could guess their meaning from the context there were a few (like Domain and Jandles) which I had to look up. Each of the books also describes at least one rugby match in some detail - although I am English I have to confess I don't really follow/ understand rugby and I tend to gloss over these bits although I am picking up some of the terms.
This books features Hemi Ranapia and Reka Harata.
Hemi and Reka had a torrid interlude at a wedding. When Hemi didn't call afterwards Reka was devastated but chalked it up to a one-night stand. A year later Hemi is on a fishing trip with some friends when he runs into Reka again. He realises what a mistake he made and wants to start over but Reka feels she's been played by him once and won't be fooled again.
Although this novella is probably of more interest to those who have read one or more books in the series (explaining how the senior couple came together), it is an easy introduction to the series - if you like the Maori and New Zealand cultural references you will probably like the rest of the series.
thegroovyreader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thepurplefox's review against another edition
Just not vibing with me. I don't feel the chemistry between the two and all the slang and references are kind of going above my head.
DNF 30%
DNF 30%
allenfarm's review against another edition
4.0
I actually read the first 5 books in the series before I saw the novella of Hemi and Reka's story, ongoing characters in all five of the other books. I love that their accents come through in her writing and that Ms. James provides such lush descriptions of New Zealand that it is like you are there. The rugby and EnZed language is not at all hard to follow. Love this series!
lucyp21's review against another edition
3.0
This was a complete impulse series but I really liked New Zealand and I don't mind rugby, so I thought I would give it a try. I haven't read any of the rest of this series so I'm starting off with this novella.Â
Hemi and Reka had a one night stand a year before the book starts and then happen to run into each other again at a bar where Reka works. After one of Hemi's teammates makes a fool of himself, Hemi realises he wants to get to know Reka properly this time. The only trouble is convincing Reka of that.Â
I did like this book. The rugby aspects were interesting, especially when it talked about the pressure of a match and how everyone has to work as a team on and off the pitch. There was a chapter dedicated to Hemi playing the first game of the season and while I wasn't able to follow much (rugby isn't my sport), I did find it interesting to see how Hemi handled himself.Â
As for the romance, well I did like it. I feel like sometimes it had the same problem as I've seen before where the hero and heroine have an argument and it has to be completely the hero's fault and all the side characters we see are her friends and family and so they take her side. Thankfully, this was corrected before we reach the end of the book when Hemi points out, quite reasonably, that she is choosing to believe a friend of a cousin whose friend saw something circumstantial at a party rather than him which says something about her trust issues because we know that he didn't do anything but there's absolutely no way to prove it. I did like how it ended with Reka and Hemi building up trust between the two of them before they made a proper go of it because it felt like they were going to get their happy ending but it wasn't going to be wrapped up in one neat, unrealistic bow. I liked Hemi more than Reka but as the book went on, we got to see more of why Reka was like the way she was and I was far more sympathetic.Â
3.5 stars and I'm definitely going to be continuing on with the series!Â
Hemi and Reka had a one night stand a year before the book starts and then happen to run into each other again at a bar where Reka works. After one of Hemi's teammates makes a fool of himself, Hemi realises he wants to get to know Reka properly this time. The only trouble is convincing Reka of that.Â
I did like this book. The rugby aspects were interesting, especially when it talked about the pressure of a match and how everyone has to work as a team on and off the pitch. There was a chapter dedicated to Hemi playing the first game of the season and while I wasn't able to follow much (rugby isn't my sport), I did find it interesting to see how Hemi handled himself.Â
As for the romance, well I did like it. I feel like sometimes it had the same problem as I've seen before where the hero and heroine have an argument and it has to be completely the hero's fault and all the side characters we see are her friends and family and so they take her side. Thankfully, this was corrected before we reach the end of the book when Hemi points out, quite reasonably,
3.5 stars and I'm definitely going to be continuing on with the series!Â
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