The Sweetheart List: A Novel

Jill Shalvis

Jun 2023 · The Sunrise Cove Series Book 4 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

What makes life sweet?

• Freshly baked bread
• A cool lake on a hot summer day
• The comfort of a cozy bookstore
• Second chances and new beginnings

When Harper Shaw’s life falls apart, she knows it’s time for a change. She removes everything that doesn’t spark joy—from her soul-sucking job to eating kale to making lists—and sets off for the last place she was happy, Lake Tahoe (who wouldn’t feel good there, right?) to fulfill her dream of opening her own bakery.

With her Sugar Pine Bakery in between a tavern, owned by sexy, grumpy Bodie Campbell, and a bookstore, run by her new BFF, she feels a peace she’s never experienced since…well, forever.. Then she meets Ivy, a teenage runaway, who barrels into her heart. She sees a lot of herself in Ivy and takes her under her wing, but the teenager has secrets…

When those secrets explode, it changes Harper’s new world, and she’ll learn, it’s never too late to start over, it’s never too late to figure out your life, and best of all, it’s never too late to let yourself believe in love.

Ratings and reviews

I adored The Sweetheart List. It is the fourth book in the Sunrise Cove series and is a stand alone. Harper moves to the last place she was happy--at age twelve, for a new start. She'd gotten jerked around by her job, her boyfriend, and her list-making wasn't helping. So her and Ham, her adorable and rather galooty fur baby were going for a new start. Her landlord, or one of them, Bodie, had come back to Sunrise Cove all messed up from an op gone bad, his partner dead, and himself severely injured, having PTSD and denial. Sparks started flying between these two, both good and bad. Their dialog is snarky and humorous, neither was looking for the other, and they just couldn't quite figure out what to do with the other, until they could. When a young girl shows up, there's a whole new dynamic to the journey and it brought tears how kids are treated and lied to. Harper and Bodie are both great characters, the story is well told, feelings are front and center for all the characters.

4.5* I really loved this story. I want to move to Sunrise Cove, not even kidding. This story was sweet and heartfelt and I enjoyed all the different points of view. The Campbell brothers are awesome and their mother is a living saint! Harper and Ivy's relationship was really special, something Ivy needed. I liked Harper and Bodie together, they complemented and balanced each other. I was happy there wasn't a whole lot of drama between them, even though Bodie pushed the limits there a little.

Aww this story gave me all the feels. I loved everything about it. Family and love. Two of the most important things in life and this story had it all. Loved the chemistry and interactions between Harper and Bodie. He was so wonderful with Harper. And Ivy and her secrets. Loved this troubled teen so much. Ivy's relationship with Harper was really sweet. Harper was so understanding with Ivy. I won't reveal spoilers but you definitely want to read The Sweetheart List to find out what Ivy's secret is and how it affects everyone in this book. *I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book*

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning novels wherever books are sold and visit her website, jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.