Complete

The Sweet Rom"Com" #3

by Kortney Keisel

Ben and I are just friends.

We've tried to be more, but it never works. There's no chemistry between us.

At least that's the story I tell everyone.

Truth is, I'm pining for Ben. HARD. Like Taylor Swift, You Belong With Me, hard. I don't know what happened. Suddenly, his casual touch is fire, and his easy smile stops my heart.

But Ben has put me in the friend zone. Permanently. His supermodel girlfriend and him setting me up with a pro football player confirm this.

It's time to bury these feelings. Lock them up. A famous pro athlete is exactly what I need to get over my infatuation. Except Ben isn't making things easy. He's leveled up his touching and flirting—all good stuff unless you're trying to move on with your life.

So what's a girl to do? Confess my feelings and risk losing my best friend? Or keep on pretending and end up with the wrong man?

Complete is a friends-to-lovers, laugh-out-loud love story that keeps the romance closed-door. It's book three in The Sweet Rom "Com" Series but can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Clean Romance, Rom Com, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2022

About the author

Kortney graduated from the University of Utah with an English degree and spent a few years before motherhood teaching 7th and 8th graders how to write a book report, among other things. But after a reading slump, where no plots seemed to satisfy, Kortney pulled out her laptop and started writing the "perfect" love story...or at least she tried. Writing love stories is her job...just kidding. Her real job is taking care of her five awesome kids and spending time with her husband.

Kortney loves a good romance movie or book, warm chocolate chip cookies, and traveling the world.

Connect with Kortney at www.kortneykeisel.com

Reviews

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5~

I liked the writing style and the characters (for the most part).

But the back and forth of this friends to lovers story drove me nutso.
The dude was insufferable by the end for me. The girl should have moved on a long time ago in my opinion.

BUT there were a lot of scenes that had me giggling. The humour was on point. So I think I will read more from this author but the slow burn was just dragged out way too much for me.

This is a clean, no language romance. The audiobook was great!

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There are a lot of things I love about you that I haven't told you."

Mainly because of the inevitable miscommunication, friends-to-lovers is usually not a trope I love. But this completely won me over! Beginning with chapters set in the past, the history between Ben and Brooke made their reasoning for remaining friends perfectly understandable.

Attempting to date a supermodel as Brooke becomes close with her newest client and football player, prepare for lots of laughs as jealousy leads Ben down a road of clumsy, embarrassing moments. Ben was such an uncontrollable flirt, in the best way. I loved the underlying tension it created.

Stuck in his own head, he definitely needed a boost in the right direction, though. I love that Brooke helped him move past his fears, seeing the potential of their future together.

And I have to mention the group chat between Brooke and her siblings! It was truly a highlight. I'll miss this series! This was a really sweet addition (and conclusion)!

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam Level: 🔥(kissing only)
Trigger Warning: death of a parent mentioned briefly

Ben and Brooke have been friends for years, until two years ago when things changed. Ever since her mother's death, Meg has secretly wanted more than friendship with Ben. But growing up around parents who seemed to hate each other made Ben avoid serious relationships of any kind, and he's completely against marriage. Now the famous football player that Ben's talent agency represents wants to date Brooke. Maybe this is what she needs to get over her feelings for her best friend. But Ben soon finds himself feeling out of sorts while watching Brooke with another man. He's distracted, clumsy, and unable to sleep- all the telltale signs of jealousy. But a commitment phobe like him could never be the man Brooke needs. Or could he?

What a great ending to the Johnson siblings' story! Brooke and Ben might be my favorite couple in the series. I loved how this started out with the first meeting between Ben and Brooke and slowly took us through their backstory before jumping to the present. I think the reasoning for them staying friends was really believable. They had a few chances at being more, and it just never felt right. Those chapters had me hooked, and then seeing Ben become a complete fool as he started to become jealous just took this book to the next level. I also loved the Johnson siblings' text messages and seeing Ben get advice from Brooke's dad. I did start to get a little frustrated with Ben trying to deny his feelings, but then the ending more than made up for it. If you're a fan of Jerry Maguire or Love, Actually then you will thoroughly enjoy the big conclusion to this romance. If that wasn't enough, the epilogue wrapped up the entire series in an emotional and heartwarming scene between the entire Johnson family. I can't believe this series is over, but I'm looking forward to more swoony, fun romance in the future from Kortney Keisel!

