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Destined Love #1
Always Been You
Olivia:
I was a kid when I fell in love with my brother’s best friend, but I never thought that Joshua Lincoln would see me the same way.
When my life is turned upside down and I’m left looking for a new place to live, Josh is right there offering me support, and his spare room. I’m mortified when he catches sight of my summer checklist, but he offers to spend his summer helping me check off every item on it.
Josh:
Growing up Olivia Carter was just my best friend's little sister and my friend. Now, she’s all grown up and I’ve realized my feelings for her are so much more. I’ve kept my distance, but now she needs help. Giving her a place to live and helping her achieve all she wants this summer I hope that I can show her I want to build a future with her.
Will this end in disaster or happily ever after?
I was a kid when I fell in love with my brother’s best friend, but I never thought that Joshua Lincoln would see me the same way.
When my life is turned upside down and I’m left looking for a new place to live, Josh is right there offering me support, and his spare room. I’m mortified when he catches sight of my summer checklist, but he offers to spend his summer helping me check off every item on it.
Josh:
Growing up Olivia Carter was just my best friend's little sister and my friend. Now, she’s all grown up and I’ve realized my feelings for her are so much more. I’ve kept my distance, but now she needs help. Giving her a place to live and helping her achieve all she wants this summer I hope that I can show her I want to build a future with her.
Will this end in disaster or happily ever after?
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2024
166 people are currently reading
1501 people want to read
About the author
Alex Taylor
9 books124 followersLiving in the Vancouver area of British Columbia with her husband, Alex enjoys spending her free time reading, watching Hockey (go Canucks), watching Disney movies and crime TV shows, and spending time outdoors. She started writing in 2023 when her first story just wouldn't leave her mind. From there, the ideas of a series formed and she's never looked back.
She enjoys talking to other authors and romance lovers. Her TBR is never-ending, but that doesn't stop her from adding at least one new book every day. Alex looks forward to experiencing more in the indie author community and can't wait to share her books with the world.
She enjoys talking to other authors and romance lovers. Her TBR is never-ending, but that doesn't stop her from adding at least one new book every day. Alex looks forward to experiencing more in the indie author community and can't wait to share her books with the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
March 6, 2024
Before you read my full review, please note the following...
1. This is an ARC review
2. This is the author's debut book & I can tell that she has a lot of potential.
With that being said, I started this book around February 21st and had to step away from it at about the 40% mark. I honestly thought I was going to DNF it. Why?
Because a lot of this book felt like it was truly for word count.
For example , I don't need to have you lay out step by step how one does the everyday monotonou things, unless there is inner dialog to accompany it to tell us how they are feeling. There are many points within this book that reach a point of redundancy that made it kind of hard to get past. With a bit of extra editing, this could be amazing.
With that being said ... the story line, the plot, the character development, the fun adventures, & smut were well thought out, and ultimately, this book has a lot of potential.
If this author learns & grows, she will become one of the greats.
The tropes - Brothers Best Friend, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Forced Prox/Roommates, Summer Bucketlist, Camping, Roadtrips, Sexual Exploration, Accidental Pregnancy.
Olivia's character was fun. I liked her sense of adventure, and the list that she made for the summer was super fun. It was very enjoyable.
She is plus sized and has insecurities that her EX-BOYFRIEND really plays into. He treats her so bad & ends up stalking her.
FMC didn't lose her personality as soon as the romance reaches it's climax, so that was fantastic.
Josh, our MMC, has been in love with Olivia for a long time and was just biding his time from the sidelines. So when Liv needs a place to stay & his best friend, Liv's brother, volunteers the spare bedroom for her to use, he very quickly jumps at this opportunity.
These two are dynamite together. I love the dirty talk, the sexy fun, and the intimate moments.
I love the message that no matter what your size, you are lovable & should be respected.
I'm excited to read the rest of this series.
1. This is an ARC review
2. This is the author's debut book & I can tell that she has a lot of potential.
With that being said, I started this book around February 21st and had to step away from it at about the 40% mark. I honestly thought I was going to DNF it. Why?
Because a lot of this book felt like it was truly for word count.
For example , I don't need to have you lay out step by step how one does the everyday monotonou things, unless there is inner dialog to accompany it to tell us how they are feeling. There are many points within this book that reach a point of redundancy that made it kind of hard to get past. With a bit of extra editing, this could be amazing.
With that being said ... the story line, the plot, the character development, the fun adventures, & smut were well thought out, and ultimately, this book has a lot of potential.
If this author learns & grows, she will become one of the greats.
The tropes - Brothers Best Friend, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Forced Prox/Roommates, Summer Bucketlist, Camping, Roadtrips, Sexual Exploration, Accidental Pregnancy.
Olivia's character was fun. I liked her sense of adventure, and the list that she made for the summer was super fun. It was very enjoyable.
She is plus sized and has insecurities that her EX-BOYFRIEND really plays into. He treats her so bad & ends up stalking her.
FMC didn't lose her personality as soon as the romance reaches it's climax, so that was fantastic.
Josh, our MMC, has been in love with Olivia for a long time and was just biding his time from the sidelines. So when Liv needs a place to stay & his best friend, Liv's brother, volunteers the spare bedroom for her to use, he very quickly jumps at this opportunity.
These two are dynamite together. I love the dirty talk, the sexy fun, and the intimate moments.
I love the message that no matter what your size, you are lovable & should be respected.
I'm excited to read the rest of this series.
March 15, 2024
Always Been You
ARC REVIEW 🌙
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice 🥵🥵🥵
Brother’s Best Friend?
Now Housemates.
Heartbroken because of 💩 ex
But it has always been you vibes with your brother’s bestie.
Summer time & a bucket list
This book is everything I like in my romance books and plus one. From the first meet in the book to everything Josh did for Olivia, the way he stood up but also let her be her own person and give space to figure out life and stuff.
This book was absolute fun to read without much drama, heartfelt confessions, spicy and swoony moments this book is the perfect pick for the weekend.
ARC REVIEW 🌙
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice 🥵🥵🥵
Brother’s Best Friend?
Now Housemates.
Heartbroken because of 💩 ex
But it has always been you vibes with your brother’s bestie.
Summer time & a bucket list
This book is everything I like in my romance books and plus one. From the first meet in the book to everything Josh did for Olivia, the way he stood up but also let her be her own person and give space to figure out life and stuff.
This book was absolute fun to read without much drama, heartfelt confessions, spicy and swoony moments this book is the perfect pick for the weekend.
March 16, 2024
First thoughts…
The sparks had me intrigued from page one along with the brother’s best friend.
Good thoughts…
Strong opening that had me invested.
I love the dual POV so we got both perspectives of our love interests.
Liv is plus-sized and is a great balance of confident but sometimes very insecure. It felt very realistic.
Ice hockey, yes please.
Positive and supportive relationship… yes please.
Lots of spice… yes please.
Not good thoughts…
The first half of the book was really good, and I thought it was easily 4 stars, but the latter half dragged.
The tension with someone from Liv’s recent past felt forced since it didn’t make sense why this person was so obsessed. They were just mean and nasty so I never understood why they bothered with Liv if that’s what they thought of her.
The writing was mostly good, but lots of repetitions and micro actions made it longer than it needed to be and took away from the potential of the story.
Purely my opinion, but I think some things were too obvious and spoiled the surprise for the reader.
Sometimes Josh was too perfect, which sounds crazy to say, but nobody is that perfect.
Random thoughts…
Mentions of lots of yummy food.
Final thoughts...
I’m glad I read this and it had some really great parts to it, but I felt it needed another revision to reach its full potential.
The sparks had me intrigued from page one along with the brother’s best friend.
Good thoughts…
Strong opening that had me invested.
I love the dual POV so we got both perspectives of our love interests.
Liv is plus-sized and is a great balance of confident but sometimes very insecure. It felt very realistic.
Ice hockey, yes please.
Positive and supportive relationship… yes please.
Lots of spice… yes please.
Not good thoughts…
The first half of the book was really good, and I thought it was easily 4 stars, but the latter half dragged.
The tension with someone from Liv’s recent past felt forced since it didn’t make sense why this person was so obsessed. They were just mean and nasty so I never understood why they bothered with Liv if that’s what they thought of her.
The writing was mostly good, but lots of repetitions and micro actions made it longer than it needed to be and took away from the potential of the story.
Purely my opinion, but I think some things were too obvious and spoiled the surprise for the reader.
Sometimes Josh was too perfect, which sounds crazy to say, but nobody is that perfect.
Random thoughts…
Mentions of lots of yummy food.
Final thoughts...
I’m glad I read this and it had some really great parts to it, but I felt it needed another revision to reach its full potential.
March 14, 2024
This was such a cute friend’s to lovers romance, one that literally made me blush from how sweet Josh is to Olivia.
We follow Olivia who just got out of a really bad relationship & finds herself living with her brother’s best friend. And Josh, who is the hot CEO that’s always had a crush on her, he see’s his chance and makes his move.
This was Alex’s debut novel and I feel she set up a really good plot line not only for this book, but also for the characters that will come in the following books.
We follow Olivia who just got out of a really bad relationship & finds herself living with her brother’s best friend. And Josh, who is the hot CEO that’s always had a crush on her, he see’s his chance and makes his move.
This was Alex’s debut novel and I feel she set up a really good plot line not only for this book, but also for the characters that will come in the following books.
January 12, 2025
Between the words babe & negligee the book could have been 50 pages shorter… I have a lot more I could say but I’ll keep it at that. 🫡
Read
March 13, 2024This book was so reeling and it kept me reading. You just always want to know what’s about to happen next. It was sweet and loved filled. That spiiicceeeeee 🥵 was insane for this sweet book lol 👀. It was my first time reading a book about a thick girl and I’m so happy I read it.
You feel for the FMC, Olivia, as she’s a big girl and has insecurities about her figure. Her support system, her family and super amazing friends, are THE BEST!!! I loved them all! They’re so kind and tender and overall healthy vibes. Olivia also has her boyfriend in which they plan to move in together but things happen. So that leaves Olivia thinking she’s going to be couch hopping everywhere until her first crush/brothers best friend/childhood friend, Josh suggests she stay with him because he has a spare room in his place. No big deal because they’re friends who pretty much grew up together since little kids. So she agrees. But now, what happens when you’re living with your 1st crush and the vibes are just soooo good? 🤗
You see Olivia’s vulnerability a few times and you just want to hold her. She’s so sweet and she needs to understand that she’s a beautiful being and her size doesn’t matter. I’m sure people’s insecurities comes from maybe 1 person or a few pointing out flaws that they have and that’s all it takes to hurt someone’s heart to sometimes no repair. Please always be kind to all beings. You don’t know what they’re battling. Also, as the old saying goes, “if you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all.”You can make someone’s entire day by simply being kind and saying a kind gesture. Spread love ❤️🫶🏽
Read if you like:
-Found family
-Spicceeee 🥵
-Brothers Best Friend
-Book references
-First childhood crush/friend
-Sorta second chance
-Fast paced plot
TW: mental, emotional, verbal abuse, “big” girl insecurities, cheating.
You feel for the FMC, Olivia, as she’s a big girl and has insecurities about her figure. Her support system, her family and super amazing friends, are THE BEST!!! I loved them all! They’re so kind and tender and overall healthy vibes. Olivia also has her boyfriend in which they plan to move in together but things happen. So that leaves Olivia thinking she’s going to be couch hopping everywhere until her first crush/brothers best friend/childhood friend, Josh suggests she stay with him because he has a spare room in his place. No big deal because they’re friends who pretty much grew up together since little kids. So she agrees. But now, what happens when you’re living with your 1st crush and the vibes are just soooo good? 🤗
You see Olivia’s vulnerability a few times and you just want to hold her. She’s so sweet and she needs to understand that she’s a beautiful being and her size doesn’t matter. I’m sure people’s insecurities comes from maybe 1 person or a few pointing out flaws that they have and that’s all it takes to hurt someone’s heart to sometimes no repair. Please always be kind to all beings. You don’t know what they’re battling. Also, as the old saying goes, “if you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all.”You can make someone’s entire day by simply being kind and saying a kind gesture. Spread love ❤️🫶🏽
Read if you like:
-Found family
-Spicceeee 🥵
-Brothers Best Friend
-Book references
-First childhood crush/friend
-Sorta second chance
-Fast paced plot
TW: mental, emotional, verbal abuse, “big” girl insecurities, cheating.
March 16, 2024
2.7⭐️
No es una mala historia, pero no dá para 400 páginas.
Olivia y Josh han estado enamorados el uno del otro por años, pero él es el mejor amigo del hermano de ella y no quiere arruinar su amistad, sin embargo, todos esos años separados fueron una pérdida de tiempo porque Matt (el hermano) jamás se oposo a que salieran, es más, estaba muy contento de que sus personas favoritas estuvieran juntas.
Punto menos porque Liv tiene al violador de Zade en su lista de novios literarios.
Nota para mi
-Hannah, amiga de Olivia desde la universidad, es enfermera.
-Zoey amiga de Liv desde la primaria, hay algo entre ella y Matt
-Liz, amiga de Liv de la universidad
-Em, hermana de Josh, es la única que no está en el círculo de amigos cercanos, entonces, tal vez no tenga libro, habrá que esperar.
-Matt es hermano de Olivia, mujeriego, pero buena persona.
-Caleb amigo de Matt, es policía, ex militar. Creo que el siguiente libro de es él.
-Grayson, amigo de Matt, es doctor, mujeriego e hizo algo para molestar a Hannah. Al parecer estaban teniendo citas y ella lo encontró besándose con otra enfermera, él le dijo que no era nada y que deberían seguir saliendo, la pobre de Hannah se sintió horrible, ademas de que tiene que estar escuchando sobre todas sus escapadas sexuales y ahora es el enemigo #1. Sí llegan a tener libro, más le vale a este idiota que se arrastre por su perdón y bese el suelo que ella pisa.
No es una mala historia, pero no dá para 400 páginas.
Olivia y Josh han estado enamorados el uno del otro por años, pero él es el mejor amigo del hermano de ella y no quiere arruinar su amistad, sin embargo, todos esos años separados fueron una pérdida de tiempo porque Matt (el hermano) jamás se oposo a que salieran, es más, estaba muy contento de que sus personas favoritas estuvieran juntas.
Punto menos porque Liv tiene al violador de Zade en su lista de novios literarios.
Nota para mi
-Hannah, amiga de Olivia desde la universidad, es enfermera.
-Zoey amiga de Liv desde la primaria, hay algo entre ella y Matt
-Liz, amiga de Liv de la universidad
-Em, hermana de Josh, es la única que no está en el círculo de amigos cercanos, entonces, tal vez no tenga libro, habrá que esperar.
-Matt es hermano de Olivia, mujeriego, pero buena persona.
-Caleb amigo de Matt, es policía, ex militar. Creo que el siguiente libro de es él.
-Grayson, amigo de Matt, es doctor, mujeriego e hizo algo para molestar a Hannah. Al parecer estaban teniendo citas y ella lo encontró besándose con otra enfermera, él le dijo que no era nada y que deberían seguir saliendo, la pobre de Hannah se sintió horrible, ademas de que tiene que estar escuchando sobre todas sus escapadas sexuales y ahora es el enemigo #1. Sí llegan a tener libro, más le vale a este idiota que se arrastre por su perdón y bese el suelo que ella pisa.
March 25, 2024
Ok. I really liked a lot of aspects of this book and it’s a solid 3⭐️ for Always Been You by @authoralextaylor . I loved the low angst and I felt like Liv’s plus size character was a true representation. I loved how she wasn’t going to change for Josh nor did he want her to. This was the smoothest brothers best friend I’ve read and I’ve been loving the low angst books recently. Her friends were great and I love books with texting in them. One thing that made me give this 3⭐️ over 4, was bc I thought the banter and conversation became a bit repetitive. Other than that, I really liked this read! Is Caleb next??
March 19, 2024
3.5 rounded up
I didn't plan on writing a full review for this, but I did want to put a little spoiler-y piece of feedback in this review space.
I didn't plan on writing a full review for this, but I did want to put a little spoiler-y piece of feedback in this review space.
June 22, 2024
This was such a cute book. Brother’s best friend is one of my all time favorite tropes. I loved that they both were secretly harboring feelings for eachother for years. It’s even funnier that everyone knew it except for them. And the secret birthday flowers that Josh was sending to Liv all those years? That’s the cutest thing ever. I love the way that Josh loved Liv. Purely, wholesomely and unconditionally. I can’t wait for book 2!!
-Brother’s best friend
-Roommates
-Close proximity
-Golden retriever/cinnamon roll MMC
-Friends to lovers
-Spicy list
-Brother’s best friend
-Roommates
-Close proximity
-Golden retriever/cinnamon roll MMC
-Friends to lovers
-Spicy list
March 5, 2024
I came across this book through Threads, where I follow the author. I really enjoyed this read, I give it 4 stars. The hockey aspect of this romance made it unique and was not something that I was expecting, which was nice. I can tell the author is a big fan of the NHL. I hope that Caleb will get his own spin off, and that’s what his bit was hinting towards, his story stand alone would be very interesting.
dnf
April 23, 2025This wasn’t the worst and I kept going because I wanted to give it a real shot. It was a relaxing read but I just found it left literally nothing to the imagination and was repetitive. Even the sex scenes used the same vocab repeatedly.
I liked the playlist & content warnings and I’ve never seen a “dicktionary” before and thought that was cute.
Also, I appreciated the fat representation from the FMC but would like to see more fat MMCs or at least less objectification of the MMC. Like why was she commenting to her friends about how there “wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body”? Could we just skip the body commentary altogether?
I needed deeper emotional connection and substance from the characters. This is a debut and I wouldn’t rule out reading more from this author in the future as there were some compelling things about the story, including the familiar Vancouver setting!
I liked the playlist & content warnings and I’ve never seen a “dicktionary” before and thought that was cute.
Also, I appreciated the fat representation from the FMC but would like to see more fat MMCs or at least less objectification of the MMC. Like why was she commenting to her friends about how there “wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body”? Could we just skip the body commentary altogether?
I needed deeper emotional connection and substance from the characters. This is a debut and I wouldn’t rule out reading more from this author in the future as there were some compelling things about the story, including the familiar Vancouver setting!
April 21, 2025
This was such a cute book and such a good time! There was a trope that I didn’t want but welcomed in the end
Cute little read 🥺
Cute little read 🥺
July 9, 2024
3.5 stars!
A cute friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, roommates romance! I absolutely LOVE when the brother is a secret matchmaker!
A cute friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, roommates romance! I absolutely LOVE when the brother is a secret matchmaker!
March 19, 2024
Arc Review
3.5⭐️
what to expect:
- mf romance
- brother’s best friend
- mutual pining
- plus size FMC
- golden retriever MC
- found family
This was such a cute read!! I love the brother’s best friend trope and mutual pining, I’m sold! Josh and Liv were the cutest characters and I loved their relationship so much. The way Josh was so down bad for Liv was my favorite. Not only were Liv and Josh amazing MCs, I loved all their friends and i’m so excited for them to get books 🥰
3.5⭐️
what to expect:
- mf romance
- brother’s best friend
- mutual pining
- plus size FMC
- golden retriever MC
- found family
This was such a cute read!! I love the brother’s best friend trope and mutual pining, I’m sold! Josh and Liv were the cutest characters and I loved their relationship so much. The way Josh was so down bad for Liv was my favorite. Not only were Liv and Josh amazing MCs, I loved all their friends and i’m so excited for them to get books 🥰
April 29, 2024
I love a good friends to lovers book and this one nailed it. Throw in a little bit of spice, cute dates, and forced proximity and you've got yourself a wonderful feel good read.
March 21, 2024
Content Warning: The following review is formulated by my opinion only. Please take what you read with a grain of salt and understand that this is solely my opinion, as yours may differ.
Rating: 3 Stars
Review:
From the moment I heard about this book I was hooked, especially because of the “brothers best friend” classic romance trope. Although this overall was a very feel good, easy read type of romance and I would recommend it to some degree, I think there were plenty of things that would prevent me from recommending this book to other readers.
I loved having the dual POV and genuinely enjoyed Josh’s character and the way he treated Olivia, especially as a plus size woman, which is rarely seen in reads. Olivia was occasionally confident, but had plenty of moments of insecurities which felt realistic and I could genuinely appreciate and relate to. Nonetheless, even with both main characters having interest in one another from the start, I was kind of disappointed with the lack of build up before the start of their relationship.
Although Olivia, the main character, felt relatable in some aspects, her relationship with her friends and the need to dish all of her dirty laundry to them just felt excessive and a bit too cheesy. I understand wanting to talk to your friends and spill some dirty details, but it was as if she had no boundaries at all and is completely the type to kill and tell every last detail. On top of that, the way that her friends were all available at any time of day just felt too unrealistic and I want to say almost TOO fictional, reminding me of the romance reads when I was younger.
There were a lot of times that you could easily predict what was going to happen and it made it almost too easy to spoil for the reader. There was a lot of repetition throughout the book, and honestly it felt as though a lot of the writing was just filler.
I also felt like toward the end the proposal was so sudden and honestly unplanned it just seemed too cheesy and rushed. On top of that the pregnancy and the change from a vacation to a BBQ announcement and all that planning just seemed SO unrealistic. It felt like at this point the author was just rushing to get to the end of the book and couldn’t get there fast enough. On top of that, she experienced pregnancy symptoms and then got a vaginal ultrasound, heard the heartbeat, and got sonogram photos two days later?? Like the dots just don’t connect and there’s no need to rush a “happy ending.”
