Sarah's Reviews > At Last

At Last by Jill Shalvis

by
3344685
's review
Jul 16, 12

bookshelves: books-i-own-kindle, netgalley, for-review-read, read-in-2012
Recommended to Sarah by: Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust*
Read from July 11 to 12, 2012, read count: 1

It's no secret that I've become a massive fan of Jill Shalvis since I started reading the Lucky Harbor series so of course I couldn't wait to start reading the fifth instalment At Last. I have been looking forward to finding out more about Ranger Hot Buns Matt for ages now and he didn't disappoint!

Amy has been making regular appearances throughout the series but it was only in the last book that we started to get to know her a little better. Although she has become good friends with Mallory and Grace she still holds herself back, she is reluctant to discuss her past and always tries to put on a front that everything is fine and she doesn't need any help. As we find out more about her troubled past and how she has been on her own since running away from home at 16 you start to understand why she feels the need to have her tough girl persona always in place. Amy is a survivor and has been through difficult times but underneath the surface she is also surprisingly sweet and vulnerable. She cares deeply about her new friends and is working hard to build a life for herself in Lucky Harbor. Amy arrived in the town following in the footsteps of her grandmother who had written in her journal about finding hope, peace and her heart when she visited the mountains there as a teenager. Amy is desperately in need of hope and peace, she thinks she can do without her heart but longs to find the first two so decides to try and find the trail her grandmother took through the mountains.

A city girl though and through it shouldn't come as a surprise that Amy finds herself lost on a trail as dark approaches. Who should come to the rescue but Matt - the sexy ranger she has been trying to avoid the attentions of ever since she arrived in Lucky Harbor. Matt has been drawn to Amy from the moment he saw her and comes into the cafe where she works almost daily just to get a glimpse of her. After leaving the Navy Matt was a SWAT Officer for the Chicago Police Department but his job cost him everything and he moved to Lucky Harbor to start again. He works long hours as a Forest Ranger and spends his spare time with his friends but after the break up of his marriage he isn't looking to find love again. The chemistry between him and Amy is impossible to resist though and although they both go into things agreeing to keep it just a fling that isn't going to be an easy promise to stick to.

I love the way their relationship develops and how they are both slowly forced to face their issues and come out stronger on the other side. The addition of homeless teen Riley added a nice extra element to the story that helped to show Amy's caring side and give an outside view of what her past must have been like. I hope we get to see more of Riley in the future as I'd really like to see her settle in and find a home for herself. Matt and Amy just make the perfect couple, they bring out the best in each other and fit together really well. They are smokin' hot but also sweet, tender and protective and every time they are together sparks fly. It looks like Amy might just find her heart in Lucky Harbor after all but will she find hope and peace too?

One of the things I love most about this series is the friendships that the author forms between characters that continue to build and grow throughout each book. In Lucky in Love Amy and Grace were giving Mallory bad girl lessons but now that they've decided it is Amy's turn to sort her life out I loved the fact that they turned it around on her and started giving her good girl lessons. I can't wait to see what they decide Grace needs in the next book. We didn't see quite as much of the male bonding between Ty, Matt and Josh in the last book but that was more than made up for this time around and we get to see much more of them bantering and generally messing around together. I still feel like Grace and Josh are pretty unknown entities though so I'm looking forward to getting to know them both better in their book Forever and a Day.

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Quotes Sarah Liked

Jill Shalvis
“The calories in chocolate don't count because chocolate comes from the cocoa bean, and everyone knows that beans are good for you.”
Jill Shalvis, At Last

Jill Shalvis
“She found herself smiling. "Was the big, bad forest ranger scared?"

"I stared a fire," he said instead of answering, and the typical guy avoidance of admitting fear made her smile in the dark. "But even after I had a roaring fire, I still felt watched."

"What did you do?"

His hand was still gliding up and down her back, absently soothing, not-so-absently arousing her further. "I got up and searched the perimeter," he said. "Often. I finally fell asleep holding my gun, and at first light was startled awake by a curious teenage bear."

"Oh my God," she said on a horrified laugh. "What happened?"

Amusement came into his voice. "I shot the shit out of a tree and scared the hell out of us both. I fell backward off the log I'd fallen asleep on, and the bear did the same. Then we both scrambled to our feet, and he went running off to his mama. If my mama had been anywhere within two thousand miles, I'd have gone running off to her just the same as the bear."

-Matt on his first night out as a ranger”
Jill Shalvis, At Last

Jill Shalvis
“Matt?"

"Yeah?"

A barely there sigh escaped her lips. "I really want to sleep with you, but..."

"Damn," he said. "That was a great sentence right up to the 'but'."

-Amy and Matt”
Jill Shalvis, At Last

Jill Shalvis
“I'm not here to solve your problems. I'm here to support you in your own decisions. I'm not going to walk away, Amy. Not now, not when the going gets tough, not ever. I'm right here at your back."
"For how long?"
"For as long as you'll have me. I love you, Amy."
Staggered, she stared at him. "But you don't do love."
"I never said that. I said love hasn't worked out for me. But all it takes is the right one. You're the right one."
No one had ever said such a thing to her before, and it made her heart swell hard against her ribcage. "I love you, Matt. So much."
He smiled like she'd just given him the best gift he'd ever had. She settled against his good side, and they stared up at the star-laden sky. "I knew I'd find something on this journey," she said. "I wasn't sure what, but I knew it'd be something special.”
Jill Shalvis, At Last

Jill Shalvis
“He turned her ninety degrees. "To get back to the ranger station and your car, you want to go southwest," he said.

Right. She knew that, and she stalked off in the correct direction.

"Watch out for bears," Matt called after her.

"Yeah, okay," she muttered, "and I'll also keep an eye out for the Tooth Fairy."

"Three o'clock."

Amy craned her neck and froze. Oh sweet baby Jesus, there really was a bear at three o'clock. Enjoying the last of the sun, he was big, brown and shaggy, and big. He lay flat on his back, his huge paws in the air as he stretched, confident that he sat at the top of the food chain. "Holy shit," she whispered, every Discovery Channel bear mauling she'd ever seen flashing in her mind. She backed up a step, and then another, until she bumped into a brick wall and nearly screamed.

"Just a brown bear," said the brick wall that was Matt.

-Matt and Amy”
Jill Shalvis, At Last


Reading Progress

07/11/2012
18.0% "I love Lucille! Ranger Hot Buns bwahahahah!"
07/11/2012
53.0% "I really love this series"

Comments (showing 1-7 of 7) (7 new)

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Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust* Yay! Glad you're enjoying it!


Sarah These books are so good Annie, just what I was in the mood for :o) I'm so glad you recommended them to me so thank you!


Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust* No problem!! It makes me happy to see you enjoying them!


message 4: by Dee (new) - rated it 5 stars

Dee Great review Sarah...Glad to see that you liked it too....Have you read the next one yet?


Sarah Thanks Dee, I'm loving these books! And did you see the news about another 3 in the series????? I'm so excited!!! Especially since the 2nd book is going to be about a firefighter :o)

I've not read the last one yet but I got it from netgalley and it's my next read. I've heard really good things about Josh, he seems to be a lot of people's new favourite hero so I can't wait! What did you think of him?


message 6: by Dee (last edited Jul 18, 2012 12:56am) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Dee Sarah wrote: "Thanks Dee, I'm loving these books! And did you see the news about another 3 in the series????? I'm so excited!!! Especially since the 2nd book is going to be about a firefighter :o)

I've not read..."


Yeah I saw Jill's tweet on Twitter and started spreading the news here as fast as I could....AND, I was so excited when I saw we were due for a visit from a sexy fireman!

Oh I loved Josh, for me he was definitely the best out of the 3 guys....Don't get me wrong, I love Matt & Ty too but Josh just seemed to press my buttons ha ha


Sarah I'm so friggin excited that we're getting 3 more books - I can't wait!! Especially for the hot firefighter LMAO.

I have a feeling I'm going to love Josh, everyone raves about him :-)


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