This is the first book I've read in the Sunrise Cove series and also the first book I've read by Jill Shalvis. Given this, I was worried about being confused at the start of the book, but the author did a good job laying the foundation and it didn't feel like I was jumping into a started series. The author's writing is also easy and enjoyable to read.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I had a hard time staying interested and didn't think there was enough plot or purpose. The main relationship was frustrating at times and the FMC and MMC just needed to sit down and have a candid discussion.

That being sad, there was nothing "bad" about this book. There were very sweet aspects and some really nice characters. If you like second chance, small town romances and characters finding their place, I think it's worth giving this one a try.

A sweet second chance romance story. I want to start this by saying I loved Katie. She is quirky, funny and blunt. I really enjoyed her even as just a side character. Olive's story was one filled with loneliness and self-isolation from those she cared about. Her parents though letting her choose the life she wanted growing up was supportive but actually left her feeling ignored. Then she met Noah and Katie. The siblings helped her see that she could create the family she needed and feel safe within their friendship. Until an accident with Noah, the boy she'd fallen for, forces her to move away.

Then Katie asks for her help with her son after her husband is injured and in a coma. Olive returns to help and so does Noah. They both have to come together to help Katie and her son. The tension is hot there. Eventually secrets start to be revealed that push everything to the forefront and Olive has to choose whether to stay or go back to the home she built. This book had me deep in my feelings. I wanted Olive and Noah to face the past and overcome everything keeping them apart so much. Loved it.

Not good at all. This series is past it's prime and Shalvis' humor is no longer funny. I thought the plot was trite and basically felt like all her other books rolled into one.

Love this love story/ mystery ! It was a great spin on a love story that can otherwise be tedious to read. The author did a great job on moving through the story and avoiding details that would normally bore people.


Tropes:
Second Chance
Comeback story
enemies to lovers
small-town
forced-proximity

I have been a fan of Jill Shalvis for years and have never come across a book of hers that I did not love. Better Than Friends though, has to be one of my top 5 all time favorites. Jill Shalvis has a wonderful way of making the words float on the page into a mesmerizing story that captivates the reader. I could not put this book down and finished it within a days time. I felt like I was right there with Olive, Noah and the rest of the characters in the story.

In this second-chance romance, Olive and Noah are once again thrown into each other lives. What had first started as young teenage love that was ripped apart by a tragic accident, is given a second chance when yet another tragic accident occurs but instead of ripping them apart, it only brings them closer together. Now, if they only both have the courage to embrace their feelings, they could live their dreams out together instead of being separated once again.

This is a definite must read! Do not pass this one up. Especially if you are a fan of Jill Shalvis. Absolutely loved this book.

Jill is an auto read author for me so I was so excited to get an ARC of this new release. I have followed this series since the beginning and have absolutely adored it!

I really fell in love with this one which focuses on two teens who endure a tragic accident that keeps them apart. Several years later one of them is back in town and the banter heats up! This novel was so good and hooked me from the beginning! It is beautifully written, and the characters are so relatable!

I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a Hallmark like romance series! I love the HEAs of this series!

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the ARC opportunity!

Better than friends
Perfect little mountain romance that will hit you in the feels from the get go. 🏔️

Olive is returning home because her best friend’s husband was in a terrible accident and is now in a coma. They have a little boy (who makes the most hilarious remarks) and Olive ends up having to move in with them AND her friend’s brother, Turner.

The conversations were that sort of embarrassing/funny banter.

You could tell from the beginning that Olive and Turner had chemistry and I loved all the little flashbacks here and there of their time growing up. You got to see who they were and who they became. 💞

I wished it had been in 1st person. This is a preference, I know. But I believe I would have felt more like I was apart of the story rather than viewing it from the outside.

Great small town romance!

I absolutely love a good second chance romance and this book certainly delivered that. Series of tragic mishaps leads these then-teens astray from each other, only to eventually be brought back together. The exact book I needed right now- lively and warm with snarky characters and a good plot. Highly recommend!!

First off I would like to thank @author and @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ebook!

I would have to say that this was an easy 4 ⭐️ review and I completely DEVOURED this book in practically one sitting. Well… more like in 14 hours, but still 😂

I loved the banter between Noah and Olive and the entire back story that they had. The quirky and entirely memorable family that also happened to belong to her best friend Katie but Noah of course had to go and be her twin, and the man who got away. Or she more so pushed.

In this adorable forced proximity and rekindle of an old flame, I love how this book turned out and I love how all the characters really had a moment to shine in this book as well.

If you get the same chance to read this book I wouldn’t just recommend but highly encourage 🖤😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

The very first thing that caught mine attention was the cover of the book Better Than Friends by Jill Shavis. It made me ready to open it and start reading. This is book 7 of the Sunrise Cove series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone.
The characters and story line were so good. The characters all fit together so well with the romance being just right. I am a fan of second chance romance books, and this was done so well.
Jill Shavis knows how to write a romance book that will leave her readers happy and content.
Thank you NetGalley, Jill Shavis and Avon and Harper Voyager for the copy of Better Than Friends. This is my personal review.

I was super disappointed by the writing in this book. It's elementary and disjointed. The dialogue isn't natural and the characters are cliched. In fact, many of the jokes were things I'd seen in memes and tweets. Not what I'd expect from an experienced author.

I recommend an editor hold this author to higher standards of originality and quality. This could be a cute story with the right writer.

I will talk about the book on @stressiereads in the coming weeks. I will neither criticize or recommend.

I did write a critical review on Goodreads.

Thank you for the review copy.

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis is a second chance love story that begins as teenagers. A tragedy tore them apart but what really will bring them back together? What a sweet, snarky, funny story with likable characters who will touch your heart and funnybone too.
Another wonderful visit to Sunrise Cove! Happy reading!

This was my first Jill Shalvis book and I really enjoyed it. The tension was palpable between the main characters (sexual tension and also tension based on past events). I love any romance where there is an element of stranding. Good bit of spice though relatively tame.

I really enjoyed this and will be picking up more by her in the future.

This is the story of lives, Olive, Noah, his twin sister and her best friend, Kate, and her husband Joe. Olive met Noah and Kate when they were 14, and she left her parents house and hitchhikes to her grandmother’s house, next door to them. Their senior year, something happened and Olive just left, and didn't come back or contact them. Kate's husband was in an accident and was in a coma, and she needed Olive to come and help her with her son, Joey. When she got their she discovered her brother, Noah, was there also helping his sister. Kate was determined to get them back together,
I enjoy reading stories that show the ups and downs of people's lives, the mistakes, the trial and errors, and all that goes on as they figure it out, to where they end up.
That is what happens here, and I enjoyed their journey's, the changes that were made, and discovering new things about themselves. I received an ARC from Avon through NetGalley, and if you want a story that is more than a second chance, or romance, this is the real deal, of what life does to people.

A sweet, sweet story about second chances of a sort. I enjoyed it and will be checking into more of this series!

This book will be a hit! You can't go wrong with a book about old flames who move away, follow successful career paths, and then end up back in their hometown where they of course kept secrets from each other. These characters were so lovable and the location fit the story well. I really enjoyed reading about their friendships and history together. You don't need to read the other books in the Sunrise Cove series to understand the plot, but I will absolutely be adding them to my TBR list!

3.5 Stars

I am a big fan of this author and excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley to read. This is a fun series and the characters draw you in with their likability and witty banter. While the story centers around Noah and Olive, the supporting characters were the glue and what kept me engaged.

Olive and Noah learn that Noah's twin sister, Katie has called upon them for help as her husband, Joe, is in a coma after an accident. Olive has her own business and while her home base is in London, she is able to work remote while helping her friend. Noah and Olive have complicated history and while both are committed to assist and support Katie, they also know there is an end date and don't want to risk igniting old feelings. Olive's stress is elevated when she cannot reach her parents. They were supposed to go on an extended hiking excursion, but too much time has passed and soon she and Noah are working together to try to locate them. Noah is an agent for the Forestry Service, so he has expert tracking skills. They are in close proximity and begin to drudge up old wounds and it's too uncomfortable for each to face. Both have made mistakes but don't know how to move on.

The first half of the story took awhile to get the story moving, however, by the halfway mark, it kicked in to high gear and you did not want it to end. The family characters were a hoot and very likable which help to elevate the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book!

This is my first book from Jill and I really enjoyed myself. I thought the characters were lovely and well rounded. I think Katie and Joey might have been my favorite part. I enjoyed the love story and while there was no third act break up I did want to yell at the characters to actually talk to each other a few times. Overall a fun read for my first time in sunrise cove!

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis has all the ingredients for a real romance banger. Second-chance romance, enemies-to-lovers, (kind of) forbidden romance, mystery, drama, accidents, freakish storms that move in to leave the characters stranded...the pages are jam packed with tropey delight, but it doesn't feel all that tropey. It feels like a beautiful story of real heartbreak and crisis and healing and falling in love, even when you don't mean to.

The only home Olive ever really knew was with the Turner family. Her own parents were flaky at best, and she found real connection with her best friend Katie, and even her twin brother Noah. But after a tragic accident after graduation, Olive fled her hometown in a rush of shame and guilt. Now years later, her best friend needs her. Her husband was in a terrible accident that's left him in a coma. Despite wanting to keep as far away from Noah as possible, she returns home and naturally, runs into him constantly.

This story really drew me in from the beginning with such a complex and intriguing backstory between all of the characters that had be turning pages for more. Turns out Olive and Noah had a little bit of history back in the day, and the sparks are still smoldering! The two main characters are MFEO (made for each other). Their conflicts complement one another and their traumas can really only be healed by each other, too.

It's not only a romance, but a novel of self-discovery. Olive has a complicated history with her own parents, and it turns out they're actually missing, which adds an interesting plot element to all the sparks trying to ignite all over the place. There are some deep themes that tug at your heart strings and keep your mind turning over them long after you finish reading.

Jill Shalvis is a new author for me, but it looks like she's quite prolific! I'm really looking forward to reading more of her work, because this one was a major win for me!

Thank you to the author and publishers for sending me this ARC.

Olive and Noah's relationship is very back and forth, almost too much. They go from wanting to get away from each other, to randomly kissing, to not wanting to bring up their "relationship". The book's synopsis talks about how he's there to help her friend her parents, but it is not the main plot. I felt like finding her parents was a very small portion of the book and didn't have too much of an impact to the story overall. Didn't really have any spice (no details of it, but you will know they DID it.). The characters in this book did have a unique personalities which I liked.
I wish we had a little more about them when they were children; maybe it could've given more to the "mystery" between what happened between Olive and Noah.