Thursday 13 November 2014

One In A Million by Jill Shalvis






Disclaimer: I received an ARC of One in a Million from NetGalley under the condition that I give a completely honest review of the book on my blog and Amazon. I received no compensation for my review.  All opinions and recommendations here are my own.

Book Blurb:
As the brains behind wedding site TyingTheKnot.com, Callie sees it all: from the ring to the dress, the smiles . . . to the tears. It’s that last part that keeps her single and not looking. Getting left at the altar will do that to a girl. But when Callie returns to her old hometown, she finds that her sweet high school crush is sexier than ever. And he makes it hard to remember why she’s sworn off love . . .
Tanner is a deep-sea diver with a wild, adrenaline-junkie past-and now his teenage son is back in his life. How can Tanner be a role model when he’s still paying for his own mistakes? It’s hard enough that gorgeous Callie has appeared in town like a beautiful dream, challenging his best-laid plans to keep his heart on lockdown. Though there’s something about being around her again that makes him feel like he can be the man she-and his son-deserve. Little Lucky Harbor holds their past; can it hold a beautiful new future?

A Comment on the Last Trio
I’ve never been one to play favourites with books, it feels like picking a favourite child…or cookie, and that’s just plain wrong! But I have to admit, this last trio of books from the Lucky Harbour series are quite possibly some of my favourite books of all time. This is in part due to the incredibly sexy, loveable, complex alpha males that grace the pages of these books. But in this case, I think it has to do with the women. This last trio of heroines are incredible. They’re real, they’re relatable, they’re passionate, they’re scared and a little bit damaged but in ways that make you want them to win in all the best ways possible. They’re strong, endearing, and hilarious and they’ve fought for their little piece of Lucky Harbour heaven. They’re the kind of women I want to know, and they’re the most captivating part of each of these stories. Though, the delicious sex scenes are pretty damn captivating too. 

Book Review:
One In A Million had a lot to live up to. It’s the last book in the beloved Lucky Harbour Series by Jill Shalvis and it followed 11 phenomenally terrific books. And I can tell you now, Tanner and Callie are one amazingly adorable, smokin’ hot, goofy couple that will make you want to go awww. 

I fell in love with Tanner in It’s In His Kiss. You don’t see him much, but what you do see of him is a little dark and a little teasing. He’s drop dead sexy, he’s funny, he’s a guy who does everything he can for the people he loves and his relationship with his mother made my heart swell. But it was the care he took with Callie, the fact that he always had her back, the way he teased her and obviously found her completely adorable even when she showed up to a busy bakery in yoga pants and fake uggs (who hasn’t been there before?!) and the sheer love he had for his son, the fact that he was willing to put up with all that irritating teenage angst and attitude and the copious amounts of muttering that really won me over. 

But Callie…she stole the show. She’s the kind of woman every woman can relate to. She trips over her own feet, she chokes on donuts when confronted with the sheer sexy that is Tanner, she forgets to wear real pants while seeking out fortification that only caffeine can provide, and  in the wake of something awful and heart breaking that happened to her, she picked herself up and made a real, solid life for herself. She embraced her inner nerd, she moved back to a town that held bad memories for her just so she could help her Gramma, and she handles ridiculous bridal demands with calm, sassy efficiency while wearing her slippers. She was so incredibly real, so funny and so many kinds of adorable it’s hard to count them all. She’s strong, and while the past still impacts her, she’s risen above it to make a wonderful life for herself. She’s warm, kind and the kind of person you want to be friends with. 

The dialogue, as always, is spot on. Each character has a unique voice and even the background characters are well developed and rich. Lucky Harbour is a world you could sink into and never want to leave. Callie is spunky and hilarious and Tanner is teasing and a little sarcastic. 

The sex scenes are both sweet and sexy, with a whole lot of sizzle. The plot is fantastic and develops so naturally that you just sort of sink into it and it’s so delightful it was impossible to put down! 

One in a Million was a little heart breaking, what with being the last of the Lucky Harbour books, but it’s endearing, it’s funny, it’s heart warming, it’s ridiculously sexy and I was rooting for them the whole time. I frequently wanted to smack them both upside the head (though, that happened more with Tanner because the man could be so damn obtuse!) but they’re so freaking perfect together. Watching the relationship between Tanner and his son blossom and grow was a beautiful thing, but watching Callie grow strong on every page was just as heart warming. Reading along as two people who had given up on love found happiness was glorious and rewarding and wonderful. One in a Million is an absolutely terrific end to the Lucky Harbour Series and it will melt your heart (and possibly other parts of you too!)

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