Always on My Mind

Always on My Mind by Jill Shalvis

After dropping out of pastry school and messing up her big break on a reality cooking show, Leah Sullivan needs to accomplish something in her life. But when she returns home to Lucky Harbor, she finds herself distracted by her best friend, Jack Harper. In an effort to cheer up Jack's ailing mother, Dee, Leah tells a little fib - that she and Jack are more than just friends. Soon pretending to be hot-and-heavy with this hunky firefighter feels too real to handle ...

No-strings attachments suit Jack just fine - perfect for keeping the risk of heartbreak away. But as Jack and Leah break every one of their "just friends" rules, he longs to turn their pretend relationship into something permanent. Do best friends know too much about each other to risk falling in love? Or will Jack and Leah discover something new about each other in a little town called Lucky Harbor?**

Leah hasn't finished anything in her life. She dropped out of college and pastry school and shes a runner. Whenever she feels something she runs. Even from her grandma. Her childhood was horrible and she took her fathers words with her.  Her one constant in life has always been her grandma, Elsie and her best friend Jack. Once upon time they tried to be more but she ran from that too. Now though she can't run, she started this pretend relationship and she has to see it through.  Try as she might, shes starting to want it to be a real relationship and it terrifies her. 

Jack is always there for Leah, she's his best friend. He was there when she was a kid and her dad was awful to her, he took care of her.  When they decided to try to be more and she ran it hurt more than he cared to think it did. Now that shes back in Lucky Harbor, and telling his mother that they are engaged, he can't keep her out of his mind. All he wants to do is break the rules they've set up, over and over again.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this story. Jack was just unfff. I mean seriously. Big and tall, firefighter and an all around good guy. He's a great friend to everyone and he takes care of his mama. Leah is a flake but you can't hate her for it. She is genuinely messed up from her dad berating her and calling her all kinds of names.  She was beat down at every turn and she can't help but believe she's deserves it all and no happiness. Loved seeing all the kooky cast of background characters that we've grown to love. I will be waiting for the next book eagerly.

**Goodreads summary