Series:
Sunrise Cove (Book 7)
When Olive Porter's off-the-grid parents go missing, she
reluctantly seeks out Noah Turner, her ex and the only person she both trusts
implicitly and not at all.
As a special investigative agent for the National Park
Service, Noah's used to living under intense pressure. Or he was until he got
injured on the job. Now unhappily recuperating at home while being smothered by
his loving but nosy family, he'd love nothing more than a good distraction.
So when Olive shows up looking like a million bucks, he
has to do a gut and heart check. Because nope, no matter what, he can't fall
for her again, the woman who once blew up his entire life and never looked
back. How ironic then that his own personal hell (Olive) is also his ticket out
of town. The question is, will the risk be worth the reward?
Terrific second chance romance brought about by forced
proximity. Olive and Noah knew each other in high school. His sister, Katie, is
Olive's best friend. Olive moved in with her grandparents when she tired of her
parents' free-spirited lifestyle. Katie and
Noah lived next door, and their family became like a second family to
Olive. A devastating accident sent Olive fleeing from Sunrise Cove, leaving a
"Dear John" letter for Noah.
Years later, Olive returned to Sunrise Cove to help Katie
when her husband, Joe, and Noah were injured on the job. Joe is in a coma, and
Noah is on medical leave while he recovers. Noah has been staying with Katie
and her son Joey to help. He is unaware of Olive's imminent arrival.
I enjoyed the development of Noah and Olive's
relationship. It gets off to an awkward start as Olive still feels guilty about
the accident that happened their senior year. We get glimpses of their past
together as they work through those memories. The sparks of attraction are
obvious to everyone around them, but they initially resist giving in to them. Olive's
guilty feelings hold her back despite realizing her love for him never died.
Noah never blamed her for the accident and was brokenhearted when she left so
suddenly.
I loved their conversations, usually full of teasing and
snarky comments. There were also serious moments where the past was brought
into the light and dealt with. One of my favorite things about Noah was his support
as she dealt with her worry about her parents. I also loved his pride in her
strength and accomplishments. Noah does sometimes have trouble with
foot-in-mouth disease when trying to express his thoughts and feelings and
spends a fair amount of time doing damage control. I loved when he finally saw
the light and opened up to Olive. The scene was sweet and emotional with an epilogue
that was the icing on the cake.
One of the great things about a Jill Shalvis book is her
talent for creating believable families. I loved Katie, with her snark and lack
of a filter. Her love for her family and friends is undeniable, even though her
comments can be cringe-worthy. Her commentary on Noah and Olive's relationship
woes is hilarious. Her son, Joey, is an apple that didn't fall far from the
tree, especially when it came to Olive and Noah. The dynamics of Olive's parents
went a long way to explaining why Olive has the issues she has. Their
inconsiderate actions irritated me, though there was a hint of redemption at
the end.
Lighthearted moments were courtesy of Katie's ancient
bassett hound, Holmes, and the stray kitten, Pepper, he'd adopted. These two
were adorable and nearly stole every scene they were in.
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