Title: One in a Million

Author: Jill Shalvis

Series: Lucky Harbor, #12

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication date: October 14th, 2014

My rating: 5 of 5

(Book read on August 6th, 2014,  from the eARC received from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.) 

 

Summary:

As the brains behind wedding site TyingTheKnot.com, Callie sees it all: from the ring to the dress, the smiles...to the tears. It's that last part that keeps her single and not looking. Getting left at the altar will do that to a girl. But when Callie returns to her old hometown, she finds that her sweet high school crush is sexier than ever. And he makes it hard to remember why she's sworn off love...

Tanner is a deep-sea diver with a wild, adrenaline-junkie past-and now his teenage son is back in his life. How can Tanner be a role model when he's still paying for his own mistakes? It's hard enough that gorgeous Callie has appeared in town like a beautiful dream, challenging his best-laid plans to keep his heart on lockdown. Though there's something about being around her again that makes him feel like he can be the man she-and his son-deserve. Little Lucky Harbor holds their past; can it hold a beautiful new future?

My Thoughts on the Book:

When I found out that this last trilogy will be the last one in the Lucky Harbor series, I was sad, because I didn't want it to end. I'm a big fan of the series, and I especially loved books 10 & 11, so I got even more sad about the ending, yet I couldn't wait to see what will happen next. But, One in a Million is the amazing finale that the series deserved, and I loved it so much, that in the end, I didn't mind that the series is over. There's always rereading ;)

As the last book in the last Lucky Harbor trilogy, I already knew the main characters - Callie & Tanner, so I was excited about reading their story. And of course, there's the unforgettable & funny Lucille. I loved learning more about her, and seeing a lot more of her, and she made the finale of the series even more special & amazing!

The story was so much fun, and so sweet & charming, and so funny, and full of heart, and I just adored every second of it. I loved both Callie & Tanner as characters, and I loved their interactions, the way they got close, it was so sweet & so entertaining, and they're so good together.

I can gush about this book, and about the series & all the characters quite a lot, but I'm stopping myself. All I'm going to say is that the finale was perfect, and if you still haven't tried the series, what are you waiting for? 

I highly recommend the Lucky Harbor series to every fan of funny contemporary romances, as well as Jill Shalvis's books. They're among my top favorites, and I know I'll go back to them again & again!

 

 

 

Challenges: 

2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge

2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge

Title: He's So Fine

 

Author: Jill Shalvis

 

Series: Lucky Harbor, #11

 

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

 

Publication date: September 30th, 2014

 

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5

  

 

(Book read from July 15th to July 16th, 2014,  from an eARC received from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.)

  

 

Summary:

 

 

For Olivia Bentley, Lucky Harbor is more than the town where she runs her new vintage shop. It's the place where folks are friendly to strangers - and nobody knows her real name. Olivia does a good job of keeping her past buried, not getting too cozy with anyone . . . until she sees a man drowning. Suddenly she's rushing into the surf, getting up close and personal with the hottest guy she's ever laid hands on.

Charter boat captain Cole Donovan has no problem with a gorgeous woman throwing her arms around his neck in an effort to "save" him. In fact, he'd like to spend a lot more time skin-to-skin with Olivia. He's just not expecting that real trouble is about to come her way. Will it bring her deeper into Cole's heart, or will it be the end of Olivia's days in little Lucky Harbor?

My Thoughts on the Book:

I know that I've already gushed enough about how amazing & entertaining & adorable & lovable the Lucky Harbor series is, and He's So Fine is another novel like that, so this time I'll try to keep it short.

He's so Fine is a great addition to the series & the town & the characters, and I loved it. Another Jill Shalvis book for my favorites pile (I'm so sad that it will be over soon).

In it, we follow Cole & Olivia's story. The beginning was absolutely hilarious & charming & sweet & so fun & flirty, and I adored it. So of course, once I started reading it, couldn't stop until I finished it.

I really liked both main characters. Olivia is sweet & fun, Cole is quite charming in a geeky way with his fixing, and they really seemed to be made for each other, and I loved seeing them getting close, and eventually falling for each other.

If you enjoy contemporary romances with just the perfect mix of humor, romance, banter, lovable characters, and lots of heart & soul, then He's So Fine & the Lucky Harbor series overall are for you, and I can't recommend them enough!

 

 

 

Challenges: 

Summer Bookish Bingo

2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge

 

Title: It's in His Kiss

 

Author: Jill Shalvis

 

Series: Lucky Harbor, #10

 

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

 

Publication date: August 26th, 2014

 

 

My rating: 5 of 5

  

 

(Book read from July 7th to July 8th, 2014,  from an eARC received from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.)

  

 

Summary:

 

ONE KISS CAN LAST FOREVER

      

Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now's her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam's eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can't resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca's heart?

 

My Thoughts on the Book:

It's in His Kiss was absolutely amazing! I knew it will be good, it's a Jill Shalvis book and part of the Lucky Harbor series, but I was still surprised. This one just might be my most favorite Lucky Harbor novel so far. And I'm so sad when I think about the fact that the series will be over soon, because I don't want it to end... So, if you still haven't started the series, you must!

It's in His Kiss is the first book in the last Lucky Harbor trilogy! And from this beginning, and meeting Sam, Cole & Tanner, and learning about them, their past & their friendship, I'm already dying to read the rest of the books! I will probably read Cole & Olivia's story any day now.

I absolutely adored both Sam & Becca as characters. They just might be my favorite Lucky Harbor couple so far, and Becca is probably my favorite heroine. She has been through a lot, but I loved the fact that she stands up for herself now, and works on getting the new beginning she deserves, and doesn't wallow in the past. Sure, she has some baggage (who doesn't), but I loved her way of dealing with it, even though she ran away, she doesn't do that any more. She also made me laugh, she was fun, sweet, talented, and so nice. She just got under my skin, and I adore her & Sam's story.

Sam was also so awesome. I won't go into details about him because it will spoil the story, but he is one amazing guy, and I loved the interactions between him & Becca. They were so amazing together.

The overall storyline was interesting & so entertaining, with lots of lovable characters (old & new), quirky situations, funny dialogues, and yummy, fun, sweet & sizzling interactions between the main characters. I absolutely adored Becca & Sam's story, from the way they met, the way they got close & got to know each other, to the way they fell for each other, I loved every second of it. It's definitely one of my favorite contemporary romances now, and definitely the perfect summer read, so I highly recommend It's in His Kiss, as well as the Lucky Harbor series!

 

 

 

Challenges: 

Summer Bookish Bingo

2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge

I'm happy to be part of the Once in a Lifetime Blog Tour, because Jill Shalvis is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, and I love her Lucky Harbor series, and her latest book in the series Once in a Lifetime was another win.

You can check out my review of Once in a Lifetime HERE!

 

About the Book:

 

SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT

 

After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.  

Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben - even though he has absolutely no idea what she's done...
 

Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?

  

   
  

Excerpt:

 

It was dark outside when she got back to the Book & Bean, and she stopped short just outside the door. She’d locked up when she left and turned off the lights.

But the door was unlocked now, and the lights on. She went still, then pulled out her phone and dialed 9-1-1. She didn’t hit send but kept her thumb hovered over call. Taking a step inside, she paused. “Hello?”

“Hey.”

The low, slightly rough voice wasn’t what had her heart pumping. That honor went to the fact that there was a man on a ladder in the back of her store.

Ben.

He was in jeans with a tool belt slung low on his hips, his t-shirt clinging to him. He seemed a little irritated, a little sweaty, and just looking at him Aubrey got a whole lot hot and bothered in places that had no business being hot and bothered by this man at all. “What are you doing in here?” she asked.

“I work here.”

“What are you talking about? Get out.”

“Sorry, Sunshine.” He wasn’t even looking at her, but using some sort of long, claw-like tool to pull down a ceiling tile above the wall she’d been working on. And his tool worked way better than hers.

His movements were agile and surprisingly graceful for a guy his size. Not that he was bulky in any way. Nope, that tall, built body was all lean, tough muscle, and it screamed power. And with each subtle movement, his body made it clear that it knew exactly what to do with all that power. “The owner of this building hired me,” he said. “Said you were making a mess of things because your pride was bigger than your wallet.”

This caught her completely off guard, both the insult and the information. “My uncle owns this building,” she said.

He smiled thinly. “Yep. Happy Birthday.”

“It’s not my birthday.”

“Then happy you’ve-got-a-great-uncle day.”

 

 

About the Author:

 

  

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

  Social Media Links:                             Buy Links:

              Website                                                          Amazon

            Facebook                                                            B&N

              Twitter                                                        IndieBound

           Goodreads                                                          iTunes

  
 

Giveaway:

 
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Title: Once In A Lifetime

Author: Jill Shalvis

Series: Lucky Harbor, #9

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication date: February 18th, 2014

My rating: 4 of 5

 

 

(Book read from February 1st to February 3rd, 2014,  from an eARC received from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.)

 

Summary:

 

 

SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT

 

After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.  

Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben - even though he has absolutely no idea what she's done...
 

Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?

  

  

  

My Thoughts on the Book:

First of all, once again I have to mention that I'm a big fan of the Lucky Harbor series. There's just something about this little town & all the characters in it, and the adorable & hilarious situations they find themselves in, that I think that no one would be able to stop themselves, but get sucked in & fall in love with the town, the characters & all the stories. I actually just found out that the series will be over this year, so I'm sad, because I don't want to say goodbye, but at least there will be 3 more books to look forward to reading this year, so if you still haven't tried the series or Jill Shalvis's books, what are you waiting for?

Once In A Lifetime is the 3rd book in the 3rd Lucky Harbor trilogy a.k.a the 9th full-length Lucky Harbor novel, and once again I loved it. This is the story of Aubrie & Ben - characters I already met last year in the previous two books: It Had to Be You & Always on My Mind. Although for me, Once In A Lifetime wasn't as entertaining or as great as those two books, it was still really good, and I loved Ben & Aubrie's story, I actually think it was perfect for them both, for the characters they are, and I loved every second of it.

I really started caring about Aubrie as a character, about everything she's been through, everything she has done, and I appreciated her trying to move on & change & make amends. It made her quite likable as a character, easy to connect to, and realistic, too. 

As for Ben, he was something else. All the Lucky Harbor heroes are hot &/or charming, and amazing characters, but Ben - the perfect word is one Aubrie herself used - alpha. He was sizzling, and so sexy, and adorable, and so, so amazing as a character, yet he was an idiot, too.

And then there's the chemistry between Ben & Aubrie, which was scorching hot. I also loved their conversations, the way they started to open up to one another, it was fun, it was sad, it was humorous & almost perfect. And, there were plenty of sexy times, too.

And I also loved seeing again Luke, Jack, Leah & Ali - they were hilarious & they totally made my day. Of course, the other quirky characters contributed to the story once again, with the unforgettable Lucille in the lead.

As for the story itself, I thought it was really, really good. I really got to know the characters, especially Aubrie, connect to them both, and of course cheering them on, so Jill Shalvis has done it again, and now I can't wait for Sam's book.

As I already said, if you still haven't tried the Lucky Harbor series or Jill Shalvis's books, and you enjoy funny contemporary romances, I highly recommend these books, because Jill Shalvis is one of the best, and I'll never tire of reading her books.

 

 

 

Challenges:

 

2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge