Monday, March 20, 2017

Review: "Second Chance Summer" by Jill Shalvis



Cedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air, clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it's the last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a job, and there's an opening at the hottest resort in her hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot property in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid-firefighter, rescue worker, and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating smile . . . The Kincaid brothers are as rough and rugged as the Rocky Mountains they call home. Aidan has always done things his own way, by his own rules. And never has he regretted anything more than letting Lily walk out of his life ten years ago. If anyone has ever been in need of rescuing, she has. What she needs more than anything are long hikes, slow dances, and sizzling kisses. But that can only happen if he can get her to give Cedar Ridge-and this bad boy-a second chance . . .
Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!
Wow, my first Jill Shalvis book! Where the heck have I been? I've been hearing about this author since I joined Goodreads almost five years ago, but for some reason I didn't try any of her titles until now.  What a shame! I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more, especially about these Kincaid brothers!

I loved the small town feel of this book, and the fact that both Aidan and Lily are regular people with relatively regular jobs. No rock stars or royalty here! That said, I didn't feel like Lily's occupation really suited her personality. Knowing that Lily loved to be outdoors, hiking, rock climbing, and skiing, I couldn't picture her being a cosmetologist, at all. Aidan's career, however, seemed to suit him perfectly. Forest firefighters are so appealing, and I say that with the utmost confidence since I married one!

The relationships shown here are great! I loved how Aidan and his brothers were so rowdy and rambunctious with each other, but they always had each other's backs when times got tough or they needed to be serious. I also loved the boys' relationship with their mother - too funny!  And Gray and Penny were hysterical - have they had their own book in another series? I couldn't seem to find anything, but I would totally read that book if it was ever written!

What else? I liked pretty much everything about this book, but if I could change anything, I would have loved to see more of the history between Lily and Aidan. If memory serves correctly, they were a bit friendly in high school, shared one kiss, and ended up pining over one another for ten years. Really? There must have been more to it than that, but aside from the odd little mention, we don't learn a lot about their connection before Lily left town. Still, I liked the steam and banter between them. It was obvious they each cared for the other a lot.

I'll definitely be reading more Jill Shalvis books in the future. If "Second Chance Summer" is any indication of her brand of romance, I have a ton of good titles to check out soon!

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