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.

Reading a Jill Shalvis book is like sitting down with a close girlfriend you haven’t seen in years and she catches you up on who is seeing whom. Shalvis never disappoints!

Better than Friends can easily be a stand alone, though it is the seventh book in a series. I haven’t read the other books in the series (yet) and I enjoyed this one a lot. The characters are believable and the plot has enough depth to keep you invested and reading.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC and reminding me that I always enjoy whatever Jill Shalvis writes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Noah and Olive are hot, hot, hot and the rekindling of their relationship is heartwarming, hilarious and tear jerking. The twist and turns from their endearing extended family make this story even more rich. Enjoyable from beginning to end!

This was such a fun, wintery story. I hadn't read this author before personally. Her ability to carry a story was truly top-notch. From a writing standpoint, the story felt fleshed out and cohesive, and the FMC was very relatable. Loved this. Job well done.

4.25/5.0

Es la historia de dos personas que han sido lastimadas, que viven bajo la presión de cómo y quiénes deberían ser, y que, debido a ello, se han cerrado y no permiten que nadie se acerque.

Olive vivió muchas carencias durante su infancia y juventud debido a la irresponsabilidad de sus padres, lo que la convirtió en blanco de las burlas de sus compañeros. Estaba sola hasta que conoció a los hermanos Turner, Kate se convirtió en su mejor amiga y Noah la tomó bajo su cuidado por ser amiga de su hermana.

Olive y Noah comenzaron a desarrollar sentimientos el uno por el otro, hasta que ciertas circunstancias los separaron. Ella huyó sin explicarle por qué se iba.

Pasaron los años, y cada uno siguió su vida, encontrando éxito en su camino. Olive mantenía el contacto con Kate, y cuando el esposo de esta resulta herido y termina en coma, Olive decide regresar al país para ayudarla. Ese será el momento en que deberá enfrentarse a Noah y, tal vez, contarle la verdad sobre su partida.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Olive Porter left Sunrise Cove at 18, after she ran over Noah Turner with an ATV. 14 years later, she returns to her hometown to support and help her best friend Katie, who is also Noah's twin sister, while Katie's husband, Joe, is in a coma. Katie tells Olive and Noah that they'll be living under the same roof until Joe recovers. Will the truth finally come out about why Olive left town 14 years ago?

This book was fine, but it really lacked depth for me and couldn't connect with the characters. I was not a fan of the third person dual POV. I have not read any of the other books in the Sunset Cove series and didn't feel lost at all while reading this one. I liked the representation of Katie's neurodivergence and the significance of parental relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with this ARC.

Im soo surprised by how much I enjoyed this! This story is about Olive and Noah, their past and the things that happened that drove them apart and back into each others lives again.
Not only are we getting to know both mcs so well but all of the side characters too. Katie, Joe, Joey, Olives grandma, their parents added so much depth to this story. Also cannot forget about holmes and pepper, they were adorable!! Getting a glimpse into their past was amazing as well. We get to know all of them on such a deep level which made me feel for them so much! I was on the edge of my seat waiting for good news with them, hurting when they hurt. They way all of these characters were connected and the love they feel for each other was so wholesome! I adored this so much. Definitely reread potential. Thanks so so much to netgalley and the publisher that i got to read this arc!

This is my least favorite of the series so far. I didn't feel any connection between the main characters. It got annoying that they got caught kissing by a child three times. They both seemed immature. It also wasn't very romantic and leaned too heavily towards women's fiction for my taste

Jill Shalvis heroes are my very favorite heroes! They are hard on the edges and soft in the middle. Noah is all that plus sexy and good looking. Her books just grab me and never let go! Noah and Olive were two of my favorite characters of all time (and I’ve read all her books!) This book was well written with humor and so much heart!
Olive comes home to help her childhood friend, Katie, because her husband is in a coma. Katie’s brother, Noah, who happens to have a history with Olive, works with the husband in a coma. I loved so many things about this book. The family connection and strong female friendship was amazing. The storyline had lots of wonderful conflict to keep me interested in reading. The characters were developed with strong character ARCs. Second chance for these two worthy characters. This is a great read. Huge thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this amazing book!

First of all I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book. Jill Shalvis is one of my favorite storytellers. I have read all of her Sunrise Cove series, and this story fits right in with the others she has written. It's a wonderful mix of love lost and then found, friendships, family secrets and forgiveness, with a just enough heat to spice things up a little. If you enjoy a feel good ending then you will enjoy this book.

A cute, cozy love story. A fun easy read for winter. The main character, Olive’s parents go missing she asks her ex, Noah to help her friend them.

Reading Jill Shalvis is like coming home after a long day. Her stories provide comfort, humor and above all entertain the reader.
Better Than Friends is no exception. Olive and Noah are a delight. Add in some memorable family members, a second chance at love, and you have a hit.
The pace and drama were just right. I laughed, cried, and felt fully satisfied at the conclusion.