Replay: Author Interview and Fun Facts with Jill Shalvis

Lorelei Buzzetta Author

Catch the replay of my chat with romance author Jill Shalvis! We talk about her Colburn Brothers series, her writing journey, & quirky fun facts!

I'm so excited to share the highlights of my fabulous chat with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jill Shalvis!

What LTRB Club Members said about Jill Shalvis' visit:

"This was my first Jill Shalvis read but it definitely won’t be my last."

"Funny, engaging, and gracious!"

"It was an honor to have Jill Shalvis at our book club."

"Meeting Jill Shalvis was an absolute joy. She was warm and funny and brought a smile to me face. She's a wonderful writer and I can't wait to read more by her."

"Jill is a treasure. I really enjoyed how her love of writing shined through during the my event. I especially loved hearing the back stories."

"I had such a great time last night with your readers. They were so enthusiastic and had great questions, and were so much fun. I would love to come back any time!!!"

— Jill Shalvis, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

He Falls First and the Colburn Brothers 

Her beautiful Colburn Brothers series starts with He Falls First, set in the fictional coastal town of Star Falls, California. The inspiration came from a Tumblr photo of military men toasting a lost brother, which sparked the deep, emotional backstory for Ryder Colburn and his siblings, who are grieving the tragic loss of their best friend and business partner, Augie.

Add in a town legend about three falling stars predicting your soulmate, and you have the perfect setup for Ryder—a grumpy, emotionally closed-off contractor who has absolutely no intention of falling in love!

What to Expect in Her Books 

If you pick up a Jill Shalvis book, she promises her readers these staples:

Happily Ever Afters: Once she started writing romance, she knew a guaranteed HEA is an absolute must for every story.

Deep Heart and Soul: Her characters fall in love for their heart and soul, not just because they are gorgeous.

Dark Backstories & Humor: She often gives her characters deep, dark backstories, which allows her to find true, laugh-out-loud humor in the small, everyday moments to balance it out. (Oh, and there's usually a hilarious pet, like a parrot named Peekaboo who asks people about their poop!)

Fun Facts about Jill Shalvis 

I love asking our authors unique questions, and Jill shared some wonderful answers with us!

Her morning routine:

The very first thing she does is peel her giant dogs off her bed! Even though they aren't allowed on the bed, they somehow manage to "tiptoe" up while she's sleeping.

Weirdest thing she owns: 

She collects hilarious, oddly titled notebooks for each of her books, with titles like "Times I was right and nobody listened" and "Things I can't say out loud".

Hidden Talents & Hobbies: 

While she claims she is uniquely suited for nothing else besides writing, she is super outdoorsy! Living near Lake Tahoe, she loves to hike, ski, paddleboard, and boat.

Bucket List: 

She is currently on a romantasy reading kick and dreams of traveling to the UK to walk through real castles.

Drink of choice: 

She actually hates the taste of coffee (though she loves coffee-flavored candy!) and is an iced tea girl all the way.

HE FALLS FIRST

Book Description:

No one is going to convince her to fall in love again...

Ryder Colburn has his hands full running the family business and caring for the ailing father who’s a virtual stranger from the cold, heavy-handed man he used to be. He’s got zero free time for hobbies or women. Or so he thinks until one walks into his life… and the path of an oncoming car.

Ryder doesn’t mind playing the hero for the skittish, scarred chef Penny. Maybe it’s the secrets in her eyes or the scar on her chin. Whatever the reason, he’s compelled to get closer.

Penny’s learned her lesson and now she’s paying the price. That’s why she’s sharing a dilapidated house in a tiny California town with her feisty grandmother and tween brother living off the leftovers from her catering job. It’s a far cry from her dream life. But who needs dreams… or love… or sex when there’s amateur plumbing projects to tackle and breakfast casseroles to bake?

One thing’s for sure, she’s never falling in love again. Not even with the sexy, snarky contractor who keeps testing the walls she’s built.

My Review: 

If you need a new small-town romance, He Falls First by Jill Shalvis is a must-read. Here are my top highlights:

Small-Town Humor & Quirky Sidekicks

• Set in the charming town of Star Falls
• Two wonderfully messy, relatable families
• A hilarious comic-relief parrot 🦜
• Two adorable dogs, Calvin and Kline 🐶
• Laugh-out-loud antics and snarky brotherly love!

Deep Emotional Heart

• Real-life drama beneath the small-town fun

• Ryder: fiercely protective eldest brother carrying his family's burdens
• Penny: beautiful soul with a heart of gold, battling anxiety and trust issues
• Putting personal dreams of a café on the back burner to care for loved ones

Swoon-Worthy Chemistry & Growth

• Absolute perfection in character connection 💖
• Navigating shared struggles and challenging each other to grow
• Penny learning to trust her own self-worth
• Ryder realizing he doesn't have to carry the world alone
• A deeply satisfying, heart-melting happily-ever-after!

Add this one to your TBR for fierce family bonds and guaranteed swoons! 🥂📚

FREE FALLING 

Book Description:

These rivals are stuck with each other…

Retired hockey player Caleb Colburn needs this new construction project to go smoothly to prove he’s earned his place in the family business. There’s only one problem. The architect liaison assigned to the project is Emma Sumner. As in, the woman who made his life a living hell in college. Now, she’s back in town and already breathing down his neck on the job. Worse? She’s only gotten more beautiful.

Emma’s in love with the beautiful historic building they’re renovating. But her feelings toward project manager Caleb definitely lean more toward hate. Not only is the man making her job harder than it needs to be, he’s the one who took everything from her when she was at her most desperate. Not that she’d ever admit it out loud, but she’s never recovered.

Neither is willing to forgive and forget. But forced proximity and surprising common ground have these enemies starting to wonder just how fine the line between love and hate is. A burning mutual attraction adds complications for them both. Will anything be left standing when their secrets are finally revealed?

FALLING INTO YOU

Book description: 

Some love stories don’t stay buried, no matter how far you run.

Hazel Pierce has three goals for coming back to Star Falls:
1. Help her estranged dad.
2. Keep things strictly temporary.
3. Absolutely, under no circumstances, fall for Tucker Colburn again.

That plan dies a dramatic, soggy death when a rogue wasp sting sends Hazel swerving off the road and into the river—only to be hauled out, half-drowned and furious, by the Star Falls Fire Department’s finest. Unfortunately, “finest” is ex–best friend, ex–one-night mistake, and the man she’s been avoiding for a decade.

Tucker’s always had a way of getting into her head. And now between a family that thrives on gossip and a town that’s way too small for all this chemistry, Hazel’s running out of ways to avoid the truth. As sparks turn into late-night confessions and slow, toe-curling kisses, Hazel has to decide if she’s done running—from her past, from this town, and from the only man who’s ever made her feel like home. And Tucker has to prove that this time, he’s not just her safe place to crash—he’s her always.

About The Author

Jill Shalvis is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of more than 20 million books sold worldwide. Known for writing sexy, funny, and full-of-heart romances, her stories are filled with small-town charm, adventures, shenanigans, and swoony moments that keep readers coming back for more. 

When she isn’t writing, Jill can usually be found with iced tea in hand, chocolate within reach, and new happily-ever-afters on her mind. She lives in a quirky little mountain town near Lake Tahoe, surrounded by colorful characters (though any resemblance to the ones in her books are totally “coincidental)

Be sure to visit Jill's website at jillshalvis.com and sign up for her newsletter! 

Not only will you get fun updates and pictures of her pets and Tahoe snow, but you will also get exclusive bonus scenes for He Falls First and Free Falling that you can't find anywhere else!

Want to see what happened next?

If you want to catch the full interview and our private meeting with members of the LTRB Club, you can join today and watch it directly from the membership vault!

Categories: : Author Spotlight, Contemporary romance, Giveaway, Virtual Events