Review: Her Sexiest Mistake by Jill Shalvis

Her Sexiest Mistake

Author: Jill Shalvis

Series: -

Pages: 314

Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

Genre: Adult contemporary romance

Amazon

Release date: 5^th November 2013 (re-release)

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Trusting the heart is the most sensual risk of all

With a fab career, a salary that keeps her in her favorite designers, and her own condo, Mia Appleby has everything she dreamed of as a poor little girl gazing out the window of her mom's trailer. Her old life is completely gone. That is until she has a one-night stand with her handsome new neighbor, Kevin McNight. She ends it before she totally falls for him. But Kevin isn't like other men and won't let Mia off that easy. And neither will her runaway Goth niece, Hope, who inconveniently shows up at her doorstep with hopes for a new life. Now, Mia must keep her new fan club at a safe distance-before they burst her fairytale façade.

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

Jill Shalvis is an auto-buy for me, I have loved everything I have read by her to date so I was more than eager to read Her Favourite Mistake and although I didn’t find this to be as solid as her previous books, it was enjoyable none the less.

My biggest gripe was our main heroine, Mia Appleby who came across as self-absorbed and snobbish, she has left behind a past that she doesn’t want to revisit and is now a successful business woman with all the niceties she has always wanted and worked hard for; as the book progresses so too did my opinion of her but it did take a while to get to that stage, she wasn’t at all the most likeable character.

What (or who) I did enjoy was the love interest, smexy Kevin McNight who was perfect! How he tolerated Mia’s treatment was beyond me but he was continually accepting, kind and dependable. Looking after his deaf brother and guiding Mia on how to be a ‘nice’ aunt to her niece who rocked up on her doorstep wasn’t always easy but he did it well.

I liked the side story and romance between Mike and Tess; I think I became more invested in what would happen between them rather than the MC’s which became predictable.

Overall, a well-written, quick and enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read and review Her Sexiest Mistake 

About the author: 

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras with her family and far too many assorted quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's latest, RUMOR HAS IT, on shelves and ereaders now, and get all her bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold. Also, visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/JillShalvis

REVIEW: Forever and a Day (Lucky Harbor #6) by Jill Shalvis

 

Author: Jill Shalvis

Series: Lucky Harbor

Pages: 400

Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pre-order Amazon: Forever and a Day

Release Date: 31^st July 2012

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

LOVE CAN HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT
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: 5 out of 5 stars

Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis is the 6^th book in the Lucky Harbor series and was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Grand Central Publishing.

I absolutely adore Jill Shalvis, I have actually come to rely on her to provide me with a sexy, romantic and engrossing contemporary with characters that are likeable and believable.

Grace Brooks is the adopted daughter of parents who are over achievers and expect the same from her; she is in the banking industry but sticks with it to please her parents rather than herself. She has landed in Lucky Harbor in search of a new job and for a bit of ‘fun’.

Josh Scott is an ER doctor and also runs his fathers practice, he is the single father of a 5 year old son, Toby and also cares for his 21 year old difficult sister who is paralyzed from an accident which also killed his parents; he is a work-a-holic working up to 80 hours a week leaving him little time for his family or a life.

When Josh needs a dog/baby sitter, he turns to Grace for help with the offer of a large pay check and accommodation in his guest house. Grace down to the last of her savings readily agrees and it doesn’t hurt they both have great chemistry and attraction.

I absolutely adored Grace and Josh together, they were able to lean on one another when in need which was great because Josh had never relied on anyone; the banter between them was wonderful as were the smexy moments. Seeing their relationship progress was at times emotional, heartfelt, sweet and believable – I loved them together.

I really liked each of the secondary characters, especially Grace’s friendship with Mallory and Amy; cheeky pug Tank, gorgeous little Toby and stubborn Anna were all written really well. Lucille and her facebook page and gossiping also keep the town of Lucky Harbor on their toes with a bit of excitement.

Forever and a Day is well paced and engaging and Ms Shalvis’s amazing writing flowed beautifully and allowed me to become immersed in the wonderfully sweet, romantic story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this installment in the Lucky Harbor series; Ms Shalvis is an auto-buy for me, her books are light-hearted, fun and entertaining with a plot that keeps you engrossed and a HEA that is written to perfection.

Books in Order (but can be read as stand-alone):

Simply Irresistible

The Sweetest Thing

Head Over Heels

Lucky in Love

At Last

Forever and a Day

REVIEW: At Last (Lucky Harbor #5) by Jill Shalvis

 

Author: Jill Shalvis

Series: Lucky Harbor

Pages: 400

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Forever

Amazon Pre-order: At Last

Release Date: 26^th June 2012

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

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: 5 out of 5 stars

At Last by Jill Shalvis is the 5^th book in the Lucky Harbor series by the wonderful Jill Shalvis and was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Grand Central (Forever) Publishing.

Amy Michaels is a waitress at the Eat Me diner with a passion for drawing and a past she has tried hard to forget. She is following a journal written by her late grandmother which outlined a journey she undertook in Lucky Harbor to find Hope – Peace – Heart, Amy has high hopes of achieving the same life changing experiences.

Matt Bower (swoon) is Lucky Harbor’s supervisory forest ranger; he is former military and SWAT and left Chicago and his ex wife behind to move on to a more peaceful life. Dubbed ‘Ranger Hot Buns’ he is known for his laid-back, easy going nature and carefree attitude. He has been attracted to Amy since she first arrived in town.

Amy and Matt’s chemistry was off the charts; I adored their banter and loved the way she slowly opened up to him about her past. She had erected barriers around her heart but he was breaking them down bit by bit which I loved to read about.

The plot revolved not only around Amy and Matt but also a run-away teen, Riley who Amy could certainly relate to. I enjoyed this aspect of this story as we not only learn more about Amy’s past but also see her more compassionate and caring side. The drama surrounding the delinquent teens causing havoc for Matt was also an interesting aspect of this storyline.

The secondary characters are developed perfectly; Lucille’s antics always leave me laughing and Mallory and Grace were wonderful – I thoroughly enjoyed their good girl lessons. I am eager to learn more about Dr. Josh Scott – reading the first chapter from Forever and a Day has left me intrigued.

I have come to rely on Ms Shalvis to provide me with a fun and entertaining contemporary romance; her characters are always enjoyable to read about and the HEA always sweet. At Last wasn’t as light as the other books in this series but enjoyable none the less and Ms Shalvis’s writing is always perfect.

Books in Order:

1. Simply Irresistible

2. The Sweetest Thing

3. Head Over Heels

4. Lucky In Love

5. At Last

6. Forever and a Day

All in all, the Lucky Harbor series is one of my all time favorites and definitely worth reading. I am eager to get hold of the next book, Forever and a Day which has an anticipated August 2012 release date.

REVIEW: Time Out by Jill Shalvis

 

Author: Jill Shalvis

Pages: 224

Publisher: Harlequin Blaze

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 21^st February 2012

Amazon: Time Out

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Sign up for recreational adult programs now!
Class: How to Drive Him Crazy

Instructional program for women unexpectedly facing the totally dishy guy from their past. Everyone Welcome!

NHL coach Mark Diego’s plan to spend his off-season volunteering in his hometown goes awry when he learns that not only is he coaching teenage girls, but that the program is coordinated by energetic (and five feet two inches of trouble) coordinator Rainey Saunders, his childhood friend–and the woman he could never stand to see dating any other guy…

When their tempers flare, Mark and Rainey discover their fireworks don’t just burn angry–they burn very, very, hot! But that’ll just sweeten the victory. Because Mark always plays to win. And with Rainey, he’s planning on playing very dirty too…

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

Time Out was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Harlequin Blaze.

Rainey Saunders is a Junior Sports Coordinator at the local Recreation Center; she spends her time trying to keep the teens from the ‘forgotten district’ out of trouble and prides herself on control which has slipped since the arrival of her childhood crush, Mark Diego.

Mark is a highly successful NHL coach and has returned to his hometown with two NHL players in tow to mend his team’s reputation after a pub brawl. They will be required to help in much needed areas to help rebuild what was lost in summer fires as well as coach the youths at the recreation centre.

Rainey and Mark share an interesting past, Mark was never aware of Rainey’s affections as a teen; especially considering their four year age gap so was surprised by her attempted seduction whilst he was with another woman; it affected their friendship and ended with him beating up on her rebound date which had gone terribly wrong, it left her extremely embarrassed and many years later it still haunts her.

The attraction between Mark and Rainey was undeniable but each was unwilling to let themselves fall. I thoroughly enjoyed the witty dialogue between them; the banter had me smirking on numerous occasions and I generally enjoyed the chemistry between them. Ms Shalvis brings humor and fun to Time Out with a touch of seriousness to balance it all out which I really liked.

Everything I read by Jill Shalvis I adore and Time Out was no exception. Shalvis’s writing is always top notch and enjoyable, her characters developed perfectly and the plot solid and compelling. Time Out was certainly a fun and entertaining read.

I can’t wait to read more books written by Jill Shalvis.