A great read.

Brynn is back in town after losing everything. When she meets Eli she pretends she doesn't remember him, and when she admits she does remember him and he offers her a place to live, she takes a chance. What she doesn't know is that one of his other room-mates is Kinsey, her nemesis from summer camp.
Everyone in the house is keeping secrets, so what will happen when these start to be revealed?

Enjoyable read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

I normally really like reading Jill Shalvis books, but this book seemed a bit obvious to me, I enjoyed reading about the people but because it was a bit obvious, it just didn't grab me like normal.

Provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I really like this book. It drew me in pretty much straight away. You feel a connection with all the characters and their stories. I did find that the book felt very young at the beginning. Like the characters were out of a teen novel, but once I got into the book, I forgot about that.

The story was well written and the characters had depth. It’s another knockout by this author, and something I’ve come to expect.

I love Wildstone and love the books that are set there. The beach for me played a huge part and I would love to live there!

All in all a good book and one I would definitely recommend as a summer read.

5 - "Family isn’t about blood. It’s about who you choose…" Stars!

We return to Wildestone for the fifth book in the series; The Summer Deal giving us (half) sisters and enemies since childhood; Brynn and Kinsey’s stories, interlinked by them and the men in their lives Eli and Deck respectively.

"You’re like… a Disney villain."

I’ll be honest and say that some of the books in the series have been more challenging to read than others. Being branded as Women’s Fiction, the drama, angst, secrets and lies have been levelled at a heavier depth than most of the authors other books and series. I personally struggle with this sometimes especially when the drama is overplayed, or the secrets and lies drag on for too long, because reading for me is my happy place, and I want to put down a book happy, not depressed because the characters and story are on the darker side.

"Not all wounds are physical…"

Weirdly you get both in this one, but I think the fact the author added plenty of light through the story as well, that I found it wasn’t so much of a problem. Don’t get me wrong, I could have happily slapped both Kinsey and Brynn at times because of their actions or lack thereof, but Eli and Deck (double yum)added balance, Brynn’s Kindergarten students added the Shalvis humour I adore, and because of those factors it felt like the book was more rounded than some of its predecessors.

"I want you… I can’t even begin to hide that, but I’m not going to be another mistake or disappointment… I want to be one of the very best things in your life."

The Forever Girl is up next (Jan 21) in the series, I hope Ms. Shalvis continues with the added humour because it really helps aid the digestion of the heavier tropes that are being explored at the same time.

"When I wasn’t looking, you became the thing I didn’t know I needed, but now can’t live without."

This is a story where the two main characters Brynn and Kinsey start off as childhood summer camp frenemies and end up as sisters, with a lot of anger, hurt and love in-betweens.

Brynn Turner has been let down romantically so hurt and lonely she returns to her childhood home to be with her two Mums. Lovely as they are she soon begins to feel suffocated by them so reluctantly agrees to move into a shared house with her old summer camp friends Kinsey, Eli and his brother Max. Kinsey is a fierce hot headed young woman who keeps everyone at arm’s length including her ‘not’ boyfriend. Kinsey is afraid of getting too close to anyone as she is on the kidney transplant list and appears not to want further heartache in her life. But Kinsey is holding onto secrets which need to be told but she can never seem to find the right time.

A nice summer read that I enjoyed while sitting in the sunshine.

My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Jill Shalvis is now an author on my list of books to read, having never read any titles before I found this a relaxing read. Bryan returns home to her moms to lick her wounds and get over a disastrous break up. When she runs into Her schoolgirl crush Eli and her enemy Kinsey life becomes complicated and she has to reassess her life and toughen up. Can she find her happy ever after? A smashing summer read

Thank you to NetGalley and Jill Shalvis for an ARC copy. In exchange I give my honest personal opinion.

Brynn returned home after looking for a new start to her upside-down life. She bumps into Kinsey, her nemesis from summer camps as kids.
Brynn and Kinsey end up sharing a place as roommates.
Kinsey has a secret she needs to share with Brynn and what a secret it is.
This book has a little bit every everything you expect in a beach read.
Humor- secrets- love and friendship. Sit back and enjoy this one - you will be glad you did.

Fabulous read from start to finish. This is the first book from this author and most definitely will not be the last! Characters where very likeable and the story flowed really well!

Jill Shalvis’s books are at the more emotional end of the spectrum I like to read, so it can be a bit variable how much I enjoy them (not because they aren’t well written, but because I prefer not too much emotion). This one was excellent though, it really hit the spot. It had lots of funny moments, and really great characters and character development (always the case with a Jill Shalvis). I thought it dealt well with all the difficulties that the characters have been, and are going, through, without getting too heavy and emotional. The story really drew me in and kept me interested throughout. I especially enjoyed the epilogue, it rounded off the story perfectly.

I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a romance with heart, where people struggle, but win through.

