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Friend Zone #1
Friend Zone
From New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nicole Blanchard comes a new adult, friends to lovers, close proximity romance!
Best friends + close quarters = huge trouble
Charlie
It started with a kiss. One that never should have happened. Liam was only doing what best friends do—standing up for me. It didn’t mean anything.
Right?
Sure, it made the fact I had to move in with him for a few months a bit complicated, but we’ve been firmly in the mutual friend zone for years. He’s the one who christened me ‘Charlie’ after all. He only saw me as one of the guys.
Crossing the line is off limits.
Liam
We’re just friends.
Maybe if I said it enough, I’d stop picturing her naked.
Who was I kidding? With her living at my place,
I couldn’t seem to stop picturing her naked.
All I had to do was keep my hands to myself for a few months.
No fantasizing about her. No touching her.
And no more kissing her.
I was f***king screwed.
Friend Zone is book one in the Friend Zone Series. Each book features a different couple and may be read as a standalone.
Best friends + close quarters = huge trouble
Charlie
It started with a kiss. One that never should have happened. Liam was only doing what best friends do—standing up for me. It didn’t mean anything.
Right?
Sure, it made the fact I had to move in with him for a few months a bit complicated, but we’ve been firmly in the mutual friend zone for years. He’s the one who christened me ‘Charlie’ after all. He only saw me as one of the guys.
Crossing the line is off limits.
Liam
We’re just friends.
Maybe if I said it enough, I’d stop picturing her naked.
Who was I kidding? With her living at my place,
I couldn’t seem to stop picturing her naked.
All I had to do was keep my hands to myself for a few months.
No fantasizing about her. No touching her.
And no more kissing her.
I was f***king screwed.
Friend Zone is book one in the Friend Zone Series. Each book features a different couple and may be read as a standalone.
314 pages, Paperback
Published October 16, 2024
1543 people are currently reading
2358 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Blanchard
63 books2,016 followersNicole Blanchard is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the TikTok-viral dark romance Toxic, a wildly addictive bestseller that has sold over 90,000 copies worldwide. Known for her morally gray antiheroes, off-the-charts heat, and jaw-dropping twists, Nicole’s stories drag readers deep into love’s darkest corners—where no one escapes unscarred.
When she’s not crafting twisted love stories that break your heart and then heal it, you can find her soaking up beach sun with a glass of sweet tea, getting inked, or running a farm full of lovable misfit animals.
You may learn more about Nicole and her work at www.authornicoleblanchard.com. Join her mailing list for updates at http://www.authornicoleblanchard.com/...
When she’s not crafting twisted love stories that break your heart and then heal it, you can find her soaking up beach sun with a glass of sweet tea, getting inked, or running a farm full of lovable misfit animals.
You may learn more about Nicole and her work at www.authornicoleblanchard.com. Join her mailing list for updates at http://www.authornicoleblanchard.com/...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
July 9, 2020
Average read.
Liam had never had a girlfriend or been in love. He also never had a woman spend the night, but he did have many ONS. He said their were so many they blurred together and he couldn't even remember their faces. Lovely.
Charlie was a serial dater. She had an active sex life but always ran from true commitment.
Liam and Charlie are besties. They decide to give it a go and fall in love. The end. Rinse repeat.
Liam had never had a girlfriend or been in love. He also never had a woman spend the night, but he did have many ONS. He said their were so many they blurred together and he couldn't even remember their faces. Lovely.
Charlie was a serial dater. She had an active sex life but always ran from true commitment.
Liam and Charlie are besties. They decide to give it a go and fall in love. The end. Rinse repeat.
July 7, 2019
Reviewed for THC Reviews
I can’t recall how Friend Zone came to my attention, but when I saw it had a friends-to-lovers theme, I immediately put in on my TBR list. Normally I’m a total sucker for this trope, but this book had a lot of problems that ended up making it a so-so read. The characters were OK. I didn’t have any major issues with them, although neither did I feel like I really got to know them on a particularly deep level. The story was OK as well, but again, things happen with little thought on the characters’ parts and everything wraps up too neatly and easily. The ending wasn’t even an HEA. It was more of a marginal – rather than solid – HFN with mere implications that everything would eventually work out for Liam and Charlie to be together permanently somewhere down the road. Then there were the technical aspects of the writing itself that had a plethora problems that added up to one huge distraction. So all in all, this wasn’t a terrible read, but it also wasn’t really memorable in any way and didn’t excite me in the way I had hoped it might when I chose it.
Charlie is a college student, studying nursing. She decided to go into the field of health care after taking care of her sick father as a teenager before he passed away. Her mother left the family when her father became ill, and after his death, her best friend Liam’s family became the only family she really had. The story opens with Charlie breaking up with yet another in a long string of boyfriends she’s deep-sixed when things started getting too serious. She does this at the bar where Liam works, so when the guy turns belligerent, Liam plants a spontaneous kiss on her in hopes of shutting him up without things getting even more ugly. This, of course, leads to feelings surfacing that they didn’t know were there. When the jerk ex vandalizes Charlie’s apartment, Liam offers to let her move in with him, and from there things start heating up between them fairly quickly. I didn’t dislike Charlie, but neither was she a stand-out heroine to me. Her backstory should have been fodder for the exploration of some deep emotions, but other than her realizing that she’s a little too much like her mom when it comes to relationships and her father’s illness inspiring her career, I just didn’t get much of a sense of how the pain of the past affected her in the present. When her mother resurfaces, Charlie allows the woman back into her life too easily and with little affect on her psyche. Also, I didn’t really understand what was so different about Liam, other than the fact that they’d been life-long friends, that made her fall for him and want a more serious relationship with him than she’s had with other guys in the past. She was also way too quick to get mad at him toward the end for not sharing his school plans. It didn’t seem like that big of a deal to me, because it didn’t end up having much affect on the outcome of their relationship.
Liam is studying to be a veterinarian. He left his family’s farm to become the first in his family to attend college, thinking that he could get an education and then help them out financially. But his father seems to think that him going to college was a dumb choice and has never forgiven him for leaving. He felt that Liam could have been more of a help if he’d stayed behind. This pits father and son against each other for most of the book. Then there’s Liam’s beloved grandmother who is suffering from dementia and will need to be placed in a nursing home soon, which is an additional financial burden on the family. Liam has been best friends with Charlie since grade-school and has always seen her as just one of the guys, until he impulsively kisses her. Then he starts to realize that maybe there was something more there all along. When things heat up, they’re just enjoying being closer to one another, not thinking much of what the future holds, so he doesn’t tell her that he’s been applying to several different colleges to complete his veterinary degree which leads to some conflict. Overall, I liked Liam pretty well, but much like with Charlie I felt like his backstory didn’t play into his present quite as much as it could have and that his reasons for falling for Charlie after seeing her as nothing but a platonic friend for so long weren’t explored enough. The tensions with his father were dispelled a little too easily and I wasn’t really pleased with how things turned out with his grandmother, especially since there was no real explanation as to how it happened.
In addition to the weakness in character development, I also thought that the plot itself was anemic with lots of holes and continuity errors. There just isn’t much meat to the story itself, and I’ve already mentioned how some things occur too easily for our main characters. But there are also things that happen that either made me roll my eyes at the ridiculousness of it or scratch my head in befuddlement. Liam is supposedly very protective of Charlie and he knows that she just broke up with her boyfriend, yet when said ex asks Liam for the spare key to her apartment to collect his belongings, Liam hands it over without question, never even asking Charlie’s permission or thinking that it might be a good idea for someone to be home while the guy is there. His excuse is that he’s loaned the guy the key before, so no big deal, but I saw the folly of that from a mile away. Then after the ex vandalizes her apartment, the manager says he’s holding her responsible and keeping her security deposit to pay for damages. No one ever even thinks to have the guy arrested. Not to mention, it would take a whole lot more than a security deposit to cover the havoc he wreaked. When there are no other apartments available while hers is being fixed and she can’t afford a hotel, Charlie claims she has nowhere to go, yet at the end, after she and Liam fight, she stays with her two girlfriends for weeks. This just all seemed like a weak set-up for her and Liam to live together. However, one of my biggest issues came at the very end, when Charlie accidentally sees Liam’s vet school acceptance letter before he can tell her about it. He flat-out says that although he applied to other colleges around the country, he’s decided to stay in-state, but she gets upset with him anyway. This didn’t make any sense, since he wasn’t going to be far away and I was unclear as to why she couldn’t go with him. It was doubly irritating because he’d started applying before they become romantically involved and she had her own plans to do a volunteer nursing mission overseas as well. Then at the very end, Liam “reveals” that he’s staying in-state as though it’s some kind of surprise and all is forgiven. It all felt like a non-excuse to stir up trouble for our lovebirds.
All the story and character weaknesses were bad enough, but then there’s the technical aspects of the writing itself which left a lot to be desired. When I picked up the book and read the grammatically incorrect tagline on the cover, I feared I was going to be in for a bumpy ride, and it most definitely was. I accept that every book I read is going to have some typos (Eg. missing words, letters, or punctuation), but usually they’re kept at a minimum. This book had tons of those, but most of the errors went far beyond mere typos and were the entire wrong word altogether. Sometimes it was homonyms like bear vs. bare, but more often it was confusing, incorrect words and/or extra words that created sentences that didn’t make sense at all. Eg. “I moved in next-door to us.” or “Your father isn't getting any older and needs your help.” These zingers are peppered throughout the book and always brought me up short in my reading while I tried to parse what the author really meant to say. Occasionally it was so bad, I simply couldn’t figure it out. Then there were the repetitious words and phrases (someone would say something then repeat themselves a couple of sentences later), sentences with clunky wording that needed to be smoothed out, mixing of past and present tense verbs in the same sentence, and overly simplistic word choices when stronger more interesting words would have really made the narrative pop. All of this really detracted from the story and frustrated me as both a reader and a writer. At first, I thought this author was a self-pubbed indie, which would still be bad, as we all have a responsibility to give our readers a quality product that’s been properly edited and proofread, but there’s a publisher listed on the copyright page. This IMHO makes it even worse, because that publisher should have provided an extra layer of quality control that clearly wasn’t present. In fact, the number and type of mistakes are so egregious, it appears to me that this book was never edited or proofread at all.
The bottom line is that I liked Liam and Charlie, along with the friends-to-lovers trope, enough to call Friend Zone an OK read. However, for being life-long friends, their relationship just didn’t feel all that deep or emotional to me, and them going from platonic friends to something more so quickly felt lacking. There are a lot of things that happen that needed a great deal more detail to really engage the reader and make the story genuinely believable and relatable. Also, for a book that’s written in dual first-person POV, there’s a lot of passive narration. Rather than taking that deep-dive on the characterizations, I felt like it was merely skimming along the surface most of the time. Readers who are forgiving of weak characters and plot points, as well as technical errors, may enjoy this one more than I did, but it was a pretty frustrating read for me. There are two more books in the series for Liam and Charlie’s friends, but I can’t say that I’m all that interested in reading them. I discovered that I have another book by Nicole Blanchard in a boxed set on my TBR pile that I may eventually read, but after this mostly unsatisfying reading experience, I’m not going to be in a hurry to do so.
I can’t recall how Friend Zone came to my attention, but when I saw it had a friends-to-lovers theme, I immediately put in on my TBR list. Normally I’m a total sucker for this trope, but this book had a lot of problems that ended up making it a so-so read. The characters were OK. I didn’t have any major issues with them, although neither did I feel like I really got to know them on a particularly deep level. The story was OK as well, but again, things happen with little thought on the characters’ parts and everything wraps up too neatly and easily. The ending wasn’t even an HEA. It was more of a marginal – rather than solid – HFN with mere implications that everything would eventually work out for Liam and Charlie to be together permanently somewhere down the road. Then there were the technical aspects of the writing itself that had a plethora problems that added up to one huge distraction. So all in all, this wasn’t a terrible read, but it also wasn’t really memorable in any way and didn’t excite me in the way I had hoped it might when I chose it.
Charlie is a college student, studying nursing. She decided to go into the field of health care after taking care of her sick father as a teenager before he passed away. Her mother left the family when her father became ill, and after his death, her best friend Liam’s family became the only family she really had. The story opens with Charlie breaking up with yet another in a long string of boyfriends she’s deep-sixed when things started getting too serious. She does this at the bar where Liam works, so when the guy turns belligerent, Liam plants a spontaneous kiss on her in hopes of shutting him up without things getting even more ugly. This, of course, leads to feelings surfacing that they didn’t know were there. When the jerk ex vandalizes Charlie’s apartment, Liam offers to let her move in with him, and from there things start heating up between them fairly quickly. I didn’t dislike Charlie, but neither was she a stand-out heroine to me. Her backstory should have been fodder for the exploration of some deep emotions, but other than her realizing that she’s a little too much like her mom when it comes to relationships and her father’s illness inspiring her career, I just didn’t get much of a sense of how the pain of the past affected her in the present. When her mother resurfaces, Charlie allows the woman back into her life too easily and with little affect on her psyche. Also, I didn’t really understand what was so different about Liam, other than the fact that they’d been life-long friends, that made her fall for him and want a more serious relationship with him than she’s had with other guys in the past. She was also way too quick to get mad at him toward the end for not sharing his school plans. It didn’t seem like that big of a deal to me, because it didn’t end up having much affect on the outcome of their relationship.
Liam is studying to be a veterinarian. He left his family’s farm to become the first in his family to attend college, thinking that he could get an education and then help them out financially. But his father seems to think that him going to college was a dumb choice and has never forgiven him for leaving. He felt that Liam could have been more of a help if he’d stayed behind. This pits father and son against each other for most of the book. Then there’s Liam’s beloved grandmother who is suffering from dementia and will need to be placed in a nursing home soon, which is an additional financial burden on the family. Liam has been best friends with Charlie since grade-school and has always seen her as just one of the guys, until he impulsively kisses her. Then he starts to realize that maybe there was something more there all along. When things heat up, they’re just enjoying being closer to one another, not thinking much of what the future holds, so he doesn’t tell her that he’s been applying to several different colleges to complete his veterinary degree which leads to some conflict. Overall, I liked Liam pretty well, but much like with Charlie I felt like his backstory didn’t play into his present quite as much as it could have and that his reasons for falling for Charlie after seeing her as nothing but a platonic friend for so long weren’t explored enough. The tensions with his father were dispelled a little too easily and I wasn’t really pleased with how things turned out with his grandmother, especially since there was no real explanation as to how it happened.
In addition to the weakness in character development, I also thought that the plot itself was anemic with lots of holes and continuity errors. There just isn’t much meat to the story itself, and I’ve already mentioned how some things occur too easily for our main characters. But there are also things that happen that either made me roll my eyes at the ridiculousness of it or scratch my head in befuddlement. Liam is supposedly very protective of Charlie and he knows that she just broke up with her boyfriend, yet when said ex asks Liam for the spare key to her apartment to collect his belongings, Liam hands it over without question, never even asking Charlie’s permission or thinking that it might be a good idea for someone to be home while the guy is there. His excuse is that he’s loaned the guy the key before, so no big deal, but I saw the folly of that from a mile away. Then after the ex vandalizes her apartment, the manager says he’s holding her responsible and keeping her security deposit to pay for damages. No one ever even thinks to have the guy arrested. Not to mention, it would take a whole lot more than a security deposit to cover the havoc he wreaked. When there are no other apartments available while hers is being fixed and she can’t afford a hotel, Charlie claims she has nowhere to go, yet at the end, after she and Liam fight, she stays with her two girlfriends for weeks. This just all seemed like a weak set-up for her and Liam to live together. However, one of my biggest issues came at the very end, when Charlie accidentally sees Liam’s vet school acceptance letter before he can tell her about it. He flat-out says that although he applied to other colleges around the country, he’s decided to stay in-state, but she gets upset with him anyway. This didn’t make any sense, since he wasn’t going to be far away and I was unclear as to why she couldn’t go with him. It was doubly irritating because he’d started applying before they become romantically involved and she had her own plans to do a volunteer nursing mission overseas as well. Then at the very end, Liam “reveals” that he’s staying in-state as though it’s some kind of surprise and all is forgiven. It all felt like a non-excuse to stir up trouble for our lovebirds.
All the story and character weaknesses were bad enough, but then there’s the technical aspects of the writing itself which left a lot to be desired. When I picked up the book and read the grammatically incorrect tagline on the cover, I feared I was going to be in for a bumpy ride, and it most definitely was. I accept that every book I read is going to have some typos (Eg. missing words, letters, or punctuation), but usually they’re kept at a minimum. This book had tons of those, but most of the errors went far beyond mere typos and were the entire wrong word altogether. Sometimes it was homonyms like bear vs. bare, but more often it was confusing, incorrect words and/or extra words that created sentences that didn’t make sense at all. Eg. “I moved in next-door to us.” or “Your father isn't getting any older and needs your help.” These zingers are peppered throughout the book and always brought me up short in my reading while I tried to parse what the author really meant to say. Occasionally it was so bad, I simply couldn’t figure it out. Then there were the repetitious words and phrases (someone would say something then repeat themselves a couple of sentences later), sentences with clunky wording that needed to be smoothed out, mixing of past and present tense verbs in the same sentence, and overly simplistic word choices when stronger more interesting words would have really made the narrative pop. All of this really detracted from the story and frustrated me as both a reader and a writer. At first, I thought this author was a self-pubbed indie, which would still be bad, as we all have a responsibility to give our readers a quality product that’s been properly edited and proofread, but there’s a publisher listed on the copyright page. This IMHO makes it even worse, because that publisher should have provided an extra layer of quality control that clearly wasn’t present. In fact, the number and type of mistakes are so egregious, it appears to me that this book was never edited or proofread at all.
The bottom line is that I liked Liam and Charlie, along with the friends-to-lovers trope, enough to call Friend Zone an OK read. However, for being life-long friends, their relationship just didn’t feel all that deep or emotional to me, and them going from platonic friends to something more so quickly felt lacking. There are a lot of things that happen that needed a great deal more detail to really engage the reader and make the story genuinely believable and relatable. Also, for a book that’s written in dual first-person POV, there’s a lot of passive narration. Rather than taking that deep-dive on the characterizations, I felt like it was merely skimming along the surface most of the time. Readers who are forgiving of weak characters and plot points, as well as technical errors, may enjoy this one more than I did, but it was a pretty frustrating read for me. There are two more books in the series for Liam and Charlie’s friends, but I can’t say that I’m all that interested in reading them. I discovered that I have another book by Nicole Blanchard in a boxed set on my TBR pile that I may eventually read, but after this mostly unsatisfying reading experience, I’m not going to be in a hurry to do so.
August 31, 2023
Nothing beats best friends to lovers tropes!
Charlie's mother left when she was young and her father died of cancer not long after.
At 22 she's finishing college and her internship in nursing. Her best friend Liam is like family he's also finishing college and applying for Veterinarian schools across the country.
Charlie thinks her boyfriend Andrew is going to propose but she's about to break up with him.
I just loved all the characters especially Liam's family and grandmother who's suffering from dementia. This story is the best, I really enjoyed it. A must read.
Charlie's mother left when she was young and her father died of cancer not long after.
At 22 she's finishing college and her internship in nursing. Her best friend Liam is like family he's also finishing college and applying for Veterinarian schools across the country.
Charlie thinks her boyfriend Andrew is going to propose but she's about to break up with him.
I just loved all the characters especially Liam's family and grandmother who's suffering from dementia. This story is the best, I really enjoyed it. A must read.
April 24, 2018
Charlie and Liam and the best of friends until one day they realize they may just want to be more! Charlie has tried to keep her feelings for Liam under wraps and kept telling herself that she can be just friends with Liam. The reason she didn’t, at first, try to get Liam’s attentions were because he only saw her as a friend and had friend-zoned her. So Charlie did her best to keep her intense feelings for him under wraps and treat him as just a friend. The chemistry between Liam and Charlie was sizzling. Charlie started to wonder, should she pursue him and make Liam see her as more than a friend? Can she make Liam see her as more than one of the guys? Now that she and Liam are living together, the feelings are even more intense. Liam starts to realize Charlie isn’t just a friend, she maybe could be more. Will they both take the risk and try seeing what could come of a relationship? Or is Charlie destined to find heartbreak ? This is one emotional , FEELS type read; the reader will most definitely feel all the emotions in this story so keep the tissues handy. In a friends to lover trope read, I found this was right up my alley and satisfied every want in this read. My only little critique of this book is the ending seemed a bit rushed but overall, loved the characters, the plot and the scenery of this story.
My Rating: 4.5 stars *****
“I received an advanced copy of this book from the author at no cost to me."
My Rating: 4.5 stars *****
“I received an advanced copy of this book from the author at no cost to me."
October 19, 2018
Charlie and Liam have been friends forever. Charlie has always felt a little more for Liam, but she's obviously friendzoned. It has taken Liam awhile to finally see her. It has taken awhile for Liam to want her. To see everything that he's been looking for was right in front of him all along. I liked this story, I love to read friends to lovers. I was having a tiny bit of trouble connecting with Charlie. Nothing major, but after reading for awhile, I felt ok about her. The back and forth should I, shouldn't I, scenario was a bit frustrating, but I don't think thats the writer issue. I could see that playing out in anyones mind in this predicament. Overall, I enjoyed this story. When they finally stepped over the friendship line, it was fantastic. The HEA was amazing.
August 9, 2024
If I could give this 0 stars, I would.
I had such high hopes for this and I shouldn’t have. We love a good, childhood friends to lovers story, but this was only one of those things.
This was one of the worst written books I’ve read, and believe me I’ve read my fair share of terrible books. The amount of spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors is laughable at best. I’m not even going to mention the continuity errors.
I thought I bought this book at Dollar Tree of all places, only to be sorrowfully disappointed that I’d spent $7 on it at Chamblin’s Bookstore. This was worth Dollar General prices AT BEST, if I could get my money back, I most definitely would but the drive to the bookstore would cost me more than I’d be getting in return and I’d never want to grace someone with the unlucky chance of also coming across this book like I did.
I had such high hopes for this and I shouldn’t have. We love a good, childhood friends to lovers story, but this was only one of those things.
This was one of the worst written books I’ve read, and believe me I’ve read my fair share of terrible books. The amount of spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors is laughable at best. I’m not even going to mention the continuity errors.
I thought I bought this book at Dollar Tree of all places, only to be sorrowfully disappointed that I’d spent $7 on it at Chamblin’s Bookstore. This was worth Dollar General prices AT BEST, if I could get my money back, I most definitely would but the drive to the bookstore would cost me more than I’d be getting in return and I’d never want to grace someone with the unlucky chance of also coming across this book like I did.
May 2, 2018
Sometimes friends make the best lovers
I love Nicole Blanchard's books and FRIEND ZONE was no exception. Her characters, Liam and Charlie, were simply irresistible, both wanting more from the friendship but terrified of losing what they both shared.
Liam has always considered Charlie a friend, much to Charlie's dismay, as she has always had to hide her true feelings from him. This is now made even harder since they have decided to live together. Can Charlie keep her feelings under wraps or will she slip and let them show? Will Liam begin to realise that there is more to their relationship than just friendship? Can they take that next step and change the balance of their friendship?
I really loved this story Both Liam and Charlie were really strong characters, just making their way through life and trying to plan for their future. Charlie was really brave to put herself "out there" considering what she had been through. I loved the fact that once Liam realised his feelings for Charlie had altered, he was determined to proved to her that they were worth fighting for.
This book was more than I expected it to be. The way the author describes friendships and how they can develop into more, was simply beautiful. She shows, realistically, how people can move from having a close friendship to becoming lovers without losing what they originally had. I look forward to reading the next two books in this series.
Definitely a recommended read.
FIVE STARS
I love Nicole Blanchard's books and FRIEND ZONE was no exception. Her characters, Liam and Charlie, were simply irresistible, both wanting more from the friendship but terrified of losing what they both shared.
Liam has always considered Charlie a friend, much to Charlie's dismay, as she has always had to hide her true feelings from him. This is now made even harder since they have decided to live together. Can Charlie keep her feelings under wraps or will she slip and let them show? Will Liam begin to realise that there is more to their relationship than just friendship? Can they take that next step and change the balance of their friendship?
I really loved this story Both Liam and Charlie were really strong characters, just making their way through life and trying to plan for their future. Charlie was really brave to put herself "out there" considering what she had been through. I loved the fact that once Liam realised his feelings for Charlie had altered, he was determined to proved to her that they were worth fighting for.
This book was more than I expected it to be. The way the author describes friendships and how they can develop into more, was simply beautiful. She shows, realistically, how people can move from having a close friendship to becoming lovers without losing what they originally had. I look forward to reading the next two books in this series.
Definitely a recommended read.
FIVE STARS
April 27, 2018
"There was only her. It had taken me most of my life to really see her. And now it was like I only had eyes for her."
A sweet and endearing friends to lovers with likable characters with adorable flaws. Trying to find themselves, plan for the future, and repair the past, they struggled with their feelings in an up and down rollercoaster. I enjoyed Charlie and Liam's fall, worried they wouldn't make it, and throughout the ending, I legit had tears!! A swoonworthy and fun read! I thank the Author for providing a copy to review!!
"I was too close to asking him to stay. Too close to taking another kiss. Too close to wondering what it'd feel like to have his hands bring me to the edge instead of my own."
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
A sweet and endearing friends to lovers with likable characters with adorable flaws. Trying to find themselves, plan for the future, and repair the past, they struggled with their feelings in an up and down rollercoaster. I enjoyed Charlie and Liam's fall, worried they wouldn't make it, and throughout the ending, I legit had tears!! A swoonworthy and fun read! I thank the Author for providing a copy to review!!
"I was too close to asking him to stay. Too close to taking another kiss. Too close to wondering what it'd feel like to have his hands bring me to the edge instead of my own."
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
March 3, 2022
love best friends who realize they love each other
This was a great story of two childhood best friends who remained best friends all through school and into college. Charlie has a fear of people leaving her so she prefers to do the leaving. Liam is just trying to survive living each day barely making ends meet while going to school and applying to vet schools. Both of their lives have baggage but not too bad. One kiss is all it takes to recognize that Charlie is a woman and Liam is all man.
This was a great story of two childhood best friends who remained best friends all through school and into college. Charlie has a fear of people leaving her so she prefers to do the leaving. Liam is just trying to survive living each day barely making ends meet while going to school and applying to vet schools. Both of their lives have baggage but not too bad. One kiss is all it takes to recognize that Charlie is a woman and Liam is all man.
May 1, 2018
3.5 stars!
Charlie and Liam have been best friends for about 10 years and know everything about each other. But one day when trying to get away from a ex-boyfriend a quick kiss between the 2 made their feelings change. But when you are friend zoned, is there any way to get back out of that? Cute story about best friends to lovers.
Charlie and Liam have been best friends for about 10 years and know everything about each other. But one day when trying to get away from a ex-boyfriend a quick kiss between the 2 made their feelings change. But when you are friend zoned, is there any way to get back out of that? Cute story about best friends to lovers.
July 25, 2018
I did not feel the chemistry so the rest of the story fell super flat for me. We found this at work and thought it was either going to be very cute or terrible.
I think some people might really enjoy this book, it just wasn't the one for me.
I think some people might really enjoy this book, it just wasn't the one for me.
November 23, 2018
BEST ROMANCE OF 2018 HERE!
August 31, 2019
always love a good friends to lovers!
September 22, 2025
"Friend Zone" by Nicole Blanchard is book one in the "Friend Zone" series. I enjoyed Charlie and Liam's story. Liam is the best friend that everyone needs in their life. He cares deeply for Charlie and has helped her through a lot of things in her life. Charlie adores Liam as a friend until he steps in and kisses her to save her from a man who is breaking up with her. I am really enjoying Nicole's stories and have read a couple of others. The way that she captures your attention from page one and keeps it throughout the whole book is amazing. I really loved Liam's character and felt him and Charlie were perfect together. I also liked Charlie's other friends and how they were always there for each other. I already started listening to book two.
September 28, 2025
Enjoyable
Best Friends to Lovers story
Felt that it showed a true warmth and beauty of relationships
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series
Best Friends to Lovers story
Felt that it showed a true warmth and beauty of relationships
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series
May 7, 2018
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
Friend Zone is my first book by Nicole Blanchard, but I am such a sucker for friends to lovers stories that I had to give this one a shot. While there were things I enjoyed about the story, this one ended up being just okay for me. I did like some of the secondary characters though, so I might read those as they are released.
Charlie and Liam have only ever been friends. But when Charlie breaks up with her latest boyfriend and finds herself in need of help, things with Liam begin to change. Suddenly needing a place to live, Liam offers to let her stay with him and both of them find themselves drawn to the other in a way they never have been before. Each of them knows they should fight it though, as they don’t want to ruin their friendship and both have plans as soon as school is done for them. But soon they are unable to avoid what is happening between them.
I struggled with the character here a bit. While I liked Charlie and Liam, I thought that they both acted a bit on the immature side sometimes, especially Charlie. I didn’t really feel a connection to them, and I didn’t feel a strong connection between them. I think part of that was that I felt they weren’t entirely developed characters, so everything was very on the surface for me and I was left wanting more. I didn’t get much of a romantic relationship between them, and it seemed like not a lot changed from friendship for them. I also wasn’t entirely sold on the chemistry and attraction between them. I just felt like there was something missing here and that had me feeling as though their transition from friends to more wasn’t 100% believable for me.
While I did think that there were some good moments here and that the characters had some good qualities, this one was just okay for me in the end. I found my attention wandering and I wasn’t invested in the HEA. I liked the characters and the secondary characters well enough, but this isn’t one that I will remember in the long run and I probably wouldn’t re-read it again in the future. I am interested in possibly reading more about Charlie’s friends, but I’m not sure that I will rush out to get them. I think that this story is one that a lot of readers will probably enjoy, especially if you are a fan of short and sweet NA books. If you are looking for something with more depth though, this one might not be for you.
**ARC Provided by IndieSage PR**
Friend Zone is my first book by Nicole Blanchard, but I am such a sucker for friends to lovers stories that I had to give this one a shot. While there were things I enjoyed about the story, this one ended up being just okay for me. I did like some of the secondary characters though, so I might read those as they are released.
Charlie and Liam have only ever been friends. But when Charlie breaks up with her latest boyfriend and finds herself in need of help, things with Liam begin to change. Suddenly needing a place to live, Liam offers to let her stay with him and both of them find themselves drawn to the other in a way they never have been before. Each of them knows they should fight it though, as they don’t want to ruin their friendship and both have plans as soon as school is done for them. But soon they are unable to avoid what is happening between them.
I struggled with the character here a bit. While I liked Charlie and Liam, I thought that they both acted a bit on the immature side sometimes, especially Charlie. I didn’t really feel a connection to them, and I didn’t feel a strong connection between them. I think part of that was that I felt they weren’t entirely developed characters, so everything was very on the surface for me and I was left wanting more. I didn’t get much of a romantic relationship between them, and it seemed like not a lot changed from friendship for them. I also wasn’t entirely sold on the chemistry and attraction between them. I just felt like there was something missing here and that had me feeling as though their transition from friends to more wasn’t 100% believable for me.
While I did think that there were some good moments here and that the characters had some good qualities, this one was just okay for me in the end. I found my attention wandering and I wasn’t invested in the HEA. I liked the characters and the secondary characters well enough, but this isn’t one that I will remember in the long run and I probably wouldn’t re-read it again in the future. I am interested in possibly reading more about Charlie’s friends, but I’m not sure that I will rush out to get them. I think that this story is one that a lot of readers will probably enjoy, especially if you are a fan of short and sweet NA books. If you are looking for something with more depth though, this one might not be for you.
**ARC Provided by IndieSage PR**
November 9, 2018
This was okay for me. The writing was okay, but it was hard for me to get into a first. It takes half the book before Liam and Charlie finally act on their feelings, and it did pick up after that. I liked Liam and Charlie together, they were good for each other. The story line about Liam's grandma was hard to read, because I've had family members go through that as well. I'm not sure how I feel about April coming back into the picture. I know forgiveness is good for yourself as well as the one you're forgiving, but I felt it happened too easily. She never really had to explain herself. And the new family thing? Not sure I could have gotten over that like Charlie did. The ending was sweet. I enjoyed the glimpse into the future. If you like YA stories, then I think you'd enjoy this one.
I voluntarliy reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
I voluntarliy reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
February 23, 2025
They were life long best friends and suddenly they were looking at each other with desire. She needed a place to stay and he offered her a place. Why were they both acting so strange? Why were they both so tense? What were they thinking? Friends to lovers, you'd think it would make for a really deep relationship, but that wasn't the feeling I got from Charlie and Liam. They were hot together, but that's just sex. I didn't get the sense of a really deep emotional relationship. Somehow the whole book felt a bit like playacting.
January 9, 2021
DFN @ 13%
Straight away I was just getting vibes that I wouldn’t like it. The MC’s kiss within the first chapter and all of a sudden notice feelings that didn’t happen in the past ten years of friendship, it just seems too much for me
Straight away I was just getting vibes that I wouldn’t like it. The MC’s kiss within the first chapter and all of a sudden notice feelings that didn’t happen in the past ten years of friendship, it just seems too much for me
August 23, 2019
DNF at 70% because I couldn't keep pushing myself through the spelling errors. Mediocre romance. I just wanted a cute friends to lovers roommate romance but it was all just ughhhhhhhhhhhh BORING.
January 18, 2020
The blurb makes this book seem light-hearted fun. It's not. Charlie and Liam do nothing but struggle with various issues. It does contain a HEA, but it's still left me feeling sad.
Want to read
December 1, 2025🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/3/2020)! 🎁
September 30, 2021
DNF 65%
Accidentally downloaded this again. This time DNF 9%
Very silly. She dumped him, why is she upset? Why kiss her? Why hand over a key to her place? Nothing makes sense.
Accidentally downloaded this again. This time DNF 9%
Very silly. She dumped him, why is she upset? Why kiss her? Why hand over a key to her place? Nothing makes sense.
May 2, 2018
Charlie and Liam have been best friends for over a decade, supporting each other and being there whenever life gets too tough. A single kiss changes everything though and brings forth feelings they’ve long ignored in a sweet and sexy romance of friends becoming oh so much more. With each turn of the page I became more and more charmed and became even more invested in their HEA as they’re an immensely likable couple who deserve every happiness.
Liam Walsh grew up on a farm where hard work and loyalty was ingrained in him and it’s still a part of him today. From the moment he met neighbor girl Charlie she became just one of the guys, the kid who became an honorary member of his family, and she’s still a vital part of his life. When it looks like Charlie’s going to receive a marriage proposal though, Liam gets a glimpse of life without her and makes an unexpected decision that will change everything between them. When a single kiss awakens his long-ignored feelings it sets them on a rollercoaster ride of emotions that has them deciding “will they or won’t they” as they engage in a sensual tug of war that felt more like foreplay. With each turn of the page not only does Liam have to admit to his burgeoning feelings for Charlie but there’s also his grandmother’s illness and father’s disappointments to deal with in a narrative that rings true and pulls at the heartstrings. Through it all Liam remained a drool-worthy hero with a heart of gold. He’s a good guy, a good son, who tries to do right even though he might not always say the right thing. Despite the ups and downs of his relationship with Charlie, he’s always there when she needs him most in a romance that had me cheering.
Charlie St. James has been unlucky when it comes to matters of the heart. From a young age she was taught that love is fleeting after the death of her father and her mother walking out never to return. The only solid and true thing in her life is Liam and his family. She’s a part of his family and their struggles are hers which has her leery of becoming something more than a friend to Liam. She doesn’t want to lose his unconditional love and support but she can’t forget his kiss and being roommates makes the temptations he offers even harder to ignore. Just as their romance heats up though Charlie will have many more issues she’ll have to deal with that made my heart ache. Alongside her and Liam’s sensual tug of war comes heavy life issues that had her needing Liam more than ever as they both moved on to the next phase in their lives. Charlie’s a likable heroine who doesn’t put much faith in love, assumes the end before it’s just begun, but still puts herself out there. She’s got a big heart as seen in her interactions with friends and with her elderly patients, with each interaction bringing a smile to my face. Throughout this story Charlie also had a lot of emotional baggage to deal with, baggage having to do with her past which comes knocking to affect her future. Luckily these tearful moments were nicely balanced with sensual interludes with Liam which gave her a respite from having to deal with such serious issues in a romance both heartfelt and sensual.
From the first page to the last this friends to lovers tale kept me thoroughly entertained. It gave me moments of charm and joy along with moments of tears that put me through the wringer alongside its strong-willed heroine and loyal and supportive hero. Told in alternating POVs I felt a kinship to this dynamic duo that had me rooting for them every step of the way as they balanced being friends and lovers. Though the ending felt a bit rushed this was still an engaging story that kept me glued to the page courtesy of its appealing main couple and compelling cast of secondary characters that have me counting down the days until the next installment in this series!
4.5 STARS!
Liam Walsh grew up on a farm where hard work and loyalty was ingrained in him and it’s still a part of him today. From the moment he met neighbor girl Charlie she became just one of the guys, the kid who became an honorary member of his family, and she’s still a vital part of his life. When it looks like Charlie’s going to receive a marriage proposal though, Liam gets a glimpse of life without her and makes an unexpected decision that will change everything between them. When a single kiss awakens his long-ignored feelings it sets them on a rollercoaster ride of emotions that has them deciding “will they or won’t they” as they engage in a sensual tug of war that felt more like foreplay. With each turn of the page not only does Liam have to admit to his burgeoning feelings for Charlie but there’s also his grandmother’s illness and father’s disappointments to deal with in a narrative that rings true and pulls at the heartstrings. Through it all Liam remained a drool-worthy hero with a heart of gold. He’s a good guy, a good son, who tries to do right even though he might not always say the right thing. Despite the ups and downs of his relationship with Charlie, he’s always there when she needs him most in a romance that had me cheering.
Charlie St. James has been unlucky when it comes to matters of the heart. From a young age she was taught that love is fleeting after the death of her father and her mother walking out never to return. The only solid and true thing in her life is Liam and his family. She’s a part of his family and their struggles are hers which has her leery of becoming something more than a friend to Liam. She doesn’t want to lose his unconditional love and support but she can’t forget his kiss and being roommates makes the temptations he offers even harder to ignore. Just as their romance heats up though Charlie will have many more issues she’ll have to deal with that made my heart ache. Alongside her and Liam’s sensual tug of war comes heavy life issues that had her needing Liam more than ever as they both moved on to the next phase in their lives. Charlie’s a likable heroine who doesn’t put much faith in love, assumes the end before it’s just begun, but still puts herself out there. She’s got a big heart as seen in her interactions with friends and with her elderly patients, with each interaction bringing a smile to my face. Throughout this story Charlie also had a lot of emotional baggage to deal with, baggage having to do with her past which comes knocking to affect her future. Luckily these tearful moments were nicely balanced with sensual interludes with Liam which gave her a respite from having to deal with such serious issues in a romance both heartfelt and sensual.
From the first page to the last this friends to lovers tale kept me thoroughly entertained. It gave me moments of charm and joy along with moments of tears that put me through the wringer alongside its strong-willed heroine and loyal and supportive hero. Told in alternating POVs I felt a kinship to this dynamic duo that had me rooting for them every step of the way as they balanced being friends and lovers. Though the ending felt a bit rushed this was still an engaging story that kept me glued to the page courtesy of its appealing main couple and compelling cast of secondary characters that have me counting down the days until the next installment in this series!
4.5 STARS!
June 27, 2023
Wonderful Story & Listen🎧 Delightfully Heartfelt!
Friend Zone
Friend Zone Series, Book 1
By: Nicole Blanchard
Narrated by: Allie Martina, Gideon Frost
I enjoyed this wonderful ‘friends to lovers’ romance novel, the story swept me in right from the start, grabbing my attention and captivating it the entire time. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with, they are easy to care about and like too. Liam and Charlie became each other’s best friend when they were young and their friendship has lasted thru the years. Liam has watched Charlie date different men and as soon as it becomes too serious or the guy wants to take the relationship to the next level, she ends the relationship. And that is what she planned on doing with her latest boyfriend, Andrew, except it doesn’t go exactly like that. Charlie always does her breakups in the bar where Liam works, so if she needs rescue or support, he is there for her. Liam is used to her doing this, but it is different this time, hearing another guy is going to propose to her stirs up feeling in him and even more so when he sees how upset she is. So he takes the rest of his shift off and plans to take her back home to his family’s home. Charlie realizes her feelings for Liam had morphed into something else too, but both have plans, he is going to vet school and she has plans of her own that will take her out of the country for months. I loved the layers to the story and how it all played out, the writing and plotting are fantastic and so is the world building and character growth and development. There is never a dull moment in this book and it has the perfect balance of drama, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. Nicole Blanchard, thank you for another fabulous story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
🎧📚🎧And for the fantastic narration, Nicole Blanchard chose the perfect cast to bring her characters and story to life. Allie Martina and Gideon Frost are wonderfully talented narrators and versatile voice artists. They did an amazing job portraying these characters, giving each a voice that fit that character’s persona and was believable in every role they played. Allie Martina nailed it as Charlie, grasping all sides of her personality, and Gideon Frost did the same for Liam. Both were fabulous performing the roles of all the secondary characters, too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the character’s emotions and had you feeling every single one. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their narration enhances an already fabulous story to another level. Thank you for another wonderful listen.
Friend Zone
Friend Zone Series, Book 1
By: Nicole Blanchard
Narrated by: Allie Martina, Gideon Frost
I enjoyed this wonderful ‘friends to lovers’ romance novel, the story swept me in right from the start, grabbing my attention and captivating it the entire time. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with, they are easy to care about and like too. Liam and Charlie became each other’s best friend when they were young and their friendship has lasted thru the years. Liam has watched Charlie date different men and as soon as it becomes too serious or the guy wants to take the relationship to the next level, she ends the relationship. And that is what she planned on doing with her latest boyfriend, Andrew, except it doesn’t go exactly like that. Charlie always does her breakups in the bar where Liam works, so if she needs rescue or support, he is there for her. Liam is used to her doing this, but it is different this time, hearing another guy is going to propose to her stirs up feeling in him and even more so when he sees how upset she is. So he takes the rest of his shift off and plans to take her back home to his family’s home. Charlie realizes her feelings for Liam had morphed into something else too, but both have plans, he is going to vet school and she has plans of her own that will take her out of the country for months. I loved the layers to the story and how it all played out, the writing and plotting are fantastic and so is the world building and character growth and development. There is never a dull moment in this book and it has the perfect balance of drama, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. Nicole Blanchard, thank you for another fabulous story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
🎧📚🎧And for the fantastic narration, Nicole Blanchard chose the perfect cast to bring her characters and story to life. Allie Martina and Gideon Frost are wonderfully talented narrators and versatile voice artists. They did an amazing job portraying these characters, giving each a voice that fit that character’s persona and was believable in every role they played. Allie Martina nailed it as Charlie, grasping all sides of her personality, and Gideon Frost did the same for Liam. Both were fabulous performing the roles of all the secondary characters, too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the character’s emotions and had you feeling every single one. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their narration enhances an already fabulous story to another level. Thank you for another wonderful listen.
April 26, 2018
Really enjoyable best friends-to-lovers story. Liam and Charlie were gorgeous together!
"There was only her. It had taken me most of my life to really see her. And now it was like I only had eyes for her."
Charlie and Liam have been best friends for ten years and it's always been purely platonic. However, one impulsive kiss has them both reeling out of the friend zone. It's as if a curtain has lifted and they are seeing each other in a new light. But, Charlie is a commitment-phobe. And, Liam barely has time for a relationship with his job and heavy study load. Is a love affair worth risking their solid friendship?
"F*ck just friends. Then took a step toward her, come what may. We could be so much more than that."
When a disastrous incident leaves Charlie homeless, Liam insists she moves in with him. However, the close proximity absolutely tests their restraint.
I really enjoyed Charlie and Liam's journey. Charlie has a big wall around her heart due to circumstances surrounding her family. She and Liam were childhood friends and always have each other backs. However, a realisation that Charlie might one day belong to someone else has Liam waking up to the fact that he never wants her out his life.
"It was as though I'd discovered another side of him, one that fit all my jagged edges like the perfect matching puzzle piece."
Their first kiss was a revelation and starts a sizzling attraction between them. I loved how they both started fantasising and seeing each other as a sexual being rather than a platonic pal. I admired Charlie's bravery to put herself out there and really give their relationship a go because of her trust and faith in Liam and the friendship they shared before. I adored Liam's conviction that they could be something much more - that they could build on the foundation of their friendship to have something wonderful. His somewhat alpha ways were super sexy!
This story also introduces us to characters for the other books in this series, and I'm so looking forward to reading them.
"There was only her. It had taken me most of my life to really see her. And now it was like I only had eyes for her."
Charlie and Liam have been best friends for ten years and it's always been purely platonic. However, one impulsive kiss has them both reeling out of the friend zone. It's as if a curtain has lifted and they are seeing each other in a new light. But, Charlie is a commitment-phobe. And, Liam barely has time for a relationship with his job and heavy study load. Is a love affair worth risking their solid friendship?
"F*ck just friends. Then took a step toward her, come what may. We could be so much more than that."
When a disastrous incident leaves Charlie homeless, Liam insists she moves in with him. However, the close proximity absolutely tests their restraint.
I really enjoyed Charlie and Liam's journey. Charlie has a big wall around her heart due to circumstances surrounding her family. She and Liam were childhood friends and always have each other backs. However, a realisation that Charlie might one day belong to someone else has Liam waking up to the fact that he never wants her out his life.
"It was as though I'd discovered another side of him, one that fit all my jagged edges like the perfect matching puzzle piece."
Their first kiss was a revelation and starts a sizzling attraction between them. I loved how they both started fantasising and seeing each other as a sexual being rather than a platonic pal. I admired Charlie's bravery to put herself out there and really give their relationship a go because of her trust and faith in Liam and the friendship they shared before. I adored Liam's conviction that they could be something much more - that they could build on the foundation of their friendship to have something wonderful. His somewhat alpha ways were super sexy!
This story also introduces us to characters for the other books in this series, and I'm so looking forward to reading them.
April 25, 2018
Friends Zone is a spectacular heart-wrenching journey of two truly amazing friends becoming so much more than they ever thought possible. It is so hard to sum up the incredible friendship shared, given, and relied upon throughout this exquisite journey. These two marvelous characters found each other in the worst times of their life and held on tight throughout everything that came their way. Just as in life, the way we view friendships change depending on how we mature and grow through the years. This story was not any different, and it kept me feeling everything. I felt their good times, their hard times, and everything in between. My tears were theirs as they blindly found their place in their world through pain, pleasure, and never failing love. This story will destroy you utterly and completely.
Nothing prepared me for what I found within these precious pages. I was knocked off my feet from the very beginning, and after awhile I gave up and just stayed down while I watch mesmerized as two wonderful people discovered how they would shape and fill their life both at the present and in the future. Time never stood still for them, and they are drug along at times while screaming in torturous pain. However, through it all, they found who they were and where they needed to be. Life is painful as we grow and as life grows around us. People and things get moved as they make room for new and different.
This book was so much more than I ever imagined, and I am so thankful for that! Nicole Blanchard NEVER fails to surprise, delight, and engage the reader in each of her stories. You will feel and you will suffer right along with her incredible characters, but you will come through it so much better for every moment in the muck and mire. The sun shines brighter and warmer on the other side. Her books are a revelation of what it takes to truly love, live, and hope.
Nothing prepared me for what I found within these precious pages. I was knocked off my feet from the very beginning, and after awhile I gave up and just stayed down while I watch mesmerized as two wonderful people discovered how they would shape and fill their life both at the present and in the future. Time never stood still for them, and they are drug along at times while screaming in torturous pain. However, through it all, they found who they were and where they needed to be. Life is painful as we grow and as life grows around us. People and things get moved as they make room for new and different.
This book was so much more than I ever imagined, and I am so thankful for that! Nicole Blanchard NEVER fails to surprise, delight, and engage the reader in each of her stories. You will feel and you will suffer right along with her incredible characters, but you will come through it so much better for every moment in the muck and mire. The sun shines brighter and warmer on the other side. Her books are a revelation of what it takes to truly love, live, and hope.
August 16, 2023
I liked listening to this book, made all the more enjoyable by the excellent narration of Allie Martina and Gideon Frost they really brought the characters to life. The story is about Charlotte aka Charlie and Liam who have been friends since their childhoods, they are both now in college and still friends. But when Charlie broke up with her boyfriend who then retaliated by flooding her apartment Liam did something which would upset the status quo.
Liam invited Charlie to move in with him while her apartment is being repaired. For years Liam has watched from the sidelines as Charlie ended every relationship before it could become serious, he's attracted to her but has never told her not realising that she's equally attracted to him. Charlie didn't tell him as she assumed she’d been friend zoned because Liam didn’t do relationships. But sharing a living space has gotten to him and a month after she moved him he kissed her and she kisses him back so they decide to see where things go as a couple.
Liam has applied to an out-of-state college whilst Charlie plans on staying in FL. When Charlie finds out that Liam has been accepted on the day after she turned down a volunteer position because she didn’t want to leave him they argue and Charlie Leaves.
So he too leaves and goes to his parent's house where his relationship with his father makes things difficult. A few weeks later his grandma dies and he decides to take attend a college in FL to be closer to Charlie and his home.
Overall the story was good but Charlie and Liam need to learn to talk about their feelings and be honest with each other
Liam invited Charlie to move in with him while her apartment is being repaired. For years Liam has watched from the sidelines as Charlie ended every relationship before it could become serious, he's attracted to her but has never told her not realising that she's equally attracted to him. Charlie didn't tell him as she assumed she’d been friend zoned because Liam didn’t do relationships. But sharing a living space has gotten to him and a month after she moved him he kissed her and she kisses him back so they decide to see where things go as a couple.
Liam has applied to an out-of-state college whilst Charlie plans on staying in FL. When Charlie finds out that Liam has been accepted on the day after she turned down a volunteer position because she didn’t want to leave him they argue and Charlie Leaves.
So he too leaves and goes to his parent's house where his relationship with his father makes things difficult. A few weeks later his grandma dies and he decides to take attend a college in FL to be closer to Charlie and his home.
Overall the story was good but Charlie and Liam need to learn to talk about their feelings and be honest with each other
October 8, 2018
What would you think if I told you… I wanted to hold you? To be more than your friend… to be your lover… your partner… forever by your side, looking out for you?
This is Liam and Charlie’s journey into the unknown aspects of their relationship. A relationship that has spanned their childhood, their friendship, and now it becomes a little disconcerting when emotions and attraction develops. Just how is one to respond in such close quarters?
Nicole Blanchard gifts you Liam and Charlie’s beautifully, depicted story about connections, family, love and that all important communication and trust. Connections that are filled with angst, at times fragile and filled with second guesses and fear of failing. When you’ve suffered so much already, losing that one person who has been your constant is just something you can’t consider. You’d rather stay in that safe zone of comfort, just be friends rather than push boundaries and explore a chemistry, that if ignited has so many unknown quantities.
Sometimes you need to listen hard to your heart… that to take that risk is its own reward and leads to so many new possibilities, even when life doesn’t come with guarantees. Trust that person who has always been there - that you can be both friend and lover.
I really enjoyed reading my very first book by Nicole Blanchard. It’s fun, lighthearted but also has those emotional, serious, angsty tones throughout Liam and Charlie’s journey. It’s real life and situations we can all find ourselves in.
This is Liam and Charlie’s journey into the unknown aspects of their relationship. A relationship that has spanned their childhood, their friendship, and now it becomes a little disconcerting when emotions and attraction develops. Just how is one to respond in such close quarters?
Nicole Blanchard gifts you Liam and Charlie’s beautifully, depicted story about connections, family, love and that all important communication and trust. Connections that are filled with angst, at times fragile and filled with second guesses and fear of failing. When you’ve suffered so much already, losing that one person who has been your constant is just something you can’t consider. You’d rather stay in that safe zone of comfort, just be friends rather than push boundaries and explore a chemistry, that if ignited has so many unknown quantities.
Sometimes you need to listen hard to your heart… that to take that risk is its own reward and leads to so many new possibilities, even when life doesn’t come with guarantees. Trust that person who has always been there - that you can be both friend and lover.
I really enjoyed reading my very first book by Nicole Blanchard. It’s fun, lighthearted but also has those emotional, serious, angsty tones throughout Liam and Charlie’s journey. It’s real life and situations we can all find ourselves in.
June 30, 2023
Friend Zone
Friend Zone Series, Book 1
By: Nicole Blanchard
Narrated by: Allie Martina, Gideon Frost
Friends to lovers. I love this trope for the sheer reason that it's so easy to understand! After all, Charlie and Liam have been best friends for years! Nicole Blanchard tells their story as Charlie and Liam realize what they truly have. But how does it all happen? It all starts with one kiss. Now Liam is determined to win over Charlie's heart but will it be easy? Both are at different stages in the education and Charlie is not good with commitments. But her feelings for Liam are so strong! Is this the time she is ready? Blanchard takes us on a whirlwind of feelings, as these two navigate their new found relationship, their family drama and the art of communication! I found myself in love with this couple, rooting for their happy ending and wanting to push them along with their thoughts and plans! It just shows the investment that Blanchard got out of me as I was cheering for these two! Loved their journey.
Allie Martina and Gideon Frost tell the story with a fabulous narration. Martina is the emotional Charlie, as she comes out of her current relationship and finds true feelings. Each nuance lets her feelings out and made for a realistic character. Frost is a favorite, his smooth romantic voice coming through as Liam. I was captivated from the start. These two gave a fantastic performance.
Friend Zone Series, Book 1
By: Nicole Blanchard
Narrated by: Allie Martina, Gideon Frost
Friends to lovers. I love this trope for the sheer reason that it's so easy to understand! After all, Charlie and Liam have been best friends for years! Nicole Blanchard tells their story as Charlie and Liam realize what they truly have. But how does it all happen? It all starts with one kiss. Now Liam is determined to win over Charlie's heart but will it be easy? Both are at different stages in the education and Charlie is not good with commitments. But her feelings for Liam are so strong! Is this the time she is ready? Blanchard takes us on a whirlwind of feelings, as these two navigate their new found relationship, their family drama and the art of communication! I found myself in love with this couple, rooting for their happy ending and wanting to push them along with their thoughts and plans! It just shows the investment that Blanchard got out of me as I was cheering for these two! Loved their journey.
Allie Martina and Gideon Frost tell the story with a fabulous narration. Martina is the emotional Charlie, as she comes out of her current relationship and finds true feelings. Each nuance lets her feelings out and made for a realistic character. Frost is a favorite, his smooth romantic voice coming through as Liam. I was captivated from the start. These two gave a fantastic performance.
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