Early Review of It Had to Be You (Lucky Harbor, #7) by Jill Shalvis

• Title: It Had to Be You (Lucky Harbor)
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Contemporary Romance
• Format: Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (May 28, 2013)
• ISBN-10: 1455521124
• ISBN-13: 978-1455521128
• Author's Website: http://jillshalvis.com/
• Notes: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of the book so quotes will need to be checked against the final version.
• 
  

Have you ever been the last person to know? 

Ali Winters has been dating Ted for four months and the two even lived together, but Ted, unbeknownst to her, told everyone she was just his roommate. When the two attend an event one evening, she sets off to find him and hears him in the throws of passion with another woman in his office. Humiliated and disgusted all at once, she doesn't even bother to look to find out who he is with. She decides she'll get her satisfaction by leaving him. Unfortunately, even that luxury is taken away when hours later he sends her a text telling her their relationship just wasn't working and breaks up with her. She's mad, but what really set her dander a flutter was that within the same text message he lets her know that he isn't renewing their lease, and oh, by the way, the lease expired the night before. So, as she can't get a hold of the dirty rotten scoundrel, she did what any normal, sane woman would do, she tells him exactly what she thinks of him and his breakup text in a note. Which she left on his desk. In plain view. Where anyone can see.

When money, thousands of dollar's worth, is found to be missing from Ted's office later that day, she is the first person everyone suspects. She had access, motive, and there was no denying she'd been at the scene of the crime. Now she needs to clear her name. Lucky for her the house she'd been leasing with Ted was owned by Luke Hanover, a detective from San Francisco police department...

Luke Hanover had come back to Lucky Harbor to get away from it all and everyone. A case that had ended tragically had taken its toll on him. He needed time to collect himself and come to terms with what had happened. The last thing he expected to find in the kitchen of his house was a half naked woman...

     "It's just one bad day," she whispered while standing in the perfect position for him to pat her down for weapons. 
     Not that she was carrying--well, except for that lethal bod.
     "Just one really rotten, bad @ss day," she repeated softly and Luke had to disagree. 
     "Not from where I'm standing," he said.

He could have thrown her out, but decided she could stay one night. As fate would have it, Ali's luck was about to change. What Luke couldn't have known, was his was about to too--for the better because Ali Winters wasn't the only one who needed saving.

When you find that special someone even if it takes a while, in the end you just know--It had to be you.

As with all of Ms. Shalvis' books, this was a delightful blend of romance, drama, and humor. It's the seventh book of the Lucky Harbor series, but don't worry. It can be read as a stand alone book without feeling you've missed anything crucial from another book. Be warned, however, these books are like Lay's Potato chips--I bet you can't stop at just one. They are highly addictive. 

This was such a cute book. Ali is a sweet and loyal person who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up looking extremely guilty. What was frustrating to her was that people who knew her had to ask if she'd done it. While her mother and sister may have had a few run ins with the law, Ali had managed to keep herself on the straight and narrow. With all the evidence pointing in her direction, she'll need more than just the truth to set her free. She needs to figure out who, besides herself, held a grudge against Ted. As the investigation gets underway, Ted's dirty little secrets start to come to light. Whoever the woman was in Ted's office was, she wasn't the only one. Ted, had been having affairs with several women. The question is, did someone else find out about the others and want revenge? If Ali hadn't gotten in the way, Ted would have been the prime suspect.

Detective Lieutenant Luke Hanover is gorgeous and has come back to Lucky Harbor for the first time in years. Both good and bad memories exist in the town where he'd spent his childhood summers with his grandmother. He's run to Lucky Harbor because he feels he'd let down a woman who was part of an investigation he was conducting. He feels his failure to apprehend a suspect resulted in her death. Ironically, he'd fled Lucky Harbor years ago under similar circumstances. Perhaps that is what entices him to help Ali--he's positive he can help her. Little does he know, however, she'll help him see that running doesn't bring a person peace or closure. She'll make him see that sometimes the first step in healing is forgiving yourself because the 'should of', 'would of', 'could of' in life will never change what was. Life just has a way of happening. 

Overall, I gave this one 4  out of 5 roses. A feel good story that left me smiling and cheerful for the rest of the day. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of the series:

Novellas: