Yay! A fantastic read from a new-to-me author! it was so fluffy and romantic. I can't wait to read more books from her!!

Stacey stood outside her apartment door. Tonight her boyfriend of five weeks- Leo- were taking it to the next level and sleeping together. Leo was rock star hot and that was fitting since music was what he did for a living. Leo was sleeping in her room. Three weeks touring with his band Asia must have caught up with him. Stacey had met Leo when he and his band played at the resort near Chinaman Hat at the same time she’d set a Dinner For Two- her business- event. Stacey’s best friend was Grant. Stacey believed Leo was in her bed and started kissing him and he woke up and kissed her back and started caressing her. She found she wanted him more than she had thought. Than Grant turned on the light when he recognized her lemony scent. Stacey than realized it was grant she was kissing and he realized it was Stacey. Than Grant remembered the horrible first date, needing to talk to his best friend, getting rid of her jerk of a boyfriend, he was so tired he had fallen asleep on Stacey’s bed. Grant had to make his penis realize this was the one woman whose friendship he’d never risk losing. Grant told Stacey he threw Leo out of her apartment when he realized he was married seen his wedding band and he was talking to another woman when grant got at her apartment. Grant was partial owner of the Mile High Distillery and was required to do some public relations work at times. Stacey and Grant had grown up together. She had been the first friend he had made when he’d been sent to live with his first set of foster parents Grant had occasionally thought about kissing Stacey but he didn’t do the kind of relationship Stacey was after. Relationships weren’t permanent. Neither was love. Not for someone like him anyway. Around midnight after waiting all evening for Leo to call, and a heated text battle turned phone call she found out leo was indeed married. Than she tried to forget what it was like to straddle grant, to touch him, be touched by hum. Even now her body responded -tightening - at the memory of him. She’d never reacted that way with any other guy she had dated. Grant knew he had no place in Stacey’s life other than her best friend. When they’d first met Grant had been the new kid at school -alone and afraid. All Stacey knew was that he;d been dropped at a park to play, while his mother took off with his younger brother. What kind of woman abandoned her kid? Life could be brutally unfair, was it too much to ask that life be fair? Grant had taken Stacey to a P R activity he had to go to and it was his birthday. Grant said to her “each moment is all we really have right? Can’t live in the past….” “ Well you can’t bank on any kind of future.” Stacey asked if he’d take her home with him and he answered that depended on if she let him kiss her again At first the kiss was soft than it deepened. Stacey had wondered if the spark between them had been just been a fluke. Noe it was impossible to deny that the spark was anything less than a roaring, all consuming fire. One that she was more than happy to walk into. Then they were interrupted and Grant had to do some business stuff and Stacey went home by herself. Sunday Grant was at Stacey’s parents house as usual. Grant had been treated as part of the family since he was eight. Stacey’s sister Carly asked who she was looking for when Stacey said Grant she replied Issac had introduced Grant to Meredith who was an attorney at Isaacs law firm. They were off getting to know each other. Even though Stacey felt like a knife had went through her heart she was happy for Grant. He deserved to be happy . He needed to find someone who’d reach through his commitment phobe exterior into his soul. Her head knew the logic, her heart was having a hard time. Grant knew he’d never let himself be that vulnerable to a woman. People always left him- look at his mom. Look at the half a dozen foster families who’d sent him on his way. Sure, he was fun when he was still a kid, but in the end he wasn’t someone any o0f them wanted to keep. Really. If his own mother couldn’t be bothered to keep him, why would anyone? No was he was opening himself up to that kind of pain.
A very good book that I really enjoyed. I loved Stacey and Grant together. I really enjoyed how they started out as best friend since they were eight years old. I loved how Grant finally took a chance on love. I really liked how teach other wanted the other happy even when it hurts them. I didn’t want to put this down. Put this down. At times I choked up while reading this and other times I chuckled. I really enjoyed the plot and pace. I loved the characters and the ins and outs and I recommend this book.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes. After all, they say the key to a good relationship is friendship.

Stacey Winters and Grant Phillips have been best friends since they were young kids. Stacey is from a large family of all girls and Grant grew up in various foster homes. Stacey believes in love and wants a marriage like her parents have. Grant doesn’t believe in love or relationships. His thought process is simply that people leave so there’s no use trying. The only people he’s really close to are his foster brother, Aiden, Stacey, and her family.

When Grant has a downright awful date, he goes to Stacey’s apartment only to find her current boyfriend there. After the two exchange some words, Grant is the last man standing. Tired from the night, he lays down in Stacey’s bed. Expecting to find her boyfriend in bed, Stacey climbs in. The two end up sharing a mind-blowing passionate kiss, only to realize the person they're kissing isn't who they think it is. Not wanting to risk their friendship they each try to pretend the kiss never happened. Too bad they keep finding themselves in intimate settings that lead to more kissing. Eventually, the kissing leads to more and they find themselves in an unintentional relationship. That's until past hurts and questions of the future emerge.

The Best Friend Incident had plenty of funny moments. There was also a heartbreaking moment. I would have loved to have known more about Grant’s past. I question how Grant and Stacey were able to remain friends when he moved around a lot in foster care. While I like them as individuals, I just felt like I was missing something.

**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed.**

The Best Friend Incident is the first book by Melia Alexander that I have read and it was hilarious! I loved the dynamic between Stacey and Grant.

Stacey Winters is in love with love. Grant Phillips doesn’t do relationships. But when they kiss, everything changes. It could be exactly what Stacey is looking for and it could be just what Grant needs. Either that or he’s screwed.

A great romance novel. Easy to read. Funny and sexy, it ticked all my boxes! A real relationship, that is honest and awkward but so real. Would recommend!

Fast read, enjoyable story of two best friends trying to work out if they can push their relationship to another level and don't lose each other in the process. I enjoyed both characters and their interactions but sometimes their dialogue or inner dialogue was very repetitive. Still I liked it and read it in a day

Melia Alexander has, I’m finding, a truly powerful voice in creating characters who are the essence of romantic. Her talent in bringing to life characters (including the secondary ones) who touch your heart, leaving with you a lasting impression, is not seen often enough. Grant and Stacey are one of those couples. They made laugh, they made me cry, and most importantly, they made me think. There are a lot of lessons to take away from this couples’ story, most important is that when one heart sings out to another, the door is given the opportunity to stay open for the former to get through to the latter.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

First off I love friends to lover stories, they are always so cute.
I also liked this author and the writing style and would love to read more books by her.
Grant and Stacey have been best friends forever and they don’t want to jeopardize what they have but Stacey wants a committed relationship and love and Grant does not believe in either of those things and with a past to prove it. So the question is does Grant keep Stacy in the friends zone or does he take the chance on something that could be amazing?

Eh...it was just okay. Not great, but not bad either.

It's your typical girl and guy who are best friends, spend tons of time together and then suddenly take things to the next level without thinking it through or planning it. The story surrounds how their friendship bounces back and forth between friends and the underlying sexual tension that never seems to disappear.

The problem? That's all the book was about. There was no real drama, no other story line besides can we or can't we do this.

It could have been a great story with just a little something to keep the story interesting.

The first half of this book was great. The accidental incident that starts off the whole premise was fun and I liked both characters from the start. The anticipation of seeing how they were going to resolve everything made it a real page turner. The career that she had was unique. His backstory was sad.

Then, suddenly, they decided to have sex and it was liike the rest of the book was written by someone else. The conversations were stilted, the sex scene was awkward. I couldn’t finish it after that. I am sure what happened but it was very disappointing. Loren is too short to read sub-par books. Sorry,

This is a great book; this is the second book in the Driven to Love Series written by Melia Alexander. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

This was a fantastic book. It just goes to show friends are an important part of life. What happens when your best friend is the opposite sex and emotions and chemistry rise to the surface making you question what you once thought? Thank you for allowing me to read this and write about it.

