The Sweetheart List
By Jill Shalvis
Release Date: June 13, 2023
Ebook Available from WV Reads!
3 Stars - A slightly uneven small town and sweet romance. While I liked the main couple, I felt we needed a little more emotional and literal stability from at least one narrating character. Bodie is a classic Shalvis hero, brooding but likable and with a tough past. Loved his reaction to the plot twist but I didn't love the twist itself at all. He's a good match for Harper who is a quirky baker, also a bit too much of a loner and has commitment issues. Unfortunately, this book felt more like chick lit or young adult than romance though, in that it was a story basically about teen runaway Ivy. The book would've benefited immensely from about an 100 page editing cut. So many scenes I didn't know whose POV I was in. Lots of fun quirky side characters but had trouble keeping track. Save this one for a sunny day on the beach or the porch when you won't mind putting the book down now and then, I think.
(NS)