Play It By Heart

by Flick O'Mara

When you've been friends for six years, the last thing you expect to hear is you're actually in love with them.Ollie and Becca balance each other out. Becca is chaotic and unorganised, a hard line to follow when she has three jobs and a busy schedule. Ollie is the calm to her chaos; the one who makes sure she eats and sleeps and he likes taking care of her.

When they unexpectedly discover they've been harbouring feelings for each other for years, the transition from friendship to romance feels simple. It’s like they should have always been doing this.

But when the opportunity of a lifetime forces Ollie to start writing music again — something he hasn't done since his ex broke his heart — he learns that feelings aren't as easy to say out loud. Becca is the one person he can't lose, and to fall in love with her means putting his heart on the line again.

Becca, on the other hand, is ready to fall after a long string of bad relationships. And who better to fall in love with than her best friend? The one person in her life who keeps her grounded.

As Becca and Ollie's feelings grow, so does the wall between them. Can Ollie find a way to let go of his fear, or will they be both left wondering about ‘what might have been?’

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 25, 2026

Reviews

[Hu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author who offered me a free eARC of Play It By Heart in exchange for my honest feedback. All thoughts are my own and I’m leave this review voluntarily.

Play It By Heart is a strong debut from Flick O’Mara and a really enjoyable friends-to-lovers romance. Centered around Ollie, a musician, Kennedy, his business partner and fellow vocalist, and Becca, a photographer, the story follows the trio as they run a wedding business together, creating a fun and lively backdrop for the romance to unfold.

The characters were all incredibly likeable, and their witty banter made the friendships feel natural and engaging. The transition from friendship to something more was handled well, making the emotional development feel believable and satisfying.

For readers who are still easing into the romance genre, the spice is definitely on the milder side, making this a great entry point without sacrificing chemistry or tension. Alongside the romance, there’s family drama and unresolved history between Ollie, his ex and Becca that resurfaces, adding extra depth and entertainment to the narrative.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and promising start to what looks to be a great series, and I’ll definitely be keen to continue reading more from Flick O’Mara.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ollie and Becca have been best friends for years. Alongside their friend Kennedy, their wedding business is thriving. When a high-profile celebrity books their services, their hopes for the future skyrocket.

Both Ollie and Becca are happy with the way things are between them. Lots of laughs, cozy nights… To them, their friendship is just… them. To everyone else, it's a waiting game.

With Jai Mur's booking, Ollie sees the opportunity to start writing music of his own again. Traumatized by a previous relationship, which was the last time he was able to compose anything, he struggles. However, a shift in his relationship with Becca prompts him to find new inspiration. Of course, this doesn't mean he's fully able to let go of the heartbreak he experienced with Layla. Not yet.

This was such a sweet read! I especially loved the Australian setting, being an American myself. Becca and Ollie had wonderful chemistry (opposites attract), and it was a treat watching their relationship unfold. The subplot with Jai Mur's wedding was well developed and tied in perfectly with the main plot.

A special shout-out to Kennedy. She was my favorite character, without a doubt, and had some of the best and funniest lines and moments in the book. She complemented Ollie and Becca well.

I'm looking forward to continuing this series!

A huge thanks to the author for sending me a free digital ARC of the book!

[booksiedaisies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book early for my honest review of the book!

Congratulations on this wonderful debut novel! I have been looking forward to getting my hands on a copy and it did NOT disappoint!!

This book follows three main characters: Oliver, a singer/songwriter/heartthrob who went through a pretty traumatic break up and has been struggling to carry on since. Kennedy, his meddlesome business partner, and Becca, a photographer and fellow wedding business partner and friend.

The author does an amazing job at creating an emotional connection between all of the characters. I could picture just how Kennedy was approaching each of the encounters with Ollie and Becca. I loved how all of the characters felt very real and like their own individual person. By the end, I was kicking my feet/squealing with excitement as everything was unfolding.

Pick up this book if you're looking for a closed door romance with fun banter and a wholesome feel good vibe!

[Samantha Steel · Rating 4 out of 5]

'One kiss was all it took for me to fall.'

Congratulations to Flick on this beautiful debut novel 👏

This story follows Becca and Ollie, navigating friendship, working together, and questioning their hidden romantic feelings for each other- thanks to one meddling best friend- Kennedy.

It's a really really sweet story, I fell in love with these 3 characters quite instantly- they're magnetic and relateable which also makes it fun.

Friends to lovers is always such a hard trope to work with- but it worked so well in this capacity, because there's so many risks that are worth it in the long run.

But, that ending- I loved it!!!! The best way to wrap up their ever so amazing and sweet love story ❤️.

Tropes:
🎵 Friends to lovers
🎵 Wedding Singer MMC
🎵 Wedding Photographer FMC
🎵 Opposites Attract
🎵 Broken to Healing
🎵 Fade to Black spice

[Sarah Reapz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so heartbreakingly beautiful.

One kiss is all it took to finally unlock everything for each other plus a meddling friend who is absolutely awesome. we all need a Kennedy in our life to give us a push.

Ollie and Becca are best friends who work together and have known each other for six years, they know the good and bad of each other but gets messy when it gets romantic.

Ollie is guarded due to heart break and Becca wants to be loved they are both truly afraid of losing each other.

It shows that after having your heart broken that even the best person can be hard to let in when deserved and I loved how this was written to show his struggles to it and how Becca was.

I truly loved this book both characters are lovable, relatable and you want the best for them. I truly wanted Becca's mom to have a mouth full but grateful for the outcome that came in the end.

[Santhe Titheradge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet, low-angst romance with likable characters and a wholesome vibe. I loved the Australian setting and locations. The fade-to-black approach kept the focus on the emotional connection which was a nice choice. That said, the pacing felt a bit too slow for me but would definitely work for newbies to the romance genre. Overall, this was a gentle, fun first novel from O’Mara.

[Hannah Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story touched me in ways I have never been touched by a book. I laughed and I cried and then smiled with happiness. Becca is a character I relate to so much and to read her going from friend to lover to breakup and then to marriage was amazing. I could not recommend this book enough.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to author for the gifted arc and for reaching out to me to read :)! It was such a bittersweet book and honestly was so realistic !

[Lucylowe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible plot. So boring I couldn’t finish it. Pacing is very slow. Not worth reading. Also tons of grammatical errors, even in the book blurb 😂😂 so bad