Review: Always on My Mind by Jill Shalvis

Posted October 1, 2013 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

After dropping out of pastry school and messing up her big break on a reality cooking show, Leah Sullivan needs to accomplish something in her life. But when she returns home to Lucky Harbor, she finds herself distracted by her best friend, Jack Harper. In an effort to cheer up Jack’s ailing mother, Dee, Leah tells a little fib – that she and Jack are more than just friends. Soon pretending to be hot-and-heavy with this hunky firefighter feels too real to handle . . .

No-strings attachments suit Jack just fine – perfect for keeping the risk of heartbreak away. But as Jack and Leah break every one of their “just friends” rules, he longs to turn their pretend relationship into something permanent. Do best friends know too much about each other to risk falling in love? Or will Jack and Leah discover something new about each other in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

Jack Harper has always had a thing for Leah Sullivan. They lived next door to each other when they were growing up and he would hear her dad yelling at her constantly. She would then sneak into his room and he would comfort her. They loved each other. Leah, however, didn’t feel lovable. She didn’t feel like she could love someone nor could she receive love in a lasting relationship.

Leah took off when she was younger and was gone for years. Now she’s back in Lucky Harbor taking care of her grandmother who had knee surgery and has been taking over her grandmother’s bakery for her. As much as she likes moving around she feels like she’s come home in Lucky Harbor. That doesn’t mean that she’ll stay. When Jack comes into the bakery with his mother, who is weak and fighting cancer Leah only wants to make her happy and get her to eat and look forward to something so when Dee asks if she’s seeing anyone Leah says that she’s seeing Jack. Whaaaat???

Jack isn’t exactly thrilled to hear that he’s practically engaged to Leah but he can’t deny that he’s had feelings for her all these years. He’s just hiding the fact that he doesn’t want to get hurt by her again – as he did when he was younger. Leah is afraid of so many things and mostly of disappointing people. She disappointed her father time and time again and this ingrained in her the thought that she couldn’t do anything right – even a relationship.

While Jack and Leah are trying to navigate their friendship and eventual relationship Jack is trying to handle an arsonist and the fact that he really needs a change in his job. Leah is trying to figure out how to make everyone happy, but as she does this she makes herself miserable.

Another great book in the Lucky Harbor series. This one seemed a bit darker (but only a bit) than the others and the couple in this book actually fought their feelings longer than I thought they would. Yes, they gave in while still denying things.

Jack was a great guy and he and Leah were actually perfect for each other. They knew each other so well they can tell what the other was thinking or feeling just by the looks on the others face. It was a great friends to lovers story that I really enjoyed – especially when they finally admitted their feelings for each other and stopped fighting it all. Good stuff.

I love this series and highly recommend you read it if you haven’t already.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Jill Shalvis