I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is the perfect summer beach read or a "feel good' book" after you've been reading some serious drama, murder mystery or World War book. The writing is humorous, snarky at times and I enjoyed the family dynamics. The Sweetheart List is light, humorous with a storyline that flows easily to make you smile and enjoy several hours of entertainment which I enjoyed on a wet, rainy spring day.

Harper Shaw packs up her life and returns to the last place that made her happy - Lake Tahoe. With fond memories of the place and a plan to open her dream of her own bakery, Harper unpacks her new life. Along the way, she meets Shay, the bookstore owner, Ivy, the teenage runaway, and Bodie, the brooding bartender…and one of her landlords. Bodie and Harper are both healing, and little by little they begin to open up about their pasts. They also start to open their hearts.

Jill Shalvis is one of my favorite authors of chick lit and romance, tongue-in-cheek humor and fun characters. I know she will not disappoint when I crack open her books (or power on a device). The Sweetheart List is a quick, fun, delightful read that I found much needed after the previous two books I had completed to be heavy material. Shalvis gave my mind the cleanse necessary to lighten the mood that some books can cast. You also can see her love of Tahoe and the surrounding area by how she incorporates it into the story as though it is its own character. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on June 13, 2023.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #jillshalvis #thesweetheartlist #harpercollins

title: The Sweetheart List

author: Jill Shalvis

publisher: Avon

publication date: June 13, 2023

pages: 352

peppers: 2 (on this scale)

warnings: dead parents, off page

summary: Harper moves to Tahoe, the last place she remembers being truly happy, with the only male who's ever been good to her, Ham the Bernese Mountain dog. She plans to open her own bakery. On her first day, she meets two important people: Bodie, who is home recovering from (1) an ATF mission gone wrong and (2) the sudden death of his father; and Ivy, who doesn't seem to be telling the truth about her age or family situation.

tropes:

big, lovable dog
bad ex-boyfriend
broken heart, refuses to love
new to town
child needing love
lost child
bakery
puns
big, loving family
found family
what I liked:

I don't remember reading another romance with three pov characters
Some good feels
nice family scenes
some funny puns
what I didn’t like:

the dog is supposed to be a Bernese Mountain dog, but the cover has a St. Bernard
overall rating: 4 (of 5 stars)

I so enjoyed this book and found a new author to read! If you are looking for a quick uplifting read, you will enjoy this women’s fictional romance novel. There is a fair amount of sex and language included.. The characters of Harper, Brodie and Ivy are so well written.

Thank you#NetGalley, #AvonandHarperVoyager, #JillShalvis and #TheSweetheartList for the advance readers copy for my honest review.

It's rare that I give five stars to a book that's full of profanity and sex, but I couldn't put this one down. Jill Shalvis is such a clever writer. For instance, one sentence I particular liked was, "She dressed and tried not to notice that her hair was big enough to qualify for its own zip code." The whole story was full of this kind of fun wit.

While Harper and Bodie were the main characters, I felt that Ivy stole their thunder. How I liked that stubborn, sassy teenager!

Harper Shaw is fleeing an unhappy life to start over again in Lake Tahoe. She's going to open a bakery. She arrives in the winter, her car slides and gets stuck, and she snipes rudely at the guy (Bodie) who tries to help her. When we get his POV at the bar he runs, there's a ton of backstory dump re his family. Harper arrives at the bar to get the keys to her rental unit. Bodie is supposed to give her the keys, and she snipes at him again.

You know the expression, "chewing the scenery"?

Key in hand, Harper is unlocking the door of the rental when she accidentally touches a big spider. She screams and falls down on her back in the alley. Another business woman sees her, makes fun of her, and stalks off. Harper goes into the building which, as she was told, is unfit for habitation. Settling into her sleeping bag, she "hears" the spider jiggling the doorknob. No, I am not joking. But it's not the spider, it's the homeless teenager we met at Bodie's bar. The teenager snipes at Harper, who convinces the kid to stay, gives her clothing and blankets, feeds her, and hires her on the spot to work in the bakery, even though the only way she could even see the girl's face is by the light of her phone.

Everybody loved this book so much, I just can't get into it. DNF.

Oh my goodness, get the Kleenex box out. This is such a heartwarming read. Brought tears on several occasions to my eyes. The characters are outstanding. This book took me in from the very first page. There is humor, romance, forged friendships, growing of personalities, trials and triumphs. Truly a must read. I was given this book by NetGalley and I am freely leaving my review of this very well written book.

A very sweet contemporary romance!
The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis is book 4 in the Sunrise Cove series but can easily be read as a standalone. Our protagonist Harper, a baker, is starting over in Sunrise Cove, the last place where she felt truly happy. Will she find love? Spoiler: yes, of course, this is a true romance with a happily ever after! Found family (in several ways), second chances, healing, forgiveness, love… this novel is brain candy with heart, with characters to root for, and a fantastic setting. By the end of this book I also wanted to move to Sunrise Cove.

Jill Shalvis is very famous but since I haven’t read much romance in years I think this is the first I’ve read by her. I would definitely try anything she writes after reading this.

Thanks #NetGalley and #Avon for letting me read #TheSweetheartList !!!

A plot about second chances, starting over and finding true love. The perfect romance combination. Harper Shaw is fed up with her job and seeks happiness in the last place she was truly happy, Lake Tahoe., She wants to open her own bakery, What comes next is a cranky landlord and a runaway with secrets. A fast moving plot with a happy ending.

Jill Shalvis never disappoints. A great beach read with. Strong female character. I also liked how supportive the characters were of the teenager. Not sure what James and Jesse added to the story though. They were kind of an afterthought and I thought, given Bodie’s background with the ATF that there might be more to the situation later in the book. All in all, an enjoyable read.

Oh my goodness!!! First of all, was so excited to have an opportunity to read this novel before it’s release for an author who I so enjoy!!! I looked down at 38% completion rate copy on my Kindle and was so thankful there was still more to read! Laughter, tears, love and heartache are just a few emotions this amazing novel invokes from the first chapter to the final page. Based in Tahoe, the pictorial descriptions of the area make me want to visit and to find this town, kick up my feet and just breathe. The bakery quips and quotes were total laugh out loud moments. Well done, Jill Shalvis, and thank you again for the early opportunity to read an awesome book I’ve already recommended to a fellow reader who is also a librarian at the local library where my daughter lives…..it won’t be my only share especially since I had already recommended it for purchase to my libraries in two other cities 😀. Five stars aren’t enough!

This latest entry in the Sunrise Cove series by Jill Shalvis is a wonderful read. Filled with characters that everyone can relate to, the book just sucks you in from page one! Harper is looking for a fresh start in her life so she heads to Tahoe, the last place she has happy memories from her childhood, to open a bakery. However, what she discovers during her fresh start is way more than she ever expected. While this technically is listed as part of a series, it is a complete stand-alone book. Perfect for a beach read or just a rainy afternoon, this book is sure to entertain and delight with it's blend of humor, romance and women's fiction.

Incredible! The banter and the intense relationships between the characters carried this book. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The characters are people I would like to know, and I definitely want to visit them again in a sequel.

Despite adversity and never feeling quite good enough to the extent that both Harper and Ivy firmly believed that everyone in their lives would walk away from them, they persevered and open themselves to love. Truly, these two women were some of the strongest characters I have encountered as many would not have completely restarted their lives. Harper is sweetness personified as even when she opened the doors to her bake shop, she let a little girl buy a cookie with a blue stone. Ivy gave money to two teenagers she recognized in herself as lost and scared. I was so glad that they found love in Bodie and his wonderful, boisterous and warm family. The way it ended was just perfect as they all realized they had everything they needed.

I received this advanced readers copy from Netgalley. It was for a 72 hour read and it didn’t take me that long to read the book. It was so good.

Jill Shalvis writes with humor and she will hook you in at the first word you read! I love her books.

Harper and Bodies friendship and romance was so sweet and loving. Ivy just made the couple even better along with the silly do Hambone!!

Bodie’s family will hook you in and make you wish you had family that loved you like they do.

Love Jill Shalvis! Really like the back and forth between Bodie and Harper, especially when the would not tell each other things. They have great chemistry. Ivy storyline was ok. Seemed a little too perfect but it worked out. Really liked all of the characters. Made me laugh out loud which for me is the sign of a good book.

I love this series so much! Another great book by Jill Shalvis. The book has romance, great humor, yet still touches on some real human issues. There is loss of loved ones, abandonment issues, runaway teens, dealing with job loss/change....just so much packed into one book. Even with all of that, the characters grow, learn and love...and make some mistakes. Plus again...the humor is just great.

This book follows Harper, who left home to open a bakery in the last place that sparked joy in her life (Sunrise Cove). While there she meets the Callahan brothers: Brodie, Zeke and Mace. They are hilarious and won't let her do things on her own, especially Bodie. Bodie has his own demons from losing his partner, being shot, and losing his dad all in a 6 month span. He has a hard shell and doesn't feel he has love to give anyone even though he loves hard. The two have instant chemistry but both definitely fight it. Enter Ivy, the runaway both care about, who has her own secrets she's keeping. Plus you have Shay, Harper's new BFF with her sassy attitude thrown into the mix.

I just love all of the characters and cannot recommend this book enough. It is fun and light hearted but also deals with serious situations at the same time. I love the whole series.

I really enjoyed the Sweetheart list! The characters were all very likeable, including both main characters - Harper and Bodie- but also the cast of supporting characters.

And while I really enjoyed the romance between Harper and Bodie, I equally enjoyed the story about the runaway teenager character and I enjoyed meeting Bodie’s extended family.

This book has it all - romance, family, and friendship - with themes of learning to trust again, woven throughout the characters and storylines!

I have such a huge collection of Jill Shalvis titles. She is my favorite author in the romance and women's fiction genres. And I was beyond excited to read her newest release, The Sweetheart List, early on.




The Sweetheart List will bring Harper to her happy place as soon as she learns to be herself again. Harper was finally letting go of her old life and embracing a new chapter. It may not be ideal since she is literally going somewhere familiar but new on her own. But she is determined to find her happy place again, even though she catches the eye of a grumpy yet sexy Bodie.




I simply enjoy reading The Sweetheart List because it’s such light women's fiction with a bit of romance in the mix. Harper is so determined to find her happy place that she is willing to put herself first. And I admire that so much because not everyone does. And I also enjoy reading about Harper and Bodie's romance since they are definitely cute together. They may have some bumps in the road since they both have baggage, but it’s nothing new.

In The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis, we return to Sunrise Cove in the fourth installment of the series. What a wonderful cast of strong characters. Harper starts over in the last place that sparked joy for her to fulfill her dream of owning a bakery. Bodie, a grumpy bar owner next door to Harper’s new bakery, has issues in his past. Ivy, a teenage runaway, has secrets of her own while simultaneously stealing Harper’s heart. And then there is Ham, aka Hambone, Harper’s Bernese Mountain rescue with an adorable personality and a favorite of mine. This is a story of love, family, starting over, learning to trust, and second chances; a wonderful read!