Unwrapping a Review for SWEET LITTLE LIES, a Heartbreaker Bay novel by Jill Shalvis

Contemporary romance novels have to carry some mystery, danger, or a lot of steam for me to fall head over heels in love with them but occasionally, one comes along that blows me away. SWEET LITTLE LIES, new from the fabulous author Jill Shalvis, is one that has. I’m totally in love with Finn O’Riley and quite possible the rest of the men of this new series from Avon Romance.

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for SWEET LITTLE LIES:

Choose the one guy you can’t have…

As captain of a San Francisco Bay tour boat, Pru can handle rough seas—the hard part is life on dry land. Pru loves her new apartment and her neighbors; problem is, she’s in danger of stumbling into love with Mr. Right for Anybody But Her.

Fall for him—hard…

Pub owner Finn O’Riley is six-foot-plus of hard-working hottie who always makes time for his friends. When Pru becomes one of them, she discovers how amazing it feels to be on the receiving end of that deep green gaze. But when a freak accident involving darts (don’t ask) leads to shirtless first aid, things rush way past the friend zone. Fast.

And then tell him the truth.

Pru only wants Finn to be happy; it’s what she wishes for at the historic fountain that’s supposed to grant her heart’s desire. But wanting him for herself is a different story—because Pru’s been keeping a secret that could change everything…

~*~               ~*~              ~*~               ~*~

Pru Harris is on a mission. After her parents were killed in an accident caused by their overindulgence in alcohol, and after that same accident took the lives of others and left others injured, she has made it her goal in life to make amends to those harmed directly or indirectly by the accident. Her heart is that big. Using funds from life insurance and the sale of the family home as well as calling in some favors, she’s managed to make sure all affected have seen better lives for her efforts. However, there’s one more thing she feels she needs to do and it involves seeing some happiness in the life of one tall, gorgeous pub owner named Finn O’Riley.

Finn has made the best of the life handed him. Having had to leave college and baseball to take care of his younger, wilder brother after their father’s death by a drunk driver, he’s made a success of O’Riley’s pub, tried to keep his brother in line but he hasn’t left much room for any fun in his life, and certainly not romance. When a sexy new tenant in the building becomes a regular in his pub, he finds her claim of being the fun whisperer too much to resist. When the truth of who she is and what she’s done comes out, he feels betrayed. Falling in love wasn’t something he planned to do, but then who does?

SWEET LITTLE LIES by Jill Shalvis is wonderful from page one to the last. The characters are so three dimensional that you can almost imagine yourself as part of the fun. Pru and Finn are fabulous together and Troy, an incorrigible mongrel, is as much a main character as the others. Comradery and a sense of belonging make this cast of characters more like family than just friends. I can’t wait to see what happens next for this is going to be a must read series. I can only imagine the secrets and fun that will come along in the Heartbreaker Bay series.

Jill never disappoints for her conjuring of characters, atmosphere, and emotion are exquisite. Always one to infuse plenty of humor as well as drama, there’s plenty of both to go around in SWEET LITTLE LIES. However, I trust you will laugh more than woe for there are more than a few times when you just find yourself grinning ear to ear.

I highly, highly recommend SWEET LITTLE LIES, book one in the new Heartbreaker Bay series because it’s probably my favorite sweet, funny, sexy as all get out contemporary romance that I’ve read so far this year. Finn O’Riley is a man that I only wish existed in real life. His little brother, Sean, ain’t so bad either…then again, there’s Archer and Spence. Oh my, well…you get the picture. There is a future of good stories coming our way and SWEET LITTLE LIES is an excellent start to what promises to be a wonderful series. 

Happy Reading Everyone!

SWEET LITTLE LIES, a Heartbreaker Bay novel by Jill Shalvis, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.