The Fifteen-Minute Rule

Dickson University #3

by Max Monroe

Dickson University’s reigning social king can get any girl on campus to fall for him…except the one he’s been silently falling for his whole life.

Campus legend. Life of the party. The guy everyone wants to know.
That’s me—Ace Kelly.

But the one person who truly knows me? Julia Brooks.
My best friend since we were kids.
Julia’s the kind of girl everyone loves. Sweet, painfully beautiful, and steady, she’s always been my constant.

Somewhere between childhood and college at Dickson University, I fell for her. Hard. And I’ve been running an incognito mission ever since.

Operation: Make Julia fall in love with me...without ruining the friendship.

Flawless plan, right? Wrong.
One catastrophically stupid moment—fine, several—might’ve blown everything apart.

We’ve always had our fifteen-minute rule: get mad, shout, hate each other all we want, but when the time is up, we're back to best buddies.

But this time, fifteen minutes might not be enough.

Not when Julia’s trust and our entire lifetime of “us” is suddenly on the line.

I’m in love with my best friend.
And come hell or high water, I’m not giving up my girl without a fight.

Genres: Friends To Lovers, Romance, College, Slow Burn, He Falls First, Rom Com, Contemporary

420 pages, Paperback

Published January 30, 2026

About the author

Many moons ago, a dynamic duo of romance authors teamed up under the pseudonym Max Monroe, and, well, the rest is history...

Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of more than fifty contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their social media newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far. ​

​

Reviews

[Bookishness · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute love story about two best friends who have known each other since they were babies. I liked the concept it was sweet but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I were still in high school. It felt like it lacked depth, and most of the story was just dialogue between characters. I didn’t really feel emotionally attached to anyone.

The parents came across as more immature than Ace and Lia at times, which was a bit distracting. The whole “falling in love without realizing it” trope was very obvious honestly, everyone and their grandma could see it coming. It took Ace getting his best friend Lia to finally recognize her feelings, which felt a bit drawn out.

I also wish there had been more emotional conflict for Lia it all felt very surface level and lacked real character development. I think the story would have been more engaging if there had been more tension between Drew and Ace, something with emotional damage! It all felt was very elementary for me.

[Jen ♥]

Self note:

If this story doesn't include a dual V, then both characters should have experience instead. Because this whole friend-to-lovers thing (since they were kids), where there's all this pining but one of them is still holding onto their V card, would be ridiculous. Idk about other readers, but it will never make sense to me to pine for someone while still dating other people.

[Dani (Daniiireads)]

DNF 25%

I’m sorry, but this is not good 😅

[Max Monroe]

The Fifteen-Minute Rule is LIVE NOW + FREE in KINDLE UNLIMITED!!!!
ONE-CLICK: https://geni.us/TFMR_ebook

The Fifteen-Minute Rule is a full-length standalone novel that is available in ebook, paperback, Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited, and audio!



WHAT IS THE FIFTEEN-MINUTE RULE ALL ABOUT?

⬇️⬇️⬇️
TROPES
*New adult standalone romance
*Dual POV
*Intense yearning, pining, needdd
*Friends to lovers
*Childhood marriage pact
*College drama
*FUNNY
*Banter
*Secretly in love
*OG Billionaires (Kline, Thatch, and all the rest!)
⬇️⬇️⬇️

This book is highly addictive, and while you think you might know what’s coming, let us be the first to tell you that you don’t. Crocodiles. Fire. Leather pants and letterman jackets.

Prepare to be on your toes…

Happy Reading!
XOXO,
Max & Monroe

[Scarlett Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Hambright and the author for this ARC copy and the gifted copy. I genuinely loved this book. It was fun and romantic. I loved the childhood besties to lovers trope and the dynamic felt natural and believable, with a shared history that added real emotional depth. Ace’s perspective was so well done.

I loved the balance of humor and vulnerability. The banter was fun and effortless, but the emotional moments really landed. The pacing kept me engaged, and the relationship development felt satisfying from beginning to end.

Warm, funny, and genuinely heart-tugging.

[Amee · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 48%

Wanted to love this since I’d been looking forward to Ace’s book. But man it fell flat. And immature compared to others in series.

[Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, I think this will be the last book I read from Max Monroe. When I first discovered Max Monroe by picking up the first book in this series, Learning Curve, I fell in love with their writing and storytelling immediately. Then I continued to read Meet Me at Midnight, which became my most favorite book written by them, I was so elated and thought I'd found another insta-buy author. However, my obsession ship had slowly sunken after I read the second installment in this series, Playing Games, as well as their recent release, Call Me Anytime, where the cringe-worthy scenes dampened my interest in the story. What's worse, The Fifteen-Minute Rule ended up being the third "totally-miss" book from them for me and I was pretty certain I would take a break from their future work for an undetermined amount of time.

To my absolute shock, what should've been my top favorite installment in the Dickson University series turned out to be such a nightmare. I was SO looking forward to Julia and Ace's book as their encounter in the previous books totally got me intrigued in their past, especially when they apparently lived the best life of a childhood-friends-to-lovers trope. Truth be told, I didn't think I'd come across any story featuring friends-to-lovers that I did not enjoy, so color me surprised when this book became the first one I disliked. :(

The biggest bummer was that the prologue was actually pretty good, highlighting one of Julia and Ace's precious childhood memories and they were so cute back then and you knew they were meant to be even when they were only 7 and 8 years old, respectively. That unmistakable spark, the funny banter, and their inside jokes were what made this certain trope irresistible to me, and yet, after Julia made a HORRIBLE joke of pretending to be pregnant with someone else's child, I was done. From that point onward--which was only about 8% IN--all of a sudden, Julia and Ace's story was more of an instalove filled with miscommunication, extreme slow-burn, and no spice at all. Honestly, I was sorely let down by how poorly executed this book was and I also found it hard to believe it was actually written by some of my all-time-favorite authors.

All in all, I wouldn't continue to read the rest of this series but if you were interested in the synopsis or any of the protagonists/interconnected characters, feel free to pick it up. Hopefully this series will be a better fit for you!

***Thanks to the authors and Hambright PR for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

[Aimz · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.0 ⭐

[7:17pm — 05/02/2026]

𐙚⋆°🔥⋆♡ 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀

⤷ new adult
⤷ yearning mmc
⤷ slow burn
⤷ best friends to lovers

𐙚⋆°🔥⋆♡ 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸

❛❛𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞.❜❜
⤷ 𝒇𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆 by 𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿

-`♡´- 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 -`♡´-

So promising. So so promising, but I am not condoning a literal cheating trope like that. The parents have no leash on their kids and are still stuck in their twenties.

I cannot, I tried. The tropes were what drew me in but it was just not executed properly. I’m genuinely so mad and sad about this.

Thanks to Hambright PR & Netgalley (requested it twice on two different platforms by accident) for sending me this book. These are my personal reviews on this book.

[7:21pm — 05/02/2026]

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically in a nut shell this dude didn’t want anything to do with his best friend until she played a (really not funny) joke on him that she was pregnant with someone else’s baby. The mmc does some really over the top stuff to be close to her because now all of a sudden he’s so in love with her he can’t see straight. Basically she was never more than a friend until he thought someone else showed her attention. His parents seemed like total idiots. How did they not know their youngest son (14 yo) flew himself home from where ever they were. Oh they thought he drowned, no biggie. What?? Like I said, idiots. Then we get to 90(ish)% and get some fade to black spice. I should have DNFed.

[Briana smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 MOTHERFLUFFIN STARS(🤭)
arc review💘

The bestfriends to lovers. The yearning. The pining. THE DRAMA!!! The miscommunication and the heartbreak. I am here for it and obsessed. I dont want no criticism on this book. It made me laugh so much, tear up and my heart is so full of these two. I just wanted to yell KISS HER. I am a sucker for a bestfriends to lovers and this cured my soul 🥹

thank you hambright pr for a special physical arc 💘

[Romancingthroughlife (Sivan) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Every girl on campus wants to date Ace Kelly. It’s annoying.”
"You know, Julia, I think Ace Kelly only wants to date one girl."

I have been waiting for this book ever since we got teased that Julia and Ace end up together and book one. Unfortunately, the book fell a bit flat for me. This is very much a slow burn romance. We don’t get much of Julia and Ace together until the very end of the book. It also seems like we got a lot of story about Ace and his character, but not much of Julia. It seemed like she was just kind of there, but not much growth to her or anything interesting. The only thing that I really liked about this book was how devoted Ace was to Julia and how much she was gone for her. The last 90% of the book was my favorite part when they finally got together and then we got to see the last few chapters of them as a couple.

Read if you like:
Dual POVs
Friends to lovers
Neighbors to lovers
Hero falls first
Slow burn romance
Obsessed hero
College romance

[Kim (Chipperbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fifteen-Minute Rule
Dickson University Series Book 3
Max Monroe

Ace Kelly and Julia Brooks

Aww..my heart. Everything I wanted and more!
Ace Kelly….where do you start? Well first, he is Thatcher and Cassie’s child. Let’s back up a second…if you haven’t ever read a Max Monroe book, that’s ok. I mean, what are you waiting for?!?…but that’s ok. The books are stand-alones but..I like reading them in order. And if you need ALL the details, you need to start with the parents. There are quite a few of them, but all equally entertaining. The families: Brooks, Kelly, Lancaster, Winslow. Now, we are onto the second generation. And, just as the parents are all friends, as are the children. Caught up? Great!

Ace Kelly and Julia Brooks (Kline and Georgie) have been best friends since the womb. Growing up with a best friend like Ace, some boundaries had to be set. The Kelly family is….special. Excited, loud, boisterous, never a dull moment. But that can turn to chaos and disaster in a blink. This is how the “fifteen-minute rule” was derived. Since they were kids, if Ace or Julia did something to make the other mad, they had 15 minutes. Leave the person alone for 15 min and when time was up, one person would sincerely apologize and the other would forgive, and they would move on. Now sophomores in college, Ace and Julia still live by that code. But they promised something else as kids also…a decree.

So, there is something about Ace and Julia that most everyone knows; their family, their friends, anyone close, except for Ace and Julia. How is that possible? It is. You see, Ace and Julia love each other and everyone knows….but them. And when the two of them figure out this revelation, they both handle it in very different ways. Add in moving, and sophomore classes, and the events of the Double C society, and that’s still not all. Lots of laughs, and so much fun to read.

After reading a few intense books, I was so excited to jump into reading this one. Loved the first two books and I needed a lighthearted, warm, and funny read. Max Monroe always delivers. The interconnected series and world created is layers of fun. These family friends, support, love, and are always there for each other. Put them all together and you are guaranteed a good time, a fun read, never a dull moment, loads of excitement and entertainment, and lots of laughs.
So many thanks to #HambrightPR!

[Marisa Tuszl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️. a very different read from the og series with their parents. this was a sweet story but i will say i hated the fight between kline and thatch. happy they made up but it hurt a little to see a fracture after everything they have gone through over the years and within other storylines. ace seems to be a chip off the old block and i cannot wait to see what evie and gunnar get into with their books.

[whatmarissareads]

DNF at 30% Thank you so much to the author for the advanced copy. Unfortunately this one wasn’t the right fit for me. The humor style leaned more aggressive than I personally prefer, but I can see how it may work well for other readers

[Isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC* This was my first book of the year and what a book it was. I didn't think it was possible to top Thatcher Kelly, who btw is one of my all time favorite characters in the Max Monroe Universe, but Ace Kelly surely did.
The 15 minute rule has it all, friends to lovers, slow burn, hilarious moments, family love, and best of all a happy ending and hints of possible new love stories within the series.
can't wait for whatever story comes next.

