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.
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Brynn has come back home because of a failed relationship. She is wanting to start all over with a new career and a new life. Enter her past, her youth camp past, Eli and Kinsey. Kinsey was the mean girl at camp. Brynn hated her with a passion. Eli was and still is Kinsey’s best friend. Brynn gets roped into living with these two, plus Eli’s brother Max. And boy! What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.
Kinsey has several secrets and she is determined not to let Brynn in. Kinsey has this problem with all her relationships. Kinsey is seriously ill with a kidney disease and she cannot handle getting close to anyone.
I am new to Jill Shalvis. I have followed her for years on Facebook and Twitter and she is a hoot. I have no idea why I waited so long to read her novels. Her books are funny, sarcastic, real, and emotional. And this one is one of her best! I was so caught up in these characters and I read this book in one day!
Need a fantastic read for the beach…this is it!
I loved this book! I have been a fan of Jill Shalvis’s books since I picked up one of her books a few years ago. I haven’t read all of her books yet but I have kept up with all of her more recent releases. This book might be my favorite out of those I have read. I had such a great time with this book and found it really hard to put down. This book is the fifth book in the Wildstone series but each of the books in the series read as stand-alone novels so you can feel free to jump into the series anywhere.
I was taken by the cast of characters in this story right away. Brynn is going back home to her two moms in Wildstone after being taken advantage of by her boyfriend. Kinsey has lived with major health problems for a long time and feels like she has an expiration date so she avoids making connections with the exception of Eli. Eli has been Kinsey’s best friend since they were kids. He has had plenty of his own issues but he watches out for Kinsey even though they are just friends. Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli all went to summer camp together and some of their memories of each other are less than pleasant.
All of the characters in this book felt very authentic to me. Brynn’s entire life was turned upside down but she working to put things back together. I loved her two moms but understood her desire to be out on her own. Kinsey has been dealing with some pretty big health issues for years and I thought that she had a pretty good attitude about everything. Eli has been through a lot of things in his life but he still wants to take care of those that he is close to.
This book did a lot of things really well. I love the romance between Brynn and Eli and thought that they were great together. I was thrilled that we got a second romance in this book with Kinsey and Beck and I thought that their story was really well done. The relationship between Kinsey and Brynn was really pivotal to the book. I enjoyed seeing them open up and start to trust each other. I thought that getting a glimpse of how they saw each other as kids through their journal entries added a lot to the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I thought that it was a very well done story with a great cast of characters that focused on a variety of relationships. I cannot wait to read more from Jill Shalvis!
I won an advanced review copy of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks through a giveaway on Goodreads.
I love each Wildstone story more than the one before! Brynn and Eli were just perfect for each other and Kinsey and Deck gave me all the feels. These stories of friendship and family really touch me in the best way possible. Can’t wait for more!
4.5 stars – really pulled me in towards the middle all the way to the end.
So this was a little slower to get into than I was expecting, but once I was in – I was all the way in. Eli, Brynn, and Kinsey knew each other as young summer campers – and those relationships are firmly cemented in. They meet up again as adults and things are, shall we say, complicated. Eli and Brynn were each other’s secret crush back in summer camp. Kinsey was Brynn’s frenemy and she is Eli’s BFF, so you see how this could get complicated.
Eli convinces Brynn to rent out a room in the house he shares with Kinsey and his brother. There are secrets kept, secrets discovered, feelings of betrayal, love, lust, and family. This book has a tumult of emotions. “I want to be one of the very best things in your life.” Swoon!
“…sometimes it helps to just think as positively as possible…But since my natural state is to be Eeyore, sometimes it’s a process.”
There’s a great cast of characters and Brynn’s moms are a hoot! This book has all the feels of a Jill Shalvis book – it just took me a little while to start feeling them. But when I did – it bumped the book over the 4-star mark!
I voluntarily requested and read an advance reader copy.
I look forward to reading the Wildstone novels and this was no exception!
Brynn Turner returns to Wildstone after her life – work and social – implode and she needs a new place to live and a new job. She connects with two people from her past, Eli and Kinsey, and decides to move in with them into a big house across from the beach. At first, she thinks that this arrangement isn’t going to work and that Kinsey will never ever like her, but she soon learns how to become part of this family. There are lots of secrets and connections in this story, but it is still easy to follow the links to everyone involved.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
With everything that’s going on in the world now, I really needed a book like Ms. Shalvis to just escape with. I love her humor and the way she develops her characters even when she is dealing with serious stuff like organ transplants and trust issues. In this book we have Eli, Kinsey and Brynn who have known each other since they were kids attending summer camp together. Brynn and Eli were each other’s 1st kiss and have secretly had a crush on each other since and Kinsey and Eli are more like brother and sister. Kinsey and Brynn just never got along. Now 15 years later they are somewhat thrown together when Brynn moves back to town and there are secrets, feelings and possible relationships that all need to be worked through. They each have their own family dynamic issues, more to be discovered but sometimes family isn’t blood, it’s who has your back. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Jill Shalvis did not disappoint with the angst and feels in this great book. I am now going to go read some more books from her especially from the wildstone. Kinsey and Brynns story was cant put down. Then you throw in the love of Deck and Eli. I may have to read all from Jill Shalvis.
As always, Jill Shalvis provides a very entertaining story filled with quirky characters, romance and family.
Brynn Turner is returning to her home town of Wildstone, California. Not only is she returning jobless and heartbroken, but her Moms, Olive and Raina had warned her that Ashton, her ex was not right for her from the beginning. Despite that Brynn knows her moms will always accept her with open arms.
Running into a former camp mate, Eli Thomas who she had a crush on years ago, is quite a surprise. He and Kinsey Davis were good friends and Kinsey made Brynn’s life miserable. The letters from camp, both Brynn’s and Kinsey’s are hysterical, and totally explain their relationship. But that was years ago. Now Eli invites her to rent a room in his beach house so she can start working on her next phase of life.
There are so many fascinating sub plots in this book. Kinsey has kidney disease and her transplant from years ago is failing. She and Brynn are connected much more deeply than first presented. Kinsey is afraid to believe she can have a life, and treats the man who loves her terribly.
I loved the relationship Brynn had with her Moms, Raina the beautiful soft hearted woman with flowy clothes and lots of bangles. Olive, the practical, always dressed perfectly, serious minded one. Opposites definitely attract for them.
A beautiful story, with laughs, and a deeper story running underneath. I recommend it highly.
Pat Fordyce
It’s always a distinct pleasure to read anything by Jill Shalvis. I love everything about her storytelling. The Summer Deal is no exception and the quirky and flawed who inhabit Wildstone just make me wish this fictional town existed so I could move there.
When Brynn is forced to return to Wildstone due to her con man ex-boyfriend, she feels as though she failed at life. Her return brings her face to face with her childhood arch-enemy Kinsey, and to the boy that she crushed on all those years ago, Eli. It couldn’t get worse for her unless of course, she moves in with them, right? Nope, not at all. Becoming roommates opens up her world as she learns to forgive the past and herself. As her bond with Eli grows and she turns herself over to friendship with Kinsey, she learns to trust herself again.
Like all reading experiences of a Jill Shalvis book, I was completely captivated by the characters. Brynn’s self-talk is insightful and often hilarious. As well, we witness Kinsey’s heart thaw and she earns her place in the likable column. Add to that “their men”, Eli and Deck, who are super swoony, sexy guys with the best hearts and intentions
The Summer Deal is the real deal. It was a joy to read this wonderful book about finding and holding on to family, whether it’s a biological connection or bound by friendship. With Shalvis’ ever witty dialog, the parallel stories of romantic love for half-sisters Brynn and Kinsey take these frenemies to family in a most unique way. 5 Stars and recommendation!!
One of the things I love about reading a Jill Shalvis book is that her characters are always great and, in my opinion, relatable. This book had another cast of great characters. I enjoyed the camp journal entries which gave me more of an insight into Brynn and Kinsey. I would have never guessed from Brynn’s side of things or from the journal entries, what would come out in the story. Of course, I fell in love with Eli, Brynn, and Kinsey but the moms were great, as well as Max and Deck and his son and the stories that the kindergartner’s shared during class, were a perfect addition. I liked the story and reading about the progression of all the characters and how Kinsey was there for Brynn when she needed it, definitely a full circle moment. The ending with the news was a great way to end this awesome story.
This is a beautiful, sweet, funny, and heartfelt novel that is a perfect summer read. Brynne is home, embarrassed by her breakup and how her life is going. She wants to turn things around and try to be more in control. She has a hilarious meet cute with her long ago crush from summer camp, Eli. They can still feel the flutters that made them share a first kiss at camp too. Unfortunately he is still best friends with Kinsey, her frenemy from that same camp as well. But he is so charming, and sexy, and he convinces her to move in with him, along with Kinsey, and his brother Max, for the summer. Brynne is quirky, easygoing, and upbeat which is the total opposite of Kinsey who is grumpy, and snarky, but fiercely loyal and protective. They didn’t get along as teens but now they seem to fall into a comradery that works for them. Eli has a way of collecting people and making an eclectic family that play, banter, fight and protect each other. Add in Kinsey’s big, tatted boyfriend, Deck, who is so swoony with his calming yet adventurous spirit, and you have a great group of people I would love to be friends with. I really loved the dynamics between all six of them as well as Brynne’s quirky mothers. The way that they formed their bonds, not easily as there were things they kept hidden at times, just felt so real and honest. I loved the peak at each of Brynne and Kinsey’s summer camp journals that gave us a revealing look into both their lives growing up. I really just devoured this story. It was so easy to fall for all these characters and their lives that made me laugh, tugged at my heart, and made me swoon. I haven’t read the other books in this series but really loved this funny, charming, and heartwarming romance. I will definitely go back and check out the other books in the Wildstone series!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not read a Jill Shalvis book yet that I didn’t love! She writes with compassion and empathy for her characters and in the end, she tries to make it a happily ever after. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a book that has a little of everything in it. Great beach read! Enjoy!
Jill Shalvis’ Wildstone series is full of realistic characters who lead hard lives. Each one is a stand alone story. Sometimes people make bad decisions and have to suffer the consequences. How they move on from those decisions and consequences show their true character. Family is what you make it, the good and the bad. Family is not just about sharing DNA. The people you spend your childhood with share the same history and basic personality knowledge that lives on into adulthood. It’s the secrets that can come back to bite you later. Eli and Brynn’s early childhood crush gets a second chance as a real adult relationship. Deck and Kinsey’s friends with benefits has more feelings behind it than either one are willing to share. Watching the unfolding of the family dynamics in the novel kept me interested until the end.
Brynn hasn’t had the hardest life, but it hasn’t been a bed of roses either. As she drives herself back home to live with her moms once again, she reflects on how and where it all went to crap. Being back in her hometown does not bode well for the soul. The only thing that would top off this crapshow is a panic attack, wait for it….
Eli is pacing the halls of the hospital while his best friend Kinsey talks to her doctor. She needs a kidney transplant and this time it is more critical than before. Kinsey needs him to be strong so he is picking random vending machine junk to hold him, and her over. His eyes play tricks on him though as he thinks he sees his crush from long ago also fighting a vending machine.
Brynn wants to exit stage right but this stupid vending machine won’t cooperate just like the rest of her life. She tried telling her moms she wasn’t having a heart attack but a panic attack, but they insisted she need to go the ER. Now this man, who looks a lot like Eli, is adding to her already annoying day.
Kinsey doesn’t like being a burden and that is exactly how she feels. While she is going through transplant rejection, she finds out about a close family match that may offer a second, well third, chance at a normal life. But this isn’t going to be an easy road to travel.
Brynn, Eli, Kinsey, Deck and Max have amazing chemistry. You can almost feel like you are right in the room with them laughing and even crying. This story hit all the right buttons with teenage memories and what we do with those memories as we age. Yet again Ms Shalvis hit it out of the park. I voluntarily read an advance copy without expectation for review, all opinions expressed are my own.
Oh my goodness! The Summer Deal made me sit back and appreciate my family and what I have in my life. Having to create your own “family” can be great, but can also be extremely difficult…as proven in this romance.
The main characters in this book, Brynn, Kinsey, Eli, Deck…they stole my heart. Each of them had such a vital part in this book, and the way author Jill Shalvis wrapped them all together was incredible! There was love, loss, second chances, heartbreak, humor, romance, deceit, hatred…secrets.
I loved the multiple POV writing and the journal entries were such a perfect addition to this storyline! I loved everything about this book! 5 stars.
This book was so good! It’s about a childhood crush and there’s another element to it. Kinsey is Brynn’s long-time enemy. Kinsey is also best friends with Brynn’s crush Eli. When Brynn runs into Eli during an ER visit her interest is renewed. Thus begins a complex story between the three. No, this is not a threesome. I want to say that I loved all of the relationships between the characters in this book, but I don’t want to give any major story plots away. It’s about Brynn learning to trust a male in her life again. It’s about a budding friendship. Brynn learns that friends can be their own kind of family. The Summer Deal is complex, heart-warming, and a great read! 4 stars
Sometimes you meet characters that you just don’t think you will like when you start a book. That’s exactly how I felt when I meet Kinsey. After finishing The Summer Deal, I feel bad I judged her so harshly. This is one of those books that is hard to put down because you’re just not sure what will happen next. Shalvis one again is able to deal with pretty serious family and medical issues while keeping readers laughing out loud throughout the book. Eli is a man who wants nothing more for the truth to come out, and the two people he cares about more than anything in the world to have a healthy relationship. I so enjoyed getting to know Brynn, laughing at and with her. A great summer read!
**Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
“The Summer Deal” is written by Jill Shalvis, and it is the 5th book in her Wildstone series. It can be read as a stand-alone book. It features half-sisters, Brynn Turner and Kinsey Davis, and Eli Thomas.
Brynn Turner is back in Wildstone after a terrible breakup. What she doesn’t expect is to run into her old friend, Eli, who happened to be her first kiss at the hospital. Eli has always liked Brynn, so he’s shocked to see her. He’s at the hospital for Kinsey, who is awaiting a potential donor for a kidney transplant. Brynn, Eli, and Kinsey know each other from when they were younger attending summer camp. Brynn and Kinsey were frenemies. But one summer, Kinsey and Eli never went back to the summer camp, so it left Brynn questioning why.
Fast forward to the present, Brynn doesn’t know where to stay except to be with her moms. Eli finds out about Brynn’s predicament and offers her to stay at his place to rent out a room. What Eli fails to mention to Brynn is that Kinsey lives there too. Brynn and Kinsey were not happy to see each to say the least.
This is where the story starts. Without revealing too much, you find out more about all of their pasts. The readers are also introduced to Eli’s brother, Max, and Kinsey’s boyfriend, Deck. (I would have loved to have seen more of Deck and his backstory, but it’s okay. He’s a wonderful boyfriend to Kinsey. Very doting and supportive.)
What happens when Brynn finds out Eli has feelings for her? Will their friendship turn into something more? What happens when Brynn finds out about Kinsey’s medical issues? When will Kinsey reveal the truth to Brynn that they’re half-sisters?
Jill Shalvis never disappoints me with her stories! What I found clever was that readers were able to get insight into what Brynn and Kinsey were thinking of when they were younger by the journal entries in the beginning of each chapter. The transition between the journals entries to the present scenes were well executed. And as always, readers could feel the vulnerability that Kinsey felt when she was reluctant to ask those she loved if they were a match to be a potential kidney donor. She was very stubborn, but she felt guilt from her first experience with a donor. There was laughter, heartache, and love throughout this book. I enjoyed it! I couldn’t put the book down, and read it in 1 day!
Talk about complicated and complex relationships. This story is about a group of people trying to find a way towards each other. Both Kinsey and Brynn have had a tough life and I was glued to the seat reading how are they going to get past all the hurt and manage to form a loving relationship. I loved Eli and Deck who were just try to help them and keep them by their side. Even though she was a pain in the ass my favorite was Kinsey because I could see myself so much in her.
Ever since I read my first book by Jill Shalvis I couldn’t decide if I’m a fan or now…yeah yeah I know but what can I say – I’m strange. But let me tell you something this book has shifted the scale to big time fan.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
The Summer Deal is a great summer read with an excellent cast of characters, and I found myself easily speeding through the pages.
Jill Shalvis gives us double the romance in The Summer Deal, and who can argue with that? I only wish we could have gotten more of Deck and Kinsey (with Deck’s perspective), and maybe a romance for Max? That’s not asking for much, right?
Anyway, I enjoyed a lot of things about this book. The relationships between all the different characters were lovely, namely the friendship between Kinsey and Eli. Max in general was awesome. The romances were sweet and sexy. The development between Brynn and Kinsey’s sisterhood was both enjoyable and frustrating, but that’s people and life.
You really can’t go wrong with a Jill Shalvis book, so feel free to dive right into this one.
***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the author.***