On the Shore by Laura Pavlov | Book Review • Ana's Attic Book Blog

On the Shore (Cottonwood Cove 3) by Laura Pavlov

Contemporary small town sports romance. Third in a connected series.

I’m going to a signing with Laura Pavlov this month, so I’m trying to read as many of the attending authors as possible. I must have picked up On the Shore when it was on sale because it was already waiting in my Kindle library. I don’t usually start a series in the middle, but this said standalone and it super high ratings, so I decided to go for it.

I think I would have enjoyed it much more if I had read the first two books first. It often felt like I was missing backstory, and so many characters were introduced that it seemed like I should already know them. Starting with On the Shore made it harder to connect.

Brinkley was fired from her job as a sports reporter after she followed an NFL star into the men’s room to ask him questions. She blames him for ruining her career, forcing her to return home to Cottonwood Cove where her entire family lives. She even made her brothers swear to hate the GOAT of the NFL (and wow, that phrase was used a lot!).

Imagine her surprise when that same NFL player, Lincoln, shows up in town. He’s hiding out while deciding which team he’ll sign with next. After a few very unpleasant run-ins, Lincoln agrees to help Brinkley get her career back by giving her an exclusive interview.

“I hated that I wanted to know more. Hated that I’d been thinking about him these last few days since I’d seen him on my run. Hated that every time I’d gone on a run since, I’d looked for him.”

There was plenty of banter and chemistry between the two of them, but I never fully warmed to Brinkley. I couldn’t get past the fact that she blamed Lincoln for her own mistakes.

Some reviews for On the Shore mention there are actually eight books before this one, so Cottonwood Cove may be a spin-off of an earlier series. That would explain why I often felt lost.

“You want me to chase you, sweetheart?” he said, not hiding his sarcasm. “Because I will. If that’s what you need. But I want you in my bed. I want to wrap myself around you and wake up to you in the morning.”

Likes:

Laura Pavlov is a great storyteller.
I liked the small-town setting and all the family dynamics.
Fun banter.
Great chemistry.
The family chats.
Some funny moments.

Dislikes:

Not a strong standalone. I felt like I missed too much background, and there were too many characters I should have known.
I was frustrated with Brinkley for blaming Lincoln for her problems.
They used “GOAT of the NFL” way too many times.

The Down & Dirty:

I think I would have loved On the Shore if I had read the earlier Cottonwood Cove books, and maybe even the series before that. There were so many characters I should have known, and I probably would have loved those connections if I had the context. Reading this out of order made me feel lost, and it lessened my enjoyment. I’m sure if I’d read in sequence, this would have been 4+ stars. As a standalone, it lands at 3.5.