Another solid read from Jill Shalvis and the Sunrise Cove series! I look forward to these books every time a new one is being released and am never disappointed. I love this town, the scenery and the characters. This one was lacking some of the emotional depth for me, I just did not feel the connection quite as well as I have with some of the other characters in other novels, but it was still an overall good read! This is still a book and series that I would recommend to others and will continue to pick up for myself!

Jill Shalvis wrote an amazing second chance story reuniting Olive and Noah in the Sunrise Cove series. Great storyline and I loved the secondary characters. Kept me interested and entertained!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchance for my honest review!

I have been a big Jill Shalvis fan for quite a while so I am always thrilled when I get the chance to read one of her ARCs. I have read all of the Sunrise Cove books, except for one and it was so fun to return to this series. I thought that Olive and Noah's back story and complicated relationship made for an excellent plot. It had Shalvis' signature humor along with some spicy moments that made for the perfect chilly February read. I am excited to return to Sunrise Cove in her next book, The Love Fix coming out this June!

The opening line in this heartwarming story will either have you laughing out loud or cringing in disgust! I love that the MFC and her BFF are so different than typically found in books. Awkward, unsure, and on the neurospicy side these characters are real and relatable. You will be rooting for love even while laughing at the mishaps.

Another winner from Shalvis! Olive returns home to help her best friend, Katie, while her husband is in a coma after a car accident with Katie’s brother, Noah. Noah and Olive have skirted around each other for years after she accidentally ran him over with an ATV as seniors in high school.

Noah always needs to be perfect because Katie is different and always needed their parent’s’ attention. Olive practically loved with their family as a teen as her parents are free spirits.

There are a lot of ins and outs to this story, but it all weaves together beautifully. It’s hard not to fall in love with these characters and I hated for the book to end.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

* I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. Love this book!

“Better Than Friends” by Jill Shalvis is a heartfelt and engaging read that blends romance with women's fiction. This is book 7 in the Sunrise Cove series but I did not know that going into the story. It can be read as a stand alone. The chemistry between the Olive and Noah is palpable, and their journey toward second-chance love is both sweet and emotional. Shalvis does a fantastic job of creating well-rounded characters while blending humor and heart. She is a new-to-me author and I will be reading more in the future.
Thanks to NetGallery and Avon and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy of this eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Better than Friends, (Sunrise Cove #7) is a story of second chances. Two sweethearts were separated by a tragic accident and brought back together by a current emergency. Time has passed between the two but feelings haven’t really ever simmered. Olive comes back to town and needs help. Fortunately or unfortunately Noah is the only capable person to offer this help. He can’t help but want to run and hide from Olive but he knows he can’t. His work is something he is proud of and helping Olive is eight in his wheel house. With the help of friends and family the two have a do a chance to start fresh. Can their hang ups from the past keep them apart? Or can they work together and get things settled? Jill Shavis, has the ability to right a story where you are rooting for both opposing characters. Even though this is book 7 in the series it can read like a stand alone. The setting and the characters are always endearing and the story is always interesting. I want to thank Netgalley & the author for my copy for an honest review. I always jump at the chance to read a Jill Shavis book. She continues to be a favorite author of mine and this book did not disappoint.

This was my first Jill Shalvis book, and even though it’s part of a series, it worked perfectly as a standalone.

When Olive hasn't heard from her eccentric parents for longer than usual, the last person she wants to ask for help is her best friend's brother Noah (who she's not so secretly been in love with). However, because of his job, he's in the perfect position to help. While he's stuck at home recovering from an injury, Noah is itching for a distraction, even if it comes in the form of the girl next door who once broke his heart.

I liked how the story gradually revealed what drove Olive out of town through flashbacks throughout the novel, which kept it interesting. I liked the build up between Olive and and Noah, and I can never resist a good forced proximity, one-bed trope! That said, I was disappointed by the lack of spice since everything was closed door. The constant hot-and-cold dynamic between our MCs also got frustrating; they clearly had years of miscommunication and regret, but their inability to just talk things out made the back-and-forth exhausting. By the end, I wasn’t super invested in the characters or the plot.

Overall, it was an okay read but didn’t fully hook me—3.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the eARC of this book.

Once again a wonderful story with great characters. Olive has come back home to help her BFF whose husband is in a coma. Unknown to her but not unexpected is Katie twin brother Noah has also come home to help his sister and be there for his BFF Joe who is in the coma. Being all together again after 10 years has stirred up good and bad memories of the past. Many surrounding Noah and her crush on him. And somehow that hasn’t changed, especially since Noah has only gotten sexier with age.
The story goes into the past and the insecurities of youth, which Olive and Noah hadn’t let go. And as the tension builds they learn to let go of the past and imbrace the future. Part of a series, but it’s really the setting and definitely can be read as a standalone. But don’t short change yourself read the previous ones, they are all winners! Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own. #BetterThanFriends #SunriseCove

This is the 7th book in the Sunrise Cove series. I've read about half of them (the rest are on my tbr!) and they can all be read as stand-alones. To be honest, I can't tell if there is an overlap in characters or if it's more that they all take place in the same region of Tahoe.

