The Love Fix had all the elements for a heartwarming story—road trip antics, found family, and emotional healing—but it just didn’t land for me.

Lexi was a tough character to connect with. She spent so much of the book stuck in a cycle of self-pity over a wrongful firing that took forever to get resolved. While her guardedness made her healing journey realistic, it also made the first part of the book feel slow. Heath, on the other hand, felt overly self-aware, constantly naming and analyzing his emotions in a way that didn’t feel natural. Their romance lacked chemistry, and the supposed “crackling tension” between them wasn’t there.

On the plus side, the family dynamics, especially Lexi’s reconciliation with her sister, were touching. The themes of forgiveness and healing gave the story some emotional weight, but overall, it felt cluttered with too many characters and lacked the depth I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

I really did want to love this book, but had a hard time connecting with the main characters. While the back story was entertaining and I love the friends to enemies trope the miscommunication was hard to get past. I understand that both characters were both hurt by people they love and that’s why the miscommunication stemmed from I just couldn’t connect. I do intend to read other books by this author and see how I like them!

Everyone Needs Connections
My personal theory is that every family has some level of dysfunction. With that said, Jill Shalvis is a genius who captures this dysfunction and using it to propel the plots of her books in ways that always make me cry and laugh, nearly at the same time.
In “The Love Fix,” the newest title in her Sunrise Cove series, we meet the trio of Ashley, Lexi and Heath. Lexi and Ashley are stepsisters. Heath is the neighbor boy who was always around — at least until Lexi moved across the country when she was in elementary school.
Heath and Lexi have a history of competition and antagonism. The relationship between Ashley and Lexi is more complicated. After losing custody of Lexi, mom Daisy stuck around to raise her younger stepchild Ashley.
It’s complicated.
Now Lexi and Ashley have a mutual project to complete with Heath’s help. Along the way they all learn that everything they thought they knew about the past is definitely not the full story.
Much of the elementary-school competition between Heath and Lexi came more from stresses in their private home lives instead of from each other. Both have injuries that continue to inform their current choices.
I enjoyed Heath, Lexi and Ashley’s story so much that I wish I could have spent more time with them and their extended family members who add additional depth to their characters.
If you’ve never read a Jill Shalvis title, this is a great one with which to take the plunge. Shalvis’ character development, dialogue and plot pacing are spot on. (And the spider encounter is taken from real life.)
Although “The Love Fix” is labelled as part of the Sunrise Cove series, each title stands alone. There are no character crossovers from earlier titles.
My thanks to Harper Collins for an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you for this ARC, NetGalley!

This story took me a minute to get into. At the beginning Lexie is a bristly, distrusting, and cynical women who as erected walls to close herself off from everyone, even the people she loves. While her reasoning for this may be a result of a long history of disappointments and broken promises, it makes the first 30% of the book challenging to root for her. In the end, I felt this made her healing journey and character development more compelling and realistic. Each character was flawed and dynamic in ways that were easy to relate to. Several characters have heavier themes they work through as they heal and grow throughout the story.
Also, they say don't judge a book by its cover (whoever they are is right) but l'd be lying if I said it wasn't what initially drew me in to this book. I mean who doesn't want to be this girl?

In The Love Fix (Sunrise Cove #8) by Jill Shalvis we meet Lexi as her world is falling apart, accused of something she did not do and out of money she is called home by her stepsister, Ashley. Little did she know there was an alternative motive for her being home and a complication from her past named Heath.

As her and Ashley work to complete a task put upon them, they realize that family is worth more than any money in the world.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book, and this is my honest voluntary review.

This book was just another brilliant read from Jill Shalvis. It's the eighth book of the Sunrise Cove series but can be read as a stand alone. The only thing any of these books seem to have in common is the small town it takes place in, none of the characters throughout the series intermingle.

The book is a very clean romance. Two old friends or competitive high schoolers grow up and turned to lovers. All the while on a mission to fulfill a dying wish of a mother, they seem to find each other.

It's a great, quick, lovely read. The characters make you fall in love with them immediately. They have so much depth. The storyline isn't one I found to by typical or predictable. Overall the book was really just perfect for me.

I really enjoy reading any book written by Jill Shalvis and The Love Fix was no exception. It was full of heart and made me feel all the feelings. The family dynamics, the friendships, the community, the messiness - I loved it all.

A huge thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.

