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hollaback77's review
4.0
In Jill Shalvis’s new women’s fiction book, The Summer Deal, Ms. Shalvis may have given us one of the best friends-as-family stories for the summer. I enjoyed all the side stories and the two-in-one love stories. I've come to love all of JS books and this one was no different. I'm not gonna give any spoilers away but this is definitely a book you should put on your kindle for the summer.
elwesty's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
samwlabb's review
5.0
They shared a history as frenemies, and it seemed, they shared some DNA. Now, they will also share a home, and maybe, learn to open their hearts to the possibility of love.
I feel like I keep saying this with each successive Wildstone book I read, but they just keep getting better and better. I simply loved EVERYTHING about this book.
They shared some history
Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli all spent their summers together at camp, when they were growing up. Eli was Brynn's first kiss, but he was also, Kinsey's best friend. And, Kinsey had a history of making things difficult for Brynn. I really enjoyed learning about these three as children. Via their stories and camp journal entries, I gained a lot of insight into why they were the way they were, and helped me fully understand some of the choices they made.
Fate brought them back together
This was such a perfect set up. Brynn and Eli cross paths in the hospital, reuniting after quite a few years. It was apparent, that there was a still a bit of spark between them, and it took me about 0.3 seconds to get on board that ship. But, Eli had other motives, when he told Brynn about his room for rent. He was looking for Brynn and Kinsey to get to know one another, and what better way than forced proximity.
Their life in the house
Eli was a collector of people. His own parents, more or less, abandoned him, and so, he found his own family. That family consisted of his half brother, Max, Kinsey, Deck, and now, Brynn. I am complete and utter trash for found family, and wow! What a fantastic group Shalvis assembled. Their interactions, their banter, their emotional responses to one another were all fabulous, and I could have spent forever in that house with them.
They guarded their hearts
I already mentioned that Eli's family was less than stellar, and Kinsey's wasn't any better. Their friendship was built on being each other's "person", and they had stood by one another through thick and thin. Eli feared letting someone in, and then being abandoned...again. While, Kinsey wouldn't allow anyone to love her, because of her health issues. And then, there was Brynn, who just didn't trust her judgement any longer after being burned.
I will admit. It was tough hearing all the details as to why these three had built fortresses around their hearts. I ached for them, but I will admit, I cried for Kinsey. Her storyline probably hit me the hardest, and it was most likely why I rooted for her the most. I needed her to let her guard down, and let people love her.
Both Deck and Eli were kings among men. They were wonderful and compassionate, and they went to great lengths to show their love. I adored them both so much, and was truly grateful that Shalvis gifted us with such great love interests in the book.
Overall
The Summer Deal was simply fantastic! I had been struggling a bit with my reading during quarantine, but this book, I devoured it. I smiled, and giggled, and grinned my way through it as I also wept, laughed, and swooned. This was another exceptional book from Shalvis, which made my heart overflow with joy.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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I feel like I keep saying this with each successive Wildstone book I read, but they just keep getting better and better. I simply loved EVERYTHING about this book.
They shared some history
Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli all spent their summers together at camp, when they were growing up. Eli was Brynn's first kiss, but he was also, Kinsey's best friend. And, Kinsey had a history of making things difficult for Brynn. I really enjoyed learning about these three as children. Via their stories and camp journal entries, I gained a lot of insight into why they were the way they were, and helped me fully understand some of the choices they made.
Fate brought them back together
This was such a perfect set up. Brynn and Eli cross paths in the hospital, reuniting after quite a few years. It was apparent, that there was a still a bit of spark between them, and it took me about 0.3 seconds to get on board that ship. But, Eli had other motives, when he told Brynn about his room for rent. He was looking for Brynn and Kinsey to get to know one another, and what better way than forced proximity.
Their life in the house
Eli was a collector of people. His own parents, more or less, abandoned him, and so, he found his own family. That family consisted of his half brother, Max, Kinsey, Deck, and now, Brynn. I am complete and utter trash for found family, and wow! What a fantastic group Shalvis assembled. Their interactions, their banter, their emotional responses to one another were all fabulous, and I could have spent forever in that house with them.
They guarded their hearts
I already mentioned that Eli's family was less than stellar, and Kinsey's wasn't any better. Their friendship was built on being each other's "person", and they had stood by one another through thick and thin. Eli feared letting someone in, and then being abandoned...again. While, Kinsey wouldn't allow anyone to love her, because of her health issues. And then, there was Brynn, who just didn't trust her judgement any longer after being burned.
