"The characters pull you in and don't let go!"
Reviewed by Miranda Owen
Posted June 28, 2015
Romance Contemporary
SECOND CHANCE SUMMER is Book two in the Cedar Ridge
series by Jill Shalvis. Apart from the romance itself,
SECOND CHANCE SUMMER revolves around the quirky group of
siblings and half-siblings that make up the Kincaid
family. The love that Aidan has with his close-knit
family is just as powerful as the love and connection
that develops between him and Lily. SECOND CHANCE SUMMER
is perfect for readers who enjoy "second chance at love"
stories. For me, the history that Aidan and Lily have
adds a wonderful depth to their romance.
Aidan Kincaid, like his half-brother Hudson, is a hottie
with plenty of pathos. Being a hero is what he does for a
living as a rescue worker, but I think for him it's also
a mindset. Jill Shalvis does a great job of digging into
Aidan's past and creating a character with many layers.
His sense of guilt and responsibility when it comes to
his family -- no matter how normally great their
relationship may be -- is something that weighs heavily on
him even if he doesn't admit it. Lily Danville, while not
exactly a damsel in distress, is going through a major
transition in her life and also knows about guilt and
responsibility. The major obstacle to Lily and Aidan's
romance is their inability to communicate effectively.
Aidan's ability to make himself vulnerable for the sake
of love is endearing and very sexy.
I find Aidan's family relationships to be a fascinating
backdrop to the romance. I love how he kids around with
his brothers, and that adds humor to the story, but they
are always there for each other when it's important. Some
of the scenes between Aidan and Hudson are particularly
poignant and compelling. These side stories involving
Aidan's family don't distract in any way from the romance
but add to the richness of the story. The storyline
involving Lily and her guilt over the death of her
sister, as well as her father, show what a flawed and
complex character she is.
SECOND CHANCE SUMMER is sexy and packs a powerful
emotional punch. This is a great book for anyone who
loves character-driven romances with flawed yet likable
characters. I couldn't put this book down until the end --
I had to find out how things worked out for Aidan and
Lily. The characters pull you into SECOND CHANCE SUMMER
and don't let go. I can't wait to see what's in store for
Aidan's siblings in future books -- especially Hudson.
SUMMARY
RESCUE ME Cedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air,
clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it's the
last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a
job,
and there's an opening at the hottest resort in her
hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot
property
in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid-firefighter, rescue worker,
and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating
smile . . . The Kincaid brothers are as rough and rugged as the Rocky
Mountains they call home. Aidan has always done things
his
own way, by his own rules. And never has he regretted
anything more than letting Lily walk out of his life ten
years ago. If anyone has ever been in need of rescuing,
she
has. What she needs more than anything are long hikes,
slow
dances, and sizzling kisses. But that can only happen if
he
can get her to give Cedar Ridge-and this bad boy-a second
chance . . .
Excerpt“Come here,” he said.
“I’m right here.”
“Closer.”
She walked into his arms. He pulled her in and kissed her.
He kissed her
until he knew he’d taken it as far as he could without
tearing off that
pretty sundress right then and there, and only then did he
lift his head.
“Oh,” she breathed, staggering back a step, clearly trying
to play it cool—
which might have worked if her eyes weren’t dilated and the
pulse at the
base of her throat wasn’t going apeshit crazy.
He gave a slow smile and pulled her back in, not hard for
him to do, since
she already had a grip on his shirt like he was her lifeline
and she was
going down for the count.
She cleared her throat. “So you showed up all Captain
America to save the
day, and now what? I jump into bed with you? Was that your
plan?”
“Yeah,” he said, “but in my version we didn’t talk this much.”
“A full-service rescue then,” she said evenly.
He tried a cajoling smile. “I’m really good at full service.”
“Do you really think this is a good idea?”
He laughed softly and let his mouth brush over her temple
and then her ear,
which caused her to shiver. “Of course it’s not a good idea.
Or we’d have
gone for it already.
But sometimes the bad ideas turn out to be the best ideas of
all.”
“Yeah?” she asked. “Name one.”
“Bringing out your keys from the convenience store after the
postcard
display demolition.”
She let out a soft laugh and fisted her hands in his hair.
“So what now? We really going to try this out?”
Were they? He’d promised himself he wouldn’t give her a
chance to devastate
him again. But somehow over the past few weeks he’d lost
sight of keeping
his heart safe and moved onto wanting to heal her heart.
“I’m game.”
She hesitated so long he took a step back from her and
prepared himself to
leave. But her hand came out and gripped his. “You’re
wearing too many
clothes,” she said softly.
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