Just Come Over comes straight from my TBR pile, and proved to be an unexpected joy. It’s twelve in Rosalind James’ rugby-themed Escape to New Zealand series, and has opened up a whole back catalogue for me to explore! The book includes a list of all the characters from the series and a little glossary with Australian and some Māori terminology. I’m Australian so I didn’t need the glossary, but it might be useful if the language is new to you.

Zora Fletcher is living in Auckland in New Zealand with her mathematically gifted eight year-old son, Isaiah. She’s the widow of Dylan, an international rugby player, has her own little home, works as a florist and is just getting by. In comes Dylan’s older brother Rhys. He’s Auckland’s new rugby coach who was away during Zora’s (unhappy) marriage and Dylan’s death from cancer – and he’s had a thing for Zora forever. They meet up and he asks Zora out, but before they can go on the date, Rhys finds out that his brother has left yet another loose end for him to tie up in the form of a recently orphaned six-year-old girl living in the US.

Rhys is Māori, big and strong and Alpha and gorgeous – sex on legs you might say – but he takes his responsibilities seriously so he’s off to Chicago to bring the delightful but traumatised Casey back to Auckland. When he gets home, he asks Zora to help him out with settling Casey in and babysitting, and the slow burn romance that develops between the two is really well done. Zora doesn’t trust easily, and of course Rhys is her late husband’s older brother. They need to navigate trust, the memory of Dylan and his cheating, the two children, Zora’s antagonistic family, money issues, and the media finding out about Casey, so there’s a lot going on. There’s plenty of Māori language and symbolism which is so beautifully integrated and is a great introduction to this warrior culture. Rugby is important and players from previous books wander in and out but this romance stands alone. Rhys is very bossy, but he’s so gone for Zora, he’s persistent and it’s delicious when they finally get together.

The two children – Isaiah and Casey – are so well drawn. Isaiah has a thing for numbers and money, and Casey is obsessed with both the Disney character Moana, and with rabbits. They are utterly charming chatterboxes, precocious yes, but somehow believable – they had me laughing so much. Casey enchants them all and there’s poignancy in her situation as she gets to know Rhys.

There is a bit of unnecessary drama in the final stretch, but it doesn’t detract from what is a fresh and utterly delicious romance. Just Come Over is a real gem and I’m off to read the other books in the series.