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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
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!
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!
Contemporary romance at its finest!
Jill Shalvis strikes gold with this new series full of humor, family and love.
I love books with a second chance at first love. Lily is reeling from a disastrous betrayal from her last employer/lover and has come home to lick her wounds. Cedar Ridge is the LAST place she wants to be because it holds nothing but heartache and a past so devastating that it’s destroying Lily.
When Aidan finds out that Lily Danville is coming back into town, he can’t stop thinking about how she left 10 years earlier and broke his heart in the process. Seeing Lily so defeated does something to Aidan and he just can’t seem to leave her alone despite all the reasons not to get involved with her.
Lily doesn’t feel worthy of love or Aidan’s affections. She is harboring some serious guilt from her sister’s death. But Aidan is persistent in his pursuit of Lily and is slowly wearing down her resolve. Being in constant close proximity to each other, the flames of passion are reignited and the pair can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. Aidan is all in but Lily still can’t let the past go and claim her well-deserved happiness. This couple definitely has their work cut out for them.
It was a beautiful love story that really tugged at my heartstrings. The characters are genuine, the plot is amazing, the dialogue was extremely funny and I laughed out loud through the entire book! The Kincaid family sure knows how to have a good time! They live for pranking each other, even their mom gets in on it. I absolutely LOVED them and their crazy antics!
My favorite part of the book is the Kincaid family. I loved learning about them, the problems they face, and I admire their fierce loyalty and unbending strength. This family has steel in their spines and courage running through their veins. I can’t wait to read more about the people of Cedar Ridge!
This is by far my favorite Jill Shalvis book and is easily one of the best books of 2015! I recommend SECOND CHANCE SUMMER to everyone!
***I was gifted an eBook copy from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All conclusions reached are my own***
Jill Shalvis strikes gold with this new series full of humor, family and love.
I love books with a second chance at first love. Lily is reeling from a disastrous betrayal from her last employer/lover and has come home to lick her wounds. Cedar Ridge is the LAST place she wants to be because it holds nothing but heartache and a past so devastating that it’s destroying Lily.
When Aidan finds out that Lily Danville is coming back into town, he can’t stop thinking about how she left 10 years earlier and broke his heart in the process. Seeing Lily so defeated does something to Aidan and he just can’t seem to leave her alone despite all the reasons not to get involved with her.
Lily doesn’t feel worthy of love or Aidan’s affections. She is harboring some serious guilt from her sister’s death. But Aidan is persistent in his pursuit of Lily and is slowly wearing down her resolve. Being in constant close proximity to each other, the flames of passion are reignited and the pair can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. Aidan is all in but Lily still can’t let the past go and claim her well-deserved happiness. This couple definitely has their work cut out for them.
It was a beautiful love story that really tugged at my heartstrings. The characters are genuine, the plot is amazing, the dialogue was extremely funny and I laughed out loud through the entire book! The Kincaid family sure knows how to have a good time! They live for pranking each other, even their mom gets in on it. I absolutely LOVED them and their crazy antics!
My favorite part of the book is the Kincaid family. I loved learning about them, the problems they face, and I admire their fierce loyalty and unbending strength. This family has steel in their spines and courage running through their veins. I can’t wait to read more about the people of Cedar Ridge!
This is by far my favorite Jill Shalvis book and is easily one of the best books of 2015! I recommend SECOND CHANCE SUMMER to everyone!
***I was gifted an eBook copy from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All conclusions reached are my own***
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Enjoyed the stereotypical romance and the tropes it came with, but felt like it dove into it too quickly and lacked some of the usual “build up” of the romance story line.
3.25-3.5 stars. This was a pretty good book. This is Lily and Aidan's story. Lily is a hair stylist that has left a bad relationship and job situation in CA to come back to Cedar Ridge, Colorado, where she grew up. She has a lot of bad memories from the last time she was in town, when her sister and father died. She left behind Aidan, her first love, and ran away, blaming herself for their deaths. Now, she is back temporarily until she can find a new job in CA, helping her friend, Johnathan, in his salon at the Cedar Ridge Resort. Aidan's family, the Kincaid siblings, own and run the resort. Aidan is shocked to find her back and wants to know why she left him all those years back. He still cares for Lily and they both still feel a connection. But their past is complicated and they both carry a lot of baggage. Aidan wants to overcome the past, but Lily is not so sure it is possible. She pushes Aidan away a lot, but eventually he gets through to her and helps her see they belong together.
I liked Aidan and Lily. They were both interesting characters. I liked them together. I didn't love that Lily pushed Aidan away for most of the book. It was obvious that they loved each other but it was way too close to end before they admitted it. But I liked the setting of Cedar Ridge. I really liked the side characters, all the Kincaid siblings, especially Gray and Penny. I liked the hair salon aspect and when Lily did hair/facial treatments on Aidan. Overall, this was a sweet, fairly easy read. I am looking forward to more from this series and the other Kincaid siblings stories!
I liked Aidan and Lily. They were both interesting characters. I liked them together. I didn't love that Lily pushed Aidan away for most of the book. It was obvious that they loved each other but it was way too close to end before they admitted it. But I liked the setting of Cedar Ridge. I really liked the side characters, all the Kincaid siblings, especially Gray and Penny. I liked the hair salon aspect and when Lily did hair/facial treatments on Aidan. Overall, this was a sweet, fairly easy read. I am looking forward to more from this series and the other Kincaid siblings stories!
Fun and sweet wrapped up in a sexy package. A heartwarming start to a series that made me laugh, blush and left me wanting more.
Lily and Aidan were young, but they were sure they had found a unique connection with one another under the Rocky Mountains’ blue skies and pine-scented hiking trails. Until Lily’s sister claimed Aidan as hers and then tragedy struck, twice.
Unable stay in her hometown and face the guilt and constant memories of the people she loved but would never see again, Lilly left forever never looking back, until she returned. Lily doesn’t want to go back to Cedar Ridge, but she’s out of options. Can she face the ghosts of her past as well as the sexy firefighter with the overwhelming smile?
Rescuing people is second nature to Aidan Kincaid. He and his brothers don’t just help others, they drop everything to help their family and their own. Ten years ago he let Lily go. Now that she’s back, Aidan has been helping Lily with scaring snakes off, carrying logs and patching up bruises in-between sweet and sultry kisses. But can he convince Lily to stay long enough so he can save her from herself and give them a real chance?
Jill Shalvis writes amazingly sexy, protective, take charge and utterly warm and sweet alpha males. Aidan Kincaid is no exception. For the past decade, he tried to mend his crushed heart and move on. But once Lily was back, I loved how his long ago mangled soul couldn’t hold on to its hurt. He understood Lily’s reasons for leaving and didn’t give up on her or them. Making sure she understands that he’ll be there to support her.
Lily was a really great match for Aidan, even though there was hesitancy on her part which I could understand to a degree. She’s strong and independent, but she carries guilt and self-blame, which are strong emotions and not easy to deal with especially when she had no support system, like family and friends, to help her through it. So I was very happy when she finally gave in to the love and care of a wonderful man.
I’m always on the fence with second chance romances. I like to experience the feels but in all honesty angst isn’t one of my favorites and this type of trope can easily take you to over the top drama and anxiety. But as I’ve come to know Jill Shalvis’ writing, she gives us a great romance, with of course some stormy weather the characters have to live through but mostly a lot of communication and understanding that moves the story along in a beautiful way that’s so easy to enjoy.
Even though I feel there could’ve been more details about their pasts and the time they were apart, I loved every single interaction between Aidan and Lily. From the humorous times when Aidan swoops in to help the damsel in distress even though she stresses she doesn’t need it, to the even more humorous moments they had in the beauty salon, to the incredibly molten hot ones.
I love how Jill not only develops loveable main characters, she also builds an entire community around them with friends and family with gorgeous backdrops I relish reading about. Aidan’s mother was a total hoot and the camaraderie and kinship with his brother’s and sister severed to pull me in further. No matter whether they’re in an emergency situation or just hanging out, the shenanigans between these guys never stop. (Two words for you: man sack!)
Jill Shalvis has become an automatic go-to author for her fabulous writing, wonderful plots and character development. I cannot wait to read more of this new series to see how the Kincaids save their family business while keeping up with the hijinks.
Book Facts: Second Chance Summer is book #1 in the Cedar Ridge series by Jill Shalvis. It’s written from both points of view. Can be read as a standalone with a happy ending.
Amazon -> http://amzn.to/1f1Gtv7
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via the author’s publicist. The excerpts are from that copy. *
Pinterest board -> https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/book-second-chance-summer/
More reviews * Stalk us on FaceBook * As well as Twitter * Pinterest Board for Book Teasers
Lily and Aidan were young, but they were sure they had found a unique connection with one another under the Rocky Mountains’ blue skies and pine-scented hiking trails. Until Lily’s sister claimed Aidan as hers and then tragedy struck, twice.
“Lily’s charms had been more internal, an inner warmth behind her adventurous spirit that Aidan had been inexplicably drawn to… They’d been two adventurous souls, kindred spirits.”
Unable stay in her hometown and face the guilt and constant memories of the people she loved but would never see again, Lilly left forever never looking back, until she returned. Lily doesn’t want to go back to Cedar Ridge, but she’s out of options. Can she face the ghosts of her past as well as the sexy firefighter with the overwhelming smile?
“She’d left because of grief. She’d stayed away because of guilt. Not because of him. The knowledge at once changed things for him and also devastated him—for her.”
Rescuing people is second nature to Aidan Kincaid. He and his brothers don’t just help others, they drop everything to help their family and their own. Ten years ago he let Lily go. Now that she’s back, Aidan has been helping Lily with scaring snakes off, carrying logs and patching up bruises in-between sweet and sultry kisses. But can he convince Lily to stay long enough so he can save her from herself and give them a real chance?
“He wanted to soothe, to help ease the pain, but wasn’t sure how to do that without losing his heart and soul to her. Again.”
Jill Shalvis writes amazingly sexy, protective, take charge and utterly warm and sweet alpha males. Aidan Kincaid is no exception. For the past decade, he tried to mend his crushed heart and move on. But once Lily was back, I loved how his long ago mangled soul couldn’t hold on to its hurt. He understood Lily’s reasons for leaving and didn’t give up on her or them. Making sure she understands that he’ll be there to support her.
“This is too important to ignore… You’re too important. What we’re working on here is too important.”
Her gaze skittered away. “What we’re working on?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Us.”
Lily was a really great match for Aidan, even though there was hesitancy on her part which I could understand to a degree. She’s strong and independent, but she carries guilt and self-blame, which are strong emotions and not easy to deal with especially when she had no support system, like family and friends, to help her through it. So I was very happy when she finally gave in to the love and care of a wonderful man.
I’m always on the fence with second chance romances. I like to experience the feels but in all honesty angst isn’t one of my favorites and this type of trope can easily take you to over the top drama and anxiety. But as I’ve come to know Jill Shalvis’ writing, she gives us a great romance, with of course some stormy weather the characters have to live through but mostly a lot of communication and understanding that moves the story along in a beautiful way that’s so easy to enjoy.
“What do you want from me?” she blurted out.
He picked up her purse and handed it over. “Worried?”
“A little… Or, you know, a lot.”
His smile was warm and made her throat tighten. “This,” he said, and put a hand over her heart. “I want this.”
Even though I feel there could’ve been more details about their pasts and the time they were apart, I loved every single interaction between Aidan and Lily. From the humorous times when Aidan swoops in to help the damsel in distress even though she stresses she doesn’t need it, to the even more humorous moments they had in the beauty salon, to the incredibly molten hot ones.
I love how Jill not only develops loveable main characters, she also builds an entire community around them with friends and family with gorgeous backdrops I relish reading about. Aidan’s mother was a total hoot and the camaraderie and kinship with his brother’s and sister severed to pull me in further. No matter whether they’re in an emergency situation or just hanging out, the shenanigans between these guys never stop. (Two words for you: man sack!)
Jill Shalvis has become an automatic go-to author for her fabulous writing, wonderful plots and character development. I cannot wait to read more of this new series to see how the Kincaids save their family business while keeping up with the hijinks.
Book Facts: Second Chance Summer is book #1 in the Cedar Ridge series by Jill Shalvis. It’s written from both points of view. Can be read as a standalone with a happy ending.
Amazon -> http://amzn.to/1f1Gtv7
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via the author’s publicist. The excerpts are from that copy. *
Pinterest board -> https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/book-second-chance-summer/
More reviews * Stalk us on FaceBook * As well as Twitter * Pinterest Board for Book Teasers
I think perhaps I just ought to admit that Jill Shalvis gets an automatic 4 stars from me.