Of all the secrets here. All the hidden truths. All the desperate lies trying to be true. Olive is just the person you find yourself liking and hoping for all along. And I mean that. She’s strong and used to taking care of herself, mainly due to necessity and the fact that she can’t find a way to open the door to being hurt again. But she so wants to love and be loved. To belong. Once you find out why she’s been on the outside looking in for so long, you’re going to be angry. I guarantee that. But the holders of the secrets that should’ve been told long ago do their best to be accountable and honest now. The question is, is it too little too late?

Noah is amusing in his own right. He’s a man, so he’s also a tad infuriating at times. But he does mean well and he’s also trying to protect his heart. He just needs to remember that the one person who would always protect his heart and soul is the one he needs to convince to please just give him a chance now. And that means finding a way to not open mouth, insert foot. Or at least pull that foot back out fast!

Even with the family ties, both known and unknown, and the love just begging to be shared, this group of sometime-misfits and full time “there no matter what” friends and family just make it feel okay. Sure, it’s messy. But life’s messy. It’s also full of the things that matter. Isn’t that sort of the point of it all anyway?

If you are looking for a cozy, small-town feel romance with real character growth, I highly recommend you grab this one. Olive returns home to Sunrise Cove after being away for years to help her best friend when her husband winds up in a coma after an accident. She loves her best friend and doesn't mind helping her out, but Olive does not relish the fact that this means she will have to face her friend's brother, Noah. Olive has always had a thing for Noah while growing up. They had an easy friendship that grew distant once Olive left after an accident that left Noah injured.

Noah and Olive both have some real issues they need to deal with. I appreciated being able to watch them talk about what happened in the past while they each figured out what they wanted and where they wanted to go from here. As with any Jill Shalvis novel, I laughed out loud many times while also getting to experience many heartwarming moments. The chemistry between Oliva and Noah was great. I liked that they never had a huge fight or falling out as they could both recognize that their friendship and family relationships came first. I loved the found family for Olive in this book. Overall, it was a great reading experience that made me smile throughout. I highly recommend this one.

This story had it's cute parts but it honestly just didn't do it for me. I felt like so much of the dialogue was unrealistic and there was so much 'mystery' about what happened in the past between Noah and Oli but it fell pretty flat for me when everything came out.

I'll give this author another try but this one just wasn't my favorite

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy

Thank you to NetGalley and to Avon for providing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

"Old flames reignite in Sunrise Cove in this charming enemies-to-lovers, second-chance, small-town, forced-proximity love story about family, friendships, and true love from New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis."

This book was adorable. *Minor Spoilers*
Olive comes home to Sunrise Cove to help her best friend after her husband is injured in an accident. There, she finds her first love - her best friend's brother Noah - whom she has avoided due to decades long history.

I loved every character in this book. I loved the story line. I even loved the *one bed* trope. If you are looking for a cozy read that still has a great plot, this book is for you!

Olive comes back to Sunrise Cove to help her best friend, Kate deal with her husband in a coma and her son, Joey. She also is facing her past and her long ago love, Kate's brother, Nate. A complicated love story of two people unable to admit and act on their deep love for one another. This is author Shalvis at her best. A good, satisfying read. You root for these two to find their happily ever after. I always enjoy a trip to Tahoe!
I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

#BetterThanFriends #NetGalley

Second chance romance by an author who consistently delivers a good read.

Childhood friends reunite when “his” twin but also her “Misfit” bff needs emotional support as well as physical presence. Tragedy had unexpectedly struck creating forced proximity.

You see Olive and Noah figuratively “dance” around each other while a cast of characters, from her Grams, his too cute for words nephew and as with all Shalvis’ novels, the four legged beloved companions deliver sweet moments. Their history is told well throughout the novel and the HEA is hard won and celebrated.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Avon and Harper Voyager, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of Better Than Friends in exchange for an honest review, and overall, I would rate it 3 stars. It was an enjoyable read, but I did have some issues with the pacing of the romance. The back-and-forth dynamic between the main characters was a bit much at times and gave me some emotional whiplash. While I appreciate the tension it created, I found myself wishing for a bit more stability in their relationship. If you're a fan of slow-burn, on-again, off-again romances, you might enjoy this one more than I did. Overall, it was a solid read, but the constant push and pull of the romance was a bit frustrating for me.

You can’t escape your past.
“Better Than Friends” Book 7 in Jill Shalvis’ Sunrise Cover series shows every ounce of talent this favorite author of mine has.
I thank Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me an advance reading copy.
With that said, I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about relationships, families we are born into and those we make and strong adults still sorting through their pasts.
What’s the book about? Read the official description, which is accurate but incomplete. I won’t mention any other threads in the plot because I don’t want to spoil your journey.
Olive and Noah certainly have a past that is complicated at best. I liked both of these characters and can understand each of their motivations and choices. The best part of reading romances like “Better Than Friends” is that I’m guaranteed a “happy-ever-after” no matter how many tears I shed along the way.
Don’t be tempted to skip to the end of this book, but let me tell you that the end is the best part. I had one hour left to read (according to my Kindle) when the threads started being tied up. I’ve read any number of books where it’s obvious the author said, “Oops, gone on too long; got to wrap up.” Then proceeds to do so too quickly for it to make sense.
Not Shalvis with “Better Than Friends.”
I found the final chapters in the book full of emotion, hard choices and surprising revelations. (Plus both tears and laughter on my part.)
Do yourself a favor and read “Better Than Friends” — hopefully when you don’t have anything pressing to do because you won’t want to put it down.

