The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis is set in Lake Tahoe (Sierra Nevada Mountains) and includes a few of my favorite tropes.

After Harper’s life falls apart, she packs up her most important things including her beloved dog and sets off for her favorite place, Lake Tahoe. She intends to fulfill her dream of opening a bakery. This bakery is located next to a tavern owned by sexy and grumpy Bodie Campbell. After an unfortunate and accidental initial encounter, it turns out that Bodie is also her landlord. A runaway teenager shows up to complicate everything.

I love grumpy/sunshine, starting over, women entrepreneurs, supportive family, and found family tropes, so the reading experience was engaging and satisfying. The heartfelt (and somewhat contrived) conclusion requires a suspension of disbelief.

Although The Sweetheart List is #4 in a series, it can be read as a stand-alone (I have not read the first three). If you enjoy this one, it’s nice to know there are other titles in the Lake Tahoe/Sierra Nevada world.

I enjoy an occasional romance if it also includes substantial content and thoughtful themes. I especially appreciated the runaway teenager storyline here. As I mentioned earlier, I think the conclusion to this storyline is a bit contrived and requires a suspension of disbelief. However, it is still memorable and heartfelt.

I’m recommending The Sweetheart List for fans of mountain and bakery settings (especially the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Lake Tahoe). If you enjoy (mildly spicey) romance with some substantial content and are looking for a beach read, pick up The Sweetheart List. Evidently, Jill Shalvis is a popular and prolific author, but this is my first of hers to read. If you’ve read Shalvis previously, you might add this new release to your TBR.

Thanks #NetGalley @AvonBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #TheSweetheartList upon my request. All opinions are my own.

The Sweetheart List may be the first Jill Shalvis book I have read, but it certainly won't be my last. It falls into the category of what I call "comfort" reads. I loved the characters, setting and especially the strong sense of family and community that the author created. Thanks so mucy to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advance copy.

The Sweetheart list was my first Jill Shavis book.

Harper is an adult runaway and Ivy is a teenage runaway that find themselves in Colorado looking for a new start. Understanding Ivy in a way few can, Harper does what she can to help. As they both rebuild, they get to know Bodie and his family. Bodie owns the bar next to the bakery Harper is opening. All three of their paths cross in ways none imagined.

I loved Harper's optimism, Ivy's vulnerability, and Bodie's family. Shavis did a great job describing the small town in Colorado as well as the characters. That being said, I felt like it did not come together the way I hoped. It was still a very enjoyable read and I liked how Harper and Ivy understood each other. It was a very cozy romance that dealt with serious issues of PTSD, teenage runaways, and absent parents.

THE SWEETHEART LIST is a feel-good, small town romance. With underlying themes of abandonment, loneliness, and grief, Jill Shalvis weaves a heartwarming tale of finding family and love. Harper moves to Lake Tahoe from southern California looking for a new start. There she meets Brodie, an injured, grief-stricken former ATF agent and Ivy, a teenage runaway with secrets. I enjoyed their path to healing and acceptance.

This book is a comforting, warm hug of a read.

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon and Harper Voyager for an Advanced Reader Copy.

You know you've read a great book when you get to the last word and instantly sigh. This author always does an amazing job creating characters that you can relate to and want to cheer on.

Harper is done with lists and anything that doesn't spark joy in her life. After she and her long term boyfriend end thier relationship, she feels adrift. She re-evaluates her life and decides to move to Lake Tahoe, where she last felt joy. She and her parents used to vacation there before she lost her mother.

She leases a storefront and she (and her dog Ham) pack up for their new adventure - opening a bakery. Due to an unexpected July snowstorm, her arrival is dramatic. She and bartender Brodie have an instant connection, but choose to ignore it.

Meanwhile, Harper is surprised when teenager Ivy breaks into the bakery to find a place to sleep. She feels drawn to Ivy, whom she suspects is a runaway. However, Ivy is in town on a mission - one that could change her life.

Brodie is still dealing with some major losses in his life. He feels content when he's around Harper, which is a feeling he is unaccustomed to recently. Will he allow himself to find happiness?

This book is absolutely amazing and I couldn't put it down. I felt so invested in each of these characters and devoured this story.

I adored this book! I always know when I pick up a JS book I am going to be totally entertained! And this was no exception! Love love loved it from the beginning!! a highly highly recommend.

Harper Shaw's life is imploding. After helping her now ex-boyfriend financially all through law school, he ends up dumping her when she thought now they'd get engaged. Deciding that she only wants happy in her life, she packs up and heads to the last place she was truly happy.....Lake Tahoe along with her dog Hambone "Ham". Harper decided that she was going to open her own bakery and found the perfect place. Now she just needs to get there safely because who ever thought there would be a snowstorm in July! After an interesting arrival, courtesy of one of her new landlords, Bodie Campbell, she gets situated into her new place. Imagine her surprise when she finds a young girl, Ivy Roberts in the apartment. It turns out Ivy is a runaway and was just looking for a place to stay warm. Harper understands Ivy and offers to let her stay with her as long as she wants.

Harper and Ivy form a bond and Ivy even ends up working for Harper once she opens her bakery. In the meantime, Harper starts spending more time with Bodie and the sparks ignite! Harper also becomes friends with the local bookstore owner, Shay. Everything in Harper's life is starting to look up until secrets are revealed and misunderstandings happen. Once the dust settles, Harper and Bodie will finally realize that what they have is worth keeping and these two will get a perfect happy ending.

I loved this sweet, second chance at life love story. Bodie was just yummy and I loved his crazy family. Harper really just wanted to be wanted by someone and found that with Bodie and the rest of his crazy clan. Jill Shalvis has a way of making you love her characters and want to be friends with them. Another great story from such a wonderful series.

Shalvis always delivers heartfelt characters, loveable backdrops and humor just when we need it! The fourth book in her decadent Sunrise Cove series was quick to hook me and keep me turning page after page to inhale all of the angsty goodness!

Harper is a character who it's hard not to like because she's just so down-to-earth and real. She's got her list of problems, but she tackles them with an upbeat attitude and still always has a helping hand for others. I really enjoyed her ... snark and all! 

Bodie was my favorite! He's a sweet at heart grump and I adored every minute with him.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone that enjoys a romance filled with warmth and humor in a gorgeous setting and with relatable characters.

The Sweetheart List is book four in the Sunrise Cove series by Jill Shalvis.

Harper has just decided to move back to Sunrise Cove from San Diego where she plans to open a bakery using recipes that have been in her family for years. She meets Bodie, who is her landlord, and who also owns the bar next door. Harper also comes across Ivy, who is a teenaged girl looking for a place to fit in. Harper realizes this and decides to take her under her wing.

While all of the characters in this book have things they are looking to heal from, it's always great to see them have the support of family and of the others in the book to begin to heal and move on. Harper and Bodie made such a great couple and it was such a joy to read.

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

Harper slides into Lake Tahoe during a freak July snowstorm. Bodie offers to put chains on her tires. They meet as strangers and then she realizes he's one of her landlords. When she puts the key in the door of her soon-to-be bakery, she doesn't mind spending the night without heat or hot water. Then Ivy, a lonely teenager attempts to break in and crash there too. Little did they all know the depth of their connection!

Jill Shalvis reels you in from the first page. She'll have you laughing and crying along with the characters you meet as they traverse life. This is a great story about family, love, friendship, and commitment .

Although I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Sweetheart List, the newest novel by Jill Shalvis, returns readers to the picturesque town of Sunrise Cove. As is customary of the series, readers:
1. Meet a whole new cast of characters who own their hearts before the story ends.
2. Receives a story designed give one all the feels. 

In this, the fourth installment of the Sunrise Cove series readers meets Harper Shaw, Bodie Campbell and Ivy Roberts. Harper moved to Sunrise Cove, looking for a fresh start. Life dealt her some massive blows and so she returns to one place that brought her joy as a child. She is looking forward to her new life. A life where nothing or no one would prey on her emotions and one where she hopes to achieve success in her new business venture.

Bodie returned home after his time as an agent with the ATF expired. He was not in a good place physically and mentally after being wounded on the job and losing both his work partner and dad tragically. He blames himself, but thanks to a loving family, he could heal and move forward.

Then there was the mysterious Ivy Roberts who came to Sunrise Cove for one reason, but ended up with so many reasons to remain in the beach town. 

The Sweetheart List is a sweetheart of a read. Getting to know the characters was a delightful experience. From the main to the secondary characters. We see several relationships developing, but the ones which warmed my heart were those between Harper and Ivy, Ivy and Bodie and Harper and Bodie. The bond between Harper and Ivy developed from shared circumstances despite their differences in age. For someone who found it difficult to trust, meeting Harper changed her whole perspective. Harper had a compassionate spirit, which pulls in everyone she came in contact with.

Harper’s relationship with Bodie started out on a fun note. She’s sworn off men, but she never expected Bodie to enter her life. Likewise, Bodie had no interest in a relationship, but meeting Harper changed all that.

Whenever I pick up a book by Shalvis, I expect an entertaining read. She did not disappoint. The story hidden between the pages was entertaining. I had fun returning to Sunrise Cove and look forward to my next visit.

This is the fourth book in the Sunrise Cove series by Jill Shalvis, in which the books are tied together by location, but are all completely stand-alone in that the characters don't cross over from book to book (or if they do, it's a small cameo at most). This means a reader can pick up any book in the series without feeling lost. In comparison to the previous book in the series that I read, The Sweetheart List has some of the same themes of friendship and found family, but was lighter and less emotional, more of a feel good romance, and the MCs, Bodie and Harper, were able to resolve the issues holding them back without too much trouble. As always, the banter was fast and fun and all of the characters were decent human beings whom I'd love to be friends with. Even though the stakes felt low, the book was a fast and easy read and I very much enjoyed it. I also loved the location at Lake Tahoe, and I especially loved Hambone, Harper's 125 lb Bernese Mountain lapdog. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

After breaking up with her boyfriend, Harper Shaw realizes there's nothing left for her in the city. Packing up her belongings and her giant dog, Hambone, she heads to the one place she was always happy. She has fond memories of camping near Sunrise Cove on Lake Tahoe before her mother died. Now she has her mother's recipes and sourdough starter and plans to open her own bakery in Sunrise Cove.

Things are not as anticipated when Harper slides into town. A dirty, dusty storefront with no heat awaits her, and she gets off on the wrong foot with not only the owner of her property but also a local bear. Hard work and determination, with a little help from the gruff landlord and a runaway teenager get things into shape before too long.

Harper's story is full of surprises. From a grumpy, reluctant girlfriend, a mutual attraction with her landlord, and a teen too wise for her years, her new life is nothing she expected and absolutely everything she needs. New beginnings, found family and second chances are the uplifting themes, and I loved every minute I spent with these wonderful characters.

Get this one and read it right away. With a couple of sweet, poignant twists that make it absolutely perfect, this has become one of my new favorites, and I have no doubt it will be a favorite of yours, as well.

Another great book in this series! Harper is looking for a change and starting her own bakery is something she's always wanted. Bodie is recovering from some tough times and back home to heal. Ivy is looking for her birth father, hoping for a fresh start. I really enjoyed the story and reading how they can all come together and learn to trust each other. With this whole series, you really like the characters and are drawn in. Each book can be standalone. Look forward to the next one!

The Sweetheart List is a story about changing directions in life to find what makes you happy. When Harper Shaw's life takes multiple wrong turns, she decides to return to the last place she was truly happy. She decides to open a bakery of her own in Lake Tahoe. She makes several new friends and begins to find the peace she has been searching for. Ivy is a teenager that reminds Harper of her own past. She helps Ivy realize that she is not alone and there are people that truly care about her. What Harper does not know is that one of Ivy's secrets will have a major impact on all of their lives. When that secret comes out, will Harper be able to keep the peace and happiness that she has found? Jill Shalvis does a wonderful job of developing well rounded and relatable characters. You can understand and feel what the characters are feeling and thinking. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

The Sweetheart List is Jill Shalvis’ latest steamy romantic comedy and the fourth in her Sunrise Cove series. Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone because the characters don’t overlap. The Sweetheart List is a typical Shalvis story in that the heroine relocates to a new town to start over because her life is a hot mess.

Baker Harper Shaw moves from San Diego to Lake Tahoe because her life is in shambles, and she needs a change of scenery. She had visited the area multiple summers before her mom died when she was 12, and her happiest memories are there. She leases an empty storefront to open her own bakery, Sugar Pine Bakery. Harper is also trying move past being dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Daniel, who strung her along for years. Harper is semi-estranged from her father and feels like men just keep leaving her.