I genuinely enjoyed the first half of the book, but the second half seemed to lag quite a bit, losing my interest very quickly and making it hard not to DNF the last 35% of the book. Also, I’m all for lots of sexual tension and spicy scenes, BUT these also often times felt like filler and sometimes they just seemed like they didn’t match the vibe of the chapter at all.
I would definitely recommend this book to more amateur readers, especially those who may be interested in books by Colleen Hoover since it reminded me of her writing style, but as a more advanced reader I think it lacked the emotional context and I couldn’t feel as invested in the story as I wish I could’ve.
📚 I received an ARC of Always Been You from Alex Taylor in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3 Stars
Review:
From the moment I heard about this book I was hooked, especially because of the “brothers best friend” classic romance trope. Although this overall was a very feel good, easy read type of romance and I would recommend it to some degree, I think there were plenty of things that would prevent me from recommending this book to other readers.
I loved having the dual POV and genuinely enjoyed Josh’s character and the way he treated Olivia, especially as a plus size woman, which is rarely seen in reads. Olivia was occasionally confident, but had plenty of moments of insecurities which felt realistic and I could genuinely appreciate and relate to. Nonetheless, even with both main characters having interest in one another from the start, I was kind of disappointed with the lack of build up before the start of their relationship.
Although Olivia, the main character, felt relatable in some aspects, her relationship with her friends and the need to dish all of her dirty laundry to them just felt excessive and a bit too cheesy. I understand wanting to talk to your friends and spill some dirty details, but it was as if she had no boundaries at all and is completely the type to kill and tell every last detail. On top of that, the way that her friends were all available at any time of day just felt too unrealistic and I want to say almost TOO fictional, reminding me of the romance reads when I was younger.
There were a lot of times that you could easily predict what was going to happen and it made it almost too easy to spoil for the reader. There was a lot of repetition throughout the book, and honestly it felt as though a lot of the writing was just filler.
I also felt like toward the end the proposal was so sudden and honestly unplanned it just seemed too cheesy and rushed. On top of that the pregnancy and the change from a vacation to a BBQ announcement and all that planning just seemed SO unrealistic. It felt like at this point the author was just rushing to get to the end of the book and couldn’t get there fast enough. On top of that, she experienced pregnancy symptoms and then got a vaginal ultrasound, heard the heartbeat, and got sonogram photos two days later?? Like the dots just don’t connect and there’s no need to rush a “happy ending.”
I genuinely enjoyed the first half of the book, but the second half seemed to lag quite a bit, losing my interest very quickly and making it hard not to DNF the last 35% of the book. Also, I’m all for lots of sexual tension and spicy scenes, BUT these also often times felt like filler and sometimes they just seemed like they didn’t match the vibe of the chapter at all.
I would definitely recommend this book to more amateur readers, especially those who may be interested in books by Colleen Hoover since it reminded me of her writing style, but as a more advanced reader I think it lacked the emotional context and I couldn’t feel as invested in the story as I wish I could’ve.
📚 I received an ARC of Always Been You from Alex Taylor in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2024
Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ [3.5/5]
Spicy! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ [4/5]
» Brother’s Best Friend
» Friends to Lovers
» Forced Proximity
» Plus Size FMC
» Summer Checklist (with 🌶️)
» Road Trip
» Hockey
» Cinnamon Roll MMC with a protective side!
📌 Olivia
He's my brother's best friend and I fell in love with him when I was a kid, but I never thought that he would see me as more. When my life is turned upside down and I'm left looking for a place to live, he's right there offering me support and his spare room. Then he finds out about my list of things to do this summer and he offers to help check off each and EVERY item on that list.
📌 Josh
She's my best friend's little sister and growing up she was a close friend. Then I realized that my feelings for her were more, but she's moved on, and I never said anything. When her brother tells me she needs a place to stay, without thinking, I offer my spare room. Then I find out she has a list of things to do this summer. When I finally catch a glimpse of this list I decide that I'll help her check off each item, and hopefully, she'll see the future I want to build with her.
📌 This was a fun read and a great debut. It has some favourite tropes and delivered the spice. It lost a star because the pacing didn’t work for me. In some cases, there was minute detail or scenes that could’ve been skipped, and in others, I was surprised some details were glossed over or scenes were so short.
It didn’t keep me from enjoying the book and turning pages. I’m looking forward to seeing what Alex Taylor gives us next! Caleb’s story? Former military/current cop with scars. Sign me up!
📌 Moments
» Olivia’s mom lets a significant cat out of the bag, and it is a satisfying end to be tied ❤️
🚫 CW/ TW: talk of body shaming, cheating (not between MC’s), ex with stalker tendencies, conversations of pregnancy, sexual degradation, explicit sexual scenes. Please check warnings.
✨I received an ARC of Always Been You from Alex Taylor in exchange for an honest review.
Spicy! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ [4/5]
» Brother’s Best Friend
» Friends to Lovers
» Forced Proximity
» Plus Size FMC
» Summer Checklist (with 🌶️)
» Road Trip
» Hockey
» Cinnamon Roll MMC with a protective side!
📌 Olivia
He's my brother's best friend and I fell in love with him when I was a kid, but I never thought that he would see me as more. When my life is turned upside down and I'm left looking for a place to live, he's right there offering me support and his spare room. Then he finds out about my list of things to do this summer and he offers to help check off each and EVERY item on that list.
📌 Josh
She's my best friend's little sister and growing up she was a close friend. Then I realized that my feelings for her were more, but she's moved on, and I never said anything. When her brother tells me she needs a place to stay, without thinking, I offer my spare room. Then I find out she has a list of things to do this summer. When I finally catch a glimpse of this list I decide that I'll help her check off each item, and hopefully, she'll see the future I want to build with her.
📌 This was a fun read and a great debut. It has some favourite tropes and delivered the spice. It lost a star because the pacing didn’t work for me. In some cases, there was minute detail or scenes that could’ve been skipped, and in others, I was surprised some details were glossed over or scenes were so short.
It didn’t keep me from enjoying the book and turning pages. I’m looking forward to seeing what Alex Taylor gives us next! Caleb’s story? Former military/current cop with scars. Sign me up!
📌 Moments
» Olivia’s mom lets a significant cat out of the bag, and it is a satisfying end to be tied ❤️
🚫 CW/ TW: talk of body shaming, cheating (not between MC’s), ex with stalker tendencies, conversations of pregnancy, sexual degradation, explicit sexual scenes. Please check warnings.
✨I received an ARC of Always Been You from Alex Taylor in exchange for an honest review.
March 13, 2024
Olivia is a teacher who loves her job. Just as she is about to move in with her boyfriend, when she catches him cheating on her, so she ends their relationship. Unfortunately, she gave her notice for her apartment already and is now left without a place to live. Josh, her brother’s billionaire best friend and her long time crush, hears of her dilemma and offers her a room in his place as a temporary solution until she can find a place of her own. She has no idea that Josh has had his own crush on her for years. He is happy to help her out and secretly, deep down, he hopes that this may be his chance to be something more than friends with the curvy girl of his dreams.
Olivia has body issues thanks to several people in her past, including her cheating ex, who body shamed her. She tries hard to accept her curves, but she believes that a tall, handsome guy like Josh would never consider someone like her to be a suitable date, let alone girlfriend material. The fact that he and her brother are best friends is just one more reason Josh would never see her as anything other than a friend. Living together is both easy and hard. They get along great and he says that he is he willing to help her with the summer to do list she made. She can’t help thinking that she would especially love his help with the naughtier, intimate items on her list. Keeping their feelings and attraction to each other hidden and under control is proving to be difficult. Her friends are doing their best to nudge her into telling Josh how she feels or at least testing the waters of a more intimate relationship. Will they be brave enough to reveal their feelings to each other? Could a happily ever after be in their future?
This is a great book with lots of spice as well as lots of tender and/or funny moments. Both Josh and Olivia are wonderful characters that one can’t help but love it is easy to become invested in seeing them attain a happily ever after. I have put Josh on my list of favourite book boyfriends and I would happily recommend this very entertaining book to others.
Olivia has body issues thanks to several people in her past, including her cheating ex, who body shamed her. She tries hard to accept her curves, but she believes that a tall, handsome guy like Josh would never consider someone like her to be a suitable date, let alone girlfriend material. The fact that he and her brother are best friends is just one more reason Josh would never see her as anything other than a friend. Living together is both easy and hard. They get along great and he says that he is he willing to help her with the summer to do list she made. She can’t help thinking that she would especially love his help with the naughtier, intimate items on her list. Keeping their feelings and attraction to each other hidden and under control is proving to be difficult. Her friends are doing their best to nudge her into telling Josh how she feels or at least testing the waters of a more intimate relationship. Will they be brave enough to reveal their feelings to each other? Could a happily ever after be in their future?
This is a great book with lots of spice as well as lots of tender and/or funny moments. Both Josh and Olivia are wonderful characters that one can’t help but love it is easy to become invested in seeing them attain a happily ever after. I have put Josh on my list of favourite book boyfriends and I would happily recommend this very entertaining book to others.
March 26, 2024
Arc Review:
Omg y’all! I loved this so much!!! I’m such a sucker for the brothers best friend trope and it didn’t disappoint!! Don’t let the cutesy cover fool you, it sure was spicy!!
Olivia is a sweet plus sized teacher who loves books. Right when she’s getting ready to move in with her boyfriend she finds him cheating on her so she breaks up with him and ends up moving in with Josh, her brothers best friend, when she has no where else to go. She’s had a crush on him since she was a kid but didn’t think he’d ever return the feelings. She has insecurities about her size and her ex body shames her.
Josh is a hockey player and ceo of his business. He has been in love her for years but it was never the right time. When he reads her bucket list with some spicy additions, he sees that as his chance to help her and finally show her how he feels. He is sweet, protective, and a dirty talker 👀
It was so nice to see a book where the brother didn’t get mad about his best friend being with his sister and supported them right away! I loved that Josh listened to her audiobooks with her and stood up for her when his friends said anything about romance books! I also loved how protective he got over her with her ex!! Being a plus sized girl and someone who has been picked on for her weight, I always love seeing the representation and the good guys who like their women just the way they are!! The side characters were great and there was a chapter at the end that hinted at one of them getting a book. This was a fast paced book, was so well written, and had plenty of spice. I honestly have no complaints. Overall it was a fantastic debut book and I can’t wait to see what she does next!!
Read if you like:
💗 brothers best friend
💗 childhood friends
💗 forced proximity
💗 friends to lovers
💗 spicy bucket list
💗 good girl praise
💗 fast paced plot
💗 dirty talker
💗 curvy girl
💗 dual pov
💗 road trip
💗 hockey
Omg y’all! I loved this so much!!! I’m such a sucker for the brothers best friend trope and it didn’t disappoint!! Don’t let the cutesy cover fool you, it sure was spicy!!
Olivia is a sweet plus sized teacher who loves books. Right when she’s getting ready to move in with her boyfriend she finds him cheating on her so she breaks up with him and ends up moving in with Josh, her brothers best friend, when she has no where else to go. She’s had a crush on him since she was a kid but didn’t think he’d ever return the feelings. She has insecurities about her size and her ex body shames her.
Josh is a hockey player and ceo of his business. He has been in love her for years but it was never the right time. When he reads her bucket list with some spicy additions, he sees that as his chance to help her and finally show her how he feels. He is sweet, protective, and a dirty talker 👀
It was so nice to see a book where the brother didn’t get mad about his best friend being with his sister and supported them right away! I loved that Josh listened to her audiobooks with her and stood up for her when his friends said anything about romance books! I also loved how protective he got over her with her ex!! Being a plus sized girl and someone who has been picked on for her weight, I always love seeing the representation and the good guys who like their women just the way they are!! The side characters were great and there was a chapter at the end that hinted at one of them getting a book. This was a fast paced book, was so well written, and had plenty of spice. I honestly have no complaints. Overall it was a fantastic debut book and I can’t wait to see what she does next!!
Read if you like:
💗 brothers best friend
💗 childhood friends
💗 forced proximity
💗 friends to lovers
💗 spicy bucket list
💗 good girl praise
💗 fast paced plot
💗 dirty talker
💗 curvy girl
💗 dual pov
💗 road trip
💗 hockey
February 25, 2024
I felt so compelled to read this book when I came across it on Instagram. Always Been You follows Liv, a plus-sized teacher, and Josh, a sexy hockey player and businessman, on their journey to love. This book includes childhood friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, and forced proximity. I also love how it is set in the Vancouver area, which I was visiting just last weekend, so it was so nice to read about! I love some Canadian representation.
This was a very sweet read that kept be very entertained. I love the chemistry and banter all the characters have. The friendships and bonds that these main characters have with their friend groups and families is so excellent and endearing to read about. Liv’s brother, Matt, is SO supportive and sweet (he better be getting his own book). The sisterhood and brotherhood that these friend groups have is just so inspiring and heartwarming. And let’s not forget about the spice… If you love spice, buckle up, because not only is there good spice, but there’s a good amount of it too!
And can we talk about how other books were woven in? Impeccable. Liv and her friends love books and they teach the boys all about morally grey, book boyfriends, book husbands - all the stuff I love to talk about with my friends IRL. We even get to see book boyfriends get talked about at length between these girls, which I LOVE to read about fellow bookworms.
Some warnings to be mindful of before reading: talks of body shaming, anxiety, struggles with self image, and a cheating ex with stalker tendencies.
Mini spoiler: I’m not usually into the pregnancy trope, but it fit in super well with the timeline of this story and flowed really well without taking away from the story. I’m really really excited to get my hands on the next book and to see whose story it will be!
Thank you Alex for an ARC of Always Been You.
This was a very sweet read that kept be very entertained. I love the chemistry and banter all the characters have. The friendships and bonds that these main characters have with their friend groups and families is so excellent and endearing to read about. Liv’s brother, Matt, is SO supportive and sweet (he better be getting his own book). The sisterhood and brotherhood that these friend groups have is just so inspiring and heartwarming. And let’s not forget about the spice… If you love spice, buckle up, because not only is there good spice, but there’s a good amount of it too!
And can we talk about how other books were woven in? Impeccable. Liv and her friends love books and they teach the boys all about morally grey, book boyfriends, book husbands - all the stuff I love to talk about with my friends IRL. We even get to see book boyfriends get talked about at length between these girls, which I LOVE to read about fellow bookworms.
Some warnings to be mindful of before reading: talks of body shaming, anxiety, struggles with self image, and a cheating ex with stalker tendencies.
Mini spoiler: I’m not usually into the pregnancy trope, but it fit in super well with the timeline of this story and flowed really well without taking away from the story. I’m really really excited to get my hands on the next book and to see whose story it will be!
Thank you Alex for an ARC of Always Been You.
March 16, 2024
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Trope: brothers best friend, friends to lovers, forced proximity, accidental pregnancy, camping, road trips, fast paced.
Olivia, a fmc with her insecurities believing she would never be enough for her crush, never being seen as nothing more than a little sister to her brother's best friend Josh.
After she leaves her pos boyfriend, she sets out to cross everything off her summer check list.
Josh, loses his chance to be with the one person his never stopped thinking about. Until an opportunity arises, Olivia needs a place to stay. Josh offers his spare room. There just friends right.
When Josh sees the check list! Well, he can’t help himself, he just has to help her check everything off it.
I stumbled upon this author on Instagram, and to be honest I’m glad I did.
This an incredible sweet read, there are moments that just made my heart drop for Olivia. I just felt for her and because for this I found a connection to her.
But the connection between Josh and Olivia keeps you turning the pages, to see what will happen next. They are just everything. Josh is so swoon worthy, but don’t let that fool you. The spice will burn your fingers, as you turn the pages.
This author will should be on your list! I’m excited to see what else comes from Alex Taylor.
quotes
- A weight drops in my stomach. That she has been made to feel anything other than beautiful kills me - Josh
- To all the girls who think you’re not enough. You’re wrong. You are enough and you always will be -Alex Taylor (author)
-For what it’s worth, I had a crush on you when we were kids, like for as long as I can remember. I always viewed you as unattainable. If you had asked me out, I would have one hundred percent said yes - Olivia
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Trope: brothers best friend, friends to lovers, forced proximity, accidental pregnancy, camping, road trips, fast paced.
Olivia, a fmc with her insecurities believing she would never be enough for her crush, never being seen as nothing more than a little sister to her brother's best friend Josh.
After she leaves her pos boyfriend, she sets out to cross everything off her summer check list.
Josh, loses his chance to be with the one person his never stopped thinking about. Until an opportunity arises, Olivia needs a place to stay. Josh offers his spare room. There just friends right.
When Josh sees the check list! Well, he can’t help himself, he just has to help her check everything off it.
I stumbled upon this author on Instagram, and to be honest I’m glad I did.
This an incredible sweet read, there are moments that just made my heart drop for Olivia. I just felt for her and because for this I found a connection to her.
But the connection between Josh and Olivia keeps you turning the pages, to see what will happen next. They are just everything. Josh is so swoon worthy, but don’t let that fool you. The spice will burn your fingers, as you turn the pages.
This author will should be on your list! I’m excited to see what else comes from Alex Taylor.
quotes
- A weight drops in my stomach. That she has been made to feel anything other than beautiful kills me - Josh
- To all the girls who think you’re not enough. You’re wrong. You are enough and you always will be -Alex Taylor (author)
-For what it’s worth, I had a crush on you when we were kids, like for as long as I can remember. I always viewed you as unattainable. If you had asked me out, I would have one hundred percent said yes - Olivia
March 22, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️
🔥🔥🔥
This was such a great debut novel and I can't wait to see how Alex grows as a writer! I really enjoyed this book and fell in love with the characters instantly! I also loved the side characters and I am definitely looking forward to reading their stories as well!
Always Been You follows Josh and Olivia. They have been childhood best friends but as they got older they drifted apart. Oliva was in a relationship so Josh kept his distance as he had developed feelings. But now they are both back in town and things start to heat up.
Olivia has always felt a connection with Josh but has never explored her feelings especially since she is in a relationship. But once she finds out her boyfriend cheated on her, all bets are off. Now she has no place to stay but as luck should have it...Josh has a spare room.
I loved how Oliva and Josh's relationship was built on such a strong friendship! They reminisce on their times growing up and it just made their romantic relationship that much stronger! Also...let's not forget the spice! Oliva makes herself a spicy summer bucket list as a way to rediscover herself after breaking up with her POS boyfriend. Josh volunteers to help and oh lordy... things get SPICY.
I will say that this book had a very good plot and it was an easy read. However, I did feel that it was a bit too long in the sense that there were parts that were sometimes repetitive. Some parts could have been removed and it wouldn't change the story any. However, this is a debut novel and I think it was written well! Alex has a lot of potential and I can't wait to see where her writing adventure goes!
Read if you like:
🖤 Brother's best friend
🖤 Forced Proximity
🖤 Spicy check list
🖤 He tells her ex off
🖤 Childhood friends to lovers
🖤 Hockey player
🖤 He reads her smutty books
🔥🔥🔥
This was such a great debut novel and I can't wait to see how Alex grows as a writer! I really enjoyed this book and fell in love with the characters instantly! I also loved the side characters and I am definitely looking forward to reading their stories as well!
Always Been You follows Josh and Olivia. They have been childhood best friends but as they got older they drifted apart. Oliva was in a relationship so Josh kept his distance as he had developed feelings. But now they are both back in town and things start to heat up.
Olivia has always felt a connection with Josh but has never explored her feelings especially since she is in a relationship. But once she finds out her boyfriend cheated on her, all bets are off. Now she has no place to stay but as luck should have it...Josh has a spare room.
I loved how Oliva and Josh's relationship was built on such a strong friendship! They reminisce on their times growing up and it just made their romantic relationship that much stronger! Also...let's not forget the spice! Oliva makes herself a spicy summer bucket list as a way to rediscover herself after breaking up with her POS boyfriend. Josh volunteers to help and oh lordy... things get SPICY.
I will say that this book had a very good plot and it was an easy read. However, I did feel that it was a bit too long in the sense that there were parts that were sometimes repetitive. Some parts could have been removed and it wouldn't change the story any. However, this is a debut novel and I think it was written well! Alex has a lot of potential and I can't wait to see where her writing adventure goes!
Read if you like:
🖤 Brother's best friend
🖤 Forced Proximity
🖤 Spicy check list
🖤 He tells her ex off
🖤 Childhood friends to lovers
🖤 Hockey player
🖤 He reads her smutty books
April 10, 2024
It’s a tale as old as time. A younger sister develops feelings for her older brother’s best friend, who eventually develops feelings. They keep their feelings hidden from each other for years, convinced they can never be together. As adults, they are thrown together by external forces and finally give in to their feelings. Keeping their romance a secret, they fall deeply in love. No one is surprised when they finally reveal their relationship, as everyone around them knew they were in love long before they did.
Olivia has harbored feelings for Josh since childhood. On the other hand, Josh only realized his love for Olivia after his first year of college. When Josh finished his studies, Olivia was in a committed relationship, so he never revealed his feelings for her. Several years later, Olivia has decided to move in with her long-term boyfriend. They’ve found a beautiful new place, and Olivia has given her current landlord notice. On the day they are supposed to put down a deposit and sign the lease, Olivia walks in on her boyfriend cheating. Olivia breaks things off, and her now ex-boyfriend shows his true colors, complete with verbal abuse, threats, and stalking. Devastated, shaken, and a little scared, Olivia struggles to find a new place to live. Willing to do anything for Olivia, Josh offers Olivia his guest room until she can get back on her feet.
In an effort to regain her self-confidence and find herself again, Olivia creates a list of places she wants to go and things she wants to experience over the summer. Being a fantastic roommate, Josh offers to help Olivia check everything off her list, even if it potentially puts his heart at risk. Olivia and Josh agree to become friends with benefits, and over weeks of camping trips and living together, they fall deeply in love. However, Olivia wants to keep her relationship with Josh a secret from her older brother until she is sure things will work out between them.
The book’s first half was entertaining enough, but the detailed descriptions of Olivia’s mundane daily tasks, like cleaning Josh’s apartment or cooking dinner, felt superfluous. Many paragraphs repeated the same thoughts over and over. However, the second half almost made me put my Kindle down and quit reading. The pickle cravings, sore boobs, and nausea were a dead giveaway that Olivia was pregnant, but she was utterly oblivious. When Josh proposes, and Olivia finally takes a test, Josh and Olivia are obviously in love. So, having a baby wasn’t a necessary trope to force them together, and I didn’t feel like the pregnancy added anything to the story. With that said, I am not a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope, so this book wasn’t for me.
Alex Taylor’s debut novel, Always Been You, showcases her potential as a talented storyteller. Her ability to craft a compelling narrative is evident despite some redundancies and areas that could stand to be refined. I look forward to seeing her grow and develop as an author in future works.
Olivia has harbored feelings for Josh since childhood. On the other hand, Josh only realized his love for Olivia after his first year of college. When Josh finished his studies, Olivia was in a committed relationship, so he never revealed his feelings for her. Several years later, Olivia has decided to move in with her long-term boyfriend. They’ve found a beautiful new place, and Olivia has given her current landlord notice. On the day they are supposed to put down a deposit and sign the lease, Olivia walks in on her boyfriend cheating. Olivia breaks things off, and her now ex-boyfriend shows his true colors, complete with verbal abuse, threats, and stalking. Devastated, shaken, and a little scared, Olivia struggles to find a new place to live. Willing to do anything for Olivia, Josh offers Olivia his guest room until she can get back on her feet.
In an effort to regain her self-confidence and find herself again, Olivia creates a list of places she wants to go and things she wants to experience over the summer. Being a fantastic roommate, Josh offers to help Olivia check everything off her list, even if it potentially puts his heart at risk. Olivia and Josh agree to become friends with benefits, and over weeks of camping trips and living together, they fall deeply in love. However, Olivia wants to keep her relationship with Josh a secret from her older brother until she is sure things will work out between them.
The book’s first half was entertaining enough, but the detailed descriptions of Olivia’s mundane daily tasks, like cleaning Josh’s apartment or cooking dinner, felt superfluous. Many paragraphs repeated the same thoughts over and over. However, the second half almost made me put my Kindle down and quit reading. The pickle cravings, sore boobs, and nausea were a dead giveaway that Olivia was pregnant, but she was utterly oblivious. When Josh proposes, and Olivia finally takes a test, Josh and Olivia are obviously in love. So, having a baby wasn’t a necessary trope to force them together, and I didn’t feel like the pregnancy added anything to the story. With that said, I am not a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope, so this book wasn’t for me.
Alex Taylor’s debut novel, Always Been You, showcases her potential as a talented storyteller. Her ability to craft a compelling narrative is evident despite some redundancies and areas that could stand to be refined. I look forward to seeing her grow and develop as an author in future works.
March 14, 2024
"Always Been You" by the emerging author Alex Taylor is a refreshing read, characterized by its lightness and lack of dramatic twists. It offers a perfect escape for those seeking relaxation without the burden of heavy plotlines. The characters, Josh and Olivia, are incredibly endearing, exuding remarkable chemistry that captivates readers. The book introduces a diverse array of characters, particularly among the friends, whose conversations are consistently humorous, adding to the charm of the narrative. Notably, the book features numerous steamy scenes that intensify the romance between Josh and Olivia, portraying their love story with authenticity and passion. Witnessing their love bloom from the beginning and ultimately culminate in a satisfying resolution is truly heartwarming.
One critique worth mentioning is the book's length, which could have been trimmed down without sacrificing its overall quality. Nonetheless, "Always Been You" remains an excellent read that is sure to bring a smile to readers' faces.
For fans of hockey, the best friend's sister trope, a plus-size heroine, roommates, and accidental pregnancy, this book offers a captivating journey that is well worth experiencing.
One critique worth mentioning is the book's length, which could have been trimmed down without sacrificing its overall quality. Nonetheless, "Always Been You" remains an excellent read that is sure to bring a smile to readers' faces.
For fans of hockey, the best friend's sister trope, a plus-size heroine, roommates, and accidental pregnancy, this book offers a captivating journey that is well worth experiencing.
March 28, 2024
𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮...
🌹 Contemporary romance
🌹 hokey player X teacher
🌹 brother's best friend
🌹 plus size FMC
🌹 summer bucket list
🌹 lots of spice
----❤----
𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼...
I read Always Been You and I really enjoyed the story.
First of all, the MCs have wonderful communication! If "good communication" is a trope you can find it here. For those of us who get peeved at the miscommunication trope, you will find this book to be a breath of fresh air.
I love the respect, connection, and relationship between the characters Olivia and Josh. I didn't find myself once getting annoyed with them or their dynamics, and that might be a first for me. I also loved how her brother and others reacted to finding out about their relationship, as it is exactly what I always hope for in a "brother's best friend" book.
Now, fair warning, I have to say this is officially the spiciest book I have ever read. So be aware of that going in to it.
What made the book a 4⭐ instead of a 5⭐ was that it was long for me for a contemporary romance. That being said, there are many "slice of life" moments in this book and if that is something that you enjoy than you will absolutely love it.
*I received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
🌹 Contemporary romance
🌹 hokey player X teacher
🌹 brother's best friend
🌹 plus size FMC
🌹 summer bucket list
🌹 lots of spice
----❤----
𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼...
I read Always Been You and I really enjoyed the story.
First of all, the MCs have wonderful communication! If "good communication" is a trope you can find it here. For those of us who get peeved at the miscommunication trope, you will find this book to be a breath of fresh air.
I love the respect, connection, and relationship between the characters Olivia and Josh. I didn't find myself once getting annoyed with them or their dynamics, and that might be a first for me. I also loved how her brother and others reacted to finding out about their relationship, as it is exactly what I always hope for in a "brother's best friend" book.
Now, fair warning, I have to say this is officially the spiciest book I have ever read. So be aware of that going in to it.
What made the book a 4⭐ instead of a 5⭐ was that it was long for me for a contemporary romance. That being said, there are many "slice of life" moments in this book and if that is something that you enjoy than you will absolutely love it.
*I received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
April 16, 2024
“𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.”
5/⭐️
3/🌶️
I’m hooked!! The vibes of this book were exactly what I needed! I was not able to put this down, and that’s because I’m so in love with these characters. Liv is so real, the way her insecurities and vulnerable side was so relatable. Alex truly gave us such a special character 🥰
Being seen and understood is so important in life, and being able to relate on such a deep level to someone (even a fictional character) can be so powerful. To not feel so alone. Liv is that character 🫶🏼
And I absolutely adore Josh! The flowers, his card number, everything he does for her. The way he makes her feel whole and valued. I don’t even care if some of it was cheesy, I love cheesy bc then I know that that man loves her and would do anything for her. Their friendship to relationship was so cute, and hotttttt… the spice y’all… I was not prepared 🥵🫠
This was such a a good debut by Alex, I can’t wait for the rest of this series! I’m so invested in all the side characters, I can’t wait to see where she takes us 🫶🏼
tropes - brothers best friend, forced proximity, friends to lovers, she upgrades, plus size FMC
5/⭐️
3/🌶️
I’m hooked!! The vibes of this book were exactly what I needed! I was not able to put this down, and that’s because I’m so in love with these characters. Liv is so real, the way her insecurities and vulnerable side was so relatable. Alex truly gave us such a special character 🥰
Being seen and understood is so important in life, and being able to relate on such a deep level to someone (even a fictional character) can be so powerful. To not feel so alone. Liv is that character 🫶🏼
And I absolutely adore Josh! The flowers, his card number, everything he does for her. The way he makes her feel whole and valued. I don’t even care if some of it was cheesy, I love cheesy bc then I know that that man loves her and would do anything for her. Their friendship to relationship was so cute, and hotttttt… the spice y’all… I was not prepared 🥵🫠
This was such a a good debut by Alex, I can’t wait for the rest of this series! I’m so invested in all the side characters, I can’t wait to see where she takes us 🫶🏼
tropes - brothers best friend, forced proximity, friends to lovers, she upgrades, plus size FMC
April 25, 2024
I adored this book! It was such a cute story from beginning to end. Okay, maybe not the part with Olivia and Drew, but Olivia's relationship with Josh is just beautiful. I love that they built on their friendship. Olivia is a super relatable character, as she is a plus-sized woman with insecurities, like most women have. She is always so happy and I loved how her and Josh communicated with each other. Josh was just such a sweetheart and loved on her so much, I loved it! Olivia and Josh both had such great friends and family who were always there for them and were so supportive. I was so happy when there wasn't a third act breakup.
One of the reason I didn't give the book 5 stars was because sometimes I felt like the scenes that weren't as "important" got more attention than ones that could've been longer. Then towards, the end of the book it almost felt like all the events were rushed. The other reason was that I felt like when they would speak to each other, they always used "babe." I totally get that it's a nickname and it's super cute, but reading multiple sentences back to back with babe, was a little much for me.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series and will definitely continue to follow Alex as she continues to write!
One of the reason I didn't give the book 5 stars was because sometimes I felt like the scenes that weren't as "important" got more attention than ones that could've been longer. Then towards, the end of the book it almost felt like all the events were rushed. The other reason was that I felt like when they would speak to each other, they always used "babe." I totally get that it's a nickname and it's super cute, but reading multiple sentences back to back with babe, was a little much for me.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series and will definitely continue to follow Alex as she continues to write!
January 27, 2025
Went into this one with high hopes and was bummed right at the first few pages :/
I find the book lacks any interesting plot and context, it’s too basic and vanilla for my liking. Everything is always smooth, no bumps down the road whatsoever, 0 suspense… ur hope of having something good and spicy coming gets shattered with every turn of a page.
I also find that the characters LACK personality… him being a CEO and rich doesn’t bring any context, he might’ve as well been a nobody… they are also try hards at being anything else than flat out basic… the spicy scenes in contrast with the way the characters’ personalities are displayed are actually very cringy and feel like they don’t belong.
I had trouble adapting to the writing style that I found very mid… it’s like everything is written down in bulletpoints… I had to push through.
There also is no build or burn… everything feels very rushed and fast paced… meet cute guy, get heart broken, move in, get together, get engaged, get pregnant…
Also, the “Olivia” at the end of each spoken sentence is CRINGY AF. As is her relationship with her bestfriends… the texts and conversations that recap everything we just read in detail are extremely annoying.
Xx
I find the book lacks any interesting plot and context, it’s too basic and vanilla for my liking. Everything is always smooth, no bumps down the road whatsoever, 0 suspense… ur hope of having something good and spicy coming gets shattered with every turn of a page.
I also find that the characters LACK personality… him being a CEO and rich doesn’t bring any context, he might’ve as well been a nobody… they are also try hards at being anything else than flat out basic… the spicy scenes in contrast with the way the characters’ personalities are displayed are actually very cringy and feel like they don’t belong.
I had trouble adapting to the writing style that I found very mid… it’s like everything is written down in bulletpoints… I had to push through.
There also is no build or burn… everything feels very rushed and fast paced… meet cute guy, get heart broken, move in, get together, get engaged, get pregnant…
Also, the “Olivia” at the end of each spoken sentence is CRINGY AF. As is her relationship with her bestfriends… the texts and conversations that recap everything we just read in detail are extremely annoying.
Xx
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2024
I came across this book in a Facebook group I'm in. So thank you, Alex, for the opportunity to be an arc reader for Always Been You.
I adored this story. There's so many layers to this and the story comes together so well.
We meet Liz, a school teacher, who's thrown a huge loop in her relationship. She's dealing with terrible anxiety, self-esteem issues (due to her bf/ex repeatedly telling her she needs to work on her body and go to the gym), along with other struggles. Liv's story is written in a way that makes you feel like you're right there with her through every hurdle she's thrown. She's very relatable and an all around good person.
Then we meet Josh. He's Liv's brother's best friend but they all hung out when they were younger and grew close. He's a hockey player, business man, and supportive friend. I can't say anything bad about him. He's the perfect book boyfriend.
The side characters are all amazing as well. Matt, Liv's brother is so supportive and caring. Zoey, Eliza, and Hannah are Liv's best friends and they're right beside her through everything. Then there's Caleb and Grayson who are the other half of the male group. This group of friends is one everyone should have in their life. Not to mention Liv and Josh's families. The supportive "village" that Josh and Liv have are never ending in this book.
There's only one character that I hate and I think we'll all agree on this one.
Again, thank you Alex for allowing me early access to Always Been You. I can't wait to read more of this series.
I adored this story. There's so many layers to this and the story comes together so well.
We meet Liz, a school teacher, who's thrown a huge loop in her relationship. She's dealing with terrible anxiety, self-esteem issues (due to her bf/ex repeatedly telling her she needs to work on her body and go to the gym), along with other struggles. Liv's story is written in a way that makes you feel like you're right there with her through every hurdle she's thrown. She's very relatable and an all around good person.
Then we meet Josh. He's Liv's brother's best friend but they all hung out when they were younger and grew close. He's a hockey player, business man, and supportive friend. I can't say anything bad about him. He's the perfect book boyfriend.
The side characters are all amazing as well. Matt, Liv's brother is so supportive and caring. Zoey, Eliza, and Hannah are Liv's best friends and they're right beside her through everything. Then there's Caleb and Grayson who are the other half of the male group. This group of friends is one everyone should have in their life. Not to mention Liv and Josh's families. The supportive "village" that Josh and Liv have are never ending in this book.
There's only one character that I hate and I think we'll all agree on this one.
Again, thank you Alex for allowing me early access to Always Been You. I can't wait to read more of this series.
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