Review: Jill Shalvis' THE FAMILY YOU MAKE

 

Rating: 4.5

Jane Parks is a traveling nurse. She is not the kind of girl who sticks to one place or puts down roots. Jane annually returns to Tahoe, California, to work the ski season. She finds herself stranded in a gondola, during a freak blizzard, with a good-looking stranger. Jane reluctantly agrees to be Levi’s pretend girlfriend for his parents’ anniversary dinner. She soon finds herself conflicted by what is happening between them. Can Jane trust Levi with her heart? Will she let their fake relationship become real?

Levi Cutler is a data scientist consultant. He hesitantly returns home to help his family with their sporting goods store. A snowstorm strands Levi and a snarky red head on a gondola. He prepares for the worst and calls his mother to lie about having a girlfriend. Levi convinces Jane to pretend to be his girlfriend, only to appease his mother. He never thought he would actually fall in love with her. Can Levi help Jane heal from her trust and abandonment issues? Will he convince her to give them a chance?

I am overjoyed that Levi is a nerdy type! He is the family oddity. I love how Levi throws out random science facts. He reminds me of my favorite character, Dr. Spencer Reid, from the crime drama Criminal Minds. I admire Levi’s dedication to his family. He may often feel like he does not belong, but he has never ignored his family when they need him the most. What I adore the most about Levi is his ability to understand Jane. He knows that she has issues to work through, and he accepts her for herself.

Jane is such a remarkable yet flawed woman. I could not help but empathize with her from the start. I understand Jane’s trust and abandonment issues. She has been dealt a bad hand in the family department. I like how Jane is not put off by Levi’s intelligence. She understands that is part of his unique charm, and she accepts him for who he is. What I love the most about Jane is her need to help others. Despite her crummy childhood, she chose a profession that helps those in need.

THE FAMILY YOU MAKE is the first book in Jill Shalvis’ contemporary romance/woman’s fiction series, THE SUNRISE COVE. Fans of the author’s WILDSTONE books will love this brand-new series. It follows the same formula, especially the humorous wit Jill Shalvis is known for. I adore the secondary romance in the background. We get two romances for the price of one.

THE FAMILY YOU MAKE is an uplifting tale of two rejected souls learning to heal from their pasts and open-up to love. No one can write small-town romances like Jill Shalvis. I cannot wait to see who is next in this keeper series!