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 . . .
Genre: Contemporary Romance
A fan of everything Jill Shalvis had written, I was excited to read Second Chance Summer, and I wasn't disappointed. It's always interesting to read the first book in a new series and watch how the author develops the characters and the town, and tells you a story while setting the stage for future books, and Ms. Shalvis does it masterfully in this book. From the very beginning, the author paints a picture of Lily as a "hot mess" as she is returning to her hometown - a hometown she has been unable to visit since leaving amidst tragedy 10 years ago. While she knows she left with her own heart broken, she is unaware that she left a broken heart behind in Aidan, as well. Their reunion meeting, while inevitable, is hilarious and sets the stage for the nature of the relationship between Lily and Aidan. Aidan is a strong but sensitive alpha hero, and we see that from his first interaction with Lily. Lily is skittish about being back in Cedar Ridge, and feeling guilt over the loss of her sister and the dynamic of their relationship. She paints all of her experiences with her long-held feelings of guilt regarding her sister and father, and hopes to return to Cedar Ridge, keep her head down and stay "invisible" until something better comes along. Of course, we know that can't happen as it's inevitable for her and Aidan to meet when she is at her worst. Aidan's reaction to seeing Lily again is wonderful and I laughed as they first reconnect. But, what I find most insightful is what we learn about Aidan when we see him alone with his thoughts, or when we see him with his family.
Jill Shalvis has created a wonderful family unit for Aidan - loosely related through a deadbeat dad, but bonded through love regardless. Through their family dynamic, Aidan demonstrates an unfailing loyalty, commitment and trust that Lily just needs to realize can apply to her as well. Lily's background makes her wary of love, and skeptical that anyone is able to truly love her - so Aidan takes the challenge. In addition to creating a wonderful love story between Aidan and Lily, we meet a delightfully-quirky salon manager (can't WAIT to read his story), a strong mother (with a minor love story of her own during this book) who has "adopted" all of the wayward children of her deadbeat husband, and annoying but lovable siblings who love each other fiercely and question and challenge each other regularly. I also love that one brother is married, and fun marriage hi-jinks are factored in to make for a delightfully-fun introduction to Cedar Ridge. I can't wait to go back!
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Links:
Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes and Noble • Kobo • iBooks
About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today 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 sexy contemporary and award-winning books
wherever romances are sold and visit her blog for a complete
book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains
adventures.
Website: http://jillshalvis.com
This was the first Jill Shalvis book I had read and to be honest, I struggled to get into it. It was one book I found I had no problems putting down. But, I have heard so many wonderful things about her as an author! Is there another book of hers you would recommend??
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