USA Today Bestseller
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis does it once again with a heartfelt story of family, forgiveness, and secrets that have the power to change the course of more than one life.
When Maze returns to Wildstone for the wedding of her estranged bff and the sister of her heart, it’s also a reunion of a once ragtag team of teenagers who had only each other until a … of a once ragtag team of teenagers who had only each other until a tragedy tore them apart and scattered them wide.
Now as adults together again in the lake house, there are secrets and resentments mixed up in all the amazing childhood memories. Unexpectedly, they instantly fall back into their roles: Maze their reckless leader, Cat the den mother, Heather the beloved baby sister, and Walker, a man of mystery.
Life has changed all four of them in immeasurable ways. Maze and Cat must decide if they can rebuild their friendship, and Maze discovers her long-held attraction to Walker hasn’t faded with the years but has only grown stronger.
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Six books into the The Wildstone series and I’m still head over heels for his series. Each and every book contains distinct characters, with unique voices, and ties to Wildstone that showcase this fictional community.
The Forever Girl centers on four childhood friends who come together under some false but well intentioned circumstances, a wedding. The ruse of this wedding as everything to do with timing, with bride to be Caitlin inviting the estranged friends, Heather, Maze and Walker to come in a week before the wedding. A seemingly futile effort, it end up being exactly what they all need. But it’s Maze and Walker who have the most to heal in the gap since they’ve seen each other.
Maze is a unique character and I found her surliness endearing. She’s guarded and deeply wounded by her hand. She walked away from these friends a few years before and hasn’t done much f anything to maintain their relationships. Cat’s really been the only one she’s kept in touch with and as discovers all that she missed in their lives, she shows a combination of envy and remorse. especially when it comes to Walker.
As the week unfolds, we find all of them working to heal the breach. They rely on their history while they forge new intimacies with each other. They are all connecting on new and different levels.
As with every Jill Shalvis book, the plot is perfectly paced and the dialogue whip smart and often very humorous. I always find myself re-reading the highlights I’ve made and I’m always left smiling. I highly recommend this smart, sexy and heartfelt story about family, friends and forgiveness. 5 Stars!
Jill Shalvis’ latest book was another winner in the Wildstone series. This story weaves family, friendship, tragedy and love into a reunion week before one of the main characters (Caitlyn) gets married. I love how this story brought the past and present together and shows that you don’t have to be related by blood to be family forever. This author never fails in making me laugh out loud, fall in love with her characters and not want to put the book down!! Can’t wait for the next one!!
This was fantastic! It is no secret that I have been a fan of Jill Shalvis’s writing for a while so I was really eager for the chance to read this newest installment in the Wildstone series. The Wildstone series are all set in the town of Wildstone but can be read in any order so you can feel free to jump in anywhere you like in the series. When I picked this book up, I planned to read about half of it if I could but by the end of the day, I had finished it because it was simply too good to put down.
Cat is getting married and she wants her family to be with her in the week leading up to the big day. Maze, Heather, and Walker are the foster kids that lived with her family for one wonderful year until tragedy struck and she considers them to be her family. The group has gone their separate ways during the past three years and they have some catching up to do and some wounds to heal. Cat is determined to bring everyone back together so that they can reestablish the close bond they once shared.
Maze and Walker have a little secret that the others don’t know about. Nobody knows about that weekend in Vegas that they shared years ago but neither of them can forget. Maze and Walker had fantastic chemistry and I thought that they were absolutely perfect together. I love that they shared a past and had so much in common with each other. All of the characters in this book have been through a lot and while the events from the past have stayed with them, they are working hard to have the best life they can. I loved watching Maze and Walker work through their issues and try for a second chance.
This book was very well written. I love the fact that the book dealt with some pretty tough issues but was also able to make me laugh. The relationships between all of the characters changed and grew throughout the book and I loved the way that things progressed in a way that felt authentic. I liked that the relationships between the core group of characters were as much of a focus as the romance between Maze and Walker. There is even a bonus romance to keep things even more interesting.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this book to be filled with fantastic characters, the perfect dose of humor, and a lot of heart. I cannot wait to read more from this fantastic author.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks.
Shalvis pretty much has it all int his book…Friendship, family, love, tragedy, heartbreak, and second chances. This book will tug on your heartstring. I feel like I laughed, cried, smiled, and sighed as I read through this book. A group of foster kids that became family to each to each other struggled to find their way after a tragedy changed everything. As a reader I was highly invested in this story. While The Forever Girl is part of the Wildstone Series, you don’t have to read the other books to know what is going on. Highly recommend!
The Forever Girl is a delightful story about love, guilt, family, acceptance and many more emotions we all feel throughout our lives. Jill has managed to hit a home run this time with seriousness and humor combined in a very realistic story. Jill gave life to all her characters making this one of her best this far. I received this as an eARC.
