Almost Just Friends
(Wildstone, #4)
by Jill Shalvis

William Morrow – Jan 21, 2020

When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.

Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

Excerpt: 

*Read the First Chapter, https://www.jillshalvis.com/excerpts/almost-just-friends 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Look, I’d have gotten to it eventually. But you’ve got to understand, my ability to remember to tell you things is far outweighed by my ability to remember every song lyric from the eighties.

Yes. I had my patience tested. I’m negative.

“Take your time.” He gave Cam a meaningful look. “And I mean that. Women like when you take your time.” Cam’s grimace said he’d maybe finally found the end of his patience. Emmitt held up a hand. “I know, who wants to take advice from your dad, right? But, son, I’ve been on Tinder for two years now, and trust me. I know these things.”

I’m not useless, at least not completely. For instance, I can be used as a really bad example.

… she was arrested at Walmart last week for driving one of those electric carts while drinking wine from a Pringles can in the parking lot. I don’t date felons.

She tried to look half as graceful as he while moving toward him, but instead she probably looked like an elephant fighting its way through a lake made of peanut butter.

My Review:

This amusing and engaging tale was laced with complicated characters, loads of family drama, obnoxious siblings, snarky banter, a swoony sexy soldier, and clever levity. This was a considerably more tense and angsty read than I was expecting but thankfully the humor and sizzling romance balanced out all the stress and HEAs were generously spread across the land. Sigh, I do loves me some Jill Shalvis.