I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

While The Summer Deal is the fifth book in the Wildstone series, it works very well as a stand-alone, with the only identifiable overlapping feature with the previous book I read in the series being the setting of the small town of Wildstone.

One thing I enjoyed about this book is that the characters feel real and flawed, to the point where you don’t always like them. It took me a while to warm up to Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli, but once I did, I could really relate to them and their lives. The way Brynn and Kinsey as secret half sisters go on their journey from hating each other to bonding with each other was particularly sweet, and while I didn’t know what to expect with Eli and thought the two women would have a bit more melodrama where he was concerned, I was pleasantly surprised at the direction it took.

This is a great read about family being about more than blood ties. I recommend it to anyone who likes sweet contemporaries flawed, yet endearing characters.

Jill Shalvis is extraordinarily good at burrowing into her characters individuality and defining layers of feeling. This was an absolute gem of a novel.
Many thanks to Harper Collins Publishers and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Overall, this story was a bit cheesy and like a soap opera at times, but also charming and heartfelt. I loved the family vibe of the four housemates - Eli, Max, Kinsey and Brynn and I found myself able to relate to Brynn and Kinsey in different ways. Eli and Brynn, the main romance, had a believable connection but it still all felt a bit rushed. It was enjoyable to see Brynn and Kinsey eventually come together as sisters. I'd recommend this if you're looking for a fun, drama-filled beach read this summer!

3.5/5 stars

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from netgalley. I love Jill's book.
great story, great character's.
great romance. I can't wait to read more story's.

WIll appear soon at Romance Reviews Today (in June): http://romrevtoday.com/

THE SUMMER DEAL – Jill Shalvis
William Morrow
ISBN: 978-0-06-289791-6
June 2020
Contemporary Fiction

Wildstone, California – Present Day

Brynn Turner grew up in Wildstone but left it as the bad memories of being bullied were too hard to bear. Unfortunately, bad luck in the form of her now ex-boyfriend ripping her off and leaving her nearly destitute has her moving back home. Her two moms open their arms to her, though Brynn would rather find a job to support herself and move into her own place. A panic attack leads to Brynn ending up the hospital emergency room. While she’s awaiting the doctor’s verdict, she goes in search of chocolate—and finds herself face to face with a guy from her past. While she was growing up, her moms would send her every year to summer camp. Brynn hated it—except for the nice boy named Eli Thomas. Brynn had a secret crush on him. Eli has grown into a fine man. It’s too bad that he used to hang out with her nemesis, Kinsey Davis.

Kinsey wishes she could live a normal life, but having your kidneys fail and one transplant not work, then life is like a bowl of sour cherries. This has made Kinsey acerbic towards others, including Brynn, who she saw as a mousy, timid girl. At the age of fifteen, she discovered something that shocked her—Brynn is her half-sister via a sperm donation by their father, who is now out of the picture. Brynn doesn’t know it and Kinsey doesn’t want her to get close to her, so she is stunned when Eli rents one of the rooms in the house he owns to Brynn. Since Kinsey is entrenched there, how will the two former adversaries get along? Kinsey needs a new kidney. Will she ask Brynn to find out if they are a match?

Brynn and Kinsey are polar opposites in how they approach life. Brynn has pretty much crawled through life being bullied, while Kinsey isn’t afraid to push someone. The two people who can deal with Kinsey are Eli—her best friend since childhood, and Deck—her on and off again lover. When Brynn and Kinsey come face-to-face in THE SUMMER DEAL after all these years, Brynn’s first response is to flee, while Kinsey’s is to be as obnoxious as she can possibly be. After an acrimonious start, they finally agree to cohabit and soon learn the other isn’t as bad as they thought. They even forge—gasp—a friendship. Hanging over their heads in this tale is the knowledge that they are half-sisters and that Brynn might be a match as a kidney donor for Kinsey.

As with most books written by Jill Shalvis, there is plenty of humor tinged throughout the pages of THE SUMMER DEAL. She can write female characters that have self-depreciative personalities. Who of us hasn’t dealt with insecurities as to whether we’re doing the right thing? Eli and Brynn explore the attraction that has been there between them since they met in summer camp. Given her past history with men, will they be able to find love? Kinsey sees Deck as a friends with benefits type, yet readers suspect the woman with a hard heart actually has a soft one toward Deck.

THE SUMMER DEAL is one of those books that make the perfect summer beach read. It’s filled with emotion, friendship, and love. Will Brynn and Kinsey end up being the sisters they both wanted? Find out in THE SUMMER DEAL.

