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Just Friends
Not yet published
Expected 17 Mar 26This heartwarming and swoonworthy second chance romance about childhood friends reconnecting as adults is the highly anticipated debut novel from BookTok icon Haley Pham.
Blair and Declan were inseparable growing up – best friends who knew each other better than anyone else. But when an impulsive kiss took them from friends to something more, everything changed. Just as quickly as their romance started, one moment shattered it all, leaving them with nothing but heartbreak and silence.
Four years later, Blair is back in their coastal hometown of Seabrook to support her mom and care for her great-aunt Lottie. To make ends meet, Blair applies to work at a coffee shop – only to discover it’s managed by none other than Declan. The boy she loved. The boy she lost. The boy who still makes her heart race.
As Blair’s path keeps crossing with Declan’s, old wounds resurface, secrets are revealed and sparks reignite. But could their future ever be free of their past?
Told in dual timelines that unravel the magic and pain of first love, Just Friends is a moving, romantic story about second chances, the weight of dreams and finding your way back to the people who feel like home.
Blair and Declan were inseparable growing up – best friends who knew each other better than anyone else. But when an impulsive kiss took them from friends to something more, everything changed. Just as quickly as their romance started, one moment shattered it all, leaving them with nothing but heartbreak and silence.
Four years later, Blair is back in their coastal hometown of Seabrook to support her mom and care for her great-aunt Lottie. To make ends meet, Blair applies to work at a coffee shop – only to discover it’s managed by none other than Declan. The boy she loved. The boy she lost. The boy who still makes her heart race.
As Blair’s path keeps crossing with Declan’s, old wounds resurface, secrets are revealed and sparks reignite. But could their future ever be free of their past?
Told in dual timelines that unravel the magic and pain of first love, Just Friends is a moving, romantic story about second chances, the weight of dreams and finding your way back to the people who feel like home.
320 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 3, 2026
48336 people want to read
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February 15, 2026
Thank you to atria books and haley Pham for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review
___________
This book was the equivalent to those hard sugar cookies that you can only consume up to a limit iykwim
____________
IN THE NICEST WAY POSSIBLE
“It’s just me.”
Note: if i see anyone and i mean anyone hating on me i will throw hands and strangle you in your sleep and cry because (confession time) I’m sensitive asf.(it’s not my fault I’m slavic hello!?)
I had quite a few problems with the book oh gawd not me being dramatic asf
Soooo it’s a single pov and basically just blair yapping all over the place
(If you can’t feel me rolling my eyes there’s something wrong with you)
OH AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE MISCOMMUNICATION HERE OMGGGG IM VIRTUALLY GAGGING. I HATE MISCOMMUNICATION SO MUCH AND I THINK I HAVE NOT MET A SINGLE SANE PERSON WHO LIKES THE TROPE UGHHHH
“I force myself to perceive it’s beauty.”
Me too gng me too i forced myself to see if it was good but spoiler alert it WASNOT.
If i had to explain blair in a few words it would be basic bitch who wants auntie issues and has undiagnosed depression and is basically trying so hard to be sad. Oh and can we forget about the fact that GRIEF DOES NOT AND CANNOT PROVIDE A GOOD PERSONALITY AND YOU CANNOT MAKE GRIEF YOUR FULL PERSONALITY.
(This is totally not me giving her a dollar to buy a personality.) if you all still don’t believe me (fxk u) and here’s another quote when she was talking about his dad.
“I don’t mean to make your relationship with him sound easy but atleast you have a relationship to struggle with.”
Blair was so annoying i wanted to smash my head after every word (i did once or twice but we don’t talk about that) um hello the man and the second chance be glad you got a man to worry about. If it was IRL Istg you couldn’t pay me enough to even look in her direction.
“I always wanted to give him more than he wanted of me”
So my problems here were that
• the writing felt blocky and not smooth at all
• I couldn’t get over the self insertion
• the writing again was weird and pretentious
• plot? What plot!?
• miscommunication
• the characters which seemed unnatural and confusing
• the single pov
• blair (her not owning up to her mistakes, making everything difficult for everyone, confusing everyone, not apologising for anything etc ETc)
• no density whatsoever
• the excessiveness of everything
• it was so lacklustre
• there was no chemistry and everything was just so dragged on
And mind yall die hard fans I’m not hating on haley I’m just stating some problems i had with the book which are only supposed to help the author to *sigh* improve her writing (but we also have to accept the fact the author already had a massive fan base which she used to advertise her book and which helped her a lot with the publishing stuff and I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with that im just stating a fact) but this is a fact that haley as of right now can’t write struggling characters or explain complex emotions (grief) properly.
And I don’t want to sound rude or mean but it was not it debut novels are supposed to be good. The secret history, the hunger games, the poppy war and red queen were debuts too. And lastly some of you people should know the difference between hating and constructive criticism
“I don’t want to think”
___________
This book was the equivalent to those hard sugar cookies that you can only consume up to a limit iykwim
____________
IN THE NICEST WAY POSSIBLE
“It’s just me.”
Note: if i see anyone and i mean anyone hating on me i will throw hands and strangle you in your sleep and cry because (confession time) I’m sensitive asf.(it’s not my fault I’m slavic hello!?)
I had quite a few problems with the book oh gawd not me being dramatic asf
Soooo it’s a single pov and basically just blair yapping all over the place
(If you can’t feel me rolling my eyes there’s something wrong with you)
OH AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE MISCOMMUNICATION HERE OMGGGG IM VIRTUALLY GAGGING. I HATE MISCOMMUNICATION SO MUCH AND I THINK I HAVE NOT MET A SINGLE SANE PERSON WHO LIKES THE TROPE UGHHHH
“I force myself to perceive it’s beauty.”
Me too gng me too i forced myself to see if it was good but spoiler alert it WASNOT.
If i had to explain blair in a few words it would be basic bitch who wants auntie issues and has undiagnosed depression and is basically trying so hard to be sad. Oh and can we forget about the fact that GRIEF DOES NOT AND CANNOT PROVIDE A GOOD PERSONALITY AND YOU CANNOT MAKE GRIEF YOUR FULL PERSONALITY.
(This is totally not me giving her a dollar to buy a personality.) if you all still don’t believe me (fxk u) and here’s another quote when she was talking about his dad.
“I don’t mean to make your relationship with him sound easy but atleast you have a relationship to struggle with.”
Blair was so annoying i wanted to smash my head after every word (i did once or twice but we don’t talk about that) um hello the man and the second chance be glad you got a man to worry about. If it was IRL Istg you couldn’t pay me enough to even look in her direction.
“I always wanted to give him more than he wanted of me”
So my problems here were that
• the writing felt blocky and not smooth at all
• I couldn’t get over the self insertion
• the writing again was weird and pretentious
• plot? What plot!?
