USA Today Bestseller
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Wildstone with the touching story of finding your place in the world—and the people who make it home.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 … 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.
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I love everything Jill Shalvis writes and this book is no exception. Beautifully written, with powerful characters I want as friends.
Another can’t miss Jill Shalvis read!
Jill Shalvis knows how to write, sexy, emotional, stories with unexpected surprises and heart-tugging moments!
Jill Shalvis is fantastic as usual!
I loved this book. This is such an emotional read. Everyone in this book has a past they need to overcome. You will fall in love with both families and everything they go through will break your heart. For anyone who reads this book and wondering about the heat of this book, it’s low level compared to her other books. This does not take away from the book at all. This book is more about the feelings and connections.
*I received a free copy of this book via the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
Almost Just Friends is a story about family, romance and life in general. Set in Jill Shalvis’ Wildstone series, readers are introduced to the Mannings and the Hayes. Like previous books in the Wildstone series, Almost Just Friends is more like a life in general story with a central romance. Both Piper and Cam will still readers’ heart with their prickly armor, tendency for no commitments and strong familial bonds. Both characters self journey are delved into more deeply which makes for a satisfying story and a fantastic romance. It’s a happily ever after all around but I deeply adore Cam and Piper’s journey most of all.
You can’t go wrong with a Jill Shalvis book. This one will definitely leave your heart full. An independent woman on the verge of reinventing her life after her siblings move away meets a sexy stranger she can’t seem to resist. Yes! Everyone in Piper’s life seems to have a secret, but in the end Piper discovers family is everything.
Amazingly written as usual! Don’t miss this new release from Jill Shalvis!
The latest in Jill Shalvis’ Wildstone series has AAAAAALL kinds of personal catnip. Messy family. Bullet-journal obsessed, control-freak older sister shero who had to raise her younger siblings up. Hero who finally comes along and caretakes her. Who also happens to be kind, insightful, and sexy as hell. SWOON. There’s a lot of emotional depth to this one, and I give it two thumbs up.
Jill Shalvis always delivers a good story. Her characters feel so real.
Jill Shalvas hit the mark again. Pieper’s story was rich with emotion. Cam is a charmer as he and Pieper find love and their family.
I know I have been doing a really good job of hiding it, but I love the Wildstone series from Jill Shalvis, and Almost Just Friends was another great installment. Once again, I really liked that each chapter began with a quote, and both the characters and the story were incredibly touching. I loved Piper’s strength and tenacity, and I can’t even imagine having to raise any siblings let alone 2. I could fully relate to her need for lists, the loss of her parents, and so much more, and Shalvis always has the most relatable and real characters. This is a romance, but there is also plenty of family drama, and I really appreciated the fact that this book shows family and life are messy, and the best thing we can do is to not be afraid to lean on each other in hard times. I was frustrated with Winnie quite a bit, especially when it came to her mistrust of Piper. I mean this sister of yours basically raised you, why aren’t you telling her things? But with no struggles between the siblings, this wouldn’t have been the same book, and I liked how everything wrapped up in the end.
I have listened to this entire series on audio so far and am consistently impressed with the narrator, Erin Mallon. There was a different narrator for the first two books before she took over, and while it threw me off at first, I now couldn’t imagine it any other way. Mallon ended up being the perfect choice, and I hope they continue to stick with her for every single book of the series. Even though I have been reading it in order, every single book is a standalone with only the occasional mention of previous characters. I really do wish we would get more cameos, but this does make it easy for readers to jump in at any point of the series. Every book Shalvis writes is full of love, heart, laughter, and tears, and Almost Just Friends was no exception. I always love the setting of Wildstone and I’m glad that is something she does keep consistent to this series. If you are in the mood for a quick read, something to tug at your heartstrings, and an adorable romance then Almost Just Friends is the book you want!
Easy summer read that flows with likeable characters.
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.
I love this series and I recommend reading it, this one was very good. I’m looking forward to the next in this series I’m loving it
Anything by Jill Shalvis is a good read, but her Wildstone series is great.
Jill writes great books and this is one of them! I enjoyed the story and characters.
I hardly remember the storyline, as I read it quite some time ago. However, Jill SHalvis is one of my favorite authors, and she developed the story line just beautifully.
Jill Shalvis book are always great. Piper is an interesting character, with a lot in her background.
Loved this book. Totally original.
Jill Shalvis is a phenomenal author. I love all her stories. The worlds she creates is breathtakingly amazing. I never want to leave her worlds. Every time Jill Shalvis puts pen to paper she creates magic with her words. Jill Shalvis knows what her readers want in a book and always delivers more than they expect.
In Almost Just Friends Jill Shalvis takes us back to Wildstone. We meet Piper Manning and Camden Reid. Piper suffered a tragedy that forced her to grow up fast. She raised her siblings. Now at the age of thirty she is ready to live her life. Camden also suffered a tragedy. Camden is haunted by this tragedy.
Camden is trying to to correct the mistakes he made. Piper is a very strong woman who put aside all her dreams to be there for her siblings.
Almost Just Friends is beyond amazing. This story really touches my heart and pulled at my heartstrings. I cried and laughed and had many heart swooning moments. I love how in a blink of an eye everything can change. I love the dynamics of Almost Just Friends. In Almost Just Friends you get so much more than just romance. This is a story of friendship, family, letting go, finding yourself. You get moments of conflict with a bit of humor and heart swooning moments. There are amazing secondary and supporting characters as well as an amazing town. Jill Shalvis captivated my heart and soul. She had me at page one and when the end of the story came I was sad to see it end. Everything about this story was very realistic and down to earth. I felt as if I could relate to the characters. Their struggles were real and they even had real flaws. Jill Shalvis showed us through her story that family is family inspite of their differences and struggles and flaws. I loved Piper’s journaling. I loved and even laughed at some of her entries like her Life Rules.
Life Rules
Occasionally maybe make an effort to look nice.
Don’t cut your own bangs no matter how sad you are.
Never ever, EVER, under any circumstances fall in love.
I also loved some of the quotes like “stressed is desserts spelled backward.” or “My alone time is for your safety.”
I also love the part where Piper says “I love both of you soul-sucking idiots. More than anything.” I was laughing at that.
There is so much I loved about this book. I read it in one night and read it a second time. Almost Just Friends is now my all time favorite Jill Shalvis book. It’s just that good. Thank you Jill Shalvis for the most amazing book I have ever read of yours. So grab your copy and join me in Wildstone and see why so many people love Jill Shalvis and her books.