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The Friend's Obsession : Best Friends to Lovers Steamy Romance
Not yet published
Expected 14 Jun 26
Gael Torres
She was his best friend, his safe place, and the keeper of every secret he had ever told, but the dangerous thing was that she had been his secret obsession for years. He always saved her from the world, but from him, it was impossible at any cost. They laughed and talked like best friends till late nights, but one night their iconic friendship turned into something darker, possessive and dangerous. She was never meant for him, but he would do anything to claim her as the love of his life, even if it meant harming himself or anyone who stood in his way.
Liana Merchesi
She always looked for safe choices, and he was always one of them, her best friend, her talking box, and her comfort person. But sharing a penthouse with her devastatingly attractive best friend was never part of the plan, nor a safe one. The more she looked at him, the harder it became to pretend she didn't see more. She tried not to ruin their iconic friendship with her dark fantasies about him, knowing he would never be hers in this life.
What happens when two best friends begin living together... and one of them has been obsessing in silence for years?
Tropes
• Best Friends to Lovers
• Place Holder Dating (Temporary Dating)
• Secret Dating
• Work Place Romance
• Forbidden Romance
• Roommates
This book is second installment in the Interconnected standalone duology. It is completely standalone but to avoid the spoilers of the book one, then the book one is recommended first to read.
She was his best friend, his safe place, and the keeper of every secret he had ever told, but the dangerous thing was that she had been his secret obsession for years. He always saved her from the world, but from him, it was impossible at any cost. They laughed and talked like best friends till late nights, but one night their iconic friendship turned into something darker, possessive and dangerous. She was never meant for him, but he would do anything to claim her as the love of his life, even if it meant harming himself or anyone who stood in his way.
Liana Merchesi
She always looked for safe choices, and he was always one of them, her best friend, her talking box, and her comfort person. But sharing a penthouse with her devastatingly attractive best friend was never part of the plan, nor a safe one. The more she looked at him, the harder it became to pretend she didn't see more. She tried not to ruin their iconic friendship with her dark fantasies about him, knowing he would never be hers in this life.
What happens when two best friends begin living together... and one of them has been obsessing in silence for years?
Tropes
• Best Friends to Lovers
• Place Holder Dating (Temporary Dating)
• Secret Dating
• Work Place Romance
• Forbidden Romance
• Roommates
This book is second installment in the Interconnected standalone duology. It is completely standalone but to avoid the spoilers of the book one, then the book one is recommended first to read.
395 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 20, 2026
4.0 ⭐️
𐙚⋆°🫀⋆♡ 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀
⤷ friends to lovers
⤷ heavy tension
⤷ possessive mmc
⤷ forced proximity
𐙚⋆°🫀⋆♡ 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸
❛❛ 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.❜❜
⤷ 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 by 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴
-`♡´- 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 -`♡´-
𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻
𐙚⋆°🫀⋆♡ 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀
⤷ friends to lovers
⤷ heavy tension
⤷ possessive mmc
⤷ forced proximity
𐙚⋆°🫀⋆♡ 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸
❛❛ 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.❜❜
⤷ 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 by 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴
-`♡´- 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 -`♡´-
𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻
Review of advance copy received from Author
In this book we get perspectives from both of our main characters Gael and Liana. I love this approach for their story! This is a best friends to lovers book so being able to see both sides made me want to yell half the time and yearn the other half which made it so fun! Gael and Liana have been best friends for five years now and are starting their new careers as doctors at Gael's dad's hospital Torres Cares in Milan, Italy. Gael is starting to push the envelope of his level of flirting towards Liana since he wants something more and she just sees him as a friend even after all their time together.
This is what starts to drive Gael a little crazy and he wants to see how much he can do and say to get her to see he wants more, being able to see this from his perspective and how he sees her he has never had eyes for anyone else and it hurts to see her look past him again and again. A good kind of hurt, the hurt that makes you want to keep reading until they aren't hurting anymore.
Liana has a pressing family issue that leads her to living with Gael and at first she tries to deny their closeness when she first moves in, as she had for so many years, but then things change on her birthday🫣🤭🥵
Just when Gael thinks he finally has Liana to himself after so long she brings up placeholder dating🤦🏼♀️ which of course he agreed to but killed him inside.
I loved getting to know these characters throughout this book! I don't want to give away too much more but you don't want to miss how it ends!
This book is an interconnected standalone duology, so even though it is the second book you do not need to read book one first to dive into Gael and Liana's story!
We do get sprinkles of Adrian and Isla from book one and I loved every chapter we got with them, I will be going back to hear how their story started! They were just what our main characters needed to get back on track or just to have a companion to talk to, and confide in.
This is what starts to drive Gael a little crazy and he wants to see how much he can do and say to get her to see he wants more, being able to see this from his perspective and how he sees her he has never had eyes for anyone else and it hurts to see her look past him again and again. A good kind of hurt, the hurt that makes you want to keep reading until they aren't hurting anymore.
Liana has a pressing family issue that leads her to living with Gael and at first she tries to deny their closeness when she first moves in, as she had for so many years, but then things change on her birthday🫣🤭🥵
Just when Gael thinks he finally has Liana to himself after so long she brings up placeholder dating🤦🏼♀️ which of course he agreed to but killed him inside.
I loved getting to know these characters throughout this book! I don't want to give away too much more but you don't want to miss how it ends!
This book is an interconnected standalone duology, so even though it is the second book you do not need to read book one first to dive into Gael and Liana's story!
We do get sprinkles of Adrian and Isla from book one and I loved every chapter we got with them, I will be going back to hear how their story started! They were just what our main characters needed to get back on track or just to have a companion to talk to, and confide in.
Review of advance copy received from Author
“This book felt like watching two people slowly ruin themselves by pretending they were only best friends.”
The Friend’s Obsession genuinely surprised me with how emotionally intimate it felt from the very beginning. Gael and Liana don’t act like normal best friends at all — and that’s exactly what made this story so addictive.
The chemistry between them felt effortless. The teasing, the late-night chaos, the constant touching, the possessiveness hidden behind jokes… everything about their dynamic screamed “they’re already in love, they just refuse to admit it.”
What I loved most was Gael’s character. He acts playful and unserious most of the time, but underneath all of that humor is someone completely emotionally obsessed with one girl. His POV made the story even stronger because you could genuinely feel how badly he wanted her while also being terrified of losing her.
And Capri? That entire setting elevated the romance so much. The beaches, bike rides, tension-filled moments, late-night conversations, jealousy, and the skydiving scene made the whole book feel cinematic while reading.
The relationship never felt rushed because emotionally they already belonged to each other long before the romance fully happened.
If you love:
best friends to lovers,
possessive MMCs,
mutual obsession,
tension-heavy romance,
forced proximity,
“touch her and die”,
chaotic banter,
emotionally dependent characters,
then this book will absolutely consume you.
Gael Torres is genuinely one of those male leads who jokes around constantly but would destroy himself for the girl he loves.
★★★★½
The Friend’s Obsession genuinely surprised me with how emotionally intimate it felt from the very beginning. Gael and Liana don’t act like normal best friends at all — and that’s exactly what made this story so addictive.
The chemistry between them felt effortless. The teasing, the late-night chaos, the constant touching, the possessiveness hidden behind jokes… everything about their dynamic screamed “they’re already in love, they just refuse to admit it.”
What I loved most was Gael’s character. He acts playful and unserious most of the time, but underneath all of that humor is someone completely emotionally obsessed with one girl. His POV made the story even stronger because you could genuinely feel how badly he wanted her while also being terrified of losing her.
And Capri? That entire setting elevated the romance so much. The beaches, bike rides, tension-filled moments, late-night conversations, jealousy, and the skydiving scene made the whole book feel cinematic while reading.
The relationship never felt rushed because emotionally they already belonged to each other long before the romance fully happened.
If you love:
best friends to lovers,
possessive MMCs,
mutual obsession,
tension-heavy romance,
forced proximity,
“touch her and die”,
chaotic banter,
emotionally dependent characters,
then this book will absolutely consume you.
Gael Torres is genuinely one of those male leads who jokes around constantly but would destroy himself for the girl he loves.
★★★★½
Read
April 22, 2026From the very beginning, this book had a slow start but picked up later and had me in solid grip till epilogues.
Was a bit addictive and emotionally chaotic, I was literally mad and happy at the same time.
I loved main character! He - the greenest flag i ever wanted. And also the plot twists, omg especially it! In the middle of the book it become interesting af.
One short critique- pacing felt a bit slow at times and some situations felt unreal a bit (last epilogue tbh i still can bet it's unrealistic)
Overall, I'd recommend this to fans of «Best Friends to Lovers»> trope and also if you search for simple and easy book to start reading in English.
My fav phrase in book: «if souls are meant together, then nothing in this world holds the power to separate them. Even death can't.»
Was a bit addictive and emotionally chaotic, I was literally mad and happy at the same time.
I loved main character! He - the greenest flag i ever wanted. And also the plot twists, omg especially it! In the middle of the book it become interesting af.
One short critique- pacing felt a bit slow at times and some situations felt unreal a bit (last epilogue tbh i still can bet it's unrealistic)
Overall, I'd recommend this to fans of «Best Friends to Lovers»> trope and also if you search for simple and easy book to start reading in English.
My fav phrase in book: «if souls are meant together, then nothing in this world holds the power to separate them. Even death can't.»
Review of advance copy received from Author
✨ARC Book Review✨
This book was wild. I mean, friends to lovers, but make it toxic 😅
If you enjoy a book that’s unhinged… this is your book!
I enjoyed the dual POV. I wondered why Liana worked so hard to keep Gael in the friend zone, especially in the beginning… I mean, she obviously wanted more. I get not wanting to ruin a friendship, but that man wasn’t going anywhere 👀
Gael was so interesting because he was toxic AF, but also hot 💀♥️ I loved all the sneaky ways he would touch Liana when they were in public! I didn’t even mind his jealousy (to an extent). I felt like Liana would have provoked that in anyone who was loyal to her!
Liana really had some audacity when it came to Gael! He was honestly unhinged, but Liana didn’t help him feel secure at all.
The ending was crazy… I seriously didn’t see that coming 🤯
This book was wild. I mean, friends to lovers, but make it toxic 😅
If you enjoy a book that’s unhinged… this is your book!
I enjoyed the dual POV. I wondered why Liana worked so hard to keep Gael in the friend zone, especially in the beginning… I mean, she obviously wanted more. I get not wanting to ruin a friendship, but that man wasn’t going anywhere 👀
Gael was so interesting because he was toxic AF, but also hot 💀♥️ I loved all the sneaky ways he would touch Liana when they were in public! I didn’t even mind his jealousy (to an extent). I felt like Liana would have provoked that in anyone who was loyal to her!
Liana really had some audacity when it came to Gael! He was honestly unhinged, but Liana didn’t help him feel secure at all.
The ending was crazy… I seriously didn’t see that coming 🤯
Review of advance copy received from Author
Friends to lovers but let’s add a touch of OBSESSION! Gael Torres the man that you are 😍😍😍 he is absolutely in love with his best friend Liana and he is done trying to hide it. The yearning this man does is just immaculate! There’s touch her and die vibes but he takes it to the if I can’t have her then I’ll live alone for the rest of my life cause there’s only her vibes ! I’m so honored that the author gave me an ARC for this book, was my first read from the author and definitely will be reading the first book The Enemy’s Obsession now!
Review of advance copy received from Author
4/5 ⭐️
This book was so fun! It was a really good take on a “friends to lovers” story. They were both successful, smart, and talented. I loved the banter in their friendship. Also, the story was set in Milan. I loved the Italy setting. It was so different!
Liana was so sweet and Gael was the perfect mix between sweet and obsessed. I loved his obsession and possessiveness.
I will definitely be reading more work by this author!
This book was so fun! It was a really good take on a “friends to lovers” story. They were both successful, smart, and talented. I loved the banter in their friendship. Also, the story was set in Milan. I loved the Italy setting. It was so different!
Liana was so sweet and Gael was the perfect mix between sweet and obsessed. I loved his obsession and possessiveness.
I will definitely be reading more work by this author!
April 22, 2026
Is Gael Torres hungry for pu$$y??
Review of advance copy received from Author
Read as an ARC. This story was very cute and Gael is the greenest of Flags. Who doesn’t want someone who is obsessed with them? Very fast pace book structurally, but still with lots of yearning. ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Author
𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧
This book completely surprised me in the best way and I’m still thinking about it.
Gael… where do I even start? This man is the definition of a green flag while still carrying that intense, protective energy we all secretly love. He gives major touch her and die vibes, but what really got me was the depth of his devotion. It’s not just obsession, it’s loyalty. The yearning this man carries? Absolutely immaculate. 🤭
And Liana balances him so well. Their dynamic is full of tension, emotion, and those quiet moments that hit just as hard as the intense ones. You can feel everything building between them, and it keeps you hooked the entire time.
This book completely surprised me in the best way and I’m still thinking about it.
Gael… where do I even start? This man is the definition of a green flag while still carrying that intense, protective energy we all secretly love. He gives major touch her and die vibes, but what really got me was the depth of his devotion. It’s not just obsession, it’s loyalty. The yearning this man carries? Absolutely immaculate. 🤭
And Liana balances him so well. Their dynamic is full of tension, emotion, and those quiet moments that hit just as hard as the intense ones. You can feel everything building between them, and it keeps you hooked the entire time.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews