Jill Shalvis returns with another book in the Sunrise Cove series. Harper Shaw is in the middle of rebuilding her liRead this review on Fresh Fiction
Jill Shalvis returns with another book in the Sunrise Cove series. Harper Shaw is in the middle of rebuilding her life in a way where she can finally be happy, but it involves a lot of hard work to build the bakery of her dreams.
As she settled her bakery between a tavern and a bookstore, she encounters new friends and a new love interest in Bodie Campbell. However, a teenage runaway is the first one to capture her heart. As she takes her under her wing, Harper begins to discover things she never knew.
Shalvis’ writing continues to be simple and easy-to-follow so I find myself reading this books pretty quickly. Although I do prefer her books more when they didn’t have so much extra conflict in it, I’ve come to enjoy her more complex novels. In addition to the romance, there’s still a lot of humor and heart and the dark aspects sometimes make the biggest impact.
Shalvis also delves quite deep into her characters, which I can definitely appreciate. As a reader who enjoys a focus on characterization rather than plot, it’s easy to fall in love with the characters. Or at least understand where they are coming from.
That being said, I would recommend THE SWEETHEART LIST for those of you who enjoy Contemporary Romance with a Women’s Fiction emphasis. It will definitely tug on your heartstrings....more
Second in the Sunrise Cove series, THE BACKUP PLAN by Jill Shalvis explores old relationships and dark secrets of thRead this review on Fresh Fiction
Second in the Sunrise Cove series, THE BACKUP PLAN by Jill Shalvis explores old relationships and dark secrets of the heart. When Alice inherits a B&B from her childhood, she is stunned to learned that she must help run it with two strangers.
Now these two aren’t completely unknown to her, but it’s been years since she has had contact with the woman who was once her ex best friend and the man who broke her heart. Now they must learn how to get along and pull off a miracle.
There’s no doubt that Jill Shalvis has mastered the art of creating unique conflicts for her characters to endure and work through. I am always really impressed by her ability to come up with something different with each book. However, sometimes I do miss her old way of writing that was more Romance than Women’s Fiction.
While I love the additional storylines of friendship and romance running parallel in these books, sometimes I think the focus can get skewed when there’s so much going on. That being said, I do miss the old style of writing Shalvis had. But that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy this book.
There’s still the same charm and humor that is evident in all Shalvis books. The settings are also fun and interactive and the situations that she puts her characters in never fail to entertain me. So all in all, it was still enjoyable....more
THE FAMILY YOU MAKE kicks off a brand new series for Jill Shalvis. The Sunrise Cove is a mix of Women’s Fiction and Contemporary Romance but the essenTHE FAMILY YOU MAKE kicks off a brand new series for Jill Shalvis. The Sunrise Cove is a mix of Women’s Fiction and Contemporary Romance but the essence of Jill Shalvis is still clearly there.
Rife with humor and heart, this book will easily sweep you off your feet. I enjoyed the banter between Levi and Jane from the get-go. They had amazing chemistry and this book definitely reminded me of why I love Shalvis’ books.
The characters have endured a lot so there’s a lot of emotional development that needs to happen for them to feel peace. I think Shalvis did a good job of exploring those past hurts and bringing a happily-ever-after to Jane and Levi.
Based on this first book, this new series sounds very promising and I am definitely looking forward to the other stories that will come. ...more
In the mood for a cozy Christmas anthology? Then look no further because Jill Shalvis has got you covered! If you’ve never read her Heartbreaker Bay series before, then you’re in for a treat because with this anthology, you’re able to read a few of the Christmas novellas set in this world. It’s a great way to test the waters and see if you’ll like the series and best of all, you can get into the holiday spirit with it!
Having read all of them, my favorite is probably One Snowy Night. However, all of them do have their selling points. Sometimes, I can see a bit of her Women’s Fiction writing style in some of these stories, but mostly, they are Romance-focused. All of these stories are enjoyable reads, especially if you’re trying to get into the Christmas spirit!...more
There seems to be a pattern when it comes to Jill Shalvis books for me now. Sometimes, I really like her books and they are a huge hit for
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There seems to be a pattern when it comes to Jill Shalvis books for me now. Sometimes, I really like her books and they are a huge hit for me. But then another one comes out and it seems to be a miss.
For me, THE FOREVER GIRL didn’t continue the excitement from the last book of the series. Although this is the sixth book in the Wildstone series, you can definitely read this on its own. I just found that I didn’t quite connect with the characters like I have with other Shalvis books. I find that especially true with this particular series. The Women’s Fiction mixed with romance usually works for me, but for some reason, I found myself putting this book down very often and it took me quite a long time to finish it. It may be the characters or the concept of this book, but I often find the books of this series to be a bit of a downer. There are some light and funny moments of course. Shalvis’s humor always brings that in, but I don’t always think it fits the situation or the character the way it does with her Romance series. That being said, I guess I will just have to see if the next book will be a hit for me!...more
THE SUMMER DEAL is book five in the Wildstone series by Jill Shalvis, but I find that you can really read these books as a standalone. I d
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THE SUMMER DEAL is book five in the Wildstone series by Jill Shalvis, but I find that you can really read these books as a standalone. I didn’t have very much expectation about this book, so I went in with a very open mind.
One thing I liked about this book is the fact that Shalvis can make light out of every situation. Whether it’s something grim or just the characters hanging out, she manages to infuse the scene with her trademark humor.
However, I just don’t think I was a huge fan of the concept of this particular story. This book has three main characters. There’s Brynn who suffers from panic attacks. Then there’s Kinsey whose body is rejecting the organ she’d just had transplanted. And there’s Eli who has been best friends with Kinsey for his entire life. There is a romance that occurs in this book, but the relationship between Kinsey and Brynn is also quite important to the storyline.
In theory, I liked the sound of it. However while I was reading the book, I just thought that it was a bit grim. There were some parts I would have liked to see more of and other parts that I would’ve liked to skip over completely, so with that being said, I didn’t love all aspects of this book.
I do think that Shalvis is making a bigger effort to make her books less of just a romance and a put more Women’s Fiction elements into it. I just don’t know if I’m always going to be in the mood for this kind of writing all the time....more
The moment I started reading this book I knew that I was going to love the heroine, Piper Manning. Do you want to know why? She’s a planne
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The moment I started reading this book I knew that I was going to love the heroine, Piper Manning. Do you want to know why? She’s a planner girl. I’M A PLANNER GIRL! I’ve read a lot of books (and a lot of Jill Shalvis books) featuring a lot of diverse heroines, but I have never read one with a planner girl in it! It made me extremely happy to see. So as you can expect, I totally felt like I bonded with her character.
Piper has been through quite a lot already at the start of the book, but she also has a lot of pressure because she is now thirty and her life isn’t where she wants it to be. A lot of her friends make fun of her and although she takes it in stride, I do feel like I rooted for Piper a lot more because of the teasing she was getting.
ALMOST JUST FRIENDS was a delight to read. It’s fun and humorous without being too over the top. It reminded me of my favorite Jill Shalvis books of the past so that was nice to see. I would definitely recommend this is you’re in need of something light or a refresher. It will make you laugh and charm your pants off. I can’t wait to see what Jill Shalvis has planned next!...more
I’m really not surprised to see another holiday-themed book from Jill Shalvis. In fact, they are probably one of my favorite books to read
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I’m really not surprised to see another holiday-themed book from Jill Shalvis. In fact, they are probably one of my favorite books to read by her.
WRAPPED UP IN YOU is book eight in the Heartbreaker Bay series. I really love seeing how she incorporates the holidays in these types of books. Just as you would expect, this book is rife with charm and humor and this is played up even more because of the hero and heroine.
I found that I really liked the couple this time. Ivy and Kel felt refreshing and I really liked their dynamics together. Sometimes I can feel like the books are too similar with this series, but perhaps Shalvis is starting to mix things up again.
I have noticed that there are some issues with continuity in some places like for example, the previous characters who make cameos tend to act differently than in their books. Hopefully that and the other things I’ve noticed get fixed quickly and don’t occur again.
I liked the concept of trust in this book because it was nice to see how two non-trusting people could fall in love. It just made Ivy and Del feel more relatable to readers. So if you like holiday-themed books that are spicy as they are sweet, then I would definitely recommend this book....more
THE LEMON SISTERS is the third book in the Wildstone series by Jill Shalvis. If you aren’t familiar with this series, this is one of her W
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THE LEMON SISTERS is the third book in the Wildstone series by Jill Shalvis. If you aren’t familiar with this series, this is one of her Women’s Fiction series. If you follow the blog for any length of time, then you may know that I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the series.
I love the concept and the characters, but I never truly felt like this series was a true Women’s Fiction. A lot of the times Shalvis already has a troubled heroine in her stories, so their character development always felt like a natural part of her books. In addition, I always thought that the romance made it feel like a regular Contemporary Romance to me.
However, this was the first time where I felt like it lived up to its name. THE LEMON SISTERS definitely has a greater focus on the relationship between the two main heroines and their lives. I really enjoyed this aspect as I always love to read about different kinds of relationships in my books other than a typical relationship.
That being said, THE LEMON SISTERS is my favorite book of the series and I’m even more excited now to see how the series progresses from here. I am hoping that Shalvis will continue with this style and stay true to the genre that she is writing in....more
I’ve been a fan of Jill Shalvis for some time now and have literally read every single book of hers. Her Heartbreaker Bay series for me ha
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I’ve been a fan of Jill Shalvis for some time now and have literally read every single book of hers. Her Heartbreaker Bay series for me has been a mix of good and bad. Some books really impress me with its charm and sexy style whereas some books don’t quite hit home for me. PLAYING FOR KEEPS is one of those books unfortunately.
I really wanted to like it, but there was something off about the heroine that didn’t quite make me fall in love with her. Alone, Sadie does not have the usual spark to her. Her internal conflicts were there, but never really carried out and I thought she acted very differently alone than when she was with the hero, Caleb. So it just felt a bit odd to me sometimes.
I really liked the presence of the dog in this book. It was a nice touch to bring them together, but also create a sense of warmth in the series. If you know me, then you know I love dogs, so this was really perfect timing.
I’m hoping Shalvis’ future books work for me. I really love her Lucky Harbor series, but have yet to find something that she has written that is even better. Hopefully, that book/series will come soon....more
The Good Luck Sister is a novella set in the Wildstone world by Jill Shalvis. The nice thing about this short story is that you don’t need
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The Good Luck Sister is a novella set in the Wildstone world by Jill Shalvis. The nice thing about this short story is that you don’t need to read the other books in the series to understand this one. Fairly simple in concept, this short story will be a quick read. While I loved that about it, I also kind of wished for more as well. Some aspects felt underdeveloped and that’s probably due to the word count restraint. The author was able to take advantage of the fact that this is a second chance love story, so some of those emotions are already there. They just need to be resurfaced. This obviously makes it a lot easier for development in a novella, but I wished the author changed it up a bit since she tends to do this kind of thing a lot in all her novellas. Hopefully, her next novella will have more of a conflict and challenge....more
In the second book in the Wildstone series, this time we have a heroine who suffers from panic and anxiety. As a person who suffers from t
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In the second book in the Wildstone series, this time we have a heroine who suffers from panic and anxiety. As a person who suffers from the same, I found this incredibly fun to read about. I thought that Jill Shalvis did a really good job of exploring the issue and making light of it in some instances. Overall, I thought she did a good job with it. My only complaint about this is that the anxiety only really occurs when Lanie is alone. When she is with her friends or Mark, we don’t really see it manifest as much. So that was the only big inconsistency that I found in this book.
While marketed as a Women’s Fiction novel, I really do think that this book holds a lot of Romance elements as well. For example, the main hero, Mark, has all the characteristics of a Romantic hero. He even has two adorable daughters that help in making him more desirable. So really, I think if you’re a fan of Romance and Jill Shalvis in general, you definitely won’t have any issue falling in love with this book.
My favorite part of this book has to be the humor and banter. I really felt like Shalvis hit all the right notes. The book was fun and energetic while still having those emotional parts as well. So I’m glad to have picked this book up and I look forward to reading the next one....more
Jill Shalvis has certainly found her stride with this series now. While I liked the first few books in the series, I really feel like thing
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Jill Shalvis has certainly found her stride with this series now. While I liked the first few books in the series, I really feel like things are starting to feel like her older titles which I simply adore. ABOUT THAT KISS is the fifth book in the Heartbreaker Bay series and it features Joe and Kylie. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like Joe. I don’t really know why that is. I just went into the book thinking that he was going to be one of those stuck-up heroes so made a move on the heroine and would forever hold that scorching kiss between them forever. However, I quickly changed my mind about him. Joe was great. Sweet and fun, he turned out to be a great hero for Kylie.
Kylie was a character that I immediately liked. She’s a do-it-yourself kind of girl and I really liked that about her. Although she has be persuade, she also doesn’t allow people to walk over her so when Joe comes in, intending to purchase a mirror she made for his sister, Molly, Kylie is quick to turn him down. It’s only when she realized she needs his assistance that she goes hunting for him.
Simple yet effective, this story is one of my favorites in the series. I thought it was upbeat and fun, without trying too hard. It had the perfect balance of heart and humor and I really enjoyed the banter between these two. With each book in this series, I am beginning to enjoy the series more and more. So I’m confident that Shalvis has found the key to writing a successful novel....more
A Christmas novella set in the Heartbreaker Bay series is not something that I can pass up. To be honest, I knew I was probably going to en
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A Christmas novella set in the Heartbreaker Bay series is not something that I can pass up. To be honest, I knew I was probably going to enjoy this story because it’s a Jill Shalvis holiday read. She does this really well and I liked that she was able to include some good conflict despite the fact that it is a shorter read.
This story is about two past lovers. Lottie and Sean had been together before but years have passed and they have both changed. Once a heartbreaker, Sean is now looking for his own happily ever after. However, he doesn’t expect to find it with someone from his past.
When his best friend is getting married, Sean runs into Lottie again and they rehash their past. Their banter is cute and fun, touching on their conflict well.
If you haven’t read the other books in the series, I wouldn’t suggest starting with this one. Since all of the characters in the series are present in this novella, it might be a little overwhelming if you aren’t familiar with them. I definitely think this story is for the loyal readers who have followed this series. A few times throughout this series, I thought that Shalvis was trying too hard to make the banter work, but this time I do think she found a good balance of cute and fun, without pushing it onto the reader.
If you’re looking for a holiday read to get you into the Christmas spirit, look no further. Jill Shalvis has the answer....more
In the fourth book of the Heartbreaker Bay series, Jill Shalvis turns back to the trope and theme that I think she is most comfortable wit
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In the fourth book of the Heartbreaker Bay series, Jill Shalvis turns back to the trope and theme that I think she is most comfortable with. The heroine, Colbie Albright, is a little down on her luck. In an effort to change her life, she flees New York for San Francisco on a whim. She hasn’t really planned on what she is going to do there but she naturally finds herself in a strange situation within the arms of a stranger.
Spence follows a lot of Shalvis’ heroines so I feel like if you have enjoyed the other books in this series, then you’ll enjoy him as well. I liked him, but I don’t think I fell hell over heels in love just because he was a really safe choice. I was hoping to see something different from Shalvis this time around. Just like her heroines, the authors tends to keep within her comfortable parameters when it comes to characterization. And after reading every single one of Shalvis’ books already, I am looking forward for her to mix it up a little bit.
Nevertheless, I am still a sucker for a Holiday read and I did enjoy this story. It’s nice to get a longer story from Shalvis that is Christmas themed because most of her themed stories tend to be novellas. I liked that we got to explore more of the traditions and experience the charm for a little longer....more