James continues to write strong, ambitious professional women in male-dominated professions who can go toe to toe with their male colleagues and male lovers, especially when it comes to verbal sparring. Her pair in this book are two FBI agents with a past (super-competitive during their days together in FBI training school) who meet again when one is transferred to the Chicago office and is assigned to work a bribery investigation with the other. Both Jessica Harlow, who specializes in white collar crime cases, and John Shepherd, who works in the organized crime group, are coming off bad breakups—Jessica a divorce from a film producer husband who could not accept her commitment to her job rather than to his, John from a live-in lover who slept with his best friend while he was assigned for months out of town on a case.

Neither is ready for a new relationship, but the old animosity from their training days soon seeps out as the sexual tension that it has always been. James gives us flashbacks their time at Quantico, in "She Said" and "He Said" chapters that show how easily misunderstandings blossom in environments where women are forced to guard carefully against both harassment and disparagement of their talents, and men take their gender privilege for granted. Jessica's "we really shouldn't/oh, let's" back and forthing when it comes to engaging in physical intimacy with John is less annoying than it might have been, given this establishment of the costs to women for moving beyond the boundaries of professionalism.

James' agents note several times in the book how different (more boring) real FBI work, even undercover work, is compared to the way it is portrayed in books and on television; the truth of this makes the extortion case Jessica and John are involved in more realistically depicted, and thus not quite as compelling as it might have been in the hands of an author less devoted to accuracy.

FBI agents Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd have a past. The former lawyer and cocky Army ranger clashed during their training at Quantico, gladly going their separate ways after graduating from the Academy. Six years later, the last thing either of them expects is to run into each other again–assigned to work as partners in a high-profile undercover sting.

For both of them, being paired with a former rival couldn’t come at a worse time. Recently divorced from a Hollywood producer and looking for a fresh start, Jessica is eager to prove herself at her new field office. And John is just one case away from his dream assignment to the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. In order to nail a corrupt Florida politician, they’ll have to find a way to work as a team–a task that becomes even trickier when they’re forced to hole up at a romantic, beachfront resort as part of the investigation. Suddenly, the heat behind their nonstop sparring threatens to make the job a whole lot more complicated. . .

Jessica and John were in FBI training together. What John thought at first was a fun, friendly competition and maybe some flirting, Jessica saw as him being an ass. When John finally realized there was no flirting involved it got down to serious competition. After training John went back to Chicago and Jessica went to LA.

Now Jessica is back in her hometown of Chicago after having transferred and she’s almost immediately put on an undercover case…with John. They pose as a married couple and end up traveling to Florida together which gives them time to talk. They finally realize they were both looking at their training situation wrong. When they each finally admit to their attraction they burn up the sheets. Unfortunately John has just finished a training that would take him away from Chicago permanently which would be death to their budding relationship.

Julie James strikes again. She writes such great romances and love reading them. Her characters, her writing and her stories just grab me from page one and don’t want to let go. I read this in one sitting and didn’t even want to get up to eat!

In this book John and Jessica had gotten a rough start to their relationship. Once they got past all the issues with their past they were awesome together. Each personality was so complimentary to the other, I just loved it. I also loved how smart both of the characters were. James isn’t afraid to give her heroines intelligence and she does it well. John was no slouch either and it just worked.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This review was posted on Goodreads on 4/4/17.

Everything you wanted to know about FBI Special Agents and Black Ops training. Oh you wanted more romance, well you might have to wait a long while in this read but eventually the hero, John , and the heroine, Jessica, do get around to lusting after each other. Of course their first meet, 6 years prior, was competitive smack-down, bullying sessions at their initial FBI Academy training. Not exactly conducive to romance although our hero insists that’s the way he rolls in attempts at generating romantic interest. Yes, I do have issues with this book. And, now don’t be surprised, I liked it even in spite of those issues.

I do like a book where I learn about a subject heretofore not in my wheel house, the FBI training. I liked the info about undercover work. Since I am a newbie to this subject I can only assume the author has her facts straight. That these two people who hated each other fell in love was a stretch but at least we finally get some romance in this romance book. I thought there were several missed opportunities for some action and crisis since we only get that at the very end of the book and then it is nothing much.

Do I recommend it? With reservations. If you are a fan of this author, yes. If you want to learn about the FBI, sure. If you want action and romance, not so much but it is steamy and sexy.

I love Julie James but this book just didn't resonate as much with me. I liked the back story between the two characters and how they addressed it pretty quickly. However I felt like the rest of their relationship moved too quickly, especially him giving up his job and hem moving in together. I did like their working dynamic and how he let her shine. Just some of the magic and feels were missing

This book kept me reading until I found out how it would end. A good read that keeps you guessing.

I was very excited for a new book by Julie James. She has written some of my favorite contemporary romances in the past. I'm not sure why but I found The Thing About Love to be rather boring. Usually, she writes couples with chemistry that you can almost feel on your skin, but here, while I saw the chemistry between John and Jessica from time to time, it wasn't as potent as I've come to expect from Julie James. After a while, I started to get bored with them, and ultimately, I didn't think that they stood out particularly for me. I did really enjoy the flashback scenes of them at Quantico. I thought the chemistry was definitely there between them when they were younger. I will say that both John and Jessica were likable enough characters as individuals, and they had lots of traits I found to be endearing. I particularly enjoyed John's loyalty and love for his family, and Jessica had a great bond with her siblings too. I just wished they had more of a spark together as a couple. I wasn't a big fan of the plot involving the corrupt politician either. It was predictable and once again, a little boring for me. So yeah, overall, I wasn't impressed by Julie James latest. If you're new to her books, I definitely recommend one of her older books. They are more addicting than this one was!

Have I been living under a rock? Where have I been that that this is my first Julie James novel? I couldn't put this story down. I was sucked in from the beginning and I resented anyone who got in the way of me getting to spend time with John and Jessica.

This a story "about a valiant heroine and an ex-Ranger hero who'd come a long way from their days together at the FBI academy."

These two really came a long way from their time spent together at academy; it was tumultuous depending on who's point of view you want to believe. I loved getting to hear their thoughts on academy from each of them, it really adds depth the their story. I loved getting to see them immerse themselves in their undercover roles, I could feel the adrenaline coursing through them and some moments were really high-intensity moments for me to read.

I laughed, and swooned and my heart even broke a few times throughout the story. I hated the ending, not because it was a bad ending, but because I had to say goodbye to Jessica and John and I really don't want their story to be over yet.

There’s simply nothing quite like a Julie James novel. The Thing About Love has everything I’ve come to love about Ms. James’s work: intelligent, interesting characters, crackling chemistry, an engaging romance, and sharp attention to detail. It’s a story that feels light on its feet but also has substance, and I loved every bit of it.

John and Jessica are irresistible characters who grabbed my attention from the first. Jessica is quite possibly my favorite of Ms. James’s heroines. Not only is she incredibly smart, she’s the best example I have ever seen in a contemporary romance of a woman working to build a successful career in a male-dominated field. From the moment she starts training at Quantico, Jessica is aware that her gender and height are working against her. Jessica doesn’t waste time feeling sorry for herself because she has a disadvantage. She works hard to overcome the obstacles in her path and I have an incredible amount of respect for her dedication, strength, and resourcefulness. Her nemesis at the Academy is John, a former Army Ranger for whom the more physical aspects of FBI training are a breeze. John is no slouch in the academic department, but there are areas where he has to work just as hard to succeed as Jessica does when it comes to the more athletic areas of their training. The two of them push each other constantly, their competitiveness bringing out the best agents in them – though they’d be loath to admit it.

The flashbacks to Quantico set the stage for John and Jessica’s reunion six years later when she transfers to the Chicago FBI office. When the two of them meet again, they pick up bickering right where they’d left off at the Academy. But having to work together undercover means they need to play nice, and I loved watching them work through their issues and come to understand one another. With that understanding comes increasingly strong sexual tension. Theirs is a slow-burn romance, and the payoff is worth it. John and Jessica have fantastic chemistry both as partners and as lovers. I honestly enjoyed watching them work together as much as I adored their romance. They complement one another perfectly, and there’s no false drama to detract from their story. The obstacles hampering John and Jessica’s romance feel realistic to the characters and their jobs and the resolution that gives these two their happily ever after left me with a huge smile on my face.

Every Julie James novel I’ve picked up features characters who feel whole and real, with fully developed personal and professional lives. The Thing About Love is no exception and it makes Jessica and John’s story all the better. When you combine Ms. James’s well-developed characters with her snappy dialogue and a romance that’s both spicy and sweet, it’s easy to see why I adored this book. I highly recommend The Thing About Love to any contemporary romance fan!

The Thing About Love by Julie James is another one of her wonderful adult romances. Julie James is one of my favorite romance authors, who always gives us a wonderful story, great couples that are successful in their careers, with a perfect blend of sassiness and hot sexual chemistry.

Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd, met each other 6 years ago, during their FBI training at Quantico. The competition was fierce, and snarky; when the training was over, they both walked away not caring if they would ever meet again. In present time, Jessica returns to her home town of Chicago, after a broken marriage. John is coming off of an undercover job, only to find his girlfriend in bed with his best friend. When Jessica is given an assignment in an undercover sting, involving a corrupt mayor of Jacksonville, she is shocked and not too happy to see her new partner in this case is John. Needless to say, John, who is already in a bad frame of mind, isn’t too keen on seeing Jessica again. Their old hostilities resurface, but they are now seasoned professionals and determined to work together in the sting operation.

In a short time, both Jessica and John will reveal things from their training time that causes them to realize that their perceptions were off base. The attraction for each other begins to heat up, and their chemistry together was super hot. They also made a great team, setting up the mayor for the fall. I loved watching both of them fall in love with each other, and at the same time become impressed with their partner’s skills.

The story was very well done by James, as she is an expert in FBI suspense types of stories, with a wonderful romance filled with fun banter, sassiness and a sexy couple. With our couple both coming off of their own heartaches, it helped add to the story, especially when John tries out for the elite counterterrorism Hostage Rescue Team. Jessica was our perfect heroine, who being a woman, had it harder to prove her worth as a smart savvy kick-ass agent. John, having been an army ranger before signing up for the FBI, was not only tough, but was also a hot hunk. I loved everything about them both, as they were super great characters that Julie James always seems to give us.

From the moment I started to read this book, I could feel my happiness, as I thoroughly enjoy the entire book. When so many romances are about those in their twenties when it comes to reading about two people successful in their lives, and in their thirties, beyond the angst of those just starting out…no one does it better then Julie James. I love her stories; her awesome couples; the fun & sexy romances, which you just can’t get enough of. I strongly suggest you read The Thing about Love, and if you have not read Julie James, what are you waiting for?

I think I've been waiting for this story from Julie James ever since loving FBI Special Agent Nick McCall and the undercover op in A LOT LIKE LOVE...

Here, the hero and heroine are both FBI undercover agents (yesssss!), and as a special bonus, they have an antagonistic past from their Academy days. James has a particular talent writing this trope, where the lines between hate, lust, grudging respect, and a slow-burn romance deliciously blur, and I thought it was particularly well done and believable in The Thing About Love.

I do think readers may need to have more than a passing interest in FBI special agents and undercover work in particular to stick with this story, though, especially early on. There are a lot of details about the training and inner workings of an undercover investigation, as well as the life and work of an FBI agent. I, personally, am fascinated by this, so the extra exposition didn't bother me. In fact, I really enjoyed the balance between the work narrative and romance; however, I can see how some readers might get antsy and find the early pacing too slow, especially taking into account all of the backstory from John and Jessica's Academy days that was also required for the story's setup.

Loyal fans of James's FBI/US Attorney series will enjoy the brief cameos included in this one, and rest assured, even though John and Jessica's romance is slow to develop, it eventually burns nice and hot.

RATING: B+ (4½ stars)

FBI agent Jessica Harlow transfered from the L.A. office to the Chicago office when she divorced her husband. FBI agent John Shepherd just finished an undercover assignment in Detroit. They are assigned to work together on an undercover assignment in Florida to trap a crooked politician. But they have a past. Their training in Quantico didn't exactly put them in the best friends category. You might say "professional nemesis" is a better title.

Why I started this book: I was eager to get my hands on it, I loved James's previous books.

Why I finished it: Fun read, I enjoyed the "her side"/"his side" of the meet cute. Strong characters and believable action.

It’s actually been a loooong while since I’d read a Julie James book, but something about this one sparked my interest, so I picked it up. Good choice, Past Jen!

Jessica Harlow (which, incidentally, is a super cool name for a heroine, no?) recently transferred to the Chicago FBI office. Her first case is to go undercover posing as an investor to catch a corrupt politician. The problem is, she’s paired with John Shepherd, her arch rival from the FBI Academy. John has been groomed to join the ultra-elite Hostage Rescue Team since he was first recruited to the FBI, but he’s been dragging his feet on applying. When his current relationship blows up at the start of the book, he decides it’s time to finally to do what he was groomed for and sign up for HRT. Jessica wants her first case in the new office to be a success to impress her new colleagues, and John wants to go out with a win. The problem is, neither one can stand the other. They have to figure out how to put aside their differences, and a pesky case of attraction, to get the job done.

I really loved the “he said, she said” premise of the conflict in this book. While Jessica and John share a history, they definitely did NOT experience that history in the same way! Hearing them each tell their own version of their time at the Academy was funny and very illuminating. Jessica obviously had a bit of a chip on her shoulder, but it felt very justified because she was a woman in a world dominated by hot shot men. She had to be tough, and it’s easy to see how that would make her seem standoffish and unapproachable. John has a very different take on the situation, and to him he was just trying to be friendly while she was the one being condescending. For example, both Jessica and John recall an incident from their very first meeting, where John makes a jokey comment and winks at Jessica. He meant it as a friendly, welcoming introduction, with no other agenda. She interpreted it as flirting and patronizing her. Yes, Jessica seems harsh in that scene, but to me it was such a clear example of how a man might not even consider that a gesture like a wink could seem off putting to a woman used to dealing with misogyny and harassment. For his part, John tries to be open and friendly with Jessica, until she starts obviously competing with him, which triggers his own insecurities about being all brawn and no brain. Both of them had perfectly understandable interpretations of the past, and both of them were very wrong about the other.

As usual, James does a wonderful job making the investigation details seem realistic. Jessica and John are both scarily good at their jobs, and both act like actual investigators would act (or at least how I imagine they would act!). While there’s a little bit of light action at the end, for the most part this book is all about the well-planned white collar investigation, not shoot-em-up high stakes battles. What James does so well, though, is blend the competent job performance and the intriguing personal relationship into an engaging story you want to keep reading.

There were a few missteps, though. First, I felt like the conflict with John’s friends and the kerfuffle over his girlfriend never really went anywhere. There was never any real resolution there, so I didn't quite understand the point. Also, John leaving to do HRT seemed a little forced. I mean, that was sort of the point because he clearly was clearly conflicted, but I felt like his conflict went on a little too long. I also wanted Jessica to be more honest with John. Some of the end drama would have been resolved by both John and Jessica just having a solid conversation earlier, instead of dragging out the angst.

Still, this story had a unique perspective and characters I liked getting to know.

Grade: 4 out of 5

​​​​​I have always wanted to read a book by JULIE JAMES but never got around to it. Then I got lucky, and received a copy of THE THING ABOUT LOVE to review. Wow, what an enthralling novel. This book is so good, I read it from cover to cover in only a couple of days. The characters are well-convinced, the plot is exciting, and the love story is seductive.

FBI agents Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd attended academy training together. During that time, they were very competitive and rubbed each other the wrong way. In fact, they could not wait to graduate and end their professional relationship. Now it is six years later, and Jessica and John are both based out of the Chicago office. Much to their dismay, they are partnered up, and assigned to an undercover sting operation in Jacksonville, Florida. Spending time together in the sunshine state fuels their feelings for each other, and over a very short period of time they fall in love. However, due to John's promotion and transfer to Quantico, a future may not be possible.

This is both an angsty and passionate love story. The author perfectly combines drama and seduction into this fast-paced romantic read. I immediately connected with both Jessica and John, and I cheered them on as they discovered their feelings for one another. I loved learning about the intricacies of being an FBI agent, and how committed an agent has to be in order to be successful. Overall, this is a terrific book with a happy ending that will leave a smile on your face.

Complimentary copy provided by Romance Junkies.

A captivating story of two undercover FBI agents assigned to work on a case together. Sparks that have been simmering for years begin to catch fire. A great read.

Julie James is a new-to-me author and I can not wait to see what else she has in store. Novel was dripping with sweet romance and humor that I enjoyed.

