Crossing the Line by J.J. Arias is a one-night to-forever contemporary romance that shows the power of fate.
Newly appointed Judge Jordan Blake thinks the romance ship has sailed but a chance meeting leaves her captivated by the much younger Sierra. Throwing caution to the wind, the two spend a passionate night together.
Law student Sierra Fuentes never anticipated seeing Jordan again. She’s pleasantly surprised when she ends up being Jordan’s new intern. Sierra wants to pick back up right where they left off if only Jordan would stop thinking of all the rules.
Despite the pull towards one another, Jordan vows to keep their relationship strictly professional but when the heart gets involved, can these two women overcome age and professional responsibilities to find their happily ever after?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I’m a sucker for an age gap tale and this one is pure magic. It started as a one-night stand with Sierra, the 24-year-old hottie scooting out of the hotel at first light. Neither Jordan nor Sierra thought they’d see one another again until Sierra showed up in Jordan’s chambers as her new intern. Jordan didn’t disclose the nature of their relationship (does a one-night stand count as a relationship?) to her boss because she didn’t believe they’d ever be able to make a relationship work.
Sierra’s story arc was the highlight of this novel. She began the journey as a major flirt who easily bedded any woman she wanted. When she shows up as Jordan’s intern, she immediately tries to get into Jordan’s pants. Jordan’s morals refused to let her give in. Sierra’s thrill of the hunt led her on a chase for Jordan who staunchly rebuffed her advances. Upon realizing how truly out of her league she believes Jordan is, Sierra begins to grow up and when she does, she’s even more irresistible.
What I liked most about this book was the fact that Jordan’s concerns about getting involved with Sierra were valid, first because she was Sierra’s boss, and the code of ethics she has to follow as a judge was way stronger than any mortal could comprehend and second because of the 20-year age gap. This was the first age gap books I’ve read where the older character voices her concerns about what being 20 years older could mean as she moves into her 50s, 60s, and 70s.
The dialogue was dynamic and engaging and the chemistry between Jordan and Sierra was flammable from the moment they met. I loved every part of this book!
Cons And Heads Up
This is a workplace romance but there is no power play involved here. Jordan is firm in her stance that they keep their relationship professional and keeps her word throughout the Spring that Sierra is her intern.
The Conclusion
Crossing the Line by J.J. Arias is an age gap, workplace, contemporary romance with two wonderfully dynamic main characters who you can help but fall in love with. Jordan and Sierra’s road to happiness is a delightfully complex ride with elements of longing, self-discovery, growth, and vulnerability. Don’t miss out on this one!
Excerpt from Crossing the Line by J.J. Arias
“Hi.” A woman’s voice unnervingly close to her ear jarred her out of the mental picture.
Jordan’s head swiveled to her right. A stunning smile, broad and captivating, greeted her first.
Then she noticed the rest of her. The voice was attached to an objectively beautiful young woman with olive skin and sparkling brown eyes shaped like she might be a descendant of Cleopatra. Her short, wavy hair, tossed over to one side, stopped at her chin.
For a moment, Jordan couldn’t remember what the stranger had said. Was she calling to someone behind her? Maybe she was trying to squeeze in and get the bartender’s attention. She was disconcertingly close. Close enough that her arm was pressed against Jordan’s resting on the bar.
“Can I buy you a drink?” the woman, who couldn’t be older than her very early twenties, shouted over the music.
Jordan’s heart picked up the pace. Is she hitting on me? The thought lingered only for a second. It’s more likely she’s messing with you. Maybe her friends put her up to it as a joke.
“How old are you?” Jordan replied as coldly as she could given that she had to strain to be heard over the noise.
Her toothpaste-commercial-smile didn’t falter. “Old enough to get in,” she replied before shaking the plastic, orange bracelet on her wrist and showing off a tiny tattoo of an X on the side of her middle finger.
The band was the same one Jordan was wearing, although she hadn’t been asked to show ID. Surely, this woman had presented proof of being over twenty-one, or she’d have those black marks on her hands.
“I could be your mother,” Jordan decided, shifting her body slightly away from the stranger.
She laughed, a beautiful sound over the electronic noise Jordan had been subjected to since she arrived. “But you’re not and that’s what matters,” she replied, edging closer to Jordan. “Let me buy you a drink.”
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9798808555839
Publisher: Indie Author
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