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.
more
What a fantastic romance read by the wonderful Jill Shalvis! Almost Just Friends is the fourth book in the Wildstone series, and although I would recommend the first 3, it isn’t necessary to have read them to enjoy this one!
The characters in this story were so well portrayed, so well developed and so very enjoyable! From Cam (AKA Hot Guy) who served in the Coast Guard, to Piper who practically raised her brother (Gavin) and sister (Winnie), to Cam’s dad (Emmitt), to Cam’s deceased brother (Rowan). The characters and storyline pull together to make this an incredibly heartbreaking, yet heartwarming, must read romance! I fell in love with this book!
I loved this latest installment in the Wildstone series. Piper can’t wait to get out of town – she has it all planned out – she is done raising her brother and sister and she is going to sell the family property and move to Colorado to become a physician’s assistant. The best laid plans came to an end when her brother came home after being in rehab (she didn’t know) and her sister returns pregnant (she didn’t know this either) and they want to keep the property and turn it into a B&B! To top it all off, the independent Piper, who refuses to ask for help, meets Camden – her next door neighbor’s son and he is the one person she wants to lean on. This book grabs your heart from all the different subplots and is easily one of my favorites.
Piper Manning has been raising her two siblings, Gavin and Winnie, from the time she was thirteen years old and their parents died. Now, she’s just turned thirty, her friends throw her a big party, and she meets her neighbor’s mysterious son all on the same dark and stormy night. Throw in a crazy wild storm and the return of her brother and sister home, and Piper isn’t sure she can handle all the new curves in her life. Gavin and Winnie have been keeping secrets from Piper but they genuinely want to become mature adults and help Piper with the house and property. Cam is working on building and repairing his relationships also, and he and Piper discover that they are actually very good together.
I enjoyed this story immensely and thought that the characters were developed very well. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
Favorite Quotes:
Look, I’d have gotten to it eventually. But you’ve got to understand, my ability to remember to tell you things is far outweighed by my ability to remember every song lyric from the eighties.
Yes. I had my patience tested. I’m negative.
“Take your time.” He gave Cam a meaningful look. “And I mean that. Women like when you take your time.” Cam’s grimace said he’d maybe finally found the end of his patience. Emmitt held up a hand. “I know, who wants to take advice from your dad, right? But, son, I’ve been on Tinder for two years now, and trust me. I know these things.”
I’m not useless, at least not completely. For instance, I can be used as a really bad example.
… she was arrested at Walmart last week for driving one of those electric carts while drinking wine from a Pringles can in the parking lot. I don’t date felons.
She tried to look half as graceful as he while moving toward him, but instead she probably looked like an elephant fighting its way through a lake made of peanut butter.
My Review:
This amusing and engaging tale was laced with complicated characters, loads of family drama, obnoxious siblings, snarky banter, a swoony sexy soldier, and clever levity. This was a considerably more tense and angsty read than I was expecting but thankfully the humor and sizzling romance balanced out all the stress and HEAs were generously spread across the land. Sigh, I do loves me some Jill Shalvis.
The author delivered a realistic view of complex family dynamics. While reading this, I experienced an incredible mix of emotions. I loved the (non)relationship between siblings Piper, Gavin, and Winnie – and even Camden and his father, Emmitt.
Emmitt was, by far, my favorite character. However, the vulnerability revealed by both Piper and Cam really made this book worth every missed moment of sleep.
Jill Shalvis is at her best when she is writing characters who have family issues. The Manning family takes the fun out of dysfunctional. Sent to live with their grandparents when Piper (the oldest) was only 13, they then lost their parents. Piper was forced to grow up quickly and take charge of her younger siblings being more mom than sister. When they all come home secrets and old painful feelings take a long time to come out.
Cam has come home on leave to check on his father but really he also has family issues he is working on. He has his own set of secrets and painful memories but he also meets Piper and is attracted to her.
Relationships are hard for Piper and she seems to be at the center of everything but the only one who doesn’t know what is going on.
The personal struggles, painful memories, and trust issues are perfectly written and the struggles between Piper and everyone else breaks a reader’s heart for her. This is Jill Shalvis at her best.
I received an advanced copy of this book.
Almost Just Friends is an awesome book that reminds us that sometimes in families we are slotted into roles and are expected to remain there. The true gift is realizing that people grow up and change and their family rolls should too.
Jill Shalvis always does an amazing job of giving us a story that involves way more than just the love story and Almost Just Friends does that. Family dynamics play a big part and are very relatable. Don’t get me wrong there is also insane chemistry between Piper and Camden. I love the way they each help the other grow and come to terms with life now all while burning up the pages.
I highly recommend reading Just Between Friends. It has real feels and steaminess, the perfect combination.
I received an advanced copy for a honest review.
Almost Just Friends is part of the Wildstone series. I loved Piper and Cam’s story. This story has love, hope, sadness, and secrets. And I loved the humor in it. This is a great story that you just cannot put down. I highly recommend it.