I will admit. It was tough hearing all the details as to why these three had built fortresses around their hearts. I ached for them, but I will admit, I cried for Kinsey. Her storyline probably hit me the hardest, and it was most likely why I rooted for her the most. I needed her to let her guard down, and let people love her.
Both Deck and Eli were kings among men. They were wonderful and compassionate, and they went to great lengths to show their love. I adored them both so much, and was truly grateful that Shalvis gifted us with such great love interests in the book.
Overall
The Summer Deal was simply fantastic! I had been struggling a bit with my reading during quarantine, but this book, I devoured it. I smiled, and giggled, and grinned my way through it as I also wept, laughed, and swooned. This was another exceptional book from Shalvis, which made my heart overflow with joy.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
caitlinsici's review
4.0
Brynn has returned home with her tail between her legs. After a bad breakup, she flees to Wildstone to her two loving but smothering moms. A chance meeting with an old friend, Eli, brings her nemesis Kinsey back into her life; Kinsey and Brynn were bunk-mates at camp and notoriously disliked each other. But now Brynn is roommates with her crush Eli, his brother Max, and Kinsey.
Kinsey is hiding a few secrets from Brynn, and it's hard to tell which is worse: that Kinsey in renal failure or that they're half sisters. Kinsey is prickly and likes to keep people at a distance. She'll have to fight her impulse to push everyone away if she wants to keep her sister, her best friend, and her not-boyfriend.
This book is another winner from Jill Shalvis. I'm a fan of her work, but this book felt different from some of her other novels. Perhaps it was the alternating POVs of Kinsey and Brynn, or the fact that Kinsey was an asshole (but a lovable asshole) when many of her characters are similar to Brynn, in that they are overly nice. This may be one of my favorite Jill Shalvis novels - kidney transplants are near and dear to me, and while there was steamy romance, there was also a lot of story and heart.
Kinsey is hiding a few secrets from Brynn, and it's hard to tell which is worse: that Kinsey in renal failure or that they're half sisters. Kinsey is prickly and likes to keep people at a distance. She'll have to fight her impulse to push everyone away if she wants to keep her sister, her best friend, and her not-boyfriend.
This book is another winner from Jill Shalvis. I'm a fan of her work, but this book felt different from some of her other novels. Perhaps it was the alternating POVs of Kinsey and Brynn, or the fact that Kinsey was an asshole (but a lovable asshole) when many of her characters are similar to Brynn, in that they are overly nice. This may be one of my favorite Jill Shalvis novels - kidney transplants are near and dear to me, and while there was steamy romance, there was also a lot of story and heart.
jes77librarian's review
4.0
Shalvis’ books are always a hit for me. The fifth book in the Wildstone series was meh. I loved Kinsey’s story a little more than Brynn and I wanted more about her and Deck, than Eli and Brynn.
That said, it was still a satisfying HEA, the right heat level and enough story to keep me turning pages.
That said, it was still a satisfying HEA, the right heat level and enough story to keep me turning pages.
reader_fictions's review
4.0
I loved The Summer Deal. This book has all the hallmarks of a favorite Jill Shalvis: touching friend and family relationships, people who are a bit broken figuring out how to be vulnerable and to love, and sweet romances.
The last couple of books in this series have been a bit too sad for me, but this one was like a warm hug from your found family. It centers on Kinsey and Brynn, half sisters due to Kinsey's dad's donating sperm, which Brynn's moms used to have a baby. Kinsey's dealing with kidney transplant rejection and has pushed everyone away basically all her life due to both parent issues and feeling like the best way to protect people is to stay away from them. Brynn's just out of a toxic relationship with a liar and no longer trusts herself enough to trust in others, and she has the bad habit of running away from problems.
I really just felt these people in my heart, and I completely invested in their story. It's a book that doesn't have much of a plot and truly is about the emotional journeys that Kinsey and Brynn are on, and, dammit, they made me feel things. Both Deck and Eli are wonderful love interests, and Mini the dog steals the show any time she's in a scene. *happy sighs*
The last couple of books in this series have been a bit too sad for me, but this one was like a warm hug from your found family. It centers on Kinsey and Brynn, half sisters due to Kinsey's dad's donating sperm, which Brynn's moms used to have a baby. Kinsey's dealing with kidney transplant rejection and has pushed everyone away basically all her life due to both parent issues and feeling like the best way to protect people is to stay away from them. Brynn's just out of a toxic relationship with a liar and no longer trusts herself enough to trust in others, and she has the bad habit of running away from problems.
I really just felt these people in my heart, and I completely invested in their story. It's a book that doesn't have much of a plot and truly is about the emotional journeys that Kinsey and Brynn are on, and, dammit, they made me feel things. Both Deck and Eli are wonderful love interests, and Mini the dog steals the show any time she's in a scene. *happy sighs*
dianed's review
5.0
Once again Jill Shalvis does an amazing job at drawing the reader into the story and making you want to see these characters find their Happily Ever After.
What happens when frenemies from summer camp meet again years later? Brynn and Kinsey who had always been put together at camp, had a love-hate relationship. What Brynn didn't know was that not only were them cabin mates - they were half-sisters. Kinsey didn't say anything because she didn't want pity. Kinsey was in need of a kidney transplant and she didn't want Brynn to think that was the reason for asking her to move in.
The relationship between the 2 sisters is tense at best - both sisters have been hurt in the past and are trying to protect themselves. They both have been hurt before and don't want to have it happened again. They both work hard to put their past hurts behind them and find their Happily Ever Afters.
I received an advanced copy of this book.
What happens when frenemies from summer camp meet again years later? Brynn and Kinsey who had always been put together at camp, had a love-hate relationship. What Brynn didn't know was that not only were them cabin mates - they were half-sisters. Kinsey didn't say anything because she didn't want pity. Kinsey was in need of a kidney transplant and she didn't want Brynn to think that was the reason for asking her to move in.
The relationship between the 2 sisters is tense at best - both sisters have been hurt in the past and are trying to protect themselves. They both have been hurt before and don't want to have it happened again. They both work hard to put their past hurts behind them and find their Happily Ever Afters.
I received an advanced copy of this book.
astridthebookishsweettooth's review
3.0
TITLE: THE SUMMER DEAL
AUTHOR: Jill Shalvis
SERIES: Wildstone #5
RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2020
GENRE: Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance
THEMES & TROPES: Smalltown Romance
RATING: 3 Stars
CLIFFHANGER: No
READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG
They all had a role here, she realized. And Eli’s role was the glue.
Family is a big theme in all books in this series but even more so in this one. Brynn was lucky to be born into a loving home of two women. Bullied at school for it her childhood and teenage years were far from easy. When she returns home to Wildstone with her twil tucked between her legs after she was conned by her ex-boyfriend she is looking for a place to heal. Of course in a small town like Wildstone she can't avoid running into the best friend of your former tormentor and arch enemy who Brynn had a crush when she was a teen.
Eli has made himself a home, along with his little brother Max and best friend Kinsey. His family let him down too many times and after a failed relationship love is far from his mind until he rubs into the girl who he shared his first kiss with and now pretends not to recognize him.
He wanted this more than he should, but if he knew one thing about life, it was that what he wanted rarely mattered.
Now, these two were fine and nice and that's why they were perfect for one another but I thought as hero and heroine they were just too bland and I found myself wishing that Kinsey and her amazing love interest Deck would have been the main protagonists and the story told from their points of view. We do get Kinsey's POV and I loved her so much. She had edges, was bitchy but you knew that it was all for show to protect the ones she loved. She was frustrating, but I was never enough at her to throw my Kindle. Who frustrated me the most when it came to Kinsey was Eli. He enabled Kinsey to be dishonest and never forced her to come out with her truth.
I did love their friendship though and how they loved each other unconditionally. And I absolutely enjoyed the budding relationship between Kinsey and Brynn. It was great to watch Brynn growing a backbone and standing up for herself.
“You’re a very strange woman.”
“Takes one to know one.”
Now. Deck and Kinsey? OMG they were so good together. Deck was the male I'm used to in Jill's books. A little alpha and a lot of goodness. His love for Kinsey was so honest, patient and forgiving and he gave her the room she needed. He was a good man with a dash of naughty and I just adored him.
“Stop redirecting and avoiding. Just listen. Because I’m going to tell you exactly how I feel so that I know that you know, and then you know that I know that you know.”
She gaped at him. “You’ve been watching Friends.”
“Three times a week without fail. I’m in love with you, Kinsey.”
Oh, God. Her heart stopped.
Jill Shalvis is my go-to author for comfort reads. THE SUMMER DEAL wasn't as spellbinding as the other installments in this series although it had all the ingredients I love so much about her stories. The family dynamics and the friendships are always heartwarming. Add to that a funny pup with a sweet personality and it's exactly what we need in the time we live in right now. I'll definitely grab the next one!
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review
5.0
*I received a free copy of The Summer Deal. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review which is honest and unbiased.*
Shalvis has managed to create a cast of characters that felt so real to me! Sometimes, I wanted to slap them, and other times, I just wanted to hug them and tell them that everything would somehow be OK.
The intricate relationships, and the very different personalities of the characters were the two things that moved the story forward. And I am a big fan of character driven stories. Shalvis had two girls who hated each other at summer camp meet again as adults. Life had not been easy on either of them, but they both thought that other people's lives were better than their own. (And isn't that just something we do?)
Enter a very nice, sexy and handsome Eli, who was linked to both women in the past, and who wanted something more in the present.
A lovely, beautifully written romance that will make your heart soar!
Shalvis has managed to create a cast of characters that felt so real to me! Sometimes, I wanted to slap them, and other times, I just wanted to hug them and tell them that everything would somehow be OK.
The intricate relationships, and the very different personalities of the characters were the two things that moved the story forward. And I am a big fan of character driven stories. Shalvis had two girls who hated each other at summer camp meet again as adults. Life had not been easy on either of them, but they both thought that other people's lives were better than their own. (And isn't that just something we do?)
Enter a very nice, sexy and handsome Eli, who was linked to both women in the past, and who wanted something more in the present.
A lovely, beautifully written romance that will make your heart soar!
mslizalou's review
4.0
Jill Shalvis in back in Wildstone, California with her newest release The Summer Deal. The Summer Deal was a wonderful edition to the Wildstone series. Brynn Turner and Kinsey Davis are both such fun characters, and I loved getting their stories.
Brynn has the unconditional love of her 2 moms, but besides that she really doesn't feel like she has her life together. When her latest ex-boyfriend steals from her before moving out of their apartment, Brynn decides it is time to head how to Wildstone and maybe just maybe get her life back on track. I loved that Brynn really did look at the world through rose-colored glasses much of the time. She seemed to look for the good in people much of the time...with the exception of her former campmate Kinsey. Kinsey is pretty much the polar opposite of Brynn at first glance. She puts on a really tough front, but the more time with Kinsey, the more I could see she was all about protecting herself and those she loved.
I really enjoyed the romances in this story. Eli and Brynn have both had crushes on one another since summer camp. Kinsey and Deck are basically in a "friends with benefits without being friends" situation, and honestly that made me crack up each time one of them said it. However, I didn't really feel like either of the romances were the main focus of this story. I felt like it was really Kinsey and Brynn's story from page one. The little insights about Kinsey and Brynn at the beginning of each chapter gave readers the information needed to see how their relationship had so much animosity even as adults. I will say I loved they acted and argued like sisters long before Kinsey ever found out they were half-sisters. Both characters grew so much during this book, and I loved seeing them each step up for one another like real sisters.
The Summer Deal was a fun story for me. Jill Shalvis gave her readers the humor they have become accustom to with her books, along with situations that totally pull on their heart-strings. While it is the 5th book in the series, The Summer Deal can easily be read as a stand-alone story.
Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
Review copy provided by publisher
Brynn has the unconditional love of her 2 moms, but besides that she really doesn't feel like she has her life together. When her latest ex-boyfriend steals from her before moving out of their apartment, Brynn decides it is time to head how to Wildstone and maybe just maybe get her life back on track. I loved that Brynn really did look at the world through rose-colored glasses much of the time. She seemed to look for the good in people much of the time...with the exception of her former campmate Kinsey. Kinsey is pretty much the polar opposite of Brynn at first glance. She puts on a really tough front, but the more time with Kinsey, the more I could see she was all about protecting herself and those she loved.
I really enjoyed the romances in this story. Eli and Brynn have both had crushes on one another since summer camp. Kinsey and Deck are basically in a "friends with benefits without being friends" situation, and honestly that made me crack up each time one of them said it. However, I didn't really feel like either of the romances were the main focus of this story. I felt like it was really Kinsey and Brynn's story from page one. The little insights about Kinsey and Brynn at the beginning of each chapter gave readers the information needed to see how their relationship had so much animosity even as adults. I will say I loved they acted and argued like sisters long before Kinsey ever found out they were half-sisters. Both characters grew so much during this book, and I loved seeing them each step up for one another like real sisters.
The Summer Deal was a fun story for me. Jill Shalvis gave her readers the humor they have become accustom to with her books, along with situations that totally pull on their heart-strings. While it is the 5th book in the series, The Summer Deal can easily be read as a stand-alone story.
Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
Review copy provided by publisher