Nobody But You (Cedar Ridge, #3)

by Jill Shalvis

[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
WOW - Shalvis has outdone herself with Nobody But You! Jacob and Sophie are such great characters, even if they were both pretty closed off to the world at the beginning of the story. Sweet, tender, sexy, humourous and sometimes a little sad, I couldn't stop reading, and I loved every moment.



I really didn't think any of the Kincaid siblings would appeal to me more than Hud did, but Jacob managed to steal the first place in my reading heart! Because he was a little bit broken from the war, but also because he was very sensitive and straight-forward, I fell for him even faster than Sophie did! Nobody But You is a beautiful love story, and I have to say the romance Gods must have been with Shalvis while she wrote this. The two main characters are flawed, but they are also strong and wonderful in many ways. I loved Sophie's sassiness, and the way that made Jacob laugh, especially because he could hardly remember what it was like to laugh anymore.

While Nobody But You is part of the Cedar Ridge series, it can be read as a stand-alone, because Sophie and Jacob manage to keep the story moving forward on their own, even if there is plenty of interactions with other characters as well. Sophie impressed me in many ways, but most of all because she was stubborn. About making it after her ugly divorce, about living on a boat even though it made her sea-sick. About finding her way when it came to her profession, and also because while she kept telling herself she wasn't made for love, she realized that having a fling with Jacob might very well involve her heart. Jacob touched me deeply as well, between being on leave because he lost the soldier who was closest to him to coming home and dealing with Hud's hostility, I felt so bad for him! And at the same time, it was very easy to see where Hud was coming from as well.

Written in third person point of view, past tense, but with dialogues that are both witty and hot, Nobody But You is the kind of contemporary romance I love to find myself reading. And one of the very few I am likely to re-read as well. If you haven't read Shalvis yet, this just might be the perfect book to start with, and if you have, you will fall into step with Sophie and Jacob as if you already know them, and they will take you on a tender and romantic ride.



"Fan-fricking-tastic. Only way today could get better is if I were scheduled for an appendectomy. Without drugs. In a third-world country."
Snark and a bad 'tude, like she wouldn't hesitate to kick someone's ass if needed to. Didn't get hotter than that.

Not that she'd run here from the lake. Nope, the only time Sophie did any running was if a bear was chasing her, and that hardly ever happened.

When he'd walked away all those years ago, he'd been a self-righteous, selfish prick. He didn't want to be that guy anymore. He had no idea what kind of a man he'd be instead, but it was past time to find out.