Tag: Jill Shalvis

This Chick Read: The Backup Plan (Sunrise Cove #3) by Jill Shalvis

Alice, Lauren, and Knox are childhood friends who all inherit an old Wild West B&B owned by Lauren’s great-aunt Eleanor, a woman who had a hand in raising both Alice and Knox, but who never chose to get to know her great-niece Lauren. Alice and Lauren used to be BFF’s until Alice’s brother died in a car wreck when she was a teenager, and Lauren seemed to blame her for his death. Knox’s mom used to work for Eleanor and he did odd jobs around her house learning bits of a trade that he would later turn into a career. When all three of them need to work together to fix up the old B&B they also have to face their pasts and learn how to make their futures.

I love a great Jill Shalvis novel and The Backup Plan has all of the fixin’s for a true heartbreaker of a novel. Alice has been on her own since she was 18 never settling down in one place and afraid to make a commitment in a job or relationship. When she sees Knox again she’s reminded of the huge crush she had on him in her youth. She is also reminded of her great love for her old friend Lauren and how it all went wrong. Alice has a tough time facing her past, especially when it counts.

Lauren has buried the secret of the night Will died and let her relationship with Alice falter in order to keep her secret, but she’s out of a job and the B&B can make all of her dreams come true and help her connect with her great-aunt whom she now realizes she may have always misunderstood.

Knox has avoided his hometown and gone on to build a successful eco-friendly construction business, won awards and done all of the big things he always wanted to do. When he sees Alice again and gets to know her sassy self, he calmly decides that he would like to stay and build a future. Will Alice buy into that same vision?

The Backup Plan has all of the emotional depth we look for in Women’s Fiction, and the great characters we expect from a Jill Shalvis novel. I loved reading about these characters and cared how they connected with each other again, rebuilding and falling in love. The best kinds of novels have a future written for their characters and in this novel that future is stamped in the lifeblood of each movement and word. I relished reading this novel and enjoyed the message and love found on every page. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Backup Plan

Copyright 2023 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: The Family You Make (Sunrise Cove #1) by Jill Shalvis

Levi Cutler has come home to Sunrise Cove for a visit with his family but decides to take the Gondola up the mountain to catch the view from high above. As he is heading to the top a storm sweeps in and the mountain evacuates, including a nurse named Jane. A strong wind snatches the gondola right in front of theirs off the line leaving Levi and Jane clinging to their lives, and each other. Levi’s phone picks up a signal and he calls home to say goodbye but can’t break his mother’s heart. Instead he tells her he has a girlfriend named Jane which he knows will make her ecstatic. Of course, they survive this incident but now they have his family and a fake relationship to navigate. A relationship that Levi would like to make real.

This novel had a real fast start as the first scene is inside the gondola and sets the pace pretty quickly. Our two protagonists are pretty different. Levi is a tech guy who was brought up in an outdoorsman family and Jane is a loner who had been shuffled from family member to family member, never really belonging to anyone. Surprisingly it was easy to see how they were a good fit. Levi also was an outsider within his own family, or at least that was how he saw it. He understands Jane and doesn’t let her standoffishness scare her off. I liked his persistence and loved that she was hesitant but also bold.

I can always count on Jill Shalvis to write in a great group of friends who are quirky and interesting, giving the main characters some relief from having to carry a book. There is a side romance in this novel between Levi and Jane’s best friends that is interesting and cute. I am hoping we get to explore their relationship further in a future book! I am also looking forward to seeing Levi’s sister get her own story as she’s got an interesting arc of her own that needs exploring!

If you’re looking for a good weekend read that won’t take too long to get through, then The Family You Make may be the right book for you. I read it on my vacation and it hit my sweet spot for fun characters that will take me away from the drag of hours of flying, making the time go by quickly. It was a sweet, cute story with some emotional depth for our main characters and the right book at the right time for me!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Click the link to purchase!* The Family You Make: A Novel (The Sunrise Cove Series, 1)

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- If you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: Love for Beginners (Wildstone #7) by Jill Shalvis

Emma Harris wakes up from a coma and learns that her best friend and her fiancé are now a couple, she broken most of the bones in her body, and her insurance bills are adding up. The doctors told her that she’d never walk again but with the help of her physical therapist she is finally able to move out of her apartment that she shares with her ex-BFF and into her own place. No one will hire her because she hasn’t had a job in a year when the pet store that she trains dogs in goes up for sale. Unable to get a loan she ends up with an unlikely partner. Her frenemy from high school, and Simon’s cousin, Ali Pratt. Love for Beginners is a tale about perseverance, falling in love, and making new friends.

Emma, as the main protagonist, was completely likable and easy to root for. Out jogging when hit by a car seems like pretty bad luck but it brought the delicious physical therapist, Simon into her life and it changed her from a person who may have let people walk on her to learning to have a backbone and to stand up for herself. Something she probably should have done a long time ago. I loved her inner voice that always reminded her that she wasn’t the old Emma but the new Emma 2.0. Her budding romance with Simon while lacking heat (at least for me) did help Emma grow as a character. I looked at it as part of her healing process. Sex with hot PT- check! Of course, there were feelings involved but their romance wasn’t really what this novel was about. It was about Emma’s challenges and how she was facing them.

Ali’s story was secondary but I found it just as interesting. She too needed to grow but it was in the reverse of Emma. From an early age Ali has put a wall up, not letting anyone get close. She always considered Emma a rival. Probably because from the outside Emma’s life seemed charmed but just like what you see on Facebook, nothing is as it seems on the surface. Their partnership allowed them both to see the other side of each other. I thought Jill Shalvis did a good job of showing the growth of a female friendship!

I’m a big fan of Jill Shalvis’ novels. She always writes great secondary character and/or groups of friends that you always want to get to know. Love for Beginners was no different. I do wish the romance had brought a little more sizzle to the page but upon reflection it kind of fit. Simon had his own story that made him a little distant too. Luckily, he had Emma and his cousin Ali to help him work through his emotions and give him a kick in the butt.

If you’re in the mood for a good friendship novel I think Love for Beginners is certainly that. If you want a romance, there is some of that too but I really feel like that was secondary to all of the other stories that were being told in this novel. It wasn’t what I expected but I did like it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Love for Beginners: A Novel (The Wildstone Series Book 7)

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: The Forever Girl (Wildstone #6) by Jill Shalvis

Maze heads back to Wildstone for the wedding of her BRR, Cat, and a reunion with her estranged gang of friends. Expecting them to hate her for her absence, instead she’s embraced back into their hearts. Uneasy about facing Walker, the man she once loved and left, she finds that their chemistry is just as fiery and hard to resist. Maze’s past has taught her to guard her heart but these friends are formidable and she learns she is stronger with them by her side than she is alone.

I have to talk about how much I loved Maze. Sure, I’ve read many books where the heroine is flawed, but there was something about Maze that made me care about her. Usually, I get tired of the self castigation, but Jill Shalvis walked that fine line of being too sorry for yourself, and allowing yourself to move past her issues. Maze blamed herself for something big that happened when they were all kids, but she allowed herself to be loved and to accept their judgement (which was no judgement). For me, Cat was actually the character I got impatient with because of her neediness. She needed her friends to be back together and she needed her fianceé to be something other than what he was. However, her wedding was the incident that brought this group back together so I understood her purpose.

Walker was a different story. Sure, he also had his issues. I mean, they were foster kids so that comes with a lot of baggage, but he was just so solid. I liked him from the get go and once I figured out I adored Maze, I totally rooted for them and eagerly read their reunion and all that followed. He was just all that.

I have read a couple of the other Wildstone novels but The Forever Girl doesn’t reference any of the characters in the past and can be read as a stand alone novel, so don’t be fearful of that #6 after the title. If you’re a fan of Jill Shalvis novels as I am, please pick up The Forever Girl. It’s the perfect story about lost friends and found love which really hits the right note during this pandemic. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this ARC through Net Galley for my honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase!* The Forever Girl: A Novel (The Wildstone Series, 6)

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Wrapped Up in you (Heartbreak Bay) by Jill Shalvis

After years of moving from town to town, not making friends or planting roots, Ivy finally settles down in San Francisco’s Heartbreak Bay, purchasing and running the local taco truck. Despite her own code of honor, she’s always been shy of the law. When she meets cowboy and sheriff Kel O’Donnell she’s immediately attracted and wisely wary of this newcomer to her group of friends. Thrown into his company by a break in at her truck, Ivy and Kel fight their instinct to stay away from each other and instead start to rely on their unlikely friendship.

I liked Ivy’s back story of a troubled family that requires them to move always staying one step ahead of whoever may be trying to find them. Ivy keeps a wall up, even with her group of friends, so it’s not surprising she’d be especially wary of a man who asks too many questions and tries to delve to deeply into her past. Kel has his own demons with a mother who he felt abandoned he and his sister, which makes him less likely to trust than most. The two of them together seemed an unlikely pair, neither of them too willing to trust. Despite the tentative trust factor I liked them for each other and easily rooted them on.

Wrapped Up in You was about friendship and love overcoming all obstacles. The story wasn’t too deep and didn’t require my complete immersion into the plot to keep up, but it was enjoyable and totally lived up to my expectations of an easy to read romance. Something I’ve come to expect from a Jill Shalvis novel. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase!* Wrapped Up in You: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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It’s Monday! What are you Reading? (7/8/19)

Happy Monday everyone! I ran across this post on Book Date and liked the idea of sharing what I’m currently reading, so here goes!

JUST FINISHED

Heartache and Hope (Heartache Duet #1) by Jay McLean

First Sentence Read: “One minute you’re sipping on your first beer at your first bonfire party, wearing a hoody provided by a boy you’ve been crushing on for months.”

JUST STARTED

The Lemon Sisters by Jill Shalvis

First Sentence Read: Without warning, the helicopter dipped sharply, and Brooke Lemon’s stomach went along with it.”

Both of those first sentences were pretty thrilling, right? Now that you know what books I’ve been reading, share…

It’s Monday, what are you reading?

Thanks!

Deb

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This Chick Read: Hot Winter Nights (Heartbreaker Bay #6) by Jill Shalvis

Molly Malone works for Hunter Investigations but not in the capacity she’d like. We learned a little of Molly’s back story in her brother Joe’s story About that Kiss. Molly’s brother is uber protective because of an episode in their childhood where Molly got hurt and having Molly take on a more active role at work goes against those protector instincts. Lucas Knight, another investigator in the company, has always had a soft spot for Molly. When one of her neighbors asks for her help with a situation at work Lucas is “assigned” to keep watch and make sure Molly stays out of trouble.

The Heartbreaker Bay series is about a group of friends that all work in this small community of buildings. I love how we meet future couples in previous novels so that when their story arrives, you already know something about them and you don’t need half the novel as set up. Hot Winter Nights jumps right in. We know Lucas as an attractive guy who doesn’t like more than one night stands, and Molly as the younger sister of Joe who has a bum leg from a past run in with a gang. A few sentences in and the back story comes immediately to mind and I can easily immerse myself into their story.

I’ll admit the mystery was a little hokey with a Christmas theme with some geriatric elves and a mob like Santa. Even though the mystery was a little silly it did allow for some great scenes between Molly and Lucas that added heat to the themed story. The best thing about Jill Shalvis’ books are the fact that the characters are easy to like and have a lot of heart. I also love that it’s a group of friends who stay connected through love for each other, literally and figuratively. I wish I had a group of friends like this myself and anyone who reads these novels thinks the same thing. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions from around the Blogosphere

“Heartbreaker Bay is a really fun series, and I especially love the Christmas stories, which encompasses about half the books in this series. This one also has a bit of suspense thrown in, which really helps to keep the pages turning.” Stacey Alesi’s Bookbitch.com

“Hot Winter Nights is a fun and entertaining read with just the right amount of steam, romance, action and suspense. It’s a great book to spend your day getting swept up in and will definitely put you in the holiday spirit.” Once Upon A Book Blog

Hot Winter Nights

Click this link to purchase!* Hot Winter Nights: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel

Copyright 2019 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate

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This Chick Read: About That Kiss (Heartbreaker Bay #5) by Jill Shalvis

Jill Shalvis is my go to author for funny and sweet romances. As with the Lucky Harbor series, Heartbreaker Bay revolves around a group of friends who work within the same complex of buildings circling a magical fountain. In each of the previous books, a wish for true love was made and that wish was granted. In About That Kiss, neither Kylie nor Joe actually makes that wish. It is made for them by someone else. Thank goodness, because these two both have a ton of baggage. It seemed to take that mystical push to get them to admit to any feelings for each other, and a ton of chemistry that they couldn’t keep ignoring.

Joe seemed like a good guy to have around in a crisis and Kylie has a crisis that needs handling. Joe is the last person she wants to ask for help because, well, after that one kiss they shared he never called her back! However, this crisis is emotionally daunting and Kylie overlooks her own feelings in favor of getting something back that has been stolen from her.

I enjoyed this book because like I said above, Jill Shalvis writes great light hearted romances. I think the heart part of light hearted was a little lacking because both of these characters had walls a mile high! It took chemistry and being forced together by Kylie’s problem to make either of them act on it. About that Kiss doesn’t land in my top 5 Jill Shalvis novels, but it was a quick read and in the end I got the Happily Ever After I was looking for. Oh! I also got to look in on the rest of the gang in Heartbreaker Bay and see how they were doing. I do love the friendships in these books. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

About That Kiss

Click this link to purchase! About That Kiss: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved.

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This Chick Read: Holiday Wishes (Heartbreaker Bay #4.5)

If you are a fan of Jill Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay series, then you’ve been waiting for Sean O’Riley’s story and Holiday Wishes. We have seen Sean grow over the first four books. He has always been the hearthrob that girls throw their panties at, but in this book we see a more mature Sean. He is in charge of throwing a co-ed bachelor weekend at a B&B in wine country for his brother and is determined that everything is going to be perfect. Of course, there are a couple of wrenches thrown into his plans. When they arrive at the B&B he’s surprised to see Lottie, a girl he liked in high school.  After losing their virginity to each other as teenagers she moved away and Sean, being a typical young doofus, didn’t keep in touch as he said he would. When Lottie sets eyes on Sean her first reaction is why now? She’s had a tough time of it lately and isn’t about to risk her heart again to someone who’s already disappointed her.

Sometimes a novella isn’t long enough to do the characters justice. This is definitely not one of those times. The reason why this story works is because we knew Sean. We’ve watched him change and mature over four books. We’ve loved his relationship with his brother Finn, and that same warmth is given to Lottie. It’s no wonder she didn’t stand a chance against him!

You MUST read the other novels in this series before reading Holiday Wishes. I wish I could say it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t, but as I said above, the reason why it works is because we already have a relationship with Sean. We only needed to love him with Lottie, which was an easy thing to do. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Holiday Wishes Click this link to purchase! Holiday Wishes: A Heartbreaker Bay Christmas Novella Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Chasing Christmas Eve (Heartbreaker Bay #4) by Jill Shalvis

I have been intrigued by Spencer throughout this series and was excited to finally be able to read his story! He has always been somewhat of a mystery. He is a millionaire, owns a businees and invents things, but in the previous novels we’ve only learned as much as those characters story arc’s brought us in contact him, and that was usually as supportive friend and sometimes troublemaker. In Chasing Christmas Eve we finally get the skinny on Spence, his background, how he made his money, and why he seems to be kind of a loner. 

Colbie Albright is new to Heartbreaker Bay and happens upon their charming courtyard fountain and is about to make a wish into it when she gets pushed into it by a wayward dog. Spencer comes to her rescue and is immediately charmed by her and feels that tug of interest. The chemistry between these two is explosive and pretty soon it makes Spencer forget his reasons for holding back from relationships. Colbie, although running away from her problems seems to find her muse, and true love in Spence. 

I love these Heartbreaker Bay novels. I mentioned before that as each story is written and we learn a little bit more about this group of friends, they become our friends. I’m totally invested in living through each of their stories and building that relationship with them even more. 

❤️❤️❤️❤️


Click this link to purchase!  Chasing Christmas Eve: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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