Love for Beginners: A Novel

Written by Jill Shalvis

Narrated by Erin Mallon

USA TODAY BESTSELLER

What would you change if you had to start your life—and love life—over again?

When Emma Harris wakes up from a coma she learns that her fiancé and her BFF have fallen in love, she’s lost her job, and the life she knew is gone. Overwhelmed but grateful to be alive she starts over from scratch. Not as easy as it sounds, of course. But she’s never been a quitter, even if she wishes she could quit rehab, where her hot but evil physical therapist, Simon, puts her through the wringer. 

Eager for a new beginning, Emma opens a doggy day care. Unfortunately, the only space she can afford is owned by her childhood nemesis Ali Pratt. But hey, she’s been through worse, right? She tries to roll with the punches, but a friend drops his grandpa off at the doggy day care in desperation then on top of that, she and Ali bring the term ‘frenemies’ to a whole new level. And then another grandparent shows up. And another.

In the midst of all that, Emma realizes she’s accidentally fallen for Evil PT. But the most horrifying thing of all is that Ali just might have turned into the best friend she’s ever had. And as Emma grows from the pain of her past and takes on her new path, she comes to realize that life isn’t what you’re given, it’s what you make of it. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jun 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063025462

Jill Shalvis

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning novels wherever books are sold and visit her website, jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Reviews for Love for Beginners

[geauxgetlit · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Jill Shalvis book, but it will not be my last. Emma who awakens from a Coma, has lost everything. Her Hot evil PT is Simon, whom she has known for most of her life. Ali, Emma’s high school nemesis, moves into her building.
Emma and Simon discover they have feelings for each other. Emma and Ali, calls a truce and opens up a business together.
This was a story of losing everything, but being resilient enough to gain so much more than you had before.

[carolesrandomlife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was great! Over the past several years I have become a huge fan of Jill Shalvis’s writing so there was never a question as to whether I would want to read this book. I have had great luck with these books set in Wildstone and this book was no exception. The Wildstone series can be read in any order since they are really stand-alone novels set in the same town. I enjoyed getting to know the group of characters featured in this book.Emma is finally ready to start her life over. She survived a terrible accident and has had to fight hard to get where she is. While she was in a coma, her best friend and fiance hooked up with each other so she has had to learn how to make her body do what she wants it to do and find a different support system. She moves into an apartment that her physical therapist told her about. Simon, her physical therapist, lives with his father in the same building and sparks fly every time Emma and Simon cross paths. Emma soon encounters someone from high school that she did not get along with, Allie, who also happens to be Simon’s cousin. Allie is dealing with her own issues in the romance department. Allie and Emma form an unlikely partnership and decide to open a doggy day care.I loved the characters in this book. All of the key characters have had a lot to deal with and are doing their best to move forward. I loved the fact that we get two romances in this book. Emma and Simon had fantastic chemistry with each other and I thought that they made a fantastic pair. We don’t see quite as much of Allie and Ryan but I loved seeing them work things out. Simon’s father, Dale, had his own challenges as a result of a stroke and I loved what he added to the story. And the dogs! Hog and Killer were both great characters with distinct personalities and they both played a large part in the story.I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this book had the perfect amount of romance, humor, and wonderful characters. I will definitely be reading more of Jill Shalvis in the future.I received a digital review copy of this book from William Morrow via NetGalley.

[n.w.moors-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Emma was hit by a car and went into a coma. When she woke up, she has to rebuild her life. She's in rehab with her cute but tough PT Simon and needs to find a new apartment (her old one is now occupied by her ex-BFF and her ex-fiance), a new job, and a new life. Simon helps her but he's pretty overwhelmed himself with his dad who had a stroke, his dad's company, and all the other responsibilities heaped on him. And there's his grumpy cousin Ali who was Emma's enemy in high school.It's a lovely story about relationships, family, and friendships. Oh, and lots of dogs and eccentric but kind older people. The romance shares the stage very nicely with the friendships which really deepened the story for me. It's a quick and excellent read.

[fredreeca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Emma has suffered a terrible injury. She has been in a coma and has struggled through rehab and is still struggling to get her body and her life back on track. While she was in a coma her fiancé and her best friend fell in love. So, on top of everything else, she has to find a new place to live and a new job. She moves into a place owned by Simon. Simon is her evil physical therapist. But, there is something there…could these two make a go after all Emma has been through.Jill Shalvis has become one of my “go to” authors. She has some of the best one liners and quips, great animals and her characters are so relatable.In this story, my favorite character is Dale. Dale is Simon’s Dad. And he is a character and a half. He doesn’t like pants and he will say anything that comes to his mind. Needless to say, any scene with Dale in it, had me laughing out loud. Plus there is Hog, a St Bernard/Chewbacca mix and Killer, a 6 pound Yorkshire terrier. These two have some of the funniest interactions.And finally there is Simon, Emma and Alison. These three all have different issues to overcome. I was reeled in by this story surrounding their lives.Not only did this story have me laughing at the antics of Dale, it also brought to life the strength of body and mind needed to overcome a horrific injury.I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.