REVIEW: The Sweetest Thing (#2 Lucky Harbor) by Jill Shalvis

(Read in April 2011 - FINALLY wrote my review for this!)

5 of 5 Stars

Jill Shalvis’ first book in the Lucky Harbor series was certainly Simply Irresistible and was my first introduction to her work. This one was only my second “date” with Ms Shalvis but it was The Sweetest Thing, and she better be careful, or very soon, I’ll be Head Over Heels. Ooookay…enough with the puns! Haha!

In the first installment of the series, I loved meeting Maddie “The Mouse”, and her two sisters, Tara and Chloe. In fact, I really adored Maddie and Jax together! Jax Cullen is just SMOKIN' in his sexy tool belt!

In The Sweetest Thing, Tara Daniels, the Southern Belle and “The Steel Magnolia”, is settling into helping her half-sisters get started with their newly renovated inn, which they inherited from their free-spirited, eccentric mother. Tara has found a new love for cooking and her adorably named muffin range had me smiling. A "Life's-a-Peach Muffin", anyone? ^_^

Tara Daniels, The Steel Magnolia

She's a talent in the kitchen

In Simply Irresistible, the normally cool and collected Tara is flustered when she runs into Jax’s best friend and co-owner of the local bar, The Love Shack. He’s the sexy, green-eyed, world class sailor, Ford Walker. Clearly, the two have some history together. Some pretty deep history together. Tara is determined not to let Ford bother her. 

Ford Walker, the sexy green-eyed sailor

But Ford is just soooo….YUMMY. Almost as yummy as Jax in his tool belt! So how could Tara NOT get all hot and bothered by him, right?

One scene that’s etched in my mind was the following one where Ford drops by at the inn, all hot and sweaty, in search of a cool drink, after working on a boat docked in the marina next to the inn. Tara was a wee bit bothered by Ford’s unexpected drop-in… in a state of undress. He was just wearing shorts. Sweaty, glistening…no shirt…. And, of course, being his usual teasing, laid-back, antagonistic self, seeking to rile Tara up. 

‘ “We are not doing this now, Ford.”  

“Fine. Later then.” 

“Never.”  

“Never is a long time,” he said evenly, calmly, and since she couldn’t find her even or her calm to save her life, it pissed her off. That he could be so relaxed through this conversation made her fingers itch to pour the tea right over his damn sexy head. Two things stopped her. One, he’d be half-naked and wet, and watching the iced tea drip down that bronze chest, with its barely there spattering of sun-kissed hair and six-pack abs, might just be too much for her to bear. And that was just his upper half. Lord almighty, if his basketball shorts got wet, they’d cling to all his glory.  

And there was a lot of glory.’ 

*GULP!!!*

It’s clear that these two can’t help but want each other, but do they really want to dredge up the past? How will they move forward from such a past, when the reminder of it is there in front of them?

I loved going on this journey with Tara and Ford. I love Jill Shalvis’ writing and her humour. She makes me grin and laugh-out-loud, makes me tingle with her brand of sizzling chemistry, makes me ache, and root for Tara and Ford to work it all out…to have their happily-ever-after. Tara and Ford aren’t only incredibly HOT together, they are “meant-to-be” together. Ford’s fun approach to life is just what Tara needs.

And if you aren’t into “love triangles”, don’t let the book blurb about Tara’s ex-husband (Logan Perrish) showing up turn you off. It’s never really an issue, except to add to some humorous moments. Tara knows who she wants. She just doesn’t WANT to want Ford.

I’m looking forward to reading Logan’s story in Kissing Santa Claus in the anthology A Small Town Christmas which came out on 1 November 2011 in e-book format.

If you haven’t read anything by Jill Shalvis before, well… YOU. SHOULD. After only a of couple books, Jill Shalvis has become one of my favourite humorous Contemporary Romance authors.

The third book in the series, Head Over Heels, about the youngest sister, Chloe “The Wild One”, was just recently released on 22 November 2011. And my book just arrived in the mail…. TODAY!!! *SQUEEE!!!* Sorry, The Night Circus, I’ll have to enter your world now only AFTER I spend some quality time at Lucky Harbor again!!!

I leave you with this lovely scene with Chloe in it from The Sweetest Thing…

‘“Yeah,” Chloe said. “Stop sidetracking, or I’ll ask you about Ford and his amazing ass again. By the way, were you going to stir him up and fry him next?

“Oh my God, please stop talking about flour, tonsils, and especially Ford’s amazing ass!” Tara said – okay, yelled – just as Ford – naturally – walked back into the kitchen.”’

Ford has an AMAZING ass...Not sure about these jeans though! LOL

And WOW… Jill Shalvis is BUSY! She has THREE more Lucky Harbor stories with expected release dates next year *YEAH!* Thank you, Ms Shalvis!!! - See list of Lucky Harbor books below ^_^:

The Lucky Harbor Series:

1.Simply Irresistible – My Review Here
2. The Sweetest Thing
3. Head Over Heels – Can’t wait!!! *bounces* - (Edited to add: My Review Here)
4. Lucky in Love – Release May 22, 2012
5. At Last - Release July 2012
6. Forever and a Day – Release August 2012

eBooks:
Anthology: “Kissing Santa Claus” in the anthology A Small Town Christmas (Logan, Tara’s ex-husband’s story)
Heating Up the Kitchen: Recipes With Love from Lucky Harbor (Recipes by Tara)

Credits: 
My Tara - Ashley Judd
My Ford - Josh Kloss