While this book is part of the Sunrise Cove series it is a complete stand-alone book. Once again Jill Shalvis has written a book about a less than perfect heroine, which to me just makes the characters that much more likable. Lexi is currently unemployed and only back in town at the request of her stepsister to deal with her mother's final wishes. She has always had a complicated relationship with her mother. While Ashley on the other hand had a much different relationship with Lexi's mom. In the process of following through with her last wishes, Lexi finds that all of the relationships in her life stem from the issues with her mother but just maybe by following through with her request maybe she can find some resolution. And just maybe a new relationship too. Filled with quirky characters and a touch of humor, this book pulled me in immediately and not wanting to put it down.

I am a huge fan of Jill Shalvis books but this was hard to read because it was about a mother’s death and my mom just died. I probably should have waited to read this book. It was an emotional journey centered on two sisters life after their mother’s death which is exactly what I am going through. They embark on a journey to deliver their mother’s letters. It was definitely a much darker read that most of her books. There is past abuse they must deal with as well.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely love this book! The writing style was both endearing and comical with very vivid descriptions that made you really feel like you were a part of the story. All three of the main characters were terrific and relatable..

Sweet story, even if their trauma will take longer to heal from, the framing was a good way to reunite the sisters and start the process. Even good parents can be different parents to the youngest and oldest, just due to circumstances and life experiences, so I appreciate stories that explore sister relationships and getting to know each other as adults. I enjoyed this ARC from Avon and Harper Voyager via Netgalley.

A cozy with all the right emotions. Childhood emotions that come to head as adults. Lessons of true friendship that overcomes misunderstandings because of low self esteem. Happy endings are always a fun read.

I think Jill Shalvis fans will devour and be absolutely satisfied with The Love Fix. Shalvis delivers on her typical SOP of damaged characters fighting thru their trauma for a HEA. That said, I personally found the plot repetitive and the dialogue painfully expositional. The characters spent pages explaining each others’ childhood wounding… over and over again. It’s a formula that clearly works for Shalvis’ many fans, but was difficult for me.

This story took me a minute to get into. At the beginning Lexie is a bristly, distrusting, and cynical women who as erected walls to close herself off from everyone, even the people she loves. While her reasoning for this may be a result of a long history of disappointments and broken promises, it makes the first 30% of the book challenging to root for her. In the end, I felt this made her healing journey and character development more compelling and realistic. Each character was flawed and dynamic in ways that were easy to relate to. Several characters have heavier themes they work through as they heal and grow throughout the story.

Also, they say don’t judge a book by its cover (whoever they are is right) but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t what initially drew me in to this book. I mean who doesn’t want to be this girl?
—
🐾Enemies to lovers
✉️Forced proximity
🐾Road trip
✉️Written letters
🐾Found family
✉️Trust issues
🐾Familial abandonment (past)
✉️Child abuse (past)
🐾Healing & forgiveness
✉️Dual POV
—
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review! 📚
Publishers release date 6/24/2025

This book is just sweet. I was hoping it would be more relatable and vulnerable. I wanted to cry but I didn’t. It was just okay. I wanted more of coming of age. But older ya know what I mean? I enjoy the cover and the character developments.

This is romantic feel good book with some family drama intertwined. You will feel like you are right there with the characters as you read it and the author does a great job at describing the scenes. You won't regret reading this one!

A cute read once I got started. Jill always gives you a good ending so she never disappoints. I will say the ending did have a little surprise I guess. It was a quick read for the most part, but not my favorite of her books. I gave it three stars.

Jill Shalvis is my top go to author. I love all of her.books and this is no exception. She always has excellent storyline that grabs you from the start and keeps you reading to the last page. Wonderful characters, humor, delightful settings and HEA. My only problem with Shalvis stories is waiting for the next book to come out.

I really enjoyed this book! It is the eighth book in a series but you don’t need to read the prior books in order to read this one.
I felt like this book showed the real and emotional feelings that come with family relationships and the grieving process that is not always linear. I loved the relationship that develops between Ashley and Lexi and want that bond to last forever for them. I loved the found family aspect that shows that sometimes that bond can be thicker than blood.
I didn’t initially feel the connection between Heath and Lexi but as the book progressed it became clearer that they belonged together. They worked hard to break down each other’s walls and understand what each of them has gone through in their lives to have made them build those walls up. This is my first Jill Shalvis book but I am sure it won’t be my last! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC.

This is the first book I have read by Jill Shalvis. This book is a perfect read for winter or a beach read.Lexi Clarke’s life in a state of chaos. She is running from work and an ex boyfriend. She goes back to her hometown to tie up loose ends due to her mother’s death. She runs into more problems having to forge new relationships with her step sister and ex school crush. It took some work and time but the end shows that while there is still things to work through sometimes facing life with help is the best start.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collin’s.