This is a second chance, enemies to lovers, small town, forced proximity romance that has a lot of coming of age aspects with the two main characters. There's also an only one bed scene- I love the tropes. Both Olive and Noah have been impacted by their past and now that thrown together they're needing to revisit their high school years and k detections. There's definitely some chemistry and an intensity between them. I loved Noah's sister who is also Olive's best friend. Also loved the rest of the side characters and the community. While we see some of their introspection and growth, I would have liked to have gone deeper into how they processed their past and became more comfortable with each other and themselves. Also, both Noah and Olive have really interesting jobs. We see more of Olive's, and I'd love to know more about Noah's.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I absolutely enjoyed every minute of this book. It was a beautifully written novel by Jill Shalvis with a second chance trope. There is so much more than that going on in the novel, but I don't want to spoil it for other readers. It was such a well written novel, and I can't wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend this novel to other romance readers.


Thank you Net Galley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Jill Shalvis

Better than Friends is one of my favorite second chance romances I have every read, and I have read a lot of this trope. Written in Jill Shalvis' emotionally beautiful style there is so much in this story that is more than romance.

This is a story of so many subplots that all come together into one overarching second chance romance between Olive and Noah. The family and relationship dynamics in this book will have you feeling all the feels. Every one of the characters has growth, which you do not see in many novels.

The only negative thing about this book isn't actually a critique of the book, it is that the blurb that was written for it makes it seem like finding Olive's parents is the main plot of the book, and it really is not. This is more of a subplot, which was kind of confusing. Just be aware going into this that while the synopsis is not exactly accurate, this is such a great book and worth the read.

One of the many reasons I love Jill Shalvis' work is that she is able to have believable romances with interweaving characters and dynamics, it is not just about a Happily Ever After but about growth. You can see that the characters aren't just "good now" but that they are going to be continued works in progress. Jill Shalvis is an autoread for me and this book is no exception. I can't wait to see what she writes next and I will be recommending Better than Friends far and wide.

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis is a delightful enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance set in the charming small town of Sunrise Cove. Olive Porter, faced with the disappearance of her off-the-grid parents, is forced to turn to her ex, Noah Turner, a man who she both trusts implicitly and not at all. Their reunion is full of tension, old wounds, and undeniable chemistry.

Noah, a special investigative agent for the National Park Service, is trying to recover from an injury while being smothered by his overbearing family. Olive’s unexpected appearance is both a distraction and a challenge for Noah, who is determined to keep his distance from the woman who once shattered his heart. However, their forced proximity sets the stage for rekindling their old flame.

Jill Shalvis weaves a heartwarming and humorous story that explores themes of family, forgiveness, and finding love where you least expect it. With witty banter, lovable characters, and a perfect balance of emotional depth and lighthearted moments, Better Than Friends is a feel-good romance that will captivate fans of second-chance love stories. It's a perfect read for those who enjoy small-town settings, complex relationships, and an irresistible mix of humor and heart.

Off-the-grid parents of Olive Porter cannot be found so she unwillingly seeks out her ex, Noah Taylor for help in finding them. He’s a person she trust basically and not at all.

Noah’s job at the National Park Service as a special investigative agent prepared him for living under severe pressure at least until he had an on the job injury. While getting well at home under the watchful eyes of his loving family that cared dearly and was somewhat nosy he would give nothing more than have a disturbance to make him happy.

So when Olive comes home looking better than she ever has Noah has to ensure his heart isn’t affected. He can’t fall for her again. She had affected his whole life and never looked back. Is Olive going to be Noah’s ticket out of town?

Jill Shalvis writes another fabulous and heartfelt love story. It’s a small town, enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance. A bit of a mystery and suspense to it too. Just loved the real life characters in the story. She makes you feel like you’re just one of them sitting right along with them joining in their conversations. I just loved the story! Just have to root for Olive throughout the whole story! Jill Shalvis never disappoints! You will definitely enjoy this story!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers in letting me read this book and allowing me to leave an honest review.

This book is a new favorite. I adored the characters, especially Olive, Noah, and Katie, and the strong ties they have to each other and their shared past. The dry, witty banter is the type of humor that I love and the chemistry between Noah and Olive is hot. They were just meant to be together. Andi Arndt narrates the audiobook perfectly and brings a unique voice to each character. I enjoyed it immensely and have already listened to it twice.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I love this author! This is a book in a series but can definitely be read as a stand alone. It's the story of old flames reuniting in a small town and it will give you all the feels.

Can we get a collective "awwwww" going for this one? Its so sweet. I just loved all of the familial and friendship relationships in this story.

Olive and Noah are high school best friends who never got a chance to take their relationship to the next level. After a devastating accident, they part ways and reunite years later. The feelings between them don't take long to reignite, but there are new, adult problems to deal with -- like they have quite a distance between them.

What I liked most about this book is the examination of how some feelings change over the years, and then there are others that don't. Noah and Olive are just so sweet together, and they are still friends after all these years, even though they are long overdue for a sharing of secrets.

Better Than Friends is a sweet second-chance romance that illustrates the power of a foundation of friendship, shows why good neighbors are important, and it left me feeling good.

Had to DNF and was disappointed by this one! I didn’t really connect with the characters, and I felt like this was much too similar to some of the author’s books, the same boring tropes and humor repeated again and again. I couldn’t deal with the FMC knowingly eating a food she was allergic to as a grown woman who knows it makes her throat itch?? And I wasn’t a fan of the family next door for various reasons (the “friend” bringing up stuff that the FMC clearly didn’t want to talk about/a terrible accident that the FMC suffers guilt over and also smacking her when she hugged her). There was some poor and very cheesy writing.