My most favorite of Tracey Livesay's titles! The romance sweeps you all the way. This couple is wonderful and so sweet together that you can't help but swoon for them and root for their success. I love how the author approaches micro aggressions with her characters--there is some real truth to be heard, but at the same time, it doesn't take away from the laughter and the love of the book.

Like Lovers Do is such a wonderful book! Tracey Livesay really knows how to write great stories. I’m going to make sure I don’t miss any. This is the second book in her Girls Trip series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I would read Sweet Talkin’ Lover first because it’s fantastic. These characters are so fleshed out and real. The feels are just right. Soulful, sexy, sweet, and leaves you a little breathless. I’m ready for the next one.

I voluntarily read an early copy.

The book starts on such a beautiful note showing these amazing relationships in Nic’s life. I love how the author talks about the hardships in medicine and not the fake glam profession that is portrayed in tv shows. Even from the first time we are introduced to Ben and Nic in the same scene, I could feel the sizzle underneath their everyday banter. I was hooked on their relationship and invested in the book. It got even better as I read through the book. Their relationship is sexy and hot, burning through the pages of the book. I adored both Ben and Nic and I loved their relationships with their friends. We all need such special relationships in our life who give us the truth when we need it and that unconditional support and love when we are too afraid to ask for it. Thank you Tracey for writing such a beautiful romance that makes me want to read it all over again after reading the words, "the end".

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I enjoyed reading this book so much. It is about girl power. Four friends from college who are there for each other through goods times and bad. Each year they plan a vacation to see each other no matter what. Dr. Nicole Allen, Nic to her friends, has been on the path to her goals and nothing or no one is going to stand in her way. Especially a man or love. Benjamin Van Mount comes from money, only he doesn't want to go into the family business. He has struck out on his own and has a beautiful home. He decides to rent the basement and that is how they met. For three years they have become best friends. Nic has made a powerful enemy at the hospital and it is threatening her fellowship. A bargain is struck. He will help her if she will pretend to be his girlfriend. What could possibly go wrong? Or maybe go just the way you want. The truth will set you free. You just have to be open to it.

This is a lovely friends to lovers/fake relationship/found family story.

Dr. Nicole Allen has worked hard to get where she is, with the support of her mom and found sisters. When things take a potential wrong turn, she and her housemate, Ben, swap services...he will ask his parents, who are also in the medical field, to make a phone call, and she will pretend to be his girlfriend on a trip with his old friends to deter an old flame of his. Feelings ensue. As do complications, assumptions, and expectations.

I always like a book with found family. Everyone needs their squad. Nic has her “sisters” from college, and Ben has his friends from growing up. It’s hard to hide from your squad, and they will call you out on your BS. And these squads did for both of them.

I did not read the first of the Girls Trip series, and was not lost or spoiled. I will go back to read it tho, so I have Caila’s story.

A solid 4 stars.

This is the first book I have read from Tracey Livesay and it will not be the last! Friends to lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes and Like Lovers Do did it so well. I also love the fake dating trope so that was fun as well.

I was given an ARC of this book through NetGalley and Avon Books.

This is more like a 3.5 stars but we can't get half ratings and I didn't like it enough to bump it up to four. I had reservations as to whether or not I would even enjoy it after reading the first chapter since it set up to be more like Women's Fiction than Romance. Which isn't a bad thing but I like to know what I'm getting into when I start a book. And the tone of the first chapter set it up to be something I was not in the mood for.

Luckily for me the tone shifted with the second chapter and kept at it for the rest of the book. Frankly compared to the rest of the book the first chapter seemed to be out of place. Maybe it got tweaked, removed, or turned into a Prologue in the final copy but honestly it didn't serve to further the plot of the book at all so it is completely unnecessary. I am a huge fan of friends to lovers although maybe not as much as enemies to lovers. I also do enjoy a good (that being the operative word) fake dating so the fact that this married two of my preferred tropes was exciting. And for the most part it delivered.

There were a few things that were unbelievable for me, such as Ben not knowing why what Tinsley, his ex, said to Nic was inappropriate. There was Nic's almost borderline obsession with thinking a man would try to change her or force her to change her dreams. It may sound weird but I had an easier time believing Ben's emotional hang up than Nic's. It wasn't until the end that it came to light why she was like that so glimpses of that earlier in the book would have gone a long way so it didn't get tedious.

Then there was the character of Tinsley herself. It was exceedingly difficult believe that even someone that privileged made it that far in life without someone getting into a verbal or physical assault with her. In my opinion all of the background characters once they got to the Vineyard were very cardboard cut out. Parker was wishy-washy, Bronwen was almost as annoying as Tinsley, and Davis was like an unfunny and less charming version of the character Terrence Howard played in The Best Man. I know they were necessary as part of the fake dating aspect, but goodness I didn't enjoy getting to know any of them.

That and the fact that Nic constantly used Facetime with phone calls. That was a small annoyance but it was there.

That said, I did enjoy this book but not as much as I could have. A large part of that had to do with not liking any of the background characters we spent most of the book around. I will pick up more by this author for sure though since I genuinely enjoyed it and it was just the breath of literary air I needed.

A heartwarming friends to lovers story. In an attempt to help each other out everything changes and becomes a sweet love story.
I loved it.

The Best Friends to Lovers Romance of the Year!

Nic is on her way to her dream fellowship and isn’t willing to compromise her goals for anything. Ben is building a financial advising firm, that could be an empire, and looking for a woman who will devote herself to him and their future children. It’s a good thing they are JUST best friends who live together, she rents his garden apartment but spends just as much time in his kitchen and living room as he does, are willing to help each other out of a jam of their own making and don’t have THOES feelings for each other...or do they?

The drunken text and Ben’s handling of it, Nic’s willingness to defend herself and Ben from his ex’s attacks and games, their explosive chemistry (hello Italian restaurant balcony scene 🔥), her interactions with his mother and her own, his interactions with his mother, her girls, and the Whitley Gilbert quote (if you know, you know!) all combine to make this the most satisfying and perfect friends to lovers romance! In fact I loved it so much I’m not sure if Lacey and Ava will be able to keep up with the level of adoration I have for Nic and Ben!

Although Lacey’s and Ava’s stories will still be Tracey Livesay books too so I’m sure they’ll be great too, as all her books are.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

Like Lovers Do
Series: Book two in the Girls Trip series
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

Like Lovers Do is the first book I read by this author. Though it is the second book in the series it does work as a stand alone.
This is story is a friends to lovers romance. We have Nic and Ben who have been friends for three years come up with a plan, that in the end will help each other out, to pretend to be a couple. Little did they know that they've felt attracted to each other for a while and this pretend relationship just made it easier for both them to play out their true feelings.
I liked the pace and the romance of Like Lovers Do. I liked how roles were reversed in which we have Ben trying to find the woman who he believes will make his life complete. He's not an ambitious man and I liked that he defied his parents in doing what he wanted to do. Poor Ben, he had it all when he was growing up except for the presence of his parents, who were always too busy working. Therefore, in search for the "perfect" woman it took him a while to realize that Nic, who was his roommate for the past three years, was the one for him. She was not what he thought he wanted or needed in a wife, but Nic was the one his heart wanted.
Nic was an independent and strong woman, who fought and worked very hard for her dream of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. She didn't have the time to be in a relationship and was not looking for one. It was Ben's sweet personality that slowly broke down those walls she had built around her heart. They were opposites but playing at pretend led them to falling in love.
I enjoyed the friendship they both had with their friends. I look forwards to the next in the series.

A new author for me and I look forward to reading more!

A friend's to lovers story because of circumstances. Nic's fellowship at Duke is on jeopardy because she reprimanded a resident from a wealthy family. Enter Ben, Her best friend and landlord, also from medical royalty. They forge a bond to help each other deal with upsets in their current situation.

What they don't count on is the overwhelming attraction they feel and how it will affect the future. Can they take steps to protect their friendship while falling in love and what are the lengths to which they'll go for each other? Read it to find out.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book worked like gangbusters for me. I read it in a single day and it was the perfect antidote to a bad reading experience.

A friends to lovers story with a doctor determined to make it in the male dominated specialty of sports orthopedic surgery and her landlord who has taken his own path, despite the rest of his family being doctors.

What I appreciated about this book is how firmly entrenched we see Ben and Nic's friendship before it shifts, They genuinely care for each other, with Ben in a pretty explicit caretaking role while Nic is hyperfocused on her career. Then we get a fake relationship! They get to pretend to be in a relationship, but it doesn't last long as they move on to a real relationship quickly. And it's very hot...

Ben's ex-fiancee functions as a villain in this book, making racist remarks to Nic that fly over Ben's head. But I like that Ben see's Nic's discomfort and confronts his ex-fiancee about it.

I really enjoyed how they were able to connect ultimately.

I suspect this book may become a comfort read for me - it just filled me up when I needed it.

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

3.5 stars

This was my first Tracey Livesay book and although I liked it, I didn't love it. The characters were likeable enough, but for some reason, I just didn't feel the connection to everyone in the book.

Dr. Nic Allen is an accomplished orthopedic surgeon resident about to enter a coveted fellowship when an incident at her hospital puts that all in jeopardy. Her landlord, Ben, is also one of her best friends and he feels his parents can help her with still earning her fellowship. But he hasn't spoken to his parents in forever and he has never asked them for a favor before.

