Not Just Best Friends

by Darcy Liao

One last summer with her best friend. One bed. One night she’ll never forget…

Frankie’s ready to leave the city for her dream job—but when her apartment floods, she’s forced to crash with her best friend for one more week.

The problem? Frankie’s been in love with sleek, femme Vivian for years. And Vivian keeps undressing in front of her, and they have to share a bed…

But Frankie can’t lose the one person who’s always been ride-or-die for her. She’ll keep her feelings hidden.

Even when things boil over on a hot, sleepless night…and their chemistry is off-the-charts scorching.

Vivian doesn’t do relationships. There’s no way she returns Frankie’s feelings. No matter what, Frankie’s leaving with a broken heart…so why not let herself have this one unforgettable night?

Not Just Best Friends is a steamy 13k-word novelette with cis butch / trans femme lesbian MCs and an HEA.

Genres: LGBT, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Novella, Lesbian, Queer Romance

50 pages, ebook

Published January 1, 2024

About the author

Darcy Liao writes swoony, steamy, diverse sapphic romance—always with plenty of pining and a happily ever after. They love seeing trans and nonbinary characters on the page, both as a reader and writer.

When they’re not writing, you can find them taking long walks around the city, catching screenings of old movies, or sitting in the park with a coffee and a good book.

Reviews

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful novella about two best friends, Vivian and Frankie, finally taking the scary step, getting closer and admitting their feelings.
Although this wasn't long (45 pages) it had everything I needed. So much longing on both sides, a deep friendship between outwardly different women who were so similar on the inside: good and caring. I loved the trans rep.

Finally a sapphic romance that was everything I had hoped for.

Plus, I'm so happy I FINALLY got a winner again. Lately my only good reads were rereads, the 6 new books before this one that I've read in the last 3 weeks had all been disappointing.

Ps this novella is free via the author's newsletter.

[lauraღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love meant showing up for people, fighting for them, pouring out her resources and skills and time— but it also meant sharing a leisurely dinner on a perfect summer night, with the person whose company she enjoyed more than anyone else’s in the world.

3.5 stars. An extremely cute little best friends to lovers story. I don't always do well with romance short stories, because I tend to want a lot of backstory and slow burn, which you can't really get in something that's just 50 pages long. But this did exactly what it set out to do, and made me smile so much. It does a good job of setting up Vivian and Frankie's relationship, giving us a little backstory on why they work so well as friends, and showing all that extremely cute mutual pining that ends up leading to more. There's a lovely element of found family and community (which it manages to do without featuring other characters much) and it's super hot. I became fond of these ladies in a very short amount of time. Kudos! I can't wait to read the author's upcoming full length romance! <3

[Joce (squibblesreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

hello this sexy, lovely asian american sapphic story???? i’m in love

[Jay Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really like 'Make Room for Love', but I really liked certain elements of it so much that I wanted to read something else from Darcy Liao. This story was meh for the same reasons as 'Make Room for Love'. Weird dialogue/prose is the main reason I didn't like this one. That being said, the queer NYC community aspect is actually very nice and I hope Liao keeps with this theme in her future writing!

[LEAH · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ★ Lacked substance due to the length. Not enough oomph to it. Couldn’t invest in the characters properly because it was so brief. A shame really, because if it was longer I could see myself really investing and getting on board with the plot.

[Ra! ʕ •̀ ω •́ ʔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES! pt 0.5 | tropes: sapphic romance, friends to lovers, trans fmc | medium steam | digital

📓Overall Thoughts📓
I read this after reading Make Room For Love (5⭐️) and confirm Liao is so good at writing yearning! Frankie and Vivian are best friends and desperately in love with each other. I loved the mutual pining and seeing their different POVs as they begin to blur the line between friendship and something more. I loved seeing the background between these characters after getting a taste often them! I also liked the focus on community building and found families. Community is so important for queer people and it can be hard to build outside of cities so I understood why Frankie's moving was such a different decision.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick fun read. I love Darcy Liao's written style and can’t wait to read her next book.

[Sapphic Bookshelf]

This is a short and spicy story I really enjoyed! I’m excited to read Make Room for Love next!

[beep ☀︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know this connected Make Room for Love, but it was really fun to see Mira's friends again!!! And this was really sweet and fun, and I just wish it was longer, that we got to spend more time with Vivian and Frankie, got to see their history and love for each other (more than just being told about it), but I like the openness for a future together!!! This was a short, light and sweet romance novella!! :D

[X · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just at the border of cute and boring, and while I won’t lie, I definitely did some skimming, I was impressed by how much ground Liao covered. While there wasn’t enough characterization/buildup for me to really be invested in these characters—and it would have been hard with this word count, but not impossible—I respect the sheer volume of plot points + character arcs + orgasms that she did manage to squeeze in.

[dobbs the dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love Darcy Liao’s books! I adored Make Room For Love and now I’ve read this short story, with the same group of friends!

Idk what’s going on, but this is another 5 star read that is friends to lovers. 😅 in addition to liking both MCs in this, I also loved their little found family. I’m very impressed with Liao’s ability to write this fully fleshed out story in so few words.

I am not so patiently waiting for more stories from Darcy Liao!

[Akansha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short cute asian american sapphic story with friends to lovers and the smut 🔥

PS: So excited for Make Room For Love

[Katie Duggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, sapphic friends-to-lovers short with fabulous Asian and trans rep! I loved how spicy and heartfelt this was, the perfect friends to lovers!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankie and Vivian are of Chinese descent and met in college while they both studied law. They were the only students with Chinese heritage and became close friends. Vivian graduates to be a lawyer while Frankie drops out and decides to start a career in agriculture. Under unforeseen circumstances, Vivian and Frankie end up living together. The plan is for Frankie to live at Vivian’s while she gets ready to accept a job in another city.

You can learn about what they each think and feel for each other through each point of view. Both girls feel a strong attraction to each other but don’t want to ruin their friendship. There’s no big drama around how they feel. Yes, at times they feel insecure about confessing their love to each other but both are mature and handle things genuinely.

There’s a sexy steamy scene that is very well written and endearing to read being that they’re best friends and have a hot, sweet, caring connection.

I received this short story via email and read it to familiarize myself with Darcy Liao’s writing since I’ll soon be receiving an ARC of her latest book. Excited to read more of what she writes!

[Jeimy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky to receive an early copy of Darcy Liao’s upcoming novel, Make Room for Love, which also came with access to this short friends-to-lovers novelette. Not Just Friends is a sweet, steamy setup that introduces us to Mira (who takes center stage in the next book) but mainly focuses on the emotional push-pull between Frankie and Vivian. This story gives us the classic shared bed trope and a blend of angst and longing as Frankie prepares to leave for a new job far from the city and Vivian.

While the chemistry between Frankie and Vivian is strong, the brevity of the story meant I didn’t feel fully invested in their relationship or their decisions. I would have loved a bit more “showing” to let me connect more deeply with their emotions, and the epilogue, while intriguing for setting up Mira’s story, felt a bit out of place here. That said, I see real potential in Liao’s writing, and I’m excited to dive into Make Room for Love to see how her storytelling grows and unfolds in a longer format!

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I requested this short story after signing up for the author's newsletter. It's set in the same universe as Make Room for Love, which is perfect considering I have been in post-book depression for several days now. Frankie and Vivian are within Mira's close circle of friends and they are mentioned a few times within the original story. It's nice to get a closer look at their lives and see how their own relationship came to be. Like Mira, Vivian is a trans lesbian. The representation is long overdue and Darcy Liao writes them beautifully. Not Just Best Friends takes place a while before Isabel and Mira meet, as the infamous "ex" is mentioned in the present tense. It connected so many dots for me 💡. This bonus story may be short but it doesn't deviate from the spice at all. You definitely won't be disappointed 🥵🔥.

[Romantic.Rainbow.Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is a sweet (and a little steamy) introduction to Darcy Liao’s writing. I was impressed by how much the author was able to flesh out the characters and the setting given the novella’s short length. Both main characters are embedded in the local queer community in Brooklyn in a way that was lovely to read about. Vivian is a trans lesbian woman and housing defense attorney, while Frankie is a cis lesbian woman dedicated to local agriculture.

This prequel made me even more excited to read Make Room for Love, the author’s full-length novel published recently. I started the novel, and I am really enjoying it so far! I will share a full review of it once I’m done.

Highlights:
- friends to lovers
- set in Brooklyn
- prequel
- short novella
- one spicy scene

[Amanda books_ergo_sum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a tiny free-with-the-newsletter short story. I didn’t expect a ton of romance plot from such a short friends to lovers story (the intimacy is usually grandfathered in with friends to lovers, I find).

Sapphic
Friends to lovers
Trans femme & cis butch FMCs
Only one bed
‘Oh no my apartment flooded, can I stay at your place?’

But I was pleasantly surprised by how much this story demonstrated their compatibility and what they brought to each other’s lives. That warmed my heart. And it had some spice, which I appreciated.

Plus, I randomly liked how un-idealized this New York setting was. Our lawyer FMC with wealthy parents still had a tiny apartment and I felt that.

It makes me want to read this author’s debut full length novel, Make Room For Love.

[Xenia Warrior · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not Just Best Friends is a short story with Frankie which is moving to a different city and leaving Vivian her best friend and secret crush for years. Vivian doesn’t do relationships which Frankie knows and not willing to jeopardize her friendship with a one night stand.

Besides Frankie doesn’t know that Vivian likes her too. The characters are great develop I recommend this book if you what to read a short story with Asian American character.

Darcy Liao create a sweet friends to lovers story, they care and try to respect each other. I just glad Darcy included Frankie and Vivian in her new story Make Room for Love. I really love the story about Frankie and Vivian and glad a had a second changes to keep reading their growth as a couple and friend to Mira.

[Cherie • bookshelvesandtealeaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a short, sweet, spicy sapphic romance. I quite enjoyed it and it was a great little prequel companion to Make Room For Love, which is also excellent.

The mutual pining in this was STRONG and I was living for it, tbh.

My favourite part was their conversation when they finally admitted their feelings. The way they talked about each other, TO each other, about the things they wanted together, was so lovely.

If you’re looking for a quick, lovely read, you can’t go wrong with this one and I believe it’s free if you sign up to the author’s newsletter.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This was a joy to read. Frankie and Vivian are best friends and Frankie has to temporarily move in with Vivian. The two have feelings for each other but are afraid to act on those feelings and it was just so fucking cute. Both characters are incredibly charming and likable and they had great chemistry with each other. There's only one sex scene but it was really, really good. Such a lovely read and I cannot wait for Liao's full length novel.

[natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

applause for the skill of saying and showing a lot about the story in 50 pages. it remained fully packed despite of. the pining was great and the chemistry was so sexy! it's just that being such a quick book, it didn't allow me to immerse myself in their lives and decisions, although understandable. i had no concerns on the author's writing style so i am looking forward to reading what she could do in her full-length novel, Make Room for Love

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick sweet read from a new to me author! I am so glad it was available and I signed up for the author’s newsletter! This book is a quick best friends to lovers sapphic romance featuring a fully transitioned trans female that’s against relationships and her best friend that’s utterly in love with her.

[claw · Rating 4 out of 5]

short and sweet!

it's friends to lovers but i liked it. and at least it acknowledged that friends can be life partners too, without romance having to be involved (it was just one line, but it really matters to me).

i would have loved it if it were a bit longer though.

not sure about their ages to tag it. mid-twenties at least?

[Philippe · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, I'm really glad I joined the ARC team for the next book ‘Make Room For Love’.
I enjoyed this book, the MCs are nice and the story is full of little details that give a good, real-life feeling.
4,5 stars

[Amber E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The relationship is really cute and you really learn why these characters love each other. The spicy scenes are great at making sure that consent is in the room while keeping everything super playful and sexy. It was so short and I wanted more.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet intro to Mira’s story in Make Room For Love. I was pleasantly surprised by the chemistry and romance packed into this short story. I appreciated the back story of Vivian and Frankie’s relationship, but was hoping for a little more.

[Anxietea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A companion novella to Make Room for Love that gives a little insight into the start of Vivian and Frankie's relationship.

It's such a sweet representation of the best friends to lovers trope and can be read as a standalone. Loved this.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lettura carinissima e che fa buon uso dello spazio a disposizione per stabilire le personagge, mostrare gradualmente il cambio di status della loro relazione e risolvere il (lieve) conflitto di fondo 👌