Review: At Last

Title:  At Last
Author:  Jill Shalvis
Genre:  Romance
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing
Release Date:  July 1, 2012
File Size/Pages:  352 pgs
Source:  NetGalley
Challenge(s):  n/a

My Rating:  3/5

Summary:  Amy Michaels loves her new life in Lucky Harbor. A waitress in the local diner, she's looking forward to her first weekend hike through the mountains. But when a wrong turn takes her off the trail, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers. And even though she's tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won't make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob.  A former cop whose life went south, Matt doesn't let anyone get too close. But something about the feisty beauty caught his eye the moment he first saw her in the diner. After a hot night under a starry sky, Matt can't deny their attraction-or the fact that for the first time in a long time, he feels the stirrings of something more. Now it's up to Matt to help Amy see that, no matter what is in their past, together they can build a future in Lucky Harbor.

Review:  I received this book through NetGalley, and although I haven't read the first four novels in the series, it didn't affect my opinion on this novel.  Amy, the main character, hasn't been in Lucky Harbor long, but she has definitely made quite an impression on Matt.  Amy has experienced a lot of problems in her childhood which has made her the tough girl that she is; when she gets lost on a trail, and has to be rescued by the oh so yummy forest ranger, Matt, both of their lives are changed forever.  I had a lot of mixed emotions about this book, it was difficult for me to get into this novel because I couldn't relate to Amy; it wasn't because of the issues she had been through, I just felt that her character was guarded, even to the readers.  Also, I get that this novel is a romance, I just felt as if there were way to many "romance" scenes; in my opinion, I felt as if I was reading an Erotica novel.  Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with reading a few love scenes here and there, I just felt there was a lot of them.  I never thought that cursing would be an issue for me, but again, I just think it may have been excessive.  My favorite character is Lucille, who is much older than Amy and Matt, but is a Facebook fanatic; the fact that she knows everyone's business made her hilarious and completely relatable.