Forever and a Day (by Jill Shalvis)

Forever and a Day rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Release Date:  July 31, 2012

Lucky Harbor series rating: N/A (haven't read them all)

"At Last" is book 6 and the last full length novel in this series.  It can be read in order or as a stand alone novel.  Jill Shalvis will publish one Christmas novella, completing the Lucky Harbor series.

How are the sex scenes?

Yearning, filled with tension and semi-hot.  Dr. Scott's a doctor - and they don't always have a lot of time.  Shalvis works with that.

How are the story lines?

Humorous and enjoyable.  Grace is "non-truth-telling" to her parents about her current state of employment, it takes a village to run Josh's life and the "...village is in mutiny" and, of course, there's always Lucille with her intrusive Lucky Harbor Facebook page.

Would you read it again?

Yes.

Summary

While interviewing for jobs in her field, Grace has taken up delivering flowers and hand modeling to pay the rent.  When Dr. Josh Scott accidentally calls the wrong number to hire a dog sitter Grace accepts the job despite her lack of experience.

Grace's first day is atrocious, but Josh really needs a dog walker...and now a nanny.  With his only requirement being that everyone survives, Grace agrees to help with his son, his sister and his dog until a more appropriate nanny can be found.  Grace and Josh begin a "fun" relationship, but Grace gets a job offer too soon and no one's decided whether "fun" isn't just "fun" anymore.

Review

Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis is a contemporary romance novel set in fictional Lucky Harbor, Washington.

The heroes and heroines of the last two novels (Lucky in Love and At Last) are still forefront and present while Sheriff Sawyer Thompson and Chloe (from Head Over Heels) make guest star appearances.

Grace and Josh move in the same circles, giving their "relationship" a head start with Josh already knowing Grace needs money and Grace knowing Josh as a successful doctor with a hectic, crazy schedule.

Their initial meeting is hilarious.  Josh has an adorable dog (a/k/a Antichrist) who, in fact, acts like the Antichrist if the Antichrist was a pooch - and he causes a scene you will never forget. 

Shalvis creates intense character conflict between Josh's family members.  They seem like a normal modern day family until Shalvis throws in the complication that Josh - as an ER doctor, owner of his father's practice, dad and caretaker of his sister - has no time to solve any of it.  In return, Josh tries to micro-manage everything with his family (and sleep) paying the price.

Grace's life isn't as busy, but it's more than interesting with her being the adopted child of a rocket scientist and research biologist.  She has a CPA, yet no accounting job and an almost non-existent bank account.  Not quite what mommy and daddy planned.

Forever screams "romance for the white collar overworked class" and it screams it well.  This book made me laugh out loud with antics of a family at the busiest time of its life.  Featuring a grumpy paraplegic, young Jedi warrior, sleazy boyfriend and hungry-for-doctor housewives Forever is guaranteed to entertain romance readers of all ages.

You liked it, why didn't it get 5 stars?

The circumstances surrounding Josh and Grace's first kiss seems very juvenile and is out of character with the rest of the story.  Also, at one point Grace asks Josh, "Has it really been a whole year for you since you [had sex]?"  The scene where Josh informs Grace about his year of abstinence must have hit the cutting room floor because Josh never tells her in the copy I read.  (I did get an ARC from Netgalley so perhaps it's in the version to be sold?  Someone who reads it let me know.)

Comment About It

How do you feel about "family" romances?  Too old, too distracting or just right?  Should children be included?  Please share!



Learn more about Jill Shalvis and her upcoming titles on her webpage and Facebook.

Shalvis writes about her inspiration for the Lucky Harbor series here. Let us all pray for a sexy construction crew.

Read the Lucky Harbor series.
(Read Lucky in Love's  and At Last's review.)

Published by Forever, an imprint of Hachette Book Group

Disclaimer:  No compensation was received for this review.  eARC courtesy of NetGalley.

At Last (by Jill Shalvis)

At Last rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Release Date:  June 26, 2012

Lucky Harbor series rating: N/A (haven't read them all)

At Last is book 5 in this series and can be read in order or as a stand alone novel.

How are the sex scenes?

Perfectly timed (the characters hopping into bed together always seemed like the next step to me) and semi-descriptive (you read about the main parts, but Shalvis isn't writing six page erotic love scenes).

How are the story lines?

Interesting and believable.  At Last is a plot-driven novel (except for one terrified, stubborn, teenage secondary character who drives much of the plot all on her own).

Would you read it again?

Yes, it's my favorite book of this series.

Summary

Amy Michaels is a waitress at Lucky Harbor's Eat Me diner and an all around tough girl who is following her grandmother's journal through the mountains to rediscover what her grandmother had found long ago: hope, peace and heart.

Matt Bowers is Lucky Harbor's forest ranger who goes beyond the call of duty, watching over Amy when she gets lost in the woods. 

Having circled each other for months, their impromptu camping trip forces Amy and Matt to confront their attraction.  Neither wanting relationships and both having commitment issues, they struggle to not want - and need - the other while fighting to overcome their pasts and earning their right to be loved.

Review

At Last by Jill Shalvis is a contemporary romance novel set in fictional Lucky Harbor, Washington. 

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I've read Lucky in Love, At Last and Forever and a Day of this series and At Last is my favorite.

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The Chocoholics are still in action with Mallory (Lucky in Love's heroine) living happily ever after with Ty and Grace (Forever and a Day's heroine) still piecing together jobs to pay her rent.  Instead of meeting over chocolate cake they've upgraded to The Chocoholics' Brownies-to-Die-For and, of course, the recipe is included with the book. 

And they rock.  I know, because I baked them.  (See my proof.)

Amy is the perfect heroine.  She has a sad and dark past that's led her to Lucky Harbor in search of a fresh start.  She's tough and resilient with a large heaping of pride and is possibly one of the most stubborn, independent female characters I have ever read. 

Matt is the classic alpha male hero who pursues Amy enough to show he's determined to go after her but not enough to be a pushover.  When Amy messes up he doesn't always automatically forgive her without question.  I like that.  That's realistic.

Much of the story takes place in the forest/mountains and the novel benefits from it.  The secluded location intensifies the characters' interactions, letting their "relationship" take strides in just a few hours.  (In a city scene there are cars and people passing by.  The forest is private, sheltering the intimacy of each moment.)  A camping trip has never been so steamy.

I'd also like to point out something that somehow escaped me in Shalvis's previous novel (Lucky in Love) - holy $**! this girl can write.

I laughed out loud before finishing the first page.  Shalvis has mastered the art of clever wording, writing so many great one liners and plays on words that I began this review mid-book just so I didn't forget to mention them. Case in point:

"...backed up a step, and then another, until she bumped into a brick wall and nearly screamed.  "Just a brown bear," said the brick wall that was Matt."

"I don't suppose you know which way?" she asked [Mr. Squirrel].  His nose twitched, then he turned tail and vanished in the thick woods.  Well, that's what she got for asking a guy for directions."

At Last is a witty, sexy novel that reads smooth and easy while still reminding me of a young adult romance novel.  Again, with sex. 

Comment About It

What's your favorite Shalvis book so far?  Is it from the Lucky Harbor series or another? Please share you thoughts!


Learn more about Jill Shalvis and her upcoming titles on her webpage and Facebook.

Shalvis writes about her inspiration for the Lucky Harbor series here.  Let us all pray for a sexy construction crew.

Read the Lucky Harbor series.
(Read Lucky in Love's review.)

Published by: Forever, an imprint of Hachette Book Group

Disclaimer: No compensation was received for this review. eARC courtesy of NetGalley.

Lucky in Love (by Jill Shalvis)

Lucky in Love rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

Release Date:  May 22, 2012

Lucky Harbor series rating:  N/A (haven't read them all)

Published by:  Forever, an imprint of Hachette Book Group

Lucky in Love is book 4 in this series and can be read in order or as a stand alone novel.

How are the sex scenes?

Yummy and borderline descriptive.  Shalvis sometimes gives details, other times lets it happen behind closed doors and often times gives the reader a cursory glance.  Her characters also make quite a bit of noise...

How are the story lines?

Humorous.  I particularly loved Lucky Harbor's Facebook page  (it's a character in itself) and the tension between Amy Michaels and Matt Bowers.

Would you read it again?

I think so.  I also plan to invest in the previous novels to read the entire series.  Heck I already have "At Last" waiting to be reviewed.

Summary

Mallory Quinn is a life long resident of Lucky Harbor and all around good girl who enjoys helping those in need  - whether they want it or not.  Feeling smothered by her family's and town's expectations, she gets encouragement from her chocoholic group to seek out Mr. Wrong.

Enter Ty Garrison.  An ex-Navy Seal medic potentially suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and living in Lucky Harbor just until he gets medical clearance is exactly the wrong type of man Mallory doesn't need.

Encountering each other in a snow storm, Mallory is taken back by Ty's good looks.  She would probably have enjoyed his conversation if he was not rendered unconscious by that large tree branch and she probably wouldn't have asked him out if her chocoholics group had not encouraged it.  So she really shouldn't be angry with him for standing her up.  But she is.

Mallory and Ty try to maintain a private...relationship, but people get in the way, emotions get involved and someone always gets hurt.

Review

Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis is a contemporary romance novel set in fictional Lucky Harbor, Washington.  Where the first three books star sisters Maddie, Tara and Chloe, Lucky introduces us to Mallory (Lucky's heroine), her waitress friend Amy Michaels (heroine for book #5, At Last) and their newly acquired friend Grace Brooks (heroine for book #6, Forever and a Day).

Mallory and Amy's friendship with Grace occurs suddenly, but Shalvis did write them bonding in a crisis so the believability should be there for most, even if I don't buy it.

The trio forms a group called Chocoholics and agrees to meet on a regular basis to discuss jobs, men and the lack of each other's love lives - over a slice of chocolate cake. 

Continuing with the Chocoholics theme, each chapter is headlined with a chocolate quote and the book ends with "The Chocoholics' Wickedly Awesome Chocolate Cake" recipe complete with frosting instructions.  This is an adorably quaint touch and by the end of the novel I was starving.  Never mind it was 3am when I finished it.

Believability is important in any novel and Lucky has it, even if some character actions/reactions are a bit outrageous:

• Lucky Harbor is a small town with bored, nosy neighbors (believable)...who snap pictures of the young kids to post to the city's Facebook page (outrageous). 
• Mallory is injured in a small diner when the sprinklers are set off (believable)...and she obtains a bleeding cheek cut, a swollen wrist and bruised shin while trying to calm panicky seniors fleeing the building that no one can see in because of the sprinklers and struggle with Ty to let her back inside to help people who were hurt instead of waiting for them to be brought outside where she can actually treat them (outrageous). 
• The diner fire, started by birthday candles, was put out by a glass of water and one loan trick candle, "...shot straight up and into the ceiling...like a bottle rocket."  (Outrageous).

However with outrageous situations comes humorous writing that helps Lucky read like a young adult novel - with sex.  (i.e., When characters live in a town that tracks sightings of the "Mysterious Hot Guy" you really aren't surprised when your mother disapproves of you sleeping with him one day and offers to make him meatloaf the next.)


All in all, Lucky in Love is an enjoyable, outrageous, light and fluffy romance and I look forward to reading the series. 

 
Comment About It

What's your favorite summer read? Do you prefer stand alone novels or a series?



Learn more about Jill Shalvis and her upcoming titles on her webpage.

I had never heard of Jill Shalvis until I saw her Facebook ad and honestly, how could you guys keep her from me? She writes about her inspiration for the Lucky Harbor series here and, frankly, if I had those men outside my window I'd be inspired, too. Which reminds me, I've been meaning to landscape the yard...

Read the Lucky Harbor series. 
(Normally I would give you titles, but Shalvis's website lays them out perfectly.)


Disclaimer:  No compensation was received for this review.  eARC courtesty of NetGalley.