Olive has returned to her home town.. This means she will encounter Noah who she has been avoiding for years. When she has no other choice but to ask for his help they are forced to spend time together. This is a story of family, missed communication and friendship. The book is part of a series but could easily be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Solid 4 ⭐️ read.

This was my first Jill Shalvis novel and it was really wholesome and sweet.

Olive and Noah were best friends in school days, and somethings happened that caused them to stop speaking. However, Olive is still best friends with his twin sister, so when tragedy strikes for them - Olive is there and ready to support them.

The family drama in this was unmatched and felt like real time. I was laughing out loud at little family spats and usually anything the little boy, Joey had to say.

There is found family, complex family relationships to navigate, second chance romance, one beddddd, really cute banter, and it was very wholesome. If you’re not super big on spice, these scenes were very mild!

This comes out 1/21/25! Thank you so much NetGalley and Avon for the early read!

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis

“Ask me what I want, Oli.”
“What do you want?”
“You. I want to be yours.”

Thank you to @avonbooks, the talented @jillshalvis and @hambright for gifting me an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.olkp

I love all of Jill Shalvis’s books so much! If you’ve never read her before then you should know that she excels at writing funny stories that are full of heart, found family and the most amazing characters. Better than Friends epitomizes all of these things and I loved every second that I spent being back in Sunrise Cove.

Olive returns home to help her best friend whose husband was in an accident. Being back in Sunrise Cove rekindles old feelings, especially those she has for her ex, Noah whom she has never quite gotten over. When Olive suddenly reappears looking too good to be true, Noah has to remind himself of all the reasons why giving her a second chance is not a good idea -- after all, he only barely survived her leaving the first time and she has no plans to stay forever.

It’s not hard for me to decide what my favorite part of this book is --- hands down, it is all the endearing characters. There is Olive, our FMC, who is strong because she has to be but is also learning to trust herself and be open to love. There is Owen, who finally lets himself be vulnerable and admit that the one thing he truly wants is for Olive to stay. There is Joey, an adorable 5 year old who has a knack for interrupting every time things are about to get spicy and Gram, a spitfire who is as loyal as they come. But my absolute favorite character is Katie, who is so loveable and perfectly herself in the best of all ways.

This book is silly and sweet and so well written. If you are a fan of second chance then this is a must read!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I liked the characters, but the story itself fell flat for me. I wish there was more development within the story, and I thought the dialogue was unnatural at times. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the author’s writing style and didn’t love how the sequence of events for certain major incidents in the book.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Seeing an approval for a Jill Shalvis book makes for a happy day in my inbox!

Jill never fails to deliver on a book that entertains, makes me laugh and gives me a romance to root for.



What I Liked:

This cover is dreamy………..

Olive & Noah. The push and pull between them was intense and I loved it! Their current story, the peeks into their backstory… Oh, it was so good.

The family dynamics in the Better Than Friends. Made for a great story with characters that I could understand their motivation, even if I was annoyed at their roles.



Bottom line: If you are a Jill Shalvis fan, run to get this book on January 21, 2025 (or preorder!)



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

I love my visits to Sunrise Cove and this was no exception. A second chance friendship/romance between Olive and Noah. This book has it all, friendships from high school, family, laugh aloud banter, animals and a little mystery. You can never go wrong with a JIll Shalvis book, I highly recommend. This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone.

Jill Shalvis has done it again! I absolutely love reading her books because they always hook you in and she makes you love these characters soo much. This second chance, kinda enemies to lovers story between Olive and Noah was soo good. They try to fight against any feeling but when Noah helps Olive look for her parents things change. Love them! Also secondary character are great too. I feel like I could talk about them a lot but I can’t do spoilers cause I would hate to ruin that first time read for anyone but I would 100% recommend this and any other in this series if you haven’t read them yet!

Olive "Oli" Porter's life was perfect in high school until she ran Noah Turner, the local baseball prodigy over with an ATV. With Noah's dreams ruined, Olive was coerced into leaving Noah alone and hightailing it to the UK right after her college graduation. She not only left Noah behind, but her best friend, Katie Turner-Brooks, Noah's twin sister too.

Twelve years later, Oli finds herself back in Sunrise Cove to help Katie out with her 5 year old son, Joey. Katie's husband, Joe was in a serious accident and is in the ICU in a coma. Olive is enjoying being back in town again seeing Katie and her Grams. Surprisingly Noah is back in town too. It seems he was hurt in the same accident Joe was and is on leave. Slowly Oli is fitting back into the city of Sunrise Cove.

When Oli is concerned because she hasn't heard from her parents when it was time for their monthly call, she turns to the only person she knows that can help her....Noah. Noah agrees to help her try and find her parents. Of course the more time Olive and Noah spend together their old feelings start to surface. Both are reluctant to do anything about it at first, but they both finally give into these feeling they have had for years. Neither of them are looking for anything serious since Oli is going back to the UK and Noah still has resentments from his ex Molly, but before they know it, they are both reexamining things. It will take a lot of really looking deep inside themselves before Noah and Oli can finally find their happy ever after.

I just adored this second chance romance. Oli had always felt unwanted because of her parents and she had a hard time of feeling needed. Noah spend his life always doing things for everyone else. These two finally found their way back to each other when they both put themselves first. Another great addition to this fun series.

A great addition to this series, though can surely read as a standalone, but do yourself a favor and read the series. It’s really wonderful. Second chance romance, small town where everyone knows everything and forgets absolutely nothing, missing parents, long held grudges, forgiveness, family, friendships, love and more. A wonderful cast of characters and a great story. Loved it and now I just have to sit and wait for the next one.

This was an easy read romance. Katie, the best friend/supporting character, was my favorite part of the book and I think represented very well. Additionally I loved the pet duo additive and the cover is 🔥. I am not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope and I found the main characters' dialogue/dynamic for the first 70% of the book to be very confusing. This romance/relationship just wasn't for me but I would still try out others in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

This is book 2 in the Lake Tahoe series. But it can be read as a stand alone. It's a second chance trope.
Olive and Noah were were high school sweethearts. But due to an ATV accident, broke up and went their separate ways.
Years later, Olive comes home to help her BFF,Katie (Noah's twin sister) out when her husband has a serious accident. Both Olive and Noah are single, neither of which has been able to have a long term committed relationship.
It takes alot of back and forth, a lot of ancient history, a lot of miscommunication, the two finally get together and eventually work things out.
I enjoyed this story. I liked the main characters and the secondary characters. Jill Shalvis always makes me laugh. I gave it 4⭐⭐⭐⭐ because it was a little bit predictable.
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis is a charming blend of romance, family, and second chances set against the picturesque backdrop of Lake Tahoe. Olive and Noah’s history adds depth to their love story, as they navigate old wounds, miscommunication, and undeniable chemistry. The dual timelines kept me intrigued, slowly unraveling the past while building toward their present connection.

Olive’s relationships with her best friend Katie and her grandmother were heartwarming, showcasing Shalvis’s talent for crafting meaningful friendships and family bonds. While Olive and Noah’s relationship had moments of push-and-pull that felt repetitive, their eventual growth and heartfelt communication made their journey worthwhile.

The mix of romance, mystery, and character growth kept the story engaging, even if some parts felt predictable. With humor, touching moments, and lovable side characters, this book delivers a cozy and enjoyable read. Shalvis fans won’t be disappointed!

Reading this book was like what a whirlwind summer romance in a quaint small town feels like. Olive and Noah had that all-important history that made it clear to the reader from the get-go how important they were to each other. The pacing, with the dual timelines, kept me engaged, especially when it came to finding out what had happened between the two of them and what exactly led to Olive making the decision to leave. The last third of the book felt a little slow, partly because it felt like they kept dancing around the same issue without really resolving things, but by the time they did get to actually communicating with one another, it was so easy to be happy for them. I hadn’t read the other Sunrise Cove books, though I have read other Jill Shalvis novels (including her Lucky Harbor series), but this book has definitely convinced me to take a stroll down some of her other small towns.

