Six months after Lanie Jacobs’ husband’s death, it’s hard to imagine anything could deepen her sense of pain and loss. But then Lanie discovers she isn’t the only one grieving his sudden passing. A serial adulterer, he left behind several other women who, like Lanie, each believe she was his legally wedded wife.

Rocked by the infidelity, Lanie is left to grapple with searing questions. How could she be so wrong about a man she thought she knew better than anyone? Will she ever be able to trust another person? Can she even trust herself?

Desperate to make a fresh start, Lanie impulsively takes a job at the family-run Capriotti Winery. At first, she feels like an outsider among the boisterous Capriottis. With no real family of her own, she’s bewildered by how quickly they all take her under their wing and make her feel like she belongs. Especially Mark Capriotti, a gruffly handsome Air Force veteran turned deputy sheriff who manages to wind his way into Lanie’s cold, broken heart—along with the rest of the clan.

Everything is finally going well for her, but the arrival of River Green changes all that. The fresh-faced twenty-one-year old seems as sweet as they come…until her dark secrets come to light—secrets that could destroy the new life Lanie’s only just begun to build.

Amazing characters, family dynamics galore and just a downright FUN story! Jill Shalvis strikes again with the second book in her Wildstone series. I was enthralled from the start, captivated throughout and felt like I found home with this fun loving family! The main characters are kind, loving souls who each have had their lives turned upside down and watching them connect and grow closer was magical. I loved the surrounding family just as much. Great read!

Lanie Jacobs has been in turmoil for a few months now. Her husband died totally unexpectedly six months ago, then she found out he was a lying cheat and had several other “wives” scattered around keeping additional beds warm for him. She’s finding it hard to get past it all, so when a job opportunity comes up that will get her out of the region and out of her own head for a couple of months, she jumps at the chance and starts a position at Capriotti Winery. She soon finds comfort in a tight-knit yet boisterously crazy family who take her under their wing and treat her like one of their own. She’s particularly enthralled by sexy single dad Mark!

Deputy sheriff Mark Capriotti is captivated with Lanie from the first moment he sets eyes on her. He had his life all sorted out as a career military guy until his wife up and left and he had to come home and make a different sort of life work with his twin daughters. He’s far from bitter because he is blessed with so much love from those precocious little angels, but there’s still something missing from his life … and one look at Lanie leads him to believe he might have found the missing link!