Almost Just Friends (Wildstone, #4)

by Jill Shalvis

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Upon turning 30, Piper decided her "job" raising her siblings was complete. Her brother was off in Arizona with a career, and her sister had almost earned her college degree. Now, Piper would be able to sell her grandparents' property, and begin her own life. However, her siblings' return to Wildstone, and Piper's attraction to the neighbor's son, may force her to alter her plans.

I say this every time, but I am saying it again! I will never NOT want to read a Jill Shalvis book, because plain and simple, her books make me happy. She always packs them with great characters, fantastic romance, and a multitude of feels.

One of the things I have grown to LOVE about this, the Wildstone series, is her focus on family. Each book has featured a pretty special clan, and I got that once again in Almost Just Friends. It was fantastic seeing the Manning family unpack all their baggage, while finding their way to themselves and to each other.

The Manning family members shared an interesting dynamic. After their parents died, Piper, the eldest sibling, was sort of forced to be the de facto parent. She put her siblings' needs before her own, and basically was their mother. I watched her struggle with choosing to abandon her family or her dreams, and the entire situation required Piper to assume a whole new role in her siblings lives. It was time for her to stop being their parent, and start being their sister. It was really beautiful watching these three work through all their issues. They confronted their past, their present, and their future, and they did it together.

I was also treated to not one, but TWO romances, and I am telling you right now, I was delighted by both of them.

Cam and Piper were two wounded people, who did not tend to allow others into their lives. But, for some reason, they were able to open up to one another in a way they couldn't with other people. This lust at first sight attraction quickly turned into something deeper and real, and I was 100% on board with it. The pair were fire together, and watching Cam, slowly, break down Piper's defenses made me really happy, because it was so easy to see how well they fit together.

Now, the other romance was my favorite kind - second chance! I absolutely needed these two to happen. I cannot believe how important it was for me. I was bent on them working through their past, because I saw such a wonderful future for them. Shalvis treated me to so many beautiful and tender moments between these two, and because I can never stop rooting for love, I found myself excited about every small step they took back to each other.

Shalvis did such a beautiful job blending the two romances in with the family drama. It all flowed so well, and, as always, the balance of romance, drama, and humor was perfect. There were many fun moments, accompanied by many touching and heartfelt moments. And, from me, there was laughter, tears, and swoons.

Overall: Another fantastic addition to a series that gets better and better with every book.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS