Isn't It Romantic?

I don't normally look for a theme, when I do this feature, other than romance. However, both these books put such a strong emphasis on friendship, and I loved it.

The Happy Ever After Playlist
Abby Jimenez
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Forever
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone comes a fresh romantic comedy full of "fierce humor and fiercer heart" about one trouble-making dog who brings together two perfect strangers. (Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue)

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can't seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a "take me home" look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker's owner reaches out. He's a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back. Well, Sloan's not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can't deny a connection. Jason is hot and nice and funny. There's no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?

Sloan was drowning in her grief, and then, a dog jumped through her sunroof. She tracked down the dog's owner, and found herself surprised by how much she enjoyed talking and texting with him. This could be the start of something wonderful, but would Sloan be able to open her heart to the possibility of love?

I met Sloan in The Friend Zone, WHICH I LOVED!!!! And, it was her storyline, which left me a sobbing hot mess. I cannot express to you, how grateful I am that Abby Jimenez continued Sloan's story. I have tears running down my cheeks just thinking about how heartbreaking her loss was. Needless to say, there were some tough, emotional parts in this book as well. Sloan had to work though her loss, and learn how to live with that hole in her heart. It was sad, but beautiful, and I really appreciated that her grief was part of this story too.

BUT, it was just that - part of the story. The rest of the book was filled with fun, romance, friendship, and a lovable dog. I smiled, laughed, swooned, and cheered, and I swore my heart was going to explode from all the quality goodness I was experiencing.

The Dog

Dog lovers, be prepared to meet and fall in love with Tucker. He was this big ball of love, and I couldn't get enough of him. The fact, that he brought Sloan out of a deep depression, and let her find love again, made this dog top notch in my book. I also adored how Jimenez featured him in the story. He just fit so well, and I got excited every time he appeared on page.

The Friendship

Sloan is the best friend of Kristen, the heroine from The Friend Zone. Therefore, I was happy to see so much of Kristen in this book, because their friendship was something celebrated in the previous book, and it was fantastic to see it still growing strong. These two shared many touching moments in here, as well, and I found myself jealous of their bond. Can I just say, Jimenez made me beyond happy with that ending, which really showed the importance of Kristen and Sloan in each other's lives.

The Romance

Maybe it's me, but there is something so special about a relationship that starts before the couple ever set eyes on each other. It's built on falling for their mind, their heart, their inner beauty, and not their outer beauty. Watching Sloan and Jason grow closer and closer with every text and phone call had me all sorts of happy, and I couldn't wait to see it take off.

Sloan was still struggling with her grief, and taking those steps towards a relationship with another man was very difficult for her. Jason's patience and willingness to move at her pace was very sweet, and just made me love him more. There are some ups and downs later in the story, but they all prepared these two for something so special, that I thought it was worth the pain.

There were a million other things to love about this book, but I think I loved it most for the way it made me feel. I ached a bit, but I also felt such a tremendous amount of joy and happiness as I read this story. It's that experience, which made this book special to me.

The Summer Deal
Jill Shalvis
Series: Wildstone, #5
Age/Genre: Women's Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher: William Morrow
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes a friends-to-frenemies-to-sisters story… And then add in a love story (okay, two love stories). Shake. Stir. Read on a lazy summer day at the beach.

Brynn Turner desperately wishes she had it together, but her personal life is like a ping-pong match that’s left her scared and hurt after so many attempts to get it right. In search of a place to lick her wounds and get a fresh start, she heads back home to Wildstone.

And then there’s Kinsey Davis, who after battling serious health issues her entire twenty-nine years of life, is tired of hoping for . . . well, anything. She's fierce, tough, and pretty much the opposite of Brynn except for one thing: they're half-sisters. Kinsey is keeping this bombshell, and a few others as well. Long time frenemies from summer camp, there’s no way she’s going to tell Brynn they’re related.

But then Brynn runs into Kinsey's lifelong best friend, Eli, renewing a childhood crush. He’s still easy-going and funny and sexy as hell. When he gets her to agree to a summer-time deal to trust him to do right by her, no matter what, she never dreams it’ll result in finding a piece of herself she didn’t even know was missing. She could have a sister, love, and a future―if she can only learn to let go of the past.

As the long days of summer wind down, the three of them must discover if forgiveness is enough to grasp the unconditional love that’s right in front of them.

They shared a history as frenemies, and it seemed, they shared some DNA. Now, they will also share a home, and maybe, learn to open their hearts to the possibility of love.

I feel like I keep saying this with each successive Wildstone book I read, but they just keep getting better and better. I simply loved EVERYTHING about this book.

They shared some history

Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli all spent their summers together at camp, when they were growing up. Eli was Brynn's first kiss, but he was also, Kinsey's best friend. And, Kinsey had a history of making things difficult for Brynn. I really enjoyed learning about these three as children. Via their stories and camp journal entries,  I gained a lot of insight into why they were the way they were, and helped me fully understand some of the choices they made.

Fate brought them back together

This was such a perfect set up. Brynn and Eli cross paths in the hospital, reuniting after quite a few years. It was apparent, that there was a still a bit of spark between them, and it took me about 0.3 seconds to get on board that ship. But, Eli had other motives, when he told Brynn about his room for rent. He was looking for Brynn and Kinsey to get to know one another, and what better way than forced proximity.

Their life in the house

Eli was a collector of people. His own parents, more or less, abandoned him, and so, he found his own family. That family consisted of his half brother, Max, Kinsey, Deck, and now, Brynn. I am complete and utter trash for found family, and wow! What a fantastic group Shalvis assembled. Their interactions, their banter, their emotional responses to one another were all fabulous, and I could have spent forever in that house with them.

They guarded their hearts

I already mentioned that Eli's family was less than stellar, and Kinsey's wasn't any better. Their friendship was built on being each other's "person", and they had stood by one another through thick and thin. Eli feared letting someone in, and then being abandoned...again. While, Kinsey wouldn't allow anyone to love her, because of her health issues. And then, there was Brynn, who just didn't trust her judgement any longer after being burned.

I will admit. It was tough hearing all the details as to why these three had built fortresses around their hearts. I ached for them, but I will admit, I cried for Kinsey. Her storyline probably hit me the hardest, and it was most likely why I rooted for her the most. I needed her to let her guard down, and let people love her.

Both Deck and Eli were kings among men. They were wonderful and compassionate, and they went to great lengths to show their love. I adored them both so much, and was truly grateful that Shalvis gifted us with such great love interests in the book.

Overall

The Summer Deal was simply fantastic! I had been struggling a bit with my reading during quarantine, but this book, I devoured it. I smiled, and giggled, and grinned my way through it as I also wept, laughed, and swooned. This was another exceptional book from Shalvis, which made my heart overflow with joy.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Do you have a favorite breed of dog?
Let us know in the comments!