Book Review – Almost Just Friends

Tags

Almost Just Friends, Book Review, Jill Shalvis, Wildstone series

Shalvis’s newest doesn’t scrimp on the drama or the heart!

*****

Almost Just Friends

Wildstone #4

by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.

When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.

Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OtvsWN

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/AlmostJustFriendsJS

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2lOamrb

Nook: http://bit.ly/2kENTg5

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kDLaDM

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2lMr9v6

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/334gMmi

*****

Excerpt:

“Well?” he asked.

She grinned. “That was possibly the most thrilling ride of my life.”

He pulled off her helmet, the look in his eyes saying that he knew he could give her an even more thrilling ride.

She had no doubt. But she hadn’t managed to raise her siblings and get them all a relatively decent life by following a whim, sexy as that whim might be. She’d been afraid of commitment with Ry because … well, she still wasn’t one hundred percent sure. But she thought it had something to do with the knowledge that committing to him would mean becoming something she wasn’t – a person capable of further dividing her heart, handing another chunk of it off to someone, and in turn giving them power to hurt her.

But looking into Cam’s gaze, she couldn’t see him ever trying to make her into something she wasn’t. Life with him would only get better.

But they weren’t going to go there. And if that caused a little teeny tiny spark of sadness, she shoved it aside. This wasn’t the time to dwell. She needed to live in the moment. And that needed to go into her journal. She had it in her purse in the truck. “Do you have the keys?”

“Sure. What do you need, I’ll get it for you.”

Okay, so she could admit her crazy here, or she could keep it to herself. But maybe to prove that this wouldn’t – couldn’t — last, she gave him the truth. “I need to write something in my journal.”

“Okay,” he said without blinking an eye and turned toward the stairs to get to the parking lot.

Just the fact that he’d do it made it okay to stop him. “I can wait.’ Then she stepped into him and pressed her face in the crook of his neck to just breathe him in for a moment, willing herself to remember. Live in the moment. There was no sense in thinking about the future, because as she knew all too well, not everyone got one. So there was no use in spoiling the here and now by running ahead of herself. Besides, she thought as his arms came around her, the here and now was pretty damn amazing. “Thank you,” she whispered against his skin, and then, unable to resist, kissed his throat.

*****

Review:

I think that this one should probably fall more into the woman’s fiction category than romance. There is a sweet and fun love story between Cam & Piper, which I don’t think that Shalvis does any kind of disservice to. Cam is the perfect mixture of steady and calm that Piper needs – because that poor girl can be a bit of a mess personally. She’s had a whole lot put on her shoulders, ever since she was little, and not a lot of support for it. And she feels like she’s finally getting to the end of it only to have her siblings back with their own lives in tatters.

This, the family drama, is the heart of the story and I really enjoyed it. Piper has to learn to see her siblings as people with their own lives, making their own decisions (and mistakes), who needs a sister to support them instead of a mother figure. But they also need to learn to see her for the supportive person that she can be, instead of the heavy that she’s had to be to get them through their childhoods. All while discovering the people they want to be moving forward. It’s not easy for any of them to find a new dynamic but with a little help (and some influence from Mr Steady himself) they surely can figure it out … with a minimal amount of bloodshed.

There were moments that made me laugh (Winnie with her tool belt and YouTube videos is awesome), moments that made me cringe (things were definitely going to go badly for Piper when she found out everything), and quite a few times that I felt sorry for all of them. And that’s what makes any book a worthwhile read in my mind.

(Part of a series but definitely can be read as a stand alone.)

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JillShalvis/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillShalvis/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillshalvis/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/

Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com

Newsletter: http://jillshalvis.com/contact/

Website: http://jillshalvis.com

*****

Book Review – The Lemon Sisters

Tags

Book Review, Jill Shalvis, The Lemon Sisters, Wildstone series

With Jill Shalvis’s latest, she shows us how sometimes you just have to go home again.

*****

The Lemon Sisters

Wildstone #3

by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

When Brooke’s older sister, Mindy, shows up at her door with her three kids in tow, she barely recognizes her sibling who looks like she’s on the verge of a total breakdown. While adventurous, wanderlust Brooke was always the problem child, eager to slip free of Wildstone and its small-town constraints, Mindy was the golden child, who never had a hair out of place or a GPA below 4.0. The Mindy that arrives at Brooke’s apartment however, is a far cry from the ever-perfect doctor’s wife.

Brooke’s further stunned when Mindy asks to trade places with her for a few days so she can pick up her pieces and put herself back together. What Mindy doesn’t realize is that Brooke is just as broken. Her sister needs her though, so Brooke takes the kids and returns to Wildstone.

But how does one go home after seven years away and what feels like a lifetime of secrets? It doesn’t take long for Brooke to come face-to-face with her past, in the form of one tall, dark, sexy mistake. But Garrett’s no longer interested, or so he says. Only his words don’t match his actions, leaving Brooke feeling things she long ago shoved deep.

The sisters begin to wonder if the childhood taunts were true, are they lemons in life? In love? True or not, they know one thing—you can’t run far enough to outpace your demons. And when long-dead secrets surface, they’ll have to overcome their differences and learn that sometimes the one person who can help you the most is the one you never thought to ask.

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Iu9vW3

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2CrqBAf

Nook: http://bit.ly/2CqzYzY

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2YazSWj

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2Wh8Wml

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ULl9Pw

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2TkD1zb

*****

Excerpt:

“Okay,” she said. “Time for me to go to bed.”

“Or you’re running,” he said. “Again.”

She closed her eyes and told herself to ignore the soft taunt. No matter what they’d been – or hadn’t been – to each other, she wasn’t looking for love with anyone, and certainly not a wash and repeat with the one man who could destroy her. It wasn’t as if she’d been a monk. She’d dated, but she hadn’t let anyone in. Not ever. Even Cole had complained about the brick walls she’d encased her emotions in.

And he was right. She could get involved to a point, but she always pulled back.

“You don’t have to run from me, you know,” Garrett said. “There’s no reason for there to be anything but honesty between us.”

Yes, there was… “Maybe I’m just not feeling it.”

Another soft laugh. “Okay.”

“Hey,” she said and poked a finger in his pec. His hard, ungiving, sexy pec. “If I was feeling it, you’d know.”

“Yeah? How?” he challenged.

“I’d be …flirty. I certainly wouldn’t be thinking of all of your faults.”

He grinned. How like a man to not be worried about his faults.

“So what are these so-called faults?” he asked, curious. Still not concerned.

“Well, for starters, you’re wearing black knit boxers with bananas on them.”

This made him laugh outright. “Someone sent me a subscription box. They come once a month. Last month’s pair had cocks all over them.”

“Like … chickens, or…?”

He was still smiling. “If you’re curious, I’ll be happy to wear them tomorrow and give you a peek.”

“Whatever,” she said. “And the fact that some woman sent you a subscription to undies is another reason I’m not feeling it. You’ve stayed friends with every single person you’ve ever met.”

“And that’s a fault?”

She shrugged. Of course it wasn’t a fault. It was the opposite of a fault. “Well, except for me, of course.”

“Because you don’t answer phone calls, texts, emails…” He tilted his head. “Tell me something.”

Oh boy. “What?”

“Why did you and your last boyfriend break up? That Cole guy.”

“I told you, he’s my boss.”

“But you’re sleeping together,” he said, his eyes holding hers prisoner. “Or you were.”

“How do you know that?”

He smiled grimly. “You just told me.”

Dammit. She crossed her arms over her chest. “We’re not together if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Why?”

“Why what?” she asked.

“Why aren’t you together?” he pressed.

“Because I don’t like him like that.”

Did his eyes warm very slightly, or was that her imagination? “Because you’re just not feeling it?” he asked mockily, using her words.

She rolled her eyes. “You think you’re funny. How about we talk about you. Tell me about the girlfriend you said you don’t have. The one who called you the other day for a hookup.”

“It wasn’t a hookup. She dumped me.”

She snorted. “Right. You expected me to believe a guy who looks like you do, and is funny and smart like you are, got dumped?”

“Actually, I expect you to believe whatever I tell you.” He shifted close until they were knee to knee. “Because I’ve never lied to you, Brooke. Never will.”

*****

Review:

Shalvis is one of the best at creating real people and real situations.  In The Lemon Sisters, she perfectly blends together romance, women’s fiction, and family drama to deliver a beautiful tale of connecting to others & finding home again.

After a tragic accident, Brooke has cut herself off from those she loves.  She’s coping, but not dealing, and a visit from her desperate sister brings it all back to the surface.  And forces her to confront those she’s hurt.

Mindy has lost herself in being a wife, mother, and business owner.  She’s feeling overwhelmed & unseen and she is afraid of what it means to her marriage.  Desperate, she turns to the sister she barely knows anymore for help.  And sets both of them on a path to facing ghosts and old hurts.

I really enjoyed how both of the sisters played a starring role in the book – their individual well-being and their relationship with each other, and with their SOs, is equally important.  But even with so much going on, Shalvis handles it fairly and none of it feels shorted.  I ended it feeling like I understood everyone’s situation, how they had gotten where they were at the beginning, and felt good about how they managed to get to their HEA.

(Part of a series but each one is pretty much a stand alone.)

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JillShalvis/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillShalvis/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillshalvis/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/

Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com

Newsletter: http://jillshalvis.com/contact/

Website: http://jillshalvis.com

*****

Book Review – Rainy Day Friends

Tags

Book Review, Jill Shalvis, Rainy Day Friends, Wildstone series

Who’s looking for that perfect vacation read?!?!

*****

Rainy Day Friends

A Wildstone Novel

by Jill Shalvis

Harper Collins – June 19, 2018

Blurb:

Following the USA Today bestselling author of Lost and Found Sisters comes Jill Shalvis’ moving story of heart, loss, betrayal, and friendship

Six months after Lanie Jacobs’ husband’s death, it’s hard to imagine anything could deepen her sense of pain and loss. But then Lanie discovers she isn’t the only one grieving his sudden passing. A serial adulterer, he left behind several other women who, like Lanie, each believe she was his legally wedded wife.

Rocked by the infidelity, Lanie is left to grapple with searing questions. How could she be so wrong about a man she thought she knew better than anyone? Will she ever be able to trust another person?  Can she even trust herself?

Desperate to make a fresh start, Lanie impulsively takes a job at the family-run Capriotti Winery. At first, she feels like an outsider among the boisterous Capriottis. With no real family of her own, she’s bewildered by how quickly they all take her under their wing and make her feel like she belongs. Especially Mark Capriotti, a gruffly handsome Air Force veteran turned deputy sheriff who manages to wind his way into Lanie’s cold, broken heart—along with the

rest of the clan.

Everything is finally going well for her, but the arrival of River Brown changes all that. The fresh-faced twenty-one-year old seems as sweet as they come…until her dark secrets come to light—secrets that could destroy the new life Lanie’s only just begun to build. 

Read the first Chapter, http://jillshalvis.com/books/rainy-day-friends/

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36260406-rainy-day-friends

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/190905-wildstone

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BovOZU

BN:  http://bit.ly/2BZL1hH

iBooks:  https://apple.co/2AsDNpk

Other: http://jillshalvis.com/books/rainy-day-friends/#order

Paperback:  http://jillshalvis.com/books/rainy-day-friends/#order

Series Buy Link: http://jillshalvis.com/series/wildstone-series/

*****

Review:

I’ve taken a little break from reading Shalvis’s books and I have absolutely NO idea why.  They are always well paced and delightfully written, with the perfect combination of humor, emotion, and spice.  The characters never fail to be interesting and I always feel like I finished one of her stories having made new friends.

Lanie has been dealt a bit of a blow from life, both with a pretty difficult upbringing to a marriage that didn’t go the way she expected.  She’s trying her best to hold herself together but sometimes she unravels a bit, much to the reader’s glee.  Watching her try to resist Mark and the rest of the Capriottis is a hoot, since you know she’s going to fail.

Being first a military man then a law enforcement officer & single dad, plus a lifetime of dealing with his family, has given Mark a lot of patience.  Which he’ll need to take on Lanie 🙂  He’s definitely one of my favorite heroes of this year – strong, caring, dedicated, and just so darn cute with his girls.

Lanie is going to have to come to terms with a lot – about herself, her deepening attachment to the Capriottis, her upbringing, and the fall-out from her marriage.  But if she can find a way to work through it all, she just might find herself a perfectly wonderful HEA.  It’s not going to be easy, and she faces quite a few bumps, but Shalvis has her handling it with style, humor, and a few neuroses along the way 🙂

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

Author Links:  WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

Win a print ARC of RAINY DAY FRIENDS

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81378/

*****

Tour Schedule:

June 18

The Reading Cafe – Rev
Tfaulcbookreviews – Rev
IreneChart – Rev
Books & Spoons – Promo
Romantic Reads and Such – Promo
Book Reviews & More by Kathy – Rev
Evermore Books – Rev
E-Reading After Midnight – Rev
Ripe For Reader – Promo
Romancing the Readers – Promo
Nerdy Dirty and Flirty – Promo
Sofia Loves Books – Rev
Book Lover in Florida – Promo
The Book Junkie Reads . . .  – Rev
Joyfully Reviewed – Promo

June 19

Ali – The Dragon Slayer – Rev
I am, Indeed – Rev
What Is That Book About – Promo
Karen’s Killer Book Bench – Promo
Nicole’s Book Musings – Promo
All Things Bookaholic – Rev
Forget the Housework I’m Reading… – Rev
Rachel Brimble Romance – Promo

June 20

So Many Books – Promo
Buried Under Romance – Promo
Books and Bindings – Rev
Cat’s Guilty Pleasure – Promo
Bookgasms Book Blog – Rev
Reviews by Room With Books – Rev
Hearts & Scribbles – Promo
Nadine’s Obsessed with Books – Rev
OMGReads – Rev
Books, Coffee & Passion – Promo

June 21

Reese’s Reviews – Promo
Forever book lover – Promo
Debbie’s World of Books – Rev
Em & M Books – Promo
The Book Drealms – Rev

June 22

Jen’s Reading Obsession – Rev
Teatime and Books – Promo
Moonlight Rendezvous – Rev
My Reading Journeys – Rev
Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – Rev
One-Click Chocolate Chick – Rev
Sascha Darlington’s Microcosm Explored – Rev

Spotlight – The Good Luck Sister

Tags

Jill Shalvis, The Good Luck Sister, Wildstone series

I think Tilly and I are going to be great friends!

*****

The Good Luck Sister

by Jill Shalvis

The Wildstone Series

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Publication Date: May 1, 2018

Blurb:

This summer, romance blooms again in Wildstone!

After a difficult few years, Tilly Adams is ready for life to start going right. Though she has a case of first-day nerves teaching art at the local community college, she knows it isn’t anything a few snuggles from her rescue puppy won’t cure. Until she sees Dylan Scott again, her one-time BFF and first love sitting in the front row.

Dylan knows he should’ve left well enough alone, but when he sees Tilly living her dream, he can’t help but make contact. Ten years ago, he left Wildstone and everything in it behind, including Tilly. He had his reasons, but now he wants her back in his life, anyway he can get her.

When Tilly agrees to design the logo for Dylan’s new helicopter touring company, it’s business only . . . until she finds herself falling into his arms once again.

