Second Chance Summer: A romantic, feel-good read, perfect for summer (Cedar Ridge, #1)

by Jill Shalvis

Fans of Jill Mansell, Debbie Macomber, Nora Roberts and Marie Force will fall head over heels for the new Cedar Ridge series from New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis, featuring her trademark gift for humour, warmth and romance.

What do you do when you run into the man who broke your heart?

Lily's been back in Cedar Ridge for less than ten minutes when she bumps into Aidan, the former love of her life. So much for sneaking back into town unnoticed. And thanks to frizzy hair and armfuls of junk food, she's turning his head for all the wrong reasons.

No one knows why Lily is home after ten years, and she's determined to stay no longer than the summer. But Cedar Ridge and Aidan have other ideas. As they set about persuading Lily to give them a second chance, she finds herself falling under the spell of the Colorado mountains ... and the one man she could never forget.

Want more warm, funny romance? Visit spellbinding Lucky Harbor or experience some Animal Magnetism in Sunshine, Idaho in Jill's other unforgettable series.

• ISBN10: 1472222997
• ISBN13: 9781472222992
• Publish Date: 30 July 2015 (first published 30 June 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
• Imprint: Headline Eternal
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[nitzan_schwarz]

YOU CAN ALSO FIND THIS REVIEW AND MORE ON MY BLOG

Y'all must already know I adore Jill Shalvis. She is a queen of romance - and Second Chance Summer has all her signature traits - great characters that are fun to read of, whether it be the main characters or the supporting cast, funny banter and great small town setting.

That being said, I wasn't as enthralled as I usually am by this novel. I'm not sure what it was really, because it had all those things I normally love about her.

Maybe it was because Lily and Aidan had history together that we didn't really get to see, but effected their current relationship. There was a lot of things they knew about each other that we didn't get to see them find out, and so while logically I knew they had probably learned that ten years ago, in that period we're barely privy to, it also felt like a cope-out. Like, all those wonderful parts of building a relationship were robbed from us.

Maybe it's just me.

This was probably why I felt like the "I love you"s came too early and with little basis. It's because these two characters were in love before, but we didn't get to see it!

While this will not be the first book of Shalvis I recommend someone to read, if you already love her you're bound to enjoy it.

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Original Thoughts
(show spoiler)[
3.5
The usual brand of Shalvis romance - great characters and chemistry, as well as a supporting cast, but I just wasn't as enthralled as usually. And the "I love You"s came a little too early for me, with too little basis for them. It would've been better if maybe we'd have seen more of their shared history, aside for simply knowing they had it and it was effecting the present.
] (hide spoiler)

[Rowena]

Another good one from Shalvis. Full review to come.

[Linda]

Second Chance Summer is yet another winner from Shalvis! Amazing characters, a great story, and red-hot romance filled with both hope and a little dose of fear.

This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews

[Cocktails and Books]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.



In Second Chance Summer, Shalvis introduces us to a brand new series, a new community, and a new family to fall in love with. This book definitely lives up to the high expectations I have for Shalvis’ work and I want Aidan for my new book boyfriend.

This new adventure take us to Cedar Ridge, CO where we meet the Kincaid family, an irreverent group that is impossible not to like. We specifically meet Aidan, the second oldest, a true Alpha, man’s man and real hero. We also meet Lily, a wounded bird that has come home after a 10 year absence. Lily and Aidan knew each other in high school and had a budding romance before tragedy struck and sent her leaving town. A professional disaster has brought her home even though it’s the last place she wants to be.

Elements of Second Chance Summer are classic Shalvis and there are no real surprises in the book, but the approach is fresh enough that it doesn’t feel repetitive. I loved that Aidan so obviously still cared about Lily and looked after her even when she was trying to push him away. His care taker personality was refreshing and unexpected given his career choices and family history. Lily’s personal growth was sweet to watch. She came back to town with so many issues to deal with and she was able to do that and find her happy.

This was a quick read, well written, and fun. My first visit to Cedar Ridge was a great trip and I am looking forward to coming back to see what the other Kincaid siblings are up to next.This book was reviewed by a member of the review staff at Cocktails and Books. The name of the reviewer can be found under the post categories.

[stacey_is_sassy]

For safety reasons, checking firewood for snakes, spiders and bunnies is essential...

You know how some authors mention they are putting out a new series and you start jumping up and down, nearly breaking your computer to get to the pre-order screen? Jill Shalvis is one of those authors for me. I know I will form a connection with her characters that will put a smile on my face and a glow in my cheeks. Well, this little ducky got an email from Ms Shalvis’s virtual assistant asking me (little ole me) to read and review Second Chance Summer. To say I was excited would be an understatement. I was ringing people, sending messages and gloating (just a little) to friends and family of my good fortune. This was a HUGE deal for me. I was determined to be objective and removed my fangirl hat for the job…halfway through though, that hat was back on. Jill Shalvis knows her stuff.

This story is about a second chance at love between main characters Lily and Aidan. Lily has been trying to move on from the grief of losing her sister Ashley and her father who both died within a week of each other. She left her hometown of Cedar Ridge for 10 years to become a beautician/hair dresser. When she loses her job and has to come home, Lily is not only facing her guilty yet misguided feeling of causing her sister’s death, she also has to face the one man she has always had feelings for, Aidan Kincaid. Aidan was devastated when Lily left without a backward glance. He moved on to become a firefighter and rescue worker, but never forgot his budding feelings for Lily. Aidan and Lily meet again and the feelings are still strong.

I absolutely loved the family dynamics in this story. Aiden, his brother Gray and wife Penny, twin brothers Hudson and Jacob and little sister Kenna along with their mother Char make up the Kincaid’s. They manage to support each other while having some fun with a lot of teasing and a few fights as well. Lily hasn’t had the same familial support as Aiden and it takes her some time to get used to having them in her life.

We get to see both Lily and Aiden in their work environments which give us some good laughs but also makes this story realistic. Lily has a great friend who provides her a with job doing what she loves and it was funny seeing Aiden come back for regular head massages and treatments just to spend time with her. We also get to read about the stress and demands of Aiden’s job and the risks he and his colleagues take to save lives. Jill Shalvis is maybe not doing their profession any favours by making it sound so appealing to have these sexy men coming and save you. I might think about climbing a mountain to get rescued if Aiden or one of his mates came to rescue me.

This book left me on a high with a new group of characters to love. Second Chance Summer was a great story about love, trust and commitment and I definitely can’t wait to read about more of the Kincaid family.

This review and more can be found at http://edgyreviews.com/

[thebookdisciple]

Cute, sweet, typical Jill Shalvis romance. I enjoyed it! I would read more in the series for sure! If you have liked other Jill Shalvis books, you will like this one as well!