Simply Irresistible: Number 1 in series (Lucky Harbor, #1)

by Jill Shalvis

Maddie Moore's whole life needs a makeover.

In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision) but rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother-a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Starting over won't be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career, if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.

The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes - and mouth - are making it hard for her to remember that she's sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie's struggles to overcome the past, though she's about to discover that there's no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.

• ISBN10: 044657161X
• ISBN13: 9780446571616
• Publish Date: 4 November 2010 (first published 1 January 2010)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 5 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Forever
• Format: Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

Simply Irresistible was a pretty cute, if predictable, small town Romance. Maddie is fresh out of an abusive relationship, lost her job, and just inherited a seaside inn from her free-spirited, mostly absent mother. She's looking to get her life together and do something for her. So of course, she's upset when her sisters want to sell the inn rather than fixing it up and running it like their late mother wanted. She has nothing to go back to if this doesn't work out. Plus, there's Jax, the sexy handyman she almost killed on her way into town.

Simply Irresistible is a pretty standard Contemporary Romance complete with a clumsy heroine, too perfect hero, family secrets, and quirky neighbors. I did enjoy the insta-lust. Maddie and Jax constantly getting interrupted was pretty funny too. You never knew if they would be getting it on or not! I also enjoyed seeing Maddie's relationship with her half-sisters grow. They're each very different and have their own reasons for staying or going. I loved their Charlie Brown Christmas tree! Although that ends up being not such a good idea later on.

As for the side plots, they were simply predictable. Jax is keeping a secret from Maddie, which I didn't entirely guess, but I did figure out what it was in relation to. It becomes obvious early on that Maddie's older sister Tara is also hiding something, which I did guess. Her book is next, but I'm not at all interested in reading it. Her secret isn't one that I tend to care about, and I'm sure it'll be brought up as she falls in love herself. However, I did believe Maddie's hesitation in officially being with Jax. She's still healing from being abused by her previous boyfriend and that's not something you can just shut off. This does cause a "break up" but one that I wasn't irritated by.

In the end, I liked Simply Irresistible. There's nothing special about it, but it was a quick read with a dose of holiday cheer. I didn't fall in love with the setting or the other characters though, so it's not likely that I'll invest anymore time into this series.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[leelu92]

Loved this book! Funny, sweet and steamy. I'm really looking forward to this series!

[nitzan_schwarz]

To read more reviews and fun things go to my blog; Drugs Called Books!

This was so damn cute. I was grinning stupidly half of the book, with my heart clenching the other half.
There were just so many things I liked about this book. First of all, the writing style. I don't know exactly what it is, but I loved it.
Second, the characters. Each and every one of them were just plain awesome. I loved Maddie and Jax, I loved Tara and Chloe and Ford (didn't get too much of the sheriff guy to have an opinion on him), I loved their mother's cards (they were very amusing) and the town.
I also adored Jax's personality and the fact that--thank god--he told her his secrets. It took time, like with the lawyer and note thingy, but he told her. She didn't have to be clued in by someone else, and then have a great scene about it. He earned his honesty and her love.
And most of all, even when they did have scenes, it didn't last long - because both of them knew they belong together.
This was a great, great read and I just loved it.
Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

[Linda]

Funny, light (and at times not so light) romance. With real people I could understand. Some really nice steam, and a feeling of morish in the end.

[Cocktails and Books]

Absolutely loved it! Can't wait for Tara and Ford's story.