Ben needs a favor from her - his ex-fiancee is crazy and plans to come to a week getaway with his old college friends. Ben wants Nic to attend as a deterrent to his ex.

Cute storyline, but the book fell a little flat for me. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first book in this series?

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

Livesay tackles the friends to lovers trope so well it felt natural and welcome every step of the way. This is my first Tracey Livesay book, and certainly won't be my last. Nic and Ben's chemistry was fantastic, but even better was their hilarious and charming banter.

Who in their right mind wouldn't want Nic in their corner? Her ability to stand up for herself and dish anything back even better than she got was EVERYTHING.

The found friendships of the Girls Trip crew were fantastic. I really loved everything about this book.

Tracey Livesay’s Like Lovers Do is a fantastic friends to lovers romance. I tried so hard to put this book down the night I read it, but I could not. I received this as an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Nicole Allen is finishing up her orthopedic surgery residency as Chief Resident at Johns Hopkins and getting ready to start a Fellowship at Duke. Once Nic is through her Fellowship, she will be one of a few Black women in at that level of medical practice. Once she is at that elite level, she will be able to take care of her mother. She is smart and driven to succeed. Her landlord and friend, Ben, is the wayward scion of a family that made it’s wealth in health care. He refused to follow tradition and became a finance guy instead of a physician.

The two have been good, platonic friends for three years. They never pursued anything more because Nic didn’t want to lose focus on her career and Ben wanted a wife who will put family first with him. When an angry wealthy parent and a determined ex-girlfriend start to make trouble for Nic and Ben, they join forces for a week of fake dating in Martha’s Vineyard.

One of the things I liked best about Nic and Ben was that they are fully adults and solid friends at the start of the book. It doesn’t take much of a push to turn their fake relationship into a real fling. Evil ex-girlfriend aside, the barrier between them is their conflicting visions for their futures. But when it comes down to it, they are willing to risk what they want most for the other’s benefit.

I generally don’t like evil other women story lines. Usually they are full of internalized misogyny and used to highlight why one kind of woman is better than the other. Livesay uses the evil ex with intention. She is never a threat to the relationship, friendship or romance, between Nic and Ben. She does bring out things they both have to get past in order to grow as individuals and in order to become a couple. Livesay populates the book with enough other women that the evil ex is one of many kinds of womanhood and not a foil to the female protagonist.

Like Lovers Do is the second book in the Girl Trip series, but it stands on its own.

I'm enjoying this series so much! I want more contemporary romances like this, that aren't necessarily super high concept, where the writing feels like it has breathing room, where the characters feel real, that are still true delights. The incident that tips this friends-to-lovers romance into action is so great and funny, and I don't want to spoil it.

I always personally struggle a little with contemporary romances and how they often relate to capitalism. Like if we have strong, determined women who don't need a man but get one anyways, then she needs to be a BOSS, so the often end up very rah rah capitalism? I liked that in this book, the main female character was a doctor, which takes things in a different direction. Nic's job is clearly a great fit for her interests and passions and I think she's very cleverly portrayed and not a sterotypical arrogant and disaffected doctor.

I also really love in this Girls Trip series the way racism is on the page, and is handled without being, in my opinion, too didactic or too difficult to read. Readers get to see how black women have to navigate the world of work and relationships differently because of their race, and of course because it's a romance novel, we know there's going to be triumph in the end.

I am interested to see where this series goes.

This book is so great! While I’m not the biggest fan of the Friends to Lovers trope, in hands like Tracey Livesay’s I’m all in. This was so perfectly executed. Nic and Ben are one of those couples who you want to shake because they’re so obviously in love with each other but you’re also on pins and needles thinking there’s no possible way this can work out for these two. Though, of course, it does because this is romance and this is why we read it. But, yeah, that kind of tension and nuance takes skill and Tracey Livesay has it. Oh, also. There’s fake dating!

Excellent romance reading.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was lucky enough to get this book, as I have read the first book to this series! I really enjoyed the friends to lovers & fake dating dynamic in this one! Nic & Ben are just great together! Nic is our doctor heroine who is determined, hard working, and outspoken! Ben is our sweet hero who learns to speak his mind! Ben asks Nic to be his pretend girlfriend when he finds out his ex wants to win him back! This book was so fun & sexy! It has some emotional parts as well but def balances! They are def opposites attract! Also loved how this book didn’t shy away from topics that people might not feel ok voicing or writing but the author did amazing! Such a sweet but sexy read!! Can’t wait for the next book!

Loved reading this book and glad its a series. Nicole is an up and coming orthopedic surgeon. When Ben who is her landlord asks her to go to Martha's vineyard with him. She agrees . To hear more read the book.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly August New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached).