Book Review: Always On My Mind by Jill Shalvis

Always On My Mind

By Jill Shalvis

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Source: Netgalley

Summary: THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING

After dropping out of pastry school and messing up her big break on a reality cooking show, Leah Sullivan needs to accomplish something in her life. But when she returns home to Lucky Harbor, she finds herself distracted by her best friend, Jack Harper. In an effort to cheer up Jack's ailing mother, Dee, Leah tells a little fib - that she and Jack are more than just friends. Soon pretending to be hot-and-heavy with this hunky firefighter feels too real to handle . . .

No-strings attachments suit Jack just fine - perfect for keeping the risk of heartbreak away. But as Jack and Leah break every one of their "just friends" rules, he longs to turn their pretend relationship into something permanent. Do best friends know too much about each other to risk falling in love? Or will Jack and Leah discover something new about each other in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

Review: Jill Shalvis' books are always so gosh darn adorable, and her newest release is no exception. With a pastry chef protagonist and a hunky firefighter love interest, there really is no way to go wrong with this one. 

After a failed attempt at pastry school and an even bigger failed attempt at winning a baking show, Leah is back in town helping out her grandmother at her pastry shop. There is much more than baking donuts and cookies that's waiting for Leah back home, though, and that just so happens to be Jack, an old best friend that's now a top notch firefighter. To try to help cheer up Jack's mom who's recovering from cancer, Leah creates a fake relationship with Jack, but we all know how pretend can come dangerously close to reality...

Oh goodness, where to start? Let's start with Leah. I loved her character, especially how she was a baker. Something bad happened on the reality show, but she's under a contractual obligation not to tell anyone, even us readers. Her love for baking, though, is so sweet and her love for her grandmother is even sweeter. Leah is such a good person and even though she's made mistakes and has a problem with attaching herself, I loved reading about her. 

And let's not forget about Jack. Who wouldn't want to come back into town, only to run into a hot firefighter from your past? Leah and Jack were once best friends, and you learn along the way that their relationship is quite a complicated one. So with Leah back, Jack has no idea how to deal with what he's feeling. He's such an amazing guy, though, and knows just exactly what a girl needs to hear to feel better. And I loved his dog Kevin! Kevin was a character of his own and added a certain charm to the story that I couldn't get enough of. 

Once again, Jill Shalvis has managed to create lovable characters in a charming love story that's impossible to put down. I finished this one in two days and loved every second of it. There's even added mystery and danger with the fires that have been going on around town. If you haven't checked out any Jill Shalvis yet, do you live under a rock?!? Seriously, go pick up one of her books now. And the great thing about her books is that, even though it's a series, you can read any of them without having to read the others. So when you get the chance, pick up a copy of Always On My Mind. You'll be glad you did!