A mindless, quick chick lit. ( )

With that GORGEOUS summery cover calling your name, how can you possibly resist a trip back to Wildstone? For readers, the obvious answer is YES...but for the characters...you might want to see exactly what they're stepping into, and why running the other way SERIOUSLY crossed their minds...

Once upon a time, they were tight as tight could be. Brother and sisters of the heart, they knew bloodlines were not all that made someone family, but when tragedy struck, guilt was taken unnecessarily, and deep seated insecurities rear their ugly heads...well, it's easier to run than to face your fears, right? Thing is...you can only run so far, so fast...and eventually it all catches up to you. Grant it, you don't anticipate the catch up time being your life's anchor's wedding, but hey...it WAS coming! Why not face it with pizazz?! Can I just say prepare for fireworks of ALL kinds? Yeah, SO MANY kinds because things are about to come to a boiling point and where there's steam, you're bound to find fire...

The connection these four had is enviable, but the state we find them in...so much less so. Don't worry, things begin to get sorted, but definitely not before they get much MUCH messier. We get the skinny on events as they unfold from all four of our main characters, which certainly gives us a well rounded picture to play with. Cat is their anchor; she always knew how to draw them together and make things right, but even she's out of sorts at the moment with the wedding (that really shouldn't be because though I love the puppers, Dillion was not growing on me). Heather is definitely the heart, but her reluctance to share her own hiccups over the last few years broke mine. Maze was a wild card, and though she hasn't truly settled her competitive streak, nor her take it all to heart ways, she's definitely grown...and still carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Walker doesn't really have room to talk because HELLO...dude took off and ensconced himself in brick walls of another variety (military, FBI, the works!)...but he did keep in touch with most of them, so there is that. She plus he is also a highly volatile combination...as in hearts have been broken and could still break further, but they could also be the best thing that ever happened to each other if given the proper chance.

So many roads to travel, but all of them made better with true friends, true family by your side...and these four know that lesson inside and out. A great add to the series, and a great read for Contemporary Romance fans! If you've not picked up a Wildstone book, or a work by this author for that matter, you don't know what you're missing!


**copy received for review; opinions are my own ( )

Love the Wildstone Series! - Stories that are not just romance but also delve into the complex relationships of family and friends. The Forever Girl is an emotional, heartwarming & romantic story about four foster siblings who are reunited years after being torn apart by a tragedy. As always, Jill Shalvis drew me in to the town and the characters with a story that I couldn't put down till the end. I'm looking forward to more books in this series. ( )

I think I like Jill Shavis better when she's being hysterically funny. There was nothing wrong with this book which is more women's lit than romance (there is romance, but it's pretty serious). It's a quick read with some interesting characters. Maze is a little whiney, but she does grow up some. Walker is fine, but the Caitlin/Dillon stuff was just sad. I really wanted more about Heather, Sammie, and Jace because I found their romance (Heather is the single mother of Sammie and her romance is with Jace - I realized how weird that sentence sounded) the most interesting.
There are angst and drama and some real tragedy, and it's all fine, a quick read, but not my favorite. ( )

I've become a huge fan of the Wildstone series and this book is the latest addition to it. I started this series (although I say series loosely...as far as I can tell the only thing that connects each book is Wildstone itself) in the middle and I'm completely hooked at this point. Each book has featured characters that I cannot help but care about with storylines that keep me turning the pages. In this book, we meet Maze, Cat, Walker, and Heather who all spent one wonderful year together as kids but that year ended in a horrible tragedy. As adults they are still dealing with the fallout of that year and their relationships with one another. Maze and Walker have always had a certain chemistry to their relationship but for better or worse things have kept them apart. Oh but how I adored watching them work towards trying to find their happy ending together. They both had a lot of deep rooted issues that came from their childhood and being a part of the foster care system. What made this book really great for me though was besides these two great characters we also had both Cat and Heather. I spent my entire time reading this book rooting for Maze and Walker but also for Cat and Heather to figure out their relationships as well. I'm trying not to say too much here but there was a lot going on for all of these characters. I honestly could have read a book that focused just on Heather and a certain someone and their relationship. I won't say more than that. And while this book had a serious side due to all of the issues that these characters were dealing with (like things from their past and that shared tragedy), this book also had me laughing out loud at times. The bachelorette party scene was absolutely priceless! At this point, I've enjoyed this series so much that I instantly add the next upcoming book to my TBR after finishing the latest book. I really need to grab the earlier books in this series and catch up on them as well. I think that fans of contemporary romance and women's fiction especially shouldn't sleep on this series. It's so good and just the perfect blend of romance and relationships! Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: Another great addition to what has become one of my favorite romance series!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. Honest thoughts are my own.

CW: Loss of a sibling, abuse, loss, foster care, trust issues ( )