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Practice Makes Perfect
Practice Makes Perfect
Practice Makes Perfect
Audiobook9 hours

Practice Makes Perfect

Written by Julie James

Narrated by Karen White

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Payton Kendall and J. D. Jameson are lawyers who know the meaning of objection. A feminist to the bone, Payton has fought hard to succeed in a profession dominated by men. Born wealthy, privileged, and cocky, J. D. has fought hard to ignore her. Face-to-face, they're perfectly civil. They have to be. For eight years they have kept a safe distance and tolerated each other as coworkers for one reason only: to make partner at the firm.

But all bets are off when they're asked to join forces on a major case. Though apprehensive at first, they begin to appreciate each other's dedication to the law-and the sparks between them quickly turn into attraction. But the increasingly hot connection does not last long when they discover that only one of them will be named partner. Now it's an all-out war. And the battle between the sexes is bound to make these lawyers hot under the collar . . .
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 27, 2013
ISBN9781452683126
Practice Makes Perfect

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Reviews for Practice Makes Perfect

Rating: 3.9697581258064516 out of 5 stars
4/5

248 ratings18 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Awesome!!!
    Great story line and wonderful plot. I like that characters depth. Great book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I've only recently gotten into contemporary romance novels, and I'm still not 100% sure I like the genre. I will admit I have liked Julie James' books far more than others, but I also may be biased because they are generally set in Chicago, and I have a thing for books set in Chicago.

    Anyway, after reading Practice Makes Perfect, I found myself wondering what exactly it is about contemporaries as a whole that bothers me. It isn't an outright annoyance, but more an annoying feeling at the back of my consciousness as I read. Romance novels all follow the same plot line, more or less, and have pretty stock characters, so why does setting matter so much? Then it occurred to me- in a historical romance, I expect an "old school" alpha male, because in all honesty, men were kind of dense and clueless and they looked down on women- it is just a fact of the time period. I'm not saying this is great behavior, or that I would appreciate it in real life, but it is easier for me to believe, and not think the hero is such an asshole.

    However, when you take those stock characters- the dense, clueless men who look down on women- and put them in modern times, they generally come off as misogynistic and insulting. Which is frustrating, because I like a strong alpha male type as much as the next girl, but at the same time, I'd like them to be smart and respect women as well. I don't think the two things are mutually exclusive.

    James does a good job of creating heros who don't come off as total asses. For the most part, I liked J.D., though I'll admit he did a few things that made me want to not like him (calling Payton a "feminazi, for example), he did change for the better as the book went on, and the transformation was more or less believable, and didn't seem too out of character. However, the one thing that really drove me up a wall, and which seemed like an unnecessary plot point was the backstory of J.D. telling their boss that he and Payton had slept together. That made me really really want to hate him, and I felt like she forgave him way too easily. That made me a bit angry. I feel like the plot could have done without that, because there was enough tension as it was.

    One of my biggest issues with the book was the nature of the conflict set up between the two characters. Not only did it seem ridiculously implausible (though, I will admit to not knowing anything about law firms) but I couldn't anticipate an ending which would have made me happy. Obviously, there was a happy ending (it is a romance novel) and maybe it was clear to other readers, but I didn't especially like the tension leading up to it. A lot of that is because the conflict became a general men vs women conflict, and not a J.D. vs Payton conflict.

    All in all, I did enjoy Practice Makes Perfect, and breezed through it. It was a fun read, and like her other books, I liked the interactions between the main characters.

    If you haven't read anything of James', I would suggest starting with the FBI series first. But if you have read her books before, you will likely enjoy this one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Practice makes perfect by Julie James8 yrs Chicago lawyers and now only one will be promoted. They are paired to work together and the boss will decide.Payton wants the new position and is willing to work with JD.JD born to succeed and has everything. Problem is they start to become familiar and physical with one another....I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    75% through and I gave up. I just couldn't finish it. Boring and predictable. Also unlikable characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's a funny and sarcastic office romance that's like a subdued, like waaaay subdued version of Beautiful Series by Christina Lauren and/or Tangled series by Emma Chase. This reminds me why I read NA in my age.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Entertaining romantic comedy where the relationship moves from hate to love. I was attentively waiting to see what they would do next and the shoe incident was so funny. I liked how the story ended. Attorneys Payton and J.D. were always bickering and their boss asked them to work a case together.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I've read all of Julie James' books and while this one was much more of a romcom than her others, it was still crazy good. There were parts that literally had me laughing out loud in public, and the ending is tender and sweet. James can do no wrong, in my opinion. She is a rock star.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Funny novel with excellent banter. Fast paced and interesting. The supporting characters really made this shine. Recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    JD and Peyton have been playing the same game for years. Both Lawyers in the same firm, they have been desperate to be seen as the better employee since the day they were hired. Working longer hours, winning more cases and attracting bigger clients, the pair of them have always put work before life. Neither of them stopped to wonder why their biggest priority is infuriating each other. When they are put together on a case, the simmering tension becomes all out war, especially when they find out that there is only one spot for partner available, a spot both of them want. Cue stand up rows and sabotage which, while juvenile, were incredibly funny. After a while, it becomes clear that their feelings are much more than hatred. Nevertheless, both of them know that, with the threat of only one of them becoming partner, any relationship would be out of the question. Are they both happy to let their work dictate the rest of their life’s?

    This is the first Julie James books I read and I adored it. Both characters had their flaws, but I enjoyed reading about the pair of them. JD fitted perfectly into the “Good Old Boy” club that is the lawyer’s world. With his posh suits, perfectly styled hair and privileged upbringing, he really couldn’t be distinguished from the crowd and sounded like a bit of a tool. However, with his difficult parents constantly on his back, I began to see him as a more likeable character. Peyton is a feminist with a chip on her shoulder. Convinced that everything comes down to gender and money, at times she really quite annoyed me. Again, once we got a peek past that veneer, I started to like her too. The antics that they got up to in the name of sabotage really were amusing (especially the courtroom scenes) and this alongside the witty banter made for a very funny read. My favourite scene was probably when Peyton is trying her sexual harassment case in front a 6-foot picture of a penis :D The image that this made in my head made me laugh out loud :D

    Again, the secondary characters were fabulous, and were written more as plot devices to move the story forward rather than to steal the show. I liked this about these; there are far too many stories that I spend the entire time thinking, “I can’t wait for [his/her] book!” I enjoyed the fact that the friends and family were there merely to urge them towards the inevitable. I couldn’t see how everyone could come out happy, but hell it was a fun ride!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I particularly enjoyed this Julie James romance, lawyers make for a great blend of hardworking professional with charismatic showmen. Add to that believable, competitive personalities on both sides of the court, and this made for great romance.

    Re-read #1: J.D. and Payton hold up 100% on the second time around. Their chemistry and competitiveness plays perfectly. Reading thisalso made me fondly remember THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE, definitely the next stop on my Julie James reunion tour.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I'm impressed by how believable the author made the development of the romantic relationship. Especially since I thought the hero was a selfish, misogynistic asshat through most of the book and wonder if the heroine fell for him out of some twisted self-loathing related to her resentment towards her mother.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Payton Kendall and J.D. Jameson are lawyers who have been working in the same law firm for 8 years. They are both up for partnership but recently found out only one will be named partner. They have both like each other secretly but have been uncivil to each other for 8 years. New author and I enjoyed this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was so long ago so I don't remember it very well, but if I recall correctly, I wasn't too fond of Payton and J.D. at the beginning: their vendettas against each other made my idealist-pacifist side sad, and I had to force myself to take their red-blooded Corporate American-ness in stride because, yeah, that's not my thing. However, as the two warmed up--hehe--to each other, I began to warm up to them as well, and the rest goes as Julie James goes: languorous buildup, satisfying sex scenes, and an ending that makes you feel good. Have I exhausted all the Julie James books out there already? :(
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Is it possible for a book to jump the shark more than once? It sure seems like this one did. I have a problem with this because - for the most part - I loved the story. But the two main characters descended into complete and utter stupidity for a while in the middle of the book and it took a bit of time for me to forgive them enough to start enjoying the story again. It’s a pity because otherwise it would have been a fun read. Julie James is a good author, and I really like her first book, Just the Sexiest Man Alive, and I love her third book Something About You. I liked the second half of this one very much, but idiocy doesn’t sit well with me in fiction! The hero, J.D., and heroine, Payton, of this story are both thirty-two, both up for partner in their law firm, and both completely and utterly unlikeable at the beginning. What I’m guessing was supposed to be sassy, ambitious, funny, entertaining was nothing but unbelievably immature and stupid. It’s James’ ‘thing’ to have unlikeable characters redeem themselves, so I assumed that’s what would happen here. It did, but by the time they were, it was almost too late for me. This is the first supremely stupid thing that happened. Payton and J.D. are competing for the same position - one will be promoted, the other unemployed at the end of the month. Payton accidentally spills coffee on J.D.’s jacket, and he - naturally - assumes she did it on purpose. That makes her angry, so she throws coffee all over his spare suit too. J.D. then has to go to court and jeopardise not just his work but his client and the reputation of the firm by wearing a stained, destroyed suit. If that wasn’t bad enough, J.D. then decides he wants revenge. So he cuts through the heel of Payton’s shoe and glues it back on shoddily. By now my rating for the book was somewhere around zero stars. So in court the next day Payton’s shoe breaks. She falls into the jury. This was contrived enough without what happened next. THEN her skirt splits right up the back and she’s naturally wearing very skimpy underwear and has to finish talking while standing there with one shoe - and her arse hanging out of her outfit. J.D. never apologises for that. This kind of stupidity is completely intolerable. What if Payton had broken her ankle? Would it still have been ‘cute’? Humiliating someone and destroying their reputation is not endearing, and is certainly not funny. So, after the book went so far downhill I thought it was beyond hope, it turned out I loved the rest of it. Loved it so much I was nearly able to forget how mad it made me. I feel bad giving it a three star rating when I liked the rest of the book so much, but then what the characters did was pretty bad! It turns out that when Payton and J.D. finally got together they were great. On a side note, it really annoys me when writers put women’s words into men’s mouths. I want to read about men, not girly men created by girls. There’s a pivotal scene in this book where J.D’s best friend and a big, tough-looking taxi driver give J.D. relationship advice. The relationship advice was girly enough, but the way they did it was worse. They compared his non-relationship to Jane Austen stories, and Pride and Prejudice becomes a running joke. I suppose it was put in there to be cute, but it wasn’t something I can picture any real man doing, so it came across as too odd to be fun. This book is going to drive you crazy, but it is worth your time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    love, Love, LOVED it!completely hilarious and exciting romance book unlike any other I've read before; Julie James is a brilliant writer :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I stumbled across the book based on an Amazon recommendation. I downloaded it and read it in one day because I just couldn’t put it down. (And quickly downloaded Just the Sexiest Man Alive.)Julie knows how to bring the banter. The book reminds me of my favorite screwball comedies of the ’30s and ’40s. Her characters were believable. Payton didn’t need to be rescued. She needed a partner that challenged her. The scene in the courtroom had me laughing out loud. The scene in the restaurant with the potential client had me convinced they were the perfect team both professionally and personally.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I wasn’t very far into this book when I realized I was a hypocrite or a sexist or whatever term is more apt. While I loved Payton, I thought J.D. was a jerk. And if this had been reversed – J.D. a nice guy and Payton a character I didn’t like, I would have wanted to throw the book against the wall and probably not continued reading. I mean – how fair is that??? That’s not right is it? Why am I like this?But because it was the way it was, I kept reading. And I’m happy to say that J.D. gets much better as we get to know him and I really enjoyed this book. Payton Kendal and J.D. Jameson have both been working hard at the same law firm, aiming for partner, for eight years and can barely tolerate each other. Payton resents J.D. because he has an edge due to the ‘good old boys’ network and J.D. thinks Payton has an unfair advantage due to initiatives to eliminate the ‘glass ceiling’ that is still so evident in society. When they have to work together to try and lure a new client, they slowly start to get to know other sides of each other. But a monkey wrench is thrown in when it’s announced that only one of them can make partner and each is determined that they will be the one.I really enjoyed this book. Payton was tough when she had to be – which was most of the time – but in a very appealing way. Although it took her a while, she was willing to rethink her bias towards J.D. and after the reader gets to know him better, he really was adorable in a stuffed shirt kind of way. There were many LOL moments and I always enjoy that in a book. When they get to talking about how their animosity began, I really loved why J.D. was hurt – such a dufus guy kind of thinking.I quite happily recommend this one and if you are living in Canada and order online, make sure to add this one to your list. If you don’t, then pick up those signs and picket MHCS until we start getting the same chances to buy good books as our neighbour to the south!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When combining humor with romance, a good writer leaves you with a smile on your face. A great writer leaves you with a smile on your face AND a grin in your heart. That's just what "Practice Makes Perfect" by Julie James did for me. The characters are memorable, their interaction spicy yet still G-rated, and their happily ever after left me with a $#@t-eating grin on my face.They couldn't be more different. He comes from money, her single-parent mother is a rights activist. He's a republican, she's a democrat. He drives a Bentley, she takes the bus. He lives in a high-rise, she has a small house. BUT, they're both lawyers, they both work their butts off, they both were tops in their class, and now they're both up for partner...at the same firm...and there's only one opening. Oh, did I forget to mention that they've been involved in a quiet passive-aggressive war for the last eight years? Or that they're quite attracted to each other? Or that their shenanigans kept me in stitches?I can't say enough good things about this book. In some ways, it reminds me of an early Linda Howard without the angst or one of Nora Roberts fun romances with a ton of humor. It's just GOOD. Fun, flirty, quirky, laugh-out-loud humorous and sweet without being sugary. For a genuinely pleasurable read with characters you'll remember, pick up "Practice Makes Perfect" by Julie James.