Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for my complimentary ARC; all opinions provided are my own.

Before having Josephine I’d forgotten that breastfeeding—especially in the middle of the night—offers the opportunity to binge read (and eat lots of bad things in the name of staying awake, but that’s another matter altogether and best not explored at the moment because #survivalmode).

The facts are that Josephine has been a greedy little nighttime piglet and since having her on the 10th I’ve read at least four books. The first of them was Jill Shalvis’s Almost Just Friends, a magnetic women’s fic book that I couldn’t wait to keep reading despite the fact that I was running on probably three hours of sleep or less for three days in a row.

EMT Piper has spent her life taking care of people: the injured people she encounters at her job and her two younger siblings whom she basically raised after their parents died. Now’s her chance to leave Wildstone and pursue her own dreams…until her siblings show back up with a boatload of secrets between them and a sexy stranger named Camden moves in next door (relatively speaking).

As a person who isn’t too keen on confrontation, family drama plots sometimes stress me out. But Shalvis handles it deftly here: I love how she sketches the complicated dynamics between family members, showing how even the most well-intentioned person can make mistakes and also keep trying to be better. There’s room for both squabbles and forgiveness in families and Shalvis’s portrayal of that in Almost Just Friends moves me.

Those family secrets are also balanced by the relationship between Piper and Camden, which is all things lovely despite/because of the baggage each of them is dragging. It’s a relationship that’s based on mutual respect and attraction and fear-that-turns-into-bravery, all things that I find really sexy in real life and in romance novels. The banter between them and the other characters shines, offering another source of levity and warmth for the (extremely tired and maybe a little grumpy) reader.

And a big hurray! to Shalvis for increasingly including diverse characters and themes in her books, something that I think sets her apart from a lot of white “mainstream” romance novelists. Almost Just Friends features a gay secondary romance that’s maybe as heart-stirring as the primary.

On a basic level, I really enjoyed Almost Just Friends. I also felt grateful that this was the first book I reached for after Josephine: it satisfied me, touched me, and offered me some respite from the more immediate physical realities of newborn life, and none of those things are to be taken lightly.

4.25 ⭐️

This book grabbed me from the start. The characters are ordinary people with ordinary life situations just working to get through. Piper Manning raised her two siblings after her parents died and doesn’t feel she did a very good job because both are struggling. As a young man, Camden Hayes tried to help his mother through her mental health issues, but she eventually died of a drug overdose for which he feels responsible. His father also feels he’s at fault for her death because they divorced rather than work through her problems. This is a tender tale about second chances and the love of family and friends. There are same sex and heterosexual references, so this is definitely an adult book. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.

Piper is one of the strongest people that I know or have read about. After her parents died she took over raising her two younger siblings. Her siblings are coming home after having life changing experiences. Her goal is to leave and go to college to become a Physician's Assistant and not stay an EMT for the rest of her life. She takes care of everyone before herself.

When a massive storm hits she wades through the mud to go next door to check on him where she comes face to face with a tall, dark, and brooding stranger Cam. Piper has a hard time letting anyone get close, but for some reason she can't help letting Cam in past her walls.

When the secrets start coming out from her siblings everything changes, their lives, what she thinks she knows about her family, and Cam. She realizes that her siblings need her to help them, keep them grounded, but most of all she needs Cam.

Cam is going through a hard time after his brother died. Rowan was younger and raised by their father while Cam stayed with their mother to help take care of her. They had just started becoming brothers again when he was taken away from them. Turns out .... they get to keep a piece of him but everyone knows except for Piper.

Piper and Cam are cut from the same cloth. She helps to save people's lives being an EMT and running into danger. Cam is DEA and Coast Guard special forces also used to running into danger and saving people's lives. From the beginning you can see these two are meant to be together you just don't know what will come up and try to keep them apart. Cam is the guy that every strong woman dreams about. Piper is a strong woman that needs someone to take care of her for a change. I loved this novel and know what its like to be a strong independent women that needs a strong man to take care of you for a change. I'm glad that Jill Shalvis was able to introduce this type of character because you don't see many characters like her these days. A definite recommended read!

Almost Just Friends is a serious story told with humor and understanding about characters facing serious situations and learning to trust and communicate. Oldest sister, Piper, basically raised her siblings Gavin and Winnie. She thought she’d given them the opportunity to succeed in life, but now they have returned home with secrets. Piper’s neighbor Emmitt had two sons. After the divorce the boys were split up. Cam went with his mom and Rowen stayed with Emmitt. Now Rowan is dead and Cam is consumed with guilt. Jill Shalvis is a great writer who is most adept at advancing her stories via dialogue rather than drowning the reader in pages of internal angst. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Highly recommend.

