Just Right.

I’ve always believed that family is what you make of it, thus the new series by Jill Shalvis, The Family You Make, struck a chord with me.

Jane is a woman who has never stayed in one place A nomad who has moved around, she grew up in Sunrise Cove and will always love it. Levi is from Sunrise Cove. Though he has never felt as though he belonged, he calls it home.

These two form a bond when Levi’s life is put in danger and Jane, a traveling nurse, comes to his rescue. Thereafter, the two pretend to date, for the sake of Levi’s family and of course, can’t find those loving feelings.

Jane has been alone forever. She doesn’t know how to be anything else. Yet somehow she can’t ignore Levi, try as hard as she might.

Charlotte is a physician who is Jane’s closest friend. These two lean on each other through thick and thin. Charlotte has been through hell and back and has never really let anyone in, until now. Mateo is an ER doc who lives next door to Charlotte. Mateo has been in love with Charlotte forever. A man who goes out of his way for the woman he loves, he will do whatever it takes to break down those walls.

This is a story that centers mainly around Jane and Levi, though admittedly, I enjoyed the story of Charlotte and Mateo much more. If I had to put my finger on why I’d have to say that I felt as though Jane and Levi’s relationship felt forced whereas Charlotte and Mateo’s was quite easy and natural. That said, all in all, I enjoyed The Family You Make and so agreed with the sentiment shared at the end of the book. I started reading Jill Shalvis’ novels in the middle of last year and quite enjoy them and am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House for the arc via NetGalley

Published on Goodreads and Twitter and to blog: books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com

This is my first Shalvis book! I was not disappointed. I didn’t know this was part of a series but it is a good start to a cute romance. I love that the book really highlighted the idea of making your own family.

Levi and Jane met in an unusual way. They ended up on a gondola at a ski resort. As they are on their way back to the lodge the gondola stops and they see the gondola in front of them come off the track and crash to the ground. They make it back to lodge but both of their lives have now changed. They end up getting to know each other and a new bond is formed.

Another amazing book from Jill and even better the start of a new series. I loved this one just as I've loved all books from Jill. Rich characters you can root for!

There are a few authors out there who’s books feel like comfort reads to me and @jillshalvis is one of them. I just know I’m going to pick up the book and love the characters and feel like part of their community.

The Family You Male is kicking off the new Sunrise Cove Series. We are introduced to Jane, a traveling nurse with no family, and Levi, a tech guy who is home visiting his family in Tahoe. They get trapped together on a gondola in a storm and form a unique connection immediately.
I enjoyed this one so much and I’m already looking forward to more from these characters

i really love Jill's writing. It just works for me. She knows how to write small town. heroine''s journey/family drama.

“Family is earned, not inherited.”

The Family You Make was my first book by Jill Shavis but it will not be my last! I enjoyed reading it so much and I flew through it in two days. I alternated between the book and the audiobook. It is narrated by Erin Mallon who is one of my favorite narrators so that made it an easy listen. Found family is one of my favorites to read about and that is one of the main themes of The Family You Make. We also get an amazing female friendship and not one, but two romance storylines that are mostly closed door, but not quite closed if you know what I mean. I look forward to reading more of her books and quite a few of them are already on my shelves.

Read if you like:
-Found family
-Supportive female friendships
-Lake Tahoe
-Books with a lot of humor and heart
-Romance & Women’s Fiction
-Susan Mallery’s books

Thank you so much to @getredprbooks and @williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy!

Jane could have had it worse. She could have been stuck on the ski lift all alone. At least Levi is there to keep her company, but when the gondola ahead falls to the earth in the middle of the blizzard, Levi calls his family. It seems like he might be saying goodbye, but then instead he claims he's got a great life, one with Jane in it as his girlfriend! The audacity! After the ordeal in the lift, Levi's family demands to meet the mythical Jane, and with trepidation she agrees to go, but only for dinner. Jane isn't sure how to handle a family that actually likes each other after her own sordid childhood. As dinner progresses, and as Jane begins to really get to know Levi and his family, feelings that Jane never expected begin to surface, and she wonders if she can have the family of her dreams after all. What started out as pretend now feels very real, indeed.

