Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis

Grade: A-

passion rating: hot

Jill Shalvis has a reputation for writing light, funny, sexy romances. Her latest, Animal Attraction, blows that reputation to smithereens. Make no mistake, Animal Attraction is funny and hot as hell. But it’s not light… it’s moving, empowering, and engaging. I've read it twice in the past month and both times it’s made me smile, sob, kiss my husband, and give my dog a big hug. It’s a great book.

Animal Attraction is the second in the Animal Magnetism series. The first book introduced readers to the protagonists of this tale, Jade Bennett and Dell Connelly, both of whom work at Belle Haven animal clinic in idyllic Sunshine, Idaho. Dell is the vet there; Jade, the office manager. Dell and Jade have been working together for the past eighteen months and have managed to keep their relationship strictly business. I don’t know how they did it. Dell is the sexiest, most appealing vet I’ve ever encountered. Despite all that, he’s a man afraid to love. Jade is equally grand. She’s wry, witty, and wounded — an ordeal in her past has made her almost cripplingly cautious. Watching the two become lovers considering love is bliss.

I relished this book. The world of Sunshine is utterly believable and yet — and this is hard to pull off — appealing. Ms. Shalvis writes marvelous dialog; her characters are interesting, realistic, amusing, and people I’d be pleased to hang out with. Dell’s rapport with his brothers Brady (the hero of Animal Magnetism) and Adam are worth the price of the book. The cleaning lady Bessie steals every page she’s on. And don’t even get me started on the animals. I hate cute with a passion and I enjoyed every non-human in this book… especially Peanut the parroting parrot.

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