I Left My Heart: A Friend or Two / No Competition

by Debbie Macomber

A Friend or Two

Elizabeth Wainwright, an East Coast heiress in disguise, takes a job waitressing at a Fisherman's Wharf café, eager to live a simpler life. One day Andrew Breed—handsome, mysterious and charismatic—walks in. He says he's a longshoreman, but his words and actions don't quite add up. Is Elizabeth falling in love with someone who's pretending to be something other than he claims? Is Andrew?

No Competition

Local architect Shayne Reynolds is an art collector, but when it comes to Carrie Lockett he's as interested in the artist as he is in her California landscapes and stunning portraits. The talented and reclusive Carrie, however, rejects his overtures, but she won't tell him why…even though he knows she returns his feelings.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 28, 2012

About the author

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.

In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.

Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.

She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dumb and poorly written. Set in modern times with language from olden times. "Darling, I shall not leave you". Ugh, please.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both stories were cute. I think the second one was my favorite even though I wanted to knock some sense into her. Predictable, especially if you have read a lot of Debbie Macomber, but still good.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was 2 stories and I liked the first one slightly better than the second one. But although I am a big fan of this author, this was disappointing.

[Julie Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is actually two books - "A Friend of Two" and "No Competition." They are cute stories. You can tell it's some of her earlier works, because they are not as well written as her more recent books.

[Deyanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho hum...shallow at best. I wonder why I kept reading. Looking for escape.

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

VERY predictable. Fast read. Not recommended if you want to really sink your teeth into a book.

[Urszula · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book wasn't going anywhere. Thus I was not going to waste anymore time on it.

The story line was flat and borring. The chacacters very uninteresting...

[Jeanne (love2cook) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of the 2 for 1 books that keep popping up just to confuse the buyers of books into thinking it's a newly authored story and actually it's 2 stories written years ago. #1 A Friend or Two, Elizabeth Wainwright, an east coast heiress takes a job as a waitress in a Fisherman's Wharf café. A customer, Andrew Breed, says he's a longshoreman, and he is taken with Elizabeth. And we all know the saying, everything is not as it's seems, and this is true of this situation. #2 No Competition, is about twins, Carrie Lockett is the talented artist working her magic with paint and a brush. Camile is the beautiful one that men fall at her feet. Enter Shayne Reynolds one who appreciates the art that Carrie paints, and in fact has bought several of her works including her portrait of Camile. This purchase is the basis of this story of a confused Carrie who has fallen in love with Shayne and he with her, but she cannot seem to believe he could possibly love her, too. Oh! well! as with all Macomber stories everything works out in the end. Both are typical Macomber tales with the proper ending. Love concurs all.

[Sarah A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another excellent book from Debbie Macomber. This book features two stories.
First there is the rich girl who has everything except the love and comfort she seeks through shopping. When she is asked to work as a waitress, she falls in with a new best friend and a man who she finds herself falling in love with even as she hates herself for not telling him the truth.
Secondly there is an artist with absolutely no self-worth and a beautiful twin sister. She has lost more than one boyfriend to her beautiful sister but when she spots the person buying her paintings, she is desperate to believe him and yet she knows what will happen when he meets her sister.

[Ingrid Holzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Left My Heart encompasses two stories set in San Francisco. A Friend or Two follows Elizabeth Wainwright, a rich girl from Boston who flees her home and becomes a waitress at a cafe on Fisherman’s Wharf. She meets Andrew and both are holding on to secrets about who they really are. This story worked well for me. I liked the characters and found the plot to be well developed. In Macomber’s second story, No Competition, I found myself getting as tired and frustrated with Carrie Lockett’s self-deprecation as much as her love interest, Shayne Reynolds. It was still an enjoyable enough to read, but towards the end, I was ready for it to be over.

[QuakerMaid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I HATE romances. But romance is required reading for a book club I belong to.

I hate the emphasis on women's looks on this one. And the juvenile behaviour between the women in Disk 1/Track 8&9.
And the thing is, I see the plot right through this.
Jillian (or whatever her name is) is trying to set Elizabeth up with the dude.
It's far too obvious.
But Elizabeth doesn't know that, yet she doesn't tell Jillian that that wh0re of a boy she (Jillian) is interested in is making passes at her (Elizabeth). What kind of friend is that?

And the dude is completely stalkering. Elizabeth repeatedly says "not interested", he keeps approaching.
Dude screams sl#t & r@pist.

[Claudia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like SF, so I picked up this book. Both stories were originally published in the 80s. The first one was updated with cell phones, text messages, and at least one reference to a website. I did not notice any other updates. In short, this story was just silly. I read it on vacation when I wasn't looking for anything heavy. However, this one might be too shallow for a beach read.
The second story started out so silly, I decided to drop it in the book swap and call it a day.
Someone else picked this one out of the book swap the same day. I hope she liked it more than I did.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The separate stories. The first A Friend Or Two was my favorite, a rich young woman goes to San Francisco and takes a waitressing job, living a normal life. Elizabeth becomes involved with a man she's serious about and things get complicated fast. The second story is No Competition about an artist who lives in San Francisco and becomes involved with a client. Love the book, great romances.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Both stories in this book were just terrible. In the first, Andrew was a deceitful jerk that was just magically forgiven almost immediately after Elizabeth discovered his secret. In the second, Carrie was such a pathetic, insecure, irrational woman that I couldn't sympathize with at all and instead found incredibly annoying.

[Becky Griffus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved these stories. Money shouldn't play a role, but it always does. Glad she became a working girl to see how most people live. Happily ever after in the end.
Second story - I am not a twin but I do have a sister who competed over everything. I hope we have worked out our differences over the years

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Friend or Two was a pleasant read with a good storyline. The only reason I finished the second book, No Competition, is because I don't want to leave a book unfinished. The main female character...ugh.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm kind of embarrassed that I actually read this. Predictable, awkward, actually made me cringe because it was so unrealistic and corny at times. Haven't read anything like this since middle school and don't intend to again.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was left with questions about the roommate in the first story. I certainly was not expecting the ending.

No competition, I don't remember the ending anymore, but I remember the beginning and feeling so many emotions.

[brenda janowiecki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debbie Macomber is an amazingly accomplished romance novelist. This two-stories-in-one wonder is no exception. Both stories are emotion filled and gloriously real, making the reader bound in their journey to find true love in each other. I really enjoyed this summer read.

[Phylisha Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK olfer read.

[Vintage Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little frustrated with the second story. Carrie just couldn't seem to understand how much Shane loved her. In the end I am glad she finally did.

[Sandy Forman-Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

great 2 for 1

[Stephanie Jackson · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Murr · Rating 1 out of 5]

Both girls (note I did not say women) were immature,self involved and not likeable. Debbie Macomber has improved since these were written. Not worth the time.

[Judi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun light read. Predictable.

[Brittany Gurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read. Just a fluff piece but sometimes you need one of those :)

[Marty Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story!

[Tiffany Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book by a great author. I enjoyed reading the stories that I had not read when they were first published.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good summer read

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The books by Debbie Macomber are easy reading, but run the same theme. After a few, they are easy to jump to the end.