Another wonderful book by Jill Shalvis. The book is about four friends - three foster children and the daughter of the foster parents. A tragedy separated them and though they kept in touch over the years, the bond was damaged. As they come together for a wedding, each deals with past issues, finding the way to move ahead and restore the strong bond they once had.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC .

The Forever Girl by Jill Shalvis is the 6th book in her wonderful Wildstone series. I have noted many times that I love reading any books by Jill Shalvis, as they are always wonderful pure romances. I am happy to say that The Forever Girl was one of the best books by Shalvis. I loved every moment of it.

The story focuses on childhood foster sisters/brother and their closeness to each other, but a tragedy years ago caused some estrangement. The group consists of the Walsh family taking care of foster children, besides their own two children (Caitlin and Michael). Maze, Heather and Walker lived with them and they were unseparable. A tragic accidental fire caused the death of the youngest member, Michael. Each year all of them would meet at the grave, until three years ago, when Maze pulled away.

Caitlin calls her bff/sisters/brother to return to Wildstone to attend her wedding to Dillion. Maze comes home to help Cat, and despite her still blaming herself for Michael’s death, she is determined to be there for Cat. Maze is nervous being around Walker, as she still has hidden feelings for him, and brings along a fake boyfriend. Heather returns with a shocking surprise; she has a 3-year-old daughter (Sammie). Walker is a federal agent, but he has continued to keep in touch with both Cat and Heather, always being there to help them if needed; he has always had feelings for Maze, but second chances were slim.

Maze stepped up to help Cat with wedding preparations, and accepted that she needed to try to move forward and express her love, with Walker, as well as her sisters; she was the one who needed to be there to protect them. I loved the reunion and how they all loved each other, and it was such fun seeing them always taking care of their family; especially Cat, who continually would give them love filled hugs.

The story centered on Cat and her upcoming wedding to Dillion. Most of the group did not like Dillion, nor his mom who kept interfering in the plans, sabotaging Cat’s ideas. Maze and Walker slowly dealt with their feelings, and restart a slow built second chance at love. Heather’s little girl was adorable and I loved how Maze’s plus one friend (Jace), became involved with Heather and Sammie. Needless to say, I loved all the characters; Maze, Cat, Heather, Walker and even Jace. It was heartwarming to see how the Walsh mother and father brought them together as fosters, and they truly were a family, and to see how bonded they were was awesome. Shalvis outdid herself in this book.

The Forever Girl was a fantastic, intriguing, heartwarming story about family, tragedy, romance, second chances and love. The Forever Girl was so well written by Jill Shalvis, which I always come to expect from her, as well as being very emotional. I do not want to tell too much more, as this is one book you want to read from start to finish. If you have not read Jill Shalvis, what are you waiting for?

This was heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny. I hope we get to see/hear more of these siblings-of-the-heart.

I enjoyed this book about love, loss, friendship and life. A story about how friendship transcends through time and unrequited love can turn into a beautiful thing! I love the way this author develops her characters and her stories are always thought-provoking. A win for Ms. Shalvis!!

This book was the perfect escape. It was lovely and fun. It was my first book by this author and I will definitely be on the look out for more!!

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

This book warmed my heart like all the Jill Shalvis books I have read and I was so happy this book popped up on my list of reviews. At first I thought she took a whole new direction with the book looking at the backgrounds of Maze and her friends but when I finished the book My heart never felt so warm and when there is tears coming out of my eyes, I know this book hit me hard. Jill definitely has a fan club at our library and I know they are highly anticipating the release of this book and I know they certainly will not be disappointed.

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

Cat was determined to reunite her "family". After years of separation, the foster-siblings are summoned back to Wildstone for Cat's wedding. Once back together, they are flooded with a mix of emotions regarding their past, present, and future together as they work to rebuild the relationships they previously shared.

I know I say this in all my Shalvis reviews, but I have read over 30 of her books, and she never fails to make me laugh, smile, and swoon. Once again, I was back in Wildstone, feeling all the feels and loving every second of it.

