Almost Just Friends
Author: Jill Shalvis
Reviewer: Jennifer
Rating: B
What I’m Talking About:
Almost Just Friends is the fourth full-length novel in the Wildstone series by Jill Shalvis, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone. Actually, this series is only connected by the setting of the town which is unusual for Shalvis but making it easy for readers to jump in with any book.
Camden and Piper made a cute couple and had a satisfying romance that leads to a HEA. Beyond the romance in Almost Just Friends was a story about two families dealing with loss. Camden’s dad is neighbors to Piper so that’s one way the families are connected, another way they are connected is the fact that Piper’s younger sister and Cam’s younger brother were best friends. The biggest thing connecting the families is a secret that most of the characters keep from Piper.
Piper and her siblings lost their parents when they were younger. Piper being the oldest took on the role of mother and father to brother and sister. Now that they are all adults they are trying to figure out how to just be siblings. It’s a hard road for the three.
Cam is in town to take care of his dad after his younger brother’s death. They don’t have a super close relationship since Cam left town to live with (and take care) his mother once his parents divorced years ago. Cam lived on the East coast with his mother, and his dad and brother lived on the West coast. They called and texted regularly to forge a relationship the best they could.
Almost Just Friends had all the singular elements found in a Jill Shalvis novel; heart, laughter, touch of sexiness and great characters you genuinely care about.
My Rating: B, Liked It
Jennifer
About the Book:
Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.
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.
Release Date: January 21, 2020
Publisher: William Morrow
Series: Wildstone #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fiction
Format(s): paperback (384 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Edelweiss
Reviews in the Series:
Lemon Sisters by Jill Shalvis (Wildstone #3)
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)