In Nobody But You, the third in New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis’ Cedar Ridge series, Shalvis delivers a fast-paced love story deftly interspersed with themes of coming home again and learning to move beyond entrenched preconceptions.
Army Special Forces officer Jacob Kincaid left home at 18 and—aside from quick visits to his mother—has avoided Cedar Ridge, Colorado, ever since. But Jacob’s hometown tugs at him with irresistible force following his Army buddy’s death in a mission gone sideways. This time, he hopes to reconnect with his entire family—especially his twin, Hudson—and soak up the peace and quiet of the spectacular Colorado mountains until he has to report back to duty. Before he can make a dent in his plans, however, he discovers a beautiful redhead tying her boat to his dock.
Sophie Marren’s been in limbo since divorcing her serially cheating husband. She’s living on the boat he loved far more than he ever loved her, but she’s weary of having to move it daily to avoid moorage fees and fines she can’t afford. She’s set aside her own dream of starting a concierge business to accept a series of temp jobs that allow her to (barely) make ends meet. Scoring a dock in front of an empty cabin feels like her first stroke of good luck in way too long. Right up to the moment she comes up against a rule-spouting hunk she assumes is Lake Patrol.
Nobody But You flows like a refreshing Colorado river on a hot summer day. The only glitch is the cutesy treatment of the hero’s mother’s dementia. Readers who have dealt with this debilitating disease with their loved ones will likely wince at the portrayal of a character who, even as she thinks herself back in a time when her grown sons were young, has no difficulty playing chess, understanding social media and verbalizing her wishes without the short term memory loss and confusion that generally typifies this condition. That said, few authors write family dynamics better than Shalvis. She yet again enchants with her trademark style and wit, eliciting tears one moment, delighted laughter the next—and always, always a huge sigh of satisfaction.
Susan Andersen is a New York Times bestselling author of 23 romance and romantic-suspense novels.
