Heidi Hart

Jill Shalvis is one of my go-to girls for solidly entertaining, reasonably well-written contemporary romance. Her characters are likeable and believable (though her heroes can be a little too alpha for my tastes), her dialogue is smart and snappy, and the romance is generally sweet, sexy, and satisfying.

That said, the Lucky Harbor series is about tapped out.

He's So Fine tells the story of former child star Olivia (who used to be Sharlyn, but she changed her name when her career in Hollywood imploded and she moved to Lucky Harbor to make a fresh start) and charter fishingboat captain Cole. Cole grew up in Lucky Harbor, taking care of his mom and his three sisters, and he has a reputation in town as the guy who can fix anything. Everybody loves Cole, but Cole holds grudges like nobody's business. Two years ago at his best friend's funeral, he learned that his girlfriend betrayed him by falling for the dead friend, and that betrayal has festered ever since, leaving Cole unable to trust anyone. Because of his trust issues, his relationship with Olivia is doomed before it ever gets off the ground, because by not telling him about her sordid past and her grasping relatives and her birth name, Olivia hasn't been honest with him (never mind that she doesn't tell anyone those things). When the truth comes to light, Cole predictably gets all butt hurt and walks away.

The Lucky Harbor series is organized into trilogies within the series. Books 1-3 were about three sisters who moved to town and opened an inn, Books 4-6 were about three female friends who get together weekly to gab about their dating misadventures over chocolate, Books 7-9 were about three women who all run businesses in the same building, and Books 10-12 are about the three men who run the charter boat company (Cole being the second of the three partners). What sets this most recent trilogy apart is that they are anchored around a trio of men, not women (although the three heroines all live in the same building and are friends, too), and I'm really enjoying the history between these guys and the way they joke and jeer at each other, but support each other when necessary.

That male bonding is probably my favorite part of this book (and the one that came before it, It's In His Kiss). Otherwise, this was a fun read, but not especially noteworthy or memorable.