Series Name: Sunrise Cove, # 1
“You know what really gets me? I put on mascara today. A waste of five minutes that I could’ve used to stop for a breakfast burrito. I mean, that’s what a girl needs on the day she’s going to die, a solid breakfast burrito to hold her over to the ever after.”
The Family You Make is just one of those books that you will read again and again.
During the snowstorm of the century Levi Cutler is stranded on a ski lift with a beautiful stranger named Jane. After strong winds hurl the gondola in front of them into the ground, Levi calls his parents to prepare them for the worst…but can’t bring himself to say goodbye. Instead, wanting to fulfill his mother’s lifelong wish, he impulsively tells her he’s happily settled and Jane is his girlfriend–right before his phone dies.
But Levi and Jane do not.
Now Levi’s family is desperate to meet “The One.” Though Jane agrees to be his pretend girlfriend for just one dinner, she’s nervous. After a traumatic childhood, Jane isn’t sure she knows how to be around a tight-knit family that cherishes one another. She’s terrified, and a little jealous. But an unexpected series of events and a host of new friends soon show Jane that perhaps this is the life she was always meant to have.
As Jane and Levi spend more time together, pretend feelings quickly turn into real ones. Now all Jane has to do is admit to herself she can’t live without the man she’s fallen in love with and the family she has always dreamed of.
Oh my goodness! This book was freaking amazing!! I didn’t anticipate how much I would fall in love with it. I want to stand in the romance aisle in my local bookstore and tell everyone they need to take this book home with them. That’s how much I love it. I also went out and bought a few more of Jill’s books, just because I loved her writing style so much.
What makes this book amazing, you ask? The story, the characters, and the setting go together so perfectly. There isn’t a part of this book that doesn’t work. Jill’s writing is smooth, and everything flows beautifully. The story has a little bit of everything: action, comedy, romance, and family drama. The setting is a charming little community tucked beside a ski hill. It reminds me of all those Hallmark movies that I love so much.
The main and secondary characters are fabulous, and add so much richness to the story. I fell in love with Jane’s character right away. Her dry, sarcastic attitude had me laughing right from the first time she spoke. Jane is an independent no-nonsense heroine. She doesn’t like to form attachments with anyone, because she spent most of her childhood being passed from one relative to another and feeling unwanted by everyone in her life. Jane doesn’t trust easily and doesn’t like staying in one place for too long. The only person who seems to get behind that wall that Jane has built is her friend Charlotte. It was wonderful watching Jane grow emotional and learn to open her heart to Levi and others in her life. Levi is a big old softy and charming as hell. I love the way he treats Jane and also his family. He gives off that hero vibe, but he isn’t overbearing and gives Jane space to solve her problems and only comes to help when she asks.
One of the fabulous things about The Family You Make is you get two fantastic love stories in one book. Jane and Levi’s romance is the main focus of the story, and Lord, their romance is this perfect balance of sweet and spicy. I loved the fake-dating, friends-to-lovers approach to their relationship. I don’t read a lot of fake-dating romances, so it was a nice change for me. There were sparks between these two characters right from the beginning, but I loved how Jill didn’t rush these two into an intimate relationship. She took the time to build a “get to know you” relationship. I like how these two became friends before they became lovers.
The other love story is between Charlotte and Mato. For me, Charlotte is also a main heroine in this book. I really loved Charlotte, she has that fun, feisty southern charm, and it was fun watching her go into “mother-mode” when one of her friends got hurt or needed her support. Charlotte’s backstory is just as rich and interesting as Jane’s. Her relationship with Mato has a frenemy approach. The witty banter between these two was electric!!
Levi’s family is oodles of fun. They are meddlesome, funny, and have hearts of gold. I love how involved they get in Levi’s love life and the antics they resort to, to learn more about Jane, were hilarious. Peyton (Levi’s niece) stole my heart. That kiddo had me laughing like I mean full-on snort-laughing. I am sure anyone who has spent time with kids will enjoy everything Peyton does and says. Let’s just say kids say the darndest things.
The Family You Make is one romance book that you will never forget.