I rarely ever read straight contemporary romance anymore, but I can’t resist the temptation of a new Julie James novel-- she and Jill Shalvis are my go-to authors when I need a mindless, funny, feel-good read to balance out all the dark romantic suspense. THE THING ABOUT LOVE is Ms. James’ ninth book (seventh in the loosely connected FBI/US Attorney series), and delivers everything readers have come to expect from a Julie James novel. New to her work? Jump right into THE THING ABOUT LOVE without any qualms, then explore her backlist-- ‘series’ just indicates that her books exist in the same environment (the Chicago law enforcement and legal community) with a shared timeline. THE THING ABOUT LOVE offers nothing novel in terms of plot--two hotshot undercover FBI agents with a misguided rivalry dating back to their training days at the Academy 6 years ago who fall in love whilst on assignment-- and, frankly, her books all pretty much read the same… but Ms. James is just so good at writing three-dimensional, relatable characters you can easily envision sitting down for a beer with and witty dialogue peppered with sassy zingers that you’ll find yourself flipping through the pages with a big grin on your face and laughing out loud. Even if feels like you’ve read this before, and the (not particularly exciting) setup takes up a large chunk of the book. THE THING ABOUT LOVE reads like the script of a big studio romcom-- if you’re in the mood for that, it will surely be enjoyable, but it is bound to disappoint anyone looking for an original or substantive read. In my case, I say Ms. James should continue doing what she does best-- with her books coming out every 12-24 months, I can turn off my brain and enjoy good sarcastic banter at least once during that time frame.

OMG!!!!!! Can Julie James please please please write another book for this series?!?!? But really, this book was so much fun! I stayed up all night reading it and cannot wait for the next in the series!

The antagonistic-lovers trope is Julie James’s calling card, I swear. And it’s done with quite a bit of aplomb in ‘The Thing About Love’ which is pretty much a solid, steady kind of offering that has been a long time in coming. Technically not quite part of the FBI series that James has gotten going, John Shepherd (this guy can easily be a main character from Lost or Stargate with a heroic name like that) and Jessica Harlow work perfectly fine on their own here as first entanglements bring them from oneupmanship to dislike and finally, to mutual attraction years later. The long break between books as well, helps in a way that make the story not feel like a retread, even if characters from her previous books do flit peripherally in and out as reminders of the lawyer/law-enforcement dynamic that has always defined this series.

The setup is painstakingly detailed, given the number of pages in this book, even though the research and writing feel like a police procedural at times, but by and large, the story somehow reads like a screenplay—written for readers, yet built for the big screen on Valentine’s day while newly-minted couples cozy up to John and Jessica’s slow burn and capitulation.

Despite starting out a little slowly, the delicious build gained momentum and not without several laugh-out-loud descriptions I’ll always come to associate with James’s brand of written romantic comedy. The peaks and troughs aren’t too sharp, and without the pile of angst or false levity that could accompany stories like these, James manages to keep the whole story buoyant and easy to read. I think what I really enjoyed was the fact that I didn’t quite know how things were going to progress—or at least work themselves out—despite being able to guess how the conflict was going to play out when both Jessica’s and John’s career paths looked as though they were moving in opposite directions. Yet both Jessica and John are great in their own way, with pasts they’d rather leave behind but still lacking those extremes that can make or break a character, which, in many ways, do make them quite likeable.

Definitely a way more light-hearted read (not that that’s a bad thing) for FBI-type romances, ‘The Thing about Love’ is an unexpected surprise and I daresay, quite worth the wait.

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. The hero was kind of a jerk who didn't REALIZE how much of a jerk he was, and in the end gets away with it. I think it's particularly interesting to read as it explores sexism in the workplace. But like, it annoyed me that he didn't even think. "Hey, maybe her actions could be considered from this point of view rather than this point of view." You know, but I still liked it.

Julie James does it again! Her books never disappoint me. I have enjoyed the other books in the FBI/US Attorney Series, I can tell that James uses her knowledge of the legal system to hit just the right note in this series where it is believable and a satisfying read.

I like that FBI agents Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd didn't have an immediate romantic connection, and it took them several years to come back around to each other. Even once they did, it took spending time together and talking about their past animosity before the heat started to turn up.

It was also interesting that their lives didn't unfold in the way that they thought that they would, but they were happy with where they ended up. All in all, a very pleasurable read on a quiet weekend day. I can't wait for the next installment in the series.