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First Time Friends: A Dragon Shifter Friends to Lovers Romance
Win a free print copy of this book!
16 days and 00:27:08
5 copies available
U.S. only
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.
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.
436 pages, Paperback
Published May 28, 2026
About the author
Jenna Avery
6 books40 followersThe 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.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 1, 2026
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*
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*
May 27, 2026
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?
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?
May 26, 2026
Loved it
May 8, 2026
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 ending of this story had me in tears—but the best kind! What a beautiful love story!
Review of advance copy received from Author
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Author
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.
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.
May 30, 2026
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
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️
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
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️
Review of advance copy received from Author
🐉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 💕
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 💕
Review of advance copy received from Author
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Author
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Author
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!
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!
May 28, 2026
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.
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.
May 30, 2026
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.
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.
May 17, 2026
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 🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
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 🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
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!
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!
May 19, 2026
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.
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.
May 26, 2026
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Author
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.
May 22, 2026
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.
Review of advance copy received from Author
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
10/10 recommend
Healing balm to my heart I didn’t know I needed
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