I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Instant Gratification
by
Jill Shalvis
contemporary romance in Paperback edition that was published by Brava on July 1, 2009 and has 277 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Beach Blanket Bad Boys, Instant Attraction, Instant Temptation, The Night Before Christmas, "Under the Mistletoe", Animal Magnetism, It Had to Be You, Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, Animal Attraction, Rumor Has It, Rescue My Heart, It’s in His Kiss, Head Over Heels, Lucky in Love, , He's So Fine, At Last, One in a Million, Forever and a Day, Second Chance Summer, My Kind of Wonderful, "Wrapped in You", Get A Clue, The Trouble with Mistletoe, Chasing Christmas Eve, “One Snowy Night”, Rainy Day Friends, Merry and Bright, Always on My Mind
Second in the Wilder romance series revolving around the Wilder brothers who run Wilder Adventures near Lake Tahoe, Nevada in the town of Wishful. The primary couple focus is on Stone Wilder and Dr. Emma Sinclair with a secondary focus on Dr. Spencer Jenks and Serena Salvo.
My Take
I love the sense of caring and family that is all over this series. Yeah, they snap at each other and tease. They’re also there when the bad arrives. I love that the boys are doing something they love for a living — they get paid to play. And that’s how Emma sees Stone — as a mountain bum, but Shalvis uses the story to show Emma the real Stone. The one who volunteers for Search and Rescue, has the patience to work with troubled kids, handles the business side of the resort, holds his family and friends together.
Oh, there are some really emotionally stable people in this town! Doc wants to get to know his daughter and help her stop to smell the roses, but he refuses to pressure her into staying. Stone is the same way. He desperately wants her to stay, but it has to be her choice. And you know she needs to relax when she seriously thinks “you should be able to hang each piece of clothing as it comes off” before getting down and dirty.
I just love how Stone presents that list on how to be more easygoing and relaxed to Emma. Talk about making a lesson stick!
Okay, it makes no sense to me that the group buying the Urgent Care turns it into a B&B. WTF?
The Story
Arghh! There is nothing to do in this damn town! Nobody gets sick, nobody really needs help. And nobody will give her the time of day. They all ask if the doctor is in. What is she?? Chopped liver?? Then, what’s with all this outdoor stuff? Every body who comes in to the clinic is talking about bears — she’s already heard the coyotes out her back door! Ugh!
But then things start to heat up between Emma and Stone even as Emma does her best to push him away. Stone is determined to help her fit in and to learn to appreciate life. Even if it isn’t with him.
The Characters
Doctor Emma Sinclair is replacing her dad as the town doctor while he’s recovering from his heart attack. Her mother escaped Wishful when Emma was six and hasn’t been back but once. Now Dad, Doc Sinclair, is hoping to catch up on all the years he missed.
Stone Wilder handles the paperwork as well as leading groups, but his true love is in renovating old houses. Well, his career true-love, anyway. Although, that needle thing Emma keeps insisting on…
Annie Wilder is their aunt, the one who raised the kids after their mom ran off — we don’t count dad, he was a mean drunk. Now she’s the Wilder Lodge chef and has recently reconciled with her husband of 20 years, Nick who is their maintenance guy and helicopter pilot. T.J. Wilder is another brother who leads the groups interested in longer trips. He’s also in love with Harley, the town mechanic pursuing a degree in biology. But there’s something wrong in their universe. Serena Salvo is Cam’s ex-girlfriend who runs Wishful Delights, a bakery in town. Dr. Spence Jenks has shown up in Wishful as emotional support for Emma, with hopes of enticing her into a deeper relationship. Katie Kramer and Cameron Wilder are off exploring the world via extreme sports as they get to know each other better before they get married.
Chuck is still hanging around…only, he’s not a he. Missy Thornton is one of her patients and one of those who opens Emma’s eyes about Stone and her dad. Tucker Adams is one of the troubled kids Stone is helping — I love that some kids got into wilderness trouble because they were trying to ape the Wilder boys! They could have much worse role models and end up in worse trouble than poison ivy!
The Cover and Title
The cover is not what I expected. The guy is okay standing on the covered porch in his light-gray henley and short-sleeved black polo, but I’m missing on why there’s snow in the background when it’s June in the book.
The title makes no sense either as there is no Instant Gratification in this story. It’s long and drawn out with the very tentative Emma taking her time over her decisions. Heck, she’s taking her time over whether she’ll have anything to do with Stone!
