Review: Rescue My Heart by Jill Shalvis

Source: A review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

I’ve been a fan of this series since the first book, and as usual, the most intriguing character always gets the last book. The anticipation was high, and unfortunately the book wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. But it was entertaining, and the hint to a new couple brought me back to the place I was before reading the book: anticipating the next entry.  

Adam and Holly used to be lovers a long time ago, but he left her because they were too young, to save her from himself, etc. The being too young was reason enough to me, but we need more to justify so many years of not moving on. So as you probably can guess, especially if you have read the books, once he comes back he ignores her while she gives him the evil eye (which is Romance code for “I want to have dirty sex with you, but I totally don’t love you anymore so don’t get any ideas”). We know that they should just talk about their unresolved feelings, but Adam is suffering from PTSD and is trying to avoid any type of human contact.


What finally forces them together is her father going missing. Spending a few days together finally makes them talk, and in the process they help each other heal and give their relationship a second chance. 

As you can see, there’s nothing new about the story. What makes it shine is Ms. Shalvis’ ability to mix drama with lighter situations. It may not be a complex character study, but it’s not meant to be one. This is a book whose only purpose is to entertain, and I think it succeeds. At least I was engaged by the story and had a great time reading it. 

Adam and Holly have great chemistry, but the romance happens fast, and there’s so much heartbreak between them that it was hard for me to believe that they could get over them so easily. He had serious psychological problems, and she was very hurt by the way things ended between them. Yet the first time they spend some alone time, it takes them a couple days to forgive and forget. 

There are some great moments between Adam and his brothers, something I love because Jill Shalvis writes the best bromances. There’s also a hint of the next couple, and the moment I met them, I was instantly more interested in them than in Adam and Holly. That’s good for the books to come, but not so good for this one.

Overall it was a good addition to the series, and a must-read if you’re a fan. If haven’t read these books I’d suggest reading them in order, although the all stand alone well.  I enjoy this series more than the Lucky Harbor books, and I’m happy to see there’s at least one more book to go. Hopefully we won’t have to wait that long to read it. 

Review by Brie

Grade: 3

Sensuality: McSexy

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis:

After a tragic stint in the National Guards, Adam Connelly returns to Idaho and to Belle Haven, the animal shelter he owns with his brothers. All Adam wants is to be alone. Then he opens the door to the past—the woman whose heart he once broke. Still gorgeous, still tough-as-nails, but this time, unusually vulnerable.
Holly Reid learned the hard way to never depend on a man for anything. Now, of all men, it’s the last one she wants to see, and the only one she needs. Her father has gone missing in the Bitterroot Mountains and she could use someone with tracking skills to help find him.
For Holly and Adam, each with their ghosts, a trek this desperate, this unpredictable, and this intimate, will have its share of risks—including opening their hearts one more time.

Rescue My Heart (An Animal Magnetism Novel) by Jill Shalvis

Berkley. November 6, 2012.