Review & GIVEAWAY: The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis

Book Review: The Summer Deal 
Publisher: Harper Collins  
Release Date: 6/2/2020 
ISBN: 1472269624
Genre: Women's Fiction/Contemporary Romance 
Rating: 4 Heart Review 

BLURB: Brynn Turner desperately wishes she had it together, but her personal life is like a ping-pong match that’s left her scared and hurt after so many attempts to get it right. In search of a place to lick her wounds and get a fresh start, she heads back home to Wildstone.

 

And then there’s Kinsey Davis, who after battling serious health issues her entire twenty-nine years of life, is tired of hoping for . . . well, anything. She's fierce, tough, and she’s keeping more than one bombshell of a secret from Brynn -- her long-time frenemy.

 

But then Brynn runs into Kinsey's best friend, Eli, renewing her childhood crush. The good news: he’s still easy-going and funny and sexy as hell.

 

The bad news: when he gets her to agree to a summer-time deal to trust him to do right by her, no matter what, she never dreams it’ll result in finding a piece of herself she didn’t even know was missing. She could have real connections, possibly love, and a future—if she can only learn to let go of the past.

 

As the long days of summer wind down, the three of them must discover if forgiveness is enough to grasp the unconditional love that’s right in front of them.


CHEEKY THOUGHTS: 
First, let's talk about that cover. It just screams summer read and I'm totally here for it. I'm also a BIG fan of animals on covers when they play a role within the story, as yellow lab puppy "Mini" does.

For me, this book straddled the line between women's fiction and romance and Shalvis does a great job at balancing the story elements of friendship and family with a real romance. Not every author can pack as much "other" into a romance and still achieve the character arcs for a hero and heroine to pull off a satisfactory HEA. If there was one area of the book I wanted to be more fully fleshed out, it would have been a little more of an arc for Eli. While I was satisfied with where he ends up in the story, I could have done with a little more emotional growth than we got. Maybe a few more challenges to his status quo?

One of the other relationships in the book is that of Brynn and Kinsey and it truly is done exceptionally well. There was real depth and development on the page between these two characters and you cheered and cringed as they muddled their way to a deep bond. 

Brynn's Moms and their relationship with not only her, but also Kinsey, Eli and Eli's brother Max, were a delight. My hope is that they continue to show up in any upcoming books in this series. Hell, I want them to come be my Moms for awhile! 

We do get insight into Brynn and Kinsey's past relationship through excerpts from their Summer Camp journals. These short flashes into their childhood worries and fears gives the reader a deeper understanding of how these women came to be who they are, and how intertwined their lives have always been. Also a fantastic reminder that you never know how your small actions can impact someone else's feelings and potentially, their life! 

This is my second review in a row to focus on books that explore family dynamics and while completely by accident, I've found myself finding comfort in that during these times. Shalvis makes a substantial statement about the powerful role family can play in someone's life, for good or bad. But much more importantly, Shalvis speaks to the power of unconditional love and support being the true marker of who makes up a family. 

Shalvis once again crafted a winner of a summer read. Do you think I can get away with reading them again in Winter? 😍

ENTER TO WIN A COPY: 

UPDATED: The Winner is Katelyn! 

Want to win your own copy of The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis? I want to hear how you are planning to find some joy in your Summer this year. We all need to find some joy, so let's share ideas with one another! Comment below for a chance to win and make sure to include your email so I can contact you if you win. 

Want an extra entry? I just joined Instagram as @Cheeky_Reads and would love some more friends! Check out my account there and if you like, give me a follow or like a post. Come back and comment with your Instagram account for an extra entry to win! 

Winner will be chosen on Monday June 8th and contacted via email. Open to US and Canada residents only. 


ABOUT JILL SHALVIS

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.


Connect with Jill

Website: http://jillshalvis.com/

Facebook: @JillShalvis

Twitter: @JillShalvis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillshalvis/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/

Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22370.Jill_Shalvis?from_search=true

 

9 comments:

  1. So excited to be hosting this giveaway! What are you doing to show yourself some self-love this Summer in the midst of so much. We all need to take some time for our mental health during this.

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  2. Been wanting to buy books this quarantine!! But sadly no near bookstores. :( hoping to win!

    ig: @vieltan

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    1. Since I've been staying home as much as possible, I haven't made it out to buy books either. I've been doing a lot of eBooks during this time. It's why I'm so excited to be able to give someone this book! Good luck!

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  3. I'm planning to work on sewing projects and read books!

    Email: katelynkyw@gmail.com

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    1. Love this! I'm reading a lot but want to learn to sew. Had just joined Bluprint for classes, but they announced they are shutting down. I think it will be a learn by YouTube kind of thing!

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  4. Followed your instagram and liked your posts!

    Ig: @katelynkywong
    Email: katelynkyw@gmail.com

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    1. Hi Katelyn, You're the winner of the copy of The Summer Deal! I will email you for your address information. Congrats!

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  5. I work at a Children's hospital and I feel like we are finally able to relax a bit. My plan is to take some time off and just relax and catch up on reading! It's getting very hot here but none of the pools are opening. I think I'm gonna get a kiddy pool and call it good! Thanks for sharing! I really enjoy this author!

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    1. Thank you for all you must be doing right now! There are some amazing kiddie pools I've seen online lately that are really made for adults but still that easy small size. I'm in FLA and it is getting hot! Hope you find some good books to read! Let me know if you love anything!

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