Review: The Friendship Pact (Sunrise Cove #2)

The Friendship Pact (Sunrise Cove #2)

Jill Shalvis

Blurb:

Alone in the world, Tae Holmes and her mother April pretty much raised each other, but as Tae starts asking questions about the father she's never met, April, for the first time in her life, goes silent. To make matters worse, Tae is dangerously close to broke and just manages to avoid financial meltdown when she lands a shiny new contract with an adventure company for athletes with disabilities and wounded warriors.

Her first big fundraiser event falls flat, but what starts out as a terrible, horrible, no-good night turns into something else entirely when Tae finds herself face-to-face with Riggs Copeland. She hasn't seen the former Marine since their brief fling in high school, and while still intensely drawn to him, she likes her past burned and buried, thank you very much. Hence their friendship pact.

But when April oddly refuses to help Tae track down her father, it's Riggs who unexpectedly comes to her aid. On a hunt to unlock the past, the two of them find themselves on a wild ride and learn a shocking truth, while also reluctantly bonding in a way neither had seen coming. Now Tae must decide whether she's going to choose love ... or walk away from her own happiness.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Another interesting read that reminds us that each woman is unique and her journey through life and to love is just as unique as she is.  I have never read a single Jill Shalvis novel (or novella) that didn’t thrill and fulfill me and I doubt I ever will, but her latest story is one filled with laughter, tears, and the growth of two people that needed one another to heal—even if they both denied they were broken to begin with.  Tae has had a challenging life, essentially raising herself and her teenage mother, and finding a way to make herself successful, but she has done it with real poise.  When she is given a huge chance to prove herself with a contact for her small company, she jumps at the chance, despite knowing she’ll have to deal with her nemesis Riggs daily. Riggs grew up in hell and then as a Marine went through even more trauma, but he has it all under control and doesn’t need Tae getting into his business and certainly doesn’t want the prickly woman.  Except every time they are in the same vicinity sparks fly enough to singe everyone in the area and with the working together constantly it soon becomes irresistible.  But Tae’s past is slow coming to light and it might just be enough to tear apart the fragile connection she and Riggs have built, if they don’t fight for the love they have found in the most unlikely of places. I loved Tae and her smartass mouth just made her more my kind of lady.  She is shrewd, kind, devoted, and caring once she opens herself up to those that earn her trust and I really enjoyed watching Riggs break down those walls. Riggs has so much trauma in his past I really wasn’t sure he’d be able to get past it in order to give Tae the love she needed, but as they grew together I realized they really were the perfect match. He brings the perfect level of alpha to their sparky relationship, but he also brings out the fun in their friendship and ultimately that foundation is the strength of their love.  I can’t move on without mentioning there is a sweet and slightly sad bit of growth that Tae’s mom April is forced to deal with as well as she comes to terms with her past, a big mistake she made, and the fact that she is still a truly desirable woman as she finds a good man to offer her a love as well. I enjoyed every moment of this beautiful and heartfelt story, even as I was brought to tears a few times and I look forward to being able to read more in this series as Jill takes us through the angst of evolution, forgiveness, and finding love in Sunrise Cove.

*ebook provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.