Sweet Little Lies (Heartbreaker Bay, #1) in Audiobook Junkies

Dec 03, 2015 Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, adult, arc, edelweiss, review-books, fave-author, romance, june-release, 2016-releases, read-in-2016

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Sweet Little Lies is a fantastic start to Shalvis' new series. There is romance galore, as well as friendship, humor and loyalty as well.

Review - (un)Conventional Bookviews

As soon as I started reading Sweet Little Lies, I knew I was going to fall in love with it! First of all, the romantic interest's name is Finn *sighs* and he owns an Irish bar *double-sighs* and he's loyal to a fault, strong and hardworking. Plus, he's very easy on the eyes. The way Pru describe ...more

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Oct 13, 2016 ☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Coffee Dates with Sweet Little Lies

First Date: We meet Pru, and her ugly pooch as Shalvis fills us in on this San Francisco Bay tour boat captain. Right away, I like Pru. She has recently moved into an apartment located near the O’Riley’s Pub owned by brothers Finn and Sean. She has befriended an old homeless man and is keeping secrets. I loved the first flirting between Finn and Pru. You could feel the chemistry sizzling. From the setting to the characters, I have settled right in and feel at h Coffee Dates with Sweet Little Lies

First Date: We meet Pru, and her ugly pooch as Shalvis fills us in on this San Francisco Bay tour boat captain. Right away, I like Pru. She has recently moved into an apartment located near the O’Riley’s Pub owned by brothers Finn and Sean. She has befriended an old homeless man and is keeping secrets. I loved the first flirting between Finn and Pru. You could feel the chemistry sizzling. From the setting to the characters, I have settled right in and feel at home.

Second date: Pru has a secret, a big one that involves Finn and his brother, but that doesn’t stop her from lusting after him, even as she tosses coins in the town fountain and wishes for Finn to find his true love. A scary and ok hilarious accident involving darts soon has them playing doctor and sharing a curl your toes give me more kiss.We slowly meet others in this community, play softball and get to know Jake, the owner of the tour boat company, and Pru’s best friend. We also interact with Sean and the O’Riley’s friends. We see Pru become a part of their circle and it was good seeing her girlfriends. I am not sure about the glitter on Karaoke night, but I am looking forward to getting to know all of them. We also meet Pru’s elderly neighbor, and the woman was a hoot. I think if she could nibble on Finn she would. Shalvis provides some serious laugh aloud moments that had me snorting. All of the interactions felt genuine from the snark to teasing.

Third Date: We have gone from curl your toe kisses to deliciously heated moments that melted my Kindle. Did I mention how swoon-worthy Finn is? Pru is in over her head and afraid to reveal her secret, but we all know that spell trouble. Thankfully, Shalvis kept the drama to a minimum but not before causing me to reach for truffles and shed a tear. I loved how emotionally invested she had me not to mention how much I loved all the friendly interference from their circle of friends. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer ...more

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Jul 01, 2016 Nadene (Totally Addicted to Reading) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Received a complimentary from the publisher via Edelweiss.

First of all, I must confess, I have never read anything written by Jill Shalvis prior to this. I heard about her but was never inclined to read her work. But then I was offered an ARC of her latest release, Sweet Little Lies, and I thought why not give it a try. This is book one in the Heartbreaker Bay series. In my opinion, it is a great start to the series.

Sweet Little Lies is a story about selflessness, sacrifices, and love. Althoug Received a complimentary from the publisher via Edelweiss.

First of all, I must confess, I have never read anything written by Jill Shalvis prior to this. I heard about her but was never inclined to read her work. But then I was offered an ARC of her latest release, Sweet Little Lies, and I thought why not give it a try. This is book one in the Heartbreaker Bay series. In my opinion, it is a great start to the series.

Sweet Little Lies is a story about selflessness, sacrifices, and love. Although this was fiction, reading this story reminded me that there are people like Pru living in the real world. I have had the privilege to meet a few persons with similar characteristics. My initial reaction was that her actions were solely motivated by guilt. However, as I got deeper into the story I realise that by nature, she is a selfless person. She had no reason to be guilty, but she felt responsible for the lives were destroyed because of her parents’ carelessness. Her actions were genuine, and she helped expecting nothing in return. Currently, she works as a boat captain for a San Francisco tour boat company. It so happened that it was in this same area that one of the victims of her parents’ mistake, Finn O’Riley, resided. Pru was on a mission to help him find happiness, what she never expected was her growing feelings for him.

Finn O’Riley is the co-owner of O’Riley’s pub. He did not have loving memories of his childhood. He was abandoned by his mother and abused by his father. When his father died in a motor vehicle accident, he was left with the responsibility of caring for his younger brother. This meant giving up his dreams of a career in baseball and forcing him to grow up real fast. He poured himself into fending for his brother and himself, leaving no time for him to have fun. For Finn, life was about work and nothing else. However, all this would change, the day Pru walked into his life. From that moment he would come to realise that there was more to life than work.

Jill Shalvis’ characters were authentic. I had no problem relating to them. I felt all that they went through, especially Pru. She has been shouldering the guilt of her parents’ actions for eight years. That is indeed a heavy burden for anyone to bear. In spite of this, she was strong and compassionate. She is the kind of person that will give up her happiness if it means that someone else will be happy. As such I wanted her to experience her own happiness and to find someone who would treat her as she deserved. The secondary characters were a riot. They were a close circle of friends who did not have a problem telling you like it is. They were funny and they helped to make the story that more enjoyable. I can’t wait to read their stories.

The story, although predictable, was well written. From the moment I started, I knew I was going to enjoy this book. The secret that Pru was keeping was evident from early. I knew based on how the story was progressing that this secret would come out, but not in the way that she would have wanted. I knew that when it was revealed the effects would have been devastating, therefore I was not surprised when it happened. What I did not expect was the effect it would have on me. My heart instantly went out to Pru when Finn reacted so negatively.

The story had all the feels. It was funny, warm and tender. There were certain aspects that left me feeling warm and tingly inside.

Verdict:
This was a beautiful and heartwarming story, and I would recommend it to fans of contemporary romance. I have found another author that I will be adding to my must read list. ...more

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Feb 20, 2016 Darcy rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016, romance, audio-book, listened-to-at-work

This one is a cute beach read, you know the ones where you are entertained as you read them but goes out your head when done. I felt for Pru, thought she was going beyond what anyone would expect of her, but what made her feel better. I wish that she would have told Finn sooner, would have caused less problems.

I loved the group that was around the couple, they had me laughing at their antics. It will be fun to read about them.

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Feb 20, 2018 Liza rated it it was amazing

I don't usually read books in a series out of order, but I somehow had missed Sweet Little Lies and actually read it after reading 5 other stories in the series. Jill Shalvis once again gives her readers the love, laughter, sexiness, and fun they have come to expect from her stories. I loved both Finn and Pru and especially loved them as a couple. ...more

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Sep 07, 2016 Anne - Books of My Heart rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, library, 2016

This book made me laugh and cry and feel so much. But intellectually some things were just stupid. The reasons they had trouble were stupid. Of course, if only the heart could be at least a little rational, NOT. So I really liked this emotionally, if not intellectually. I guess it is fiction after all.

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Nov 23, 2015 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, romance, heartbreaker-bay-series

Having recently moved into her new digs and spending time with the locals at O’Riley’s Bar, Pru Harris realizes she’s got a big thing for Finn, one of the bar’s owners. However, Pru has a huge secret that could put an end to her new friends and comfortable life.

Finn O’Riley is married to his job and keeping his younger brother, Sean, on the straight-and-narrow. But when Pru breezes into his bar, he realizes he is missing something in his life, something that only Pru can fill.

Okay, I'll say righ Having recently moved into her new digs and spending time with the locals at O’Riley’s Bar, Pru Harris realizes she’s got a big thing for Finn, one of the bar’s owners. However, Pru has a huge secret that could put an end to her new friends and comfortable life.

Finn O’Riley is married to his job and keeping his younger brother, Sean, on the straight-and-narrow. But when Pru breezes into his bar, he realizes he is missing something in his life, something that only Pru can fill.

Okay, I'll say right from the start… Generally, I don't enjoy the "keeping a big secret" trope. I think because it stresses me out, knowing that eventually the secret will come out and feelings will be hurt. It's predictable and therefore, not always good storytelling. With that said, I absolutely adored Sweet Little Lies. Ms. Shalvis was able to take a standard story and give it both character and heart. I fell hard for Finn and Pru, so when things went predictably south, rather than rolling my eyes, my heart broke along side theirs.

Finn and Pru both have tragic back stories, each dealing with it in his/her own way. Finn takes control through buying a bar and making a life for his brother and himself. Pru finds happiness in assuaging her guilt through helping those her family hurt. It's almost like two sides of the same coin, so when they connect, they fit perfectly. And both are such likable characters; neither feels wallows in pity over their circumstances, rather each embraces happiness and joy. In the romance department, sparks fly when the pair connect. I love that there is no drawn out courtship or silly games. Their mutual attraction is sweet and extremely sexy.

I also enjoyed each of the side characters. Ms. Shalvis created a world in which I want to live and play. The friendships are tight and fun. The neighborhood is quirky and quaint. The author establishes a strong base for the series and future stories. I'm ready to move in.

The one big issue I had with the book was the inconsistency of Pru’s sobriety. Early on in the book, it was established that Pru does not drink alcohol, and she has a very compelling reason. Yet later on, Pru had beer at a baseball game, and possibly had drinks on a couple other occasions. This upset me because choosing not to drink, especially for the reasons she has, is a serious decision, one in which she wouldn’t just casually have a beer. Her choice was made clear at the beginning of the book and then tossed aside. While it didn’t ruin the book for me, it was an unfortunate oversight.

In the end, although I typically don't care for the “secret” trope, I loved reading Sweet Little Lies. Ms. Shalvis has created a charming world filled with wonderful characters. I fell in love with Pru and Finn’s story and enjoyed being introduced to their little corner of the world. I am really looking forward to reading more titles in the Heartbreaker Bay series.

My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
Review copy provided by Publisher/Edelweiss ...more

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Jun 01, 2017 Sara ♥ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, audiobook, contemporary, 2017, challenge-audio-1000-2017

May 29-June 1, 2017

I'm in the middle of reading and I just had to say that I have two problems with Jill Shalvis's writing style:

(1) She doesn't set scenes up well enough... or transition between scenes well. I'll be listening to the audio and suddenly WHAT? Where are they? What's going on? HUH? Why are they getting drunk and eating pizza? Is it girls' night again? Is that like a regular once-a-week thing? Cuz with the way time seems to be passing in the book, it seems like every night. And con May 29-June 1, 2017

I'm in the middle of reading and I just had to say that I have two problems with Jill Shalvis's writing style:

(1) She doesn't set scenes up well enough... or transition between scenes well. I'll be listening to the audio and suddenly WHAT? Where are they? What's going on? HUH? Why are they getting drunk and eating pizza? Is it girls' night again? Is that like a regular once-a-week thing? Cuz with the way time seems to be passing in the book, it seems like every night. And considering this is the first book in a series, there should really be some town/city/whatever setup. Is there a MAP I'm missing? How big is the area? All of San Francisco? A little neighborhood in it? What's the deal with this building she lives in? Why is it so special? Is it next door to the pub? Across the street? And there are pizza places? Where? Am I supposed to magically know about them? What? I AM LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need to be able to picture what's going on, and I just CAN'T. The characters just magically whisk themselves to and fro to places I don't have any context for. It's EXTREMELY confusing.

(2) She never introduced her side characters. I get that an author doesn't want to go, "GirlCharacter has long dark hair and brown eyes, is 5'5", weighs 120 lbs, and does XYZ for a living" or whatever, but you can still gives us a sense of who each character is in a more natural way. ESPECIALLY if the heroine is new to the area and is making new friends!!! There are AMPLE opportunities to have the characters meet. I can't keep any of the non H/h characters straight except the hero's brother. Who is who? One of the girls is a doctor or maybe optometrist? One might own a store? One of the guys is a cop? Or a former cop? Or former armed forces? I think all the guys might have grown up together? *shrugs* I have NO IDEA. And yes, they'll probably get their own books, so I'm sure I'll figure it out EVENTUALLY, but.... it's unsettling to not know who the characters are. I have no context for understanding them or why they do/say the things they do. I don't like it.

So overall, as much as I appreciate a dialog-heavy book (and I do), there IS such a thing as too little description, and THIS BOOK is it.

Well, it's over. So, near the end, when the hero and heroine have their final (obligatory) fight and she's all heartbroken, her new girlfriends come over. Apparently there's one named Hailey (sp?). Was she even IN the book before then? Cuz I'd never heard of her. Or is she the doctor/optometrist? Am I seriously just that bad a listener or is Jill Shalvis getting lazy in her writing?

I liked Finn's brother. And I really liked (oh gosh, what was the heroine's name? Clearly memorable.... I finished the book 30 mins ago...) Pru's dog a lot. His name was something funny. Thor, the super fat dog. He was probably the best character in the whole book. I wasn't a fan of Jake. I didn't GET him, because I only got about a 3-word description of him. So I really didn't understand his and Pru's relationship very well. The scenes with him in it were strange.

And can we talk about the plot? It was a bit plot-like. Stuff happened, I think. Like the heroine kept a secret the entire reason she was even in the book from the hero. For the entire book. *eye roll* It's one of those cases where if the main characters would take a 5 minute break from having sex and actually, oh, I don't know... TALK, they probably could have worked it out by about page 50.

So on the one hand, I thought the hero and heroine were cute together, but on the other hand, I didn't like much else about it. And when the best thing about a book is the dog? Ummmmmmmmmmm.... 2 stars? ...more

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Jul 26, 2016 Mya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis
Heartbreaker Bay #1

This book was great! I laughed out loud often (the secondary characters just cracked me up!) Finn and Pru were wonderful toghether. I could feel attraction right from the beginning. Their banter was fun and flirty. I loved how care-free Pru was and how it brought out Finn’s smiles.

This book has the feel of Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor series and I truly cannot wait for the next book! Actually, I have already preordered them!!

Original review posed a ...more

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Dec 20, 2015 Nelle Nazario rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: z-read-in-2016

I was looking forward to a new small town romance by Jill Shalvis. While this isn't one of those, it was a darn good book!! Which, no wonder.... Jill Shalvis!!??

That being said, Finn was so HOT!! Oh my word! Pru seemed a little stalkerish at first but because this one has a BIG SECRET... it's explained. Their relationship had the typically delicious banter, quirky humor and heated romance, for which Jill is known.

I especially loved that she was a tour boat captain! Such an unusual job! The seco ...more

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