Sandy M’s review of One in a Million (Lucky Harbor, Book 12) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance published by Grand Central 14 Oct 14
I love Jill Shalvis’ sense of humor. The way this book begins is simply terrific and will have you smiling, which will last to the very last page. Callie has come home to Lucky Harbor after being left at the alter and to check on her grandmother, Lucille, who is the town’s lovable gossip and matchmaker. She stands gazing at the ocean, munching on her favorite ranch-flavored popcorn, and is talking to herself. She doesn’t realize someone is right behind her, listening in. Wonderful opening scene when playfully Tanner pipes up in response to her ruminations.
Callie no longer believes in love, but she’s learned her lessons when it comes to weddings and romance, so much so she started TyingtheKnot.com and daily deals with manic and panicked brides. In between the bridezillas she has to figure out what her grandmother has been up to, since her parents sent her to Lucky Harbor to decide if the woman needs to go into a senior home. Grandma just likes to have a good time, knows her social media and how to use it, and only wants Callie to be happy. She’s convinced Tanner will make her granddaughter very happy and never misses an opportunity to get them together.
Being a father has caused Tanner to slow down in his adrenaline-crazy life to become a responsible father and partner in Lucky Harbor Cruise Charters with his best friends. Troy now lives in town, so Tanner is doing his best to reassure his son that he loves him and wants to be part of his life. Those scenes with Tanner and Troy are some of the best in the book, even when Troy knows he’s in trouble. Other wonderful scenes are those when Tanner and Callie meet up for their morning donuts and coffee. They eventually fall into a friends-with-benefits relationship, wearing blinders when it comes to the true nature of their feelings.
Usually I’m not happy when a heroine takes a long time to turn the corner toward love, but when it’s Jill Shalvis, I figure the longer that takes, the longer the book will last. All of her characters are charming and intriguing, full of fun, honest and honorable. They go through a life that is everyday like yours and mine, navigating exactly what we do. I would be more than happy to be friends of any of them, living in Lucky Harbor to partake of the love and happiness that Ms. Shalvis so effortlessly pens to the page.
For her fans, with this book it’s the end of the Lucky Harbor series. Sad, yes. But we all know it won’t take long before we’re once again reading her timeless stories that make us happy no matter what’s going on in our lives.
Grade: A
Summary:
As the brains behind wedding site TyingTheKnot.com, Callie sees it all: from the ring to the dress, the smiles . . . to the tears. It’s that last part that keeps her single and not looking. Getting left at the altar will do that to a girl. But when Callie returns to her old hometown, she finds that her sweet high school crush is sexier than ever. And he makes it hard to remember why she’s sworn off love . . .
Tanner is a deep-sea diver with a wild, adrenaline-junkie past-and now his teenage son is back in his life. How can Tanner be a role model when he’s still paying for his own mistakes? It’s hard enough that gorgeous Callie has appeared in town like a beautiful dream, challenging his best-laid plans to keep his heart on lockdown. Though there’s something about being around her again that makes him feel like he can be the man she-and his son-deserve. Little Lucky Harbor holds their past; can it hold a beautiful new future?
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
