At Last by Jill Shalvis

Right from the first moment that we saw Amy and Matt together in the pages of the last Lucky Harbor book it was clear that there was a story there! This book is where we get to explore that story to greater depth. To be fair, there hadn't been much action. Matt had tried to let Amy know that he was interested and Amy tried to stay well away.
Amy had come to Lucky Harbor to try to work out the clues in her grandmother's journals about finding peace, and she is hoping to find a peace of her own. She is a talented artist who spends her days working at the diner in Lucky Harbor and drawing the local area.

One day Amy gets lost whilst out hiking in the mountains and who should come to her rescue but Ranger 'Hot Buns' Bower. Amy just wants to get out of there but it seems that Mother Nature has other plans and she is stuck up the mountain overnight with Matt which leads to a scorching kiss.

Whilst Matt is making his interest in Amy known, she continues to put up an icy facade of indifference, which is actually a long way away from what she really thinks about Matt.

Amy had a tough childhood, and was a difficult teen who made bad choices. It has taken her time to get herself together but now she is getting there, and she doesn't want to take the risk that her fragile stability might disappear at the hands of a man, no matter how he makes her feel and she also has a sense of guilt about some of those decisions she made.

When Amy is given the chance to help a troubled teen, she recognises echoes of her own struggle, but like Amy, Riley is damaged, scared and independent and definitely is untrusting of those around her.  Watching the dynamics between both Amy and Riley and Amy and Matt made this a very touching read.

Matt, though, has secrets of his own. He is a former cop who left a big city force and an unhappy marriage behind. He likes Amy a lot, but as far as he knows he isn't really looking for forever. He is a man who likes to take care of those around him, even if Amy makes it difficult for him to do that.

One of the things I really enjoyed in this book is the camaraderie between Matt and Josh and Ty (the heroes of the other two books) - the competitiveness, the jokes, the play fighting all helped to give the guys a more solid sense of friendship that was hinted at in the last book, but wasn't really there as tangibly as it was this time.

The spark between Matt and Amy was strong and intense and all the secondary characters that the reader has met in the previous Lucky Harbor books are back to bring light and colour to the pages once again.

I have already read the next Lucky Harbor book which is the last in this second trilogy. Whilst I know there are more Jill Shalvis books coming, I will be waiting in anticipation of the next Lucky Harbor books to come out!

Rating 4/5

HER LOVE HAS COME ALONG . . .

Amy Michaels loves her new life in Lucky Harbor. A waitress in the local diner, she's looking forward to her first weekend hike through the mountains. But when a wrong turn takes her off the trail, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers. And even though she's tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won't make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob.

A former cop whose life went south, Matt doesn't let anyone get too close. But something about the feisty beauty caught his eye the moment he first saw her in the diner. After a hot night under a starry sky, Matt can't deny their attraction-or the fact that for the first time in a long time, he feels the stirrings of something more. Now it's up to Matt to help Amy see that, no matter what is in their past, together they can build a future in Lucky Harbor.

I will finish with a thought about this title. Every time I think about this book or see it's cover, I can't help but think of the Etta James classic song of the same name, so I just had to share it even though this is the only connection between the book and the song.

Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis

Yay! A New Lucky Harbor book! And two more to come after this one! Let me dampen down my excitement for just a few minutes while I try and tell you a little bit about this book!

In the first Lucky Harbor trilogy, the author told us about three sisters who come to the small town of Lucky Harbor and then find each other, love and a home. This time, the focus is on three friends. Mallory is the town sweetheart, Amy is a bit of a bad girl and Grace has just arrived in town. Together they pledge to form the Chocoholics because nothing is better than sharing your issues with good girlfriends over chocolate cake - girls after my own heart!

One night while all three girls are at the diner where Amy works and there is a fierce snowstorm. Thanks to tree branches coming through windows and power going out, the girls are stranded there together. They are very surprised to find an injured man on the doorstep of the diner.

Mallory is an ER nurse and so she does what she does best - emergency care! It is only once they can see him properly that they realise that the man is Mysterious Cute Guy (MCG for short) - a stranger who has been seen around town recently but no one knows anything about him. Without really even being fully conscious MCG is talked into accompanying Mallory to a charity auction that is to be held in a few days time.

Whilst Mallory is known as a good girl, she comes from a family of rebels and she is being encouraged by her friends to loosen up a little. She has always felt responsible though, ever since the death of her sister when Mallory was 16 years old.

Mallory has a dream to open up a health clinic which aims to help those people who are often hidden in the community - the people battling depression or addiction for example - people like her own sister. There is some opposition within the community but Mallory is determined that there is a need and it needs to be met. The charity auction is being held to raise funds for the clinic. Mallory is sure that MCG is not going to remember that he agreed to the date and so she is surprised not only that they turn up, but that good girl Mallory behaves in a way that is very foreign to her! Thank goodness for a conveniently placed couch!

Mallory and MCG know that they aren't getting into a relationship but they really just can't seem to stay from each other. It does however make it difficult to be low key when the whole town is spying on their 'relationship' and any developments are making the town Facebook page on a regular basis. Whilst the Facebook stuff is entertaining, I don't know how realistic it is. Would small towns have that kind of gossip page? Almost makes me glad to live anonymously in a big city.

For MCG - okay, he really has a perfectly good name so I should probably use it. For Ty Garrison, this time in Lucky Harbor is temporary only. He is recovering from injuries sustained in a plane crash which left his friends and colleagues dead, and Ty was not only physically injured but is also mentally scarred. He hasn't practiced his actual profession since then, instead working in a dangerous role that has him facing risks every day. Once he gets the all clear from his doctor though, he is out of here!

One of my favourite parts of the book was Ty realising that even without trying he had put down roots in the town of Lucky Harbor - that he had reasons not to leave town. The way that realisation came over him was really well done.

Whilst this is the fourth book in a connected series, the characters from the previous three books are rarely seen which does mean that you could read this book without feeling as though you are missing out on background. I am pretty sure though that if you start with this book you will want to go back and read the earlier ones.

Personally, I loved the glimpses we saw of Amy and Matt and can't wait to read their story next, because woah, there is some tension already simmering there!

Since reading my first Jill Shalvis novel in July last year, I have read more than a dozen of them. Her books are perfect for taking to bed to read at night and then just keep on reading them until you finish the book! With this book I started it late at night (bad move - should have known better) and just kept reading until I finished it at 2.30am!

Whenever I pick up one of her novels I know that I am going to get a fun read with a bit of sexiness and a great read and this book is no exception! Bring on the next one.

Rating 4/5

Synopsis

Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. As a nurse and devoted daughter, she takes care of everyone but herself. And as the local good girl, she's expected to date Mr. Right. But for once, she'd like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in town has made it clear that he's only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine. Besides, his lean, hard body and sexy smile will give her plenty to remember once he's gone . . .

For the first time in his life, Ty can't bear to leave. Helping this sexy seductress-in-training walk on the wild side is making him desire things he shouldn't- including leaving the military for good. As their just-for-fun fling becomes something more, Mallory and Ty wonder if they could really be this lucky in love. After all . . . anything can happen in a town called Lucky Harbor.