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Rhonda 🌒🌕🌘 🐈‍⬛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 🌟
4/5 ❤️‍🩹
3/5 🥰
1/5 🌶️
0/5 🔎
3/5 😰A
3/5 🎭C
1/5 🎭T
0/5 👻

⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️

Death of a Parent
Grief
Infertility
Adult Situations

🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️

Ben and I are just friends.

We've tried to be more, but it never works. There's no chemistry between us.

At least that's the story I tell everyone.

Truth is, I'm pining for Ben. HARD. Like Taylor Swift, You Belong With Me, hard. I don't know what happened. Suddenly, his casual touch is fire, and his easy smile stops my heart.

But Ben has put me in the friend zone. Permanently. His supermodel girlfriend and him setting me up with a pro football player confirm this.

It's time to bury these feelings. Lock them up. A famous pro athlete is exactly what I need to get over my infatuation. Except Ben isn't making things easy. He's leveled up his touching and flirting—all good stuff unless you're trying to move on with your life.

So what's a girl to do? Confess my feelings and risk losing my best friend? Or keep on pretending and end up with the wrong man?

Complete is a friends-to-lovers, laugh-out-loud love story that keeps the romance closed-door. It's book three in The Sweet Rom "Com" Series but can be read as a standalone.

🌎📖OVERALL REVIEWS📖🌎
Courtesy of Storygraph

COMMUNITY REVIEWS
SUMMARY OF 214 REVIEWS

Moods
lighthearted 91%
funny 85%
emotional 55%
hopeful 41%
relaxing 20%
inspiring 11%
reflective 8%
tense 5%
adventurous 2%
sad 2%
Pace
medium 54%
fast 31%
slow 14%
Plot- or character-driven?
Character: 66% | A mix: 18% | Plot: 11% | N/A: 3%
Strong character development?
Yes: 80% | It's complicated: 7% | No: 7% | N/A: 3%
Loveable characters?
Yes: 84% | It's complicated: 11% | No: 3%
Diverse cast of characters?
No: 66% | N/A: 14% | Yes: 14% | It's complicated: 4%
Flaws of characters a main focus?
Yes: 73% | No: 13% | It's complicated: 8% | N/A: 4%
Average rating
4.14

🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔

This is one of the sweetest series I’ve ever read. Ben and Brooke’s relationship is equally as wonderful as Matt, Meg and Tessa’s are. But darn it if Ben wasn’t a stubborn ass. It was comical but also very painfully annoying. I think Brooke had the patience of a Saint. I do appreciate when Brooke finally stood her ground and decided enough was enough! All of the books were entertaining and enjoyable quick reads. I definitely recommend the series if you want stories akin to Hallmark movies.

RATING KEY:

🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️‍🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scared/Anxious - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading
🎭 Comedy/Tragedy- based on if I laughed or if there was a tragic event and how it affected me. I will mark the Masks with either a C or T to indicate Comedy or Tragedy
👻 Spooky/Creepy -based on if this had any occult or paranormal themes and if those elements creeped me out or gave me anxiety!

[Tasha (the_clean_read_book_club) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know if I would love a book in this series more than I loved Commit and here I am telling you this one beat it! I LOVED this book. It's a great friends to more/best friend romance trope that is darling and will cause you to lose all of your sleep and skip all of the to-do's until it is done.

There is no one in the world who could mash up all of your favorite 90's romcoms and publish the best, most nostalgic memories of movies into a book better than Kortney Keisel. If you liked Made of Honor... you will undoubtedly LOVE this book. I got some strong vibes from that, but Kortney always puts her flair and personality into her writing that makes it unique and original at the same time.

There is so much emotion in this that you will feel them all...especially angst lol. The swoonies are real with this one, the tenderness between these two best friends is what it's all about people.

All of the pent up, romcom feels for this one! If that's your jam, this is your book!!!!

Content: mild/moderate innuendo

Thanks to the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

[. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly the book was disappointing, I was truly expecting more romance

I didn’t like that:
- the couple took so long to get together (literally like the last chapter)
- the female lead didn’t really have a back bone until the last two chapters
- the female lead was “dating” someone else knowing that their relationship wasn’t going anywhere
- the main guy had to be guided to his epiphany of love for the main girl
- the love confession was so impersonal and complicated because their conversation kept being interrupted by the car driver
- there was a lot of filler and extra details that weren’t really necessary so it really dragged on

The book honestly didn’t have to be 41 chapters, it could’ve been told in like 28. I only finished it cause I wanted to see how it would end but I contemplated ending it around chapter 25

[Toni Shiloh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting because I had to finish it. This might be one of my favorite friends-to-more books I've ever read. I laughed, highlighted in my Kindle, and kept my eyes opening despite the darkening skies around me. I can't wait to read the next book. This is such a great series.

[Milena Bookish❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story makes you feel so many emotions, I had heartbroken tears, frustrated tears, and laugh-out-loud moments, There were just so many emotions between both characters, I didn’t know what to expect to find in this book but I was beyond captivated by this one and I really wanted them to be with each other. There is a great foundation of friendship that is built between the two here and I was so curious to see where it would lead in the end. There was something so sweet about this one. It was told from Brooke & Ben’s points of view.

To be honest friends to lovers is my least favorite trope, however, I’m starting to like it more. This is the third book of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. Clean-closed door Romance.

[Inna]

Friends to lovers done totally wrong…

Authors like this really must just say to themselves: “fuck all the people they hurt on their path to their HEA”.

[alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

✩‧₊ 2 stars ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

･ ｡ﾟ☆:Complete *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ

Brooke Johnson (h) has been in love with her best friend for the last two years, even though they've been friends for five. She realizes her feelings for him later, but he doesn't feel the same. Ben Johnson (H) loves his best friend; that's all she is. However, when his client is interested in her, he feels slightly threatened that he's not the only man in her life.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───

"I cringe with embarrassment. I can't believe I asked out a high schooler."

[Initial thoughts] It's refreshing to see that Ben had boundaries and deleted her number when he found out she was eighteen. He was twenty because he felt uncomfortable with dating someone potentially still in high school. The gap is not bad, but I like that he didn't even consider dating someone he felt needed to be at his maturity level despite the initial attraction. Even though they constantly saw each other around, he didn't initiate a conversation because he felt weird for pursuing her with a two-year difference. With the number of strange age gaps in books lately, it's always good to see an MMC who thinks about the consequences of his actions.

I lean my elbow against my open car door. "Didn't you just break up with your girlfriend?"

His smile hitches upward. "It's never too soon to line up the next woman. You can be my rebound girl. You're Dennis Rodman, on deck."

[Next chapter]: Then he ruined it in the next chapter when he broke up with his girlfriend and asked her on a date. How will they go from ignoring her for two years to casual flirting? That makes zero sense, and that was a terrible development. The dialogue makes it seem like he's in middle school. She tells him she has a boyfriend, and he tells her to call him when she's sick of him. For starters, Brooke doesn't know him, and he boldly assumes she is still interested. She shouldn't have been pining for him that long in the first place. She should have called it a day if he didn't call her back or show interest after the first week. She shouldn't have to wait for Ben to show interest when it's convenient.

"Well, look who it is," he says. "It's the girl I think about every now and Ben."

I tilt my head. "Do you always use your name in pun form?"

"Only with you." His smile widens, and I'm struck by how happy I am to see him.

[The next next chapter]: What are the odds of encountering the same person at different stages of your life? If this were a dark romance, it would be highly suspicious. However, since this is a contemporary romance, I'll call it fate. Anyway, I can't understand what keeps bringing them together. They see each other again at a party as she's leaving and decides to stay to talk to him. Suddenly, he's spilling his life story because "she's easy to talk to," but he doesn't know her. The casual conversation could be better, and it feels like it's a forced plot to make it seem like they were meant to be in each other's lives because they feel comfortable around each other. I'm not buying it because they have one 30-second interaction every two years. It's odd.

"That was a terrible kiss," I finally say.

"Oh, thank goodness." Her hand goes to her heart. "It was the worst!"

[Time jump]: It gets worse 😀. They decide to do a New Year's Midnight kiss, and he calls her out because it was a BAD KISS. Nope, nope, nope. That is my worst fear; she lived it… and I had to experience it by default, too. I'm writing this to avoid continuing that chapter because I am embarrassed right now… the worst secondhand embarrassment I cannot.

1-HOUR UPDATE: I'm so dramatic, and it wasn't that bad. They both decided the kiss was terrible and didn't have chemistry. I think I like where the book is going now. I bet it will be platonic, and once they grow feelings for each other, the kiss will be too good.

ANOTHER UPDATE:I'm disappointed with all the time jumps that tell us that they are best friends and she's fallen in love with him, but it's just glimpses, so I never saw the friendship develop between them. It's told that they spend weekends together, then she introduces him to her family and they become close to him, then her feelings for him change when he's there for her for the hardest moment of her life: losing her mother. From there, she keeps it hidden that she is in love with him. However, it doesn't feel like anything has changed because every chapter is a time jump, so it doesn't allow the reader to get attached to the relationship or the characters.

“I think you get jealous when another man has my attention or when you’re not the number-one person in my life. But no, Ben. I don’t think you love me. I think you’re just my best friend who’s confused right now.”

[ANOTHER UPDATE]: HE SUCKS!!!!!! He is interested in a model, and when the model's brother is interested in Brooke and calls her sexy, Ben is like Brooke sexy. No. Then, she said that description would suit Jenna better since she's the model. BUT WAIT. He sees Brooke in a bikini, and all of a sudden, he's attracted to her and thinks, "Wow, where has she been hiding that body?" Shut up, LOSER! I hate that he realized she was pretty when he saw her body, but not all the time before he spent getting to know her. I don't like that he liked her when he realized she was with someone else and someone was taking over his role. It felt oddly convenient that he felt jealous when he didn't feel like he had a place in her life. If they had been best friends for years, some of him should have noticed how special she was without first seeing her in a bikini. From there, I was uninterested in the relationship because it felt too superficial.

"Trey's a good guy," he finally says. "You should like him. He's everything you're looking for."

I take a step back. "Okay, I will."

Tell me why Brooke told Ben that she wouldn't date Trey if he didn't want her to. GIRL BE SO SERIOUS. She was so obvious, and Ben kept insisting that they were friends, so she should have let her go. They don't have chemistry; sometimes, you only need a best friend. Not all friendships need to end in relationships; this was the perfect example. Before all the feelings were involved, they got along quite well with no thought behind it. WDYM "I will" as if she needs permission to date. I'm so- DONE with this girl.

The five-year friendship needs to make more sense. For two people are so close, they surely don't want each other to be happy. Even if he was with someone else, and vise versa, shouldn't they have wanted each other to be happy even if it wasn't with them? Nope. She was internally screaming with joy when Jenna dumped Ben; what a best friend.I don't like that Ben realized his feelings were different after seeing her in a bikini; that's insane. That's not love, that's lust. Then, one night, cuddling changes how he feels, but then he tells her it means NOTHING. Are they TEENS? No, these are grown adults and don't act like it. I would assume that these were teenagers if I didn't know better.

"We are not just friends." She pulls me to her, trying to kiss me again, but I turn my head.

"Go home, Brooke."

EMBARRASSING. The girl cannot take no for an answer. She's so embarrassing I can't take it 😧. Why would she go in for a second kiss as he's rejecting her? Girl, go home, I BEG. It's bad. I don't know how she dares to FAIL every time. I wish I could go back in time and never pick this up.Tell me why he's anti-marriage the entire time, but he realizes he's in love with her and then compromises to have three kids with her in the future. SIX MONTHS LATER, they are getting MARRIED. I can't make this up. THIS IS BAD.

¸♡ OVERALL ♡¸.•

Brooke and Ben didn't come off as adults; this could have been labeled a high school romance, and I would have believed it. It was a lot of telling, not showing. Brooke deserved better than Ben. He only liked her when he realized he was losing her attention; that's not a good quality in a man. He felt threatened, and he felt the need to claim her. He would have never realized he was interested in her if she hadn't shown interest in Trey. He didn't like the idea of Brooke not being in his life and being interested in someone who wasn't him.

[Tricia Anson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this book via audio and it was AMAZING. I have never experienced duet narration before and I am here for it. The narrators did such a good job and I felt like I was listening to the story as it was actually playing out—it made all the feels even better.

So, here’s a updated version of my original review—and also, yes. I made my husband, Ben, THE sweatshirt. 👌🏻😍😂

I don’t feel like I can adequately explain how much I loved this book, but here goes an attempt. I laughed, I swooned, I wanted to smack Ben upside his head, I wanted to hug Trey and Marco, and I cried. It is one of the best friends to lovers stories that I have read—and it is my favorite trope. I love that we got so much funny, sweet, perfect history between Ben and Brooke that made their friend status completely understandable and the relationship so full.

Things I Loved:
-Hilarious first meet cute
-Ben puns (My husband’s name is Ben so this was just extra hilarious to me 😂)
-“A man doesn’t forget a girl like you.”
-“Stiff as a board, light as a feather.” 🤣
-“Zac Effer is sturdy?” (All the heart eyes for the flashbacks of Brooke’s parents—they’re just the cutest!)
-Boys to Men 🙈😂
-Sequins
-The sweatshirt
-“The man knows everything about me, except how my feelings for him have changed.”
-Eat cute
-Airport goodbye
-Sibling texts
-Ben Spanx
-Ben’s many mishaps
-Outside the elevator (MY HEART)
-Conference room
-Viral Ben GIFs
-THE CARWASH
-Hibiscus plants
-Marco
-Whiteboard
-Incentives & Signing Bonus
-The Letter 💌
-“This is livin’.”

My opinion still holds that this is an absolutely fantastic end to the series! 💛
I am SO glad it was picked for book club and I am thrilled that we do indeed get a spin-off series for Trey and Jenna. 🎉

[Rachel (rachelee.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I loved:
- this series just gets better and better, but this book embodies all I love in a good Rom-com! Honestly her best yet.
- best friends-to-lovers is a favorite trope of mine, and this book showed exactly why it's the best! The angst, the pining, the heartbreak, then that long developed history makes their 'together' moment so worth it!
- Ben's klutz moments, lol. Truly laugh out loud funny! I loved that the male MC had his turn to make embarassing moments of himself.
- Brooke & Ben's relationship. They truly know and love each other. Its obvious fron the beginning, but I loved watching Ben figure it all out
- Johnson family texts and cameos, especially the dad, Paul, coming in with advice.

What I didn't like:
- nothing

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance: kisses
TW: loss of loved one, grief, domestic issues between parents

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

dress - taylor swift

OH MY GOSH. Can I just say THE LOVE CONFESSION AND EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWED MADE ME WANT TO SCREAM AND CRY

The perfect friends-to-lovers romcom. The definition of she fell first, he fell harder. I loved how the beginning started off 9 years prior and how they actually became friends over the years. The banter in this was class. And the character development? Fantastic.