Patti Fischer

It's been awhile since I've read a Jill Shalvis book, but I'm glad that I picked this one up. It was exactly what I was looking for, strong family relationships, strong friendships, hot caretaker alpha heroes, an adorable dog, in short, everything I needed to give a big happy sigh as I read it. Plus, there are not just one, but two romances.

The primary one is between Brynne and Eli. There's always been a spark between these two, from the moment they met at summer camp when they were 10 or so, and the spark is still there when Brynne returns to town after a long absence. If anything, the relationship between them was almost too easy. They never dated when they were younger, but their interactions had the feel of a long-time relationship. Also they were both "people pleasers" who wanted nothing more than to smooth everyone's way and in that, they were equally matched but the drama between them felt almost manufactured. The secondary romance in the book was between Kinsey and Deck, and to be honest, I almost wished that these two had more screen time as there was far more tension and drama between them than between Eli and Brynne. Due to her upbringing and health issues, Kinsey was truly a prickly character who made plenty of mistakes in her relationships. She was slow to warm up to others, fiercely loyal when she did, and in the hands of a less skilled writer could have been quite unlikable, but because her motivations and her good heart were clear right from the start, it was easy to like her even as she pushed everyone (including Deck and Brynne) away.

You definitely can read this as a standalone. I don't think there is any crossover in characters from other books, just the setting is the same. I missed the other books in the Wildstone series but now I want to go back and catch up. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another winner from Jill Shalvis! Brynn returns to Wildstone to put her life back together and what she finds us love and the meaning of family. Eli has built his own family, including Kinsey, who is in need of a kidney. Eli, Brynn, and Kinsey all attended summer camp together as kids and Kinsey was the mean girl. Turns out she and Brynn are more than frenemies.

You get two romances for one in this book and Shalvis weaves a beautiful tale of friendship, family, and romance that is so hard to put down.

Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

They shared a history as frenemies, and it seemed, they shared some DNA. Now, they will also share a home, and maybe, learn to open their hearts to the possibility of love.

I feel like I keep saying this with each successive Wildstone book I read, but they just keep getting better and better. I simply loved EVERYTHING about this book.

They shared some history

Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli all spent their summers together at camp, when they were growing up. Eli was Brynn's first kiss, but he was also, Kinsey's best friend. And, Kinsey had a history of making things difficult for Brynn. I really enjoyed learning about these three as children. Via their stories and camp journal entries, I gained a lot of insight into why they were the way they were, and helped me fully understand some of the choices they made.

Fate brought them back together

This was such a perfect set up. Brynn and Eli cross paths in the hospital, reuniting after quite a few years. It was apparent, that there was a still a bit of spark between them, and it took me about 0.3 seconds to get on board that ship. But, Eli had other motives, when he told Brynn about his room for rent. He was looking for Brynn and Kinsey to get to know one another, and what better way than forced proximity.

Their life in the house

Eli was a collector of people. His own parents, more or less, abandoned him, and so, he found his own family. That family consisted of his half brother, Max, Kinsey, Deck, and now, Brynn. I am complete and utter trash for found family, and wow! What a fantastic group Shalvis assembled. Their interactions, their banter, their emotional responses to one another were all fabulous, and I could have spent forever in that house with them.

They guarded their hearts

I already mentioned that Eli's family was less than stellar, and Kinsey's wasn't any better. Their friendship was built on being each other's "person", and they had stood by one another through thick and thin. Eli feared letting someone in, and then being abandoned...again. While, Kinsey wouldn't allow anyone to love her, because of her health issues. And then, there was Brynn, who just didn't trust her judgement any longer after being burned.

I will admit. It was tough hearing all the details as to why these three had built fortresses around their hearts. I ached for them, but I will admit, I cried for Kinsey. Her storyline probably hit me the hardest, and it was most likely why I rooted for her the most. I needed her to let her guard down, and let people love her.

Both Deck and Eli were kings among men. They were wonderful and compassionate, and they went to great lengths to show their love. I adored them both so much, and was truly grateful that Shalvis gifted us with such great love interests in the book.

Overall

The Summer Deal was simply fantastic! I had been struggling a bit with my reading during quarantine, but this book, I devoured it. I smiled, and giggled, and grinned my way through it as I also wept, laughed, and swooned. This was another exceptional book from Shalvis, which made my heart overflow with joy.

This is a story about multiple people who have trust issues they need to overcome to be able to love again. I liked the book. I did not like the character Kinsey. I could not envision a mean bully as a beloved child psychiatrist! I received an ARC from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for my honest review.

