Guest Reviewed by Ami
Title: My Kind of Wonderful
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Cedar Ridge #2
Heroine/Hero: Bailey Moore/Hudson Kincaid
Genre: MF Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 Pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: December 22, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: UNEXPECTED AND UNDENIABLE…
Bailey Moore has an agenda: skiing in the Rockies, exploring castles in Europe, ballroom dancing in Argentina. Now that she has a second lease on life, she’s determined not to miss a thing. What she doesn’t realize is that item #1 comes with a six-foot-one ski god hot enough to melt a polar ice cap. She doesn’t want to miss out on him either, but Hudson Kincaid isn’t the type of guy to love and let go. And as gorgeous as Cedar Ridge is, she’s not planning to stick around.
As head of ski patrol at his family’s resort, Hud thinks he’s seen it all. But never has he run into someone like Bailey. She might look delicate, but her attitude is all firecracker. And her infectious joy touches something deep within him that he’s been missing far too long. Now he’ll just have to convince Bailey to take a chance on her biggest adventure yet . . . something rare and all kinds of wonderful.
Review: Being with Jill Shalvis’ characters is like being with my own friends. I love them; even when they can exasperate me at times, I feel comfortable around them. That was exactly what I felt when I was back Cedar Ridge, Colorado, alongside the Kincaid siblings – this time focusing on Hudson and Bailey, the cancer-survivor woman who steals his heart.
Can I say first that Bailey is amazing? She survives a decade of treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – and she had those treatments since she was a teenager. Gosh, what an inspiration. Okay, okay, I know that she is a fictional character, but still… I couldn’t help admiring her. Bailey is a wonderful heroine – she is determined to fulfill the list of the things she hasn’t done because of her sickness. She is strong and despite the fact that she might not be too experienced in flirting or being in a relationship, she also doesn’t back down on it when she feels strongly for Hud.
Now, Hud, on the other hand – GAH, I want to knock sense into this guy’s head a number of times. He has a very serious case of misplaced guilt! But I can’t help to also admire him for his dedication and loyalty to his family, especially his mother who suffers from dementia. So while I thought that Hud sabotaged himself out of the relationship, I guess those times when he was being romantic or saying just the right things … well, he melted my heart as well.
I always love Shalvis’ progress of relationship between the couple… and this one is another example. There’s humor, sexy times, and tenderness between Hud and Bailey. I loved that Hud doesn’t treat Bailey as someone fragile but the other way around. He is definitely good for Bailey, even if he can be too much of an idiot to admit it (thank God for his family members!)
On that note, another thing that made me happy returning to Cedar Ridge is the cast of characters – a.k.a. the Kincaid clan. I love this family!! They are so much fun to be around – full of laughter and banter and all the things siblings do (the good things, not the ones that make you want to actually kill them *laugh*). I loved their dynamics, including their significant others.
I cannot wait to read Jacob’s story next – unfortunately I have to wait until next year to do so *sigh*
Overall Impression: I really liked it
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
