I'll start by saying that I'm probably a little biased because I am a big fan of the author already.
Her books are always so easy and fun to read.

This is another Shalvis classic written in her typical style.

I felt at times that the chemistry between the characters was a little lacking and the story fell a little flat at times (hence the 4 star rating) but it was still enjoyable.

4.5 - "Life’s too short for bullshit." Stars!

We return to Wildstone for book seven in the series; Love for Beginners giving us Simon, Emma & Alison’s stories. All of them get a POV and as with the books in the series all of them are linked together.

"I’m off men."

Simon and Alison are cousins, Alison and Emma are frenemies and business partners, and Emma and Simon are working towards being a couple, but with him being her PT after her life changing accident, things are a little complex. Doesn’t help that neither of them thinks they are worthy of a loving relationship. Alison is also carrying a trailer of her own baggage around as well so it’s quite the story!

Surely there was more to life than just trying to survive it…

I think one of the things I love about this series is that each story usually deals with three of my least favourite things in books; heavy issues/life changing events, familial drama and the inevitable angst that is the fall-out from those things in such a way that I don’t really feel like that’s what I am reading. Jill may have stepped away from the light-hearted contemporary romance a bit with Wildstone, but it still has all of her trademark humour and self-depreciating characters that you don’t feel bummed out from what you are reading, there are still a few giggles, funny situations and adding pets is always a win too, and you get a couple of gems in this instalment.

"You make me smile. You make me laugh. You make my day…"

Lots going on, lots of secondary characters, and a storyline you can’t help but be invested in it’s outcome for all of them. I’d love a Christmas novella on how Ryan and Alison initially got together, so I hope that the author has plans for that at some point, it was referenced a few times in LfB, and I think it would make a perfect seasonal read.

So this story is about Emma, who has just come out of a year in rehab, after spending the two months previous in a coma. Her life is now a complete mess, her fiancé is having sex with her best friend, she struggles to get into her new apartment building on the second floor (stairs are her new nemesis), and no one will hire her because she’s been out of work for a year. She’s determined to start life as a new Emma 2.0 but life just keeps throwing obstacles at her.

Luckily in her corner is Simon, her PT and the one who found the apartment for her. He’s also one of the three POVs in the book and is dealing with his own problems. Mainly that he’s struggling between his responsibilities to his father, and his own wishes to quit the family business and be a full time PT. He’s also forming a strong attraction to Emma which goes against his professional instincts.

Our last POV is Allison, a woman who had a rough childhood and is now struggling to open herself up. She’s lost the man she loves because she was unwilling to make the effort with his family, and she desperately wants him back and decides that to do that, she needs to change and make friends! Unfortunately things aren’t quite that easy.

So we’re up to book seven in the Wildstone series and honestly this series is so good at melding the emotions and growth of several characters in one book. I love this more women’s fiction bent to Jill Shalvis’ books, she definitely excels at it and I’m eager to see more by her.

What I most enjoyed about this one was seeing how all their lives intertwined with one another and I adored seeing their relationships grow–especially the budding friendship between Allison and Emma. There was a lot of animosity to begin with but it was lovely seeing them grow closer and finally putting the past behind them.

I wasn’t as convinced by the romance which seemed a bit forced to me. Simon is pretty taken with Emma right from the start, and Emma is very taken…with his muscles. It also kind of weirded me out a little that he’s actually her PT and is pretty important to her recovery. I felt a relationship between them was a bit taboo, but then it’s pointed out in the book that he’s not her doctor, or psychiatrist so I think it might have just been a me problem haha. Also Simon was a little too perfect and patient at times for me 😂

I have to give a shout out to the doggy stars in this book! I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved Hog, the emotional support dog who really isn’t. I just wanted to give him a huge hug through the pages! He sounds like my sort of dog 😂

Overall if you’re looking for a sweet, emotional journey to recovery and a new life, Love for Beginners is a wonderful choice. There’s friendship, romance and a wonderful message that it’s never too late to start over and make your life better.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Emma is starting her life again, after an accident left her in a coma and rehabilitation for over a year.

Simon is her her physical therapist, has his own issues to battle, one of which was giving up on his dreams, so that he could carry out a promise to his mother to care for his father, if the need arose. So after his father had two strokes, Simon had to move in with him.

Working two jobs, doesn’t give him much time for himself. Alison, his cousin, is more a workaholic than him. He feels Emma had more to give to herself than she is right now.

Soon Emma and Alison are running the doggie day care in town, and things start to change between them, with the help of their dogs, a Chihuahua and a St. Bernard.

But where does Simon fit into this?

Emma is rebuilding her life after being in rehab for the last year, recovering from being hit by a car. while she was away, her fiance left her for her best friend. Her new place to live was found by her physical therapist, Simon.

As she tries to make her way back to how she was, she realises that is not what she wants anymore. With new goals and dreams she sets out to get what she wants - Simon and taking over the business where she works.

A great read - I liked how that parts of the book are also told from other points of view.