The Backup Plan - Contemporary Romance Review

Goodreads:  The Backup Plan (Sunrise Cove #3) by Jill Shalvis

Rating: Really Liked It! (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  When Alice receives a call about an unexpected windfall, she's stunned to learn the gift is a falling-apart-at-the-seams old Wild West B&B she once considered home--and she's inherited it along with two strangers. Except they weren't always strangers. Once upon a time, they were friends. One is her ex-BFF Lauren. The other is Knox, the only guy to ever break her heart, all while never even knowing she existed.

It turns out their lives are unknowingly entangled because they once separately helped the same woman without expecting anything in return. Years later, Alice, Lauren, and Knox are broken in their own way, with their own history--and secrets-- causing them to start out on the wrong foot with each other. But according to the will, they must renovate and be partners in the inn for one year or else lose their inheritance.

Stuck together, they make a list of rules to keep the peace--rules that end up doing the opposite, but by some miracle they find what they didn't even know they were looking for--acceptance, true friendship, and in a case (or two!), true love.

Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book:  I have really enjoyed other books by this author and this premise sounds too fantastic to pass up.

My Impression:   This was a fun read and definitely lived up to my expectations.  Each character is so different and has their own baggage but also has a shared past and some similar baggage.  Even though she has died before the book takes place I loved that we got the emails from Eleanor.  Not only did I get a chuckle over how she referred to her sister and herself but was nice to hear her reasonings and motivations for the inheritance.  The continually growing list of rules was also a lot of fun.

Alice, Lauren, and Knox all have some pretty real issues to overcome and work through.  They've all had tough pasts and are linked in complicated ways.  They also have very different ways of processing feelings and emotions which has led to misunderstandings in the past and at times in the present.  I enjoyed the romance but even more so I enjoyed the growing friendships as they renovate the old inn.  

This was a fun romance and story of rebuilding both an inn and friendships.  And there was Pickle who regularly stole the show.  Apparently this is the 3rd book set in this area and I'm looking forward to reading the others.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely! Jill Shalvis has long been a favorite author and I'm looking forward to reading more from her.

Would I Recommend this Book?   If you're looking for a fun contemporary romance with a good dose of friendship building this is a great choice.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *