The Forever Girl will give you incite into the characters lifes and emotions. Can a foster child that has been moved around a lot find true love. You'll enjoy learning how they handly it.

Another emotional, but great story. Maze, Walker and Heather were foster siblings of Cat's, but they've been apart for some time. They're all coming back together for Cat's wedding and there are several secrets that are about to be revealed.

There is a lot of emotional baggage with each character. There's a good amount of romance, but the relationship focus in this book is mostly on the siblings and bringing them back together. I normally look to Jill Shalvis to be a little lighter, but I've really loved her more recent books that make me feel a lot more.

Great easy romance by JIll Shalvis once again. She writes intertwining, compelling stories that make you want to visit Wildstone and find your own happily ever after.

This is a story of forgiveness, friendship and love. Years ago, a group of kids lived together as a family. Some were biological children of the parents, and some were foster children. Despite tragedy that divided them then, they find they still have a bond when they come together for a wedding.

The Forever Girl is a interesting story about family, foster children, secrets and friendships. I loved the premise of the story line especially exploring the dynamics of a untraditional family. The story pulls you in slowly and keeps you wanting more. The character were well defined and fun to get to know. The humor aspect help pull everything together.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Forever Girl is a heartwarming story about three former fostered children that were taken in by the other girl’s family. After a tragic event the children were split up . Years later Cat is determined to bring her “family” back together for her wedding .
This story about friends , family , and second chances is a exactly what draws people into Jill Shalvis’s books.
Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for an arc for my honest opinion .

This book is about 2nd chances. It's about a family. Not a family of flesh and blood but one of heart and spirit.
Heather, Walker and Maze grew up in the foster care system. One summer they all came together in care of the Walsh family. The Walshes had 2 kids of their own, Caitlin and Micheal
After being together a year, one night it all falls apart and they lose one of their own. The youngest one, Michael, passes away. Maze, Walker and Heather are put back in the system. They vow to stay in touch, coming together every year on the anniversary of Michael's death. Things blow up again as guilt and other feelings get in the way. Now they are together for Caitlin's wedding .
You could say this is a love story about Maze and Walker, but it's more than that. It's about the dynamics of family. About the ups and downs of life. There is so much emotion and laughter. In the end its about having each others back, no matter what.
This was a very different story for Jil Shalvis. Much more serious and intense.
I enjoyed it and thought it ended perfectly.
5 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

The Forever Girl by Jill Shalvis is part of the Wildstone series but can be read as a standalone. An estranged "family of the heart" comes back together for the marriage of their sister. They're not blood related, but three of them were fostered by the sister's family when they were younger, so they've become bonded. The story takes place the week of the wedding as they do finishing touches and try to reconnect with each other. Each character has personal struggles, as well as, struggles with the family dynamic. All of the characters are well developed with their own personalities. Throughout the course of the story, all of the characters help each other grow and find themselves again. It's a great story to remind us that blood doesn't make you family, but caring and loving for someone does. There is family, friend, and of course, relationship drama. Shalvis has created the perfect package of feel good and angst. At some points in the book, you aren't sure who is going to get a happy ending or if there even will be one, but rest assured everyone gets the ending they truly wanted all along.
If you have enjoyed the other books in the Wildstone series you will definitely enjoy this one. There are subtle scenes with supporting characters from other books. It's also a great segue if you haven't read the other books. I highly recommend this for those who enjoy light romance and books about family drama.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has a great cast of characters, especially little Sammie. It is the 6th book in the Wildstone series but could be read as a stand alone. This is a story of friendships and love. There are tears along with laughter. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

In Jill Shalvis's The Forever Girl, the 6th installment in the Wildstone Contemporary Romance series, this story is so beautifully well-written and pulls at your heart strings. "Mayhem" Maze Porter had always been known to be wild, impulsive, and blows up things she ruins, including her friendships and relationship. Ever since she was a teenager, she'd been adopted by the Walshes and became friends with Caitlin and her brother Michael until a deadly fire changed things. And on the 3rd anniversary of Michael's death, they had a fight and went their separate ways... until Caitlin managed to get Maze reunited with them for her upcoming wedding. For the past week, while they help Caitlin prepare for the wedding, Maze brings her plus one as her date for the wedding as she deals with her feelings for Walker Scott, her former foster brother and secret husband she accidentally married a few years. Meanwhile Caitlin deals with the wedding prep and trying to bring her three friends together for one special week. With a boatload of fun and laughter, Maze and her friends talk about past lies and secrets, Maze begins to open up about her feelings for Walker and deals with her past flaws to know the true meaning of friendship, family and love.

Jill Shalvis has a way of writing that pulls you in and engages you in the story from the outset and The Forever Girl was no exception. This book touched on so many different things from family, family of the heart, friends, second chances, love and forgiveness and it was definitely not short on emotion, humor or heart.

Maze has come back to Wildstone for her friend Caitlin's (Cat) wedding and in the process, she reunites with the other two, Heather and Walker, who as teenagers made up the foursome that spent so much time together and were bonded by both wonderful memories and hardships.

While the four of them have been apart for many years, when they find themselves under one roof again, many things revert back to "normal" pretty quickly, while there are other things that time has changed about each of them causing some issues and bringing things to the surface that weren't dealt with years before. Will they be able to re-establish the connections that they once shared or has time separated them too much?

You really get a bit of everything with this book; romance, friendship and family. Each of the characters, along with the secondary characters, are well defined, so you find yourself rooting for each of them to end up exactly where they are supposed to be. This is another fantastic addition to the Wildstone series!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Maze had had a different life than most with being in foster care as a teenager, and then losing that home and a foster brother. Although, one thing that remained somewhat constant in her life were Heather, Caitlin and Walker her family from that time. After the loss of their brother Michael, Maze has had a difficult time keeping in touch with the group. What better reason for a reunion than a wedding of her oldest sister Caitlin. If only memories, mistakes and Walker could stay in her past...

I really enjoyed this book. A group of friends that had fostered together for awhile but were torn apart after a tragedy that destroyed their happiness. They gathered together for Caitlin's wedding and they learned what each had been doing. Walker had kept up with a couple of them, but Maze had disappeared and not kept in touch. The story was deep and showed how no matter how long friends are apart, they can still be friends. I loved the interaction between 'Walker and Maze. That was some chemistry they had. Dillon and Caitlin - not so much. Jace was also a great character that developed further in the story

I got this book from NetGalley for an honest review

I have read a lot of Jill Shalvis's books and have enjoyed most all of them. this one was no exception. I loved Maze, felt she needed to forgive herself, Walker sound wonderful and Heather and Sammie were adorable. This book had to touching moments and sometimes where I laughed out loud ( Sammie's endzone dance) Hope we get more of these siblings

Have a box of tissues handy when you read this compelling novel. The author weaves the foster care system's importance into the background of the characters to present a beautiful tapestry. From the start, you wish the best for these siblings, by choice. Maze and Walker are perfect for each other if they can let their guards fall away. I hope we find out what happens to Cat in a later book. She deserves an HOA!

Unfortunate, I was not able to finish this book. I struggled to get through the first 15% or so and had to stop. It just wasn’t engaging.

I’ve enjoyed all the books I have read by Jill Shalvis and this one doesn’t disappoint.  But,  I think this one may be my favorite, so far.  As time goes by, I find Jill’s stories get better and better.  She has a way of telling a story that grabs you from the start.  This book has love, humor, laughter, tears, tenderness (the way Walker slides his hands through Maze’s hair, mmm), family togetherness, forgiveness and wonderful characters!  Awesome  job, Jill!😉

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy.

Q: what’s one of your fave romance small towns?

Last week I started Jill Shalvis’s The Forever Girl, immediately had my heart squeezed by the talented hands of an Emotional Wizard, & decided that I would continue reading it another day 🤣.

Yesterday was the day & I approached it full steam ahead, both really enjoying it & determined to see this couple get their HEA.

The book opens with four friends/foster siblings gathered at the grave of the boy they lost & whom they all miss greatly.

Mazey Porter, called Maze & sometimes Mayhem Maze, also feels terribly guilty for his death, a guilt that has made her act out in certain ways & that hasn’t been helped by her fear of abandonment & of being vulnerable w/ others.

Walker Scott is also there at the grave, a man she lived with for a year when they were teens, the man she drunkenly married as a young 20-something in Vegas, the man she tries to ignore—& who does the same to her—even though she can never fully do that.

Three years of not talking later, when one of their foster siblings hatches a plan to have them all back in the same Wildstone house for a week, Mazey & Walker can’t stay away from each other. Maybe this time they can figure it out...once the truth about Mazey’s fake boyfriend/best friend she roped into accompanying her comes out, that is.

This book is hardhitting in the emotional department, from the friendships to Mazey & Walker, to another foster sibling, Cat. If you like found family then The Forever Girl might be your jam because it’s all about grabbing on tight to the people you feel are your own.

While the relationship between Mazey & Walker isn’t quite as steamy as I would like, the chemistry is there & I love how complementary they are.

That leads me to my critique of this novel—it just feels obvious to me that they belong together, that they know it too, despite what they think sometimes & say—& this plus the forced proximity & how he’s always seeking her out—I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️—the tension, the will they or won’t they, is a little weak for me.

Still, this is a really great read written by an author who knows how to play the heart like a musical instrument .


CW:


References to past abuse, parental neglect, & death of a child. There’s also an insensitive joke comparing someone’s dancing to a seizure.


4 ⭐️. The Forever Girl is out on 01/12/21. Thanks to William Morrow & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Maze, Walker, and Heather are three foster siblings who were part of Cat's family until tragedy tore them all apart. While contact was never completely lost between them, they grew up separately and decisively apart until Cat summons them to help her prepare for her imminent wedding. Each carries scars from their childhood, none more so than Maze and Walker, whose chemistry is off the charts. Jill Shalvis gives us another family story that is full of heart, emotion, and humor, with each character ultimately recognizing their strengths, along with the realization that they are better together. I look forward to hopefully seeing more from these characters.

I'm a huge fan of Jill Shalvis' books. They're funny, charming and a perfect escape. However, I struggled a lot with this one. While her writing normally pulls me in within the first few pages, I couldn't get into The Forever Girl. It felt heavier than her books normally are (understandably so, considering the subject matter), and right now I really rely on the light-heartedness she usually provides. While this one wasn't a fit for me, I remain a fan and look forward to her next books.