ARC Review: Lucky in Love

Lucky in Love
Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance
Lucky Harbor Series/Book 4
Grand Central Publishing/May 22, 2012

Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. As a nurse and devoted daughter, she takes care of everyone but herself. And as the local good girl, she's expected to date Mr. Right. But for once, she'd like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in town has made it clear that he's only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine. Besides, his lean, hard body and sexy smile will give her plenty to remember once he's gone...

For the first time in his life, Ty can't bear to leave. Helping this sexy seductress-in-training walk on the wild side is making him desire things he shouldn't -- including leaving the military for good. As their just-for-fun fling becomes something more, Mallory and Ty wonder if they could really be this lucky in love. After all...anything can happen in a town called Lucky Harbor.

One of my favorite contemporary series is back!  The newest installment in the Lucky Harbor series has a new trio of women who have their own, unique set of problems when it comes to the opposite sex. This new group of women find comfort in chocolate, an undertaking I can totally get behind!  The Chocoholics (CA), as they called themselves, are comprised of Mallory Quinn, Amy Michaels and Grace Brooks.  They meet once a week to catch-up on life and enjoy something full of chocolatey goodness!

Mallory Quinn, having grown up in Lucky Harbor, knows just about everyone, the exception being Mysterious Cute Guy (MCG).  But that is about to change.  Mallory works hard at staying out of trouble.  She has this desperation to always do the right thing, to be the best.  It stems from a great loss in her past and her guilt over the loss.  Mallory's love life suffers from her need to be perfect by trying to date Mr. Right.  Her fellow chocoholics talk her into giving Mr. Wrong a try.  MCG, also known as Ty Garrison, is Mallory's chance to be bad for a change.  He's her Mr. Wrong who's so very wrong he's just right! 

Ty Garrison came to Lucky Harbor to recover from an injury.  It's been six months since he's hidden himself away, working to get back into fighting shape.  He's beyond ready to get a clean bill of health and get back to the action.  As a former Navy SEAL, Ty isn't use to sitting around.  His life after the teams kept him in the action, still working dangerous assignments for a private contractor.  Ty's life in Lucky Harbor has gotten into a routine of working out and working on old cars.  In Ty we see a wounded warrior who needs more than just physical healing.  Not surprising, Ty is a darker hero than previously seen in the series.  I liked him but felt he was more difficult to know and never quite got that "click" of knowing him.

Mallory and Ty's romance starts out as a misunderstanding, leading to some hot sex in a storage room and regrets and embarrassment later.  They both have their demons to fight and Shalvis does well showing how Mallory and Ty try their best to pretend their relationship is nothing more than sex when they both know, deep down, it's becoming much more.  I liked how their relationship matured as they both learn to lean on each other as well as their friends.  

This is a small town romance and as such, the characters of the town will have their say in the romance.  Everyone has an opinion, some like to voice it on the town's Facebook page which I found amusing.  Shalvis' trademark humor is very much in evidence, coming through in the assortment of charming characters that inhabit this seaside town.  The humor in Mallory and Ty's relationship is often rooted in their misunderstanding and lack of communication. While cute at times, also had me wishing they would open up and avoid their misunderstandings.

There were either mentions or appearances of the heroes and heroines of the first three books, but this one ventured away from the Inn and more into the heart of the town, with the hospital getting more of the focus where the Inn had before.  There did seem to be darker moments in this book with Mallory and Ty's reasons for carrying a heavy load of guilt. 

Lucky in Love is another wonderful addition to the Lucky Harbor series.  If you enjoy funny, quirky, small town romances, this is the series for you.

Rating: B+

Lucky Harbor Series ~ 

Simply Irresistible 
The Sweetest Thing
Kissing Santa Claus novella in the anthology Small Town Christmas
Head Over Heels
Lucky in Love
At Last (June 26, 2012)
Forever and a Day (July 31, 2012)