Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. It was so much fun reading it! This is more than just a romance story, it's a story of loss and coming to terms and dealing with that loss in a way that will keep the memories alive without the person feeling guilty. It had humour, romance, family and so much more. There was a particular bar scene in the beginning of the book that has me in tears because I was laughing so hard. I won't say what happens in that scene you'll just have to read it for yourself :)
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book! This did not affect my review - my thoughts are my own.
I really enjoyed this one, guys. Like, stayed up until 3am to finish it because I didn't want to put it down. I thought Lily and Aiden had fantastic chemistry. And as always, I really enjoyed Shalvis's depiction of small town life (I grew up a city over from Boston and have never lived in a small town. As such, books that show this are endlessly fascinating to me). The portrayal of family was well done, I thought. The Kincaids had Issues, they were all kind of messed up about their father and what he did, but they loved each other and had each other's backs, always.
The biggest issue I had was Jonathan. He was bisexual, portrayed as an equal opportunist who had flings but had commitment issues and wouldn't settle down. That's already a negative stereotype about bisexuals and it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. He also had a little bit of the sassy gay best friend trope going on. Also (and this is all on me), Aiden felt a little too alpha sometimes (again, personal preference on my part. I would really love to see some nerd/geek romance heroes).
Overall, a good start to the series. I'm looking forward to reading more (especially Hudson's story in the next book).
I really enjoyed this one, guys. Like, stayed up until 3am to finish it because I didn't want to put it down. I thought Lily and Aiden had fantastic chemistry. And as always, I really enjoyed Shalvis's depiction of small town life (I grew up a city over from Boston and have never lived in a small town. As such, books that show this are endlessly fascinating to me). The portrayal of family was well done, I thought. The Kincaids had Issues, they were all kind of messed up about their father and what he did, but they loved each other and had each other's backs, always.
The biggest issue I had was Jonathan. He was bisexual, portrayed as an equal opportunist who had flings but had commitment issues and wouldn't settle down. That's already a negative stereotype about bisexuals and it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. He also had a little bit of the sassy gay best friend trope going on. Also (and this is all on me), Aiden felt a little too alpha sometimes (again, personal preference on my part. I would really love to see some nerd/geek romance heroes).
Overall, a good start to the series. I'm looking forward to reading more (especially Hudson's story in the next book).
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first time around for Lily Danville and Aidan Kincaid did not end well. With Lily on the run from her personal demons, and Aidan caught up in the care and keeping of his extended family, the timing just wasn't right. But when Lily, on the run from a major career mishap, comes home to Cedar Ridge, it doesn't take long for things to heat up again.
I am always so excited to be able to read any book by Jill Shalvis. She has the wonderful ability to create a sense of hometown community, filled with characters that are wickedly funny and completely committed to each other. Second Chance Summer is the first book in Jill's Cedar Ridge series, and I loved everything about it. Aidan and the rest of the Kincaid brothers are snarky, rugged, and sizzling hot. I mean, really, what's hotter than a bunch of ripped outdoorsy guys that are also smart and that would do anything for the people that they care about? And care about Lily, Aidan does. Still nursing some residual pain from the first time she broke his heart, he's not sure that he can risk another chance with her. And Lily, having held herself responsible for the losses that have occurred in her life, doesn't want to let Aidan, or anyone, in. Time, though, and the heart, have a way of healing all things, and these two are soon on a collision course, completely unable to stop the way that they feel for each other.
"Aidan, I'm sorry I was so slow about things. But I meant every word I said to you last night. I want to stay in Cedar Ridge. I want to give us a real shot. I want to love you."
He nodded, serious now. "For how long?"
"As long as you'll have me."
"Every day for the rest of my life," he said immediately. "Does that work for you?"
Her eyes misted. "Works perfectly."
I could not have enjoyed this book more, and give Second Chance Summer 5 sexy, swoony, sweep me off my feet stars. I can't get enough of Jill and her books, and I look forward to each installment in this wonderful new series.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was mostly a quick, angsty, character-driven story with a little action. This being a Jill Shalvis book, there was some light humor in it, even though the characters face difficult situations and have real problems. There's no cliffhanger, but not everything in the overall story arc is resolved by the end of the book.
Recommended for fans of small-town contemporary romances.
Recommended for fans of small-town contemporary romances.
Okay, now that I've gotten 8 hours of sleep under my belt—and some lovely dreams inspired by this book—I'll say that I loved every minute of it! I received an advance copy of this book via a contest and was absolutely thrilled when it arrived. Some people might be concerned that this will be too similar to Shalvis' Wilder brothers series, but it's not. I found this book to be fresh and new, not to mention funny. I loved Aidan and Lily and I especially loved the other members of Aiden's family and the antics that they got up to. I honestly can not wait for Hud's book which will be out later this year.
Can I also say that I loved that there wasn't any huge great misunderstanding that leads to Aiden and Lily harboring a righteous mad at each other? There was one small instance that sparks a fight, but they got over it really quickly and moved right along in a realistic, heartening way. As I said, loved it!
Not what I was expecting. I got it from a mystery buy. Just annoyed by all the characters, no one really sticks out to me. Not my cup of tea
Wow! This was a good second chance romance that I wasn't really expecting.
The fact that a friend gave this as a gift and I only read “An unforgettable story about sisters, loss, and the search for a home.” I was immediately hooked and didn’t actually read the synopsis, needless to say I was surprised
The fact that a friend gave this as a gift and I only read “An unforgettable story about sisters, loss, and the search for a home.” I was immediately hooked and didn’t actually read the synopsis, needless to say I was surprised