Absolutely love this book! I'm usually not a fan of a lot of romance, but figured I would give this one a try. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at everything, from the characters to the storyline. I finished the book and immediately went to look for other books by this author.

I have never read this author, but I will in the future. This was such a sweet and enjoyable read. The characters were well portrayed in this book about finding one's happy place and getting second chances for love.

Jill Shalvis continues to deliver consistently good contemporary romances. This is the fourth in a series of stand alone novels. Sunrise Cove is a small town on the shores of Lake Tahoe and serves as the connector for the series. Characters from the previous book (which I’ve read) don’t overlap. Harper Shaw comes to Sunrise Cove to start over after her long time boyfriend breaks up with her. She’s plans to open a bakery and chose the location because it was a happy place her mother brought her camping when she was a child. Next to her shop with her upstairs living area is a tavern owned by Bodie Campbell. He returned home to heal after being wounded while he was working for the ATF. The third main character is a 16 year old runaway from Chicago looking for her father. Harper takes her in giving her shelter and work.

There is so much to love in this book. You can guess early how things are going to turn out and that doesn’t make it cliche. It heightens my anticipation for how things will work for a HEA. I love the depth of each of the three characters, their personalities and back stories. One of the things that Shalvis does very well is have interesting and well developed side characters. Bodie’s family is wonderfully bickering and yet support each other. Book shop owner Shay and her abuela Rosie are a delight too. Ham, the lovable giant dog, also shines and gets his moments.

I’ve only read this series from the author. And again I’m reminded I need to time and read from her catalog of pervious novels. Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review. (4.5 Stars)

Harper Shaw runs away from her life in San Diego after a series of events that sent her reeling. The last place she ever felt truly happy was in Sunrise Cove on Lake Tahoe. Harper’s dream of owning a bakery is set to become real in the small quaint town where right next door the cranky bar owner Bodie Campbell sparks her joy very quickly although she is done with serious relationships.

On the other side of her soon to be bakery is a book store with an equally out of sorts owner who begrudgingly befriends Harper possibly because of the amazing food coming from the newly established kitchen. If that was not enough of new experiences, Harper takes in a runaway teen girl, Ivy, who has an agenda in mind for coming to Sunrise Cove.

As Harper gradually starts to put her life back together, she finds more than one reason to see this quirky town as a place for new beginnings. Brodie has also recently returned to the place of his family business, a wounded warrior who is drowning in guilt and self-recrimination. Brodie was not only injured on his job with the ATF, but also feels responsible for a devastating event at home.

Harper and Brodie do a complicated dance of wanting to be together; however, both seem too emotionally damaged to expect something real can happen between them. With Ivy added to the mix as well as Brodie’s nosy and rowdy family, things get even more challenging. Harper is determined to make a go of her new business but old fears and insecurities hold her back there and in personal relationships as well.

Fans of this series will enjoy this new addition. As always with Ms. Shalvis’s writing, the snarky humor, a beautiful backdrop, and small-town setting make for an entertaining and engaging story. Although this is the fourth story in the Sunrise Cove series, each one stands alone.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Wow!!! This was such a great book!

Harper moves to Sunrise Cove because that’s the last place she remembers being happy, and it’s filled with memories from her late mother. She opens a bakery meets the bar owner next door, Bodie. Next she meets Ivy. Ivy is a runaway, resilient teen that challenges both Bodie and Harper, and finds her way into their hearts. Together they for an unexpected and unbreakable bond. But Ivy has secrets, and when those secrets come out, it changes Harper’s world.

The characters were great!! I felt that they were so well written, showing how much emotion each of them were feeling. Wonderful character development too. Jill wrote such an amazing story that was entertaining and engaging the entire time.
This was such a heartwarming story filled with love, loss, secrets, and second chances. This is the ultimate beach read! Definitely add this to your tbr list! I can’t wait to read more from Jill Shalvis!



📘: The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis
🗓️: June 13, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Jill Shalvis, and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads.

This book had potential but since the author made their mission to fit every trope under the sun on this one-book, things felt repetitive and just boring. The story started very relatable but then fell flat. At some point, every character was a strong individual but once the relationship started happening their personas disintegrated into a ball of mush. The book is also supposed to be 370 pages but it is only 243 pages. There is a typo on page 243 on the epilogue, where is says: “But Ivy was her happiest in Sunrise Cove at her dad’s Cabin, with him and Ivy and Ham”. I think is supposed to say Harper and Ham

I really enjoyed this sweet novel. New-in-town baker meets small-town boy whose family owns the town. While each have different pasts, they come together to help a young girl find the answers she’s looking for. This was such a pleasant read. I am eager to go back and read other books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

I always love Jill’s books. Easy to follow and the story lines are always great. Her character development is great too.

This was my very first Jill Shalvis book, and I can easily see why people love her books!

The Sweetheart List featured a cast of lovable characters and plot lines that tugged on my heartstrings.

Everything about this book was as sweet as buttercream frosting, and while it isn’t typically my style to like such a syrupy-sweet book, I can see myself reading other books in the series when I long for a cozier read.

Fans of Hallmark movies will adore this book!

Cute story. Wish there was more depth of character. More scenes between the characters. I don’t feel as if we saw their connection truly develop.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

It's always a pleasure to read a Jill Shalvis book. Once again, she gave me a beautiful story of people trying to heal and find their place, and it was told with lots of humor and warmth.

Harper was looking to start over after being set aside by both her almost fiancé and her father. She packed her things and made her way to the last place she was truly happy - Sunrise Cove. There, she hoped for a fresh start and a life filled with things that sparked joy.

Bodie had suffered some devastating losses and had to heal both physically and mentally. He had been left for dead after an op went sideways, lost his partner, and around the same time, his father. He was lucky to have such an incredible family. They were so loving and supportive, watching out for him while also trying to help him move forward. They were a definite plus for me and added a lot of fun to this story.

The universe also brought Ivy to Sunrise Cove, and she had quite an agenda. She DID find what she was looking for, but she also found so much more. This storyline was unexpected, but Shalvis did a great job with it.

Shalvis' books never fail to leave me feeling warm and fuzzy. I absolutely loved seeing these three bond, open their hearts, and become a family. They were in self-protective mode, but slowly, they learned to trust each other. And, I have to mention, that my heart EXPLODED during the epilogue. There are things I never tire of, and I was happy-dancing due to what was revealed in the final pages of this book.

I picked up this book because Jill Shalvis never disappoints me. Once again, I smiled my face off and adored my visit to Sunrise Cove.

The Sweetheart List is the sweetest book! While this is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything not reading the other books. I take notes while I read so that I can write my reviews. So many of my notes for this book begin with “I love…” So let me tell you all the things that I loved about this book. Shalvis excelled with the chemistry between Bodie and Harper. I loved the small community that Shalvis created, the description at the beginning of the book was detailed and vivid. I loved the Campbell family dynamic, especially Bodie’s mom. And while this book is a romance book, it does focus on familial and friendship relationships as well, which is just another thing that I loved. The relationship between Ivy and Harper was beautiful, especially knowing what Ivy had been through. There are moments in the book that are so heartfelt, so get your tissues because you may ugly cry like I did! There were certain aspects of Harper that I really connected with, and I was rooting for all the characters. Oh, and there’s a beautiful surprise at the end that made me smile. Clearly, you can see that I LOVED this book. I would recommend this to anyone!

This was a great beach read. Harper has decided to leave her previous life behind and create a life that she enjoys in Lake Tahoe. Bodie owns the bar next door and he is still trying to deal with his recent past. I enjoyed seeing them work through their pasts and work on moving forward. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a book with a good low angst story with little steam.

Just a lovely read from a wonderful author. I hope everyone gets a chance to experience a Shalvis book and the endearing joy and happiness mixed with the occasional oh no sadness that usually brings us to a happy ending.

Great dynamics among Brodie, Ivy and Harper. Love the true acceptance by sunrise cove folks even if it’s not quite realistic. I enjoyed the tough cookie no-nonsense characters and of course the idyllic mini village. Great writing and dialog as usual!

Wow! I have only read one other book by Ms. Shalvis but will now be finding her others, especially the first two in this series. This can be read as a stand alone. What a great story! Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley.

I’m screaming! I loved these characters so much! This is the 1st book I’ve read in this series and it will not be my last. I’m starting book 1 next. Such a cute romantic comedy! And the perfect beach read!

This book is now one of my favorites. I want to do just what Harper did, leave everything stressful and didnt like behind and start fresh. This book will always be on my shelf! Loved it so much!!
I just reviewed The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis. #TheSweetheartList #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Great book... I loved this book about finding yourself and the story that went along with it. I enjoyed the humor in the book and the storyline. Would recommend.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Damn if small town life doesn’t seem so charming in the pages of a Jill Shalvis book .

In The Sweetheart List Harper Shaw chooses a small town—Sunrise Cove—that’s from her memories of her beloved mother & moves there to start over with her dog.

Right away she meets mysterious, gruff hottie Bodie Campbell (I mean don’t you know he will be hot based on his name?). She impresses him (read: annoys him) with her refusal to let him help her.

But they come back into contact soon after & then another mysterious person is thrown into the mix, a runaway teen named Ivy who has her own reasons for being in Sunrise Cove.

Sweet & adorable & heartwarming are all words I would use to describe this one. My fave moments are when Harper & Bodie comfort each other—they start building emotional intimacy early-ish in the book & that’s something both leads really need, coming to each other with their respective painful pasts.

Not only is there is romantic navigating to do in The Sweetheart List—Ivy becomes someone who is important to the development of Harper & Bodie’s relationship too, adding complexity in ways I both enjoyed & also didn’t wholeheartedly love (sometimes I just want my romances to be child-free . Don’t the leads have enough to worry about? ).

Though the book started dragging for me a bit in the end, the beginning is strong & reminded me of what drew me to Shalvis’s books in the first place.
​
4⭐️. Out 06/13.

CWs: Previous death of parents. Previous death of work partner, of brother (overdose). I think it’s odd that pot is referred to as a gateway drug for his brother.

[ID: Jess, a white woman wearing a white floral dress, holds the ebook and stands in front of a tree.]