I starting off really excited about this book because the description had drawn me in and I appreciated the quirky yet authentic characters. However, while feel like there was so much potential for a brilliant story, it ended up falling really flat for me.
The storyline was really fragmented and I found it pretty difficult to follow what was going on, especially because the backstory for the characters wasn’t really developed clearly- and was inconsistent throughout the book. I liked how there were almost two parts of the story, one with Olive and Noah supporting Katie and the other looking for Olives parents, but I feel like both storylines individually were so underdeveloped that having them together just made the actual plot of the book completely lost. I also got frustrated about 50% of the way in and almost just didn’t finish because of the repetitiveness in the conflict. From the get go, Noah and Olive kept saying they wouldn’t work out together but there was never actually any explanation as to why and when they talked about it, it was just the same conversation over and over again with minimal plot or character development so it got tiring to read. I also felt that because of this, it was really hard to actually root for Noah and Olive because so little information was actually given on them being together and why they work and it had me questioning if there was much chemistry at all.

There’s nothing I love more during the holiday season than a second chance romance. I loved watching Olive and Noah learn to trust, love, and heal past traumas.

Super sweet and heartwarming romance with second chances. I fell in love with all the characters and of course the animals. This pulls you in right from the start and touched so many emotions. Tried so hard to savor it but ended up devouring it.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC

Better Than Friends by must read author, Jill Shalvis is a story about how family personalities, expectations, and secrets can have long ranging consequences as children grow up. Olive returns to her home town to help her bestie Katie when Katie’s husband is injured. What she didn’t plan on was having to once again deal with Katie’s brother, Noah. These two have always had a complex relationship that neither one has ever been completely honest about because of family influences. Can they overcome years of hurt and finally give into their longing? Prepare to not want to stop reading until they last period. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

Could not put this down!! I read this in 18 hours because I was so obsessed with the characters and their personal background stories. This was my first time reading a Jill Shavis book, and I'm 100% adding her backlist to my TBR. Finding a new romance author to love always makes me happy because I know I can snag a book quickly before a flight and enjoy the ride (proverbially or otherwise)!

I can't wait for everyone else to experience the heartwarming second-chance love story of two people from very different life circumstances growing up and finding each other again! So incredibly sweet and set against the gorgeous backdrop of the wilderness around Lake Tahoe? Perfect winter romance!

**Cracked door romance scenes (not explicit detail).

**Thank you to Avon for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon for the ARC. Reading a Jill Shalvis book is always an enjoyable read and this one was no different. Jill is so good with the humorous banter between her characters. Olive and Noah were childhood friends until an accident breaks them apart. Years later they are back in Sunrise Cove for a family emergency and the sparks are still there but they need to overcome their trust issues. Better Than Friends is a heartwarming, second chance romance and you do not need to read the others in this series. So loved Joey and of course Holmes and Pepper. Jill again has written a wonderful small town romance.

This second-chance romance is so endearing. A lot of angst is present. Secrets are exposed. I adore the small-town atmosphere, the family dynamics, and the oddball characters and relationships. It felt really new and different from everything else you see outside. This book was fantastic!

Another wonderful read by Jill shalvis!! She always makes you want to continue reading to find out more. Another five star read

Another great story in the Sunrise Cove series. All set in the same town, but completely stand-alone with no connections that I’ve noticed.

This one is about Noah and Olive as they reconnect after years apart. Several storylines going on at once including a bit of a mystery about Olive’s parents. Best friend’s brother and found family tropes. Love Olive’s best friend, Katie, and the animals in the book as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Better Than Friends to come out January 21, 2025.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I have read and enjoyed all of the Sunrise Cove series by Jill Shalvis and this one was another good addition. Though this is irrelevant because I *have* read them all, I like that each book is truly a standalone and can be read independently in any order without feeling like you’re missing something. It allows people to pick and choose which book feels like it would fit their personal tastes because they each offer something different, but all with the signature voice of Jill Shalvis.

I really liked Olive in this book. I admired that she had a challenging upbringing and difficult moments in her past that she found her own way of moving beyond. She wasn’t perfect, and she had her regrets about some of her choices, but it always felt like she was making decisions for the truest self she could allow herself to be in any given moment. I also loved her friendship with Katie, who was a wonderful character in her own right. They shared such a genuine connection and camaraderie between the two of them.

Noah on the other hand frustrated me more often than not. I’m not heartless so I did feel for him in the face of the accident that landed his best friend in a coma and the responsibility he felt for it. However, when it came to nearly every choice he made with regard to Olive, I often felt disappointed in him. I understood that he struggled with emotions, but to me he felt careless with her feelings. There were times when he showed his true affections that were endearing to me but were almost always immediately followed by actions or words that had me shaking my head at him again. All’s well that ends well, but there was a lot of hurt along the way that probably could have been avoided.

While not my favorite of the Sunrise Cove books, I did enjoy the overall story here. I have an ARC of the next installment waiting for me and look forward to diving into that one soon. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jill Shavis is a favorite author for me. She writes great romcoms with depth and low spice. This was a cute wrong time romance that made me want to sit the characters down and knock some sense in them. I was immersed in the story and couldn’t put it down.

In Sunrise Cove #7 : Better Than Friends: A Novel by Jill Shalvis we meet Olive and Noah. Olive broke Noah’s heart once and he won’t let it happen again. But she needs his help and he is currently recuperating back at home and can’t seen to avoid her. But old wounds run deep, but just maybe the reason things happened the way they did need to come out.

Great secondary characters, everyone needs a friend like Katie - I mean she did invent the Goodwill store best first date.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book, and this is my honest voluntary review.