Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
This is a classic friends-to-lovers book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Shannon Stacey's books have a way of pulling you in from the first page and you can't put it down until you see THE END.

Noah and Carly have been friends forever, best of friends. Through thick and thin, they've always had each other's back. When Noah's boss pressed him to go out with his future sister-in-law, Noah came up with the great idea of tell Jim that he was dating someone. And that someone is Carly. The problem? He didn't tell Carly. Now his boss is expecting Noah to bring Carly to his wedding.

The romantic weekend brought out all the feelings between them and one thing led to another. Now, Noah is not sure what to do. He knows that his relationship with Carly is forever changed. Carly is afraid that Noah is going to break her heart She knows that Noah doesn't want to get married or have kids, which is Carly's dream.

This is a book that I couldn't put down, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F Friends-to-lovers romance

Noah and Carly have known each other since they were kids. They have similar interests and know that they will tell each other the brutal truths that nobody else will.

When Noah is at his job, he makes the mistake of telling his boss that Carly is his girlfriend. Noah has been afraid of commitment since he was younger and the thought of his boss setting him up with his soon to be sister-in-law makes Noah want to run away.

Carly is a bookstore owner who is fun and energetic. She loves Noah and has since she was young. However, the one time they kissed, she couldn't stop laughing. She loves having him as her best friend, but never considered him as anything other than a best buddy.

When Carly and Noah find themselves as their "date" for a wedding, their friendship takes a left turn into attraction. They already have a foundation for a relationship, they just have to give themselves permission to change the parameters.

This book felt very young adult for me. It had an innocent feeling surrounding it. And while it had a sweet side, it was also somewhat boring. I'm unsure where the series will go, but I hope for more romance in the next installment.

I liked this sweet but sexy friends to lovers story. It had humour typical of Shannon Stacey's previous stories. The characters were likable and the love believable. I will say they did hope into bed pretty quick. Novellas aren't my favorite length of book, but friends to lovers tend to work OK in the this format as the preexisting friendship can be quickly established, leaving time for the romance. Overall, an amusing quick read. *I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

As summertime is waning here, this story is a wonderful end of summer love story. Honestly, it’s a fabulous anytime story!

One of the best friends-to-lovers stories I’ve read in a long time. Romantic, hot and believable!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin-Carina Press for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, uncomplicated romance and while it was enjoyable there just wasn't much substance. The characters were best friends since childhood and when they go away for an out of town wedding they end up having sex which threatens their friendship. Very predictable and a bit too easy.

Carly and Noah have been best friends their entire lives; never has either looked at the other as anything else. So when Noah needs a date for his new boss’s wedding, he begs Carly to be his pretend girlfriend for the weekend. However, once they are alone in a room with one bed, thoughts and actions move well beyond friendship.

One Summer Weekend is a cute, easy read. There isn’t a drawn-out backstory, but enough information is supplied that allows the reader to connect with the characters. Since Carly and Noah are already best friends, we know they are compatible, and once the sexy thoughts start, they realize they are comfortable being more than friends. The story is solid for novella-length, and while there isn’t a complex plot, there is still plenty of emotion. It’s perfect for a quick summer read by the pool, at the beach, or relaxing on your front porch.

My Rating: B, Liked It

Shannon Stacey brings the heat and the funny! One Summer Weekend is a friends to lovers story, almost a novella. It's really quite balanced for a series starter. The story doesnt suffer for the addition of series scene setting and character intros. The character portraits are engaging and complete. Ms Stacey's signature witty dialogue is, as always, on point. I look forward to the rest of the Cedar Street Series.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Noah and Carly have been friends since.... well forever. Noah needs a girlfriend to attend a destination wedding of his boss. He's been lying and saying he has a girlfriend and now needs to get Carly to play along and help him out. While playing at being together as a couple they find they are actually attracted to each other and give in for the weekend. What happens when the weekend is over? This a friends to lovers story. Short and sweet it's a perfect easy start to a new series. Noah and Carly love each other already but are so worried they'll mess up their friendship by seeking more. Shannon Stacey makes you fall in love with this couple.



Find out more about this series and Shannon Stacey here www.shannonstacey.com

Shannon Stacey writes with warmth and wit. Her characters leap off the pages and into your heart. The characters are wonderfully, loving created. Such a fantastic story showing the power of friendship and love. Had all the feels and I can’t wait for more books by Shannon Stacey, just hope the wait isn’t long. Happy reading!!

The fun and flirty story, going from witty dialog and humor to the smoldering hot and emotional romance in a heartbeat.
I love Shannon Stacey's way to tell stories, there is so much feels, family, friends, and heart in the tales mixed with drama and passion, life, and loving. And this new series starts off with so much promise of wonderful tales coming in our way.
I loved the connection, the deep friendship Noah and Carly have. They had been best friends forever, and they knew each other like no one else. The fake romantic relationship started off as fun and games, but soon the deep desires came to surface, and oh boy, lit up the scenes.
The story is an easy and fast read, yet it covers all the developing emotions well. And since Carly and Noah are best friends, there is a solid, believable foundation they are building their romantic relationship on.
Shannon Stacey books are always a must-read for me, and One Summer Weekend has all the feels and elements of an entertaining, ardent, adorable love story to me
~ Five Spoons

Always a winner with me! Shannon Stacey takes me to a place between the pages of her books that I never want to leave. Sassy romances are my downfall as is friends to lovers. She weaves a story that is believable between the two characters that is funny and sweet. She always keeps me intrigued with her books and ready for more!!

One Summer Weekend I loved this story, well written and so easy to get attached to Noah and Carly. What starts as Carly helping Noah cover his story to his boss about having a girlfriend. One weekend changes everything and their true feelings for one another finally come out.

One Summer Weekend

**received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A quick, cute story about two best friends pretending to be together who find out that maybe being a couple is better than just being friends.

Carly and Noah have been best friends since they were kids. They know everything about one another, that Carly wants to get married in her grandpa’s back yard and that Noah does not do commitment. But when they are pretending to be a couple for a weekend they find out more.

Carly and Noah can’t help but give in to the attraction that they both are feeling, but will it least when they are home and back in reality. Can they be together without changing everything they have ever known? Or will it be too much for them to take a chance on and lose?

This was a short, sweet, friends-to-lovers novella. Noah and Carly have been best friends all their lives. They share just about everything, from a love of the outdoors to movie nights. So when Noah's boss starts talking about setting Noah up with his soon-to-be sister-in-law, Noah claims he has a girlfriend - Carly. That's all well and good until Jim expects Noah to bring her to his wedding. Now Noah has to confess what he's done and ask Carly to help him out. Carly can't believe Noah has done such a boneheaded thing, but she can't refuse to help him. She has her conditions that she sets forth, and Noah is only too happy to meet them.

But once Noah and Carly arrive on the Cape, things don't go the way they expect them to. Noah is shocked when he notices how sexy Carly is. He'd never looked at her that way before, but suddenly he can't stop. When their faked show of affection gets out of hand, they face an unexpected change in their friendship. Carly worries that it will ruin it, but Noah believes that what happens on the Cape can stay on the Cape. When they get back home, they have to face the fact that things have changed and decide what to do about it. Noah's and Carly's reactions were not what I expected from each of them, and I loved seeing how each handled their change in circumstances. Noah's big moment at the end was sweet, and the epilogue was the perfect ending.

Shannon Stacey is one of the best contemporary romance authors out there, in my opinion. This was definitely a cute novella. I wish I had known it was a novella going in because that would’ve impacted my expectations.

This is a cute friends-to-lovers story with some faking dating. I know people love the fake dating trope, but it isn’t my favorite. I don’t hate it or anything, but I’m not a fan of lying in my romance. I do like the friendship as a foundation for a romance. Because of the shortness, there isn’t enough growth to the romantic element for me, but that isn’t a huge issue.

Carly and Noah were fun and likable characters. They both were believable people (which I like in my romance). I love that Carly owns a bookstore, because that is one of my life goals. I enjoyed reading their story.

This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

One Summer Weekend is a best friends turned lovers story and the first in Shannon Stacey's Cedar Street series. Noah and Carly are extremely likable and if you're a fan of When Harry Met Sally you'll revisit the age-old question can men and women be best friends. I rooted for them from the very beginning but you will have to decide for yourself. This book is an excellent start to a new series.

I love best friends to lovers themes because who truly knows you better than your best friend?!?! And when it is a guy and a girl, even better. You know it will be interesting as mentioned in this story just like in Rom com movies. Carly and Noah did not disappoint. I loved their friendship, never serious, always fun, sarcastic, and active, but deep down they had each other's backs. They had such a great familiarity that can only come from living friends - quite a few laugh out loud one liners. And what surprised me most about their story was Noah. He ended up doing everything right. I cannot expound on that because it would give a lot away. But he put an endearing smile on my face and made the story all the more better.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.

One summer weekend is the story of Carly and Noah who are best friends. Noah has been working at an architectural firm and very much enjoys his job. Unfortunately his boss, Tom, keeps trying to fix him up with his soon to be sister-in-law. Noah is sure that the soon to be sister-in-law is pretty and nice, but he’s positive that if he goes out with her he will have one foot down the aisle. That’s not something he wants. What did he do? He lied to his boss. He ended up telling Tom that he already had a girlfriend and I know you’ll be shocked when you hear that he said it was Carly.

Carly has no idea that Noah has been lying to his boss and saying that she’s his girlfriend. Noah finally comes clean to her because it’s Tom’s wedding weekend and his boss expects Noah’s girlfriend to be in attendance. Of course he does. Carly says no at first, but then she realizes that this means a lot to Noah and so she agrees to go as his girlfriend. When they get to Cape Cod they are of course in the same room, in the same bed, and with playing girlfriend/boyfriend they end up kissing. One thing leads to another and they’re having sex. Neither one of them is prepared for the emotions that this invokes in them. Can they remain best friends when each of them aren’t sure how they now feel about the other person?

This was a pretty cute story, I have to admit. I absolutely love Carly and Noah’s relationship. They were such good friends and knew each other so well and their love for each other came through. They had been friends for so long that they truly did love each other they just weren’t in love with each other. Or so they thought. 🙂

Stacey has a great way of bringing friends together and I think this friends to lovers story was a good one. I very much enjoyed reading it, and would definitely recommend it if you’re just looking for a short fun read.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

One Summer Weekend is a fabulous start to Shannon Stacey’s Cedar Street series, with everything readers have come to expect from this talented author. I love when a story makes me smile like a loon, and the feel-good emotions that come from a well-written, fun and light-hearted romance. Ms Stacey’s characters are always appealing and definitely worth getting to know. A great storyline, with laughter and tears, and an all-round enjoyable read. I look forward to the next book of the series.

Stacey gives her readers her usual quick, cute, read in One Summer Weekend. If you have a hour or two, definitely take this one to the pool or beach. It is a great way to spend your afternoon!