Sigh. This just wasn’t what I was hoping it was going to be based on the blurb. Brother’s best friend? LOVE. Friends with benefits? HATE. Honestly, it felt like your typical, cookie cutter, “friends with benefits” romance where the couple is clearly already in love when they make those ill-fated plans. It’s one of the tropes I like the least, so when you add in the fact that she still has her v-card while he’s a serial dater (and they’ve clearly been harboring feelings for awhile)… this just didn’t work for me. The writing is still solid, and it’s a light, sexy, easy kind of read, but it definitely didn’t win me over.
The story follows Crosby and Nadia, two longtime friends who have been close for years. While they haven’t spent much time together recently, that changes when Crosby decides to take a dating hiatus. He always seems to choose the wrong girls, so he’s committed to taking a break from dating for a few months. When Crosby needs a plus-one for a wedding, he asks his best friend’s sister, Nadia. She’s perpetually single because men find her wealth, power, and strong personality to be intimidating. But it’s a turn-on for Crosby, so that means it’s not long before he’s seeing his gal pal in a different light.
I don’t really have a lot to say about this; I didn’t like it, but it wasn’t poorly written. If you like friends with benefits storylines or steamy, easy reads, then this might work better for you. It’s got Blakely’s classic style, and it’s the kind of low angst book that can be read in one sitting. I did like Crosby – he’s a sweet, caring guy, and it was easy to see how much he cares about Nadia. Their chemistry is one of the best parts of the book, and I enjoyed the playful tone. I just feel like I’ve read this book 100 times before. There’s a definite predictability to the storyline, and it felt pretty basic to me. Not one of my favorites from the author, that’s for sure. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this brother’s best friend romance.