Review: It Had To Be You by Jill Shalvis

It Had to be You

By Jill Shalvis

Lucky Harbor #7

I'm a big fan of this series and have really liked every story...until this one. I LOVED it!


It's one of those rarities where you have equally strong feelings for both main characters. Ali Winter has had a tough life but through it all, she's held her head up high and believed life would get better, not in a sappy way but more resolute. You couldn't help admiring her spirit. The town loves her.

Luke Hanover is one of the good guys, the person you can count on to do the right thing but underneath that determination is a bag full of guilt about the three times in his life where he fell short (in his own eyes) and he's starting to collapse under it.


How they meet
Ali was living with her dog of a boyfriend, Teddy, the town darling. He was renting Luke's house in Lucky Harbor, decided he was ending the lease (and their relationship) but didn't tell her until after he'd moved out. Luke shows up and finds Ali in all her underwear glory with nowhere to go. They agree she can stay until she finds another place to live.


The issues
Before Ali can begin figuring out a new life plan, money in Teddy's office ($50,000) turns up missing and all fingers point at the scorned ex-girlfriend. Luke's a SF detective who just wanted to come home for three weeks to rest and recover from a really bad case and just doesn't want to get involved.


The romance
Despite what his head wants to do, Luke can no more abandon the delightful and beautiful soul of Ali and repeatedly gives in to his heart. Ali knows the last thing she needs is another man to leave her (in three weeks) but their attraction to each other is pretty powerful. They both see each others' true nature and their chemistry is HOT. I don't think they ever made it to a bed until the end of the story.


The bottom line
Everything about this story just rocks! I laughed, cried, got angry, got caught up in the steamy moments... and through it all I cheered for Ali and Luke individually and for their relationship. The dialogue is just perfect and the characters around these two make the story fun and exciting. Don't worry about this being the 7th book in the series...a new round of main characters begins after every three books so you can start here and then go back (I can't believe I'm saying this). You'll thank me for this. It is my favorite of the series and I've enjoyed all of them.

 

 

 

 



Review: Under the Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis

Under the Mistletoe 

By Jill Shalvis 

Book #6.5 in the Lucky Harbor series 

Contemporary Romance

There's no place like home for the holidays. And the Lucky Harbor Bed & Breakfast is bursting with festive lights and good cheer. But for Mia, Christmas is turning out to be anything other than merry and bright. Her recent break-up with her boyfriend Nick has made her return bittersweet. But then a surprise arrives, when Nick follows her to town bearing gifts-and asking for forgiveness.

Nick grew up without a family of his own so he's overwhelmed by the love that Mia receives from all her relatives, gathered together to celebrate the season. Under their watchful eyes, Nick finds earning back her trust the hardest thing he's ever had to do. If he succeeds, he will receive the greatest gift of all, Mia's love for a lifetime.

REVIEW:

Five years has passed and Mia Hutchinson, Ford and Tara's daughter, is working in New York City and involved with Nick, who recently passed the bar and is ready to begin his career. Mia is pretty invested in the relationship and when she surprises him with a plane ticket to join her in Lucky Harbor at Christmas Eve for her Aunt Chloe's wedding, she doesn't get the reaction she was hoping for.

It's a lovely update on the Trager sisters and their families as well as Mia's story. While it is short, there's still the humor and steamy that is a staple of this series. In addition to the holiday season and wedding activities, we get to see Mia's family rally around her as Nick tries to atone for his actions in New York and reconcile his feelings for Mia and she for him. Their romance doesn't lack hotness and Nick's pretty sensual and a good guy. It is an enjoyable story and I wish we could have had even more time with this family.

(NetGalley ARC)

CR Review: Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis

Forever and a Day 
by Jill Shalvis 
Book #6 in the Lucky Harbor series
Contemporary Romance
★★★★

Grace never thought she'd be starting her life over from scratch. Losing everything has landed her in Lucky Harbor, working as a dog walker for overwhelmed ER doctor Josh Scott. But the day his nanny fails to show up, Grace goes from caring for Josh's lovable mutt to caring for his rambunctious son. Soon Grace is playing house with the sexy single dad . . .

With so many people depending on him, Josh has no time for anything outside of his clinic and family-until Grace arrives in town. Now this brainy blonde is turning his life inside out and giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "good bedside manner." Josh and Grace don't know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one day . . .

REVIEW:

Grace Brooks is the last of the "Chocoholics" to figure out a direction for herself. She left her investment banking job back east for another in Seattle but it fell through and she landed in Lucky Harbor. Her money is running out and she still hasn't found a sustainable job. Meanwhile, she's become very close to her two friends, Mallory Quinn and Amy Michaels, and doesn't like the prospect of having to leave this town. She gets an offer from Josh Scott, the local stressed out doctor, to walk his new puppy and Grace jumps at the opportunity. Little did she know that she was walking into a life changing situation.

Josh is one over extended guy, what with his private practice, ER duty at the local hospital and helping out at the clinic. On top of all this, he's a single father of a five-year old son and takes care of his 21-year old sister who is a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair. I got exhausted just listening to a typical day for this man.

What makes this story work is how likable and appealing Josh and Grace are individually and as a couple. Even though they both try to minimize whatever it is they have going on between them, they are also pretty honest with themselves and each other. While they keep stepping into denial, that doesn't stop them from giving into their feelings and engaging in some pretty sizzling interludes. Of course, the dog and the child account for some pretty hilarious moments and haphazardly bring Josh and Grace even closer. There's nothing more tiresome in a romance than a lot of "should we or shouldn't we" angst that keeps a couple apart again and again and thankfully this story didn't go down that road. These two have these private reflections but time and again go with their feelings and decide to deal with repercussions later.

This is a story about two people who followed paths designed by others for them, are pretty miserable but successful and find themselves wanting something more. With Josh, he assumed his father's practice after he died in an accident. With Grace, she sought to please her adoptive parents in an effort to measure up to their achievements. It was lovely to watch them figure it out, see themselves in each other and create something new. As with the other books in this series, the residents of the town will have you cracking up as they interfere and try to move this relationship along.

I've loved this series and hope it doesn't end here. If it does, I'm glad this couple was saved for last as theirs was a pretty satisfying ending.

CR Review: At Last by Jill Shalvis Book

At Last
by Jill Shalvis 

Book #5 in the Lucky Harbor series

Contemporary Romance

ARC from NetGalley

★★★★

HER LOVE HAS COME ALONG . . . Amy Michaels loves her new life in Lucky Harbor. A waitress in the local diner, she's looking forward to her first weekend hike through the mountains. But when a wrong turn takes her off the trail, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers. And even though she's tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won't make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob. 
A former cop whose life went south, Matt doesn't let anyone get too close. But something about the feisty beauty caught his eye the moment he first saw her in the diner. After a hot night under a starry sky, Matt can't deny their attraction-or the fact that for the first time in a long time, he feels the stirrings of something more. Now it's up to Matt to help Amy see that, no matter what is in their past, together they can build a future in Lucky Harbor.

REVIEW:

Amy Michaels, a waitress at the Eat Me diner, has a reputation for being a "tough girl" because she exudes attitude and wears steel-toed boots. She's only been in Lucky Harbor for about six months and the residents don't know how really tough her life was before she came to town as Amy keeps everyone at a distance. That includes Matt Bowers, the local forest ranger, who exudes sexiness, has his own past he'd like to leave behind and seems to have his eyes firmly fixed on Amy. She notices and they've been doing a quiet dance around this odd attraction for awhile.

Amy is a tough girl, no question about it, having been on her own since she was sixteen and her life wasn't a picnic before she left home. She now has two very good friends in Mallory Quinn and Grace Brooks and they're focused on getting her to be "The Good Girl" for a change. Everyone in town seems to know that she and Matt have some sort of "thing" and her friends are determined to find the opening to shove her through to get something going.

Matt and Amy go from almost 0 to sixty overnight but that's consistent with who she is, someone looking to just have a sexual fling and no strings attached. That seems fine to Matt but these two have an unusual attraction that eventually breaks down all of those barriers they've erected. Amy uses her deceased grandmother's journal to help her find the peace, hope and heart she needs to achieve fulfillment. And, she befriends a young runaway who helps her to clearly see and forgive herself. Matt benefits from her transformation, too, as he sees an opportunity for a second chance in this relationship.

It's not easy to connect with Amy but her inner dialogue exposes her vulnerability, making her more appealing. That tough exterior is a ruse for a resilient young woman who wants to make a change in her life. Matt is just plain scrumptious and never really gives up on Amy or the potential of their relationship. Even though some of her forest adventures didn't keep my attention, Amy's change because of them made it worthwhile.

I liked the story, Amy and Matt's romance and the craziness of the quirky people of Lucky Harbor. I'm looking forward to the final story of the Chocoholics (Grace's story).

CR Review: Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis

Lucky in Love 
by Jill Shalvis 
Book #4 in the Lucky Harbor Series
Contemporary Romance
★★★★

Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. As a nurse and devoted daughter, she takes care of everyone but herself. And as the local good girl, she's expected to date Mr. Right. But for once, she'd like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in town has made it clear that he's only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine. Besides, his lean, hard body and sexy smile will give her plenty to remember once he's gone . . .
For the first time in his life, Ty can't bear to leave. Helping this sexy seductress-in-training walk on the wild side is making him desire things he shouldn't including leaving the military for good. As their just-for-fun fling becomes something more, Mallory and Ty wonder if they could really be this lucky in love. After all . . . anything can happen in a town called Lucky Harbor.

REVIEW:

Mallory Quinn has always been known as "the good girl" by her family and the residents of Lucky Harbor. She's an ER nurse, taking care of not only her patients but everyone around her. There's a new man in town that they all refer to as Mysterious Cute Guy and when Ty Garrison happens to cross paths with Mallory, he ends up on her Mr. Wrong list. It just so happens that Mallory decides it's time to stop playing it safe and explore her wild side and Ty's just the one for her supposed one-time experiment.

The first books in this series focused on the romances of the Traeger sisters. These next three involve three friends who call themselves the Chocoholics. Mallory's is the first story and it's so much fun. She really doesn't know how to explore her wild side but she puts everything into it. She has a steamy, impromptu encounter with Ty that she thinks is going to be a one-time affair. However, both of them find they just can't seem to stay away from each other, every subsequent encounter intended to be the last.

You cannot help but adore Mallory. Yes, she's nice and everyone's go-to girl but she truly has a good heart and a wicked sense of humor. Ty is really a mysterious guy but only because he chooses to be. He's got a troubled past stemming from his career as a Navy SEAL and then a paid security consultant. He's in Lucky Harbor to recuperate from an injury and has no plans to establish roots there. Ty's gorgeous and can have his pick of eligible women but he's drawn to Mallory because he knows her heart.

Both Ty and Mallory have to come to terms with their own truths, that their relationship isn't a fling and they've come to mean much more to each other. But it's their journey to get to this realization that's the appeal of this story. Combined with Mallory's friends, Amy and Grace, and the quirky folks of Lucky Harbor, the secondary characters provide lots of laughs and support to a well written story and a really good romance.

This series is two separate trilogies in one. You don't need to read the first three to enjoy this book. While there are a few characters from the earlier books that appear here, their backgrounds are sufficiently explained for appropriate context. This is the first book in the beginning of the second trilogy and it's a winner.