© ✰ Bianca ✰
JILL SHALVIS
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
• LUCKY HARBOR #9 • 352 Pages
• release date - 18 February - 2014
• Grand Central Publishing
Book #10 IT'S IN HIS KISS will be out 26 August 2014
Click here to see the Lucky Harbor Series on goodreads
Click here to see the Lucky Harbor Series on goodreads
SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT
After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.
Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben - even though he has absolutely no idea what she's done . . .
Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?
After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.
Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben - even though he has absolutely no idea what she's done . . .
Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?
Excerpt:
MY THOUGHTS
It was dark outside when she got back to the Book & Bean, and she stopped short just outside the door. She’d locked up when she left and turned off the lights.
But the door was unlocked now, and the lights on. She went still, then pulled out her phone and dialed 9-1-1. She didn’t hit send but kept her thumb hovered over call. Taking a step inside, she paused. “Hello?”
“Hey.”
The low, slightly rough voice wasn’t what had her heart pumping. That honor went to the fact that there was a man on a ladder in the back of her store.
Ben.
He was in jeans with a tool belt slung low on his hips, his t-shirt clinging to him. He seemed a little irritated, a little sweaty, and just looking at him Aubrey got a whole lot hot and bothered in places that had no business being hot and bothered by this man at all. “What are you doing in here?” she asked.
“I work here.”
“What are you talking about? Get out.”
“Sorry, Sunshine.” He wasn’t even looking at her, but using some sort of long, claw-like tool to pull down a ceiling tile above the wall she’d been working on. And his tool worked way better than hers.
His movements were agile and surprisingly graceful for a guy his size. Not that he was bulky in any way. Nope, that tall, built body was all lean, tough muscle, and it screamed power. And with each subtle movement, his body made it clear that it knew exactly what to do with all that power. “The owner of this building hired me,” he said. “Said you were making a mess of things because your pride was bigger than your wallet.”
This caught her completely off guard, both the insult and the information. “My uncle owns this building,” she said.
He smiled thinly. “Yep. Happy Birthday.”
“It’s not my birthday.”
“Then happy you’ve-got-a-great-uncle day.”
But the door was unlocked now, and the lights on. She went still, then pulled out her phone and dialed 9-1-1. She didn’t hit send but kept her thumb hovered over call. Taking a step inside, she paused. “Hello?”
“Hey.”
The low, slightly rough voice wasn’t what had her heart pumping. That honor went to the fact that there was a man on a ladder in the back of her store.
Ben.
He was in jeans with a tool belt slung low on his hips, his t-shirt clinging to him. He seemed a little irritated, a little sweaty, and just looking at him Aubrey got a whole lot hot and bothered in places that had no business being hot and bothered by this man at all. “What are you doing in here?” she asked.
“I work here.”
“What are you talking about? Get out.”
“Sorry, Sunshine.” He wasn’t even looking at her, but using some sort of long, claw-like tool to pull down a ceiling tile above the wall she’d been working on. And his tool worked way better than hers.
His movements were agile and surprisingly graceful for a guy his size. Not that he was bulky in any way. Nope, that tall, built body was all lean, tough muscle, and it screamed power. And with each subtle movement, his body made it clear that it knew exactly what to do with all that power. “The owner of this building hired me,” he said. “Said you were making a mess of things because your pride was bigger than your wallet.”
This caught her completely off guard, both the insult and the information. “My uncle owns this building,” she said.
He smiled thinly. “Yep. Happy Birthday.”
“It’s not my birthday.”
“Then happy you’ve-got-a-great-uncle day.”
MY THOUGHTS
Aubrey is not really well-liked in our favorite town of Lucky Harbor. Everybody still remembers her as the mean girl from highschool.
But she's not that girl anymore.
She wants to prove it to the town - she wants to make it as the town's new bookstore-owner.
But everything is not as easy as she hoped.... she still has lots wrongs to make right. Lots of secret and not-so-secret problems to work out....
Now she wants to end her horrible day with a vodka cranberry in the town's only bar - but who walks in....her EX-idiot-boyfriend. He wrote a Tell-All book about the town that makes Aubrey look even worse than she already does.
Time for this...
to be thrown into this face
But unfortunately Ted ducks and the drink hits Ben in his beautiful face.
Ben.
He's been 2 years ahead of her in highschool. But they were never friends - there's always been this weird vibe between them - they seemed to instinctively know they were both too similar to ever be closer...
After accidentally throwing the drink in his face, Aubrey flees the scene of the crime and with nowhere to go, she ends up in the church. And Pastor Mike thinks she's there for the AA meeting.
That's where she comes up with an idea.
She writes a list with names of people she hurt, people she wronged in some way.
Time to clear her conscience and make her Karma look good again.
Ben is on the list too.
Ben left town 5 years ago after his wife Hannah died in a car accident.
He went on to risk his life building and designing water-systems in war-torn countries around the world.
But now he's back.
Just in time, it seems, to help Aubrey renovate her late aunt's bookstore. Without asking her, Aubrey's uncle hires Ben as a carpenter.
They pretend to not like each other on sight, but in reality they're extremely attracted to each other.
But Ben thinks that it could never work, not only wasn't he looking for a committed relationship - Aubrey wasn't his type at all.
But of course, Ben and Aubrey don't listen to their inner voices, and the voices of the town, that warn them away from each other..... they start something...
something sexy and romantic and .... could it be more?
But neither of them wants more. Aubrey is not Ben's type and he's not ready yet anyway.
And Ben is on Aubrey's list - and once he knows why he's on that list, he wouldn't want to see her ever again!
WILL THE TWO OF THEM FIND THEIR HAPPY EVER AFTER???
I'm not telling you that of course ☺
______________________________________________
I REALLY LOVED THE BOOK!!!
LUCKY HARBOR - I loved them all!!!!
I start reading one of those and I just can't stop and then it's over :(
I would be happy to have a new Lucky Harbor book every month for the next 20 years!
Once in a Lifetime was just as great as the others ...
It had everything a sweet Romance needs. Two very likeable and flawed people with lots of supporting characters - people we remember from the other books - and also new ones - like Ben's jogging partner Sam - the hero of book #10 ☺
The cutest 2 supporting characters were the 5 year old twin girls that Ben 'found' on the street and the way he tries to help them is just too adorable ☺
Of course Lucille is back too. She not only runs the town's Facebook page - she now has Instagram too ☺☺☺....
Luke and Jack with their ladies from the previous 2 books are back too.
another funny and very 'manly' thing about Ben...
he plays manly shooting games on his phone ..
☺☺☺ cute!
It was the perfect romance for me!
Lovers of the Lucky Harbor series won't be disappointed - and to readers who never heard of Lucky Harbor - a thing I can't understand at all ;) ....
GO AND START READING!!!!!!!
