Would you like an ARC?
That's an advanced reader copy, aka, this book's not out yet, but we have review copies, aka, wait, this paper feels kinda weird.
Jill Shalvis and her publisher have offered up 10 digital review copies via NetGalley, and 10 print review copies via The Post Office, should you wish to win.
Do you wish to win? Sure, why not, right?
Here's some info about the book: It's a romance!
(I should have told you to sit down first. I'm sorry.)
(Are you ok?)
(Ok, good.)
Here's the back cover copy, which explains things while using the word “boatbuilder:”
Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now's her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam's eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.
Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can't resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca's heart?
It's In His Kiss is book 10 in the Lucky Harbor series, which is comprised of a set of 4 trilogies, this being the start of the 4th. Shalvis told me, “This book can absolutely be read as a stand-alone. I did that on purpose for people who've never read Lucky Harbor and wanted a new starting point.”
RITA® Reader Challenge reivewer Christine T said of Lucky Harbor in her review of It Had To Be You:
I think most of Shalvis’ readers would agree that her books are great comfort reads in large part because of the small-town settings. The Lucky Harbor books work particularly well for me because I’m a Northern California girl presently stuck in the urban vortex that is Los Angeles, and I like to imagine that someday we’re going to break free of this place, battle our way north up the 405 and land somewhere green, clean and friendly like Lucky Harbor.
In most regards, Lucky Harbor is as idyllic as ever in It Had to be You—the ocean and mountains are there to provide recreation and catharsis, the town is decorated with twinkly lights, and whenever anybody needs an ice cream or chocolate chip pancakes, they’re right around the corner. Awesome! (Obviously, we can find all of those things here in the greater Los Angeles area, but we generally have to drive to get to them and then pay to park. Nobody seems to have to pay to park in Lucky Harbor.)
I nodded through both of those paragraphs when I read them, because, aside from the California part (I'm in the NY Metro area), it's true. Lucky Harbor is idyllic and no one pays for parking. If you like small town contemporary romance, you'd like this series.
The other thing I personally like, though I am not a SERIES IN ORDER OF COURSE reader like, say, Freebird, my 8 year old son, is that you can enter the series at pretty much any point. Other characters will appear in the background, but not everything about their stories gets spoiled in later books. When I pick up any book set in Lucky Harbor, it's not difficult to picture everything again, and enjoy the familiarity of it. I really like to revisit the world/community.The Lucky Harbor books I've read, I've read out of order (I know, I know. Some of you are probably shaking your heads at me, reading series out of order like that. I know Freebird would be, if he were online… and reading about romance novels.)
I haven't read this one yet, but the early reviews on GoodReads are very positive. It has a 4+ star average so far, and the gif quotient is visible but not alarmingly so.
Would you like to learn more about this book? We have options! You can find out more at Jill Shalvis' website, or at BN, or Kobo, or iBooks, or you can ring up your library and ask them to reserve or order a copy if they don't already have it ordered. (No link to Amazon because Amazon and Hachette are still in a fight.)
So, would you like to win a copy? Digital? Print? Either? Here's your widget set to enter, and, as always, if you have trouble with them, please email me.
a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway
Standard disclaimers apply: I'm not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and ready to read the literary format of your choosing. Whereas, upon participation in the contest as aforesaid, said participant shall nontheless deliver hereunto all such paraphernilia as reasonably necessary and appropriate. Notwithstanding anything hereinafter to the contrary, the contest shall nonetheless be conducted as heretofore described thereupon. By submitting an entry to the contest as set forth herein, each entrant does acknowledge and agree that, in the event such entrant is victorious, such entrant will perform a ceremony reasonably appropriate to such circumstance. Entries close at 12 midnight 8 August 2014. I'll select the winners at random on Friday 8 August 2014 at 12pm ET.
Have you read any of the books in this series? Which have you liked? What other small town contemporaries do you enjoy?
