This is the 8th book in the Heartbreaker Bay series. Ivy and Kel are both guarded and reluctant to take a chance on love due to their difficult pasts, however their attraction is undeniable. As with all of Ms. Shalvis' books, this one is sexy, heartwarming, funny and original. I especially loved the banter between Ivy and Kel and Ivy's inner dialogue. Jill Shalvis makes her characters come alive. The involvement of the rest of the Heartbreaker Bay friends and family as well as the relationships of Kel with his sister and mother and Ivy with her brother also added another layer to an already hard-to-put-down book. ( )

Listened to audio narrated by Erin Mallon.

Kel is a sheriff on administrative leave. He's come to California to help his cousin with some security issues and to heal from injuries. He has trust issues and has kept himself removed from entanglements because of lies and betrayals in his life by his mother, his partner and his job.

Ivy is trying to settle down and build a life after living a nomadic lifestyle, due to a flakey mom and a sketchy brother. She also doesn't do entanglements and she certainly doesn't want anything to do with a cop. She's building her business with her taco food truck and has plans for her future.

These two seem unlikely but Kel's steady, supportive manner brings hope to Ivy, that maybe she can open up and begin to feel again. After all his support it did seem odd that he jumped to nasty conclusions during his investigation. I can understand him having questions and doubts but the fact that he approached her as if guilty before hearing her out seemed out of character given his behavior towards her throughout the book.

This is a sweet holiday romance with most of the Heartbreaker crew making appearances. There's love, rebuilding trust and repairing damaged family relationships. Somethings worked well and gave me warm happy feelings but there were also a few discordant notes for me.

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Jill Shalvis adds to the Heartbreaker Bay series with a new story of 2 very damaged people Kel and Ivy. Neither one are very trusting and both are hiding secrets. Both are loners who don't get close to friends or family. He is estranged from the mother who dropped him and his sister off with their grandparents as children and then didn't come back until they were grown. She has a brother who always is skirting the law and turning up at his siter's only when he needs her help (aka money).
With 2 people who are so walled off it is hard to see how they ever got together but they manage to work themselves into each other's hearts even though both would deny it.
When her brother does something unforgivable will it break them up or draw them closer together?
I received an advanced copy of this book.
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2.5 stars

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Ivy has been on her own since she was sixteen but lately, she wants to put some roots down. She's slowly starting to warm up to her group of friends and the new guy Kel, is catching her eye.
Kel is on leave from his job as a sheriff after being betrayed by one of his cops. When his cousin introduces him to Ivy, he's instantly attracted to her and her spicy tacos.
Ivy and Kel have family drama and they're both scared to open up but they just can't stay away from each other.

She wanted him. Quite badly, if her racing pulse meant anything. He was so . . . what, exactly? Steady? Tough? Intense and yet somehow easygoing, not to mention also extremely easy on the eyes?

Eighth in the Heartbreaker series, Wrapped Up in You gives a little bit of a crossover with Kel from the Animal Magnetism series. I haven't read any other books in Heartbreaker and that might have hurt some of the emotional connections I was missing. Characters that were stars from previous books, acting as secondary characters here, were never overwhelming to me as a newcomer but I never fully felt the friendship between the women and Ivy or a emotional familial connection between Kel and his cousin. Kel and Ivy spend the majority of the time together and are the focus, which works for highlighting their relationship, but it hurt my feeling their connection to the world Shalvis has created.

Kel's background in Idaho and all the drama that went down there happened away from this book and his utter lack of desire to return to what was his home gave more of missing piece to his character for me rather than emphasizing his desire to stay in California for and with Ivy and his family. His family drama with his mother also felt tacked on as I struggled to get a sense of Kel, let alone his secondary family members and their relationship.

I connected with Ivy's character more, her family drama and relationship with brother provided some end of story angst. I would have liked more scenes with her and her friends to get more of a feel and emotional connection to why she suddenly wanted to put down roots in this city (as a new reader to the series, something that continuous readers might have a better feel for).

But he slowly pulled back and ran a thumb along her jawline. “I knew you were going to be trouble the very first moment I laid eyes on you.”
“Hello, I’ve been trying to tell you that very thing!”
Snatching her hand in his, he grinned at her, a very sexy, very naughty grin, as if maybe he thought she was the very best kind of trouble, and led her through the alley to his truck.

Ivy and Kel had an immediate attraction and they act on wanting each other pretty quickly; I think it was around 20% the question of if they're a “we” was being discussed. I personally enjoy more of a building up and thought their relationship lacked the certain fun and sexy vibe Shalvis can sometimes give her lead's relationship.

Overall, Shalvis stories are always readable but with Kel's seeing his mother cheat on his father and feelings of abandonment, Ivy's brother struggling with going straight and the slight danger element from this, and their two week romance that lead to a together forever I couldn't quite feel and believe in, this lacked the Shalvis joie de vivre that keeps me reading her books. ( )