IT HAD TO BE YOU – Jill Shalvis
A Perfect 10
A Lucky Harbor Novel
Grand Central
ISBN: 978-1-4555-2112-8
June 2013
Contemporary Romance

Lucky Harbor, Washington – Present Day

Ali Winters is having one crapastic day! First her boyfriend, Teddy, breaks up with her via a text message, then she discovers him in his office having sex with a blonde bimbo. She storms home to their shared rental beach house after she learns Teddy didn't renew the lease and is surprised by the homeowner, Luke Hanover. But the biggest topper to her bad day is being arrested for stealing fifty thousand dollars from a fundraiser. One good thing is that she has Luke, a San Francisco police detective, on her side. Of course, she wouldn't mind having Mr. Hottie Cop on any of her sides...

After a high profile case turned sour, Luke decided to take a long vacation at his late grandmother's beach house that he inherited ten years ago. He figures the place would be empty since the lease expired, but instead he finds a nearly naked Ali trotting around and mumbling to herself. Then the cops show up to take her in for questioning about some missing money, and Luke suddenly finds his quiet, peaceful vacation turning into a working one. Of course, he could decide to not get involved, but there's something about Ali that has his pulse racing—and him wanting to help her.

After being released by the police while the investigation continues, Ali has no place to go, so Luke lets her stay with him. Oh boy! Being in close quarters ignites their sizzling chemistry. They could keep their fling a secret if it weren't for the fact that Lucky Harbor is a small town with a bunch of nosy folks who know everything that goes on, especially since elderly Lucille posts it on the town Facebook page. With the craziness in his life right now, Luke doesn't need the distraction of Ali. But, then again...maybe he does. Ali feels her life is spiraling out of control, especially since she thought Teddy was the one . Turns out he is a big jerk, though he's still the town's golden boy. Can anyone besides Luke see that she's innocent of the allegations?

It's a return for readers to Lucky Harbor, and we're in for a treat. While we do catch an occasional glimpse of characters from the previous books, IT HAD TO BE YOU can be read as a standalone. Lucille is still up to her sneaky senior citizen antics, and anything juicy ends up on Facebook. Luke has to face his grandfather and the demons that drove him away from Lucky Harbor in the first place. Ali is trying to hang onto her beloved job as her boss is ready to ditch the town and chase after his ex-boyfriend to Vegas. Wherever Ali goes, she is the “one who stole the money” even as her friends proclaim that she is innocent and that Luke will exonerate her. The steam rises off the pages in IT HAD TO BE YOU as Ali and Luke go toe to toe and can't resist a few heated kisses. Their chemistry is smoking hot, and they seem to spend a lot of time on top of the table…though not to eat, most of the time, because all Ali can cook are omelets. The omelets must be an aphrodisiac.

Luke came to Lucky Harbor to lick his wounds after the nasty case in San Francisco that has the media after him to nail an interview. Ali ended up in this small town on the Washington coast for a fresh start after being raised in the poor section of Seattle. Luke is looking for a new start on his life after the stress of the past few months, and instead they end up finding each other.

Once again, Jill Shalvis knocks it out of the park as her characters will make you smile, laugh and shake your head at the predicaments they get themselves into. IT HAD TO BE YOU is no exception as Ali and Luke make you feel as if you know them right from the first page. With snappy dialogue and quirky characters, IT HAD TO BE YOU is a fast-paced romantic comedy that is pure enjoyment and deserves a Perfect 10 from Romance Reviews Today. Grab your copy of IT HAD TO BE YOU and immerse yourself in this perfect read.

Patti Fischer