While readers will want to read the entire collection, this eighth novel in Jill Shalvis's popular Heartbreaker Bay series can be read as a stand-alone tale. Self-taught chef Ivy Snow has pulled herself up by the bootstraps after a hardscrabble childhood that has left her emotionally wary and guarded. Determined to build a settled, secure life, she operates a successful food truck in San Francisco, is saving for a down payment for a condo and has found a solid group of friends. Focused on her goals, she's caught off-guard when she meets vacationing sheriff Kel O'Donnell. Kel is recovering from job-inflicted injuries and is spending his mandatory two-week recovery time in San Francisco, helping his cousin with security at a new condo building.
Despite Ivy and Kel's reluctance to become entangled, they're irresistibly drawn together, although both know this can only be temporary, for Kel has to return to Idaho in two weeks. Neither of them expected to fall in love, and the swift escalation of their connection surprises them. Just when it seems a happy future may be possible, however, someone from Ivy's past unexpectedly surfaces and makes demands she can't ignore. Kel's cop duties compel him to give his job precedence over Ivy's loyalty to family. Can he forgive her for lying to him? Can she forgive him for not trusting her? If they can't move beyond their difficult past lives and open their hearts, there may not be a happy ending to their whirlwind romance.
The novel features an emotionally engaging plot that blends the swift evolution of a heartwarming romance with the resolution of gritty family conflicts. Tart dialogue and absolutely charming, well-developed characters will delight readers. --Lois Faye Dyer, writer and reviewer