Review: Animal Magnetism

Making the Grade: B-

For My Thoughts


With a quack quack here, and an arf arf there...cute and cuddly animals of the 4 and 2 legged variety rule the roost in this "tail" of Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis.

Brady Miller's in serious need of some downtime from his pilot-for-hire job and visiting his "foster brothers" Adam and Dell in Sunshine Ohio seemed like just the break he needed for the next month. Brady only planned on staying in Sunshine for a good time...not a long time since the ex-army loner has never been one to put down roots probably because of his upbringing in the foster care system. But it's not long before Lilah Young and her 4 legged friends have gotten under his skin and have him thinking that maybe sticking around isn't such a bad idea after all.

It's hard not to like Lilah. She's hard-working, a co-owner of the animal kennel and boarding facility and she's dedicated 100 percent to her animals. But that's not all since she's also studying to get her degree in Animal Science. Whether she's mucking out stalls, burning the midnight oil studying or promising to eat carrots and broccoli when all she really wants to do is eat doughnuts and dig into her secret stash of junk food...she's a girl after my own heart.

Both Lilah and Brady aren't looking for a serious relationship - she knows he's leaving in short time and since he has no desire to settle down...they decide there's nothing wrong with the why can't we be friends (with benefits), why can't we be friends (with benefits) to each other's mutual satisfaction and they embark on a relationship based solely on sex. Ya well we all know how "those" relationships turn out.

Even if you're not an animal lover, the 4 legged characters in Animal Magnetism from Twinkles to Sadie to Boss will capture your heart. Of course the 2 legged variety aren't to hard on the eyes either.

Watching big, bad Brady get bested by a cute little doggie named Twinkles (I'm guessing he's the furry critter on the cover) made me laugh several times and watching the brooding, tough guy comfort a distraught Lilah when she had to return one of the strays she had become very attached to, to it's rightful owner certainly choked me up.

If you're in the market for a cute, small town love story complete with a bevy of sexy men and a menagerie of critters who are sure to tug at your heartstrings, then you are certain to enjoy Animal Magnetism. Brady's foster brothers Dell and Adam have their own very interesting lives and it seems like Shalvis was setting them up to give us their own stories in the future (one can hope?).

Back Cover Blurb

This alpha male is going to bring out her wild side…

Sunshine, Idaho, is a small and sunny town—the perfect home for man and beast. Well, maybe not for man, as pilot-for-hire Brady Miller discovers when his truck is rear-ended by what appears to be Noah’s Ark.

The co-owner of the town’s only kennel, Lilah Young has good reason to be distracted behind the wheel—there are puppies, a piglet, and a duck in her Jeep. But, she doesn’t find it hard to focus on the angry, gorgeous stranger she’s collided with.

Lilah has lived in Sunshine all her life, and though Brady is just passing through, he has her abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire. It’s Brady’s nature to resist being tied down, but there’s something about Lilah and her menagerie—both animal and human—that keeps him coming back for more…

This alpha male is going to bring out her wild side…

Sunshine, Idaho, is a small and sunny town—the perfect home for man and beast. Well, maybe not for man, as pilot-for-hire Brady Miller discovers when his truck is rear-ended by what appears to be Noah’s Ark.

The co-owner of the town’s only kennel, Lilah Young has good reason to be distracted behind the wheel—there are puppies, a piglet, and a duck in her Jeep. But, she doesn’t find it hard to focus on the angry, gorgeous stranger she’s collided with.

Lilah has lived in Sunshine all her life, and though Brady is just passing through, he has her abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire. It’s Brady’s nature to resist being tied down, but there’s something about Lilah and her menagerie—both animal and human—that keeps him coming back for more…

Read An Excerpt

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (February 1, 2011)
Language: English