Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis

This is the fourth book in the six book (for now) Lucky Harbor series and I thought it was so much better than the last one (number six) I read.  This is Mallory's story.

Mallory Quinn is a nurse at the Lucky Harbor hospital and she wants to start free clinic for those in need.  She is the town good girl (although I'm sure there must be more than one).  One evening she joins her friend Amy at the diner for chocolate cake.  There is a freak ferocious windy and snowstorm, which causes a tree to fall on the diner, thereby knocking out the power and several windows.  Amy and Mallory are hiding with their soon to be third best friend, Grace, behind the counter, when Mallory hears a noise at the door and goes to investigate.  Caught in the branches of the fallen tree, is Ty (quintessential bad boy/Mr. Wrong), the Mysterious Cute Guy, new to the town. 

Ty is an ex-Navy Seal recovering from a catastrophic injury suffered when the plane (or it could have been a helicopter, I forget) his team was riding in crashed over the ocean.  Ty was the only survivor.  Now he is banged up once again.  Mallory etal,  rescue him and get him in the ambulance, where he is taken to the hospital and patched up again. 

The next time we see Ty is at the auction to benefit the free clinic, he is supposed to be Mallory's date, but he does not remember what happened during the storm.  Unfortunately, the whole is expecting him to be Mallory's date.  Will they, won't they, you be the judge.  Will Ty go back to the Seals?  Will Mallory's clinic be a success or a failure?  

Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis

Forever and a Day is the sixth installment in the Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis.  I read the first four and they were entertaining, but they all really have the same plot.  However, the characters are likable and I am easily entertained.  Plus it was only $3.50 at B&N.com for my Nook.  My Nook just loves cheap books. 

I read the first book because it was based in Lucky Harbor, Washington, a mythical city where all the men are 6' 4" gods with six pack abs and probably able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.  I read the next two books because I wanted to see what happened to the other two sisters, then I read the next two because I'm still trying to figure out where this town is and why I'm not living there.

And so it goes. 

Grace left her job at a financial institution after her boss made a pass.  She started driving and ended up in Lucky Harbor, where she decided she just wanted to have fun jobs for awhile. Barely able to make ends meet, she takes a job as a dog walker for Doctor Josh Scott, a single father of a five year old son, and guardian for his paraplegic 21 year old cranky pants sister.   Grace ends up babysitting  for the son, looking out for the sister, and making Josh Scott re-evaluate what he wants out of life. 

At Last by Jill Shalvis

At Last is the story of Matt, hunky park ranger, and Amy, the diner waitress, and reformed bad girl.  Amy was a "bad girl" because of life circumstances; an uncaring and absent mother, the loss of the grandmother who raised her until she was 12, and a step-father who tried to sexually assault her when she was 16.  Consequently, she was on her own from the time she was 16 and used what she could to survive.

Amy moved to Lucky Harbor and started her life over, she made a few good friends and avoided men like the plague.  She chose Lucky Harbor because she had discovered her grandma's old journal and wanted to retrace the path that her grandma and grandpa had hiked when they were very young.

The first hike goes terribly wrong and Amy gets lost.  She calls her friend, Maggie for help and Maggie sends Matt to rescue Amy.  Amy doesn't want help from any man, but they get stuck overnight together and Matt sets out to woo Amy.  However, Matt has his own issues and has trouble figuring out what he really wants too. 

I really like the Washington location and the storyline can be fun.  But when I finish the books I'm left thinking why can't there be a little more story.  I mean we have a very small harbor village, where all the men are 6'4", built, athletic, successful in their chosen careers, looking for a life partner, perfect houses, beyond excellent in bed, and massively handsome.  Really, where is this village? 

Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis

I admit it, a lot of  the books I read are just for fun.  I don't have to be educating myself every time I read.  I like to read, I like to be entertained.  Someone recently referred to a book I was/am planning to read as "bubblegum for the mind".  Is that a bad thing?

Also, I have a different rating system (in my head), based on the type of book I'm reading.  Is that weird? 

Anyway, I just finished reading Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis while I was waiting for mom to get out of her dentist and eye doctor appointments today.  I liked the book, even though some might think of it as bubblegum.

Head Over Heels is the third installment in the Lucky Harbor series.  The series is basically a boy meets girl, boy or girl aren't sure they want be more than friends with benefits, and true love conquers all.  I probably didn't ruin the ending by the last statement, because you know if they are having the benefits they are going to end up together, it's just the way the bubble pops. 

The first three books in the series are about three half sisters, all with the same mother, a free spirit who never settled down and followed the Grateful Dead from town to town.  When the mother dies, she leaves her daughter a B&B and they live together for the first time, while they remodel and open the B&B.  In Head Over Heels, Chloe takes center stage.

Chloe is a wild child, who is just starting to want to settle down.  She is the only sister who was raised by her mother and doesn't seem to believe she has a right to be happy.  Sawyer, the town sheriff, grew up in Lucky Harbor and spend all his time doing good, to make up for the fact that he was trouble when he was a teenager.  He also doesn't seem to believe he has a right to be happy.