Gouda Friends was the cheesy cute romance story I didn’t know I needed. (Yes, pun intended.) While at the beginning, I thought that it was a cozy mystery story, that mistake did not deter me from reading this book quite quickly.
While this is a second book in the Ponto Beach Reunion series, I did find that I did not need to know anything about the first book to comprehend this one. I adored all of the characters in this novel and found myself really rooting for Tam and Josh, both individually and together.
Thank you to Montlake Publishing, Netgalley and Inkslinger PR for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley is a perfect example of a heartfelt and witty friends-to-lovers romance novel. Readers will fall in love with Tam and Josh—and their whole Nerd Herd friend group. This is a novel that keeps you smiling and cheering on the couple from start to finish. The characters are lovable. The banter is great. There is the perfect amount of conflict and pining. If you haven’t read Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley or any of her other books—you should pick one up today.

When Tam finds her boyfriend tupping his ex in their bed, she's just going to walk out after she grabs the very expensive cheese she recently broke her budget to buy...but he threw it in the trash. Ans Tam explodes and calls her best friend Josh O'Malley and ends up back home in California and staying in Josh's house....and quitting her job that she's given too much to.

Friends since childhood, both Tam and Josh have supported each other through their toxic family issues and Josh's career and relationship problems, but now it is time for Josh to help Tam. But, as they try to figure out what Tam's dream career might be, sparks fly and they finally hook up. And just one night turns into friends with benefits, turns into maybe more as these two try to figure out how they could possibly make a relationship work without ruining their friendship.

This was cute; friends to lovers isn't my favorite but this mostly worked for me. I liked the cheese jokes and puns, but there was a lot of "trying out job" sections, and some of the toxic talk between Josh and the hotsy totsy caricature of a woman who owns a business next to his was meh, and Tam's ex was also grrr. There were multiple open door sex scenes, but sometimes they felt a bit awkward, and Josh never ate Tam.

I'll definitely be reading more from the author, the writing was fun.

Character notes: Tam is a Vietnamese-American former executive assistant with a recovering honors student complex. Josh is a white chef/restauranteur workaholic. CW for fatphobic language (from Tam's ex, countered on page), toxic family (off-page, in the past), second hand embarrassment.

Thank you to the author for the complementary review copy! (less)

So cute!!

Friends to lovers has always been the sweetest trope to me and this book to that sweetness to another level!! The relationship between Tam and Josh was adorable and the story was just as fun! And all that cheese?? Yes, please! I'm a huge cheese lover, especially gouda!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the earc in return for an honest review.

4.5 Stars!

One thing is for sure, Cathy Yardley has a knack for writing some of the best friends to lovers stories. Adding in all the nerd love, and I am smitten with this series!

This sweet story grabbed me right from the beginning. Josh and Tam have such history, and their friendship morphed into some absolutely steamy and wonderful! I really appreciated that Tam made a choice for herself, regarding her career, seeing her character growth was very rewarding.

I have completely fallen in love with the Nerd Herd, and I am crossing my fingers we will get more in this series!

“Gouda Friends” is a fun, flirty, and flirty story of two best friends from high school realizing that the person they have been looking for was right in front of them the whole time.

After having a terrible day at work, Tam comes home to find that her boyfriend from the last several years, was cheating on her with his ex. Upset and needing a break from her worklife, she books a trip to see her friends back home in California. Josh was her best friend in high school and they remained close even with all the miles apart. Tam crashes in his guest room but as they spend time together, their emotional connection goes even deeper.

Tam and Josh were super cute separately and together. This is a true friends to lovers story. We got to read so much progress of Tam and Josh as they figured out things in their lives and with each other. The banter and humor between all the “Nerd Herd” friends was great and one of my favorite things about the story. If you’re looking for a fun and easy read that will leave you happy, “Gouda Friends” is a great choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the advanced readers copy of this novel. This review is left voluntarily and contains my own thoughts and opinions.

I couldn’t resist this book based on the title alone and was not disappointed! Tam and Josh have been friends since grade school - part of the “Nerd Herd” - and have always been there for each other. When Tam reaches out in need - Josh opens up his house and helps Tam figure out her perfect future. Neither of them expected sparks to fly…

I loved the way author Cathy Yardley pulls the reader right into their friend group and makes you feel like an honorary member of the Nerd Herd! Josh and Tam were incredible together, and grew into a relationship built on friendship, respect, and love. One of my favorite rom-coms so far this year! And all the cheese puns were just perfection.

This is my first introduction to this author. After reading this book, I plan to go back and check out book one. I had so much fun reading this book. I could not stop laughing at all of the "cheesy" puns. Additionally, all of the characters for the most part (not including Tam's ex-boyfriend) are very likable and people that I would hang out with for good food and drinks.

Tam and Josh are great together. The friends to lovers' relationship worked so well. They are both a bit dorky, but they compliment each other. Also, who knew that Josh would turn out to be good in bed. I mean you know you have found a winner when after having sex with your best friend, it leaves you wanting to write bad Yelp reviews for all the prior boyfriends. Readers who enjoy romantic comedies or fun rom coms will want to pick up a copy of this book for themselves. Gouda Friends is a gouda good time!

A 3.5 but rounding up on the stars. I picked this because of the title as I also have a thing for cheese. I related to Tam so much, and was thrilled to see how she got her perfect job and her HEA. Josh was a great cinnamon roll character which I adore. I loved the bit of spice in the writing. The story did rely on some dramatized simplified stereotypes which is why it was only 3.5 stars but otherwise it was a solid fun, light hearted feel good romance.

Edam good fun!

When Tam's life implodes suddenly, she turns to her dearest friend Josh to help her deal with the fallout. She and Josh have a deep and special bond as they helped each other through difficult childhoods and new adult missteps. With time and the help of good friends, Tam realizes the implosion of her life wasn't really sudden at all, but more the culmination of years of choices that weren't really in her best interests. As she begins to reinvent herself, she realizes her life holds a lot more possibilities than she ever recognized.

This was a very enjoyable balance between a sweet and spicy friends to lovers romance and an inspiring "coming into yourself" story. I enjoyed Tam, Josh, and their circle of friends and co-workers and it was easy to root for their happiness. There were lots of laughs and moments to cheer at and relatively little angst. Pick this up for an uplifting read that offers plenty of smiles!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I loved this book! It kinda surprised me how much!!! I usually have a hard time getting into books written in third person. I had no problem what’s so ever with this one! I was hooked from the moment I started it!!! It was pretty much a one sit read for me! The only thing that I was missing while reading it was my very own charcuterie board! This book will make you want alllll the cheeses! I was so hungry while reading it!!! I absolutely loved Tam and Josh! If you love friends to lovers then this book will be right up your alley!!! This is a true standalone in the series. You will not feel like you are missing anything if you haven’t read the first book!! I haven’t read the first book and this one flowed just fine!!! I absolutely recommend this book!!

Received a arc for a honest review.

Gouda Friends by C. Yardley is teh second book in the Ponto Beach Reunion Series, published by Montlake.
Tam Doan, a cheese affiniato finds her boyfriend cheating on her. Head over heels she leaves back home to her best friend, Josh O'Malley. He owns several restaurants and they haven't met for years.
But now the best friends are back, and soon back together.
A witty and fun romantic comedy. I loved the banter, the twists and turns, 4,5 stars.

Gouda Friends is a friends to lovers book about childhood friends and cheese lovers Tam and Josh reconnecting. I love cheese, cheese puns, and this book comes out on my birthday, so I was excited to read!

I (mostly) liked the main characters, the cheese/food plot points, and that the book gave a strong attempt at diverse and unique characters. The rest felt a little... un-brie-markable (I'll leave now).

I realized after reading that this book is the second in a series, although it is supposed to be stand alone. I felt like a lot of the relationships really hinged on previously established connections that we didn't get to see. I typically don't like friends to lovers books, especially ones where friends reconnect much later, for this reason. Gouda Friends definitely fell into that trap and I got a little annoyed at how Josh and the friend group dropped everything for their high school friend who had not reached out in 5 years. I have trouble getting my high school friends to text me back when I'm in town, let alone have them help me get my life back on track!

I ended up feeling a little unsatisfied at the end of the book. I didn't like the way that the plot ended and the epilogue felt unnecessary. I think this might be a me problem as friends to lovers isn't my particular cup of tea, so if it is yours, give it a try! 2.55 stars rounded up to 3 from me. Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book!

Although the second book in a series, Gouda Friends can be read as a stand-alone.

This was a cute, low angst, quick read. Perfect when you want something lighthearted, but with plenty of steam.

The two MCs are made for each other, and everyone knows it but them. I really enjoyed it, but wanted more with their relationship. There wasn't much conflict that lasted long at all and resolved itself pretty quickly.

This was my first book by Cathy Yardley. I like how she writes and will continuing reading her books.

4.25 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel gouda 'bout giving the second installment in the of the Ponto Beach Reunion Series a solid 3 stars. Friends to lovers – check, cheesy Jokes – check, relatable characters – check. This is a super cute and lighthearted story that many people will resonate with. Cathy Yardley did great on this one.

This time we are following two of the Nerd Herd members, Tam and Josh. Tam is having a bit of a mid-life crisis with hating her job, her boyfriend being a cheating bimbo, and he THREW HER CHEESE AWAY. I know a deal-breaker that we all can't live with. So after her bad day, who does she call… the one guy she can always count on, her high school buddy Josh. The story is super romantic of how these two friends finally come together after years of always being there for each other. It's super cheesy and sure to leave you feeling so full.

Full review with spoiler on my blog!

Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for the advance copy of Gouda Friends in exchange for my honest review.

Never throw out a person's cheese! That was the last straw for Tam- when her rotten ex tossed her expensive cheese- so she's fled home to Josh. This is a sprightly friends to lovers romance (with steam) that also touches on some real issues. The dialogue is good, even though some of the puns get old, and the characters believable. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This was such a fun, cute read! Tam’s struggles to find a life and career that feel right are painfully relatable and Josh is a sexy and sweet, stunning leading man. The nerd herd makes for a fun ensemble cast of background/side characters, too. I wish we could have focused on a few of them more and really leaned into the found family vibes, but they were still lovely! Pick this one up if you’re into good food and steamy romance.

This story was so sweet! I loved Tam & Josh and they were so cute together!

Tam and Josh have been best friends forever. They have been there for each other through everything. If one of them needs the other they will drop everything to be there for them. They have always been friends and they don't want to ever mess that up. They don't want to ever not be friends.

When Tam's life implodes one weekend, Josh is there for her. He helps her try and figure out what to do next just like she did when he was in a similar situation. And along the way they realize that there might be more here than just friendship if they can be brave enough to take that chance.

Oh this was such a great read. I hadn't read the first book in the series, didn't realize it was part of a series until after reading this one so it is definitely a standalone, though I am excited to see more books for the other friends. Tam is one of those people who will do anything for anyone and hates change so she has kind of been in a not good spot for a while. People easily take advantage of her and she is not so good with boundaries at times. Trying to figure out your life when you hate change and don't really know what you even like to do or what you would really want to do with your life if given the choice is difficult. Luckily Josh is there to help her, as well as their friend group who were fun. Josh also has some great things happening and oh these two were so cute together. I adored how Josh was so supportive and always there for Tam and vice versa. I loved them both so much and didn't want the story to end.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book

Ms. Yardley is a new-to-me author and when I read the description of this book it seemed like a fun and cute read. I'm always on the lookout for a good rom com, so I thought I'd give this book a try. Definitely a good choice because I was not disappointed! This is a sweet, well-written and entertaining friends to more story with lovable characters. The story captured my attention from the start and just drew me in. Tam and Josh have been friends since they were kids and when she has the ultimate betrayal from her boyfriend, she turns to Josh for support. As he helps her figure things out and get her life back on track, the sparks between them get stronger. The plot was great and had such cute and unexpected moments, it kept me intrigued and anxious to see what happened next. The characters were well-developed and endearing and you can't help but fall in love with them. Ms. Yardley did a great job of creating the scenes and making them come to life with her creative and detailed descriptions. I really got drawn into Josh and Tam's story and couldn't wait to see how it ended.
It was a charming and entertaining read and I enjoyed it all the way through. Wonderful characters and an engaging storyline will keep you captivated till the end. This was a fun and lighthearted read which had me smiliing and laughing throughout. I found this book very entertaining and am glad I had the opportunity to read it. I am happy to recommend!

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

'Gouda Friends' is the second in the Ponto Beach Reunion series and it was even better than the first! We got little flashes of Tam and Josh in 'Love, Comment, Subscribe' so I was happy to see their whole story here. Tam and Josh were best friends throughout high school, acting as each other's lifelines and safe spaces, even family. But when Tam left Southern California with her then-boyfriend for New York City, they drifted apart. They've barely kept in touch through the intervening years, except for a visit home 5 years ago when Josh's life was imploding and he used their safe word "Goldfish" to call for her help. Now it's Tam throwing up the flare and calling Josh with "Goldfish" when she finds her boyfriend in bed with his ex and she loses her dead-end toxic job. He buys her a one-way ticket home so she can regroup, find her purpose and start a new career. But as much they fall back into old patterns with their BFFness and comfort with each other, there's also a new tension and awareness between them.

I loved reading Tam and Josh's story - this was a sweet and sexy friends-to-lovers story. They were tender with each other as best friends, and so supportive of the other's needs... Josh is just an absolute cinnamon roll. But the tension between them as they 'will they, won't they' was *chef's kiss*.... without spoiling anything, following along as they transitioned from "just friends" to "not just friends" to "lovers" was both torturous and fun to imagine their absolute discomfort. Now I'm just anxiously waiting for Emily and Vinh's story which has been teased in BOTH books. Maybe even Darius and Juanita?