Sunday, December 8, 2013

5 stars! Christmas in Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis


Love, love, love Lucky Harbor. It's one of my all time favorite small towns. Christmas in Lucky Harbor is a collection of stories from the series. Books 1 and 2 and then two short stories. I'd read all but one of the short stories previously and Shalvis wow'd me again with Kissing Santa Claus. If you haven't picked up this series it's a must read if you enjoy contemporary small town romances. Steamy, sweet, a little spice and just hilarious as all kinds of delicious alpha males fall for quirky, strong and spirited women...
Love awaits in Lucky Harbor...

Type: Contemporary Romance, Small Town
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 5 out of 5


Amazon All Romance BAM Goodreads

Okay so a couple wee tiny re-cap reviews on the ones I've read/reviewed already and a little on the newest short included in the book :) Check em out and let me know what you think...

Simply Irresistible--- 5 stars!  Original Review--here

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...
Oh, I LOVED this one. It really did live up to it's title and was Simply Irresistible. Okay, that was kinda corny but it's so true. I got absolutely nothing done today. Read until my eyes burned then woke up and grabbed it right back up. The main characters and their individual struggles were wonderful, the town and secondary characters hilarious. The whole premise of sisters that have really never known each other getting a second chance at being a family and getting to know each other. The writing was excellent. From the hysterical first meet-up between Jax and Maddie to the oh-so-sweet ending. It was all very nicely done.
The Sweetest Thing-- 5 stars   Original Review-- here

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.



Tara and Ford's story was wonderful. These two really do not have an easy go of things. They have so much in their past they have to get through and that kept them pretty damn snarky and at odds with each other but that made the final happily ever after so much more fulfilling. I'm an absolute sucker for the "second chance at love" storyline especially when it's done so nicely and the characters are people you're left really rooting for. And these two were so people I was rooting for. I loved their snark, I loved finding out what tied their pasts together, loved how they worked through the pain it caused and found closure and a wonderful relationship with [highlight for spoiler] the daughter they gave up for adoption when they were just kids themselves.A heat felt and emotional addition to the series and one of my favorite love stories. No question.
Kissing Santa Claus-- 5 stars!

NASCAR driver Logan Perrish returns to Lucky Harbor, Washington, with love in his heart and a ring in his pocket. But can Sandy Jansen forget the past and give him a second chance? Or will Logan be spending another Christmas alone?

*squee* So this was a new one for me and I absolutely freaking adored it. It's the short story of NASCAR driver Logan--who is the ex of Tara, one of the original Lucky Harbor heroines-- and the town clerk Sandy. It was excellent. Sweet and touching and had me chuckling as these two meet up again after 5 months apart and Logan sets out to win Sandy's heart and prove he's the man for her. Logan's a great guy and you could really tell he adored Sandy and Sandy...gah she's a heroine I totally related to and loved. She's dedicated, a bookworm and her family lives pretty far away which makes for a lonely holiday season. And she's heartbroken over not hearing from Logan for so long after he went back to work for the season. I liked her. And that while she made him work for it a little bit she wasn't too hard on him. It's just a short story but nicely done and a satisfying little trip to Lucky Harbor. Bonus was that a lot of the original heroes/heroines from the first 3 books made appearances which I always love. 
Under the Mistletoe--3 stars   Original Review--here

There's no place like home for the holidays. And the Lucky Harbor Bed & Breakfast is bursting with festive lights and good cheer. But for Mia, Christmas is turning out to be anything other than merry and bright. Her recent break-up with her boyfriend Nick has made her return bittersweet. But then a surprise arrives, when Nick follows her to town bearing gifts - and asking for forgiveness.
Okay, so obvious I love Shalvis' work and Lucky Harbor but this one was a bit of a blip for me in the series love we have going on. It was still an enjoyable read though just not quite what I'd hoped. Part of that was that while I really did like Mia (the daughter of Tara from book 2) and Nick and their little bit of relationship drama I just had a hard time with getting into the story mainly because I still saw Mia as a teenager since, well, she was one last time we saw her. This one jumped 5 years in the future but still I couldn't shake it off when it first came out. It was just too soon for it in my head. Maybe now I'd love it more. Hmm. Maybe a re-read in my future :)

Overall, if you haven't read Shalvis you need this book. It's a great price for an intro into the series with two full books and then two shorties of the side characters from book 2.

 Check out the rest of our Jill Shalvis reviews... 
(yeah, I might like her books just a *little* bit. lol)



Have you read Shalvis? What did you think?
Do you have a favorite small town romance series?


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