From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes a friends-to-frenemies-to-lovers story… Add in a few secrets. Shake. Stir. Then read on a lazy summer day at the beach… attempts to get it right. In search of a place to lick her wounds and get a fresh start, she heads back home to Wildstone.
And then there’s Kinsey Davis, who after battling serious health issues her entire twenty-nine years of life, is tired of hoping for . . . well, anything. She’s fierce, tough, and she’s keeping more than one bombshell of a secret from Brynn — her long-time frenemy.
But then Brynn runs into Kinsey’s best friend, Eli, renewing her childhood crush. The good news: he’s still easy-going and funny and sexy as hell. The bad news: when he gets her to agree to a summer-time deal to trust him to do right by her, no matter what, she never dreams it’ll result in finding a piece of herself she didn’t even know was missing. She could have real connections, possibly love, and a future—if she can only learn to let go of the past.
As the long days of summer wind down, the three of them must discover if forgiveness is enough to grasp the unconditional love that’s right in front of them.
more
I love the way Shalvis can create a world with female characters who have inner strength but still searching for things to complete them. Loved this book and the theme of forgiveness – another winner!
Wonderful!
Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli have a past. As in summer camp when they were kids. And even though camp is meant to be fun, it was anything but for a shy Brynn and her cabin enemy, Kinsey- the girl who made her life miserable.
Jump forward a decade and Brynn is still trying to find her footing after a bad breakup. Left without choice, she moves home to her moms, and is suffocated by their well-meaning love and attention. When an opportunity arises to move into a room in the beach house owned by her one-time crush, Eli, she takes it hoping for a fresh start.
That is until she realizes who she’ll be sharing a bathroom with- Kinsey.
Kinsey is used to dealing with adversity, she’s battled life-threatening health battles most of her life. If that makes her snarky at times, so be it. She’s not in this world (for however long that may be) to please everyone. Actually, other than Eli-her friend-mate for life- she doesn’t much care what anyone thinks. Or so she tells herself.
But then Brynn comes back and suddenly Kinsey has a second chance to correct old wrongs, and maybe, just maybe make the most important connection of her life.
This is the heart-warming story of two half-sisters and their journey to each other. Kinsey broke my heart. She tries so hard to act the tough girl, when really she’s scared to let anyone in because she knows she’s going to die.
Favorite Lines
I’ve learned that being anxious about shit ahead of time just means I’ve got to be anxious twice. I’m no Miss Merry Sunshine, but sometimes it helps to just think as positively as possible.”
The Summer Deal- Jill Shalvis
You can’t make someone be your person. You can’t make them love you. You can’t hurry love up, or even set it aside. I know, because I’ve spent too much of my life trying to do just that.
The Summer Deal- Jill Shalvis
I give The Summer Deal 5 lovely kisses- an excellent read!
Love Jill Shalvis’s latest!
Jill Shalvis shows us once again that she can capture your attention and heart with her amazing storytelling, witty and real characters, and a hefty dose of love. The Summer Deal is a must-read of 2020!
What a great read! I loved it. Brynn and Kinsey aren’t perfect and have a lot of mistakes to make up for and past hurts to heel before they can be the sisters they were always meant to be. But they do the work and open their hearts, allowing them to come together as family – and they get the loves of their lives. Eli and Deck are their perfect match – and my favorite kind of heroes – hot, smart, tough but kind, and patient. They don’t give up on the women they love. A must read!
This is my first venture into this series, but it is a series where each book stands on its own with only the town binding each story to the other. So feel free to read these books in any order.
This is told from two different POV – Brynn and Kinsey, frenemies that have more in common than they know. They both have issues in their lives that seems to be exacerbated by events out of their control and by each other. But despite it all, they manage to find common ground and perhaps they will be able to move forward in their lives.
This book brings in a lot of topics that are very relevant in today’s world. Brynn has two moms, she has anxiety, Kinsey has medical issues, bullying, organ transplant, and many more. Each topic is woven into the story so that it flows seamlessly from one life to another. There is romance and while I think the focus of this book was more Brynn than Kinsey, I would have liked to read more about Kinsey’s relationship with Deck. He’s a single dad who has his act together and while he is willing to do anything for Kinsey, she pushes him away. She has her reasons but opening herself to Deck could be life altering.
This book also focuses on truth and deception. Secrets should not be kept and it can only cause more problems down the line if the truth is withheld. I think Brynn and Kinsey learn this very well by the end of the book.
This is an enjoyable read and with a few heavier topics, but nothing that will bring down your mood while reading. We give it 4 paws up.
Although this is a wonderful Jill Shalvis story, it deals with some pretty heavy issues. Brynn is hurting…and she really needs a shot of self-esteem. When she comes home to Wildstone, she starts to feel like she can breathe when she sees her mothers (Olive and Raina) again. She has some major “issues” she needs to deal with but why deal with ‘em if you can ignore them, right? And she is certainly trying to do that.
She also runs into an old ‘frenemy’, Kinsey, and there’s a big secret that Kinsey knows that Brynn does not. Old hurts, from their childhood years keep coming between them and I often wondered if these two will ever sit down and talk things thru. Kinsey is a tough cookie though; not your usual warm and soft best friend.
And then she (literally) bumps into Eli… He was a childhood crush who has grown up, just a bit! He is now a very close friend of Kinsey’s and that complicates matters, too. These three have a wonderful story that makes this a great read, one I couldn’t put down. Brynn’s mothers, and Kinsey’s caustic personality, good-guy Eli caught in the middle of two people he cares about…wow. Touching, and funny and heartwarming and sometimes a wee bit crazy! But that’s why I liked it.
Brynn Turner is forever trying to get her life on track but life seems to have other plans for her. Things will start to look up but life gets in the way and she has to take several steps back and change directions. When her personal life takes a nose dive she decides it’s time to go home back to Wildstone for a fresh start. On her first day back she has an anxiety attack, her mom’s rushing her to the hospital thinking it is something worse. While there she runs into Eli, her childhood crush, he also happens to be best friends with her biggest foe Kinsey Davis. You see the three spent years going to camp together where Kinsey made it her job to make Brynn’s life a living hell. Brynn soon realizes to make a fresh start she has to get out of her mom’s house. Eli sets out a deal for Brynn hoping to help her make the changes she wants to make in her life. Brynn agrees but isn’t sure how long she will last and if she can trust what Eli is saying. Follow along as Eli puts his plan forth hoping to make friends out of Brynn as Kinsey yet. Will he help both of them realize that they are what is best for each other? Can he get Brynn to truly see him? Will his plan work for the better? This was an emotional read that will take you on a roller coaster ride with ups and downs the whole way through.
3.5
After the breakup of a disastrous relationship Brynn Turner is returning home to Wildstone to regroup. She’s about had it was her life imploding and wants to focus on getting on track, whatever that means. Basically, she wants to stop blindly trusting people that turn around and take advantage of her. So, she’s thrown for a loop when one of the first people she runs into is her childhood crush Eli. Unfortunately Eli was best friends with Brynn’s childhood arch-nemisis Kinsey Davis. It looks like not much has changed in that department. Eli and Kinsey are still friends, and Kinsey is as rude as ever.
What Brynn doesn’t know is that Kinsey has been battling serious health issues for her entire life, and it makes her keep everyone at arm’s length because Kinsey knows her situation could take a turn for the worse sooner rather than later, and she can’t bear to think of those she loves and cares about in pain. Because, yes, Kinsey does have quite a few people who fit that bill including Brynn. Although the reason for Kinsey’s skewed loyalty towards Brynn comes with secrets of its own. Secrets that everyone but Brynn seems to be aware of, which makes things difficult when Eli and Brynn start falling for one another.
I’ve really enjoyed Jill Shalvis’s Wildstone series. Particularly with The Summer Deal I stopped and paused and ruminated on the different sibling relationships that have been front and center throughout the entire series thus far, and I have to really give it to Jill Shalvis with showing so many different facets of the family dynamic.
The Summer Deal was bit different for me because while I was drawn into the story, and while there are specific individual moments where everything seems to kind of magically fit together in such a way of a perfect read, I didn’t feel like I connected with the characters all that well. And I didn’t feel the punch of the various revelations experienced throughout the story, mainly on Brynn’s part. But I wanted to so badly.
I don’t know if there was too much going on between Kinsey, Brynn, and Eli’s characters each getting their own points of view throughout that no one could stand out or if it’s that fact that readers are aware of what’s going on so it’s like we’re just waiting for Brynn to catch up with everyone else. I think there’s no real element of surprise for the readers, instead we’re waiting for Brynn’s reactions.
Regardless, I still found myself compulsively reading the book. Honestly, I felt like it was one of the more sensual books that’s I’ve read by Jill Shalvis. There’s not a lot in the way of sex. It’s not completely fade-to-black, but we’re not getting minute details, but what we do get, and what is done really well in both of the highlighted romances in the story, is this complete sense of connection.
Kinsey learning that she doesn’t have to fear love and attachment just because her future is unknown and Brynn learning that her past mistakes in love don’t mean that she should give up on forming attachments. These are the moments of perfection within the story.
Of course there is the bonding between Kinsey and Brynn which I loved seeing develop and, honestly, could have used so much more of because I always love when two characters start out as opposites, but slowly realize they are more alike than previously thought, and that’s exactly Kinsey and Brynn.
Overall, not my favorite of the Wildstone series, but also a very enjoyable read. I cannot wait to go back again.
Jill Shalvis has the unfathomable ability with each and every book to make me bundle all my feelings, put them in a dice shaker, and after a few hearty shakes, toss them all on a table for a full inspection — just as raw and exposed as each character that she writes. I got sucked into this story and found myself going through a myriad of emotions with each page. One minute I hated a character, only to find myself sobbing over the very same character within a few paragraphs. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, eat chocolate, drink wine (okay, I did them all – don’t judge until you finish the book). This story is a perfect snapshot of how you really don’t know what other people may have on their plates.
4.5/5
I am now speeding my way through all of the Wildstone series and loving every single one of them. The Summer Deal was no exception and I am really appreciating the way Jill Shalvis can write books with so much humor and heart. This one didn’t make me laugh quite as much as the others did, but man did it make me teary. The viewpoints switch between Brynn and Kinsey, and Kinsey’s was definitely the story I gravitated to the most. Her health issues broke my heart, and she was the reason for all the tears I shed while reading this. I have also come to love the romance that Shalvis infuses into her novels, and there is no shortage of hunky guys and steam in The Summer Deal. Honestly, I wanted more of Kinsey’s hot boyfriend, but that’s neither here nor there.
The Summer Deal is the perfect beach read, and I will forever love the setting of Wildstone, CA. Another thing I love about Shalvis’ novels is that her characters are all so relatable and real. Kinsey and Brynn feel like women you could know in real life and could see yourself being friends with, and that rings true will all the books I have read in this series. This is definitely a feel-good, leave a smile on your face type of novel, and I also loved that Brynn had two moms! I loved the audiobook as well which is narrated by Erin Mallon. When they first switched to her from Karen White I didn’t like it, but now I can’t imagine anyone else narrating this series. I don’t like change, but this time the change definitely worked!
Great series
4.5 stars
I renewed this book from the library so many times and kept forgetting to actually read the darn thing before I’d have to take it back. Then, I was lucky enough to get an eARC of the next full-length book in this series and, although there really isn’t crossover and the books in the Wildstone series can truly be read as standalones, I knew I had to get cracking. I have some idiosyncrasies, like everyone else, and one of mine is the inability to skip books in a series. Here I was, still far down the list for my e-library, with a big hardcover copy waiting for me. Ever since I started wearing reading glasses, it’s really a lot harder for me to find the time to read paper books. I tend to read in bed a lot. So it says a ton about this book that I was able to read it so quickly. Usually, even when I love a story, I just don’t have the time to dedicate to getting it read. Especially coming up on Christmas!
In case you didn’t get the gist from the above paragraph, I really enjoyed this book. All of the characters were wonderful and had me rooting for them. Even Kinsey, who I wanted to dislike. Really, I did. To be fair, there were things she did I didn’t like. And moments I wanted to scream at her. But as a human being, I couldn’t dislike Kinsey. She had her reasons for doing the things she did, even the terribly witchy things.
Brynn and Eli have great chemistry. I love the way they reconnect and the hoops Brynn jumps through in order to seem so chill and laid back when it comes to her memories of Eli. Brynn has amazing parents but has a hard time really setting boundaries with her moms. Sure, they are pushy and smothering to their only child and have a hard time giving her the space she needs. Brynn is such a pleaser that she just doesn’t speak up as often as she should. In her mind, if her moms are wonderful people and so loving, how can that be a bad thing? Even if it’s holding her back, or even hurting her in a way.
Like I said, this series really has a bunch of stand-alone books that happen to touch on the same small town in California. But I’d love to see more with Eli’s brother. I adore Eli and how hard he works to protect those he considers his. His brother, Kinsey, and even Brynn. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been hurt and that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his own issues. Eli’s issues are deep and festering. With Brynn, those wounds have to be allowed to come to the surface before either of them can truly find their happiness.
As usual, Jill Shalvis has given us a heartwarming and funny tale with lots of chemistry. Both romantic and familial chemistry.
One last quick note, because it’s something I’ve been noticing happening more and more lately. I love the cover of this book, but it really doesn’t fit with this story at all. The three main characters went to summer camp together for a few years, but the scene depicted is not something that would have been their truth. I know the job of the cover is to get the reader to pick up the book, but it’s just curious to me when the covers are so off from the story. At least, in my opinion.
The Summer Deal is the fifth in the Wildstone series but can also be read as a stand alone. This is a story of family is not always by blood and secrets when revealed can destroy relationships. Brynn was bullied in her childhood because she had two moms, she wasn’t athletic and her vision is extremely poor. At summer camp she received her first kiss but the boy she kissed happened to be friends with the meanest girl in camp. Now as an adult, she returns home after being scammed by her con artist boyfriend. Eli always felt like a throw away because neither of his parents wanted him so he lived with his grandmother. He attended camp with his best friend, Kinsey, who was in the same situation with the added stress of being extremely sick and needing a kidney transplant. Kinsey is in transplant rejection and hating the life that she has been dealt which she tends to take out on everyone around her. When she learns that Eli has invited Brynn to be a roommate in the home they all share, she is furious because there are secrets that Brynn doesn’t know and Kinsey doesn’t want revealed. As each secret is revealed, feelings are hurt and anger is released. The story that follows is filled with a rollercoaster of emotions, revelations of family connections, a wonderful cast of characters and a couple of love stories to entertain and delight the reader.
Funny how life works out! Two girls, enemies at their childhood summer camp, discover they are really half sisters. One is in desperate need of a kidney, but no way will she swallow her pride and ask her half sister/worst enemy. The other sister unknowingly rents a room in the same house where her sister lives. Do they clash you ask? Why yes they do. However, blood really is thicker than water and they soon realize all they have in common.
I received this copy free from the author and am under no obligation to leave a review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am freely sharing my opinion.
The Summer Deal is a beautiful love story, a story of family love , new love and love with no boundaries. An amazing story .
I think this is one of my favorite books in the series! We get secret siblings and second chance romance and 2 of the characters work for schools so we get lots of cute kids doing and saying cute things! This is a perfect example of why Jill Shalvis has been one of my favorite authors for DECADES now (I’m sort of aging us both, lol) and I hope this series never ever ends. I can read about the citizens of Wildstone forever! 5 out of 5 wine glasses.
This is by far my favorite book by Jill Shalvis, which is saying something because all of her books are fantastic. The banter between Kinsey and Brynn is hilarious. The realness of the way Kinsey felt about herself and her condition was so spot on, it made me hurt for her. I love how close they all were to one another. I loved everything about this story!!!
This is #5 in Wildstone series. It is a friends-to-frenemies-to-sisters story. Add in 2 love stories and you have a great beach read.
Brynn Turner wishes she had it together, but that is not how it is. Her personal life has left her scared and hurt. She has tried many times to get it right. She heads back home to Wildstone after needing a fresh start and a place to heal.
Kinsey Davis has been battling serious health issues all her life. She is so tired and is wishing things weren’t this hard. She is strong, fierce, sassy and completely opposite of Brynn. Kinsey has been keeping a secret for quite a while, she is Brynn’s half sister. She tries keeping this, and a few others, from being told. Her and Brynn are frenemies from Summer camp and she really doesn’t want to have to tell her they are related.
Brynn runs into Kinsey’s best friend, Eli. It brings up Brynn’s childhood crush on him. He is still the easy going and funny guy that she remembers. He is definitely very sexy all grown up. He gets Brynn to agree to a summer-time deal of trusting him to do right by her, no matter what. She never things it will result in finding a piece to her life that she didn’t know existed. If she could let go of the past, she could have a future with love and a sister.
Can the three of them figure out if forgiving each other will bring them what they need? As Summer winds down, will they grab onto the unconditional love that is right in front of them?
This is a great Summer read, on the beach or anywhere. I read it in one sitting because i wanted to find out how it ends. Even though it is a part of a series, i read it as a stand-a-lone. It is funny, has quirky characters and makes me want to read the other books in the series.