The First Taste

Sweet Peach #3

by Annah Conwell

I can’t believe my best friend wants to be my fake boyfriend… My long-term boyfriend just broke up with me, and I swore off men for the new year because of it. So, when I need a date to appease my mother during her southern society events, I’m forced to look into boyfriends of the fake variety. Bennett is quick to jump to the task. And the more time we spend together, the more I realize why I had a crush on him years ago… But if I’m breaking my man ban, I want it to be for the real thing. The kind of forever I don’t know that Bennett can give me. His girlfriends don’t last long if you can even call them girlfriends. Risking our friendship is one thing, but risking my heart? I don’t know if I can do that. The First Taste is a friends-to-lovers, fake dating romcom filled with tension, pining, and sweetness. It has all the sizzling chemistry you love, without any explicit scenes. Check out this third book in the Sweet Peach Series, a four-book standalone series based around best friends in Georgia.

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Clean Romance, Contemporary, Fake Dating, Rom Com, Audiobook

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2023

Reviews

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
Very impressed in the writing style and the dialogue.

It’s wasn’t a perfect romance story for me but very close.

Clean, no language. Only kissing.

Really really enjoyed it!

[Baylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite romcom of all time. Childhood bffs to more. Literally all I could ever want in a book and more. I’m emotional and nothing will ever compare to the feelings this book gave me…..also “mush” IYKYK 💛

[Charity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaahhhhh. This is such a sweet read. I smiled all the way through it, although I will admit to getting a little antsy toward the end of the book. Read it and you'll find out why.

I have loved all of Annah's books so far, but this one may be my favorite. Just please don't force me to pick one for sure. I'm so looking forward to the next one, too! Annah, I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist that you pick up the pace a little. I mean, 4, 5, 10 books in a year is totally doable, right? 😉

Annah writes in the Author's Notes portion that she's finding her voice in her writing, and I agree with her. I think this book's a little more...genuine? That may not be the write word...a little...MORE...than her previous books, and I'm very excited about the next one. But I may have mentioned that already. 😏

~I received a complimentary copy of this book. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.~

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

From reading the other books in this series I had already loved Bennet for showing up for Sophie like he did when she needed him. But to walk a mile in his shoes so to speak by reading his POV was awesome! I loved how well he knew Sophie, anticipating both her pranks and her moods. The pranks were so funny as well as the scenes like the chocolate fountain mishap. It was a great RomCom for laughs!

It was also a super sweet romance. As the reader you feel the deep connection immediately between these lifelong friends. There were too many almost kisses! But when it happened it was perfect. Made my heart skip a beat!

Sophie has a toxic relationship with her mom who refuses to see the professional success and happiness in her daughter’s life. The book shows the journey she takes to be comfortable with who she is without needing the approval of her mom to validate her decisions. Thankfully she has Bennet’s family and a great group of friends in her life ready to step up, be a support, and attack ex’s with lemonade baths if needed.

I’ve used KU to check out the other books in this series and was delighted to get a copy in advance of this one. It was on my TBR list no matter what though and I honestly loved it!

Rating: PG, clean, some kissing and making out but without getting handsy or overly descriptive. Death of a parent when young, toxic family relationships and ex’s.

[Ella Noellee · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️5

Ugh Sofie and Bennet are absolutely ADORABLE!!!🥹
Ben was kind, patient, protective, caring, and supportive. He was the perfect person for Sofie.
Sofie was sweet and kind. I love her sunshine personality. I love the special relationship she and Ben had, since they’ve been friends since kids.
Their story was so heartwarming and so SWEET!
Ben’s yearning was top tier! He was so in love with Sophie. It was genuinely the sweetest thing ever. I love that he protected and stood up for Sofie. And one of my favorite parts was that anytime Ben would say anything sweet she would say ‘mush’ (iykyk) it was so cute!!
Annah is just the best at romcoms. I absolutely loved this friends to lovers!


tropes:
💛best friends to lovers
💛fake dating
💛yearning
💛chef FMC
💛protective MMC
💛he takes care of her
💛dual pov

CONTENT:
- kisses only (closed door)
- no language

[hailey lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

a 4.5 star read!! recieved an arc! I found annah conwell first book “the love audit” on tik tok & have loved both so i was very excited to be able to read this before it was released!! her books are such a cute easy read that you just cant ever get over!! i loved this book just as much as the first two! if your looking for a good friends to lovers i would really recommend this book!! i really recommend reading the first two before this one! also i love seeing lottie in this book🤍

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie & Bennett are adorable, and the friendship dynamics continue to completely warm my heart! 🥲

It’s a beautiful story of learning that love isn’t a transaction, but an act from the heart without ulterior motive or score keeping. Again Annah has nailed a story with such heart while being sweet & comedic!

Also, I already love Coach Bash & I can’t wait to see him with MJ!

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Ben 😍

[lexreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so forever thankful to Annah for allowing me the opportunity to be a ARC reader! That said this book blew me out of the water! This is my favorite book out of the sweet peach series!

I could not put this book down. It has me hooked from the second I picked it up. Best friends to lovers is one of those tropes I will always love and enjoy to read , it is so heartwarming.🥹 Sophie and Bennet were the absolute cutest and seeing their relationship evolve from friends to something more was so beautiful! Annah Conwell you are such an exceptional writer!

[Ohmyitsjustmeximxim · Rating 5 out of 5]

my second favourite book in this series next to the love audit!! This has many swoon worthy moments 💗💗

(Also it has 317 pages not 249)

[Nicole Cousin · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all thanks to Annah for allowing me to be part of her ARC team, in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts are my own.

I shouldn't even be surprised that I loved it so much. I am obsessed with best friends to lovers. It is probably one of my favorite tropes especially childhood best friends. Honestly , i think Annah executed this one exceptionally well.

The book had me laughing out loud and swooning. Bennington (my favorite nickname for him) is just a cinnamon roll of a guy but still would just fight for his woman. The chemistry between him and Sophie was so palpable.

I ADORED Ben's family and all the moments we had with the friends together and seeing the other couples in the background. The friendships in this series always just make me so happy.

Lastly, seeing Sophie's growth over the book was inspiring. I always love seeing a journey of self growth and loving and in this case accepting being worthy of love.


P.S. Lottie is still my favorite, everytime she says something I just die laughing.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader’s Notes:

– this is part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone

– this is told from Sophie & Bennett’s points of view

– Sophie deals with having lost her dad (many years ago) & a controlling mother

– Sophie was in a toxic relationship (prior to the events of this story) & the ex grabs her tight on the wrist against her will when they try to reconcile (this is thwarted fairly quickly and Sophie is released; event occurs in public)

Review:

I was so excited to start this story just from the tropes alone (they are in a fake relationship and are best friends that have already started falling for each other). When I got into it, I didn’t want to put it down! I love best friends to more relationship stories! I love that these two were also childhood best friends, so they both had extensive knowledge of each other’s embarrassing moments as well as all that history together. I loved that Bennett had to be on his toes with Sophie due to her penchant for pranks as well as cooking meals for them. I loved how much Bennett’s family loved Sophie (even before they were ‘dating’) and wanted to support her. Some of my favorite scenes/moments included: a chocolate fountain, massaged feet, standing up to Sophie’s mom, the pranks, the small moments between them at the galas, and the engagement.

Summary:

Sophie swore off dating after her long dating relationship crumbled instead of getting a ring. She wants to work on herself before even thinking of trying again. But now her mother is dangling the chance to get investors for an expansion to Sophie’s food truck business, and her only requirement is that Sophie attend some society events with an acceptable date on her arm. Though Sophie wants nothing to do with the events or her mother, she can’t deny the hope of expansion. When her mother suggest finding a date for Sophie though, Sophie knows she needs a better option so she can keep the peace and still get the time to be on her own. Which means finding a fake boyfriend who won’t push her for more by the end of it. Luckily, Bennett -her best friend- is willing to step into the role. If only Sophie wasn’t still managing her old crush on him…

Bennett fell for Sophie at the worst time. She had just gotten into a relationship when his feelings shifted, and now that she’s out of that relationship she’s sworn off men. How can Bennett get his chance at seeing if there could be more between them? When Sophie goes on the hunt for a date to her mother’s society events, Bennett comes up with the crazy notion of being her fake boyfriend. Which means convincing everyone that will be there, including his family, that they are a happy couple that are in love. But maybe the risk will be worth the reward… If Bennett can get Sophie to see him as a boyfriend, maybe they could make their relationship real…

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chef Sophie Cunningham and orthopedic surgeon Bennett St. James have been best friends since they were in kindergarten. There's never been anything romantic between them, though secretly, Bennett has wanted to be more than friends ever since returning to Georgia after years away at school and seeing Sophie in a different light. The problem is that she's always had a boyfriend - until now.

After getting dumped on Christmas Eve, Sophie makes a pact with her roommate MJ to stay single for an entire year. The plan starts to fall apart when Sophie's wealthy mother demands that she attend several charity events with her, offering to set up meetings with investors if she does. It's a great opportunity for Sophie to get the funds she needs to expand her food truck business, but her mother insists that Sophie must have a "suitable" date for each event. In fact, she's threatened to find a man for her if Sophie can't do it herself. Knowing that his family has exactly the kind of connections her mother wants, Bennett volunteers to be Sophie's fake date. It's the only way around the one-year dating ban, and he's not willing to wait to prove that they can be more than friends.

I loved how cute and playful Sophie and Bennett were with each other, as expressed through their witty banter and the pranks Sophie often played on Bennett. My favorite was when she surprised him with a Nerf battle because they'd both been stressed and needed to blow off some steam. That said, as much as I liked them as a couple, I felt like their story was a bit lacking in conflict. They had a few individual/internal conflicts to resolve, but once they got together, there weren't really any obstacles or challenges for them to overcome as a couple. (That's not a bad thing, and I'm sure it's a me problem more than anything else.)

My other (small) issue with the story was that the timeline didn't make sense in terms of how old they were. For Bennett to be a fully qualified orthopedic surgeon, they'd have to be older. At 26, he'd barely be starting his residency, and there's no possible way he'd be qualified to work as the head of orthopedics for a major university. I don't think he'd even have the board certifications required to practice without supervision.

Overall, despite those few issues, I enjoyed this story and would recommend it for fans of the friends to lovers trope. It was the first book I've read from this author, but it won't be the last.

*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

[mg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie & Bennet

Cute story of lifelong friends FINALLY moving from platonic soulmates to more!

Quick overview: the two MCs come from money. One, from a really loving family, the other not so much. They do there own thing for a bit and the FMC walks away from her toxic mom and is a chef trail blazing her own path. Trying to get further toward her goals, she accepts her mother’s challenge to attend social events, and in return being able to cater one & potentially getting investors. To make it all bearable, her best friend (MMC) - who has fallen first - offers to be her date and use it as a chance to win her over as well.


It was so interesting to see a whole different side to Sophie since the first book from this series. She came off as this strong, super secure woman, to being everything but that in front of her mother really showing that there’s more than the eye can see. Also, it was pretty refreshing that Bennet was just really not into dating long term, not because he was a player and didn’t care for women being used, but he was genuinely focused.

All in all, nice story to read if you want a pick me up, with healthy character development, no third act breakup, and a good look into their HEA.

Can’t wait for MJs story, next!

[Megan Crofton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fantastic best friend to more read! That is a hard trope to get right and Conwell definitely did that here! I truly loved this one! Sophie and Bennett are just the cutest and I loved seeing their relationship unfold.

I am sucker for fake dating and I thought this one unfolded so well. Bennett is just the sweetest and I really enjoyed how smitten his is with Sophie. And gotta love a flirty Bennett. When they shared their story for how they started (fake) dating, I giggled so much! Reminded me on one of my favorite rom coms, The Proposal. Sophie opening slowly was very well written and done so well for her character. She was determined but had so many hard relationships in her life. She was such a relatable character. And loooooove a good slow burn!

I giggled so much with their antics and pranks!! They made me laugh a ton. These two together was so wonderful! And again, I always love the Sweet Peach girls. They are their own unique selves but always are their for each other, even saying the hard stuff that others may not want to hear. Conwell has done such a fantastic job with their friendship. Also, getting to know Coach Bash was great and I can't wait to learn more about him and MJ.

[Rachel Luke Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annah is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and this book just proves how amazing she is! Friends to lovers is a trope I avoid at all costs. I cannot handle the miscommunication and the on going pining for someone...but! Annah nailed this trope! I felt like the steps they took from Friends to Lovers was absolutely perfect! She has put my faith back into giving this trope another chance...but maybe on if she writes it.

Bennett is just the most honorable, sweet, caring guy ever! He is who you want in your corner if you are feeling down or not worthy of being loved. He will be sure you know that you are invaluable, that you are perfect just the way you are and that he will be there always. He balanced out Sophie perfectly!

I love that we got to see Sophie grow and bloom under Bennetts's careful tending. I love that we got to see them banter, prank and change their relationship to something more.

I love that we got to see all the previous couples once again!! I cannot wait to continue this series with MJs story next.

Easily a 5 star or more read! Just the best!

Physical Intimacy Lvl 2 (Non descriptive making out but still bringing all the heat!)
Zero Swearing
Dual POV
Friends to Lovers
Fake Dating
Opposites Attract

[Cindy Davis- Cindy's Book Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The First Taste is the third book in the Sweet Peach series. I highly recommend reading them in order. They follow a group of four best friends and each book builds on the previous one.

Read for:

best friends to more
fake dating
mush
dual POV
pranks
Ben is awesome
Ben's family
Sophie's character growth

I enjoyed the story, but the narration got on my nerves a bit, and it made Sophie seem more whiny than what would come across from simply reading the book. Ben is a great male lead, and I love his patience with Sophie.

I loved how much Sophie grew into herself throughout the story. I can't wait to read MJ's story, One Last Play.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love a good cinnamon roll hero, best friends to lovers. It touches on an idea that I've been thinking about lately about how the narrative that we hear in our mind isn't always true. Ben helps her see what is true about herself and her relationships with others. It's a really sweet book.

[Millie Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this romcom!! It was sweet, touching, and super swoony!

Bennett and Sophie were so cute together and I related to them both in many different ways. The friend group was brilliant and now I want to read the whole series! Probably my favorite parts were when Bennett got protective of Sophie. I just love when a male lead does that!

Definitely worth a reread!

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Bennett and Soohie's story. It was well-written and engaging.I adored Bennett and loved that he fell first. I had a lot of fun rooting for him to get his girl. Bennett and Sophie's journey had some obstacles to overcome, but they found their HEA. I highly recommend this book. It's a fun, sweet, and swoony read with a pinch of spice.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best friends to Lovers that says it all
I love this series, do yourself a favour and read them all, then you'll want to keep reading the next series aswell.

I listened on spotify and ran out of hours that's why it took so long, not because I didn't love it!

[Jessica Van Tassell · Rating 5 out of 5]

You could call this the summer of reading cheesy love stories, and this one probably was the best one.
#cantstopwontstop

[Aubrey Plourde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read so many friends to lovers fake dating books but this one was sweet. Bennett is the blueprint

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

[Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75. I loved this one! So far my favorite of the series. A lot of self healing and revelations of love!

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG OMG OMG go read this pleaseeeeeee!!! Its so good with all spark no spice!! This is honestly one of my fav roms. Fantastic!!

[Nimra Karim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed it. While the best friends to lovers trope can be frustrating at times, I still find it appealing. This series truly deserves more hype.

[Elizabeth Gillam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amount of times the words "best friend" is used was eye roll worthy 🙃 over all cute

[Cas · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Tropes:
- Orthopedic surgeon MMC x Food track chef FMC
- Golden retriever MMC
- Childhood best friends to lovers
- Slow burn
- Fake dating
- He falls first
- She had a crush on him in the past
- Dual POV
- Toxic ex-boyfriend
- Emotionally manipulative mother
- Wealthy families
- Closed door romance

Taking advantage of someone like Micheal did was really disgusting.
It would've been way worse for her to have married him (Sophie was lucky to avoid that) than the heartbreak she felt from the break-up and thankfully she recognized that too.

“It��s okay to be sad. You and Michael were together for a while. You thought he was going to propose and instead he showed his true self and you broke up. Now, that part of your life feels wasted.”
...
“I’m fine. You know I’m not good with emotional
things or sentimental stuff, but I do know that you deserve so much more than what he was to you, Soph. You deserve someone who loves your weird questions and your passion for food and your giant heart. The man your dad would have wanted for you. Michael wasn’t that person, which I know hurts. But now you can move on.”

MJ is right and very rational. I'm really liking her honesty. But a one whole year deal is quite a long run 🫣

˚ * ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ * ˚
I can understand how Lottie and Grace rationalized fake dating being a bad idea, though not completely. Afterall, I think if Bennett had confessed his true feelings instead of telling Sophie he could be her fake boyfriend, she probably wouldn't have been happy nor accepted his feelings, because she wasn't in the right place, and that would've probably ruined their friendship much more. 🤔

As I walk to my bedroom after another cookie and downing my milk, I can’t help but consider her words. I don’t think I’m playing a game, but there are a lot of moving pieces here and we haven’t even made it to the first event yet. I know we’re adults, and our friendship has years of strength behind it, but the worry about what this could do to us pricks at my conscience nonetheless. I’ll just have to be careful, I think. Careful with our plan and with my
heart.

What I'm more confused about is why Bennett's relationships inexperience matters so much 🤔😅 Why is he being ruled out on the basis of it? Does it really matter that much? That's kind of sad in my eyes and I'm only saying this because it was brought up more than once so that picked up my attention... Furthermore, in the first book Lottie was also waiting for marriage and didn't seem to have much experience either, despite the fact she dated some too ( Most of the guys I’ve dated in the past haven’t bothered to call
me out on anything or even say anything contrary to my opinion. They usually said yes to whatever they thought would get me in their bed. Unfortunately for them, nothing but a wedding band will ever get me in a
man’s bed. ). And Bennett went on dates too so he's not in a very much different situation in my opinion. 🤷🏻‍♀️

˚ * ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ * ˚

Bennett’s arm moves up to my shoulders and tucks me further into his side. I wrap one arm around his back while the hand holding my
champagne stays in front of his torso. He feels solid and steady, like an anchor in the storm that is my life right now.

Bennet is probably my favourite MMC among Adrian, Levi, Callum and Wyatt. 💕
When it comes to Annah Conwell's FMC, Juliette is definitely my favourite ❤️ All the FMC she has written about and that I've read so far are so well-structured and can be relatable: I'm enjoying a lot reading about their stories about finding love.

“Essentially. Does my dress make me look pale?” I wouldn’t call myself insecure, but I think even the most confident woman can be knocked down
by her own mother’s comments. So yes, I’m fishing for compliments in the sea of Bennett, but I don’t think it’s a big deal.

Essentially, I agree with Sophie: a mother's words can uplift a daughter like no other or disintegrate whatever confidence she has with a single comment.

“Sophie, don’t let her get to you. I’ve already told you how stunning you look. We may be faking our relationship, but there is nothing fake about
your beauty tonight.”

˚ * ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ * ˚

She cuts me off, hurt in her eyes. “Bennett, this is the only way. No one wants me for me in this world. I’ve tried and it didn’t work. I appreciate
you believing in me, but there are certain things that are just facts of life.

Sophie is a practical woman, I appreciate that and I don't see lies on what she said. I've also experienced first-hand what "lack of experience" means in the working world.

I adore how Bennett describes Sophie. It's sweet without falling into overbearing banality and overwhelming carnality.

The way her dress fits her makes me want to place my hands in the dips of her waist and pull her close constantly. I may have taken advantage of that opportunity more than once tonight already…
Everything about her is enticing. Her gray eyes are enchanting under the dim candlelight. They draw me in, like a smoke signal made just for me."

The amber ring surrounding her pupils is more evident in the golden hour light, and it creates this mesmerizing warmth that draws me to her.

The way Annah Conwell writes can put a smile on my face ❤️ “Did you just throw candy at me?” These two are adorable. 😂❤️

˚ * ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ * ˚

In a past review, I had stated I needed the FMCs to meet up with each other, and I'm just going to say the same about the MMCs 😂 I wonder how a conversation between Adrian, Levi, Grayson, Maverick (even if he's not a MMC... Yet), Bash, Callum, Wyatt, Ben and Brad would go 🤔😂

I already need more of Bash' and Ben's friendship and they've barely started working together 😂

My whole life seems to be hinging on hope lately. It’s not the most secure feeling in the world. I wish I knew for sure how Sophie would react to me telling her the truth. At the very least, I hope she doesn’t get mad at me for not telling her right away. Sebastian is right about telling her though: I can't wait much longer without digging myself into a hole I won’t be able to climb out of.

˚ * ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ * ˚

“I wouldn’t know.” She shrugs. “You know Bennett best—does it seem like he’s been different with you? Enough to question his feelings?”.

MJ's posing the right questions 😌

“Good girl,” I say and she rolls her eyes, but a blush creeps up her neck.
“Now, back to what I was saying. You aren't confined to these two images of yourself. Trying to put your personality in a box is like trying to put a great white shark in a fish bowl: it just doesn’t work. You deserve more space than that.”

As much as I want to know that Sophie feels the same way I do, I want her to be secure and happy more.

˚ * ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ * ˚

“I know what you’re thinking,” I grumble and MJ raises a dark brow.
“I didn’t know you became a mind reader. Do tell,” she says and I huff at her snarky tone.

This one may be an unpopular opinion of mine but I wouldn't take Bennett not telling Sophie his feelings immediately as lying. He confessed 2 months after Sophie had a really bad break up after a long relationship and I take that as him being considerate. Furthermore he understood for sure he was in love with Sophie and not just falling during the whole fake dating thing so it's clearly fair he wasn't ready and needed time to process too and learn how to act.
He wasn't ready to talk and have his own feelings known by Sophie, who's the object of his feelings (taking risks is hard and sometimes requires time, evaluation and patience). Sophie wasn't ready to accept his feelings and her own either and her reaction shows exactly that, thus demonstrating my previous point. It shows exactly why Bennett did what he did and in the end, from my perspective, he was right. Finally, she requires time and patience too.

Another element makes me even surer of my point of view: what she thinks next about not trusting her own judgment and that she'll never be enough for him nor anyone. I believe she projected her anger, fueled by her insecurities, on Ben on the spur of the moment (we do many things out of anger and impulsivity). She's not really angry at Ben for lying, she loathes herself and trustes those little voices on her shoulder more than herself. Having little to no faith in oneself and always questioning your decisions and your ability to take them does that. It's no funny game to play... Especially when other people around you - like Sophie's mother and her ex toxic boyfriend in her case - make you feel so inferior, stupid, childish, unwanted, indecisive, untrustworthy and emotionally gaslight and manipulate you into mistrusting yourself and trusting only them because they know better and are actually trustworthy, having your best interests in mind.

After living with my mom’s toxic form of affection for so long, and then doubling down on that with Michael, I feel as if maybe I did know of Ben’s
feelings all along, but refused to see it. I’ve spent my life second-guessing the love others gave me because one of the people who was supposed to love me the most, manipulated me instead.

Lottie nods. “It was genuinely the last thing he wanted to do. We’re on your side, so if you’re mad at him so are we, but I don’t think he meant to
lie to you.”

Sophie has Lottie, Gracie and MJ to support and comfort her. I hope Bennett has someone with him too, someone to lean on.

Given all this, I'm very glad this issue between Sophie and Bennett was resolved fast (faster than I thought!). I appreciated it ☺️😌 it was refreshing not to have drama and angst unnecessarily drag over time.

“But now I feel like things will be even more awkward. You want something I’m not sure I’m ready for, but I’m making you go through the motions of the very thing you want. It sounds like torture.” I shake my head and look at the ground. “I can’t put you through that.”
“Hey,” Bennett whispers and lifts my chin up. Sparks scatter from the small touch, and my heart stutters in my chest. “You’re not making me do anything, Soph. I came here hoping for a chance, and you’re giving it to me.” His hand shifts so he’s holding the side of my face. “If being by your side tonight is torture, then it’ll be the sweetest torture I’ve ever endured.”

Ah, have you swoon yet Sophie? 🤭
Bennett knows where to hit 😂

˚ * ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ * ˚

“The wonderful part about questions is that I can direct them at a specific person depending on word choice,” Bennett says, “In this case, mine was directed to Sophie, not you.”

Reason number N° to love Bennett 🤣

“Text me when you get home. I love you.” The words fall out easily. I used to hold them in for special occasions, never wanting them to lose their meaning. But now I can see myself saying them all the time. They’ll never lose meaning when it comes to Sophie.

Her eyes meet mine and I’m contemplating how frowned upon it would be to slide in the booth next to her and kiss until our food comes. The eyeliner smudged around her eyes intensifies her already alluring irises, turning them the color of summer storm clouds. I could stare into them for the rest of my life, noting how they change in different lighting, committing to memory every shift in color.
“I love that you don’t care about frivolous things, but I’m going to give them to you anyway. Whatever I can give, I will.” She ducks her head to hide her blush.
....
“It’s okay, Soph. You don’t have to get it all right now. I want you to get better, not be better. Because this is more about you healing from the past than becoming someone different for my sake.” I pull her back in for a hug, her floral scent mixing with the spices from the dishes in front of us. “I love you, and I all I want is for you to be who you were made to be and feel as loved as you are. That’s my sole agenda. No scoreboards, no alternate motives. Just you and me.”

˚ * ꒰ঌ ໒꒱ * ˚

Breathing has become a thing of the past, a fond memory I can look back on and say remember when you knew how to fill your lungs completely? Wasn’t that nice?

So now my scavenger hunt has failed, Sophie’s truck broke down, and the cake isn’t even close to right. All of our friends are messaging me not to panic, but it’s hard not to when all of my plans have been set on fire.

Pff I shouldn't laugh but omg misfortune has decided to really latch on Bennett 😂
This is one hell of a story to tell their child and grandchildren in the future 🤣

I cannot wait to read MJ' and Bash's story now 🥰😍

[Amelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ❤️ Bennet and Sophie

Rtc!

5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Spice content: just kissing