Stacey is in love with being in love. So on the look out for HEA. Coming home one night to crawl into bed with her boyfriend she strips and gets in only to discover that it isn't her nd but her other nd her best friend Grant. But those kisses have know changed there relationship because there looking at each other completely different now. But while Stacey wants her HE A Grant doesn't want a commitment after being shuffled from place to place in the foster system. But will they be able to work through this to find love or just be friends.

Rating: 3.5 stars

After a couple dud books, I needed something cute, and The Best Friend Incident delivered. With just enough angst and a conflict that didn't last too long, it was a quick, sweet read about two best friends who start to feel some non-friendy things for each other after a case of mistaken identity in the dark. And it came complete with a wise old man!

Stacey was a very bubbly sort, but not in an overbearing way. She was caring and ambitious, and she clearly had to be very detail-oriented to start a business creating perfect romantic dates for couples. (By the way, what a great idea, catering to people who want to be romantic but aren't good at organising dates or don't have time to.) I loved that she was a romantic; she knew what she wanted, and why should she have to settle?

Meanwhile, Grant was a commitment-phobe, but he never came across as a player like you'll find in other books. Yeah, he set expectations low – fun but nothing long-term – but it didn't seem like he just went around sleeping with women. In fact, Grant was actually quite a gentleman, at least what we saw of him. I liked that he was clearly an introvert, preferring to either work on his recipes or be outdoors, while also having some abandonment issues (but who wouldn't given his background???). Yeah, I'm going to claim him for Team Introvert. Fight me. And all the talk of outdoors? This homebody started looking up where to find nearby forests just outside of London. That's how convincing Stacey and Grant were.

I'm going to tentatively put Grant in the Beta Hero category, even though I'm still trying to figure out what exactly a beta hero is. Here's why: Grant wasn't pushy or domineering, and while he did get a bit jealous here and there, he was never possessive. Also, he was very respectful and supportive of Stacey, and when he did screw up, it was because he was trying to help her get what she wanted, which was a guy who would offer her true love and permanence.

Together, it was very clear they'd be a good match, and I'm surprised it took so long for them to figure that out. How did they get through their teens without any experimental kisses? But then, I suppose, this would be a YA romance and not an adult one, and then we'd miss out on the few but just steamy enough sexytimes. Plus, I must be maturing myself if I like reading about people who actually have their lives and what they want figured out.

Funnily enough, what really stole the show for me was Julian. Julian was the true hero. In his 80s and romantic as hell, he dished out excellent relationship advice and set my standards for a man much higher than any romance novel before. Because instead of doing anything over-the-top "romantic", what he did was love and cherish his wife completely for sixty years, still talking about how amazing she is after decades together. Guys, that's all I want! Someone to love me even when I'm old and falling to pieces (more than I am now).

Like I said, it was sweet and little bit spicy with not too much angst, and it was just what I needed to start getting me out of my funk.

3.5 stars
This book has a lot of cussing (including a lot of f-bombs) and on-screen sex. If those things bother you, this is definitely *not* the book for you.

The Best Friend incident is a quick and easy read that was entertaining from start to finish. I enjoyed the interplay between Grant and Stacey, and their chemistry was great, even if they were both totally clueless when it came to their relationship. Both Grant and Stacey were great characters, and I liked them both...even when I wanted to smack Grant for being obtuse. The epilogue was my favorite part and made this story so much better.

The only thing I didn't enjoy about this book were the amount of things that were left without a real conclusion. ***mild spoilers in this paragraph only*** Who was the “mystery client” who wanted to remain anonymous? What about Grant's missing brother who was hinted at but who never came into play? Same went for Grant's job – we meet Patrick and get tons of unimportant details about Grant's job but after growls at Grant, that whole plot line is just ignored. But the worst, to me, was Julian. Julian's issue (being vague to avoid major spoilers) being used as a cheap plot device and then just totally forgotten as if he didn't matter was just terrible. If an author is going to use that particular situation to further a story line, at least give the readers some closure on that.

Even though it was a little bit frustrating at times, it had some fun parts and I'm glad that I read it. If you're looking for a light, sexy, and easy read this book fits that bill.

Loved this book! Read it in one sitting! Alexander's writing flows well and the story had me hooked from the first page. So much fun!

Oh my god this is my favourite book by this author by far. It just hooked me right in and didn’t let go even when I had finished reading it too. I just loved it, especially the characters. The characters are what make this book a 5 star book in my opinion and they are the ones that grab you into their story and don’t let go. They have fabulous interactions between each other and other secondary characters too. There is plenty of romance and chemistry throughout the story and it was just perfect for this storyline. I can’t wait for the next book by this author as if it’s anything like this one then it’s going to be fantastic. I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone

Grant Phillips and Stacey Winters have been best friends for years, but when Stacey accidentally crosses the friend zone, things begin to change for the better between them. However, Grant doesn't do relationships. Will Grant realize how important Stacey is to him before it's too late or will they lose their shot at happy ever after?

Ms. Alexander delivers a wonderful friends to lovers romance in this story, which had me laughing at the incident that could lead to things becoming awkward between them. Yet, instead, it leads to the best thing to happen to the pair when it comes to relationships since the heroine has a habit of picking men that end up being cheaters or deadbeats. Will Stacey finally land herself the man that's always been there for her and a man that will love her like she deserves to be loved?

As for the dialogue, it was entertaining due to these two being best friends and knowing each other so well. I also liked what they call their usual Tuesday get together. That had me laughing because both seem like they're grounded and have very good lives, considering all that they've been through with what the hero's mother did to him that's led to his abandonment issues and desire to stay away from anything to do with relationships and happy ever after. Moreover, the heroine is resilient, brave and I liked that she took a chance on Grant, even knowing that he doesn't do relationships. Yet, in saying that, she's always been there for him, so why would he ever think that would change? Since it's palpable that he's afraid that she'll leave him just like everyone else has.

While the hero, he's been through tough times as a kid who went through the foster system and I could understand why he'd be worried in entering a relationship and then having that person leave. I also liked the close relationship the hero shares with his brother because Grant seriously needs the sound advice Aiden gives him if he's going to finally conquer his demons and get the girl. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero was how protective he was of the heroine and that he wasn't afraid to tell her things that might hurt her, which is proven by what he does for her at the start of this story.

Overall, Ms. Alexander has penned a really good read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was instantaneous from the moment of the incident and gets stronger as this story progresses; the romance was hot and had me liking that these two finally gave in to their feelings for each other; and the ending had me loving what Grant does to win back the heroine after their relationship goes awry. Definitely he gets an A for effort, especially with his smooth talking. Then again, can I just say -- gift cards. That made me laugh. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up nicely because of the surprise the hero has for the heroine that showed he was ready for forever with her. I would recommend The Best Friend Incident by Melia Alexander, if you enjoy the friends to lovers trope or books by authors Kira Archer, Jenna Bayley-Burke, Erin Nicholas and Jaci Burton.

This was my first book by this author. Second in her Driven to Love series, this easily reads as a standalone. This was just an okay read for me. Normally, friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, but this one kind of fell flat for me. It seemed somewhat repetitive and for some reason I felt like Grant's abandonment issues should have either been somewhat resolved or focused on less. Not amazing, not horrible - it was solidly middle of the road for me and I'm not opposed to reading some of the author's other work.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

A sweet light romance read.

This was an enjoyable friends to lovers reads. Grant and Stacey have been best friends forever for then one night things start to change however neither of them are sure if ruining their friendship is worth a shot. This was a little angst and at times I got frustated cause there was not real reason for them not be together.

This was well written and had a good pace. It a fairly quick, light hearted sweet romance. I'll be looking out for other books by the author.