More Than Friends

This is a wonderfully done friends to lovers story with a fake girlfriend twist that just leaves you smiling. It's clean and sweet with great writing and characters. Gabby and Owen are so cute together and the interaction with Owen's family is so fun. As the relationship and feelings start to turn from pretend to real, the fear of losing the friendship they have becomes overwhelming. Putting it on the line might be a risk neither is willing to take. This one is set around the Christmas holiday so it's perfect for this time of year. Definitely a recommended read.

I can never get enough of friends to lovers stories. More than Friends took an age old diatribe and gave it a less sexy, but more sweet face lift. He's organized. She's messy. He's oblivious, she's in love. What happens when a charade becomes the real deal? This friendship may never be the same. More than Friends sparkles with charm. Not only have I discovered a new author, I lost my heart along the way.

I read the second book in this series first and the glimpses of Gabby and Owen made me want to read this book so much. Gabby and Owen are best friends and next door neighbors. When Owen tells his family that he can't come home for Christmas because he doesn't want to leave his new girlfriend, his family decides to come to him. Now he needs a girlfriend to introduce to his family so he convinces Gabby to fake a relationship. If she does this for him, he'll trade apartments with her, since his is the better space for an artist like her. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes because the foundation of the relationship is already so strong but the main characters just need to get over the "will we ruin our friendship by pursuing this" angst. I absolutely loved this story and the connection between Owen and Gabby. As best friends, it's interesting how these opposites can make their friendship work but as they cross the line into more, their differences just show how much they balance each other. I love this series and can't wait to move on to book three! *This is my voluntary review of a advanced reader copy*