Ultra Meital Reviews: Second Chance Summer (Cedar Ridge, #1) [Aidan & Lily] by Jill Shalvis

I did expect quite a lot from this author though I haven't read her before. She has A LOT of raving review, some from my friends so I was getting ready to fall madly in love. "Spoiler Alert" - I didn't. This book was a total and absolute cliche. I think I got to about 60-70% when I started skimming. Not sure why, I could have DNFed it and I would have been fine with it (rule of thumb, if you don't like a book half way in, it's not going to change enough to change your opinion of it). But I DID finish it and though it ended nicely, I had SO many issues with this one along the way I wasn't satisfied with it.

I really feel bad about writing this review.. I mean it's all PERSONAL opinion after all.. It's MY personal take of this story. You might LOVE it. So take everything I'm writing with a grain of salt.

This is a beginning to a series, the story of 3 out of 5 Kincaid siblings. This one features Aidan Kincaid. He's gorgeous, he has a very loving family (though it could be said they are all somehow dysfunctional..), he is a life-saver, working both as a fire-fighter as well as on a Search&Rescue team in the mountains he loves so much and where his family own a resort. He might not have a girl, but he is satisfied in life and frankly doesn't have any time for one.. Well, except for Lily Danville - the one who got away..

10 years ago Lily Danville's life crashed and burned when her sister died of a climbing accident following her father's death from heart failure at her sister's funeral. Full of regret and self blame she leaves the small town to find her way elsewhere. Strangely enough her mother went on a sort of "adventure" all around the world at the time and they barely keep in touch. After she is fired from the salon she worked at in California, she realizes the only place left to go is back to Cedar Ridge Colorado where she is offered a temporary job at a friend's place. She doesn't plan on staying though..

When Aidan and Lily grew up they had a mutual crush on one another but they both kept it to themselves. They shared one kiss but that was the last as very shortly after that Ashley dies and Lily runs away. Now that she is back Aidan plans on pursuing her. He knows what he wants and he plans on getting it!

This sounds such a great start! and yet there were so many instances I was staring at the book wondering WHY OH WHY. See, everyone were so damn righteous and perfect. Though the Kincaids aren't perfect their relationships with each other felt either that or highly "staged". Aidan was EVERYWHERE. Whenever Lily needed him he materialized out of thin air and he had this AMAZING ability to read Lily's mind PERFECTLY (this isn't PNR, it's regular CR) and not to mentions 90% of the time he is dead beat after shifts at work but never mind that, Lily is in need. Sleep can wait a few days, it always does. Lily gave me a headache with the amount of nonsense reasons she had of NOT dating Aidan including - her sister wanted him (back when she was alive) and though nothing happened between the two it's her way of honoring her sister. WHAT?! But that's not the only reason, they keep changing and Aidan keeps guessing them PERFECTLY, well, maybe because deep down inside they have the EXACT same issue of self blame? Not enough of an excuse..

I just felt this book was totally UN-believable, especially the characters and the relationships between them. That's without mentioning the mothers. They were beyond strange. One literally ABANDONED her daughter after losing one and her husband, wondering why her daughter did NO coping in 10 years and the other is a grown CHILD. She keeps complaining about her sons' behavior towards her (which is VERY controlling) and yet everything she does MAKES them act this way.

This book just WASN'T for me. Sorry.