such a fun story from one of my favorites. Set around beautiful Lake Tahoe the amazing friendship between Olive and Katie and the love Olive felt when she moved to her grandmother's helped her find her way after a hard childhood. Finding her way back to the family of her heart and the love she never forgot was beautifully written

I really like Jill Shalvis's books and I especially love how she creates friendships. This book is a perfect example as the relationship between Olive and Katie is really wonderful despite their differences and some past issues. Olive's relationship with her grandmother is also really sweet - especially since they are very much alike. Olive's relationship with Noah however is not quite so smooth.

It took me a bit to really connect to Olive and Noah's relationship. I liked them both and was enjoying the book but I wasn't really rooting for their relationship. I wish I had understood a bit more about the past confrontation earlier in the story.

I did enjoy the mix of character growth, mystery investigation, and romance in this book. As I expect from a Jill Shalvis, this was a fast paced fun read that tackled some deeper issues. I really liked Olive and Katie from the start even though I wish there was a bit more communication. I'm looking forward to reading more books from Shalvis in the future.

Do you like small towns, second chances, and romance? Then this is probably the book for you. Jill Shalvis’ books always promise a cozy read and a HEA with friends. I found it a bit slow to start, but then the story picked up.

Jill Shalvis has long been one of my favorite romance authors, and I am so glad that her books have grown as I have. I loved Olive and Noah's story, watching them overcome uncertainty to find their way together. I loved watching their personal growth. But even more I loved the small town feel, the cast of supporting characters and the dog with the adorable kitten. When you put it all together this is another success! Looking forward to the summer book!

This book was cute. There was nothing particularly special about it. The chemistry and dialogue between the couple felt forced. They were very hot and cold which was giving more high school/college versus 30 year olds. The relationships between the FMC and side characters also felt forced and just off in general. The humor was also very cliche and overdone. It's good if you need a quick read.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy of Better Than Friends.

Olive returns to her hometown to help her best friend care for her son while her husband is in a coma. She is also reunited with her best friend’s brother who she fell in love with when they were teenagers. There was an accident she blamed herself for and she left and she never told anyone the truth of why she left. Can they find their way back to one another?

This is part of a bigger series but each one can be read as a standalone book. I liked the fact that the characters were older and more mature but I did not like the miscommunication. Just talk to one another! I liked the storyline but I dislike when characters cannot communicate with one another.

Jill Shalvis is a go-to author for me and her books are always so well written. Better Than Friends is no exception and while this is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Olive Porter has lived abroad for many years and she doesn't make many trips back to her hometown of Sunrise Cove. Her best friend Katie is going through a difficult time as her husband Joe is in a coma following an accident at work. Olive comes back to support her and help with her young son, Joey, but she also will see her grandmother and the guy who has always owned a piece of her heart, Noah.

Noah Turner has been in Olive's life for a very long time. Noah is not only Olive's friend, but the twin brother of her best friend Katie. Noah works for the National Park Service as an investigator, a job he's always enjoyed, but has also used to escape deep connections and relationships.

It's clear there is still chemistry between Olive and Noah, but they both deny that anything is between them or ever will be. While at home, Olive also realizes she can't get in touch with her parents and she enlists Noah's help to locate them. Will this bring the two of them closer together once again or will things from the past interfere?

I thought this book started out a bit slow, but once it got going it moved really well. I enjoyed the characters and little Joey was a trip. Plus, it wouldn't be a Shalvis book without some animals, and I loved them as well! This is definitely one worth reading!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Olive and Noah both left Sunrise Cove after high school and tried hard not to look back. Former high school friends, they each had their reasons- but they were both a big part of those reasons. Now they've come home to help Noah's twin sister (and Olive's best friend) Kate deal with her own crisis, and they'll have to work together to make that happen.

"Better Than Friends" is a second chance romance where the first time never quite got the chance it needed and there's a lot of emotion and a lot of baggage Noah and Olive need to get through to see if they even want to take a chance with each other. Because while the crazy chemistry between them has only gotten stronger with age, so has the stubbornness keeping them from talking through things. Olive feels guilty for leaving, but also afraid to trust anyone getting to emotionally close. Noah feels the stress of having to be always perfect for his parents and not seen by anyone-except Olive. But a few lousy relationships have convinced him he's not the relationship type and is better off alone. Olive knows if she goes for a relationship, the guy better be all in.

Olive, Noah, and the secondary characters are complex and in turns humourous and humanly lovely-flaws and all- just as you'd hope for in a Jill Shalvis book. The pacing was a little slow and the book maybe a little longer than it needed to be- it took Noah longer than it should have to get himself together and the end dragged a little. But overall this was a good book, about family and friends as much as romantic love and second chances for family as well as romance.

I received a DRC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

BETTER THAN FRIENDS – Jill Shalvis
A Perfect 10
Sunrise Cove Series
Avon
ISBN: 978-0063353381
January 21, 2025
Romantic Comedy

Sunrise Cove, California – Present Day

Olive Porter’s parents were unconventional in their childrearing methods, which meant she was mostly left with her beloved grandmother in Sunrise Cove. Olive became “adopted” by the Turner family next door, especially becoming friends with the twins Katie and Noah. In fact, Olive had a crush on Noah, but it was like she was off limits for him as he only treated her like a sister. On the night of their high school graduation, Olive accidentally ran over Noah, ruining his potential baseball career. She fled Sunrise Cove shortly after, only returning occasionally to see her grandmother and Katie. But she is back for a few weeks as Katie needs her after her husband was seriously injured in an accident that also injured Noah. Of course, Noah is also staying at Katie’s house, which means the two run into each other. Sparks fly, but can anything happen between them when Olive still feels guilty for ruining Noah’s potential baseball career? Are Olive’s feelings for Noah unrequited? What she doesn’t know is that he has always had feelings for her but her “hands off” demeanor, and their friendship, give him pause. Will things change now that they are living under the same roof?

As always, Jill Shalvis delivers readers with a fun tale filled with unconventional characters and real-life situations. You won’t be disappointed reading BETTER THAN FRIENDS, the latest in her Sunrise Cove series. Olive’s parents are modern-day hippies living off the grid. She hated that life, so she ended up living with her grandmother. In school, she was the “odd one” who was constantly bullied, but it was her friendship with the Turner twins that kept her afloat. Katie was her best friend and Noah was her protector, even though Olive always told him not to bother. After the accident, she couldn’t face him and went away to school. She has a successful career as a PR person and in fact, ends up doing some work locally while she is in Sunrise Cove. Noah and Katie’s husband, Joe, were special investigative agents for the National Park Service. While chasing a suspect, they crashed. Joe is currently in a coma, while Noah is on sick leave, not wanting to admit he is still in pain. But he can’t hide anything from Olive. She is as intuitive as ever when it comes to Noah. It’s clear to readers that these two belong together but stubborn pride keeps them apart.

In BETTER THAN FRIENDS, you will laugh, and you will cry at the antics of Olive, Noah, and everyone else around them. Olive refuses to accept Noah’s help. But then, he won’t admit to her if he’s in pain. They are perfect together. But the past, specifically the accident, drives a wedge between them. Can they make it work after all? They dance around the attraction which burns fiery hot between them, and you know it’s only a matter of time before they give in. When Olive needs help, it’s fitting that only Noah can help her. Will she accept? BETTER THAN FRIENDS will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens to Olive and Noah.

BETTER THAN FRIENDS is a mix of “friends-to-lovers” and “enemies-to-lovers” as on any given day Olive and Noah are one or the other. It’s a perfect and fun tale—and a big reason why I’m giving it a Perfect 10. Enjoy the ride when you grab a copy of BETTER THAN FRIENDS.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

This book is part of the Sunrise Cove series, but can be read as a stand alone. I haven't read all of the books in this series, but Iook forward to reading the others. I love Olive and Katie's friendship, but little Joey is a hoot. This is a book about second chances, friendship, romance, and healing. If you're looking for a cozy romance to read this winter I recommend this one.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

3.75⭐
.75🌶️
Tropes/Themes: small town, forced proximity, second chance, it’s always been you, flashbacks, coming home, snarky banter, slow burn, one bed.
Dual POV 3rd person

So despite a confusing beginning, I really enjoyed this story. It was kinda hard to follow at first but it quickly sucked me in. And despite being the 6th book in a series, I didn’t feel overly lost or like it was missing a lot of backstory. Sometimes books say they’re standalones but in reality there’s a lot of backstory with the side characters from previous books. This was not the case. I’ll be honest since I’ve never read this author before I didn’t really want to commit to reading 6 other books without knowing if I like her style 😅 It also had a lot of snark that made me happy.

I did get kinda annoyed with Olive and how stubborn/independent she is, but that’s probably the point of her character so I get it. And I’m not really a pet person so I got tired of all the interactions between the dog/cat. I also wish there had been more backstory to the drama with Noah and his job- it seemed thrown in at the last minute.

But as I said I got sucked into the story pretty quick, and I’m adding the previous 6 books to my TBR

Good opening to get the reader interested in the story and characters. But I found some of the beginning chapters to be a bit confusing. Either felt like details were missing or the same detail and background story was repeated in subsequent chapters which didn’t make a lot of sense.

There were some small timing details that bothered me like two things happening at once or back to back that didn’t make sense and pulled me out of the flow but it was very minor. Usually just have a more critical eye for ARCs :)

At 30% in I really did get sucked in and couldn’t wait to keep reading on, on what happens in the story. I want the love Olive and Noah have!

I loved the dual POV - Sometimes they can be a little cliche but in this story the perspectives were insightful as well as the flashbacks and added a lot of value to the story.

I was so glad with the authors decision to have Amy tell her husband’s secret about asking Olive to leave and not making Olive do it.

This story made me want more romances with a national parks ranger / detective agent MMC

I didn’t realize when requesting that this was in a longer series of books, but it definitely read as a standalone which was great.

Olive is returning home to Sunrise Cove. Unfortunately, Olive isn't back in town for happy reasons: her friend Katie's husband was injured on the job and is in a coma. Olive and Katie grew up right next door to each other, considered each other family, and Olive even fake-dated Katie's twin brother, Noah. Katie's husband Joe happens to be Noah's partner at the National Park Service, so things are a little complicated and stressful. Noah and Olive didn't end on good terms, and Noah is definitely holding a grudge. What he doesn't know is someone else is to blame for their breakup 14 years ago. Misunderstanding and pressures in their past have led them to where they are, but can they get a second chance at romance?

Jill Shalvis in an instant-buy and read for me and the library. She has a knack for creating interesting, lovable, and funny characters and stories. The description of the book is a little misleading, but other than that, I have no complaints.

If you're a fan of Sheryl Woods you will LOVE Jill Shavis! Clean, romance with lots of angst and a bit of spice! You won't be able to put it down! Thank you to NetGalley, Jill and one of the best publishers Avon!

What to Expect:
⭐ Second chance love
⭐ Best friends Brother
⭐ Forced proximity
⭐ Small-town romance
⭐ Protective Main Character
⭐ Clean romance

My Thoughts:
I hate to admit this is my first book by Jill and I am so bummed I didn't not about the goodness of her stories!!! What I love the most is this isn't just an average slapped together plot surrounded by romance and sex. It has a plot. There is a deeper storyline and other characters that add to the story with a touch of sex that fits where it is appropriate.

Main characters Olive and Noah grew up as neighbors and friends. In high school they find themselves in a life changing situation that finds them completely pushed apart. After a tragic accident involving her best friends spouse and Noahs partner at work, Olive finds herself back home thrown in to supporting her friend, her family, and most of all being close to Noah.

This is a beautiful story of two people finding each other again. Getting a second chance at finding themselves individually in their home town but also finding each other. It's a story of healing, forgiveness and family. The plot is well written and the main characters well developed. You will fall in LOVE with the secondary characters! Little Joey is absolutely hysterical! Too smart for his own good.

Synopsis:
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?

I was excited to read the newest installment of Jill Shalvis's Sunrise Cove series, but the story wasn't quite what I was hoping for.

Olive met her best friend Katie and became part of their family as a teenager. She had a crush on and a fake relationship with Katie's twin brother Noah as a senior, When Olive inadvertently caused an accident that resulted in Noah losing his baseball scholarship offer, his father implied that Noah would be better off without Olive. Olive left and stayed away for a decade until she returned to Sunrise Cove to help Katie when Katie's husband--and Noah's partner--fell into a coma.

The sparks between Olive and Noah just really didn't spark for me. There was so much back-and-forth and not much chemistry between the two. The plotline involving Olive's parents didn't really pan out except for giving Olive and Noah a "just one bed" night. The most interesting character was actually Katie, and I would love a story about her and Joe!

The writing was, as usual, strong. The story just wasn't for me. I will definitely read the next book that Shalvis releases!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for an eARC. Opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed Noah and Olives story. They met when she was 14 and moved in next door to he and his sister with her paternal grandmother. Katie and Noah were twins and Katie became her best friend but when a serious accident resulted in ending Noahs hopes of a future in baseball, Olive left for college. They meet from time to time over the years when she comes home to Sunrise Cove, but it's not until Noah and his brother in law, Joe are in a job related accident with injuries and Katie asks for her help that she returns home. The attraction is still there but they need to wade through the quagmire of their lives to determine what the future holds. Throw in her missing parents, a feisty and inquisitive 5 year old, and meddling family and you have a story you're going to want to read.

Although I received a free ARC from net galley and the publisher, all thoughts expressed in the review are my own.

I enjoyed the overall story and loved the found family trope that Olive had with the Turner family. What I didn’t like about it was how back and forth and indecisive Olive and Noah were. Noah drove me crazy and was such a man baby. There was also way too many plot points in this story - a past accident/injury, family drama, coma, childhood/second chance love, neglectful parents, lost parents, job issues, etc, I couldn’t keep up and it made the story go all over the place. This is the only book I’ve ever read by this author, though, and I would definitely give her other books a chance as I’ve heard good things about her.

She returns to help a friend but finds more than she expects

As a teenager Olive Porter left her unconventional parents behind and moved to Sunrise Cove to live with her grandmother. Next door was the Turner family, twins Katie and Noah and their parents. Katie became her best friend...."misfits unite"...was their motto....and Olive became part of the family. Noah was her first crush, but everything changed the night of the accident that changed the course of Noah's future and sent Olive running away to make a life for herself elsewhere. Olive and Katie are still best friends, albeit via long distance, but Olive and Noah have never regained the close friendship they too once shared. Guilt, ego, fear of commitment....all that and more have kept them at arm's length from one another. When Katie's husband (and Noah's partner in the Investigative Services Branch of the National Park Service) is left in a coma after a high speed car chase gone wrong, Katie begs Olive to return to Sunrise Cove to help with her young son Joey as Katie tries to hold things together; Olive readily agrees. But the antagonism between Olive and Noah is a constant problem, as is the fact that her parents can't be reached. Olive has worked hard to leave her ill-clad weirdo teenage self behind to become a well put-together and successful business woman; coming back to Sunrise Cove reawakens her old insecurities. It also is hard for her to pretend that she ever stopped loving Noah when the two are living in close quarters, while Noah is battling his own demons about being back in the family home that he had had to escape to forge his own path in life. Will the two of them be able to make peace with their pasts, and is there a way forward for them together?
Better Than Friends is the seventh in author Jill Shalvis' Sunrise Cove series, but can easily be read as a standalone. Two people who hurt one another badly when they were teenagers have moved on and created new lives for themselves, but each has struggled with relationships. Their shattered friendship also impacted Olive's bonds with the Turner family, and the reasons for what happened are slowly revealed over the course of the story. With family and friendships intertwined in a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business, current circumstances are forcing Olive and Noah to face one another and the mistakes each has made over the past dozen or so years. Each has reason to mistrust love and is certain that happily ever after isn't in the cards for them. But with the adorable Joey, Holmes the aging Basset Hound who is mending his own broken heart by adopting a sassy stray kitten who's decided to move in, and the nosy, nagging family that want both Olive and Noah to find love (preferably with one another) rooting them on, maybe the time has come to open their hearts to what awaits those brave enough to take a chance. A smart feisty woman, a protective but broody man, and the possibility of second chances make for an enjoyable read. Fans of Ms Shalvis' other books as well as readers of authors like Susan Mallery, Samantha Chase and Nora Roberts will enjoy this latest love story. My thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyage for allowing me early access to Better Than Friends in return for my honest review.

This was such a sweet book. I would definitely recommend to any romance genre fans! There were so many romance tropes happening and I loved them all.

FMC Olive and MMC Noah fake dated and caught feelings back in high school but an accident tore them apart. Fourteen years later, another accident brings them back together again.

Things I loved:

Second chance
Best friend’s brother
Shared trauma
Forced proximity
Miscommunication
Fake Dating
Satisfying epilogue

The characters are adorable, the humans and animals. Olive is going back home, just for a visit, and the first person she (almost literally) runs into is Noah. Isn't it enough that she ran over him years ago. It seems that no one is going to let her forget it. Olive left suddenly and it hurt the people that cared about her. She is making a good living in London now. Noah still doesn't understand why Olive left with hardly a word to anyone. He has closed off his heart, but his mom keeps hoping he will get married and have grandchildren for her. He doubts that will happen. Olive's parents have left her alone for so many years and doesn't see anything wrong with that. They let her just be herself. Is that neglect on their part? Olive and her BFF Katie have always been different, but Noah never cared that she was different. If Olive and Noah would just open up and be honest with each other, they might just clear up some misconceptions. Will either of them open up their hearts?