This is book fifth in this series, but I had no problems reading this as a stand-alone book. The characters are well developed and grow immensely throughout the book. Ms. Shalvis tackles some rough issues in this novel, including organ transplants -which I felt was unique in a romance novel. The Summer Deal is an excellent beach read. It is a fast read, and it does keep you engrossed.

There are two romances in this novel going on at the same time, each one unique. However, I have several issues with this book. One deals with the fact that these people are close to being thirty years old, and they act more as if they were still teenagers. The other issue I have is that the sisters (even the 'bitchy one) are written in a manner that is just too sweet and treacly.

All in all, I wasn't disappointed in this novel, I wanted a beach read, and that is precisely what I got!

*ARC provided by the publisher.

This is everything you come to expect from a Jill Shalvis summer book- beautiful beach setting, a lovely romance or two, predictable and entirely too coincidental, and full of charming and likable characters. It’s a book that has you smiling because it just makes you feel good! It’s happy and full of love. Sometimes you just need a happy book in a beach setting. This will make for perfect summer beach reading! My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Another good book by Jill Shalvis in her Wildstone books. Brynn is on her way home to Wildstone after the betrayal of her boyfriend. She has not been lucky in love nor in self esteem. She reconnects with Eli, and the Kinsey, who she had gone to summer camp with. Kinsey has been protecting her heart, and those who care about her, her whole life. I enjoyed watching Brynn learn to stick up for herself and Kinsey allow people to love her. This was a very good story that I enjoyed..

The Summer Deal had ALL the feels. I laughed. I cried (the good kind of crying) I got mad at the characters, then I forgave them. The characters were so real and deep. The jumped off the page and lived. As always the writing was entertaining.

So yeah, you want to read this one! I think, no, i KNOW you'll love it as much as I did!

#TheSummerDeal#HerBalist
Another great book by Jill Shalvis . As the book opens Brynn Turned years back home to heal and get a fresh start in Wildstonne. She has panic attack and winds up in the emergency room.She meets her friend Eli who was her teen age crush. She decides she needs her own place and Eli has a room to rent. She agrees to rent a room then finds out her childhood nemesis Kinsey also rent a a room there..As time goes on a secret that Brynn doesn't know will come to light. This a story about family, friends, and secrets
I teXtbox book as a Arc from Bet. Galley and Harper Collins Publisher this is my review

Brynn returns home after her ex-boyfriend steals from her and then leaves her. Her mothers Raina and Olive, are loving but a bit smothering and she moves into a house where two of the roommates, Eli and Kinsey, were people she knew on summer camp. The relationships between the main characters are the main story line, as Kinsey and Brynn find themselves repairing past hurts, while Eli and Brynn forge a new romance. A good beach read, light and with humor. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is a perfect book tp take on vacation. It's a quick read but also has a great message. It's about family, friends (and enemies), and all the mess that comes with being a family. I liked this book and will add the author to my list of favorite authors.

The summer deal makes a great read to start the summer. The characters are amazing and so real to life. After finding your summer camp enemy back in your home town, only to have to tell her that she's your half sister. Lots of drama then making trust and love possible.

A fun, heartwarming story about friendship, family, and overcoming the pain of the past. A great story with likeable characters.

Another excellent read by Jill Shalvis. I always enjoy her books and this one was no exception. Her Wildstone series continues to address more serious issues, both in terms of family relationships and, in this case, dealing with a life-threatening illness. Her characters are so well drawn, however, that they reel you in and have you caring for them deeply, wanting them to work their issues out and find their HEA. I was so involved in this world and story, these characters, that I finished the book in one sitting. These characters feel like real people, people you want to hang out with, people you can be your own, flawed, self with. I didn’t want to leave them and I’ll definitely be picking up the audio version when it’s released. Although set in Wildstone, this is definitely a story that stands on its own and can be read and enjoyed even if it’s your first experience with Jill Shalvis. She just keeps getting better.

Ah… why are Jill Shalvis books so good? Honestly, I picked this up, read the first chapter and it’s like a warm comforting hug. Love it. I love being in a Jill Shalvis book. I loved the characters in this one, loved the multiple love stories (one is more prominent than the other, can we get a novella or something about how Kinsey and Deck started, woo boy, loved them!), the relationships between family and the family we make ourselves. I loved Brynn, really felt for and related to her. Eli was so adorable I wanted to put him in my pocket. The epilogue was everything.