I'm all about friends to lovers. Something about it always tickles me and I can never get enough of them. Molly is a new-ish author for me. I have heard of her before, but never really picked up anything from her. Loved the story and the characters. So great!

4.5 Stars

This was so much fun!! It takes a certain finesse to pull of a crazy party story and Molly has it! (No surpise there :) ).

The tension between Fynn and Braylen was perfectly tantalyzing and teasing, and they were adorable with their best-friendness. Their interactions were so effortless, and the depth of affection so obvious.

The diaogue is all so very natural, and I really loved all of the supporting characters, too. It was obvious that there is lot of setup for future books in the series, but in such a way as to make me impatient for them!! Randy may or may not get his own, but seriously, he is awesome nd I want more!! He would fit so well with certain other people who like to live on the EDGE. Ahem.

I wondered how this would play out, being YA, and it is fantastic! The perfect mix of sweet and sexy.

It also needs to be said that I am a sucker for good BBF romance and this checked every box!

I don't read very many Entangled books but this one sounded like my kind of romance so I was interested in reading it from the jump. This is another one of those best friends to true love YA romances and I thought it was such a cute story.

Braylen and Fynn are best friends. They've been best friends since Fynn stood up for Braylen against a mean boy back in elementary school and Braylen has been in love with Fynn since she kissed him in seventh grade during one of those spin the bottle party games. Fynn hasn't really delved into his feelings for Braylen, wanting her more as a friend than anything else and not willing to risk their friendship over anything. So they're getting ready to graduate and Fynn's trying to land his own girl before time runs out and she goes away to college. Only, he needs Braylen's help in securing some alone time with Katie....and the perfect time to make that happen is at their friend Lennon's house party. So Fynn asks Braylen to help him out, play the part of his wingman and talk him up to Katie so that Fynn can seal the deal with her at Lennon's party.

Braylen is of course completely against this plan because the very last thing she wants to do is help the love of her life hook up with someone that isn't her...but what choice does she have? She's never told Fynn has she really feels and he's her best friend. Helping him secure the girl of his choice is kind of part of her job as his best friend. So, of course, she goes to the party and of course she does her best to help her best friend out even when her heart is breaking at the thought of him making out with someone that isn't her.

I will admit that the beginning was a little slow but once Braylen and Fynn get to the party, things really pick up and I really started to warm up to pretty much everyone in this book. From Braylen to Fynn to Lennon to all of their friends, they were all great people who added dashes of charm to an already charming story. I thought Molly E. Lee did a great job of bringing Braylen and Fynn together and seeing her try to work up the courage to tell Fynn how she really feels and seeing Fynn get it wrong time after time again, was fun and that can be a hard thing to bring about in books. It would have been so easy for me to be frustrated with Fynn for not seeing what was right in front of his eyes or to want to shake some courage into Bray to finally be honest and up front with Fynn about how she really felt but Lee did a wonderful job of placing the reader in these character's shoes and having them feel what the characters were feeling. It was easy for me root for Braylen and Fynn because I liked them and I understood what drove them.

This was an enjoyable book with a charming cast that really brought this story to life for me. This will definitely not be the last book that I read by Molly E. Lee and I'm looking forward to see what's next from this author. This book was fast and it was cute and perfect for a summer read.

<strong>Grade: 4 out of 5</strong>

Absolutely adored this book. I really love the way the author writes and she really gives you that sense of realism in her stories. There is the right amount of angst and passion but real life lessons in it! As always, it is a joy to read her work and this one did not disappoint at all!

