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A review by amym84
The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis
4.0
3.5
After the breakup of a disastrous relationship Brynn Turner is returning home to Wildstone to regroup. She's about had it was her life imploding and wants to focus on getting on track, whatever that means. Basically, she wants to stop blindly trusting people that turn around and take advantage of her. So, she's thrown for a loop when one of the first people she runs into is her childhood crush Eli. Unfortunately Eli was best friends with Brynn's childhood arch-nemisis Kinsey Davis. It looks like not much has changed in that department. Eli and Kinsey are still friends, and Kinsey is as rude as ever.
What Brynn doesn't know is that Kinsey has been battling serious health issues for her entire life, and it makes her keep everyone at arm's length because Kinsey knows her situation could take a turn for the worse sooner rather than later, and she can't bear to think of those she loves and cares about in pain. Because, yes, Kinsey does have quite a few people who fit that bill including Brynn. Although the reason for Kinsey's skewed loyalty towards Brynn comes with secrets of its own. Secrets that everyone but Brynn seems to be aware of, which makes things difficult when Eli and Brynn start falling for one another.
I've really enjoyed Jill Shalvis's Wildstone series. Particularly with The Summer Deal I stopped and paused and ruminated on the different sibling relationships that have been front and center throughout the entire series thus far, and I have to really give it to Jill Shalvis with showing so many different facets of the family dynamic.
The Summer Deal was bit different for me because while I was drawn into the story, and while there are specific individual moments where everything seems to kind of magically fit together in such a way of a perfect read, I didn't feel like I connected with the characters all that well. And I didn't feel the punch of the various revelations experienced throughout the story, mainly on Brynn's part. But I wanted to so badly.
I don't know if there was too much going on between Kinsey, Brynn, and Eli's characters each getting their own points of view throughout that no one could stand out or if it's that fact that readers are aware of what's going on so it's like we're just waiting for Brynn to catch up with everyone else. I think there's no real element of surprise for the readers, instead we're waiting for Brynn's reactions.
Regardless, I still found myself compulsively reading the book. Honestly, I felt like it was one of the more sensual books that's I've read by Jill Shalvis. There's not a lot in the way of sex. It's not completely fade-to-black, but we're not getting minute details, but what we do get, and what is done really well in both of the highlighted romances in the story, is this complete sense of connection.
Kinsey learning that she doesn't have to fear love and attachment just because her future is unknown and Brynn learning that her past mistakes in love don't mean that she should give up on forming attachments. These are the moments of perfection within the story.
Of course there is the bonding between Kinsey and Brynn which I loved seeing develop and, honestly, could have used so much more of because I always love when two characters start out as opposites, but slowly realize they are more alike than previously thought, and that's exactly Kinsey and Brynn.
Overall, not my favorite of the Wildstone series, but also a very enjoyable read. I cannot wait to go back again.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
After the breakup of a disastrous relationship Brynn Turner is returning home to Wildstone to regroup. She's about had it was her life imploding and wants to focus on getting on track, whatever that means. Basically, she wants to stop blindly trusting people that turn around and take advantage of her. So, she's thrown for a loop when one of the first people she runs into is her childhood crush Eli. Unfortunately Eli was best friends with Brynn's childhood arch-nemisis Kinsey Davis. It looks like not much has changed in that department. Eli and Kinsey are still friends, and Kinsey is as rude as ever.
What Brynn doesn't know is that Kinsey has been battling serious health issues for her entire life, and it makes her keep everyone at arm's length because Kinsey knows her situation could take a turn for the worse sooner rather than later, and she can't bear to think of those she loves and cares about in pain. Because, yes, Kinsey does have quite a few people who fit that bill including Brynn. Although the reason for Kinsey's skewed loyalty towards Brynn comes with secrets of its own. Secrets that everyone but Brynn seems to be aware of, which makes things difficult when Eli and Brynn start falling for one another.
I've really enjoyed Jill Shalvis's Wildstone series. Particularly with The Summer Deal I stopped and paused and ruminated on the different sibling relationships that have been front and center throughout the entire series thus far, and I have to really give it to Jill Shalvis with showing so many different facets of the family dynamic.
The Summer Deal was bit different for me because while I was drawn into the story, and while there are specific individual moments where everything seems to kind of magically fit together in such a way of a perfect read, I didn't feel like I connected with the characters all that well. And I didn't feel the punch of the various revelations experienced throughout the story, mainly on Brynn's part. But I wanted to so badly.
I don't know if there was too much going on between Kinsey, Brynn, and Eli's characters each getting their own points of view throughout that no one could stand out or if it's that fact that readers are aware of what's going on so it's like we're just waiting for Brynn to catch up with everyone else. I think there's no real element of surprise for the readers, instead we're waiting for Brynn's reactions.
Regardless, I still found myself compulsively reading the book. Honestly, I felt like it was one of the more sensual books that's I've read by Jill Shalvis. There's not a lot in the way of sex. It's not completely fade-to-black, but we're not getting minute details, but what we do get, and what is done really well in both of the highlighted romances in the story, is this complete sense of connection.
Kinsey learning that she doesn't have to fear love and attachment just because her future is unknown and Brynn learning that her past mistakes in love don't mean that she should give up on forming attachments. These are the moments of perfection within the story.
Of course there is the bonding between Kinsey and Brynn which I loved seeing develop and, honestly, could have used so much more of because I always love when two characters start out as opposites, but slowly realize they are more alike than previously thought, and that's exactly Kinsey and Brynn.
Overall, not my favorite of the Wildstone series, but also a very enjoyable read. I cannot wait to go back again.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.