Review: The Sweetest Thing

Two Men Are One Too Many . . .

Tara has a thousand good reasons not to return to the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Yet with her life doing a major crash-and-burn, anywhere away from her unfulfilled dreams and sexy ex-husband will do. As Tara helps her two sisters get their newly renovated inn up and running, she finally has a chance to get things under control and come up with a new plan for her life.

But a certain tanned, green-eyed sailor has his own ideas, such as keeping Tara hot, bothered . . . and in his bed. And when her ex wants Tara back, three is a crowd she can't control-especially when her deepest secret reappears out of the blue. Now Tara must confront her past and discover what she really wants. If she's lucky, she might just find that everything her heart desires is right here in Lucky Harbor.

Making the Grade: B+

For My Thoughts

The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis takes place about 6 months after Simple Irresistible and while the sisters are still getting to know each other and work together to make their inherited Inn turned B&B into a success they still have a ways to go. I loved the dynamics between the sisters and it‘s one of my favorite parts of the series. Their relationship is a work in progress and although sisters Maddie, Tara and Chloe barely know each other, there’s no doubt they are 100% committed to working on their sister act.

Middle sister and control freak Tara Daniels aka The Southern Belle aka The Steel Magnolia gets center stage in The Sweetest Thing. She never planned on staying in Lucky Harbor yet can’t seem to leave her sisters and the oh so delicious Ford - even if she has been giving him the cold shoulder the last six months.

And well if Ford isn’t just The Sweetest Thang than I don’t know what is!

At six-feet-three-inches, Ford was pure testosterone and sinew. He wore low-slung, button-fly Levi‘s and a white button-down shoved up to his elbows. His brown hair was sun-kissed, his green eyes sharp, his smile ready. Everything about him said ready, from his tough build to the air of confidence he wore like other men wore cologne.!

Tara and Ford have a lot of history, teenage lovers who had no chance of making a go of it when they were 17 years old, an unplanned pregnancy and a daughter they put up for adoption and now 17 years later - they both get a second chance at love between themselves and their daughter who suddenly shows up to spend the summer in Lucky Harbor in the hopes of getting to know her biological parents.

The town of Lucky Harbor is quaint and filled with quirky characters including the feisty, town gossip and loveable busybody Lucille who uses Twitter and Facebook to conduct a poll to get the townsfolk to vote on who Tara should chose between the loveable hometown hero Ford or the Ex-hubby and NASCAR racer Logan who’s made an unexpected pit stop in Lucky Harbor in the hopes of winning Tara back. The antics between Ford and Logan to outdo one another to impress Tara are pretty hilarious.

Shalvis continues with the quips at the start of each chapter which I thoroughly enjoyed in Simply Irresistible and continued to find delightful in The Sweetest Thing. Here are just a couple of gems.

“There is no snooze button on life.”
“A conclusion is the place you get to when your tired of thinking.:
“If it’s going to be two against one, make sure you aren’t the one.“

And thanks to The Sweetest Thing I now have a new favorite saying: “Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit” said in my best Paula Dean southern twang voice”. I foresee me using this...a lot. It makes me giggle even now just thinking about saying it.

The Sweetest Thing is chock full of love, laughs, touching family moments and is a great second instalment to the series. I can’t wait for wild-child Chloe’s story paired with the staid and responsible Cop Sawyer. I have a feeling it may be the best one in the series yet.

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

Review: Simply Too Irresistible To Put Down

Simply Irresistible

Grand Central

September 26, 2010

Read an Excert

Maddie Moore’s whole life needs a makeover.

In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother–a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.

Starting over won’t be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career–if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.

The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes–and mouth–are making it hard for her to remember that she’s sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie’s struggles to overcome the past, though she’s about to discover that there’s no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.


Making the Grade: A-

For My Thoughts



Jill Shalvis 1st book in her Lucky Harbor series Simply Irresistible was truly irresistible.

There’s lots to love about Simply Irresistible and Jill Shalvis knows how to deliver a witty, cast of loveable characters in her newest novel about the folks of Lucky Harbor -population 2,100 lucky people and 10,100 shellfish.

First of all how can you not love Maddie Moore a girl after my own heart with her love of potato chips whether she‘s eating them or wearing the tell-tail crumbs on her shirt. The poor girl is at a crossroads in her life, recently finding herself jobless, she takes to the highway and heads to Lucky Harbor where she hopes to convince her two half-sisters, Tara and Chloe into renovating and running the ramshackle Inn left to them by their slightly eccentric mother Phoebe Traeger.

Maddie’s barely within the city limits when she almost wipes Jax Cullen aka Hot Biker Guy and his motorcycle off the face of the earth. The smiles and giggles started early - it only took until page 6 when I had my first LOL moment. Here's a sample.

What she needed now was an exit plan. So she put her phone to her ear, pretending it was vibrating. “Hello,” she said to no one. “Yes I’ll be right there. “ She smiled, like look at me, so busy I really have to go and turning away, she lifted a hand in a wave, still talking into the phone to avoid an awkward good-bye, except---
Her phone rang. And not the pretend kind. Risking a peek at Hot Biker Guy over her shoulder, she found him brows up, looking amused.

Ohhhhhhh Maddie you are so BUSTED!

Another enduring quality I loved about Simply Irresistible was how Ms. Shalvis started every chapter with some words of wisdom from Mamma Phoebe Traeger. These little quips set the tone for what’s to come in each chapter. Here are just a few note-worthy gems outta the mouth of mom:

“Don’t take life too seriously. After all, none of us are getting out alive anyway.”
“Just when you thing you’ve hit rock bottom, someone will hand you a shovel.”
“Experience is something you get…after you need it.”

Lucky Harbor is your typical small town cliché…where everybody knows your name and is all up in your biz-nass. What's not so small town are the quaint names of several establishments including the Eat Me Café and the Love Shack Bar. Loves it!

Finally how can you not smile at the love story between Maddie and Jax. There’s lots of trademark witty, sexually-laced Shalvis repartee between this duo. Here’s just a tease for you. Jax notices Maddie’s preoccupation with being eaten…by the big bad wolf…or whoever…and calls her on it.

He sent her a mischievous glance. “What is it with you and things eating you?”

A nervous laugh burst from her, and he let loose with a smile that was just wicked enough to boost her pulse and scare her at the same time. “Tell you what,” he said silkily. “If I ever get the chance to eat you, I promise you’ll like it.”

Whoa! Promises, promises….*fans self*

Simply Irresistible is a fun, fast-paced read and since this is the first book in the series, we can expect more hi-jinx from Maddie “The Mouse”, Tara “The Steel Magnolia Southern Bell” and Chloe “The Wild Child”.

In the market for a few laughs? Then Simply Irresistible is the one you’ve been waiting for…so don’t wait! Go! Read it! Now!

Workout Wednesday: Date #8 was Grrrreat!

Hey! Jill Shalvis stole my mantra for the name of her book! The Heat is On refrains over and over again in my head as I put the peddle to the metal week after week to meet my read-n-ride deadline. I guess I'm in good company.






♥♥♥♥
Pages read 218 pages
Riding Time 2 hours 1 minutes
Calories Burned 813
Distance Peddled 42.13







For My Thoughts


So there were 2 reasons The Heat is On by Jill Shalvis was this week's choice for the weekly read-n-ride challenge.

1. Jill Shalvis (enough said).
2. I needed something short, sweet and sexy...ok the sexy part is an added bonus, but I'm not above doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

Let me get this random thought out of the way first...the character's names. Bella...Jacob; Bella...Jacob...Whaaaa??? Wait was I reading Twilight this week LOL? You think this means Ms. Shalvis is Team Jacob?

In this day and age of social networking and hooking up, on-line dating seems like the perfect way for Bella Manchelli and Jacob Madden to meet. In The Heat is On, Bella's experience can best be summed up by: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The Good:
As someone who never stays in one place long enough to get bored, you meet a group of guys (no last names required), have fun and then move on since you have no interest in any long term commitment to tie you down. If you're really lucky, you meet a tall, dark and drop-dead sexy guy, get your freak-on on the first date and slink away before that morning after awkwardness descends. Saving the best for last...date #8 was GRRREAT!

The Bad:
The men of dates #1-#7 are getting shot at and when one of them is discovered murdered at the back door of your place of employment...turns out they weren't quite so lucky and now neither are you.

The Ugly:
You have a deranged stalker after you determined to eliminate the competition for your affections so he can have you all to himself.

Back to The Good: The cop investigating the murder? Well it's none other than Jacob Madden...hot, sexy date #8. Imagine his surprise when he turns up in cop mode the "morning after" only to discover you really weren't planning on moving to Siberia like you told him and are in fact, at the center of his police investigation.

The Heat is On is a quick easy read, with lots of sizzle and a nice balance between the romance and suspense action. Shalvis' trademark witty style of writing is of course always a plus.

Got a few hours to kill? Don't spend it trolling those on-line dating sites...read The Heat is On!