Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Here's hoping your fourth celebrations left you ready and raring to go as the rest of summer quickly descends upon us. That's right. Before you know it, back to school offerings will be in stores and lazy days spent by the pool, with the dogs, or outdoors with the family will be ancient history...just not today. ^-^
Today, we're joining the William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, as we celebrate the latest release from none other than, author Jill Shalvis. Now, Ms. Shalvis is known for her Contemporary Romance publications as they are well written. witty, and somewhat spicy, but this title is a little different. While it still would be perfectly at home in the CR section of the bookstore, it fits in over with the Women's Fiction works as well. How come? Well, while there is always a story in her books beyond the connections, this one is a bit more heavy handed with longer lasting repercussions, and maybe just a smidge less spice. Don't fret, fair readers! There's LOADS TO LOVE as you're about to discover. Ready or not (and I mean really, who ISN'T ready when we get to this point in the post?), here comes today's book of choice...
Wildstone, Book 1
by
Jill Shalvis
9780062448118
William Morrow
About the book...
They say life can change in an instant…
After losing her sister in a devastating car accident, chef Quinn Weller is finally getting her life back on track. She appears to have it all: a loving family, a dream job in one of L.A.'s hottest eateries, and a gorgeous boyfriend dying to slip an engagement ring on her finger. So why does she feel so empty, like she's looking for a missing piece she can't find?
The answer comes when a lawyer tracks down Quinn and reveals a bombshell secret and a mysterious inheritance that only she can claim. This shocking revelation washes over Quinn like a tidal wave. Her whole life has been a lie.
On impulse, Quinn gives up her job, home, and boyfriend. She heads up the coast to the small hometown of Wildstone, California, which is just a few hours north, but feels worlds apart from Los Angeles. Though she doesn't quite fit in right away, she can't help but be drawn to the town’s simple pleasures…and the handsome, dark-haired stranger who offers friendship with no questions asked.
As Quinn settles into Wildstone, she discovers there's another surprise in store for her. The inheritance isn't a house or money, but rather something earthshattering, something that will make her question everything she thought she knew about herself, about her family. Now with a world of possibilities opening up to Quinn, she must decide if this new life is the one she was always meant to have—and the one that could finally give her the fulfillment she's searched so long for.
After losing her sister in a devastating car accident, chef Quinn Weller is finally getting her life back on track. She appears to have it all: a loving family, a dream job in one of L.A.'s hottest eateries, and a gorgeous boyfriend dying to slip an engagement ring on her finger. So why does she feel so empty, like she's looking for a missing piece she can't find?
The answer comes when a lawyer tracks down Quinn and reveals a bombshell secret and a mysterious inheritance that only she can claim. This shocking revelation washes over Quinn like a tidal wave. Her whole life has been a lie.
On impulse, Quinn gives up her job, home, and boyfriend. She heads up the coast to the small hometown of Wildstone, California, which is just a few hours north, but feels worlds apart from Los Angeles. Though she doesn't quite fit in right away, she can't help but be drawn to the town’s simple pleasures…and the handsome, dark-haired stranger who offers friendship with no questions asked.
As Quinn settles into Wildstone, she discovers there's another surprise in store for her. The inheritance isn't a house or money, but rather something earthshattering, something that will make her question everything she thought she knew about herself, about her family. Now with a world of possibilities opening up to Quinn, she must decide if this new life is the one she was always meant to have—and the one that could finally give her the fulfillment she's searched so long for.
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"If it's got tires or testicles, it's gonna give you trouble.."
--pg 5, quoted from Quinn's best gal friend, Skye
I'm sorry, I couldn't resist opening with that, but really...COME ON! It sets the whole mood for the book, am I right? First, it's kinda sorta true if you think about it (HA!), and second, it shows that while yes, there will be problems, there's gonna be an ample amount of snark, and girl power to stand up to it. Good thing too because things are about to pretty hairy for several of our primary characters.
Quinn is shell shocked when she discovers that her life isn't all it seems to be. First, there's the family secret, then the mysterious inheritance complete with a living, breathing mini-me, and finally a rendezvous in the making with a maintenance man that isn't but definitely IS something that she shouldn't pass up. Add to that a city girl being dunked unceremoniously into small town life with enough gossip mongers to make any high school it girl clique envious, same said small town politics getting in the way of what could be an amazing development, and ghostly encounters of the sister kind. Yep...things just keep looking up for our girl, Quinn, but guess what...she's tougher than she looks, more determined than you can imagine, and has a bigger heart than the city she's leaving behind (for now...or maybe forever....).
I gotta say it, I really loved Quinn's character as well as that of pretty much all the locals in Wildstone. They added their own flavor to what was already a tasty pot of curiosities and scandal...and that's just scratching the surface! The story at the center of it all will really have your heart in a twist. Why she did it...how could she not tell...what about those left behind...there are so many questions to ask, and only so many that will be answered, but the important things, like family, friends, and those that could be more, slowly reveal themselves for who they are and where they belong. Sometimes home is where you hang your hat, but other times, and those are the REALLY good ones, it's where your heart feels at peace.
In the end, it was less spicy than her usual but not as low key as some Women's Fiction can be, and a fab start to what sounds like a wonderful series. The highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies (and there are many), all add up to characters you won't forget and a town that while small, feels just like home. Definitely a must read for her fans (*raises hand*) as well as Contemporary Romance and Women's Fiction lovers in general. I, for one, can't wait for the next installment, and I have a feeling you'll be sharing my boat by book's end.
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About the author...
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| Photo by Emily Rademacher |
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Special thanks to Julie at William Morrow for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the series, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title just celebrated its book birthday last month, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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