[Erin Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Author

Oh it was like coming home again, to the brilliant world of the OG Billionaires and their antics.

The banter that flows throughout the pages and the ever present question of "What is coming next?" made this one tough to put down.

As always with Max Monroe books, there is every chance you'll snort with laughter so choose your reading location carefully!

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️

🌶️ 1/5 — Very light spice
• Minimal on-page intimacy
• Non-explicit scene
• Romantic rather than smutty
• Sex is mostly implied or lightly

Steamy and Spice chapters down below.

📝 Notes:
Dual POV: Julia and Ace
Best Friends to Lovers
Romcom
College
Childhood friends
Pining and yearning
Slow Burn

I was given the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this book, which I am grateful to be a part of. So here’s my honest review.

This is book three in the series and part of a larger interconnected universe. There are a lot of cameos from characters in other books, and the parents featured here were actually the original characters of the universe, with their own books as well. If you’re familiar with the world already, those connections will likely be fun to spot.

Preface: I want to start by saying that I genuinely liked the concept and the characters—the storytelling style just wasn’t my personal taste. This is absolutely a book that will work for some readers, just not for me.

This is definitely a rom-com, but the tone felt very Not Another Teen Movie to me—chaotic, unhinged, over-the-top, and intentionally ridiculous. If that’s your vibe, this may land really well for you. For me, it was a little too much.

The prologue was cute, but it could have been shortened. By about 14% in, I found myself liking the idea of the story more than the execution. There was a lot of fluff and filler that I personally could have done without.

One moment that really pulled me out was the idea that a pregnancy joke is what makes him realize he’s in love with his best friend. That reveal just didn’t work for me—I think there were much stronger, more emotionally grounded catalysts available.

By the halfway point, I was honestly bored. The pacing dragged, and I started losing interest despite trying hard not to DNF. Chapter 38 felt like it should have happened much earlier—him seeing her get serious with someone else would’ve been a far more effective turning point in my opinion.

I also struggled with some character logic. If she’s always wanted him too, why didn’t she say anything—especially when he spent the entire summer putting her first? That emotional tension could’ve been explored more deeply.

Another issue for me was length—this book didn’t need to be this long. There were also moments where the comedy felt inconsistent, like a parent scolding one daughter for not keeping things PG and then immediately asking the other daughter about her sex life. I couldn’t tell if that was intentional humor or just tonal whiplash.

That said, I did think it was cute how they finally got together, and I wish that moment had been given more space to breathe. After that, everything wrapped up very quickly. The spice was light and non-explicit, which may be a plus for some readers.

Overall, I really do like the characters and their quirky, chaotic energy, and there were plenty of funny moments sprinkled throughout. There’s a lot of potential here, and I can absolutely see this being a hit for the right reader—it just wasn’t for me.

🌶️Spice Chapters:
16 first kiss
38, 39 first real kiss
66 fade to black
68
69

[Jetscarbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it to chapter 3, then I DNF. I knew these two MCs were immature and it probably wouldn’t get any better as the story moved on. h pretends she is pregnant and when H flips his shite, h is like “ohhhh just joking” 😡 I absolutely despise the “joke” pregnancy. In real life, I wouldn’t be around anybody who joked like that.

And….H is a manho for the whole chapter 2. It’s a running theme he has different women every night. He even has 2 different women calling his cell phone and his POV was about smex with them.
As soon as he finds out his BFF, h- is pregnant, then she was joking, he was like “OMG I LOVE HER” 🥴 It was literally that quick. How does anybody go from thinking about smex with OW to “I LOVE YOU AND ONLY YOU” that quick?

[Lana *Best left alone with books and snacks* · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of flavours of humor out there, this one just wasn't my vibe. Half the time I felt like Julia's father at his birthday party. Too much, man, too much. Once the crocodile enters the chat me thinks we've gone too far. Still, the story and the idea was cute and perfectly fit for a rom-com and I thought the fifteen-minute rule itself is hands-down the greatest idea for a relationship ever, I wish more people would go that route. So yeah, it wasn't a perfect book but it has some great things going for it.

Thank you Hambright PR and Max Monroe for the copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Over and out

[Bri]

Absolutely not

[Esra Öcut · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had so many expectations about this book…

[Lark _thebookchamber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one and liked the characters! I feel like they were relatable and likeable! I really loved the yearning and pining that Ace showed and loved seeing him work to get Julia to notice his feelings. There was miscommunication and quite a bit of a slow burn, but I feel it was done well. The laughs these authors always bring with their writing is so good! Overall, cute read and I can’t wait to read more from them! 💖

[Lexi Rachelle Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book because the premise sounded really great and I’m a big fan of friends to lovers. Sadly the way the authors executed it was awful. I get they were trying to make him obsessed with her in a book boyfriend/cute kinda way but it really came across as creepy and manipulative. Needless to say I won’t be reading any other books in this series.

Thank you to Hambright PR & the authors for an arc!

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰]

Julia + Ace

Ace Kelly. Thatch's mini-me is finally getting his own book!
And he kinda just now realized what all of their friends and family have known for ages... that he's in love with his BFF Julia.
They've been super besties since before they were even born and now he's suddenly in love with her? How? Huh? What now?

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!

══════════════════




ADORABLE!
Amazing third book in this second generation series!
We've been waiting for Ace's book for what feels like decades!
And now he's finally here and he's just as thatchy as we were hoping he'd be!
He's super happy in his little billionaire son college life with his bestie by his side. But then he's suddenly in love with her? WTF!? Poor guy. And it's not as easy as he might have thought to get her to fall for him too.
Well - it would be easy if they would just talk a bit more. But he's an idiot boy and he does some idiot things before we can finally get to that happy end. Lol.

I loved reading this.
It was super funny and ridiculous and sweet and adorable and just what you'd expect from a Thatch Junior rom-com!

Of course we also meet all the other kids and parents and friends and family again.
Lots of Thatch and Kline and Cassie and Georgie and of course Finn and Scottie and a bit Blake and Lexi. Amazing cast! And now we SO need Gunnar's book. He's only 14 now - but we can wait. A bit. He's so mysterious and crazy and interesting! He's what would happen if super crazy Cassie and Thatch had a baby with a James Bond Navy SEAL! GIMME!
(Finn's brothers might get their story first!)

Plus also - can we please get a Thatch Universe TV Show??

THE FIFTEEN-MINUTE RULE was another perfect addition to this Winslow/Billionaire Bad Boys second generation Dickson University series. So funny + adorable + sparky + ridiculous + frustrating + just beautiful! And also... THATCH!! Run to your nearest book dealer for your own Acer - this one is so mine!

Tiny little complainings... It was a little bit too long. With not really much happening here and there. And then.. this is New Adult or almost YA and with them being just 18/19 I wasn't expecting anything extremely sexy - but there was almost none of that at all. I think this would've been a bit cuter a few years into the future - maybe we'll get a second book for them one day!

If you can't click the buy-links
from your phone - click ► HERE!


💜 💜

[Julie Cabrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I discovered Max Monroe with "Call Me Anytime" last month (My first five star read of the year) and I was ecstatic to be offered an ARC of "The Fifteen Minute Rule" by Monroe & Hambright PR!

"The Fifteen Minute Rule" by Max Monroe was book 3 in the Dickson University Series and it was the perfect balance of humor and emotional depth. After reading books 1 & 2, you are already just obsessed with Ace and enter this book knowing there are going to be so many theatrics. As expected from this duo, the banter was sharp, witty, and laugh-out-loud funny, but what really stood out to me was the vulnerability layered underneath all that charm.

I am so grateful that I decided to start at the beginning of the series before diving into this ARC I received. Seeing all the other relationships unfold first and then watching how moments overlap in each book was truly special. Even when revisiting events like the Fourth of July, the authors gave us new insight that made everything feel richer. For example, learning that Ace actually knew about Blake and Lexi sneaking out added such a layered perspective to a scene we thought we fully understood. It made the entire world feel interconnected and intentional.

I am an absolute sucker for friends-to-lovers, and this one felt SO earned. The slow burn, the history shared between the two as best friends, the moment that Ace finally comes to the realization that it is more than just friendship...all pure gold. I was literally depressed on Ace’s behalf when he saw Julia accept Drew's GF proposal. Your heart just drops in that moment. You feel the weight of everything he hasn’t said, everything he’s been holding in. That emotional punch was so well done.

The only real reason this wasn’t a five star read for me is that I am just not a fan of the miscommunication/lack of communication trope. The entire time I wanted to grab Ace by the shoulders and yell, JUST TELL HER YOU LOVE HER. The tension worked, but it definitely tested my patience. Also, moments like when Ace set his own apartment on fire to force proximity between him and Julia and the alligator part just were a little too crazy/unrealistic for me lol. (It works given the family he was raised in but WHAT lol!)

That said, the emotional payoff was there. The chemistry was undeniable. The humor balanced the heavier moments beautifully. If you love friends to lovers, overlapping series moments, and characters whose history makes every confession feel monumental, this one absolutely delivers.

Also - HECK YES SCOTTIE! Take those Christmas morning steps!!!

[Anca A · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Review: *The Fifteen-Minute Rule* - Max Monroe - ARC [16+]
4.5/5✨
1/5🌶️

Julia and Ace have been best friends since they were in diapers. When they were eight they made a playful pact which said that they would get married to each other when they would be 25. Time has passed and teenage years would complicate their friendship. Why? Because feelings were starting to surface, and Ace was the one who started fighting for Julia's heart. But there was a tiny, little problem: Julia was dating another guy. How will this whole story end for these two best friends?

I can say from the start that Ace was super funny! He wasn't the smartest guy out there, doing soooo many things without thinking, but I liked his determination, even if everything he did has gotten him in even more trouble 😅. I liked that sort of love triangle, making the story super interesting and fun. Also, Julia and Ace's friendship was the cutest! They really completed each other so well and it was hilarious to see the reaction of the people around them about their connection.🤭 Julia was more grounded and calculated, being totally opposite to Ace, who was a real goof. Even their families were extremely funny, bringing so much good time to this whole story.

I had a super nice time reading this fun story which included the complicated love story of these young lovebirds. I was surprised to see that this book had no spice, just some little bits which were pretty innocent. And it was pretty nice for me🥰. Also, you should be prepared for a really slow burn, which will make you scream so loud!

So grateful for receiving this e-ARC from lovely Hambright Pr💖. Thank youuu!🥰

✨Tropes
▫️Best Friends To Lovers
▫️Super Slow Burn
▫️Meddling Family
▫️Opposites Attract
▫️Boy Obsessed
▫️Yearning
▫️Secretly In Love
▫️Romantic Comedy

[Sam Swiesz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

It started off strong. I loved Ace & Julia’s relationship, but then she had to get in a relationship and cheat on him with Ace, then Ace and Julia had to have miscommunication for 2 months (like the last 25% of the book) and I really just couldn’t handle it anymore. I really don’t like miscommunication, and I also don’t love the cheating trope, so take with that what you will. There wasn’t any spice besides kissing and talk of sex, but I wasn’t overly in love with this book.

Overall, 3/5 would recommend.

Rating System:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: obsessed, emotional damage, reread worthy, would 100% recommend
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: loved it, memorable, reread worthy, would highly recommend
⭐️⭐️⭐️: enjoyed it but not memorable, not reread worthy, would recommend
⭐️⭐️: disappointing, little to no connection, finished but struggled, read at your own risk
⭐️: DNF or hated it, should have quit, would not recommend

Spice System:
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️: frequent, graphic, plot-relevant spice, “is this allowed??” energy
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️: multiple explicit scenes, detailed, confident, no shame
🌶️🌶️🌶️: open-door scenes, descriptive but not explicit, blushing but still functioning
🌶️🌶️: a little tension, a little teasing, one or two soft open-door scenes, sweet > spicy
🌶️: fade-to-black or closed-door, blink and you miss it, kisses only

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to @hambright_pr for the early digital and finished copy of this book. I’ll preface this by saying I read book 1, but not book 2 of this series and did not feel like I missed any important storyline parts between the books.

Ace and Julia are the only friends to lovers story I will accept, as it’s not a favorite trope of mine, but I am OBSESSED with the way this was executed. Despite the fact that EVERYONE knew these 2 were soulmates, ace and Julia themselves were clueless. Ace realizes it first and his brain catches up on the years he’s been in love with her and never even realized. He falls “first” and falls hard and arranges several situations to force their proximity even more than their inseparable selves already allowed. There was just such cute scenarios and the presence of their parents (who have their own books that I haven’t read) was fantastic - they brought so much life to the books and I’m sure some nostalgia for anyone who has read the whole backlist. They also brought back the college secret Society that ace is now the president of and his wild self knew how to bring the party with these meetings. It was such an easy binge worthy read, I can’t stand enough good things.

[Renae Simangan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really like the friends to lovers trope until I read this book! I honestly loved it!!! I thought the characters were hilarious!!!

Ace and Julia have been best friends since childhood. They do everything together. One day Ace comes to a realization that he’s actually in love with Julia. Too afraid Julia will reject him and only sees him as a friend, he comes up with this elaborate plan to try to get Julia to fall in love with him. They have a rule that whenever one of them messes up the other person has 15 minutes to be mad after the time is up they have to make up. But what if things get so messed up that it’s going to take more than 15 minutes to fix it?

This book was hilarious! The FMC and MMC had so much chemistry. Their best friend friendship was so cute it made me want to throw up. So codependently cute LOL. I also really liked the side characters. The relationship between Ace and Julia’s parents are so funny. I’m wondering if they have books too… if so I need them bad!

This was a fast easy read. I ate it up. I couldn’t put it down. Every page had me laughing wanting to know what stupid thing Ace would do now!

Thank you Hambright PR and Max Monroe for this ARC!!

[Come_read_with_me_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, let me start by saying I love Max Monroe! They are incredible writers, and I have been following their writing journey for years.

However this book wasn't for me, I'm so sorry!!

I loved the writing and the sense of humour! It is hilarious and I loved Ace's POV. As much as I loved Ace, I couldn't get behind his very sudden realisation that he loves his best friend. Ace discovers he loves his best friend when she plays a prank while out on a night out, joking that she is pregnant with another man's baby. For me, I didn't find this funny at all, and actually a little insensitive.
After this realisation, Ace tries to get Julia to fall in love with him, by doing random, immature things.
On that note, I want to talk about the parents. I can't believe I am writing this because I LOVE Thatcher Kelly!! However, I found all the parents immature and a little bit stuck in the past. They acted like they were still in their twenties and not parents. They didn't even know Gunner had left Barbados, they believed he drowned and didn't seem too concerned. They just joined a party thrown in their penthouse by Gunner and Ace, when they returned from Barbados. They had no control over their children at all.

This book is a slow burn, and Ace is funny. I just couldn't connect with and believe their relationship. So with that, unfortunately I wouldn't recommend this
book.

A massive thank you to the authors and NetGalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.