I’ve read all of them in this series and have really enjoyed them. “Lucky in Love” is my favorite, at least until I re-read “It had to be You”. Or “Always on my Mind”. Or “Once in a Lifetime”.
Sorry. It’s just too hard to choose!
Surprisingly, I’ve yet to read any of the Lucky Harbor series, though I have read some of Jill Shalvis’ Animal Magnetism titles. I’m a fan of Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold books.
I have read them all. I tend to love the one I just read, cuz they are all good!! Jill also writes the animal magnetism series revolving around veterinarians. It is equally as good. Love the romance and humor in her books.
I am working my way through the entire series and I am enjoying them very much. I could not say which is a favorite since they all seem to stick in my mind with really happy thoughts.
The Jill Shalvis books are a lot of fun. So is her blog, for that matter. I really enjoy Susan Mallery and her Fool’s Gold series as well.
I’ve read all of the Lucky Harbor books. Forever and a Day is my favorite. I also enjoy the Harmony series by Jodi Thomas.
I have read all and everything Jill Shalvis has written. Love her stories, funny, sexy and warm! I read through her Lucky Harbour series while I was recovering from breast cancer surgery. They really helped me through a rough time. I read through her Firefighter series while going through radiation treatments, how’s that about appropriate reading :))! I read her blog daily and follow her on FB and Twitter, too. She’s a hoot!!
I read the first Lucky book when it was released but the others sat in my TBR pile. I finally read them all (books 2 – 9 plus the novellas) this year and just finished last week. It’s hard to pick a favorite as they’ve all been enjoyable reads.
For small town romances I also enjoy Shalvis’ Animal Magnetism series (which I actually like more than Lucky Harbor, shh!), Shannon Stacey’s Kowalski series, Meg Benjamin’s Konigsburg series, Jaci Burton’s Hope series, and Nicole Helm’s Harrington Airfield and Farmer’s Market series.
I think it’s a rule that if you write a romance set in small town it must be a series 😉
I have read all the books in the series, and loved the first three the best as it dealt with the sibling dynamic. I have read other series such as Animal Magnetism, Kowalski or Fool’s Gold as well.
I have read and enjoyed all of Jill Shalvis’ books. I also read Robyn Carr, Susan Mallory, Brenda Novak and Emily March’s small town romances.
Grumble grumble stupid widgets. My apologies -fixing right now!
I’ve read all the Lucky Harbor books that are out. The series is just fantastic. I’m surprised that I still enjoy them as much as I did when I first started. I usually lose interest, like I did with Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series.
I just read books 1 & 2 of two small town serieses: Rock Canyon Romance and Marsden, which were both very enjoyable overall. RCR I picked up as a library book that looked interesting (I cruise the ‘new ebooks’ section on a regular basis.) Marsden was a cheap or freebie for book one and got me to pay money for book 2. And I won a freebie of Silver Creek book 3, which is already good enough that I’ll be tracking down the first two as well.
Thus far I have only read reviews of and comments about Ms Shalvis’ books (here at SBTB). I am confident that I will enjoy her books, and I want ALL 10 on hand when I—unlike SB Sarah—begin at the beginning!
Also, that may be the finest small print since the Marx brothers. (You should have been at the first party.)
I am having a Monday moment (or a CRS moment) because I can’t answer the question with any certainty. I *may* have at least one of the titles in the Lucky Harbor series in the humongous TBR pile, but I’m not positive whether I’ve read any of them.
Ooh, yes please – I love the Lucky Harbor books. Total comfort novels!
I’ve read all the previous Lucky Harbor novels, so I’m looking forward to the last trilogy. I actually jumped in right in the middle, so there’s definitely no need to read the books in order. I actually love that about this series. Each book can stand alone, but they’re much richer if you know the stories of the other characters mentioned.
I like Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series as well.
I haven’t read of the Lucky Harbor books, but I know my sister has and she likes them. It would be great to give them a try,
Free books are totally best. I was stationed in Monterey for over a year and it was an amazing place. I long to move back to Cali, but don’t know if I’ll ever be able to afford it.
I’ve read all of the Lucky Harbor books that are available. I’ve enjoyed them all, but my favorites are the original 3.
Besides Lucky Harbor, my other favorite small town series are Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold and Marie Force’s Gansett Island.
I’ve read them all and liked them all, but if I had to choose, I like The Sweetest Thing the best—I’m a sucker for second chances. I also enjoy Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series, even though they’re a little formulaic and cheesy. The whole small town pulling together to help one another really works for me.
I have read the entire series, some of the books more than once. It is my favorite series of books by any of the authors I read. I love the romance mixed with comedy…being swoon-worthy and entertaining is my favorite combination! All of them are fun reads!!!
Love Jill’s books. This and her animal magnetism series are two of my favorite contemporary series that I follow 🙂
I absolutely adore the entire Lucky Harbor series! I continue to re-read them because they are just that awesome! I also have read the Animal Magnetism series which is amazing! I love these books but I would have to say my favorites would be Simply Irresistible, Lucky in Love, Forever and a Day, and It Had to be You.
I have read all of the Lucky Harbor books and love all of the main and secondary characters, pets, and the lovely sounding views of the ocean and mountains. The stories are entertaining, sweet and sexy and hit the spot anytime.
I also love her Animal Magnetism series.
I’ve started the Lucky Harbors books at Trilogy 1 and am on the Sweetest Thing, because I have to read them in order. I really enjoyed Ms. Shalvis’ Animal Magnetism series.
I’ve only read one book in this series. I like Rachel Gibson’s small town romances.
I am woefully behind on this series. I have it… just no time to read it!!! I’m hoping to get a staycation here soon where I can lock myself in the house and just dive in 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I love the Lucky Harbor series and escape from real life to those in that idyllic small coastal town as much as possible! The “trio pattern” of these books is a fun way to experience the lives of the residents there. I agree that you can read them “out of order” and still enjoy them without being confused. I started with the first in the series: Maddie and Jax’s story, Simply Irresistible, and read that “trio” in order. LOVED them and they got me hooked. I’m reading Leah & Jack’s story, Always On My Mind, now even though I read Ben & Aubrey’s story, Once In a Lifetime (which chronologically comes after A.O.M.M), before it. It’s kinda fun this way too. 🙂
BTW, you can’t go wrong with another small town series – Sunshine, Idaho in the Animal Magnetism series. Read all of those already and can’t wait for more!
I admit I’m getting a little bored with the series but my fav book was Once in a Lifetime. Loved Aubrey!
I think my favorite book in the Lucky Harbor series is the second one: The Sweetest Thing, the story of Ford and Tara. After reading it from my library’s ebook collection I bought a copy. Love endured. my favorite kind.
I absolutely love Susan and her stories! Simply Irresistible is my fave in this series because it’s the beginning and you just get to know Lucky Harbor. I also like Hope Ramsay’s Last Chance series.
Love this series! The first is my fav. Love me some Jax
Yup, read them all. Such a great series. I tend to love the one I just read, but I have read several more than once. I also like her Animal Magnetism series and Jill Shalvis has a Lucky Harbor series that is good too.
Haven’t yet read this series, although I have several in the TBR. Have read Jill’s other stories and loved them. Recent small-town stories I’ve been enjoying—Victoria Dahl, Erin Nicholas…
I LOVE the Lucky Harbor series!! I’ve read all of them but my favorites are…all of them. But my really real favorites are:
Once In a Lifetime – the last released one – I just loved how strong Aubrey grew!
Head Over Heels – a heroine with asthma!!! Thank you!!!
Simply Irresistible – because it was the first and so very delightful
I love Susan Mallery’s Fools Gold series. I also really enjoy Victoria Dahl’s Jackson, Wy series. Looking forward to trying Jill Shalvis!
I need more books to read. I can see my nightstand under the TBR stack.