It's in His Kiss (Lucky Harbor)

Jill Shalvis has done it again! She knows exactly how to grab your attention in the first couple sentences and keep it. I'm not going to give anything away about this book but if you love steamy, serious but funny story get this book.

She never disappoints Jill has written another winner and it tugs at your heartstrings too, along with making you laugh out loud at times. She did all this with severe back problems and yet she still powered through. Good job Jill

Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor series has been my go-to reading when I want something quick and entertaining. While some of the stories were better than others, I highly recommend reading through all the stories. For me, the mark of a successful series is enjoying revisiting the books after having read them. It doesn't happen often, but I have re-read a couple from the Lucky Harbor series. Exactly the break I look for in between my "heavier" reading selections.

Overall Rating: 4.25 Rockin’ ★★★★☆

Jill Shalvis has done a fantastic job in her newest release in the Lucky Harbor series. This is a story about finding love and discovering what life is really all about. It is the tale of a journey that leads to a homecoming. The characters are well developed and beautifully created. I was drawn in immediately by the sexy surfer dudes and by the stunningly beautiful person that was Becca Thorpe.

Becca Thorpe is running away. She has lived her whole life in her brother's shadow, taking care of him and his musical career. Extremely talented in her own right, Becca doesn't have the confidence needed to believe in who she is. Taking an extended vacation to the West Coast, she stops in a town called Lucky Harbor. Attracted immediately to the quaint town, Becca finds a place to rent and decides to stay on for a while. When she crosses paths with the SGS (sexy grumpy surfer), Sam Brody her life will never be the same.

Sam Brody has always taken care of everyone important in his life. He had always taken care of others, his dead beat dad, his childhood buddies now his business partners, but not himself. Sure he eats, sleeps, exercises and takes care of his body’s needs, however, the one thing he's never considered is love. By some chance of fate, in walks Becca Thorpe into his life and all of his preconceived notions are thrown out the window! She is beauty personified to him, inside and out. Will Sam be able to recognize the spectacular love that he has with Becca before it's too late? Can Becca finally believe in herself? Read this book to find out. ~TSRBR

Hero - Sam Brody 4.5 stars
Heroine - Becca Thorpe 4.5 stars
Steam Level: 4.0 stars
Plot: 4.0 stars
Cliffhanger: No

Would I recommend this book: Yes! I just loved reading this book. Due to the author's development of depth in each character this story arouses many different emotions in the reader. You will not be disappointed when you read this book!
Would I recommend this author: Yes! This author does not disappoint her reading audience with the books that she creates and share with her fans.

***Received an ARC of this book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review***

<b>***Book provided by publisher on NetGalley for an honest review.***</b>

You can never go wrong with a Jill Shalvis book. You can always count on her for a fun and sexy read. If you have never read the Lucky Harbor series, you are really missing out on some great books. It's in his Kiss is book 10 in the series, and definitely one of my favorites. This book is perfect for a day by the pool or on the beach. This book is sexy, funny, and heartwarming all at the same time. Fans of small towns where everyone is nosey, but caring will love this series.

It's In His Kiss is the story of Sam and Becca. Becca is a caring and free spirited women who is running from her passed. She moves to Lucky Harbor to get away from her brother who has always counted on her, and who is battling a drug addiction. and her fear of playing music in front of people. Becca meets Sam AKA Sexy Grumpy Surfer who turns her life up side down, but at the same time he turns it right side up. Sam who runs a boating company with his 2 brothers. Sam is fighting is own demons. A father who has never treated him like a son, and who only contacts him when he needs something. From the beginning I knew these 2 were perfect for each other. I loved the chemistry between them, and all of the flirty banter. They were both stubborn, but so caring.

I love being back in the Lucky Harbor world. It is a home away from home. Miss Shalvis never fells to brings us amazing love stories with alpha males that will make you swoon. The reason why I love this series so much is because it takes me to another place where happy endings are right around the corner. I can't wait for the next book to come out. This book is available now, so make sure to grab your copy!

I really love Lucky Harbor. I understand that this is the first book in the final trilogy for this series. I’ll be sad to lose this place, but Jill Shalvis has several other series that I’m sure will be just as good.

