Review – The Love Fix

24 Tuesday Jun 2025

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The Love FIx

Sunrise Cove #8

by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

Welcome back to Sunrise Cove for this heartwarming enemies-to-lovers tale where found family, forgiveness, and love may just be the key to finding yourself, from New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis.

Lexi Clark’s life is falling apart around her, so when she’s summoned home to Sunrise Cove, the last thing she wants to do is face all the complications she left behind. Her past, her stepsister Ashley, and especially her infuriatingly gorgeous childhood nemesis-turned-crush Heath Bowman.

Yep, Lexi’s pretty sure being home again just might kill her. She’s an overachieving art appraiser who doesn’t believe in trust, love, or Happily Ever Afters. Free spirit Ashley, on the other hand, is so full of life it hurts to look at her. But Lexi can’t refuse Ashley’s plea to honor their late mother’s final wish to make amends with the people she’d wronged. So, on behalf of her estranged mother’s estate—and with Heath in tow as the executor—Lexi embarks on a road trip to repay all the people her gambling addicted mother owed money to.

Complicating everything are the feelings that well up for for her mom, for Ashley, and most of all, for Heath. And for the record, she doesn’t like it, or the way he has of scaling the walls she’s built around her heart. The road trip shenanigans that ensue are both funny and heartbreaking, but Lexi finds something shocking along the way. Acceptance. Family. And unbelievably—if you ask Lexi anyway—love.

Buy Links

PRINT: Word After Word Bookshop (For personally signed by the author copies — in checkout, put the name to sign to in the comment box)

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Bookshop, Books-a-Million

DIGITAL: Amazon, Amazon CA, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo

AUDIOBOOK: Audible

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*****

Review:

Lexi isn’t necessarily the easiest character to like but she’s got a lot of stuff to work through. From feeling abandoned by her mom, a cold dad, and a step family (her dad’s marriage) that was abusive … her childhood wasn’t easy and it left plenty of scars. Causing her to find it difficult to let herself make connections with others.

She’s at a low point, after a bad relationship that ended up with her losing her job, when her stepsister (from her mom’s marriage) calls her home to fulfill a request from her mom’s will. Forcing her to come to terms not only with her relationship with her mom, but her relationship with Ashley. And her complicated attraction to Heath.

Heath had to work at it but he’s made a life for himself that he can feel good about. He’s got a grip on who he is, his place in the town, and his emotions. Then Lexi comes back and shakes everything up.

Shalvis does a good job of mixing humor and emotional growth. Both Heath and Lexi, and Ashley, have a lot to deal with and it takes a long time for them, especially Lexi, to get their shhhh-tuff together. Their journey reveals a lot – things about themselves, each other, and the assumptions they’ve made about the past. But together they can come to terms with it all and create a future.

(This is a series but because they are interconnected with a place, not people, these are truly stand alones.)

Review – Better Than Friends

21 Tuesday Jan 2025

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Old flames reignite in Sunrise Cove in this charming enemies-to-lovers, second-chance, small-town, forced-proximity love story about family, friendships, and true love from New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis.

Better Than Friends

Sunrise Cove series

by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

When Olive Porter’s off-the-grid parents go missing, she reluctantly seeks out Noah Turner, her ex and the only person she both trusts implicitly and not at all.

As a special investigative agent for the National Park Service, Noah’s used to living under intense pressure. Or he was until he got injured on the job. Now unhappily recuperating at home while being smothered by his loving but nosy family, he’d love nothing more than a good distraction.

So when Olive shows up looking like a million bucks, he has to do a gut and heart check. Because nope, no matter what, he can’t fall for her again, the woman who once blew up his entire life and never looked back. How ironic then that his own personal hell (Olive) is also his ticket out of town. The question is, will the risk be worth the reward.

These books truly stand alone, read in ANY ORDER. They’re connected by setting, not characters.

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*****

Review:

Shalvis is great at giving her readers cute, heartfelt small-town romances. The characters are the highlight of her stories. And here I love them all, especially Noah’s sister and her son, who provide some of the best moments in the story.

And while I liked Noah and Olive together, I think a little more development needed to be done for why Noah ran so hot and cold. I get that he was hurt by Olive in the past (and another girlfriend did a number on him) but it doesn’t quite explain why he’s all over the place now. Just needed a little bit more to make it easier to follow.

Olive, tho, is not as difficult to understand. With the way her parents (and then Noah & his parents) treated her, she’s going strong with a lot of baggage. The girl needed, and still needs, someone to step up and be there & prove to her that she’s worth it.

Shalvis takes readers on a roller coaster ride as Noah & Olive do the dance of will they, won’t they, can they keep their hands to themselves. Better Than Friends is humorous and sweet and angsty, but not heavy. It’s all about found family and loving yourself & each other, differences and all.

(The series is not connected, outside of the setting, so don’t worry if this is your first.)

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes contemporary romance and romantic comedies filled with madcap adventures and shenanigans and sexy times. (just don’t tell her mom). She’s sold 20 million plus copies worldwide to date and lives with her family in a small mountain town near Lake Tahoe full of quirky characters (Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is mostly coincidental).

Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning novels wherever books are sold.

Visit http://www.jillshalvis.com for a complete book list and fun blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill:
http://instagram.com/jillshalvis
http://facebook.com/JillShalvis

Review – The Summer Escape

14 Friday Jun 2024

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The Summer Escape

Sunrise Cove series

by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

Secrets are revealed and forbidden sparks ignited in this sizzling Sunrise Cove tale of enemies to lovers, redemption, missing treasures, and love.

Anna Moore didn’t just wake up one day and decide to go on a wild quest — especially since her life no longer lends itself to wild anything — so how in the world does she end up racing against the clock with Owen Harris, a sexy, enigmatic adventurist, to prove her beloved dad innocent of stealing a million-dollar necklace?

It’s all Wendy’s fault. Her older, bossy sister, who’s seven months pregnant and on bed rest in their small Lake Tahoe hometown, is desperate to clear their dad’s name. Owen though is convinced he’s guilty as hell and wants to return the jewelry back to its rightful owner—his elderly great aunt. Together they go on a scavenger hunt for clues to the past (with Wendy remotely along for the ride via an ear bud, supplying a running wry commentary to boot).

On opposing sides and suspicious of each other as they are, Anna and Owen still can’t deny the inexplicable and explosive chemistry between them on this heart-stopping adventure, the outcome of which will prove the necklace isn’t the only thing stolen — their hearts have been as well.

*****

Review:

This isn’t a romantic suspense and I think that might help a lot of people. Shalvis writes about her characters – facing their pasts, dealing with secrets, and coming to terms with their emotions. Anna’s job and the mystery over the stolen items is just an excuse to her meeting Owen and figuring out if she’s ready for the HEA.

Anna’s repeated insistence that any relationship with Owen has an end date may get old for some but I think it works for her. You know that what she says doesn’t match her growing feelings for him. She’s scared but her heart really wants something more. She’s just got to give in and trust that he’ll take care of it.

Owen claims to be as relationship shy but he’s much more open to his feelings. I appreciate that, and his patience, as he spends more time with Anna. He’s a good guy, and gives to those he cares about. His willingness to put himself out there is admirable.

I enjoyed Anna’s sister’s bossiness and the love she shows through her pushiness. She’s not going to be for everyone, but I liked her and her relationship with her husband & her sister. And there’s plenty of amusing moments around carrying 3 babies.

There isn’t a lot of action in the book but it’s not that kind of book. It’s about the people and their feelings. I think readers that understand that going in will appreciate it more.

(Part of a series but these are truly stand alones with just a location in common.)

Review – The Bright Spot

16 Tuesday Jan 2024

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The Bright Spot

Sunrise Cove #5

by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a heartwarming story about the choices we make and the love we let into our lives…

Luna Wright is a lot of things, but sweet and trusting aren’t on the list. However, she’s a sucker for the underdog and a hard-luck story. Adopted at birth, with scant knowledge of her biological family, she’s created her own inner circle, a motley crew which includes her bestie Willow, to help her run the struggling but charming Apple Ridge Farm.

With a farm-to-table café as well as a menagerie of rescued animals (complete with a baby goat who keeps escaping to the pantry to eat the secret stash of decidedly not organic potato chips), it’s the best home she’s ever known. But when Silas, the owner who they secretly call The Grinch, passes away, Luna discovers the farm is now under the control of both his investment manager, the enigmatic Jameson Hayes….and her. And that Silas had many, many secrets.

Now Luna’s carefully controlled corner of the world is threatened and she—along with some of her friends—has to dig deep to find true strength and the real meaning of love and family.

Review:

There are things that you come to expect from a Shalvis book – witty banter, quirky characters, and an emotional journey to a HEA. She delivers all and more with The Bright Spot.

Both Luna and Jameson have abandonment issues from their childhoods that they’ve handled in different ways. Luna surrounds herself with people that she loves but doesn’t really let them all the way in. Jameson keeps on the move and doesn’t stay anywhere long enough to form a deeper connection. Thrown together to save Apple Ridge Farm, they may have finally found the person that will help them put their pasts to rest and look to the future.

I enjoyed all the antics, both human and animal, at the farm – their adventures, hijinks, and lack of regard for personal space. It means there is a decent amount of humor mixed in with deeper moments. And if I have any complaint, it’s that there really wasn’t enough of them 🙂

If you’ve ever enjoyed a Shalvis story, then you know what you are going to get. But just because it isn’t anything new, doesn’t mean that it isn’t a delightful read. It has the feels. It has the playfulness. It has the characters that you like and root for to find that happy ending. And, of course, a HEA that leaves you satisfied and reminds you why you read her books in the first place.

(Part of a series because they are set in the same area, but they are all independent and read as a stand alone.)

Review – The Sweetheart List

13 Tuesday Jun 2023

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The Sweetheart List

Sunrise Cove series

by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

What makes life sweet?

When Harper Shaw’s life falls apart, she knows it’s time for a change. She removes everything that doesn’t spark joy—from her soul-sucking job to eating kale to making lists—and sets off for the last place she was happy, Lake Tahoe (who wouldn’t feel good there, right?) to fulfill her dream of opening her own bakery. With her Sugar Pine Bakery in between a tavern, owned by sexy, grumpy Bodie Campbell, and a bookstore, run by her new BFF, she feels a peace she’s never experienced since…well, forever. Then she meets Ivy, a teenage runaway, who barrels into her heart. She sees a lot of herself in Ivy and takes her under her wing, but the teenager has secrets…

When those secrets explode, it changes Harper’s new world, and she’ll learn, it’s never too late to start over, it’s never too late to figure out your life, and best of all, it’s never too late to let yourself believe in love.

*****

Review:

Harper has been hurt in the past, let down by those who were supposed to love her, so she decides to go back to the last place she was truly happy. To open a bakery and live a life that her mother could be proud of her for. She’s a little prickly, a lot wounded, but she craves the love that the people of Sunrise Cove can give her.

Ivy has been let down by her own mother more times than she can count so she runs away. A pitstop in Sunrise Cove has her reevaluating her plan … and, with the help of Harper, Bodie, and all their friends & family, maybe making choices that she didn’t plan on.

I really enjoyed getting to know the big, boisterous, oh-so-loving Campbell clan. They can be loud and pushy but also have big hearts and only want the best for those they care about, family or not. I kinda wish there’d been a series about all the brothers because I’d love to see more of this group.

With her newest, I think Shalvis straddles a line between women’s fiction and romance. While I really enjoyed Harper and Bodie getting to know each other and learning to open up, to take a chance on giving away their hearts, The Sweetheart List is really a family story at its heart. There’s a lot here about finding the place you belong and the people who will support you.

(Part of a series but … not really? I think these are more like unconnected books set in the same place.)

Review – The Backup Plan

21 Saturday Jan 2023

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The Backup Plan

Sunrise Cove #3

by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a heartwarming tale of three people who are bought together when they’re bequeathed an old Wild West inn that has the potential to pull their lives apart, but instead turns into the gift of a lifetime.

When Alice receives a call about an unexpected windfall, she’s stunned to learn the gift is a falling-apart-at-the-seams old Wild West B&B she once considered home–and she’s inherited it along with two strangers. Except they weren’t always strangers. Once upon a time, they were friends. One is her ex-BFF Lauren. The other is Knox, the only guy to ever break her heart, all while never even knowing she existed.

It turns out their lives are unknowingly entangled because they once separately helped the same woman without expecting anything in return. Years later, Alice, Lauren, and Knox are broken in their own way, with their own history–and secrets– causing them to start out on the wrong foot with each other. But according to the will, they must renovate and be partners in the inn for one year or else lose their inheritance.

Stuck together, they make a list of rules to keep the peace–rules that end up doing the opposite, but by some miracle they find what they didn’t even know they were looking for–acceptance, true friendship, and in a case (or two!), true love.

Review:

Shalvis’s newest may be more women’s fiction than romance, but it definitely doesn’t scrimp on the feels. Alice is back in her hometown to reluctantly face her past, including her former best friend and her high school crush. For a woman who is quite good at running away from difficult situations, the next few weeks stuck together in the same house is guaranteed to be difficult. Luckily, Knox is amazingly centered and calm, able to handle Lauren’s self-doubt & scattered moments as well as Alice’s prickliness so that they manage to renovate Eleanor’s house … and something more.

Drama, love, healing, and friendship all mix together with a liberal dash of humor to delightfully entertain readers, as these three find their HEA in a meandering and satisfying way. There’s guilt, hurt feelings, and misunderstandings, but also a chance to finally make peace with themselves and each other.

(Part of a series but only in that it is set in the same community.)

Review – The Family You Make

14 Friday Jan 2022

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The Family You Make

Sunrise Cove series

by Jill Shalvis

Beloved New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis begins a new series–Sunrise Cove–set near beautiful Lake Tahoe, with a heartwarming story of found family and love.

During the snowstorm of the century Levi Cutler is stranded on a ski lift with a beautiful stranger named Jane. After strong winds hurl the gondola in front of them into the ground, Levi calls his parents to prepare them for the worst…but can’t bring himself to say goodbye. Instead, wanting to fulfill his mother’s lifelong wish, he impulsively tells her he’s happily settled and Jane is his girlfriend–right before his phone dies.

But Levi and Jane do not.

Now Levi’s family is desperate to meet “The One.” Though Jane agrees to be his pretend girlfriend for just one dinner, she’s nervous. After a traumatic childhood, Jane isn’t sure she knows how to be around a tight-knit family that cherishes one another. She’s terrified, and a little jealous. But an unexpected series of events and a host of new friends soon show Jane that perhaps this is the life she was always meant to have.

As Jane and Levi spend more time together, pretend feelings quickly turn into real ones. Now all Jane has to do is admit to herself she can’t live without the man she’s fallen in love with and the family she has always dreamed of.

Review:

I always look forward to a Shalvis book because I know that the characters are going to be enjoyable and I’m going to find myself engaged in their journey to a HEA. Buuuuut, I have to add a warning because her newest is not for those who don’t like a little drama in their love stories 🙂 Jane and her friend, Charlotte, have some commitment issues due to things that happened in their pasts, so there is quite a bit of back-and-forth, will-they-won’t-they going on and it may not be for everyone. Luckily they both have amazingly understanding men in their lives and the love & support of each other to help them face their fears.