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Lovers' Lane #1
Stealing My Best Friend
I was nine when I befriended him.
Seventeen when I kissed him.
And eighteen when I threw all dirty thoughts about him in the trash.
Vincent Turner is my bad boy best friend.
I’ve never said no to him.
Even when he asked to copy my homework in high school.
Even when he asked me to be his wing woman.
I’ve seen his girlfriends come and leave.
He’s brought me ice cream after my heartbreaks.
And then it all goes to sh*t.
His filthy rich parents find him a doll to marry.
And he asks me to be his wedding planner.
That eleven-year-old kiss is starting to haunt me.
I’d rather be his wife, not his damn wedding planner.
I’ve never said no to Vincent Turner.
You think now might be a good time to start?
A Friends to Lovers Romance.
Seventeen when I kissed him.
And eighteen when I threw all dirty thoughts about him in the trash.
Vincent Turner is my bad boy best friend.
I’ve never said no to him.
Even when he asked to copy my homework in high school.
Even when he asked me to be his wing woman.
I’ve seen his girlfriends come and leave.
He’s brought me ice cream after my heartbreaks.
And then it all goes to sh*t.
His filthy rich parents find him a doll to marry.
And he asks me to be his wedding planner.
That eleven-year-old kiss is starting to haunt me.
I’d rather be his wife, not his damn wedding planner.
I’ve never said no to Vincent Turner.
You think now might be a good time to start?
A Friends to Lovers Romance.
171 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2020
2097 people are currently reading
660 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
July 6, 2020
No
This story is a joke. I tried but no. This is the example of why I tend not to like second chance/ friends to lovers stories. I love them when done right, but the majority of the time they aren’t because of crap like this author wrote. The heroine is a twenty-eight year old virgin because she has been pining for her best friend her whole life. She has always known that she was in love with him and couldn’t let another man touch her because of it. The lead douchebag (I refuse to call him a hero) however has no such qualms. I didn’t like the book after the 5th or so reference to what a manwhore he was. I really didn’t like it after he flips out on her over a date, when he has made her listen to stories about his sex life for years (and she had to listen to it from the girls as well). But I turned this into a “hell no” when he referenced that in his previous sexual experiences he was only was able to get it up when he pictured the heroine. Yes I have read this statement before in a book so I shouldn’t be surprised. This time was different though, because he said it to her. Does she give him the throat punch he deserves for coming to her with that sack of crap? No, of course not. She tells him that it’s romantic and then instantly forgives him. What the actual hell did I just read? Is this crap written by and aimed at men and I just missed it? That’s the biggest bowl of crap, and I cannot believe a female author actually wants to feed it to me. The part I really don’t get is why the author didn’t catch why this ruins the book. She loved him so much she couldn’t touch another man, yet he loved her so little that he is actively trying to force himself to have sex with other women. If he couldn’t get it up for another women, then maybe he should have taken that as a sign? This crap is less romantic than if he had had sex with them because he wanted to. Forcing himself to do it, with all the pain it brought the heroine ruins any chance this had of being a halfway decent read. I will say that at one point it’s mentioned that it’s been a couple of years since he had sex because of his feelings for her. But since he stated that he had known he was in love with her since they were kids, this was nowhere near enough to make up for the previous 8 years where he was a manwhore (and now we know that he was cheating by screwing other women while picturing her). No I don’t need a beta hero who doesn’t have enough balls to go after the girl he loves, and is also too weak to be willing to remain celibate even though he was basically impotent. Why is it always ok for the female to be a virgin pining for the hero, but the hero can’t seem to do that for the heroine? All you do is tell your readers “here is a story where the heroine loves the hero way more than he loves her” with this garbage. Just an all around useless douche of a hero and a crappy plot line.
This story is a joke. I tried but no. This is the example of why I tend not to like second chance/ friends to lovers stories. I love them when done right, but the majority of the time they aren’t because of crap like this author wrote. The heroine is a twenty-eight year old virgin because she has been pining for her best friend her whole life. She has always known that she was in love with him and couldn’t let another man touch her because of it. The lead douchebag (I refuse to call him a hero) however has no such qualms. I didn’t like the book after the 5th or so reference to what a manwhore he was. I really didn’t like it after he flips out on her over a date, when he has made her listen to stories about his sex life for years (and she had to listen to it from the girls as well). But I turned this into a “hell no” when he referenced that in his previous sexual experiences he was only was able to get it up when he pictured the heroine. Yes I have read this statement before in a book so I shouldn’t be surprised. This time was different though, because he said it to her. Does she give him the throat punch he deserves for coming to her with that sack of crap? No, of course not. She tells him that it’s romantic and then instantly forgives him. What the actual hell did I just read? Is this crap written by and aimed at men and I just missed it? That’s the biggest bowl of crap, and I cannot believe a female author actually wants to feed it to me. The part I really don’t get is why the author didn’t catch why this ruins the book. She loved him so much she couldn’t touch another man, yet he loved her so little that he is actively trying to force himself to have sex with other women. If he couldn’t get it up for another women, then maybe he should have taken that as a sign? This crap is less romantic than if he had had sex with them because he wanted to. Forcing himself to do it, with all the pain it brought the heroine ruins any chance this had of being a halfway decent read. I will say that at one point it’s mentioned that it’s been a couple of years since he had sex because of his feelings for her. But since he stated that he had known he was in love with her since they were kids, this was nowhere near enough to make up for the previous 8 years where he was a manwhore (and now we know that he was cheating by screwing other women while picturing her). No I don’t need a beta hero who doesn’t have enough balls to go after the girl he loves, and is also too weak to be willing to remain celibate even though he was basically impotent. Why is it always ok for the female to be a virgin pining for the hero, but the hero can’t seem to do that for the heroine? All you do is tell your readers “here is a story where the heroine loves the hero way more than he loves her” with this garbage. Just an all around useless douche of a hero and a crappy plot line.
March 15, 2020
Not enough actual story
Too much sex, crying and running away and not enough actual story line.
You’re marrying not the love of your life, goes admit to girl he loves, sex, sex, runs away, more sex, marriage, happy ever after. There you read this book.
Too much sex, crying and running away and not enough actual story line.
You’re marrying not the love of your life, goes admit to girl he loves, sex, sex, runs away, more sex, marriage, happy ever after. There you read this book.
March 12, 2020
3.5 stars this was a really cute read and hilarious at moments too especially the little conversations they had inside their minds. fun and easy to read.
April 2, 2020
this feels disappointing since best friends to lovers is my favorite trope ever but the story just felt a bit immature to me and at times had more sex than plot.
January 31, 2023
The pining virgin is not my kind of heroine - especially when teamed with a hero who claimed to love her for years but unable to keep it in his pants. If he did, I would have believed in them more. But nope.
Storyline / plot wasn’t strong enough for me to rate this any higher.
Storyline / plot wasn’t strong enough for me to rate this any higher.
May 15, 2020
The trope - Friends-to-lovers - drew me to this title.
Once I started reading though, it was a struggle to get through.
The plot: Emily and Vincent are BFFs who secretly hold a romantic crush for the other person. When Vincent is forced into an arranged marriage or lose his inheritance, he asks Emily to plan the Big Day as she is a wedding planner by trade. As they go through the motions of wedding planning, it becomes harder to deny their feelings for each other.
My take: Characters were a bit one dimensional. The plot, predictable. I found the prose basic with lots of spelling and grammatical errors. And I cringed at the over-the-top hyperbolic descriptions during the bedroom scenes. 😳
Nevertheless, I was determined to get to the end; to get to the climatic point where they finally cross the friend-zone.
And when they do, I admit it was quite sweet. An exchange of swoon-worthy dialogue warmed my heart to them, followed - as expected - by lots of sexy times.
Overall, it’s your typical contemporary romance.
3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Once I started reading though, it was a struggle to get through.
The plot: Emily and Vincent are BFFs who secretly hold a romantic crush for the other person. When Vincent is forced into an arranged marriage or lose his inheritance, he asks Emily to plan the Big Day as she is a wedding planner by trade. As they go through the motions of wedding planning, it becomes harder to deny their feelings for each other.
My take: Characters were a bit one dimensional. The plot, predictable. I found the prose basic with lots of spelling and grammatical errors. And I cringed at the over-the-top hyperbolic descriptions during the bedroom scenes. 😳
Nevertheless, I was determined to get to the end; to get to the climatic point where they finally cross the friend-zone.
And when they do, I admit it was quite sweet. An exchange of swoon-worthy dialogue warmed my heart to them, followed - as expected - by lots of sexy times.
Overall, it’s your typical contemporary romance.
3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 31, 2020
Not well written
I am not a writer, but when I can find the errors in the writing, there is a problem. It also was written in a very vulgar way. It was not classy at all. 2 thumbs down.
I am not a writer, but when I can find the errors in the writing, there is a problem. It also was written in a very vulgar way. It was not classy at all. 2 thumbs down.
March 9, 2020
Dnf-- stupid premise and terrible non sexy thoughts about wedding planner friend while meeting with her with forced fiancee.
He has to marry this neighbor because the H has only been trained to do one job--- his dad's company and dad said he'd disinherit him if he doesn't marry arranged marriage prospect.
S.t.u.p.i.d!!
He has to marry this neighbor because the H has only been trained to do one job--- his dad's company and dad said he'd disinherit him if he doesn't marry arranged marriage prospect.
S.t.u.p.i.d!!
February 14, 2021
A cute best friend to lovers story , an adorable cover . The only downside is that the male pov felt like a girl pov . And that stopped me from enjoying half of the book . I enjoy a good friends to lovers story when it's done right . Which wasn't the case here unfortunately.
March 9, 2020
This is literally so cringe 😬
July 15, 2020
OK so, this book started off being really good, loveable, and entertaining. I was routing for the two main characters to be together as I'm sure I was expected to. In fact I loved their personalities and how they acted. Until I got to the sex scenes that portrayed the male character in such an awful way, it made him seem to be a demanding little bitch. Also, at the end of the day it just got to be too cheesy and not in a good respectable kind of way. I mean I love romance, but not when it's done like this it just felt weird to me.
October 17, 2021
Dnf. Had to skip chunks of it but didn't end up finishing. 😬
I rarely ever dnf books because I persist on most of the times, but because of many factors, I couldn't bear reading this anymore.
Stealing My Best Friend is the first story of Lover's Lane and a best friends to lovers romance story done wrong. Extremely, extremely wrong. The plot wasn't good and the characters just felt so immature. Yes, I'm talking about both of them.
This seemed like a great book when I read the description, but the execution was horrible. It's just so disappointing for me because I dived in expecting a great read. I'm a fan of a lot of different tropes and best friends to lovers was one of them, and I've read nothing but great "friends-to-lovers" novels so far. Well, they were great reads for me, at least.
But no. This was just a big fat no. I hated the two main characters, I disliked the writing style, I'm mad with the plot. Maybe you'd end up liking this, I don't know. According to Goodreads, 87% people liked this. I can't say much to that because taste is extremely subjective, but if your ratings and the books you've enjoyed are similar to mine, I'm going to need to warn you off of this.
A review I recommend you to read: 1 star - Dawn
I'm pretty sure you've already seen it before since it's at the top of all the reviews of this book based on default and the likes it got, but in case you didn't, go check it out.
This is my first dnf ever since I started using Goodreads.
Edit: (17th October 2021)
Okay, so I've recently read an amazing (in my opinion) bestfriends to lovers romance, and if you're looking for one, I'm gonna suggest Just One Night by Carly Phillips. Way better than this one, though again, taste is subjective. Here's my review if you need some convincing to read it, feel free to check it out: click here
I rarely ever dnf books because I persist on most of the times, but because of many factors, I couldn't bear reading this anymore.
Stealing My Best Friend is the first story of Lover's Lane and a best friends to lovers romance story done wrong. Extremely, extremely wrong. The plot wasn't good and the characters just felt so immature. Yes, I'm talking about both of them.
This seemed like a great book when I read the description, but the execution was horrible. It's just so disappointing for me because I dived in expecting a great read. I'm a fan of a lot of different tropes and best friends to lovers was one of them, and I've read nothing but great "friends-to-lovers" novels so far. Well, they were great reads for me, at least.
But no. This was just a big fat no. I hated the two main characters, I disliked the writing style, I'm mad with the plot. Maybe you'd end up liking this, I don't know. According to Goodreads, 87% people liked this. I can't say much to that because taste is extremely subjective, but if your ratings and the books you've enjoyed are similar to mine, I'm going to need to warn you off of this.
A review I recommend you to read: 1 star - Dawn
I'm pretty sure you've already seen it before since it's at the top of all the reviews of this book based on default and the likes it got, but in case you didn't, go check it out.
This is my first dnf ever since I started using Goodreads.
Edit: (17th October 2021)
Okay, so I've recently read an amazing (in my opinion) bestfriends to lovers romance, and if you're looking for one, I'm gonna suggest Just One Night by Carly Phillips. Way better than this one, though again, taste is subjective. Here's my review if you need some convincing to read it, feel free to check it out: click here
March 8, 2020
I am absolutely loving every word Summer Brooks is giving us especially lately.
Emily and Vincent have been best friends since they met when they were eleven. Since that day they have been inseparable even though his parents didn’t approve of her. Now they are making demands that Vincent is really not happy with and it takes one event to open his eyes to what was right in front of him the whole time. 🖤🖤
Emily and Vincent have been best friends since they met when they were eleven. Since that day they have been inseparable even though his parents didn’t approve of her. Now they are making demands that Vincent is really not happy with and it takes one event to open his eyes to what was right in front of him the whole time. 🖤🖤
August 8, 2020
Loved it!
Awesome read. I dove right into this one. I love friends to lovers stories. It had me from beginning to the end. I couldn’t put it down. I read it straight through. I loved their Sunday ritual. Awesome read!
Awesome read. I dove right into this one. I love friends to lovers stories. It had me from beginning to the end. I couldn’t put it down. I read it straight through. I loved their Sunday ritual. Awesome read!
April 3, 2020
A skimmer
Not a lot of character or story development. Tons of steamy sex if that's all you want. Predictable plot line.
Not a lot of character or story development. Tons of steamy sex if that's all you want. Predictable plot line.
March 28, 2020
A quick and easy read. Certain things were a little confusing and seemed out of character but made me giggle all the same. I was invested in the characters from the beginning and I can’t wait to read Kiera’s story!
September 15, 2020
'Stealing My Best Friend' wasn't a great read for me. The book was really short and this meant that everything felt rushed and just a little unbelievable, and I feel like the author would have benefited from taking a step back,reediting and expanding the book.
The key characters felt a bit one dimensional and shallow, and some of their friendships/interactions didn't make sense. We are told that Vincent and Emily are best friends from childhood but we aren't really shown any of that before forced engagement issues comes into play, and we are told that Vincent and Kiera are (new) good friends but rather than tackling the forced engagement as equals and friends, Kiera becomes a mega-bitch to Vincent and Emily. It doesn't make any sense as if they were actually good friends they'd come together to address the issue and look for a way to stop it.
The forced engagement plot didn't work for me either, or at least the way it was dealt with by the main characters. Vincent and Kiera decide to keep the fact that it is being forced on them to themselves, rather than telling their significant others. Even when they do come up with a plan to stop the engagement they don't tell anyone else - which leads to forced tension and several forced misunderstandings/arguments. Vincent's plan to continue with the wedding but swap Kiera for Emily on the day is a bit archaic and controlling especially seeing as at the point at which he is planning this, he hasn't even told Emily that he is interested in her. Even after Vincent and Emily do get together, he continues this plan for the wedding and I honestly have no idea why Emily would ever go along with it. Why would she continue to plan a wedding for her boyfriend to marry someone else? Why, on the day, would she be happy to become the bride after all this deceit?
2/5 stars, could have been good but was missing character depth and common sense
The key characters felt a bit one dimensional and shallow, and some of their friendships/interactions didn't make sense. We are told that Vincent and Emily are best friends from childhood but we aren't really shown any of that before forced engagement issues comes into play, and we are told that Vincent and Kiera are (new) good friends but rather than tackling the forced engagement as equals and friends, Kiera becomes a mega-bitch to Vincent and Emily. It doesn't make any sense as if they were actually good friends they'd come together to address the issue and look for a way to stop it.
The forced engagement plot didn't work for me either, or at least the way it was dealt with by the main characters. Vincent and Kiera decide to keep the fact that it is being forced on them to themselves, rather than telling their significant others. Even when they do come up with a plan to stop the engagement they don't tell anyone else - which leads to forced tension and several forced misunderstandings/arguments. Vincent's plan to continue with the wedding but swap Kiera for Emily on the day is a bit archaic and controlling especially seeing as at the point at which he is planning this, he hasn't even told Emily that he is interested in her. Even after Vincent and Emily do get together, he continues this plan for the wedding and I honestly have no idea why Emily would ever go along with it. Why would she continue to plan a wedding for her boyfriend to marry someone else? Why, on the day, would she be happy to become the bride after all this deceit?
2/5 stars, could have been good but was missing character depth and common sense
May 17, 2020
I'm going to go with blunt here: This wasn't great.
Actually, I take that back. This was a great FIRST DRAFT. It needed a lot of love. Both characters are supposed to be successful business peeps, yet they think AND talk like children. The h "inner voice" was driving me nuts. It was almost as if the author was trying way too hard to do the whole 50 shades thing. Which is funny because most people hated that aspect of the book.
So, anyway. Even the parents here acted like children. For instance this conversation:
“You know how I want you to get married before taking over the company?”
I nodded. That wasn’t new information.
“You’re taking too long. You and Kiera are to be married or you don’t get a penny of your inheritance. Her father and I talked about it, and he agrees, for different reasons.”
“What!” I stood from the table and roared. “Excuse me?” I glared at Kiera’s father. “And you’re just going to sell your daughter? I’m assuming my father paid you?” He said nothing.
“Daddy,” Kiera whispered and covered her mouth, clearly heartbroken.
“You need someone to take care of you now. I can’t do it anymore.”
Mmmmm kaaaaay.
On top of the very childish writing, there were a lot of mistakes. My favorite was:
No one spoke. It was rude to eat with your mouth full, at least, that was what my family thought.
I'm pretty sure most people EAT with their mouths full. I get what the author meant, but an editor could have easily found that mistake.
Those combinations of things kinda drive me insane when I'm reading because there are editing services that can fix both writing and editing issues. Soooo yeah
Actually, I take that back. This was a great FIRST DRAFT. It needed a lot of love. Both characters are supposed to be successful business peeps, yet they think AND talk like children. The h "inner voice" was driving me nuts. It was almost as if the author was trying way too hard to do the whole 50 shades thing. Which is funny because most people hated that aspect of the book.
So, anyway. Even the parents here acted like children. For instance this conversation:
“You know how I want you to get married before taking over the company?”
I nodded. That wasn’t new information.
“You’re taking too long. You and Kiera are to be married or you don’t get a penny of your inheritance. Her father and I talked about it, and he agrees, for different reasons.”
“What!” I stood from the table and roared. “Excuse me?” I glared at Kiera’s father. “And you’re just going to sell your daughter? I’m assuming my father paid you?” He said nothing.
“Daddy,” Kiera whispered and covered her mouth, clearly heartbroken.
“You need someone to take care of you now. I can’t do it anymore.”
Mmmmm kaaaaay.
On top of the very childish writing, there were a lot of mistakes. My favorite was:
No one spoke. It was rude to eat with your mouth full, at least, that was what my family thought.
I'm pretty sure most people EAT with their mouths full. I get what the author meant, but an editor could have easily found that mistake.
Those combinations of things kinda drive me insane when I'm reading because there are editing services that can fix both writing and editing issues. Soooo yeah
August 5, 2023
2 stars
The prologue was intriguing, but the story execution was poor. First and foremost, there was just too much drama in the book, leaving me unsatisfied at every turn of the page.
I felt disappointed by the decisions made by both Vincet and Emily. Surely, Emily would have at least one girlfriend (or any other friend) to talk to or hang out with because she seriously needed some good advice.
I really didn't like Vincet. He was constantly proving himself to be a dumb, selfish man who acted more like a spoiled kid who depended on his parents for money. Emily had saved her virginity for Vincet because she knew she loved him, and what had Vincet done? He couldn't even remain celibate for her sake. That was not fair to Emily, even if it's mentioned that she forgives him. And his behavior really pissed me off when he came to pick her up after her date was ruined. He didn't need to make her feel any crappier than she already did.
When it came to the characters, I would have preferred a heroine who was tough and didn't take the hero's nonsense. And the protagonist shouldn't have been such a jerk. After admitting his feelings, he should have respected the heroine enough to be entirely honest with her about their future plans, and he should have treated her well regardless of the scenario.
I took a break before reading the final three chapters since I felt it was long overdue. The final section was excellent, but it could have been added sooner.
The prologue was intriguing, but the story execution was poor. First and foremost, there was just too much drama in the book, leaving me unsatisfied at every turn of the page.
I felt disappointed by the decisions made by both Vincet and Emily. Surely, Emily would have at least one girlfriend (or any other friend) to talk to or hang out with because she seriously needed some good advice.
I really didn't like Vincet. He was constantly proving himself to be a dumb, selfish man who acted more like a spoiled kid who depended on his parents for money. Emily had saved her virginity for Vincet because she knew she loved him, and what had Vincet done? He couldn't even remain celibate for her sake. That was not fair to Emily, even if it's mentioned that she forgives him. And his behavior really pissed me off when he came to pick her up after her date was ruined. He didn't need to make her feel any crappier than she already did.
When it came to the characters, I would have preferred a heroine who was tough and didn't take the hero's nonsense. And the protagonist shouldn't have been such a jerk. After admitting his feelings, he should have respected the heroine enough to be entirely honest with her about their future plans, and he should have treated her well regardless of the scenario.
I took a break before reading the final three chapters since I felt it was long overdue. The final section was excellent, but it could have been added sooner.
July 13, 2020
This book took me out of my slump! The moment I read the synopsis, I knew this book was for me. It was such a light, fast, and enjoyable read. The only reason why I didn't give it full stars is because there are still some situations that I felt could have been expanded on.
One of the many things I enjoyed reading from this book are the exchanging narrations from both the main characters. I love how that writing style worked in showing how the main characters each navigated with the predicament they were given and how they growed through it. I also adore the male lead Vincent. I honestly felt his chapters in the book, there is true longing and love in those chapters. Which, to be honest, I also felt from Emily, until she almost pulled a Houdini. I think that from that singular chapter, I was able to see the difference in maturity of both characters.
Another thing that bothered me, aside from Emily's almost disappearing act, is that the ending of the book became too rushed. One minute they just started accepting their feelings for each other then the next one they moved on to a whole new level of relationship stage. It's just that, I would have appreciated it more if the conflict of the story was placed during their dating stage than for everything to be fast forwarded without a glimpse of how they worked together as a couple.
Overall, this is still such an enjoyable read.
One of the many things I enjoyed reading from this book are the exchanging narrations from both the main characters. I love how that writing style worked in showing how the main characters each navigated with the predicament they were given and how they growed through it. I also adore the male lead Vincent. I honestly felt his chapters in the book, there is true longing and love in those chapters. Which, to be honest, I also felt from Emily, until she almost pulled a Houdini. I think that from that singular chapter, I was able to see the difference in maturity of both characters.
Another thing that bothered me, aside from Emily's almost disappearing act, is that the ending of the book became too rushed. One minute they just started accepting their feelings for each other then the next one they moved on to a whole new level of relationship stage. It's just that, I would have appreciated it more if the conflict of the story was placed during their dating stage than for everything to be fast forwarded without a glimpse of how they worked together as a couple.
Overall, this is still such an enjoyable read.
June 8, 2020
This book is quirky, funny, pull your hair out and crazy. Vincent and Emily have been best friends for years. She has never had a serious boyfriend because she is so in love with Vincent, but she doesn't want him to know because she is afraid that it will ruin their friendship. Also they are from different sides of the money spectrum. She is now a successful wedding planner. Vincent has been raised by cold manipulative parents to take over his dad's company and they are now blackmailing him to do their bidding. In order to get their inheritances, Vincent and the girl next door and being forced to marry each other. Neither one of them wants to marry the other, but they are not sure how to get out of it. Vincent talks Emily into being their wedding planner although it will kill Emily to do so. During the planning, Vincent suddenly has an epiphany and comes up with a way for he and Kiera to thwart their parents and hopefully marry their true loves, but things are not going to run smoothly. The only reason that I didn't give this book five stars is because the flow of the book goes well until the very end which I feel was rushed and kind of incomplete to me, otherwise I loved the book and want to read Kiera's book when it releases.
November 20, 2021
Corny Fiction Romance
May 17, 2020
This was my first book by this author. This series kept popping up in FB ads and other authors' newsletters and I decided to give it a try. I binge read the first three books of the series (available at the time of review) after reading the first one to see if book one was a one off or if the author's writing was consistently like book one. Though the stories are set in NYC, there are timing issues and phrases used that make me believe that the author may not have ever been to NYC. Other phrases used throughout the series, and the writing style in general, also lead me to believe the author is not from the US, though I had trouble finding actual author information to confirm that. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though it did pull me from the story a little bit. More noteworthy is the inconsistency between the books in the series. For instance, the engagement ring Vincent gives Emily in book one has an entirely different stone in the beginning of book two. Kiera's father is referred to with two different names in book one, which was distracting and could have been caught in editing. The hot scenes are hot, but are not as engaging as they could be. In addition, they feel very added in and don't all have much purpose to the story. As the series progressed, I also found them somewhat repetitive from book to book. None of the three books use protection, which some readers will find very offensive. All three books could benefit from greater character development and better plot detail and development. This is especially apparent during the end of each book. The resolutions to the conflicts seemed abrupt and unbelievable. This series was marketed as Rom-Com, but I honestly did not find them very funny at all. This too may have benefited from further development prior to publishing. These dual POV stories are quick reads with some heat. If you are looking for a hot book without a lot of substance they will suit your needs.
In book one, Vincent and Emily are supposed to be best friends from school. It is never really explained how that came to be when they lived in different boroughs of NYC and came from different socio-economic backgrounds. Emily is supposed to be extremely successful at 27, but the way she acts and speaks makes it unbelievable. Vincent's reactions during the story didn't always make sense to me, and their misunderstandings could have been avoided by adult communication. I found this annoying. Neither character was particularly likable. I found the ending of their story a little ridiculous.
In book one, Vincent and Emily are supposed to be best friends from school. It is never really explained how that came to be when they lived in different boroughs of NYC and came from different socio-economic backgrounds. Emily is supposed to be extremely successful at 27, but the way she acts and speaks makes it unbelievable. Vincent's reactions during the story didn't always make sense to me, and their misunderstandings could have been avoided by adult communication. I found this annoying. Neither character was particularly likable. I found the ending of their story a little ridiculous.
April 29, 2022
Ah ... non so se conoscete quella sensazione di aver letto una grandissima cavolata,una lettura che potevate evitare... però c'è da dire che in certe parti vi è anche piaciuta?
Ecco questa sera ho avuto il piacere/dispiacere di aver questa sensazione... e non per un libro ma per i primi 4 libri di questa serie che secondo me poteva avere una buona base se e solamente se i personaggi maschili non fossero così tanto arroganti e presi dalla propria vita, senza rendersi conto che la gente attorno a loro ha dei sentimenti...
La gente a volte prova delle sensazioni che non sono sempre belle, perché trattano la loro controparte femminile come delle cose che loro possono muovere a loro piacimento. Ma scherzi no?!?!
Partiamo dal dire che il primo libro è un romance tra due migliori amici, il secondo è un romance di seconde possibilità, il terzo è tra due nemici è il quarto è un matrimonio a sorpresa.
I primi due libri rientra non della parte che mi è piaciuta non al cento% perché è i personaggi maschili sono abbastanza arroganti ma può starci per la situazione in cui sono messi(uno viene ricattato dai genitori e l'altro viene ingannato dal fratello).
Ma il 3º e il 4º non hanno scuse, Sono solamente due personaggi maschili egocentrici che non prendono in considerazione neanche per un singolo istante che la persona che hanno davanti e che loro dicono di amare abbia dei sentimenti come un umano normale e sensato.
Questi 4 primi libri sinceramente mi sono bastati per ora. Infatti lascio un pochettino perdere la serie e passo ad altro perché ci sono momenti come nel 2° o nel 3º, in cui veramente mi veniva da buttare via il kindle, ma proprio da lasciar perdere completamente... Ma ho voluto finire comunque fino ad un certo punto perché mi piaceva molto come era scritto. Uno stile molto frizzante e divertente, dove certe scene meritano davvero ma altre ti fanno cascar le braccia perché non hanno senso di essere!
Non puoi trattare una persona come un oggetto, non puoi Pensare che vada bene poter maltrattare e riprenderti quando ti pare la persona che ami... non è lì, alla tua mercé, né per i tuoi singoli bisogni!
Voto medio della serie è un triste tre stelle!!
Ecco questa sera ho avuto il piacere/dispiacere di aver questa sensazione... e non per un libro ma per i primi 4 libri di questa serie che secondo me poteva avere una buona base se e solamente se i personaggi maschili non fossero così tanto arroganti e presi dalla propria vita, senza rendersi conto che la gente attorno a loro ha dei sentimenti...
La gente a volte prova delle sensazioni che non sono sempre belle, perché trattano la loro controparte femminile come delle cose che loro possono muovere a loro piacimento. Ma scherzi no?!?!
Partiamo dal dire che il primo libro è un romance tra due migliori amici, il secondo è un romance di seconde possibilità, il terzo è tra due nemici è il quarto è un matrimonio a sorpresa.
I primi due libri rientra non della parte che mi è piaciuta non al cento% perché è i personaggi maschili sono abbastanza arroganti ma può starci per la situazione in cui sono messi(uno viene ricattato dai genitori e l'altro viene ingannato dal fratello).
Ma il 3º e il 4º non hanno scuse, Sono solamente due personaggi maschili egocentrici che non prendono in considerazione neanche per un singolo istante che la persona che hanno davanti e che loro dicono di amare abbia dei sentimenti come un umano normale e sensato.
Questi 4 primi libri sinceramente mi sono bastati per ora. Infatti lascio un pochettino perdere la serie e passo ad altro perché ci sono momenti come nel 2° o nel 3º, in cui veramente mi veniva da buttare via il kindle, ma proprio da lasciar perdere completamente... Ma ho voluto finire comunque fino ad un certo punto perché mi piaceva molto come era scritto. Uno stile molto frizzante e divertente, dove certe scene meritano davvero ma altre ti fanno cascar le braccia perché non hanno senso di essere!
Non puoi trattare una persona come un oggetto, non puoi Pensare che vada bene poter maltrattare e riprenderti quando ti pare la persona che ami... non è lì, alla tua mercé, né per i tuoi singoli bisogni!
Voto medio della serie è un triste tre stelle!!
April 11, 2020
Needed a "filler" book for my time and came across this one.
The typical best friends kiss in high school and determine it was a mistake and they don't want to ruin the friendship. Plus he's Mr billionaire kid (Vincent) and she's (Emily) not, so his parents don't approve but they each love each other yet never say anything to the other until it's almost too late...
His parents arrange (blackmail) for him to marry the girl next door (no wedding = no inheritance). She's also from a wealthy family but there's no chemistry. Vincent just wants Emily, who is a wedding planner and her hired her to do the wedding, and the neighbor (Kiera) wants another guy (Jason). They're all miserable at the situation.
Vincent and Kiera don't want to get married and decide they will give up their inheritances if necessary because they aren't going to get married. The wedding day will be for Emily and Vincent instead. Surprise Emily! Surprise mom and dad! Only Kiera and Vincent know of the plan.
The last third of the book is some steamy sex to make up for lost years...16 of them to be exact.
While there were inconsistencies in the book (V said he only knew K for a year when it previously said they became friends over a few years and that they were neighbors for 5), they were forgivable. Overall it was a cute read with some great sex scene over a lot of the end of the book and then a happily ever after for V and E. Now I need to read the next book and see if K and J got their happily ever after since he took off upon hearing V and K were getting married. Ahhhh. Let's go read about her HEA!
The typical best friends kiss in high school and determine it was a mistake and they don't want to ruin the friendship. Plus he's Mr billionaire kid (Vincent) and she's (Emily) not, so his parents don't approve but they each love each other yet never say anything to the other until it's almost too late...
His parents arrange (blackmail) for him to marry the girl next door (no wedding = no inheritance). She's also from a wealthy family but there's no chemistry. Vincent just wants Emily, who is a wedding planner and her hired her to do the wedding, and the neighbor (Kiera) wants another guy (Jason). They're all miserable at the situation.
Vincent and Kiera don't want to get married and decide they will give up their inheritances if necessary because they aren't going to get married. The wedding day will be for Emily and Vincent instead. Surprise Emily! Surprise mom and dad! Only Kiera and Vincent know of the plan.
The last third of the book is some steamy sex to make up for lost years...16 of them to be exact.
While there were inconsistencies in the book (V said he only knew K for a year when it previously said they became friends over a few years and that they were neighbors for 5), they were forgivable. Overall it was a cute read with some great sex scene over a lot of the end of the book and then a happily ever after for V and E. Now I need to read the next book and see if K and J got their happily ever after since he took off upon hearing V and K were getting married. Ahhhh. Let's go read about her HEA!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2020
KU*
I was intrigued by synopsis of the book and I couldn’t wait to see how things would play out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really get into the book because I didn’t like our main characters: Emily and Vincent.
They apparently have been in love with each other for years (over 10 years) and never did anything about it. Now that Vincent has to marry a socially acceptable woman, Emily is completely heartbroken; meanwhile, Vincent thinks it’s a great idea for Emily, the woman he loves, to plan his wedding. Now it should be said that Vincent is 27 years old and doing all this for his inheritance.
The story did pick up and the relationship between Vincent and Emily changed from friends to lovers pretty quickly. However, I lost interest in the book when Emily acted like an immature teenager and ran out on Vincent after seeing something that wasn’t even close to being a betrayal. Emily and Vincent had spent a whole day being in love and as soon as Emily sees something she doesn’t like, she ran leaves him behind without an explanation.
I just couldn’t handle the immaturity, not to mention a wedding planner who literally sabotages a wedding because she didn’t like the bride (very professional).
The Jason and Keira situation was odd as well, especially since Jason was supposed to be Vincent’s friend.
We never do find out what are the consequences between Vincent and his parents.
Also the synopsis doesn’t really match what happens in the book: they kiss at 17 not 11, Vincent steals Emily not the other way around, and Emily constantly tells Vincent no.
I was intrigued by synopsis of the book and I couldn’t wait to see how things would play out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really get into the book because I didn’t like our main characters: Emily and Vincent.
They apparently have been in love with each other for years (over 10 years) and never did anything about it. Now that Vincent has to marry a socially acceptable woman, Emily is completely heartbroken; meanwhile, Vincent thinks it’s a great idea for Emily, the woman he loves, to plan his wedding. Now it should be said that Vincent is 27 years old and doing all this for his inheritance.
The story did pick up and the relationship between Vincent and Emily changed from friends to lovers pretty quickly. However, I lost interest in the book when Emily acted like an immature teenager and ran out on Vincent after seeing something that wasn’t even close to being a betrayal. Emily and Vincent had spent a whole day being in love and as soon as Emily sees something she doesn’t like, she ran leaves him behind without an explanation.
I just couldn’t handle the immaturity, not to mention a wedding planner who literally sabotages a wedding because she didn’t like the bride (very professional).
The Jason and Keira situation was odd as well, especially since Jason was supposed to be Vincent’s friend.
We never do find out what are the consequences between Vincent and his parents.
Also the synopsis doesn’t really match what happens in the book: they kiss at 17 not 11, Vincent steals Emily not the other way around, and Emily constantly tells Vincent no.
March 10, 2021
I enjoyed this book for the cheesy over-the-top rom-com aspect of it. There was a lot to be desired in terms of character background and development. There are no backstory scenes that give insight to why Emily and Vincent are such good friends. The beginning starts out showing off this friendship in the present and mentions that they kissed when they were teens but then doesn't ever revisit that really. Vincent comes from a wealthy family and Emily does not. Throughout the book it's like Emily finds her lower economic status to be a huge problem more than Vincent. In fact, he hardly cares about that because he is so in love with Emily. They are essentially ships passing through the night in terms of dancing around their love for each other.
Kiera is a cool character and I appreciate that she wasn't made to be this giant jerk. Sure, she had her moments but it was taken out on Emily unfortunately. Vincent and Emily have some steamy moments and the last half of the book is a lot of that. Emily is childish when she sees Vincent comforting Kiera. There isn't much in terms of relationship building outside of the two of them. I kind of wish that there had been a bigger look at their life in work and otherwise. You only get to see Emily work a wedding at the very beginning and then she is all in on Kiera and Vincent's wedding. I don't actually know what Vincent does really.
Overall, this was a quick and fun read. I enjoyed reading it.
Kiera is a cool character and I appreciate that she wasn't made to be this giant jerk. Sure, she had her moments but it was taken out on Emily unfortunately. Vincent and Emily have some steamy moments and the last half of the book is a lot of that. Emily is childish when she sees Vincent comforting Kiera. There isn't much in terms of relationship building outside of the two of them. I kind of wish that there had been a bigger look at their life in work and otherwise. You only get to see Emily work a wedding at the very beginning and then she is all in on Kiera and Vincent's wedding. I don't actually know what Vincent does really.
Overall, this was a quick and fun read. I enjoyed reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2021
Starring Emily Harrison and Vincent Turner.
Tropes: Unrequited Love (both), Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers.
Omfg!!! This is my first Summer Brooks experience and I am a blubbering, puffy-eyed, ugly cry af mess…. and my heart is so happy!!! Summer Brooks took all my favorite tropes and rolled them up in one amazing book!! I loooooooved Emily and Vincent!! Did I wanna smack them hard for not seeing the love that was in front of them for years?! YEEEEAAAARS?!!!! Heck yeah I wanted to bop them with their own book… but that made all the sexual tension so much sweeter. I hurt for these two… I sighed… and cheered!! Emily and Vincent will have the kind of love that will evolve and only grow stronger!! Huzzah for their HEA!!
I loved this story so much that I turned around and bought CRUSHING ON MY NEIGHBOR… coz I wanna know what happens with the next couple!!
Good Job, Summer Brooks!! This one book automatically put you on my Keeper Shelf!! I’m so glad I “discovered” you. You also have made my “Favorite New Authors of 2021” list!! Write on!!
My Star Rating: 5 stars
Ugly cried AF. Major book hangover. Characters and storyline were freaken amazeballs. Made me wanna hug the author for writing a book that gave me all the feels!! Will definitely be reading this story over and over and over again!!
Tropes: Unrequited Love (both), Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers.
Omfg!!! This is my first Summer Brooks experience and I am a blubbering, puffy-eyed, ugly cry af mess…. and my heart is so happy!!! Summer Brooks took all my favorite tropes and rolled them up in one amazing book!! I loooooooved Emily and Vincent!! Did I wanna smack them hard for not seeing the love that was in front of them for years?! YEEEEAAAARS?!!!! Heck yeah I wanted to bop them with their own book… but that made all the sexual tension so much sweeter. I hurt for these two… I sighed… and cheered!! Emily and Vincent will have the kind of love that will evolve and only grow stronger!! Huzzah for their HEA!!
I loved this story so much that I turned around and bought CRUSHING ON MY NEIGHBOR… coz I wanna know what happens with the next couple!!
Good Job, Summer Brooks!! This one book automatically put you on my Keeper Shelf!! I’m so glad I “discovered” you. You also have made my “Favorite New Authors of 2021” list!! Write on!!
My Star Rating: 5 stars
Ugly cried AF. Major book hangover. Characters and storyline were freaken amazeballs. Made me wanna hug the author for writing a book that gave me all the feels!! Will definitely be reading this story over and over and over again!!
March 5, 2020
OMG – I love Summer’s books! I had forgotten what her books were all about but this was something else. Here are two BFF’s Emily and Vincent. They have been friends forever but at the age of 27 – neither have married and/or dated someone seriously because they both have feelings for each other that neither of them know about! Emily is a wedding planner and good at what she does, the first section with her is hilarious as the wedding for one couple turns into two. Vincent on the other hand is wealthy man but mom and dad want him to marry their next door neighbor’s daughter Kiera. Neither Kiera or Vincent have feelings for each other, but he has no choice but marry her or he loses all of his years of work in the family business and his inheritance, so he asks her to plan the wedding for him. Kiera on the other hand is devastated but doesn’t mention anything to her beau and he ends up leaving. What happens with Jason and Kiera they deserve to have a happy ending like Emily and Vincent. I hope Summer has plans for this too….
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 8, 2020
Oh my goodness!!! I just loved reading this book, Stealing My Best Friend by Summer Brooks. Emily and Vincent have been best friends forever. Then one year in high school, they kissed each other and their world has never been the same. Emily truly loved Vincent and thought it was only 1 sided, but it turns out Vincent was secretly in love with Emily. Vincent's parents never liked the friendship with Emily because she didn't have a rich background like Vincent. Unfortunately, life had other plans and Vincent was blackmailed into marrying a family friend name Kiera or he would never see his inheritance. So, Vincent has to hire Emily as the wedding planner. That was hard for her and she cried a lot. I wasn't sure what was going to happen when that happened. But there was a funny part in there when Emily had to order what Kiera wanted for her wedding. Emily has an inner voice named Cruella that was very funny and I liked reading when she came out in her head. I highly recommend reading this book. It was such a romantic book with very steamy and passionate scenes in it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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