Becca Thorpe arrived in Lucky Harbor after running out on her dysfunctional family. She’s a talented musician, but a pretty bad case of stage fright has left her unable to perform, so she’s currently making a living writing commercial jingles for toilet paper, erectile dysfunction medicine, and feminine hygiene products. Lucky Harbor is just a pit stop for her, a place to regroup and catch her breath and decide her next move, but she needs more to do with herself than sit in her run-down warehouse apartment and brood. She tries waiting tables for a night in an attempt to make a little money, but she’s the absolute worst waitress who’s ever been written. In any form. Book, TV, movies, poems, short stories, you name it. The worst. I was a terrible waitress, too, but Becca was something special. At one point, a table of men ordered a pitcher of beer, and she walked from the table to the bar, picked up a pitcher of strawberry margaritas and brought it to the men. Really, that’s not even bad waitressing, that’s just a terrible short-term memory.

I liked Becca a lot. I was a little frustrated with her increasingly silly attempts to keep her past from Sam, and by extension, the readers, but I really liked her. She and her brother Jace were both exceptionally talented musicians, though Jace was apparently the better of the two. That, combined with the stage fright and other anxieties Becca suffered from resulted in her deciding to walk away from her life and family. Her entire family was terrible to her. Jace was obviously the golden child and Becca just the afterthought there to clean up his messes. I don’t blame her for leaving; she stuck it out a lot longer than I would have. All of this resulted in some confidence issues and some reluctance to let people in, but she had decided she wasn’t going to let her family’s crap ruin her anymore, and once she got to Lucky Harbor, she was absolutely fearless about knowing what she wanted and going after it. And that included Sam. I really admired the way Becca refused to allow anyone to stand in the way of what she wanted. Not even Sam was able to dissuade her, no matter how hard he tried.

And, boy, did he try. Sam Brody grew up in Lucky Harbor, but his childhood has left him mostly unable to connect with other people. He has two really good friends, one of whom is an adopted brother of sorts, but that’s about it. He’s not interested in making any new friends, and he’s certainly not interested in dating right now. He’s managed to make a pretty good life for himself, running a business with his two best friends that charters day trips of various kinds (deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, etc) for tourists. And some Lucky Harbor residents, I suppose. Between that and some good investing, he’s doing pretty well for himself. His mom died when he was very young, and his dad wasn’t much of a dad, which meant Sam ended up in foster care several times. He eventually ended up with Amelia, who kept him, and her son Cole, who is still Sam’s best friend. His dad pops up in his life occasionally when he needs money, then he’s gone again, always with a “Thanks, son. Love ya.” Sam has heard that phrase from his dad for his entire life and knows better than to believe it when anyone says it.

Becca answers an ad for an admin job at Sam’s charter company, about a week after she and Sam first have sex. Really, really great sex. She has to convince Sam, Cole, and Tanner that she can do it (they were the bar customers who ended up with margaritas instead of beer and aren’t completely convinced of her competence) and Sam makes it clear that as long as she’s working for him, he’s not going to sleep with her or date her. I completely respect that. As a boss, Sam was absolutely right to not sleep with a employee. Even though he’d previously slept with her once. And he told Becca this before she accepted the job. He told her that she needed to choose between taking the job and continuing to see him. She chose to take the job. However, and this was a big problem for me, even though Sam made it clear he wouldn’t sleep with her, he didn’t stop kissing her and touching her and messing around with her. He just wouldn’t close the deal. This really bothered me. It wasn’t until the end of chapter twenty, about 3/4 of the way through the book that Becca told Sam to cut that s*** out.

I really liked the conflicting philosophies of Becca and Sam that Jill Shalvis set up. Becca’s family never told her they loved her, and she craves hearing it. Sam doesn’t not believe in love, he just doesn’t believe the words “I love you” themselves have a lot of meaning. In his mind, a person should be able to tell how you feel by your actions, not your words. This comes to a not-unexpected head when Becca tells Sam she loves him and he can’t reciprocate.

These two were great together. They were both so determined to do their best not to fall in love with each other. Even after they start sleeping together, it’s difficult for Sam to fully commit, partly because of his childhood issues, and partly because it’s clear Becca is keeping a big chunk of herself from him. Trust is a big thing for both of them, and they each refuse to give it, while simultaneously demanding it from the other. But they had such fantastic chemistry together and were so great at bringing out the best in the other and supporting each other. I loved them as a couple even while they were frustrating the hell out of me. Frankly, as far as I’m concerned, Jill Shalvis can do no wrong.

Quick note about the narration: I thought Suehyla El Attar did a good job with it. She was able to make her voice sound a little different for each character without “doing voices”. I’m not sure where she’s from, but I occasionally thought I detected a hint of somewhere in the northeast in Becca, which was a little distracting since Becca’s from New Orleans. But it was only occasionally and I may have imagined it. I would absolutely listen to more narration by her

Overall Rating: 4.25 Rockin’ ★★★★☆

Jill Shalvis has done a fantastic job in her newest release in the Lucky Harbor series. This is a story about finding love and discovering what life is really all about. It is the tale of a journey that leads to a homecoming. The characters are well developed and beautifully created. I was drawn in immediately by the sexy surfer dudes and by the stunningly beautiful person that was Becca Thorpe.

Becca Thorpe is running away. She has lived her whole life in her brother's shadow, taking care of him and his musical career. Extremely talented in her own right, Becca doesn't have the confidence needed to believe in who she is. Taking an extended vacation to the West Coast, she stops in a town called Lucky Harbor. Attracted immediately to the quaint town, Becca finds a place to rent and decides to stay on for a while. When she crosses paths with the SGS (sexy grumpy surfer), Sam Brody her life will never be the same.

Sam Brody has always taken care of everyone important in his life. He had always taken care of others, his dead beat dad, his childhood buddies now his business partners, but not himself. Sure he eats, sleeps, exercises and takes care of his body’s needs, however, the one thing he's never considered is love. By some chance of fate, in walks Becca Thorpe into his life and all of his preconceived notions are thrown out the window! She is beauty personified to him, inside and out. Will Sam be able to recognize the spectacular love that he has with Becca before it's too late? Can Becca finally believe in herself? Read this book to find out. ~TSRBR

Hero - Sam Brody 4.5 stars
Heroine - Becca Thorpe 4.5 stars
Steam Level: 4.0 stars
Plot: 4.0 stars
Cliffhanger: No

Would I recommend this book: Yes! I just loved reading this book. Due to the author's development of depth in each character this story arouses many different emotions in the reader. You will not be disappointed when you read this book!
Would I recommend this author: Yes! This author does not disappoint her reading audience with the books that she creates and share with her fans.

***Received an ARC of this book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review***

<b>***Book provided by publisher on NetGalley for an honest review.***</b>

You can never go wrong with a Jill Shalvis book. You can always count on her for a fun and sexy read. If you have never read the Lucky Harbor series, you are really missing out on some great books. It's in his Kiss is book 10 in the series, and definitely one of my favorites. This book is perfect for a day by the pool or on the beach. This book is sexy, funny, and heartwarming all at the same time. Fans of small towns where everyone is nosey, but caring will love this series.

It's In His Kiss is the story of Sam and Becca. Becca is a caring and free spirited women who is running from her passed. She moves to Lucky Harbor to get away from her brother who has always counted on her, and who is battling a drug addiction. and her fear of playing music in front of people. Becca meets Sam AKA Sexy Grumpy Surfer who turns her life up side down, but at the same time he turns it right side up. Sam who runs a boating company with his 2 brothers. Sam is fighting is own demons. A father who has never treated him like a son, and who only contacts him when he needs something. From the beginning I knew these 2 were perfect for each other. I loved the chemistry between them, and all of the flirty banter. They were both stubborn, but so caring.

I love being back in the Lucky Harbor world. It is a home away from home. Miss Shalvis never fells to brings us amazing love stories with alpha males that will make you swoon. The reason why I love this series so much is because it takes me to another place where happy endings are right around the corner. I can't wait for the next book to come out. This book is available now, so make sure to grab your copy!

I really love Lucky Harbor. I understand that this is the first book in the final trilogy for this series. I’ll be sad to lose this place, but Jill Shalvis has several other series that I’m sure will be just as good.

Becca Thorpe arrived in Lucky Harbor after running out on her dysfunctional family. She’s a talented musician, but a pretty bad case of stage fright has left her unable to perform, so she’s currently making a living writing commercial jingles for toilet paper, erectile dysfunction medicine, and feminine hygiene products. Lucky Harbor is just a pit stop for her, a place to regroup and catch her breath and decide her next move, but she needs more to do with herself than sit in her run-down warehouse apartment and brood. She tries waiting tables for a night in an attempt to make a little money, but she’s the absolute worst waitress who’s ever been written. In any form. Book, TV, movies, poems, short stories, you name it. The worst. I was a terrible waitress, too, but Becca was something special. At one point, a table of men ordered a pitcher of beer, and she walked from the table to the bar, picked up a pitcher of strawberry margaritas and brought it to the men. Really, that’s not even bad waitressing, that’s just a terrible short-term memory.

I liked Becca a lot. I was a little frustrated with her increasingly silly attempts to keep her past from Sam, and by extension, the readers, but I really liked her. She and her brother Jace were both exceptionally talented musicians, though Jace was apparently the better of the two. That, combined with the stage fright and other anxieties Becca suffered from resulted in her deciding to walk away from her life and family. Her entire family was terrible to her. Jace was obviously the golden child and Becca just the afterthought there to clean up his messes. I don’t blame her for leaving; she stuck it out a lot longer than I would have. All of this resulted in some confidence issues and some reluctance to let people in, but she had decided she wasn’t going to let her family’s crap ruin her anymore, and once she got to Lucky Harbor, she was absolutely fearless about knowing what she wanted and going after it. And that included Sam. I really admired the way Becca refused to allow anyone to stand in the way of what she wanted. Not even Sam was able to dissuade her, no matter how hard he tried.

And, boy, did he try. Sam Brody grew up in Lucky Harbor, but his childhood has left him mostly unable to connect with other people. He has two really good friends, one of whom is an adopted brother of sorts, but that’s about it. He’s not interested in making any new friends, and he’s certainly not interested in dating right now. He’s managed to make a pretty good life for himself, running a business with his two best friends that charters day trips of various kinds (deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, etc) for tourists. And some Lucky Harbor residents, I suppose. Between that and some good investing, he’s doing pretty well for himself. His mom died when he was very young, and his dad wasn’t much of a dad, which meant Sam ended up in foster care several times. He eventually ended up with Amelia, who kept him, and her son Cole, who is still Sam’s best friend. His dad pops up in his life occasionally when he needs money, then he’s gone again, always with a “Thanks, son. Love ya.” Sam has heard that phrase from his dad for his entire life and knows better than to believe it when anyone says it.

Becca answers an ad for an admin job at Sam’s charter company, about a week after she and Sam first have sex. Really, really great sex. She has to convince Sam, Cole, and Tanner that she can do it (they were the bar customers who ended up with margaritas instead of beer and aren’t completely convinced of her competence) and Sam makes it clear that as long as she’s working for him, he’s not going to sleep with her or date her. I completely respect that. As a boss, Sam was absolutely right to not sleep with a employee. Even though he’d previously slept with her once. And he told Becca this before she accepted the job. He told her that she needed to choose between taking the job and continuing to see him. She chose to take the job. However, and this was a big problem for me, even though Sam made it clear he wouldn’t sleep with her, he didn’t stop kissing her and touching her and messing around with her. He just wouldn’t close the deal. This really bothered me. It wasn’t until the end of chapter twenty, about 3/4 of the way through the book that Becca told Sam to cut that s*** out.

I really liked the conflicting philosophies of Becca and Sam that Jill Shalvis set up. Becca’s family never told her they loved her, and she craves hearing it. Sam doesn’t not believe in love, he just doesn’t believe the words “I love you” themselves have a lot of meaning. In his mind, a person should be able to tell how you feel by your actions, not your words. This comes to a not-unexpected head when Becca tells Sam she loves him and he can’t reciprocate.

These two were great together. They were both so determined to do their best not to fall in love with each other. Even after they start sleeping together, it’s difficult for Sam to fully commit, partly because of his childhood issues, and partly because it’s clear Becca is keeping a big chunk of herself from him. Trust is a big thing for both of them, and they each refuse to give it, while simultaneously demanding it from the other. But they had such fantastic chemistry together and were so great at bringing out the best in the other and supporting each other. I loved them as a couple even while they were frustrating the hell out of me. Frankly, as far as I’m concerned, Jill Shalvis can do no wrong.

