The Friendship Pact is the second book in Jill Shalvis’s Sunrise Cove series. This installment touched my heart in many ways and summoned a range of emotions. It made me happy and laugh, but it also had its sad moments. This is why I enjoy reading Jill Shalvis’s books. She makes me feel for each of the characters she writes about and their situations, and she also makes me feel like they are family, and I’m rooting for their happiness. 

This was the case with Tae Holmes, Riggs Copeland, and even Tae’s mother, April. These characters will live rent-free in my head after reading The Friendship Pact. Their stories are emotional but so impactful. I was in tears by the end of this book, but happy tears because everyone gets a well-deserved happily-ever-after. 

The FMC, Tae Holmes, finds out that her father, who she thought was a war hero and died in service, is actually alive and well. She wants to know why her mother, April, kept the truth about her father from her, but she knows her mother won’t tell her, so she’ll find out on her own instead. In comes the MMC, Riggs Copeland, who she’s run into quite frequently since he’s back in town, helping his brother with his business temporarily. Tae and Riggs have a past together that involved them starting a friendship pact that has me in effect for years now, but the more time they spend together, the stronger feelings come forward for both of them. 

This book had me in such a chokehold the whole time I was reading it, particularly when it came to the romantic storyline of Tae and Riggs. Their relationship is a slow burn, filled with tension as they navigate their pasts and confront current challenges in their lives. The wait for their romance to develop is worthwhile, as they both have grown since high school and gradually realize how much they mean to each other as adults the more time they spend together. I loved how Riggs was there to help Tae on finding her father and he was there to help her when it came to the truth of why things happened the way they did. 

The ending really moved me, the moment Tae met her father and discovered the truth about him was incredibly emotional and brought me to tears. This is exactly why I enjoy reading Jill Shalvis’s books. She creates unforgettable characters and writes beautiful, emotionally driven HEAs. I wish I could give this book more than five stars because it deserves it. Now, I’m onto the next book in this series because I need more stories like this one and I know Jill Shalvis can deliver. 

If you haven’t read a Jill Shalvis book, you are truly missing out. 

What to Expect:
🩵Small Town Romance
🩵Second Chance
🩵Friends with Benefits