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Little Do You Know
The first installment of the Bad At Love duology will capture your heart with the explosive chemistry between the main characters and leave you begging for more.
Thalia Lewis has just returned from a year abroad only to find that the apartment she is moving into with her brother also houses his best friend, Sebastian Walker. Thalia tried everything to forget him after a few stolen kisses the night before she left with little success.
Sebastian Walker is everything anyone could want. He is gorgeous, rich, and the starting quarterback for Duke University's football team. But this is his worst nightmare, having the one person who always gets under his skin living just across the hall.
After knowing each other their whole lives and ending up closer than anyone could have imagined, their friendship might be irreparable after the past year of no contact. Now Thalia is back, and living together makes avoidance impossible. Their interactions are cycles of constant fighting and the occasional kissing. Little do they know, there is a thin line between love and hate.
Thalia Lewis has just returned from a year abroad only to find that the apartment she is moving into with her brother also houses his best friend, Sebastian Walker. Thalia tried everything to forget him after a few stolen kisses the night before she left with little success.
Sebastian Walker is everything anyone could want. He is gorgeous, rich, and the starting quarterback for Duke University's football team. But this is his worst nightmare, having the one person who always gets under his skin living just across the hall.
After knowing each other their whole lives and ending up closer than anyone could have imagined, their friendship might be irreparable after the past year of no contact. Now Thalia is back, and living together makes avoidance impossible. Their interactions are cycles of constant fighting and the occasional kissing. Little do they know, there is a thin line between love and hate.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2024
144 people are currently reading
1095 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
April 17, 2024
I loved this book now just as much as I did when I first read it on wp and being selected to be an arc reader was such an honor for Laurea's debut novel. This story stole my heart back then and continues to do so now. It's engaging, funny, emotional, and so much more. Thalia is such a strong, fierce, spitfire, witty girl and Bash being the well balanced, calm cool collected guy goes seamlessly together. They aren't without their trials or tribulations though and of course incredible side characters such as Penelope, Blake and my favorite Owen! The emotional maturity she's able to express in her characters will keep you hooked and wanting more. The love they each have for something whether it's football or photography is inspiring!
This book will capture your attention from the moment you pick it up until the second you put it down. The book has a little bit of everything for everyone in it. If you love stolen moments, inside jokes, strong main characters, a good solid brothers best friend and of course an athlete then I strongly recommend. It's a good medium paced book and the first of a duology that will be sure to stay in your head for years to come.
A lot of stories that begin on wattpad fail to be written correctly into a full book format when making the switch to a physical book but having been here from the beginning of Laurea's journey I will say that I always thought her writing was meant to be seen in stores across the world. She has transitioned incredibly well and I can't wait to see what else she writes!
This book will capture your attention from the moment you pick it up until the second you put it down. The book has a little bit of everything for everyone in it. If you love stolen moments, inside jokes, strong main characters, a good solid brothers best friend and of course an athlete then I strongly recommend. It's a good medium paced book and the first of a duology that will be sure to stay in your head for years to come.
A lot of stories that begin on wattpad fail to be written correctly into a full book format when making the switch to a physical book but having been here from the beginning of Laurea's journey I will say that I always thought her writing was meant to be seen in stores across the world. She has transitioned incredibly well and I can't wait to see what else she writes!
April 30, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
Little Do You Know had me going through a rollercoaster of emotions. Thalia is such a spitfire, stubborn girl who knows how to make an impression both good and bad. Sebastian, sweet sweet Bash, the new love of my life and the smokin' hot quarterback for Duke University, knows he wants Thalia but somehow things always take a turn for the worst and the timing is never right. Poor guy could not catch a break. But to be fair, never let a girl that you know loves you into your apartment.
This book was full of laughter, tears, and heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. It has all the things I love: dual POV, forced proximity, brother's best friend!!!, second chance, protective mmc, and childhood friends to lovers.
Hoping that Blake and Owen get their own book!!! Blake and Penelope stole my heart. Vera on the other hand ... 😤👊🏼
*Thank you to the author for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review!
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
Little Do You Know had me going through a rollercoaster of emotions. Thalia is such a spitfire, stubborn girl who knows how to make an impression both good and bad. Sebastian, sweet sweet Bash, the new love of my life and the smokin' hot quarterback for Duke University, knows he wants Thalia but somehow things always take a turn for the worst and the timing is never right. Poor guy could not catch a break. But to be fair, never let a girl that you know loves you into your apartment.
This book was full of laughter, tears, and heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. It has all the things I love: dual POV, forced proximity, brother's best friend!!!, second chance, protective mmc, and childhood friends to lovers.
Hoping that Blake and Owen get their own book!!! Blake and Penelope stole my heart. Vera on the other hand ... 😤👊🏼
*Thank you to the author for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review!
May 16, 2024
What to Expect:
*Brother’s best friend
*Sports romance
*New adult
*Forced proximity
*Secretly dating
*Duel POV
“I have shown you parts of myself I have never felt comfortable sharing. You mean so much to me in such a short amount of time that it scares the living shit out of me. I don’t want to go back to how things were before. Please don’t be another almost in my life.”
This is my first book by Laurea Matthews and I can promise you it won’t be the last because I loved everything about LDYK. From the characters to the actual writing itself. I honestly don’t know how I will be able to convey all my thoughts and emotions in this one review.
I tend to say this a lot, but I really like when you can see how well the main characters balance each other out and I saw that with Sebastian and Thalia. The perfect balance with the right amount of tension and chemistry. This book will give you all of that and more. It touched on many different things and just kept the flow of the book going which I really liked. 'Little Do You Know' was well paced and provided readers with so much that they can hold onto. Sebastian and Thalia left me wanting more of their story and I just love that about books because it makes parting with them harder.
p.s. It has not been long since I finished reading LDYK and I am already itching to reread just because. This is the perfect book to read especially around this time with the weather is getting warmer and everything. I can’t wait to read more books by Laurea because this one is definitely a favorite.
Thank you so much to Laurea Matthews for writing LDYK and for giving me the chance to read the book early <3
*Brother’s best friend
*Sports romance
*New adult
*Forced proximity
*Secretly dating
*Duel POV
“I have shown you parts of myself I have never felt comfortable sharing. You mean so much to me in such a short amount of time that it scares the living shit out of me. I don’t want to go back to how things were before. Please don’t be another almost in my life.”
This is my first book by Laurea Matthews and I can promise you it won’t be the last because I loved everything about LDYK. From the characters to the actual writing itself. I honestly don’t know how I will be able to convey all my thoughts and emotions in this one review.
I tend to say this a lot, but I really like when you can see how well the main characters balance each other out and I saw that with Sebastian and Thalia. The perfect balance with the right amount of tension and chemistry. This book will give you all of that and more. It touched on many different things and just kept the flow of the book going which I really liked. 'Little Do You Know' was well paced and provided readers with so much that they can hold onto. Sebastian and Thalia left me wanting more of their story and I just love that about books because it makes parting with them harder.
p.s. It has not been long since I finished reading LDYK and I am already itching to reread just because. This is the perfect book to read especially around this time with the weather is getting warmer and everything. I can’t wait to read more books by Laurea because this one is definitely a favorite.
Thank you so much to Laurea Matthews for writing LDYK and for giving me the chance to read the book early <3
April 16, 2024
First I just want to say THANK YOU to Laurea for letting me read an ebook ARC of her debut novel! :)
I absolutely loved everything about this book! The tropes were all that I was hoping for and more! I truly loved the character development in this story of not only Bash and Thalia but the secondary characters as well and I loved seeing all the romance unfold throughout the story! This book has just the right amount of spice to keep you on the edge of your seat but you can also totally recommend it to your mom ;) (which I have) and not feel weird about it!
I laughed with the all main characters and I truly felt their pain in the hard moments this book touched on, Laurea did a beautiful job talking about things in life that are sometimes just too hard to put words to.
I am so very excited to see what she has coming up for the second book in this series and I cannot wait to read it! I am also so very excited to get my physical copy of this book when my preorder paperback comes!! :)
I absolutely loved everything about this book! The tropes were all that I was hoping for and more! I truly loved the character development in this story of not only Bash and Thalia but the secondary characters as well and I loved seeing all the romance unfold throughout the story! This book has just the right amount of spice to keep you on the edge of your seat but you can also totally recommend it to your mom ;) (which I have) and not feel weird about it!
I laughed with the all main characters and I truly felt their pain in the hard moments this book touched on, Laurea did a beautiful job talking about things in life that are sometimes just too hard to put words to.
I am so very excited to see what she has coming up for the second book in this series and I cannot wait to read it! I am also so very excited to get my physical copy of this book when my preorder paperback comes!! :)
May 1, 2024
I first wanted to thank Laurea for sending me an ARC of her debut novel! What a fantastic accomplishment, and I am so appreciative that you chose to share it with me :)
This story took me through a whirlwind of emotions; she was able to encapsulate such a wide range of both heavy and light topics, handling tougher conversations and plot-lines with care. This book is such a wonderful palette cleanser for anyone who may be encroaching a book slump because it kept me engrossed and engaged from start to finish.
I love having a strong FMC in contemporary romance, because these often feel like the most relatable stories, and Thalia did not disappoint. She felt so true to herself, in both her dialogue and internal monologue. I believed our couple’s connection, and felt the hurt and pain throughout each of the conflicts they went through. Their relationship felt honest in an extremely realistic way, and it was such a pleasure to watch their love story unfold.
A brother’s best friend trope reimagined in a way that felt new and unique to Thalia and Sebastian. Little Do You Know felt like a true emulation of a contemporary college romance, with all of the conflicts and emotional rollercoasters people go through everyday. It was special to be able to relate to relate to so many of these characters. And I have to say that I LOVED our side characters. Having healthy female friendships showcased is so important, and that’s why I fell in love with Blake and Penelope.
I rated this book a 3.5 stars! I would 100% recommend this book to romance readers who love brother’s best friend tropes, sports romances, strong FMC with a calming MMC, with the perfect about of spice!
I can’t wait for the final book in this duology to be released!
This story took me through a whirlwind of emotions; she was able to encapsulate such a wide range of both heavy and light topics, handling tougher conversations and plot-lines with care. This book is such a wonderful palette cleanser for anyone who may be encroaching a book slump because it kept me engrossed and engaged from start to finish.
I love having a strong FMC in contemporary romance, because these often feel like the most relatable stories, and Thalia did not disappoint. She felt so true to herself, in both her dialogue and internal monologue. I believed our couple’s connection, and felt the hurt and pain throughout each of the conflicts they went through. Their relationship felt honest in an extremely realistic way, and it was such a pleasure to watch their love story unfold.
A brother’s best friend trope reimagined in a way that felt new and unique to Thalia and Sebastian. Little Do You Know felt like a true emulation of a contemporary college romance, with all of the conflicts and emotional rollercoasters people go through everyday. It was special to be able to relate to relate to so many of these characters. And I have to say that I LOVED our side characters. Having healthy female friendships showcased is so important, and that’s why I fell in love with Blake and Penelope.
I rated this book a 3.5 stars! I would 100% recommend this book to romance readers who love brother’s best friend tropes, sports romances, strong FMC with a calming MMC, with the perfect about of spice!
I can’t wait for the final book in this duology to be released!
May 4, 2024
✨ 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ✨
𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰𝐬
𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟺𝚝𝚑, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 — 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚠!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
🌸 enemies to lovers
🌸 sports romance (college football)
🌸 brother’s best friend
🌸 forced proximity/roommates
🌸 “one time to get it out of our system’s”
🌸 secretly dating
🌸 open door romance
🌸 dual POV
Thalia is returning from studying abroad in France. She ends up needing to stay with her brother, Owen. The downside to that is Owen lives with his best friend & teammate, Sebastian. Before Thalia left for France, her & Sebastian shared a passionate kiss together till Owen ended up knocking on the door. Some hurtful words were said by both Thalia & Sebastian & they never spoke again during Thalia’s time in France. Now, it’s going to be inevitable since they will be living together. The chemistry is still there for both Thalia & Sebastian. The only thing left to do is to hook up to get it out of their systems. However, feelings begin to grow on both sides.
I think my favorite part about this book was the character development with both Thalia & Sebastian, but Thalia mostly! Thalia is such a stubborn little firecracker & finds herself making mistakes & acting out of anger/hurt, but the way she takes ownership over her actions is where her growth begins. Sebastian also makes mistakes & had me so dang frustrated at times, but all of the groveling & the little actions that he does to make up for those mistakes was so sweet to see. I loved all of the “forbidden” sneaking around moments between Thalia & Sebastian to keep their relationship under wraps from Owen. This one was cute & spicy!
𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰𝐬
𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟺𝚝𝚑, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 — 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚠!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
🌸 enemies to lovers
🌸 sports romance (college football)
🌸 brother’s best friend
🌸 forced proximity/roommates
🌸 “one time to get it out of our system’s”
🌸 secretly dating
🌸 open door romance
🌸 dual POV
Thalia is returning from studying abroad in France. She ends up needing to stay with her brother, Owen. The downside to that is Owen lives with his best friend & teammate, Sebastian. Before Thalia left for France, her & Sebastian shared a passionate kiss together till Owen ended up knocking on the door. Some hurtful words were said by both Thalia & Sebastian & they never spoke again during Thalia’s time in France. Now, it’s going to be inevitable since they will be living together. The chemistry is still there for both Thalia & Sebastian. The only thing left to do is to hook up to get it out of their systems. However, feelings begin to grow on both sides.
I think my favorite part about this book was the character development with both Thalia & Sebastian, but Thalia mostly! Thalia is such a stubborn little firecracker & finds herself making mistakes & acting out of anger/hurt, but the way she takes ownership over her actions is where her growth begins. Sebastian also makes mistakes & had me so dang frustrated at times, but all of the groveling & the little actions that he does to make up for those mistakes was so sweet to see. I loved all of the “forbidden” sneaking around moments between Thalia & Sebastian to keep their relationship under wraps from Owen. This one was cute & spicy!
May 4, 2024
4.5
Okay, I loved!!! Thank you Laurea for the ARC :)
Thalia comes back to the states after being abroad in France for the last year, moving in with her brother Owen, and his best friend Sebastian, could make for a bumpy ride. Sebastian and Thalia do not get a long after their falling out prior to her leaving for France. As we see their dynamic move and grow we do eventually learn what happened before she left and their distaste for each other.
This was such an angsty read, my stomach was in knots 90% of the time and I LOVED IT!!! 😍 give me all the angst for real. The tension, the banter, the chemistry, the hate to love, everything… so good. I was a little upset with Thalia and how stubborn she was to not hear out my baby Sebastian but we got over it and we love them both, so it’s okay. I do have to say, Sebastian is the king of groveling and I want to stuff him in my pocket and protect his broken heart at all costs. All I gotta say is “f Vera”. For real, I love the friendships Thalia was able to make outside of her, with Penelope, and Blake. The buildup between Thalia and Sebastian was so worth it. Ugh I love I love I loveeeee!!!!
What to expect:
🏈 Sports Romance
💘 Brother’s Best Friend
🤝🏼 Forced Proximity
🤫 Secretly Dating
🔥 “One time to get it out of our system”
🏖️ Protective MMC (my faaaavv)
✌🏼 Dual POV
Okay, I loved!!! Thank you Laurea for the ARC :)
Thalia comes back to the states after being abroad in France for the last year, moving in with her brother Owen, and his best friend Sebastian, could make for a bumpy ride. Sebastian and Thalia do not get a long after their falling out prior to her leaving for France. As we see their dynamic move and grow we do eventually learn what happened before she left and their distaste for each other.
This was such an angsty read, my stomach was in knots 90% of the time and I LOVED IT!!! 😍 give me all the angst for real. The tension, the banter, the chemistry, the hate to love, everything… so good. I was a little upset with Thalia and how stubborn she was to not hear out my baby Sebastian but we got over it and we love them both, so it’s okay. I do have to say, Sebastian is the king of groveling and I want to stuff him in my pocket and protect his broken heart at all costs. All I gotta say is “f Vera”. For real, I love the friendships Thalia was able to make outside of her, with Penelope, and Blake. The buildup between Thalia and Sebastian was so worth it. Ugh I love I love I loveeeee!!!!
What to expect:
🏈 Sports Romance
💘 Brother’s Best Friend
🤝🏼 Forced Proximity
🤫 Secretly Dating
🔥 “One time to get it out of our system”
🏖️ Protective MMC (my faaaavv)
✌🏼 Dual POV
July 21, 2025
Non è che sia un brutto libro, ma ci sono state diverse cose che non mi sono piaciute.
Prima su tutti lo stile di scrittura. Pesante, pieno di ripetizioni, frasi buttate lì, a volte perfino la fine del capitolo messa lì, senza senso.
La trama niente di che, ma mi chiedo: erano davvero necessarie 410 pagine?
NO.
I personaggi: se lui a tratti mi faceva tenerezza, lei l'avrei presa a schiaffi il più delle volte.
A partire dal fatto che non si parla in una lingua che non TUTTI i presenti capiscono. Cafona.
- ps il mio francese è molto molto arrugginito, ma mi è sembrato che non tutte le frasi filassero al cento per cento.
Appello a tutte le autrici made in USA: se decidete di mettere nei vostri libri frasi e/o parti in lingue straniere, per favore fate leggere le bozze ad un madrelingua.
Mi sento di parlare a nome di tutti i non statunitensi (quindi, nel 90% dei casi, di tutti coloro che parlano almeno un'altra lingua oltre alla lingua madre): è una TORTURA. -
Tornando al personaggio di Thalia, l'ho trovata insopportabile la maggior parte del tempo.
Facevo fatica a fare il tifo per la coppia principale e ad un certo punto quasi speravo che lui la mollare definitivamente.
Più interessanti in due personaggi secondari, Blake e Owen, ma forse meglio non essere andati a fondo della faccenda: lo stile dell'autrice mi avrebbe reso pesante pure loro.
Prima su tutti lo stile di scrittura. Pesante, pieno di ripetizioni, frasi buttate lì, a volte perfino la fine del capitolo messa lì, senza senso.
La trama niente di che, ma mi chiedo: erano davvero necessarie 410 pagine?
NO.
I personaggi: se lui a tratti mi faceva tenerezza, lei l'avrei presa a schiaffi il più delle volte.
A partire dal fatto che non si parla in una lingua che non TUTTI i presenti capiscono. Cafona.
- ps il mio francese è molto molto arrugginito, ma mi è sembrato che non tutte le frasi filassero al cento per cento.
Appello a tutte le autrici made in USA: se decidete di mettere nei vostri libri frasi e/o parti in lingue straniere, per favore fate leggere le bozze ad un madrelingua.
Mi sento di parlare a nome di tutti i non statunitensi (quindi, nel 90% dei casi, di tutti coloro che parlano almeno un'altra lingua oltre alla lingua madre): è una TORTURA. -
Tornando al personaggio di Thalia, l'ho trovata insopportabile la maggior parte del tempo.
Facevo fatica a fare il tifo per la coppia principale e ad un certo punto quasi speravo che lui la mollare definitivamente.
Più interessanti in due personaggi secondari, Blake e Owen, ma forse meglio non essere andati a fondo della faccenda: lo stile dell'autrice mi avrebbe reso pesante pure loro.
April 20, 2024
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not giving up on me and refusing to let me be another almost in your life.”
😭🥺😭
Laurea was super kind to send me an arc to read before release and I looooved it!
It’s not listed as YA but it felt like it in the sense that it was FULL of angst, banter, personality digs, etc.
I think collectively, we can all as a whole, agree that Vera was the worst character to ever exist. I HATED her 😂
Thalia was so funny, she had me cracking up so many times. Continuously calling bash a connard was sending me over the edge lmao. She is such a firecracker and I loved that about her. She had a fun personality and it was easy to like her character. I did think that her and bash’s back and forth hot and cold was childish, but they’re young adults so, what can ya expect. Been there done that myself 🤣
Bash was such a good man! Him going to see Mimi and the flowers… SO SWEET. He didn’t ever falter from his feelings and he was authentically himself throughout the book.
The addition of Blake and Owen was.. everything. I absolutely cannot wait to get more of their story! I just KNOW Owen is going to be a man obsessed.
I really enjoyed how it all played out and I was literally crying in the epilogue. I was so happy with how the story ended. 4.5 stars. Thanks again laurea! 🩶
“For what?”
“For not giving up on me and refusing to let me be another almost in your life.”
😭🥺😭
Laurea was super kind to send me an arc to read before release and I looooved it!
It’s not listed as YA but it felt like it in the sense that it was FULL of angst, banter, personality digs, etc.
I think collectively, we can all as a whole, agree that Vera was the worst character to ever exist. I HATED her 😂
Thalia was so funny, she had me cracking up so many times. Continuously calling bash a connard was sending me over the edge lmao. She is such a firecracker and I loved that about her. She had a fun personality and it was easy to like her character. I did think that her and bash’s back and forth hot and cold was childish, but they’re young adults so, what can ya expect. Been there done that myself 🤣
Bash was such a good man! Him going to see Mimi and the flowers… SO SWEET. He didn’t ever falter from his feelings and he was authentically himself throughout the book.
