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 pretty much the opposite of Brynn except for one thing: they're half-sisters. Kinsey is keeping this bombshell, and a few others as well. Long time frenemies from summer camp, there’s no way she’s going to tell Brynn they’re related.
But then Brynn runs into Kinsey's lifelong best friend, Eli, renewing a childhood crush. He’s still easy-going and funny and sexy as hell. 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 a sister, 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.
Release Date: June 2, 2020
William Morrow Paperbacks
Wildstone #5
Women's Fiction/Contemporary Romance
Review copy provided by publisher
Liza's Review:
Jill Shalvis in back in Wildstone, California with her newest release The Summer Deal. The Summer Deal was a wonderful edition to the Wildstone series. Brynn Turner and Kinsey Davis are both such fun characters, and I loved getting their stories.
Brynn has the unconditional love of her 2 moms, but besides that she really doesn't feel like she has her life together. When her latest ex-boyfriend steals from her before moving out of their apartment, Brynn decides it is time to head how to Wildstone and maybe just maybe get her life back on track. I loved that Brynn really did look at the world through rose-colored glasses much of the time. She seemed to look for the good in people much of the time...with the exception of her former campmate Kinsey. Kinsey is pretty much the polar opposite of Brynn at first glance. She puts on a really tough front, but the more time with Kinsey, the more I could see she was all about protecting herself and those she loved.
I really enjoyed the romances in this story. Eli and Brynn have both had crushes on one another since summer camp. Kinsey and Deck are basically in a "friends with benefits without being friends" situation, and honestly that made me crack up each time one of them said it. However, I didn't really feel like either of the romances were the main focus of this story. I felt like it was really Kinsey and Brynn's story from page one. The little insights about Kinsey and Brynn at the beginning of each chapter gave readers the information needed to see how their relationship had so much animosity even as adults. I will say I loved they acted and argued like sisters long before Kinsey ever found out they were half-sisters. Both characters grew so much during this book, and I loved seeing them each step up for one another like real sisters.
The Summer Deal was a fun story for me. Jill Shalvis gave her readers the humor they have become accustom to with her books, along with situations that totally pull on their heart-strings. While it is the 5th book in the series, The Summer Deal can easily be read as a stand-alone story.
Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
