Loved the ensemble cast and the friends to lovers theme. Jill Shalvis did a fantastic job letting the characters stay absolutely true to themselves even as they became more self aware, less closed off, and emotionally available. I felt like the friendships and family relationships were highlighted in this book - while some others in the series are more about a certain character’s journey, or how the characters fit in to their setting. I don’t have a preference - and I’m impressed that Shalvis continues to mix it up and give her series longevity.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were each so messed up, but also hilarious! Maze and Walker were meant for each other basically from the moment they met in foster care with Cat’s family. I loved all of the characters and I loved seeing some of the other characters from the previous Wildstone books. Can’t get enough of this series!

This a story of family. Not your typical family but family none the less. Torn apart by a tragedy when they were younger now brought together for a wedding. Secrets will be told. Hurts will be mended. And love will be renewed. Wonderful book.

I am immeasurably drawn to Jill Shalvis' books. I just can't help it. The Forever Girl just sucks you in and leaves you a little dazed and heartsore but so happy and content.

One magical summer they were all a family, a rag-tag foster family but a family nonetheless. Maze, Heather, and Walker were fostered by Caitlin and Michael's parents. Then when tragedy struck they were all separated. One day a year they would come together to celebrate Michael's birthday until Maze and all her pent-up self-protective mouthy defenses separated them again.

Now, Caitlin is getting married and the whole group is returning to Wildstone to prepare for the festivities. Many years have passed since they were once a family but sometimes old habits are hard to break. It isn't long before they start to settle into their old patterns. Caitlin being the momma bear, mayhem Maze recklessly leading whatever charge she finds, Heather the baby sister, and Walker that stoic wall of mystery with a hidden heart. They all come together with secrets still wrapped tight around each of them. As they work to help Caitlin prepare for her nuptials they find that more than just their past connects them and if they work past all their old hang-ups they could have more together than they had ever dreamed.

The Forever Girl is kind of a tear-jerker. Full disclosure Caitlin's brother is killed during a housefire when they are all kids and the guilt is something many of them carry around themselves for their whole lives. This book deals very much with survivor's guilt and the demons attached to living with all those ghosts. So you kind of need to be in a place where you're prepared for those layers. Maze, in particular, has a lot of on-page self-berating for her past behaviors associated with the accident itself and how she lashed out after. So take heed if you need to.

I do wish that maybe Maze had gotten some professional help with her self-acknowledged issues she seemed to still be really struggling with them. Jill Shalvis has this effect on you. You care so much from the beginning that you just hate to see the characters constantly struggling. I loved Walker and his quiet stoicism. I do wish we had more fight from him. He just seemed to sit back and wait for Maze to figure herself out. But, I guess that was what she really needed, time and space and all that. I was really rooting for Caitlin and her fiance, hoping they could really pull it out but, in the end, you just can't force things. Oh, and Heather's multiple little side stories (past and present)... I just loved all of that. I wish we got a bit more from that but se la vie.

The Forever Girl will put you through an emotional rollercoaster but, in the end, you are just so happy the journey is totally worth it. I'm totally looking forward to book 7- Love for Beginners.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Like, really loved it. The Wildstone series is a hybrid of romance and women's fiction, perfect for those who need the romance aspect in their stories. THE FOREVER GIRL gives us Maze, Walker, Heather and Caitlin and while these characters couldn't be more different they have this deeply-rooted love for one another, an almost indestructible connection.

Maze, Walker and Heather have one thing in common - they were abandoned by the people that were supposed to love them most. All three of them had their parents turn their backs on them. But they were also so lucky being fostered by Caitlin's parents. From the beginning, they are more family than strangers, filling an empty space inside them with their love for one another. Until tragedy strikes that scatters them in different directions, which leaves their relationship strained.

"You guys are the mac to my cheese.”

Caitlin wants her family back together so she more or less forces them to stay with her and rebuild what they used to have. Maze has always been the wild child, the one who was up to no good, fearless unless it comes to relationships. A fear Walker, the protector in the group, felt on a deep level, when Maze ran from him after a wild night in Vegas. Heather, now a single mom, was the mischievous one, now trying to survive and make ends meet every single day

Every single one in this group puts a lot of work into mending their banged-up ties. I felt that Maze especially made huge progress. She's a master at deflection yet with her people back in her life she learns how to address her issues and work through them.

"I’ve been with you, and I’ve been without you. And I learned one thing with absolute certainty: my life’s better with you. You know where I stand. I love you, Maze. There are no doubts for me. All that’s left is for you to get off the fence, on one side or the other.”

I adored Walker, who along with Caitlin was the steady rock, reliable and despite the complicated nature of all of their relationships always there to help the others. And I cheered Heather on when she found happiness in her life. Some of my favorite moments were the ones Sammie, Heather's daughter, made an appearance. She stole the show.

Jill Shalvis's WILDSTONE series is among my favorites. I love the way she portrays her characters but the way she describes the family dynamics and bond between friends feels so real, heartfelt and visceral. THE FOREVER GIRL was an absolute delight and shows you that blood doesn't always create the strongest bonds. There were so many lovely moments, so many that had me tear up because of the warmth and love between these characters. And some that made me laugh out loud or threw me in fits of giggles. The romance was amazing - complicated, a little angsty and satisfying. Best swoons you'll have this year! Jill Shalvis brings her A-game with this one and I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series!

“Turns out, home’s not a place, not for me. It’s you, Maze. You’re my home.”

PS. A book for Caitlin would be amazing!

I loved this book!!!!!!!! Jill Shalvis hit it out of the park again w/this one!!!!!! This story was very easy to relate to with family, trauma, love, & happy endings. If you enjoy Jill Shalvis's books then return to WildStone for another enjoyable read!!!!! Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for my honest review.

In The Forever Girl, Jill Shalvis has crafted a funny, endearing, emotional, sweet, and sexy, story of family found, second chances, forgiveness, self-acceptance, and learning to open your heart to love.
Each of the four main characters brings a different perspective to their group. Bound together by one year spent in Cat's family home as foster siblings, they made the choice to be family. While those chosen bonds have been put to the test over the years, they have never broken, though they are currently strained to the limit. Cat, on the eve of her marriage to a man she's sure is Mr. Right, but might be Mr. Wrong, is determined to bring her family together again and see those bonds strengthened, even while she's falling apart. Heather, the youngest, has grown up but still can't keep a secret...except the one she's been keeping for the past three years. Walker is still their strength, except for his vulnerable heart, which has always belonged to Maze. And Maze, the fiercest among them, while also the one with the most tender heart, is the one who most needs to open that heart to the love and forgiveness that has always been there for her. They all found a special place in my heart and I was there, laughing (out-loud, snort-laughing, more than once), crying (there are some incredibly poignant moments), and cheering them on to happy endings (however that looks for each of them).
Shalvis surrounds her main characters with a vividly-depicted secondary cast who provide conflict (mother-in-law from hell, anyone?), humor (the dog descriptions are hilarious), and steadfast friendship, then wraps them all up in a fun, sigh-worthy, and emotionally-satisfying story that has my enthusiastic recommendation.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

This group of 5 was great, until they become 4 and then all the insecurities, old wounds and issues were brought back to the surface. Cat, maze, Walker and Heather all what the other needs. Each have a mask and the reader will spend the time with this group and watch them fall away.

Favorite Quotes:

She’d grown up with big dogs, so she didn’t quite get the appeal of the little ones. They yipped. They had a Napoleon complex. Last week at the dog park, they’d terrorized a big dog into peeing on them.

She’d kept all this bottled in because . . . well, that’s what she did, always. There were lots of corked bottles of emotion deep inside her.

“Healthy relationships are about the three Cs.” “Calamity, cluelessness, and catastrophe?” Maze asked.

Somewhere along the way, she’d become the sidekick in her own story.

Oh my God… I can’t go to jail, who’ll take care of Sammie? And plus there’s scratchy toilet paper in jail, and I’m too short for the orange coveralls they make you wear!

You don’t need to be in the beginning of a child’s story to change the ending.


My Review:

This story carried considerably more angst than any Jill Shalvis book I’ve ever read. Not that I’ve read a lot of them, but it was a noticeable difference when contrasted with the brilliance of her previous works that I’ve been lucky enough to lay my greedy and grubby hands on. The majority of said angst radiated out of the main character of Maze, who was difficult for me to warm up to as Maze took stubbornness to a new level of tenacious obstinance. I grew to care for her, although I still wanted to periodically give her a few smacks with my Kindle to disrupt her egocentrism.

As always, Ms. Shalvis’s writing was easy to follow, cleverly nuanced, well-paced, and amusingly engaging with a compelling cast of complex and quirky characters. The storylines and issues combated were relevant and relatable to many regardless of family situation, as every family unit has at least a few obnoxious members if not an entire limb on the family tree, or as in the case of mine, riddled with a plethora of pervasive pestilence starting from the root level and extending to the very top leaf. ;-)

Jill Shalvis is my absolute favorite writer. There is just nothing like delving into one of her books. The characters she creates are so rich and emotionally complicated that she never fails to completely transfer me to the world she has created.
In The Forever Girl, Shalvis has four characters that have melded into a family inside of the Foster System. I found it very interesting that one of them was actually the biological daughter of the parents. The closeness that the four kids ( Cat, Maze, Walker and Heather) developed in their youth was destroyed by a tragic event. Now years later, Cat has brought the four of them back together to try to recapture their relationship as a "family". Their emotions and mindsets are all over the place as they struggle to recover what they lost so many years ago.
Nothing does it for me like a Jill Shalvis book. She brings the emotion as well as the absurdity that is human nature and makes me laugh even as I'm crying.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 star

I was pulled right into this story. The story has secrets, and second chances.

If you have not read the below I would recommend reading those books(s) first
Lost and Found Sisters (Wildstone, #1)
The Good Luck Sister (Wildstone #1.5)
Rainy Day Friends (Wildstone #2)
The Lemon Sisters (Wildstone #3)
Almost Just Friends (Wildstone #4)
The Summer Deal (Wildstone #5)
Mistletoe in Paradise (Wildstone #5.5)

This is Maze and Walker’s story. These two and their friends have been through a lot. They are still working through grief and survivor’s guilt. Walks and Maze love each other but she broke his heart are the tragedy. Now she is back in town. Can these friends finally get some closer and build back the friendship that they lost? Can Maze finally stop running away from the love Walker is trying to have with her? Will he finally get her to believe that the love they have for each other is everlasting?

I loved these characters and the side characters. I felt I could connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next story from this author.

What’s your favorite series? Wildstone is definitely one of mine and every time I read a new installment I’m reminded just how freaking good these books are. They’re full of heart, snarky humor/banter, hope and they always have some sort of emotional component that pulls on my heartstrings. ⁣
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The Forever Girl is the latest book in the series, they are all able to read on their own as they’re just set in the same town but follow entirely new characters. I started at like book 4 and then went back last year and read the rest because again, they’re that good y’all. This one follows four friends who are family; Maze, Walker and Heather were all foster kids who lived with Caitlin and her family and for them, it was the first time they ever had anything remotely resembling a family unit. Tragedy tore them all apart and things have never really been the same since, but now Caitlin is getting married and she wants everyone back home together. ⁣
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From the moment I first met Maze I liked her, I was invested in her immediately and soon became invested in the rest of the characters as well. They had a super interesting and engaging family dynamic, they’re messy as hell but totally genuine and relatable. This deals with some heavy issues, no one in this story has had an easy life, but by the time I finished I was full of hope and there was a perfect balance between emotional exploration and humor, think tearing up one page and snort laughing the next. Highly recommended by me for romance/women’s fiction lovers!

Family by choice, not blood. The Forever Girl is a heartfelt and cleverly women tale of four childhood friends who need each other now more than ever. Although they've grown apart over the years after a death created a rift, they're all reunited again for Cat's wedding festivities.

From the moment we meet Cat and her fiancee Dillon, you get the vibe that they're not on the same page, except for in the bedroom. Heather surprises everyone with the fact that she's a single mom, and Sammie will steal your heart throughout this book.

Walker is the one who got away after he put his heart on the line, but then had it broken by Maze. She in turn is still hurt from their last several encounters, so she brings along her boss as a fake boyfriend, but it's the typical case of poor communication.

With a few plot twists to keep you guessing, strained friendships, and changing relationships - you'll be guessing how it all plays out until the end. Each one of their stories pulled emotions out of me that I haven't felt in a while and I enjoyed the journey. I love the Wildstone series with my whole heart!

Will appear on the Romance Reviews Today site soon. http://romrevtoday.com/

THE FOREVER GIRL – Jill Shalvis
A Perfect 10
Wildstone series, Book 6
William Morrow
ISBN: 978-0-06-289785-5
January 12,2021
Contemporary Series Romance

Rainbow Lake, California

Three years ago…

Maze Porter grew up in the foster care system, which isn’t always a fun place, but the best time she had was living in the Walsh household. There, she became friends with the Walsh children, Caitlin and Michael, but also other foster kids, Heather—and Walker Scott. Michael died in a house fire years ago, a fire that Maze blames on herself. As such, the remaining four get together every year to celebrate Michael’s birthday—at his gravesite. Maze is surprised to see Walker show up. Four years ago, they had married during a drunken romp in Las Vegas. But things stay the same with them ignoring the elephant in the room, and they walk away from each other once again.

Present Day…

Caitlin Walsh is about to marry Dillon and her best friends, Maze, Heather, and Walker all arrive to stay at her house for the week leading up to the wedding. Things are so-so between her and Dillon. He has their married life all planned out and children aren’t even near the top of the list. Caitlin wants a baby badly. Then there is her soon-to-be mother-in-law from hell who is going behind her back and changing the wedding plans. Will she be able to make it to the altar? Maze arrives first and Caitlin rebukes her for not keeping in touch. Then, Heather arrives—with a little girl in tow. This is the first she had mentioned about a baby.

Walker arrives and it’s suddenly awkward between him and Maze. Neither had told Caitlin or Heather about their quickie marriage. But he has papers with him. Divorce papers. All Maze has to do is sign them, though secretly he wishes she wouldn’t. The chemistry between them is sizzling hot, even as she tries to ignore it. In fact, Maze brought along her employer (and friend) Jace as her plus one, pretending that they are a couple. As Maze and Walker dance around their attraction, a new one heats up between Heather and Jace. Meanwhile, Caitlin wonders if her wedding will even happen.

Four friends get together for what should be a happy occasion, but their emotions are all over the place in THE FOREVER GIRL by Jill Shalvis. Their happiness as teenagers was shattered with Michael’s death and the inadvertent role Maze played in it. To this day, she has refused to face Caitlin’s parents, but that will change when they arrive for the wedding. Once the four friends, plus Jace, Dillon, and Heather’s daughter, Sammie, are all settled under the same roof, this tale really kicks into high gear. Maze tries to avoid being alone with Walker, while Jace turns out to be just what single mom Heather needs. Dillon turns out to not be much help in Caitlin’s battle with his mother. Will they all make it to the wedding day without killing each other?

THE FOREVER GIRL is part of the Wildstone series, but this tale is basically a standalone. As always with a Jill Shalvis book, there is plenty of laughter and fun, as well as emotions pouring from each scene, which is why I’m giving it A Perfect 10. You will laugh and cry with Maze, Caitlin, Walker, and Heather as they reunite for what should be a happy occasion but is turning into a week none of them expected. Grab a copy of THE FOREVER GIRL and curl up in your favorite spot because you won’t be able to put it down.

Patti Fischer

4.5 Beautiful, Fun and Heartfelt Stars!
I loved this sweet, and emotional story about family, regrets, second chances, and love. Caitlin's family fostered Walker, Maze and Heather when they were all teens. They all quickly became close, inseparable and siblings of the heart. But when tragedy strikes they are separated again, bringing back old wounds of being abandoned again. Now years later, Caitlin is about to be married, and she wants her estranged family with her on her special day. She invites Walker, Maze and Heather to stay with her and her fiance to reconnect. But things never go as planned and the final preperations, and events are awkward, hilarious, and heartbreaking, causing them all to re-evaluate what is worth fighting for. I really loved Caitlin, Maze, Walker and Heather. They were all different but had their own gift to make a perfect family unit. Caitlin was the sweet, bossy caretaker, Walker the quiet, fierce protector, Maze the loyal, honest dreamer, and Heather the beloved younger sister who can't keep a secret. Like families do, they had their disagreements, and miscommunications, but their love and unwaivering support for each other went soul deep. My heart broke for each of them as they worked thru their fears of loss, abandonment, and more. Maze and Walker made me a bit frustrated at times, but I was always cheering for their HEA along with Caitlin's and Heather's as well. I really just devoured this story. It was so easy to fall for all these characters and their lives that made me laugh, cry, and swoon. This beautifully moving, funny and heartfelt story captured my heart from the very beginning and never let go.

Oh my heart! Jill Shalvis is a favorite and this book is a prime example of why. This is a heartwarming story featuring family by choice. Friends bonded by time, tragedy and love. I can’t recommend this enough. Fantastic.

Since I have read this series out of order I think that Maze and Walker's story has been a long time coming. First, I really liked how this book wasn't just about them. It was about everyone in this group of friends. Maze is such a damaged person, but pushes through and tries to care for others. Walker is the strong and silent type. I consider this book a slow-burn romance. The Vegas trip with these two was life-changing, but an isolated incident. At one point I couldn't see how Shalvis was going to turn this romance in the right direction, but she expertly pulled it off. I love her books and you really need to read this one! 4 stars

Heather, Walker and Maze were all foster siblings of Caitlin. After a tragedy and a fight, they have not spoken in a few years. Caitlin is now getting married and has plans for a glorious family reunion the week before her wedding, but Maze is just trying to make it through the week emotionally unharmed end without revealing her true feelings for Walker.

Totally predictable but still a cute romance!

The Forever Girl, by Jill Shalvis, is the story of four siblings by chance, and then by choice. Caitlin is the natural daughter of Shelly and Jim as is her younger brother Michael. But the family feels called to help others and takes in a ragtag group of foster children. Walker (16) was a foundling. Maze entered the foster system at 9 when she was removed from an unsafe situation. Heather’s (9) story wasn’t any better, she was just younger. As the summer drew on the family melded into a unit. Until the fateful night when a fire swept through the house, killing Michael and injuring Walker as he tried to save the boy. At this time family services removed the fosters for the family to recover, never to bring them together again.

But Caitlin was determined to keep this group together, celebrating birthdays with them, phone calls and texts, until a celebration of Michael at his gravesite ended in splitting the group once again. Now Caitlin has gotten the group back together to be part of her wedding, but it just may be that it is the reunion she is more excited about than the wedding.

This is such a multilayered story with the main characters dovetailing their stories one into the other. Secrets are revealed, relationships begun, dissolved, and renewed. Ms. Shalvis has quite a knack for developing characters with great depth and revealing them layer by layer. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

#FirstLine - PROLOGUE: Maze Porter was good at pretending to be fine, but since no one could see her, she dropped all pretense and stopped twenty-five yards short of her goal, unable to so much as swallow past the lump stuck in her throat.

I loved this book so much. It had such great character development. You got to really know each character; where they came from, what their struggles were, and what was holding them all back from being together. It was beautifully paced and you really get drawn into the story. There are some great side stories and some big surprises. I will definitely be checking out other books in this series. A must read for those who want to get lost in a great story!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.