If you’re like me you have moods. Sometimes I yearn for a good old fashioned historical romance with dukes and counts giving up their evil ways for that one woman who makes them whole. Other times I can’t get enough blood sucking and sex with dead guys. And then there are moments where nothing but a good contemporary will capture my attention. When it comes to contemporary – I may not be all that hip. I like my furnishing to be on the eclectic rustic American side; you will never see me in short shorts with boots - unless it’s the middle of summer and I suddenly find myself in a flash flood; and the only tattoo I’m ever gonna have is the rub off kind from a bubble gum wrapper. But, I do love me some contemporary romance.
I satisfied my need this week with Jill Shalvis. I love this author. She has a way of drawing me into a story and tugging on my heart. She MAKES me fall in love with her characters. In Animal Attraction – the 2nd book in her new series, (did I say the word series? Yes! *fist pump*! )- tall, dark sexy Veterinarian Dell Connelly has what it takes to lure any animal into a giving state of mind. He’s a whisperer, and his ability to talk to animals and make them feel calm, is the same ability he uses to make almost any human feel at ease. He has all the attributes any woman would put on her this-is-the-man-I-must-have-a-serious relationship-with list. Even his receptionist, Jade, the queen of lists, has a special note on her spreadsheet; “Stop thinking about Dell.” But, like every other woman in Sunshine, Idaho, that’s next to impossible. While Dell and Jade ‘dance’ around each other, we find they’re both hiding something and it’s preventing them from moving forward - in life and with each other. Why has Jade run from her impressive job and salary in Chicago and settled at the Belle Haven Clinic in the middle of nowhere? And why does Dell have a string of one-night stands with no hopes of ever having a relationship? Animal Attraction isn’t as ‘neat’ as all that, there are a several layers and some very hot moments the reader has to get through before we discover what’s keeping these two from a happily ever after. 
The hero has all the strength that’s come to define a romance hero – yet he has none of the hubris that turns me off. He cares first, last and always, and that’s what makes his character irresistible. Jade, the heroine, doesn’t have a spine at the start of book, but by the end, her backbone and her ability to love makes her the kind of woman I love to read about..
Animal Attraction will make you warm all over, and with two more books in the series it will have you wondering why the heck you haven’t packed up and moved to Sunshine, Idaho.
If you haven’t read Jill Shalvis before – you’ve got a whole lot of romance to fall in love with.
What’s the most important attribute for a heroine? Does she have to smart? Strong? Sexy?
Maria Lokken is an avid romance reader and an award winning television producer
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