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
Rumor Has It
by
Jill Shalvis
contemporary romance in eBook edition that was published by Berkley on November 5, 2013 and has 281 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Beach Blanket Bad Boys, Instant Attraction, Instant Gratification, Instant Temptation, The Night Before Christmas, "Under the Mistletoe", Animal Magnetism, It Had to Be You, Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, Animal Attraction, 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
Fourth in the Animal Magnetism romance series based in Sunshine, Idaho, and revolving around the doctors at Belle Haven, a local animal center, their families, and friends. The couple focus is on Kate Evans and Grif Reid.
In 2013, Rumor Has It was nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Contemporary Love & Laughter.
My Take
It’s definitely a Jill Shalvis — sweet and cozy with a nice twist with the nerdy, fact-spouting science teacher, lol. I did love Kate. She sounds like a fabulous teacher and very inspiring for her kids. She’s also shyly forward about going after what she wants; it’s a nice growth period for her. The twist that Shalvis gives this is with Kate really holding to her promise of just one night is beautiful. It sets up some fun confusion for Grif.
As for her “take advantage of me” stance, oh, boy. I cannot believe that someone as smart as she is allows her family to use her like this, that she doesn’t see how she is not helping them. A weekly stack of casserole dishes? I can’t believe her brilliant dad can’t figure out how to make Kate take her life back. Yes, that’s sarcasm…
I do, however, love Kate’s tolerance and acceptance of people’s foibles. There’s no real reason to prevent Tommy from indulging himself in the Green Arrow. She tries to help that nasty bullying little boy. She simply accepts everyone. But she doesn’t accept excuses as Dustin’s daddy finds out! I love that she holds her ground with him. What is with that guy that he’s so selfish-minded?
I do adore Tommy; he’s got some lovely responses to Dustin’s taunts.
Talk about holding a grudge! His dad has got the biggest chip — heck, tree trunk — on his shoulder and never resists the chance to pound on Grif. And we find out one of the whys. Oh. Boy. I can understand Grif’s confusion and pain, and I love how mature Kate is in all this.
They’re building a gazebo on the day of the wedding? What is with Holly that she cannot wait until the end of the school day?? I wanna bitch-slap her.
Oh, damn, this one is so funny…that Tommy is such a cutie. I sure hope Shalvis keeps this series going long enough for Tommy’s story. I mean, how can you resist:
“‘Your shoes are on the wrong feet,’ she said.
Tommy looked down at himself.
Kate waited.
But Tommy just scratched his head. ‘But I don’t have any other feet.'”
Then there’s Grif. Hot, bad-ass, and a man-‘ho. You’ll crack up with his memories of high school, lol. When career day comes around at the school, well, let’s just say that Grif makes a great impression and delivers some good lessons
What can I say? I love this one, it’s a buy.
The Story
It’s Holly’s wedding — and insistence — that brings Grif home for his sister’s wedding, one in which Kate is Holly’s best friend and maid of honor. A distraction that both appeals and repels Kate, especially when she has the added distraction of that scholarship for the science education program in San Diego.
She does want it, but who would care for everyone while she was gone?
As for Grif, he begins to feel the appeal of Sunshine, so different from how he felt when he was younger when his father was expecting him to take over his ranching operations. There’s also the appeal of the sexy and smart Kate…
The Characters
Sweet, warm, loving Kate Evans is a second-grade teacher and descends into a babble of fact-spouting when nervous. She’s also an enabler and uses caring for her family to avoid her own issues. Tommy is her sweet and nerdy little brother. Ashley is the Evil Teen, a teenager in all the worst senses. Eddie is her dad. Her hopeless, helpless biologist dad too absorbed in his own grief and his addiction to deal with his family. Channing-Tatum is the bedraggled kitten Ashley adopted.
Discharged on a medical and recovering from his wounds, Grif Reid, an army demolitions expert in Special Ops, has been the object of Kate’s fantasies since she was young. Holly is his sister and getting married (see Rescue My Heart, 3) to Dr. Adam Connelly. Donald Reid is his gruff, undemonstrative father running Reid Ranching. He thinks. Thing One and Thing Two are his dad’s golden retrievers. Deanna is his dad’s girlfriend. Woodrow is a horse with a sense of propriety, well maybe just needin’ attention.
Ryan Stafford is Kate’s second-best friend, an ex-boyfriend, and the principal at her school. He’s also her morning chauffeur since Kate gives Ashley her car to drive to school. The bullying Dustin is one of the students in Kate’s classroom along with Tasha, Nina, Tucker, Gwendolyn, Jessica, Meggie, and Mikey. Glenna is the school lunch lady.
Trevan Anders is Dustin’s bullying jerk of a dad; Emily is his angry mother. Meg is the clerk at the convenience store. Miranda Brown is Holly’s cousin and a bridesmaid. She’s also a major bitch and sends Mr. Nevins to Kate. Olivia, Jade (she’s since married Dr. Dell Connelly after Animal Attraction, 2), and Lila (she married Brady Miller after Animal Magnetism, 1) are more friends of Kate’s. Joe Rodriguez (he’s with ATF) is a friend of Grif’s, inviting him to D.C. Larry is a homeless guy Kate sometimes helps. Kel is the local sheriff. Dr. Wyatt is also with Belle Haven.
The Cover and Title
The cover is dark in color, but fun with Grif and Kate tummy-to-tummy and holding hands from chin to feet as, I’m guessing, Things One and Two look on. I almost expected to see Tommy in a dog suit…
I’m not sure where the title comes from. It could be that Rumor Has It pertains to Kate actually doing some off-line dating. Who knew?
