samsbookjournal's review
4.0
Best Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes.
Plus One is still my favorite book in this series. This is a close second.
Plus One is still my favorite book in this series. This is a close second.
kfriend's review
4.0
What a sweet and swoony delight! This friends to lover standalone was simply charming- a feel good story with ample heart and heat, and a surprising amount of humor. As someone who has read and loved the darker side of author Aleatha Romig, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this Lighter Ones series, but I was so pleasantly surprised. This story still capitalizes on the sizzling chemistry that I’ve come to adore about Aleatha’s darker stories, but she brings a much lighter and humorous flair to the story. Fun and sweet!
Talk about long time friends- Sami and Marshal have been friends since they were little, long enough to develop a camaraderie and honesty between them that they want to protect. Determined to hold sacred one of the most important relationships in their live, they make a pact to only ever stay in the friend zone. But in a moment of heartbreak, Sam turns to her dependable and compassionate bestie Marshal, resulting in a moment of passion that obliterates their carefully drawn line. And now they can’t deny that being something more feels good- so why not blur the lines a smidge? But can they stick to just friends with benefits when Sami is a forever kind of girl and Marshal is an anti-relationship kind of guy? And how will they protect the thing they hold most dear- their connection?
Sami is such a relatable heroine- I love her sincerity, her idealism and romanticism, and her spark. And Marshal is just yummy- a devoted and compassionate friend with a sharp wit- and super sexy to boot. I loved how openly these two communicated, how natural their friendship felt. There was a real authenticity to their emotional connection that speaks to their years of friendship, of growing up together, and I loved how beautifully Aleatha evolved it as they grew older, and as their hearts and feelings evolved. And for those curious, even in this lighter story, Aleatha brings the sexy edge. These two are so hot together. Meow!
This was such a quick, fun, and delicious read. The drama wasn’t too prolonged, and there are plenty of happy squishy feels. Turns out Aleatha captivates me in the light just as much as in the dark, and I’ll definitely be snatching up more of this series!
4.5 stars
Talk about long time friends- Sami and Marshal have been friends since they were little, long enough to develop a camaraderie and honesty between them that they want to protect. Determined to hold sacred one of the most important relationships in their live, they make a pact to only ever stay in the friend zone. But in a moment of heartbreak, Sam turns to her dependable and compassionate bestie Marshal, resulting in a moment of passion that obliterates their carefully drawn line. And now they can’t deny that being something more feels good- so why not blur the lines a smidge? But can they stick to just friends with benefits when Sami is a forever kind of girl and Marshal is an anti-relationship kind of guy? And how will they protect the thing they hold most dear- their connection?
Sami is such a relatable heroine- I love her sincerity, her idealism and romanticism, and her spark. And Marshal is just yummy- a devoted and compassionate friend with a sharp wit- and super sexy to boot. I loved how openly these two communicated, how natural their friendship felt. There was a real authenticity to their emotional connection that speaks to their years of friendship, of growing up together, and I loved how beautifully Aleatha evolved it as they grew older, and as their hearts and feelings evolved. And for those curious, even in this lighter story, Aleatha brings the sexy edge. These two are so hot together. Meow!
This was such a quick, fun, and delicious read. The drama wasn’t too prolonged, and there are plenty of happy squishy feels. Turns out Aleatha captivates me in the light just as much as in the dark, and I’ll definitely be snatching up more of this series!
4.5 stars
jlkaad19's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Awww!
What a wonderful story! I love how they had been friends since childhood and never explored the idea of more until it was right to cross that line for them.
I love how he helped her move on from Jack simply by being by her side the whole time.
The way that he opened up to her was beautiful also!
Gah! So much sweet and sexy in this book! It was like watching a flower bloom steadily ❤️
What a wonderful story! I love how they had been friends since childhood and never explored the idea of more until it was right to cross that line for them.
I love how he helped her move on from Jack simply by being by her side the whole time.
The way that he opened up to her was beautiful also!
Gah! So much sweet and sexy in this book! It was like watching a flower bloom steadily ❤️
jennharmon's review
fast-paced
2.0
Childhood friends sees each other in another light after one of them is cheated on by their fiancé. I’m not a huge fan of smut books and this was 99% smut. A decent story line but remove the smut, and the book would have been 12 pages.
bookishobsessedmama's review
4.0
This is a cute friends to lovers, lighter read. It’s definitely a 1 seat read. My Always One follows our 2 MCs, Sami and Marshal, and their journey to finding love in each other.
It was a solid, good read.
It was a solid, good read.
lisaluvsliterature's review
5.0
While I found Aleatha through her really dark Consequences series, I do also enjoy her lighter stories like this one when she writes them. And this one was so perfect! The friendship to lovers trope is one I do enjoy, and the way the friends crossed that line was perfect in this one. Plus, I adored Marshal, both as Sami’s friend, as well as when they became friends with benefits. And while this was pretty much a lot lighter than Romig’s usual stories, it still had a little bit of a surprise twist toward the end that was a little deeper than expected. Once again, I really liked how the author handled that, or should I say had the characters handle all of that.
Perfect summer read!
Review first published on Lisa Loves Literature.
Perfect summer read!
Review first published on Lisa Loves Literature.
keely96's review
4.0
A quick, easy read. Marshal & Sami were best friends from childhood and always told each other the truth, but they made an agreement to not cross the line of friendship. Until years later after Sami finds her fiancé cheating on her and goes crying to Marshal. Things changed that night for them, but for the better because they realized just who was in front of them and realized their love was more than just friendship.
msmathy's review
5.0
I'm a sucker for a best friend romance. I know that a lot of stuff that happened at the beginning the book was necessary for us to completely understand why Marshall was the way he was. However, it made me uncomfortable and I almost stopped reading the book. Ask the story progressed, I started liking him more and I came to really appreciate the relationship. There was a point at which this book almost became a three-star book for me and it had to do with thinking the villain of our story was not going to get his comeuppance. That was saved in the final chapters of the book when we got closure. I appreciate that because I was raging until that point. I really enjoyed this story and I'm glad that I gave it a chance.
bookaddictreviews's review
5.0
Sami and Marshall have been best friends since they were five years old. They have always been there for each other through the good, the bad and the ugly. They had an agreement and they would never cross the line with each other and put their friendship at risk.
I absolutely loved Sami and Marshall’s friendship. These two are best friends and you can tell. They are each other’s rocks and they are supportive of each other. There is also chemistry between them and they can only deny their chemistry for so long.
This is a light, feel good story, with pretty much no drama. It is sweet, but also packs LOADS of steam….seriously Marshall is swoony.
If you’re looking for a friends to lovers romance with some steam this is one to read!
I absolutely loved Sami and Marshall’s friendship. These two are best friends and you can tell. They are each other’s rocks and they are supportive of each other. There is also chemistry between them and they can only deny their chemistry for so long.
This is a light, feel good story, with pretty much no drama. It is sweet, but also packs LOADS of steam….seriously Marshall is swoony.
If you’re looking for a friends to lovers romance with some steam this is one to read!