What do you think?
Rate this book
Let's Just Be Friends
Right person, wrong time? Or better off as friends? Holly Anderson needs to decide.
Cheerful and confident veterinarian Holly doesn't do flings. Falling in love is not in her five-year plan.
Moving her entire life out of London to a fishing village in the Scottish Highlands is definitely not part of her plan.
But then Holly's life is turned upside down. She finds herself in tiny Eastercraig, where a run-down surgery, a gorgeous seaside home and two immediate new friends await.
She has barely arrived when a tipsy Greg Dunbar lets himself into her cottage in the middle of the night.
Greg is only back in Eastercraig to discuss the future of the family farm with his stubborn brother. He doesn't know that Holly has moved in.
Neither of them is looking for romance.
They should just be friends . . .
Right?
Cheerful and confident veterinarian Holly doesn't do flings. Falling in love is not in her five-year plan.
Moving her entire life out of London to a fishing village in the Scottish Highlands is definitely not part of her plan.
But then Holly's life is turned upside down. She finds herself in tiny Eastercraig, where a run-down surgery, a gorgeous seaside home and two immediate new friends await.
She has barely arrived when a tipsy Greg Dunbar lets himself into her cottage in the middle of the night.
Greg is only back in Eastercraig to discuss the future of the family farm with his stubborn brother. He doesn't know that Holly has moved in.
Neither of them is looking for romance.
They should just be friends . . .
Right?
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2023
145 people are currently reading
333 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
June 24, 2023
This wasn't really for me.
I went in thinking this was gonna be a fun romcom, spoiler, it was not.
This was a very drama filled women's fiction, which I enjoy, but was not in the mood for.
This is likely my fault since I rarely read the synopsis on a book, or at least not much more than the first few sentences of it.
I prefer to go into books blind, and for the most part this works out for me.
This time not so much.
I did the audio and this was also slightly problematic. Two of the main characters had similar names and the voices did not change enough to audibly distinguish them, so when the names were not used it took a bit for me to sort out who was who in the conversation.
I would still recommend it, but go in focused and aware of what you are reading lol.
Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my DRC.
I went in thinking this was gonna be a fun romcom, spoiler, it was not.
This was a very drama filled women's fiction, which I enjoy, but was not in the mood for.
This is likely my fault since I rarely read the synopsis on a book, or at least not much more than the first few sentences of it.
I prefer to go into books blind, and for the most part this works out for me.
This time not so much.
I did the audio and this was also slightly problematic. Two of the main characters had similar names and the voices did not change enough to audibly distinguish them, so when the names were not used it took a bit for me to sort out who was who in the conversation.
I would still recommend it, but go in focused and aware of what you are reading lol.
Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my DRC.
June 21, 2023
Cute story about a vet who wants to get away and spends a year in a small town in Scotland. There was nothing different about this story than any other with a similar setup. I liked the characters enough but there were so many different points of view that it was hard to distinguish between them (at least on the audio version) and character development suffers as a result. Despite following three characters and their romantic escapades, only one truly had a conclusion, leaving me wondering why the other two were even included. I did love Sporran, though. This was a quick, fun read.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #Dreamscape_Media for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #Dreamscape_Media for an honest review.
May 21, 2023
This was a fun and entertaining book. Even though the plot was just OK, I believe the author really pulled of the small Scottish town vibes. I almost packed my bags to travel there and get to know that scenery.
Go for it if you like friends to lovers, small town, scottish vibes and animals.
Go for it if you like friends to lovers, small town, scottish vibes and animals.
July 1, 2023
This was an enjoyable book.
It was an easy comfort read and just what I needed at the time.
Holly finds herself enjoying the pace of the small seaside town and she fits in well and very quickly.
The relationships she builds and her growth throughout the book makes for good reading.
Thank-you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Katy Turner for this ARC in exchange for a review
It was an easy comfort read and just what I needed at the time.
Holly finds herself enjoying the pace of the small seaside town and she fits in well and very quickly.
The relationships she builds and her growth throughout the book makes for good reading.
Thank-you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Katy Turner for this ARC in exchange for a review
July 17, 2023
If you liked “The Holiday” then you’ll probably like this one. It had a very similar vibe to it. Girl “temporarily” moves, drunk guy stumbles into her home and it’s not long before they develop feelings for each other. The added career difficulties made this one a bit different though and added to the tale.
🌀Synopsis
Holly is career driven. She knows what she’s after and she won’t stop until she gets it. Unfortunately, that means she has to do a small amount of time in a small town “paying her dues.”
Greg Dunbar is just a local guy who uses his key to get in one night. It doesn’t take long for the two to become fast friends. Though Holly is admit that is all they will ever be. In the small community, it’s easy to find out more about him.
It turns out, one of the local farms is his family and one of the vet’s big patients. Not only does Holly get to know Greg, she gets to know his family too. Impressing them isn’t too difficult but keeping the main vet impressed proves to be much more difficult. Holly realizes it has to be one or the other and throws herself into her work. She works hard to get to know the head vet and to earn his approval. Though she’s determined to impress him she’s still determined to leave too and that means leaving Greg, something she admittedly does not want to do.
🌀Synopsis
Holly is career driven. She knows what she’s after and she won’t stop until she gets it. Unfortunately, that means she has to do a small amount of time in a small town “paying her dues.”
Greg Dunbar is just a local guy who uses his key to get in one night. It doesn’t take long for the two to become fast friends. Though Holly is admit that is all they will ever be. In the small community, it’s easy to find out more about him.
It turns out, one of the local farms is his family and one of the vet’s big patients. Not only does Holly get to know Greg, she gets to know his family too. Impressing them isn’t too difficult but keeping the main vet impressed proves to be much more difficult. Holly realizes it has to be one or the other and throws herself into her work. She works hard to get to know the head vet and to earn his approval. Though she’s determined to impress him she’s still determined to leave too and that means leaving Greg, something she admittedly does not want to do.
April 17, 2023
Wow. Wow. Wow.
This book melted my heart, The first published novel by author Katy Turner and it was magnificent.
I loved this book so much, I felt wholeheartedly attached to all of the characters. The bond between Holly, Chloe and Paulo made my heart swell. Colleagues turned great friends. Crabby ol’ Hugh MacDougal even tore at my heartstrings.
From the moment I started reading, I did not want to stop. This book transported me to the quaint village of Eastercraig, nestled in the Scottish highlands. Eastercraig was filled with astounding views, unpredictable weather and an amazing community of people.
While Eastercraig and working for crabby ol’ Hugh MacDougal was not what go-getter, career driven Holly Anderson envisioned for her life, she found herself growing attached to the people of Eastercraig and the beauty of it.
I knew where the ending was headed but the way events unfolded… I think I forgot to breathe for a whole chapter. Katy Turner, you had me on the edge of my seat after the dog show,
Please read this book if you enjoy:
-friends to lovers
-grumpy/sunshine vibes (not only in the sense of romance but also working relationships)
-pets, pets, pets and more pets
-Scotland/Scottish Highlands
-Farm boys
-small town romance
-getting out of your comfort zone
-marmite
-your heart growing 3 sizes
-feel good romance
Thank you so much NetGalley, Katy Turner and the amazing team at Joffe books for the opportunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.
This book melted my heart, The first published novel by author Katy Turner and it was magnificent.
I loved this book so much, I felt wholeheartedly attached to all of the characters. The bond between Holly, Chloe and Paulo made my heart swell. Colleagues turned great friends. Crabby ol’ Hugh MacDougal even tore at my heartstrings.
From the moment I started reading, I did not want to stop. This book transported me to the quaint village of Eastercraig, nestled in the Scottish highlands. Eastercraig was filled with astounding views, unpredictable weather and an amazing community of people.
While Eastercraig and working for crabby ol’ Hugh MacDougal was not what go-getter, career driven Holly Anderson envisioned for her life, she found herself growing attached to the people of Eastercraig and the beauty of it.
I knew where the ending was headed but the way events unfolded… I think I forgot to breathe for a whole chapter. Katy Turner, you had me on the edge of my seat after the dog show,
Please read this book if you enjoy:
-friends to lovers
-grumpy/sunshine vibes (not only in the sense of romance but also working relationships)
-pets, pets, pets and more pets
-Scotland/Scottish Highlands
-Farm boys
-small town romance
-getting out of your comfort zone
-marmite
-your heart growing 3 sizes
-feel good romance
Thank you so much NetGalley, Katy Turner and the amazing team at Joffe books for the opportunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.
May 12, 2023
Mostly enjoyed this one. All three friends were a bit immature, whiny, and childish. Pretty surprising for adults. The ending was a bit predictable and stiff. I’m willing to try the other books in this series.
June 22, 2023
The Holiday meets Hallmark in this slow-burn tale following three thirty-something friends as they navigate the treacherous waters of romance and their jobs at the local veterinarian practice.
I really enjoyed this one! Not in the least because the meet cute was reminiscent of the one between Jude Law and Cameron Diaz’s characters in The Holiday. While this was definitely a quieter and slower approach to romance than that film, I think it worked decently here. The characters’ personal histories influenced their decisions to continue denying themselves a relationship with one another, which helped to build continued tension to make me root for them.
One major flaw with this book, however, is that the marketing—from the cover to the synopsis—seems to imply that Holly is the main character and narrator, and Greg is her love interest. While those statements are technically true, the author curiously made the decision to feature the points of view of two other characters almost as prominently as Holly’s perspective: her friends at the vet practice, Paulo and Chloe. I was very off-put by this choice when I realized we had suddenly jumped out of Holly’s head and into one of these two side characters’ minds.
As the story unfolded, I adjusted to it and was pleased to see that all three characters had romances of their own in varying stages of disarray, however, I still stand by the fact that this narrative choice wasn’t the right one. The story became overly bloated by the extra perspectives and it took away from the time the author could have been spending further expanding on Holly and Greg’s connection, which was admittedly sparsely developed. Without that focus, this book felt less like a romance and more solidly rooted in the women’s fiction genre. There’s no issue with that in itself, except for the fact that the cover, the title, and the synopsis all point toward this being a romance. It leaves one feeling baited-and-switched.
Due to that ultimate weakness, my rating is a bit lower than it might have been with different marketing. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the ride!
Regarding the audiobook, the narrator’s performance was at times really well done, while in other moments, I struggled to discern between her voices for the different characters. This made the story hard to follow in some moments and I found myself rewinding to make sure I knew which character was speaking since her voice didn’t often change accordingly.
A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
Spice Rating: 🌶️ 1/5 - Doesn’t Exceed Kissing
Overall Rating: 3 stars!
I really enjoyed this one! Not in the least because the meet cute was reminiscent of the one between Jude Law and Cameron Diaz’s characters in The Holiday. While this was definitely a quieter and slower approach to romance than that film, I think it worked decently here. The characters’ personal histories influenced their decisions to continue denying themselves a relationship with one another, which helped to build continued tension to make me root for them.
One major flaw with this book, however, is that the marketing—from the cover to the synopsis—seems to imply that Holly is the main character and narrator, and Greg is her love interest. While those statements are technically true, the author curiously made the decision to feature the points of view of two other characters almost as prominently as Holly’s perspective: her friends at the vet practice, Paulo and Chloe. I was very off-put by this choice when I realized we had suddenly jumped out of Holly’s head and into one of these two side characters’ minds.
As the story unfolded, I adjusted to it and was pleased to see that all three characters had romances of their own in varying stages of disarray, however, I still stand by the fact that this narrative choice wasn’t the right one. The story became overly bloated by the extra perspectives and it took away from the time the author could have been spending further expanding on Holly and Greg’s connection, which was admittedly sparsely developed. Without that focus, this book felt less like a romance and more solidly rooted in the women’s fiction genre. There’s no issue with that in itself, except for the fact that the cover, the title, and the synopsis all point toward this being a romance. It leaves one feeling baited-and-switched.
Due to that ultimate weakness, my rating is a bit lower than it might have been with different marketing. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the ride!
Regarding the audiobook, the narrator’s performance was at times really well done, while in other moments, I struggled to discern between her voices for the different characters. This made the story hard to follow in some moments and I found myself rewinding to make sure I knew which character was speaking since her voice didn’t often change accordingly.
A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
Spice Rating: 🌶️ 1/5 - Doesn’t Exceed Kissing
Overall Rating: 3 stars!
June 29, 2023
They say Love always happens when you’re not looking and that is exactly what happened to Dr. Holly Anderson Yvette who was sent to the Scottish highlands she was promised a nice job an ascot but when it was pulled out from under her 2000 herself being sent to an oceanfront town in the Scottish highlands her first day there she immediately likes her new coworkers and when she goes to see the little cottage she was given to live in she is amazed at how posh and nice it is. she even had fun at the local pub with her new coworkers Cloe and Paulo. The only thing she hadn’t expected was a roommate while relaxing in her Oceanview tub she hears a key go into the lock in before she knows it she’s confronted by Gregor Dunlap. After the dust settled and death threats are out the way he introduces his self and explains why he is there reluctantly Holly agrees to let him sleep over on the sofa but this will not be the last time he sleeps on her sofa and although she has no place in her life for romance she can’t help but feel attracted to the gorgeous Greg well Holly given to Love or stick to her plan and career agenda? This was such a good book I absolutely loved all the characters especially clothes and Powell and of course he’ll Holly and Greg. I don’t read a lot of romance books but love the ones with great plot and this is certainly one of those. What a great read if you love romance the you’ll love Let’s Just Be Friends by Katie Turner a definite five star romance. I received this book from NetGalley and Jafi books but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
June 30, 2023
Thank you up Author Katy Turner, Joffe Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions shared are my own.
I enjoyed the concept of the story and loved the imagery of the town and surrounding area. I'm not a runner, but these scenes were some of my favourite within the book and you could feel Holly's stresses disappear. I enjoyed the trio of Holly, Pablo and Chloe and found that their friendship and shared POV's made the book more enjoyable.
Where I struggled was in the romantic relationships between the different sets of characters. We didn't see an example of a healthy relationship; there was a lot of miscommunication and considering the book takes place across a year, an endless amount of missed opportunities and situations that seemed wasted. Because of this, I struggled to appreciate the final act drama and the ending as it seemed to all suddenly happen and resolve.
I enjoyed the concept of the story and loved the imagery of the town and surrounding area. I'm not a runner, but these scenes were some of my favourite within the book and you could feel Holly's stresses disappear. I enjoyed the trio of Holly, Pablo and Chloe and found that their friendship and shared POV's made the book more enjoyable.
Where I struggled was in the romantic relationships between the different sets of characters. We didn't see an example of a healthy relationship; there was a lot of miscommunication and considering the book takes place across a year, an endless amount of missed opportunities and situations that seemed wasted. Because of this, I struggled to appreciate the final act drama and the ending as it seemed to all suddenly happen and resolve.
February 20, 2024
I really enjoyed this one!
I loved the small town coastal vibes and especially the vet element.
The characters were all amazing, I loved the moody boss, he was so relatable ngl
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc!
I loved the small town coastal vibes and especially the vet element.
The characters were all amazing, I loved the moody boss, he was so relatable ngl
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc!
July 16, 2024
I went all the way through this book not really caring what was going to happen with these characters. No invested at all.
September 2, 2023
Let's Just Be Friends by Katy Turner is a sweet story about a woman who embraces a huge life change. I really enjoyed the pictures Turner paints of the rural Scottish town and the folks who live there. There are also some marvelous scenes regarding the main character’s veterinary practice which were quite entertaining.
The audio version is performed by Mhairi Morrison.
an audiobook copy of Let’s Just Be Friends was provided by Dreamspinner Press, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
The audio version is performed by Mhairi Morrison.
an audiobook copy of Let’s Just Be Friends was provided by Dreamspinner Press, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
June 16, 2023
Awwww!!!! This was so cute and sweet and I loved it. Holly and Greg are adorable!! I hope there is more or some sort of epilogue. I'd love to know what happens to the farm and all the friends. Mhairi Morrison was the perfect narrator for this, she's so soft spoken and that just fit so well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this book.
June 23, 2023
This book provides a wonderful opportunity to immerse oneself in the captivating surroundings of Scotland. The story revolves around three friends who work with animals and explores an intriguing romance that resists easy definition. The narration is well executed, although the frequent shifts in point of view may require readers to reflect more deeply at certain points.
The book beautifully captures the essence of Scotland, its landscapes, and the allure of its surroundings. The author's descriptive prowess transports readers to the stunning Scottish countryside, allowing them to experience it through the eyes of the characters. This aspect of the story is truly enjoyable.
The friends-to-lovers romance portrayed in the book is lovely and engaging. The gradual development of the relationship between the characters adds depth to the narrative. However, readers may find themselves desiring more conclusive resolutions for the other friends. The open-ended nature of their stories may leave some longing for further closure or the possibility of future books to continue their narratives.
Overall, this book offers a captivating glimpse into the beauty of Scotland and delivers an enjoyable romance. It will appeal to those who appreciate heartfelt stories and the charm of Scotland. While the title is not disclosed, this review serves as a recommendation for readers looking to immerse themselves in a story set in the enchanting Scottish surroundings.
Thank you Dreamscape media and Netgalley for the audio
The book beautifully captures the essence of Scotland, its landscapes, and the allure of its surroundings. The author's descriptive prowess transports readers to the stunning Scottish countryside, allowing them to experience it through the eyes of the characters. This aspect of the story is truly enjoyable.
The friends-to-lovers romance portrayed in the book is lovely and engaging. The gradual development of the relationship between the characters adds depth to the narrative. However, readers may find themselves desiring more conclusive resolutions for the other friends. The open-ended nature of their stories may leave some longing for further closure or the possibility of future books to continue their narratives.
Overall, this book offers a captivating glimpse into the beauty of Scotland and delivers an enjoyable romance. It will appeal to those who appreciate heartfelt stories and the charm of Scotland. While the title is not disclosed, this review serves as a recommendation for readers looking to immerse themselves in a story set in the enchanting Scottish surroundings.
Thank you Dreamscape media and Netgalley for the audio
October 18, 2023
Holly is a cheerful and confident veterinarian, who has plan for everything. Something she didn't plan was moving from London to a small town in Scotland. And the guy, who breaks into her apartment is one of the best looking men she's seen.
But Holly doesn't do flings and at this point in life she isn't looking for THE ONE either. So they simply have to stay friends, right?
More or less this was description of the book that readers get given, so no wonder that you would expect a cheesy romcom moment, but it's not like that.
If you would like to read about two brothers fighting, girl, who works as a vet, but is scared from horses or other big animals and her friends sitting at a pub or going on dates, then go for it! This just wasn't for me. And why put 3 characters that we have to follow only to get closure for only one of them?
Anyway, big kudos to the people who did the audio of this book, loved the accents. Although two friends have similar names and with scotish accent it was almost impossible to tell about which friend is the current story.
But Holly doesn't do flings and at this point in life she isn't looking for THE ONE either. So they simply have to stay friends, right?
More or less this was description of the book that readers get given, so no wonder that you would expect a cheesy romcom moment, but it's not like that.
If you would like to read about two brothers fighting, girl, who works as a vet, but is scared from horses or other big animals and her friends sitting at a pub or going on dates, then go for it! This just wasn't for me. And why put 3 characters that we have to follow only to get closure for only one of them?
Anyway, big kudos to the people who did the audio of this book, loved the accents. Although two friends have similar names and with scotish accent it was almost impossible to tell about which friend is the current story.
June 24, 2023
This book… was just not it for me. I felt like everything from the synopsis happened in about the first 10 minutes, and then unfortunately it was a snoozefest from there on out. At about 50% in, I still felt like I didn’t know what the purpose was. I was so happy to listen to this one with a friend, but unfortunately it fell flat for both of us. It did pick up slightly towards the end, but by that point I was too bored to care and really was not invested in these characters. The positives- this was a quick, light read. You may enjoy if you like a slow burn, friends to lovers. There may have been 3 of those happening at once?! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early review copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 5, 2024
4.5 stars
This was a new to me author. I always wanted to move to a new city, or in this case a different country to practically start over from scratch, so these types of stories always pull me in. I also fascinating by Scotland; therefore needless to say, that drew me in as well.
I wasn't sure about Holly from the beginning but I liked Chloe, Paulo and Greg from the start. I liked how welcoming everyone was. Holly quickly grew on me and I didn't want to put the book down.
Holly was a veterinarian nurse. Unfortunately she had to work for a very grumpy vet, Hugh. This was her least favorite part of coming to join this practice and community.
The book might have been a little slow but overall I really enjoyed it.
This was a new to me author. I always wanted to move to a new city, or in this case a different country to practically start over from scratch, so these types of stories always pull me in. I also fascinating by Scotland; therefore needless to say, that drew me in as well.
I wasn't sure about Holly from the beginning but I liked Chloe, Paulo and Greg from the start. I liked how welcoming everyone was. Holly quickly grew on me and I didn't want to put the book down.
Holly was a veterinarian nurse. Unfortunately she had to work for a very grumpy vet, Hugh. This was her least favorite part of coming to join this practice and community.
The book might have been a little slow but overall I really enjoyed it.
August 4, 2023
Thank you to Joffebooks, NetGalley and Katy Turner for the audiobook arc to review. All opinions are my own and based on my experience of listening to Let' Just Be Friends.
Dr Holly a vet moves to Scotland for a quieter life and a more gentle pace and has no desire to fall in love. Until the gorgeous man who owns the cottage she is renting turns up. This is very much an enemies to lovers romance and it is so funny. The narration was my favourite as the narrator has the full Scottish accent and it made this audio book an absolute joy to listen to.
The story itself is cute no doubt about it with a happy ever after. I enjoyed all the characters, the friendships and their lives as they go about every day life. You are really brought into this story and feel 100% part of it.
I would highly recommend this audio book it is such a joy to listen to.
Kerry Kennedy Author
Dr Holly a vet moves to Scotland for a quieter life and a more gentle pace and has no desire to fall in love. Until the gorgeous man who owns the cottage she is renting turns up. This is very much an enemies to lovers romance and it is so funny. The narration was my favourite as the narrator has the full Scottish accent and it made this audio book an absolute joy to listen to.
The story itself is cute no doubt about it with a happy ever after. I enjoyed all the characters, the friendships and their lives as they go about every day life. You are really brought into this story and feel 100% part of it.
I would highly recommend this audio book it is such a joy to listen to.
Kerry Kennedy Author
July 6, 2023
Let’s Just Be Friends is a cutesy story about an adorable veterinarian who learns that life doesn’t always work out the way that you planned. And that sometimes it’s better because of it. That being said, there were a lot of jumping POVs that made the story feel a bit disjointed and disrupted the flow. I struggled to follow u til about halfway through the book and was honestly slightly relieved when the story ended. However, there are some ends that were not wrapped up that I wouldn’t mind getting more information on.
June 23, 2023
This book started off okay, but the entire synopsis happened really fast, like within the first two chapters. Then it just got really boring. I was around 30% when I realized a plot hadn't really been introduced. Eventually it became apparent the book was not one very uneventful love story but three, sort of. A lot of repetitive emotion, a lot of uneven story pacing, and a lot of random events later, everyone dies. Just kidding. It ends exactly how you would predict a book of this genre would end. I would have dnf'd this book if not for reading with a buddy by 50% through. It got mildly interesting at 70%, but I think it was because I was so close to the end. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC audiobook, and opportunity to review this.
July 5, 2023
Journey to Scotland!
All Creatures Great and Small meets Jane Austen in a quaint Scottish village where everyone knows your name in the pub and everyone has some sort of animal including a shared love of a local sea lion. It charms as well as tackles the issues of managing farmlands and limiting over development to protect the treasured land and sea resources as well as its shared beauty and public access. Inviting as an escape vacation, the characters and setting linger long after the story concludes warming and uplifting just like a holiday.
All Creatures Great and Small meets Jane Austen in a quaint Scottish village where everyone knows your name in the pub and everyone has some sort of animal including a shared love of a local sea lion. It charms as well as tackles the issues of managing farmlands and limiting over development to protect the treasured land and sea resources as well as its shared beauty and public access. Inviting as an escape vacation, the characters and setting linger long after the story concludes warming and uplifting just like a holiday.
July 25, 2023
Narrated by Mhairi Morrison ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fantastic voice! I could listen to Mhairi Morrison over and over and over.
Let's Just Be Friends by Katy Turner ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The pace was fantastic.
The characters felt so much like my mates I had to stop and remember that this is a book and I don't actually know these people.
Fantastic voice! I could listen to Mhairi Morrison over and over and over.
Let's Just Be Friends by Katy Turner ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The pace was fantastic.
The characters felt so much like my mates I had to stop and remember that this is a book and I don't actually know these people.
September 15, 2023
I’d seen a few reviews of this book before reading which described it as predictable… and I must agree that it was quite predictable but this was one of few instances where the predicability didn’t make the story any less enjoyable. I particularly loved the descriptions of the scenery in Eastercraig and I instantly found myself wishing I could visit myself. However as much as I loved this book, I think the ending was slightly rushed and could have maybe benefited from the inclusion of a couple more chapters to add to the depth that the rest of the story had.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book
April 16, 2023
Holly is on her way to spend a year in Eastercraig, Scotland as a vet for both pets and farm animals. During her first night in the provided cottage, someone lets himself in…he has a key. Greg is friends with the cottage’s owner and didn’t realize Holly was living there. They hit it off, but it turns out Greg is a serial flirt and that is not Holly’s thing, even if she hadn’t sworn off dating for the year. Will Holly last the year? Will she learn what she needs to get her dream job? Will she finally find a home?
Hugh, Holly’s boss, is grumpy and clearly pushing people away, but he is lonely and missing his wife. He was a tough sell but I really enjoyed his scenes and liked him in the end. Chloe and Paulo, the other two staff at the practice, are awesome. The Chloe and Angus plot line was adorable and the same with Paulo and Hamish. (TBH, I didn’t love the characters speculation about Hamish’s sexuality. I could have done without those scenes). Greg was misunderstood as well as a fabulous love interest and friend. He is someone anyone would like to have in their life.
There were some linguistic choices that made me feel as if this is the authors first book. I appreciated the use of the correct Scottish vernacular and the glossary in the back was extremely helpful. I knew most of the terminology, but I was tripped up a few times and definitely needed it.
If you want a book that will take you away to a small town, won’t stress you out, and has a lot of cute animals (a wolfhound name Wolfie, for instance) then you should check this book out.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an arc of this
Hugh, Holly’s boss, is grumpy and clearly pushing people away, but he is lonely and missing his wife. He was a tough sell but I really enjoyed his scenes and liked him in the end. Chloe and Paulo, the other two staff at the practice, are awesome. The Chloe and Angus plot line was adorable and the same with Paulo and Hamish. (TBH, I didn’t love the characters speculation about Hamish’s sexuality. I could have done without those scenes). Greg was misunderstood as well as a fabulous love interest and friend. He is someone anyone would like to have in their life.
There were some linguistic choices that made me feel as if this is the authors first book. I appreciated the use of the correct Scottish vernacular and the glossary in the back was extremely helpful. I knew most of the terminology, but I was tripped up a few times and definitely needed it.
If you want a book that will take you away to a small town, won’t stress you out, and has a lot of cute animals (a wolfhound name Wolfie, for instance) then you should check this book out.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an arc of this
April 28, 2024
This was a really sweet, easy read book. A ‘cosy comfort,’ story that ends with a happy ending and warms the heart. I liked it.
August 6, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for the ARC audiobook!
First up, I did very much enjoy the narrator.
However.
This book was not what I was hoping for. I wanted a HEA (Happily Ever After), a cute romance, a bit of a fish-out-of-water story as the main character realizes this new place and people were just what they needed. Something cute and a little bit predictable, but in a good, comforting way. This felt it like was *trying* for all that, but just never actually got there.
Main character Holly was closed off, stubborn, and rigid to possibilities in her life all through the book. Side characters - who kind of inexplicably got POV chapters - Paolo and Chloe were honestly pretty bland. They were broken down to 'shy and flailing when it comes to the man she's interested in' and 'gay man'. We don't know anything else about them other than they all drink at the pub and work at the vet's.
The head vet, Holly's new boss, is a nightmare. Literally yells and screams at all three of them for absolutely no reason while they're doing their jobs. Oh, but he lost his wife a few years ago so it's okay. No, it's not! Holly is supposed to spend a *year* at this small vet practice learning about large animal care as well as the smaller animals (those bits are very good), and her boss is actively hostile towards the whole office but especially Holly. I would have walked out of there on day two, saying 'Screw this' and getting a new job. But ha-ha, what a funny situation to have an abusive boss in this small town that everyone just accepts as totally fine!
As far as the 'romance' with Holly, Paolo, and Chloe (not together, though) finding someone special I was very underwhelmed. A random guy enters the house Holly is renting *while she's in the bath* and she doesn't throw all the things and kick him out? 'Oh, I guess you can sleep on the couch, random guy who I don't know in a new town I've only been in for less than a day.' Sure. Yeah. I'm sorry, was Holly hit on the head recently?!
And then, magically, after he makes her breakfast it's all okay. Maybe she even kind of likes him. But no... not possible. She can't date. Absolutely cannot. Because her Mom traumatized Holly when she was a child with her string of many boyfriends which lead her Mom to neglect Holly emotionally. So men are bad. Boyfriends are bad. Which means Holly can't date ever. I'm sorry, but this whole premise just did not work for me at *all*.
The whole wrap up at the end was INCREDIBLY sudden on all points. The boss turns around and gives Holly the practice after berating her almost every single day for a year. The romantic interest accepts Holly's apology after she rejected him right after he finally opened up and they finally kiss after a full year of dancing around each other. Chloe and her beau have finally told each other that they like each other - but not on the page, even though we did get chapters from Chloe's POV. We just heard about it secondhand afterward. Poor Paolo gets no wrap up at all after being yanked around the whole book.
This book needed a second pass, in my opinion. There's some great kernels of ideas here, but it just never seemed to pop into the sweet & salty popcorn treat it had the potential to be. If you do prefer a completely chaste romance novel with only a kiss or two, then this might be right up your alley.
First up, I did very much enjoy the narrator.
However.
This book was not what I was hoping for. I wanted a HEA (Happily Ever After), a cute romance, a bit of a fish-out-of-water story as the main character realizes this new place and people were just what they needed. Something cute and a little bit predictable, but in a good, comforting way. This felt it like was *trying* for all that, but just never actually got there.
Main character Holly was closed off, stubborn, and rigid to possibilities in her life all through the book. Side characters - who kind of inexplicably got POV chapters - Paolo and Chloe were honestly pretty bland. They were broken down to 'shy and flailing when it comes to the man she's interested in' and 'gay man'. We don't know anything else about them other than they all drink at the pub and work at the vet's.
The head vet, Holly's new boss, is a nightmare. Literally yells and screams at all three of them for absolutely no reason while they're doing their jobs. Oh, but he lost his wife a few years ago so it's okay. No, it's not! Holly is supposed to spend a *year* at this small vet practice learning about large animal care as well as the smaller animals (those bits are very good), and her boss is actively hostile towards the whole office but especially Holly. I would have walked out of there on day two, saying 'Screw this' and getting a new job. But ha-ha, what a funny situation to have an abusive boss in this small town that everyone just accepts as totally fine!
As far as the 'romance' with Holly, Paolo, and Chloe (not together, though) finding someone special I was very underwhelmed. A random guy enters the house Holly is renting *while she's in the bath* and she doesn't throw all the things and kick him out? 'Oh, I guess you can sleep on the couch, random guy who I don't know in a new town I've only been in for less than a day.' Sure. Yeah. I'm sorry, was Holly hit on the head recently?!
And then, magically, after he makes her breakfast it's all okay. Maybe she even kind of likes him. But no... not possible. She can't date. Absolutely cannot. Because her Mom traumatized Holly when she was a child with her string of many boyfriends which lead her Mom to neglect Holly emotionally. So men are bad. Boyfriends are bad. Which means Holly can't date ever. I'm sorry, but this whole premise just did not work for me at *all*.
The whole wrap up at the end was INCREDIBLY sudden on all points. The boss turns around and gives Holly the practice after berating her almost every single day for a year. The romantic interest accepts Holly's apology after she rejected him right after he finally opened up and they finally kiss after a full year of dancing around each other. Chloe and her beau have finally told each other that they like each other - but not on the page, even though we did get chapters from Chloe's POV. We just heard about it secondhand afterward. Poor Paolo gets no wrap up at all after being yanked around the whole book.
This book needed a second pass, in my opinion. There's some great kernels of ideas here, but it just never seemed to pop into the sweet & salty popcorn treat it had the potential to be. If you do prefer a completely chaste romance novel with only a kiss or two, then this might be right up your alley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2023
Let's Just Be Friends written by Katy Turner was not my cup of tea. Usually I love dual timelines and POV's, I never had a bad experience with them, but with this book it was just so confusing, I felt like I couldn't follow along with the story with three different POV's and timelines. I feel like if it was less, I would have enjoyed this book more. I decided to put this book on hold for a little bit and come back to it, maybe it wouldn't be such a challenge to get through, but I was definitely wrong, it felt like such a challenge coming back to it. I applaud the character for taking a vacation when she needed one, but she was just too damn whiny for my liking. The only two things I liked about this book was the beautiful cover, and the Scottish countryside setting. Katy Turner definitely made me want to pack my bags and take a trip to the beautiful Scottish countryside. Looks can be deceiving, the cover says this book is "a feel good romance", but the characters just wanted to be friends, hint hint the title. Despite this book not being for me, don't let this review stop you, you might have better luck than I did, but I think i'm in the minority for this one.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND JOFFE BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!!
Holly Anderson is a cheerful and confident veterinarian, who knows what she wants, and where she sees herself in five years. Holly definitely doesn't do flings, and falling in love is NOT in her five year plan. I definitely held out hope for Holly, she mentioned how much she wanted to grow and be a better person, but all she did was whine and never bettered herself. Whiny women characters are just not a hit for me. Moving her entire life out of London was definitely not a part of Holly's five year plan, either. Holly decides to move to the tiny Scottish town of Eastercraig, to a run down, gorgeous seaside home. Holly has barely just arrived when tipsy Greg Dunbar just let's himself into Holly's cottage in the middle of the night. HELLO, DOESN'T HE KNOCK? DOESN'T HOLLY LOCK HER DOORS? Like, i'm sorry, but these characters didn't have any common sense whatsoever. Greg is only back in Eastercraig to discuss the future of the family farm with his stubborn brother. When Greg stumbles into Holly's cottage, drunk as a bat, he has no clue that Holly has moved in. But he still should have knocked on the door, right?
Greg and Holly both know neither of them wants romance, so they should just remain friends, right? Sometimes this book made absolutely no sense to me. Holly knew she wasn't looking for romance and she knows she doesn't do flings, so why was she doing it anyway? I have no clue, maybe i'm just over thinking too much of this book, but it just made zero sense to me. Like, if you knew you didn't want something, why wouldn't you stick to your gut instinct? Another thing I loved about this book was Holly's career as a veterinarian, I absolutely LOVE animals, so I thought that part was really sweet. Don't forget, these characters are adults, and they are acting like seventeen year old's. At times it felt like the love triangle trope was coming into play, which is not my thing in books. I don't want to persuade anyone not to read this book based on my review, but I definitely think i'm in the minority of not liking this book more than I had hoped. If you are an adult, and you are acting childish and whiny all the time, it's just not cute to me, it just annoyed me how the author portrayed the characters to act.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND JOFFE BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!!
Holly Anderson is a cheerful and confident veterinarian, who knows what she wants, and where she sees herself in five years. Holly definitely doesn't do flings, and falling in love is NOT in her five year plan. I definitely held out hope for Holly, she mentioned how much she wanted to grow and be a better person, but all she did was whine and never bettered herself. Whiny women characters are just not a hit for me. Moving her entire life out of London was definitely not a part of Holly's five year plan, either. Holly decides to move to the tiny Scottish town of Eastercraig, to a run down, gorgeous seaside home. Holly has barely just arrived when tipsy Greg Dunbar just let's himself into Holly's cottage in the middle of the night. HELLO, DOESN'T HE KNOCK? DOESN'T HOLLY LOCK HER DOORS? Like, i'm sorry, but these characters didn't have any common sense whatsoever. Greg is only back in Eastercraig to discuss the future of the family farm with his stubborn brother. When Greg stumbles into Holly's cottage, drunk as a bat, he has no clue that Holly has moved in. But he still should have knocked on the door, right?
Greg and Holly both know neither of them wants romance, so they should just remain friends, right? Sometimes this book made absolutely no sense to me. Holly knew she wasn't looking for romance and she knows she doesn't do flings, so why was she doing it anyway? I have no clue, maybe i'm just over thinking too much of this book, but it just made zero sense to me. Like, if you knew you didn't want something, why wouldn't you stick to your gut instinct? Another thing I loved about this book was Holly's career as a veterinarian, I absolutely LOVE animals, so I thought that part was really sweet. Don't forget, these characters are adults, and they are acting like seventeen year old's. At times it felt like the love triangle trope was coming into play, which is not my thing in books. I don't want to persuade anyone not to read this book based on my review, but I definitely think i'm in the minority of not liking this book more than I had hoped. If you are an adult, and you are acting childish and whiny all the time, it's just not cute to me, it just annoyed me how the author portrayed the characters to act.
April 25, 2023
Let's Just Be Friends follows three characters (Holly, Chloe, and Paolo) who work at a veterinary practice in the Scottish Highlands. The story mainly follows no-nonense and definitely no-time-for-romance Holly who has been assigned a locum job as a vet in small town Eastercraig, instead of the practice in Ascot she thought she'd be working in. Almost right away she meets Greg -- who lets himself into her house with a spare key from the previous tenant/owner. The rest of the story follows Holly, Chloe, and Paolo as they navigate love, life, and work.
I really wanted to like this book -- I love a good city girl finds herself in small town romance story. I also love All Creatures Great and Small, so I hoped this might have some similar vibes (especially since they actually mention James Herriot as one of Holly's reasons for wanting to be a vet). And in some regards, there are similar vibes -- Hugh the practice owner is ornery and thinks everyone but him is incompetent. You have romance subplots with farmers and the reality that farming is often not profitable. But unfortunately this book just really fell short for me.
The novel switches POV between Holly, Chloe, and Paolo with no initial indication that it as going to be doing that in the description or in the layout of the book. Just switched randomly. You do get used to it, but it definitely threw me off at first. But also because it switches between, I felt like none of the characters got the development they truly needed and there were just too many plotlines. Character motivations and traits were told instead of demonstrated -- same with growth. You just have to accept that these changes happened, but you don't really get shown. Just happened all at once.
Having the three romance plots in one book I think also made it hard for the author to always keep track of the plot. There were several instances where the plot contradicted something that had been said previously. One example that stands out is one time after Holly sees Greg they exchange phone numbers and it's said he's been texting once a week. But then in the next chapter, Holly's narration says she hasn't heard from Greg since the time she'd given him her number, negating the weekly texting from the previous chapters.
Overall, I think the concept is there but the plot should have focused on just one of the couples and saved the others for sequels. All of the plotlines suffered because of this and there were multiple instances where previous parts of the plot were contradicted. However, if the author publishes another book I'd try it because I did like the concept and premise, just think the execution could be improved.
I really wanted to like this book -- I love a good city girl finds herself in small town romance story. I also love All Creatures Great and Small, so I hoped this might have some similar vibes (especially since they actually mention James Herriot as one of Holly's reasons for wanting to be a vet). And in some regards, there are similar vibes -- Hugh the practice owner is ornery and thinks everyone but him is incompetent. You have romance subplots with farmers and the reality that farming is often not profitable. But unfortunately this book just really fell short for me.
The novel switches POV between Holly, Chloe, and Paolo with no initial indication that it as going to be doing that in the description or in the layout of the book. Just switched randomly. You do get used to it, but it definitely threw me off at first. But also because it switches between, I felt like none of the characters got the development they truly needed and there were just too many plotlines. Character motivations and traits were told instead of demonstrated -- same with growth. You just have to accept that these changes happened, but you don't really get shown. Just happened all at once.
Having the three romance plots in one book I think also made it hard for the author to always keep track of the plot. There were several instances where the plot contradicted something that had been said previously. One example that stands out is one time after Holly sees Greg they exchange phone numbers and it's said he's been texting once a week. But then in the next chapter, Holly's narration says she hasn't heard from Greg since the time she'd given him her number, negating the weekly texting from the previous chapters.
Overall, I think the concept is there but the plot should have focused on just one of the couples and saved the others for sequels. All of the plotlines suffered because of this and there were multiple instances where previous parts of the plot were contradicted. However, if the author publishes another book I'd try it because I did like the concept and premise, just think the execution could be improved.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews