Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading
Written on Jan 27, 2025
In Better Than Friends, Shalvis returns her readers to the small town of Sunrise Cove. This time around, she delves into the themes of second chances, forced proximity, and the transition from friends to enemies to lovers. As expected from Shalvis's work, the novel also explores the themes of family and friendships.
I enjoyed all the books in the Sunrise Cove series and looked forward to reading Better Than Friends. It certainly did not disappoint. Each book in the series is a standalone, with no connections between the characters, allowing readers to jump in at any point in the series.
Better Than Friends introduces Olive Porter and Noah Turner. They first met at the age of fourteen when Olive moved to Sunrise Cove to live with her grandmother. She became best friends with his twin sister Katie, and by extension, he became her protector. Circumstances led to her departure after graduation without saying goodbye. After many years away from Sunrise Cove, Olive returns home to assist her best friend Katie, whose husband is in a coma. She had no reservations about returning to help her friend, even if it meant facing the only man she ever loved.
Better Than Friends proved to be a difficult book to put down. It is captivating and heartwarming. Shalvis provides glimpses into the past, giving readers insight into the reasons Olive left Sunrise Cove without saying goodbye. It is clear that Olive never forgave herself for the incident she believes altered the trajectory of Noah's life. Noah himself harbored guilt related to a recent event as well as incidents from his past.
Anyone who encountered Olive and Noah could clearly see the intense attraction between them. Now that they were back in each other's presence, they realized that their feelings for each other had never died and were stronger than ever. However, guilt and fears would lead them to struggle against their emotions. I appreciated how their love for each other endured distance and time. These two were undoubtedly meant for each other.
The secondary characters contributed their unique flavor to the story. The emphasis on friendship and family introduced an additional dimension to the story, resulting in engaging, heartwarming, and entertaining moments.
I had a wonderful time reading Better than Friends. I would not only recommend it to long-time fans of the author but also to readers seeking a heartwarming story with a small-town flavor.
This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading