I can always count on this author to write a feel-good romance. She never fails me. Her books are definitely comfort reads for me. I enjoyed this second book in the Sunrise Cove series.

While this is a series, it's only a series based on location--Lake Tahoe. It can be read as a standalone without any difficulties. Besides being a second chance romance for Tae and Riggs, it is also a story of Tae finding her father and her relationship with her mother.

Tae has always wondered about her father. Her mother, April, got pregnant as a teenager and told Tae that her father died. Upon seeing her birth certificate with no father listed, Tae starts to question that some more. At the same time, her childhood friend/one time sex partner in high school, Riggs Copeland, has returned for the summer to help out with his brother and his business. Seeing Tae again brings back old feelings, but they decide on a friendship pact as Riggs is not staying in town.

I love the blossoming romance between Riggs and Tae, but I also love the relationship with Riggs and his older brother, Jake. I kept thinking that Jake's story would have made an awesome Jill Shalvis book and was hoping I hadn't missed it! LOL

Thank you to the author, Avon Books and Get Red PR for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

The Friendship Pact is the second in Jill Shalvis’ Sunrise Cove series. It can be read as a standalone, and has little connection to the first book beyond the sharer setting. 

This one continues the blend of strong women’s fiction themes with equally strong romantic ones in the first book. And the fact that this one explores a second chance between a family unit created by accident during wild youth is touching. 

The relationship between Tae and April is beautiful, if a bit bittersweet given the state of current affairs in the U.S. right now. Tae and April have an interesting dynamic where Tae sometimes feels like she has had  to be a parent as much as April did. April becoming pregnant when she was still a kid herself explains how she’s not always the most mature. Yet, I love how, in spite of the struggles, they do love and care for one another. And this one heartfelt conversation about how April did have options, and ultimately she chose to have Tae is beautiful and a standout moment. 

I liked seeing them both form (and reform) relationships with Riggs, April’s high school fling and Tae’s father. He has his own complicated past with trauma that is also well explored. I can’t say I was super won over by them as a couple, but given how complex each of these characters is and all the toxicity they deal with individually, I appreciate the way Shalvis attempted to navigate it all, and feel she succeeded in doing so to provide all of them happiness. 

This is a heartwarming read about family, forgiveness, and second chances. If you enjoy Jill Shalvis’ writing, especially in recent years, or enjoy books that explore complex romantic and familial bonds, I recommend picking this up.