From the opening pages, this story engaged me with its intensity and realism. Surviving a bone-chilling weather event together is no joke, so I can understand why Jane would agree to visit Levi's family. I love Jill Shalvis's books, and this Sunrise Cove story is no disappointment! Themes of friendship, second chances, love, and found family are woven throughout, while also taking a peek at the dysfunctional parts of families. While Jane feels drawn to a family dynamic she's never known, Levi feels like an outcast in his own family, which creates an interesting dichotomy between the two. I only wish that Levi had addressed some hurtful moments, whether intentional or not, caused by his family. At least his niece, Peyton, was a breath of fresh air with her kindness and shenanigans, and she really made me laugh!

The friendships and relationships in this story were a real highlight for me. Jane and Charlotte survived dreadful moments in their past, forging a mutual kinship between them, and they looked out for each other in the best way. Charlotte and Mateo had a really interesting dynamic, and I loved that Mateo pursued Charlotte with respect, allowing her to come to him on her own terms. I wished we'd gotten more of their relationship here! Jane and Levi's blossoming relationship was full of chemistry, felt natural, and was full of hilarious banter. I liked their mutual support of each other, and how they never felt incongruent. The Family You Make is the story of the coldest night warming the hearts of two lonely people, and offering them possibilities that didn't seem possible as the blizzard raged around them. Recommended for readers who love Jill Shalvis stories like I do, who appreciate found family and friends-to-lovers, and who appreciate strong support systems and people who are there for you when you really need them.

Jill Shalvis does not disappoint with this book. If you are looking for a stellar romance with a confused heroine, family in all sorts of shapes and sizes - those you are born with and those you add during your life - this is the book for you. I love the characters, including the secondary characters and hope to see more in this series. You will be cheering for all involved - Jane who had a tough life growing up, Levi not looking for love and finding it in an unusual place and more. Definitely read and enjoy this - I found myself laughing at loud and having many moments where I felt the prose was like a hug - cute/sweet/endearing and yes even sometimes frustration with the characters when they don't do what you want when you want......but a great read. Enjoy!

Romance and RomComs are not my usual choice, but I enjoyed three last year and wanted to try some new authors in 2022.
Picture yourself heading up a mountain to ski when a powerful storm means closing all the trails. Levi has just gone up when he is told that he must go back down immediately. Fine with him since he grew up in Sunrise Cove and respects the power of nature.
Jane is a traveling nurse, the last of the staff to leave. She is petrified as the wind batters the gondola, sure that something terrible will happen. Levi is used to this kind of weather and is unfazed until he isn't. The car in front of them falls and Levi and Jane are tossed around like an overmixed salad. When it seems like they won't get out of this alive, Levi makes a final call to his close-knit family. He tells his mother what is happening, but says he at least is with his girlfriend so she doesn't have to live knowing he died with a stranger.
When they both survive the gondola ride from hell, his family wants to meet Jane. She agrees to this deception and before you can blink, real feelings start to grow between her and Levi. Can this lead to a HEA ending, or will the fact that they come from two very different worlds mean that they may have survived together, but they are not meant to be together?
Besides these two having the best how did you meet story ever, I appreciated Jane's growth. She did not come from a happy home, but she grew to realize that you can choose to make your own family. I came from a terrible family, and I too made my own.
This was definitely out of my thriller-loving box, but I did enjoy the characters and wow, the author can make a fictional place seem so real .3.5 stars.

~~~ I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~

in The Family You Make, Jill Shalvis has written a lovely story of two couples: Jane & Levi and Charolette & Mateo. Both Jane and Charolette struggle with relationships- both romantic and family, while Levi and Mateo have strong and welcoming families. I enjoyed the way these characters meet and interact. Jill Shalvis has a gift of bringing the reader to the location (Lake Tahoe) as well as the story's action. The overall themes of this book are love, family, friendship, trust, and forgiveness.

I think this quote from The Family You Make sums up the book perfectly: "'I meant when I once told you that family is blood. I was wrong. Family, real family, has nothing to do with blood. Family is who you pick'."

The reason I gave it 3 stars was because I felt like I was reading the story of one relationship twice (once through each couple). They just weren't different enough and I found myself going back a page or two in the book to remind myself which story I was reading at that time. I think the book could've been stronger if it was devoted to one couple's story, which would've allowed for greater development and chemistry between the characters.

Oh, and one more LOL quote: "'Oh to be a cat and simply slap the shit out of anything I don't like.'"

Overall, I did enjoy this book and look forward to the next installment in the Sunrise Cove series.

The Family You Make
This may be my favorite by Jill Shalvis! I've read a handful by the author and loved this start to the series. I loved the town itself, loved that we got two romances in one, and the characters and supporting families. I can't wait for more in this series!!

I love Jill Shalvis and was very excited that this was the first in a new series of hers.

Levi and Jane are trapped in a blizzard on the ski lift and although strangers they form an interesting relationship and their friends set the stage for the next book in the series.

The was pure comfort. I like how it went a little deeper with the characters but still felt light-hearted. I loved how there was more than one romantic story line to follow and I became similarly invested in both. Fans of Grey’s Anatomy will find a similar vibe in this book. Found-family is my favorite trope so with a title like this, it was bound to earn at least one extra star from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Jill Shalvis is the ultimate modern day romance writer. They are books not to be missed. I look forward to the adventures of all her characters each year. In the most beautiful settings, her characters go through love, loss, and finding their way home again. Totally worth the read.

Not sure if I’m into this kind of romance: no real conflict, no worry that things won’t work out, a bunch of happilies that feel more real than magical. But I did enjoy this story. The men are a bit too perfect, the story a bit too easily tied up, the obstacles avoided a little too easily. It was still a feel-good comfort-food kind of read. If you’re into that, this is a winner.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by NetGalley for my honest review and opinion. Jane's life was simple and closed off until a life altering experience on a ski lift with Levi. They find love and they find their own family after years of not feeling wanted. This was a sweet romance with hints that Jill Shalvis will focus on the other characters in another book.

A new series from Jill Shalvis? Yes please! She's one of my favorite authors. And don't let her covers fool you, Jill bring some heat in her books! The Family You Make starts off was quite the intense meet cute as Levi and Jane are stranded together on a gondola in Lake Tahoe and the gondola in front of them plunges to the ground. This leads to an immediate connection and some antics as they start fake-dating. And you know how much I love fake dating. This was a fun read, and I can't wait to continue the series! Add this one to your TBR.

During the snowstorm of the century Levi Cutler is stranded on a ski lift with a beautiful stranger named Jane. After strong winds hurl the gondola in front of them into the ground, Levi calls his parents to prepare them for the worst…but can’t bring himself to say goodbye. Instead, wanting to fulfill his mother’s lifelong wish, he impulsively tells her he’s happily settled and Jane is his girlfriend—right before his phone dies.

But Levi and Jane do not.

Now Levi’s family is desperate to meet “The One.” Though Jane agrees to be his pretend girlfriend for just one dinner, she’s nervous. After a traumatic childhood, Jane isn’t sure she knows how to be around a tight-knit family that cherishes one another. She’s terrified, and a little jealous. But an unexpected series of events and a host of new friends soon show Jane that perhaps this is the life she was always meant to have.

As Jane and Levi spend more time together, pretend feelings quickly turn into real ones. Now all Jane has to do is admit to herself she can’t live without the man she’s fallen in love with and the family she has always dreamed of.

Ok, confession time. Although @jillshalvis books have been around for ages, this is the first one I’ve read, courtesy of @getredprbooks and @williammorrowbooks.

The Family You Make is the first in a new series that’s set in the idyllic town of Sunrise Cove. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows your name, and your business.

Despite this, longtime resident Levi and sometime resident Jane have their meet cute while stuck in a gondola during a snowstorm. Living out a near death experience, Levi calls home to say goodbye, blurting out that he’s with his girlfriend to make his family happy should this be the last time they speak.

Only when the pair survive, Levi asks Jane to still pretend to be his girlfriend to appease his overeager family. The commitment shy Jane doesn’t do long term relationships of any kind, even fake ones. Still, it’s hard to deny the real feelings she’s having for her make believe boyfriend, or the growing desire to plant roots where there were none before.

I enjoyed getting to know Levi and Jane, but found the cast of characters that surrounded these two added to the believability of the story. Technically this book is about Levi and Jane, but it also focuses on a secondary couple who had a lot in common with them. Some might even argue too much in common. Either way, it felt like they should have gotten a book of their own.

This story was like a warm hug, the perfect one sitting read for a snowy day (or night!) So, if you enjoy your romances where Grey’s Anatomy meets Hallmark, I’d suggest visiting Sunrise Cove and overstaying your welcome.

This is a pretty good story about how our past can affect our present and how we perceive our problems making it hard to fall in love again. I love how Ms. Shalvis always puts more than 2 main characters in her books and she had a bunch of delightful side characters.

Jill Shelves constantly impresses me with her ability to create such cozy and warm settings and characters. Her writing is pitch perfect and easy to fall into with love to admire. This story will pull at your heartstrings and make you fall in love with so many things.