ARC Review: Just What I Needed by Lorelei James

“While not my favorite from James, you may like this as a light summer read.”
~ Under the Covers

JUST WHAT I NEEDED is the second book of the Need You series. Now if you haven’t read this series before, then just know that this is a Contemporary Romance series, not an Erotic one. However, James does throw Trinity Carlson and Walker Lund together very quickly.

Trinity is experiencing the worst day ever when she tries to salvage it at a dive bar. However, there she encounters her with his brand new girlfriend. It’s enough to throw her over the edge but instead of hitting the road, she actually throws herself at a random stranger just to get back at the man.

Luckily for Walker, she’s attractive and he likes her forwardness. Much like James’ other heroines from her other series, Trinity is feisty, sexy and fierce. She’s a straight-shooter and when she kisses the life out of Walker, he falls instantly.

Normally I don’t mind these sort of things. It throws readers into the story and jumpstarts the romance in a big way. However, I found it difficult to really get into the dialogue of this story. There’s quite a lot of banter but for whatever reason it just felt cheesy and forced most of the time. That usual spark that is there with James is somehow missing and there were actually a few moments in here that had me cringing.

That being said, I do think if you like a light and fluffy read this might be just what you need. As a longtime fan of Lorelei James though, I was expecting a little bit more from this series. I’m not a fan of the first point of view in this series. It feels very juvenile compared to her usual writing and I also thought that the focus of this story was a little scattered as it jumped from the family to their more personal conflicts. So while not my favorite from James, you may like this as a light summer read.