Found family takes center stage in this story, and I was rooting for them to renew those bonds that had weakened for various reasons. I admired Cat's desire to bring the siblings of her heart back into her life, but she really did have her work cut out for her. Three of the main characters were foster children, and each walled themselves off in the name of self preservation. It was wonderful and heartwarming seeing them break down their walls, brick by brick.

I loved that all four main characters, Maze, Walker, Cat, and Heather, had their own sub-plots, but it was the romance between Maze and Walker that stole my heart. They were dealing with a whole mess of emotions, which prevented them from fully embracing the things in life they really deserved. Maze was drowning in guilt, while Walker wrestled with a his abandonment issues. My heart broke in two for these two, but watching them slowly work through their issues and open up was a thing of beauty.

The Forever Girl was a beautiful and touching story of family, love, and second chances. As expected, Shalvis packed it with characters I adored, lots of humor, and an overwhelming amount of warmth, which left my heart bursting at the seams.

An enjoyable romance, 3 and a half stars. Jill Shalvis incorporates humor and friendship into this story. Four friends, who are as close as family, come together for Caitlin's wedding. A past tragedy haunts them all and taints their strained relationship. Each of them has secrets, and as each secret is revealed they become closer.
While I enjoyed the storyline, the humor and the characters, at times I felt annoyed with the repeated problems emerging from the characters not being honest with each other. The ending was satisfying and I would be interested to find out where these characters end up next.

Jill Shalvis has to be one of my favorite authors out there and is always a must-read. The Forever Girl only further solidified that opinion for me. This book centers around a set of friends who all met when three of them (Walker, Maze and Heather) were placed with the fourth's (Caitlin's) family for a year as foster children. They bonded hard during that time only to be separated once again after a devastating tragedy. Although loosely keeping in touch through the years, the four haven't really spoken with or seen one another very much over the past three years until they come together for Caitlin's wedding..

I think what is particularly fantastic about Shalvis's writing is her portrayal of the found family. The love, emotions, and interaction between all the friends is both genuine and heartwarming. In addition, she finds a way to write about issues that are more heavy and difficult than her straight-up romance novels without becoming too dark. Instead, she creates characters that are multi-dimensional and have real challenges while still finding a way to keep her ever-present fun and lighthearted banter that I love in her writing. Her books are always a comfort read for me because I know I'm going to get laughter, friendship and the HEA I'm such a fan of. Plus, I always love her romantic pairings in her books (this one focuses on Maze and Walker). They are always an enjoyable read.

I read The Forever Girl in one day. I couldn't put it down and am excited, as always, for more from this author. I would recommend this book to fans of Susan Mallery and Kristan Higgins. A solid 5 star read.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed Easy-to-read Entertaining Funny Great world building Happily Ever After Page-turner Romantic Steamy Tear-jerker Tragic Wonderful characters

This was an enjoyable read about a group of once-family, now-barely-friends. Heather, Cat, and Walker all appeared to have remained in touch while Maze disappeared to make everyone else breathe easier. Except, no one really breathed easier. They all have secrets and pain and worries just begging to be set free. So when one thing after another pushes them all closer to either a breaking point or true reconciliation, it feels like half victory, half misery until Walker gets himself together, Maze can face her fears, Heather can be a little more honest, and Cat finds her voice at her very last minute.

Overall, I liked this read. It didn’t take much for me to feel the pain and awkwardness of Maze, and it certainly held my attention. I wanted to cry for all of them at one point, so I’m glad there was realistic happiness to be found here.

I really enjoyed this book about 3 past foster kids and the girl from the family they stayed with for a year until a tragedy broke them apart. It is about how they have moved on and learn to forgive themselves. Another great one by Shalvis and look forward to the next one

A touching story about Maze and Walker who were together in a foster home and the bond they made with the foster family as well as Cat and Heather (other children that were there). Being put in the foster system, they have trust issues that follow them into their adult lives. This is about how they reunite for a wedding and all try to overcome those issues. I received an ARC from NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for my honest review.

Maze, Cat, Heather, and Walker were once siblings - if not of blood, then of the heart. A terrible tragedy tore the four apart, and now they are pulled together once again with the hope of healing. Shalvis' trademark humor is evident, but so is the true pull of love that runs between this family, as each discover that everyone has secrets, but that those who love you can keep you safe.

Jill Shalvis is a great writer. I look forward to reading her books. It took me quite awhile to warm up to The Forever Girl. The main characters all had major hang ups and the groom seemed checked out. The story was disjointed during the first part of the book, but it finally smoothed out. Most of the scenes are zany and eccentric. I was all in for Walker, however. Tall, dark, and calm had me at the first page he was introduced. Heather was my next favorite character followed by Jace. I couldn't warm up to Maze or Cat. It was a good story and the ending was completely Shalvis worthy.

4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this contemporary romance. It dealt with tragedy, heartbreak, family, friendship, second chances, and love. The writing of Jill Shalvis created a roller coaster ride of emotions that made this layered tale engaging, humorous, tear jerking and so very heart warming.

I read the blurb and knew that this story sounded wonderful in my mind. I don’t want to tell you about the tragedy because it’s a major part of the story and the feelings it evokes should be found out organically.

I will say I loved all the characters.....Caitlin, Maze, Heather and Walker. Their dynamics with each other created wonderful feelings. Some good, some bad, some happy, some sad but always there was a sense of family and love for one another.

If you want to smile, laugh, cry, sigh, and love, The Forever Girl is the book for you.

This is the sixth book in the Wildstone series but it really is a stand alone novel. Having read other books in this series, I can honestly say the only thing they really have in common is their setting. This book really illustrates that family doesn't have to be those that you are related to by blood. For one year, three foster children got to be a part of a wonderful loving family, until tragedy struck. Afterwards, none of them were ever the same. Now years later, they are reunited once again for a wedding. The question is, can any of them really be as close as they once were? And furthermore, can any of them manage to make peace with their past in order to find future happiness?
This was a very enjoyable novel that I would more closely classify as women's fiction rather than romance. While there was a romantic element, that was almost secondary to the inter-personal relationships of the entire group, Each character had their own issues to work out, in addition to issues between the characters. And while there were some difficult topics that were covered, the author did a great job of handling them with sensitivity without letting the reader get too bogged down. All in all, a very enjoyable read which has become the norm every time I pick up a Jill Shalvis book. Even if this wasn't as light-hearted as her romances!

This heartwarming story really touched me. It has its ups and downs of children that grew up in the foster system and finally found their forever home and parents until tragedy hit and then again became separated.

Maze, Heather and Walker came to live with Jim and Sherry and their two biological children, Caitlin and Michael after they had been in several foster homes. Maze was always a trouble maker and went to many foster homes. Heather was always sweeter. Walker was too serious and didn’t say much. However, after living together as a family, they became siblings. Caitlin became the mother-hen always wanting to take care of them. When tragedy hit and their home burned down, with Walker unable to save young Michael, they were scattered again going to separate foster homes. It tore them apart.

Now as adults, they are reuniting in Wildstone for Caitlin’s wedding to Dillon. Their lives have changed, some for the better and some not so much. Maze for one realizes she still has strong feelings for Walker. Heather has a three year old daughter with no support from anyone. Walker left Special Forces and now works for the FBI. As they try to come together as the family they once were, there are obstacles that could separate them again.

This was a beautiful story told like only Jill Shalvis can do.

First, I have read every book in this series and loved them all. Second, this book can stand alone and you do not have to have read the series to read this book. Third, for me this is not a beach read or a light read. I do not find reading about abused or mistreated children, animal or the elderly light reading. I had to lay this book down many times and come up for air because of the emotional content of what I was reading. The writing will suck you in and have you living this book right along with the characters. And no it was not explicit but the writing is such that you will feel their pain. You will want to hug these characters and tell them everything is going to be ok, and you will wish you could have protected them as children. About half way through I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the book and could not stop reading until it was finished. Well done Jill Shalvis!! Thank you NetGalley.

Jill Shalvis is one of my must read authors. She explores the complexities of relationships between an untraditional family and how their past shapes their thoughts about relationships. I would definitely recommend this book (& author). I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest review.