Shalvis has done it again….. The Town of Wildstone has a habit of providing much need healing with a touch of romance and The Forever Girl is one more example of this heart warming habit.
Our cast consists of four foster siblings and the small supporting cast of child, friend, and fiancé. Cat uses her upcoming wedding to bring her three foster siblings home after and extended separation. The results of this reunion are not what anyone expected. Cat, Walker, and Maze are the three characters we hear from most in this well written story about a family made by choice.
This is a story that pulled me in and had me rooting for the characters as they figured out how to face the past, heal the hurts, and look to the future. While all of these characters has some rough edges, I found myself liking most of them (Dillion was the one I wasn’t ever sure about) and really hoping they could fix things to have a happily ever after. After seeing how things worked out for Maze and Walker, I am very curious to learn more about Jace, Heather, and what did Cat do next. I hope Ms Shalvis will give us more with these characters in future Wildstone books.
This story is more about family than anything else. There is still plenty of romance, but the relationship between the people in this made family are the most important connections.
Caitlin is getting married, and what she wants most for her wedding day is to have her brother and sisters there with her. She grew up the biological daughter of wonderful parents who took in foster children through the years. This group of Maze, Walker, and Heather, along with Cat, have a special bond. But things have been rocky the last few years and Cat wants her family back. So she kind of tricks them all into spending a week at her family cabin before the wedding.
As much as I adore the chemistry between Maze and Walker, there were so many other beautiful connections going on through this story. Platonic and not. Maze’s friend Jace, who went along as her plus one, is beyond amazing. I feel like saying too much on any of these relationships, or even the particulars of what drew me to certain characters, could be a bit spoiler-ish. Sorry if I’m being vague. I’ll do my best to get the feelings across without ruining things.
I was fully invested in the heartbreak of Maze and Walker and seeing them find their way back to each other. The interesting thing was how close these two were in some ways while none of the others knew the true nature of their relationship. This gave them the space needed to come to some realizations about their feelings and themselves. Maze needed to learn to forgive herself for things nobody blames her for anyway. She needs to learn that she is enough and is worthy of love. For his part, Walker needs to learn to communicate. He thinks he says enough, but he’s so careful about what he says that those that love him know there is depth he’s keeping hidden. He often reflects on Maze having to speak her mind and say what she wants, but is blind to the fact that he does the same things to her. If he doesn’t speak his full truth instead of bits and pieces, Maze can’t accept that the connection she feels is reciprocated.
Caitlin broke my heart more than all the others in many ways. From the outside, it would seem she is the one with it all together. But she’s hanging on by a thread. Her story, peppered through these pages, had me rooting for her to open her eyes and learn to trust her inner voice as much as everyone trusts her outer voice.
Watching this family finally click into place, with one another and within themselves, was truly a joy.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
This book right now is what we all need surviving the madness of these crazy times. Lovable and laughable characters that sweep you into their world, where true love wins and happily ever afters abound. Loved loved loved this book! Jill Shalvis always delivers!
The Forever Girl is a masterpiece. Shalvis dares to be funny even as she’s breaking your heart. With interconnecting scenarios of heartache and sisterhood these characters are not afraid to be real. It’s that honest emotion that speaks to the flaws in us all. Forever Girl is a wonder of the heart that gives you something think about in the most soulful of ways.
4.5 Beautiful, Fun and Heartfelt Stars!
I loved this sweet, and emotional story about family, regrets, second chances, and love. Caitlin’s family fostered Walker, Maze and Heather when they were all teens. They all quickly became close, inseparable and siblings of the heart. But when tragedy strikes they are separated again, bringing back old wounds of being abandoned again. Now years later, Caitlin is about to be married, and she wants her estranged family with her on her special day. She invites Walker, Maze and Heather to stay with her and her fiance to reconnect. But things never go as planned and the final preperations, and events are awkward, hilarious, and heartbreaking, causing them all to re-evaluate what is worth fighting for. I really loved Caitlin, Maze, Walker and Heather. They were all different but had their own gift to make a perfect family unit. Caitlin was the sweet, bossy caretaker, Walker the quiet, fierce protector, Maze the loyal, honest dreamer, and Heather the beloved younger sister who can’t keep a secret. Like families do, they had their disagreements, and miscommunications, but their love and unwaivering support for each other went soul deep. My heart broke for each of them as they worked thru their fears of loss, abandonment, and more. Maze and Walker made me a bit frustrated at times, but I was always cheering for their HEA along with Caitlin’s and Heather’s as well. I really just devoured this story. It was so easy to fall for all these characters and their lives that made me laugh, cry, and swoon. This beautifully moving, funny and heartfelt story captured my heart from the very beginning and never let go.
I want to give this book more than 5 stars. It hooked me from the start and I didn’t want to put it down. I loved the story being told from multiple points of views. The characters have all suffered a lot of pain in their lives. But her story gives me hope that we can all find our own happiness. I love how she builds families from friends. Her books make me FEEL the emotions of the characters, not just read them. All the emotions are expressed but there is still a wonderful sense of humor throughout that makes the story all the more enjoyable. I’m always sad when they end because I’m not ready to say goodbye. I received an advance copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What a wonderful, feel-good read!
Jill Shalvis is the master at writing romances of the heart. The Forever Girl is the 6th book in the Wildstone series and my new favorite of the series as well!
The main character in this book, Maze, is one of four adults who were torn apart as teens, after a horrible tragedy. Maze, Walker, Cat, and Heather have had their struggles and an argument that puts a huge rift in their relationship…but years later, Cat is able to get them together for her upcoming wedding.
They all bring with them secrets, feelings, and a need to heal…
This storyline was so dang good! I loved how well the story flowed. The characters were so detailed and complete and I loved how the author gave them such deep personalities. I enjoyed the heart and hurt throughout this romance. I absolutely loved this book, and feelings I have after reading it. 5 stars.
The forever girl is such a heartwarming story.
A family brought back together by a wedding, so many past secrets and moments that needs to be overcome, so much heartbreak but also hope in a better future , in making each one of them a better person and even finding love again next to the right person.
Many regrets and past bad decisions, but everything looks brighter when they come to realise that it’s not worth it and it’s better to forget and to forgive.
I really enjoyed all the characters, each one bringing something new, something fresh to the story. And the love story was quite good and well done because I love a second chance romance and this one ticks all the boxes in my cards.
Fans of the author’s books will enjoy this one immensely
Maze is returning to Wildstone for the wedding of her estranged bff Caitlin which is also bringing together her former foster siblings Heather and Walker. Once upon a time, Maze, Heather, and Walker were fostered into Caitlin’s parent’s home. For a year, they grew to be family to one another, but a tragedy tore them all apart and long-held guilt has continued to strain their relationship especially within the last three years where they have barely spoken to one another.
Now, forced to be around one another in the week leading up to the nuptials, Heather, Walker, Maze, and Caitlin will begin to heal old wounds and put the past to rest.
I probably say this every time I finish with a Wildstone book, but I’m pretty sure The Forever Girl is my new favorite. All the elements just fit together so perfectly. The sisterly/female friendships, found family, second-chance romance. It’s all there and Jill Shalvis executes everything perfectly. This is one of the few books in the series where I hope Jill Shalvis will give a couple of the more secondary characters (i.e. Heather and Caitlin) their own stories as was previously done with [book:Lost and Found Sisters|32319723] and [book:The Good Luck Sister|37758704].
The Forever Girl mainly focuses on Maze and Walker. Both of them put into the foster system at a young age, both of them still dealing with the tragic events of the past, yet still they are drawn to one another. They complete each other through their shared, yet different, experiences and the paths they’ve taken in their lives. They are a good compliment to each other, it’s just that they haven’t figured it out yet. Luckily, we get a front row to Maze and Walker dealing with the past and seeing if they can have a future.
It’s sweet and I was immediately drawn into their story. I was rooting for them from basically the first page and I liked that Jill Shalvis doesn’t really string readers along in regards to the fact that both Walker and Maze have long-held feelings for one another. What we have to brace ourselves for throughout is whether they can move forward with their feelings. If they can set aside their fears from their childhoods and give someone else a chance.
Besides Walker and Maze’s romance, I did like that we got some focus on the healing that needed to happen between Caitlin, Maze, Walker and Heather too as a group. Their lives all changed one fateful day when they were teenagers and they’ve each dealt with things differently and subsequently they’ve pulled apart from one another. I liked that Jill Shalvis shows us the different ways of grief, but then also shows readers the light at the end so to speak. That having and keeping the people you care about close is essential. That there are people in your life, no matter what, who will stand by you no questions, no matter your faults. I loved seeing that close, unshakable bond within this group, and loved seeing them find it within themselves again. It kind of nudged the romance out of first place as the thing I loved most about the book.
Really a standout story in this series. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, you’re in luck because they perfectly standalone. But I promise you won’t want to just visit Wildstone once.
Once again, Jill Shalvis has hit it out of the ballpark with this latest story in the Wildstone series, The Forever Girl. My attention to the book was secured from the first moment in the prologue until I read the very last word.
The Forever Girl is the story of Maze, Heather, Walker and Cat (Caitlin Walsh). The prologue begins with the four meeting at the gravestone of Michael Walsh – Cat’s younger brother. The four are bonded together by family as Cat and Michael’s family fostered Maze, Heather and Walker for one year, 10 years ago until tragedy struck when the family home was engulfed in flames and Michael did not make it out. This 9th yearly meeting did not go well, causing further estrangement of the four.
Now, three years later, Cat is getting married and would like this rift between them to be dealt with as she misses her family (and make NO mistake – they are all family, whether they like it or not)! So Cat is a bit sneaky and gets the siblings of her heart all together for her wedding to try and work through their issues (a bit early – but the remaining three do not know that). What ensues is a story filled with many ups and downs, moments of pure joy and moments too hilarious to not belly laugh. And of course, romance, lots of romance. As with all good stories, it is fraught with misunderstandings due to lack of communication – why won’t people just talk!
I found the lives that each had lead since their parting three years earlier interesting in their own right and each fraught with challenges that they must work through by discussing with their family. Once these issues are brought forward, varying viewpoints helped each one come to terms with their issues and move forward.
The story also includes some very notable ancillary characters…Caitlin’s fiancé Dillon and his two pugs, Roly and Poly. And notable scenes as well. I have never laughed so hard as at the impromptu bachelorette party (girls gone drunk with the cavalry to the rescue). Nor wished so hard that Maze would get out of her own way and just be happy (after she deals with her past which included the abuse that she suffered at the hands of various boyfriends of her mother).
While this is woman’s fiction with a heavy dose of romance thrown in, the various storylines do have some very heavy issues that each sibling must deal with. And for that – I found at times I had to step back and take a breath or two as I needed a breather from the atrocities that were presented. I found the handling of these sensitive issues very well presented, for which I am very grateful.
I proclaim – another fine read by Jill Shalvis. I love this series and cannot wait for the next installment – Love for Beginners.
Jill Shalvis has done it again. I can’t think of another author right now that writes about family and friendships as well as she does. While there is a bit of a romance the core of the story is about family, and bringing everyone back together again.
We start with Caitlin, who is getting married and determined to renew the family from her childhood that fell apart three years ago. She cons/convinces Maze, Heather and Walker to spend the week before her wedding at her house to rebuild.
They are all foster siblings, who spent 1 year with Caitlin and her parents until tragedy struck. Everything that had to do with the tragedy hit me in the feels, it was so sad and seeing them each work through their part in what happened had me teary eyed.
I loved each and every one of them, it was impossible not to. They’re all so different, but you know they desperately need each other and Caitlin bringing them together was the best thing for them. The road wasn’t always easy though. Heather came with new secrets. Maze and Walker and working through their history. And Caitlin is struggling with her wedding to Dillon.
If families, friendship and love are your thing I highly recommend The Forever Girl. It will hit you in the feels and you will have no regrets.
**4-4.5 Stars**
The Forever Girl is another winner from Jill Shalvis! She never fails to draw you in with her stories and characters and this one is no exception.
Maze, Cat, Heather and Walker have all gone through a lot in their lives, including a shared tragedy, but when they come together for Cat’s upcoming wedding, they will have a lot of healing to do, forgive past mistakes and accept the love they all deserve. It’s not an easy journey to getting there but it’s so worth it.
I loved The Forever Girl! While this is the 6th book in the Wildstone series, it can be read as a standalone like all the others in the series!
My first book for 2021.
Ms Shalvis never disappoints, this story started slowly as I got a feel for the characters and their backstories. More details came the further I got into the book, all the emotions were here as I laughed and cried for them.
These foster siblings gathering in one place for the wedding of one of them. So many secrets to spill in this tale, guilt, loss and love made for a beautiful story. These young adults had a lifetime of hurt, trust issues and rejection.
I loved the way the author connected the dots, drawing the characters together and making the reader cheer for them.
Brilliant tale, I loved it.
A love story between a couple and their found family
Maze, Walker, and Heather are the siblings of Caitlin’s heart and she’s willing to do anything to restore their close relationship…even if it means forcing Maze and Walker to confront their true feelings for each other and THAT night in Vegas!
I loved the growth of Maze and Walker while allowing Caitlin to learn that is okay to not be okay. Heather and Sammie were absolutely adorable and I would love to see them get their HEA with Jace in a novella!
The Wildstone series is a series of completely standalone books that all take place in the same little town and feature a central love story as well as a love story between family/friends. The humor and sexual chemistry of every Jill Shalvis book is present but the emotion and focus on family/friends is deeper and richer in these books. I’m absolutely in love with this series!
I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.
Author Jill Shalvis takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride in The Forever Girl. This story is about a group of friends that are really family. They have suffered a loss and each are damaged in their own way. Events as children are now seen to have a profound impact on life. As Maze, Walker and Heather prepare for the wedding of Caitlin they each come into their own. This story is filled with heartache and offset with humor. I could not put down this Jill Shalvis 5 star read. One of my favorites.