What can you expect from a January James novel? I get asked this question a lot. There are a lot of great romance authors out there, particularly in the self-publishing space, so I found early on it’s really important to be clear on what I bring to the market. So, in a nutshell, you can expect the following:
Sexy, privileged alpha men.
Bright, beautiful and ambitious women.
Career-centric plots with open door heat.
Brains, money, desire, obsession, rivalry.
Some sense of taboo, be it a forbidden relationship or a character’s questionable behaviour.
Always a happy ending.
These are my tropes; the story types and twists that appeal to certain readers. But, importantly, they appeal to me. Basically, I write the books I want to read and if other people like to read them too, it’s a very flattering bonus!
The Square Mile series isn’t a trilogy or saga as such; it’s more a collection of standalone novels set in the industries that make up London’s square mile. The characters do overlap from one novel to another but there isn’t a true continuation of one protagonist’s story. The first book, A Class Act, follows Lottie Matheson as she navigates the upper class society which prevails in her chosen industry. Her drive and ambition lead her to do whatever it takes to win, but her plans are derailed when she falls for her hyper-demanding, spoken-for CEO. A tale of passion and obsession ensues until the flame becomes so big, something has to burn. And it’s Lottie’s reputation that melts to the ground.
The second book takes one of the three lead characters from A Class Act, Zac Morecambe-Cheney, and looks at the fall-out of his relationship with Lottie Matheson. And it’s not pretty.
There will be at least three more novels in the series, so lots to do look forward to, and more info to come. So watch this space!
A Class Act will be out on 1 July!