It was 5 stars until the conclusion. It was going strong and seemed to fray a little at the end, but really, you can never go wrong with a Jill Shalvis novel.

As always, Jill's characters grabbed me from the beginning. Her Wildstone series entertains like all the rest of her books, but somehow they delve deeper into relationships and family dynamics. I love her characters because they make me feel like I am not alone in my flaws and inadequacies. Also, they help me see that those flaws are what make me who I am. I've learned to accept that there are some things I cannot change and others that are just stepping stones to a better me.

Piper and Cam's relationship was fantastic. I love that it didn't have the will they, won't they push and pull. From the beginning you could tell that it was a "for real" thing for both of them. With Piper's siblings bringing their own drama and hiding things from Piper and Cam being sent out on some small missions with the Coast Guard, their relationship has some ups and downs, but their foundation was strong enough to pull them through.

Jill writes characters that I want as friends and they create communities that I'd love to join. Her books always have just the right amount of sizzle to keep me coming back for more.

I really love this series by Shalvis. I like that it has more meat and substance. This is more than just a fluffy romance novel (though it does have its fair share of heartwarming moments and fluff). There are topics to be mulled over and material for a book discussion!

Set in Wildstone, this is another winner in Shalvis' collection. Piper just wants the chance to live her life for herself for once, to move on and be responsible for only one person after raising her siblings. Camden has come to take care of his dad, and maybe let go of some guilt. He also knows a little more about Piper's family than she does, and that is not helping the attraction he feels. As the secrets start to bubble out up and sparks fly a little more between Piper and Camden, can everyone find a path that truly will bring them peace and a chance at happiness?

This is a story about Piper and her 2 siblings. Piper had to take responsibility for her brother and sister after their parents died. She is having a hard time realizing they are now adults and need to make their own decisions. She also has a hard time with personal relations, when someone gets close she runs, until she meets Cam. This book kept me entertained, watching the family dynamics, and rooting for them to succeed. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A funny, romantic and emotional story of siblings finding each other and themselves. It contained plenty of Shalvis's signature witty romance.

I love jus about every Jill Shalvis book. This was another great one. A story about family with some romance. I liked that there were a few different romance storylines going on.

This has the classic Shalvis humor along with heart-tugging pathos. The characters seem real and many real world issues are featured, including addiction, grief, PTSD, and pregnancy. I enjoyed it and hope to read more about these characters in the next Wildstone adventure.

Piper Manning is a strong, independent woman - she takes care of everyone but doesn't let anyone in, so when the handsome and mysterious Camden Reid shows up she is caught off guard by how easy it is to want more than the simple fling she was imagining.

Romance done right. Adults who talk, siblings who want the best for each other, people who can change, new loves and old loves and all the feels love.

Jill Shalvis creates the most remarkable places. Wildstone is one of her newest towns and the characters in this place are really heartwarming. In this story we are introduced to EMT Piper Manning and her siblings. The three have had a rough go of life and are just trying to find their path.

I fell in love with Piper and her quirky ways! Piper meets her neighbor's son, Camden Reid. Camden happens to be a Coast Guard and DEA agent. Cam is Piper's opposite and you know what they say about opposites attracting.

This book really wrung some emotions out of me (which means it was FANTASTIC)! I highly recommend this fourth book in the Wildstone series.

Cute story about siblings, and to what extent they will go for each other. I enjoyed watching the evolution each of the characters in this book went through. It was a touching story, and a fun read.

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. I am a huge Shalvis fan and this book didn't disappoint. Her books make me laugh out loud and fall in love and feel like I am best friends with the characters.

This was alright in the sense that there was nothing wrong with it, but the characters were unusually dull. Like, I really can't imagine a world in which I care about what happens to these people.

Great story. I fell in love with the characters, and was rooting for them. I enjoyed reading about the dynamics that made up the Manning's family. And then through in Cameron Reed into the mix and you get pulled into the story further.While this is part of a series, you don't have to read them in order. This is a wonderful stand-alone book.

Almost Just Friends follows Piper, and her siblings, as they navigate being adults and living together under the same roof. There's also the hot new guy in town to give plenty of romance and angst. The POVs switch between Piper, Cam (hot new guy), and Piper's siblings. This gives the story a more rich, full feeling by adding layers of details and emotions. While there is plenty of romance for a Shalvis book, this one had more of a self-discovery feel to it. Every single character was working through one of multiple issues throughout the book. Overall, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to fans of Shalvis' other works, romance readers, or someone wanting good chick-lit.

I was surprised by the angst in this story. Totally different from the Jill Shalvis I have read. I read it but never connected to the characters. Reminds me of Brenda Novack.