Top 5 Reasons to Read NOT HERE TO STAY FRIENDS

1. It’s laugh-out-loud funny: I can’t tell you how many times I giggled, snorted, or outright belly-laughed while reading. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that has made me laugh out loud, and it gave me such joy to read!

2. It’s a great example of the friends-to-lovers trope: Sloane and Liam have been best friends since the beginning of their lives, being next-door neighbors in Tennessee until they were 12 and having kept up their friendship after Liam’s family moved to L.A. Their relationship is adorable and had me remembering my own close childhood friendships. And while Sloane and Liam have never thought about each other this way before, when they finally get to be together in person after a long time, each comes to realize they’re feeling quite a bit more for the other than just friendship. Watching those ideas take root and blossom had even me, an avowed enemies-to-lovers-is-the-best-trope fanatic, swooning at the possibility of this friendship becoming something more!

3. There’s a fun reality TV setting: In L.A. for the summer to visit Liam, Sloane is recruited by his producer father to be a last-minute contestant on a The Bachelor-like reality TV show filming that month, featuring the leading man from their favorite teen TV drama. With Liam serving as a P.A. on the set as well, we get fun behind the scenes peeks into what life is like on this kind of show. And all the while, Sloane tries to figure out if she’s really pretending to fake-date this Hollywood heartthrob or maybe starting to feel something for him -- as she also struggles with maybe feeling something more for her best friend.

4. Serious issues are touched on despite the light mood: It’s not all fun and games, of course; Sloane and Liam face some serious issues over the course of the book. One example from their childhood stuck with me, when Liam says, “We haven’t been hand-holding friends since we were six or so, when someone--almost certainly the same kind of straight person who throws gender-reveal parties--called us each other’s ‘little boyfriend and girlfriend.’ Until then, I don’t remember being aware that Sloane was anything but my best friend.” Why do we put such pressures on kids as young as six, and their innocent little friendships??

5. It’s a great example of girl power and how powerful women can be when we come together as a united sisterhood: This just may be my favorite aspect of the book, maybe aside from the swoony romance. I can’t say any more than this so as not to spoil the read, but I was cheering on an amazing group of young women who took their power back!
I hope these reasons are enough to have you picking up Not Here to Stay Friends, and I hope even more that you enjoy it as much as I did! Thanks so much to TBR and Beyond Tours and the author and publisher for having me on the tour and letting me read an eARC of this funny and swoony contemporary YA novel!

Such a cute and fun read! If you like watching The Bachelor then I think you’ll enjoy this book.

BFF’s Sloane and Liam reunite over the summer and quickly realize they have feelings for each other. Liam’s father offers to help Sloane get into her dream career field if she fills an open spot on his new reality tv show.

Following Sloane and Liam’s journey was so fun to read. Friends to lovers, will they or won’t they, it kept me intrigued right to the very end.

Overall this was cute and exceeded my expectations! Was some of the dialogue a little cringey? Yeah. Was some of the scenes unrealistic? Yeah. But you kind of expect that going into these types of books and I don't think it took away from the story too much. Also, not usually a fan of Friends-to-Lovers but this was super well done! I wish we could have seen more of Riley, and that Sloane's friendships with the other girls were developed a little more. We were told that Sloane loved them but weren't really shown that.

Not Here to Stay Friends is a captivating romance novel that will leave you breathless. With its snappy dialogue, bouncy narrative beats, and distinctly rendered alternating perspectives, this book is perfect for anyone who loves a good love story. Hill's writing style is both professional and engaging, drawing the reader in from the very first page. The emotional turmoil that the characters experience is palpable, and the chemistry between them is electric. This is not your typical romance novel - it is a relaxed read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

My favorite thing about good books is how much they can have you enjoying something you don’t usually in your own life, and that’s exactly what Hill does here! After reading and loving Love From Scratch, I had to come back to see what sweet and funny rom-com was up next, and I adored following Sloane and Liam on the set of a reality TV show.
Even without having watched many myself, I loved how immediately I was pulled into the set of AWFLL, and how can you not be? Sloane and Liam are adorable best friends with a relationship that’s great both as friends and more, and as always, Hill’s humor is pitch perfect on every one-liner!
If you want an enjoyable and sweet read that lets you have some good laughs, don’t miss out on Kaitlyn Hill!

This book was a cute, YA rom com. A lot of the conversations/internal monologue felt very immature, but that’s probably realistic for what a 17 year old with a crush sounds like. Definitely an exact replica of the bachelor, but it’s always fun to read some spin offs making fun of those types of TV shows. Overall quite predictable and young, but an easy enjoyable read.

Sloane and Liam are childhood best friends who reunite when Sloane visits Liam. In LA for the summer, Sloane ends up a last minute addition to a teen dating show. Will she fall for the star of the show Aspen? And what will happen when she thinks she is falling for Liam instead.

I read this book in one day and thought it was such a fun YA romance. Think of it as The Bachelor meets The O.C. I loved Sloane and Liam was just the sweetest. Can’t wait to read more of Kaitlyn’s books!

I was excited for this book but found it hard to become immersed.. Liam was interesting but Sloane seemed kinda bland and I had a hard time coming back to finish the story. Maybe it’s because the stakes aren’t all the high for a high school style matchmaking show. I also struggled with the connection between the two MC’s. I had a hard time believing they hadn’t seen each other online or in any other capacity regarding social media. Some of their conversations almost felt like they didn’t really know each other that well although it was emphasized that they were BFs. Ultimately, I wasn’t invested in their relationship which is probably why I lost interest pretty early in the book. I would still suggest others give it a try as most of the reviews are positive. Maybe it just wasn’t for me.


Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

🦇 Not Here to Stay Friends Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ Maybe this is my time to show everyone—show myself—that I can do things that are big and scary and out of character, things that force me to be the center of attention. ❞

❓ #QOTD Choose your trope: friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers? ❓

🦇 The Bachelor and Riverdale meet Julie Murphy's If the Shoe Fits in this friends-to-lovers story of two lifetime friends. When Sloane McKinney visits her best friend Liam Daniels in LA for the summer, she never expects to step under the spotlight. Liam's dad gets them both involved in the teen reality dating show he's producing: Aspen Woods’s Future Leading Lady (AWFLL)—Liam as a PA and Sloane as a contestant. Teen heartthrob Aspen has set his sights on Sloane as his Leading Lady, but the real drama occurs behind the scenes as—plot twist!—Sloane and Liam finally begin to recognize their friends for one another. Can they make it to the finale without making a mess of their reunion?

💜 Not Here to Stay Friends is a cute young adult contemporary romance that gives a nod to the messy reality of reality television. Kaitlyn Hill does a wonderful job of balancing Sloane and Liam's tension alongside drama, problematic gender roles, and rom-com cuteness. The novel's true strength isn't in the friends-to-lovers growth, but in the healthy friendship Sloane and Liam use as the foundation for that growth. Their love and protectiveness over one another feels natural and sweet; a foundation that doesn't falter even despite the chaos occurring all around them. The twist at the end gave the reality TV side of the story the unique flare shows like The Bachelor often lack, defying story cliches that women need a Hollywood leading man for a happily ever after.

🦇 While there this novel doesn't warrant any big complaints, it's not exactly wow-worthy, either. Many of the characters come off as one-dimensional (Aspen, especially). While reality TV frames participants in that light, we're viewing AWFLL from behind the scenes; we should be getting more from the characters. Despite how cute Sloane and Liam are together, a little bit more about their friendship before Liam's move would have helped readers fall all the more in love with the pairing. Some of the film terms were incorrect as well (my girlfriend worked walkies on Stranger Things, and batteries are called bricks...also no one uses the phrase "10-4"), but I'll let that slide since Liam is new to the industry. Some thoughts repeat a bit too often as well, and there's not enough drama, tension, or high stakes to push the story forward. I'm sure this was on purpose, but the quotes from The Cove were Riverdale-cringy, failing to add depth to the story (beyond making me question Sloane's taste).

🦇 This adorable YA rom-com is perfect for fans of Riverdale, The Bachelor, and cozy comfort reads.

🌹 Friends to Lovers
🎥 Dual POV
🎬 Revenge Plot
🍿 YA Rom-Com

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

One of my biggest complaints about books with the friends to lovers trope is that the main characters usually aren’t truly just friends in the beginning. But y’all – “Not Here to Stay Friends” gets it oh-so very right.

The story follows Sloane, a teenager from Tennessee, as she travels to LA to spend the summer with Liam, her childhood best friend who moved away when his dad’s production company hit it big.

But soon after she arrives, she learns that her summer of fun isn’t going to be what she thought: Liam has been roped into working as a production assistant on his dad’s new reality dating show, which happens to be a tie-in to her favorite teen drama.

AND THEN, Sloane ends up a contestant, and the actor who plays the main character on the teen drama and who is the “bachelor” on the dating show, sets his sights on her – and turns to Liam for advice.

So yes, this is very much a YA version of The Bachelor-meets UnREAL-meets Win a Date with Tad Hamilton – and yes, it *does* work. Kaitlyn Hill does a great job balancing all the elements at play with a fun cast of supporting characters, a tight plot, and just enough details. There are some weird family dynamics, especially with Liam and his dad, that I wish were explored a bit more, but I definitely see how that would have slowed this book way, way down.

Esoecially because we’re here for the childhood friends to lovers plot! This one works so well because Liam and Sloane don’t realize they might have the capacity to be more than friends until she arrived in LA, and we get to experience them wrestling with feelings and friendship and the future.

It’s sweet, it’s swoony, it’s sarcastic (Sloane and Liam are both very funny!), and, in the end, it’s a seriously fun read that will leave you smiling.

4🌟

Sloane McKinney and Liam Daniels have been best friends since childhood, but haven't seen in each other in person in nearly five years. That all changes when Sloane arrives at LAX prepared to spend the summer seeing the sites, and what she finds is that Liam has possibly had a Hot Guy glow-up, fueling just a tiny bit of attraction on her part. Sloane's plans change, though, when she finds out Liam has been roped into working for his dad as a PA on a reality dating show featuring the main character, Aspen Woods, from their favorite show The Cove. Things take an even bigger turn when a miscalculation leaves the show one contestant short, and Sloane becomes the perfect last-minute addition. When the cameras are rolling, Sloane can't help to feel the whirlwind of teen heartthrob, Aspen, but when the cameras are off? Well, that's where the drama really starts to kick in.

I really do love when books have multiple perspectives - so we get to be in the minds of both Sloane and Liam in first person. I think this really helped to highlight the confusing feelings that come with realizing you're starting to think of your best friend in a more romantic light. Both believe the other don't feel the same, but we get to see them work out their feelings in their heads in real time. Whenever a friends-to-lovers romance trope is used, or a relationship is already established between characters prior to the start of the novel, it can be hard to sell the already-present chemistry, but with inside jokes and stories of past vacations and trips and just time spent together, both shared in verbal and mental dialogue, I think Sloane and Liam's friendship was built up really well. They know each other incredibly well, and it's clear to everyone else that they'd be good for each other, but both are too afraid to risk their friendship, and also things can be pretty confusing when you're on a dating show, supposed to be falling for the main guy but actually have feelings for a PA. With the reality dating show, Aspen Woods Future Leading Lady, or should I say AWFLL, we don't get a full exploration of the other contestants all that much, with the exception of Sloane's roommates, Bree, Alicia, and Hattie, and Peyton, who was set up to be the antagonist contestant. But overall, drama between the other girls was minimal, with the exception of one house becoming too competitive during a game of charades. Even Peyton, who at times was a force against Sloane, knew never to take things too far, and came around in the end with the resolution of the show. I don't want to say too much in regards to how it all ends, as it's great to see it all play out in real time, but I will say that the show had a unique ending that I haven't seen in any books that feature the Bachelor-type show trope (at least the few that I've read). People truly came together and it certainly made for a show-stopping conclusion. And speaking as sparsely as I can, I will appreciate that some people who had a hand in some not-great actions did face consequences for them, and they were not brushed under the rug.

I also wanted to highlight the relationship Sloane and Liam have with their parents, and how their interests often were overlooked or ignored, and how throughout the course of the show both find solace in adults who help them strive to achieve their dreams. Sloane is a middle child, between an older class president, homecoming king, soccer star brother and a younger pageant queen sister. Slone loves writing and hates being in the spotlight, which means she tends to blend into the background and is often ignored in her household. On one of her single dates with Aspen, as he takes her on a tour of The Cove set, he introduces her to a writer on the show who answers all her questions, encourages her in many ways, and, after all is said and done, fulfills a promise to introduce her to other writers for the show and in the industry. Liam, on the other hand, is skilled and woodworking, and loves to tinker in his workshop. He wants to open an online shop and sell his wares. But since his parents recent divorce, his mom moved out and has been distant, and his dad makes snarky comments and digs about playing with toys in the attic. While roaming the set, Liam comes across Garrett, a set-builder for The Cove who was called in to help with sets on the reality show as needed. Garrett is someone who doesn't treat Liam like he's just a PA, lets him assist with projects (with supervision), invites him to see his garage workshop, and encourages him to start that online business if it's something he really wants to do. Liam and Sloane both help each other see their true potentials, but it's always good to have an adult, especially someone in that chosen field, to look to for support. Towards the end of the book it is hinted that both Liam and Sloane's relationships with their parents improve with communication and therapy, and I think it's really good to have it mentioned how it's important to have that open line of communication, even if it isn't easy at first and things take time to improve.