Quick note about the narration: I thought Suehyla El Attar did a good job with it. She was able to make her voice sound a little different for each character without “doing voices”. I’m not sure where she’s from, but I occasionally thought I detected a hint of somewhere in the northeast in Becca, which was a little distracting since Becca’s from New Orleans. But it was only occasionally and I may have imagined it. I would absolutely listen to more narration by her

It's in His Kiss is a wonderful contemporary romance that I truly enjoyed. Though it is part of the Lucky Harbor series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Jill Shalvis has a great writing style that completely pulled me in, intriguing characters with well-paced development that kept me interested, and a storyline that hooked me from the start.

Becca and Sam really drew me in. I loved getting to know them, even though getting to the bottom of their issues was almost painful at times because they were just so stubborn. But that was also what made them so interesting. Their individuality and independence shone through, but how much greater they were together was truly compelling. Becca and Sam each had their own painful pasts that affected their present. And those pasts were not going to lay stagnant in the background - they got up in their faces - making this not just a beautiful love story, but also a story about forgiveness, redemption, and hope. Plus, Sam and Becca are a super hot and sexy couple, making the read extra awesome.

Add in Sam's best friends, Cole and Tanner, who are hunktastic (and have their own love stories to come). Throw in some mysterious Olivia, Becca's neighbor. A dash of family issues to make it interesting. A sprinkle of the adorable kids of Lucky Harbor. And spicy Lucille, the ancient glue holding the town together. And not only do they make the love story that much sweeter, but the overall story is just so much better and well-rounded. All of this makes Lucky Harbor and its resident love stories ones I want to keep reading.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Becca Thorpe literally packed up and ran away from home. It did not matter that she was adult it was the symbolism of taking charge of her life and trying to get her mojo back. She had been her brother’s enabler for too long and while jingle writing paid the bills Becca wanted more and Lucky Harbor is going to give it to her. Sam Brody and his bodies ran a boating business that left everyone happy to be doing business with the sexiest surfer and tour guide around. Sam too has had family issues since his mother died when he was young and his father proved to be totally irresponsible, even now.

For Becca and Sam the baggage they have together would never fit in the overhead bin but both have learned to cope and move on and it would seem they share a unique ability to talk to each other about the past and what brought them to their current state of mind. Becca working for Sam and his partners should be a disaster waiting to happen but Becca is the perfect fit for the three guys plus she and Sam are a dream come true in and out of the bedroom. But there are rules to be abided and rules to be established but it is the rules that get broken which are the most fun.

Jill Shalvis keeps the series fresh with a twist of new characters shaken in with the ones already established. Lucky Harbor is a great place to live, play, and relax in the sun with some great friends and neighbors

This is a book about escaping and finding your own voice. I liked this book, which is no surprise since I love all +Jill Shalvis's books.

Becca Thrope has always wanted to live by the beach. After growing up in the hectic way she did, a beach is a welcome respite from her everyday life.

Finally having enough, Becca uproots her life and throw caution to the wind and moves to Lucky Harbor temporarily, where she full fills her wish of living near a beach.

She must now find her missing muse and prove to herself that she can make it on her own. Things become tricky when she meets a sexy surfer on her first day in Lucky Harbor and the dark intensity in his eyes as if he can see right through her.

His touch also makes her body sing and Becca is not sure she wants to pursue him or admire him from afar. She should not have distractions from her goals, but it's okay to look, right?

Sam Brody is an investment genius who also loves to build boats in his free time even with the limited free time he has. After meeting Becca, he feels this connection to her that he, as a man, tries to ignore. Unfortunately, the more he tries to ignore her the more she pops up in his mind.

After growing up with an unreliable man for a father, Sam is reluctant to get involve with someone who calls Lucky Harbor a pit stop. When the attraction got so out of hand that they end up in crossing the line between kind of, sort of friends to something much more.

When Becca comes knocking applying for the job they placed in the ad for someone to take care of the phones, Sam is torn. He knows better than mixing business with pleasure, but he wants to hear her laugh and to, surprisingly, be near her every day.

He wants to find out all of her problems and fix them, but could this be love? But when Becca's brother comes to town, asking her for help, again, would he be able to tempt her back to her glamorous life in the big city? Or would Sam be enough for her to stay in Lucky Harbor? Find out in the 10th installment of The Lucky Harbor Series, It's in his kiss.

Have I ever mentioned just how much I enjoy +Jill Shalvis's books? I cannot stress that enough, her books takes me places that feel like a magic carpet ride and when I finish it's like, poof, I'm back to reality. It's hurts when reality crowds in.

Becca was a joy. She had a lot of responsibility growing up and she feels guilty that she did something selfish for the first time in her life and is living for herself. Even with her parents not supporting her decision, Becca still went for it.

She had a goal for herself and she went for it with a smile. I must admit, her mouth did surprise me. The things she would say in certain situations did not match up to her personality, yet for some reason, it worked and I liked her all the more for it.

Sam is your typical grouchy sexy guy that seem to be mysterious. He was forceful one moment and then sweet the next and he was always sexy. Sam is the kind of man who you would expect not to take an interest in any one's life other than his own.

When he starts to pursue Becca, cutting down all her defenses until he finally learns to depend on someone other than her own, he stole my heart. After the hand he was dealt in life, I thought he would be opposed to having a relationship, but he was the one who started it and this was also the first relationship not to end (technically).

Becca got mad at Sam for female reasons and wanted to end the relationship. Even with the amount of unexpected feeling Becca stirred in Sam, and he was scared, he did not want to do the man thing and turn tail and run.

He wanted this relationship with Becca but when she wanted to call if off, Sam was not having that. He was relentless in getting her back and was successful of course. This is one of the few books where I was not disturbed by the mushy feelings at the end of the book. For once it was a perfect ending.

This book almost made it to a perfect score for me except I always felt as if I was missing something. I did not get a sense of Becca's and Sam's background. Also, their family seems so flat as if they don't exist.

Becca's parents sound like they have a one track mind towards their son, yet when they were introduced, I got something totally different. Everything was also settled to calmly between Becca and her parents.

I did not even get the satisfaction of a confrontation. I wanted the heat, the hurt and secrets to be revealed and I got none of that, even though, this book had so much potential for it. A missed opportunity but the book was still amazing.

I highly recommend this book to anyone trying to forge ahead and take charge of your life and anyone who loves a good romance.
Thoughts: A beautiful end to a wonderful series.
Grade: A
Review by: Nathifa
http://www.thebookreadinggals.com

IT'S IN HIS KISS JILL SHALVIS
Posted: Jan. 5, 2015

It's in His Kiss by Jill ShalvisONE KISS CAN LAST FOREVER
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?

MY REVIEW:
If love means people relying heavily on you or each other, and you couldn’t necessarily rely on them back then what? You see Sam Brody is a man who was used to caring for his scheming alcoholic father. At the age of ten he was already caring for the meager household budget.
When his father got arrested the first time you could say it was his worst and best time ever. The reason being because he was sent to a foster home in Lucky Harbor a two hour drive from Seattle. With the Donovan family was a big family. The treated him like one of their own. He made a friend in Cole his foster brother and only boy in family of three girls, Cole being the youngest. Cole’s mom Amelia made sure every time his dad got picked up she went to pick up Sam every time driving those two hours one way. At 18, he went to work on an oil rig to earn good pay he had dreams along with Cole and Tanner another friend from high school.
The dreams was one day the three of them would own a charter boat service in Lucky Harbor. That dream was almost dashed when a fire on the rig killed Gil the fourth man that planned on joining the venture that they had met on the rig and they all three instantly liked, not to mention Tanner’s leg was severally injured in the fire. Respect for Gil’s memory they had them continuing with the dream. Sam being the portfolio investor for the group was investing their savings and making a profit. They had more than enough so they all came back home and never went back to the rig.
One day coming in from an evening surf he spots a woman eating popcorn with her toes deep in the sand. They nod at each other and he keeps walking. Yet, his feeling a spark he hadn’t felt in years. Later, as he is working on the current boat he is building she enters his work space where everyone and I mean everyone knows not to go. He’s using an electric plainer and chooses not to speak to her. So, she being a city girl unplugs the plainer and tells him she’s Becca Thorpe and what warehouse number she’s looking for. Reluctantly he tells her. He tells her not to expect much it’s a dump. Which gives her pause but she has no other choice. She says thanks and leaves.
He wasn’t fooled though he could tell she was giving off more badass than she really has. There was just a hint of something there in her eyes but she guarded it too fast for him to know. He tries to shake it but he can’t.
Then, after a late night run a couple of days later he teases her about being the “peeper.” Then he asks her what she’s doing out near the water by herself in her PJ’? She says just thinking. She ask him does he always run full out. She knows he does because she can see him/them from her window. One kiss later and the flame is lit for them both. One, two, three you belong to me but do they? Their hearts are holding tight to secrets and hurts. Can they share them and let them go?
Yet, Becca needed a job and the guys needed a front office person. So, that for Sam was a deal breaker for sleeping together. Dating kinda was okay but not sleeping with her again. Becca was running from her own issues and family, stop by and see what happens at Lucky Harbor Charters. Laugh a lot as you see where Becca and Sam go with this relationship. Can either learn to trust or are they doomed?
I loved, loved, loved the characters in this book. Sam, Cole, and Tanner are a wonderful combo of sexy comedy. The relationship that forms is baby steps between Becca and Sam is amazing, yet her relationship with the towns people and Sam’s BFF’s, dad, and the towns people is endearing.
I give this book 5 stars. Provided by Net Galley.