The addition of Blake and Owen was.. everything. I absolutely cannot wait to get more of their story! I just KNOW Owen is going to be a man obsessed.
I really enjoyed how it all played out and I was literally crying in the epilogue. I was so happy with how the story ended. 4.5 stars. Thanks again laurea! 🩶
May 4, 2024
Wow, this book was a true work of art!
I loved this book from start to finish, for so many reasons.
I could not get enough of the characters, they were so vibrant and exciting from the first page I feel like they really jumped off the page. I think the author did a fantastic job of describing true young 20s angst and drama. Our main character Thalia had so much spunk and attitude that I remember having in my young 20s as well!
Sebastian was so sweet and caring and reminded me of my husband, so of course I instantly loved him.
The romance was so well done and sculpted, I could really feel the chemistry which I think is kind of hard to do in a book sometimes.
Besides the main characters completely feeling like found family, I also really loved and connected with the side characters. I think it’s very easy for the side characters to get forgotten about or just not really be loved, but I honestly couldn’t picture this book without them!
I am SO beyond excited to see what happens with my little found family and can’t wait for book 2!!
I loved this book from start to finish, for so many reasons.
I could not get enough of the characters, they were so vibrant and exciting from the first page I feel like they really jumped off the page. I think the author did a fantastic job of describing true young 20s angst and drama. Our main character Thalia had so much spunk and attitude that I remember having in my young 20s as well!
Sebastian was so sweet and caring and reminded me of my husband, so of course I instantly loved him.
The romance was so well done and sculpted, I could really feel the chemistry which I think is kind of hard to do in a book sometimes.
Besides the main characters completely feeling like found family, I also really loved and connected with the side characters. I think it’s very easy for the side characters to get forgotten about or just not really be loved, but I honestly couldn’t picture this book without them!
I am SO beyond excited to see what happens with my little found family and can’t wait for book 2!!
April 18, 2024
Thalia is fierce and Sebastian is the kind of guy that you just melt over. Their banter was hilarious, but at the same time the tension and spice between the two felt so realistic! Enemies to lovers and brothers best friend are an amazing trope combination! There was some family moments that tugged at my heart because of how relatable they were. Overall I adored this book. It’s an amazing light read perfect for a palate cleanser romance novel in between heavier reads.
March 20, 2025
I spent almost all of the time reading this book anticipating the book would end in a cliffhanger because it’s a duet so I was just waiting for the ball to drop and it didn’t because I’m a dummy that did not read the synopsis of the duet. If I had I would have been able to ease the cliffhanger stress and know that they’re two separate books so it’s fine.
BUT that aside, this was a cute, college brothers best friend, it was always you romance and I really enjoyed it. also hot football player.
BUT that aside, this was a cute, college brothers best friend, it was always you romance and I really enjoyed it. also hot football player.
April 16, 2024
I really liked how the story is going. I read all of this series. And it's all so good and makes you think what will happen next. And how the characters will develop themselves. In this series the thing I liked the most is when males in this family always give flowers to their loved ones. It's so cute and romantic.
May 14, 2024
love this book
Such a good book! I could reread it 100 times and I can’t wait to read the next one in this series. Bash and Owen are two of my favorite characters. They are so funny and I feel encompass more of the sides we don’t always see in athletes. Penelope, Blake and Thalia are quite the trio of friends and strong female characters.
Such a good book! I could reread it 100 times and I can’t wait to read the next one in this series. Bash and Owen are two of my favorite characters. They are so funny and I feel encompass more of the sides we don’t always see in athletes. Penelope, Blake and Thalia are quite the trio of friends and strong female characters.
March 31, 2025
This book is angsty!! The tropes in this book were like a perfect combination: Second chance romance, brother’s best friend, first love, enemies to lovers.
Thalia just returned back to the United States after spending a year abroad in France. She is returning to college to continue her photography degree. She frustrated me so much!! I mean I love her, she has so many complex layers. There is a lot of character growth in her throughout the book— give her a chance!
Her first love is her brother’s best friend and now also her roommate. The tension, chemistry, angst was so good in this book! Sebastian is a star football player who dreams to be drafted one day but most of all just wants his dream girl Thalia. He is also not perfect and has some amazing character growth. I question both of their silly immature mistakes but loved the passion, tension and angst between the two of them.
April 12, 2024
I was so excited to read this!!! It definitely lived up to my expectations!! The writing was phenomenal, the character/character development was spot on. The details and the flow of the story work so well. Can't wait to get the physical copy when it comes out!
May 4, 2024
*Thank you so much to Laurea for providing me with an ARC for an honest review!
I loved this debut book by Laurea! It was full of young love, drama, friendship and spice and I enjoyed every moment!
The banter and sparks flying from Sebastian and Thalia were insane and you knew from the beginning that it was only a matter of time before these two compusted!! They had their ups and downs, but the way that Laurea wrote this story so beautifully, you knew they were gonna make it!
The characters had such amazing growth over the span of the book, and it was a joy to read. I connected with this book in such a special way with what Sebastian had to deal with with his grandmother as I, too, dealt with the same thing with mine.
It's so hard to believe that this was Laurea's first book! I am so excited to see what she will write next! You can bet I'm going to read it!!
I loved this debut book by Laurea! It was full of young love, drama, friendship and spice and I enjoyed every moment!
The banter and sparks flying from Sebastian and Thalia were insane and you knew from the beginning that it was only a matter of time before these two compusted!! They had their ups and downs, but the way that Laurea wrote this story so beautifully, you knew they were gonna make it!
The characters had such amazing growth over the span of the book, and it was a joy to read. I connected with this book in such a special way with what Sebastian had to deal with with his grandmother as I, too, dealt with the same thing with mine.
It's so hard to believe that this was Laurea's first book! I am so excited to see what she will write next! You can bet I'm going to read it!!
April 18, 2024
beta read: Feb 1-16 2024
arc read: Apr 6-18 2024
⟢ tropes : second chance; brothers best friend; one night stand turned more; photographer x football player; and they were roommates
more detailed review to come once published!!
thank you to the author Laurea Matthews for providing me with an arc for an honest review
arc read: Apr 6-18 2024
⟢ tropes : second chance; brothers best friend; one night stand turned more; photographer x football player; and they were roommates
more detailed review to come once published!!
thank you to the author Laurea Matthews for providing me with an arc for an honest review
September 25, 2024
Love love love. The summer I turned pretty meets sports.
Lifelong friends to enemies to lovers.
Sebastian is best friends Thelia’s brother Owen and when Thelia moves in with both of them after living in France for a year things are tumultuous. The gorgeous quarterback for Duke Sebastian seems to hate Thelia no matter what she says or does until Thelia proposes a simple wager. After the wager, everything changes between Sebastian and Thelia and we, the reader, see a beautiful but at times tragic love story unfold.
This book is an absolute stunner that I finished off in a little over a day.
Lifelong friends to enemies to lovers.
Sebastian is best friends Thelia’s brother Owen and when Thelia moves in with both of them after living in France for a year things are tumultuous. The gorgeous quarterback for Duke Sebastian seems to hate Thelia no matter what she says or does until Thelia proposes a simple wager. After the wager, everything changes between Sebastian and Thelia and we, the reader, see a beautiful but at times tragic love story unfold.
This book is an absolute stunner that I finished off in a little over a day.
September 7, 2024
This was such a cute book! It’s an enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, sports romance.
It’s a little angsty, and it seemed kind of slow at times, but I still enjoyed it.
This is Laurea’s debut novel, so I’m excited to see where she goes from here.
It’s a little angsty, and it seemed kind of slow at times, but I still enjoyed it.
This is Laurea’s debut novel, so I’m excited to see where she goes from here.
May 6, 2024
Sports romance, forced proximity, brother’s best friend…. say less! This book was so good!! I’m obsessed with romance and grumpy MMC and this book did not disappoint!!
February 17, 2025
What a bunch of stupid, juvenile drama! I don't remember if the book gave ages for Bash and Thalia but they acted like a couple of twelve-year-olds.
April 18, 2025
Just so bad. Poor writing, over dramatic plot, and little build.
October 20, 2024
“Tonight has been perfect. Thank you.” “Anything for you, Lia,” Sebastian says, cupping my face. “I’d do anything for you.” - Sebastian & Thalia
Tropes:
💐 Brother's best friend
💐 Secretly dating
💐 Forced proximity
💐 Book one of two
💐 Reformed playboy
💐 Enemies to lovers
💐 Dual pov
💐 Sports romance
💐 'One time to get it out of our systems'
Rating:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5
🌶️ 🌶️/5
*Possible spoilers ahead*
I was so excited to read this book and it helped me to get out of my slump! I did not want to read at all but I made myself just try to read a little bit and then once I started I couldn't put it down.
Sebastian and Thalia have known each other for forever since Sebastian is best friends with Thalia's brother. They kissed and said some awful things to each other, and then Thalia left for France for a year and a half. Thalia is back now and she is living with Owen (her brother) and Sebastian.
After constantly arguing, they decide to sleep with each other one time to get it out of their system except, they want more. They secretly start dating but then a problem occurs and Thalis breaks up with Sebastian and he spends most of the rest trying to get her back.
I really did enjoy reading this book but there were times when I felt it was repetitive in the same chapter. Thalia is really stubborn but there were times when I really didn't like her because she just wouldn't listen to Sebastiern when that's exactly what she needed to do and they wouldn't have been apart for as long as they were if she listened to him. Sebastian has so much going on that Thalia doesn't know about and he finally lets her in. They both finally talked it through because her brother made them sit down and talk even though they said they were going to talk it out that same day. Whenever they would argue they would always throw things into each other's faces and it made it so much worse between them. They were able to work it through and now are happily together by the end of this first book.
"Little Do You Know" is available now and I can't wait for the second part of Sebastian and Thalia's story that comes out on November 1st!
“Anywhere as long as you’re with me. Little do you know how madly in love with you I am.” - Sebastian
Tropes:
💐 Brother's best friend
💐 Secretly dating
💐 Forced proximity
💐 Book one of two
💐 Reformed playboy
💐 Enemies to lovers
💐 Dual pov
💐 Sports romance
💐 'One time to get it out of our systems'
Rating:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5
🌶️ 🌶️/5
*Possible spoilers ahead*
I was so excited to read this book and it helped me to get out of my slump! I did not want to read at all but I made myself just try to read a little bit and then once I started I couldn't put it down.
Sebastian and Thalia have known each other for forever since Sebastian is best friends with Thalia's brother. They kissed and said some awful things to each other, and then Thalia left for France for a year and a half. Thalia is back now and she is living with Owen (her brother) and Sebastian.
After constantly arguing, they decide to sleep with each other one time to get it out of their system except, they want more. They secretly start dating but then a problem occurs and Thalis breaks up with Sebastian and he spends most of the rest trying to get her back.
I really did enjoy reading this book but there were times when I felt it was repetitive in the same chapter. Thalia is really stubborn but there were times when I really didn't like her because she just wouldn't listen to Sebastiern when that's exactly what she needed to do and they wouldn't have been apart for as long as they were if she listened to him. Sebastian has so much going on that Thalia doesn't know about and he finally lets her in. They both finally talked it through because her brother made them sit down and talk even though they said they were going to talk it out that same day. Whenever they would argue they would always throw things into each other's faces and it made it so much worse between them. They were able to work it through and now are happily together by the end of this first book.
"Little Do You Know" is available now and I can't wait for the second part of Sebastian and Thalia's story that comes out on November 1st!
“Anywhere as long as you’re with me. Little do you know how madly in love with you I am.” - Sebastian
May 4, 2024
𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘:
First, I’d like to start by saying congratulations to Laurea on the release of your debut novel! 🤍✨
Now on to the book itself. I adored it! I knew from the beginning that Thalia was going to be a spitfire. Keeping both her brother and his best friend, Sebastian, on their toes. I definitely related to her character. How the more she grew up, the more her priorities changed. And that can come with a lot of losses, including friendships. And then we have Sebastian. Oh, I loved him instantly. And not just because he’s a football player (that’s just a bonus). No, Sebastian carries more weight and responsibility on his shoulders than anyone would realize. He keeps it to himself, and my heart ached for him. But despite that, he was such a good guy. That couldn’t be denied. And his protectiveness and love for Thalia? I simply swooned. I was yelling for her to climb that tree too (iykyk).
But the two of these together? What a roller coaster. Thalia’s just spent a year in France. And before she left, these two didn’t end on the best terms. But even a year later, the chemistry and tension between these two is undeniable. These two know how to get under one another’s skin, especially beings they have to share an apartment. Their late night kitchen scenes were the best — their banter was giving me all of the grumpy/sunshine vibes. & definitely enemies-to-lovers! Like I said, their story is a roller coaster.
This was such a heartwarming story. There’s many highs and lows, and push and pulls between these two. But they both made a lot of growth. And their connection and love for one another was apparent the entire book. This was such a sweet, angsty, sometimes quite emotional, funny, and enjoyable read! And I can’t wait to see what’s in store for a certain duo that I’m rooting for. 😉 I definitely recommend giving it a read yourself! 💕
First, I’d like to start by saying congratulations to Laurea on the release of your debut novel! 🤍✨
Now on to the book itself. I adored it! I knew from the beginning that Thalia was going to be a spitfire. Keeping both her brother and his best friend, Sebastian, on their toes. I definitely related to her character. How the more she grew up, the more her priorities changed. And that can come with a lot of losses, including friendships. And then we have Sebastian. Oh, I loved him instantly. And not just because he’s a football player (that’s just a bonus). No, Sebastian carries more weight and responsibility on his shoulders than anyone would realize. He keeps it to himself, and my heart ached for him. But despite that, he was such a good guy. That couldn’t be denied. And his protectiveness and love for Thalia? I simply swooned. I was yelling for her to climb that tree too (iykyk).
But the two of these together? What a roller coaster. Thalia’s just spent a year in France. And before she left, these two didn’t end on the best terms. But even a year later, the chemistry and tension between these two is undeniable. These two know how to get under one another’s skin, especially beings they have to share an apartment. Their late night kitchen scenes were the best — their banter was giving me all of the grumpy/sunshine vibes. & definitely enemies-to-lovers! Like I said, their story is a roller coaster.
This was such a heartwarming story. There’s many highs and lows, and push and pulls between these two. But they both made a lot of growth. And their connection and love for one another was apparent the entire book. This was such a sweet, angsty, sometimes quite emotional, funny, and enjoyable read! And I can’t wait to see what’s in store for a certain duo that I’m rooting for. 😉 I definitely recommend giving it a read yourself! 💕
May 4, 2024
💕🏈𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪🏈💕
𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄
𝗕𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄𝘀
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀. It is 𝘈𝘔𝘈𝘡𝘐𝘕𝘎. Angsty and just plot driven, I had such a hard time putting it down. Sebastian and Thalias chemistry jumps of the page, I was seriously kicking my feet and so giddy while reading some parts of this book. Because they are just SO perfect for each other!! But the banter and the “I hate you” just makes it ADDICTING!! This book was all of my favorite things, brothers best friend, enemies to lovers/friends to lovers, and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the growth of both of them but Lia’s was amazing and Bash and his flowers🤭 The whole “resisting each other her for years” micro-trope was just 😍
“𝙄 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙎𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣. 𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩. 𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚.”😍
“𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙖’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨.”🤭
The character of Mimi was so sweet but also brought out so many emotions because it’s a real thing that happens. 🥺 Bash’s strength through this was so admirable and made the reader realize how much he truly was dealing with. Also I loveeeed Blake, Owen & Penelope, can’t wait to see if we get more from them! Vera INFURIATED me😂 but her character brought a lot of plot!!
Laurea’s writing is just so addicting, and when I found out she had written on WattPad it all made sense, because I LOVE the style of writers from WattPad. This book was just so beautifully written, pulling you in and building up suspense. A big thank you to @ you have no idea how much I truly loved being in Bash and Thalias world for a while. And I can’t wait to read more about them!! 🤭💕
𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄
𝗕𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄𝘀
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀. It is 𝘈𝘔𝘈𝘡𝘐𝘕𝘎. Angsty and just plot driven, I had such a hard time putting it down. Sebastian and Thalias chemistry jumps of the page, I was seriously kicking my feet and so giddy while reading some parts of this book. Because they are just SO perfect for each other!! But the banter and the “I hate you” just makes it ADDICTING!! This book was all of my favorite things, brothers best friend, enemies to lovers/friends to lovers, and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the growth of both of them but Lia’s was amazing and Bash and his flowers🤭 The whole “resisting each other her for years” micro-trope was just 😍
“𝙄 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙎𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣. 𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩. 𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚.”😍
“𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙖’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨.”🤭
The character of Mimi was so sweet but also brought out so many emotions because it’s a real thing that happens. 🥺 Bash’s strength through this was so admirable and made the reader realize how much he truly was dealing with. Also I loveeeed Blake, Owen & Penelope, can’t wait to see if we get more from them! Vera INFURIATED me😂 but her character brought a lot of plot!!
Laurea’s writing is just so addicting, and when I found out she had written on WattPad it all made sense, because I LOVE the style of writers from WattPad. This book was just so beautifully written, pulling you in and building up suspense. A big thank you to @ you have no idea how much I truly loved being in Bash and Thalias world for a while. And I can’t wait to read more about them!! 🤭💕
August 9, 2025
THIS IS HOW THE BROTHER’S BEST FRIEND TROPE IS DONE.
While I can kind of see the aversion to having your best friend date your sister, you should want them to be happy above all and that is this book. The brother finally just fronts them out for crushing on each other because they’re both miserable without the other. Like, Owen loves them both enough to know they deserve whatever they’re avoiding on his account and THAT is how it’s done, people.
Sebastian and Thalia give me the feet-kicking giggles and I kicked all book long, even during the stupid breakup. Bash needed to gain some trust in telling Lia stuff that could upset her and Lia needed to realize that Bash isn’t perfect. So not an unnecessary conflict, just an annoying one.
And for some reason, the micro trope of men learning a new language to love a woman better is my new obsession. I could read it over and over again.
While I can kind of see the aversion to having your best friend date your sister, you should want them to be happy above all and that is this book. The brother finally just fronts them out for crushing on each other because they’re both miserable without the other. Like, Owen loves them both enough to know they deserve whatever they’re avoiding on his account and THAT is how it’s done, people.
Sebastian and Thalia give me the feet-kicking giggles and I kicked all book long, even during the stupid breakup. Bash needed to gain some trust in telling Lia stuff that could upset her and Lia needed to realize that Bash isn’t perfect. So not an unnecessary conflict, just an annoying one.
And for some reason, the micro trope of men learning a new language to love a woman better is my new obsession. I could read it over and over again.
May 1, 2025
Idk if this book was
1) written bad
2) had a bad plot because of the drama
3) was bad because of the INSANE amount of miscommunication
4) just bad all around
But regardless, this book was like bad? But it was also hard to put down, but I also skimmed through all of it.
Idk
I didn’t realize I could hate two main characters and think the MMC was too whipped to be attractive. There’s a certain point where you gotta stick up for yourself
Also the FMC was a genuine cunt for like 40% of this book for NO reason.
All around not a pleasant experience
1) written bad
2) had a bad plot because of the drama
3) was bad because of the INSANE amount of miscommunication
4) just bad all around
But regardless, this book was like bad? But it was also hard to put down, but I also skimmed through all of it.
Idk
I didn’t realize I could hate two main characters and think the MMC was too whipped to be attractive. There’s a certain point where you gotta stick up for yourself
Also the FMC was a genuine cunt for like 40% of this book for NO reason.
All around not a pleasant experience
October 16, 2024
Love story
Wow! I was so captivated my Lia and Bash’s story that I literally did not want to put this down. They literally have to worse communication and Lia is definitely too stubborn for her own good. You almost want to hate Lia but at the same time it feels like you completely get it. Now for her so called best friend….yeah I hope she steps on legos everyday. I cannot wait to see what’s coming in the next book. I am scared it’s going to rip me apart.
Wow! I was so captivated my Lia and Bash’s story that I literally did not want to put this down. They literally have to worse communication and Lia is definitely too stubborn for her own good. You almost want to hate Lia but at the same time it feels like you completely get it. Now for her so called best friend….yeah I hope she steps on legos everyday. I cannot wait to see what’s coming in the next book. I am scared it’s going to rip me apart.
April 17, 2025
mixed feelings
There were parts that were SO well written and others that were so so.
Parts that seemed to have much more connection to the overall story and parts that seem to be written yet not felt. Almost like they were under the pump to be written or done by someone else.
It was okay. I did enjoy most of it, but I lacked details in character development and delivery for almost all characters.
There were parts that were SO well written and others that were so so.
Parts that seemed to have much more connection to the overall story and parts that seem to be written yet not felt. Almost like they were under the pump to be written or done by someone else.
It was okay. I did enjoy most of it, but I lacked details in character development and delivery for almost all characters.
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