Thursday, November 17, 2011

Christmas in Lucky Harbor and Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis

Christmas in Lucky Harbor is an omnibus containing the first two “Lucky Harbor” stories Simply Irresistible and The Sweetest Thing.  These books tell the story of three estranged half-sisters that are brought together after their mothers’ death to figure out what to do with the inn that she left to the three of them.

Simply Irresistible is the story of the middle sister Maddie aka the Mouse.  Maddie comes to Lucky Harbor after being fired for spilling hot coffee in the lap of her abusive ex.   She hopes to make a new start in Lucky Harbor and with her sisters Tara aka the Steel Magnolia and Chloe aka the Wild Child.  She meets and falls for Jax the town mayor and master renovation contractor.

The Sweetest Thing is Tara aka the Steel Magnolia and oldest sisters story.  Once upon a time about seventeen years earlier Tara had visited her mother at the Lucky Harbor Inn.  She met and fell in lust with a bad boy named Ford.  She lost her virginity and got pregnant.  She had the child but gave it up for adoption.  Coming back to Lucky Harbor she is a very different person and so is Ford.  Tara is now divorced from a NASCAR driver and Ford has made a name for himself in the boat racing world.  Tara and Ford get to meet the daughter they created together and have to come to terms with what they feel for each other now.

Head Over Heels is Chloe aka the Wild Child’s story.  As the youngest and with the Wild Child nickname Chloe has a lot to overcome if she wants be accepted as an adult by her sisters and the oh so sexy sheriff. 

I liked these stories.  They were funny and poignant and sweet.  I think my favorite has to be Head Over Heels.  Jax in Simply Irresistible is too perfect.  Smart, sexy, sweet, patient, kind, and oh comfortably well off.  I loved how Ford and Tara grew in The Sweetest Thing and that Ford could be as big an ass as the next guy (testosterone wise) but he too is smart, sexy, sweet, patient, kind, and oh comfortably well off.  In Head Over Heels Sawyer is smart, sexy, sweet, very patient, and kind, but a regular working stiff. I think I could relate to him more.

Fans of Susan Mallery will love these books too.

No comments: