Book Review:: Better Than Friends | Jill Shalvis

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis has all the ingredients for a real romance banger. Second-chance romance, enemies-to-lovers, (kind of) forbidden romance, mystery, drama, accidents, freakish storms that move in to leave the characters stranded…the pages are jam packed with tropey delight, but it doesn’t feel all that tropey. It feels like a beautiful story of real heartbreak and crisis and healing and falling in love, even when you don’t mean to.

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis Book Cover

The only home Olive ever really knew was with the Turner family. Her own parents were flaky at best, and she found real connection with her best friend Katie, and even her twin brother Noah. But after a tragic accident after graduation, Olive fled her hometown in a rush of shame and guilt. Now years later, her best friend needs her. Her husband was in a terrible accident that’s left him in a coma. Despite wanting to keep as far away from Noah as possible, she returns home and naturally, runs into him constantly.

This story really drew me in from the beginning with such a complex and intriguing backstory between all of the characters that had be turning pages for more. Turns out Olive and Noah had a little bit of history back in the day, and the sparks are still smoldering! The two main characters are MFEO (made for each other). Their conflicts complement one another and their traumas can really only be healed by each other, too.

It’s not only a romance, but a novel of self-discovery. Olive has a complicated history with her own parents, and it turns out they’re actually missing, which adds an interesting plot element to all the sparks trying to ignite all over the place. There are some deep themes that tug at your heart strings and keep your mind turning over them long after you finish reading.

Jill Shalvis is a new author for me, but it looks like she’s quite prolific! I’m really looking forward to reading more of her work, because this one was a major win for me!

Note:: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher & netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

Details

Title:: Better Than Friends (Sunrise Cove #7)
Author:: Jill Shalvis
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 15m
Audiobook Narrator:: Andi Arndt
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: January 21st, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars