First Time Friends: A Dragon Shifter Friends to Lovers Romance

by Jenna Avery

Some people live in graves of grief, and no one understands this more than the Dragon shifter Fynn Gleanscale and the empathic Siphon, Orliana Veritas.

Five years after the Dragxi accident that killed his pregnant wife, Fynn remains frozen in time. Everyone says enough time has passed, but how does anyone move on when everything’s burned to ash?

Orliana knows something about impossible choices. After the murder of her abusive husband, she must raise her son while carrying the weight of the past. Trusting men now feels like petting a hydra’s tongue and hoping to keep all her fingers.

When their Fates collide, Fynn and Orliana discover moving forward isn’t a straight path. Sometimes the only way forward is to let go of the past — even when it threatens to tear you apart.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romantasy

436 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2026

About the author

The origin story of Jenna Avery is complex, weird, and requires numerous alcoholic beverages to regale. The current story? She's an elder millennial with a penchant for evolving and growing. This is a polite way of saying her ADHD makes her choose a new hobby every three months. By the time you read this, who knows what she'll be into. Just ask. Otherwise, she lives with her horde of kids and pets, a golden retriever husband, and rotating residency of soon-to-be-dead plants.

Reviews

[Spreading Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I was a little leery as there are some trigger warnings for widows and second chance romance, plus abuse. [Parts of this book are a little dark.] I was actually really into these characters and their story as soon as I started reading!!

This is a fantasy/ romantasy book, but you almost don't even notice as you were so drawn into the emotional turmoil both the FMC and MMC endure. The author describes this as a hard-fought for HEA and I couldn't agree more.

There were so many fun aspects between the characters with their alternative path to happiness, fake dating, and finding themselves along the way. This was also left open ended with a set up for additional novels with this character base. I really enjoyed this story!!

💜 Finding Love After Loss
🫂 Deep Exploration of Grief After Trauma
❤️ 35 yo Single Mother FMC
🫂 40 yo widower MMC
💔 Hurt/Comfort
🛌 One Bed
🩷 Friends To Lovers

*I received this as a ARC*

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh. I loved Glittering Skies, and I was so excited the next book was coming out so soon. But this????? Jenna, you gave us this????? What did we do to deserve such poignant storytelling?

Jenna is a master of emotional stories, and Orliana and Fynn's story will put you through the ringer in the best way. This was a wonderful exploration of grief and loss - and finding yourself after tragedy. I am so pleased I decided to binge it on release day.

Also, uh, who do I have to bribe to get a Moxie of my own?

[Heather Normand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Valerie Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your “traditional” love story. You have Fynn, a dragon widower who is still morning the loss of his wife and son five years after their tragic death. There’s also Orliana, a siphon who murdered her abusive husband. Their journeys to move past their own traumas together was such a beautiful story. It was refreshing to read something so true to real life while also being in a fantasy world.
The ending of this story had me in tears—but the best kind! What a beautiful love story!

[The Book Nerd's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotional urban romantasy featuring a dragon grieving his wife and the magical woman that helps stitch his heart back together.

Five years ago, Fynn Gleanscale's wife and unborn child were killed in a terrible Draxi accident. Weighed down by his grief, Fynn spends every hour of the day working or playing video games to numb his mind. Everyone keeps telling him that he should have moved on by now, but how does one move on when the love of their life is ripped away from them? Three years ago, Orliana Veritas murdered her abusive husband when he tried to kill her. Now, she is trying her best to keep the dark past away from her son, Joulian, while also striving to learn to trust again. When Fynn and Orliana's paths cross several times, their walls start to come down and the two become fast friends. Who knew that someone else in the world could understand the heavy emotions they carry in their hearts?

After reading book one in this series "Glittering Skies" I went into this one expecting it to be super spicy and a tad emotional, but boy were my expectations truly thwarted. This book is such a slow burn (I don't think they so much as kiss until like 60% into the book) and this book is filled to the brim with emotionally devastating moments that I wasn't even close to prepared for.

Talking about this book is going to be interesting because there is so many complicated pieces woven together to paint such a beautiful picture. Before I dive into this, here are some trigger warnings. This book deals with the loss of a partner, loss of a child, murder, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, physical abuse, trauma, and so much more. Make sure to check the full list of triggers on the author's website for your own safety.

I think I'll progress through this one a bit more chronologically than I usually would, because this book is quite long and different segments feel quite different. This book opens with the first few chapters showcasing the events that lead to the deaths of both Fynn and Orliana's partners. I was immediately hooked on these characters and my heart went out to them in a matter of minutes. The beginning of this book is shocking, devastating, and honestly a wild ride that had me desperate to see where Fynn and Orliana would end up.

It then transitions to five/three years later, also known as the current time period. Orliana and Fynn are both dealing with the repurcussions of their partners' deaths. Fynn is contending with the grief of losing his loving wife and an unborn child. Orliana struggles with trusting others and feeling safe in the environments that she occupies. Both of their trauma and immense emotions are portrayed so well that I couldn't help but feel as though I knew both of these characters deeply.

This portion of the book talks a ton about what it's like being a parent, especially a single mother. Orliana feels guilty that she hasn't told her son the truth about his father's death and fears that he lacks the male role model he needs. Joulian is seriously the sweetest kid, but he does have a rebellious streak and tends to go against his mother's wishes. This causes Orliana to feel like a failure in day to day motherhood, which is something that I feel many young parents can relate to.

Soon enough, Orliana and Fynn cross paths and slowly begin to share their intense feelings with one another. As Fynn finally shares his grief, Orliana gets to discuss her guilt and shame with someone who won't judge her for the decisions she made. These two do start on a really solid friendship status with the earlier part of this book having them go on platonic outings with one another. They both don't leave their houses enough so they go bowling, pottery making, clubbing, and other such activities to put themselves back out there. These moments were super sweet, especially because they are both beginning to stitch themselves back together bit by bit.

This eventually transitions to a tropical getaway in which the two fake date one another, which almost feels like a whole different book in it's entirety. I found this part to be especially addicting, because this is where the drama and the romantic tension both pick up. The tropical vibes of Slous are immaculate and this segment of the book had the greatest summer vibes. The scene with the seahorses was so adorable! The things Fynn will bear to make his girl happy.

The Slous segment also deals a ton more with Orliana's trauma and sexual triggers. After being abused by her ex-husband for years, Orliana doesn't know what it is like to trust someone in the bedroom or find pleasure from such a circumstance. The care that Fynn treats Orliana with is so attractive, all while he makes sure she feels normal. Orliana has so many feelings of brokeness and intense fear, but it is so nice that Fynn is a consent king and willing to walk with her every step of the way. This is by no means an easy topic to discuss and Avery did it so masterfully.

The ending of this book is literally so cute. Orliana and Fynn really deserve to be happy after everything they've gone through and I'm grateful that they've found one another. After all these years, they're dealing with their grief and trauma with someone who will be by their side the entire time. The final chapter was literally so sweet and tied up Orliana and Fynn's story so nicely.

I've already blabbed for quite a while, but I still have so much more to say. The characters in this book are all phenomenal! Fynn and Orliana are some of the most emotionally complex characters I've read about, and their support teams are also awesome. Fynn's brother, Trinte, is such a joy of a character. He is unconditionally optimistic and helpful; he made me smile every time he entered the page. Orliana's best friend, Kyrielle, is also such a beam of sunlight. She's the type of person to stick her nose into everyone's business and apologize never. Orliana's mother was also a great supporting character, as she pushes her daughter to be happy. As I alluded to earlier, Joulian is such a joy, and it made me so happy to see Fynn and him bond with one another. Moxie, Orliana's familiar, was another one of those characters that I couldn't help but smile at all the shenanigans they got into.

Some of these scenes really pushed me out of my comfort zone as a reader (such as the club scene and the Trinte incident at the end), but that's just something I love about reading. I love getting my buttons pushed and expanding my mind to new places. I beg the reader to take care of themselves, but to also approach foreign scenarios with an open mind.

I'm honestly not sure I'm ready to leave this one behind, but I'm super excited that the third book is already on the horizon. I fell in love with the characters in this book, so I'm super excited that Trinte and Kyrielle are getting their own novel! They definitely have a complicated relationship already, so I'm excited to get all the juicy details! I already cried a ton with this book, but I know that "Heimlock" is really going to hit me in the feels after learning a bit about Trinte's traumatic childhood in this book. I did see it coming, but I was crossing my fingers and praying that it wasn't the case.

Overall, "First Time Friends" is one of the most emotional, romantic, and cathartic books I've read in a long time. I haven't went through the immense pain of losing a partner or being in a violent domestic relationship, but I still felt so much for these characters. Putting myself in their shoes was such an emotional journey that I’m grateful to have been able to go on. Orliana and Fynn are brimming with life; I couldn't help but fall in love with them. This book does such a phenomenal job at juggling so many complicated and triggering topics, but it is done with such finesse. After loving this story as much as I did, I seriously can't wait to check out "Heimlock" in the near future!

[Beth Swan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me preface this by saying this isn't a genre I would typically read, but also that as soon as I had finished reading (pre-release), I immediately ordered the hard copy.
This is a fantasy friends to lovers book that feels more real life than fantasy--in a GOOD way! It wasn't the romance that initially drew me in, but how authentically the author wrote real life traumas in ways that I understood as a human. Real, lived experiences that feel real on the page as well. Triggering subjects like domestic abuse, spousal/child death, SA, and single parenting were handled with grace. Events weren't written as shock value, which I appreciate so much!
The writing style bouncing back and forth between Orliana's (FMC) and Fynn's (MMC) perspectives flowed nicely. The story line progressed fluidly rather than the chapters feeling repetitive with the characters heavily reiterating what the other said in the previous section. The pace was perfect! The author's prose wasn't too flowery and sentence structure was written in such a way that you experienced every emotion as it happened. Characters reacted appropriately. There was no unnecessary drama to further the plot. Mature decisions were made throughout the entirety. It was refreshing! Now let's get to the emotion. I have read novels from some of the most popular recent authors that were fine, but I didn't feel any sort of connection to the character. In First Time Friends, I had an emotional connection to basically every single character. Fynn's grief and internal struggle to love again after such devastating loss had me sobbing. His utter devotion to his wife was endearing and I'm so glad that he was able to heal. All of that was beautifully done. The way he was respectful and protective (but not in an alpha bro way) to Orliana after everything she had endured made me love him even more. Fynn's bond with his little brother, Trinte, truly captured what having supportive siblings is like. While there was quite a bit of humor between the two, it was the hard conversations and Trinte's own despair at watching his brother waste away that made Trinte one of my all time favorite fictional characters ever written. I wish my brothers were like him! His line, "I want my brother back" devastated me in the best way. I'm crying huge crocodile tears typing this out, actually. While Fynn is broody, it was written in a mature way that didn't have me rolling my eyes. Orliana was magical at helping him out of his shell. His healing was gradual, not like he got better suddenly out of nowhere. While Orliana certainly helped in his healing arc, she didn't do the work for him. As someone who has been in therapy for my own traumas, that was beautiful to see. Now for Orliana--wow! What a dynamic woman. The choices she made to keep herself and her son, Joulian, safe made me so proud. Like Orliana, I have a teen boy. Joulian's empathy, understanding, and love for his mother reminded me so much of my sweet boy. Thank you, Jenna, for writing a teenager who isn't angsty and out to get Orliana because of things he doesn't know/understand. Again, so refreshing! Not only does she defend herself and her son, but that maternal protection and take-no-sh*t from any man attitude made cheer out loud for her page after page. Plus she has a soft mom tummy like me, so reading that she was worshiped all the same and made to feel beautiful meant everything for my own self-consciousness. And the way she honored Rhuth (Fynn's deceased wife)?! No jealousy; no rushing Fynn's healing; no demand to get rid of her things. Being able to see how much Fynn loved her through both of their perspectives was beautiful. Yes, I cried through that as well. More love stories should be written like this, truly. Witty banter, mutual respect, transparency without drama, and a handful of steamy scenes that still covered handling triggers after SA. We love a man who respects boundaries and deeply understands consent! The ending had a 3 year time jump that tied in the beginning perfectly. A healthy blended family? Check! References to the very beginning that tie it all together? Check!
Ultimately I'd rate this book a 4.75 out of 5. While I do have some complaints, the list is short. Kyri, Orliana's best friend, is funny and confident in herself, but her character as the best friend with no filter seemed a little too stereotypical. Trinte's exit from the novel was pretty disappointing and abrupt. As soon as you learn his own traumas, he's gone. While his need for space and his leaving toward the end made sense, he just... never came back. No one could get in contact with him, he shut everyone out, stopped going to work, etc. Again, it's understandable. However, he had a heavy hand in both Fynn and Orliana's healing and then... just disappeared. Friends and family were concerned when they couldn't reach him, but it never really went anywhere past that. And then the story continued without him. To me, he deserved the same fight as he gave to Fynn. I wanted to know that he was okay, but was left with a cliffhanger that felt more like he was forgotten about entirely.
All in all, I cannot wait for my physical copy to arrive! I will happily read it again and will be recommending it to everyone I know. Even my husband is excited to read it.
Get ready to laugh, cry, rage, sob, cheer, laugh some more, cry some more, and fall in love with the people--I mean dragons, siphons, and the rest of the magical creatures--in this book. Easily the best novel I've read in 2026.

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Time Friends is an absolutely stunning love story. I felt like Orliana and Fynn were real people (or in his case dragon-person) who jumped off the page with all the complexities of reality.

It is also a story first and foremost of love's other side: grief. Both characters have lost their spouses under traumatic circumstances, but their former partnerships could not have been more different.

Despite and because of this, both have so much love they are aching to give. As they slowly let down their guards, they do so with compassion, communication, consent and friendship.

This whole book is just a balm for the soul. If you are looking for a healthy second-chance romance with adult characters, I highly recommend First Time Friends.

How adult you ask? A 35yo single mum with PTSD and a depressed 40yo widower.

Please do read the trigger warnings for this one; chapter one throws you straight in with off-page death of a heavily pregnant spouse, on-page domestic violence, gaslighting, manipulation and murder. There's on-page descriptions of panic attacks throughout the book and other times when the characters are triggered, but they both hold each other with kindness and grace and it is NEVER stigmatised. I promise you things get so much better for our characters!! Jenna has poured much of her and her husband's personal experiences into this book, and it shows in the intimacy you feel reading this book.

The last line of the book downgraded it from 5 stars to 4.99 stars for me, but that is more personal preference than an actual criticism.

I want to wrap up by saying Jenna Avery is quite simply one of the best voices in fantasy romance right now. I'm honoured to have received an early copy as part of her street team, but this has in no way biased my review.

[Kat Curlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Jenna Avery for an eARC of your book, I absolutely loved it!! This is my second one following “Glittering Skies” and I will absolutely keep reading your stories, I really love your writing style, and this universe you’re creating, so thank you so much again!! Also all thoughts in this review are my own and voluntary!

I cannot express to you enough how heartbreakingly beautiful this story is! It made me feel every emotion in the purest way and I could not put it down, like actually binged it, the only time I came up for air was when my body forced me to sleep!

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦. 𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧.

𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐩 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝!

I hope there is more to come in this universe because I will read all of them!!

✨ 𝓘𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓭:
👌🏻”ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ”
🤫ꜰᴀᴋᴇ ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ
🥵ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ
❤️‍🩹ʜᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ/ʜᴜʀᴛ/ᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛ
🔥40 ʏ/ᴏ ᴀɴɢꜱᴛʏ ᴍᴍᴄ
🫶🏻35 ʏ/ᴏ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴠᴇ ꜰᴍᴄ
🥂ʟᴏᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛꜱ
💫ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴɪᴏɴꜱ/ꜰᴀᴍɪʟɪᴀʀꜱ
🥳ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜱɪᴅᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️

[Brittni · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐉A monster romance to really have you in your feelings! 🐉

This is the second book I've read for Jenna Avery and once again I've got to hand it to her; she really does know how to make me crack up and also ugly cry.

The first book in this series of standalone, Glittering Skies, had me crying in the club but book two takes the cake I think. Literally from the get go I was in live with the book because our fmc is a mom (guilty pleasure trope, I love a parent/kid trope, SUE ME) and the strength she has in her situation is beyond admirable, and our mmc's backstory literally had me sobbing in the couch quite a few times throughout reading. Their connection and the way they help each other heal and grow was beautiful. And we get some fake dating in the mix! 🔥

Honest to gods, I'm gonna need to own this whole series because so far, after just the first two books, I am obsessed and they hurt me in the best way! Always check your triggers before reading but DEFINITELY check this one out if you're a sucker for some hurt/comfort vibes 💕

[kailesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ thank you Jenna for the gifted physical copy!!

Wow! I can’t believe how beautifully tragic this book was (in the best way). My heart was shattered and bruising with learning and getting to know Orliana and Fynn and all the terrible things they’ve had to go through. But at the same time, seeing them overcome their demons together and find that happiness again was so healing.

Jenna truly did an amazing job at describing and telling the story of two different people going through similar, yet different types of loss, grief, guilt, and overall misery. She puts the care and compassion into it to not be insensitive and really makes you experience those emotions with our main characters.

One thing I really loved was our side characters who meddled, supported, and loved on Fynn and Orliana the entire time! Other than this, I loved getting to see this unlikely friendship bloom throughout the weeks they know each other and the slow burn tension that creeps up on these two made the romantic relationship that much more satisfying!

This was such a great read, but I’d definitely advise you to read the content warnings before picking it up.

[Aria D'Amato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible Friends to Lovers story. Orliana and Fynn had me wanting to skip work and read instead. I loved that the world building was an ease to dive into, no major territories to understand, and most of the mythical creatures were already known. I basically imagined the characters in a modern version of a Dr. Seuss world (in all the best ways).

I've been eyeing this book for quite some time. I was so happy to receive an ARC from the author. For someone who has experienced an unwelcomed amount of loss in the past, I was happy to see the depiction of the guilt that is combined with grief.

But the true gems of the story were Trinte and of course, my girl, Moxie. Trinte was a phenomenal side-character, adding humor and relief to the story. Meanwhile, Moxie was just straight up reading my thoughts. I want my own ugopeg, please.

Anyway, I highly recommend it for anyone who likes a little sadness with their happily ever afters. It's always the most rewarding outcome.

[Once Upon A Page✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a captivating read! This book was absolutely perfect, it touched on difficult themes and experiences that must have been challenging to write but they were depicted perfectly😭 I loved the friends-to-lovers element and it was so refreshing as avid enemies-to-lovers reader, the development of Fynn and Orliana’s relationship was absolutely beautiful and I felt so connected to both characters. I thought Joulian and his challenging experience with experiencing domestic violence around him at such a young age, and how he overcame this, was incredible! When he started calling Fynn his Dad at the end I was nearly in tears😭 Every character was so memorable from Kyri to Orliana’s Mum to Trinte, I can’t wait to see Trinte’s story develop as I felt so deeply for his trauma and story🥹 The setting was absolutely beautiful especially when they went to the coastal area for the reunion. The ending was such an amazing way to finish up this book and I am just absolutely obsessed with this world!🤩

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt less like reading a romance and more like watching two broken people slowly learn how to live again!

First Time Friends by Jenna Avery actually shattered me in the softest way possible.

This is technically a fantasy romance, but at its core it’s really a story about grief, healing, friendship, and learning how to love again after loss.

We follow Orliana, who is a single mom dealing with PTSD, and Fynn, a grieving widower who genuinely broke my heart.

And the way these two slowly let each other in was SO BEAUTIFUL.

This isn’t insta-love or overly dramatic toxicity. It’s full of kindness, communication, consent., and overall emotional safety. It's about two adults carrying trauma and choosing softness with each other anyway. And that hit harder than any enemies-to-lovers fight scene ever could TBH.

There’s fake dating, hurt/comfort vibes, emotional healing, lovable side characters, and enough heartbreak to make me stare at the wall for a while after finishing.

ALSO shoutout to the fantasy world-building because it was so easy to fall into without feeling overwhelming.

Please check trigger warnings because this book deals with heavy topics, but it handles them with so much care and humanity.

This one genuinely felt healing to read.

Thanks to Jenna Avery for the gifted book. All thoughts are mine.

Confession: I will ALWAYS fall for emotionally damaged characters learning how to love again.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Jenna has given us a lush, gorgeously written story that tenderly explores grief, abuse recovery, and how in the end, the person who loves you is the person that walks with you on whatever journey you’re on.

Jenna is one of very few authors that takes on these tough subjects and genuinely handles them with the care and respect they deserve, instead of exploiting them. Her stories always feel like a full course meal: you get your lols, your big sads, your SPICE, and at the end, you feel like you didn’t miss out on a single thing.

I can’t recommend FTF enough if you’re looking for a story saturated in lush magic, gorgeous imagery, and fully fleshed out characters you love immediately. I can’t wait for Heimlock!

[Brandi Augustine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so emotional right now. This book has me in tears and in a good way too. Please read the triggers because there are some parts in here that can definitely trigger some.

Fynn and Orliana have both been through something tragic. Both of them are widowers and both are just trying to live. Orliana, my heart broke for her too but also cheered her on when she found her strength for her son.

Such a beautiful story that still has me reeling in my feelings. Definitely recommend.

This book us so beautiful. It felt like two people finding each other for friendship and learning to find love again. Fynn, oh how my heart broke for him. Orliana, my heart broke for her too and love her finding her strength for his son. Definitely recommend this book.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Time Friends tugs at your heartstrings throughout the entire thing. This is a story of immense heartbreak, grief, guilt, and still trying to find connection and happiness in life. Jenna Avery did a great job of showing different sides of loss, how grief is represented in different individuals and how people pick up the pieces after.

Although this is largely an emotional story, Avery still found a way to create a fun fantasy world to feature. I am not usually one to read books like this, I think the fun fantasy side of it helped to ease how sad these characters lives were.

All in all, this was a great read. Thank you for allowing me to receive an ARC of First Time Friends, now I must go recover.

[Madison Olszewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great expansion of Gondora! I really love that still without overwhelm Avery continues to build her world throughout a series. She effortlessly intertwines a “continuing” story with new stories & character arcs inside perfect bites!
Fynn is such an amazing green flag MMC with real issues & heartbreaking secrets. Orliana has even bigger secrets that in the end were justified & a strength.
These are my favorite “friends”! Even after all that they go through to test their relationship they come out so strong 🤌🏼
Fynn is seriously an abuse survivors dream partner & the representation in this book is so well done!
The step kid in me loved the ending so much & was super emotional at the acceptance & family growth 🖤
& ofc in the most perfect tense places the spice is top tier 🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Scott S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story blew me away, Jenna crafted a wonderful fantasy romance that tugs hard on the heartstrings. There’s fun banter that will make you laugh, and powerfully emotional moments and scenes that will bring tears. The cast, from MC’s to side characters, worked perfectly with each other.
I was fully connected with the characters and their own stories, making this book a truly fantastic reading experience. Loved it!!
This story is easy to recommend, as are all of Jenna’s works. She’s an amazing author!

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of an advanced copy received from the author.

This was such a great love story. It is very emotionally heavy and there’s a lot of triggering topics discussed, so I would very much advise checking any content warnings before reading this book.

But I feel like the emotional heaviness made the romance pay off. Fynn and Orliana had to work through so much to find their happiness and it was lovely to see them support each other.

I really hope that Fynn’s brother Trinte gets a book, he’s also gone through some terrible things and it would be nice to see him find healing and happiness.

[Marquis Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is about healing

But the inflatable dragon 🍆 ain’t bad either, tbh. But in all seriousness, this book spoke to my inner child, the current woman I am, the parent I am, and showed me that love comes in a multitude of forms.

Jenna you deserve your flowers and more for the skies is Avalon and thank you for the care you put into this story from the behind the scenes looks at you’re teaser posts, to the absolutely stunning artwork, anyone who is lucky to be in your orbit and receive your work is blessed.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh, I loved this!!! The amount of respect, patience, and love Flynn and Orliana have for each other made my heart soar! The spice was great and handled the emotional vulnerability well. And I love that Orliana is just as fierce as Flynn and can hold her own!

While this book definitely deals with some dark themes, I think Jenna did a great job at working through them with respect and thoughtfulness. They never felt like they were there for shock value or JUST as a plot point. They very obviously impacted who the characters were at their core, which influences everything in the world around them.

What I love best about Jenna's books is that, while it is fantasy, I never feel confused or feel like I need more worldbuilding. I think there's a perfect level of description that keeps the book contemporary and light without becoming too dense. And I love that there are some things you just have to accept. Inter-species procreation? Sure, why not. I love it because it actually helps maintain the fantastical element.

The book ended on a HEA for our two main characters, but unlike Glittering Skies, First Time Friends leaves it open to return to this specific group of characters. I look forward to reading that installment as well.

[Patti S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m in awe by Jenna Avery‘s imagination throughout this book. I felt it was well written and so full of emotions. It’s so easy to forget they are not humans. There is some spice, whether you are into that or not. Jenna lists all the triggers about the book so make sure you read those first to see if this is a good fit for you. I highly recommend if you love romantasy or just an entertaining book.

[Skylar Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. I cried a few times and teared up a few more times. Fynn, just a broody male with a mountain of grief and guilt on his shoulders. Orliana, got out of an abusive relationship and never wants to leave the house again. Put them together and they might just be able to heal from their past trauma.

[melody Colyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written book about grief and learning to love again. It’s heartbreaking and healing ❤️‍🩹! It has such real raw emotions! I was definitely in my feels reading it❣️
10/10 recommend
Healing balm to my heart I didn’t know I needed

[Valeria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 so many feels omg and the last line took me out 😭😭😭😭 I recommend