I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Brynn returns home to her two mom’s house because she has lost her job and her boyfriend ripped her off. Brynn is so embarrassed to be so gullible. She now has trust issues. Kinsey was the mean girl to Brynn at summer camp while growing up. Eli is Kinsey’s best friend. Eli and Brynn Had their first kiss at summer camp but then both had different ideas what that first kiss meant. Can Brynn forgive Kinsey and Eli? Read to found out. I loved all the characters in this book. The sarcasm, humor, drama and romance. The Summer Deal is such a great read. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an ARC. This is my own opinion.

I have read quite a lot of Jill Shalvis’s books over the years and have enjoyed them all, this was no exception. The characters in this book were very likeable and throughout the novel it felt like you wanted to give them either a good shake or a hug. Thoroughly enjoyed it and what a lovely epilogue.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read a preview copy.

What an amazing read. This was my first by this author and I’ve wanted to read her books for a while and I’m so glad I got to start with one. Even though it says it’s book 5 in the series it was a complete standalone, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

My heart broke so many times whilst reading this book. I loved every single character and I really wish we could get more of Deck and Max, they were so great. Eli and Brynn were an amazing couple who, even though they knew each other as young teens hadn’t seen each other for many many years and then as soon as they meet again they fall for each other - hard; yet try to ignore it. Adding Kinsey into the story line was beautifully done, seeing the platonic brother/sister relationship playing out alongside the romantic ones of Eli and Brynn and Kinsey and Deck was beautiful to read. I loved their friendship, how they supported each other no matter what.
I was captivated from the very first chapter and loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to read more.

This is a great tale exploring how relationships between people grow and develop over time. The story centres around Bryn, recently dumped, Eli and Kinsey who is dealing with health issues. These three are initially connected by childhood summer camp and Bryn and Kinsey don't have a great relationship at the start. Over time the relationships shift, potentially fracture and eventually stables into something more lasting. I warmed to all the characters but also found them frustrating because the writer is really successful as presenting them as human with human emotions and frailties. I would have loved to see more of the lovely Deck and Bryn's mums who reminded me very much of people in my own family. I read this in one sitting but was a little sad when it came to an end.

A feel-good romance which is easy to read but packs a punch on family relationships,serious health concerns, betrayals and secrets.
I have read a number of Jill Shalvis's books before and have always enjoyed them, they are full of fun and romance but this one was more in depth for me with more complex family dynamics and the vulnerability of many of the main characters.
The story follows Brynn who returns to her home town after a difficult end to her relationship and meets an old friend Eli from the summer camps she attended as a youngster. He offers a room in his house to Brynn who doesn't realise that Eli's best friend and fellow housemate is Kinsey, a girl whom she did not like from the summer camps of her youth and from their diary entries the feelings were mutual.
As the romance between Brynn and Eli blossom at the same time Kinsey has a few secrets she has withheld from Brynn and as the story moves forward their relationship feels like an emotional roller coaster ride of highs and lows for the reader.
Although the main story of romance was between Bryn and Eli, I loved the relationship between Kinsey and Deck who she keeps at arms length for reasons that all become too clear, I don't want to give any spoilers.
Brynn's two mums and Max, Eli's younger brother are also really likeable characters and as secrets and revealed and people take a chance on love the book moves towards its end. By the end I had a smile on my face and as I usually do reading Jill Shalvis books I know that it wont be long until I pick up another one.
I would give this book 4 stars - a romance novel with a bit of extra to think about.
Thanks to the publisher William Morrow Paperbacks for my review copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

An easy read with a very interesting back story. I loved both the main characters. Kinsey with her tough, no nosense and somewhat curt personality and Brynn, a sweeter soul, big hearted but with a surprising feisty nature.
Both shared a room when boading as childen and never got on with eachother but they did share a kindred spirt in Eli, thier male friend who they loved in thier own way.
Little did they know that years later after leaving school thier own misfortunes and would bring being them back together

This is a warm and funny story with a few twists along the way!!

I loved this book! The characters were great, I especially loved Kinsey who was definitely the most prickly of the group and didn't like to let anyone too close.

Brynn has just returned home to Wildstone after her personal life fell apart. Once there she bumps into Eli and then Kinsey, both of whom she used to go to summer camp with when they were all younger. Kinsey used to torment Brynn and Eli was always the peacemaker. Brynn is staying with both her Moms who love her to bits, but they do smother her, so Eli offers her a room as a lodger in his house, which she eventually accepts. Of course this was before she realised Kinsey also lived there and was Eli's best friend.

As it turns out Brynn and Kinsey are half-sisters, but Brynn doesn't know this (at first), but of course it eventually comes out and there's a lot of emotion involved for various reasons, not least of which is the fact the Kinsey is fighting a serious health issue but trying to involve her friends as little as possible.

One of the side characters, Deck (Kinsey's boyfriend - but she doesn't want to call him that or get too involved), was such a great character he should have had a book on his own!

The relationships between all the characters were great, Brynn needed to get more assertive, Kinsey needed to get less assertive and accept help more, and Eli needed to get more of a life and stop covering for Kinsey so much, and by the end of the book they had all balanced themselves out. I must admit the last Wildtone book whilst still good just didn't quite hit the usual perfect spot for me, but this one is back to Jill Shalvis at her best. A really lovely book full of humour and emotion, loved it!

I had not heard of Jill Shavis before and I was drawn in by the beautiful cover but that is where it ends. Unfortunately this book was not my cup tea and not the kind of book of I would normally read on this occasion I DNF.

Next time I will be more careful on what I pick.

Thank you netgalley for giving me the chance to try new Authors

First of all, I'm furious with myself for having not read a novel by Jill Shalvis before now. I mean, where have I been? What have I been doing? How did I not know that this author was out there writing books like this? I am SO MAD at myself for taking a chance sooner, because after reading The Summer Deal, I want to immediately buy all of Shalvis's previous books and devour them one by one.
And secondly, this was gorgeous. It reminded me very much of Sarah Morgan's books, those of which have turned out to be some of my very favourite romance novels of all time. Shalvis writes with warmth and spirit, with heart and soul, and it illuminates the words on the page, bringing them beautifully to life and in turn, filling the story with colour and breath and an energy impossible to ignore. From the moment I began reading the first page, I fell deep beneath the author's spell, reality fading around me as I lost myself to Brynn and Kinsey's stories, those of which began separately but by the end, had become intrinsically linked and in the most powerful of ways. Not only heart-warming in its emotional capacity, this was a story which was scorching with sexiness and heat, the most perfect contrast to the tenderness also found alongside it. The moments of chemistry peppered throughout The Summer Deal were almost unbearable, so intense and seductive, I'm surprised my Kindle didn't burst into flames right there in my hands. I had no idea what awaited me when I began this book, but I'm so glad now that I've read it. I'm certain I've discovered an author who I'll be returning to regularly, for more passionate romance, for more new friendships, and for more of the sheer enjoyment I felt while lost within this story.
The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis follows Brynn and Kinsey, two young and bright women both trying to find their way in the chaos of what we call life. The differences in their unique circumstances couldn't be more obvious, and in their personalities too, which only made me love the pair of them more. It swiftly comes to light that there is a history behind these two, one which goes years back and tangles and captures the women in a messy yet tender bond which both are unaware of in the present day. Through the use of diary extracts peppered throughout the book, written by both Brynn and Kinsey, readers are gifted glimpses into their shared time at summer camp as girls, and it is here that we learn of how their hostility towards each other was born, and how it only seemed to progress and grow stronger as the years went by. I adored these flashbacks in time. They really opened up the world to me in this book, and added so much emotional depth to the characters, it was difficult to think of them being anything except real. Shalvis hits just the right notes too, adding a wonderful sense of immaturity, which would obviously be expected at such a young age, that of which also added humour and a yearning for my childhood days, when the worst thing that could happen would be your childhood enemy stealing your glasses so that you were unable to see properly!
When we're not reading the diary entries from Brynn and Kinsey's time at summer camp, we're in the present day, alongside both women, as Shalvis switches narrative with each chapter change. I loved spending time with both Brynn and Kinsey because their lives were just so utterly different from each other. We follow Brynn as she tries to navigate a new, unplanned life without her ex-boyfriend who upped and left with all of her money and then some. Trying to regain her independence and confidence, a chance meeting with Eli, also a blast from the past, leads Brynn to a new place to stay, where she'll be safe from the prying eyes of her Moms who, by the way, were absolutely brilliant. We also witness Brynn as she tries to learn to trust again, with the help of Eli who was such an exquisite hero, and added a whole lot of heat and sexual tension to this story. I adored his character, and there really couldn't have been a better balm for Brynn's wounded soul. I felt that they were perfect for each other, although there were many obstacles along the way that kept them from letting their guard down with each other. This only heightened the tension though, and I loved watching the chemistry spark between them.
Things are very different for Kinsey, and she's got a whole different outlook on life to Brynn. After spending the majority of her teenage and adult life sick, she's more reluctant than anyone else to give her heart away, or put a label on anything. She believes she has an expiry date and refuses to let herself get swept away by emotions or feelings because... well, what's the point? Kinsey is sassy, fiery and has so much sarcasm ready to hand out. I loved her character and her personality glowed throughout the book. She has a secret, too. A secret she will never tell. But when her world finally collides with Brynn's, it's looking like she won't have much choice...
This was truly, truly the most wonderful, wonderful story. Focusing on friendship, love and family, it absolutely blew me away and has only made me want to go back and read absolutely everything that Jill Shalvis has ever written. This author's style is so incredibly easy to lose oneself within, and once I started, it was impossible to put this book down. Focusing on love, friendship and family, The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis was perfectly perfect in every way imaginable. The sexual-tension unbearable, the romance heart-skippingly charming, and the journey towards courage gloriously uplifting. I adored this book and I cannot wait for Jill's next one, due out in January 2021. Gah, that seems way too far away, but the best things are always worth waiting for! This book is receiving a five out of five rating from me. With thanks to the publisher for the advance reading copy of this book, that of which has no reflection on me giving a fair and honest review.

This read is as gorgeous as the cover.
I have loved it, this is a beautiful read.
I haven’t wanted to put this one down and have devoured this in just one sitting.