The Summer Deal: A Novel

Jill Shalvis

Jun 2020 · The Wildstone Series Book 5 · HarperAudio · Narrated by Erin Mallon

About this audiobook

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes a friends-to-frenemies-to-lovers story... Add in a few secrets. Shake. Stir. Then read on a lazy summer day at the beach...

Brynn Turner desperately wishes she had it together, but her personal life is like a ping-pong match that’s left her scared and hurt after so many attempts to get it right. In search of a place to lick her wounds and get a fresh start, she heads back home to Wildstone.

And then there’s Kinsey Davis, who after battling serious health issues her entire twenty-nine years of life, is tired of hoping for . . . well, anything. She's fierce, tough, and she’s keeping more than one bombshell of a secret from Brynn -- her long-time frenemy.

But then Brynn runs into Kinsey's best friend, Eli, renewing her childhood crush. The good news: he’s still easy-going and funny and sexy as hell. The bad news: when he gets her to agree to a summer-time deal to trust him to do right by her, no matter what, she never dreams it’ll result in finding a piece of herself she didn’t even know was missing. She could have real connections, possibly love, and a future—if she can only learn to let go of the past.

As the long days of summer wind down, the three of them must discover if forgiveness is enough to grasp the unconditional love that’s right in front of them.

Ratings and reviews

4.5* The Summer Deal was such a great story, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did! Why, I don’t know- it’s not like I really had any preconceived ideas going in, but it’s one of those stories that just kind of crept up on me and took me by surprise. I loved how Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli’s lives were all intertwined. I loved the “found family” aspect of this story. Even though Brynn has 2 wonderful moms, Kinsey and Eli, and Max, were sorely lacking in the family department and created one of their own, and welcomed (some more easily than others) Brynn into the fold when she returned home to Wildstone. Brynn comes home bearing a heavy weight and feeling down on herself. I liked the way Ms. Shalvis had Brynn work through her issues- things didn’t automatically get better for her once she was home, at times even causing her more pain. There was a lot she needed to come to terms with, to accept and move on from, and I think it was all dealt with in a realistic way. The blossoming romance with Eli was sweet, and sexy, and it was nice to see her find someone that truly loved her. I liked that there was a bit of a second chance romance aspect to their relationship. I enjoyed the multi points of view in this book, that we got to see things through Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli’s eyes. Their lives are all so connected, it was nice to get to “know” all three. I especially liked when we were inside Kinsey’s head, and I was happy that we got to see her grow over the course of the book. I loved her romance with Deck, he was all kinds of swoony! Her relationship with Brynn was really the catalyst for this story, and I did enjoy the way things played out between them. The Summer Deal is a perfect summery read- sweet, swoony, and heartfelt. Although it is book 5 in the Wildstone series, it can definitely be read as a standalone- there are no overlapping or continuing storylines.

Wildstone is a small town overflowing with drama. With every book I know I will get lots and lots of drama but I will also get a happily ever after. The Summer Deal dealt out a lot of drama. A house full of misfits are intertwined through their pasts and daily struggles. When they add another roommate the walls come crumbling down as the characters deal with the emotions of living, dying, sacrifice, and love. The Summer Deal is an emotional roller coaster about two couples. Most romances center around one couple. I really enjoyed cheering on two couples. Deck and Kinsey have been in a thing for awhile but her walls won't let her move forward. Brynn has returned to Wildstone after a nasty breakup. Her Life needs to move forward, but can't. A panic attack brings Brynn to the ER. A false call has Kinsey at the OR with Eli, her BFF, by her side. Frustrations puts him and Brynn together where he has always wanted them. Past, present and future intertwine. Their moving forward had me in tears. Their misdirections had me screaming. Their resolutions had me dancing in the sun. The Summer Deal brought light to a dark day. The epilogue made the journey worthwhile.

I enjoyed The Summer Deal, the 5th book in the Wildstone series. Like the other books in the series, it's a mixture of romance and chick lit - it doesn't just focus on the romance between Eli and Brynn, but also how all of their lives intertwine - Eli and his brother, Kinsey, Brynn, their parents. Overall a heartwarming story.

About the author

New York Times 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, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning novels wherever books are sold and visit her website, jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.