The slow burn almost killed me though. I loved both Brooke and Ben plus all the side characters! Brooke was amazing for making Ben GROVEL the way he did. I expected nothing less. I almost throw my kindle when Ben rejected Brooke :)

Content: kissing only

[Emilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I laughed so much and I needed that. The love story is really drawn out. No insta-love here. It all flowed so well. I love the Johnson text thread, matching initials and all the "Ben" puns. The meet-cute is strong and memorable. I fell in love with Brooke and Ben they are so cute together. And Paul, he is just the best character. He loves life and loves his family. I appreciate authors who don't make the older generation look goofy and unneeded. This family dynamic is perfect. Every book in this series is great! Clean and hilarious romance at it's finest!

[emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I would have preferred her with Trey tbh but yk it's okay! Still enjoyable and I love this series and author!!

[Micah (micahs.bookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“My heart’s climbing a freaking uphill battle with Ben. He’s the Mt. Everest of all men, and year after year, I keep coming back, hoping I can somehow reach the summit without dying of a broken heart. I need some kind of Sherpa to show me how to cross the just-friends line because I don’t know how to do it.”

I’m obsessed! Complete had me smiling and laughing and highlighting like crazy. All the pieces of this book - the characters, the plot, the writing - came together perfectly to create the COMPLETE package! I was so glad I started it on a day I didn’t have much going on because I did not want to put it down.

I love that the book starts out years before and we get to see the adorable meet-cute, subsequent run-ins, and the development of their friendship first-hand. I love their friendship and chemistry and the protectiveness they have for one another. There were some great jealousy moments and all the right kind of tension and angst and I was HERE. FOR. IT.

I loved the side characters and the appearances of the rest of the Johnson family that we’ve grown to love throughout the series.

I cannot recommend this book enough! Even if Friends-to-Lovers in not your favorite, the author fixed all the things that usually bug me about the trope. The romance was sweet and closed door, but still all the sizzle and swoon! I loved it!

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

[SourCandyOrNoCandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've never read a book where I adamantly didn't want the couple to get together in the end, so this book was my first.

Ben leads on Brooke for exactly 93% of this book. It pissed me off to the point that I (someone who never curses) was dropping F-bombs at Ben. I skimmed through the epilogue because I already didn't like them as a couple so I had absolutely no interest in their wedding day.

[laura 🧸 · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Soy un mar de lagrimas después de este! Esta es una de las mejores interpretaciones de friends to lovers que he leído.

¡Qué gran final para la historia de los hermanos Johnson! Brooke y Ben podrían ser mi pareja favorita de la serie. Me encantó cómo comenzó con el primer encuentro entre Ben y Brooke y nos llevó lentamente a través de su historia de fondo antes de saltar al presente. Creo que la razón por la que siguieron siendo amigos fue realmente creíble. Tuvieron algunas oportunidades de ser más, y simplemente nunca se sintió bien.

Ben era un desastre tan coqueto y me encantó. De hecho, me eché a reír varias veces. Hubo escenas genuinamente divertidas. ¡Amé a Brooke! Ella fue una protagonista fantástica que estaba llena de amor y esperanza y era imposible no adorarla.

Aunque empecé a desesperarme un poco con Ben tratando de negar sus sentimientos, pero luego el final lo compensó con creces.

La autora hizo un trabajo increíble al crear un libro lleno de temas serios combinados con la felicidad que necesito cuando leo.

Epílogo envolvió toda la serie en una escena emotiva y conmovedora entre toda la familia Johnson. No puedo creer que esta serie haya terminado.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great end to the series! I'd been getting a little tired of the friends to lovers sweet romcoms but this one was so fun! I loved the flashbacks that let us see how the relationship between Brooke and Ben evolves. Full of 90s pop culture references which I loved, lots of humor and a ton of heart plus a swoony ending. Highly recommended for fans of Sarah Adams and good on audio narrated by Amanda Friday and Andy Harrington.

[Patty Ventola Donoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia adorable! Me encantan las relaciones de amistad que terminan en romance. Un libro que se lee de un tirón. Con un desarrollo creíble y un final feliz que desde el momento en que Ben y Brook se conocieron, todos estábamos esperando.

A lovely story! I love friendship relationships that end in romance. A book that is read in one go. With a believable development and a happy ending that from the moment Ben and Brook met, we were all waiting for it.

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complete

“People always say marry your best friend. Well, there’s just one problem. My best friend isn’t in love with me.”

Full disclosure, friends to lovers is my least favorite trope, however I’m starting to like it more. Authors seem to have figured out that miscommunication and the lack of nerve to talk is not the best plot. Kortney did an amazing job and I could not put this down. There were literally kids knocking on my door asking me when my book was going to be over. I just had to finish it.

I love how this book starts out showing the friendship over a period of time. It helps us get to know and understand the characters. It’s obvious why they didn’t initially date and why they became friends. The characters changed and matured over a decade and their love and awareness of that love happens over time. While there was a little “Just say it”, mostly I completely understood where they were coming from.

I loved the sibling text chain. All of the siblings are so different and the conversations seem so authentic. All the 90s music and movies were nostalgic. What I love about Kortney’s books is that it’s always jam packed with emotion. Lots of highs and lows that really take you into the story.

This is a Rom Com you don’t want to miss! All the pent up emotion, chemistry (I will never look at a car wash the same), and humor. Available August 24th!

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this Friends to lovers which is saying something. I’m not a fan of the trope. This was so well done.

I loved seeing how their friendship developed over time in the beginning of the book, and how there was a very obviously reason they did not start dating. I love the involvement of family and the siblings’ text thread.

I received an eARC from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great conclusion to the Johnson Family (or “com”) series. It was so much fun to watch Brooke and Ben go from friends to more. There were so many laugh out loud moments, sweet moments, and even a few steamy ones (just kisses). I have to admit, though, I’m sad this was the last book in the series, but I’m excited to read whatever this author writes next! Highly recommend.

[Courtney | Bookish Beach Babe · Rating 5 out of 5]

read if you love:
🌺friends to more
🌺so much pining
🌺just one couch
🌺found family
🌺puns
🌺flirting
🌺so many lol moments

“𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝-𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡-𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩-𝐦𝐞-𝐮𝐩-𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭-𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥-𝐈-𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭-𝐭𝐨-𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐠-𝐦𝐲-𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝-𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭-𝐭𝐡𝐞-𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞, 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.”

omg - this book! i binge read this so hard. it pained me to put it down. i absolutely loved going into brooke and ben’s past and learning how they ended up best friends. what a hilarious gym meet cute! the chemistry and attraction was there from the start but discovering what landed ben and brooke equally in the friend zone was so funny. the way ben just instantly fit in with brooke’s family was so heartwarming, especially as we learn about ben’s upbringing and family life. this glimpse into the past perfectly set up the present day story.

ben, oh ben. poor “in love but doesn’t know it yet” ben. guys, this made for so much angst. i swear for most of the book i was like, “come on already!! please put me out of my misery!!” 😩 — i loved it!! as brooke attempts to get over ben by dating star NFL player trey lewis, it was so satisfying to see ben’s jealous side come out. it made for the funniest embarrassing moments and i loved that it happened to the hero. ben and brooke’s journey to HEA was funny, aggravating, swoony, and ultimately oh-so-satisfying. here are some other things i loved (may be spoilery-beware):

•”we have the same initials.” “that must mean we’re soulmates.”
•allllll the ben puns
•trey lewis — can he get his own story?!
•she hates sequins — “I had never been so innocently violated in my entire life. From that day on, I swore off the sparkly stuff.”
•eat-cutes
•chocolate covered strawberries
•”i live to make you smile.”
•hibiscus plants 🥹
•“A shummer romansh with a shupermodel!”
•the yacht
•ben’s endorsement of brooke
•the epilogue

thank you to the author for an advanced copy. my thoughts are my own.

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been eyeing this series since the first book was released. But with life and other books already on my reading schedule I kept putting it off. Until I got the audiobook of it and listened to it nonstop while I was cleaning and running errands and... I couldn't get enough of Ben and Brooke!

I started my reading with book #3 and not with the first book. So I had no idea what to expect or anything about this family. If you're like me and haven't read the previous books, you can definitely read this as a standalone. It works great! But of course the second after I finished listening to this one, I needed more Johnson family in my life! I just adore them all so much! I quickly jumped onto my kindle and pulled up #.5 and devoured that one. Then jumped into #1 and devoured it as well! Can I just say happy, happy sigh! (#.5 isn't available on retailers until April or May-it is part of a promotion until March 31 for free.)

I seriously felt all the emotions with this one. Ben and Brooke have been skirting around each other for years. Finally coming to the point of being best friends. They do everything together. But what happens when friendship is no longer enough for one of them? And the other doesn't commit to anything more than a few dates? Lots of humorous moments and many deep soul searching moments and some hard conversations. Especially when once again Ben has another girl he's dating and sets Brooke up with said girl's brother... her mega rich, football star, down-to-earth, good looking, super kind brother who is completely interested in Brooke.

Can we say bring on the jealousy?!!! Hahaha!!! Oh, how I loved this wonderful story! I loved Brooke's family relationships. Their sibling texts and family texts. The chemistry. The wit and banter. The friendship. The learning to know who you are and facing your fears.

If you haven't read these and love sweet rom coms, do yourself a favor and dive in! I have book #2 left in my reading enjoyment but these will be ones I return to. And then I'm going to be excitedly awaiting what this wonderful author has to offer next!!!

Content: Clean. Some kisses and nothing further. Some mild innuendos. Talk of death of a parent.

I won a copy of the audiobook in a giveaway. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Luca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mi momento más humilde fue cuando dije que Ben era "otra cosa" cuando en realidad Tyler es "el tipo". Estaré en deuda con Tyler toda mi vida.

No me gustan los friends to lovers, pero... ESTO SOLO ME LO CONFIRMÓ.

Por el lado de comedia todo ha estado muy bien, me he reído y he amado cómo todos los personajes actuaban en grupo; pero la historia de amor de Ben y Brooke simplemente ha sido el típico friends to lovers del que uno está harto. Ella lo ama, él no se quiere dar cuenta, hay drama de "otros", el libro básicamente trata de que ellos están en relaciones con otras personas y son miserables por ver que se alejan; pero eso es lo que hacen todo el libro, alejarse. No sentí el lado "friends" porque apenas las cosas entre ellos cambiaron, no lucharon porque no fuera así, no hay un momento en toda la historia en que ellos llegaran hacia el camino de "lovers", al parecer solo se tenían que dar cuenta que el amor estaba ahí, aunque no existiera para mí si soy sincera. Literalmente solo están juntos en el último capítulo. Qué patético.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complete is such a wonderful friends to more story! I loved the way the author built Ben and Brooke's relationship up in the early years with little peeks into their lives before moving into the main portion of the present day story.

I really felt the connection between Brooke and Ben and the deepness of their friendship. But I also felt the heartache that Brooke experienced once she began to fall in love with Ben but he was oblivious to that aspect of what was occurring.

Before beginning to read the story, I was concerned that I would be uncomfortable during the part of the book when Ben was dating the super model, Jenna. Yet, I loved every little bit of this story. The whole dynamic between Ben, Jenna, Brooke, and Trey was written so well. All of these characters were so likable. And, I'd actually already read the books that feature siblings Trey and Jenna finding their happily ever afters, so it was fun to see them in this earlier story.

I listened to the audio book version of this novel and it was fantastic! I loved the duet narration.

[Lou ( taylor’s version ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ça cassait pas 3 pattes à un canard.
( ayez le mime d’hippo qui fait cette expression svp )

[Gracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute! The first half was perfect but it kinda slowed down for me after that. 4/5 ⭐️

[Dana Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super super cute romantic comedy. I enjoyed it very much. The characters were so sweet and adorable. I fell in love with them all. This book was clean, humorous and fun to read. I throughly enjoyed it.

I will definitely be reading more from this author