Back to Love in the Friend Zone. I loved reading this book. Its the perfect summer read book and I think any young adult would love to read this and perhaps anyone older as well. I was team Braylen the whole time.
Braylen and Fynn have been best friends since kindergarten and they both know they have each others backs through thick and thin. The only thing is Braylen is in love with Fynn and has been since day one but Fynn doesn’t know it. Or does he feel the same way?
They kissed once but each swore it would never happen again and Braylen has grown to accept that and would rather have him in her life as a friend if nothing else. Which I can totally relate to even though it kills you inside.
Love in the Friend Zone takes place over the course of one night and that is grad night. Fynn is dragging Braylen to their friend Lennon’s place for a party (who just happens to be in the band Braylen loves) and wants her to be his wingman to get Katy’s attention. Katy has been the dream girl for Fynn. Braylen will do anything for Fynn even if his happiness comes before hers even though its killing her inside.
Fynn knows that this is probably the only chance he will get with Katy and is thrilled when his plan works. Over the course of the night Braylen has been warned by her friend Zoey that she has until midnight to tell Fynn exactly how she feels otherwise she will tell him. Braylen tries several times to tell him but every time Katy ruins it. Then she meets Randy who knows the way to a man is making him jealous and I think that was sort of the tipping point for Fynn but will he realize that what he really wants has been right in front of him the whole time?
Will Braylen finally tell Fynn exactly how she feels before midnight? Or will someone else do it for her?

Braylen has been in love with her best friend Finn for years, but has never confessed the truth to him for fear of losing their friendship. However, the night of their graduation party, Finn asks Braylen to be his wingwoman and help him get the girl of his dreams, the gorgeous Katy Evans. Yet, although it's hard for Braylen to be happy about the situation, she decides to grin and bear it until she's given an ultimatum by another friend. Will Braylen confess her feelings to Finn, or will she lose the one person she's always been able to rely on?

What a wonderful, fast-paced, charming read Ms. Lee has penned in this first book of her Grad Night series, which had me riveted from start to finish due to it encompassing the friends to lovers trope; two fantastic main characters that are determined to deny the intense feelings they have for each other so they don't ruin their friendship; secondary characters that are determined to do whatever it takes to make certain their friends don't miss their opportunity of happy ever after; and dialogue that was a fascinating blend of intense moments and teasing banter that had me cheering for this couple's happy ever after, especially since they're good for each other. The way this story started had me liking both the main characters, as it's palpable they're close and would do anything for each other. Will Finn realize he's in love with Braylen before it's too late?

As for the main characters, both were compelling and I loved that Braylen was willing to help Finn get close with the girl he's wanted for a while, even though her heart is breaking. I also liked how resilient and courageous the heroine was and that she wasn't afraid to use any means necessary to make Finn realize what he's missing out on. Jealousy and making herself look good are powerful motivators for getting a reaction from Finn. While Finn, he's always been there for Braylen and I liked learning how they first met. Certainly, he's protective of her, which is proven by what he did for her in the moment when they first became friends and what he does to the school bully. I also liked the decision the hero had to make about where he'd go to college, which isn't easy because he has so many options.

Overall, Ms. Lee has delivered a worthwhile read in this book where the chemistry between this pair was off-the-charts, the romance on the sweet side, and the ending had me loving the hero's bravery when it comes to winning Braylen's heart because there's no way he is going to let Braylen continue to think that he doesn't feel anything for her when it's palpable he does. I would recommend Love in the Friend Zone by Molly Lee, if you enjoy Young Adult books, the friends to lovers trope or books by authors Cindi Madsen, Melissa West, Kandi Steiner and Monica Murphy.

4 "BFFs making me feel" Stars

ARC via NetGalley

Thank you, Entangled Teen!!!

I started this book one day after I was done reading Just Friends by Tiffany Pitcock, and the fact that I adored Love in the Friend Zone says a lot about how amazing this book is. Why? Because Just Friends and Love in the Friend Zone have the same vibe (sweet and romantic) and premise (best friends falling in love), but they still felt different enough to stand on their own.

In Love in the Friend Zone we have best friends since they were kids, Bray and Fynn. Bray is in love with Fynn. Fynn has no clue because he's a guy, and you know how guys can be clueless sometimes. #sorrynotsorry

It's graduation day and while all Bray wants is for her BFF to finally realize she's the girl of his dreams, so they can go off to college together as more than just friends, Fynn is stuck on the idea of someone else entirely. He wants popular girl, Katy. But don't judge Fynn just yet. The boy isn't interested in Katy because she's popular and pretty. No, he thinks she's more than just that, and he was charming enough to wait a few months since her break up to actually make a move. Very prince-ly of him. He's also interested in Katy because falling for her might be the safest route. See, Katy is going to college much closer to home, than, let's say, his best friend Bray, who's moving across the country. And if there's something Frynn wants is to stay close to his parents because they're close and happy. You see my problem here? Fynn makes it very hard to stay mad at him for the bad choices he's making. LOL

