Second Chance Summer

This book is one of my favorites by Jill Shalvis and I have loved every book I have read by her. This is the first book in the Cedar Ridge Series and is the story of Aidan Kincaid and Lily Danville. Aidan is a firefighter, Search and Rescue worker. He is as stubborn as hell, he is loyal to a fault and always puts those he loves first. Lily is a cosmotolgist that is down on her luck, she was fired from a salon in California for doing what her boss wanted but when it backfired he blamed it all on her and had her black balled so she is now back in the last place she ever wants to be. Aidans biggest regret is letting Lily walk out of is life 10 years ago, now with her back in Cedar Ridge will he be able to convince her to give him a second chance or are they both to hurt from the past? Lily has a lot to over come and has to deal with the past but is she ready to face Dead Man Cliff again and let go of the hurt and guilt she is feeling? This book is well written and the characters are well developed and you can't help but love them. You get pulled in to the story and wish you were in Cedar Ridge with them. The secondary characters pull you in as well and you want more about each one of them. One click this book!

I love books by Jill Shalvis – every single one I’ve ever read. So I’m not sure why it’s been so long since I’ve read one. When I was offered a copy from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, I jumped at the chance – because it’s Jill Shalvis (duh) and because second chance stories are one of my favorite romance tropes. Second Chance Summer is the first book in the new Cedar Ridge series and what a great beginning! Aidan and Lily have a bit of history. When Lily left town 10 years ago she broke Aidan’s heart but didn’t know it. Flash forward ten years. Lily returns to Cedar Ridge because her life in San Diego has blown up in her face and she needs a job. Her childhood best friend, Jonathan, has offered her a badly needed job. The problem is that the job is in Cedar Ridge – the place she grew up and then ran away from. Aidan has moved on; building a life for himself as a firefighter, search & rescue team member and family protector. He is over Lily. At least that’s what he’s been telling himself. Everything changes when he runs into her at the local convenience store. Aidan and Lily both have dark shadows in their past that influence their present lives. How they overcome them and find their HEAs is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. Jill Shalvis knows how to write hot, alpha males and strong females. She writes hot, hot scenes without being too graphic and without using four-letter words in every-other paragraph. (I’m not saying there is no strong language in this book – Aiden is a hot firefighter who hangs around with his equally hot brothers and other firefighters.) This book had my emotions all over the place. At times I wanted to strangle Lily and/or Aidan. Other times I cried with them. Books that do this to me are my favorites. I could not put this book down once I started reading it – except I did have to sleep a little bit. Bravo to Jill Shalvis for writing a funny, witty book with a cast of great secondary characters. I can’t wait to read what she has in store for us next in Cedar Ridge.

Jill Shalvis does it again. A great start to a new series. It is witty, sexy, heartfelt, all while telling a touching story about overcoming past tragedy and learning to move on and live your life. Aidan and Lily were great developed characters whose relationship was both fun and touching to read about. I love the dynamics of the Kincaid siblings and I LOVE Char, their mother. I was laughing out loud while reading many of the scenes with her and Aidan. Actually I was laughing throughout the whole book. I'm now impatiently waiting for the next installment in the series, especially after reading the teaser.

This book is an exact example of why Jill Shalvis and Kristen Ashley are my two favorite authors in the world. They both had 5 star books come out the same day. I've been in book heaven reading the two. One the beginning a brand new series and one in the middle of another. Loved this book! 💞

A fan of everything Jill Shalvis had written, I was excited to read Second Chance Summer, and I wasn't disappointed. It's always interesting to read the first book in a new series and watch how the author develops the characters and the town, and tells you a story while setting the stage for future books, and Ms. Shalvis does it masterfully in this book. From the very beginning, the author paints a picture of Lily as a "hot mess" as she is returning to her hometown - a hometown she has been unable to visit since leaving amidst tragedy 10 years ago. While she knows she left with her own heart broken, she is unaware that she left a broken heart behind in Aidan, as well. Their reunion meeting, while inevitable, is hilarious and sets the stage for the nature of the relationship between Lily and Aidan. Aidan is a strong but sensitive alpha hero, and we see that from his first interaction with Lily. Lily is skittish about being back in Cedar Ridge, and feeling guilt over the loss of her sister and the dynamic of their relationship. She paints all of her experiences with her long-held feelings of guilt regarding her sister and father, and hopes to return to Cedar Ridge, keep her head down and stay "invisible" until something better comes along. Of course, we know that can't happen as it's inevitable for her and Aidan to meet when she is at her worst. Aidan's reaction to seeing Lily again is wonderful and I laughed as they first reconnect. But, what I find most insightful is what we learn about Aidan when we see him alone with his thoughts, or when we see him with his family. Jill Shalvis has created a wonderful family unit for Aidan - loosely related through a deadbeat dad, but bonded through love regardless. Through their family dynamic, Aidan demonstrates an unfailing loyalty, commitment and trust that Lily just needs to realize can apply to her as well. Lily's background makes her wary of love, and skeptical that anyone is able to truly love her - so Aidan takes the challenge. In addition to creating a wonderful love story between Aidan and Lily, we meet a delightfully-quirky salon manager (can't WAIT to read his story), a strong mother (with a minor love story of her own during this book) who has "adopted" all of the wayward children of her deadbeat husband, and annoying but lovable siblings who love each other fiercely and question and challenge each other regularly. I also love that one brother is married, and fun marriage hi-jinks are factored in to make for a delightfully-fun introduction to Cedar Ridge. I can't wait to go back! Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.