Review: Then Came You by Jill Shalvis

Title: Then Came You by Jill Shalvis
Animal Magnetism Series Book Five
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rumor Has It and the Lucky Harbor series comes the story of a woman whose world is turned upside down by one night’s torrid fling…

Veterinary intern Emily can’t believe she wound up in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, instead of the Los Angeles clinic she had always imagined. Now she has to put her plans to move to L.A. on hold for a whole year while she fulfills the obligation of her vet school scholarship.

Then Wyatt, her gorgeous one-night stand from a Reno vet conference, introduces himself as her new boss. And Emily is just as drawn to his seductive looks and quiet strength as she was on that very steamy night. She soon learns that Wyatt isn’t just a laid-back doctor, but a delicious alpha male tempting her away from her carefully laid-out plans…

The Review:

Then Came You is an absolutely delightful addition to Jill Shalvis fabulous Animal Magnetism series. It is a fun, sexy, witty and poignant romance with an incredibly charming cast of quirky but lovable characters. The small town setting and close-knit community add to its appeal and fans will enjoy catching up with favorite characters from previous installments.

Emily Stevens has a Plan, but the small town of Sunshine, ID is not on it. Neither is finding out her new boss is none other than Wyatt Stevens, the über sexy veterinarian she shared a scorching one night stand with at a vet conference a few months back. She and Wyatt agree to keep their relationship strictly professional, but ignoring their simmering passion is easier said than done and they are soon indulging in some very steamy lovemaking. Their relationship is quickly complicated by their deepening feelings for another, but will the unresolved issues from their respective pasts (and Emily’s Plan) prevent them from making their temporary arrangement permanent?

Living in Sunshine with her sister Sara, Emily is counting down the days until she can return to LA where she can have her dream job and help take care of their widowed father. She is a warm, caring and compassionate woman who pretty much says everything that pops into her head.  When it comes to Wyatt, she has absolutely no willpower and she easily gives into her desire for him. Although Emily is beginning to fall for him, her inability to deviate from her Plan is a major stumbling block between them.

Wyatt is laidback, funny, loyal and so darn charming he is almost impossible to resist. Continually moving around while growing up, the only stability in Wyatt and his sisters’ lives were the summers they spent with their grandparents in Sunshine. Now ready to put down roots, he is helping his sisters Zoe and Darcy renovate the Victorian monstrosity their grandparents left them before he begins building his house. Wyatt’s feelings for Emily run deep but he stubbornly refuses to ask her to abandon her Plan and stay in Sunshine.

Wyatt and Emily are a wonderful, if sometimes frustrating, couple. The chemistry between them is off the charts and their sex scenes are deliciously steamy. Their dialogue is amusing but somewhat superficial since neither is willing to open up about their pasts for much of the story. Although they do eventually discuss some of their emotional baggage, they are not completely honest with one another when it comes to their future.

Then Came You is another entertaining and heartwarming installment in the Animal Magnetism series. It is a fast-paced and well-written story that is realistic and engaging, but it is the cast of characters that make it such an outstanding read.  Intriguing glimpses of Darcy’s rather tempestuous encounters with AJ Colten leave me hoping that Jill Shalvis plans to bring us their story in the near future.