And being mad at Fynn should be easy, because he has the coolest girl right there and he doesn't even see it. Like Fynn, Bray is so likable I couldn't help but feel for her. Girlfriend broke my heart more than once with the whole "I love my best friend" drama. Every time she saw Fynn and Katy together, every time she put her own feelings aside to make sure Fynn got his happiness, every time she thought Fynn was rejecting her, hurt me as if I were her. I both loved and hated how Bray's drama made me feel. Kudos to Molly E. Lee (a new author for me) for putting me right there with Bray every step of the way.

Like most BFF to lover stories, fear and miscommunication ruled the story here, but not in a bad way. This reminded me of another favorite YA Contemporary about BFF falling in love, Adorkable by Cookie O'Gorman. These two authors shared the ability to make the story interesting using miscommunication as a plot device in a way that didn't seem cheesy or annoying. There was reason and logic behind Bray's decision to keep quiet about her feelings for her best friends, and Fynn's denial was also understandable. He had weaker motives than Bray, but he wasn't the only one who had always known he was in love with his BFF, so I could buy that.

Something I also adored was how this story was pratically told in a span of a day, or better yet, a night. Most of the story was set in a graduation party, and dude, I so wanted to be at that party because there was so much going on. The fact that Fynn and Bray were BFF allowed for that to happen without it feeling like insta-love.

Speaking of that party, I was super super excited about all the people we met there. There were all these side romance stories going on between Bray and Fynn's friends, and I need to read about them. I need.

I seriously need Molly E. Lee and Entangled Teen to tell me there will be more books in this series. And I need them to be out soon. Like, yesterday.

So, I guess what I'm saying is this book was freaking adorable and great and super my thing, and I simply cannot wait to read what this author writes next. Give. It. To. Me.

**Amazon Review live**

YA is a little too young for this old lady! I can do NA but YA and high school drama makes me feel old. I tried but I DNF

I took this book with so many expectations because I love books of friendship that turns love.
Braylen works in the school newspaper and loves her job primarily because she is close to her childhood friend and fellow Finn. They always studied together, she considers him as her hero and Finn only sees her as a friend and now at graduation he decides to fight for the girl he wants. He is a boy who just figured out that he likes the popular Kate. Upon discovering that this girl broke up with her boyfriend, he finded the golden opportunity to ask Kate for a date and asks for help from his beloved and inseparable friend Braylen.
The party at Lennon's house is the setting for many couples to fight and get back together and that's where Zoye demands that her friend Braylen declare herself to Finn even knowing he's there with another girl.
The book had everything to go great but I spent almost all reading with anger because of Finn’s behavior and sorry for Braylen and at the crucial moment I swear I hoped she would act differently but it was not what happened. At least his gesture of redemption was worth the reading .... it was the cutest moment in the book.
My favorite character was undoubtedly Randy and I hope his story is too good to make up for what he's been through in this book.
The book is very fast reading and already prepares the reader for the next books in the series where maybe I can connect with this couple because in this book I only felt anger.

3/5 stars.

looking for a book that reminds you of those epic nights of teenage fun? the ones that bring to mind nick and norah's infinite playlist or can't hardly wait or superbad? then love in the friend zone is that book. it seems to be kicking off a series of books, and i expect them to overlap because there is enough stuff happening offscreen here that you definitely want to keep reading.

in love in the friend zone, braylen and fynn have been best friends forever. since, like, the first day of kindergarten when fynn rescued braylen from a bully who broke her red crayon. she's the editor-in-chief of the newspaper and he's the star photographer. they do everything together. their mantra is "you're there, i'm there" and they stick to it.

they kissed once before, but instead of changing things, they both clung more deeply to their friendship. so fynn didn't let himself see braylen any other way. and braylen just lusted after fynn from afar.

but this night, it's their last hurrah. everything is changing in the fall. they're starting college and fynn isn't sure he wants to go to northwestern (where braylen is going). and he's had his eye on katy evans, he's built up a story around who she is, and he just needs to get the nerve up to talk to her. and braylen is his wingwoman.

and he has no idea that he is killing her with this request. and when their mutual friend zoe challenges braylen to tell fynn how she really feels, and that she has to do it by midnight or zoe will spill the beans herself, well that just adds to the pressure.

the thing about this story is that it flows almost cinematically. the way the characters move through scenes, what they are doing, what they are talking about, how they overlap, it's so well-constructed. i really enjoyed this story and the way it was building up to tell other stories about the people at this party. i want to know what is happening with zoe and gordon and lennon and jade. it's pretty cool that in such a constrained amount of time the author manages to give us a full sense of who these people are and what makes them tick. the fact that one night can change everything for braylen and fynn doesn't seem impossible. because you really get a sense of the twelve years of friendship that came before this moment.

You know those definitive party scenes in all the great teen romcoms (think Say Anything or Can't Hardly Wait)? The ones where things go from crazy to crazier and it's hilarious, and fun, and leaves you a little bit on the edge of your seat and frustated while you wait for the hero and the heroine to figure things out and find their way toward true love?

Yeah. This book is exactly like that. It's a unique set-up - fresh and fun and ripe with opportunities to tell more stories. I loved it! And - despite the fact that they literally made me throw my hands up in the air and roll my eyes at them more than once - I really really loved Braylen and Fynn. Their angst - so unnecessary and so "next level", but also so true to that time in life. I related to it in a way that made me uncomfortable with my memories, but also in a way that made me feel nostalgic and happy and all fuzzy warm hearted.

Always late to the party, this was my first book by Molly E. Lee and I'm so happy to say it won't be my last. Not only because it's the start of a series and I definitely need to know what was going on with some of the secondary characters (and I selfishly want a Randy book because as wingmen go? That guy was tops.), but also because the writing was engaging, the story was extremely entertaining, and despite the few times where I wanted to cover my eyes and hide - I enjoyed the crap out of it. I'm all-in for more!

I am not a huge fan of young adult, but I am a huge fan of Molly Lee, so when I heard she was writing a new series, I had to read it. I felt so many things while reading this book. I was the girl in high school who was in love with my best friend. For a few years we hung out and he never reciprocated my feelings, until one day he did. Braylen and Fynn's story brought back so many memories for me. I flashed back to that time of my life as I read this story and was over come with emotion because I've lived this tale. Molly did an excellent job of painting the feelings and the emotions that Fynn and Braylen are going through. I loved the story and I definitely look forward to book 2 in the series. Great read!

DNF at 49%

Braylen and Fynn (yep, that's their names) have been BFFs for years. She writes for the school paper and he takes the photographs. They shared a kiss once a few years ago at a party but both agreed it was a mistake and have been firmly in the friends zone ever since. School has ended and Braylen is off to college 2,000 miles away but Fynn is undecided. The story centres around the lead up to and attendance at a party to celebrate the end of school. Fynn has asked his BFF to help him get a date with Katy "Killer Boobs" (shoot me now) and Bray has agreed to help even though she has been in love with Fynn ever since that kiss.

I accept that I am a 50 year old woman reading a book aimed at teenagers (and young teenagers at that) but I have read plenty and loved them (sometimes I think it is because they are so sweet) but Bray and Fynn are just so determinedly oblivious to the other's feelings, despite everyone around them seeing the blindingly obvious that it got tedious.

I tried really hard but Fynn and Bray were just those kind of intellectual (yet hot) but stupid kids that really irritate, Bray is a nerd (because she wears Darth Vader t-shirts) but really hot but no-one realises she is hot until she wears a bikini or tight jeans? And don't get me started on Flynn's moralising about how Bray doesn't need to dress up because she's beautiful just as she is - wonderful sentiment if he hadn't had his eyeballs on stalks at the same time! There's the obligatory hot, mean girl and the jock and the ritchie-rich kid - it was all so predictable.

Anyway, it also really reminded me of the 1987 film Some Kind of Wonderful.

Sorry, just not for me.

I loved this book. Braylen and Fynn have been friends for years. Best friends even. They have been asked and answered more times than not if there is anything more between them and they always reply the and way. No.
Fynn asks Braylen to talk to the girl he wants to date for him and she has never been able to tell him no. Even though she has been in love with him for years, she always thought she would have time.
During the party, she does what she promised and plans on leaving. He friends who know how she feels about Fynn give her until midnight to tell him (they believe he should have all the facts) or they will tell him. After multiple attempts and games where truths are revealed, she is running out of time.
Will a mistaken identity in a bedroom and some action that neither one saw coming be the catalyst for both to admit their true feelings? Will Fynn do it say something that Braylen well take as a rejection? What will she say or do when he makes the grand gesture? Will the grand gesture be too little too late?
You need to read this book. I know I can't wait for the next in the series.

This was a typical warm and cuddly teen story, I'm not sure if I was Braylen if I would have wanted anything to do with Fynn in the end, it was a little too easily resolved for me, this story had some great secondary characters that I'd like to see more of like Randy and Zoey.

I am definitely a fan of the friends to lovers story-line and this synopsis grabbed me right away! This was a sweet book and didn't really feel like YA but more NA.
Fynn and Braylen stole my heart from almost the first page and I think readers will enjoy this book!

<i>I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

This is my first time reading Molly E. Lee's book and it has my heart for her amazing writing. It really does. Being in love with your best friend? Caught in friend zone stuff. Gosh! That's my thing. This is what I have been searching for. The journey of the two MC, Braylen and Fynn is absolutely interesting to know. Both of them were a best friend since they were a kid and yet, the heart speaks the word love but mouth won't allow it. Thus, in the <b>Love in the Friend Zone</b>, we can see how both of them struggling to say the words that should have been said a long time ago. Well, I can say that Molly has delivered it right.

I like Braylen's character. She knows what she wants to do in her life, what she wants to study and she is brave in telling the truth to Fynn though, it takes quite some time to reach to that point. All I can say that she is a strong character.

Whilst, Fynn. He is a talented photographer. He is a good boy friend, always taking care his bff, by her side all the time except he does not realize his bff is in love with him!

All in all, it is a nice reading, it just that I'm hoping for more from Fynn's character. I feel it lacks something somewhere. The climax is like lasting for a minute or two and I need more. Fynn needs to know how struggle Braylen is in wanting to tell Fynn about what she feels about him. The character development of the two of them needs more than that.

Anyway, thank you for giving me the chance to read a cute YA story.

A sweet coming of age high school friends to ‘more’ romance following Braylen and her best friend and secret love, Fynn. Braylen and Fynn have been best friends for what seems forever, they do everything together, and the night of the high school graduation at the party of the year Flynn begs Braylen to help him get together with his high school crush. Braylen unable to say no, agrees. Herein starts a series of mishaps as Braylen tries her best to tell Fynn how she feels, and Fynn battles with his feelings when he sees Braylen with another boy, even after Braylen supposedly set him up with his dream crush. With some funny moments, a lovely story, written in dual POV that kept me hooked from start to finish, even when I wanted to strangle the living daylights out of the pair of them for not seeing what was right in front of them. I was provided with an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is everything you want and expect from a teen romance. Meet Braylen high school newspaper editor and fangirl. shes been in love with her best friend fynn for years. Too scared to ruin their friendship she kept it to herself. Then theres Fynn he's got it bad for another girl but still has mixed feelings about a kiss him and braylen shared in freshman year. when he enlists braylen as his wingwoman things get out of control and its only time till all of their feelings are out in the open.

This was an easy and fun read. perfect for a lazy afternoon. I personally can't wait for the next one love between enemies

I'm a sucker for a BFF to more story and I really liked the synopsis here.

I liked Braylen and Fynn well enough. They're both smart and hard working and have a cute banter between them that comes from them knowing each other for so long. There are a lot of characters, but Katy and Randy are the only other set worth mentioning {besides Braylen's Mom, but she was amazing and deserved more time} and it felt like both of them were just on the page to serve a purpose. We didn't get more than surface information on either.

Plot wise, it was exactly what I expected. I liked that the entire book was over one {maybe} 12 hour period. The downside to that is that everything felt rushed and I never really saw the chemistry manifest between Braylen and Fynn. The grand gesture was sweet, but I would have liked a bit more from the ending.

Overall, it was really quick read and I'm definitely intrigued to see the next one. If for nothing more than to find out what Zoey's plan was.

**Huge thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing the arc free of charge**