An easy, light summer read but with enough heart that you don't immediately forget it. A cast of great characters. Themes of forgiveness, friendship and family. And a set of lovely 21st century heroes.

Brynn returns home to Wildstone for a fresh start after a horrible breakup. Her life is a mess and she just needs a restart. She steps right back into her childhood with Kinsey, her camp nemesis and Eli, her former crush. With her new beginning off to an unexpected start, she has the opportunity to mend a broken relationship and find love.

Loved the new addition the Wildstone series.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

In Jill Shalvis’s new women’s fiction book, The Summer Deal, Ms. Shalvis may have given us one of the best friends-as-family stories for the summer. I enjoyed all the side stories and the two-in-one love stories. I've come to love all of JS books and this one was no different. I'm not gonna give any spoilers away but this is definitely a book you should put on your kindle for the summer.

Jill Shalvis does it again! Creating likable characters (that we would love to smack upside the head once in awhile lol) and an interesting storyline. Half sisters, one unscrupulous dad, a serious illness, two romances, and more secrets than you can count! Mix it all up with a double dose of Jill Shalvis' humor😂 ( Sky raisins and jalapeno sky raisins! A classroom of kindergarteners with no filter! Omg, it just got better from there ) and you've got a winning combination here! This is book 5 in the Wildstone series but reads very well as a standalone. I loved it!

anything by Jill shalvis is going to be an honest book! i have kept up with all her books as well as the series Wildstone. this is the 5th book in the series about two different romances in the story. it has a lot of drama that they all seem to be messed up and than able to figure it all in the end by not giving up on each other.
great book. if you havent read anything by this author you do not want to miss out

I received an eARC of The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis from HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

5 stars! Jill Shalvis never disappoints and I'm already looking forward to her next book! I absolutely adored this story. The 5th book of the Wildstone series, this story has drama, secrets, romance and of course humor! I highly recommend this beach read!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

Oh how I love Jill Shalvis! I have never been disappointed in what she has written and this is another story I just enjoyed. There were characters that drove me nuts but somehow that just made them family. There is a bit of weird dynamics here so let me see if I can help a reader out. Brynn and Kinsey are frenemies for childhood but actually they are half siblings. Brynn had a crush on Eli who is now Kinsey’s boyfriend and more like bro/sis with Brynn. Brynn has a sorta boyfriend in Deck. Brynn knows she is half siblings but keeps it and so much more from Kinsey but tells Eli and makes him promise not to tell his girlfriend because she has been through health issues.

Caught up? Yeah it can be confusing but Jill Shalvis writes it so perfectly that you just fall into her writing and enjoy.

Grab this book and bring it along this summer to where ever you are going…. Ok you can read it at home since we are mostly stuck here… but no matter where you are it will be a read you will enjoy every word of.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars of finding what family really means goodness

This is the fifth book in the series, but I think you could easily read it as a standalone and not feel like you weren't up to speed. The characters are all well introduced, and the use of Brynn and Kinsey's summer camp journals gives us a further link with how long they and Eli have known each other. And yet... secrets abound and deciding who has the right or the obligation to be honest is something which Eli and Kinsey fail at, hurting Brynn all over again.

I really loved all of them, with all their faults – well, Deck doesn't really have any faults at all, although his ex would possibly find some – and their family issues. I think the fact that both Brynn and Kinsey really have it together at work, even if their view points are so different, and yet their personal lives are a mess, with or without a support mechanism.

Eli is in the ultimate rock and a hard place for a lot of the book, and even though he is a talented surfer and diver, he has trouble getting himself out of hot water on more than one occasion. All of this made him human, and thereby, also more lovable.

I really don't plan on telling you more of the plot, other than it is a really fun, sensitive, romantic, and at times, even frustrating read, but utterly worthwhile. Highly recommended for taking you completely away from your every day.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fun story of the complicated relationships between a group of California housemates. The focus is on Kinsey and Brynn, childhood frenemies tied together by long secrets, and their relationships with Eli. The two women are complicated and difficult – but as they get to know each other, they have more in common than it first seems.

It’s always a challenge to engage with characters who aren’t terribly likeable. For different reasons, Brynn and Kinsey are pretty difficult characters to care about at the start. It’s only as readers learn more about their long history together and their personal traumas that it’s possible to excuse some of the crazy. And there is a lot of crazy in this book. The characters are supposed to be professionals in their late twenties but their emotional incontinence reads more late teens. Their story left my head spinning but by the end, I was thoroughly enjoying Kinsey and Brynn’s stories.

I’m really not sure about the romance in this book. I think Kinsey’s romance is supposed to be the central storyline, but it feels secondary to her rebuilding her life and recovering her confidence. I found the relationship between the women more interesting than either of their romances and I think the relationships between families and roommates were also more interesting. I have to admit that I was disappointed by the super cliché happily ever after – I feel like Kinsey deserves a more interesting and less conventional future.

All in all, I raced through this book in a couple of sittings. It was an easy, entertaining read and I did love the focus on female friendships.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
This is a great book with a love story that is out of the ordinary.

Brynn Turner considers herself to be an oddball. She's never fit in, either with the "in" crowd or the "not so in" crowd. She's put up with bullying throughout most of her school years due to the fact that she has two mothers, wears glasses, and is uncoordinated as anyone can be. As such, Brynn has become a loner and a self-proclaimed nerd.

Her biggest adversary is Kinsey Davis, her own personal mean girl. Brynn doesn't know why Kinsey has made it her personal mission to make Brynn's life miserable. Kinsey is mean to everyone, not just Brynn, and Kinsey believes that by doing this she will keep her heart safe.

Ten years hasn't changed things much, Brynn still considers herself an oddball and screw-up and Kinsey is still keeping most people at arm’s length. The only people who are close to Kinsey is Eli and his brother, Max. Kinsey and Eli have been BFFs since grade school and both of them are always there for the other.

Eli considers it fate when it runs into Brynn at the hospital. Eli crushed hard on Brynn during their camp days, but knew she was way out of his league. Brynn thought Eli was cute but since he was Kinsey's best friend, she knew it would never work.

Now, Brynn is back home after another disappointment in her life, living with her mother is not where she planned to be at this stage of her life. Eli offers her a room in his house with him and his other roommates. Brynn accepts not knowing that Kinsey will be one of her roommates.

Sparks fly between Eli and Brynn, but Eli knows that Brynn has to heal before starting something new. She also makes it very clear that one of the things she absolutely despises is being lied to. Keeping secrets for Kinsey doesn't sit well for Eli, but he made a promise to her.

These secrets threaten the very life that Brynn says she wants, and she doesn't know what to do. Does she forgive and forget, forgive and move on somewhere else, or forgive and grab on to the life she desperately wants with both hands?

This is my first venture into this series, but it is a series where each book stands on its own with only the town binding each story to the other.  So feel free to read these books in any order.

This is told from two different POV - Brynn and Kinsey, frenemies that have more in common than they know.  They both have issues in their lives that seems to be exacerbated by events out of their control and by each other.  But despite it all, they manage to find common ground and perhaps they will be able to move forward in their lives.

This book brings in a lot of topics that are very relevant in today's world.  Brynn has two moms, she has anxiety, Kinsey has medical issues, bullying, organ transplant, and many more.  Each topic is woven into the story so that it flows seamlessly from one life to another.  There is romance and while I think the focus of this book was more Brynn than Kinsey, I would have liked to read more about Kinsey's relationship with Deck.  He's a single dad who has his act together and while he is willing to do anything for Kinsey, she pushes him away.  She has her reasons but opening herself to Deck could be life altering.

This book also focuses on truth and deception.  Secrets should not be kept and it can only cause more problems down the line if the truth is withheld.  I think Brynn and Kinsey learn this very well by the end of the book.

This is an enjoyable read and with a few heavier topics, but nothing that will bring down your mood while reading.  We give it 4 paws up.

My Thoughts:

The Summer Deal was such a great read! Jill Shalvis is a master storyteller, and every time I read a story of hers, I'm reminded of why I love her books so much. Her characters are real, relatable, and likable!

We get the stories of Brynn Turner and Kinsey Davis. The story toggles between the past (in diary entries,) and the present, in which we learn these two attended the same summer camp every year, and did not get along.

Brynn leaves Long Beach for Wildstone when things go south with her boyfriend. She needs a new start, and to have the support and love of her nurturing mothers, Olive and Raina. However, she doesn't want to live with them, and prefers to have her own space. Unfortunately, rent in Wildstone is too high for this substitute kindergarten school teacher. So when Eli, (her adolescent crush,) offers her a room for rent at a reasonable price in his home, she accepts. What she doesn't realize is that Eli had a huge crush on her too, and is excited to have her back in Wildstone. Bryn becomes upset when she learns that Kinsey is one of his roommates, and even though she decides she's going to back out of the arrangement, they convince her to stay.

Eli and Kinsey have been best friends since they were young, and bonded over having families that abandoned them. Eli wants to bring Brynn and Kinsey together, because he knows an important secret. So Eli, his fun-loving half-brother Max, Brynn, and Kinsey all end up becoming roommates.

Kinsey is very sick. She has Kidney Disease, and unfortunately transplant rejection has been a problem for her. She has a friends with benefits arrangement with Deck, a single father and nurse at the dialysis center. Kinsey insists on keeping everyone she cares about at arms length, because she has resigned herself to death, and doesn't want to hurt anyone.

The Summer Deal was a fantastic read! I loved getting to know sweet, sensitive, quirky Brynn. Kinsey was a character with many layers, At times she could appear cold, but she had suffered so much since a young age, and we realize she is trying to protect herself, as much as she's trying to protect those around her. Eli and Deck were both wonderful love interests that had me swooning! They were patient, kind, caring, and compassionate. They had their work cut out for them with Brynn, (who had major trust issues,) and Kinsey.

I loved so much about this story! I loved how realistic the main characters were. Jill Shalvis brought them to life, and they felt so real to me, that they could have walked right off of the page. They were flawed, like any person is, but had so many great qualities to them as well. Brynn's mothers and Kindergartner’s charmed me, made me smile, and laugh. My heart broke for the individual hurt and pain they all suffered along their unique journeys. I was rooting the whole way through for Brynn and Kinsey to make peace with one another, and get close. I was holding my breath hoping that Brynn and Kinsey would take a chance on love, and was ecstatic when Ms. Shalvis delivered the perfect ending!

4.5 Stars!

Mostly The Summer Deal’s cover is what attracted me to this book. Jill Shalvis is a new to me author, but one that I have heard about many times before. Summer reading is always fun to explore and something I look forward to every year and this book is just for that. Basically I needed to get my mind away from life and just escape into this enjoyable story. This book has a beach setting and very likable characters, especially the “Mom’s,” they were my favorite. I really enjoyed it, even during these difficult times of being quarantined I was looking for something different to read, and I found it. A happy and cute story much needed to get me back into reading for the fun of it.
The storyline flowed along well, and some family truths really hit home for me. I will definitely be going back to read the rest of the Wildstone Series to see what I have been missing.

Kinsey and Brynn were childhood enemies at summer camp. Eli was Kinsey’s best friend and Brynn’s secret crush. The frenemies relationship ended when they were fifteen after Kinsey and Eli did not come back to camp that year. Time has passed, and the three have been thrown back together again. Brynn has returned back to her home town after a failed relationship. She knows she can’t stay with her Moms forever so she rents a room from Eli in his house. Kinsey lives in the home as well as Eli’s half brother Max. Kinsey has secrets of her own and one that she wants to share with Brynn, but can’t bring herself to do. What is Kinsey’s secret? Will Brynn and Eli rekindle the romantic feelings of their youth?

Jill Shalvis writes good characters with flaws and intriguing stories. I love that for each character, life has thrown them hurtles, and they need to figure out how to put the pieces back together and move on to fulfillment and happiness. Although there was romance, The Summer Deal was at its heart a story of two women and their friendship. I enjoyed their journey from frenemies to friends. All of the characters were great. I loved that Brynn had two mothers that loved her, but could be embarrassing at times as they smothered her with love. Kinsey on the other hand has two parents that have been constant disappointments and can’t find time in their day to spend with their daughter. Understanding their backgrounds is a much deeper way to understand their motivations and actions. Eli was a great character himself also coming from a broken family, but together with his half brother Max, Brynn, and Kinsey, they are able to create a new supportive family of their own.

The story is told alternately in third person from Brynn and Kinsey’s perspective and most chapters start with a diary excerpt from one other other’s diary from camp when they were kids. I really liked this format.

