Jackie and Wilson - Lori's Review of STILL THE ONE by Jill Shalvis

Title: Still the One
Author: Jill Shalvis
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: 4/7/2015

Synopsis:
Darcy Stone is game for anything — except sexy Navy veteran and physical therapist A.J. Colten, the guy who'd rejected her when she'd needed him most. Now the shoe is on the other foot and he needs her to play nice and help him secure grants for his patients. Unfortunately, Darcy can't refuse. She needs the money to fund her passion project: rescuing S&R dogs and placing them with emotionally wounded soldiers.

A.J. admits it — Darcy is irresistible. But he's already been battle-scarred by a strong-willed, vivacious, adventurous woman like Darcy, and he's not making the same mistake twice—until he and Darcy are forced to fake a relationship. Growing closer than they'd ever imagined possible, Darcy and AJ have to ask themselves: how much between them is pretend? What's the real thing? And where does it go from here?

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras with her family and far too many assorted quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. 

Look for Jill's latest, ONE IN A MILLION, on shelves and e-readers now, and get all her bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold. 

Visit Jill's website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

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What can I say about Jill Shalvis that I haven't said about 413,829 times on this blog already? I will forever read anything she writes. Her stories never fail to draw me in and completely own me.

We met Darcy Stone in an earlier book in the series. She is prickly and a bit off-putting. Recovering from a car accident has left Darcy with some physical limitations and a rather large 'I-Can-Do-It-Myself' attitude. The accident has taught Darcy to be a little more careful, but she's still got a wild streak that is 10 miles wide.

Darcy's true love lies with rescuing assistance animals who are no longer 'useful'. Rather than allowing these animals to be put down, Darcy raises her own money to save these animals and then gives them to people who need some emotional therapy. To help pay for these animals, Darcy works part-time for her Physical Therapist, A.J. Colten. While Darcy enjoys looking at A.J., it seems that she gets even greater joy irritating him every chance she gets.

A.J. has let his heart become destroyed by one adventurous woman in the past, and as tempting as Darcy is, he isn't about to lay his heart out on the line again. But when he needs help to secure grant money for some of his patients, it is Darcy who is there to help him out, and Darcy who stirs more than just his blood.

As Darcy and A.J. learn to work together, things grow between them. Now they must decide if they can trust their feelings and actually have faith in a future together.

I have read over 15 books by Jill Shalvis, all within the same genre. I can honestly say that I have never been bored with even one of them. Each story is unique, each follows it's own pattern. There are always little surprises is each book where the characters step out and do something unexpected or when the story takes a turn that I never would have imagined. STILL THE ONE is no exception.

Darcy and A.J. story carries Shalvis's signature style. There is humor. There is heat. There is growth. And best of all there is the realization that these two humans can become something infinitely greater together than they are separately.

4 out of 5 Stars

Hozier - Jackie and Wilson

She blows out of nowhere, roman candle of the wild
Laughing away through my feeble disguise
No other version of me I would rather to be tonight
Lord she found me just in time