Roughing it with Ryan

South Village Singles #1

by Jill Shalvis

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis brings readers book one in the sassy, sexy and fun South Village Singles series where four friends make a vow of singlehood in a hip, vibrant yet quaint suburb of Los Angeles.

Suzanne Carter has sworn off men…

Really! Her inability to take life seriously drives them crazy, so it's best she leaves them alone. Then one night, strong, handsome Ryan Alondo rescues her and she simply melts. Who could resist all that rough-and-tumble sexiness? But as tempting as he is, she's not going to fall for his charms. Because there's no way she wants to ruin a man this gorgeous.

From the moment Ryan sets eyes on Suzanne, he knows she's the one for him. She's fun and sexy and exactly what he needs in his overcrowded, responsible life. And the passion between them can't be ignored. He just has to convince her he's serious enough for both of them. Good thing he can be very, very persuasive….

Previously Published.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Harlequin, Fiction, Adult

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

New York Times and USA Today, and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes laugh-out-loud, swoon-filled contemporary romance and romantic comedies brimming with madcap adventures, shenanigans, and sexy times (just don’t tell her mom). She’s sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and when she’s not writing, you can usually find her indulging in coffee, chocolate, or plotting her next happily ever after. She lives in a small mountain town near Lake Tahoe full of quirky characters (any resemblance to the ones in her books is mostly coincidental).

Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning novels wherever books are sold. Visit http://www.jillshalvis.com for a complete book list and fun blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill:
https://www.tiktok.com/@jillshalvis
http://instagram.com/jillshalvis
http://facebook.com/JillShalvis

Reviews

[Fanny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jill Shalvis no es de mis autoras favoritas pero cuando no tengo demasiado tiempo para leer, ella es una de las escritoras a las que suelo recurrir, principalmente porque tiene varias novelas cortas y sencillas, ideales para leer en una tarde.

En los proximos meses no voy a tener tanto tiempo para leer como me gustaria ( por suerte, ya casi tengo el Challenge completado ) y desde ya estoy buscando historias de este estilo, cortas y simples para desconectar, esta en concreto fue justo lo que deseaba, una lectura amena y entretenida.

Es cierto que peca de no tener demasiada profundidad y que le falta un desarrollo mas pausado pero en general esta bien para pasar el rato, es justo lo que parece a simple vista : un libro para despejar la mente.

2.5 Estrellas!

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was good but it's no Lucky Harbor. the thing about the LH series is that there is a whole community of crazy characters that flush out the story. and this series does have it's own cast of characters but not on the same scale that LH does. I did enjoy the friendship between Suzanne and Taylor. And I especially loved the relationships between Ryan and his siblings.

[Gwen (The Gwendolyn Reading Method) · Rating 2 out of 5]

uh yeah, not Jill Shalvis' best

[Ana María · Rating 2 out of 5]

#RetoJill #RetoRita3

Chica con malas experiencias en el pasado, con parejas que la acusaron de no saber mantener la "relación", decide que no quiere tener nada más con hombres. Así, cuando se encuentra alquilando una habitación en una vieja casa (su última pareja la echó), un maromo musculoso que poda árboles (aunque estudia para diseñador de parques) la salva de una situación peligrosa.
Pero el asunto es que se gustan. ¿Entonces qué hacemos? Bueno, probemos entonces solo sexo, sin compromiso afectivo. Pero no tan pronto, hay que esperar mucho.
No sé si seguir contando porque ya no queda demasiado que decir: es de las que ella no quiere formar pareja por lo que le pasó y él está entusiasmadísimo y no sabe qué hacer para convencerla.
Y bueno, al final la convence.
No está mal escrita pero la historia me pareció muy pava, tonta, ñoña o como lo llamen en sus países.
Y van dos estrella por la casi única escena hot (con helado incluido) que está linda.
Si no hubiera sido por el reto, la hubiera abandonado. Por aburrida.

[Justyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nieko ypatingo. Tiesiog lengvas, vasarai tinkantis romanas

[Nanette Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Basically, the perennial plot for these novels is 'When sex turns into love," and it does, in every single one.

[Caty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything that comes out of Jill Shalvis' head. Nothing else to say.

[Nate Brightman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here I thought I’d read nearly every book Jill Shalvis has written and I discover this book which was published way back in 2003 as the first book in her series South Village which I’d never heard of and which doesn’t appear on her website.
Roughing it with Ryan was not the book I expected. From the title and the cover that advertised it on my Kindle anyway. When I Googled the book after reading it I discovered a cover that more accurately displays the story. Anyway, I expected a romance built around something about a camping trip or being caught together in an isolated cabin during a snowstorm. You know, two star crossed lovers roughing it in the wilderness while they fall in love. Instead I got a story based in the sunny if smoggy L.A. suburb of South Village. Ryan is certainly rugged as all good romance novel heroes should be. He’s tall, lean yet muscular with a face that makes angels weep and women’s panties damp. He works as a tree surgeon trimming and removing trees around L.A. But the roughing I expect is in regards to Ryan’s rough ride in attempting to woo Suzanne our heroine. Or perhaps the title refers to Suzanne’s rough time in letting down the walls she’s built around her heart?
Suzanne for lack of a better term is a hot mess. At 27 years old she’s already been engaged and had three broken engagements apparently all to shitheads. Yet she blames herself for the failure of her relationships. The last fiancée cheated on her somehow tried to make it sound like it was her fault and then locked her out of their apartment and kept all the furniture when he breaks up with her. He also gets her fired from her job as a chef working for his sister so he can give the job to his new girlfriend. But somehow Suzanne insists she’s cursed and turns good men bad. So she swears she’s off of men forever. And for most of this book she tries very, very hard to stick to that vow as Ryan who is smitten with her from the moment they meet tries to scale her heart’s walls. She finds a kindred “off men for good” spirit in her new landlord and BFF Taylor and later another new tenant Nicole. No doubt Taylor and Nicole breaking their vow of singledom will be the next two books in the series. As the story goes on we discover just how lacking the men in Suzanne’s life have been, none of them giving her what she needs emotionally or sexually. Which begs the question, “why was Suzanne engaged to these losers? Why was she so desperate for someone to love her she’d not only settle for these steaming piles of dog crap but try and change herself to make them happy?” Like I said hot mess! And as much as I loved the romantic ending, considering her track record it surprised me she was so ready to jump in again with both feet even though obviously Ryan is “The One.” Much of Suzanne’s issues, her lack of self-esteem and self-confidence comes from her parents. Her dad has a gypsy heart and her mom is his sixth wife. Although Shalvis doesn’t go into great detail about the parent/child relationship we get enough to glean that Suzanne could never satisfy her mother and earn her approval while her mother constantly reminded her she was just like her ambitionless father who has spent his life trying to make it as a stand up comedian. Despite her three previous engagements Suzanne is afraid to give her self totally to a relationship or a career for fear of being a failure. So at least in her love life it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Career wise its obvious to everyone she should start her own catering business but she continues to resist telling everyone she’s not regimented enough (just like her father) to do it fulltime and it’s just a hobby.
Over all I enjoyed this book and I suspect female reader enjoy it even more because Ryan really is the perfect man who spends most of the book patiently trying to win the frightened Suzanne’s trust and heart.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having another go at a quick romance. Another Jill Shalvis. Another in the same series.

This one is actually the first in the series. It's the story of Suzanne and Ryan. Somehow when one jerk after another left Suzanne's life, she thought she had ruined them. She thought they were good guys that she ruined. Um. That's not how it works sister.

Suzanne and Ryan had extreme chemistry from the get go. A tree crashes into Suzanne's loft in the middle of the night and Ryan comes to rescue her. They had met briefly but he kisses her during the rescue. Would that be okay in real life? Most likely not. But in a mindless romance, why not?

Even though their chemistry was off the charts, Suzanne kept running away because she truly believed she would ruin him. But like a good hunter Ryan was patient. But still he was offering up his love in small doses.

I think the straw that broke the camel's back was her finding out that he raised his siblings. He was in no way anything like her past loves.

The ending with the ice cream cake is a nice throw back to the ice cream love scene. A sweet ending to a new beginning.

[Y.M. Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of Jill Shalvis' older books that's been reformatted for e-book distribution. Suzanne has had some bad luck with men (understatement), and is even forced to find another apartment after one of those bad-luck guys kicked her out. Here she meets tree guy Ryan ( who wants to be known as more than a tree guy) who's tasked with cutting down a tree that fell on her apartment's roof.

I didn't read this all the way through (After the first couple of chapters I skipped to the last quarter of the book), but I think I missed the better part. The last half of the book is Suzanne trying to fight her feelings for Ryan --whom she's recognized as a good guy--and trying to fight being a caterer--which she loves to do! WHAT?? I don't like broads like this. I don't like people like this. Wake up and get your isht together. please!



Anyway, okay book, but I read the mostly angsty annoying part, so maybe others will like it better than I did.

[Bonnie Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's given up on relationships. She had to do that. Every relationship she's ever been in someone ends up hurt. Usually her. She is firm in her decision to go it alone, to embrace being single. She is going to rejoice in her singledom. She didn't count on the horrific storm waking her in the middle of
the night, the giant old tree crashing through the roof of her loft apartment, narrowly missing the bed, trapping her between the bed and the corner, no way to get out, rain pouring in through the hole in the roof, a hopeless situation. She certainly didn't count on the handsome rescuer climbing through the roof, finding her huddled in the corner, using his body to shield her from the rain, protect her from falling debris and kiss her until she forgot the danger.
Jill Shalvis has never disappointed me. I know when I read a book authored by her I will always come away happy.

[Katie Mettner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, fast read from Jill Shalvis. I'm unsure why it's called Roughing it with Ryan, but regardless, it was a cute story between Suzanne and Ryan, an out of work chef and a tree trim who was looking for more in life. Ryan is her white knight in several different ways from saving her when a tree almost kills her, to kissing her senseless, to convincing her that trying new things in life doesn't mean she will automatically fail. It was a cute, sexy, smoking romance that definitely focused on the idea of casual sex. The truth was neither Suzanne or Ryan were cut out for casual sex.

If you love Jill Shalvis books, sexy stories, fast reads, and a HEA then you'll love Roughing it with Ryan.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Jill Shalvis’ bestsellers and am now reading the earlier books. I love everything she writes. This was a quick read which drew me in at the beginning. Ryan was a great character. He was sexy, smart, and motivated to work hard. I loved his relationship with his siblings and how he took care of them while putting his life on hold. Suzanne was quirky and maybe tried a bit too hard to stick to her vow of singlehood, but I enjoyed reading about her history and the journey with Ryan to finally admitting her feelings. Fun read!

[Annette C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable

I just can't enjoy the love at first sight thing. However, lust at first sight is believable. The good Lord knows I'd enjoy falling for a handsome contractor, but I think love takes some time. This book is not about love, it's about sex. I wanna read about love and romance.

[Romance Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Read these out of order, as I didn't know they were a series. Didn't really effect it at all. This was better than #2, but still not great. Lots of back and forth and repeats in here...probably could have been half the length.

[Kimberly Lund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little romance novel. Fun read.

[Moey17 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute simple romance, enjoyed the hero, the heroine was just ok.

[Rebecca Dowd · Rating 4 out of 5]

HEART WARMING

She's always good for making you see the silver lining. It was a nice, warm story to give you hope that all will work out.

[Laura D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read from Jill Shalvis. This one is a quick and sweet read. I couldn't put it down. A perfect read for a chilly day in June in Chicago.

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun, quick read, but definitely not as good as some of her other stuff!

[Zayra Walik · Rating 2 out of 5]

La historia está buena para leerla una única vez y si querés leer algo corto y con trama sencilla.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of Jill Shalvis books are good!

[Karen Geurts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced love story that kept me smiling. Great characters and storyline.

[Dalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy to read :)

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, lighthearted read

Loved the characters. Story was sweet with a cute ENDING. ANY Shalvis book is a good bet. Gotta love her!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Shorter than her other books. Not my fav Jill Shalvis book but was still a good one, full of sexy time.

[Vikki Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book

[✩⋆Vickkelodeon⋆✩ · Rating 2 out of 5]

No es el mejor trabajo de Jill, siento que todo sucede muy apresuradamente y la relación de los personajes es muy superficial.

[Verity W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much cop. A bit dated and not my favourite tropes as well as just not very good. A shame because I like the layer Shalvis romances a lot.

[jR · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book introduces three strangers who become best of friends during the difficult part of their lives. Taylor is the one who holds their string of friendship together. And this book is Suzanne's story.

I really like the book because the stories is in a more realistic way. The characters are hot. Especially Ryan. I love how he set aside a part of his life just for his brothers and sisters. Being 25 and already has three mouths to feed when you are just starting your life is a lot to take in. But instead of shirking his responsibilities, he made the best that he can. I love his siblings particularly their relationship together. I love how they converged at him and got worried when he fell in love and got distracted. What really touched me was that for the last 7 years that their parents were gone, he always wake them up every morning to go to school. My heart just went all mushy and melted. I want a man just like him! Suzanne was one heck of a lucky girl!

I wish that Jill Shalvis would make a story for Rafe, Russ and Angel. You can name it The Alondos. *fingers crossed*

By the way, can I go and take home Ryan? Pretty please!