Barely Even Friends, Mae Bennett

Garabrandt Reviews

June 4

Title: Barely Even Friends

Author: Mae Bennett

Length: 336 pages

Genre: Contemporary romance, retellings. Tropes: beauty and the beast, grumpy/ sunshine, forced proximity

Is this book part of a series? No, infact I think this is their first book. I have hopes of seeing more of the sisters or best friend though... maybe they could get a story.

I discovered this book via: Netgalley working with Alcove Press. I recieved an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review- as always, they have my gratitude. That said, all thoughts in this review are mine and have not been swayed.

Published: June 4th, 2024

A grumpy, rich recluse meets his match in this steamy Beauty and the Beast retelling—with a Succession twist.

Bellamy Price has just been offered the job of a lifetime: lead contractor on the restoration of the mysterious and sprawling Killington Estate. If she meets the owner's ridiculous timeline, she'll finally make a name for herself in this male-dominated industry. But when she rolls up her sleeves, slips on her suspenders, and shows up at the crumbling mansion, Bellamy finds the estate very much occupied.

After a traumatic car accident that left his parents dead and himself injured, Oliver Killington, heir to the Killington empire, took up residence as the grumpy caretaker of his grandfather's mansion. None too pleased by the presence of the hammer-wielding woman who's moved into his house, Oliver tries to block her at every turn.

But when Bellamy discovers Oliver's facing his own ultimatum from his grandfather, the two form a cautious truce, which leads to flying sparks that are definitely not from faulty wiring. As Bellamy restores the gleam to the Killington Estate, she'll have to decide if the walls she's built around herself are worth knocking down to make space for someone else.

This clever, steamy debut novel will have readers rooting for this Beauty and her Beast until the very last page.

This book made me feel all the emotions- I legitimately cried for our main characters! It starts out as a nod to Beauty and the Beast- girl comes to castle for her father (in this case for his business) and runs into the wounded beast that wants her gone, and the cast of servants (including Bl8z3) that steal the show. It is, from the view of romance, a terrible meet-cute, but it was perfect here. Ambrose, our housekeeper and tailor, is charming in his old fashioned way where as Rue and Nick keep things light and funny. Bl8z3, the ai home... secretary is the best word, I think, is a charming way to bring out the enchanted part of our contemporary Beauty and the Beast retelling.

As far as our main characters go, Bellamy and Oliver are perfect. She is brightness and determination and he is steady, grounding. The chemisty here is undeniable, though in true romcom fashion they tried their damndest, and I loved their interactions. It was the emotional connection, though, that really got me. Each have their own demons to master before they are ready to committ to one another. I saw a lot of growth here, and I loved that. The thing about romcoms is that the same tropes have been told a million times. What keeps these fresh are characters, interactions, the cute aspects of their connection which is always unique. This one delivered a fun, fresh, sexy read that made me want more. I will be waiting to see if any of our side characters get their own story. With a solid plot, great characters, and a good flow to the story, I would consider this a five star book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

As far as adult content goes, there is language, sexual content (level four spice, not terribly explicit but definitely hot), and emotional abuse (this may be a trigger for some readers). All in all, I would still say it's appropriate for new adults.

Once again, I recieved this book from Netgalley working with Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!