My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Title: Still the One
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Animal Magnetism, #6
Pages: 320
Publisher: Berkley
Date: April 7, 2015
Summary:
Darcy Stone is game for anything — except sexy Navy veteran and physical therapist A.J. Colten, the guy who’d rejected her when she’d needed him most. Now the shoe is on the other foot and he needs her to play nice and help him secure grants for his patients. Unfortunately, Darcy can’t refuse. She needs the money to fund her passion project: rescuing S&R dogs and placing them with emotionally wounded soldiers.
A.J. admits it — Darcy is irresistible. But he’s already been battle-scarred by a strong-willed, vivacious, adventurous woman like Darcy, and he’s not making the same mistake twice—until he and Darcy are forced to fake a relationship. Growing closer than they’d ever imagined possible, Darcy and AJ have to ask themselves: how much between them is pretend? What’s the real thing? And where does it go from here?
Review:
A great thing about Jill Shalvis’ series is I always feel like I’m with old friends. Characters from earlier books are an integral part of the plot. They’re just not the main characters.
And with that said, we’ve already met Darcy and AJ in previous books. Darcy is the crazy, globetrotting younger sister of Wyatt from Then Came You and AJ is his serious, uptight best friend.
So, of course, they fall in lust . . . I mean love.
After a terrible automobile accident, Darcy’s globetrotting days are over. Without AJ’s expertise as a physical therapist, even her days of walking would have been over.
The only thing stronger than the chemistry between them is how much they annoy each other.
Wyatt, talking to AJ about Darcy:
“She does seem to take some serious delight in screwing with you. What did you do to piss her off?”
“Breathe.”
So, of course, a situation arises where they need each other . . . and where they end up spending time alone in a hotel . . . and . . . you get the picture.
I love a snarky heroine and Darcy certainly fits that description. Unfortunately, her snark is brought on by a childhood of rejection from her parents. If her snark keeps people away, then they can’t reject her, right?
After lots of miscommunication and wrong assumptions (and why can’t couples TALK to each other? Oh yeah, there wouldn’t be a book then.), AJ and Darcy finally get their HEA. Neither one is confident they can make the other happy, but they are both determined to be there and do their best.
This was not my favorite book of the series and I think it was because it was too real. They know things are not perfect just because they have admitted their love for each other. They both know that due to their own personal issues, they will have to work at the relationship.
And that was just a little too real life for me.
Still the One is “still” a great addition to the series. Read the others first. You won’t regret it.
This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Elaine Reads . . . constantly! 