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kellbraun 's review for:
The Friendship Pact
by Jill Shalvis
Thank you to William Morrow Avon, and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.
At this point in my reading career, I can confidently say I am a Jill Shalvis connoisseur. I’ve read almost all her books and the commonality between all of them is that they’re enjoyable. You’re never going to get a Shalvis-authored book where you’re rolling your eyes at the cliches or annoyed by the characters.
However, THE FRIENDSHIP PACT, though just as enjoyable as all Shavis’s other books, had something extra special. I loved the main characters: Tae and her mother April (an even closer GILMORE GIRLS-like relationship, if you can imagine) who practically grew up together and have overcome numerous obstacles together, and Riggs, one of Tae’s only friends from her miserable high school days and maybe one of my favorite Shalvis heroes ever.
THE FRIENDSHIP PACT follows Tae as she reconnects with Riggs when he comes into town for the summer to help out his brother with their company that offers support and fun activities for wounded warriors and the disadvantaged. Immediately they recognize that the spark that ignited when they were teens never dimmed and, if they have any chance of going their separate ways when Riggs has to leave for a big job in Washington, D.C. at the end of the summer, they need to make a pact to remain just friends to avoid getting hurt when their time together ends.
Both Tae and Riggs have similar issues that have kept them from really getting into lasting and meaningful relationships, but unlike a lot of other novels where these issues are explored, both characters work on their insecurities and they don’t become the reason behind the dreaded 80-90% breakdown of the main relationship. I loved that Tae and Riggs were each able to eventually recognize their previous patterns and thus came to conclusions about their relationship without it being the main conflict.
There were so many aspects of THE FRIENDSHIP PACT to love, and to write about them would have this review going on longer than necessary. Bottom line: I loved it and I’m already looking forward to the next in the series and anything else Jill Shalvis writes.
At this point in my reading career, I can confidently say I am a Jill Shalvis connoisseur. I’ve read almost all her books and the commonality between all of them is that they’re enjoyable. You’re never going to get a Shalvis-authored book where you’re rolling your eyes at the cliches or annoyed by the characters.
However, THE FRIENDSHIP PACT, though just as enjoyable as all Shavis’s other books, had something extra special. I loved the main characters: Tae and her mother April (an even closer GILMORE GIRLS-like relationship, if you can imagine) who practically grew up together and have overcome numerous obstacles together, and Riggs, one of Tae’s only friends from her miserable high school days and maybe one of my favorite Shalvis heroes ever.
THE FRIENDSHIP PACT follows Tae as she reconnects with Riggs when he comes into town for the summer to help out his brother with their company that offers support and fun activities for wounded warriors and the disadvantaged. Immediately they recognize that the spark that ignited when they were teens never dimmed and, if they have any chance of going their separate ways when Riggs has to leave for a big job in Washington, D.C. at the end of the summer, they need to make a pact to remain just friends to avoid getting hurt when their time together ends.
Both Tae and Riggs have similar issues that have kept them from really getting into lasting and meaningful relationships, but unlike a lot of other novels where these issues are explored, both characters work on their insecurities and they don’t become the reason behind the dreaded 80-90% breakdown of the main relationship. I loved that Tae and Riggs were each able to eventually recognize their previous patterns and thus came to conclusions about their relationship without it being the main conflict.
There were so many aspects of THE FRIENDSHIP PACT to love, and to write about them would have this review going on longer than necessary. Bottom line: I loved it and I’m already looking forward to the next in the series and anything else Jill Shalvis writes.