Review: Animal Magnetism

Animal Magnetism
Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance
Animals/Book 1
Berkley/February 1, 2011

From the back cover ~

This alpha male is going to bring out her wild side…

Sunshine, Idaho, is a small and sunny town—the perfect home for man and beast. Well, maybe not for man, as pilot-for-hire Brady Miller discovers when his truck is rear-ended by what appears to be Noah’s Ark.

The co-owner of the town’s only kennel, Lilah Young has good reason to be distracted behind the wheel—there are puppies, a piglet, and a duck in her Jeep. But, she doesn’t find it hard to focus on the angry, gorgeous stranger she’s collided with.

Lilah has lived in Sunshine all her life, and though Brady is just passing through, he has her abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire. It’s Brady’s nature to resist being tied down, but there’s something about Lilah and her menagerie—both animal and human—that keeps him coming back for more…

A new Jill Shalvis series is something to be happy about. This time she takes us to the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, home to sexy men and women who love animals (and men). This is a quick, light read with a variety of animals running in and out of their humans' lives. I liked how Shalvis incorporated the animals to play off the attitudes of their human counterparts. Brady is a loner with no roots. He ends up with Twinkles, an adorable, needy puppy. Lilah is a collector of people but the animals she takes in, she must let go.

Lilah Young is a woman who gives to everyone, both animal and human, but doesn't like accepting help from others. I felt for Lilah because she has so much love to give but she's so afraid of getting too close to anyone. She has all these friends but she still goes home to an empty house every night. Except for the animals she keeps but those are only temporary. Lilah has quite a few ex boyfriends around town and she has an odd tendency to stay friends with them except for the one that burned her. When Brady Miller shows up, Lilah decides he would be the perfect guy for a fling. He's only staying a month, so there's no worry about getting serious. Between the kennel and school, Lilah doesn't think she has time for anything serious but her heart has other ideas when it comes to Brady.

Brady Miller is the quintessential loner. He's former army and now works as a pilot, flying into dangerous situations around the world. He's only in Sunshine for a month to help his foster brothers. There's chemistry brewing when Brady and Lilah meet and later when they act on that chemistry but Brady doesn't do serious relationships and has no intention of staying for longer than a month. Brady is set in his ways and while he insists he doesn't want a pet, doesn't plan on staying and in no way wants anything serious, he finds himself with a dog, helping at the clinic and kennel and having some very serious feelings for Lilah. I do think timing had a lot to do with it, and Lilah. The way Shalvis wrote Brady, you could see how he was ready for permanency, he just didn't know it because he was so used to moving and not putting down roots. I liked how he changed and became a part of the community and Lilah's world.

The chemistry that's there early on burns bright with scenes steamy enough to curl your toes. Lilah and Brady make the most of their supposed fling. Even all the animals running around doesn't stop these two from giving in to their baser, animal appetites. Between the physical affections, Lilah and Brady also have moments of intimacy that go beyond casual fling and show how they are both falling in love. Which is why it was so hard to see Brady leaving and Lilah trying to be strong and give him what he thought he wanted, to leave.

Brady's foster brothers, Adam and Dell, run the animal clinic, training and rescue groups. They are a big part of Lilah's world and in a way act as brothers to her, which puts a crimp in Brady wanting Lilah. They all work through it, giving their opinions and only wanting both Brady and Lilah happy. Adam and Dell are obvious 'heroes in waiting' and I look forward to reading their books.

Animal Magnetism was an entertaining romance with amusing characters, both human and animal. Lilah and Brady were a couple whose only real issue was recognizing what they really wanted, which was each other and not an extended one night stand.

Rating: B+

Books in this series ~

Animal Magnetism
Animal Attraction (October 2011)