This was a great story. A woman wakes from a coma her BFF & boyfriend are moved in together and she has injuries that still require a lot of physical therapy. She gets a new apartment and sets out to start over. She buys a pet sitting/boarding business. Her "silent" partner is her High school nemesis. There are some very funny scenes that happen here. Our fierce heroine does fall in love and gets her happy ending(she is not the only one)

I love Jill Shalvis’ stories they make my heart melt. She does angsty, emotional and steamy very well. This book was no exception. I love the main character. Jill wrote about a topic hardly seen–disabled women. I’ve seen others write about disabled men, but rarely a woman. Although, JR Ward wrote Consumed about a female firefighter who lost part of her arm in a fire. That one was really good. But back to this story. Our female lead suffers an accident that puts her in a Coma and rehab for over a year and when she is finally released from the rehab facility she can still barely climb the stairs. Watching her struggle with how her life has changed and deciding to change her dreams or keep working towards them. It was touching to see the inner turmoil she had just trying to get up the stairs.

Our hero was amazing the way he just helped but didn’t overwhelm her. When she needed space he gave it to her. When she needed to be pushed, he pushed her. On the flip side he was so conflicted about their relationship he was really the one that was stopping it and causing all the angst. His life was also complicated having to care for his invalid father. They somehow worked together to give what the other needed but not suffocate them. The blended well.

When they finally get together is when things really become real and neither of them knows what that means for their future and it scares them both. This causes the final conflict we get to see eventually resolved. For me this was a sweet story about two a-typical people and how disabilities don’t need to mean you can’t have a fulfilling life with love and happiness. I’ve giving this a 4 of 5. I love how you never know what you are going to get in the town of Wildstone.

Fresh take on post-accident relationships - well written, great dialogue, relatable characters. The PT was sweet as pie, and even though Ali was supposed to be an “enemy” I kind of loved her. She made Emma really get back to being her true self.

Emma has to start over after being in a coma for two months and the rehab for a year. Now she has to find a place to live and a job. ARC from NetGalley

Love for Beginners, the 7th book in the Wildstone series by Jill Shalvis, is a delightful, emotional, humorous, but also heavy story. This story truly has a bit of everything.

It delves into the trauma and challenge of moving past tragedy and rebuilding and redefining your life. It examines overcoming personal characteristics that are holding you back from what you want. Characters deal with being falsely accused, letting go of unforgiveness towards themselves and others in order to find healing, as well as making peace with new stages and circumstances in life.

Love for Beginners has friendship, romance, relevant life issues, older characters, younger characters and best of all, sweet, intuitive canine characters who steal the show. This story will make you laugh, swoon, get misty-eyed, and think. It is, without a doubt, a feel-good story that has it all.

"He looked...real. And disarmingly handsome, which wasn't good. He had a way of making her feel things she had no business feeling - not for her PT and not for men in general. All it did was make her want something she couldn't have, leaving her with one more ache in her body she didn't need."

Emma has been through so much -but she survived. She may not be living the life she was before, but she is living. After a coma and being told she may never walk again, every day is a miracle. But trying to find a purpose, and a job. She does not have time to be swooning over her physical therapist. He's kind of hard to resist.

Simon has rules that he has set for himself. Not fraternizing with patients is an important rule. Emma has always tested that control. As she continues her recovery, things get harder and harder to ignore. He's had feelings for her from day one. He keeps putting himself further into her life instead of out of it.

Emma and Simon have their own issues with past relationships. Instead of seeing their own problems, it's much easier to focus on the other's.

Great story and wonderful characters. I loved this book!

“Never save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion.”

Jill Shalvis is always a go to feel good comfort read. If I’m stuck in a slump, I can pick up one of Jill’s books and enjoy it. They’re always funny and heartwarming. Love for Beginners was no exception! I read #5 in the series last year and really enjoyed it, so I was happy to read #7. Thankfully these can all be standalone reads!

Honestly, I was about 50% in and thought, oh this was such a cute story! So sad it’s done. Then I took my phone out and realized, we had only just begun and was only 50% in. I was glad to see a bit more character development and really see Dale’s personality in that last 50%, it was so sweet.

I did feel like the relationship was organic because they did start off as friends, er, therapist and patient? But, I felt the ending was a bit rushed and ran to the dramatics. That didn’t feel very believable. However, I did love the epilogue and thought that it was a satisfying ending with a little bow on top.

Overall, I enjoyed Love for Beginners! It was so refreshing to see someone not perfect and amazing at everything succeed. The witty banter and enemies to friends friendship formed was perfect. The audio was great and even the dog yips in the narration had me smiling from ear to ear. If you’re looking for a feel good, quick summer romance, look no further than Love for Beginners, out now. Thank you Harper Audio for the gifted copy!

This was great! Over the past several years I have become a huge fan of Jill Shalvis’s writing so there was never a question as to whether I would want to read this book. I have had great luck with these books set in Wildstone and this book was no exception. The Wildstone series can be read in any order since they are really stand-alone novels set in the same town. I enjoyed getting to know the group of characters featured in this book.

Emma is finally ready to start her life over. She survived a terrible accident and has had to fight hard to get where she is. While she was in a coma, her best friend and fiance hooked up with each other so she has had to learn how to make her body do what she wants it to do and find a different support system. She moves into an apartment that her physical therapist told her about. Simon, her physical therapist, lives with his father in the same building and sparks fly every time Emma and Simon cross paths. Emma soon encounters someone from high school that she did not get along with, Allie, who also happens to be Simon’s cousin. Allie is dealing with her own issues in the romance department. Allie and Emma form an unlikely partnership and decide to open a doggy day care.

I loved the characters in this book. All of the key characters have had a lot to deal with and are doing their best to move forward. I loved the fact that we get two romances in this book. Emma and Simon had fantastic chemistry with each other and I thought that they made a fantastic pair. We don’t see quite as much of Allie and Ryan but I loved seeing them work things out. Simon’s father, Dale, had his own challenges as a result of a stroke and I loved what he added to the story. And the dogs! Hog and Killer were both great characters with distinct personalities and they both played a large part in the story.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this book had the perfect amount of romance, humor, and wonderful characters. I will definitely be reading more of Jill Shalvis in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from William Morrow via NetGalley.

Jill Shalvis once again does a great job delivering the seventh story in this Wildstone series. Part women's fiction, part romance, I'm always enchanted with the heroes and heroines (and family) of the little coastal town of Wildstone.

Emma is recovering from a serious accident which included months in a coma, multiple surgeries and hours of physical therapy. There's a broken engagement, too. But she's making progress physically and mentally post accident.

Simon has been working just as hard as Emma. His dad is recovering from two strokes, and keeps Simon on his toes and tired. His cousin Alison helps out whenever she can. I really loved the family dynamic here and how loyalty was important to them.

And everyone can see that Emma and Simon have strong feelings for each other, but both Simon and Emma have things holding them back that need to be resolved. I did love Emma's strong attitude and sense of self as Simon makes some questionable decisions for both of them.

What I really loved in this story was Alison and Emma's story. Alison's journey as an introvert was one I think resonated with me the most. I loved how their friendship developed and there's some great banter and some real caring between these two. The lessons learned from Paw Pals are pretty amazing too.

Overall, I'd give this a 4.5 stars if I could. I loved the relationships in Love for Beginners, especially the friendship between Alison and Emma. Another entertaining story in the Wildstone series.

Every time I read Jill Shalvis, I just want to read MORE Jill Shalvis! She has a way of weaving together a store and making characters come alive for the reader. This just might be one of my new favorite books. I absolutely loved the tender romance Emma and Simon. The way that they opened up to each other was simply beautiful. I also loved the enemies to BFFs relationship between Emma and Ali. They were such perfect foils for each other. I especially loved to see how they resolved their past. And then of course there was Hog. Simply adorable. I can’t decide if I love Emma + Ali or Emma + Simon or Emma + Hog more!! This book is absolutely a must read. It is a dynamic tale of love, friendship, and personal gift beautifully woven together.

Emma Harris wakes from a coma to Find her life twisted in shambles. Her best friend and now ex fiancé have decided to make a life together while she was stuck in a coma. Emma is on a journey to start over and overcome the physical limitations sustained during her accident. Emma wants to live her life yet so many obstacles are standing before her. Her body is on the mend but her mind is strong as ever.

Simon is an amazing physical therapist. He takes his job to a level most don’t and his responsibility to his family is like none other. His loyalty is unwavering. He does so much for others many times he neglects his own well-being. Simon has a lot on his plate and love is something that he doesn’t know how to fit into his life.

Allison is Simmons' cousin and Emma’s childhood nemesis. She shows the world it’s hard as steel armor when the reality of it is she is as messed up as anybody else on the inside. A smart and shrewd businesswoman who knows how to get things done. Family is a touchy subject and friends well that’s a touchy subject too.

