Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
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.
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.
