Once in a Lifetime by Jill ShalvisGenre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Lucky Harbor #9
Publication Date: October 8th 2013
ISBN: 9781455521135
Page Count: 352
Rating: ★★★★
Review Copy: ARC
Reviewed by: Lynsey
Buy Link: AMAZON
Synopsis: SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT
After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.
Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben - even though he has absolutely no idea what she's done . . .
Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?
She's making a list.
Jill Shalvis is one of those authors whose books you can always rely on when you hanker for some gorgeous falling-in-love feels. They're filled with warmth, sweetness and not a small amount of sexy. Once in a Lifetime is no exception. It follows the story of Aubrey, a book shop owner, and Ben, a handy man and all-round good guy. Aubrey is woman misunderstood by many members of her small town. She's also a woman on a mission to right some wrongs. Ben is slightly lost five years on from the death of his wife. The two of them end up spending a lot of time together while Ben renovates Aubrey's shop, and they sparks they be a-flying. However, Ben doesn't yet know that he's one of the wrongs Aubrey needs to put right...
Ben and Aubrey were just adorable. They tried to keep things just physical at first, but, come on, this is Romanceland. When was the last time you saw that idea pan out as planned? Yeah, never. And the complications that arise as a result of Aubrey's "list" will have readers on the edge of their seats, and probably reaching for the kleenex too. As always, Shalvis left me with a profound sense of everything being right with the world as I closed the book, and I can't wait for the next instalment to meet the next couple!
A thoroughly enjoyable instalment in the excellent Lucky Harbour series.
4 Stars ★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by:
Q&A with Jill Shalvis
Q: Aubrey has some scandalous photos from her college days surface in her ex’s tell-all. Is there are anything from your past you wouldn’t want to see the light of day (but that you’re willing to share with us)?
A: Alpha Man has a photo on his phone that he snapped just as I was flipping him off. I’m not super proud of that moment, which of course is why he has it as my photo id when I call him…
Q: Aubrey inherits a cat named Gus, who has quite the personality—was he inspired by a real life cat?
A: He was inspired by my own Satan—er, Sadie, who believes she is the queen of all humans.
Q: Ben helps run the Craft Corner afterschool program—what’s the craftiest thing you’ve ever made?
A: I’m not super crafty, to be honest. But I can craft a hell of a cookie…
Q: What’s the nicest compliment you’ve received from a reader or reviewer?
A: I’ve had so many lovely letters, but one of my favorites is from a woman who was in divorce court. She read Simply Irresistible and fell in love with love again, and realized she loved her nearly ex-husband enough to give him another shot.
Q: What’s the most interesting way you got around a plot problem?
A: I wrote myself into a corner in Once In A Lifetime, twice. I wrote XX happens here and it will be brilliant and funny. And then I accidentally left that in when I sent it to my editor. I’m sure she wasn’t as amused as I was.
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But the door was unlocked now, and the lights on. She went still, then pulled out her phone and dialed 9-1-1. She didn’t hit send but kept her thumb hovered over call. Taking a step inside, she paused. “Hello?”
“Hey.”
The low, slightly rough voice wasn’t what had her heart pumping. That honor went to the fact that there was a man on a ladder in the back of her store.
Ben.
He was in jeans with a tool belt slung low on his hips, his t-shirt clinging to him. He seemed a little irritated, a little sweaty, and just looking at him Aubrey got a whole lot hot and bothered in places that had no business being hot and bothered by this man at all. “What are you doing in here?” she asked.
“I work here.”
“What are you talking about? Get out.”
“Sorry, Sunshine.” He wasn’t even looking at her, but using some sort of long, claw-like tool to pull down a ceiling tile above the wall she’d been working on. And his tool worked way better than hers.
His movements were agile and surprisingly graceful for a guy his size. Not that he was bulky in any way. Nope, that tall, built body was all lean, tough muscle, and it screamed power. And with each subtle movement, his body made it clear that it knew exactly what to do with all that power. “The owner of this building hired me,” he said. “Said you were making a mess of things because your pride was bigger than your wallet.”
This caught her completely off guard, both the insult and the information. “My uncle owns this building,” she said.
He smiled thinly. “Yep. Happy Birthday.”
“It’s not my birthday.”
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