Sandy M’s review of Rumor Has It (Animal Magnetism, Book 4) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 5 Nov 13

I can’t tell you how much I love Jill Shalvis. This Animal Magnetism series has been such wonderful fun to read. As much as I’ve enjoyed all the characters and their predicaments – along with the cute and lovable animals – what has kept me glued to the pages once I start reading is the humor. I’ve definitely laughed out loud throughout each story, which gives me more of a homey, family feeling with these folks in Sunshine, Idaho.

We’ve met Griffin and Kate before in the series. He’s Holly’s (Rescue My Heart) brother and she’s Holly’s best friend. Kate has been crushing on Grif since she was ten years old, and now her womanly wants have taken over, grown into something deeper and truer, and this really comes home to her when suddenly Grif is back in Sunshine, right before her eyes. After she’s fallen on her butt, her pride a bit wounded. Griffin shows concern, makes sure Kate is okay, and promptly walks away after she spouts a few scientific facts that get a smile or two out of him.

See, Holly has warned Grif to keep his mitts to himself. She believes Kate is super vulnerable right now and doesn’t need her brother’s love’em and leave’em act. And when Kate is nervous, which she always is around this sexy and built military man? Her mouth takes over, spewing forth any and every bit of scientific nonsense housed in her brain. She’s a second-grade teacher (despite what the blurb says), and twenty of those little people have nothing on Grif when it comes to her nerves. Those are just plain old fun scenes between them when this happens.

Kate finally decides to conquer those nerves and goes for what she wants – Grif. If all she can have is one night of absolute bliss, so be it. She’ll take it. What she doesn’t bank on is Gif’s determination to be as much a gentleman as possible where she’s concerned, and it takes a bit before his restraint is snapped. And when it is? Hoo boy, sizzle, fire, flames, smoke, the whole kit and caboodle smoldering off the pages. Then the turnaround when it’s Kate who pulls back, happy she got her one night, and it’s Grif who’s looking for and wanting more, lots more fun, though Grif might beg to differ with me. Not that Kate doesn’t want more too, but she knows he’ll be gone soon and she now has her memories to sustain her as much as possible.

We also get to meet both characters’ families, which are as different as night and day. Kate’s family is close-knit, consisting of her younger brother and sister and father. Her mother died a few years ago and her dad is still having a hard time keeping himself and his kids’ lives going. Thus, it’s Kate who stops by every day to make sure they’re all fed and looked after. I love Tommy, her little brother. And I love how he relates to Grif and vice versa. Grif’s family is his dad and Holly. He and Holly are close, but the relationship with his father is strained at best, and just when it looks like they may patch things up to a degree, the bottom falls out and Grif is set adrift, which also causes problems between him and Kate. You gotta love the alpha male for who he is, but when he gets a bug up his butt, you need a heroine like Kate to finally knock some sense into him.

I’m very glad there’s a fifth book in this series in the works, Then Came You, due out next year. I haven’t been able to read Ms. Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor series, so I’m determined to keep up to date with this one. I hope there’s even more to come after Then Came You. She’s one of my absolutely favorite authors, and I’d sit down and read back to back every book of hers I have in the monstrous TBR mountain if I had the time. Barring that, I won’t miss any of these Animal Magnetism books and I’ll be first in line for any new series in the future.

Grade: A+ 

Summary:

He’ll help unleash the new woman in her…

Special Ops soldier Griffin Reid doesn’t exactly have happy memories of growing up in Sunshine, Idaho. He’s only come back to recover from a war injury, and while he refuses to admit he’s in a weakened state, he finds comfort in the last person he’d expect.

Kate Evans teaches fourth grade science in Sunshine, the place she’s always called home. Dreaming of graduate school and a happily-ever-after, she’s desperate to break out of the monotony of Sunshine. Luckily, a certain sexy man has just come back into her life.

To Griffin, Kate as always been his little sister’s friend, but now he’s finding her to be so much more. As both attempt to forge their paths, they must decide if their passionate connection can turn into something lasting…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: