Free-spirited
Chloe lives life on the edge. Unlike her soon-to-be married sisters,
she isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running their family's newly
renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble--and trouble with
love-draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy sheriff who'd like
nothing better than to tame her wild ways.
Suddenly Chloe can't take a misstep without the sheriff hot on her heels. His rugged swagger and his enigmatic smile are enough to make a girl beg to be handcuffed. For the first time, instead of avoiding the law, Chloe dreams of surrender. Can this rebel find a way to keep the peace with the straitlaced sheriff? Or will Chloe's colorful past keep her from a love that lasts . . . and the safe haven she truly wants in a town called Lucky Harbor?
My Thoughts: After finishing book 2 in the Lucky Harbor series and absolutely loving it I might have gone into this book with too high of expectations because I found it a bit lacking.
What Worked: Sheriff Cutie was my kind of hero. Dark and brooding, his presence often spoke more than his mouth did. His by the rules no thrills lifestyle is nice compared to so many broody book boyfriends who have almost too much baggage. He did have some but I kind of blew it off as unimportant. Speaking of Sawyer I liked that a thug from his past (an old high school buddy if you can believe that) brought a sense of conflict that I thought was well played out.
The dynamics between the 3 sisters had nice conclusion in this 3rd book of the series. Growing up as strangers and being brought together for the common good (or their inheritance actually) made their interactions more and more important as the series progressed. It was nice to see them become friends but more importantly, actual sisters.
What Didn't Work: Chloe. Her character is a total free spirit which was fully blamed upon her dead mother's parenting skills (or lack thereof). This might explain why she was wanting to run away from any attachments within Lucky Harbor, whether it be with her sisters, Sawyer or the family business. However, her 'wildness' seemed over the top and the physical danger she put herself in seemed way too self destructive than her free spirit ways should have allowed. There is a balance between dancing to the beat of a different drum and thumbing your nose at fate. Her constant asthma concerns were prominent in every encounter we witnessed. She couldn't help paint without a mask because of the asthma. She couldn't sit by a bonfire because of the asthma. She couldn't have mind blowing sex because of the asthma (for real). Yet, she could go mountain climbing or hang gliding with no trouble? What? I would think the change in atmosphere might be a problem for someone with that severe of a problem. The asthma was never an issue on her adventures with her friend Lance. Weird. My other problem with Chloe is the only time I saw much emotion from her was when she was discussing Lance's disease and it's progression. Even during her "I Love You's" with Sawyer felt out of place and unbelievable.
In addition to Chloe's inconsistencies, the big showdown between the bad guys and Sheriff Sawyer was anti-climactic. It was wrapped up way too quickly and left me wondering if I missed a few pages.
In a Nutshell: Despite my feelings toward Chloe (I like her least out of all 3 sisters) I really enjoyed the book. Chloe and Sawyer had some excellent scenes together that were just plain fun (their drunken painting project comes to mind.) The growing Bed & Breakfast business is a joy to watch if you've read the books in order and have seen them overcome their huge obstacles. I would recommend not only this book but the entire Lucky Harbor series to romance readers. Jill Shalvis has a wonderful way of combining excellent characters, stunning scenery, laugh out loud humor and sizzling hot passion. It's a winner of a series!
Suddenly Chloe can't take a misstep without the sheriff hot on her heels. His rugged swagger and his enigmatic smile are enough to make a girl beg to be handcuffed. For the first time, instead of avoiding the law, Chloe dreams of surrender. Can this rebel find a way to keep the peace with the straitlaced sheriff? Or will Chloe's colorful past keep her from a love that lasts . . . and the safe haven she truly wants in a town called Lucky Harbor?
My Thoughts: After finishing book 2 in the Lucky Harbor series and absolutely loving it I might have gone into this book with too high of expectations because I found it a bit lacking.
What Worked: Sheriff Cutie was my kind of hero. Dark and brooding, his presence often spoke more than his mouth did. His by the rules no thrills lifestyle is nice compared to so many broody book boyfriends who have almost too much baggage. He did have some but I kind of blew it off as unimportant. Speaking of Sawyer I liked that a thug from his past (an old high school buddy if you can believe that) brought a sense of conflict that I thought was well played out.
The dynamics between the 3 sisters had nice conclusion in this 3rd book of the series. Growing up as strangers and being brought together for the common good (or their inheritance actually) made their interactions more and more important as the series progressed. It was nice to see them become friends but more importantly, actual sisters.
What Didn't Work: Chloe. Her character is a total free spirit which was fully blamed upon her dead mother's parenting skills (or lack thereof). This might explain why she was wanting to run away from any attachments within Lucky Harbor, whether it be with her sisters, Sawyer or the family business. However, her 'wildness' seemed over the top and the physical danger she put herself in seemed way too self destructive than her free spirit ways should have allowed. There is a balance between dancing to the beat of a different drum and thumbing your nose at fate. Her constant asthma concerns were prominent in every encounter we witnessed. She couldn't help paint without a mask because of the asthma. She couldn't sit by a bonfire because of the asthma. She couldn't have mind blowing sex because of the asthma (for real). Yet, she could go mountain climbing or hang gliding with no trouble? What? I would think the change in atmosphere might be a problem for someone with that severe of a problem. The asthma was never an issue on her adventures with her friend Lance. Weird. My other problem with Chloe is the only time I saw much emotion from her was when she was discussing Lance's disease and it's progression. Even during her "I Love You's" with Sawyer felt out of place and unbelievable.
In addition to Chloe's inconsistencies, the big showdown between the bad guys and Sheriff Sawyer was anti-climactic. It was wrapped up way too quickly and left me wondering if I missed a few pages.
In a Nutshell: Despite my feelings toward Chloe (I like her least out of all 3 sisters) I really enjoyed the book. Chloe and Sawyer had some excellent scenes together that were just plain fun (their drunken painting project comes to mind.) The growing Bed & Breakfast business is a joy to watch if you've read the books in order and have seen them overcome their huge obstacles. I would recommend not only this book but the entire Lucky Harbor series to romance readers. Jill Shalvis has a wonderful way of combining excellent characters, stunning scenery, laugh out loud humor and sizzling hot passion. It's a winner of a series!
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