Once In A Lifetime by Jill Shalvis

Happy Release Day!

Once In A Lifetime is the ninth book in Jill Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor series, a series I absolutely love! They’re fun, sexy, romantic, poignant… wonderful small town Contemporary Romances. 

Description…

Sometimes wrong is oh-so-right…

After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.

Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben - even though he has absolutely no idea what she's done . . .

Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?

My thoughts...

I've been a fan of Jill Shalvis' stories for awhile now, each and every one a hit. There's just something about how easily her characters become people I care about and want to know better. They're real people with the same hopes and dreams we all have, and sometimes they even have demons to slay before those dreams come true, and this is the how it is for Ben and Aubrey.

I don't know when the last time was that I became so quickly attached to the heroine of a story. Usually - and I'm being honest here - the females are just a byproduct of the heroes story, filler so the hero can find his happily ever after. Trust me on this; that's not the case with Aubrey!

I'm a huge believer that if people would accept responsibilities for their actions instead of making excuses and casting blame on others, the world would be a happier, more peaceful place. With that in mind, it will come as no surprise that I adore Aubrey who decided to do just that. Making amends by facing the people she had wronged, even though some of these things were minor and took place years and years ago… well, she won me over right from the start!

Ben is such a great hero. A true hero in every sense of the word. I adored him, too, as he battled those demons that kept him from having the kind of life a man like him deserves – one filled with hope, joy, and the love of an amazing woman. I’m so glad he was able to come to grips with his own past and accept that he deserves the very best that life has to offer!

The bottom line…

Jill Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor continues to be one of my all time favorite, must read series’. If you’re a fan of Contemporary Romance and haven’t yet given her a try, come on out from under that rock and wait no longer! Story after story, the residents of Lucky Harbor make me laugh, smile, sigh, and wish that I could make my life there, too!

My thanks to Forever Romance for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review!