Harper first meets sexy, grumpy Bodie Campbell, a local tavern owner and her landlord’s brother, when she sideswipes a tree with her car. She gains his respect by refusing any help from him even though she’s in over her head. Bodie was critically injured while working as an undercover ATF agent and is still recovering both physically and emotionally. He is surrounded by nosy family members who love him.

Harper encounters Ivy Roberts, a 16-year-old runaway from Chicago, when she breaks into the building to spend the night. Harper offers her a sleeping bag and encourages her to stay with her until Ivy gets her life figured out. Eventually Ivy admits that she is in Lake Tahoe to locate her biological father, who she has never met and has minimal information on. Ivy takes up with a pair of 17-year-old twins who are also runaways, James and Jessie, and has some adventures with them.

Harper befriends Shay, a grumpy bookstore manager who is depressed because she has recently broken up with her longtime boyfriend, Mace Campbell, who is Bodie’s younger brother. Neither Shay nor Mace will talk about what went wrong in their relationship, but both mope around and aren’t interested in pursuing others.

The Sweetheart List is a funny and bittersweet romance with engaging characters; the reader hopes that Bodie will recover further and let his nosy family in. There are two suspenseful sub-plots: (1) can Ivy locate her biological father? and (2) will Shay and Mace get back together? The reader knows that Harper and Bodie will fall in love and her bakery will be successful. Jill Shalvis fans will eat this story up! The Sweetheart List contains some profanity and sexual scenes.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyage for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I would classify this book more as women's fiction than romance. There is a romantic relationship in it, but I felt like the book focused more on other aspects - Harper getting her bakery going, Bodie interacting with his family, and Ivy's backstory. I think the book was nearly equal between focus on Harper and Ivy.
I didn't realize this was the fourth book in a series and had not read any of the others before this. The story was ok, just nothing surprising, and I was able to predict some elements. The title also doesn't strike me as super relevant - it was quickly explained very near the end.

This is a standard outsider moves to a small town to start over and finds love with the grumpy guy with some degree of PTSD and survivor’s guilt. Add in the background of maltreatment of children for a little change on the usual tropes. The town and the family of the hero are just too sweet to believe. The side characters are pretty unbelievable.

If you don’t mind that the usual tropes and just enjoy a sweet romance of good people finding their forever love (and that’s what Jill Shalvis always offers up), then you’ll enjoy this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

The Sweetheart List is a comfortable read for the beach. Harper packs up her life, including her 125-pound dog Hambone (Ham), and moves to a small town in Tahoe where she remembers being happy with her mother. She quickly connects with Bodie, her landlord who owns a pub in the shopping center where she plans to open a bakery, and Ivy, a teenage runaway who needs a place to sleep during a July snowstorm. Much of the story revolves around Ivy, including many of the interactions between Harper and Bodie. I felt very fond of Ivy and Ham by the end of the book. I wasn’t as sure about Harper and Brody’s relationship as the romance seemed secondary to Ivy’s story. I must admit I was also a bit worried about the future of Harper’s bakery, since we never learn how Harper adjusts her baking to the high altitude (a potential issue brought up by one of the characters in passing).

This is the fourth book in a series. I do not think you need to read the others first – I had not - but I am guessing Bodie’s delightful family also features in those.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

After all these years and all these years, Jill Shalvis is still one of my favorite authors. I always know when I start one of her books that she's going to take to exactly where I want to be.

This is the story of Harper, Brodie and Ivy. Harper and Ivy are very, very vulnerable characters. They have a long way to go to easily receive love and security. They just may have to be dragged kicking and screaming to accept it. Thankfully, Brodie is the one that's going to lead them to it. He's a wonderful guy who is tortured daily by his family, as only family can do. His brothers ride him relentlessly, and even more persistently when they discover that he is falling in love. He is reluctant to go there, but there's just something about Harper that won't let him stay away. And the secret Ivy is keeping? Wow!

If I hadn't already found "my one", books by Jill Shalvis would send me out looking. The relationships of her characters aren't perfect by any means, but they certainly fill you with the certainty that good things have to be out there for your heart and certainly worth the struggle.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.