I don't know, maybe I'm just used to my psychological thrillers, but it just seemed too cheesey for me. Every smile, laugh, hug was "the most beautiful, sexy, sweet, out of this world etc...hug there ever was."

I found it odd that there was hardly any conflict at all. Even a Hallmark movie has more conflict than this book. I mean, it was a sweet story, perhaps just not for me.

An enjoyable read. An interesting group of characters, well written. Even though you could kind of tell what was going to happen, I found it very enjoyable - a great beach read romance. One of the main themes is family, how they can be there through thick and thin, and the hurt and emptiness that happens when your family doesn’t provide the emotional support they should. The main characters, Harper and Brodie, are two people you can’t help but root for. A quick fun read overall. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, this was a good one! The pages flew by as I read about Harper and Ivy and Bodie….and the rest of the family and friends in the story! This book has it all….a little mystery, a lot of sweet romance, broken hearts and most of all….the love of family! This is a must-read!

The perfect Tahoe summer read - a Hallmark movie in a book. Emotional, charming, and a great cast of characters. Even better, it's part of a series that I will definitely be revisiting.

Thanks to Netgalley, Avon, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my review.

A wonderful story from Jill Shalvis! More woman’s fiction than romance, but Shalvis pulls out the win. Harper & Brodie’s romance was low key, mostly dealing with past baggage. But you get the bonus storylines of Mace & Shay and Ivy’s teenage troubles. The Campbell family is tight knit but welcoming to everyone.

All together now...awwww...

This is my first book by the author, and while I don't often read books in this genre, I really enjoyed this story! I would classify this as a contemporary romance/beach read, which is great when you're looking for a pick-me-up. What I loved about this was that it was more than a romance--both Harper and Bodie have more than a bit of baggage that makes them gun-shy about having a meaningful relationship or really any relationship. But into this mix is a runaway, Ivy, who has her own secrets. I loved this book's characters and how loud, messy, and loving Bodie's family was. The setting (Tahoe) was amazing, and it made me want to visit it! The other thing I loved about this book was that even though it's the fourth book in the series, you can read the books in any order since they are about different characters. After reading this book, I will be reading the rest of the books in the series.

If you love romance, good characters, awesome dogs, and beautiful settings, you should check this book out. I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and the publisher, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book will be released on June 13.

Three hurt filled people with pain filled lives connect and find the missing pieces they need. All is not easy nor rosy as Harper, Bodie and teenage Ivy discover. Harper discovers runaway Ivy and brings her along as Harper begins to create her bakery. Brodie is the hunk next door and also the landlord of the shop. A slow burning romance heats up for Harper and Bodie even though they have guards around their hearts. The up and down storyline is wonderful and so enhances the entire story.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an Arc of this book for my honest review.

Everytime I read a Jill Shalvis book I say “that was my favorite one”! This one is no exception! I absolutely loved this book and every single character I met along the way! Harper and Bode were the main characters in this book and I loved everything about them and their budding relationship.. Harper came to town looking to be strong and independent bakery owner but meets several people in town that show her it’s ok to open and and trust people, include Bode. Harper also meets a teenager Ivy who reminds her a lot of herself. Ivy too has to learn how to trust and open up to people.

I feel if I keep typing I’m going to give some good parts of the book away! Trust me this is a book that you want to read, especially if u want a book to make u smile and just feel good. Thank u Jill Shalvis for another heartwarming story!

A sweet romance with 2 characters trying to start over. Harper has just moved to Sunrise Cove and is planning on opening up a bakery with her tried and true family recipes. Bodie and his family are Harper's landlord, and he is trying to regain control of his life after a near death experience in the line of duty. He's trying to make a life with his mother and brothers back in Sunrise Cove. And then there is 16-year old Ivy who has come to Sunrise Cove with some secrets. Both Harper and Bodie strike up a friendship with Ivy, but her secret may blow up their lives.

It's a cute story that tugs at your heart. I love the way the author always has an animal as a side character in her books. A great addition IMO.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters felt like friends and you were really rooting for them all. I always enjoy a book by Jill Shalvis and this did not disappoint.

Thanks so much for the early copy from Netgalley.

This is another great read by Jill Shalvis. Set in her Sunrise Cove series this book can be read as a stand-alone. Right from the start you fall in love with Harper, Bodie, and Ivy. Harper the baker who is resetting her life. Bodie damaged and grieving and trying to find his new place in the world. Ivy a 16 year old teen desperately trying to figure out where she belongs. These damaged people discover each other and start to build a family. The secondary characters: especially Bodie's brothers are incredible and bring a lot of humor to the story.

The only issue I had with this book was in the last part. A crisis occurred and I felt Bodie acted out of character and a real a***ole. It just did not make sense to me and felt very contrived. This one thing totally skewed my whole feeling about the book.

Thank you to Netgally and Avon for the ARC.

When her life implodes, she packs everything into her car and heads to Sunrise Cove on Lake Tahoe the last place she was happy. As she opens her bakery and becomes part of the community, she meets her landlord, Bodie Campbell, the sexy, brooding pub owner along with his two brothers. Bodie is being haunted by demons related to an incident in his former profession. Harper also befriends the hilarious grandmother and daughter pair that run the neighboring bookstore and a young teenage girl who comes to town with her own secrets and agenda. Harper also has a big, sweet dog that steals every scene he is in. This is a heartwarming story with plenty of ups and downs on the emotional roller coaster as the characters find their way through their scars to open up to love. My one negative is that THE SWEETHEART LIST can be read as a stand alone novel.
The book purports to be the fourth in the Sunrise Cove Series but for such a small town there is zero overlap between any characters or places from any books unless I completely missed it. How do you have a bakery, pub, and bookstore where none of the other characters from the three prior books come in as customers, childhood buddies, or to make friends with the new woman in town? Series based upon the name of the town only I guess so what's the point. Well written and enjoyable read other than that small disappointment. Thank you to Net Gallery and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book by Jill Shalvis does not disappoint. It’s set in the cute little Tahoe town of Sunrise Cove and the characters are charming and they come to grow fondly in your heart. Interestingly enough the plot seems somewhat predictable but not in a bad way. It made me have all the emotions…oh no….don’t do that….aww that’s so cute!!! I just can’t help but love the characters and the author. Great job Jill!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Avon Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve found my first great beach read of the summer of 2023. I loved everything about this light and breezy and only a little bit steamy romance. It was just what I needed after reading a very long, heavy, read.

Harper’s taking a lesson from the Marie Kondo school of life. If something doesn’t bring her joy, she goes without. And I seemed to have missed the reason but making lists is a big NO for Harper. She wants to change her life and moves from San Diego to Lake Tahoe because she has fond memories of visiting the resort town when she was a child.

Bodie is a former ATF agent whose last job went badly, leaving his partner dead and him injured. His family believes he’s on leave, when in reality he was fired. He’s got several brothers and a mother to which he’s very close, and throughout the story there are group text chats involving them that made me chuckle. The relationship with his family is definitely one of the shining points of the book.

Then there’s Ivy, a 16-year-old runaway from Chicago who is looking for her “sperm donor.” Right away you know it’s either Bodie or one of his brothers, and you aren’t left guessing for long. How this complicates the family dynamic and the romantic relationships in the book is played out over the course of the story.

There are also several minor characters that I wish would have their own book, like Shay and her ex-boyfriend Mace, one of Bodie’s brothers. She’s definitely comic relief, and I’d love to see the spotlight shine on her in a future volume of the Sunset Cove series.

The romance between Bodie and Harper is a foregone conclusion, but it takes quite a few steps to get there. And when complications arise, their young relationship is put to the test. But as is usual in a perfect summer beach read, love prevails.

Harper Shaw is making a change. Lake Tahoe used to be her happy place so she sets off to start a new life and open her own bakery. Jill has done it again with a story of fresh starts, second chances and maybe finding true love!



Thanks to Jill Shalvis and Avon

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Harper's new start in a small town set on the shore of Lake Tahoe. Harper is going to open her new bakery in Sunrise Cove and use her family recipes on the menu. This story is a feel good one about bringing joy to Harper's life and doing things differently this time around. This book has romance, secrets and lots of friends and family that made it a wonderful read. I want to thank NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this advance copy of the book for my honest review.

The Sweetheart List is a book about new start and all kinds of love. It’s written in three points of view: Harper is a baker who decides to move to at town by Lake Tahoe. Bodie is a man wounded and jaded. And Ivy is an underage runaway. The book connects them all to each other.

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be cheesy. From everyone laughing way too hard at everything and the situations where five different characters all of a sudden appear to give quirky insights…it was too much for me at times. The story itself would have been great without the extra cheese. And this author can write.

All three points of view read exactly the same. I didn’t get any sense that I was in a teenager’s head or a grown woman’s head or a grown man’s head at any point. Bodie was tugging on all sorts of hair strands that made me want to slap his hand away. And the face cupping. So much face cupping. I can’t be the only one who doesn’t like my face touched, but why the excess in this book?

I don’t know anything about ATF or any of the other acronyms related, and I would have appreciated some laymen’s terms there. I love Bodie’s background though. My favorite part of him would definitely be his family. Both brothers and his mom added so much to this book. I can honestly say I loved these characters.

The ending was too abrupt for me though. Harper was written as a perfect person surrounded by imperfect people. She was put in an impossible situation in the end that she still wasn’t wrong in. But she ended up feeling guilty for it. I didn’t like that. The whole mess tied itself up way too fast.

I also didn’t see any character development for Bodie. He was grumpy then had calm, warm eyes for 93 percent of the book. Ivy, though, had an amazing story in terms of her character development.

Would I recommend this book? I would, mostly for people who are tired of overly dramatic romcoms like I’ve been lately. It was cheesy, but it also made me feel—especially for Harper. I would have loved for a resolution with her dad, but the last fourth of the book was mostly about Ivy. The author has a gift for characters, and I look forward to seeing more of her work.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for my honest review.

The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis is the fourth book in the Sunrise Cove series. Harper starts over in a town that she remembers from her childhood with her mother. She rents a retail space to open her own bakery – she and her big dog, Hambone move to Lake Tahoe. She meets Ivy, a young runaway who she takes in. She meets one of her landlords, Brodie – there is an instant attraction.
The dialog and story are good but not deep. The story flows but has a few holes in the background story. It may be because I have not read the first three.
I did enjoy the book and just started the first one in the series. If you like light romance and a little bit of mystery this is for you.

Jill Shalvis always writes heartwarming stories of family (by blood and found), love, and finding yourself. The Sweetheart List is a prime example of the best of Shalvis - a scenic setting, delightful characters who love to rib one another but it is all done in love.

Harper is starting over in the last place she was happy, before her mother passed - a small town off Lake Tahoe. Knowing no one, she rents a small shop to open her own bakery. As her baked goods sweeten the store, she sweetens her way into the hearts around her, including a runaway teen, Ivy, that she takes in and the grumpy ex military hunk who owns the bar next door.

Highly recommend The Sweetheart List if you’re looking for a light and fluffy romance with heart, humor and learning to trust.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and Avon. My opinions are my own.

The Sweetheart List is on shelves June 13, 2023!

This was my first time reading Jill Shalvis and I have to say that I loved this book. The relationship between Harper and Bodie, Ivy and Harper and Ivy and Ham (the lovable pup) were beautifully developed. The way Ms. Shalvis described the dog and how everyone loved him was so heartwarming that she won me as an instant fan. You can tell this is an author who truly loves dogs.

This story has so much humor, romance, sweetness and just the right amount of heat. The emotionally charged past of each of the characters really flushes them out and gives you the chance to know them and get involved in their stories. You are rooting for them all in different ways.

I don't want to spoil the story for others but the surprise reveal was just such a great turn for this story. It just made you love the characters that much more.

I highly recommend this book and will be adding more of this author's books to my to be read list after this. Really well crafted story. I love the author's writing style.