In conclusion, this was such a sweet YA childhood friends-to-lovers contemporary romance that would be perfect for any teen reader, and especially those who look for Bachelor-type shows in their books. Sloane and Liam both come a long way throughout the course of the book, and that growth, and their growing connection, was truly delightful to see. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Delacorte Press, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

If you’re wanting a cute YA romcom with tv reality show vibes, look no further! This was a fun read but miscommunication trope will always leave a bad taste in my mouth especially when they’re supposedly “best friends” who always talk about their feelings.

Sloane visits her best friend, Liam in Los Angeles one summer before her senior year of high school. She soon learns that he has agreed to be a production assistant at the dating show his dad is the executive producer of. When a last minute mess up leaves the show 1 contestant short, Sloane decides to take the spot in exchange for resources from Liam’s dad to help with her screenwriting. We follow Sloane and Liam as they learn they have feelings for each other while she navigates a dating show with teenage heartthrob, Aspen.

A couple of things I didn’t love:
1. Soooo many of the characters fell really flat. Sloane makes all of these “best friends” during the filming, but we get zero information on them minus their name and a small physical description of each. Aspen is about as one dimensional as they come and had zero personality.
2. There were some side stories that didn’t feel needed (sloane’s family drama for one), and that could have opened up time to learn about more characters.
3. I wasn’t super thrilled that it was a bunch of 17 year olds out on a dating show and put in peer pressure inducing situations (like kissing and such - which I know isn’t a big deal to some but still).
However, this was still cute. I just made the characters a little older in my head and that helped 😅


I did enjoy the reality dating show aspect of the book and how it revolved around the show that Aspen was a part of. I liked how everything tied in with that show. I enjoy a good love triangle as well so the relationship between Sloane/Aspen/Liam was interesting.

Overall, this was still a fun read and I do think people would really enjoy it.

The biggest thank you to #Netgalley, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A quick read in the style of The Bachelor!

This was a sweet friends to lovers YA read, full of laugh out loud moments, healthy love and fun friendship.

Sloan is the perfect FMC, relatable and someone who you just want to be friends with!

LOVED the female friendships in this one! An overall heartwarming read!

If you love reality TV and funny, sweet rom-coms this book is for you!

Long time friends Liam and Sloane get to spend an entire summer after having been apart for almost five years. It’s going to be the perfect summer!

Mix in a teen reality TV star dating show, summer jobs, and unexpected contestants it’ll be the perfect summer. Right?

Perfect summer read, don’t skip it!

✨ PRINCEMAN REVIEW ✨

📝 Sloane heads to LA for the summer to see her best friend since childhood, Liam. When she sees him, she doesn't expect him to be transformed into a total HOT GUY! They plan to spend the summer together, catching up when all their plans go awry. Instead, Liam is expected to work on his dad's set of a reality teen dating show, and Sloane gets roped into being a contestant! Will Sloane be wooed by the famous actor, or is Liam the one who makes her heart beat a bit faster?

What I 🤍:
💕 Best Friends to Lovers Trope
🌹 Bachelor/ette meets John Tucker Must Die
💋 Passionate Kisses
😏 Revenge Plot
🎶 Song & Movie References
🌟 Hollywood Scene

Hill's second book is the perfect mash up of Bachelor meets John Tucker Must Die, but make it a teen version. I really loved the idea of seeing behind the scenes of filming a dating show, and how all the contestants came together. Honestly, I thought there would be more drama between the girls because that's what happens when you put a bunch of 15-17 year olds together. The romance had me at the edge of my seat, and I was HERE FOR IT!

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Passion: 🔥 (Kisses & Makeouts)
Read If ➡️: You love reality dating shows.
Read 📅: In the Summertime ☀️
CW ⚠️: Divorced Parents, Being Ignored by Parents

I loved the idea of this book, but, I think it would have been way better if it was a New Adult Romance, rather than YA. While I loved the idea of a "bachelor" like dating show, it just felt unrealistic that parents would allow their daughters to go on a show like this as a teen. I also felt it would have been better with more spice. Another wondering I had was how much more developed the characters would have been if it was single POV from Sloane's perspective rather than Duel POV from Sloane and Liam. Sometimes I would have loved to get more inside Sloane's head. Overall, this was a quick, fun read, and it perfect for reality show lovers.