Favorite Quotes:
“This is what happened when one fell for a con artist; you lost your perspective and self-trust. Because everything felt like a mirage now.”

“Sometimes, people keep secrets because it’s easier than the hurt and disappointment that knowing those secrets will lead to.”

Overall, The Summer Deal is a great story of broken characters that are able to pick the pieces of their lives and form new friendships and relationships. I enjoyed it.

Book Source: Review Copy from William Morrow. Thank-you!

I don’t even know where to begin with this. Brynn is coming home after having heart stomped on, but home is a bit too...smothering for her. So she agrees to rent a room from the man she used to have the worlds biggest crush on when she was younger...only to find out her old enemy from camp lives there too. Brynn’s heart is locked up tight, and it doesn’t matter that Eli gets her and sees her and appreciates her, because she’s done with men...isn’t she? And oh my god, I loved Kinsey, who is prickly and angry and off putting and so dang scared. I loved everything about this book and I totally cried my eyes out.

Sweet read about family both found and real, about friendship and connection. It's an easy, enjoyable read, and while the moments of heartbreak are predictable, the warm heart at the center make this a very pleasant read. It's definitely not required to have read the previous books in this series before reading this one.

Imagine two girls who go to summer camp together, both do a DNA test, and find out years after that they are half sisters. Oh, and they are enemies. ⁣
⁣
Brynn is forced to go back home after being scammed by her lousy boyfriend. Leaving her with nothing but a duffle bag with some clothes. After a panic attack and a trip to the hospital, thanks to her overprotective mom’s, Brynn runs into her summer camp first kiss, Eli. Meanwhile, Kinsey is in the hospital due to transplant rejection. Eli see’s this as the perfect opportunity to unite the two sisters, except Brynn doesn’t know Kinsey is sister. ⁣
⁣
Fast forward a little while later and the three of them, plus Eli’s brother Max, are all roommates. Plus Kinsey’s not-boyfriend Deck who visits nightly, but isn’t allowed to stay due to Kinsey’s rules. ⁣
⁣
THE SUMMER DEAL is a story about acceptance, forgiveness, and family bonds! I devoured this within a few sittings! Eli was so sweet towards both Brynn and Kinsey. I loved his friendship and love for them both. Both sisters are extremely stubborn but I’m glad everything worked out in the end!

I'm always excited to see a new Wildstone book released from Jill Shalvis. It's one of my favorite series from this author as it combines women's fiction with a touch of romance quite nicely. Each book works well as a standalone.

In this installment, Brynn Turner returns home, not by choice but by necessity as her ex-boyfriend has left her in a place that isn't so good financially or emotionally. Returning to Wildstone and her two moms, she realizes that staying at home might not be the best thing for getting back on her feet, so she ends up renting a room from some childhood frenemies.

Kinsey wasn't the nicest person to Brynn during childhood and would like to make us for it now. Only there's a secret she's keeping from Brynn that's likely to cause some major upheaval. But Kinsey has some serious health issues that may be putting a timer on her chance to let Brynn in on the secret. Good thing there's Eli, Kinsey's best friend, and Brynn's crush and new landlord.

There's so many opportunities for all three of these characters to redeem themselves, if only they will take the it. But it's not easy for them to let go of the past, and it might just really hurt their future together. It's all about forgiveness and that doesn't come easy to these characters as they do carry a large amount of baggage with them as well.

In addition to the main characters, Kinsey's boyfriend Deck provides quite a bit of heat to the story and is a favorite character of mine in this story.

I really enjoyed this story. It's the type of emotional tale that gets to me. It's all about family and forgiveness and how if you have family, you will probably need to practice forgiveness at some point. Families can also be made by people who love each other enough to forgive and trust. Lots of good emotional content here that makes this a five star read for me.

An ARC was provided. This is my honest review.

First, let's talk about that cover. It just screams summer read and I'm totally here for it. I'm also a BIG fan of animals on covers when they play a role within the story, as yellow lab puppy "Mini" does.

For me, this book straddled the line between women's fiction and romance and Shalvis does a great job at balancing the story elements of friendship and family with a real romance. Not every author can pack as much "other" into a romance and still achieve the character arcs for a hero and heroine to pull off a satisfactory HEA. If there was one area of the book I wanted to be more fully fleshed out, it would have been a little more of an arc for Eli. While I was satisfied with where he ends up in the story, I could have done with a little more emotional growth than we got. Maybe a few more challenges to his status quo?

One of the other relationships in the book is that of Brynn and Kinsey and it truly is done exceptionally well. There was real depth and development on the page between these two characters and you cheered and cringed as they muddled their way to a deep bond.

Brynn's Moms and their relationship with not only her, but also Kinsey, Eli and Eli's brother Max, were a delight. My hope is that they continue to show up in any upcoming books in this series. Hell, I want them to come be my Moms for awhile!

We do get insight into Brynn and Kinsey's past relationship through excerpts from their Summer Camp journals. These short flashes into their childhood worries and fears gives the reader a deeper understanding of how these women came to be who they are, and how intertwined their lives have always been. Also a fantastic reminder that you never know how your small actions can impact someone else's feelings and potentially, their life!

This is my second review in a row to focus on books that explore family dynamics and while completely by accident, I've found myself finding comfort in that during these times. Shalvis makes a substantial statement about the powerful role family can play in someone's life, for good or bad. But much more importantly, Shalvis speaks to the power of unconditional love and support being the true marker of who makes up a family.

"They were her personal superheroes, sweeping into her life, accepting her as she was."

I have read quite a few of author Shalvis' books and this one is the most serious of them. Most that I've read before definitely have a message but lean more towards the romantic comedy genre. I would call this women's fiction (if I needed to put a label on it). That's not to say there isn't romance and also comedy in this one but it's not the focus.

Brynn Turner is a hot mess when she comes dragging home to her two moms in Wildstone, California. Her con man boyfriend left her, after he robbed her blind, and she needs the comfort of home.

She ends up running into her long time ago crush, Eli, who she met at the summer camp she went to for years. He offers her a room to rent in his large beach front house to help her get back on her feet. But what she doesn't realize is that his friend is Kinsey, the mean girl from the camp who also rents a room from him.

The story revolves around Brynn learning to live her own life and around Kinsey, who has some big secrets she's keeping from Brynn. Kinsey wasn't my favorite character but there are good reasons she's the way she is.

I loved the message behind this story - of not necessarily being stuck with the family you're born into but being able to create the family you want and need.

I highly recommend this story. And you don't have to read the rest of the Wildstone series to enjoy this book. It stands well on its own.

I received this book from Morrow Paperbacks through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Another great book in the Wildstone series! I don't think this was my favorite in the series so far, but I did love it. What I loved about prior Wildstone books was that you really got a feel for the setting and coastal vibes of Wildstone--I didn't feel that as much with this one. What I did love though were the fantastic characters. I loved every single one of them. Brynn, her moms, Eli (dreamy), Max, Deck and even Kinsey. I wanted to be friends with them, I wanted to hang out and have late night pancakes and games of Cards Against Humanity with them. They were all so real and likeable. I loved the bonds and relationships between all of them and how they cared for and looked out for each other. This was a perfect weekend read because it was so hard to put down. I got so attached to these characters! Though this is the fifth book in the Wildstone series, it can definitely be read as a stand alone--BUT I do highly recommend the entire Wildstone series as well. This is a perfect read for your beach bag this summer!

Jill Shalvis always delights with her quick wit, laugh out loud snark and lovable characters that always wrap themselves around a reader's heart within a few pages of dialogue. This most recent visit to Wildstone is no exception!

Eli Thomas was definitely the star of the book for me. He's kind, he's loyal and he loves hard. His childhood crush on fellow summer camp attendee Brynn flares back to life quickly the moment he runs into her again.

Brynn Turner is easy to like. She finds herself once again trying to pick up the pieces after a man lets her down, and she's not so sure she ever wants to let her guard down again. Running into Eli reminds her that there is good in the world ... she's just not sure she can take the jump to letting herself see it.

Kinsey Davis is your typical mean girl, but as we get to know her, we see the soft side hiding behind all of her biting words. She's Eli's best friend and secrets she doesn't want to share endanger the life he wants to throw himself into.

I highly recommend this story and the entire Wildstone series to anyone who enjoys a heartfelt romance with an equal amount of drama, love and sass. It's always a joy to visit this town!