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Sheppards in Love #2
Just Friends Forever
Stephanie “Stevie” Jacobs
Marriage to an A-list actor has its perks, but no one ever tells you about the drawbacks—paparazzi infesting your life like cockroaches after the divorce, for instance. So when my longtime friend Troy offers to let me escape to the empty side of his duplex while I get back on my feet again, the only possible answer is, “How soon can I come?”
I’ve never seen Troy as anything more than a friend, but when the gossip columns pin down my location, they’re determined to make more of things between us, despite my assurances he’s dating someone. They media are a tenacious bunch. Heck, they almost have me convinced, which is totally crazy. Right?
Troy Sheppard
My friendship with Stevie has survived a lot, including the day I caught the crazy bug and told her I wanted to be more than friends. Thankfully, that’s far behind us. Both of us. I’m here for Stevie—as a friend—now that she needs a soft place to land away from the gossip-hungry tabloids.
The last thing I want is to make her worry I’m falling for her again, so when my relationship ends, I’m hesitant to tell her or give more fodder to the media. But I may have seriously underestimated the power of the paparazzi—and possibly my feelings. Both seem bent on bringing the past into the present. It’s no big deal, though. I’m determined to protect Stevie and throw them off the scent—and to have fun doing it.
Marriage to an A-list actor has its perks, but no one ever tells you about the drawbacks—paparazzi infesting your life like cockroaches after the divorce, for instance. So when my longtime friend Troy offers to let me escape to the empty side of his duplex while I get back on my feet again, the only possible answer is, “How soon can I come?”
I’ve never seen Troy as anything more than a friend, but when the gossip columns pin down my location, they’re determined to make more of things between us, despite my assurances he’s dating someone. They media are a tenacious bunch. Heck, they almost have me convinced, which is totally crazy. Right?
Troy Sheppard
My friendship with Stevie has survived a lot, including the day I caught the crazy bug and told her I wanted to be more than friends. Thankfully, that’s far behind us. Both of us. I’m here for Stevie—as a friend—now that she needs a soft place to land away from the gossip-hungry tabloids.
The last thing I want is to make her worry I’m falling for her again, so when my relationship ends, I’m hesitant to tell her or give more fodder to the media. But I may have seriously underestimated the power of the paparazzi—and possibly my feelings. Both seem bent on bringing the past into the present. It’s no big deal, though. I’m determined to protect Stevie and throw them off the scent—and to have fun doing it.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2023
255 people are currently reading
1467 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
January 28, 2024
Loved it! And the *best* grand gesture ever, especially as it wasn't related to an apology or declaration.
August 21, 2023
'Everyone loves Stevie, which makes me feel extra grateful I somehow get to be her best friend. If only I were content with just that.'
Oh boy, do we get one of the BEST EVER best friends to more tropes from Martha Keyes!
This book is the full range of emotions and I could not get enough of Stevie and Troy! If you haven't been reading the Sheppards in Love series may I suggest you change that pronto? Ahhh, this series is EVERYTHING and more!
I love that this book gave us a full range of years to cover. The High School opening is the perfect set-up and really lets the reader understand Troy's emotions. Stevie is so much fun and full of life and I loved seeing Stevie with Troy and see that joy and spark really take off. I loved the paparazzi encounters and how Troy handles them. Stevie gave me the full range of emotions-this book is so much more than a romcom!!! I love seeing more of the Sheppard family and can't wait for more, more, MORE!
I really cannot recommend this one enough. It's a 2023 favorite, friends!
Thanks to the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content: Best friends since high school, he falls first, divorce, friend-zone, all of the feels, paparazzi encounters, great banter, swoony moments, a heavy dose of fresh prince of bel-air (lol) and kisses.
Oh boy, do we get one of the BEST EVER best friends to more tropes from Martha Keyes!
This book is the full range of emotions and I could not get enough of Stevie and Troy! If you haven't been reading the Sheppards in Love series may I suggest you change that pronto? Ahhh, this series is EVERYTHING and more!
I love that this book gave us a full range of years to cover. The High School opening is the perfect set-up and really lets the reader understand Troy's emotions. Stevie is so much fun and full of life and I loved seeing Stevie with Troy and see that joy and spark really take off. I loved the paparazzi encounters and how Troy handles them. Stevie gave me the full range of emotions-this book is so much more than a romcom!!! I love seeing more of the Sheppard family and can't wait for more, more, MORE!
I really cannot recommend this one enough. It's a 2023 favorite, friends!
Thanks to the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content: Best friends since high school, he falls first, divorce, friend-zone, all of the feels, paparazzi encounters, great banter, swoony moments, a heavy dose of fresh prince of bel-air (lol) and kisses.
January 15, 2024
I often struggle with the friends-to-lovers trope, so I appreciate that this story went beyond the simple "I don't want to ruin our friendship" conflict. In fact, it opens with Stevie openly rejecting Troy as anything more than friends. I was invested to see where it would go from there!
It was clear Troy cared for Stevie a lot. Offering up his duplex to Stevie as she recovers from a high-profile celebrity divorce, I enjoyed the sweet moments reigniting their friendship while hiding from the desperate paparazzi. And like I mentioned, the reasonings for holding back their feelings made sense!
But after finishing, I realized I knew nothing about Stevie. Her personality seemed to revolve solely around being the ex-wife of a famous actor. What were her interests? Her goals? It was lacking some depth for me.
(heat level: kissing only)
It was clear Troy cared for Stevie a lot. Offering up his duplex to Stevie as she recovers from a high-profile celebrity divorce, I enjoyed the sweet moments reigniting their friendship while hiding from the desperate paparazzi. And like I mentioned, the reasonings for holding back their feelings made sense!
But after finishing, I realized I knew nothing about Stevie. Her personality seemed to revolve solely around being the ex-wife of a famous actor. What were her interests? Her goals? It was lacking some depth for me.
(heat level: kissing only)
August 3, 2024
3.5 cute story. Friends to lovers. Guy falls first. Second Chance 💖
Troy is the SWEETEST man ever. He was absolutely adorable, his puppy dog attitude was precious. I did have some worries about it but watching Stevie realize that he’s been there the whole time. It was wonderful
Ohhh and I just needed to mention this adorable perfect line. It was absolutely perfect
“even if it feels like life is giving you dried up lemons”
Troy is the SWEETEST man ever. He was absolutely adorable, his puppy dog attitude was precious. I did have some worries about it but watching Stevie realize that he’s been there the whole time. It was wonderful
Ohhh and I just needed to mention this adorable perfect line. It was absolutely perfect
“even if it feels like life is giving you dried up lemons”
December 28, 2025
Wow! I won’t lie, when I saw the rating of this book and a few of the reviews I was skeptical about reading it. But I’ve read 3 of the author’s books and love her style, so I gave it a go.
It was sooooo good! The humor was top notch. I kept laughing, both in the house and outside!
I loved Troy and Stevie so much! Funny, when I read the Xmas novella, I had no idea that Stevie had her own book. Troy was so steadfast and thoughtful. The fact that he shaved his head for her??! They were both sooo cute! In their friendship and in their feelings. I enjoyed some of their shenanigans with sneaking Stevie out of the house.
Troy had a lot of quirks, like his hot sauce, Fresh Prince, and his love for his hair, and I worried I’d feel weird, but it did nothing to take away my admiration for him! I felt it so much when he felt like he had to get a big client to be good enough for Stevie. His vulnerability shook my heart. (I did wish they watched something other than Fresh Prince though!)
The authors really good at writing characters you fall in love with. The side characters were great too, and Maggie was so sweet here! I look forward to reading more books in the series.
My one issue was that Stevie truly only started to have feelings for Troy after her divorce, and her entire feelings generated in less than two weeks. Just reading without noticing the time, it doesn’t seem weird and all progressed naturally. But when Troy mentioned it was all less than two weeks, I got a bit skeptical.
It might’ve made sense if both decided to test things for some months, and then Stevie affirmed her love. In reality, I’m not sure the relationship would hold. But as it’s a book, I’m willing to suspend my disbelief!
It was so good! So fun and heartwarming and just wonderful! The author is good at balancing humor with depth. If this is my last read of 2025, it’s a good ending!
It was sooooo good! The humor was top notch. I kept laughing, both in the house and outside!
I loved Troy and Stevie so much! Funny, when I read the Xmas novella, I had no idea that Stevie had her own book. Troy was so steadfast and thoughtful. The fact that he shaved his head for her??! They were both sooo cute! In their friendship and in their feelings. I enjoyed some of their shenanigans with sneaking Stevie out of the house.
Troy had a lot of quirks, like his hot sauce, Fresh Prince, and his love for his hair, and I worried I’d feel weird, but it did nothing to take away my admiration for him! I felt it so much when he felt like he had to get a big client to be good enough for Stevie. His vulnerability shook my heart. (I did wish they watched something other than Fresh Prince though!)
The authors really good at writing characters you fall in love with. The side characters were great too, and Maggie was so sweet here! I look forward to reading more books in the series.
My one issue was that Stevie truly only started to have feelings for Troy after her divorce, and her entire feelings generated in less than two weeks. Just reading without noticing the time, it doesn’t seem weird and all progressed naturally. But when Troy mentioned it was all less than two weeks, I got a bit skeptical.
It might’ve made sense if both decided to test things for some months, and then Stevie affirmed her love. In reality, I’m not sure the relationship would hold. But as it’s a book, I’m willing to suspend my disbelief!
It was so good! So fun and heartwarming and just wonderful! The author is good at balancing humor with depth. If this is my last read of 2025, it’s a good ending!
August 20, 2023
I have loved so many of Martha Keyes books. I've read her Regency and her Scottish Highlands series. Even though I own some of her romcoms, I hadn't read the until this one. (Mostly because I am an audiobook fan and those weren't available on audio at the time.)
I loved this story. Troy and Stevie had history and lived separate lives. Here we get to see them working their way through all that baggage and back to each other. It was darling!
There were laugh out loud moments for me. I won't be able to think of wombats or butter toast the same after this book! 😁
Special thanks to the author for the advanced digital copy of the book. I am happy to leave an honest review.
I loved this story. Troy and Stevie had history and lived separate lives. Here we get to see them working their way through all that baggage and back to each other. It was darling!
There were laugh out loud moments for me. I won't be able to think of wombats or butter toast the same after this book! 😁
Special thanks to the author for the advanced digital copy of the book. I am happy to leave an honest review.
April 1, 2024
I’m always so happy to read a friends-to-more romance, especially when this friendship has endured the awkward and angsty teenage stage and a high-profile celebrity marriage.
Troy has been in love with Stevie for the longest time and after a rejected graduation night declaration, he resigns himself to the best friend zone. Fast forward a few years, and a dramatic situation leads Stevie to need Troy and his rental. It was so much fun to read about them making great efforts to elude the spotlight.
What else did I love?
🏠dodging the paparazzi
🏠checking out houses
🏠connecting on different levels, especially the amazing chemistry and romance
🏠binging The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
🏠virtual pets
🏠freeze dried eggs and hot sauce
🏠an amazing set of friends and family
🏠and the most amazing grand gesture ever
Funny and sweet, this story stamped itself onto my heart, and I loved the narrators and the story.
Content: mild romance
Troy has been in love with Stevie for the longest time and after a rejected graduation night declaration, he resigns himself to the best friend zone. Fast forward a few years, and a dramatic situation leads Stevie to need Troy and his rental. It was so much fun to read about them making great efforts to elude the spotlight.
What else did I love?
🏠dodging the paparazzi
🏠checking out houses
🏠connecting on different levels, especially the amazing chemistry and romance
🏠binging The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
🏠virtual pets
🏠freeze dried eggs and hot sauce
🏠an amazing set of friends and family
🏠and the most amazing grand gesture ever
Funny and sweet, this story stamped itself onto my heart, and I loved the narrators and the story.
Content: mild romance
January 17, 2024
Just Friends Forever by Martha Keyes
Sheppards in Love #2
296-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Clean Romance
Featuring: Irving and Los Angeles, California, Flashbacks, Friends-to-Lovers Trope, Unrequited Love Trope, Bestfriend's Brother Trope, Hotter Sibling Trope, College Flashbacks, Text Graphics, Virtual Pets, Close Proximity Trope, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Solo For The Season Cameo, Celebrities, Real Estate, Kissing, Next Book Advertisement, Author's Bibliography
Rating as a movie: PG
Songs for the soundtrack: "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars, "Surprise, Surprise" by Bruce Springsteen, "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, "Everybody Knows" by Trisha Yearwood"Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark, "That Should Be Me" by Justin Bieber, "Don't Wake Me Up" by Chris Brown, "It’s Not Unusual" by Tom Jones
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️¾👫
My thoughts:🔖Page 23 of 296 Ch. 3 Stevie - I haven't met this girl yet but I'm already on team Troy, he should get over her.
🔖187 Ch. 21 Troy - This is better than I expected, Stevie isn't bad at all.
This one was really fun. It was nice to see characters from various books. My only issue is they might have overdone the Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro. Not only am I going to continue this series I'm adding the rest of her bibliography to my TBR.
Recommend to others: Yes! This reads like a real-life romantic comedy, not the formulaic stuff everyone else is doing.
Sheppards in Love
1 Kissing for Keeps (2023)
2 Just Friends Forever (2023)
3 Selling Out (2024)
Sheppards in Love #2
296-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Clean Romance
Featuring: Irving and Los Angeles, California, Flashbacks, Friends-to-Lovers Trope, Unrequited Love Trope, Bestfriend's Brother Trope, Hotter Sibling Trope, College Flashbacks, Text Graphics, Virtual Pets, Close Proximity Trope, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Solo For The Season Cameo, Celebrities, Real Estate, Kissing, Next Book Advertisement, Author's Bibliography
Rating as a movie: PG
Songs for the soundtrack: "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars, "Surprise, Surprise" by Bruce Springsteen, "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, "Everybody Knows" by Trisha Yearwood"Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark, "That Should Be Me" by Justin Bieber, "Don't Wake Me Up" by Chris Brown, "It’s Not Unusual" by Tom Jones
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️¾👫
My thoughts:🔖Page 23 of 296 Ch. 3 Stevie - I haven't met this girl yet but I'm already on team Troy, he should get over her.
🔖187 Ch. 21 Troy - This is better than I expected, Stevie isn't bad at all.
This one was really fun. It was nice to see characters from various books. My only issue is they might have overdone the Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro. Not only am I going to continue this series I'm adding the rest of her bibliography to my TBR.
Recommend to others: Yes! This reads like a real-life romantic comedy, not the formulaic stuff everyone else is doing.
Sheppards in Love
1 Kissing for Keeps (2023)
2 Just Friends Forever (2023)
3 Selling Out (2024)
September 1, 2023
Troy and Stevie have all the best kinds of friends to lovers, unrequited love feels with a bit of a celebrity aspect and forced proximity tossed in to make it unique and so much fun.
Things I Loved:
-Fresh Prince
-Virtual pets
-Fake ear-mic
-“I refuse to acknowledge the duck.”
-CGI 😂
-Outsmarting the paparazzi
-Maggie
-“‘You win the best friend award.’ ‘Finally,’ he says with a satisfied sigh.”
-The trunk
-“Self-sabotage complete.”
-Roy and Evie
-THE video
-Evelyn
-The Epilogue! ♥️
I loved that their relationship survived so much—painfully unrequited feelings, time, changes, and distance. Seeing them connect again, the flashbacks and memories, their growth, and how feelings shifted was a fun and sweet journey. This is definitely a standalone but it was so fun seeing more of Jack and Siena too. I am so very ready for Austin’s story now!
Trigger Warning: Divorce
Things I Loved:
-Fresh Prince
-Virtual pets
-Fake ear-mic
-“I refuse to acknowledge the duck.”
-CGI 😂
-Outsmarting the paparazzi
-Maggie
-“‘You win the best friend award.’ ‘Finally,’ he says with a satisfied sigh.”
-The trunk
-“Self-sabotage complete.”
-Roy and Evie
-THE video
-Evelyn
-The Epilogue! ♥️
I loved that their relationship survived so much—painfully unrequited feelings, time, changes, and distance. Seeing them connect again, the flashbacks and memories, their growth, and how feelings shifted was a fun and sweet journey. This is definitely a standalone but it was so fun seeing more of Jack and Siena too. I am so very ready for Austin’s story now!
Trigger Warning: Divorce
January 28, 2026
best friends find romance
This is such a good book! Troy was such a worthy hero. He has loved Stevie (heroine) since he was a teenager. He is kind, gentle, thoughtful as well as masculine. I loved when Stevie finally really opened her eyes to Troy’s love for her and how she fell in love with him ♥️. This is part of the Sheppards series and I have grown to love this family. Martha Keyes is becoming one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend this sweet and clean read….so romantic and authentic.
This is such a good book! Troy was such a worthy hero. He has loved Stevie (heroine) since he was a teenager. He is kind, gentle, thoughtful as well as masculine. I loved when Stevie finally really opened her eyes to Troy’s love for her and how she fell in love with him ♥️. This is part of the Sheppards series and I have grown to love this family. Martha Keyes is becoming one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend this sweet and clean read….so romantic and authentic.
February 6, 2024
The cutest!!
Awww!!! I loved this book so much! I loved, loved, LOVED Troy (and his perfect hair 😉) he was the cutest, sweetest, most thoughtful, amazing guy ever! And, of course, I loved Stevie too. Their friendship and history was just the cutest! I loved how Troy came back into Stevie’s life at the perfect time when she needed a friend and everything he did for her as her life did a 360 and she really needed a friend!
The CUTEST friends to more story!!!
Awww!!! I loved this book so much! I loved, loved, LOVED Troy (and his perfect hair 😉) he was the cutest, sweetest, most thoughtful, amazing guy ever! And, of course, I loved Stevie too. Their friendship and history was just the cutest! I loved how Troy came back into Stevie’s life at the perfect time when she needed a friend and everything he did for her as her life did a 360 and she really needed a friend!
The CUTEST friends to more story!!!
February 20, 2024
i love it! i love it! I LOVE IT!
this book is so heartwarming, cute, funny, adorable, and so sweet!!
troy is one of the BEST BOOK BOYFRIEND EVER istg!! he is funny, always put her first, will literally do anything for her, anything about her comes first, always so thoughtful, and try his best to make her happy! he is DEEPLY in love to her!! can i have one troy too please???
stevie! im so proud of her!! i also love it when she will also fight for the relationship<33
they both so loveable and their chemistry from best friends to lovers is TOP!
this book is so heartwarming, cute, funny, adorable, and so sweet!!
troy is one of the BEST BOOK BOYFRIEND EVER istg!! he is funny, always put her first, will literally do anything for her, anything about her comes first, always so thoughtful, and try his best to make her happy! he is DEEPLY in love to her!! can i have one troy too please???
stevie! im so proud of her!! i also love it when she will also fight for the relationship<33
they both so loveable and their chemistry from best friends to lovers is TOP!
October 9, 2023
3.5
cute :((((
cute :((((
July 19, 2024
Very predictable, but a cute quick read
September 13, 2023
Total Wish Fullfillment
Troy has been in love with Stevie forever. He gets up the courage to tell her he wants to be more than friends. You go Troy! But Stevie doesn’t feel the same way. Eight years later and after a very public divorce Troy and Stevie are in each other’s lives again. Can their friendship get a second chance?
I loved the Sheppard family and the buttered toast video. Troy was just so amazingly loyal. I also loved his hair. This book was so sweet. I can’t wait to see more of the Sheppard family.
Troy has been in love with Stevie forever. He gets up the courage to tell her he wants to be more than friends. You go Troy! But Stevie doesn’t feel the same way. Eight years later and after a very public divorce Troy and Stevie are in each other’s lives again. Can their friendship get a second chance?
I loved the Sheppard family and the buttered toast video. Troy was just so amazingly loyal. I also loved his hair. This book was so sweet. I can’t wait to see more of the Sheppard family.
January 24, 2026
I really enjoyed this sweet second chance romance. Falling for your best friend is a fun trope. I loved the banter. The dry humor reminded me of The Office, which I love.
August 8, 2025
This book was full of juvenile foolery! I really only finished it, because the was busy and didn't have time to search for an alternative. Sigh. There was one part where Stevie wanted to "recreate" herself, so she decided to dye her hair from her natural blonde to black (of all colors 🙄) and cut it to shoulder length. The next day she woke up, crying and hating it and Troy shaved his beautiful hair bald to make her feel better. Black hair and bald? Really? There's so many colors in between that would've made more sense, a nice chestnut or dark brown, but black? No and for him to shave his head bald....I was just like, this book is so dumb! I cannot even begin to describe how many times I rolled my eyes!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2023
I absolutely loved this book! Troy is the absolute sweetest and most adorable best friend ever. Stevie is such a mixture of vulnerable and strong after her divorce. I love how Troy helps her through the hardest times by making her laugh and realize that life does go on. Their journey from best friends to more made me laugh and sigh in happiness. I highly recommend this book!
October 29, 2023
I didn't love the heavy paparazzi angle, and there was a severe lack of kissing, but excellent tension, and bits of the end even got me in my feels. I can always count on Martha to create a detailed plot and characters that deliver depth and growth.
April 23, 2024
Cute clean romance
I have started reading Martha Keyes books and am loving each one of them.
Although a bit unbelievable, it still had me reading quickly and I really enjoyed the characters. I will read the other books in this series.
I have started reading Martha Keyes books and am loving each one of them.
Although a bit unbelievable, it still had me reading quickly and I really enjoyed the characters. I will read the other books in this series.
October 28, 2023
Adorable and beautiful. Loved the characters!!!
November 2, 2023
love celebrities, men pinning over women for years, and slowburn. overall good read excited for the third book to come out!
December 11, 2023
I didn't hate it but I really didn't find the relationship believable at all. I am not a fan of that much pinning. I think her feelings were more along the lines of settling rather than true love.
January 9, 2025
Fun friends to lovers, love after divorce, maybe a bit too much time spent in the character's thoughts
February 20, 2025
3.5 rounded up - too much friend zoning!
May 3, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed - Troy is so funny and it’s entertaining to be in his head. In fact I could have done without Stevie (POV) altogether.
January 6, 2026
“I think my soul was made to love yours.”
OMG THE YEARNING IN THIS BOOK!
OMG THE YEARNING IN THIS BOOK!
September 12, 2024
I was so happy to be back in the Sheppards in Love series. I absolutely adored the first one so I was looking forward to this one. Martha Keyes books always put a smile on my face. The way she writes inner thoughts/dialogue was so good!
Friends to more is always a fun trope. The hidden crushes on each other and the added complexity of their past and current relationships made for such an interesting plot. The back and forth of trying to stop their feelings for each other, so great to read. Troy and Stevie were just the cutest! They had the best friendship and loved and cared for each other deeply. They had the best slow burn! I am definitely here for a good slow burn and this one was done soooo well.
I also love the subtle connections Keyes' has to the characters of her other books, I am a sucker for a good connection. And I love all the spin-off books she does that are connected to this series.
Loved this one so much!!
Friends to more is always a fun trope. The hidden crushes on each other and the added complexity of their past and current relationships made for such an interesting plot. The back and forth of trying to stop their feelings for each other, so great to read. Troy and Stevie were just the cutest! They had the best friendship and loved and cared for each other deeply. They had the best slow burn! I am definitely here for a good slow burn and this one was done soooo well.
I also love the subtle connections Keyes' has to the characters of her other books, I am a sucker for a good connection. And I love all the spin-off books she does that are connected to this series.
Loved this one so much!!
June 13, 2025
I didn’t love the first few chapters of this book, but I’m so glad I stuck with it, it really is a cute love story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews