Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Review: The Friendship Pact by Jill Shalvis



The Friendship Pact (Sunrise Cove #2) by Jill Shalvis
Publication Date: June 14th 2022 by William Morrow
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher & Purchased Audiobook
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Tae was raised by her teenage mother and the two of them barely scraped by growing up. They’re so close in age they’re each other’s best friend and rely heavily on each other. A little too heavily, at first. Tae is finally getting some financial stability running her event planning business, and her biggest client’s partner, Riggs Copeland is a fling from high school, one she’s never forgotten.

Working together unearths buried feelings, instant sexual tension brewing between them. They had a playful relationship with Tae throwing barbs, and Riggs catching them flirtatiously. They want to keep things as friends only, thus their “friendship pact” but as this is a romance I knew their resolve wouldn’t last. They get along so well, which is how they ended up together in the past, so when Tae and Riggs face some tough choices and ghosts from the past they’re there for each other for support and a listening ear. Soon, the attraction simmering between them is too much to pass up! They’re passionate together, their romance full of chemistry even before they got physical, however they have to sort out what exactly this means for their future.

I was a little miffed at Tae’s mom, April, for her secrets and for meddling in Tae’s romantic life, but it did come from a place of love, so it was easy to forgive. Especially since April saw the error of her ways.

The secondary characters were quirky and fun, full of heart. I love how Jill Shalvis brought the beautiful mountain setting of Lake Tahoe to life, making me feel like I was visiting right along with the characters!

4 Stars


Book Description:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a powerful, moving story about a young woman on a quest to find the truth about her father who learns the meaning of true love along the way.

Alone in the world, Tae Holmes and her mother April pretty much raised each other, but as Tae starts asking questions about the father she's never met, April, for the first time in her life, goes silent. To make matters worse, Tae is dangerously close to broke and just manages to avoid financial meltdown when she lands a shiny new contract with an adventure company for athletes with disabilities and wounded warriors.

Her first big fundraiser event falls flat, but what starts out as a terrible, horrible, no-good night turns into something else entirely when Tae finds herself face-to-face with Riggs Copeland. She hasn't seen the former Marine since their brief fling in high school, and while still intensely drawn to him, she likes her past burned and buried, thank you very much. Hence their friendship pact.

But when April oddly refuses to help Tae track down her father, it's Riggs who unexpectedly comes to her aid. On a hunt to unlock the past, the two of them find themselves on a wild ride and learn a shocking truth, while also reluctantly bonding in a way neither had seen coming. Now Tae must decide whether she's going to choose love ... or walk away from her own happiness.

11 comments:

  1. I will tag along for a visit to Lake Tahoe. Regine
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really enjoyed the first book in the series earlier this year. It was my first by Shalvis and had me excited to read more. I don't recognize any of the character names here so I'm guessing there's no strong connection between the books (other than setting). Glad you enjoyed this one, Rachel!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Another book on my summer TBR list! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I enjoyed this too! Lovely review

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love Jill Shalvis and this book. Fantastic review. Agree about April.

    Anne - Books of My Heart

    ReplyDelete
  6. I like that this is as much about a mother-daughter as a rekindling of romance.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Surprising, I did not embrace the mother-daughter relationship as much as I thought I would, but I loved Tae, Riggs, and all their history.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ooh an event planning business sounds fun. Glad you liked this!

    Lauren @ www.shootingstarsmag.net

    ReplyDelete
  9. This sounds like a wonderful story! I want to read it now.

    ReplyDelete