IT’S IN HIS KISS (Lucky Harbor #10) by Jill Shalvis
Available August 26th 2014

ONE KISS CAN LAST FOREVER

Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now’s her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam’s eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can’t resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca’s heart?

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads

EXCERPT FROM IT’S IN HIS KISS

He stared down at her, scrubbed a hand over his jaw, muttering something to himself about “being a fucking saint,” and then he tugged down the blankets. “Get in,” he said.

“Okay.” She scrambled in, then waited for him to climb in as well. He didn’t. “Hey,” she said when he tugged the blankets up to her chin. “What are you doing?”

“Putting you to bed,” he repeated, not quite as patiently now.
In fact, he was sounding downright strained.

“Without you?” she asked, confused.

“Without me. Becca, you’re not paying attention to me.”

Yes, she was. That was always the problem. She looked down at herself. “I’m still dressed.”

“Yeah,” he said, and again ran a hand over his rough jaw, which made a very male sound that turned her on even more. “I don’t trust myself with you undressed.”

“I do,” she said.

At that, his eyes softened and he placed a hand on either side of her hips. Leaning in, he kissed her softly. “So fucking sweet,” he murmured against her lips. “So damn sweet.”

“But you still aren’t doing me, are you?”

He actually lowered his head, closed his eyes, and groaned from deep in his throat. “I’m trying to be a good guy here, Becca.”

MY REVIEW

I will just say up front I have read and LOVED everyone of the ten books in Jill Shalvis’s Lucky Harbor series. I seriously look forward to getting back together with my old friends in the close-knit seaside town and like nothing better than snuggling in and reading about what’s happening with the latest love match JS is going to delight me with. And make no mistake, the experience IS delightful. Each. And. Every. Time. IT’S IN HIS KISS was everything I hoped it would be and more. Sam and Becca’s road to true love was everything I hoped it would be. As is also always true, when I pick up one of Jill’s books I do not put it down until I have turned the last page.

Becca Thorpe is a newcomer to Lucky Harbor. She needs a break from her life and family pressures back in New Orleans. Washington feels like it might be far enough away to give her a chance to focus on herself for once. She answers a Craig’s list ad for a cheap apartment and finds herself living practically on the beach. The “apartment” turns out to be a dilapidated warehouse, but the view is tremendous and I don’t just mean the ocean view. She is living across the way from a business run by a trio of gorgeous, men with some of the finest bodies she’s ever seen. One in particular has her attention after having already bumped into him out on the beach. She finds him mouth-wateringly sexy, but his manners and demeanour could use an overhaul. Not knowing his name, she dubs him the Sexy Grumpy Surfer.

Sam Brody aka the Sexy Grumpy Surfer is a man focused on creating and living a good life. He did not have a stable home life as a kid, his dad could never keep it together for long so Sam was often in foster care. He learned at an early age he could only rely on himself and that words and promises meant nothing. His trust issues are a deeply embedded part of his personality. He is an actions man. He believes a person’s actions are the true test of character. After working for years on an oil rig out at sea together, he and his only trusted friend’s, Cole and Tanner, are in Lucky Harbor running a boat chartering business. He does not have time for relationships and does not do emotion, unless you count snarling when his man cave is invaded. Sam’s a good guy with a big heart he keeps safely locked away.

Sam has been fine with his short term, no strings flings, but he is not prepared for how drawn he is to the beautiful brunette who has moved in across from his shop. Becca is just as completely enamored with Sam, hardly noticing Tanner and Cole, placing them strictly in the friend zone. Becca is feisty and just as determined as Sam to have her way. The sparks fly between these two along with the verbal spars. Sam and Becca finally give into their attraction for each other and share one hot, passionate night neither of them can stop thinking about. Becca however, needs a job to supplement her income from writing jingles and when she talks Sam into working for the guy’s chartering business as the receptionist and office helper, Sam’s condition is she must choose between the job or him. Becca is totally on board with pursuing her attraction to the broody surfer and her new boss, but Sam is unwilling to mix business with pleasure. No matter how obvious it is to everyone they come in contact with how far gone they both are.

I loved Sam and Becca. Each so broken and yet so fierce and brave as they tackle what comes their way head on, including each other. I enjoyed the dance between these two as Sam tried so hard to resist what he felt for Becca. As he tried to deny it was anything more than passion, because Sam doesn’t believe in the “love” word. Becca had abandonment and trust issues of her own to contend with, yet she was so sweet, and determined to have her time with Sam for as long as it lasted, even when she knew she was falling hard.

This was such a romantic love story. JS always does such a wonderful job of balancing the humorous dialogue with the emotional scenes. There is almost always a smile on my face as I read. And the love scenes are so steamy, so incredibly written it seems I could feel the drugging kisses Sam gave Becca that stole away her senses. Sam puts the same focus and intensity he does with everything else into his lovemaking. Into his kisses. The kisses that left them both mindless and wanting more. It was easy to see why Becca fell so hard for him. Impossible not to add Sam to my book boyfriend list, especially when even out of the bedroom he is protective and supportive of Becca.

It’s in His Kiss is a beautifully written, fairly light-hearted and sweet romance about love, life and second chances with well developed characters. There are some great scenes with plenty of familiar Lucky Harbor faces. Lucille has moved on from Facebook to Pinterest. The wit, the warmth, and the charm of Jill’s writing is there in abundance and kept me turning the pages to see how Sam and Becca would get to their HEA. In case I didn’t already say it, LOVED It’s in His Kiss! 4.5 stars

~Complimentary copy downloaded from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review~

ABOUT JILL SHALVIS

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

CONNECT WITH JILL:

Website * Facebook * Blog * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads * Amazon Author’s Page