*I received a free copy of The Forever Girl from William Morrow Paperbacks via ARC Publisher. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
The Forever Girl by Jill Shalvis Series: Wildstone #6
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks on 12 January 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: ARC Publisher
When Maze returns to Wildstone for the wedding of her estranged bff and the sister of her heart, it’s also a reunion of a once ragtag team of teenagers who had only each other until a tragedy tore them apart and scattered them wide.
Now as adults together again in the lake house, there are secrets and resentments mixed up in all the amazing childhood memories. Unexpectedly, they instantly fall back into their roles: Maze their reckless leader, Cat the den mother, Heather the beloved baby sister, and Walker, a man of mystery.
Life has changed all four of them in immeasurable ways. Maze and Cat must decide if they can rebuild their friendship, and Maze discovers her long-held attraction to Walker hasn’t faded with the years but has only grown stronger.
The Forever Girl is a feel-good romance of epic proportions. Between the friendships and unconventional family ties, and the evident chemistry between the protagonists, Shalvis hit the bull’s eye once more.
One of the things I loved the most about The Forever Girl was the fact that the main characters had a very strong bond from spending one year together when they were in their late teens. In a way this impacted the overall plot, and specifically Maze’s feelings of not being adequate as a friend, sister or lover.
As always, Shalvis managed to tie my heartstrings in knots, in the best way! And I really loved how Maze, Cat, Heather and Walker all had their demons to deal with in order to re-build their relationships. Maze might have been the person who was most impacted negatively by the past, however, Cat was definitely a close second.
The Forever Girl unfolds in a perfect way, because information is shared with the readers at the same time as specific characters also receive that same information. It felt both organic and realistic to me, which is always a good thing when reading a novel.
As each of the characters had their own pain to deal with, they were not always as observant as they could have been when it came to the other characters present. However, when push came to shove, they all stepped up in order to deal with what was most important at the moment.
Another winner by Shalvis, The Forever Girl tied Linda's heartstrings in knots in the best way! Click To Tweet
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About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
One of these days I really need to read a Jill Shalvis book. This one sounds lovely!
Yes, you really do! Her novels always make my heart happy 🙂
Its so illuminating to see these strong bonds form and definitely one I will be reading soon. I have really liked this author in the past.
I love her! And her stories and her writing just keep getting better. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
Really enjoyed this one. Walker was swoon worthy!
He so was! I loved him, and I loved the other characters as well 🙂
Twitter: Northwomn
I love this author; she’s a favorite. Fabulous review! The personal growth and communication skills of the group of friends was so wonderful.