Still the One

Try to always give JS five stars. She never disappoints! A must read as always! 👌

Darcy Stone and A.J. Colten have known one another a long time. He is her brother's best friend and they usually never get along. A.J. is typically friendly or flirty until one night when she kisses him. Then all bets are off and the fighting really begins. Darcy thinks when he turns her away after that kiss it is a rejection of her personally. Hard not to take that in a personal way. A.J. actually did not want to play games with her or use her in any way. Not just from the friendship perspective, but because he really cares for her. After a tragedy stuck last year, he helped take care of her. Now, A.J. needs her help in return. Darcy is finally willing to go with him to help court the man who can help A.J. get money for those in need. While away in Boise, Darcy and A.J. spend some time really talking. There is a storm and the time stuck together helps improve their friendship and maybe something more. A.J. really does love Darcy. He has no idea how to show her or tell her and they first need to get along. There should be trust. He is best friends with her brother and does not want to spoil that either. They are like oil and water most times but there is no denying the attraction that burns hotter each time they are in the room together. These are really strong characters, and for those of use who have read the Animal Magnetism series we have seen this coming. This is Book # 6 in the series. Such honesty and strength and serious character development make this book a magical ride they enjoyed very much.

Jill Shalvis has an unbelievable talent of letting her readers escape their own reality. Still the One delivers the signature light-hearted classic romance that Jill writes so well. Her characters are good down to earth people. She makes you want to be their friend. The Animal Magnetism series takes place in Sunshine, Idaho. A town where everyone knows one another is there for one another and well, everyone knows who is sleeping with who. Let’s not forget that all the residents seem to have a love for animals. In Still the One, the heroine is Darcy Stone. She is a spitfire of a woman who has gone through a tragic accident that put her in pretty bad shape. Once, the woman who traveled the world, now found herself wheelchair ridden and at the mercy of her physical therapist, AJ. AJ and Darcy have a love/hate relationship from the get go. They are like oil and vinegar, but both are extremely attracted to one another. We learn that after Darcy’s accident AJ was hard on her, pushing her limits, ultimately getting her to walk again. When her insurance refused to pay, AJ still worked with Darcy, unbeknownst to her, and proudly watched as she took her first steps. He didn’t want her to find out that he worked her case Pro Bono. AJ winds up needing Darcy’s help when he is trying to recruit investors to help him work more cases like Darcy’s. A trip to Boise to schmooze with potential investors is in the works. The sexual tension between the two, along with the push and pull relationship they have, is a recipe for a whole lot of fireworks. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the escape it allowed me to take. I adored AJ, the patient and protective hero he was. Darcy had me from the first chapter as a kickass heroine that I would love to read more about. Together, their story was wonderful, one of my favorites by Jill Shalvis. I’d also like to note that the other characters in the book were great too. Darcy’s siblings, AJ’s dad and Xander were all a great addition to the story, each holding a nice piece of the story. Thanks for the laughter and the romance Jill, I can always count on you! *RECEIVED AN ARC FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

Loved Darcy and AJ's story. Can't wait for Zoe's story. Jill Shalvis is one of the best romance writers out there today.

STILL THE ONE (Animal Magnetism, # 6) by Jill Shalvis April 7, 2015 Publisher: Berkley approx 312 pages Romance: contemporary ** Provided by Netgalley in Exchange for an HONEST Review ** -- MY THOUGHTS -- Exterior: Cover design has a different feel/vibe than the others of the series. Not as fond of this look as I am of the previous installments. Cover blurb is well-rounded and accurately describes the story. Story is written in the third-person POV. AJ is former Navy and runs the Sunshine Wellness Clinic. He's also Darcy's boss and her siblings' best friend. His goal is to continue to be able to provide therapy to his patients when their insurance cut them off. Darcy's still recovering from a life-threatening car accident eleven months ago. Currently, she's working at the Wellness Center and she rescues therapy dogs that are displaced ("thrown away") for various reasons and repurposes them into emotional support dogs. With the opportunity for funding presenting itself, AJ needs to take one of his patients to a fancy dinner party and showcase his work. His original prospect backs out. It's then that Darcy learns of all the pro bono work AJ had done on her to get her walking again and feels that it's the least she can do, to go to this dinner party thing for him. Their attraction for one another becomes a full-on blaze by this point. I really like these characters. He's strong, loyal, and caring. But he is still an intense Alpha. She's independent, determined and compassionate. The secondary characters are a blend of both new and old. The dialogue is mostly natural and believable. The plot flows smoothly and progresses at a steady pace. There is some minor dynamics & conflicts to keep it from feeling one-dimensional, the conflicts are resolved in a timely manner, in human ways; not always perfectly. There was only a little bit of predictability, but nothing major. The conclusions wraps up all the loose ends and the epilogue was a nice bonus. No cliffhangers. No teasers to an upcoming installment. Can stand alone, but is more beneficial to the reader when read in order of the series. ------------------------ Heat Level: 3.75 ------------------------ Score: 4.1 Stars: 4 ----------------------- Tina J / Happily Ever Chapter Reviewing for: Tangled Hearts -and- Smut Book Junkie

I cannot express how amazing Still the One by Jill Shalvis is. This book exemplifies Shalvis’ sense of humor, her creativity, as well as her outstanding writing ability. Still the One is the sixth book in her Animal Magnetism series. This book stars AJ Colton and Darcy Stone. We met these two in Then Came You, Wyatt and Emily’s story. Darcy, the younger sister of search and rescue pilot Zoe and veterinarian Wyatt, was involved in a very serious car accident. In the earlier book, she was described as a screw up, who took too many risks. In this book we learn that she was a rebellious youth who just wanted attention from their globetrotting parents. Also, before her accident she traveled the world as a photographer/videographer. AJ, Wyatt’s best friend, is a physical therapist who worked with Darcy, getting her back on her feet and walking. The two end up traveling from Sunshine to Boise for AJ to meet with a philanthropist who is willing to donate money so AJ can help people still in need of PT after their insurance runs out. A severe snow storm hits, stranding them at the hotel an extra day and night. During this day, the two partake in a team building exercise where they start to trust each other. Talking, admitting fears, being honest, all leads to AJ helping Darcy being able to sleep longer than a couple of hours. In return, AJ helps fund Darcy new enterprise of finding or purchasing retired service dogs and giving them to residents of Sunshine who are in need of one due to PTSD. This being a Shalvis novel, mishaps occurs before the two find their way to admit their love and reach a happy ever after. I love how Jill Shalvis creates realistic characters, it is pure genius. It is part of why her books are so well loved. AJ and Darcy are not perfect, nor did they grow up in perfect worlds. These are characters that normal people can relate to, might even know, or have as friends. I also appreciated the cameo appearances of former Animal Magnetism heroes. Darcy works part time at AJ’s gym and also at Belle Haven, Sunshine’s Animal Wellness Clinic. It is at Belle Haven where Darcy deals not only with her brother Wyatt, but also Dell and Adam. Even Brady pops in, as do all of their women. Still the One although part of the Animal Magnetism series is a standalone story. Shalvis is a talented writer, able to create a funny, romantic story that made it hard, at least for this reader, to put the book down. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good contemporary romance that contains a lot of humor. I love books written by Jill Shalvis, no matter which series she is writing.

Another great book in the Animal Magnetism series. This one takes up where the last book (Then Came You) left off, with AJ and Darcy's story. The characters are well written and the storyline very believable. Overall a great read.