From the Shelf: Seeing Red

Title: Blue Flame
Author: Jill Shalvis
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick-Lit
Date read: March 26-28, 2014
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Summer Abrams nearly died trying to save her father from a warehouse fire that, in the end, took his life. Consumed by guilt, she never set foot back in the town where her world fell apart. But now, twelve years later, another fire has ripped through that very warehouse, drawing Summer back to Ocean Beach--and to the man who was once her best friend...and is now a wildly sexy fire marshal who ignites her deepest desires.

Joe Walker has spent most of his life keeping people at bay. Summer was the only person he'd ever let in, but she'd broken his heart--and then took off without a word. After all these years, she's back--and she won't leave until they track down the arsonist responsible for this latest fire. Now Walker, who swore he'd never fall for Summer again, discovers he can't resist the scorching heat between them--and suddenly he's wondering if all these hot nights could become something more lasting...

My Review: (also in goodreads)

For some reason I felt bad in judging this firefighter series based on my review of the free book: Blue Flame. When I saw the plot for this novel, I was interested. Yes, I am originally biased to stories that involve childhood friends separated for a long time and reconnecting once again. That feeling of familiarity is soothing and somewhat calming. I like how Summer and Joe resolved their differences and sorted out their feelings. One thing that caught me off guard is the real culprit of all the fires happening. I guessed and all were wrong not until the later part of the story. That was good.

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: Blue Flame

Title: Blue Flame
Author: Jill Shalvis
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick-Lit
Date read: March 22-26, 2014
Dawn Rates: ★★ (2/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

After San Diego firefighter Jake Rawlins is injured in a heroic, high-profile rescue, he decides to hide from the media and recover in solitude. So he retreats to the Blue Flame, the Arizona guest ranch he inherited from his father. The remote oasis under a clear azure sky might seem like a bit of heaven, but Jake finds himself longing to return to the city, where he can be lost in a crowd instead of alone with his thoughts--or-his spread's tempestuous manager.

Callie Hayes has put into the Blue Flame her heart and soul--both of which are shaken when her wildly sexy employer returns, rekindling memories of the stormy past they shared. But Jake's a different man, and soon he's setting off sparks that could lead to a love hot enough to change both their lives.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

This was a free book at the end of Lucky Harbor #7 'It Had To Be You' and naturally I would be curious. This was the author's way of thanking the readers I guess. This was one of those firefighter novels. A romance novel situated in a farm called Blue Flame given to Jake by his estranged father? Interesting. His means of escape from all the city life drama? Okay. A woman managing the farm that he has chemistry with? Okay. A brother he used to have a connection with? Okay. But I guess this story for me was dragging. I finished this for the sake of finishing a novel. Overall, it was just okay.

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: Once In A Lifetime (Lucky Harbor #9)

Title: Once In A Lifetime (Lucky Harbor #9)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick-Lit
Date read: March 21-22, 2014
Dawn Rates: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT

After 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?

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Lookback: Traeger Sisters: Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, Head Over Heels
               Chocoholics: Lucky in Love, At Last, Forever and A Day
               Short story (Traeger Sisters): Under the Mistletoe
               Downtown Business: It Had To Be You, Always On My Mind

The last book of the 3rd Lucky Harbor trilogy goes to Aubrey, the owner of the bookstore beside Leah's bakery and Ali's flowershop. Well, she has seen her friends discover love while she is trying her best to right her wrongs. At the same time she is trying her best to restore the bookstore just in time for the grand opening day. And by then her uncle hired Ben to help her restore. Ben is Jack's cousin and the third musketeer in their group (Luke, Ben and Jack) and who is also still devastated by his wife's death 5 years ago. Just like Jack and Leah there is that history between these two. I feel for Aubrey though, everyone misunderstands her and she is too tired to right what they think of her. Honestly, I couldn't pick between 'Always on my Mind' and this book. But the general winner here: In the third trilogy of the Lucky Harbor series, this has been my favorite book.

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: Always On My Mind (Lucky Harbor #8)

Title: Always On My Mind (Lucky Harbor #8)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick-Lit
Date read: March 20, 2014
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING

After dropping out of pastry school and messing up her big break on a reality cooking show, Leah Sullivan needs to accomplish something in her life. But when she returns home to Lucky Harbor, she finds herself distracted by her best friend, Jack Harper. In an effort to cheer up Jack's ailing mother, Dee, Leah tells a little fib - that she and Jack are more than just friends. Soon pretending to be hot-and-heavy with this hunky firefighter feels too real to handle . . . 

No-strings attachments suit Jack just fine - perfect for keeping the risk of heartbreak away. But as Jack and Leah break every one of their "just friends" rules, he longs to turn their pretend relationship into something permanent. Do best friends know too much about each other to risk falling in love? Or will Jack and Leah discover something new about each other in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Lookback: Traeger Sisters: Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, Head Over Heels
               Chocoholics: Lucky in Love, At Last, Forever and A Day
               Short story (Traeger Sisters): Under the Mistletoe
               Downtown Business: It Had To Be You

This is the 2nd book of this trilogy and the 8th book of the Lucky Harbor series. This is about Leah, owner of the bakery in one of the three businesses at Mr. Lyon's building. She is one of the contenders of the reality show 'Sweet Wars' and is now temporarily residing back at Lucky Harbor with her grandmother. She then tells a lie to the ailing mother (battling breast cancer) of her best friend Jack, a firefighter, that they are together. She did this based on goodwill alone and obviously it would backfire on her...they had history and that big 'what-if' going on. Personally, this would be my favorite book so far in the 3rd trilogy. I have this unspoken love for stories about reunions, old friends who discover they are meant to be. It's amazing that way.

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: It Had To Be You (Lucky Harbor #7)

Title: It Had To Be You (Lucky Harbor #7)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick-Lit
Date read: March 19-20, 2014
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Ali Winters is not having a good day. Her boyfriend left her, everyone in town thinks she's a thief, and now she's about to be kicked out of her home. Her only shot at keeping a roof over her head and clearing her name is to beg for help from a police detective who's as sexy as he is stern.... 

After a high-profile case goes wrong, Luke Hanover returns to his hometown for some peace and quiet. Instead he finds a bombshell brunette in a heap of trouble. As he helps Ali put her world back together, the pieces of Luke's own life finally seem to fall into place. Is this the start of a sizzling fling? Or are Luke and Ali on the brink of something big in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

 My Review: (also in goodreads)

Lookback: Traeger Sisters: Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, Head Over Heels
               Chocoholics: Lucky in Love, At Last, Forever and a Day
               Short story (Traeger Sisters): Under the Mistletoe

I have mentioned not too long ago as I started on a brand new trilogy of the Lucky Harbor series that I can vaguely make out the pattern and by reading the 7th book of this series I can tell that my hunch is true. This would be the 3rd trilogy situated in the small town of Lucky Harbor. And by being a small town, we can hope that well-loved characters would make a cameo every now and then. Well, Lucille is a special case, she is a gossip girl and matchmaker in their little town and I appreciate her constant presence. This story is about Ali, who works in a flower shop after which she was dumped by her 'golden boy' boyfriend and the worse part was she was framed for stealing money. Here comes Luke, a detective on leave after a worse turn of his career and apparently her landlord. I think I would enjoy this next Lucky Harbor trilogy.

Till the next read...