Better Than Friends

Coming January 2025

The Sunrise Cove Series | A Novel

I promise these books truly stand alone. They’re connected by setting, not characters. Hope you enjoy! Xoxo!

 

Old flames reignite in Sunrise Cove in this charming enemies-to-lovers, second-chance, small-town, forced-proximity love story about family, friendships, and true love from New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis.

Old flames reignite in Sunrise Cove in this charming enemies-to-lovers, second-chance, small-town, forced-proximity love story about family, friendships, and true love from New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis.

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?

 

Read the whole series

This series can be read and enjoyed in any order!

 
 
 

READ AN EXCERPT

Chapter 1

Olive had three pet peeves: loud chewers, the word “moist,” and . . . in the number one spot . . . love. And yes, she’d given it a try, several times in fact, and still had the occasional eye twitch to prove it, as she’d come out a big loser.

“You’re breathing funny,” Katie said. “You ate something with nuts in it again, didn’t you?”

Another example of how love hadn’t worked out for her. Olive loved peanuts, so of course she was allergic. “No, and I’m fine,” she said into her Bluetooth. Look at her, the master of the little white lie. After years of honing the skill, she could fool just about anyone, even her lifelong BFF. “And actually, I’m great.

Totally great. Like one hundred percent great.”

“That’s sarcasm, right?”

Katie Turner- Brooks had an eidetic memory, could solve complicated mathematical problems in her head and recite years- old conversations verbatim, but sarcasm eluded her.

“Excuse me, it’s called manifesting,” Olive said. “Because I really want to be great.” And not halfway to a panic attack . . .

“Then you will be.”

Katie had never understood it wasn’t that easy for Olive. She’d been a seriously awkward kid who’d been desperate to belong, and not much had changed. She exhaled and took in her view as she drove along Lake Tahoe, toward the small mountain town of Sunrise Cove on the north shore, trying not to feel like that lost girl all over again. “At my last stop for gas, I bought salami, an energy drink, and a chocolate cream pie, if that helps explain my emotional state.”

“What are you worrying about? Almost no one remembers that time you ran over the town hero.”

At Olive’s silence, Katie sighed. “Aaaand, I still can’t tell a joke right. I read a book on it and everything.”