In Almost Just Friends we return to Wildstone and encounter Piper and Cam, who as pre-teens take on the roles of being caregivers, Piper for her siblings and Cam for his mother. Each having regrets and feeling as though they had failed. These once broken families are made whole when the main characters find each other and all family members share secrets. Letting go of painful memories all characters allow love and forgiveness to enter their lives. Another must read done in Jill Shalvis style. Real life with a real happy ending.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I liked the premise of this book, but it seemed very formulaic and familiar somehow. I feel like I've read too many books like this and Jill Shalvis did not do much to distinguish this book.

I feel like I've read this before. Snappy quips, unlikely situations, family drama and secrets. Nothing new here. I'm sorry, maybe I'm not the audience this is aimed at?

Piper Manning has raised her siblings and now she is planning to sell their lake house to fund her education to become a physician's assistant. But a neighbor named Cam and both of her siblings return to the lake and distract her from her plans. They all have secrets from Piper and as she learns about them the family drama ensues.

Shalvis always has good stories and characters I care about, however this one seems a bit too formulated. I cared about Piper and her family but there was little to figure out. I stayed with the story but was not as excited as I usually am when reading Shalvis.

This book was received as an ARC from HarperCollins Publishers - William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jill Shalvis is very popular in our romance collection and always circulates very well so I knew I was diving into another page turner right from the start. Almost Just Friends tells the story of Piper who is very Independent and self sufficient and when her brothers and sisters leave to start their lives she is destined to sell her childhood lakehouse and then she is finally free on her own. As she preps for the sell, a treacherous storm hits and damages the house and then she meets Camden, a stranger who is new to the area and everything starts to change. Piper's siblings return and instead of abandoning them, Piper is drawn closer to them all because of her growing relationship with Camden and could he be the one opening her eyes to all she has missed and all that she is. This was a heartwarming story that will leave your heart full. The relationship between Camden and Piper is reflected by the lessons and blessings that we all take for granted in life and this book is a wonderful reminder of all that is important.

We will consider adding this title to our Romance collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I really liked how the characters all were able to come together despite their own issues and baggage. The sibling storyline was great