What an interesting and different romance read! I have to admit; I started off really confused at the beginning of this story, but as the storyline continued the pieces started to connect together. Piper is the foundation of her family that consists of her two siblings. After her parents and then grandparents pass away, she takes on the role of parent to her brother and sister, although she was parenting them long before then. Finally attempting to take control of her life and make decisions for herself, her siblings return home with their own set of secrets that finally come to light. Through those secrets being revealed these siblings are able to heal from not only their pasts, but the decisions they’ve made in life so far. This story was definitely a little prolonged for me, I felt that it was long-winded and definitely could have been shortened down but overall it wasn’t necessarily a romance book but rather focused on the family bond. With that being said, I was definitely happy for both Piper and her brother for finding love, but I wish we got an update on her sister and what happened with her HEA and if she ever got one.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Family circumstances caused both Piper and Cam to grow up and be responsible for others at a young age. For Cam is was helping monitor his mother’s illness. For Piper it was helping raise her siblings. After living those rolls for many years it is hard for them to have a different, more equal relationship with their family members. Trusting each other in a relationship is unexpected for both of them. Falling in love is the last thing they wanted to happen.
This story is a slight departure from other Jill Shalvis’ books. This one includes a few love stories, not all of them “traditional” romances. I enjoyed reading about the various relationships and their varied dynamics. A dark back story and heavy emotions also feels different from Shalvis’ other books. The character’s flaws make them more real and they have a deeper connection to each other.
I always like reading a Jill Shalvis book because I know without a doubt that it will make me laugh and have me rooting for the characters involved. Almost Just Friends was no different. There was family drama, sweet romance (between a few different characters) and of course scenes that had me laughing!
Piper Manning has been carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She’s been living in Wildstone working as an EMT while fixing up the house her grandparents left her and her two siblings, Gavin and Winnie. Piper has worked hard at supporting her siblings and they are now mostly adults who have their own lives. What she doesn’t expect is for Winnie and Gavin to return to Wildstone, both having the clear intentions to stay. All three of the Manning siblings have their own secrets and reasons for coming back. It’s breaking down those walls and getting to know one another again that will be the hardest for all three.
Not only do her siblings make an appearance in town, but so does the New Hot Guy that everyone keeps talking about. New Hot Guy turns out to be Camden Hayes – DEA agent/Coast Guard extraordinaire. Cam has his own demons that he is facing and yet the attraction between him and Piper is sizzling and they each are drawn to each other.
I won’t say more about the plot, because each of these characters are so interwoven together. I was feeling so much on behalf of every single one of these characters. Not only Piper, but also Gavin and CJ, Winnie and even Piper’s neighbor Emmitt. There was a bit of insta-love between Piper and Cam and parts of the story were a bit predictable, but I still really enjoyed Almost Just Friends.
I received a complimentary advance title of this book from the author.
I received an ARC from the author and voluntarily leave an honest and unbiased review . All thoughts expressed are my own and freely given.
Wow! I loved this book so much I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down once I’d started it. Jill Shalvis is a go to author when I want an uplifting experience and leaves you feeling warm and snuggly when you’ve reached the end. She manages to put you through a rollercoaster ride of emotions by the time you’ve read the last page. Piper and Camden are such likeable characters and their interactions together are very humorous and heart warming. They have a sizzling chemistry and you feel their connection deepen as the story unfolds. The supporting characters are well written and the dynamics between them all were well defined. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
In this fourth book in the Wildstone series from Jill Shalvis, Piper has taken care of her younger brother and sister for most of her life, and thinking that both Gavin and Winnie future’s are set, she’s ready to sell her grandparents place, split the money and finally get her physician’s assistant certification.
Things don’t work out quite like Piper planned. Her siblings return home with secrets and there’s a really hot guy living next door that rocks her world for the first time in a long time. Piper just has to figure out how to get what she needs, and that’s going to take some opening up to Cam.
If you are a Jill Shalvis fan, some of what happens probably won’t be a big surprise. What I like about the Wildstone series is that it not only focuses on the romance between the two main characters, there is usually a good bit of family drama on hand that enriches the story.
Piper and Cam are just so right for each other — they’ll have to get over some of the past to move forward for their future. That’s what Almost Just Friends is all about.
I loved this story. Piper and Cam are great together and I was pulling for their HEA all the way. The book is a quick, easy read that doesn’t get boring and works very well as a standalone. I did so like the inclusion of diverse characters, which brought a big smile to my face.
Overall, it’s the kind of story you’d expect from Jill Shalvis — well crafted and well written, with characters that you wouldn’t mind having for friends.
Note: This review contains NO spoilers
I absolutely adore Jill Shalvis’ stories! Almost Just Friends is the third book by her that I have absolutely enjoyed reading. Just like Jill’s other books, Almost Just Friends is an emotional and touching story of these characters’ life journeys, especially with dealing in the complexities and complications of life and love. What I really loved about Jill’s storytelling is the well balanced humor intertwined into these characters lives. Not only that, much of the individual stories of Jill’s characters are relateable in one way or another. And, I’m sure that everyone who has read Jill’s books would agree that the life journeys of these characters can be familiar to the lives of her readers.
Almost Just Friends is another standalone contemporary romance novel set in Wildstone where heart-felt and poignant stories of love and life is told with a touch of humor. Want those “heart-strings” pulled and laugh at the same time?!? Then, read Jill Shalvis’ Almost Just Friends and all the other books in the Wildstone series.
Hmmm… Well, I will have to read Jill’s other books as well. I am now a fan of Jill Shalvis and her books! And, I would have to say you will, too, once you start reading her books.
I loved “Almost Just Friends” by Jill Shalvis, which featured likeable, sympathetic characters and an emotionally engaging story. I particularly enjoyed the complexity of the relationship between siblings Piper, Gavin, and Winnie Manning because it seemed so realistic and relatable to me. It’s hard enough to get along with one’s siblings under normal circumstances, and circumstances for the Mannings were anything but normal as eldest sister Piper took on a parental role when they were very young. Over the course of this story, Piper, Gavin, and Winnie each had to learn different ways of seeing and communicating with each other as adults in order to escape the patterns that had caused conflict between them in the past. They each struggled in different ways, but fortunately ended up in a much better place by the end of the book.
The central romantic relationship between Piper and her neighbor’s son, Camden Reid, was also a highlight of the book. They seemed to understand each other very well, perhaps because they were both so hard on themselves for the challenges they faced with their younger siblings. Even though she wasn’t always perfect, I couldn’t help but admire Piper for everything she managed to accomplish and the way she kept her family together after they lost their parents. It was very difficult for Piper to let Cam in because she was so afraid to lose someone else she loved, but Cam was very patient and understanding with her, eventually showing her that love was worth the risk. In return, Piper helped Cam work through the grief of losing his younger brother and finally find the home and family life he’d always wanted.
“Almost Just Friends” is the fourth book in the Wildstone series, but reads as a complete standalone. The books aren’t directly connected, but each one features great characters and fantastic stories. I highly recommend each and every one of them and hope there are more installments to come.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
As a fan of Jill Shalvis, it took exactly no time for me to fall in love with her Wildstone series. The characters that inhabit this world are not perfect, but, rather living life the way that most of us do, highs and lows, doing the best that they can. There is a realness to them that makes them more approachable, more relatable, more lovable, and I always truly enjoy getting to know them.
ALMOST JUST FRIENDS, the fourth and latest book in the series, is a love story, yes, but also a picture of an imperfect family dynamic. In both the relationships between Piper and her siblings, and the one between Cam and his father Emmitt, Jill shows just how hard it can be to relate to the people that you’re closest to, even when there is love.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the interwoven stories here, and seeing the growth that occurs in all of the relationships. There is never a time that I finish one of Jill’s books without it leaving a lasting impression, and ALMOST JUST FRIENDS is no different. This is a book, and a series, that I heartily recommend. If you’re looking for a read that will hit you directly in the feels and leave you the happier for it, this is it. Happy reading.
Jill takes you on a very emotional journey as each character struggles with their past. The story makes you feel like your right there going thru every emotion possible and watching the story unfold. Each one of them have to learn to let go and give each other the love, trust and acceptance that they need. Well done Jill, you never let us down.
Almost just friends
Jill shalvis
Reviews on goodreads. Amazon. BookBub. The book addicts
Another wonderful story by Jill Shalvis !!
This women writes wonderful stores. She just sucks you right into her world and I love every minute of it !!
She is one of my favorite authors !! I can’t wait for more in this series.
I want to know more about Winnie! Please tel me she gets her own story. She needs a happy ending !!!
Piper pulled at my heartstrings from page one. She’s obviously has a lot of control issues, but who wouldn’t when they are basically handed the responsibility of two younger siblings at age 13? And neither her brother Gavin nor her sister Winnie were/are easy siblings to deal with!
As soon as she meets Cam at the bar, the reader could feel the sparks shooting off the page! These two balance each other out, even if Piper is more than a bit gun shy and reluctant to put a name to those tummy flutters! I warmed up to Gavin right away, but honestly, I wanted to smack Winnie! Yes, she’s young but she’s extremely immature and kind of flighty. There are a lot of secrets to be discovered in this little family, as well as a few from Cam and his dad Emmitt.
I sat and read this book all in one day…there was no way I was going to walk away before I read the last page! It was filled with both Shalvis’ signature humor as well as little moments that touch your heart and bring tears to your eyes. I loved Almost Just Friends and give it a very enthusiastic 5 stars!
This book had me hooked from the beginning and what a great story. Loved all of the characters, especially Cam and Piper. For me this was about family – the good, the bad and the ugly and learning to trust each other and be there for each other unconditionally and without judgment and on equal terms. I really felt for Piper when the secret with her sister came out and everyone knew but her, but in a way that was a turning point for all of them. I liked everyone coming into their own and working together and becoming the family they were meant to be with the addition of Emmitt, C.J. and baby Ro. Truly one of my favorite reads from Jill Shalvis. I would give this book more than 5 stars if I could.