Review: A satisfying romace  . . . .
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 22, 2013
Just Once by Julianna KeyesSource: AuthorRating: 4/5Dear fictional characters,Saying you are going to shag one another “just once” to get it out of your system NEVER works.  However, your attempts at staying away from one another, struggling with your feelings and desires and then giving in to the temptation sure does provide a satisfying plot line for the reader.Sincerely,A Satisfied Reader :)As you may have gathered, Julianna Keyes’s Just Once is a tale of two lovers who think (morons!) they can be together just once and all of their thoughts, feelings, and emotions as related to the other will just magically disappear and they can then continue on with their lives. HA!!!  So. Not. The. Case.  Here’s the skinny:Kate Burke is tired.  After a decade spent traveling the world as a travel writer, staying in the finest hotels and resorts, dining in the finest restaurants and, having flings with exotic and beautiful men, she is ready for a break.  Additionally, thanks to one truly horrible experience, Kate has decided it is time to grow up and live her life as a responsible adult should.  No more excessive drinking, no more dancing on bars, no more impulsive decisions and certainly no more random and/or fleeting hook ups.  In order to accomplish her and get back on track and in line with this whole new “adult” thing, Kate decides to return to Ponderosa Pines Ranch, a place she spent three summers as a teenager as a cabin and kitchen girl.  Though she knows the days will be long and the work will be hard, Kate is certain she can walk away at the end of the summer totally adjusted and ready to slip back into her old life with a new attitude.  Too bad she can’t seem to stay away from Shane Maddox.Shane Maddox is untouchable!  As ranch foreman, Shane has made it abundantly clear to his guys that hooking up with the summer staff is nothing but trouble and if they want to keep their jobs, they will stay the hell away from the girls.  Shane leads by example and is utterly determined to avoid any and all contact with Kate Burke.  Shane is strong, sexy, intense and completely focused and dedicated to his goal: in ten years’ time he will have more than enough money to buy Ponderosa Pines.  Once Shane is in charge, he can consider a dalliance and maybe even a relationship but now, he must keep his eye on the prize.  Too bad he can’t see to stay away from Kate Burke.On the surface, Kate and Shane are like oil and water but behind closed doors they are some kind of hot!  Neither could have ever guessed how good the sex would be and walking away from that kind of intensity is hard to do.  But walk away they do and then fight and then make up and then fight some more and then, well, you get the idea.  Mixed into Kate and Shane’s “relationship” are their respective pasts, the question of their future and, all the craziness that comes with running a ranch open to guests.  If it’s not one thing, it’s another and this is what keeps the story both entertaining and flowing smoothly.The Bottom Line: In general, I found Just Once to be a good read though a bit predictable.  Even though I knew very early on how the story would turn out, the characters and the plot were strong enough to keep me interested and reading.  Just Once has some great one-liners, some fantastic dirty talk (SHANE!!!!) and naughty bits and just the right amount of emotional drama for my liking.  If you are looking for a fairly quick, easy read with some hot cowboys thrown in for good measure, then Just Once is the read for you!