Nothing Special

by Casey Cox

They don't write romance novels about guys like me…

Benji:
Trust me, I know. Crafting swoon-worthy happily ever afters is literally my day job. Being a quirky introvert with an overactive imagination, underwhelming social skills, and a few pounds overweight, I'm no leading man.

My best friend, though? He's total cover model, call the plumber because I just flooded my basement material. He's also outgoing, charismatic, free-spirited, and basically the best guy ever.

I may know romance, but I'm no dummy when it comes to reality. I'm nothing special. And the truth is, a guy like Darren would never fall for someone like me.

Darren:
I'm the poster child for failure to launch. Twenty-seven, didn't make it in Hollywood, forced to slump my sorry self back home to Australia with my tail in between my legs.

The only bright spot in my life is nabbing the apartment next door to my best friend, Benji. He's like no one I've ever met. Genuine. Sensitive. Nurturing. A talented author. An amazing cook. So freaking handsome. And yeah…I am so stupidly in love with him it's not even funny.

When Benji needs some inspiration to clear his writer's block, I gladly help out. He wants to write a friends-to-lovers romance, and hello, I'm his best friend. This should be a cinch. It's not as if he's suddenly going to fall in love with me. I'm nothing special. And the fact is, a guy like Benji could do so much better than someone like me.

Nothing Special is a stand-alone best-friends-to-lovers MM romance with two lovable (yet totally clueless) besties, gray yoga pants hotness, sweet midnight walks, an apartment block filled with nosy neighbors, and one swoonariffic (and oh so special) happily ever after!

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, LGBT, Mental Health

277 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2022

About the author

Casey writes MM romance with plenty of 💕, 🔥, 🤣, and of course 🍆 + 🍑.

Click the "+ Follow" button so you never miss a new release!

Reviews

[ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book has the one thing that i loathe above all else in romances, so despite my initial enjoyment of this book, the moment those details/that scene was included, i had already mentally checked out.

this is pretty minor spoiler. i wouldn’t even class it as one, but i will make this note anyway, just in case. it doesn’t tell you anything about the actual plot or the characters, it’s just a scene that happened that i loathed with every fibre of me being :)

there is nothing sexy, fun, alluring, entertaining, juicy, angsty... my list can go on, when one MC overhears the other having sex with other people. it’s an instant way to kill all the fuzzy feelings that the romance has stirred in me. it adds nothing to the story. it undermines the romance— particularly here, since, (and this isn’t a spoiler since it’s specified in the synopsis) that both MCs are in love with one another and just don’t know it.

and, ultimately, it just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. i truly think it’s so gross. the moment the scene happened (and we’re told it’s nowhere near the first time this has happened), my heart was in my throat bcos i was so disappointed and felt really bad for the other MC who had to overhear that.

im seriously supposed to believe you’re okay listening to the love of your life have sex with other people... there’s one thing vaguely knowing about it, and it’s a completely different ballpark having to hear it. in visceral detail.

i think you could have still portrayed the character as a “fuckboy” and the implications of it, without the other one having to overhear that shit. take out that unnecessary scene, the story would have been exactly the same and i would have adored the shit out of this.

but i didn’t🤷🏻‍♀️

and im bummed bcos it was on the right track to begin with. the prologue gripped me immediately. i was caught up between Darren and Benji, there was a whirlwind of emotion constantly stirring between them and it reeled me in. and i instantly connected with Benji. he was a bit naive and endearing, so easy to root for. while Darren was intriguing, swoony and pretty sweet. their romance was simple but lovely. the premise of the book was definitely unique and i liked some of the conversations/portrayal of body image too! so it didn’t all go down kill...

but damn it, that scene ruined it all. some people might not care and think im exaggerating, but y’all don’t understand how gross it makes me feel. like i viscerally shudder in revulsion and disappointment. i hate it across all genres, tropes, romantic pairings... please, abolish this “trope” from all romance books. it does nothing for the story or the readers.

i received an advance review copy for free, and i am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 2 out of 5]

|| 1.5 stars ||

This is best friends to lovers, but in the most boring way possible.
These type of books are the reason why people don’t appreciate this trope enough.

Our main characters are Benji and Darren.
Benji is awkward, anxious, insecure, shy, antisocial, chubby, and a best-selling author.
Darren is charismatic, beautiful, adventurous, and a failed actor.

These two have been best friends for 10 years, but Darren has actually been in love with Benji the whole time. For reasons unknown, he never tells Benji about his feelings and instead has sex with every living breathing thing who is not Benji.
Ten years have passed and they are still just ‘besties’. Until, suddenly, Darren randomly decides to make a move, and they.. get together. The end.

The premise of this book in which Darren comes up with the idea to tell each other secrets to get to know each other on a whole new level (and hoping it would make Benji see him in a different way) seemed kind of cute, but was executed horribly. All of their ‘secrets’ ended up being sexually oriented and it was the least meaningful thing I’ve ever read. My idea of “opening up” does not consist of talking about dildos or revealing how often you jerk off. If this is the most in-depth you can get with your bestie of 10 years, then that is honestly just embarrassing. The whole endeavour was also over in like ten seconds flat, because they kissed really soon into the book, and then it just became boring as all hell.

The writing and characterization was incredibly superficial and very repetitive.
The whole thing was dry and almost analytical: there was absolutely no feeling to it, and I had no connection whatsoever to either main character.
The chemistry between these two was honestly just plain bad, and the tension was completely non-existent.
The plot was nothing more than boring, messy and weird.

I also felt like the book was constantly telling itself how ‘different’ it was from other books, which did nothing for me other than make me roll my eyes and cringe a whole lot.

I started skimming a bit after I was about halfway through this book, but I might as well have stopped reading it altogether, since none of it was worth it.

If it wasn’t obvious already: I didn’t enjoy this at all. I don’t think it had anything interesting going on.


**I received an ARC from Foreword PR & Marketing in exchange for an honest review**

[Simona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really nothing special

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This definitely got me emotional but there was too much that bugged me.

The whole Curtis thing was super obvious from the very beginning, but the way it was dragged out was annoying. To say he was one of their best friends they never talked about him with each other, which felt off for me. I think it would have worked better if the reveal was earlier because Benji's issues could still have amplified when the hospital scene came up.

I didn't like how fast Benji recovered, it didn't seem realistic in any way and the whole situation was really glossed over, which I found strange because so much of the plot had been building his mental health issues up, then all of a sudden he's 'fixed'.

I also really don't enjoy it when one of the MCs of a book is an author. This book especially started to feel like a justification of a writer's lifestyle and a moral tale that being a writer wasn't easy - to me it always comes across as preachy and no other career ever seems to get written about that way. I have no doubts that being an author is hard work and underappreciated by people who aren't book people, but this just kept being brought up and made me start skipping to get back to the plot instead of whatever the author was trying to say with this.

[Amur Thera · Rating 4 out of 5]

The good
+ Their meet-cute
+ Darren's honesty. He never lied to try to hide his feelings
+ Benji being so clueless that when Darren basically calls him clueless to his face by comparing him to Daisy, Benji still doesn't get the hint
+ Benji being very careful to make sure Darren doesn't think Benji is objectifying his body
+ How into Benji's body Darren is
+ Laughing during sex
+ Benji's frustration with some common tropes in romance (miscommunication, drama for the sake of drama) and trying to avoid writing them in his books
+ Darren being 100% himself around Benji
+ How they both accepted each other exactly the way they were
+ Darren's dad doing his best to be supportive of Darren's choices
+ Benji's grand gesture taking place at a great height
+ Darren demanding Benji's book character that's based on Darren gets a huge dick

The neutral
o I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. My review remains honest and unbiased
o Benji's treatment worked really well, really fast. A bit too fast in my opinion. But I'm glad he's feeling better

The bad
- The reveal of Benji's issues came a bit too late. Hints were dropped everywhere and I have to admit they were really well done, but the book was too long to let it go on for this amount of time. I think a lot of people will be put off by objects talking to Benji and to each other, and I have to admit that I checked whether this book was supposed to be paranormal. If a big hint was dropped earlier from Darren's POV (for example, mentioning something about Curtis, or even reflecting on Benji's odd behavior) it would really have made a big difference for me in how much I enjoyed this
- Darren never mentioned Curtis, even though he lost a very dear friend that day and suffered both physically and emotionally for a long time


I loved the romance. There was pining, but not too much of it. There was awkwardness in navigating their new dynamics, but not too much of it. And most of all, there was communication, and not too little of it. Darren was so brave and I really love how supportive both of them were of each other. I would definitely recommend this book for the romance. If you decide to read this book, and at some point you think what the hell is going on here?, trust me, just keep reading. It will work itself out.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

A summary of Nothing Special:

MC1: I've been in love with my best friend for a decade and I'm too much of a chicken to do anything about it, oh no!
MC2: I've also been in love with my best friend for a decade and I'm too much of a chicken to do anything about it, oh no!
(pretty much nothing happens and suddenly they start dating)
Me: ... huh?

No, but seriously, what even is the point of this book? Friends to lovers is a tried and true romance genre trope; there's nothing wrong with that. But here there is absolutely no reason for this issue... except for the fact that Benji, one of the MCs, is a romance novelist and he wants to write a friends-to-lovers story but needs the help of his BFF Darren to help figure out how to make it realistic. Without spoiling the plot, the issue here is that the romance between the Benji and Darren (whose names I already forgot and had to look up ffs) is meant to reflect that of the story-within-the-story, yet it's done in such a ham-fisted way that their romance seems shoe-horned into the book just to make the plot work.

There are, of course, other aspects of the story that bother me: the incredibly confusing/disjointed prologue that makes sense towards the end of the book but really should have tied in to the story earlier; suddenly talking bins and ghosts; side characters who get too much page time for how little they actually contribute to the story; writing that drags on and on and on omg; and Benji is meant to be overweight ("nothing special," to quote his words/the title), which impacts how he sees himself, yet it's such a small part of the story that it doesn't actually warrant referencing, frankly.

So, what did I like? The framing of the two romances is kind of interesting. I like friends-to-lovers books. I like that Benji is overweight and that Darren is a failed actor. The plot had a lot of potential. I also like how the story has some meta-critique on the romance genre - said critique being, admittedly, pretty shallow. It basically amounts to "Gay men can write straight romances, and better than straight women!" which is, uh, somewhat problematic if we were to reverse this conceit and consider who is writing m/m romances. But you know me, I bite my tongue on this topic. (lolol jk)

Is this worth a read? Um, not really. Maybe it's a case of this being a "not-for-me" type of book, but idk. Recommended if you like friends-to-lovers romances; discussion of the m/f romance genre; epilogues that last far too long; Sudden Trauma!; funny yet accepting elderly neighbors.

[taylor :)]

dnf at 16%. just not for me

[Kendra T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started off a bit slow for me. There were parts that seemed a bit confusing with little explanation, and it put me off a bit. By the end, I understood why it happened that way and I was able to get the full picture, but it was definitely annoying until I got there. It also seemed a bit wordy at times, but that was likely due to my impatience due to being annoyed.

That said, Darren and Benji were adorable together. I loved how Benji was trying to write a romance and this explored some of those tropes. Benji was the clueless one and Darren was totally in love with Benji for years. I liked when they finally got together. By the end, I had genuine emotion and my heart felt for these guys.

[ForewordPR]

Foreword PR is elated to be working with Casey Cox with the release of Nothing Special! Nothing Special is a feel-good, best friend's to lovers, opposites attract M/M romance standalone. Visit here to find out how you can read early: Nothing Special

[Kristel (hungryandhappy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to do when you've been pining for your bff for 10 long years? You pretend you're helping him with his "best friends to lovers" book he's writing and add spiciness and feelings to your relationship.
This book packed more emotions than what I was expecting, starting with what happened in the prologue and things that really didn't go the way I was expecting. Told in two POVs, we see how oblivious Benji is, due to his own insecurities, and we see how hopelessly in love Darren is and how happy he is to finally being able to show Benji his feelings. But this showing feelings is harder than he thought since Darren keeps telling Benji out loud everything, every single emotions, how he had loved him from the very first time they met, but Benji keeps not seeing in and their relationship doesn't really start. It's not really a slow burn after 10 years of pining best friends to lovers; the journey is way longer and complex, and full of obstacles neither saw coming. This gave me way more palpitations than what my heart was ready for. My poor poor heart.
Benji and his internalized fat phobia and all the insecurities this brings him really keeps him from believing someone as beautiful and fit as Darren could think he is worth of being loved. And that's without taking into consideration his really bad social anxiety. Benji doesn't think he deserves being loved and Darren screaming how much he thinks he is perfect won't suffice to make him see things for what they are. He needs to work on himself before he can see what others have seen since the beginning, that he is worthy of love the way he is, that he doesn't need to change for others.
Darren is very patient and he also has a few issues he needs to work on, some insecurities. Both are work in progress but together they shine and, knowing the other will be there when they need it the most, will make them stronger when facing what they need to work on.

This might not be my usual best friends to lovers story, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it truly and deeply.

[Rachel Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story - this was definitely friends to lovers done right, in my opinion! Super cute meet-cute between the two that develops into friendship. And 10 years later, they are still best friends, but Darren has always wanted more.

Darren comes back after trying to break it in Hollywood and never obtaining that goal. He's happy to be back with his best friend, Benji, but feels like a failure and unsure of his future. Meanwhile, Benji is struggling with his current book he's working on and also dealing with major anxiety and poor body image issues.

I really loved the feels in this one. Darren and Benji are just so, so sweet together. They really are best friends, but I love all the yearning and pining and how oblivious they are to the other as far as them wanting each other. Sometimes I felt like their inner monologues and thoughts ran on a bit too long, maybe a bit too repetitive? But it definitely nailed down how each man was feeling.

One thing I really loved about this book was that Benji, an author, hated the Big Misunderstanding trope lol - and he was determined to not let that rule his book or his life. I really enjoyed that they both communicated with each other, were open and honest while also still fearing rejection and having the usual fears. Another thing I really loved also was the body positivity. I love how much Darren loved Benji's body, how both men made sure that they weren't just objectifying the other while also being able to say how much they wanted each other physically.

It's hard to talk about the main conflict without giving away any spoilers? I do feel like kinda the big reveal of all that was a bit late in the game and had me questioning what was going on for most of the story. Maybe that was the point lol.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to this author's next work!

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

So this one didn't work for me. There were so many things that were off. Ugh..

First, Benji is an author. This never works for me in books. Benji doesn't believe in instalove, yet he instantly fell in love with his best friend, Darren, who of course also instantly fell in love with Benji. Then Benji talks about how he doesn't write about the most hated trope out there, miscommunication, but yet doesn't communicate with his best friend, lol. Really?!?!?

Then we have the plus size trope. It's becoming a hated trope for me. Why do you ask? Let me tell you. The authors that write this never seem to write a confident plus size person. Nope, every last one of them that I've read are all insecure, self-concious and it lasts THE WHOLE BOOK!!! I hate reading this type of inner dialogue for hundreds of pages.

And not only did we have one MC with issues, we got both with issues. Both with issues that lasted the whole freaking book. It was wonderful, NOT.

This was not an enjoyable read for me at all.

[a. · Rating 2 out of 5]

that twist at the end 😦

[Trio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought Casey Cox's Nothing Special was a sweet friends to lover romance. A solid three stars. The audio version is nicely performed by Grant Cartwright.

[Florence . · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC but I enjoyed this one. I really liked the premise of the book and I quite liked how it was executed. It wasn’t my favourite book of all time but I had a super good time reading it and the story was super cute, so really, i’m not asking for anything more.

I received an arc of this book and this is my honest opinion

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader)]

dnf at 13%
this is taking a turn i didn’t expect and i’m not going to sit here and witness it. i just know it’s doing to be a mess

[Brittany (happy.ending.always) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful, incredible, amazing book!!! I was so lucky to get an advanced copy of it. I loved it soooo much. The emotions it brought out of me!!! I was sobbing, gasping, laughing (the REDS, hot tub, haha), yelling at these two to see each other, and loving every word I read.

Darren and Benji. Benji and Darren, soooo swoony! I love them. They are so perfect for each other. With a long history of friendship. There were times I legit was yelling at them, to get together already! Slow burn at its best! I legit wasn’t sure if they would get together??? Benji was content on staying best friends, despite his unrequited love for Darren. And Darren, let me tell you, he wasn’t giving up on his dreams, his love of his life and his journey he set out for! Determination, absolutely beautiful!!!!

The thing I loved most about this book is how real the characters are! They are both battling demons! They are open, honest and raw. We need more books like this where not everything is rainbows and sunshine. Casey’s writing is incredible! It is pure, it is honest and it is heartfelt. I feel very lucky and honored to have read this beautiful book. If you love unrequited love, best friend to lovers, slow burn, and when they get there, fireworks fly, type of books??? Then this book is for you. A must devour read!!!

[Heather Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you ever wonder about the love life of a romance author? Do they believe in the tropes they write about? Do they get their happy ever after?

This was a wonderful story that had both; the very familiar and usual romance feel, while also feeling completely unique with a style all its own that you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s a meet-cute story that turns into a BFF-to-lovers story. But it’s also slow (or maybe soft is the better word) and introspective. It teases you for more and makes you slow down to listen. But it’s also cute and quirky. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on in the mind of a romance author, I suspect Benjii isn’t far off the mark.

I love the narration style, while I often prefer more dialogue, narration worked so well for this. I loved feeling like the characters were telling you their story, while talking about writing a story, inside of reading the story. While many romance books are in your face, Nothing Special was subtle, nuanced, and beautifully layered. It’s the kind of book you will probably need to read a time or two to catch it all.

Standing ovation for this one.

< ARC provided by Foreward PR and this is my honest review >

[Brey (lil Sebastian)]

No rating DNF at 13%….

Spoilers that aren’t really plot spoilers below.

One thing I absolutely do not like in romance novels is when there’s a long period of time, and in this books case almost a decade where the two characters are both in love with each other, but there is literally no communication about it. And also the fact that the one MC who is portrayed as the insecure one, has to overhear, the other one, who is the “God with the body of an Adonis“ having sex with other people through their wall that they share. It just makes me feel gross. Like nooooo, it almost is heartbreaking? Idk how to describe it. Instant turn off for me that not much can overcome it to make me enjoy the book. And also in the prologue Darren the “fuckboy” thinks about Benji while he’s about to hookup with other people.. idk. Just got done reading a really good book so I am just not feeling it… read with caution.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t click with this story. Benji’s issues were written in a way that would fit a thriller, but I didn’t enjoy it in a romance novel. Way too much talking trash cans and pants. We could have left it with his crippling fear of leaving his house. And talking to ghosts.

The timeline was confusing, especially at the beginning.

This was a new to me author. I saw the cover and a quote on social media and picked it up. Not a horrible book. Just not for me.

[ME E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique Friends to Lovers story!

This was such a great and unique friends to lovers story. Casey Cox is easily becoming an autobuy author for me. All of their books have been 4 or 5 stars for me!

I love when Casey creates chubby/bigger characters that are beautiful inside and out.

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what this author writes next.

[Vfields Don't touch my happy! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing Special was a sweet, extremely low-key easy to read romance. Let’s be honest sometimes you wanna read something that flows with decent characters in interesting situation’s that you know in the end it’ll all work out. That’s exactly what this was. I found the scenes between father and son heartwarming. The REDs were giggle-lish and I was very satisfied with the ending.

[Nan]

DNF at 45%.
i think the author needs to do more character studies. what you say about the character, what you make them think about themselves and how they act should be correlated. i got tired tbh. i had the same problem with vet series so i guess this author is not for me in general.

[Heather MMRomanceReviewed]

Full review:

https://www.mmromancereviewed.com/202...

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Crystal Stafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like a big warm hug that makes you cry. The characters were wonderful, the storyline was sweet and cute but touched upon serious and sensitive topics that added more emotion than I expected, with a little twist on a friends to lovers romance. This was my first read by Casey Cox and I really enjoyed her writing style and the voices of her characters. Benji and Darren are our two completely oblivious and totally adorable MC's and they best friends who have no clue how the other feels. It's pining at it's finest and not just by one but both of our guys.

Benjamin Bannister (AKA Benji) and Darren Griffin could not be more different in looks and personalities. Their hearts however certainly speak the same language. They love each other but in secret and get this, for ten....long...years. Oh my heart the pining. But thankfully we only see their ridiculously adorable meet-cute during their first year at Uni (insta love on both sides) and then one college party night later that changed things forever and then bam ten years has passed and our BFF's are back in the same Aussie hometown as neighbors. Benji is our shy, insecure but sweet as all heck, romance writer who from the minute he layed eyes on Darren knew he would never measure up to the gorgeous perfection he saw in his best friend. It was so sad how body negative he was and that he couldn't see in himself what others saw and loved. He is so loving and is such a care giver for others. He loves to cook fabulous meals and feed his people and he also surrounds himself with the those he feels comfortable and safe with. He is a homebody with social anxiety and many times he is too in his head and his reality seems warped and uses his imagination as a way of coping with stress. Sadly he just doesn't know this about himself and keeps telling himself he is just fine. My heart broke for Benji many times throughout this story and without giving anything at all away I knew what his mind was doing to him before the big reveal at the end. It still gutted me and had me crying. The biggest light in Benji's life though is Darren and how he makes him feel loved and special just the way he is. I absolutely loved Darren. I mean yes I wanted to slap him sometimes with how much he held back but the thing I loved most about this story is it shows it really does not matter how beautiful you are on the outside, you still have to be able to love yourself on the inside first. You cannot let your demons own you and stop you from moving forward. Even though he has the looks of a movie star he could not get his career going and was told too many times he just didn't fit the bill. With his head held low struggling to swallow his failure, Darren returns to Australia and is wonderfully neighbors with his Benji. Darren is absolutely in love with his best friend and now that he is home is he struggling to keep his secret to himself. He feels it is time to come clean and hope that his biggest dream could come true and thankfully he finds the perfect opportunity.

Benji is the writer while Darren is the grand gesture guy and he offers his help when Benji decides to write a Friends to Lovers romance. Darren can't believe the perfect circumstances but knows he must tread carefully with his adorable best friend because he knows Benji does not love himself on the outside and he needs to convince him he is perfectly perfect for him and always has been. This was a super cute twist to the friends to lovers trope and I adored the build up. I loved how Darren made Benji's characters story into reality through them and it was nothing but sweet to see how oblivious Benji was to his Darebears feelings. Now this was a bit tame for me in the steam department but I still felt the love pouring off the pages. I certainly felt the longing and I was happy with the way their relationship unfolded. I was obsessed with how open Darren is about what he loves about Benji's body and I appreciated Benji being so understanding with Darren since he knows many men have treated him like a piece of meat to eat. Benji and Darren are much more than that and they never lost site of that.

While this was a lower in angst sweet romance there was more sadness than I was anticipating. Cox incorporated the twists well enough but I was hoping jus for a bit more. It seemed a little rushed towards the end. Noting Special though was absolutely special and I think Benji and Darren are one of the most adorable couples I have met in a while. I for sure will read more from this author in the future.

My rating is more 3.75 which rounded to 4.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary coy of this book.

[Sarah C · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something about a Casey Cox novel that just sets my heart aflutter, and Nothing Special was no different. Because this book definitely had something special about it. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a sucker for a few things: friends to lovers, good characters, a bit of humor, a bit of angst. And this book had everything that I wanted.

Darren and Benji have been best friends since college, about ten years. And Darren has been keeping a secret from Benji that entire time - the fact that he's completely in love with him. When Benji struggles with writer's block on his friends-to-lovers novel - because he ironically doesn't see how anyone could be obtuse enough to not notice their best friend is in love with him - Darren shoots his shot and volunteers to help him figure out a few parts of the friends to love formula he's struggling with.

And if that happens to mean that Darren can finally shoot his shot for real with Benji, all the better.

However, the path to true love isn't easy. While Darren and Benji suffer little angst in their actual relationship - and they also don't suffer due to my least favorite trope of miscommunications, they have their own issues that make it hard for them to open up to one another about their feelings. Their insecurities and a secret Benji is keeping about himself (even from himself) make it hard for them to get to that level, and make it all the more worth it when it does.

There's also a fun twist in this book that broke my heart even as I saw it coming.

This book is probably one of my favorites that Casey has written... which don't go back and read my other reviews of Casey's work because you might find me saying that with almost every new release of his.

Nothing Special is a low angst, dual POV best friends to lovers novel that tugs at the heartstrings and made me smile about a thousand times while breaking my heart a good few as well. Basically, its everything I wanted to read today which makes it Something Special.

[Lina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don´t really know what to think of this book if i´m being totally honest. i love me some good best friend romance because it sometimes feels like insta love to the reader because we don´t follow them falling in love but they already are.
So... i liked a lot about this. I really liked the characters, both of them are very sympathetic and i enjoyed reading about them. When they finally did kiss and started doing le tango devil (lol) it felt natural and was very spicey.
But there were a few moments where i was a bit confused. like for one: the death of their shared best friend. i mean i get that it was vital for the plot to assume that the friend is still alive so we won´t realise that the main character is having halucinations. but man... like i think we got that the moment he saw the trash bins talking. or the joggers.
so i didn´t really get how the author kind of ignored the shared trauma by just not giving the dead friend any "screen" time just to avoid spoiling the happenings.
second: the main characters psychosis. so. i´m no doctor. but i do think most psychosis´ have more symptoms than halucinations. like grandeur or the person thinks they can´t die, stuff like that. so i felt kind of shorthanded there too. maybe i´m wrong. if i am then sorry lol. but if i´m not then i really feel like the author should out more effort in researching illnesses like that before writing about them and portraying it differently than it really is.
third: the friendship. sometimes i felt like they were the very best of friends and sometimes i asked myself if they even know each other. like in some ways they were extremly intimate and told each other everything but then they wouldn´t see each other for weeks because one always had to work? like one of them is at home constantly and doesn´t have time for a cup of tea? thats not realistic if you assume that they are supposed to be head over heels for each other in my opinion.

So all in all i have some mixed feelings. but i still did enoy it. it is not a meh read if only because its topics are really intense.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. But this missed the mark. The MC’s felt dull.

Starting with the MAJOR event that happens in the beginning, but then nobody talks about it. Which felt weird and got weirder as it went on. Obviously there was a reason. More on that later.

Curtis always goes everywhere with Benji. But it’s mentioned that Darren and Curtis are a less close after the accident. Curtis encourages Darren and Benji to celebrate their friendaversary without him. Benji spends all the time with a Curtis but Darren never runs into them. Something was so weird about all this.

There are contradictory statements in several places but I can only remember one right now. Darren in his inner monologue is saying that Benji doesn’t like to be asked what he is working in/how it’s going. Yet he does it repeatedly. Benji is also inconsistent back to Darren.

And then, as if Benji hasn’t had a rough enough time losing his mother and a best friend. His other best friend and almost boyfriend has to end up in the hospital too? Yikes man. To not only have one end up in the hospital, to give a Benji a major psychosis event… YIKES. I actually put my kindle down and read 296 pages of a different book before I even came back to finish this mess.

Then they start working on their HEA after some medical stuff and it is just lackluster. I can’t feel the love. Nothing is making me swoon. In fact writing this review is making me drop another star off.

But I will end with the fact that Darren loved and worshipped Benji’s body. And NEVER ONCE did he mention him changing. No, “if you decide you want to trim up we can workout together” etc. never did Darren try to do anything about Benji’s body but love it. And that was amazing and enough to earn the lost star back.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - 4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this friends to lovers book, it was fun and sweet and sometime just adorably clueless. Benji and Darren meet in college and ten years later they are the best of friends, but there are deeper feelings involved for both men. Neither have acted on it, but it's when Benji needs to write a friends to lovers book that Darren finds the inspiration to finally tell Benji how he feels.

I really loved the flow of this book and it is a great mix of humor, heart and some major feels. While they are best friends, both men face individual struggles and self doubt. Darren had dreams of being a famous actor, even made the move to Hollywood but it didn't work out for him and he has since returned home and is trying to figure out his purpose. Benji is a successful romance author, but he struggles personally, getting stuck in his own head to a point that creates a fear for him, and he also struggles with his appearance and weight. One of the most heartwarming parts of this story is how these two learn to really open up to each other. Sure, they've been best friends for years, but they've also kept their secrets and as they explore this new thing between them, all part of Darren's brilliant plan, they find so much strength, support and ultimately love.

There are a few surprises in this story as well, I don't want to spoil those, but those moments gave me all the feels. Darren and Benji are so perfect for each other and I loved seeing them figure it out too. They learn how to battle their demons, face new challenges and embrace a beautiful love that was just meant to be!