Also, I needed to include a special mention of Joey. What a cutie … I loved him so much.

such a fun story from one of my favorites. Set around beautiful Lake Tahoe the amazing friendship between Olive and Katie and the love Olive felt when she moved to her grandmother's helped her find her way after a hard childhood. Finding her way back to the family of her heart and the love she never forgot was beautifully written

I really like Jill Shalvis's books and I especially love how she creates friendships. This book is a perfect example as the relationship between Olive and Katie is really wonderful despite their differences and some past issues. Olive's relationship with her grandmother is also really sweet - especially since they are very much alike. Olive's relationship with Noah however is not quite so smooth.

It took me a bit to really connect to Olive and Noah's relationship. I liked them both and was enjoying the book but I wasn't really rooting for their relationship. I wish I had understood a bit more about the past confrontation earlier in the story.

I did enjoy the mix of character growth, mystery investigation, and romance in this book. As I expect from a Jill Shalvis, this was a fast paced fun read that tackled some deeper issues. I really liked Olive and Katie from the start even though I wish there was a bit more communication. I'm looking forward to reading more books from Shalvis in the future.

Do you like small towns, second chances, and romance? Then this is probably the book for you. Jill Shalvis’ books always promise a cozy read and a HEA with friends. I found it a bit slow to start, but then the story picked up.

Jill Shalvis has long been one of my favorite romance authors, and I am so glad that her books have grown as I have. I loved Olive and Noah's story, watching them overcome uncertainty to find their way together. I loved watching their personal growth. But even more I loved the small town feel, the cast of supporting characters and the dog with the adorable kitten. When you put it all together this is another success! Looking forward to the summer book!

This book was cute. There was nothing particularly special about it. The chemistry and dialogue between the couple felt forced. They were very hot and cold which was giving more high school/college versus 30 year olds. The relationships between the FMC and side characters also felt forced and just off in general. The humor was also very cliche and overdone. It's good if you need a quick read.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy of Better Than Friends.

Olive returns to her hometown to help her best friend care for her son while her husband is in a coma. She is also reunited with her best friend’s brother who she fell in love with when they were teenagers. There was an accident she blamed herself for and she left and she never told anyone the truth of why she left. Can they find their way back to one another?

This is part of a bigger series but each one can be read as a standalone book. I liked the fact that the characters were older and more mature but I did not like the miscommunication. Just talk to one another! I liked the storyline but I dislike when characters cannot communicate with one another.

Jill Shalvis is a go-to author for me and her books are always so well written. Better Than Friends is no exception and while this is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Olive Porter has lived abroad for many years and she doesn't make many trips back to her hometown of Sunrise Cove. Her best friend Katie is going through a difficult time as her husband Joe is in a coma following an accident at work. Olive comes back to support her and help with her young son, Joey, but she also will see her grandmother and the guy who has always owned a piece of her heart, Noah.

Noah Turner has been in Olive's life for a very long time. Noah is not only Olive's friend, but the twin brother of her best friend Katie. Noah works for the National Park Service as an investigator, a job he's always enjoyed, but has also used to escape deep connections and relationships.

It's clear there is still chemistry between Olive and Noah, but they both deny that anything is between them or ever will be. While at home, Olive also realizes she can't get in touch with her parents and she enlists Noah's help to locate them. Will this bring the two of them closer together once again or will things from the past interfere?

I thought this book started out a bit slow, but once it got going it moved really well. I enjoyed the characters and little Joey was a trip. Plus, it wouldn't be a Shalvis book without some animals, and I loved them as well! This is definitely one worth reading!

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