SEPTEMBER 2016 - AudioFile
Narrator Karen White gives a perfectly fitting wispy voice to tour boat captain Pru and a coy yet nonchalant tone to pub owner Finn in this new series. Pru and Finn hit it off as friends and soon become intertwined in a passionate love affair. She wants the best for him and his happiness, and the truth about herself could ruin the love they have. White is excellent at deciphering each character and his or her emotions in such a way that illuminates the story. The flirty banter between Pru and Finn is entertaining and humorous and makes their romantic journey more believable and fun. Listeners will want to hear more about the couple's passionate journey in this series. D.Z. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 03/21/2016
It’s always such a pleasure to read Shalvis’s contemporary romances, and this one—the exciting first in a series—is no exception. Readers will be hooked from the moment they meet Thor, a rescue dog who’s a “tubby, afraid-of-his-own-shadow mutt,” and his human, Pru Harris, who captains a San Francisco Bay tour boat. Add in Finn O’Riley, co-owner of O’Riley’s Pub, and the heartwarming vibe is almost overwhelming; each character is cuddlier than the next. But Shalvis knows exactly how far to push the adorability, and never lets her sweet tale become saccharine. The characters are perfectly imperfect. As Pru tries her best to help Finn find a date while fighting off her own attraction to him, there lurks the little matter of those eponymous lies. They’re really nothing more than innocent omissions, but the longer Pru postpones coming clean to Finn about the secrets she’s keeping, the greater the threat to their eventual happiness together with Thor flopped contentedly at their feet. The whole package—the glamorous big city locale, the appealing secondary characters, and that Shalvis magic with snappy dialogue—portends a dynamite series. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (July)
All About Romance: Desert Island Keeper Review
It’s magic, what this woman does, at least to me.
Booklist
Shalvis launches the first in her Heartbreaker Bay series on a high note with a truly unforgettable romance that will delight longtime fans and new readers alike with its irresistible mix of sassy wit, snappy dialogue, and surfeit of smoking hot sensuality.
Romantic Times BOOKclub
Ms. Shalvis characters leap off the page.
Fresh Fiction
This book should come with a warning. Beware. Start reading at your own peril. Don’t expect to get any work done. [...] SWEET LITTLE LIES is a wondrous entry into the Heartbreaker Bay series — an introduction to some of the most memorable and likable characters you will ever meet.
– Robyn Carr
Hot, sweet, fun, and romantic! Pure pleasure!
—Susan Mallery
Fall in love with Jill Shalvis! She’s my go-to read for humor and heart.
--Susan Mallery
Fall in love with Jill Shalvis! She’s my go-to read for humor and heart.
– Robyn Carr
Hot, sweet, fun, and romantic! Pure pleasure!
Library Journal
★ 06/15/2016
From the time her parents died in a car crash caused by her drunk dad, Pru Harris has been quietly trying to repair the damaged lives of the others involved. And she has almost succeeded—except for Finn O'Riley. The magnetically attractive owner of the local Irish pub gave up his baseball dreams to keep his younger brother on track after their father was killed in the accident. More than anything, Pru wants the too-serious Finn to be happy, but when their teasing friendship takes a romantic turn, Pru knows she will risk everything (especially his happiness) when she tells him who she is. A nearsighted rescue dog adds a touch of comedy to this lively and enchanting story. VERDICT A colorful San Francisco setting, a welcoming Irish pub, a group of quirky better-'n-family friends, and a capricious wishing well provide the backdrop for a romance that is both heartrending and hilarious. Shalvis's new series is a stunner. Shalvis (Nobody but You) lives in the Sierras near Lake Tahoe.
Kirkus Reviews
2016-02-17
After losing her parents as a young teen, Pru Harris has spent her time and resources making amends for a tragedy she feels responsible for, which is why she can never fall for her intoxicating new neighbor Finn—except that she does. Pru loves her life, mostly. She's a captain for a San Francisco tour boat, she's rescued a dog who adores her, and she's just moved into a new apartment that's opened up her social life in a way she never hoped for. Her new circle of awesome friends includes pub owner Finn O'Riley, and despite a blazing attraction between them, Pru is determined to keep him at arm's length, since she has a secret that connects them through a tragic accident that left her guilt-ridden and willing to sacrifice almost everything to help its victims. But thanks to a series of clumsy events that force Finn and Pru together, their relationship zooms past friendship, leaving Pru dazed, in love, and uncertain as to how to come clean about their shared past. Yet the longer she waits, the more untold secrets become trust issues. Shalvis begins a new series that revolves around a close group of friends and a fountain with a reputation as a wish-granting matchmaker. The concept is fun, the friends are engaging and good-natured, and the romance is sexy and touching, so readers will likely overlook the fact that the conflict is a little thin and almost completely created by Pru's intense selflessness and misplaced guilt mixed with an inability to be honest and straightforward, then exacerbated by Finn's odd inability to overlook her one misstep when she's otherwise perfect for him. Which, in the end, makes it pretty easy to overcome. Shalvis has created a love story romance fans can't help but root for and grounds it in an affable community they'll adore.
