Gouda Friends was handsdown one of the cutest romcoms I’ve ever read in my entire life. It’s been sitting on my NetGalley shelf for almost a month and I’m mad I didn’t pick it up sooner. The love between Josh and Tam was so real.. best friends to lovers.. the herd friendships were complete goals. The cheese puns in the book were also amazing .

I loved the first book in this series, Love, Comment, Subscribe, and I was excited to continue with the series set around a group of high school friends, 10 years after graduation.

This is such a lovely, comfy read. An enemies to lovers, starting from 'We shouldn't do this. It will mess up our friendship." going through "Ok, we do it only once to get it out our systems and then never talk about it again." to finally "You are the love of my life and want to be with you forever."

It was no smooth sailing for Josh and Tam but it was fun, with a touch of angst, and very satisfying in the end. We get to see more of their friends and I love all their interactions - the support, the casual joking, the serious talks about life goals and dreams, it was all amazing.

As usual, we meet a diverse cast and it feels natural and organic to the world of the MCs. Both Tam and Josh come from messed up families and the found family they build around themselves as adults is a thing of beauty.

My complaint has to do with the portrayal of the villains in the story. They were too stereotypical, cardboard figures of what the bad girl/guy should look like and act like. It was unnecessary, it didn't bring much to the story, it just felt like lazy, careless writing to me. Same goes for the constant negative talk about both Tam's and Josh' exes. There is no need to make them all sound like terrible people just to show how perfect Tam and Josh are for each other.

It is a minor thing in the overall story but it kept cropping up here and there and found it annoying and distracting.

On the plus side, like the previous book, here the MCs and the side characters felt really modern, involved in new professions - influencer, youtubers, social media managers, setting up ghost kitchen/delivery service. It was interesting to read, entertaining and I am definitely adding this series to my list of romances with uncommon/unusual professions. .

I would summarize this series as small town romances of a kind - diverse and very much up-to-date.

CW: alcoholism (off page), messed up families, cheating, online smear campaign

Friends to lovers? ✔
Cheese jokes? ✔
Completely heartfelt moments? ✔
Realistic portrayal of someone just trying to figure out what they want out of life? ✔✔✔

Honestly, I wasn't sure if this one was going to be too corny (I can't say cheesy for this book) based on the title, but I ended up loving this book.

I think what did it for me is how completely relatable Tam is. Having a bit of a mid-life crisis - hating her job, boyfriend is scum, but her breaking point has to do with him throwing away her cheese? Yeah, I get it. Even more so, I can't stop thinking about her conversation with her brother and how she came to realize she has continually set herself up for "not failure" by accepting lesser things. Lesser jobs, lesser boyfriends, etc. Truth bomb that also felt like a call-out to the reader (me). I just loved it. Tam is such a great character and I loved her growth, even more than the love story with Josh. (Even though I did get teary-eyed at the end because that charcuterie board 🥺💛) Overall, 4.25/5.

Thank you to Cathy Yardley, her publishers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

I love cheese so just based on the title and cover alone I knew I would love this book and I was right. Tam and Josh are so cute and everything you want in a friends to lovers romance. I loved all the cheese puns!

The steam came a bit earlier in the book than I expected and I was worried things were going to get dragged out but it worked so well. 100% buying a hardcover when it comes out because come on - that cover! Looking forward to rereading this in the future.

(4.5/5)

Just reading this book was magic. But also cheese in a good way. I love this series and it’s always a sign of a amazing book to me when I keep putting it down because I don’t want it to end.

A great read!

Tam splits up with her boyfriend when she finds out that not only is he cheating on her, but he threw away her favourite cheese too! Unsure what to do next, she heads home to Josh, her best friend from school. He is helping her fix her life, like she did for him years ago, but how will they both feel if fixing her life means leaving him again?

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I was delighted to receive this as back in September I read the first book in the Ponto Beach series and loved it! This was a great follow-up novel and Cathy certainly didn't disappoint. Cathy Yardley knows exactly how to write an engaging story line with lots of laughs, swooning and impeccable characters.

Right from the first chapter, this book was a winner for me! As a lover of cheese, myself, the laugh's I had reading that poor Tam was more distraught by her cheating ex-boyfriend throwing out her cheese than coming home to find him in bed with his co-worker (and ex-girlfriend). The book then follows on to her getting back in contact with her nerdy high school BBF Josh who convinces her to take a flight from her current home of NYC back to Ponto Beach. The chemistry between these two is incredible and seeing them re-introduce themselves after an extended period of time with many changes in their lives was a joy to read.

Must also mention, do not let the cutesy cartoon cover fool you... this book also has some spicy scenes thrown in so be prepared to blush!

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read that has great characters, sassy one-liners, laughs and friends-to-lovers books with lot of cheesy word puns!

This is a great book. I read Like tweet comment previously. This included the same characters, but you don’t have to read the other book before reading this one. The characters and plot are realistic. One of my favorite books for this year.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Friends to lovers with mutual pining is the superior romance trope so I was really excited to read this one. Tam and Josh have been best friends since high school and they've always been the one person that the other can count on. So when Tam's life falls apart Josh is there to help her figure out the next step.
I loved the relationship between these two. They were super sweet and easy to root for. I also liked that outside of the romance they each had their own storylines, which character growth and development. I particularly related to Tam, and feel I like many readers in their mid to late-twenties will feel the same. Tam's been working a series of jobs that she has no passion for and has resulted in her feeling majorly burnt out. She's used to the pressure of wanting to succeed and needing validation, but besides that she doesn't know what she really wants career-wise. I think that this is a common feeling in today's world and thee book did a great job of exploring that!

Review has been posted to Goodreads, and will be posted to Amazon on publication.

Friends to lover is always a gouda time. Tam Doan walks away from a toxic relationship and a toxic work environment and runs into the arms of her lifelong best friend, Josh. With no place to live or work, Tam leans on Josh who vows to help her set her life on a new path as she helped him five years before when he called out to her from between a rock and a hard place. Together, the two work through finding ways for Tam to live her passion as they also work through their rampant sexual tension. Friends with benefits, but make it cheesy.

I loved the way Josh and Tam supported each other in their life goals and made a point not to ask each other to give up their dreams for a relationship. Making things work for themselves while finding a way to work together. Also loved the group dynamic of their "Nerd Herd" friends who show up for each other when times are tough. I do wish there had been more conflict between Tam and Josh to mirror the strife they went through in their work lives as well as the complexity of starting a relationship. The smoothness with which they came together - as friends with benefits and then at the end as partners left room for more character growth, but still recommend this cheesy gouda read to anyone looking for love stories while pursing your passion!

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC!

Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley

As the name suggests, this book won’t disappoint you if you want to delve into some cheese talks. Gouda Friends is a story of a girl, Tam Doan, who dumped her boyfriend because he threw away her cheese! It is also to be mentioned that he also cheated on her and a whole lot of toxic past actions acted as a valid point to her argument. This brings her back to his high school best friend, Josh. Both of them relished each other’s company and are beginning to realize the extent to which they are involved emotionally with e each other.

The writing style of the book is amazing. I found myself submerged in the story for hours without fail. There is humor, love, banter, emotions, and a lot of other things. This book will hook you onto itself and you will begin to read it like a thirsty water-deprived soul.

About the story of the book, it was quite predictable. I was easily able to ascertain the future events for all of the characters that were involved in the story. There was no essence of revelation, and at times it seemed the characters in there are missing the obvious points of life. It seemed they were ignoring the future outcomes which were as obvious as the response Taylor Swift got from her version of Red album. They just ignored everything to the point that their inquiries began sounding irritating. I wanted to scream at them to think, THINK!

Anyway, the story was nice. Apart from the obvious plot of romance between the two best friends who are scared of ruining their high school friendship, there were several underlying plots in the story. the book has also shown the life of an oppressed corporate employee, the people pleasing syndrome that stops you from saying no, the toxicity that comes with people-pleasing, the lack of confidence in self, the emerging field of social media managers. This book could have been better if it came out 3 years back when the social media manager was not in rage and just emerging because as for now it is a very well-known fact and the obliviousness of the characters towards it just made me a bit irritated.

What did I love about this book?

I loved the writing style of the author and the fluff that came along with romance. The romantic scenes between Josh and Tam were steamy, spicy momos kind of steamy! They just made up for all the negligence of the characters towards the online world. The dynamics between those two were also really interesting to read about. I also enjoyed the side characters of The Nerdherd. They all were so supportive and filled with positive vibes that emanated from the story to the readers.

Overall, this book was a good read. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters and the supporting characters were also on point. Event he antagonist was such that aroused intense hatred towards himself, so yeah job accomplished. Only if the characters were fast to catch up on the career options, choices, and feelings, I would have enjoyed it more.

I will recommend this book to people who want to read steamy romances but with other aspects in the plot as well. You can pick it up if you like reading about romance, fluff, cute cuddles, and best friends to love relationships, and want to read something that will keep you hooked to the very end despite knowing the ending.

A fun, heartwarming read.
I love the way Cathy Yardley writes about friendship and she does the friends to lovers trope perfectly.
Josh is absolutely precious, so sweet and caring. Tam is a bit of a mess but it is incredibly relatable. The way in which they support and believe in each other is beautiful to read.
I loved seeing the Nerd Heard again, I can't wait to read Emily and Vinh story!
If you love drama-free, friends-to-lovers books with lot of cheesy word puns (see what I did there) you will love Gouda friends

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Nerd Herd BFF's Tam and Josh, have always turned to each other for support, guidance and above all else, love. But a particularly rough patch sees Tam uprooting from her (admittedly disastrous) life and career in NYC to lick her wounds and start over in the safety net of Josh's heart (and home).

Tam and Josh are so fantastic. The banter. The chemistry. The hugs and snuggles. The cheese (literal). The cheese (puns). It had my heart full and smiling the entire read. I loved the way Tam is written, she feels so real and relatable. The struggle of losing yourself in other people and relationships will land with a lot of readers, including the heartbreaking struggle of just not knowing what your "bliss" may be. Including the shame of trying to quickly figure it out, without being a bother to anyone else.

I loved the Nerd Herd and the found family vibes. The way they adapted to (and welcomed) Tam’s return and the support she needed and got, really resonated. It’s sweet in the way a lot of friends to lover books are, and I absolutely loved the way josh loves her. Without conditions. So fully. Be prepared to laugh, dreamily sigh, blush and cry. This one has it all.

(Also all the food in this book will make you ravenous. Best read with a charcuterie board within arms reach. 😍🧀)

Best Friends to Lovers? Especially when neither wants to admit the feelings are there? Sign me up!

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC!

Tam’s life was suddenly turned upside down when she dumps her cheating boyfriend and quits her job! She now needs to find a place to live and a job. She calls up her BFF Josh. Their friendship has always been there but what about that spark? Is it something that could ruin their amazing friendship?

This book was so cute! Do you like cheese? Then you’ll probably like this book filled with cheese puns! I loved getting to know Josh and Tam’s relationship. They have always been each other’s person when they needed someone the most. There were some phrases that kept repeating over and over, sometimes twice in one chapter. Once I noticed, I couldn’t un-notice it. However, Josh and Tams relationship was so darn cute I was able to look past it. I also felt it got so much better towards the end of the book.

Unfortunately, I can't read a pdf file on my e-reader; the font size is too small.
Unfortunately, I can't read a pdf file on my e-reader; the font size is too small.
Unfortunately, I can't read a pdf file on my e-reader; the font size is too small.

If I hadn't been pulled in by the title (which I was) then the opening line had me hooked. As someone who loves cheese as much as Tam, I completely sympathised with her fury over the cheese in the opening chapter.

I really enjoyed the story of Tam and Josh - their chemistry was amazing, and the bond they had from the beginning was beautiful. I felt as though their chemistry developed organically and I fully understood each of their motivations at all times.

Tam's search for a role she would actually enjoy doing was extremely relatable too, as was the "recovering honours student" aspect to her people pleasing.

Overall, this was an excellent book and I look forward to reading more by the author.