What do you think?
Rate this book
Wren
Penelope Boswell is my best friend.
She’s my person.
She’s who I call when I have good news and bad.
She’s my comfort. My solace.
But in the same breath, she’s my want, my longing, my ache.
She isn’t mine.
She never will be.
It’s a special kind of cruel to be in love with someone you shouldn’t.
To know your heart beats for someone you can never have.
One phone call in the middle of the night, two thousand miles between us, and everything changes.
She’s hurt.
Sad.
Broken.
She needs me.
He broke her, and now it’s my responsibility to step in and pick up the pieces…
But what will be left of me when all is said and done?
*Wren is a sapphic best friends to lovers novella that was originally published in the Worthy Pride Anthology.
She’s my person.
She’s who I call when I have good news and bad.
She’s my comfort. My solace.
But in the same breath, she’s my want, my longing, my ache.
She isn’t mine.
She never will be.
It’s a special kind of cruel to be in love with someone you shouldn’t.
To know your heart beats for someone you can never have.
One phone call in the middle of the night, two thousand miles between us, and everything changes.
She’s hurt.
Sad.
Broken.
She needs me.
He broke her, and now it’s my responsibility to step in and pick up the pieces…
But what will be left of me when all is said and done?
*Wren is a sapphic best friends to lovers novella that was originally published in the Worthy Pride Anthology.
100 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2023
52 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Ashley James
30 books1,406 followersAshley James is a romance author who enjoys writing (and reading) LGBTQIA+ books. She is from Washington State—and no, not Seattle—and currently resides in South Carolina with her two kids and hairless kitties, Goose, Maverick, and Houston. Ashley is introverted and slightly (okay, majorly) awkward. She refuses to make this section sound like a tacky dating app profile, so she won't be telling you how much she enjoys music, how she thoroughly enjoys dancing and singing in her kitchen, despite not being able to carry a tune, and she won't be telling you about her love of toxic and broken fictional men.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 13, 2024
Short novella of a best friend, Wren, dropping everything to fly from San Diego to Chicago to help her best friend from high school, Nelly, from an abusive husband. Trigger warning on domestic violence, but only in the past. Nice story.
July 12, 2024
Even though this was short and sweet it was amazing! I wish this could have been a whole book. I enjoy everything Ashley writes and this wasn’t the exception. Both characters were beautiful and there was an undeniable connection! The friendship was nice, the spice was enjoyable. Now I need more of these two friends
December 20, 2023
Ashley James is really a great author and it shows even in just 75 pages.
Wren and Nelly are adorable and i honestly wanted more about them 😍
Wren and Nelly are adorable and i honestly wanted more about them 😍
May 26, 2024
Wren has been in love with her best friend Nelly for as long as she can remember, but they’ve never been anything more than friends.
When Nelly calls her crying in the middle of the night asking her to come get her, Wren hops on the next flight to Chicago no questions asks. She’s not sure what to expect, but seeing Nelly covered in bruises with a split lip isn’t it.
It kills her seeing her best friend hurting, but Wren helps her pack up her things and the pair head on a road trip back to California.
Along the way things start to change between them, and the attraction Wren has always done her best to deny sparks to life between her and Nelly.
Their story hooked me from the start and left me wanting more! This absolutely was not enough, but the chemistry and tension between them was fantastic, and I didn’t feel like it was rushed despite how brief of a read it was.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
- best friends to lovers
CW: domestic abuse, not on page
When Nelly calls her crying in the middle of the night asking her to come get her, Wren hops on the next flight to Chicago no questions asks. She’s not sure what to expect, but seeing Nelly covered in bruises with a split lip isn’t it.
It kills her seeing her best friend hurting, but Wren helps her pack up her things and the pair head on a road trip back to California.
Along the way things start to change between them, and the attraction Wren has always done her best to deny sparks to life between her and Nelly.
Their story hooked me from the start and left me wanting more! This absolutely was not enough, but the chemistry and tension between them was fantastic, and I didn’t feel like it was rushed despite how brief of a read it was.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
- best friends to lovers
CW: domestic abuse, not on page
April 29, 2024
A NOVELLA THIS AMAZING?! Oh man I cannot wait for the novel.
December 18, 2023
How did Ashley pack so much into 75 pages?! 🤯😍 I ate this book up! I need more sapphic recs now! This is a best friends to lovers short story that packs emotion and spice. The fireplace scene. 🥵🤭
I hope we get more of these characters!
Highly recommend!
I hope we get more of these characters!
Highly recommend!
June 1, 2025
The narration by Quinn Riley 🤭 jfc
February 20, 2024
❤️
Ok, just finished this book. Let’s take a moment for wren🤌🏽…….she’s just 😮💨🌶️
Wren goes to help her best friend after her pos bf beats on her. She gets a call from Nelly in the middle of the night and drops everything to go and get her. Poor Nelly is a mess after but wren is a great best friend 😢. This is a short story but definitely had me in my feels. Their chemistry was everything. Idk how the author was about to pack so much in 75 pages! I hope there will be a second book 🤞🏽
Ok, just finished this book. Let’s take a moment for wren🤌🏽…….she’s just 😮💨🌶️
Wren goes to help her best friend after her pos bf beats on her. She gets a call from Nelly in the middle of the night and drops everything to go and get her. Poor Nelly is a mess after but wren is a great best friend 😢. This is a short story but definitely had me in my feels. Their chemistry was everything. Idk how the author was about to pack so much in 75 pages! I hope there will be a second book 🤞🏽
January 30, 2024
When you're married to a woman I don't know if you have higher standards for sapphic romances or what but I've liked 1 or 2 that haven't icked me out. With that said I absolutely loved Wren!!!
Penelope's (Nelly)realization of her feelings for Wren and coming to understand what certain feelings throughout their friendship actually meant was what I have personally experienced and what I think a lot of bi-sexual people have gone through and it was really cool too see that representation in a book!
The love Wren has for Nelly is fierce and protective and I can't wait to see what Ashley does with this when she develops it into a full length novel! You are left with an amazing HFN and even though it's short Ashley gives us a good amount of spice!
Penelope's (Nelly)realization of her feelings for Wren and coming to understand what certain feelings throughout their friendship actually meant was what I have personally experienced and what I think a lot of bi-sexual people have gone through and it was really cool too see that representation in a book!
The love Wren has for Nelly is fierce and protective and I can't wait to see what Ashley does with this when she develops it into a full length novel! You are left with an amazing HFN and even though it's short Ashley gives us a good amount of spice!
June 30, 2024
Wren + Penelope
-sapphic romance
-best friends to lovers
-hurt/comfort
-“who did that to you”
gahh i’m so happy i found this sapphic romance of ashley’s because i know it’s just gonna slaaayyyyy!!! & i can’t want for the rest of these twos story cause it’s gonna wreck me i just know it!!
-sapphic romance
-best friends to lovers
-hurt/comfort
-“who did that to you”
gahh i’m so happy i found this sapphic romance of ashley’s because i know it’s just gonna slaaayyyyy!!! & i can’t want for the rest of these twos story cause it’s gonna wreck me i just know it!!
April 16, 2025
short and sweet
September 9, 2025
Like Wren. Wanted to buy into the romance more.
Read
October 28, 2025um so this was fantastic. i felt like i really knew the characters even tho it was so short. the audio was amazing, quinn riley is such a great narrator. i absolutely must read more by this author
June 7, 2024
Ashley really knows how to build depth and connection with her characters and her books and this one for sure shows that in just under 75 pages you see two friends both females who are there for each other no matter what happens or how much time is passed but the line is crossed when wren tries to get her friend out of a domestic violence situation and the two lives collide in a serious way while also feeling out hidden emotions that have been brought to light . If you want a book that is quick for your goodreads goals or a ff romance for pride month/LGBTQIA’s books or just want to dive into Ashley writing this is a good one.
May 20, 2025
THIS WAS PHENOMENAL! omg I need Ashley James to give me a full length FF novel immediately. I am arguably more critical of sapphic books than I am other genre's and I have to say, Ashley James did the genre justice and I hope she continues to write more.
This was a beautiful, emotional, angsty and HOTTTT 100 page novella and I could have read 500 more. I love Wren and Nellie so much. God DAMN. I'm shook.
This was a beautiful, emotional, angsty and HOTTTT 100 page novella and I could have read 500 more. I love Wren and Nellie so much. God DAMN. I'm shook.
August 4, 2024
4.5 stars. This was so good and I want more. I hope that the author does another part because there’s still so much story to tell about Wren and Nelly. I adored them so much. Great chemistry and a compelling plot for this to be such a short read. James’s writing is really good and the spice was fantastic. Nelly’s story broke my heart. All the shit she went through with her husband but she’s so resilient. And Wren…*swoon*. Such an amazing and protective best friend. She’s always been in love with Nelly so watching them get together was so satisfying. I really loved this and will definitely be checking out more by this author.
May 7, 2025
Penelope Boswell is my best friend.
She’s my person.
She’s who I call when I have good news and bad.
She’s my comfort. My solace.
But in the same breath, she’s my want, my longing, my ache.
She isn’t mine.
She never will be.
It’s a special kind of cruel to be in love with someone you shouldn’t.
To know your heart beats for someone you can never have.
One phone call in the middle of the night, two thousand miles between us, and everything changes.
She’s hurt.
Sad.
Broken.
She needs me.
He broke her, and now it’s my responsibility to step in and pick up the pieces…
But what will be left of me when all is said and done?
She’s my person.
She’s who I call when I have good news and bad.
She’s my comfort. My solace.
But in the same breath, she’s my want, my longing, my ache.
She isn’t mine.
She never will be.
It’s a special kind of cruel to be in love with someone you shouldn’t.
To know your heart beats for someone you can never have.
One phone call in the middle of the night, two thousand miles between us, and everything changes.
She’s hurt.
Sad.
Broken.
She needs me.
He broke her, and now it’s my responsibility to step in and pick up the pieces…
But what will be left of me when all is said and done?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2025
This book was really cute, sad, and really good all at the same time. I listened to the audiobook only, and as someone who is trying to get used to audiobooks, as someone who either reads on her kindle or a physical book, I really enjoyed this although Nelly reminded me of Paige from The Hideout by Melissa Tereze, Nelly has an abusive husband, as did Paige, which is the sad part but Nelly's best friend Wren saves her and it's just a really cute story 😊 i would definitely recommend it! I haven't read the ebook or physical book but as an audiobook it is really good!
November 27, 2025
This was fine. A sweet novella about two besties who are, surprise surprise, something more, but one of them hadn't realised it yet. I'm not a big fan of and immediately having sex with someone else because that's too close to taking advantage of someone having some big emotions and, to be fair, they address it, but it's a novella, so I guess there's not much time to deal with this anyway.
August 30, 2024
This is a tinder slow burn friends too lovers romance. One is a lesbian and the other is as it turns out a asexual and it has taken a traumatic event and a lengthy road trip with said childhood lesbian friend for her to realize that she has latent sapphic emotions for her childhood friend.
A splendid sapphic love story😘
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😝😜😋❗
A splendid sapphic love story😘
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😝😜😋❗
February 16, 2025
This was a sapphic, best friends to lovers romance with some great tension and the best build up! Novellas can sometimes be hit or miss for me but i was so impressed with what the author was able to accomplish in such a short amount of time - it was really sweet to see the clear connection between wren and nelly. I could have easily read a whole book about them! such a good audiobook too
December 30, 2025
Friends-to-lovers is usually a guaranteed win for me, especially in sapphic romance—but this one didn’t leave much of an impression. While the premise has emotional stakes and longing baked in, I finished Wren realizing I couldn’t recall specific scenes or moments that stood out. It wasn’t bad, just forgettable, which is disappointing for a trope I normally adore.
April 6, 2025
Wren
Heartbreaking
Tender
Wonderful friendship
Healing road trip
Undeniable attraction
In such a short story, you quickly realize that there is no other person for Nelly than her best friend Wren. This was beautiful.
Heartbreaking
Tender
Wonderful friendship
Healing road trip
Undeniable attraction
In such a short story, you quickly realize that there is no other person for Nelly than her best friend Wren. This was beautiful.
June 6, 2025
This was a short, sweet and tender story between best friends Wren and Nelly. It was much more than a cross country trip, but a very special journey as well. I would have enjoyed a full length novel. The narration by Quinn Riley was wonderful and filled with affection!
January 10, 2024
Tantalizing!
It seems this is a prelude to whatever comes next, and that just leaves me wanting the rest of this story now.
It seems this is a prelude to whatever comes next, and that just leaves me wanting the rest of this story now.
February 13, 2024
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶
Tears: 0
Fantastic novella! This was my first Sapphic book and I enjoyed it. Very impressed with Ashley James and her ability to write both MM and FF so well.
Spice: 🌶🌶
Tears: 0
Fantastic novella! This was my first Sapphic book and I enjoyed it. Very impressed with Ashley James and her ability to write both MM and FF so well.
August 6, 2024
So cute!! Definitely hope they’re getting a full length story!
August 28, 2025
This was a cute story but the ending was SO abrupt. I wish it had been a bit longer, delving into the relationship more.
October 7, 2025
It started very angsty - which I love and then turned more into a love story. For a short audiobook it is a 4.5 put upward. The narrator was great and I liked the beginning with angst a lot.
November 27, 2025
I was just bored, soz!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews