Redonk Nutshell: Wayward heroine finds herself attracted to town’s stoic sheriff

I’ve been pushing myself to read more contemporary romance, and I snagged this after seeing so many good reviews of it.

Wild child Chloe has always been a free-spirit.  She’s helping her sisters run a B&B in Lucky Harbor, and she recently has found herself struggling with her feelings of settling down.  She wants to, but it terrifies her.  Sheriff Sawyer has been trying to push aside his attraction to Chloe, knowing that they are like oil and water: she craves spontaneity, he predictability.  But the fates have other things in mind, and before long these two tumble head first into each other at every turn.

I’ll say this – I did enjoy this story.  It’s happy-go-lucky and sweet.  However, this was my first Lucky Harbor read, and it was clear to me that I probably would have had more emotional investment in the main characters had I known more about what happened in the first novels.  That’s not to say you can’t enjoy Head Over Heels on its own – you definitely can.  There was just a little, I don’t know, something missing for me that I was expecting from such a heralded book.

I’m definitely going to be checking out more of Jill Shalvis’s books.  I enjoyed her style.  It’s laid back and realistic, with enough humor and gush to make it truly endearing.

Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis,  400 pgs, 12/1/11

Rating: C+

Romance:  3.5/5               Raunch: 2/5