In Jami Rogers’ Always Been Write best friends Tobias Banks, bestselling romance author, and Natalie Miller, PR/media specialist, struggle with fighting the desire between them and wanting to cross the line between friends and lovers as they work together to write a steamy romance novel.
Rogers’ writing is vivid with detailed descriptions. Her characters are relatable, likable, characters that you want to work through their issues and just be happy together. Her colorful, hilarious, and natural-sounding dialogue perfectly suits her characters, setting, and theme.
The novel’s best moments are when it focuses on the novel writing and the relationships between Tobias and his best guy friends, Tobias and his grandmother, and Tobias and Natalie’s relationship apart from her fiancé. Those scenes are funny, nostalgic, emotional, sweet, and entertaining.
Since the moment they met 10 years ago, best friends Natalie and Tobias have been constants in each other’s lives. She knew she could always depend on him for whatever she needed, just as he could do the same. And when her personal life fell apart, he helped her to pick up the pieces, offering her a place to stay.
Tobias is brilliant, supportive, and kind-hearted. His friends are always on his case about his lack of a dating life. But he’s waiting for the right woman and focused on his writing career. So, he’s not too concerned about dating right now. His college friends, who are also romance writers, all believe that he and Natalie should be together. So does his grandmother.
Kind, smart, and considerate, Natalie is engaged to be married to a guy she’s been dating for several years. But she fears losing her friendship with Tobias or that he will disappear from her life once she’s married. Being with Tobias and hanging out at his house always puts her at peace. When Tobias has some issues with his writing and she thinks about how her marriage might change their friendship, she suggests co-writing a book together.
I like Tobias’ and Natalie’s dynamic. Their interactions are sweet, funny, sexy, and full of snark and sarcasm. Rogers’ love scenes take advantage of the forced proximity and their repressed chemistry and intense attraction that they’ve spent years denying that writing steamy scenes brings to the surface. These sensual and intimate scenes and moments reveal and evolve their characters and further the novel’s plot.
I love Rogers’ scenes with Natalie and Tobias writing the novel, especially the steamy scenes. Along with exploring the writing process as co-writers, these scenes are chemistry-filled, flirty, and fun. They also contribute to the transition of Tobias’ and Natalie’s relationship from friends to lovers and the evolution of their characters and the story. Natalie totally gets into writing the steamy scenes. Having the chance to spend all her time with her BFF Tobias and write a romance novel with him allows her to live her best life.
I love how patient and supportive and loving Tobias is toward Natalie. He genuinely shows his love for her. Because she is so frustrating. I wrote out this drawn-out rant about why she frustrates me, but I won’t go into it other than to say a couple of quick things. I don’t understand Natalie’s assumption and fixation on Tobias being a player. Unless it’s something from the other books in the series, which I haven’t read. But if so, he’s not anymore. So, she’s convinced that he could only be interested in casual affairs and if they ever crossed the line from friends to lovers, it could never last. But none of their friend group ever sees him with a parade of women on his arm or coming in and out of his home, including Natalie. Make it make sense. This, along with some other things that she does, says and believes about him, during the novel makes it hard to believe that she genuinely knows Tobias or is as close friends with him for 10 years as we are supposed to believe. Or maybe it’s just her tripping and not treating him like her best friend.
Funny, sweet, steamy, sexy, emotional, and fast-paced Always Been Write is
perfect for fans of friends to lovers, first love, romance/novel writing, and forced proximity.
Thanks to Jami Rogers and Grey’s Promotions for the Advanced Review Copy.