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Once in a Lifetime
(Lucky Harbor #9)
by
SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT
After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an ...more
After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an ...more
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Audiobook, Unabridged
Published
February 18th 2014
by Grand Central Publishing
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Start your review of Once in a Lifetime (Lucky Harbor #9)
4 fan-worthy, laugh-worthy, sigh-worthy stars!
Once In A Lifetime is the ninth book in Jill Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor series, a series I absolutely love! They’re fun, sexy, romantic, poignant… wonderful small town Contemporary Romances.
Description…
Sometimes wrong is oh-so-right…...more
After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-he
Jan 01, 2014
Cherise
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc-or-review-copy,
romance
Ben McDaniel has been running from one dangerous place to the next for the past 5 years helping others. Now he is back in his hometown, watching his friends find that ‘Once in a Lifetime’ love that he once shared with his high school sweetheart. He is one of Lucky Harbor’s favorite sons.
Aubrey Wellington is NOT the town’s favorite daughter. She was a beauty queen and “mean girl” in school and has since earned the disgrace of sleeping with her boss, who was as crooked as they come. She has been t ...more
Aubrey Wellington is NOT the town’s favorite daughter. She was a beauty queen and “mean girl” in school and has since earned the disgrace of sleeping with her boss, who was as crooked as they come. She has been t ...more
4.5 Stars.
Need and want are two different things.”
...more
Need and want are two different things.”
...more
Lucky Harbor as posted on Jill Shalvis’ Once in a Lifetime Pinterest Board.
★★★★½ I didn’t know if JS could pull it off, but I ended up rooting for and – more important – liking Aubrey Wellington. I love the characters in the town of Lucky Harbor; nevertheless, they can’t all be perfect, right? Or the stories would get a bit dull. Still, I didn't know if I was going to warm to Aubrey, even though she got several raw deals in her past.
Although not an alcoholic, Aubrey ends up stumbling into an Alc ...more
★★★★½ I didn’t know if JS could pull it off, but I ended up rooting for and – more important – liking Aubrey Wellington. I love the characters in the town of Lucky Harbor; nevertheless, they can’t all be perfect, right? Or the stories would get a bit dull. Still, I didn't know if I was going to warm to Aubrey, even though she got several raw deals in her past.
Although not an alcoholic, Aubrey ends up stumbling into an Alc ...more
Jill Shalvis is my comfort read author. I say this every single time I read something of hers, but I can count on her for several things:
1. A Swoony Guy
2. Female characters I wanna hang out with
3. A lighthearted story that is filled with humor and friendship and a touch of serious
So… if you’re ever looking for any of these things, run and get every single book in the Lucky Harbor series. I swear to you, if this place was real, it would be crawling with single women. The men while having slight i ...more
1. A Swoony Guy
2. Female characters I wanna hang out with
3. A lighthearted story that is filled with humor and friendship and a touch of serious
So… if you’re ever looking for any of these things, run and get every single book in the Lucky Harbor series. I swear to you, if this place was real, it would be crawling with single women. The men while having slight i ...more
Each book in this series gets better and better. I think I will be really sad when I get to the last book.
Now this is what I’m talking about! Once in a Lifetime reminds me exactly why I continue to crack out on the Lucky Harbor series. With the perfect blend of sexual tension, heart, heat and steam, and humor, I fell in love with this story! And let me tell you something – Jill Shalvis knows how to write a delicious total alpha hero. Ben McDaniel has made my sexy book boyfriend list.
Aubrey Wellington was known as the ‘hot mean girl’ in high school. And that’s how some of the town folk still see her ...more
Sticky situation, sticky romance, sticky guy, sticky girl.
Pros
– Important topic of bullying. I like that the protagonist took initiative to say sorry to people she has wronged in the past – both the ones who deserve it and didn’t deserve it. I also appreciate that this book explores morally ambiguous characters. Bullying is never OK, and I dislike Audrey for some of the messed-up shit she has done in the past – but at the same time, I respect her for realizing her mistakes and actually doing so ...more
Pros
– Important topic of bullying. I like that the protagonist took initiative to say sorry to people she has wronged in the past – both the ones who deserve it and didn’t deserve it. I also appreciate that this book explores morally ambiguous characters. Bullying is never OK, and I dislike Audrey for some of the messed-up shit she has done in the past – but at the same time, I respect her for realizing her mistakes and actually doing so ...more
![[Aengell]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1431033477p2/7221205.jpg)
Awww, Jill Shalvis, you gave me a very, very satisfying one-night-read with this one! I will be forever grateful!
I love this series, and also I don't love every single installment of it, the series as a whole is just too sweet! If you need a light, VERY funny, entertaining CR, dive into this series. You will not regret it.
The story is very nicely written, you begin reading it and the next thing you know, you have twenty pages left, which of course (why, oh why?) are a glimpse of the next novel ...more
I love this series, and also I don't love every single installment of it, the series as a whole is just too sweet! If you need a light, VERY funny, entertaining CR, dive into this series. You will not regret it.
The story is very nicely written, you begin reading it and the next thing you know, you have twenty pages left, which of course (why, oh why?) are a glimpse of the next novel ...more
Jill's books are not only a joy to read, but they're also a great entertainment and remedy for all occasions. They made my sleepless night more bearable and might have prevent me from hitting with a pillow a friend who was snoring (thus the not sleeping) :p
The Lucky Harbor's books were all great, but I remembered that Once In A Lifetime was one of the memorable ones because of the characters (I always fall in love with her characters), the unique plot (where the heroine is making a list to make ...more
The Lucky Harbor's books were all great, but I remembered that Once In A Lifetime was one of the memorable ones because of the characters (I always fall in love with her characters), the unique plot (where the heroine is making a list to make ...more
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another well deserved 5 stars for my last Lucky Harbor novel! One of my favorite Romance series. I LOVED EVERY12 books!
Another well deserved 5 stars for my last Lucky Harbor novel! One of my favorite Romance series. I LOVED EVERY12 books!
Nine books into this series and Jill Shalvis still manages to create a fresh, fun and flirty story set in my favourite fictional small-town of Lucky Harbor. Picking up a new LH book is like returning to your favourite vacation spot. It’s always exciting and relaxing as you see the familiar characters and discover new ones. One of Shalvis’s strengths is that she is able to make you like her characters instantly. At 7% of this book, I was already in love with Aubrey’s character. As the former ...more
It's difficult to get past a bad reputation, and in the small town of Lucky Harbor, Aubrey has the worst reputation. Wanting to put her past behind her, she creates a list of all the people she has wronged and then sets about apologising and asking for forgiveness. But not everyone in the town is willing to forgive and forget.
Returning to Lucky Harbor after years of traveling from one war zone to the next, Ben is at loose ends. Unsure about what to do with his life he accepts a job helping Aubr ...more
Returning to Lucky Harbor after years of traveling from one war zone to the next, Ben is at loose ends. Unsure about what to do with his life he accepts a job helping Aubr ...more
Barely 3 stars. I wanted to like it more but had some issues of the characters, the hero mostly, and some elements of the storyline didn't work quite well for me.
ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley
I am a fan of Ms Shalvis' work and I have read some of her other series. as well, so I had some high expectations of this book.
Though I generally liked the story of Ben and Aubrey, it did not end up my favourites list. It's a nice small-town romance, written in the engaging style of Ms Shalvis, bu ...more
ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley
I am a fan of Ms Shalvis' work and I have read some of her other series. as well, so I had some high expectations of this book.
Though I generally liked the story of Ben and Aubrey, it did not end up my favourites list. It's a nice small-town romance, written in the engaging style of Ms Shalvis, bu ...more
Originally posted at The Book Nympho
I thought this book would be the first in this series that I wasn't going to love. Aubrey Wellington just didn't appeal to me...think mean girl grown up. Silly me, I should have trusted Jill Shalvis.
Aubrey takes us with her as she travels down her road to redemption. It was fascinating to learn what lay beneath that beautiful and bitchy veneer and feel compassion for her. Her journey was self-revealing, humbling and painful. Wrapping all of this around her su ...more
I thought this book would be the first in this series that I wasn't going to love. Aubrey Wellington just didn't appeal to me...think mean girl grown up. Silly me, I should have trusted Jill Shalvis.
Aubrey takes us with her as she travels down her road to redemption. It was fascinating to learn what lay beneath that beautiful and bitchy veneer and feel compassion for her. Her journey was self-revealing, humbling and painful. Wrapping all of this around her su ...more
*Received this ARC in return for an honest review*
Loved this one. The past few Lucky Harbor books were good but this one had me wanting more. It has everything in it that Jill Shalvis is famous for including lots of laughter. I really enjoyed the premise as well. A former "mean girl" trying to right all the people she wronged from her high school and college days. I haven't read anything like that lately. Really think everyone will enjoy this one when it releases. ...more
Loved this one. The past few Lucky Harbor books were good but this one had me wanting more. It has everything in it that Jill Shalvis is famous for including lots of laughter. I really enjoyed the premise as well. A former "mean girl" trying to right all the people she wronged from her high school and college days. I haven't read anything like that lately. Really think everyone will enjoy this one when it releases. ...more
It really pains me to give this book 3 stars but I think Lucky Harbor books have reached their saturation point, there is only so much Lucille and her crazy antics I can take, plus the problem with this book was the romance, it was lack-luster to say the least. And it was so obvious what the big secret was for the heroine. If this was any other author I might have accepted a mediocre book but I expect more from JS.
2.5 ⭐️ I hate to do this because I generally really enjoy Jill Shalvis’ books but I just didn’t get attached to the characters in this one. It was missing something. I wasn’t cheering for them at any point.
Its a really good contemporary romance....if you haven't read the other 8 in this series. Unfortunately I think this series is seriously running out of stories... It's time for a new setting, new background people, and for the love of chocolate please give me a new formula!
Couple gets together.
Hero is the Love-of/Mysterious-Stranger-of/Prodigal Son-of the town.
Heroine is a nobody until of course the hero notices her, then everyone wants to talk about her.
Lucielle plays matchmaker.
Some sort of se ...more
Couple gets together.
Hero is the Love-of/Mysterious-Stranger-of/Prodigal Son-of the town.
Heroine is a nobody until of course the hero notices her, then everyone wants to talk about her.
Lucielle plays matchmaker.
Some sort of se ...more
Jan 10, 2014
The Romance Evangelist
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
review-books
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review at The Romance Evangelist.
4.5 stars
It’s fair to say that the Lucky Harbor series is near the top of my comfort read list and books like Once In A Lifetime are the reason why. In it, we finally get to see two of the more intriguing members of the Lucky Harbor community finally find a forever love with the one person everyone there would have picked as their least likely partner.
Back in high school, Ben only had eyes for Hannah ...more
4.5 stars
It’s fair to say that the Lucky Harbor series is near the top of my comfort read list and books like Once In A Lifetime are the reason why. In it, we finally get to see two of the more intriguing members of the Lucky Harbor community finally find a forever love with the one person everyone there would have picked as their least likely partner.
Back in high school, Ben only had eyes for Hannah ...more
Feb 16, 2014
Julie is on vacation- Happy Easter!
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Once in a LIfetime by Jill Shalvis is a February 2014 Grand Central Publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the author/publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lucky Harbor welcomes back one of their own, Ben McDaniel. After losing his wife, Hannah, Ben had gone to work in some of the world's most dangerous places. But, it was time to return home for a while. It's been five years since Hannah's death and Ben is still all mixed up emotionally. When he runs into Aubrey W ...more
Lucky Harbor welcomes back one of their own, Ben McDaniel. After losing his wife, Hannah, Ben had gone to work in some of the world's most dangerous places. But, it was time to return home for a while. It's been five years since Hannah's death and Ben is still all mixed up emotionally. When he runs into Aubrey W ...more
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you're a Contemporary Romance fan, you undoubtedly have read a Jill Shalvis book or two (probably more...). If you're not, but would like to be, the Lucky Harbor series is a great place to start. There's humor, quirky characters, a small-town feel, impossibly sexy men, and tons of swoons awaiting you. Once in a Lifetime is the 9th book of the Lucky Harbor series and one of my favorites!
We get small ...more
If you're a Contemporary Romance fan, you undoubtedly have read a Jill Shalvis book or two (probably more...). If you're not, but would like to be, the Lucky Harbor series is a great place to start. There's humor, quirky characters, a small-town feel, impossibly sexy men, and tons of swoons awaiting you. Once in a Lifetime is the 9th book of the Lucky Harbor series and one of my favorites!
We get small ...more
Oh that was different. A "mean girl" fixing all her wrongs now that she's grown up. You don't see that too often.
The Gist: A misunderstanding lands Aubrey at an AA meeting. But it changes her life none the less. She's at a cross roads in life. Pulling herself together, working on opening a business and now...making amends and apologizing to the people she did wrong back when she was an angry teenager. One such person...Ben. Who's also been tasked with helping her renovate the bookstore. The two ...more
The Gist: A misunderstanding lands Aubrey at an AA meeting. But it changes her life none the less. She's at a cross roads in life. Pulling herself together, working on opening a business and now...making amends and apologizing to the people she did wrong back when she was an angry teenager. One such person...Ben. Who's also been tasked with helping her renovate the bookstore. The two ...more
***Details***
Overall, ONCE IN A LIFETIME was pretty good. There were a few things I wished would have been a little more filled out, but I did grow to really like Ben and Aubrey.
Aubrey’s ready for a fresh start in her life. She’s re-opening her aunt’s bookstore and she’s making something of herself and getting away from who she used to be. She finds herself making a list and righting wrongs she had done to others.
Ben is hired to remodel her bookstore and finds himself drawn into her mysterious ...more
Overall, ONCE IN A LIFETIME was pretty good. There were a few things I wished would have been a little more filled out, but I did grow to really like Ben and Aubrey.
Aubrey’s ready for a fresh start in her life. She’s re-opening her aunt’s bookstore and she’s making something of herself and getting away from who she used to be. She finds herself making a list and righting wrongs she had done to others.
Ben is hired to remodel her bookstore and finds himself drawn into her mysterious ...more
The ninth book in Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor series. Aubrey Wellington has made her share of mistakes in her life and after accidently wandering into an AA meeting she has a moment of clarity regarding her past. So she has decided to right some wrongs. Ben McDaniels has spent the last five years in war-torn countries working through the grief of losing his wife. Now he is back in town and seems oddly interested in her business. But anyone in Lucky Harbor will tell you that Aubrey is NOT the woma
...more
3 1/2 stars (rounded down to 3 stars, because I didn't warm up to either Ben or Aubrey)
...more
My Review:
A+ hot
This is the 9th book in the Lucky Harbor series and I've loved every one of these books...and a lot of that has not only been the main characters, but because I've fallen in love with this quirky little town, too. This book changed that. No, don't get me wrong...the book was fabulous. I'm just not sure I can ever forgive the town of Lucky Harbor for the judgements and wrongs that they piled onto Aubrey. OMG, never has the plight of a heroine bothered as much as it did for me in t ...more
A+ hot
This is the 9th book in the Lucky Harbor series and I've loved every one of these books...and a lot of that has not only been the main characters, but because I've fallen in love with this quirky little town, too. This book changed that. No, don't get me wrong...the book was fabulous. I'm just not sure I can ever forgive the town of Lucky Harbor for the judgements and wrongs that they piled onto Aubrey. OMG, never has the plight of a heroine bothered as much as it did for me in t ...more
3 ½ stars. I liked the story parts that went with this romance.
This is book 9 in the Lucky Harbor Series. I read the last three books in order. They are about three guy friends who find love. This was the best of the three. You do not need to read them in order. Although it’s nice to do it that way. The best part of the series is that I feel like I’m part of the community. I know so many people. I enjoy reading about them.
Ben’s wife died five years ago. He’s reluctant to fall in love. Aubrey was ...more
This is book 9 in the Lucky Harbor Series. I read the last three books in order. They are about three guy friends who find love. This was the best of the three. You do not need to read them in order. Although it’s nice to do it that way. The best part of the series is that I feel like I’m part of the community. I know so many people. I enjoy reading about them.
Ben’s wife died five years ago. He’s reluctant to fall in love. Aubrey was ...more
Ben and Aubrey's relationship is erm...interesting:
He put his finger under her chin and brought her face back to his. "You've been crying," he said again.
She blew out a sigh and slapped his hand away. "You're a man. Your're not supposed to notice."
Ben he's a nice guy always wants to do the nice thing:
"It's the neighborly thing to do," he settled on.
"We're not neighbors."
"Okay, it's the thing to do for someone who screamed your name as she came."
He sometimes likes to give Aubrey pointers ...more
He put his finger under her chin and brought her face back to his. "You've been crying," he said again.
She blew out a sigh and slapped his hand away. "You're a man. Your're not supposed to notice."
Ben he's a nice guy always wants to do the nice thing:
"It's the neighborly thing to do," he settled on.
"We're not neighbors."
"Okay, it's the thing to do for someone who screamed your name as she came."
He sometimes likes to give Aubrey pointers ...more
I am so sad about this rating. I really loved this book until Ben ruined everything for me. He was SUCH a jerk and a total douche bag of the highest order. He needed to do a lot more to gain redemption in my eyes. For most of the book he was just a big coward and that is SUCH a turn off. Then, once the big secret was revealed, he couldn't have been more of a jerk. His actions and especially the conversation that took place with Aubrey at his house just solidified my hatred for his character. I d
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Love this Book! | 2 | 30 | Feb 25, 2014 05:17PM | |
| Romance Lovers fo...: Giveaway for Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis | 2 | 14 | Feb 20, 2014 10:13AM | |
| Book Giveaways: Giveaway for Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis | 1 | 9 | Feb 20, 2014 04:41AM | |
| Simply Irresistib...: Once in a Lifetime | 21 | 33 | Feb 19, 2014 06:12PM |
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Multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is … mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning heartwarming and full of humor novels wherever books are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and blog detailing her city-girl-
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“Okay, first of all, I didn’t sleep with you to make amends. I slept with you because I wanted to.”
He still didn’t say anything, and she pointed at him again. “And you know what? It was your own damn fault. It was those jeans you wear, and the tool belt. It was the size of your hammer!”
—
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He still didn’t say anything, and she pointed at him again. “And you know what? It was your own damn fault. It was those jeans you wear, and the tool belt. It was the size of your hammer!”
“Ben was in his truck, window down, idling at the curb, dark lenses hiding his eyes from her, looking effortlessly big and badass.
The way she wished she felt.”
—
12 likes
More quotes…
The way she wished she felt.”
