The Lineup

by Eileen McKinley

Annie Parker has been in love with her best friend for five years.

Tyler Beckett is charming, successful, and completely off-limits – and she’s never quite sure if he feels the same way.

Between his filming schedule and her long hospital shifts, they’ve built something steady, safe, and dangerously close to more.

The timing has never been right – and neither of them has been willing to risk it.

Until one impulsive night changes everything.

The next morning makes it worse.

When Tyler panics and pulls back, Annie is left wondering if she misread the last five years entirely.

Now they have to decide if risking their friendship is worth finally being honest about what they want.


The Lineup is a dual POV friends-to-lovers romance with explicit on-page intimacy and a layered timeline that explores how it all began—and what happens after everything changes.

317 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2026

About the author

Playlists, Book Links & Extras:
https://linktr.ee/emckinley614

Eileen McKinley lives in Georgia with her husband and four children. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) and was born and raised in California.

In the rare event that she has spare time, she’s also a surfer, beekeeper, chicken mama, cheer coach, swimmer, baker, handyman, quilter, crafter, off-key singer, and full-time taxi driver for her kids…with a questionable sense of humor and a long list of things she’s probably forgetting.

Reviews

[Erin Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore the Friends to Lovers trope and Annie and Tyler do not disappoint.

There is so much tension as we hear the story of how they came to be best friends, always the right person but wrong timing to be anything more.

Then one night, the line is crossed. And the aftermath is an emotional roller-coaster.

Both Annie and Tyler experience a lot of growth throughout their story, learning about themselves as well as one another.

Enjoyable read. Hoping to find out what happens to Annie's cousin Tess if she gets her own story!

[Alana Bue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advance copy.

I love a good friends to lovers.
Annie and Tyler are just that.
Elieen told this story in such a way to keep my attention the entire time.

What I loved about the book.
- short chapters with story often told from both Annie and Tyler’s perspective.
- having pieces of their past filtered into the current.
-Tyler’s love and devotion for Annie
- drama but not in places just to make drama
-spice adequately placed.

Annie and Tyler have been friends for years orbiting each other as best friend helping, kind and always there. It was never the right time to try a relationship with each other be it fear other relationships or life.

But THEN…..

They go for it and everything falls into place right…. Well it’s not always so easy.

Tyler is famous and has plenty of shall we say admirers. Annie working long hours at the hospital. How can they make it work. Annie has to learn to trust Tyler will she be able to do that.

That’s final act twist is a doozy and really adds depth to their story and relationship.

[Jennifer Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars – A masterclass in tension and yearning.
The Lineup completely swept me away. This is the kind of friends-to-lovers romance that makes your heart ache in the best possible way. The tension between Annie and Tyler is exquisite, and the yearning practically jumps off the page. Every look, every touch, every moment of almost feels loaded with emotion.
The slow build of their relationship made every payoff feel earned, and I found myself desperately rooting for them from beginning to end. Their chemistry is undeniable, but it's the emotional connection and years of unspoken feelings that truly make this story shine.
And can we talk about Tess? She completely stole the show for me. She is easily my favorite side character..supportive, memorable, and the kind of friend you wish existed in real life.
This book gave me everything I love in a romance: pining, tension, friendship, heart, and characters I genuinely cared about. If you love friends-to-lovers stories filled with longing and emotional payoff, this one deserves a spot on your TBR.

[Ash EBW · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely enjoyed this book and I find myself hoping for a book 2, following the lives of Tyler and Annie. This is a friends to lovers spicy romance, with some plot twists. I'd say 🌶🌶🌶's. This book takes you on a journey of Tyler and Annie, how they meet, how they became friends and the love between them before they even acted on it. The tension, the banter, the moments of dancing in the kitchen as friends, you could literally feel what was being described in the book. Going to England, I felt like I was there with them. When an author can remove me from my reality and put me in to the world they created in their book, then its a great book to me. The struggles of Tyler being in the limelight, as an actor, and Annie, a midwife, having to adjust, was definitely tricky. Is it something they could overcome together? You'll have to read it to find out. Great book!

[Stephanie Skiffington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie and Tyler have been best friends for five years now and there has always been tension there. They both have busy lives, Annie working at a hospital and Tyler being an actor. One night they do something very impulsive and it changes their whole dynamic. He pulls away a little bit because he was confused, but then both of their feelings finally come out. I am obsessed with the love story the conspires and they really are meant for each other. The ending was sooo wholesome and it just made me so happy.

[Jennifer McHugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book has so many good things! Fiends to lovers, twist and turns, DRAMA, and all the things that come with a romance! I was in the doctor's office waiting to be seen and literally gasped at what was happening, even at the very end of the book! Oh, and the spice...10/10! This book should be on any book girlie's TBR!

*I received a free copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely amazing! I completely lost myself in their lives and enjoyed every minute of it. It was an emotional rollercoaster but it was the one I’ve been needing. I laughed. I cried. I yipped with teenage girl glee and came awfully close to chunking my book across the room! The characters are magnificently written. You truly feel and connect with them on every level. I truly loved this book and I will be keeping my eye out for the second one!!

[Diona Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good friends to lovers story. Spice level is about a 2 🌶️🌶️ for me and it went from sweet to spicy really quickly in how he interacted with her while they were intimate. All in all a cute story. It did bounce around a bit and I would have liked an epilogue or bonus to see how things were after the book but all in all a good story.

[Anna Richey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced with lots of spice. The yearning at the beginning was incredible and really pulled you into the story. The chemistry between the characters was perfection. This story really takes you through the growing pains a couple can experience even when they truly love and have known each other for years.

[VeronicaB.IsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

I meant to read just one chapter, but that clearly didn’t happen. If you’re looking for a friends-to-lovers story that will completely wreck your sleep schedule and leave you obsessed, this is it. Tyler and Annie have the kind of bond that changes everything, and watching them navigate it is addictive in all the best ways. Proceed with caution—you will be hooked. 🌶️😮‍💨💋

[Kiana Santamaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute romance story

This was such a cute romance story. The friends to lovers romance any woman would want. The writing was so well written, I couldn't put the book down. I absolutely loved that it was an HEA story! I cannot wait to read the second book!

[SHANNON HOFF · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book is a great trope, but the book fell short. It jumped all over the place. The flashbacks didn’t really flow with the rest of the book and it jumped in time quickly too without a lot of development.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story and the characters! Would make a great summer read.

[Jessica F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good friends to lovers troupe and this one delivers in all the right way with a lot of steam. Can’t wait to pick up the next in the series

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the slow burn tension in this one, with just enough spice to not distract from the rest of it. Great character development.... can't wait to read the next installment!

[Rebecca Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I loved getting to read Annie and Tyler’s story. You get to watch how they grow as a couple while also learning their histories and why they react to things they way they do.

[Angelica · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a book with a friends to lovers trope, tension and spice, you need to read this book!

I loved this book because I enjoyed the dual POV. I got to see Annie’s as well as Tyler’s perspective. There is also a past and present timeline. My favorite part was seeing the friendship turn into love.

This book was written so beautifully by Eileen and I look forward to reading the next book in this series ❤️