Review: The Sweetest Thing

The Sweetest Thing
Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance
Lucky Harbor/Book 2
Grand Central/April 1, 2011

From the back cover ~

Two Men Are One Too Many . . .

Tara has a thousand good reasons not to return to the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Yet with her life doing a major crash-and-burn, anywhere away from her unfulfilled dreams and sexy ex-husband will do. As Tara helps her two sisters get their newly renovated inn up and running, she finally has a chance to get things under control and come up with a new plan for her life.

But a certain tanned, green-eyed sailor has his own ideas, such as keeping Tara hot, bothered . . . and in his bed. And when her ex wants Tara back, three is a crowd she can't control-especially when her deepest secret reappears out of the blue. Now Tara must confront her past and discover what she really wants. If she's lucky, she might just find that everything her heart desires is right here in Lucky Harbor.

I was so thrilled when I finally had a chance to get to Borders and get this book. Anyone who has been around my blog for a while knows how much I love Jill Shalvis' books. I will admit to being a fan girl, and I don't do that often. I'm not usually a "sqee-er" but I'd sqee for Shalvis. I just love her writing and The Sweetest Thing is just one more reason why.

Tara Daniels wasn't the easiest character to like in Simply Irresistable. When we first met her she was bossy and pessimistic but she had this hidden vulnerable side that I wanted to see more of. It's now six months later and Tara has decided to staying in Lucky Harbor and make a go of the inn with her sisters Chloe and Maddie. She's still no Susie Sunshine but she's trying. I was happy that Tara didn't suddenly becoming sweet and charming and a total pushover when it came to Ford. Instead, we get to see Tara breaking out of that hold position she's placed herself in as she begins to trust that things will work out and she can finally stop feeling guilty for something that happened when she was a teenager.

Ford is this easy going, sexy, amusing, hometown hero. He knows everyone and seems to get along with most. He was very easy to like, I can't think of anything I didn't like about him. He's not perfect, in fact he can be a little dense when it comes to Tara and it takes him awhile to get through to her but he's stubborn. He also loves to show off his body to Tara, with little to no encouragement needed for him to start undressing for her. He's hard to resist! They fit well together because Ford is laid back while Tara is very precise and just a bit uptight. They make their coupledom work once they get their feelings about their past out in the open.

Tara's relationship with Ford is an odd one. They knew each other as teens, meeting when Tara spent a summer with her mother in Lucky Harbor. They have that connection of a past and Ford wants to reconnect with Tara but she's leery of getting hurt again. Ford is persistent and logical (Ford logic) which doesn't always work when dealing with Tara. Their interactions are funny, with that Shalvis trademark humor. Add in Tara's ex showing up to try to win her back and the whole town gets in on the action with Facebook polls of who Tara should pick. I loved the competitive atmosphere of having the two men vying for Tara. And I even liked Tara's ex by the end of the book. There was no contest as to who the best fit with Tara was but it was entertaining to see two grown men acting like idiots. LOL There is a whole scene with bees and a trip to the hospital that had me in stitches.

There are also some serious moments when Tara and Ford must deal with their past. I was expecting it so it didn't come as a surprise. No spoilers so I won't say any more but I was pleased with how Ford became the one to take control of the situation with Tara following his lead. This was another instance of character growth for both of them which not only allowed them to become closer but for Tara to realize she could rely on Ford.

Tara and her sisters Maddie and Chloe are still working out the kinks in their relationships with Tara learning to bend when it comes to decisions and responsibilities. I enjoyed seeing the sisters grow closer and look forward to seeing more of that in Chloe's book.

It looks like another book to add to my keeper shelf! The next book, Head Over Heels, comes out this December and I can't wait!

Rating: A

Books in this series ~

Simply Irresistable
The Sweetest Thing
Head Over Heels (Chloe's book/December 2011)