Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis (out now)
Maddie's mother, Phoebe, was a free spirit who chose to follow the Grateful Dead on tour and live in a run-down resort. Maddie barely knew her mother, having been sent to live with her father when she was five. Her relationship with her two half sisters, Tara and Chloe, is only marginally better. Cut adrift from her life by circumstances beyond her control, Maddie seizes the opportunity her mother's passing provides. She is now one-third owner of Lucky Harbor Resort. She travels to the small town on the Washington state coast to rebuild her life and her relationship with her sisters. On her way there, she nearly hits Jax on his motorcycle. She doesn't think it's an auspicious beginning to her new start, but Jax knows the hand of fate when he feels it...
This one sat on the piles for a while. Something about the back blurb put me off. I think it has something to do with the way it made Maddie sound. I really wasn't interested in reading about another down-on-her-luck 'woe is me' heroine. That's not what this was, at all. Maddie spent less time complaining about her lot in life and more time searching for the strength to change. She didn't wait to be rescued, she wanted to save herself. Towards the book, when Jax offers her a way to fix all her problems, she doesn't take it. Jax is very understanding, almost unbelievably so. He's like the perfect man: smart, rich, and successful. He even deals with his angst in a healthy manner.
The supporting characters were equally interesting, even though the future couples were painfully obvious. Three sisters and three best friends? Gee, I wonder. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on 'The Sweetest Thing', Tara's book, because I'm pretty sure about something and I want to see if I'm right. Read 'Simply Irresistible' for the story as a whole rather than simply the relationship between Jax and Maddie.
