The List

by J.L. Bowman

When Everdine meets Xavier, a retired bad boy surfer, their chemistry ignites, but her jealous ex puts their love and her adventure at risk...

Everdine Bradford is about to start a journey of self-discovery and adventure as she tackles her bucket list... Rebuild a 1970’s VW bus. See the Grand Canyon at sunset. Sky dive in Montana. See the worlds largest frying pan. Kiss a stranger. Escape an ex that just won't stop...

Xavier Santos is a world-class surfer with a bad boy reputation who’s decided to settle down and retire that questionable lifestyle when he meets effervescent Everdine, a mysteriously sweet woman who captures his heart with one spectacular kiss. The problem is she’s not interested in settling down, Everdine’s leaving on a one year trip filled with potential adventures and he’s not invited.

Everdine realizes that not all bucket list items have to be coated in glitter, but she never expected to meet Xavier as she checked off “Kiss a Stranger” right next to “See the Green Flash.” He’s kind and gentle. He’s everything she’s ever wanted in in a man.

When they start to fall for each other, Everdine's jealous ex-boyfriend cranks up the creepy stalker role and her adventure takes a dangerous turn.

Genres: Romance, Ebooks, Contemporary

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2024

About the author

JL Bowman grew up imagining, dreaming, reading, and writing. She is a wife to the Captain of Fun, mother to a freethinking spawn, inspirerer of young minds, organizer for employee rights, and at night, a writer of adventures, love, and sadness. 
Teacher
Writer
Avid reader, hiker, baseball watcher and adventurer. 
You can often find Ms. Bowman at her computer weaving her next novel.

Reviews

[Devons book corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a neat story about Everdine, a small town children's librarian who has decided she is going to take a year off work and try to do everything she can on her bucket list. She meets Xavier and sparks fly, but Ever doesn't want to start anything considering she will be leaving in just a few short weeks. Also, she has her ex to worry about as the restraining order is about to expire and he is still being a creep. This story was really good, and I loved watching Ever and Xavier form a relationship together. I was definitely hooked and wanted to see what would happen next.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is actually quite poorly written, and at first, that’s all I could notice. But as the book progressed, I noticed it less and less and even forgot how poorly it was written until I’d suddenly stumble on what was clearly a proofreading error. That was annoying whenever it happened. However, the reason I kept forgetting the writing quality was because the story was strong enough to compensate for it. The two central characters were very easy to root for, and the villain was deeply contemptible, which made the story itself strong enough to earn itself four stars.

[Lonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everdine is a small town children's librarian with plans to take a year off and hit everything on her bucketlist. Xavier Santos is a reformed bad boy surfer who is retiring after his last major win. They meet when getting together with a neighbor, and sparks fly. But Ever is leaving in a few weeks and doesn't want to fall in love!

Alex, Ever's ex, has been stalking her after the restraining order she had against him expired, and has been ramping up his creepiness as the time to Ever's departure approaches.

I enjoyed this sweet romance, the relationship between Ever and Xavier is adorable. I did not enjoy the graphic domestic violence toward the end of the book and thought it seemed out of place with the rest of the story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stephanie Caffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The List by J.L. Bowman is a romance book about a woman, Ever, who is planning to go on a year long cross country road trip to cross things off of her bucket list. Everything is going to plan, until she meets Xavier, a retired professional surfer, and things begin to bloom between them.

I liked the book. Ever and Xavier were well developed characters. You could see their growth throughout the book. And I liked that we got to see each character separate from the other. I liked the romance, and the side characters. The plot was plausible, and I liked how independent Ever was.

The things I didn't like about the book were some of the aspects of the relationship. It seemed a little over the top at times, and a little forced. The book also had a lot of errors in it, which I hope will be corrected before publication. A lot of pronoun mix ups and I think the timeline was a little fuzzy for each of the characters' pasts. But the mistakes were not glaring enough to really affect my reading of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and did cry the last 10% of the book - happy and sad tears. If you're looking for a fun romance, this is for you. I will probably read more books in this series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brooke Bolliger · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was cute, the writing was not very good. It was like it wasn't even edited. I finished it just because I did want to see what would happen, but it was almost annoying to read.

[Heather Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hot surfer and the librarian

I received a digital ARC of this book. This is my first time reading this author. Everdine is a small town librarian who is recovering from an abusive relationship. She is saving up to go on a trip around the states and tackle a list of adventures that her and her late brother had come up with. Xavier is a famous surfer from the same town, and his agent is her neighbor. One night as Everdine and her roommate are leaving to walk to Taco Tuesday, they invite their neighbor Greg because he’s out on his balcony as they’re walking by. He declines, but Xavier walks out and locks eyes with Everdine and says he’ll come. The attraction between Xavier and Everdine is instant. And even better she has no idea who he is. Xavier asks if they can go out and Everdine says under one condition, he doesn’t fall in love with her. Done. Everdine knows she’s leaving in a couple weeks for her year long trip, so she doesn’t think she’ll fall in love either. But they end up spending every possible minute together when she’s not at work and sparks are definitely flying. I read this book in 2 days. However, there is talk of previous domestic abuse, and there is mental and physical abuse as part of the story, from her ex bf Alex. If that is a trigger for you, do not read this book.

[Enid Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

To begin, this book sets a good foundation for the premise. Ever a bubbly effervescent person is instantaneously attracted to Xavier a retired surfer. They start dating, with Xavier loving every aspect of Ever no matter how ridiculous.
The interactions between the couple is amusing sometimes going a bit too OTT which then makes them unbelievable.

As the story progresses, we have Ever's abusive ex who still is obsessed with her and still finds ways to intimidate her. Kudos to the author for writing such a character that suddenly changes into a whole different person when she encounters her ex. The fear, the inferior feeling is well articulated.

The reason I am holding back on 4 stars is because there were too many errors in the book where suddenly the pronouns go from 1st person to 3rd person. It's annoying. The second reason is that Xavier and Ever were not convincing. I felt it was too rushed and Xavier was not well explored as opposed to Ever making him just a stud who is Ever's prince charming after her disastrous relationship.

Overall the book was captivating especially the end. It gave me all the feels. So 3.5 stars , it is for me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jacquelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The List' was a moving tale. Moreover, its mesmerizing plot was filled with adversity, overcoming an abusive relationship, overcoming addiction, coping, paying homage to a memory, giving encouragement, and love. Everdine (a spunky librarian) and Javier (a world-class superstar surfer), the protagonists, worked well together in spite of their demons. Ever's to-do list was shared with Xavier who added a few things to it. It had been important for Ever to complete the list as her late brother was going to help her with it. However, conflicts and setbacks arose over the course of trying to check off things on the list. One thing led to another, and I kept reading to see if Ever would live through her ordeal, and if she did, would she take her trip of a lifetime with Xavier? Although there were a few grammatical errors, they didn't deter me from continuing to read and finish the book. Overall, I liked the compelling narrative.
I received a copy for free and am voluntarily giving my honest review.

[Jeanne Chepko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overcome the abusive boyfriend and find the one??

Everdine "Ever" is still dealing with the psychological damage from her abusive exboyfriend. He pretended to take over as her protecter when she lost her brother, but he was true evil.
Her plan is to travel for a year in her VW bus, to make her bucket list dream come true.
Enter Xavier Santos, retired world class surfer and a big snack in Ever's mind. They have incredible chemistry and sparks abound, but she is leaving in a few weeks and will not fall in love.
They are a perfect match, have incredible friends and coworkers. Love life and make each other very happy....why fight it? When the restraining order is over, her self doubt explodes and her dreams are overtaken by this dangerous man.
Can they work through it and get what they both want out of life?
Great romance, steamy scenes, witty banter and wonderful characters. Definitely a page turner, starting book 2!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so much more than a simple romance

The story of Ever & Xavier is very well written (though typos can be irritating).

There are sensitive portrayals of the feelings of loss as well as the impact of surviving abuse.

On the other hand, when Ever is happy, the writing is so lovely to read that I sat there smiling!

(And the bit where everyone is taking turns to read to her made me choke up.)

I loved the humour throughout, like the kindergarten librarian's favourite book being the Hungry Caterpillar (and she's right, Tolstoy isn't often checked out from a library but there's often a waiting list for The Hungry Caterpillar!).

Also:
> "I found this under the pillow."
> She produced a condom and grinned back at me.
> "Like the tooth fairy but better."


I'd already read a couple of the later books in this series [mostly standalone but with passing references to other books] so thought I'd backtrack to the first one. I was very glad that I did!

[Mireille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It’s totally different from my normal reading. I read the synopsis and it sounded interesting so I thought I’d give it a try. I’m so glad I did. Ever is planning this year long trip, she’s leaving her home town and nothing is stopping her until she meets Xavier. Xavier is ready to settle down and Ever is the lady who he thinks could be his forever. This is a wonderful story, I loved the evolution of their relationship, I found Alex one scary dude, he almost put me off reading the book but I’m glad I did. The ending is so wonderful. I’m interested in reading the next book in the series. I received this book from BookSirens. I’m voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Bells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves a solid 5-star rating! It turned out to be quite different from what I expected, but in the best way. The romance between Xavier and Ever, with its instant connection, was beautifully depicted and incredibly engaging.

Alex, the bully in the story, was a character I truly wanted to see face consequences for his actions. The fact that a restraining order was issued against him from the beginning, even before his attempt to harm Ever, highlighted the seriousness of his actions. I wished Ever had taken even more decisive steps against him.

Winning this book in a giveaway was a fantastic surprise, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to read and provide my honest review. I can't wait to explore more from this author! 📚🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Douglas Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tale is about Xavier the famous surfer and Everdene Bradford, the local children’s librarian who have lots of sex together. Ever as she is called is planning a bucket list trip around the US in her Volkswagen van which she has tricked out with increased power and modern electronics. She has an ex boyfriend hanging around who is threatening her and attacks her and smashes the van. Xavier finds out and comes to her rescue.
The outcome is really a good one and I look forward to J L Bowman’s next book!

[Gillian Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This List was a moving story of how aspiring towards our goals can let us aspire to be our true selves. The relationships between the characters was believable and true to someone who is looking to find themselves and overcome obstacles in their way. There are triggering themes of abuse however, they are there to show how Everdine can overcome and cope with how their life has been and how they can be in the future. I genuinely enjoyed this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Anita Fuhrmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an emotionally moving book. I loved how Everdine had her bucket list and was determined to complete it. Xavier was almost her polar opposite, but there were definite sparks there from the beginning, and it was wonderful to be able to see if and how they either fanned to a flame, or fizzled out completely. There was one thing that I thought detrimental to the story, which was while the creepy ex was an interesting plot point, it didn't really lend itself much to the storyline.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everdine is a sweet woman who has had hardships in life. Her "bucket" list is fabulous and she's been saving for years, gathering her courage to leave. Even after meeting and kissing famous surfer boy Xavier she's determined not to get attached and delay her trip. The book is full of courage, love, caring neighbors, loving friends and scary bits provided by her stalker ex. I received this ARC from Book Sirens and this is my honest review.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read somewhere that one cannot know true joy unless one has suffered true pain. This book has plenty of both. Lovely book, quirky lovable characters, a couple kids you just want to hug.

I believe the book has a warning about possibly triggering violence.

A good read to settle in with; once you're into this book, it's hard to put down.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ashley Jacelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read. I won an arc digital version through StoryGraph (amazing book tracker app). The arc did have some editing issues, but hopefully those will be ironed out for the official book. I was enthralled. I usually read a couple books at the same time, however this one kept pulling my attention. I made all the noises while reading.

[Geraldine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Lovely positive people who have overcome some challenges and face some more together. This couple is pure joy.

I was given an advanced copy of this book for free, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I adored the characters and story - I would live in the world JL created.

That said, where the heck was the editor? At the minimum, a copyeditor. A book this delightful deserves to be polished and shining. I volunteer as tribute!!

[Veronica Berner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had potential to be really cute. However, it felt like it was written on Wattpad. There was so much repetition and a lot of grammatical errors that I struggled to get through it.

[TheReadingMomma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started cute. Got dark. Ended cute. Definitely a good refresher read before tackling more complex books

[Sophie Matthews · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF sorry, kept changing from 1st and 3rd person.

[_happiestathome_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was cute but with some dark moments. There were a lot of grammatical issues in here that became a little distracting and the writing style was very different with more summary than digging deep into emotions.

[Angelica Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Read

After loosing someone close to her and healing from a bad relationship Everdeen has her list and Westie on her mind. Enter Xavier who was not exactly on her list. This was an fun read. The banter between the MCs was entertaining and refreshing. There was some dirty talk and a bit of spice but nothing too hot. The ending sets the scene for book two. This would be a book I would recommend. Trigger would be abusive relationship.

[Chelsey Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a romance book an about a surfer and librarian who begin to date but agree to not fall in love with each other. I won a free copy of this book through StoryGraph and was asked to put my honest opinion, I honestly adored this book. It was super cute but also had some rough parts in it, Ever the main character, went through some tough things before getting with Xavier and still working through it as she’s in this new relationship. The couple was so cute and I couldn’t help but cheer them on, the ending I didn’t expect in a way but it made this book even better. When you love someone, you’ll do anything no matter what they say or do. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read this book, thank you for a good read.