Wow! What a story. Jill Shalvis really knows how to suck her readers in. Emma is trying to find her new her, Simon is taking on more responsibility than he can handle and not living his own life. Allison is learning that love hurts but love is also willing to make a change. There are so many thing that love love about Love for Beginners. It’s about learning yourself, healing and living life. The love of family and family is not always blood. Friendship is a precious thing and love comes in many forms and you should never let it pass by. Love for Beginners is three people trying to deal with the obstacles put in their lives and taking a different look at love.

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

4.5 Hearts This is the 7th in the Wildstone series by Jill Shalvis and probably the most emotional. At least for me. This wrung me out. The emotions in this book are palpable and leave the reader breathing heavy and thinking about their own lives..

This has two love stories but the romance is second, at least to me. I think this story is more about what really makes a person happy and are you really happy if you aren’t fully happy and invested in your life.

There is so much that happens in this story. I, honestly, believe this is one of Shalvis’ greatest works. Yes, there were a couple of little things as with most books that the reader would change but I doubt there is anyone who could have made this emotional journey such a delight to read.

I can’t wait for the next in the series!

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

Love for Beginners by Jill Shelvis was an utterly delightful read.

From the beginning it just wrapped itself around me and gave me such a great reading time.

Emma is such a gritty character, she just doesn't give in, she has to start over completely again, and she still has things to cope with left over from her accident. For quite awhile she struggles to find her path, but let me just let you know find it she does.

She has this enormous big dog who is scared of everything and everyone - mostly. Hog - the dog's name, gave me so many laugh out loud moments.

Emma meets up with Alison - they have a history from high school. Alison did one or two stupid things and plus she blamed Emma for some things. I loved how the relationship develops between them. 

Simon is the physio and more than that. He is caring for his Dad - Dale who has had a stroke and as well he has had to take over the running of his Dad's company. I loved Dale too and his outbursts and antics often had my both sympathising and smiling.

Of course there is some romance, which doesn't go smoothly to begin with, but as it develops so do the people involved evolve.

This for me was the right book at the right time.

The seventh book in the Wildstone series puts Emma and Simon together while Allison learns how to be a friend who is struggling in her relationship with Ryan.  All of this happens under the watchful eye of Simon's dad, Dale, while Simon and Allison help him recover from multiple strokes.    Emma and Allison were frenemies in high school and they get thrown back together at a time in their life when they are both struggling. Emma is recovering from a serious injury and coma and trying to find work. Allison was recently dumped by the love of her life because of her struggles with interpersonal relationships. Allison’s business savvy can help Emma purchase a doggy daycare she has been working at successfully and Emma can help Allison learn to connect with people. In addition, they can help each other connect with the men they want in their lives. If they will only let each other.

These characters (human and canine) are well developed and engaging. The story moves quickly and gives the reader the happily ever after they are looking for.

I am thankful for the electronic copy of the book that I received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

After the accident, Emma Harris's life as she knew it was over. Between being in a coma for 2 months; spending most of her time in rehab learning to do everything all over again; losing her place to live and finding out her fiance, Ned and best friend Cindy are now in love, Emma is ready for a new start to her life.

After all of the hours Emma has spent with Simon Armstrong, her Harda$$ Physical Therapist, she has started to see him in a different light. It's very obvious that the chemistry is there but something seems to be holding Simon back. Simon is determined not to cross that line with Emma, but he is having a hard time sticking to his moral rules. Instead, Simon starts helping Emma get on with her life. Of course the more time these two spend together, the harder it is NOT to cross that line.

When Emma has the chance to purchase the pet sitting business that she spends a lot of time at, she realizes that the only way she can do it is if she goes into business with her old high school nemesis, Allison Pratt. As Emma and Allison try and navigate a sort of truce, things with Simon start heating up. Just when it looks like Emma's life is starting to get in a happier place, things from her past come haunting back. It will take the help of an unexpected person for Emma to finally find her happy ending.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt so bad for Emma. It seemed her whole life was caving in around her but I always say things happen for a reason. I just adored Simon. He was such a strong and quiet force in Emma's world that she was better off with him in her life. I love how they were together....they just fit. Overall, this was a wonderful story with beautiful characters, including all the crazy old people!

Jill Shalvis has done it again! Made me fall totally in love with one of her books. Emma and Simon are two characters that I also loved too. Both on their own and when they spent time together. The humor was off the charts good and makes the book a keeper for me if only for the funny conversations and thoughts. But there is so much more. The uniqueness of Emma's story was a draw but it was also believable too. It also touched me because after having knee surgery myself, I recognized some of the physical struggle that Emma was going through. But let's face it she went through a whole lot more than I did when it came to injuries with a coma thrown in. The thing is though that the story wasn't a "Debbie Downer". It was emotional for more than one person but still in a good way overall.
Ali was an interesting character and sounded like she would JUST be a secondary person. But, it was like having two romances in one book. Ali was one tough character but she had some good qualities that were often hidden. I grew to really like her a lot. She didn't do well opening up to people especially in large groups. Which causes all kinds of problems for her because the love-of-her- life, Ryan is a people magnet.
Simon's father Dale adds some spunk, fun and problems for Simon. Hog is Emma's emotional support dog who adds a whole lot of smiles and fun to the story.
Problems will be solved, romance will win, showing that the struggle was worth it. This is a winner in my opinion. If I didn't make it clear..I thoroughly enjoyed this book.


"I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Jill Shalvis has done it again. I love everything about this book. The family bonding, the hot romances. It is truly a good book.

The Wildstone series is a favourite of mine and I was glad for the opportunity to return to  this beautiful coastal town. The beauty about this series is that each installment is self contained, so each book can be read in any order one chooses.

In this installment we meet Emma, who recently awoke from a coma, after a horrible motor vehicle accident. She woke  to discover that her life would never be the same. Her fiancée dumped her for her best friend, and she needed to prove to everyone, including herself, that she would be on her feet in no time. Failure was not an option. Simon, her hard ass physical therapist (her private nickname for him) had every intention for her to succeed.

I had a wonderful time with this book. The friendships forged along the way, the romance, the characters and the banter made this book a joy to read. Readers who love dogs are in for a treat. We get not one but two romances. Both had their share of struggles. However, I loved how they both worked out in the end. We see Emma and Alison, her nemesis from high school, becoming business partners and in time a friendship developed. 

I loved how the characters grew throughout the story. Emma’s strength and determination shined throughout the story. She made me proud, watching her defy the odds. Simon was adorable, always willing to take care of everyone, no matter the cost to his personal life. I have to admit though, there were few times his actions showed his cluelessness in relation to his relationship with Emma.

Conclusion/Recommendation

Love for Beginners delivered a story that warmed my heart and had me smiling in the end. Readers looking for the perfect summer read should add it to their reading list.

I loved the hidden messages within this book. Life’s too short, communication is so important, second chance at love and life is worth it, etc. This story did so well at showing the heroine being her own hero while being supported by the actual hero of the story. Definitely ends with a HEA and an epilogue!

Emma was hit by a car and has spent a year in a coma. In the process she lost everything she ever knew or had. Attempting to get back everything she lost, she goes on a life-altering journey.

While helping and assisting Emma as her physical therapist, Simon has watched her grow right before his eyes. As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, he has been intrigued by her for quite awhile now. But is he willing to risk his heart?

I love Jill Shalvis books and this story once again shows why. She’s great at transporting you to the places she writes and pulling at your heart strings!

I've really enjoyed the Wildstone series, in which each book is a standalone, women's fiction story with a strong romance thread. In Love for Beginners, we get journeys that focus not only on the primary romantic couple but a secondary one also. But that's not all Shalvis explores. Her complex characters have tentative friendships, evolving family situations, and new beginnings to navigate as well. Emma, Simon, and Alison all have individual journeys to travel with significant emotional growth to achieve before each of them can claim the happiness they deserve. They're very different characters, each with unique emotional baggage to overcome and I found myself connecting with each of them. Shalvis brings them to life so clearly.

I enjoy how Shalvis explores all aspects of her characters' lives in this book. She creates authentic, flawed characters who pull me into their lives, working their way into my emotions. I care about them, ache with them, cheer for them, and laugh and cry with them. I love the combination of strength and vulnerability she infuses in them. And it's not only the human characters who captured my heart. Hog, Emma's emotional support dog is a huge snuggle-bug, often mistaken for a bear, with sensitive feelings and a fear of just about everything who, quite frankly, needs an emotional support human of his own. Believe me when I tell you that he and Emma are perfectly matched. I defy anyone who reads this book not to fall head over heels in love with him, exactly as I did.

As in many Shalvis books, the supporting cast surrounding Emma and Simon (and Alison) bring humor, conflict, poignant emotion, and unexpected wisdom to the story. I especially enjoyed Simon's father Dale. As a former caregiver to a family member who was a stroke survivor, I appreciated the balance of humor and affection (even amidst feelings of helplessness and frustration) that the author achieved with Dale's unexpected actions and Simon's reactions. For me, it brought a deeper sense of humanity to their characters and their changing father-son relationship.

If you enjoy a well-paced story that takes you on a journey, evokes a number of emotions, and gives you a happy ending (actually multiple happy endings) you can cheer for, add Love for Beginners to your summer reading list.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review