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Girlfriend Material
It’s a good thing Allison Farley isn’t in love with her best friend.
They may both be star students in their costume design program, but when it comes to relationships, Allison and Kate are as different as their fashion senses.
Kate marches through life in combat boots and crop tops, breaking hearts as fast as she steals them and insisting anything more than an emotionless hook-up is a waste of time.
Allison knits her own sweaters, wears socks with tiny strawberries on them, and has spent two years of college utterly failing at her goal of getting a girlfriend before graduation.
Until the day it hits her: she’s got a master flirting coach right at her fingertips.
It doesn’t take much to get Kate on board; teaching her best friend the art of seduction seems like the perfect distraction from some of the inconvenient truths Kate would rather not face.
Like maybe she doesn’t hate relationships.
Maybe she’s just afraid of them—too afraid to reach out and grab one when it’s staring her in the face.
So it’s a good thing Kate Davidson isn’t in love with her best friend either.
It’s a good thing Kate and Allison are just taking part in some purely platonic flirting lessons and are absolutely, totally, definitely not falling in love.
Girlfriend Material is a New Adult WLW romance from Katia Rose featuring a little fashion, a lot of fabric, and a friendship that’s only a few snips and seams away from love.
They may both be star students in their costume design program, but when it comes to relationships, Allison and Kate are as different as their fashion senses.
Kate marches through life in combat boots and crop tops, breaking hearts as fast as she steals them and insisting anything more than an emotionless hook-up is a waste of time.
Allison knits her own sweaters, wears socks with tiny strawberries on them, and has spent two years of college utterly failing at her goal of getting a girlfriend before graduation.
Until the day it hits her: she’s got a master flirting coach right at her fingertips.
It doesn’t take much to get Kate on board; teaching her best friend the art of seduction seems like the perfect distraction from some of the inconvenient truths Kate would rather not face.
Like maybe she doesn’t hate relationships.
Maybe she’s just afraid of them—too afraid to reach out and grab one when it’s staring her in the face.
So it’s a good thing Kate Davidson isn’t in love with her best friend either.
It’s a good thing Kate and Allison are just taking part in some purely platonic flirting lessons and are absolutely, totally, definitely not falling in love.
Girlfriend Material is a New Adult WLW romance from Katia Rose featuring a little fashion, a lot of fabric, and a friendship that’s only a few snips and seams away from love.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2022
566 people are currently reading
4974 people want to read
About the author
Katia Rose
25 books991 followersKatia Rose is not much of a Pina Colada person, but she does like getting caught in the rain. She loves to write romances that make her readers laugh, cry, and swoon (preferably in that order). She’s rarely found without a cup of tea nearby, and she’s more than a little obsessed with tiny plants. Katia is proudly bisexual and has a passion for writing about love in all its forms.
Join the Club Katia community and grab your romance freebies! katiarose.com/club-katia
Join the Club Katia community and grab your romance freebies! katiarose.com/club-katia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
June 24, 2023
TW//
“When I’m with her, the world is beautiful. When I’m with her, I’m always safe, no matter where we are or what we’re doing or what anybody else thinks.”
It’s no surprise that I liked this one since I’ve enjoyed all of Katia’s queer romances. There’s just something about the characters and romances that Katia writes that makes me feel so incredibly happy. I’m constantly taking pictures of my favorite quotes whenever I read one of Katia’s romances because there’s so many beautiful lines in her stories that capture what I hope love would feel like.
Girlfriend Material will hold a special place in my heart because of how much it focuses on costuming. I’m a cosplayer and it’s been a dream of mine to learn how to sew better so that I can recreate complicated fantasy costumes, so reading a story where characters do that is so much fun. I also adored all the Lord of the Rings references. One of my closest friends loves Lord of the Rings and she forced me to watch the first two movies recently. Every time I understood one of the references in the book, I was lowkey proud of myself. It was fun, too, to see Kate and Allison enjoy the series while also being unafraid to call out the problematic elements of the series. More fans need to understand that it’s okay to both enjoy things and criticize them.
Something that was done really well in this book was characters asking for consent and being unafraid to check each other’s boundaries. Even in the midst of spicy and romantic scenes, characters would take a break to make sure the other person was still okay with what was taking place. It’s something that I don’t see in books enough, so I’m really glad that Katia Rose decided to include it in this story.
Another thing that was done well was the discussions of therapy. It was almost healing to see Kate’s reaction to Miguel suggesting that she go to therapy because I’ve had way too many bad experiences of people reacting poorly when I suggest therapy and how Kate reacted was how I wish everyone would react to that suggestion.
Despite how much I enjoyed this book, I had a couple issues with the story.
First of all, one of the main characters cheats on their girlfriend and it’s not painted as anything bad. I hate when cheating is used in books, but I hate it even more when a book doesn’t condemn the cheating.
My other criticism is just a mistake that Katia Rose made in her writing that I hope is fixed in future versions of this story, which is that the only nonbinary character in the story, Miguel, is misgendered at 6% into the book.
This wasn’t my favorite Katia Rose novel (Just Might Work still takes the cake for my number one spot), but I still really enjoyed it. I found out at the end of the book that Katia has a series that revolves around a bar that is mentioned a lot in this book, so now I’m even more excited to pick up that series.
“When I’m with her, the world is beautiful. When I’m with her, I’m always safe, no matter where we are or what we’re doing or what anybody else thinks.”
It’s no surprise that I liked this one since I’ve enjoyed all of Katia’s queer romances. There’s just something about the characters and romances that Katia writes that makes me feel so incredibly happy. I’m constantly taking pictures of my favorite quotes whenever I read one of Katia’s romances because there’s so many beautiful lines in her stories that capture what I hope love would feel like.
Girlfriend Material will hold a special place in my heart because of how much it focuses on costuming. I’m a cosplayer and it’s been a dream of mine to learn how to sew better so that I can recreate complicated fantasy costumes, so reading a story where characters do that is so much fun. I also adored all the Lord of the Rings references. One of my closest friends loves Lord of the Rings and she forced me to watch the first two movies recently. Every time I understood one of the references in the book, I was lowkey proud of myself. It was fun, too, to see Kate and Allison enjoy the series while also being unafraid to call out the problematic elements of the series. More fans need to understand that it’s okay to both enjoy things and criticize them.
Something that was done really well in this book was characters asking for consent and being unafraid to check each other’s boundaries. Even in the midst of spicy and romantic scenes, characters would take a break to make sure the other person was still okay with what was taking place. It’s something that I don’t see in books enough, so I’m really glad that Katia Rose decided to include it in this story.
Another thing that was done well was the discussions of therapy. It was almost healing to see Kate’s reaction to Miguel suggesting that she go to therapy because I’ve had way too many bad experiences of people reacting poorly when I suggest therapy and how Kate reacted was how I wish everyone would react to that suggestion.
Despite how much I enjoyed this book, I had a couple issues with the story.
First of all, one of the main characters cheats on their girlfriend and it’s not painted as anything bad. I hate when cheating is used in books, but I hate it even more when a book doesn’t condemn the cheating.
My other criticism is just a mistake that Katia Rose made in her writing that I hope is fixed in future versions of this story, which is that the only nonbinary character in the story, Miguel, is misgendered at 6% into the book.
This wasn’t my favorite Katia Rose novel (Just Might Work still takes the cake for my number one spot), but I still really enjoyed it. I found out at the end of the book that Katia has a series that revolves around a bar that is mentioned a lot in this book, so now I’m even more excited to pick up that series.
November 16, 2022
Allison and Kate met during the first week of a four-year-long costume design program at the Montreal College of the Arts. Now in their third year, they’ve been best friends since. Kate is this cool, gorgeous young woman everyone wants to either be or be with. Allison is cute and becomes a blubbering mess any time a beautiful girl so much as looks at her, which makes her plan of finding a girlfriend by the time she finishes college extremely uncertain. When we meet them, they’re in that place where friends-to-lovers romances shift, the moment when what has always felt comfortable takes new meaning.
The people who seem always level-headed, who look like they’re holding it together, also often hide painful secrets. We all have some kind of childhood trauma, from high school, or from how our family treated us, sometimes unaware of the damage they left. Some have it worse than others, but teenagers are sensitive works in progress and sometimes, one off-handed remark sets off a reaction that will send a person into adulthood with a terribly inaccurate idea of who they are or what is expected of them.
Katia Rose’s books are reliably enjoyable and this rom-com is too, even though it won’t be at the top of my Rose list. It felt a bit too predictable and simplistic at times but the characters, as usual, are lovely.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
June 11, 2023
I liked the plot and the relationship, how healthy it was, but I would have enjoyed the story more if the prose was stronger. Also, I couldn't differentiate the main characters, I never knew whose pov I was in.
Plus public declarations of love give me second hand embarrassment. Please don't do it.
----------------------------------------------
Oh no! Sapphic best friends to lovers with "some purely platonic flirting" ??
I'm totally screwed. If this won't be the best book I read this year I quit reading.
Also, how cute that cover is?!
Plus public declarations of love give me second hand embarrassment. Please don't do it.
----------------------------------------------
Oh no! Sapphic best friends to lovers with "some purely platonic flirting" ??
I'm totally screwed. If this won't be the best book I read this year I quit reading.
Also, how cute that cover is?!
October 24, 2022
An unusual plot setting is the norm for Katia Rose but costume design - that intrigued me.
Two years of failing to find a girlfriend before graduation has put Allison in a bit of a bind. Her best friend and fellow student Kate's rationale is don't waste emotions just have fun and quickly move on. Then Allison has the brilliant (?) idea that Kate can give her some pointers but the best laid plans can fall apart. The descriptions of design classes and clothing, the pseudo date that leads to more, slow back and forth, drama, angst and heat are nicely written. Both leads mature and the reasons for and behind individual behavior is made known though Kate frustrated me at times. The inclusion of diverse characters and HEA topped off the read.
An enjoyable romance from Rose.
I rec'd a copy from the author via StoryOrigin. This is an unbiased review.
Two years of failing to find a girlfriend before graduation has put Allison in a bit of a bind. Her best friend and fellow student Kate's rationale is don't waste emotions just have fun and quickly move on. Then Allison has the brilliant (?) idea that Kate can give her some pointers but the best laid plans can fall apart. The descriptions of design classes and clothing, the pseudo date that leads to more, slow back and forth, drama, angst and heat are nicely written. Both leads mature and the reasons for and behind individual behavior is made known though Kate frustrated me at times. The inclusion of diverse characters and HEA topped off the read.
An enjoyable romance from Rose.
I rec'd a copy from the author via StoryOrigin. This is an unbiased review.
November 20, 2022
Another great book by Katia Rose! She's becoming an instant buy author for me.
I love the friends to lovers trope, which is basically this entire book. Kate is this cool woman who has a lot of game and can get anyone she wants, and Allison can't even string a sentence together in front of a pretty lady. Appearances can be deceiving though, as Kate's cool demeanor hides a lot of childhood trauma and Allison eventually pulls herself together around women.
I enjoyed the secondary plotlines, especially Kate's. They made the characters (again, especially Kate) seem really fleshed out and real, and when the extent of what happened to her was revealed I really felt for her.
The romance was decent. I was expecting more 'coaching' on Kate's part, I feel that could have been expanded upon more, and also the whole 'friends' part too tbh. The text repeatedly says they're best friends, but I didn't really get that vibe. They seemed 'best' friends simply because they didn't have any others apart from Miguel.
So yeah! A nice romance. Lesbian MC, bi MC, non binary SC.
I love the friends to lovers trope, which is basically this entire book. Kate is this cool woman who has a lot of game and can get anyone she wants, and Allison can't even string a sentence together in front of a pretty lady. Appearances can be deceiving though, as Kate's cool demeanor hides a lot of childhood trauma and Allison eventually pulls herself together around women.
I enjoyed the secondary plotlines, especially Kate's. They made the characters (again, especially Kate) seem really fleshed out and real, and when the extent of what happened to her was revealed I really felt for her.
The romance was decent. I was expecting more 'coaching' on Kate's part, I feel that could have been expanded upon more, and also the whole 'friends' part too tbh. The text repeatedly says they're best friends, but I didn't really get that vibe. They seemed 'best' friends simply because they didn't have any others apart from Miguel.
So yeah! A nice romance. Lesbian MC, bi MC, non binary SC.
July 21, 2025
A bit of a disappointment really as I like some of Ms Rose's books. In this friends to lovers romance taking place in Montreal, there was too much angst, too corny towards the end and costume design? Like reading about paint drying for me. I did like the two leads though. 2.5 stars
Read
October 26, 2022IT'S HERE! Girlfriend Material is officially LIVE, and I could not be more excited to share it with the world! I had so much freaking FUN following along with these two costume design students/Lord of the Rings nerds/BFFs who are hopelessly in love with each other but somehow utterly clueless about it, and I hope you will too. Kate and Allison totally stole my heart, and it's been beyond wonderful to see early readers loving them too.
Both heroines study costume design at an arts college in Montreal. I was really into sewing myself during my teens, and I very seriously considered doing a costume design program after high school. I also had some kind of ~tumultuous~ times in my late teens and early twenties that are reflected in some of what Kate goes through, so there's a lot of me in this story, and as cheesy as it is to say it, writing this book was really healing for me in a lot of ways. It means the world to me to know readers are seeing themselves in this story in a variety of ways, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share it.
If you're ready for a WLW friends to lovers dramedy that will leave you laughing, crying, and swooning (hopefully in that order), Girlfriend Material is the book for you. Happy reading!
-Katia
Both heroines study costume design at an arts college in Montreal. I was really into sewing myself during my teens, and I very seriously considered doing a costume design program after high school. I also had some kind of ~tumultuous~ times in my late teens and early twenties that are reflected in some of what Kate goes through, so there's a lot of me in this story, and as cheesy as it is to say it, writing this book was really healing for me in a lot of ways. It means the world to me to know readers are seeing themselves in this story in a variety of ways, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share it.
If you're ready for a WLW friends to lovers dramedy that will leave you laughing, crying, and swooning (hopefully in that order), Girlfriend Material is the book for you. Happy reading!
-Katia
June 19, 2023
Next time I pick up a friends to lovers book without any angst someone knock it out of my hands, thanks
November 20, 2022
The cover has their hair colours the wrong way round and it's so annoying. It peeved me every time I went to open the book 😬
The book itself is super cute.
The book itself is super cute.
December 24, 2022
A very enjoyable new adult romance
The problem (if we can call it that) with constantly reviewing new releases is that you have to read the good, the bad, and the worse. Also having always more books to read than free time is a good problem to have. But the best feeling you can have as a reviewer is to know that the book you are about to read is guaranteed to be well-written and enjoyable. That’s how I feel every time I pick a book by Katia Rose.
Allison and Kate are best friends, both students in a costume design program, but they couldn’t be more different. While Allison dreams of getting a girlfriend before she graduates, Kate engages in emotionless hook-ups. As Allison feels she’s useless at flirting, what better idea than asking Kate for help? It’s not that they are going to fall for each other after all…
I really enjoy it when authors have a recognisable style. Katia Rose’s books have a distinctive Canadian vibe and they reach the perfect balance between sweet, hot and angsty with none overpowering the other. Whether her books describe lacrosse, Highland dance, or costume design, you know all these worlds are going to feel realistic and authentic, like immersing yourself in those little universes.
Girlfriend Material is set around a costume design school which is described vividly. Allison and Kate love what they do and it’s reflected in the way they see clothes as a language in itself, a language that conveys their personalities, mood, and the way they see other people. It also reflects the changing seasons in Montreal. In their world, life is a catwalk full of sartorial metaphors. I loved how real this feels and how the author got the beauty this language conveys.
Maybe the other side of the coin in the world of costume and fashion is the worship of beauty, or at least, what current human conventions regard as beautiful and how this concept reduces a person to how they look. Normally books discuss this from the perspective of a person who doesn’t meet those expectations, but in this case, Kate is the one reduced to just a “pretty face and hot body”. It’s interesting to see how this plays into her insecurities, her lack of self-esteem, and her commitment phobia. I really enjoyed seeing the dating world from her perspective.
This is a best friends-to-lovers romance and the chemistry between the leads is built slowly but surely until the tension is about to snap anytime. But to get there, the characters have some maturing to do, especially Kate who is stuck in the past thanks to a failed relationship. As it’s usual with this author, these characters are new adults who are still trying to find their footing in the world. Katia Rose captures this transition to adulthood really well.
Overall, a very enjoyable new adult romance. 4.5 stars
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The problem (if we can call it that) with constantly reviewing new releases is that you have to read the good, the bad, and the worse. Also having always more books to read than free time is a good problem to have. But the best feeling you can have as a reviewer is to know that the book you are about to read is guaranteed to be well-written and enjoyable. That’s how I feel every time I pick a book by Katia Rose.
Allison and Kate are best friends, both students in a costume design program, but they couldn’t be more different. While Allison dreams of getting a girlfriend before she graduates, Kate engages in emotionless hook-ups. As Allison feels she’s useless at flirting, what better idea than asking Kate for help? It’s not that they are going to fall for each other after all…
I really enjoy it when authors have a recognisable style. Katia Rose’s books have a distinctive Canadian vibe and they reach the perfect balance between sweet, hot and angsty with none overpowering the other. Whether her books describe lacrosse, Highland dance, or costume design, you know all these worlds are going to feel realistic and authentic, like immersing yourself in those little universes.
Girlfriend Material is set around a costume design school which is described vividly. Allison and Kate love what they do and it’s reflected in the way they see clothes as a language in itself, a language that conveys their personalities, mood, and the way they see other people. It also reflects the changing seasons in Montreal. In their world, life is a catwalk full of sartorial metaphors. I loved how real this feels and how the author got the beauty this language conveys.
Maybe the other side of the coin in the world of costume and fashion is the worship of beauty, or at least, what current human conventions regard as beautiful and how this concept reduces a person to how they look. Normally books discuss this from the perspective of a person who doesn’t meet those expectations, but in this case, Kate is the one reduced to just a “pretty face and hot body”. It’s interesting to see how this plays into her insecurities, her lack of self-esteem, and her commitment phobia. I really enjoyed seeing the dating world from her perspective.
This is a best friends-to-lovers romance and the chemistry between the leads is built slowly but surely until the tension is about to snap anytime. But to get there, the characters have some maturing to do, especially Kate who is stuck in the past thanks to a failed relationship. As it’s usual with this author, these characters are new adults who are still trying to find their footing in the world. Katia Rose captures this transition to adulthood really well.
Overall, a very enjoyable new adult romance. 4.5 stars
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
November 2, 2022
I love the friends-to-lovers trope, and Girlfriend Material is that to a tee. Allison and Kate have been close friends for years, but things develop after Allison recruits Kate to coach her while she's attempting to date a classmate. What follows next features a fair bit of angst and pining.
Girlfriend Material is the fifth book by Katia Rose that I've read. I love her new adult books as they typically feature heavy themes, particularly in regard to her characters and their backstory. Although Kate has something has had impacted her, I couldn't connect to it and therefore some of her actions didn't make sense to me. Although I thought the romance was sweet, I think it's why I didn't really connect to the romance between her and Allison.
Girlfriend Material is a sweet, angsty new adult novel that features a solid friends-to-lovers romance.
Many thanks to StoryOrigin and Katia Rose for providing me a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Girlfriend Material is the fifth book by Katia Rose that I've read. I love her new adult books as they typically feature heavy themes, particularly in regard to her characters and their backstory. Although Kate has something has had impacted her, I couldn't connect to it and therefore some of her actions didn't make sense to me. Although I thought the romance was sweet, I think it's why I didn't really connect to the romance between her and Allison.
Girlfriend Material is a sweet, angsty new adult novel that features a solid friends-to-lovers romance.
Many thanks to StoryOrigin and Katia Rose for providing me a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
May 21, 2025
I found this beautiful book on my TBR shelves. Best friends Allison and Kate are in the 4 year costume design class. They're polar opposites and where Kate is beautiful and outgoing,and Allison is shy, especially around beautiful women she's interested in. But they're best friends until they realize they're more than that. But both women have issues to work on, especially Kate, before she can commit.
What a beautiful friends to lovers love story. 5 stars!!
What a beautiful friends to lovers love story. 5 stars!!
November 5, 2022
Excuse my language, but I fucking loved this book. I read this on a whim and went in with 0 expectations and adored it. Normally I cringe with secondhand embarrassment with socially akward characters, but found myself laughing super hard at Allison's flirting mishaps. I loved Allison and Kate and found them both easy to root for. The slow build-up and the tension were amazing, such a perfectly paced book for me. Definitely worth a read for some good chuckles and a sweet and angsty friends-to-lovers romance.
4.7⭐️
4.7⭐️
October 25, 2022
allison is so me it’s terrifying
February 25, 2023
Stop this was so cute 😭 it made me laugh, cry and swoon, in that order. The whole concept is so fun and I love scenery with costume design and all the talk about lord of the rings, both of these things is something I dont see a lot in books but I loved it.
Kate is a badass cool girl who can basically can any girl she wants and has great game when it comes to flirting but Allison on the other hand gets complete gay panic anytime she’s near a pretty girl. They decide to team up and Kate helps Allison learn to flirt.
Both of the main characters have great development throughout the story and they felt so real and really well developed, I especially love Kate and getting to see her childhood trauma and other things that happen to her/them. I loved the writing, it felt true to their ages and how college students actually communicate and what they enjoy doing etc. I also love the writing for anxiety & panic attacks - that was really well done and I really felt it while reading! <3
”She’s beautiful. She’s more than just cute or adorable. She’s a goddamn work of art.”
Kate is a badass cool girl who can basically can any girl she wants and has great game when it comes to flirting but Allison on the other hand gets complete gay panic anytime she’s near a pretty girl. They decide to team up and Kate helps Allison learn to flirt.
Both of the main characters have great development throughout the story and they felt so real and really well developed, I especially love Kate and getting to see her childhood trauma and other things that happen to her/them. I loved the writing, it felt true to their ages and how college students actually communicate and what they enjoy doing etc. I also love the writing for anxiety & panic attacks - that was really well done and I really felt it while reading! <3
”She’s beautiful. She’s more than just cute or adorable. She’s a goddamn work of art.”
July 31, 2023
I adored everything about this book!! Allison and Kate are so incredible together 🥹🥹. And I loved the themes of healing your past self!
April 30, 2025
I just love Katia Rose. When I need some pining and swooning, she is my go to. The consent in this book was just perfect. Both characters had growth, but I thought one of them would have fought that process a little more. Still not disappointed.
June 27, 2024
4 Stars
I got my fix for friends to lovers. This had quite the pining. There were super funny moments I LOLed so hard and there were also parts where it was deep and meaningful. It has complex subjects discussed despite it being comedic at times. A good balance.
I got my fix for friends to lovers. This had quite the pining. There were super funny moments I LOLed so hard and there were also parts where it was deep and meaningful. It has complex subjects discussed despite it being comedic at times. A good balance.
November 11, 2022
7/10
i loved it until i didn't
thought it'd be an easy 10 tho
i was really enjoying the story and the characters up until the middle when i just got tired of it a bit i guess because of some repetitiveness about character background (that was the whole second part of the book about) that didn't really seem convincing to me tbh. the first half was great i'd say 10/10 but then the second was more of a 5/10 - hence the overall rating. the more i read the more i realized that the book didn't have the same spark anymore and i just wanted to be over with it already. which made me sad ofc. all the characters were interesting? some questionable, some nice, some lovable but all of them lacked depth.
obviously i still liked the book and i think it's worth giving it a chance because it's cheesy, it's super dorky and it's got a good friends to lovers trope.
maybe i wish it was more of a slowburn i guess or something. maybe their obliviousness was short lived. or maybe this is just how it should be cause these situations in real life are probably more similar to the one that was in the book rather than all the other extra long slowburn ones in most of the books (which i live for ngl). idk i just feel like things were a bit off.
i loved it until i didn't
thought it'd be an easy 10 tho
i was really enjoying the story and the characters up until the middle when i just got tired of it a bit i guess because of some repetitiveness about character background (that was the whole second part of the book about) that didn't really seem convincing to me tbh. the first half was great i'd say 10/10 but then the second was more of a 5/10 - hence the overall rating. the more i read the more i realized that the book didn't have the same spark anymore and i just wanted to be over with it already. which made me sad ofc. all the characters were interesting? some questionable, some nice, some lovable but all of them lacked depth.
obviously i still liked the book and i think it's worth giving it a chance because it's cheesy, it's super dorky and it's got a good friends to lovers trope.
maybe i wish it was more of a slowburn i guess or something. maybe their obliviousness was short lived. or maybe this is just how it should be cause these situations in real life are probably more similar to the one that was in the book rather than all the other extra long slowburn ones in most of the books (which i live for ngl). idk i just feel like things were a bit off.
January 20, 2024
a cute read that warmed me up🫶🏻
September 27, 2025
After about 25% I looked it up and was surprised it wasn’t a YA book. It was OK but skip read.
June 10, 2023
Great writing (especially since you never know with a Kindle Unlimited indie book), relatable characters I found myself rooting for, nice diversity... this was a really enjoyable read! The main characters make (mostly) smart decisions and communicate, instead of doing stupid things just to fuel the plot with more keeping-them-apart drama.
Not five stars because I found the public breakout moment to be a bit much, and "hot people struggles" are something I have a bit of a hard time to take seriously enough.
But other than that, this was a great find for me that got me out of a reading slum nicely.
Not five stars because I found the public breakout moment to be a bit much, and "hot people struggles" are something I have a bit of a hard time to take seriously enough.
But other than that, this was a great find for me that got me out of a reading slum nicely.
October 17, 2022
Ah, Katia Rose, the love of my reading life. Girlfriend Material is the fourth book I've read by Katia Rose, and it did not let me down. Every single one of Rose's characters has a unique personality, with interests and passions. While both Allison and Kate love costume and fashion, they love it for different reasons, and they have very different (but complimentary) personalities.
I've heard people call the best-friends-to-lovers trope idiots-to-lovers, and this really does apply in this situation. Right from the start, both Allison and Kate are staring with love heart eyes at each other, but both are convinced they couldn't possibly work together/the other couldn't possibly be interested, etc. As their story plays out, we get to learn about both characters and their past, and the reason they make the mistakes they do, and they both just felt very real and thought out.
I appreciated how Rose took into account the experiences her characters had had, and the fact that they had a healing journey to go on. In particular,
Special shout out to Miguel, because I always love non-binary characters turning up where I didn't expect. I love how Katia Rose makes sure to include a variety of queer identities in her stories.
I recommend this book to any romance fan, especially if you like best-friends-to-lovers or costume.
I've heard people call the best-friends-to-lovers trope idiots-to-lovers, and this really does apply in this situation. Right from the start, both Allison and Kate are staring with love heart eyes at each other, but both are convinced they couldn't possibly work together/the other couldn't possibly be interested, etc. As their story plays out, we get to learn about both characters and their past, and the reason they make the mistakes they do, and they both just felt very real and thought out.
I appreciated how Rose took into account the experiences her characters had had, and the fact that they had a healing journey to go on. In particular,
Special shout out to Miguel, because I always love non-binary characters turning up where I didn't expect. I love how Katia Rose makes sure to include a variety of queer identities in her stories.
I recommend this book to any romance fan, especially if you like best-friends-to-lovers or costume.
October 26, 2022
4.5*
this was sooo cute!!! i’ve been in a reading slump and this was such a quick and fun read where i was able to read it in one sitting!
allison was very relatable. she has an obsession of getting a girlfriend who’s perfect. she doesn’t know how to do that though so she gets kate, her best friend, to help her. i also related a lot to kate when it comes so being afraid and wary of relationships. they were both a bit frustrating to read about at times because it was so obvious they liked each other from the beginning and they definitely were not perfect people but that made me love them even more.
i liked how the relationship developed and how they took things slower or faster depending on what they were both comfortable with. i just wanted a little bit more in terms of buildup!
i liked the stuff about fashion as well! it was very interesting to read about. especially when it talked about why each of them went into fashion!
katia rose does not disappoint!
thank you storyorigin and the author for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
this was sooo cute!!! i’ve been in a reading slump and this was such a quick and fun read where i was able to read it in one sitting!
allison was very relatable. she has an obsession of getting a girlfriend who’s perfect. she doesn’t know how to do that though so she gets kate, her best friend, to help her. i also related a lot to kate when it comes so being afraid and wary of relationships. they were both a bit frustrating to read about at times because it was so obvious they liked each other from the beginning and they definitely were not perfect people but that made me love them even more.
i liked how the relationship developed and how they took things slower or faster depending on what they were both comfortable with. i just wanted a little bit more in terms of buildup!
i liked the stuff about fashion as well! it was very interesting to read about. especially when it talked about why each of them went into fashion!
katia rose does not disappoint!
thank you storyorigin and the author for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
October 16, 2022
So I have to start by saying that this book would have normally taken me a couple days to complete. Unfortunately I have been busy and so I feel I may shortchange this book. I have read most of this Authors books and have rated them all pretty high. I liked both the mains for the most part but one seemed to be pretty high on her own looks. It is told from alternating points of view and this works well. Katia has a knack for finding some rather different things to base her stories on and this one is again. I wish I had more time to sit and read this in a faster go but it still rates very high and you should put it on your shelf. Good ending and a little steamy in places with no fade to blacks. I got this as a arc and this is a honest review and thanks to the Author and the publisher for providing it to me. 4 plus rounded down
November 16, 2022
Friends to Lovers.
This is the second book of Katia Rose which I've and I bloody loved it. The first book I read was 'The Devil Wears Tartan' which was a feel good , laugh out loud book. So you could say I was not disappointed when I picked up 'Girlfriend Material' .
The main MCs were great and both quirky in their own way. I also loved the side character Miguel who I just thought , you would be a great friend.
I wanted a nice feel good romance and that's what I got. There was some very silly moments in it but I didn't mind once I got into my heads the ages, settings etc.
Look forward to what comes next by Rose
This is the second book of Katia Rose which I've and I bloody loved it. The first book I read was 'The Devil Wears Tartan' which was a feel good , laugh out loud book. So you could say I was not disappointed when I picked up 'Girlfriend Material' .
The main MCs were great and both quirky in their own way. I also loved the side character Miguel who I just thought , you would be a great friend.
I wanted a nice feel good romance and that's what I got. There was some very silly moments in it but I didn't mind once I got into my heads the ages, settings etc.
Look forward to what comes next by Rose
October 26, 2022
4.5*
this was so cute! thank you to the publisher and the author for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
alison’s and kate’s relationship was absolutely adorable. the yearning, the tension, UGH i loved it so much. this is how all friends to lovers books should be.
the only thing is that i wished is that there was a little more buildup to their relationship. other than that, it was so good!
this was so cute! thank you to the publisher and the author for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
alison’s and kate’s relationship was absolutely adorable. the yearning, the tension, UGH i loved it so much. this is how all friends to lovers books should be.
the only thing is that i wished is that there was a little more buildup to their relationship. other than that, it was so good!
December 2, 2022
I usually love Katia’s books but this book I personally wasn’t a fan of. I didn’t really engage with the characters much, I found them quite annoying. I also found it to be a little boring at times.
Some of the chapters of the book were written beautifully. Like every single time the characters share a moment or a kiss etc, the way that is described in the book is really lovely and descriptive.
I did love all the taylor swift references though
Some of the chapters of the book were written beautifully. Like every single time the characters share a moment or a kiss etc, the way that is described in the book is really lovely and descriptive.
I did love all the taylor swift references though
January 30, 2024
Actual rating: 4.5
My god. Friends to lovers is my absolute favorite trope and this book delivered on that trope and THEN SOME! I loved how it showed how healthy relationships come to be and how neither partner has to be perfect, but also willing to work on themselves and be part of a team together in order for it to work. The multiple Lord of the Rings references were perfect and the multiple little and big gestures that make up a relationship just made me swoon so very hard! I believed in Allison and Kate and I just wish nothing but the best for them! This is my second indie book of the year and I am NOT disappointed at all!
My god. Friends to lovers is my absolute favorite trope and this book delivered on that trope and THEN SOME! I loved how it showed how healthy relationships come to be and how neither partner has to be perfect, but also willing to work on themselves and be part of a team together in order for it to work. The multiple Lord of the Rings references were perfect and the multiple little and big gestures that make up a relationship just made me swoon so very hard! I believed in Allison and Kate and I just wish nothing but the best for them! This is my second indie book of the year and I am NOT disappointed at all!
October 27, 2022
Katia Rose delivers another beautifully written romance that will make you laugh, angst, and swoon! Unfortunately, the prose doesn’t help the parts of the plot that frustrated me.
I’ll start with the good:
- The characters were all written incredibly well. Their personalities and motivations are so palpable and multilayered.
- I know some people have a preference against first person pov, but imo, it’s first person perspective done right. Neither of the characters are annoying narrators and the pov made me really feel for them in a way that I might have not been able to with third person. (I mean, okay. Some things in their thought processes got a little repetitive, but it still worked, imo)
- Kate’s backstory about why she is the way that she is cut very deep. It’s easy to dismiss the hurt that started in grade school because you don’t want to seem dumb, hung up on something that happened so long ago. But this book tells you that it’s normal, that it’s not dumb to still feel affected by those things, and that it’s okay to need to go back and confront it.
- Katia writes in a way that somehow gives you a perfect image of what’s happening alongside feeling exactly what the characters are feeling.
- The dynamic between Kate and Allison is so cute! It’s definitely not one of those romances where you think, “why do they even like each other past being physically attracted to each other?” You can just tell that they’re perfect for each other.
- How does Katia become such an expert at everything she writes about? Women’s lacrosse, highland dance, and now fashion school. The environments she weaves. Wow. I feel like I’m sitting in the classroom with them. Katia really does her research.
- The smut! The smut. THE SMUT!
Ok, now the bad:
What frustrated me throughout the book, and what’s keeping me from giving it five stars, is that their attraction came out of no where, or at least the realization of their attraction. They’ve apparently been best friends for years, and a side character (Miguel) hints about them seeming to already like each other, but it isn’t until the book that they realize “oh no, I like my best friend!” It easily could’ve gone in the direction of Kate realizing that she has feelings for Allison because she was jealous of her wanting to date Cassidy, or they could have already been hiding the fact that they’ve had feelings for each other for years, but nope. Absolutely nothing and everything changes at the same time. Even if they did have feelings for each other since the beginning, it just seemed odd to me that they suddenly both realized/stopped denying it at the same time. And this is BEFORE the first scene where they almost kiss but were interrupted. I feel like I started in the middle of a story instead of a beginning.
I guess that’s the only bad thing really in comparison to all of the good things, but it was a big enough thing that it bothered me, even while loving how the story unfolded. I so wish that I could give Katia 5 stars, because I really do love her writing so much, but I just can’t ignore that part of the story.
Overall still a fantastic read! I bought it almost immediately after it released on Amazon and then stayed up reading all of it in one go! 4.25 stars
I’ll start with the good:
- The characters were all written incredibly well. Their personalities and motivations are so palpable and multilayered.
- I know some people have a preference against first person pov, but imo, it’s first person perspective done right. Neither of the characters are annoying narrators and the pov made me really feel for them in a way that I might have not been able to with third person. (I mean, okay. Some things in their thought processes got a little repetitive, but it still worked, imo)
- Kate’s backstory about why she is the way that she is cut very deep. It’s easy to dismiss the hurt that started in grade school because you don’t want to seem dumb, hung up on something that happened so long ago. But this book tells you that it’s normal, that it’s not dumb to still feel affected by those things, and that it’s okay to need to go back and confront it.
- Katia writes in a way that somehow gives you a perfect image of what’s happening alongside feeling exactly what the characters are feeling.
- The dynamic between Kate and Allison is so cute! It’s definitely not one of those romances where you think, “why do they even like each other past being physically attracted to each other?” You can just tell that they’re perfect for each other.
- How does Katia become such an expert at everything she writes about? Women’s lacrosse, highland dance, and now fashion school. The environments she weaves. Wow. I feel like I’m sitting in the classroom with them. Katia really does her research.
- The smut! The smut. THE SMUT!
Ok, now the bad:
What frustrated me throughout the book, and what’s keeping me from giving it five stars, is that their attraction came out of no where, or at least the realization of their attraction. They’ve apparently been best friends for years, and a side character (Miguel) hints about them seeming to already like each other, but it isn’t until the book that they realize “oh no, I like my best friend!” It easily could’ve gone in the direction of Kate realizing that she has feelings for Allison because she was jealous of her wanting to date Cassidy, or they could have already been hiding the fact that they’ve had feelings for each other for years, but nope. Absolutely nothing and everything changes at the same time. Even if they did have feelings for each other since the beginning, it just seemed odd to me that they suddenly both realized/stopped denying it at the same time. And this is BEFORE the first scene where they almost kiss but were interrupted. I feel like I started in the middle of a story instead of a beginning.
I guess that’s the only bad thing really in comparison to all of the good things, but it was a big enough thing that it bothered me, even while loving how the story unfolded. I so wish that I could give Katia 5 stars, because I really do love her writing so much, but I just can’t ignore that part of the story.
Overall still a fantastic read! I bought it almost immediately after it released on Amazon and then stayed up reading all of it in one go! 4.25 stars
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