Stopped reading this one.

I like a good romance/love book as much as anybody but I prefer the sappy slow burn sexual tension type and not this modern "sexy" kind. Way too many uses of the word HOT and once they were making out in the car and she got to "I want to lick his abs" after she knew the guy for about an hour, I gave up. Plus, his name was Jax. How can I love a guy named Jax?

I need to back to regency romances when they get all worked up about having a conversation on a balcony without a chaperone!

Going into Simply Irresistible I didn't know if I would enjoy it or not. I read only a few contemporary authors on a regular basis and I haven't read a story (or novel) by Shalvis before. Sometimes though a synopsis just intrigues you so much you feel like you need to read it and branch into a new genre.

Simply Irresistible begins with Maddie driving to Lucky Harbor after a string of failures. Her job, her love life and her life are in shambles so off she goes to Lucky Harbor to reconnect with her two sisters while trying to refurbish the inn their late erstwhile mother left to them.Shalvis means to make a series of the three sisters' love lives and learning to cope with how their lives have turned out, and for this reason I think Maddie was a great start.

Other than her emotional hang-ups (her well deserved emotional hang-ups) Maddie ('The Mouse') is the peacemaker of the group. She mediates between Tara (the 'Steel Magnolia') and Chloe (the 'Wild Child') unconsciously, smoothing over the moments when Chloe's harebrained schemes threaten to screw up everything or Tara's blunt, sharp words threaten to tear them apart. She's a born nurturer, despite the weird upbringing she had with her movie set designer father.

Shalvis does a very thorough job of describing what life was like for Maddie growing up and later what it was like in LA. We get a good sense of who Maddie is and how badly she wants a family to love and accept her for herself. So I'm kind of puzzled when it comes to Jax and the vagueness that was his life. At least, it felt like his life had less thoroughness devoted to it. We learn in only bits and pieces what he was like before Maddie met him.

Together they're explosive. This isn't a book heavy on the sex, but it is heavy on the sensuality. The few tasteful scenes of them together are written to to make you sigh, not make you wonder if you've slipped into an erotica without realizing it. I enjoyed that, enjoyed seeing them connect on a level separate from their feelings of attraction. Jax was sensitive to the demons Maddie was struggling to overcome so she could feel comfortable in his presence. He didn't push, he didn't prod, he just simply was there and let her move the relationship as her own pace.

Actually to be very frank Jax is every woman's dream cliche rolled into one smoking hot package; he cooks, he cleans, he doesn't mind shopping, he's sensitive to a woman's moods, great in bed, gets along with children...I'll brave the cold climates of Washington State (where Lucky Harbor is located) if it means I can find a guy like him.

Closer to the end things start to become more of a ping pong match in the romance department for Maddie and Jax. They're together, then they're not. They're together...then they're not. It goes back and forth a few times before all the issues are resolved, some of which weren't issues someone could blame Jax for. Some long held secrets come to light about Tara, paving the way for the next book The Sweetest Thing due out in April 2011. ( )

Great story! Glad to know there's more in the series. ( )

Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis is a fabulous romance novel.

When three sisters come back to Lucky Harbor to take over their deceased Mother's former Inn, things go awry. The Inn is in shambles (both physically and financially) and the girls just can't get along. We follow Maddie, a former L.A. resident who is running far away from her old job and ex, who seriously wants this Inn to get back on it's feet. When she's there, she almost runs over one sexy motorcycle rider who turns out to be more than what he says he is...

I really liked Maddie's arc. She starts out as "The Mouse" and slowly works her way up to being a total bad a**. She has an attitude, knows what she wants and is working on making herself a stronger person. She absolutely deserves it after a trash of an ex. And lucky for her, Jax might be the man to help her realize love isn't all that bad. Jax is sexy, a former lawyer and good with his hands (I mean carpentry... right?). He's a character with lots of back story and isn't the "perfect" man, which is why I loved him.

Oh boy! There is SO much going on in this book and I am SO frustrated it left on a cliffhanger. I need the next books in this series as soon as possible! I need to know what happens with Maddie, Chloe, Jax, Ford and every other kooky character from this series! Will Ford end up with Tara? I feel something heating up there. Will Chloe ever find romance during her asthmatic state (oh man, can I relate. I NEED HER STORY!)? Will Jax and Maddie end up happily ever after?! There's so much going on and Jill has left me speechless!

If you like romance and drama, then this book is perfect for you! There's a pinch of Christmas and comedy as well. Honestly, I wasn't disappointed. I was expecting a boring, old, romance novel but I was left with an addicting, quick read that is making me absolutely desperate for more of Jill's work. Seriously, it's worth the read. The title is Simply Irresistible, and that's just what this book is - irresistible.

Five out of five stars.

P.S. This book is TOTALLY R rated. It has some super sexy scenes that are not suitable for your PG-13 audience. Just an FYI for anyone looking for something totally contemporary - it's not! This book gets hot and heavy!

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )

Simply Irresistible
4 Stars

After their mother dies, three half-sisters, Maddie Moore, Tara Daniels and Chloe Traeger, inherit her ramshackle inn in the tiny town of Lucky Harbor. Maddie arrives in town looking for a new start and learns that she will need to convince her sisters to invest not only in the property, which needs a significant makeover but also in their relationship. The situation is made even more difficult by Maddie's sudden and intense attraction to the local contractor (and mayor), Jax Cullen. If only she hadn't sworn off men . . .

A few years ago, I was in a contemporary romance slump and only read a few pages before calling it quits. Well, my CR mojo has returned, and I decided to give Lucky Harbor a second chance. As it turns out, this was a good decision as Simply Irresistible is a cute romance with good character development and a gorgeous Washington State setting.

Maddie is a sweet heroine and it is easy to sympathize with her situation. That said, she does have an annoying tendency toward self-effacement, and constantly finds herself lacking when compared to her sisters. She is resilient, however, and comes into her own as the story progresses. The issue is simply that I prefer heroines with more self-esteem.

In some respects, Jax is simply too good to be true. Good looking, caring, and excellent with his hands... Seriously, the man has the patience of a saint when it comes to his relationship with Maddie, who has a tendency to run hot and cold. His backstory is heartbreaking and highlights his own strength in recognizing the need to make the necessary changes to his life and the confidence to make them happen. That said, his relationship with his father needs more closure.

The secondary characters are intriguing, especially Chloe and the sexy sheriff. The next book focuses on Maddie's older sister, Tara, and her past with Jax's best friend, Ford. There is definitely some history there. ( )