REVIEW: Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis

In Second Chance Summer (Cedar Ridge #1) by Jill Shalvis, Lily Danville left her hometown of Cedar Ridge, Colorado, behind ten years ago with no plans of ever coming back. Bad memories kept her away until being unexpectedly jobless forces her to take her childhood best friend, Jonathon, up on his job offer at his salon. Lily didn’t expect to run in to the object of her teenage crush, bad boy Aidan Kincaid, on day one. Or that her feelings for him have never faded. Coming home soon becomes more about facing her past and her longing for Aidan, than it does as a layover until she finds a new job.

The corner of his mouth quirked. “Did you just kiss me to shut me up?” he asked.

She blew out a sigh. “It made a lot more sense in my head.”

Fireman and search & rescue team member, Aidan, never thought he’d get a second chance with Lily, the one girl who’s ever meant something to him. But her arrival in Cedar Ridge brings back every moment and every feeling he’s had when she was around. Trying to help his family keep their resort afloat has been priority number for years. But now, Aidan is going to pull out all the stops to keep Lily in his life and help her realize how strong she truly is. And how loved she has always been, by him and so many others.

“What do you want from me?” she blurted out.

…His smile was warm and made her throat tighten. “This,” he said, and put a hand over her heart. “I want this.”

Second Chance Summer, the first book in a new small town series by the one-and-only Jill Shalvis, was a testament to everything I love about her writing: likable characters, loads of humor, sexy dialogue and love scenes, and a plot that kept me interested.

I feel like a total fangirl every time I review a Jill Shalvis novel. But I honestly can’t help myself. There’s something about her writing style that always makes me connect easily with the characters. And I love that fact. This particular story was no exception. As with any new series, book one kind of lays out the history of the location and the notable local families. So it started off a little slow in relation to the romance, but it progressed nicely once Aidan and Lily came face-to-face for the first time in a decade.

I’ve said many times how much I love reunion stories, and this was such a good one. Lily and Aidan complemented each other so well with their genuineness, their love of the outdoors, and their loyalty. They had this intensity between them that everyone else around them could see and knew they were meant to be together, if only Aidan and Lily would admit their true feelings. I loved how down-to-earth they were, and thought Aidan was definite book boyfriend material (he was a fireman AND a search & rescue member!) and Lily was someone you could see as your best friend.

The Kincaid family was a pleasure to get to know. What a great dynamic they had together. Lots of love, some fights, but even more loyalty amongst them. Aidan and Gray’s mother Char was absolutely hysterical, the way she handled her wild but kindhearted ‘boys’. I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Lily’s childhood best friend Jonathon was a lot of fun and very generous. But what I really hope for is that Aidan’s best friend Mitch will be featured some more. One scene where Mitch is at the firehouse in the shower, getting yelled at by the captain, had to be one of the funniest (and sexiest, whew!) parts in the book.

Cedar Ridge is setting up to be just as well-crafted as Shalvis’s Lucky Harbor series was. Filled with her trademark brand of humor, and set in a beautiful location where alpha men and sassy heroines reign supreme, I think romance fans will fall in love with Second Chance Romance.

Book Info:

Publication: June 30th 2015 | by Grand Central Publishing | Cedar Ridge #1

RESCUE ME

Cedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air, clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it’s the last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a job, and there’s an opening at the hottest resort in her hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot property in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid-firefighter, rescue worker, and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating smile . . .

The Kincaid brothers are as rough and rugged as the Rocky Mountains they call home. Aidan has always done things his own way, by his own rules. And never has he regretted anything more than letting Lily walk out of his life ten years ago. If anyone has ever been in need of rescuing, she has. What she needs more than anything are long hikes, slow dances, and sizzling kisses. But that can only happen if he can get her to give Cedar Ridge-and this bad boy-a second chance …