carolesrandomlife

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I liked this book but not quite as much as some of Shalvis's other novels. This book would somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me and I really struggled with how I would rate it. There were some things about this book that I absolutely loved while other things drove me a little crazy. It was a really enjoyable story and I am glad that I was able to pick it up.

This is the third book in the Wildstone series but it really reads like a stand-alone. This series is only loosely connected, so the books can really be read in any order or individually without any issues. This is probably my least favorite installment in the series but it still proved to be a solid read.

Brooke and Mindy Lemon were close when they were younger but have grown apart over the years. Despite this fact, Mindy shows up on Brooke's doorstep with her three kids when she is in desperate need of a break. Brooke takes the kids home and gives Mindy that break she needs and hopes to make things right with the man from her past, Garrett, at the same time.

I really liked Brooke. I thought her story was compelling and I loved the fact that she didn't hesitate to do what needed to be done for her niece and nephew. She proved to be incredibly brave and I liked getting the chance to see her work through some of her issues. Garrett was nearly perfect. He seemed to be exactly what Brooke and Mindy's family needed and was just an all around good guy. He had some issues that he was dealing with as well and I really think that the way he approached them said a lot about his character. These two were great together and I loved the chemistry between them.

I wasn't as much of a fan of Mindy. Honestly, I wasn't a fan at all. I am a mother so I understand how it feels to be desperate for a break but how many mothers really have that option. My sister loves me but there is no way she would have taken my kids home for a week while I stayed in her bed drinking wine and going out on the town. It seemed that nothing was good enough for Mindy. She wanted a break from her family but she also wanted to micro-manage everything that was going on in their life. Her issues with her husband could have been dealt with through a bit of communication. It just really seemed like Mindy wanted everyone in her life to cater to her while reading her mind.

I would still recommend this book to others. I would have liked this book a lot more if it was just Brooke's story but I did find it to be an entertaining way to pass some time. I cannot wait to read more from this amazing author!

I received a digital review copy of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss.

Initial Thoughts
3.5 but rounding up for now. This was not my favorite Jill Shalvis book. Not by a lot. I really liked Brooke and Garrett's story and was excited to see how everything worked out for them. Mindy drove me crazy though. I couldn't relate to her at all. How many mothers actually have the opportunity to run away when their families are driving them nuts? Why wouldn't she talk to her husband about the issues she is having? It just seemed like nothing would ever make her happy and she wanted everyone in her life to be completely focused on pleasing her. I would have liked this one a lot more if it focused more on Brooke and less on Mindy.