Title: Animal Magnetism (Animal Magnetism #1)
Author: Jill Shalvis
Date of publication: 1 February 2011
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 3 stars

It's Brady's nature to resist being tied down, but there's something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more.

My review

This was the weakest book of the series for me. I liked it, just not as much as the rest. It set the stage for the whole series and gave us a rather convincing background for all the stories to unfold, but I had some issues with the characters, especially with the heroine, Lilah.

I liked Brady's character a lot. He is a wanderer who never stayed at one place long, yet he was so drawn to Lilah and all her craziness that he gradually came to re-evaluate his stance on being ted down to one place and more importantly, to one person. The progression in his change of heart was gradual and felt natural. i enjoyed his interactions with Dell and Adam and the they they revealed so much about all of them. I just have to mention Brady's communication of with his dog, Twinkles, because it was simply hilarious.

My problem with this book was Lilah. She was an interesting character, wild, determined, yet she was badly hurt in the pat and this made her insecure and distrustful. I sympathize with her, yet I was annoyed how easily she accepted the temporary nature of her relationship with Brady. She seemed so at ease with the idea that he was leaving eventually and I felt this contradicted with her character. At times I felt she didn't believe things between them could be permanent and she didn't even care to try to have something more with him.

The supporting characters, as always with Ms Shalvis, were amazing and added so much background to the story creating a whole vibrant community of friends and family around the main characters.

My final complaint is that the sex scenes, though very hot, seemed a bit excessive towards the end of the book. They didn't add anything much to the story.

*** *** ***

Jade Bennett couldn't be happier to escape her past for the quiet ranching town of Sunshine, Idaho. Plus, there's nothing like working for veterinarian Dell Connelly. And though Dell has no intention of settling down, Jade's strength and sass are enticements no red-blooded male can resist.

My Review

The second book tells the story of Dell and Jade who came to Sunshine and Dell's clinic to escape her past in Chicago. The blurb for this one is rather vague but the main conflict in this story came from Dell's commitment issues and Jade's struggle to cope with the consequences of an attack she has suffered. 

I loved both main characters in this book, something that rarely happens for me. Jade was amazing, strong and vulnerable at the same time. Dell was a little misguided and lost as to how to deal with his feelings for her, but he was just adorable. Just like Brady, he suffers from abandonment issues and is completely inept at the relationship game.

Like Brady and Lilah, Jade and Dell both felt strong attraction to one another, yet they were wary of making a long-term commitment. It took them quite a while to admit to themselves and to each other what they really want. The constant going back and forth in their interaction felt over the top at some point, still they made a very entertaining couple to read. 

Brady and Lilah also make appearances at the right times to perfectly perfectly Jade and Dell's story. And there is also the brooding, silent Adam - the best brother there can be :) 

Overall, this book was a worthy sequel to book 1 and set the stage for Adam to find his girl as well. 

*** *** ***

After a tragic stint in the National Guards, Adam Connelly returns to Idaho and to Belle Haven, the animal shelter he owns with his brothers. All Adam wants is to be alone. Then he opens the door to the past—the woman whose heart he once broke. Still gorgeous, still tough-as-nails, but this time, unusually vulnerable.

Holly Reid learned the hard way to never depend on a man for anything. Now, of all men, it’s the last one she wants to see, and the only one she needs. Her father has gone missing in the Bitterroot Mountains and she could use someone with tracking skills to help find him.

For Holly and Adam, each with their ghosts, a trek this desperate, this unpredictable, and this intimate, will have its share of risks—including opening their hearts one more time.



This is my favourite book of the three. I just loved Adam and Holly and the fact that they had history between them made their romance very emotionally charged. It was a true second chance love story which I really enjoyed. I felt there was more depth to this characters, their story was more complex than the others.

Adam is battling with PTSD and is reluctant to form relationships with people other than his really close circle of family and friends, for fear of disappointing them. He has a history (painful for both of them) with Holly but the chemistry between them is very much alive despite everything.

Holly was a great character. Despite her own personal issues and disappointments in life, she had the strength and determination to fight for her love. I liked how certain she was of her feelings and how she acted on them without hesitation.

They overcame the hurts from the past, learned from their mistakes and were able to move on and be there for the each other. It was a emotionally-charged journey for both of them, affecting the people around them a well.

Of course, the rest of the gang was here, as well, all of them already happily in love. Now came the turn of Holly's brother, Griffin, and her friend, Kate, to find the way to one another and to their happiness in the next instalment of the series, Humor Has It.