It’s funny, sassy, steamy and swoony. It’ll draw you in with the sexy, loveable and peculiar residents of the small town the story is developed in named Lucky Harbor.

This is my first Jill Shalvis novel and it certainly will not be my last. I loved the character development, the beautiful writing, the witty banter and most of all the touching story about learning to trust and love.
"I've had the words all my life and they meant nothing. I thought love was in the showing."

Becca Thorpe wants an escape from her life, and luckily finds herself in Lucky Harbor. She plans staying a short time there but after meeting “sexy grumpy surfer” dude, she may decide to stay longer.
"I think you're all hard crusted, on the outside but you don't scare me because I know the truth.”
“And what's that?”
“That on the inside you're soft and gooey."

Sam Brody had a rough childhood, but has thrived and carved a good life for himself where his livelihood is hardly a shore enabling him to do what he loves and mostly be alone. “His favorite state.” That is until tough-girl Becca barges in his man-cave, his life and his heart.

Their attraction is palpable. But Sam was careful with his emotions keeping people at arm’s length and Becca was cautious with her secrets and the past mess she left behind. They were both a bit broken but as they spend time together through their undefined relationship they find they also needed each other.
“He had a key to everything, including her heart."

The only thing that irked me about their relationship is that after a night of hot passion, Becca starts to work for Sam, which prompts him to give her a choice: the job or him. She takes the job and ignores the ultimatum. While in each other’s lives the chemistry is unavoidable so they’re still touching, kissing, exchanging desire filled stares but no more. It bothers me that she’s so available to him that she enables him to hide from his emotions.
“I want to date you, you big, stubborn lug. But you don't want to date me back. You have all these... Stupid rules."
“No, just the one and it's to protect you.”

I was very pleased with Jill’s well accomplished romance writing, from the tough but sweet heroine, the "over protective sharp alpha,” to the rest of the story and characters which invite to know more of. I can’t wait to read about Sam’s business partners and friends.

* I was given an ARC of this book for an honest review from Netgalley. The excerpts are from that copy. *

REVIEWED BY SUNNY (originally posted on Kindles & Wine Book Blog)

The amazing Jill Shalvis is going to finish up her Lucky Harbor series with one last trilogy. These final books revolve around three amazing men who co-own a charter business in Lucky Harbor that provides coastal tours, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, and many more activities. They have been friends forever, have been through a lot together, and it is their turn to find love.

Before I get too deep into sharing my mad love for Sam, the hero of IT'S IN HIS KISS, I want to say how amazing Sam, Cole, and Tanner are together. Their exchanges are laugh-out-loud funny one minute and then so sincere the next that I wanted to go right through the pages of the book and give them a group hug. If only I had a magic wand to do just that!

(Back to reality, Sunny!)

Sam. Where do I start with him? I loved him, pure and simple. He is multitalented, building boats and managing the finances for Lucky Harbor Charters. But more importantly, he takes everyone under his wing, even his super-selfish dad who doesn't deserve a second of his time. I enjoyed how the history with his dad and Cole's family shaped Sam into the man he is. Shalvis even made his flaws seem endearing. Sam shows an amazing amount of care to those he loves. He is HOT, in and out of bed, and I can't seem to get him out of my head! In the past I have given my "best hero of Lucky Harbor" title to sexy firefighter Jack (from Always on My Mind (Lucky Harbor Book 8)). However, Sam now has that top honor; he was that amazing!

Becca Thorpe just moved into the warehouse near where Sam works, and they tend to run into each other a lot. She is trying to escape from a needy family and a past full of fears and has a good feeling that Lucky Harbor is just the place to do it. She composes advertising jingles to help market a variety of uninteresting products, which isn't enough to satisfy her, but I loved how her get-it-done attitude allows her to feel a bit more connected with Lucky Harbor so she can start working on herself. This allows her to fight her demons, get over her phobias, and be happy. It is that attitude that made me fall in love with Becca, as well as her determination to be with Sam, even when things got tough. I also loved how Shalvis provided Becca with a connection to the kids of Lucky Harbor and a program she could help with.

There are so many qualities to Shalvis's writing that I love, and her humor ranks way up there! I also loved how she wrote the evolution of Sam and Becca's love story. It was written in a manner where I didn't once say, "Enough already. Please just let them have their happily ever after!" I loved their first (very hot) sexy time together, I loved their happy ending, and I downright loved everything in between! Sam set the gold standard for his caring nature as he worked to understand Becca, not only trying to figure out why she was hiding her past, but how he could help her overcome it and become whole again.

For those like me who have read ALL that is Lucky Harbor, there are great moments with series favorites, like Lucille, the geriatric gossip who mentions getting kicked off of Facebook (sound like an author we know?); Jax, the bar owner; and Pink and Kendra, the young redheaded twins who have warmed our hearts in previous books, to name a few. IT'S IN HIS KISS didn't let me down as far as past/mainstay characters were concerned.

For those who haven't read any books in this series, never fear! You could easily pick this book up and get started, as the main characters are all new to the series and the appearances of those mentioned above will still add enjoyment to the story, even without knowing their full backstories.

BOTTOM LINE
Whether or not you have read the Lucky Harbor series by the masterful Jill Shalvis, you need to pick up this book! The amazing hero and his buddies will melt your heart, as will the sweet heroine who won the hearts of everyone in this special little town. Besides, aren't you interested in reading about my new favorite hero of Lucky Harbor, and one of my top heroes of all time?

RATING: A

Note: I received a digital review copy of this title courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

Jill Shalvis has done it again. This town and all the people that live there continuously touch my heart and make me want to pack up my house and move to this seaside community.

Becca had to get away. She wasn’t going to be the person everyone else wanted her to be. She didn’t love it. She needed to leave and start her life, living her life and doing it for herself. She needed to separate her life from those of her family. She could no longer live to protect her brother. He needed to struggle on his own and her parents? Well, I guess there really is no love loss there. She has never really had the relationship she needed with them to help her get through everything she went through. She may have been running from a lot of things, but what she wasn’t running to was a relationship.

But there’s always that moment that just takes your breath away. The first time Beth sees Sam, her breath may actually have stopped. Of course, I know mine did. He and his three friends own an amazing business that is really beginning to take off. But they really need to hire someone to handle the administrative side of things. They need to find their organization somewhere.

There is something amazing about this spunky girl who walks into his business looking for an address that Sam is just drawn too. The longer Becca is in Lucky Harbor the harder it has become to make it the pit stop she had planned. She has found things in life to do that she loves and then there’s Sam. Despite rules and regulations established by the man that drives her crazy, she knows that she has fallen for him in such a short amount of time. But this was only supposed to be a stop over on her way to her new forever.

Becca now has to decide if it is time to move on to her forever or if she found that forever in this amazing town with the fabulous popcorn and hot guys.

I love this town. Every time I visit a story from the Lucky Harbor series, I am just drawn to this town. I will never live in an ocean side town, but if I did, Lucky Harbor would be the place to live. On that pier in that apartment with Sam watching out for me! Of course these two captured my heart. She smart, witty, and full of sass. Yes, Becca has her issues and demons from the past, but it seems that one a mandatory requirement for any resident in Lucky Harbor. And that’s ok, because Sam isn’t perfect either. Though I think he is amazing, protective and whew, I think it just got hot in here…

This town and these characters just steal my heart with each book in the series and I can’t get enough of them. This is a must read and yes, it is part of a series, but you do not need to read the others first. And you will definitely want to read this one.