Best Love

by Lily Morton

Noah and Sage have been best friends since they were seven when Sage climbed over the wall between their childhood homes. They know everything about each other apart from one small thing. Noah is hopelessly in love with Sage and doesn't ever intend to tell him.However, fate has other plans. A dating website with a glitch in its system leads Sage to challenge Noah. Two days in which they will show each other their best dates. What could possibly go wrong?At the end of these two days will the men discover that the best love comes with someone who really knows you, or will they fall back into being just good friends?This short story from bestselling author, Lily Morton, was originally featured in the Heart2Heart Anthology. It has had a new scene and epilogue added to it.

Genres: Friends To Lovers, M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Novella, LGBT, Short Stories

72 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 2018

About the author

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven't had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

Her latest release is Ever After which is the fourth book in the bestselling Black & Blue series.

https://geni.us/Ever-After

You can keep up with Lily's latest releases and read the exclusive short stories '3 Dates' and ‘Best Love’ by subscribing to her newsletter: https://bit.ly/LilyMorton-Newsletter

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/SnarkSquad

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10000...

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@lilymortonauthor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lilymortonauthor

Pinterest: www.pinterest.co.uk/LilyAuthor

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/profile/lily-morton

Reviews

[~ Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ & semicolons ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm soooo disappointed right now. 😭

I thought this was a new Lily Morton book and one-clicked the hell out of it. But it turns out I've already read this story as part of the fabulous Heart2Heart Anthology.

I didn't realize my mistake until I started reading and felt a strange sense of deja vu.

It's still a great story, but I want something new and shiny, please.

EDITED TO ADD: I reread the story, and the epilogue, which is brilliant, is NEW! Also, I enjoyed it just as much the second time around. So much sexy goodness and banter and humour!

Original review below:

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer
Lily Morton
🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

Noah & Sage

~best-friends-to-lovers, sexy read, HEA~

Unsurprisingly, I loved the hell out of this story (Lily Morton slayed me with Deal Maker, and I've been her bitch ever since). The character development was spot on; the sex was sizzling; and the ending made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

This is friends-to-lovers at its finest: years of want and longing make for explosive chemistry. Plus, British boys, baby!

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story was a fun read, with a good number of feels, topped off with a pretty steamy scene at the very end.



Longtime best friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, so this was a huge win for me.

I'd definitely recommend it to any fans of Lily Morton's work. : )



I'd rate it at around 4.25 stars, with my only complaint being that it wasn't a longer story.

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[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, it's the usual two idiots in love thing, told in Lily Morton's unmistakably wonderful narrative style.
And once again, it's set in dreamy York.
Oh, and I love dance scenes, so what more could you want? For me, that was almost hotter than the sex scene. It's a shame they were interrupted so rudely.
Best friends is always such a great concept. I like the familiarity between the two characters and yet the underlying uncertainty. Very adorable.

“Babe, you’re no Usain Bolt. A tortoise moves quicker than you in the mornings.”
“It does not,” I start to say, and then shrug. “You’re probably right.” 🐢🤭🐢

“I wish you saw yourself the way you really are. I love you because you’re you, and we fit together like nothing I’ve ever known. Since the day I met you I’ve been yours in one way or another.” 😍🫠🥰

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Cute*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

The short story centers around author Noah Sutton and his best friend and tattoo artist, Sage Higgins. Noah has been in love with Sage for a long time and has come to the finalization that they will never be. Why would someone as cool and vibrant be with someone so..boring? So he decides to enter a dating app, and strangely he ends up being matched with Sage. They (Sage) agree (says) to go on two dates; as friends, right? Overall, the story was cute, though had little depth. It was too short to really connect to the characters but it was a nice book to read to get the time to pass.

“We’re not so different,” he whispers.
I look up startled. “But we are, Sage. You know that.”
He shakes his head and taking my hand he moves my fingers over the tattoos on his arms, until they take on their own life and trace the pictures and scattered words like they’ve been desperate to do so for years.
“We’re like these tattoos,” he says quietly. “At the heart of us we’re the same because we have the same values and dreams. So that forms the outline. The outline is the base for everything. There can’t be a clear picture without that.” I stare at him, and a smile tugs at his lips. “And our differences, Noah, are the colours inside. Everything we experience both together and apart, all the stories we’ll have to tell of our lives, will flesh out the basic lines and create this amazing tapestry.” He shrugs. “That’s life, Noah, and it’s a good one.”

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M).
Series: - Standalone.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - Yes.
Favorite character? - Sage Higgins.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Sure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Sure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2.5/3 stars.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love me a friends to lovers story and this cute shorty ticked all my boxes 💖

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet novella about two best friends finding their hea.

Thanks Pauline for putting this on my timeline :)


Don't mind my following ramblings if you've loved this (as everyone hopefully does)...
This trope, as heart warming and wish fulfilling it is, has it's downsides.. and in this novella these downsides were shown explicitly, both MCs having been in relationships with other people. There was even an ex showing up, who had been with the love interest for four years.
Believing in the MCs mutual "I have always loved you" is hard for bitter old me.

[patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best friends to lovers
Mutual pining of years
Best dates
Delicious first kisses
Super hot first time
HEA in Santorini

Yes please! Should be way bigger, it deserved it. Also that scene of them dancing in the club? Tattooed forever in my mind 🥵

Thank you Pauline for giving light to this gem 🥰

No,” I say hoarsely. (…)“Stay with me. Don’t go.”
(…)“About time,” he says slowly. “I’ve been waiting for you to catch up.”
“You’ve always waited.” My voice is full of the wonder and dawning realisation that floods my body.
“You’re worth it,” he whispers, reaching up and drawing my head down to him. His lips touch mine, and we both pause as if amazed that we’re finally here. I look at his so familiar face and know this is one of those moments that come rarely in life, when you absolutely know that life is changing in front of you.♥️

[drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up.

cute, a lil cheesy, and very sweet.

[Elsa Bravante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una monada de friends to lovers.

[Floripiquita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un friends to lovers muy cortito y bonito y con su buena dosis de picante.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Was. So. GOOD. Honestly, I think this might be the best short story I’ve ever read?
This had it all: a gorgeous setting in wintery York, best friends to lovers done right, a fun set up, lovely British banter, unlimited pining, so much CHEMISTRY (I mean, come on, the dancing scene?! I’m still tingling from that one 🥵), sizzling steam, well developed backstories, characters and relationship progress and a super satisfying epilogue… all on 60 freaking pages?!? I’m floored.

This is the Lily Morton I know and love. Thank you Snjez for this incredible recommendation, this goes straight to the fav bookshelf for future rereads 🫶

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

Super cute. Super sweet. Steamy. Low Angst.

Novella perfection.

[Jan]

DNF @ 45%

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Date's wrong but I read this originally as part of the Heart2Heart Anthology and it was awesome.

Set in York, a city I know so very well, with a flyby visit to the gorgeous coastal town of Staithes, it was just a fabulous best friends to lovers romance.

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

“Are we okay?” I ask tentatively. “I just bloody hate it when you’re upset with me.” He frowns and searches my face. “Maybe one day you should ask yourself why that is.”

This was a delightful little novella with lots of feels. It’s about two (very) oblivious young men who have been in love with each other for ages. Super cute and a good read if you need a little break in your regular reading schedule.

The change from oblivious to tongue-wrestling happened a touch too suddenly for me, and I had to swipe back and see if I accidentally skipped a page, but I hadn’t. After the great tension building up to it, it felt a little out of place.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks, moving closer to me. “My mother,” I say wryly. […] “How is Hitler’s Handmaiden, anyway?”

I really enjoy Lily Morton’s writing, and this novella was a bit toned down compared to the other books I’ve read, which I liked.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Blind date
Best friends to lovers
Novella
UK setting
Tattooed MC
Pining
Oblivious MCs
Author & tattoo artist pairing

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Very brief mention of cheating ex boyfriend

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Brief scene where an ex boyfriend meddles. Nothing happens.
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: Not specified. Likely late twenties.
Pages: 64

I stare at him, and a pang hits me in my stomach. It’s always this way. For a while when he’s single, it’s like he’s mine again. His attention, which is like the warmth of the sun when it’s focused on you, is all mine, as are his smiles and easy laughter. Then it’s gone again, focused on another man. I’ve always thought that somewhere there’s an hourglass trickling sand and time away while he’s still mine, and that one day soon the sand will run out and he’ll meet the one. When that happens, his attention will break away from me as surely as if I’m a buoy and he’s cut the rope, leaving me behind, floating in dark water.

You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Trio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet short story, friends to lovers - with a really fun twist at the end.

[Lyndy Ann ♫ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story about two best friends Noah and Sage who thanks to a dating app FINALLY admit to each other how they really feel for each other.

[Snjez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I enjoyed this story a lot. It was truly heartwarming.

The MCs were lovable, sweet and perfect together.

Lily Morton's writing was wonderful, as usual. I loved the flashbacks, especially the scene when they first met at the age of 7. So adorable.

And the epilogue - one of the sweetest ever!

[Iman (hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
can’t feel it :/

[Mirjana **DTR - Down to Read** · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3 Stars***

This was really cute. You get friends to lovers AND opposites attract!

The guys were a little dense for my liking when it came to seeing the signs that were OBVIOUSLY there that they've had feelings for each other for a while...BUT, I still thought they were super adorable with their fake dates that were clearly customized for each other.

If you're looking for a quick and cute friends to lovers tale definitely give this one a go! It's the perfect book to read on a lazy afternoon or an evening snuggled on the couch.

[Caz Malpas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 SHORT, SWEET & PERFECTLY FORMED STARS!

Two best friends, one secretly in love with the other find themselves put together by a fluke. They go on two dates, but will they ever get to expose their true feelings?
Very short read with no angst at all.
A pleasant way to spend an hour or so!

[Mónica BQ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute, sweet, but ultimately underdeveloped. Roll-your-eyes epilogue. Nothing more than that.
Para pasar el rato y nada más.
I haven't read anything more from Lily Morton, but at the moment I'm not rushing out to buy her backlist.

[Denise H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

* This short story in York, England, lands in the almost a fairy tale category.
BFFs since childhood, writer, Noah, and Sage, a tattoo artist, are hooked up by a dating service, so, they go with it and have a couple of dates.


They are always relaxed and enjoy each other when they are together. But, each man knows they are already in love with their best friend.
After a date at a club, with a heavy grinding dance, they head home for sexy times. With the emotions and passion high, they finally admit the truth.

Its a sexy little story that makes us smile.
ENJOY !

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[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww!!!!!! Fabulous feel-good short!

What a sweet, delightful love story! This made me hum inside and smile on the outside!!!

Best friends finally accept the attraction between them thanks to a dating app. Adorable!!! And sexy, sexy, sexy!!

And best of all, we get an HEA in the Mediterranean! Read it.....you will not regret it...Lily Morton rocks!!

[melina · Rating 4 out of 5]

so thankful for Pauline, who is not only an amazing friend but also recommended this lovely novella to me after I was feeling a bit slumpy. and it did exactly what it was supposed to: make me feel excited about picking up a book again.🧡

the only thing I didn’t quite love was that this novella was rather on the shorter side, with only about 60 pages. I think it would have profited massively from another 20 pages or so, because the step to being together felt a bit too fast for me, and I would have liked to see them talk a little more about it. but maybe (probably) that’s also just a me problem?💀

what I loved, on the other hand, was that they immediately said “I love you,” and I am lowkey highkey a sucker for that because I HATE the trope where saying “I love you” is treated like the biggest thing ever when everyone is already fully aware of it lol.😭

friends-to-lovers seems to be the trope I’m getting more and more fond of every day!!🫂

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the new title, I didn't recognize this one.
It's part of the Heart2Heart anthology.
Enjoyed it then.
Enjoyed it now.
Especially the new addition at the end!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this cute novella ❤️ sweet, warm and low angst.

[alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

i realized a little too late that i already read this before in the heart2heart anthology (what i get for not reading the blurb) but no complaints here because it's a real nice bffs-to-lovers novella :)

[BR11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a short novella. Ok, but nothing to call home about. The MCs were sweet.

[Karen Wellsbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet story about a couple who finally realise that love is in the air.