The Back Up Plan by Jill Shalvis

This book is about 3 former friends, Alice, Lauren, and Knox whose lives were shaped by the town they grew up in, the families they had and a special, quirky lady, Eleanor who looked out for them. When she wills her Wild West Inn to them, it grudgingly brings them back dragging old wounds and shames to reconnect the bond of friendship and love they once had or were tentatively growing for each other.

What was different in this book was a triad of main characters and in truth I didn’t know if I was going to like it. This book is Women’s Fiction, not Exotica so no it isn’t going to work like that. I know your mind was going there. Good for you but …Were all three characters going to get a satisfying story line and was I going to care/ relate to each? Thankfully, yes.
I like that none of the characters are short changed. I like that the sexy, romance parts have humor and realness. The friendship, hard times and reconciliations don’t extinguish the humor and sexy times. The balance is just right.

What I love about this book is how Shalvis makes you fall in love with these self saboteurs who fight doing life, love, friendship and kindness the easy way. They are last to see how their willingness to help any and everyone, humor, humbleness, and sexiness might make things work out with teamwork and cooperation. They are a hot charming mess individually and collectively and don’t we all want someone to love us for the hot mess we are? They do not fall in love gracefully but they fall hard and true.

A part that was confusing was when Alice and Lauren where having a showdown exchange and it sounded like they were saying each other’s parts but I am positive this will be addressed in the final draft.

Shalvis is a master of creating quirky, heart stealing characters and their animals with humor and charm despite being slow on the uptake of their loving and sexy ways. Well, Pickle is in no way sexy but he will steal your heart. The setting is well used to help you connect Alice, Lauren and Knox to their way in life, present, past and future.

5 out of 5 Stars

This was another lovely story by Jill Shalvis that beautifully straddles the line between romance and women's fiction. I loved the romance between Alice and Knox but I especially loved the way they, as well as Alice's former best friend Lauren, faced and dealt with old wounds and grief, freeing themselves to move forward in their lives instead of dwelling in the past.

All this is accomplished with an assist from Eleanor, a woman who loved all three of them and whose bequest to them of her beloved vintage Lake Tahoe inn serves as the catalyst to bring them all together for a month. Both Alice and Knox have been running from their pasts, while Lauren has been hiding in plain sight from hers, but they all need to figure out new ways of dealing with it since the old ways aren't working very well for any of them. The break in Alice and Lauren's friendship several years earlier was particularly poignant and I was rooting for them to work it out even more than I was for Alice and Knox to give in to their attraction and get together. In addition to mending that old bond, all three of them discover new bonds of family with each other. All this, plus an adorable doggo appropriately named Pickle, and it adds up to a great read.

Having read the first two books in the series, I was happy to go back to Sunrise Cove, and once again I was not disappointed. There was romance, friendship, humor and a little bit of steam. A great story about coming home and finding yourself and home.
Knox, Alice and Lauren each have complicated pasts but when Elinor, the person that links them passes away and leaves them her home that she was in the process of renovating to the 3 of them, they are forced to return to the past and deal with it once and for all. And for them, especially for Alice, that’s hard to do, because Alice likes to run when things get tough. Just like she did the night her brother died. She still blames Lauren for her brothers death, and never gave Lauren a chance to tell her what really happened that night.
And then there’s swoon worthy Knox and his dog named Pickle. I mean, when you have a dog as a character, and he is definitely a character and not just a background figure, you get me. And hen to name him Pickle?! Yes!!
This book is heartfelt and humorous and all around what I have come to expect from Jill Shalvis.

Another reviewer used the phrase “Jill Shalvis induced haze” and I’m living this right now. This book was so fabulous that I don’t want to read anything else that would diminish the happy feelings invoked by this amazing story. Knox, Alice, and Lauren get thrust into reviving this run-down inn, while having to navigate reviving a strained friendship and trying not to establish long term strings. Great read, great characters, fun banter, and two HEAs!

The Backup Plan By Jill Shalvis is another great story with likable characters. Jill Shalvis always makes me laugh out loud. Another hit! Happy reading!

I've read many books by this author, and she never disappoints!

Relatable characters abound, and it's easy to connect with them and get invested in the outcome. The story is the perfect blend of humor (and snark!) and relationships (including a romance angle which doesn't overpower or feel forced).

While this is the third in the series, it totally works as a standalone novel. There's just so much to love about this quick, fun rom-com read!

Thank you to the publisher, Jill Shalvis, and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of “The Backup Plan.” “The Backup Plan” is the story of three people who unexpectedly find themselves in a business partnership after the passing of a woman who was important to all three. Throughout the novel, secrets get revealed and relationships develop as all three deal with unresolved issues from their past. I generally enjoy novels written by Jill Shalvis, particularly her romance novels, but this one seemed a bit slow to develop for me. I was not particularly invested in the characters and nothing really seemed to happen in this women’s fiction novel. It does work well as a standalone as I have not read the previous book in the series.

Alice gets a call out of the blue about her inheritance of a derelict Wild West bed and breakfast in the town of Sunrise Cove where she grew up. As surprised as Alice is to receive this unexpected “gift,” she finds out that two other previously important people in her life are also recipients. Now Alice, Knox, and Lauren are all intimate strangers forced to work together or lose out on their benefactor’s largess. Alice and Lauren were best friends until a tragedy tore them apart and sent Alice running away from Sunrise Cove; she has not stopped since then. Memories of her adolescent crush on Knox does not make coming back any easier as the three are forced to work together on a time crunch to bring the old inn back to life.

Alice, Knox, and Lauren make up a set of rules that will ostensibly keep them from walking away from each other and allow the much-needed restoration work to continue without too much acrimony or pent-up emotions getting in the way. The woman who orchestrated all this togetherness, the late matriarch of the town, Eleanor, left not only instructions, but letters for the trio to read that bring up all the old hurts and put a new spin on the perceptions of the now adult people who each have their own demons to face.

While the work proceeds, it is clear that Alice and Knox have a more than passing interest in each other so despite their posted rules, sparks fly and passion ignites. Lauren had previously been involved with Alice’s brother whose life ended in tragedy so she has had trouble with relationships ever since. When a local business owner and single dad takes an interest, she runs the other way like a scared rabbit. As the work is being done to renovate to old place, so is the group rebuilding their lives by not only delving into a painful past, but examining where they are now and why. Alice, Knox, and Lauren each have been stymied by their early experiences of loss and hurt; now it is time to grow up, let go, and embrace the new possibility of love, healing of old hurts, and new opportunities they never imagined.

Fans of Ms. Shalvis will enjoy this tale of loss and love, hurt and renewal as well as her talent for humor and romance. Her banter and witty repartee always make these books a fun read. The only caveat is that having three POV’s and more than one romance is somewhat of a distraction for those who prefer a romance between two main characters. This book is the third in the Sunrise Cove series but can be read as a standalone.

The Backup Plan is an entertaining romance centering around three estranged friends who jointly inherit an old Inn and who are expected to fix it up and live in it or sell it. They all have different relationships with the woman who left them the end and they have to come to terms with old misunderstandings and feelings of guilt for things that have happened to them and their relationships with each other in the past. It's a quick, fairly predictable romance. I enjoyed the characters and the happy ending. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a light romance. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review this book.

Jill Shalvis NEVER disappoints! I have really enjoyed the Sunrise Cove series - I like that they can and do stand alone (not that I ever miss one), and have such unique friendships and relationships. The tie back to both Eleanor and Will between the friends was an interesting dynamic and definitely worked for the story.

This was another winner by Jill Shalvis. Her books always grab you in the first chapter and you can’t put it down until you finish the book. I loved the story of how the dead play a big part in repairing relationships and making things right after they are gone. I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been needing some Jill Shalvis goodness in my life!
I've been missing her world and characters and The Backup Plan did not disappoint.
The Backup Plan has an interesting set up. Two ex-BFFs and a old flame are tasked with fixing up an inn they are all partial owners of due to a Will. The three have to come to terms with their complicated history and somehow make it through a year or lose their inheritance.
Shalvis is an expert at creating characters you can't help but care about. I especially love her heroines. Alice is tough as nails and I loved that about her. Knox was a dream book boyfriend too. He always knew the right thing to say.
A delightful, heartwarming read that is sure to warm you up this winter!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I have read thirty-nine Jill Shalvis books, and The Backup Plan is a great example of why.

Following Eleanor’s death, Knox, Alice, and Lauren are summoned back to the inn to claim their inheritance. Though Eleanor was not there in person, she was there in spirit, meddling. I really enjoyed how Eleanor orchestrated their reunion, and it was a joy to learn about her. This woman who meant so much to them had secrets, many of which were related to all the uncredited kindnesses she doled out, but more importantly, she had a plan for those she held dear.

Lauren, Knox, and Alice all had baggage. They were weighed down with guilt and the pain of loss. Being back in Sunrise Cove allowed them work through their past and begin to heal. Each step they took toward healing was one closer to each other as well. I adored this trio from page one, and it was beautiful seeing their hearts and relationships mend as they mended the inn.

Shalvis always includes some romance in her books, and this one was fantastic. It was adorable the way Knox and Alice danced around each other. Great banter and undeniable chemistry made it easy to want this union to happen, but I think it was their past connection that solidified it for me. I will never tire of seeing past crushes turn into something real, and these two were just so right together.

This story was packed with humor, lots of friendship/found family, storylines of healing, and a side of romance. And as expected, it hit my trifecta of laugh, smile, and swoon, but also left my heart brimming with happiness.

A story of mending friendships, forgiveness, and opening up to love, this story had me hooked from the start. Loved the building relationships, as well as the ending. This was a feel-good story for me!

Jill Shalvis is synonymous with heartfelt characters and snarky, laugh-out-loud romance! The third book in her Sunrise Cove series is whimsically cozy and filled with sass, passion and reconnection. I wasn't quite as invested in this group of characters as I was in the previous two books in the series, but still enjoyed them and their story lines as a whole.

I recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone that enjoys a feel-good romance with lots of humor, real life moments and whimsical heart. The characters in the series don't overlap into the next book, but all center around this town around Lake Tahoe area.

Thank you NetGalley, Jill Shalvis and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of The Backup Plan.
Jill Shavis has done it again….. she gave me characters I wanted follow through the pages and get to know more about them and see how the three of them handled inheriting from Eleanor an inn to run together.
This is an excellent addition to this series, Sunrise Cove.

Three old estranged friends meet up in the town where they grew up to fix up a bed and breakfast they have jointly inherited. Alice is trying to run from her feelings being back where her brother died. Lauren is feeling guilty about the brother’s dead. Knox is feeling guilty about his Mom’s death. They all need to forgive each other, and most importantly themselves. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for my honest review.

Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
The Backup Plan by Jill Shalvis is the third book in her popular Sunrise Cove series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone. I’ve enjoyed The Sunrise Cove series, and The Backup Plan is a wonderful addition.

Story Recap:
Alice, Knox, and Lauren each inherit a part of the Last Chance Inn after Eleneour passes away. Alice and Lauren used to be best friends until an incident caused a rift, and they have never spoken to each other since. Alice had a huge crush on Knox for years, but he never gave her a second look.

Part of the will stipulates they must fix up the Inn and live in it for a year. But, with so many secrets and misunderstandings between them, just being civil towards each other is hard enough. So, they make a list of rules to keep the peace while they work on the inn.

My Thoughts:
I’ve been loving the Sunrise Cove series and this addition did not disappoint. I like that instead of just two people, it was three people who inherited the inn. This made for a more lively dynamic in my opinion. All of the relationships are strained a the beginning so that made for some funny moments.

I liked that all three characters had a very different relationship with Eleanor and each have a different perspective of her character. It’s almost like Eleanor was three different women. All three characters have secrets as well as some misunderstandings and it takes some time for everything to come out and for these characters to learn to like and trust each other.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Backup Plan to anyone who enjoys fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have had my eye on this book for quite awhile, so I was really excited to get an eARC of it…but I ended up being a bit disappointed by it.
After reading the description, I thought we would have more backstory about the Inn. Instead, that all seemed like a tacked on plot and the actual point of this book was the romances and innuendo between the characters. Maybe that is par for the course for this author. It’s on me that I didn’t look any further than the description.
It also took me quite some time to distinguish between Lauren and Alice. And I am still fuzzy on exactly how their great aunt(?)was a big part of their lives.
Overall, not super impressed by this. I found it just okay.

Another cute small town romance from Jill Shalvis. This time three people reunite in Sunrise Cove when they jointly inherit an old inn and embark on fixing it up together. Along the way, they reconnect with each other and see their past in a new light.

I struggled to connect with this one. I didn’t think there was enough build up of the history and past between the three characters to really care about their second chance. I also felt there was very little chemistry between Knox and Alice so the romantic subplot fell flat for me. Probably my least favorite Jill Shalvis books I’ve read.

I voluntarily reviewed an early copy. All opinions are my own.