Always On My Mind

Always On My Mind
by Jill Shalvis
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review:
I don't think I can made it through life without reading Jill Shalvis books. Even when I'm not totally happy with them, I need a hit whenever a new one comes out. They're so great to just sit and relax with. This one is no different. It was a nice, comfortable book with a good storyline and relatable characters.

Leah was a wonderfully complex heroine. She is caring and warm to everyone, but keeps people at a distance. She's still trying to figure out what to do with her life, even though we all sort-of know what she should be doing. She doesn't feel like she's ever accomplished anything, but she's pretty much perfect at everything she does. She's got the secret crush going which is very cute.

Jack is a tough firefighter who takes care of Leah and his mom and even a cast off dog that gets into lots of trouble. He's a hero that everyone likes and he's really hot. He takes the gossips in stride, doesn't have a temper, is secretly sentimental, and has loved Leah forever. He's so sweet and perfect, but he doesn't want to “find love” because he's afraid he'll die. He had some growing to do, but for the most part this felt like a book for Leah to grow more so than Jack. He has a few issues to work out, but mainly he's been waiting for Leah for always. I liked how much he cared for everyone and how he could play the hero without being reckless. He may live in his dad's shadow, but he doesn't need to go out looking for danger.

I felt a little like Jack and Leah both didn't quite line up with the image I had of them from previous books, but I can't say for sure what it was that was different. I liked who they were and I liked who they became but it felt like there was something significantly different. Maybe I will figure it out one day when I go back and read the whole series in a row.

We get a lot of the extra Lucky Harbor characters showing up in this book. For most of them, I think they were thrown in just to give the book a sense of place. Most of them didn't figure very prominently in the storyline. Even Lucille, the facebook gossip junky, was only mentioned a couple times. The main secondary characters, like Jack and Leah's family members and the other firefighters, were well written and kept the story well-bounded.

Some of the sexist talk still bothers me. I honestly don't know anyone that talks that way – calling someone a vagina, for example. It feels like that idea that you can't be an “alpha” unless you belittle femininity. I don't get it and I see so many great authors that write alphas without this, but I try not to let it get to me because I really like the writing and it's so nice to curl up and lose myself for a little while with one of these books.

I can't say I laughed out loud at these characters' antics and I did guess who the “villain” was within the first part of the book, but I had a smile on my face through the whole thing. I liked seeing where Leah and Jack would go. I felt like I was a part of their life and had a stake in their future. I was happy they worked out their problems and I liked seeing them each grow and sort through their issues.

This is a perfect book to pick up when you're waiting for the kids, in the middle of cooking dinner or when you just need some time to yourself. It's the kind of book I grab when I'm on the go. I know that I can pick it up and read a few pages and not get lost if I have to put it down again. I felt good every time I read it, even if I only had time to catch a few more pages before I was needed again. I'll look forward to the next installment of the characters from Lucky Harbor – and anything else Jill Shalvis writes in the meantime.