Customer Reviews

The Street Where She Lives

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Ben Asher and Rachel Wellers are high school sweethearts that drifted apart. Each wanting things in life at the time, Ben went off to work, and Rachel stayed behind content that she was finally finding a place to call home. The only difference here is they have a daughter between them, and this makes it difficult for the two to totally walk away.

Thirteen years later, an accident has left Rachel needing of care, and her daughter decides to call in reinforcements. Those reinforcements being in the form of her father. Upon hearing of Rachel's accident, Ben returns to the place and woman he had left behind.

However, it is quickly discovered that Rachel's accident might not have been an accident at all, but someone looking for payback against Ben. The rest of the story follows the journey these two take to find love once again, even if they both fight it every step away.

Jill Shalvis writes an emotional story that sucks you in. The plot is believable, and the characters are ones you want to root for. I became engrossed in this story, and found myself picking up the book whenever I could and turning page after page. If you're looking for a good romance story with a side of suspense, this one definitely fits the bill.

Are dreams deferred dreams denied? Answer that question for yourself when you read ON THE STREET WHERE SHE LIVES.

When Ben and Rachel first got together, they dreamed of exploring the world, but she got pregnant, putting that on hold. However, Ben loves adventure, and Rachel sends him away, out of her life and the life of their daughter. Then, she is injured, unable to care for herself, and Emily, their daughter, calls out to Ben for help. Suddenly, he is part of their lives again, shaking up her stable romance and disrupting things in general.

Between vengeful drug lords and curious teenagers, Ben and Rachel's odds for getting back together might look shaky. Can he settle down, and even if that is possible, does Rachel still have a place in her heart for him?

***** Ms. Shalvis skillfully weaves international intrigue and domestic crises. Love and action blend smoothly to form a well thought out tale sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats and with warmed hearts. *****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore of Huntress Reviews

This was my favorite book of Jill Shalvis so far! It makes your heart tug for the characters. Jill really draws you in and the characters feel real. You can picture them as yourself in the situation and really feel what they feel. You will laugh, want to cry, and silently beg for them to make things work and go their way! Make sure you have plenty of time to read when you open to the first page, because you will NOT WANT TO PUT IT DOWN!

This is one of my favorite Jill Shalvis books. Rachel Wellers and Ben Asher were high school sweethearts but they wanted different things. Rachel grew up moving from town to town and wanted nothing more than to settle down in a town she could call home. Ben, on the other hand, can't wait to leave the town of South village that held several bad memories for him. While they obviously love each other, they can not agree on where they want to spend the rest of their lives even when they find out they have a baby on the way. Rachel stays in South village and raises their daughter, and Ben becomes a world traveling photo journalist. 13 years later, Rachel finds herself the victim of a hit and run and is not able to care for herself and her daughter Emily. Emily contacts her father to ask for his help. Ben realizes that he was actually responsible for Rachel's injuries which were really caused by an act of revenge by a criminal that Ben had exposed. Emily tries to throw her parents together with hopes of them falling back in love and getting married. Ben and Rachel try to fight it, but they both still have lingering feelings from there teenage romance. Through the course of caring for both Rachel and his daughter Ben realizes that he has been running from a home, but he finds that the idea of home is not so bad if you are surrounded by those you love. I'm trying not to give away too much of the story because it is definitely worth reading on your own.

In the Amazon, globetrotting photojournalist Ben Asher helps bring down murdering con artist Asada although the prisoner vows vengeance. However, he returns to reality when his twelve years old daughter Emmie calls pleading with him to come to South Village, California as her mother Rachel Wallers was severely injured in a car accident. He would have said no, but he learns that Asada escaped. He flies to California to keep the two females he loves safe.

Rachel wants out of the hospital after a month there because she needs the security that her first real home provides her. As a child she wandered the country as her father saved corporations from certain death. When Ben enters her hospital room, Rachel asks him to leave, but he refuses. This is the first time they have seen each other in thirteen years since she threw him out of her life. Ben takes Rachel home. As Asada's thugs close in on the trio, Ben and Rachel know they love one another and Emmie, but she needs roots and he needs the world.

Fans of complex relationship dramas with some minor related action will enjoy the return to South Village. The story line is at its most interesting when the lead protagonists skirmish over the safety of shelter that supports Dr. Maslow's hierarchy of needs as Rachel needs permanent shelter among her most significant first level requirements while self-actualization with minor shelter pulls Ben. Though the Asada subplot is more of a device to get the prime pair together, fans will of deep character studies will appreciate this tale.

Harriet Klausner