Title: Once in a Lifetime
Series: Lucky Harbor, Book 9
Author: Jill Shalvis
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by NetGalley
Published: February 18, 2014 by Grand Central Publishing
SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHTAfter a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.
Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben - even though he has absolutely no idea what she's done . . .
Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?
Reviewed By: Sara
Why I Read this Book: When I'm looking for a sweet Contemporary Romance, Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor series is a no-brainer. This series is a guaranteed for happy, fuzzy, sexy feelings.
What I Liked: I liked the premise of Once in a Lifetime. The idea of the well-respected widower and town ne’er-do-well is not new, but it is usually one that's usually played out in reverse, with the widow falling for the town bad boy. It was nice to see Jill Shalvis mixing up tropes and general Romance expectations.
What Else I Liked: While Once in a Lifetime can most definitely be read as a stand-alone, as some who's read the previous Lucky Harbor novels, I really enjoy the familiarity with the characters of this series. Reading one of Shalvis' Lucky Harbor novels is like visiting old friends – Lucille the town busy-body, the patrons of town dive, The Love Shack, and “getting” inside jokes about the Lucky Harbor Facebook page.
What I Didn’t Like: There's a couple of things I didn't like about this book. For starters, there's a whole side story about Audrey's ex Ted and his self-published novel that tears her to pieces, but is never actually dealt with. The storyline goes absolutely no where. Which is very unlike Shalvis.
Also, the ending is wrapped up too quickly and with a little too much happily ever for my tastes. I can't say too much without spoiling things, but let me just say that if an entire town was spreading lies and rumours about me, it would take more than them coming to a party for me to be friendly with them. Just sayin'.
Overall Impression: If you like Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor series you'll enjoy Once in a Lifetime, but be prepared for an ending that is less than stellar.
Sara’s Rating:
I've read a few books from this series and enjoyed them. Small town busy bodies don't usually work for me. I'm with you - I wouldn't just forgive and forget people who judged me so harshly.
ReplyDeleteI do like the idea of a widower getting a second chance at love though.
I read the first two from the series and really liked it as well. She's an author I can return to for a solid contemporary.
ReplyDelete