Series: Sunrise Cove, Book 5
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 16, 2024
Source: Author
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Jill Shalvis Reading Order
Luna Wright is a lot of things, but sweet and trusting isn’t on the list. However, she’s a sucker for the underdog and a hard-luck story. Adopted at birth, with scant knowledge of her biological family, she’s created her own inner circle, a motley crew which includes her bestie Willow, to help her run the struggling but charming Apple Ridge Farm.
With a farm-to-table café as well as a menagerie of rescued animals (complete with a baby goat who keeps escaping to the pantry to eat the secret stash of decidedly not organic potato chips), it’s the best home she’s ever known. But when the owner Silas, who they secretly call The Grinch, passes away, Luna discovers the farm is now under control of his investment manager, the enigmatic Jameson Hayes….and her. And that Silas had many, many secrets.
Now Luna’s carefully controlled corner of the world is threatened and she—along with some help from her friends—has to dig deep to find true strength and the real meaning of love and family.
A sunny, welcoming farmer, her beloved family and friends, and a protagonist in a suit who is on leave from his big city job are all that stand between greedy people and saving a farm with adorable rescue animals. This may sound like a Hallmark movie formula, but the cast of characters are signature Jill Shalvis. The Bright Spot is fast-paced and lively, with ridiculously cute animals and bubbly characters who are easy to adore.
Luna is a farmer who has a gift for making people love her. She works tirelessly to make Apple Ridge Farm a success, but when the owner passes away, she learns she has inherited half of the farm with the other half going to some stiff-necked investment manager. Only Jameson isn’t just a numbers geek in a suit. He’s kind, caring, and fits right into the misfit family that makes up Apple Ridge Farm. He and Luna have sparks from the beginning and it’s not long before they’re falling fast for each other.
The Bright Spot follows a predictable path, but it’s a path Shalvis does well. The quirky characters – who have zero boundaries when it comes to their friends who are like family – are familiar to anyone who enjoys Shalvis’s work. As much as I enjoyed them, because I am so familiar with Shalvis’s books I didn’t feel much fresh and new, nor did the characters feel like they had much depth. This didn’t bother me overmuch, to be honest (I enjoy a good, fluffy read). The only real snag I hit with this book was the secondary plotline involving Luna’s best friend, Willow. This could just be reader preference, but I found her a bit irritating and irrational. Even though Shalvis showed why, there wasn’t enough depth to her for me to feel connected or understanding enough that I was invested in Willow’s story.
Overall, The Bright Spot is bright, fluffy, and fun to read. The animals (especially DZ the goat) were a definite bright spot but the humans were mostly charming as well. This is a solid beach read with the humor and heart I’ve come to expect from anything Jill Shalvis writes.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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