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Sahabat Selamanya
Beth Hughes primadona sekolah. Marc Duncannon bukan siapa-siapa. Tapi, sejak lama mereka bersahabat. Hingga sebuah ciuman menyingkapkan kebenaran dan merusak segalanya….
Sepuluh tahun kemudian, Beth mencari Marc dan menemukan pria itu tengah berjuang menyelamatkan paus yang terdampar. Di pantai Australia yang sepi, bersama-sama mereka menghadapi keletihan, cuaca buruk, dan prasangka masing-masing. Sebelum akhirnya menyadari bahwa mereka juga perlu menyelamatkan satu sama lain. Berjuang demi persahabatan, dan terutama, cinta murni selamanya.
Sepuluh tahun kemudian, Beth mencari Marc dan menemukan pria itu tengah berjuang menyelamatkan paus yang terdampar. Di pantai Australia yang sepi, bersama-sama mereka menghadapi keletihan, cuaca buruk, dan prasangka masing-masing. Sebelum akhirnya menyadari bahwa mereka juga perlu menyelamatkan satu sama lain. Berjuang demi persahabatan, dan terutama, cinta murni selamanya.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
1 person is currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Logan
219 books76 followersAustralian, Nikki Logan, lives on the edge of a string of wetlands south of Perth, Western Australia with her partner and a menagerie of animals. She writes captivating, nature-based stories full of romance in descriptive natural environments for Harlequin Enterprises and Entangled Publishing. She believes the danger and richness of wild places perfectly mirror the passion and risk of falling in love.
Nikki wrote her first full-length book in 2007 ('Wild Encounter' a romantic suspense set in the wilds of Zambia amidst the wildlife smuggling industry) when she needed a project to fill six months of accrued annual leave. Well and truly bitten by the writing-bug, she wrote a number of category-length novels after her return to work and hasn’t stopped since. She’s written fifteen books for Harlequin and now Entangled as well.
Nikki’s determined to reveal through her writing what she finds so enriching, courageous and tenacious about wildlife. Writing nature-based romance is the perfect opportunity to blend what she loves reading with what she loves doing and maybe sneak beautiful creatures and their environments into fertile reader imaginations all over the world through beautiful love stories.
Nikki wrote her first full-length book in 2007 ('Wild Encounter' a romantic suspense set in the wilds of Zambia amidst the wildlife smuggling industry) when she needed a project to fill six months of accrued annual leave. Well and truly bitten by the writing-bug, she wrote a number of category-length novels after her return to work and hasn’t stopped since. She’s written fifteen books for Harlequin and now Entangled as well.
Nikki’s determined to reveal through her writing what she finds so enriching, courageous and tenacious about wildlife. Writing nature-based romance is the perfect opportunity to blend what she loves reading with what she loves doing and maybe sneak beautiful creatures and their environments into fertile reader imaginations all over the world through beautiful love stories.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 2, 2022
I just randomly found this book in my bookshelf and guess what? I devoured it one sitting.
The story wasn't something great and rather slow, but the characters were very well written which made me give this 3.75 stars.
The story wasn't something great and rather slow, but the characters were very well written which made me give this 3.75 stars.
April 23, 2012
2.5 stars... This book felt more like a PSA about addiction than a romance. The concept for the story was really good, but the majority of the book was spent telling the readers (through dialogue, mostly) what had happened to the characters in the previous ten years, as they rehash all of their old hurts and problems.
That said, it still kept me interested and I wanted to see what happened - which was why I wound up finishing the book. I decided to read it because I'm a sucker for the 'childhood-best-friends-turn-lovers' theme. This story could have been so much more than it was, but it only just grazed the surface.
It did make me really want to visit the southwestern coast of Australia, though.
That said, it still kept me interested and I wanted to see what happened - which was why I wound up finishing the book. I decided to read it because I'm a sucker for the 'childhood-best-friends-turn-lovers' theme. This story could have been so much more than it was, but it only just grazed the surface.
It did make me really want to visit the southwestern coast of Australia, though.
September 8, 2011
I remember reading Nikki Logan's debut and being blown away.
This book hasn't changed my opinion of her writing style.
Friends to Forever is character driven all the way.
An alcoholic heroine battling her demons and an emotionally scarred hero in desperate need of loving.
The poignant and realistic way in which they deal with their past is truly magical to read.
And I love how Nikki layers nature into all her books (this one features saving a stranded whale.)
Excellent, emotional read.
This book hasn't changed my opinion of her writing style.
Friends to Forever is character driven all the way.
An alcoholic heroine battling her demons and an emotionally scarred hero in desperate need of loving.
The poignant and realistic way in which they deal with their past is truly magical to read.
And I love how Nikki layers nature into all her books (this one features saving a stranded whale.)
Excellent, emotional read.
May 7, 2011
If I'd known this book was about the hero and heroine on a deserted beach rescuing a stranded whale I probably wouldn't have read it. But I'm glad I did - it was a very emotional, intense gut-wrenching book. It's not your typical romance but it is a good read. Well done Nikki :)
December 12, 2017
3.5 stars. Loved all the side stuff with the whale....loved how strong Beth was. Was almost gonna start wanting to beat Marc over the head, but then he figured it out...
January 17, 2024
When I saw that this month’s TBR theme was “Once More With Feeling,” of course I was going to pick a second chance romance. Not only are those a favorite theme of mine, but I have plenty of them in my TBR. Since January has historically been the month for shorts (category romance, novellas, etc..) at TBR Challenge, I pulled a Harlequin romance from 2011, Friends to Forever by Nikki Logan.
Written in the days before the Harlequin Romance line got turned over to billionaires and fake royalty (yawn), this book features a pair of high school best friends reunited on the Australian coast. Marc Duncannon and Beth Hughes were best friends for years on end in high school. And like lots of teenage best friends before them (especially in Romanceland), they had chemistry building beneath the surface. Instead of making that move from friends to romantic partners, things blew up between them into misunderstandings that ended their friendship.
Ten years later, Beth has sought out Marc, mostly to apologize. When she arrives at his home, he has been called to the shore to help rescue a stranded whale. Beth goes along, and as the two battle to save the whale, they gradually start to be truly honest with one another.
There’s a lot of both teenage melodrama and deeply hurt feelings to cut through, and the author does a wonderful job of showing these two going from leaning on their assumptions about each other to being truly vulnerable with one another. Neither has had the life that the other assumed they would have, and as truths come out, so does empathy.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/tbr-chall...
CW: Substance abuse and recovery
Written in the days before the Harlequin Romance line got turned over to billionaires and fake royalty (yawn), this book features a pair of high school best friends reunited on the Australian coast. Marc Duncannon and Beth Hughes were best friends for years on end in high school. And like lots of teenage best friends before them (especially in Romanceland), they had chemistry building beneath the surface. Instead of making that move from friends to romantic partners, things blew up between them into misunderstandings that ended their friendship.
Ten years later, Beth has sought out Marc, mostly to apologize. When she arrives at his home, he has been called to the shore to help rescue a stranded whale. Beth goes along, and as the two battle to save the whale, they gradually start to be truly honest with one another.
There’s a lot of both teenage melodrama and deeply hurt feelings to cut through, and the author does a wonderful job of showing these two going from leaning on their assumptions about each other to being truly vulnerable with one another. Neither has had the life that the other assumed they would have, and as truths come out, so does empathy.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/tbr-chall...
CW: Substance abuse and recovery
July 8, 2018
Pada usia 16 tahun, mereka mengakhiri persahabatan dengan tidak baik. Sepuluh tahun kemudian, Beth mencari Marc dan memintanya untuk memaafkan dirinya dan juga mengungkapkan tentang apa yang terjadi pada dirinya 10 tahun terakhir.
Marc yang terkejut tidak lantas membuka tangannya lebar-lebar, ditambah mereka harus menyelamatkan induk paus yang terdampar di pesisir pantai seharian dengan panas siang yang menyengat dan dingin malam yang menusuk.
Namun keduanya tidak memungkiri bahwa masih ada ketertarikan pada mereka. Namun, setelah mengetahui segala rahasia Beth, akankah Marc mampu menerima Beth sekalipun hanya sebagai temannya lagi?
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Cerita harlequin kali ini tidak terlalu ceria dibandingkan buku umumnya, kisah tentang tokoh utama yang terjebak masa lalu dan hubungannya selama 10 tahun ini bukan kisah yang positif. Namun hal itu memang memberikan gaya cerita yang berbeda.
Penempatan waktu dan kisah agak kurang cocok dan setengah buku hanya terjadi dalam satu hari, kemudian setengahnya lagi layak "time-skip" seperti membaca kesimpulan. Ritme dan perasaan terhadap tokohpun mirip fantasi yang sulit dipercaya. Kobaran cintapun susah dirasakan saat membacanya, malah lebih fokus pada kisah perjuangan tokoh utama.
Jadi dapat dikatakan bahwa buku ini kurang romantis dan saya sulit membedakan cinta untuk persahabatan dan cinta untuk kekasih.
Marc yang terkejut tidak lantas membuka tangannya lebar-lebar, ditambah mereka harus menyelamatkan induk paus yang terdampar di pesisir pantai seharian dengan panas siang yang menyengat dan dingin malam yang menusuk.
Namun keduanya tidak memungkiri bahwa masih ada ketertarikan pada mereka. Namun, setelah mengetahui segala rahasia Beth, akankah Marc mampu menerima Beth sekalipun hanya sebagai temannya lagi?
----------
Cerita harlequin kali ini tidak terlalu ceria dibandingkan buku umumnya, kisah tentang tokoh utama yang terjebak masa lalu dan hubungannya selama 10 tahun ini bukan kisah yang positif. Namun hal itu memang memberikan gaya cerita yang berbeda.
Penempatan waktu dan kisah agak kurang cocok dan setengah buku hanya terjadi dalam satu hari, kemudian setengahnya lagi layak "time-skip" seperti membaca kesimpulan. Ritme dan perasaan terhadap tokohpun mirip fantasi yang sulit dipercaya. Kobaran cintapun susah dirasakan saat membacanya, malah lebih fokus pada kisah perjuangan tokoh utama.
Jadi dapat dikatakan bahwa buku ini kurang romantis dan saya sulit membedakan cinta untuk persahabatan dan cinta untuk kekasih.
October 22, 2016
Mengenangmu terlalu menyakitkan. Jadi aku berhenti. (hlm. 162)
Perasaan apa pun yang dulu kita miliki, kini tinggal kenangan. Kita orang yang berbeda sekarang. (hlm. 166)
Perasaan apa pun yang dulu kita miliki, kini tinggal kenangan. Kita orang yang berbeda sekarang. (hlm. 166)
February 24, 2012
I have to say, I chose this book because the cover caught my eye. It is light, breezy & seemed just the right book to read on cold winter day. And imagine my surprise when I read a couple of reviews & found out that this book is anything but light & breezy. At that point I knew I had to have it.
Ms. Logan created an emotionally saturated and poignant second chance story with two incredibly human characters and their arduous journey towards better life. The author did a terrific job in portraying the harsh reality of recovery, not only from an addiction, but also the recovery of one's life. The beauty of this book is that it will have you thinking about hope, support, friendship and humanity.
"Friends to Forever" captivated me from the beginning to the end. Without hesitation, I highly recommend reading this one.
Ms. Logan created an emotionally saturated and poignant second chance story with two incredibly human characters and their arduous journey towards better life. The author did a terrific job in portraying the harsh reality of recovery, not only from an addiction, but also the recovery of one's life. The beauty of this book is that it will have you thinking about hope, support, friendship and humanity.
"Friends to Forever" captivated me from the beginning to the end. Without hesitation, I highly recommend reading this one.
August 27, 2011
This book was a surprise as it has a slight difference to some M&B books, it bases itself in nature and what more powerful setting then trying to save a stranded whale.
Both chracters are having to deal with their past in their own way due to choices made in school.
The emotions spilling out from each page makes you want to know if it works out or not and how they both go through that journey.
There are many moments during the book where you feel for both characters but the final chapeter brought a tear to my eye.
Five out of five. Thorughly recommend.
Both chracters are having to deal with their past in their own way due to choices made in school.
The emotions spilling out from each page makes you want to know if it works out or not and how they both go through that journey.
There are many moments during the book where you feel for both characters but the final chapeter brought a tear to my eye.
Five out of five. Thorughly recommend.
June 12, 2012
4.5/5 Beautiful language and intense character interactions make this category romance rise above the rest. Layers of storytelling surprised me and left me in awe of Nikki Logan's talent. The last chapter had me tearing up, and that never happens with a category romance.
The hard cover illustration has no smiles - I fear the breezy paperback cover has mis-sold this tortured tale to the detriment of the book's rating. It is very emotional, playing close to your heart throughout the novel and there's no putting it down.
A very fine example of category romance.
The hard cover illustration has no smiles - I fear the breezy paperback cover has mis-sold this tortured tale to the detriment of the book's rating. It is very emotional, playing close to your heart throughout the novel and there's no putting it down.
A very fine example of category romance.
July 7, 2016
As much as I love Nikki Logan's exhaustive introspection when it comes to human behaviour, the sheer amount in this one with all its twists and turns gave me a grimace and a headache.
Yes, it's intense, it's gut-wrenching and emotion, but after a while I just couldn't make sense of the long drawn out arguments why both the H/h should be staying away from each other and why they should be.
Yes, it's intense, it's gut-wrenching and emotion, but after a while I just couldn't make sense of the long drawn out arguments why both the H/h should be staying away from each other and why they should be.
August 10, 2012
Beth Hughes and Marc Duncannon both 16 are the very best of friends all during school when all of the sudden Beth ends their friendship and Marc has no idea why. 10 years later she seeks him out and finds him battling to save a beached whale. She wants to explain to him what happened during their 10 years apart but does he want to hear?
April 10, 2011
Not what I was expecting. I was thinking it would be something light and fun and it was emotional and deep.
August 14, 2015
the book I read was a 2 in 1
cover page by modern: Mills and boons
read in 3 hours
cover page by modern: Mills and boons
read in 3 hours
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews