Adorable and frustrating all at once, this friends to lovers romance is well written and filled with deep emotion. It’s a laidback, low angst book with a nice combination of sweetness and steam. I enjoyed a lot of the story but Axel and Lia’s hesitancy to move forward – both in the past and in the present – definitely got to me after awhile. Neither one denies their attraction to the other but they won’t admit that they want more.
Essentially, the story follows Lia and Axel, lifelong friends who have harbored feelings for each other since they were teens. Knowing Lia planned to leave town after high school, Axel never made his move. Now that Lia has moved back to town, there doesn’t seem to be anything holding them back from crossing the line. But when Lia moves in with Axel temporarily (as a roommate), it complicates everything. How do you attempt to date your best friend when you’re living with her?
I liked the first book in this series a lot so I was looking forward to Axel’s story and it didn’t disappoint. He’s a great guy whose feelings for Lia are already set in stone from the start of the book, which was an interesting change from the typical romance. My biggest complaint? Oddly enough, that their feelings weren’t unrequited. It’s one thing to read a friends to lovers romance where one wants more and the other doesn’t for a while, but these two have had some idea of the other’s feelings for YEARS and still didn’t do anything about it. If you truly think someone is the one (and know they likely feel the same), how do you let them move away for 10+ years without even TRYING first? They’d really rather watch their person date other people and lose contact over the years than risk the friendship? That’s endlessly frustrating to me. Axel and Lia’s transition from friends to lovers isn’t the smoothest, but I was definitely rooting for these two. It was easy to see how much they cared about each other, and I never questioned their feelings. Overall, it’s a pretty laidback read with plenty of sweetness and a slow burn that has plenty of steam later on. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Jt4I4q
Blurb:
A rugged cowboy offers his best friend a place to live when she moves back to town. A slow burn roommates romance.
Lia Montgomery has been my best friend since we were kids, but when she moves back to our hometown, we can’t ignore the chemistry between us. And I’ve come up with a plan to make her mine.
First on the list? Make her my roommate.
It seems like a great idea at the time, but one look at her in those little pajama shorts and a thin tee shirt, and all I want to do is throw her over my shoulder, caveman style.
Screw the plan.
A simple dare changes everything between us. But when I’m challenged to do the one thing that could tear us apart forever, I realize there’s more at risk than just my heart.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Jt4I4q
About the Author:
Fabiola Francisco loves the simplicity—and kick—of scotch on the rocks. She follows Hemingway’s philosophy—write drunk, edit sober. She writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance, dipping her pen into new adult and young adult. Her moods guide her writing, taking her anywhere from sassy and sexy romances to dark and emotion-filled love stories.
Writing has always been a part of her life, penning her own life struggles as a form of therapy through poetry. She still stays true to her first love, poems, while weaving longer stories with strong heroines and honest heroes. She aims to get readers thinking about life and love while experiencing her characters’ journeys.
She is continuously creating stories as she daydreams. Her other loves are country music, exploring the outdoors, and reading.
Connect with Fabiola and get the 411 on her books and upcoming releases here: http://eepurl.com/cJKvIX
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