This book was ok. I did grow bored with it at times. Jane and Charlotte's wishy washy ways grew tiresome.

I’ve loved every Jill Shalvis book I’ve read and yet again I’ve fallen in love with this first book of The Sunrise Cove series.

Levi and Jane are stranded on a ski lift during a storm that comes out of nowhere. They don’t think they’ll survive so Levi calls his mom to say goodbye but instead to not worry her, he tells her how he’s found love in his girlfriend and her name is Jane just as his phone dies. Well, they do survive and now his family wants to meet Jane. That’s where this book takes off with this full cast of wonderful characters.

There’s joy, heartbreak and you’ll want to root for not only Levi and Jane but also Charlotte (Jane’s roommate)and Matteo (Levi’s best friend).
I loved the found family theme and fake dating trope in this story. The secondary characters really pop out in this book as do the pets and I’m so excited for what’s next in this series.

Found family is my favorite! I loved this whole cast of characters and cannot wait for the series to continue!

I've always wanted to visit Lake Tahoe and even more so after reading this.

Shalvis writes complex and loveable characters that we can’t help but love.

Jill has written so many heartwarming romance novels and this new series featuring a little town outside of Lake Tahoe adds another to her list of sweet reads. It’s a book to read while snuggling under a warm blanket, sitting by a roaring fire, and enjoying a warm beverage of your choice.

I always appreciate the snappy dialogue in Jill’s books and this was no exception. My favorite part of this book was that we get the story of 4 people that become two couples so I feel like I’m at the store and am getting a BOGO deal! Both stories were equally lovely and all the characters are genuinely good folks.

I also like the way each couples’ relationships develop slowly which felt very genuine to me. Each individual brings their own baggage and past experiences that make them skeptical about love and I also feel like that made for a realistic vibe.

About the Book

Every year Jane comes to Sunset Cove for the busy season as a traveling nurse. She always stays with her best friend, Charlotte, who is a doctor at the local hospital.

When a freak storm traps Jane and local boy, Levi, in a gondola high in the air, a bond and a fake relationship is unintentionally formed.

Meanwhile hunky doctor Mateo has tried everything to get Charlotte’s attention. Charlotte has past traumas that has her shying away from love just like her best friend Jane.

Will these ladies be able open their hearts to love?

Levi Cutler finds himself stranded on a gondola during a snow storm with a stranger named Jane Parks. When the winds hurl the gondola and it looks like they are not going to make it, Levi calls his parents to say goodbye. But he cannot bring himself to do that so instead he introduces Jane to his mom telling her that he has finally found the person he wants to settle down with.

It turns out that they do survive. Now Levi needs Jane to pretend to be his girlfriend after all.

Even though Jane agrees to be his pretend girlfriend she is really nervous about meeting the Cutler family. After a traumatic childhood, Jane is not sure how to be around a tight-knit family. But unexpected events has her rethinking her views on family life and happiness.

This is a great heartwarming and humorous story of what life can look like and how to make yourself part of a family.

This sweet series is off to a great start! Jane and Levi’s relationship starts with a near death experience together. What a better way to meet a new friend right?! But both are struggling with their own pasts and disappointments and don’t want to get too attached. Jane’s growth throughout the book and learning that family is what you make rings true on so many levels. I loved the side story of Charlotte and Mateo as well and can’t wait to see what’s up next in the series!

Thank you for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review

The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis is another winner! Jill Shalvis is an auto-buy author for me. I’ve read so many of her books and am never disappointed by the story and escape into the perfectly detailed world. I want to visit the Sierra mountains of Tahoe after reading this book.

Jane and Levi’s romance was full of emotions, chemistry, decisions, and learning to follow their hearts. I also loved their friends Charlotte and Mateo. I cannot wait for the next book in this new Sunrise Cove series.

Erin Mallon beautifully voiced the audiobook narration. I will be seeking her out for future audiobooks.

Thank you, William Morrow and Harper Audio, for my ARC/ALC for this honest review.

Major snowstorm, stranded on a ski lift and two strangers start this heartwarming book. Levi calls home trying to say goodbye instead tells his parents he’s happy with his girlfriend.
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When they are rescued his parents are desperate to meet this “girlfriend”. Jane agrees to be his fake girlfriend for one dinner. As it happens in fake relationships one dinner turns into multiple hang outs and fake feelings turn real.
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This is the first book in a series and I’ll be checking the next one out for sure!
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Thank you @getredprbooks @williammorrowbooks @letstalkbookspromo for including me in this book tour.

Another excellent story by Jill Shalvis! Levi and Jane share a near death experience that changes their lives. I really enjoyed this complex and rich story of family and love. Highly recommended.

If you’ve been wanting a feel-good romance with a pretend relationship trope (and some enemies to lovers thrown in there for good measure), this is one that you definitely need to add to your TBR!!

The Family You Make starts off with a near death experience for Jane and Levi, strangers who are both in the wrong place at the wrong time. When Levi calls his mom to say his goodbyes and instead tells her that he finally has a girlfriend…whose name is Jane…the story quickly takes a turn as they survive their tumultuous night and agree to be in a fake relationship to keep up appearances. But I think we all know those feelings are about to get hella real.

I loved so much about this book. Fun characters with a lot of depth, the tropes, the focus on family and loved ones (blood is not necessarily thicker than water, people). It was a blast to read and from about the halfway mark, I was captivated by the whole thing and really didn’t want to put it down.

The Family You Make is a delightful story about found family and following your heart.

Stranded on a snowlift during an epic snowstorm that sent a nearby gondola crashing to the ground, strangers Levi and Jane are convinced they won’t make it home alive. Levi calls his parents to say his goodbyes–and instead finds himself telling his mom he’s happily settled down with Jane. The phone dies, the pair is rescued, and now Levi’s family is begging to meet Jane.

Jane, a paramedic, has been happy-adjacent on her own for as long as she could remember. She grew up with no family and has craved the type of situation that Levi apparently has. She agrees to be his temporary girlfriend, but of course the more time she spends with Levi and his family, the more she imagines being a real part of it.

There’s also a secondary storyline between Jane’s best friend and Levi’s best friend–two doctors who are neighbors and constantly butting heads. It’s just as strong as the primary story, and I could have read a whole separate book about the pair!

Thanks to William Morrow, Let's Talk Books, and Get Red PR for letting me be a part of this book tour and a gifted digital review copy. It’s out now!

The Family You Make is the first in a new series from Jill Shalvis. It's part women's fiction and part romance, but really just about interesting characters navigating their lives.

Jane and Levi meet in the midst of a disaster which tests them in different ways and has Levi coming up with a fake dating plan to placate his mother. Sigh. You know how this goes. But really with this book, it's all about the richly layered characters and what they do to get to that happily ever after.

I really loved the action at the beginning of the book and it really hooked me from the start. The writing is terrific. I think I'm going to like this Sunrise Cover series and I'm looking for more.

Thank you so much to @getredprbooks @williammorrowbooks @letstalkbookspromo for the complimentary digital review copy of The Family You Make to participate in this blog tour. The Family You Make came out on January 11, 2022 - available now!

This was a cute little book. I really enjoyed the multiple story lines occurring alongside Jane and Levi's and watching them fumble into what we all know will be a HEA. I liked the wintery setting, especially reading this during a big snowstorm last week.

Oh, I just loved this book. It follows the two main characters Jane and Charlotte who have both gone through traumatic experiences in their past that left them a bit untrusting of people that come into their lives. But somehow they had grown to really be friends. So, when both of them end up with love interests with what appear to be really great guys, they egg each other on to eventually have something real. The relationship and how it is built between Jane and Levi was so friggin' adorable. Same with Charlotte and Mateo. And I loved how Cat was a secondary character all on her own. I have another one of Jill Shalvis's books on my TBR shelf and now Im super excited to pick it up down the road!

Entertaining story - a romance that starts on a ski lift - he introduces her to his family leading them to believe she’s the one
Charming story

The Family You Make was a heartwarming story that dealt with rebuilding your life and trust in love. This contemporary romance could easily find its place on the Hallmark channel. It captivated my attention from the very first page with the tension from a freak snowstorm and near-death experience from the two main characters Jane and Levi.

One of my favorite romance tropes is fake dating, closely followed by enemies ( or friends ) to lovers, and Jill Shalvis gave me both in this book when she included the secondary story of Charlotte and Mateo.

This is the first book that I have read by Shalvis and it definitely will not be my last. The thrilling opening, and phenomenal characters that she created made this book. I love a character-driven book, and with The Family You Make I certainly got one. I loved watching the growth of Jane and how she slowly began to trust Levi more and more as the story unfolded, but also how she closely guarded her heart, due to it being a “ fake “girlfriend situation. There was no instant- love between Jane and Levi, but there was certainly an attraction, and the attraction built through the book, which I always enjoy so much more than falling in love by chapter two.

As far as the characters in The Family You Make, they are real, with relatable feelings and flaws. I loved Levi, who was in Tahoe to help his parents out with their failing business. He was kind and patient with the ones he loved, and especially with Jane, never pushing her, but also letting her know that he was there for her. His family who had troubles of their own provided some good comedic moments, along with some very tender moments.

As much as I enjoyed the relationship between Jane and Levi, I probably loved the secondary characters Charlotte and Mateo and their story even more. Charlotte had a traumatic relationship in the past and she had refused to get involved with men since. Her exterior was tough and sometimes seemed a bit hateful toward Mateo, but the sexy doctor next door refused to give up on her.

I do not know HOW she refused Mateo for as long as he did…I am talking big-time book boyfriend material here. He had my heart melting the first time he shoveled snow from her driveway when she was gone. By the way, this made Charlotte mad and she demanded he put it all right back where he had shoveled it from!

This book had it all…thrilling scenes, great family moments, heartbreaking moments, and of course a joyful ending. I recommend it to anyone, especially if you need a bit of uplifting in your life!

"Family is earned, not inherited."

The Family You Make is the first book in the Sunrise Cove saga set in Lake Tahoe by @jillshalvis

The opening pages are death defying, hooking the reader. The novel contains not one but TWO love stories that are endearing and adorable.

It features two women struggling to open their hearts to love and be loved. Levi and Mateo are perfectly charming, witty, humorous and extremely patient to get what they want - the unwavering love of these women.

I'm committed to this series, and look forward to the next installment The Friendship Pact, publishing June 2022. Thank you GetRedPRBooks, William Morrow Books and Lets Talk Book Promo for the complimentary copy of this novel.

This review may contain spoilers.

This was my first book by this author so I was t sure what to expect. I ended up liking it but I definitely did not love it and I can’t say I would go out of my way to read another book from this author.

Timeline wise this book was all over the place.

I cannot stand the annoying well meaning mom characters who steamroll over everyone and are too involved in their adult children’s lives (IE: Levi’s mom)

And I hate how nosey and involved his family is and the fact that they listened to the fight Levi and Jane had and then blamed him for ruining things. I don’t feel like it was his fault. And I hated that Jane made the whole cancer treatment thing about her.

Based off of the synopsis, I didn’t realize there was going to be 2 romances in this book, at first I thought it was setting it up for the 2nd book to be about Mateo and Charlotte but then they ended up getting together in this book and I feel like I wanted more of Charlotte and Mateo, their romance felt like an after thought so that really bugged me.

Rating: 3.5/5

I've just finished the first book in The Sunrise Cove Series and I'm already wondering when we can expect book number two?!

When an unexpected fast and fierce snowstorm strands Levi and Jane, complete strangers together on a gondola both are scared for their lives but try to remain strong for the other. When the gondola in front of them hits the ground, Levi knows it's time to call his parents and prepare them for the worst. But what he does is try to fulfill his mother's lifelong wish and tell her he has a girlfriend, Jane. He makes up this wonderful lie about Jane expecting that it will be their last conversation. But it isn't.

Levi's family becomes desperate to find Jane and meet this girlfriend of Levi's. Jane agrees to be his pretend girlfriend but nothing more. As she spends more time with Levi though she's not so sure she won't be the one to fall.

Loved the story of Levi and Jane but also the secondary storyline of Mateo and Charlotte. This book brought some laugh-out-loud moments and series steam!

Pub date: 1/11/22
Genre: romance, women's fiction
In one sentence: After Jane and Levi have a near-death experience on a gondola, could they share a real-life romance?

This is my first book by Jill Shalvis, and I can see why readers turn to her for heartwarming stories! I liked Levi and Jane a lot, especially seeing Levi's family bring Jane into the fold and show her the love she was missing as a child. Charlotte, Jane's BFF, was also super supportive - and I was glad to see her get her own love story!

Sweet or steamy?: This book veers into Hallmark movie level of sweetness and happily ever afters. But if you're looking for warm fuzzies, I think you'll enjoy the trip to Sunrise Cove!

Thank you to William Morrow and Let's Talk Books Promo for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.