• miscommunication
• the characters which seemed unnatural and confusing
• the single pov
• blair (her not owning up to her mistakes, making everything difficult for everyone, confusing everyone, not apologising for anything etc ETc)
• no density whatsoever
• the excessiveness of everything
• it was so lacklustre
• there was no chemistry and everything was just so dragged on
And mind yall die hard fans I’m not hating on haley I’m just stating some problems i had with the book which are only supposed to help the author to *sigh* improve her writing (but we also have to accept the fact the author already had a massive fan base which she used to advertise her book and which helped her a lot with the publishing stuff and I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with that im just stating a fact) but this is a fact that haley as of right now can’t write struggling characters or explain complex emotions (grief) properly.
And I don’t want to sound rude or mean but it was not it debut novels are supposed to be good. The secret history, the hunger games, the poppy war and red queen were debuts too. And lastly some of you people should know the difference between hating and constructive criticism
“I don’t want to think”
reviewed-not-read
July 8, 2025cue the parasocial relationships making this an immediate bestseller even though the blurb is a replica of every second chance summer romance in existence
December 24, 2025
The writing was middle-grade at best, there was no plot, the romance was severely lacking in chemistry (and everything else). It felt like reading a wannabe Emily Henry book with a lot of telling instead of showing - the characters were two dimensional with no substance other than traumatic things written in to give them character or some semblance of personality.
Almost every sentence was stilted, the female main character was insufferable (blaming her bad behavior on grief, not taking responsibility or owning up to her own faults, being selfish AT ALL TIMES), and somehow the writing felt like a self-insertion of the “author” and her pwn characteristics. On top of all that… it wasn’t even FUN!
My opinion doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things but if anyone were to ask me, I wouldn’t recommend this book.
*I downloaded an eARC of this book and received no compensation for this review, it is purely my thoughts after reading*
Almost every sentence was stilted, the female main character was insufferable (blaming her bad behavior on grief, not taking responsibility or owning up to her own faults, being selfish AT ALL TIMES), and somehow the writing felt like a self-insertion of the “author” and her pwn characteristics. On top of all that… it wasn’t even FUN!
My opinion doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things but if anyone were to ask me, I wouldn’t recommend this book.
*I downloaded an eARC of this book and received no compensation for this review, it is purely my thoughts after reading*
September 18, 2025
⭐️A stunning and memorable debut novel!! I felt touched and connected to the main character Blair in her grief as well as Declan and how tender hearted he was!! I love the theme of bird houses/birds in this story and don’t even get me started on the setting😩 Please transport me to the cozy coastal town of Seabrooke, CA asap!! The prose was well balanced between flowery and realistic. It flowed very nicely with the story and is actually the writing style I prefer in most books so this was exciting to read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I could write a 100 page essay on this book but instead I implore you to pick it up and read it once it’s available next year!!!
⭐️You can watch my full, spoiler free review on my YouTube channel: Ashlynn Calee
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I could write a 100 page essay on this book but instead I implore you to pick it up and read it once it’s available next year!!!
⭐️You can watch my full, spoiler free review on my YouTube channel: Ashlynn Calee
Want to read
August 22, 2025The cover is screaming beach read energy!!🌅🤌🏻
-Cue Golden Hour by JVKE🏖️💌
----
WHAT THE HELL… WHAT THE HALEY?!
WE'RE GETTING A HALEY PHAM DEBUT NOVEL!! Woohoo!! I am sat🧎🏻♀️
I opened the blurb and blacked out...
-📢 BREAKING: Internet it-girl turned author Haley Pham said “Here’s your new emotional support second chance romance.”
“She gave us the BookTube glow-up, the BookTok brainrot, and now a COASTAL HEARTBREAK ROMANCE??? She went from BookTube baddie to romance author QUEEN — and we’re not okay.”
જ⁀➴ WHAT TO EXPECT (and emotionally survive):
~Serving hot just like declan's gonna be at that expresso machine 😋☕
🌊 Welcome to Seabrook—where the waves crash hard and so do your unresolved feelings.
🫶 Best friends to “wait, did we just ruin everything?”
💌 A kiss they swore they’d forget (spoiler: they didn’t)
📍“From Childhood Besties to Coffee Shop Tension: This Is Peak Haley Pham Cinematic Universe”
☕ Coffee shop drama with a splash of pining and a whole lot of sexual tension
“One Kiss. Four Years Apart. Unlimited Emotional Damage.”
📦 Declan “I make lattes and heartbreak look effortless” McHeartache
📖 Dual timelines — past: adorable chaos / present: emotional reckoning™
🫠 One kiss ruined everything. One job interview brings her back. One shift together? YEAH GOOD LUCK.
🤐 Secrets. Silence. Unspoken things. Like: “I never stopped loving you.”
🔥 Soft boy energy with a mean apron tie
📍 Coastal hometown with main character weather (read: rain, sunsets, and pain)
🎤 “I can’t work with him!”
Manager: “You’re hired.”
🎵 cue 'Cardigan' by Taylor Swift playing in the background, softly but emotionally
📦 tiny storage room + big feelings
💬 flashbacks like:
“You’re my favorite person, Blair.”
“Then why did you leave?”
🎶 sad violin intensifies
—🎶 “Oh no, I’m falling in love again…” 🎶- Taylor voice intensifies
— “THIS BOOK??? GONNA BE FEELS LIKE LISTENING TO ‘ALL TOO WELL’ (10 MIN VERSION) IN A WET SWEATSHIRT ON A DOCK.”
☕THE FLAVORS?
💌 Second chance, first love, ALL the feels
📍 Small coastal town where everyone knows your past (rude)
📦 One storage room. One ex. One emotional earthquake.
🎭 Past/present timelines that will absolutely wreck you.. OH!!💘
☕ Enemies-to-regret-to-maybe I still love you
🫣 Close proximity + slow burn = absolute menace to your emotional well-being
👵 Aunt Lottie stirring chaos while sipping chamomile tea
🌀 You, spiraling...🧎🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️
📖 Think:
"To All the Boys" meets “Everything I Never Said” — with Haley’s signature humor, aesthetic chaos, and the oh-my-god-did-that-just-happen tension that’ll have you throwing the book across the room.
TikTok is NOT ready. BookTok is collectively screaming...
-YouTube’s golden girl, lifestyle queen, and lowkey our parasocial BFF — Haley Pham — is stepping into the author world and she’s not holding back.
📝 “JUST FRIENDS” is here to ruin your friendship delusions and revive every teenage ‘what if’ you tried to bury. Besties-to-maybe-lovers? Misunderstood confessions? The one who got away? OH IT’S ALL HERE.📝 The debut novel from BookTok QUEEN Haley Pham-aka the girlboss who said “what if I wrote about the boy you never got over?” and then DID.
aka the reason you’re crying in your oat milk latte today..
👩💻 Haley Pham living her author dream in a cute blazer holding an iced matcha while fans scream about Declan?BREAKING: Haley Pham’s debut just invented heartbreak.
SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE??
SMALL TOWN COFFEE SHOP??
A BOY NAMED DECLAN WHO NEVER REALLY LET HER GO??
OH WE’RE SUFFERING.🧘🏻♀️
WE. ARE. HERE. FOR. IT.
So yeah, Haley Pham really said:
“Let me write the book that ruins your sleep schedule and makes you romanticize your high school crush again.”
Final diagnosis?
☕ BookTok’s new obsession.
📝 A love letter to nostalgia.
I’m spiraling. I’m swooning.
I’ve already planned the Pinterest board for their fictional wedding.
Buckle up, buttercup –
Because Just Friends?
Is anything but....☕🌊
Haley, congrats. We’re sat. We’re locked in. We’re RUINED...
-Cue Golden Hour by JVKE🏖️💌
----
WHAT THE HELL… WHAT THE HALEY?!
WE'RE GETTING A HALEY PHAM DEBUT NOVEL!! Woohoo!! I am sat🧎🏻♀️
I opened the blurb and blacked out...
-📢 BREAKING: Internet it-girl turned author Haley Pham said “Here’s your new emotional support second chance romance.”
“She gave us the BookTube glow-up, the BookTok brainrot, and now a COASTAL HEARTBREAK ROMANCE??? She went from BookTube baddie to romance author QUEEN — and we’re not okay.”
જ⁀➴ WHAT TO EXPECT (and emotionally survive):
~Serving hot just like declan's gonna be at that expresso machine 😋☕
🌊 Welcome to Seabrook—where the waves crash hard and so do your unresolved feelings.
🫶 Best friends to “wait, did we just ruin everything?”
💌 A kiss they swore they’d forget (spoiler: they didn’t)
📍“From Childhood Besties to Coffee Shop Tension: This Is Peak Haley Pham Cinematic Universe”
☕ Coffee shop drama with a splash of pining and a whole lot of sexual tension
“One Kiss. Four Years Apart. Unlimited Emotional Damage.”
📦 Declan “I make lattes and heartbreak look effortless” McHeartache
📖 Dual timelines — past: adorable chaos / present: emotional reckoning™
🫠 One kiss ruined everything. One job interview brings her back. One shift together? YEAH GOOD LUCK.
🤐 Secrets. Silence. Unspoken things. Like: “I never stopped loving you.”
🔥 Soft boy energy with a mean apron tie
📍 Coastal hometown with main character weather (read: rain, sunsets, and pain)
🎤 “I can’t work with him!”
Manager: “You’re hired.”
🎵 cue 'Cardigan' by Taylor Swift playing in the background, softly but emotionally
📦 tiny storage room + big feelings
💬 flashbacks like:
“You’re my favorite person, Blair.”
“Then why did you leave?”
🎶 sad violin intensifies
—🎶 “Oh no, I’m falling in love again…” 🎶- Taylor voice intensifies
— “THIS BOOK??? GONNA BE FEELS LIKE LISTENING TO ‘ALL TOO WELL’ (10 MIN VERSION) IN A WET SWEATSHIRT ON A DOCK.”
☕THE FLAVORS?
💌 Second chance, first love, ALL the feels
📍 Small coastal town where everyone knows your past (rude)
📦 One storage room. One ex. One emotional earthquake.
🎭 Past/present timelines that will absolutely wreck you.. OH!!💘
☕ Enemies-to-regret-to-maybe I still love you
🫣 Close proximity + slow burn = absolute menace to your emotional well-being
👵 Aunt Lottie stirring chaos while sipping chamomile tea
🌀 You, spiraling...🧎🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️
📖 Think:
"To All the Boys" meets “Everything I Never Said” — with Haley’s signature humor, aesthetic chaos, and the oh-my-god-did-that-just-happen tension that’ll have you throwing the book across the room.
TikTok is NOT ready. BookTok is collectively screaming...
-YouTube’s golden girl, lifestyle queen, and lowkey our parasocial BFF — Haley Pham — is stepping into the author world and she’s not holding back.
📝 “JUST FRIENDS” is here to ruin your friendship delusions and revive every teenage ‘what if’ you tried to bury. Besties-to-maybe-lovers? Misunderstood confessions? The one who got away? OH IT’S ALL HERE.📝 The debut novel from BookTok QUEEN Haley Pham-aka the girlboss who said “what if I wrote about the boy you never got over?” and then DID.
aka the reason you’re crying in your oat milk latte today..
👩💻 Haley Pham living her author dream in a cute blazer holding an iced matcha while fans scream about Declan?BREAKING: Haley Pham’s debut just invented heartbreak.
SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE??
SMALL TOWN COFFEE SHOP??
A BOY NAMED DECLAN WHO NEVER REALLY LET HER GO??
OH WE’RE SUFFERING.🧘🏻♀️
WE. ARE. HERE. FOR. IT.
So yeah, Haley Pham really said:
“Let me write the book that ruins your sleep schedule and makes you romanticize your high school crush again.”
Final diagnosis?
☕ BookTok’s new obsession.
📝 A love letter to nostalgia.
I’m spiraling. I’m swooning.
I’ve already planned the Pinterest board for their fictional wedding.
Buckle up, buttercup –
Because Just Friends?
Is anything but....☕🌊
Haley, congrats. We’re sat. We’re locked in. We’re RUINED...
January 10, 2026
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 2.25/5
Some people need to calm down, get off goodreads, and go outside to touch some grass. Seriously?
For the love of god, let people write the books they want, read the books they want, be excited for the books they want, and rate the books the way they want, jeez. The amount of people I've seen in other people's reviews of this book bashing people for their opinions. Don't even bother trying to start bullshit with me about this book, cause I've had it with people on here consistently all up people's asses for the books they read. Just because you don't like it or don't want to read it, doesn't mean that anyone else cannot like it or read it. Or just because you liked it, does't mean that other people have to like it too. It's never that deep and the hate in the reviews for this book is on a whole other level.
I didn't completely love this book, but regardless you don't see me in people's comments trying to shame them for their ratings. Some of you take reading so seriously that it's ruining the fun in it for the rest of us.
Anyways, rant aside, it's finally review timeeeee. It's not that long, sorry, but I don't know what else to write.
Honestly, if I'm being serious, I requested this book because I saw this book on a lot of my bestie's feed. I don't watch videos from super popular booktokers or booktubers at all. I had heard about haley but my opinion of this book is completely separate from her as an influencer because I've never watched her videos.
While it wasn't totally for me, I still have to say that it was an attempt at a sweet second chance romance. I'm just a little harsh when it comes to rating books if you've ever seen the way I rate usually rate books.
Although with that I have to say that if this is one of your most anticipated reads for 2026, I think you'll still could have a fairly good time. For me, I think the first few chapters were a little rough to get past, but it does feel like it picks up a little bit after that.
I'm not going to say that I didn't like it because there were things that I enjoyed. For example, I thought that the promposal scene was so precious because Blair and Declan were so sweet there.
However, at the same time, there were things I didn't completely love like the romance, however the no smut was completely fine for me. I thought the romance was a little too linear for me, but given that this was a debut, I didn't mind much.
Thank you to Haley Pham, Atria Books, and Netgalley for this arc! 💕
----------------
bye ✋🫣......so I just got the arc for this 🤧 and I guess that means I gotta read it soon.
Some people need to calm down, get off goodreads, and go outside to touch some grass. Seriously?
For the love of god, let people write the books they want, read the books they want, be excited for the books they want, and rate the books the way they want, jeez. The amount of people I've seen in other people's reviews of this book bashing people for their opinions. Don't even bother trying to start bullshit with me about this book, cause I've had it with people on here consistently all up people's asses for the books they read. Just because you don't like it or don't want to read it, doesn't mean that anyone else cannot like it or read it. Or just because you liked it, does't mean that other people have to like it too. It's never that deep and the hate in the reviews for this book is on a whole other level.
I didn't completely love this book, but regardless you don't see me in people's comments trying to shame them for their ratings. Some of you take reading so seriously that it's ruining the fun in it for the rest of us.
Anyways, rant aside, it's finally review timeeeee. It's not that long, sorry, but I don't know what else to write.
Honestly, if I'm being serious, I requested this book because I saw this book on a lot of my bestie's feed. I don't watch videos from super popular booktokers or booktubers at all. I had heard about haley but my opinion of this book is completely separate from her as an influencer because I've never watched her videos.
While it wasn't totally for me, I still have to say that it was an attempt at a sweet second chance romance. I'm just a little harsh when it comes to rating books if you've ever seen the way I rate usually rate books.
Although with that I have to say that if this is one of your most anticipated reads for 2026, I think you'll still could have a fairly good time. For me, I think the first few chapters were a little rough to get past, but it does feel like it picks up a little bit after that.
I'm not going to say that I didn't like it because there were things that I enjoyed. For example, I thought that the promposal scene was so precious because Blair and Declan were so sweet there.
However, at the same time, there were things I didn't completely love like the romance, however the no smut was completely fine for me. I thought the romance was a little too linear for me, but given that this was a debut, I didn't mind much.
"I always wanted to give him more than he wanted of me."
"I miss you, Little Bird. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, fly back to me."
Thank you to Haley Pham, Atria Books, and Netgalley for this arc! 💕
----------------
bye ✋🫣......so I just got the arc for this 🤧 and I guess that means I gotta read it soon.
February 13, 2026
⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡⋆
3.75
full review, read at your own risk or we can remain...just friends
huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. all thoughts are my own
⋆｡‧˚ʚ first off, let's do a little disclaimer in this review before people start like hate spamming me and sending messages. i want to clarify that im a fan of haley and personally love her book content which is why i was pumped to see an arc in my inbox. all the opinions below are my honest unfiltered and if you dont like honest then go somewhere else babes. this space obviously isnt for you. you can be a fan and be dissapointed.
disclaimer aside. lets get into it because boy is it something and nothing at the same frickin time.
⋆｡‧˚ʚ when i first picked up just friends i didn't know what to expect. i mean the cover is giving ryan and haley fanfic and like sure its cute but also its giving ⋆⋆ nothing ⋆⋆ at the same time. i mean the characters are "just friends" right? genius title btw (yes i am being sarcastic)
so lets dive into the actual plot and novel we have. our fmc blair is back in her hometown for her great aunt lottie as her health is rapidly declining. shes about to start this big girl job and realizes that right now she needs a job in this town because MONEY MONEY MONEYYYY and applies at the local coffee shop where guess what? declan, her highschool flame is the manager of.
wow plot armor going strong here. (look im hating because i expected a LOT and was let down) but i digress (okay stephanie soo) she gets the job and starts working with declan as the chemistry is still there.
⋆ side note ⋆ this book could have been 10x times better without the time flashbacks. They did nothing and i did not care about what happened in highschool jsyk. dual timeline does not need to be in every story. esp not a regular old contemporary with nothing happening. like i see the great bbl em hen inspo but no babes. it's not it. end of sidenote ⋆
characters
blair
declan
great aunt lottie
blair's besties
plot in general
forced proximity. the characters had feelings again within seconds and then theres some plot armor with blair and her aunt lottie and all of that. as a note i wish we could have pulled more from the vietnamese side of blair, i think that could have been really cool. like food. but im a food girlie so that may just be me haha. i just think for some of the marketing done, that could have been great. but i digress again.
anyways the plot was a little lackluster but it was cute i guess. deffo a cupcake in the moonbeam ice cream sunshine roses and all the cutesy things world. i wasn't a fan that our fmc is writing a book and does some other things. i get fiction but it also just felt a little to "girl is dis u????"
i would also say the writing was slightly forced at times. i think we could have had more humor and lighthearteded ness but it tried to hard to be something it's not.
end notes
hey babes u ready to stop hating on things?
never.
okay then.
theres my final review, if you are looking for a pallette cleanser that takes no brain power (no glue no borax) with some cute characters (and yes for all the peoples it's cleaner than the kitchen counter after my mom has scrubbed it twenty times), and a cuteish setting, just friends may JUST be the book for you.
thanks, this has been ranty reviews with jo, tune in next time.
xx babes
pre-review.
I GOT AN ARC ?!
IT"S HAPPENINGGGGGGG !!!!
cover thoughts
so the cover is giving ✨️unoriginal✨️ but okay
3.75
full review, read at your own risk or we can remain...just friends
huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. all thoughts are my own
⋆｡‧˚ʚ first off, let's do a little disclaimer in this review before people start like hate spamming me and sending messages. i want to clarify that im a fan of haley and personally love her book content which is why i was pumped to see an arc in my inbox. all the opinions below are my honest unfiltered and if you dont like honest then go somewhere else babes. this space obviously isnt for you. you can be a fan and be dissapointed.
disclaimer aside. lets get into it because boy is it something and nothing at the same frickin time.
⋆｡‧˚ʚ when i first picked up just friends i didn't know what to expect. i mean the cover is giving ryan and haley fanfic and like sure its cute but also its giving ⋆⋆ nothing ⋆⋆ at the same time. i mean the characters are "just friends" right? genius title btw (yes i am being sarcastic)
so lets dive into the actual plot and novel we have. our fmc blair is back in her hometown for her great aunt lottie as her health is rapidly declining. shes about to start this big girl job and realizes that right now she needs a job in this town because MONEY MONEY MONEYYYY and applies at the local coffee shop where guess what? declan, her highschool flame is the manager of.
wow plot armor going strong here. (look im hating because i expected a LOT and was let down) but i digress (okay stephanie soo) she gets the job and starts working with declan as the chemistry is still there.
⋆ side note ⋆ this book could have been 10x times better without the time flashbacks. They did nothing and i did not care about what happened in highschool jsyk. dual timeline does not need to be in every story. esp not a regular old contemporary with nothing happening. like i see the great bbl em hen inspo but no babes. it's not it. end of sidenote ⋆
characters
blair
to be honest. at times i didn't hate her. and other times i want to smack her over with a copy of "the count of monte cristo". she's our bookish fmc who has a kindle and who is writing....a book.....yeah she's writing a FRICKIN BOOK. she also has some family issues and grief issues and communication issues. i mean relatable but also babes therapy
declan
so lowk this mans had no personality. he was all "yeahhh im rich and i played football in highschool and then had this accident and then like secrets and also my mom is a bword" yeah thats declan in a nutshell. also this man IS FILTHY RICH like okay babes
great aunt lottie
shes cute i liked her
blair's besties
faye and roshi are actually really good friends to blair and obvi as people grow older and have different lives it can get tricky. i literally have gone throush so many friend things but the FACT THAT THEY LITERALLY DROPPED EVERYTHING AND FLEW TO THE TOWN TO TAKE CARE OF BLAIR IS PEAK BEST FRIEND ENERGY
plot in general
forced proximity. the characters had feelings again within seconds and then theres some plot armor with blair and her aunt lottie and all of that. as a note i wish we could have pulled more from the vietnamese side of blair, i think that could have been really cool. like food. but im a food girlie so that may just be me haha. i just think for some of the marketing done, that could have been great. but i digress again.
anyways the plot was a little lackluster but it was cute i guess. deffo a cupcake in the moonbeam ice cream sunshine roses and all the cutesy things world. i wasn't a fan that our fmc is writing a book and does some other things. i get fiction but it also just felt a little to "girl is dis u????"
i would also say the writing was slightly forced at times. i think we could have had more humor and lighthearteded ness but it tried to hard to be something it's not.
end notes
hey babes u ready to stop hating on things?
never.
okay then.
theres my final review, if you are looking for a pallette cleanser that takes no brain power (no glue no borax) with some cute characters (and yes for all the peoples it's cleaner than the kitchen counter after my mom has scrubbed it twenty times), and a cuteish setting, just friends may JUST be the book for you.
thanks, this has been ranty reviews with jo, tune in next time.
xx babes
pre-review.
I GOT AN ARC ?!
IT"S HAPPENINGGGGGGG !!!!
cover thoughts
so the cover is giving ✨️unoriginal✨️ but okay
Want to read
November 18, 2025why are people hating? (before reading it)🧍♀️like why wouldn’t someone use their following to promote their books; lauren roberts has done it and plenty of other booktok authors too. let’s start judging when we’ve actually read it 😚 yes her manuscript was accepted faster than others usually are but give her a chance before reading or js dont read it
people are being crazy. if someone says they think the book is terrible and they actually read it dont comment that it isn’t js bc you like the author? like people can have opinions, whether you like it or not
also why are people giving it bad reviews before even acquiring a copy of the book??
also pls stop rating this book before reading/dnfing. there are other ways to support the author. i don’t even follow the author but even ik rating it one or five before reading is annoying
people are being crazy. if someone says they think the book is terrible and they actually read it dont comment that it isn’t js bc you like the author? like people can have opinions, whether you like it or not
also why are people giving it bad reviews before even acquiring a copy of the book??
also pls stop rating this book before reading/dnfing. there are other ways to support the author. i don’t even follow the author but even ik rating it one or five before reading is annoying
August 30, 2025
This was definitely reheated Emily Henry nachos. And day-old Lunchable ones at that.
Both the writing style and characters felt very young YA, borderline middle-grade. I liken it to how you read Twilight for the first time at 12 and thought it was the pinnacle of literature because it used big words like “irrevocably,” but then you read it as an adult and you’re like, “what the actual fuck is this.”
Yeah, this was kinda like that.
It wasn’t outrageously offensive by any means, but it was incredibly overwritten and relied too heavily on the use of a thesaurus.
I’m seeing this a lot in newer writers; they think that writing in an overly-written, purple, flowery prose will elevate their story, but instead it just distracts. Good writing is one you never think about. When there are lines like:
“Faye intones, regal as always.”
Or
“I have to yield to a conglomerate of pedestrians.”
it gets distracting. It’s trying too hard. Keep it simple, stupid and use similes and metaphors only during special moments. And also, close the thesaurus tab, I beg.
It was also so obvious how much clear self-insert this was, which I vehemently despise (I use big words because I’m cool and I can, okay) Our fmc loved dystopian YA books as a kid, liked to buy physical trophies of her Kindle reads, and is now a published romance author.
Sound familiar? Yeah I didn’t think so either.
I was waiting for Declan to admit he’s always thought about filming challenges for YouTube and creating a “healthy” candy.
As for the relationship, it was FARR too rushed and not built out enough. Much like everything in this book, there was too much and not enough work done to flesh it out.
The two mcs talk about what bird they are one chapter and the next, they’re in love, ready to wed immediately like some kind of Mormon, military couple.
She also does the absolutely annoying, makes me want to hurl myself out of a window thing of making her FMC ask questions like, “why won’t he talk to me, why wasn’t I enough for him, why did he suddenly end things” when it was HER fault to begin with and I ask why? Why must we keep doing this?
And the “best friendships” which I’m sorry, was reheated Happy Place scrambled eggs. One of the friends uses “Blair” in almost every text or call and it drove me crazy. Also, the first time they meet (in person) she goes, “Blair, like Gossip Girl without the ‘e’?”
How the hell would she know that? She said her name out loud. Is there a text bubble above her head or something??
Everything was extremely tell-don’t-show. And because of that, the characters often felt two-dimensional.
We’re told Lottie’s backstory; we’re told Blair’s mom’s backstory; we’re told how much Blair loves Declan. Honestly, the only thing we’re ever shown is how annoying and self-centered Blair is.
I loved Lottie’s backstory and I went into this book with the hope that we’d get this rich, emotional dynamic between Blair, her mom, and Lottie and see why it was so important for these three women of a different generation to connect as a family.
We got like 3 interactions with Lottie max? She felt like a throwaway character designed only as a plot device for Blair to arrive home (and while, yes, technically that was the point) it shouldn’t feel like the point. In a story like this, one with both a romance and a general fiction plot, both need to be thorough and developed.
Last thing, I’m sorry to say, is because Haley is loaded, it’s very clear she doesn’t know how to write a struggle character. Financially, everything is tied up very easily in this book. Financial issues are solved by simply selling something to someone else or getting settlement money.
#SoRelatable
Thank you to Edelweiss for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Both the writing style and characters felt very young YA, borderline middle-grade. I liken it to how you read Twilight for the first time at 12 and thought it was the pinnacle of literature because it used big words like “irrevocably,” but then you read it as an adult and you’re like, “what the actual fuck is this.”
Yeah, this was kinda like that.
It wasn’t outrageously offensive by any means, but it was incredibly overwritten and relied too heavily on the use of a thesaurus.
I’m seeing this a lot in newer writers; they think that writing in an overly-written, purple, flowery prose will elevate their story, but instead it just distracts. Good writing is one you never think about. When there are lines like:
“Faye intones, regal as always.”
Or
“I have to yield to a conglomerate of pedestrians.”
it gets distracting. It’s trying too hard. Keep it simple, stupid and use similes and metaphors only during special moments. And also, close the thesaurus tab, I beg.
It was also so obvious how much clear self-insert this was, which I vehemently despise (I use big words because I’m cool and I can, okay) Our fmc loved dystopian YA books as a kid, liked to buy physical trophies of her Kindle reads, and is now a published romance author.
Sound familiar? Yeah I didn’t think so either.
I was waiting for Declan to admit he’s always thought about filming challenges for YouTube and creating a “healthy” candy.
As for the relationship, it was FARR too rushed and not built out enough. Much like everything in this book, there was too much and not enough work done to flesh it out.
The two mcs talk about what bird they are one chapter and the next, they’re in love, ready to wed immediately like some kind of Mormon, military couple.
She also does the absolutely annoying, makes me want to hurl myself out of a window thing of making her FMC ask questions like, “why won’t he talk to me, why wasn’t I enough for him, why did he suddenly end things” when it was HER fault to begin with and I ask why? Why must we keep doing this?
And the “best friendships” which I’m sorry, was reheated Happy Place scrambled eggs. One of the friends uses “Blair” in almost every text or call and it drove me crazy. Also, the first time they meet (in person) she goes, “Blair, like Gossip Girl without the ‘e’?”
How the hell would she know that? She said her name out loud. Is there a text bubble above her head or something??
Everything was extremely tell-don’t-show. And because of that, the characters often felt two-dimensional.
We’re told Lottie’s backstory; we’re told Blair’s mom’s backstory; we’re told how much Blair loves Declan. Honestly, the only thing we’re ever shown is how annoying and self-centered Blair is.
I loved Lottie’s backstory and I went into this book with the hope that we’d get this rich, emotional dynamic between Blair, her mom, and Lottie and see why it was so important for these three women of a different generation to connect as a family.
We got like 3 interactions with Lottie max? She felt like a throwaway character designed only as a plot device for Blair to arrive home (and while, yes, technically that was the point) it shouldn’t feel like the point. In a story like this, one with both a romance and a general fiction plot, both need to be thorough and developed.
Last thing, I’m sorry to say, is because Haley is loaded, it’s very clear she doesn’t know how to write a struggle character. Financially, everything is tied up very easily in this book. Financial issues are solved by simply selling something to someone else or getting settlement money.
#SoRelatable
Thank you to Edelweiss for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 2, 2025
3.75
This is a book for the overthinkers. For those who are looking for a more subtle romance story. Less flash, less fire, but more reality. And so so so sweet!
Blair is a flawed protagonist. She’s anxious, she overthinks EVERYTHING, she’s has no clear direction, and honestly was refreshing to read about! I loved how her Vietnamese heritage tied into her development as a character. Growing up in an Asian household myself, I know what it’s like to be raised surrounded by family members who are committed to hiding their emotions, and thought that was represented really well in this book!
The third act conflict? Not my favourite. Felt like a very convenient plot device. But also not the worst I’ve read!
And the writing… it’s a mix of casual romance writing with a few hits of extra purple prose in there. A few sentences were off-putting, but after the first few chapters, the writing smoothed out.
Overall, this was a gentle coming of age story alongside a sweet romance. An easy read with a surprising amount of layers. I enjoyed it!
This is a book for the overthinkers. For those who are looking for a more subtle romance story. Less flash, less fire, but more reality. And so so so sweet!
Blair is a flawed protagonist. She’s anxious, she overthinks EVERYTHING, she’s has no clear direction, and honestly was refreshing to read about! I loved how her Vietnamese heritage tied into her development as a character. Growing up in an Asian household myself, I know what it’s like to be raised surrounded by family members who are committed to hiding their emotions, and thought that was represented really well in this book!
The third act conflict? Not my favourite. Felt like a very convenient plot device. But also not the worst I’ve read!
And the writing… it’s a mix of casual romance writing with a few hits of extra purple prose in there. A few sentences were off-putting, but after the first few chapters, the writing smoothed out.
Overall, this was a gentle coming of age story alongside a sweet romance. An easy read with a surprising amount of layers. I enjoyed it!
August 23, 2025
I am going to start this review off by saying that I am not trying to be rude or harsh. I will try my best to be objective, but quite frankly I do not have anything positive to say about this book.
I am a fan of Haley's YouTube videos and have been interested in hearing about her writing process since she started sharing about it on social media. From her announcement of the book, to the cover and title reveal, to getting approved for an ARC, I was along for the ride. So it hurts for me to say that this book was very poorly written. It doesn't even seem like she had an editor. I was surprised when she mentioned an editor in the acknowledgements because I genuinely thought she didn't have one.
The amount of "likes" Haley used was distracting to the point that it was almost comical. It felt comparable to a writing piece from an ELA class where the teacher just taught similes. Not to mention, there was very weird phrasing that did not translate well to written text, such as "Uhhhhh", "haha", and "gah-hah" when the character was laughing.
I understand that this book is being marketed as new adult (which is more advanced than young adult), but it felt closer to middle grade to me. The characters and situations that they put themselves in were very juvenile and immature. They were constantly picking fights with each other, and the entire plot felt like one big third act break-up. Right when things would be going well between Blair and Declan, one of them would do or say the wrong thing, and we would be back at square one. I did not feel one ounce of chemistry between them.
I probably should have DNFed, but as I've mentioned in NetGalley reviews before, I try my best not to DNF ARCs. I want to support Haley and her book but I cannot justify writing a positive review because it would be dishonest.
One of Haley's goals is to make the New York Times Bestseller list. While this book certainly was not for me, I still think that this book will make it on the list - but it will be because of her impressively large following, not because of the content of the book.
I am a fan of Haley's YouTube videos and have been interested in hearing about her writing process since she started sharing about it on social media. From her announcement of the book, to the cover and title reveal, to getting approved for an ARC, I was along for the ride. So it hurts for me to say that this book was very poorly written. It doesn't even seem like she had an editor. I was surprised when she mentioned an editor in the acknowledgements because I genuinely thought she didn't have one.
The amount of "likes" Haley used was distracting to the point that it was almost comical. It felt comparable to a writing piece from an ELA class where the teacher just taught similes. Not to mention, there was very weird phrasing that did not translate well to written text, such as "Uhhhhh", "haha", and "gah-hah" when the character was laughing.
I understand that this book is being marketed as new adult (which is more advanced than young adult), but it felt closer to middle grade to me. The characters and situations that they put themselves in were very juvenile and immature. They were constantly picking fights with each other, and the entire plot felt like one big third act break-up. Right when things would be going well between Blair and Declan, one of them would do or say the wrong thing, and we would be back at square one. I did not feel one ounce of chemistry between them.
I probably should have DNFed, but as I've mentioned in NetGalley reviews before, I try my best not to DNF ARCs. I want to support Haley and her book but I cannot justify writing a positive review because it would be dishonest.
One of Haley's goals is to make the New York Times Bestseller list. While this book certainly was not for me, I still think that this book will make it on the list - but it will be because of her impressively large following, not because of the content of the book.
Want to read
August 8, 2025🫧🤍 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞: GUYSSS THE COVER IS SO CUTEEE BUT LIKE- why is it giving wattpad 🥲
HOLY CRAPPP?? HALEEEYYY IVE BEEN WAITING FAR TO LONG FOR THIS ART TO BE REVEALED 🙈🙈 im screaming guys I have a feeling this is going to be INCREDIBLE!
HOLY CRAPPP?? HALEEEYYY IVE BEEN WAITING FAR TO LONG FOR THIS ART TO BE REVEALED 🙈🙈 im screaming guys I have a feeling this is going to be INCREDIBLE!
Read
August 16, 2025the book cover looking like her and ryan is the cutest thing ever🥹 i’ve never been this excited for a book🤭🤭
Want to read
July 8, 2025why are people hating this…it’s not even out yet 😭😭
August 13, 2025
your better off reading a story about two thesaurus’s who can’t communicate. ew
Want to read
July 31, 2025⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (7/31/2025): OMG WE HAVE A COVER!!!!! See it here!
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (6/27/2025): Hi, yes, what do I gotta do to get my hands on this book before March 2026, Haley?? Because that’s too far away and I want it in my hands like, NOW!
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (6/27/2025): Hi, yes, what do I gotta do to get my hands on this book before March 2026, Haley?? Because that’s too far away and I want it in my hands like, NOW!
Want to read
August 16, 2025guys i just saw someones review for this on tiktok 😭 she got me with “a conglomerate of pedestrians” i need to know what’s going on
![Profile Image for ari [gin’s vrsn 🩵] [semi ia].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1757265812i%2F180071670._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
Want to read
June 28, 2025queen i’ve been waiting for this forEVER i need this in my hands RIGHT THIS SECOND
![Profile Image for zeinab [completely gone].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1761331073i%2F182537303._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
Want to read
July 5, 2025‘THANK YOU QUEEN HALEY’ WE ALL SAY IN UNISON
I’ve been waiting so long for this book I’m actually gonna cry help 😭
I’ve been waiting so long for this book I’m actually gonna cry help 😭
Want to read
August 2, 2025♬ ᗩᑎTIᑕIᑭᗩTEᗪ .ᐟ
⭑𓂃 Haley wrote it, I’ll read it.
SIMPLE AS THAT, MA FOLKS! (•̀ᴗ•́ )و
P.S. Haley and Ryan on the cover or am I blind? ( •᷄ᴗ•́)
Want to read
July 31, 2025THE COVER IS OUT I REPEAT THE COVER IS OUT AND IT’S GORGEOUS
here’s the cover!!
here’s the cover!!
August 25, 2025
Where do I even start with this?
I’ve been following the author on YouTube for a few years now and I was so intrigued when she announced she was writing a book, to see whether it would be any good. Reader, it was not.
The writing in this was so pretentious and unnecessarily wordy, there were so many sentences that just did not make sense. I actually started highlighting on my kindle anytime I read something that annoyed me or didn’t make sense and I was highlighting entire pages at one point. This needed some HEAVY editing.
There was so much telling and not enough showing. We were told over and over how much they loved each other but I just didn’t feel it. We were told Blair was so smart but that definitely was not portrayed through the writing - she came across very dumb and immature, not to mention selfish. We were CONSTANTLY told that Blair was grieving her great aunt but I felt absolutely no attachment to that relationship, we barely saw the aunt even though Blair kept saying she was her second mother.
That characters felt so flat and I hated both of them!!!! Miscommunication trope fills me with rage and this one in particular is one of my least favourite executions. I felt absolutely no connection to the characters and tbh this is one of the times that I predict the couple breaks up in 6 months time (probably due to miscommunication again lol).
The plot felt so disjointed and random, i feel like nothing happened in this whole book and i have no concept of how long i was in the story for. There were so many unnecessary scenes and characters that added nothing to the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
I’ve been following the author on YouTube for a few years now and I was so intrigued when she announced she was writing a book, to see whether it would be any good. Reader, it was not.
The writing in this was so pretentious and unnecessarily wordy, there were so many sentences that just did not make sense. I actually started highlighting on my kindle anytime I read something that annoyed me or didn’t make sense and I was highlighting entire pages at one point. This needed some HEAVY editing.
There was so much telling and not enough showing. We were told over and over how much they loved each other but I just didn’t feel it. We were told Blair was so smart but that definitely was not portrayed through the writing - she came across very dumb and immature, not to mention selfish. We were CONSTANTLY told that Blair was grieving her great aunt but I felt absolutely no attachment to that relationship, we barely saw the aunt even though Blair kept saying she was her second mother.
That characters felt so flat and I hated both of them!!!! Miscommunication trope fills me with rage and this one in particular is one of my least favourite executions. I felt absolutely no connection to the characters and tbh this is one of the times that I predict the couple breaks up in 6 months time (probably due to miscommunication again lol).
The plot felt so disjointed and random, i feel like nothing happened in this whole book and i have no concept of how long i was in the story for. There were so many unnecessary scenes and characters that added nothing to the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Want to read
June 27, 2025Screaming.
Crying.
Throwing up.
Haley Phams new book is on GR!!!
Crying.
Throwing up.
Haley Phams new book is on GR!!!
anticipated-books
October 7, 2025Hope it is not another overhyped book.
September 8, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc!
I want to start this by saying this is my opinion. I’m not judging anyone or anything besides the book itself, so if you want to argue with someone, the wall will be far more receptive.
The story is okay, the writing is… definitely words on a page. I feel like it needs a few more rounds of editing, reorganizing, and workshopping. I’m not convinced this isn’t a book for 6th graders. It’s supposedly “new adult” but is far more similar to the reading comprehension level of a middle schooler.
Right off the bat, there’s the feeling that this book was written with a thesaurus opened up next to the screen. Which is weird, because this felt like it was written for middle schoolers. (I’m also going to say it is so obviously written by a religious person I was actually laughing at how there was never one single “oh my god” it was always gosh or goodness. And the FMC went to Pepperdine, which is… a choice) There were a couple instances of random characters appearing in places, such as a ] bracket at the beginning of a paragraph. But I won’t judge that as this is an arc and hopefully will be edited a couple more times before publishing.
It also felt like we were only being told things. We aren’t trusted to pick up on things, we must be told what every little interaction is meant to convey. I prefer a book where I feel what and notice what the character does, and not being told what I’m supposed to be feeling or noticing.
This is also very much a story about grief. Honestly it could use a TW/CW. It’s almost literary fiction in that way. Which I don’t mind! Honestly I think I would’ve liked it more if it was a lit fiction, because the grief and emotions in it is very much something I can relate to. I genuinely enjoyed that aspect. It’s just something to note.
The characters fell very flat for me, mostly because we only know them with eachother. Blair is most definitely a self insert. We don’t experience the FMC with genuinely anyone else in the flashback chapters, we never hear about any friends she had previously. She has only new friends from college and we barely see them. This girl is 3 things, and that is Lottie, Mom, and Declan. Okay maybe four if you add in the desire to write books that randomly pops up like 50% through the book, and is literally only brought up by the MMC. We aren’t told about it at all until then.
The miscommunication made me want to throw dishes at the wall. Like genuinely made me angry because it was so stupid and so easily resolved if the characters had more than two shared brain cells fighting for second place.
I think that Haley has the ability to tell a story, and this being her first ever book, I won’t be too harsh. But I think the thing that’s glaringly obvious IS the fact that this is her first book. There is a system most authors go through. They publish 10 books before one eventually gains traction and they become popular. And as they publish these books, they get better and better at writing them. Not saying that’s how it should be or anything, but that’s why a lot of our favorite authors BECOME our favorite authors. Because they’ve written so many books that they have improved through those failures and successes. I think it just sucks for indie authors who have so many self published books looked over for the debut of a popular YouTuber. Because let’s be clear, that is exactly what happened. I’m not saying she should not be offered these things, but I know plenty of indie books that could’ve or even should’ve been given this treatment instead. I mean if I were her I’d jump at the opportunity as well so absolutely no judgement toward her. All in all, I hope if she wants to write more, that she does, because I think she’ll improve as she goes, hopefully. But I also hope publishers keep looking for indie authors to promote and sign as well.
I want to start this by saying this is my opinion. I’m not judging anyone or anything besides the book itself, so if you want to argue with someone, the wall will be far more receptive.
The story is okay, the writing is… definitely words on a page. I feel like it needs a few more rounds of editing, reorganizing, and workshopping. I’m not convinced this isn’t a book for 6th graders. It’s supposedly “new adult” but is far more similar to the reading comprehension level of a middle schooler.
Right off the bat, there’s the feeling that this book was written with a thesaurus opened up next to the screen. Which is weird, because this felt like it was written for middle schoolers. (I’m also going to say it is so obviously written by a religious person I was actually laughing at how there was never one single “oh my god” it was always gosh or goodness. And the FMC went to Pepperdine, which is… a choice) There were a couple instances of random characters appearing in places, such as a ] bracket at the beginning of a paragraph. But I won’t judge that as this is an arc and hopefully will be edited a couple more times before publishing.
It also felt like we were only being told things. We aren’t trusted to pick up on things, we must be told what every little interaction is meant to convey. I prefer a book where I feel what and notice what the character does, and not being told what I’m supposed to be feeling or noticing.
This is also very much a story about grief. Honestly it could use a TW/CW. It’s almost literary fiction in that way. Which I don’t mind! Honestly I think I would’ve liked it more if it was a lit fiction, because the grief and emotions in it is very much something I can relate to. I genuinely enjoyed that aspect. It’s just something to note.
The characters fell very flat for me, mostly because we only know them with eachother. Blair is most definitely a self insert. We don’t experience the FMC with genuinely anyone else in the flashback chapters, we never hear about any friends she had previously. She has only new friends from college and we barely see them. This girl is 3 things, and that is Lottie, Mom, and Declan. Okay maybe four if you add in the desire to write books that randomly pops up like 50% through the book, and is literally only brought up by the MMC. We aren’t told about it at all until then.
The miscommunication made me want to throw dishes at the wall. Like genuinely made me angry because it was so stupid and so easily resolved if the characters had more than two shared brain cells fighting for second place.
I think that Haley has the ability to tell a story, and this being her first ever book, I won’t be too harsh. But I think the thing that’s glaringly obvious IS the fact that this is her first book. There is a system most authors go through. They publish 10 books before one eventually gains traction and they become popular. And as they publish these books, they get better and better at writing them. Not saying that’s how it should be or anything, but that’s why a lot of our favorite authors BECOME our favorite authors. Because they’ve written so many books that they have improved through those failures and successes. I think it just sucks for indie authors who have so many self published books looked over for the debut of a popular YouTuber. Because let’s be clear, that is exactly what happened. I’m not saying she should not be offered these things, but I know plenty of indie books that could’ve or even should’ve been given this treatment instead. I mean if I were her I’d jump at the opportunity as well so absolutely no judgement toward her. All in all, I hope if she wants to write more, that she does, because I think she’ll improve as she goes, hopefully. But I also hope publishers keep looking for indie authors to promote and sign as well.
Want to read
July 19, 2025𐙚🧸ྀི || 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:
AHH i can’t wait for this to come out!! i’ve followed Haley Pham’s writing journey on booktok for forever so i can’t wait to read this!!🤍🤍 it does sound a bit basic and a little too much like ‘love and other words’ for me but maybe it will surprise me!! 👀
MARCH 3RD THOUGH?! 2026?! HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO WAIT THIS LONG!! will preorder as soon as it comes closer 🥺🥺
AHH i can’t wait for this to come out!! i’ve followed Haley Pham’s writing journey on booktok for forever so i can’t wait to read this!!🤍🤍 it does sound a bit basic and a little too much like ‘love and other words’ for me but maybe it will surprise me!! 👀
MARCH 3RD THOUGH?! 2026?! HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO WAIT THIS LONG!! will preorder as soon as it comes closer 🥺🥺
Want to read
August 9, 2025| 📎 ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ 𝖕𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊
THE QUEEN HERSELF IS GIVING US A BOOK 🤭🤭
THE QUEEN HERSELF IS GIVING US A BOOK 🤭🤭
Want to read
June 27, 2025ׂ╰┈➤ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭
AYAYAYA CANT WAITT!!🫢
so proud of haley of accomplishing her dream and for her publishing next year!!
AYAYAYA CANT WAITT!!🫢
so proud of haley of accomplishing her dream and for her publishing next year!!
September 16, 2025
I think I just died because WDYM I GOT THE ARC 🤯
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AHHHH YAY I CANT WAIT FOR THISSSS
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AHHHH YAY I CANT WAIT FOR THISSSS
Want to read
August 4, 2025GIVE. THIS. TO. ME. NOW.
(aug 1st) YALL SHE DROPPED THE COVER ITS SO CUTE
coincidence that it's a blond boy and a girl with black hair???? I think not
(aug 1st) YALL SHE DROPPED THE COVER ITS SO CUTE
coincidence that it's a blond boy and a girl with black hair???? I think not
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