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Kiwi Rules (New Zealand Ever After Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Rosalind James (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,974 ratings
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I may have lost my leg. I may have lost my job. I didn't have to lose my courage.
You don’t find many too-pretty rich boys in the New Zealand Defence Force. Turns out there’s a reason for that. Fortunately, you can find your true self in the oddest places. Of course, you can lose yourself in those places, too—at least some pieces of you.

Since I was back home with a new leg, some facial alterations, and time on my hands, I might as well help out my sister. Showing a potential buyer around some of New Zealand’s quirkier ecotourism sites, having a few adrenaline-fueled adventures? Fine. It wasn’t like I’d never been camping, unlike the walking tornado that was Miss Karen Sinclair.

Unfortunately, Karen had never heard of the phrase, “Let me get that,” let alone, “We don’t have time.” She’d definitely never heard, “There’s no more room in the car.” And then there was the sexual frustration.
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  1. Book 1 of 5
    New Zealand Ever After
  2. Print length
    497 pages
  3. Language
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  5. Publication date
    April 20, 2019
  6. File size
    4533 KB
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  1. “A woman needs to feel cherished, unless she doesn’t think she’ll ever get it. Then, maybe she tries not to need it instead.”
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From the Publisher

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Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Ever since I wrote the Not Quite a Billionaire series, I've wanted to write Karen's story. Did she retain her take-no-prisoners attitude? (Spoiler alert: yes). Did she find somebody as good as Hemi? (Yep! But like most of us, her life doesn't turn out quite like she expected.) Anyway--here she is, kicking off a brand-new New Zealand series. If you want to read Karen's backstory--check out Fierce, Fractured, and Found, or the Not Quite a Billionaire boxed set!

NOTE: This STAND-ALONE novel, like New Zealand, contains some (absolutely and explicitly consensual) steam. If that's not your cuppa, maybe try a different country . . . er, book.

From the Inside Flap

Excerpt:
Karen

The sea god jerked his chin at me in a way that made my mouth open, and not from breathless wonder, then turned around and took off on the crutches without even checking for my reaction.

I'd thought I knew all about male arrogance, but that took the cake. He hadn't even thanked me. Now, I was mad at him and the kids. All I'd done was help.

If I followed him, it was just to give him a much-needed reality check. I hadn't even gone in the water yet, and that had been the whole point of coming here. For the time being, I went and grabbed my bag, but when I turned around, my heart pounding in a way that showed you the kind of shape I was in right now, he was standing off at a distance, clearly waiting for me, seeming oblivious to the stares he was garnering.

Well, I'd already figured out that he was tough in body and mind. That was why I was heading off to join him, somehow, despite the chin-jerking. That, and that I was the definition of "at loose ends," and maybe I was hoping that some of his toughness would rub off on me, because I was about a quart low.

When I caught up with him, I said, "You jerked your chin at me. Like you were summoning me. What was that about? Hello? Real world calling. Women don't go much for that. Also, don't say 'pussy.' That's a crappy insult, especially in front of me. You can do better." That was my compromise solution. Following him, but objecting.

He smiled. Unfortunately, he had a killer smile, slow, sweet, and crooked. It crinkled his eyes and the long scar on the side of his face, and it was so unstudied. He said, with no lessening of calm in his voice, "You're probably right about the 'pussy.' Could be I've heard it too much and not thought about it enough. And I could've done that summoning thing, yeh. Could be you're being insensitive, too. I couldn't exactly crook my finger at you, could I? My hands were occupied."

I always think of men as having beer voices. I know that sounds weird, but I'm a food person. The beach kids were cheap pilsners. Too light and fizzy, without enough depth to them. My brother-in-law, Hemi Te Mana, was a stout, dark and deep, its sweetness all but buried. His grandfather, my Koro, was a porter, as comforting as a warm fire on a freezing winter day. Josh had been an IPA, fruit-forward and on trend. I'd forgotten until too late that I didn't actually like IPAs. This guy? He was a winter ale, layered, smooth, and deceptively potent, with an alcohol content that you should have looked up first, because halfway through the first glass, you were already in trouble.

Too bad I liked trouble. And that matching wits was one of my favorite hobbies. "Good thing," I told him. "If you'd crooked your finger at me, I might have bitten off your hand. What are you, Henry the Eighth? I'm not even addressing the other part. You are not sensitive. And I was helping."

"You wound me," he said. "In the emotional sense. And maybe I didn't need your help."

"Which would mean I didn't wound you at all." I was supposed to be wounded, in the emotional sense. Why did I want to laugh instead? Hysteria, probably. I asked him, "You aren't really going to do that, are you?"

"Do what?"

"Race. Why would you? And how could you think you'd win?" Up close, he had more scars than I'd realized, and they didn't look all that long-healed, which meant he must have lost his leg recently. The scars were still pink. A long one sliced all the way down his forehead at the edge of his hairline, skimmed the outer corner of his eye in a way that made you wonder how he hadn't lost it, and only ended down near his earlobe. He could have grown his hair longer to hide some of it, but he hadn't, which was interesting. He had another one just peeking out of the neckline of his T-shirt, too, or rather, a group of them, looking like the ends of a web woven by a very large, very drunk spider. I was guessing that one extended a ways.

Another man would have had a tattoo inked over that, tribal or not. Of course, he might just not have had time to have it done yet. He wasn't the god of the sea, he wasn't a merman, and he wasn't my hero.

"Why not race?" he said. "I don't have anything else on today, and win or lose, I'll make them think. I could also feel the need to regain my manhood, after having somebody else charge in and fight my battles for me. Somebody, I'll just say, that I wouldn't have chosen to do that. I need to go get my leg. Come along, if you like."

"Oh. You're kidding." I laughed. "That is what you meant. I hurt your ego, because you don't need help from a woman. Also, what does it matter whether they think or not? That's not your problem, surely."

He smiled. Slowly, like I'd drawn it out of him. Another good smile. It could be making me a little breathless, possibly. Now that I was up close, I realized that he had gray eyes behind the black-rimmed glasses. Not gray-blue. Actually gray, with a darker rim around the iris. He was quite a few wonderful inches taller than I was, too, which didn't happen often, and he'd put his shirt on like a man who didn't need to show off the breadth of his chest or the narrowness of his waist. Like a man with nothing to prove.

If the leg and the scars had happened in a motorcycle accident, I didn't want to know. I'd just make up a happy fantasy instead. Firefighter. Special Forces soldier. Man who dangled out of rescue helicopters and pulled people from cars balanced halfway down mountainsides, just before they teetered and fell. Hey, I saw it in a movie. It's a job.

Any of those would be good, and fantasizing generally made for a better outcome. Reality could be so disappointing.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07NQB2RV3
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bellbird Publishing (April 20, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 20, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4533 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 497 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,974 ratings

About the author

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Rosalind James

Rosalind James

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*Sign up for my newsletter, get all the inside scoop, and never miss a release! www.rosalindjames.com/newsletter

*YES, they're stand-alones! (Except JUST ONCE MORE, FRACTURED, and FOUND.)

*All books also available in audio format.

*Printable book list available at: https://rosalindjames.com/printable-booklist/

Escape to New Zealand:

Book 0.5: JUST SAY YES (Reka & Hemi)

Book 1: JUST THIS ONCE (Hannah & Drew)

Book 2: JUST GOOD FRIENDS (Kate & Koti)

Book 3: JUST FOR NOW (Jenna & Finn)

Book 4: JUST FOR FUN (Emma & Nic)

Book 5: JUST MY LUCK (Ally & Nate/Kristen & Liam)

Book 6: JUST NOT MINE (Josie & Hugh)

Book 7: JUST ONCE MORE (Reunion/Hannah & Drew again)

Book 8: JUST IN TIME (Faith & Will)

Book 9: JUST STOP ME (Nina & Iain)

Book 10: JUST SAY YES (Chloe & Kevin)

Book 11: JUST SAY (HELL) NO (Marko & Nyree)

Book 12: JUST COME OVER (Zora & Rhys)

Book 13: JUST SAY CHRISTMAS (Victoria & Kane/Hayden & Luke/Reunion)

Book 14: JUST ONE LOOK (Elizabeth & Luka)

New Zealand Ever After:

Book 1: KIWI RULES (Karen & Jax) (NOTE: Read Karen's backstory in the Not Quite a Billionaire trilogy!)

Book 2: STONE COLD KIWI (Poppy & Matiu)

Book 3: KIWI STRONG (Daisy & Gray)

Book 4: KIWI GOLD (Layla & Lachlan)

Book 5: KIWI SIN (Oriana & Gabriel)

Not Quite a Billionaire (Hope & Hemi):

Book 1: FIERCE

Book 2: FRACTURED

Book 3: FOUND

Sinful, Montana:

Book 1: GUILTY AS SIN (Paige & Jace)

Book 2: TEMPTING AS SIN (Lily & Rafe)

Book 3: SEXY AS SIN (Willow & Brett)

Portland Devils:

Book 1: SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL (Dakota & Blake)

Book 2: NO KIND OF HERO (Beth & Evan)

Book 3: SHAME THE DEVIL (Jennifer & Harlan)

Book 4: DEVIL IN DISGUISE (Dyma & Owen)

The Kincaids:

Book 1: WELCOME TO PARADISE (Mira & Gabe)

Book 2: NOTHING PERSONAL (Rae & Alec)

Book 3: ASKING FOR TROUBLE (Alyssa & Joe)

Paradise, Idaho:

Book 1: CARRY ME HOME (Zoe & Cal)

Book 2: HOLD ME CLOSE (Kayla & Luke)

Book 3: TURN ME LOOSE (Rochelle & Travis)

Book 4: TAKE ME BACK (Hallie & Jim)

Visit www.rosalindjames.com to listen to the songs from the New Zealand books, follow characters on their travels, and learn about what's new.

Follow me on facebook: at rosalindjamesbooks

Join my Facebook reader group: Just Rosalind James

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,974 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Carolynn Brill
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent story with terrific Kiwi commentary!
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2024
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Really good, so intense, so angsty and still super fun! Loved the main characters, both very unique - a perfect fit for each other! Really enjoyed the setting, giving me lots of details on things to see & do it I ever find myself there! Looking forward to the next in this series.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid!
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2023
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This book, like so many of Rosalind's others is full of love, wisdom, yearning, and joy. The sensuality and sense of place are phenomenal! It leaves me full of hope and pleasure. Thanks, Rosalind!
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Tabby1249
4.0 out of 5 stars Much to like, some criticism
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2022
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There was much to like about this book. Strong, well-developed, likable characters with distinctive voices, well written, often laugh-out-loud dialog, beautiful descriptions of NZ scenery, traditions, and customs all in a well-paced initially original and engaging storyline usually make for a really perfect read. So, why only 4 stars?

Karen’s and Jax’s storyline characters are very different than found in most contemporary romances, thank goodness. Each of them has a significant personal and emotional burden and the weaknesses of one of them is often offset by the strength of the other. There was bravery, I think, in the author’s use of a physically war-damaged hero and her candid descriptions of the challenges he faced. Also, Karen is not a damsel in distress in the usual sense. Her particular challenge is a realistic one that she is allowed to address and solve on her own.

Where it fell apart for me was when I felt the author began to slip back into the cliched tropes of many contemporary romances about the 65% mark on my Kindle and which began with some Olympic-level conclusion jumping on Karen’s part. I felt like it was wholly unjustified given all that had passed between her and Jax prior to that. Also, I don’t have a problem with sex in novels, but the sex in this one just didn’t feel quite right given Karen’s character development and was in my opinion, a bit gratuitous, at times.

All that said, this novel was better than most CRs I’ve read, so I’d recommend it. It’s face-paced and a pleasant diversion.
7 people found this helpful
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Gonchu41
5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Talisman
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2019
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I had to stop reading so that I could write this down about 1/3 of the way... Rosalind James writes characters who’ve been through real life struggles, who are so amazing, resilient and empathetic it made me stop reading and self evaluate on things in life. That’s how amazing this book is so far.

Okay I finished the book and my heart is so full! These characters are smart, flawed and beautiful, both inside and out. Jax has been through war and has to learn how to live life with his scars and injuries and Karen has to learn how to go on after her life plan was taken away from her. They both meet at a point in life where everything is up in the air and trusting their own instincts isn’t as easy as it once was. It’s a beautiful journey, their way to happiness and contentment is a road they need to travel together.

I’m so happy Karen got her HEA! She reminded me of myself at so many points in the story, women who feel they are too intimidating to ever find a man who loves her for her and doesn’t feel threatened, she’s been told she’s too much, that she’s too direct, then Jax comes along and shows her they are perfect for each other. It’s also great to see Hope, Hemi and Koro once again! I laughed, I cried and I sighed. Another win for Rosalind James.
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Printophile
5.0 out of 5 stars First book in a unique series.
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024
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What makes this series so special is the glimpses of the unique cultures in New Zealand . This book is the closest to a traditional romance. I read the 2nd book first and read. I read though to the fifth and came back and read the first. I ' ve been introduced to so many aspects of NZ including foods. I think almost anyone would enjoy this series
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eabreese
5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars for an excellent story
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2019
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Sometimes we meet secondary characters and they resonate so much that we hope they end up with a story of their own. That's exactly the case with Karen Sinclair (First seen in the Not Quite a Billionaire series). Kiwi Rules takes place roughly 10 years after we last saw young Karen.

Ms James does a wonderful job of bringing Karen into adulthood and creating a reason for her to also return to New Zealand. I loved the descriptions of Karen's character, she's entertaining and her mix of confidence and insecurities ripple off the page making her incredibly easy to relate to. Jax is an excellent counterpoint to Karen. He has his own issues and baggage, but has a confidence that she needs. I appreciated the things both Jax and Karen had in common, especially regarding their families and trying to determine where they are meant to go forward in life after some pretty big changes.

Kiwi Rules is another example of Ms. James unique style that pulls you into the adventures of her characters and makes you want to go along with them. There is an excellent balance between place descriptions and character activity so that you can picture the environment even if you've never been there. New Zealand's unique culture is also woven into the story via secondary characters that make you want to hang out with them as much as with Karen and Jax.

If you have read the Not Quite a Billionaire series, then you will appreciate the appearance of Hope, Hemi, and the rest of the extended Te Mana family. Don't worry if you have not read the earlier books as this is a complete stand alone.

Ms James is an author that I can always count on to deliver a high quality, engaging read and Kiwi Rules is another example of why this is true.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Michelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Speechless
Reviewed in Canada on April 22, 2019
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This how my reading experience goes for Rosalind James books especially the last few. I read it once, way too fast, in one sitting with crumpled tissues all around me. Then I sigh and try to process all the big ideas and thoughts put into the book. About a week later I start re- reading the book and noticing all the little things I missed the first go around. What I love best are all these almost philosophical ideas the characters have about life and that is what makes each book so good we don't just see the relationship but we get to know each character intimately. This type of depth just sets Rosalind James so far ahead of other authors in the romance genre.
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Tina G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Eine Geschichte zum Verlieben
Reviewed in Germany on April 5, 2020
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Die Story ist irgendwie eine Fortsetzung von "Not Quiete a Billionaire", die Jahre später spielt, da man auch erfährt , wie es mit Hope und Hemi weiter gegangen ist.

Achtung Spoiler!!!

Karen, inzwischen eine erfolgreiche Geschäftsfrau, wird von ihrem Freund geschäftlich und privat betrogen und fliegt nach NZ zu Hemi's Großvater um zu überlegen, wie es weiter gehen soll. Mit Jax macht sie sich auf den Weg, um Luxus-Campingplätze zu besichtigen, die Jax's Schwester an Hemi verkaufen will.

Der Trip entwickelt sich zum Abenteuer und die Beiden kommen sich immer näher...
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Riverdaffyd
5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2019
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A lovely story! We first met Karen as a sixteen year old girl in Fierce, the younger sister of Hope, who had become Karen’s guardian when their mother died. Hope had only been eighteen then, and she had to give up all plans for college, and just work hard to keep them; then Karen got sick and they had no medical insurance. By then Hope had met, and was working for Hemi, a wealthy fashion designer, and they were having a very passionate, but on/off relationship. Nevertheless Hemi paid for Karen to be examined, and for the very expensive operation to remove the brain tumour that was threatening her life. Karen was a very bright girl, and very sparky, an opinion about everything! I have been hoping to read her story, and see how she grew up; she is approaching her thirtieth birthday when this story begins and has a wonderful job. She works in a company she part-owns, the world is her oyster! She is still the sparky, opinionated girl she ever was, well able to speak up for herself. By the end of the first chapter her life has fallen apart and she is hurting, badly. She moves back to New York to a small apartment, and is found there by Hope and Hemi, he offers her a lifeline, a research job for her to do in New Zealand, he is thinking about purchasing a company but doesn’t have the time to check it over before he buys, and he knows she will be honest about it. She will also be well looked after by his family, who she loves.

Also in the first chapter Jax finds his life torn apart, and he is living away from his family, although in a luxury apartment owned by his parents, trying to come to terms with a life that is going to be very different than he ever envisaged. They meet on the beach just after Karen arrives in New Zealand. There is an instant attraction between them but they are both very abrasive and argumentative, and sensitive. Karen keeps trying to save him, and Jax is determined to fight his own battles! They have to try and get on, it turns out that he is the person who will be showing her the business that Hemi is interested in purchasing; Karen had been expecting to meet his sister Poppy, and he was expecting to meet Hemi.

Various things occur in their travels that cause problems for them, not least Karen getting sick and panicking because she ends up in hospital. And when all seems to have settled down and they can both relax and think about having a life together - it seems that fate is determined to keep them apart! When they at last see each other again, after two very long weeks for both of them, their reunion is totally joyous, and the rest of the story is beautiful, tears of joy all round, me included! I have been looking forward to this book for ages and it was so worth waiting for! These characters feel so real, so alive, Rosalind James is so good at writing emotion you feel you really know these people.

A really good read!
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Client Amazon
4.0 out of 5 stars Another great way to spend your time!
Reviewed in France on May 4, 2019
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Rosalind James has delivered yet another great book : well-written, well-researched, well-rounded characters who aren’t perfect .. it’s a winning combination ! I really enjoyed following the main character , Karen, a strong, intelligent, likeable woman on her journey. Set in the beautiful backdrop of NZ this truly is a great read ... my only gripe is I found the male leads situation a bit over the top ... an elite soldier, Injured at war, who used to be an underwear model and who is more than financially sound ? Too much for my tastes ... but still an excellent way to spend a few hours ! Looking forward to the next book in the series .
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Rowena J-P
5.0 out of 5 stars Not what I thought
Reviewed in Australia on July 27, 2022
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When I read the sample chapters of this book (because I'm always counting down until the next RJ book!) I thought "Hmmmm ... a hero who's an amputee. That's going to be a challenge, in terms of your standard romance formula: tall, handsome, able to slay dragons, etc." And then we met Jax, and I was shown how closed minded I'd been.
Jax and Karen are both people who've been damaged and hurt, and who have to find the way to loving themselves again, and allowing themselves to be loved. This book made me cry several times, laugh out loud, and be thrilled. Yes, I'm a kiwi myself so it could be I'm biased, but everything in this book, the first of a new series, resonated with me, and I loved their story.
RJ's books are definitely love stories, and are unashamedly sexy, but so much more than is usually on offer in this genre. The journey that is a real relationship, with its ups and downs, twists and turns, and all the other peripheral people involved, all of those are there in full technicolour, so that we can't help but be drawn in, involved and absorbed.
Rosalind James' writing just keeps getting better and better. Loved this book and wholeheartedly recommend it.
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