Thank you so much to TBR Beyond Tours for an ARC of this book. Not Here to Stay Friends is out Tuesday!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Kaitlyn Hill and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

"Not Here to Stay Friends" is a YA version of the Bachelor and a great read! It kept me engaged and excited to the very end. I also liked it dealed with boundaries and safe teen dating.
Sloan is looking forward to a summer of fun out in California with her best friend Liam. They have been best friends forever and they plan to make the most out of their time together. Soon though, Slone finds out that Liam is scheduled to work on his dad's new teen dating show... "Aspen Woods' Future Leading Lady". Liam decides it won't change their plans too much because they can still hang out on set. Things change though when the show realizes that they are one girl short and Sloane is soon signed on to be the last leading lady.

Aspen soon starts falling for Sloane and Liam does not like it. What will the best friends do?

Rating4.5/5

After a strange month and a lack of desire to read anything it was really refreshing to pick up this book. I went into this book with a desire to be entertained and it ended up exceeding what I had hoped for and was funny, dramatic (but not in an angsty way), and endearing.

If I’m honest I was a little unsure about whether this would be a book I would get along with, especially after reading the first few pages, but since it could have been my mood I kept going and after that, I struggled to put it down. I actually read it in one day because I was having such fun reading about Sloane and Liam and the unusual situation they found themselves in.

Friends-to-lovers is a trope I always seem to enjoy if it’s done well and this was perfect. There was enough tension between Sloane and Liam, the added complication of Aspen and being on a reality show meant it was all the right ingredients for a good slow build between the two. I enjoyed their chemistry, it jumps off the page from the start, but it gets so much better as they start to question whether they are just friends.

I’m not a huge reality TV show fan but I actually really enjoyed this as a setting, getting to see behind the scenes and the conflicting emotions of competing with people that you have to live with alongside getting little to no privacy. It also added a great opportunity for Sloane and Liam to be around each other but not get a lot of time together which worked so well to help confuse things for both of them and have a few dramatic scenes as they start getting jealous.

I was also kind of surprised by the ending, I definitely expected it to be a more predictable outcome in terms of the reality show but the author managed to do something unexpected that I really enjoyed. It was a much better conclusion and kept up the fun element of the story.

If you want an upbeat and fun friends-to-lovers with a dose of light-hearted drama then I highly recommend Not Here To Stay Friends.

I'm not really into The Bachelor but I thought this was going to be more like a YA version of OC meets The Charm Offensive (a book I loved). Unfortunately, this book was quite boring with so much of a slow burn that it was barely a fizzle. I also think the character development could have used a lot of work. Hope you have better luck!

Not Here to Stay Friends comes out next week on April 4, 2023 and you can purchase HERE.

It's always ominous when someone won't just tell you the thing that they want to tell you over a text. I feel like I should be able to install an app on my phone to block those sorts of messages, the ones that will just make me anxious all day.

I’ll be honest I requested this book because I thought the cover was so cute and didn’t realize it was YA. But! The premise seemed interesting and I was excited to read it nonetheless. I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint!

I can take or leave the friends to lovers trope, I’ve lived it. It really does ruin the friendship. Anyway. I thought this one was done really well! I adored Liam and Sloane was great. I wish we got to see more of them together and had a little more on screen bonding, but the connection was there and I was hooked by them in the very first chapter. Also, hurt/comfort is one of my favorite tropes and this had it twice! Well. Kinda. It counts to me.

Liam is the sweetest and most thoughtful teenage boy. Sloane is smart and funny. They both deal with less than stellar family situations, so I’m so glad these two have each other. I was also so happy to see the friendships Sloane made on the show. Everyone really stood out with their own individual personalities and I loved them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and recommend. It was a cute and easy read. Also, unexpectedly funny and clever. The writing style flowed nicely for me. YA is not my usual thing, but if I ever feel like picking one up again I will definitely be checking out more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun Bachelor-style story. The main character Sloane is great, she's confident in herself, knows what she wants for her future, and doesn't fall for fake charm. I love that she stood up for herself and her boundaries, as well as didn't let others speak poorly about her friends. I would be happy to have Sloane in my corner.

The plot is a best friends-to-lovers and it was a nice surprise that we got Liam's point of view also. The way they both started to realize there may be attraction there was cute and since they've been friends for so long, they have a fantastic base to start from. There was some miscommunication and hiding of feelings, but it wasn't overly dramatic and felt fairly real.

I flew through this in one day, it was easy to dive in and get involved in the story. There's also a great girl power message that topped it off nicely.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy.