When Maze returns to Wildstone for the wedding of her estranged bff and the sister of her heart, it’s also a reunion of a once ragtag team of teenagers who had only each other until a tragedy tore them apart and scattered them wide.
Now as adults together again in the lake house, there are secrets and resentments mixed up in all the amazing childhood memories. Unexpectedly, they instantly fall back into their roles.
Maze is their reckless leader, Cat the den mom, Heather the beloved baby sister and Walker a man of mystery.
Maze and Cat must decide if they can rebuild their friendship, and Maze discovers her long-held attraction to Walker hasn’t faded with the year.
This is the 6th book in the series but I felt it read like a standalone. You got enough about a backstory of the characters to understand why they are the way they are.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC to review.

Great story! This book is in the Wildstone series but could easily be read on it's own. I really liked this book. The characters were interesting and believable to me. I liked how it bounced to other characters in the story to get a feel for how they felt. Definitely recommended!

Maze is returning to Wildstone where her once best friend is getting married, a woman who was always like a sister she can't deny the invitation. She's not quite sure if she is ready to revisit friends from a time that has been hard for her to deal with. They are all meeting up at the lake house to celebrate the upcoming nuptials and reminisce. It soon becomes apparent how much each of them has changed the question is are those changes to much to continue in the friendships. The bonds they once shared aren't gone but making them whole again will be an emotionally hard journey. This was a wonderfully heartfelt read that will have you laughing, crying, and smiling throughout.

This is one of those stories that stays with you long after you've read the last page. It definitely pulls at your heart strings as 4 friends try to find their way back to each other after tragedy tears them apart. Each character really pulls at your heart as the try to find their way through life battling with being enough to be loved by someone. Sammie is hilarious and you can't help falling for that little girl. Jill did an outstanding job with this one.

I've become a huge fan of the Wildstone series and this book is the latest addition to it. I started this series (although I say series loosely...as far as I can tell the only thing that connects each book is Wildstone itself) in the middle and I'm completely hooked at this point. Each book has featured characters that I cannot help but care about with storylines that keep me turning the pages. In this book, we meet Maze, Cat, Walker, and Heather who all spent one wonderful year together as kids but that year ended in a horrible tragedy. As adults they are still dealing with the fallout of that year and their relationships with one another. Maze and Walker have always had a certain chemistry to their relationship but for better or worse things have kept them apart. Oh but how I adored watching them work towards trying to find their happy ending together. They both had a lot of deep rooted issues that came from their childhood and being a part of the foster care system. What made this book really great for me though was besides these two great characters we also had both Cat and Heather. I spent my entire time reading this book rooting for Maze and Walker but also for Cat and Heather to figure out their relationships as well. I'm trying not to say too much here but there was a lot going on for all of these characters. I honestly could have read a book that focused just on Heather and a certain someone and their relationship. I won't say more than that. And while this book had a serious side due to all of the issues that these characters were dealing with (like things from their past and that shared tragedy), this book also had me laughing out loud at times. The bachelorette party scene was absolutely priceless! At this point, I've enjoyed this series so much that I instantly add the next upcoming book to my TBR after finishing the latest book. I really need to grab the earlier books in this series and catch up on them as well. I think that fans of contemporary romance and women's fiction especially shouldn't sleep on this series. It's so good and just the perfect blend of romance and relationships! Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: Another great addition to what has become one of my favorite romance series!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. Honest thoughts are my own.

CW: Loss of a sibling, abuse, loss, foster care, trust issues

The Forever Girl by Jill Shalvis is a standalone story in the Wildstone series, and a story of second chances. For one year a family took in 3 foster children, Heather, Maze and Walker, and raised them with their own two, Caitlin and Michael, until a fire destroyed their home and took their youngest. Michael’s death broke the family apart. Now years later, they are getting back together for Caitlin’s wedding and there is a lot of apprehension about this reunion from all parties. Cat is on the fence on whether or not she really wants to get married. Getting Maze, Heather and Walker home to Wildstone one week early under false pretenses, is just one way to get her family back and get things out in the open once in for all. Heather brings her secret as her plus one and surprises everyone. Maze also brings a plus one and things aren’t what they seem. Maze is going to do her best to be there for Cat and do what she can to make amends for the way things are between them. What she has to figure out is how to deal with Walker and her feelings for him.

I have been reading many stories by this author and her Wildstone stories is one of her best. In this series she has been able to write standalone women’s fiction with complex storylines and add her style of humor and romance, and really show her stuff with each story. The Forever Girl is a story in which she weaves multiple storylines and does a fine job evoking emotions, feelings and romance between these complex characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story because it was filled with witty banter, and was a slow build to develop each of her main characters and fully explain the different relationships. A very satisfying read.

I'm loving Wildstone! I have loved every book in this series and continue to enjoy each one even more. A fun group of characters that feel like your friends. A wonderful weekend read.

Beautifully flawed characters (aren't we all) make this book, from one of my favorite authors, into a heartwarming, mesmerizing story.

Although they already had 2 children of their own, Caitlin and Michael, Shelly and Jim Walsh had so much love to give that they fostered Maze, Heather and Walker into their Wildstone home. It was the best year that Maze, Heather and Walker had, until a tragic accident pulled them away. Years later, Caitlin is getting married and has tricked her foster sibs into coming for a week. They have a week to reconnect, uncover and reveal secrets and misunderstandings and resume their once strong relationships.

I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest opinion... and honestly? I love this author. I usually end up choosing the book based on the cover before I even realize the author is one of my new favorites. Yes, this one was as good as the others I have read...And by good I mean that the characters are kind of messed up and need to come together to grow as a person and as a friend and/or family member. I MIGHT have even liked this one better than the other ones... in this one, there are four central characters with a few supporting cast members...Maze, Walker, and Heather were all foster kids Cat's parents had taken in when they were children so they consider themselves family...but the death of Cat's brother when they were younger ended up having them all living in other homes as they grew up. They tried to stay in each other's lives but eventually that grows too hard for some of them. They come together again for Cat's wedding and all sorts of humor, chaos, and character development happens...my kind of story. I LOVED the banter between Walker and Maze in this one...oh who am I kidding? They all have great chemistry together...Yet another one I would pretty much recommend to anyone who likes books with feeling.

Jill Shalvis has done it again with this sexy, heartwarming romance about a family fractured by tragedy. Maze blames herself for the death of her foster brother ten years ago. She sees herself as an irresponsible screw-up undeserving of her foster family's love. But when foster sister Cat asks her to be maid of honor at her wedding, Maze is forced to confront her past—including Walker, who she's loved since she was a teenager. A drunken night in Vegas three years earlier had them sharing a bed. They both passed it off as a mistake. But does love still bloom between them?

I loved these characters so much. I wish they had their own series. I was not done with this family when the book ended. It was a satisfying story, but I felt like there was more to tell.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

hmmm. i liked this. it was not my favourite shalvis, probably 3.5 but enough to round up to 4. i liked all the characters, i liked how everything went, it made me laugh and smile and it was an enjoyable time. it took me a long time to read, but that was me/covid life and not necessarily the book, but it was hard to feel connected because of that. anywho. i liked it, i like the series, i love me some shalvis. can't really complain.

I have yet to come across a Jill Shalvis book I don’t love, and The Forever Girl was no different. Despite this being the sixth book in the Wildstone series, it works well as a standalone. In this new book, the reader meets Maze, Walker, Caitlin and Heather. The story began with them gathering for their yearly graveside visit, which began after the tragic accident that led to them being separated. Tension and guilt led to a massive blow-up creating a chasm within their relationship. Through it all, they never ceased keeping tabs on each other, though for a distance.

Three years later Caitlin is getting married, but her big day would not mean much if her family was not there to celebrate with her. She doesn’t want one day, so she devises a plan to have there for the week leading up to the wedding. Not only does she want them at her wedding, but she hopes to re-establish the bond they once shared before tragedy struck.

I had a great time getting to know these characters, who despite their imperfections and emotional scars, demonstrated strength and courage in facing their demons head on. They made mistakes along the way, but they owned it and were bold enough to make amends.

The Forever Girl took me on an emotional journey of friendship, family bonding, healing, forgiveness, second chances and rebirth. It dealt with hard-hitting issues, which readers can relate to. This installment came with a lot of anxious moments, however, Shalvis included some humorous situations which helped to lighten things a bit.

Maze and Walker’s back and forth as they tried to work through their issues was enough to give the reader a whiplash. It warmed my heart to see them finally getting it right the second time around. The story also delivered a secondary romance, which I found adorable.

Overall, I had a good time with this story and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Fans of Shalvis will enjoy her latest offering.

Maze Porter & Walker Scott were foster kids at the same home as teenagers. They along with the others in the house became a family until a tragedy tears their worlds apart. Maze and Walker will come together with their foster sisters to face the past and reveal their long-held secrets. Can Maze and Walker come together to face their feelings and the past or will it keep them apart? What will happen to their self-made family? Will Maze overcome her past and become Walker’s The Forever Girl?

Jill Shalvis continues her Wildstone series with the The Forever Girl. A story about unconditional love within a family that was brought together and determined to stay that way even through tragedy, guilt and secrets. These characters are well written and are multidimensional and will engage your emotions. You’ll cry, laugh and cheer for the main characters and their family. You’ll see the aftereffects of the tragedy through their guilt and how it’s changed each of them into the person they are now. Their lives have taken different roads but that one year spent together as a family may just keep these people together forever as friends and family of each other’s hearts. Jill Shalvis’s The Forever Girl will take you back to Wildstone for an emotional trip you’ll want to read again and again.

What a book! I love to read stories with characters who have been forced to grow up quickly in their past - helping develop them into they people they become. Maze was the most intriguing character, letting her past dictate the moves she made in the present. And then there was Walker...and the moment he graced the pages you instantly were rooting for these two. You could feel their tension vibrate off the pages. Do yourself a favor and get to know Maze, Walker, Cat, Heather, Sammie and Jace.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

The Forever Girl by Jill Shalvis is the sixth book in the Wildstone series. It is a wonderful story about family, friendships, and second chances. All of the favorite characters from within this series are brought together in this story for Caitlin’s wedding. Each character is so distinct with all their personal traits, but the group complement each other so well. Lots of love and understanding come together in this story. I loved it and recommend it. Jill Shalvis is one of my favorite authors and this book will not disappoint you!
Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a huge Shalvis fan. So when asked to review this book I jumped on it. It can be read as a stand alone but it is the sixth book in the Wildstone series.
The writing is wonderful and so realistic and the characters are easy to connect with.

Always a fan of Jill Shalvis, the pugs in this one drew me in! Shalvis writes with heart and humor-it's a deadly combination. My only hesitation to this one is that it has a lot of things going on-foster kids who didn't spend a lot of time together but bonded so deeply and quickly felt a bit farfetched. It took me awhile to suspend my disbelief but ultimately her humor and charm won me over and I fell into the story.

As a long-time fan of Jill Shalvis, I have come to expect certain things from her: that I will fall quickly into her writing; I will love her characters; and she will make me laugh. However, in The Forever Girl she went so far beyond my expectations that I may have a whole new list of anticipations for her next novel.

Maze, Walker, and Heather were foster kids who spent one amazing year with the Walsh family until a tragedy occurred that sent them to other foster homes. Caitlin, the Walsh’s daughter, has struggled to keep tabs on them and to keep them together as family. But three years prior, after a minor blow-up, they part ways, although for some, not entirely.

The dynamics at work in The Forever Girl were special. These friends/family come together to celebrate Caitlin’s marriage and its her intention that they should never drift away from each other again. There are hurts as truths come out with each character–mostly just Maze, Walker and Caitlin–finding themselves along the way.

In all of these years, Shalvis has made me laugh and sometimes grow teary-eyed, but she’s never made me cry. She did in The Forever Girl. She wrote so touchingly of their experiences, of trying to be tough when inside one is crying, when sometimes it’s just so tough. But, she also made me laugh. Smile as these characters danced together and remembered a time before. And, as always, Shalvis provided me with an escape, where I could fall into an author’s writing and just forget everything except for this wonderful story of once wounded people finding love and happiness.

While The Forever Girl is part of The Wildstone series, it is a standalone. If you’re a fan of women’s fiction, I highly recommend The Forever Girl.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

I don't know what it is about Jill Shalvis' books, but I just love reading her stories... so far! I have not been disappointed yet. From the beautiful setting to the complex, sometimes complicated, characters, The Forever Girl is a story of loss, family, friendship, and love.

The Forever Girl made me smile, laugh, cry, and love as I turned the pages of this emotional and touching story of a family coming to terms of the tragedy that strained their relationships into adulthood, and how they rebuilt what they thought was lost, due to the secret(s) they kept from each other.

Anyways, with each standalone story in this Wildstone series, I am always taken away to a beautiful location while getting engrossed into these characters lives. Haven't been disappointed yet. Jill Shalvis continues to tug at my "heartstrings" with these passionate stories of relationships. The Forever Girl did just that... it took me on a moving journey of these characters' growth.

Maze had a falling out with her foster family with misunderstandings and guilt over what happened years ago. Her sister Cat is getting married and has got them all to promise to come for the weekend. She wants everyone to reconcile. Maze is dreading it as she thinks she is to blame and no one will be able to forgive her especially since she can't forgive herself. Heather shows up with a baby. Walker is still Walker. Can these characters find reconciliation, forgiveness, trust and forge a new path as adults? Emotional story of second chances and what makes a family.