Can she possibly open her heart back up to the only man who’s ever broken it? But soon they’re both realizing the truth—love always deserves a second chance.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Gkdele

Avon Romance: https://goo.gl/rA8ZAa

Barnes & Noble: https://goo.gl/x1yx79

Google Play: https://goo.gl/8k8mdV

iBooks: https://apple.co/2pPe6ah

*****

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

“I’ve finished my free trial of adulthood and am no longer interested, so please cancel my subscription.” From The Mixed Up Files of Tilly’s journal.

Tilly Adams sat in the vet’s office staring at the doctor in shock. “Say that again?”

Dr. Janet Lyons smiled. “I think Leo faked being sick. Probably so you’d stay home from work today.”

Tilly looked down at Leo. “You do know he’s a dog, right?”

All six pounds of him smiled up at her. About a month ago, she found him on a street corner hiding beneath a bus bench; wet, dirty, cold, hungry and matted. He’d been Dobby meets Gremlin meets neglected, abused Care Bear. Tilly had looked around for an adult, and then had to remind herself that at twenty-five years old, she was legal herself. So then she’d searched for an adultier adult, but she’d been the only one in sight.

So she’d scooped the little guy up and had brought him to the SPCA, who’d said he was about five weeks old, a possible Maltipoo, which meant he came by his care bear look naturally. He was malnutritioned and suffering from mange. They’d said they’d do what they could, and Tilly had turned to go. That had been when she’d seen all the eyes on her from an endless row of cages … and she’d realized her care bear would soon be sitting in one too. Then she’d heard herself offer to foster him until they found him a forever home.

They’d found him one too. Tilly had signed the adoption papers last weekend in spite of the fact that just that morning he’d escaped his crate, eaten her favorite sneakers, destroyed her favorite pillow, and then yakked up the stuffing from the pillow.

He was a destructo of the highest magnitude, and something else too. He had no idea how small he was. He went after her sister Quinn’s twenty-plus pound cat and her neighbor’s hundred pound black lab with the same fierce, fearless gusto. Turned out, the little guy had a bad case of small-man syndrome, which was how he’d earned his name.

Leo, short for Napoleon.

And now on top of Leo’s impressive chewing skills, his escape artist skills, and his ability to get up on her bed and yet still not understand why stepping in his own poop was annoying, he had a new skill.

He’d faked being sick.

Proud of himself, Leo smiled up at her. Smiled. An hour ago he’d been coughing and limping and acting all sorts of odd. Now he just kept smiling up at her while sending her meaningful glances at the open dog biscuit bin between her and the doctor.

Dr. Lyons laughed and gave him one.

“Dogs can’t fake sick,” Tilly said while Leo inhaled the biscuit whole before licking the floor to make sure he got all the crumbs. “Can they?”

Dr. Lyons scooped him up and gave him a kiss on his adorable snout. “Yours did.”
Tilly sighed. It was too early for this. She’d had a crazy late night. Not hanging at Whiskey River, the local bar and grill. Not at a club with friends. Not working on her designs for he upcoming graphic art showing.

Nope, she’d been on a serious stress bender — a marathon of Game Of Thrones. She hadn’t fallen asleep until after two and her alarm had interrupted her in the middle of a really great dream starring Jon Snow.

Dr. Lyons handed Leo over. He immediately snuggled into the crook of Tilly’s neck and dammit, her cold heart melted on the spot and she hugged him close. “You’re sure he’s okay? He was coughing. And then he limped funny. And then he wouldn’t eat.”

“But he hasn’t coughed once that I’ve seen. And he’s not limping either. And you said all his food vanished while you took a quick shower.”

“Yes,” Tilly said.

Dr. Lyons waited for her to catch up.

Tilly sighed. “He really did fake me out.”

*****

Author Info:

New York Times bestselling author JILL SHALVIS lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventure.

Website: http://jillshalvis.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jill-Shalvis/315956498871

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jillshalvis

Goodreads: https://goo.gl/SFW5gB

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IeAcLc

*****

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