* * * *Love awaits you in Lucky Harbor . . .
Simply Irresistible
After losing her boyfriend and her job, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim her inheritance-a ramshackle inn nestled in the little town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. She sees the potential for a new home and a new career-if she can give the inn the makeover it needs. Enter Jax, a tall, handsome contractor who knows exactly what Maddie needs...
The Sweetest Thing
Helping her sister set up the family inn is just the thing to make Tara forget her ex-husband and focus on her new life. Until she meets a sexy, green-eyed sailor determined to keep her hot, bothered, and in his bed. When her ex reappears, Tara must confront her past and decide what she really wants.
If the sisters are lucky, they might just find that everything their hearts desire is right here in Lucky Harbor.
Not too long ago I reviewed Jill Shalvis’s Head Over Heals. That turned out to be the third installment in the Lucky Harbor series. Installments one and two were kindly bundled together in this lovely 2011 Christmas release which I read AFTER reading the third part in the series. Fortunately, you did not need to read these in order so none of the enjoyment was lost by reading Head Over Heals first.
The three romances tell the story of three half sisters (they all share the same mother but different fathers). Maddie is the middle sister and heroine of Simply Irresistible – the first book in Christmas in Lucky Harbor. Maddie has lost her job, her long time boyfriend and the mother that she never knew. She is hoping that the inn her mother left to her and her sisters will be the new beginning she desperately needs. What she is not hoping for is romance. After her last bad experience, she has sworn off men. That is until she meets Jax. They are both drawn to each other in a way that neither of them was ever planning on.
This was a cute story. Maddie was instantly loveable. And her love of potato chips just endeared her to me even more. Jax was lovely and his constant loving amusement over the very clumsy and adorable Maddie made him that much more darling. This one didn’t have a lot of laugh out loud moments for me but I still enjoyed it and definitely see me going back to it and some point for a quick re-read.
Tara is the oldest sister and heroine of The Sweetest Thing. She initially wanted to sell the inn but now she is helping Maddie get it ready for guests and is finding it to be the perfect escape from her previous life. The only problem? Ford. Not only is he a Lucky Harbor native but he and Tara share a past and a secret that no one else knows. 17 years later, Ford wants to rekindle their romance but Tara is hesitant. When her hot racing ex-husband shows up determined to win her back, Tara realizes that she needs to decides if she wants either of these men in her life.
This story was by far my favorite of the three. First, Ford is HOT. Actually, all Shalvis men are smokin’. But there was something about Ford…and I’m not the only one that thought so. Apparently he is highly appreciated by all the women in Lucky Harbor. A certain scene where the ladies of the Garden Society audibly admire Ford in all his sweaty shirtless glory had me laughing so hard I was crying. I somehow see the Bibliojunkies being in similar situations when we are living our Golden Girl years in our beautiful seaside condo on the Gulf Coast and our pool boys stop by and…yeah, you get the picture.
But as much as I laughed I actually cried during this one. Not something that I do often when reading adult romances. Tara and Ford’s past is an intense one that leaves both of them changed in a way that makes you feel strongly for both them and their situation.
As I mentioned before, Jill Shalvis has become a new favorite of mine and these two stories only moved her higher on my short list of favorites
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