Just Between Friends

by Donna Small

Emma's best friend Layne is getting married to Andy, the old friend Emma has always secretly loved. For the sake of dear friends, Emma keeps her love for Andy to herself. But what is she to do when Layne begins a torrid affair and expects Emma's complicity as she cheats on Andy.

222 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2012

About the author

Donna Small fell in love with the written word a very early age, frequently ignoring her teachers in order to discreetly read a book while hidden behind another student and below the wooden desks in her Catholic School. After graduating from college, she moved to North Carolina and began working in the non-profit world writing business plans, grants and anything that required putting pen to paper. She lives in Clemmons, North Carolina with her two daughters, their beagle, Charlie, and their bassett hound, Finley, where she is at work on her next novel. Find her on facebook - Donna Small, Author

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best friends will do anything for each other won’t they, just like sisters except more so because they choose to be together? At least that’s how Emma and Layne’s friendship seems to work at the start of Donna Small’s novel Just Between Friends. And, just as best friends are meant to know everything about each other, the author invites us into all the details of Emma and Layne’s thoughts as their friendship is tested by romance.

Emma loves Andy, but Layne is marrying Andy. When Layne’s marriage proves less exciting than the latest romantic fiction, then who should she turn to but Emma for advice, and help, and cover, and anything else she can think of? Great dialog keeps the story flowing, while long internal debates reiterate the past, going over all the reasons why Emma’s got to be the perfect best friend. There’s some head-hopping, because best friends and lovers should always be able to tell what their companions are thinking. And there’s lots of detail, because best friends know everything. In the end, there’s even a satisfying resolution to a story that defies genre, mixing romance and family drama with a tale of guilt and forgiveness. Not one for the cynical, and a fairly slow read, Just Between Friends should satisfy readers who like their romance touched with broken hearts and BFF friendship.



Disclosure: I got a free ecopy through the publisher’s book club.

[Tara Hollifield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donna Small's debut novel, "Just Between Friends", asks the question, "Who comes first - the man you love or your best friend?" In this case, the man Emma loves is her best friend's husband. Throughout the book, I kept asking myself, "What would I do?" It's very easy to initially take the higher road, but deeper in the story, I began to wonder if I wouldn't be more like Emma. And that is a sign of a good book - that it causes me to think and apply the situation to my own life to wonder if I would do anything different.

The story is easy to follow, easy to read, but is also thought provoking. I would suggest it to anyone looking for a romantic read.

[Ann Torrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome, I couldn't put it down and it had me on edge as how it was going to end. Was getting worried for awhile but it ended great. Love it!!!!