Frenemies with Benefits by Lydia Sharp was a sweet YA contemporary romance.
Sharp’s writing is a breath of fresh air! I adored reading about Jess and Benjamin.
I loved the main character. She was pretty relatable and easy to connect with.
The author does an excellent job in conveying the ups and downs.
I thought this was a sweet, funny, enjoyable and entertaining story.
I think most YAs will relate to this book.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Entangled: Teen for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
SPICE: 🔥

This is a book that’s not in my typical genre, but i have seen so many people posting about it, that I was immediately curious and wanted to read. Boy, I’m glad I did because I really enjoyed this book. I think this is a great book that is right at the line of YA/NA and does a great job telling this story to that audience.

Jess Webster is a shy introvert with a crush on her older brother’s best friend. She worries that her shyness and inexperience (virginity) will stop her from getting her guy, so she decides she needs practice. Benjamin Oliver is the popular high school quarterback who happens to be Jess’s enemy in their friend-group. He’s also the one boy her nerves don’t get to her with, so when he offers to help her practice to get her guy, she takes him up on it, leading her to a summer of exploration and seeing her enemy in a vastly different light.

So first, I really liked the characters of Jess and Benjamin (it’s Ben) and thought they had great chemistry together. Jess was very realistic in the way she viewed her family’s financial status as well as the way she was portrayed as a shy introvert. It was refreshing that she and her friends felt very age appropriate and a little messy. Ben was a hot jock/secret musician and was almost a little too perfect, but I loved how he handled Jess’s inexperience with consent and her controlling things being part of their conversations.

I also really like how the spice was handled. I am a big supporter of sex being shown in YA books at an appropriate level and I thought this book did an excellent job of that. Since so much of the plot revolves around Jess and Ben being enemies-with-benefits, you knew what was going on between them without directly seeing it on screen. That really stood out to me and made this a book I would want to give to my teenage niece.

Overall this is a great and easy read, perfect for anyone who loves a good enemies to lovers trope, and doesn’t mind reading younger characters and their journeys.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an early copy, and Entangled Insiders for the hype on this book that made me want to read. My review is my own and made voluntarily

What a cute story! Totally gave me 10 things I hate about you vibe (which is my favorite movie) so this book was right up my alley. Absolutely love the banter between Ben and Jessie. The emotional rollercoaster that they go through really hits that they are teenagers finding their way in th world and understanding themselves. The story flowed and the author keeps you turning the page. Definitely a 5 star and a highlight for my summer reads.

4/5 stars! I picked up this book solely based on its cover. This is a YA contemporary romance and it definitely fulfills that genre. Jess is awkward and nerdy and Ben is a hottie with a body. I really liked their chemistry, but like often happens in these stories the FMC annoyed the sh*t out of me. I really enjoyed the story but I needed the FMC to know what she wanted and not hop back and forth.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

NOTE: Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

It's been a while since I sat down to read a YA rom com novel simply because a lot of them feel too familiar with predictable plots and what not. But the idea of a book that sets out to discuss sex as well as consent and showing the raw ups and downs of falling in love and teenage hood in a way that feels reminiscent to what it's like to be a teenager in our current times, I have to admit this book did a pretty good job. The last time I rea a book like that was Cynthia Hand's With You All the Way which was hilarious and did a good job of keeping us invested.

Now, onto our usual to see what happens.

Short Summary: The resident shy virgin sets out to impress her brother's best friend Andrew but to do that, she'll need help from her enemy to give her a few lessons in getting the boy she wants.

Cue the drum roll.


Long Summary: If there was an award for Least Able To Function Around Cute Boys, Jess Webster would clean up. She can barely talk to a guy, let alone engage in naked things. But now that high school is over, Jess resolves to put her big girl pants on and at last bang bag the longtime object of her desire, Andrew. All she needs is someone to practice on first.

Enter Benjamin Oliver. Jock hot, nerd hot (which is just greedy, really), star quarterback, and all-around pain in Jess’s ass. While Jess would rather nap on a nest of fire ants than be his girlfriend, there’s still something about him that sends a jolt through her stomach, making him her best (and only) candidate for her guy game glow-up.

With summer in full swing and not one, but two, cute boys on the horizon, Jess is pretty sure she’s on the winning side of the bargain. But can her deal with Benjamin stay purely business-with-pleasure? And, the question that Jess soon can’t ignore: does she want it to?

I admit that while reading this book, the beginning did feel a bit cringy and trying a bit too hard to incorporate the Gen Z language "The boomer teacher" had me dying inside, but if we brush aside the try-hard attempt in the beginning to hook readers, the banter and chemistry between Jess and Benjamin--I mean, Ben haha is one that makes you wonder what exactly happens between frenemies who shake on a deal and maybe realize that they had pent-up desires to be with each other.

I did get a few good laughs on the train with this one, so there is that.

Overall: 4/5 stars.

I was hoping this would be a quick, fun read that I’d breeze through, but I found myself constantly putting it down. Partly it’s the lack of descriptions that made me unable to immerse myself in the story. People were talking heads, the descriptions coming long after I’d formed my own image of them, and everything happened in a vacuum. Yes, I can imagine what a high school or a teenager’s bedroom looks like, but I want to be transported to the particular locations of this book.

Mostly, though, it was because I couldn’t get behind the premise of sex being cure for insecurity, though I can understand why a teenager would think so. I guess I wanted something a bit sweeter, where they try other things first. And how insecure can a person be, really, if intimacy isn’t a problem. Still, this wasn’t a bad book. It just wasn’t for me.

"If there was an award for Least Able To Function Around Cute Boys, Jess Webster would clean up. She can barely talk to a guy, let alone engage in naked things. But now that high school is over, Jess resolves to put her big-girl pants on and at last bang bag the longtime object of her desire, Andrew. All she needs is someone to practice on first."

I was enraptured by this read.
I couldn't put it down. @lydiadawnsharp gave us everything every high school aged/new adult wanted to read.

In her authors note she mentions that everyone was talking about s*x in high school, and some were having it, and a conversation needed to be had that hadn't yet been had.

And the consent was so sexy!

Frenemies with Benefits is that conversation. There is a joy in seeing these BIG things talked about when no one is saying it.

Wanting Benjamin and Jess navigate their own path was delightful, and at times embarrassing 😉.

Sharp did a great job of being descriptive of their "spice" without being graphic. I would absolutely have loved this read as a teen!

Thank you @entangledteen for the #gifted copy.

🩷 Frenemies with Benefits 🩷

This was a cute, easy read! A mature YA romcom that follows Jessie, who has a crush on her brother’s best friend coming to stay at their house this summer. Shy around new people and inexperienced compared to her friends, Jessie is worried about making a good impression. She enlists the help of Benjamin Oliver, the star quarterback son of the mayor, to help her build her confidence and experience. He can’t stand her, so there’s no way anyone will get the wrong idea and they can have a clean break at the end. Right?

Cute, quick and fun read! Note that while it’s mostly fade to black, this was spicier than a typical YA.

Check this out if you’re looking for:
🩷 Enemies to lovers
🩷 He teaches her
🩷 Difference in financial status
🩷 Well modeled consent and asking for what you want

Frenemies with Benefits is on shelves August 28, 2023!
Thank you to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

This is one of the cutest and most hilarious book I've ever read and my favorite YA of 2023! I LOVED IT. I was laughing and smiling and sighing through the whole story and with a swarm of butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

Jess can't stand Benjamin, and they're always bantering but now she needs to practice flirting because she wants to woo Andrew, her brother's best friend and she's still totally inexperienced, and her best bet is Ben, he is sexy, star quarterback, nerdy jock, popular, so she asks Ben for help and he agrees to help her.

But little by little what started as practice of flirting and fake dating ends in deeper emotions, and Jess realizes that there is much more to Ben than she thought. I loved their scenes together, their dialogues so hilarious, the tension between them is palpable through the pages. Ben is the most tender, sexy and sweet boy. I love him so much, always supporting Jess and helping her in everything she needs.

Their banter is off the charts, their electrifying chemistry is epic, and they are so perfect together, I swooned so hard.

Frenemies with benefits is a cute and sexy RomCom that will make you laugh, sigh, I'm so obsessed with this book, I devoured it in one sitting. A TOP READ 2023. Perfect for fans of
Enemies to friends to lovers
Sexual Tension
Hilarious Banter
Swoony Hero
Fake dating
Romcom
Cute
YA romance

I LOVED this book. I would have given anything to have a book like this when I was a teenager. I think this read fills a good gap between teen reads and young adult books that aren’t frequently written about. The awkward as hell period between graduating high school, questioning your future, and exploring your sexuality. The inclusion of consent, and communication about comfort level during sexual exploration was so amazing and I can’t wait for my daughters to be old enough to read this story in the future.

Jessie and Ben are opposites and ‘enemies’ but in the same friend group since their besties are dating. Ben is confident and experienced sexually so when Jessie is ready to explore her own sexual journey to ‘prepare’ herself to get the attention of her older brother’s roommate/crush, Ben and Jessie agree to explore together. They moved from enemies to friends to lovers over time and along the way was amazing banter! Some of this book is nostalgic, yet fresh and unique! Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback, I look forward to recommending this book on by social pages next week on pub day!

Cute story even if it's a little predictable. I saw what was going on with Andrew pretty much immediately. I like Benjamin more than Jessie. I didn't quite understand her relationship with her mother. It was just odd that the minter wasn't communicating well. I did really enjoy the ending, I feel like it's been a while since I've read a book with a grand gesture, and I enjoyed it! The author noted that she wanted this to be similar to Judy Blumes Forever, and I think she did a pretty good job. It's realistic in the aspects of teens and sex. Overall, good book, with ok writing. There were times when I wasn't write she what exactly just happened did to lack of detail.

When Jessica finds out her brothers, hot, best friend Andrew is returning home for the Summer, Jess needs to come up with a way to make Andrew finally notice her. Overhearing Jessica’s predicament to her friend, Ben surprisingly, offers himself up as tribute. What better person to teach Jess sex appeal, and to become more confident around guys, then the sex god himself. Queue the <i>Frenemies with Benefits</i>.

Light-hearted, banter filled, rom-com, that had me giggling, and gasping for more. A real <i>'Walk down memory lane'</i> for some of us, in our high school years. This borderlines YA/NA (which is a great thing, we need more books that fill this gap)

<b>Frenemies with Benefits</b>, really showcases, that we are all not we appear to be on the outside. This book brushes on some deeper and more meaningful aspects of Young Adulthood. Not everyone knows what they want to do when they grow up (and I still don't) The trials, that both Jess and Ben face separately, and then together - has every hopeless romantic here, in the feels.
The level of consent throughout is entire book is exactly what every 'coming of age' storyline needs. Ben is the best book boyfriend, with his unwavering encouragement, and support.

Jessica and Ben, doing a triple act on us. From enemies to lovers - to, friends to lovers - to, second chance romance. Well played Lydia Sharp. Well played!

This is what I want to see in every rom-com. Next film adaptation? I think 'Frenemies with Benefits' would be the perfect choice, right up there with 'Red, White and Royal Blue', and 'My Fault'.

Thank you again to Lydia Sharp, the publisher Entangled Publishing , Entangled: Teen , and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read omg. I genuinely enjoyed it so so much and the premise of it provided such good tension and will they won’t they vibes. Although the main character was extremely oblivious most of the time, it made sense given that she is 18 and had no romantic experiences.

The pacing of this book was well done where nothing felt rushed and the events that occurred were able to feel believable. The banter was also fun and made the main character’s dynamic with the love interest even more enjoyable and genuine feeling.

If you’re looking for a cute, coming of age story about learning to embrace and express your sexuality with some fake dating, you should check this out! Please note, this is more about the story and is fade-to-black “spice”.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

Wow! This book was incredible. I so loved the agreement between her and Ben. Ben agrees it teach Jess all about sex in order for her to get her crush, Andrew, her brothers friend to notice her in return for unnamed favor(s).

It was frustrating when she started to fall for him and kept denying it to herself. I wanted to scream at her to wake up. It was so satisfying when she stood up for him to his father. What a horrid parent!

The banter between them is so funny and I love how they continue to keep it going as their feelings for each other grow.

A great book!!!

Highly recommend

**Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. This review is my opinion**

OMG this was adorable! Enemies to lovers is one of my top favorite tropes. It can easily be done badly, and there are hundreds of books that do this. So, because I have read some of those failures, I am always apprehensive about picking up a book with this trope. Thankfully, Lydia Sharp did not disappoint! Ben loves to tease our main gal, Jess. The witty banter between them always brought a smile to my face. I especially loved that Ben is described as a POC. Being biracial (half Black, half white), I love seeing interracial relationships in the books I read. The romance was adorable, fresh, and I will definitely being looking out for more of the authors books.

I loved the open discussion about sex and the various forms sex can take. Also, that there was ALOT of consent. All that being said, I was up and down with liking and not liking this book. But I can't figure out exactly why. However, I did love the ending.

Jess Webster is about to graduate high school when she gets THE news: her beloved older brother Chris got a volunteering job in Cambodia and can't make it to graduation, BUT he'll be home in July with his hot friend Andrew in tow. And they're staying in Jess and Chris' parents house for a month and a half. You know, the same house Jess lives in. She's crushed on Andrew for years, and this could finally be her opportunity to make him see her as more than just Chris' dorky little sister. Well, that is if she can stop herself from doing nothing but awkwardly gurgling every time Andrew so much as glances her way. Jess is, tragically (in her opinion) still a virgin, and has no idea how to act around a crush...especially when the boy she has her eye on is older and (she assumes) much more experienced than she is. At lunch on the last day of school, she's venting about her predicament to her bestie, Rayna, when Jess' frenemy, Ben Oliver, overhears everything. He sarcastically (Jess thinks) offers to give her "lessons." He'll teach her, for lack of better words, how to sex, so that she can use her newfound knowledge, and confidence, to seduce Andrew when he gets to town.

Jess is just desperate enough to take Ben up on his offer...mostly because she has eyes and can admit that even though they hate each other, Ben is smoking hot and she could definitely do worse--and she needs the help.

As you can guess, and as with any fake dating story, it gets messy fast. Feelings start getting involved, but are they real, or is it just the sizzling physical spark that is undeniable between Jess and Ben?

I enjoyed this book, but had a few issues with it as well. It was a very cute YA coming of age story, and also one that I feel is very important. Lydia Sharp, at the beginning of the book, leaves a note to her readers that talks about her curiosity, utter lack of knowledge about, and her embarrassment relating to sex when she was a teenager. She, like so many readers, didn't have a maternal figure that was comfortable talking about sex with her, and most of her friends were already having sex. She talks about how her options were clinical definitions of sex you'd find in reference books or on Google, or wildly fantastical romance novels--neither of which paints the most accurate picture of what the experience of sex is like. That was, until she found Forever by Judy Blume. It was a book written from a teenaged perspective, but that gave her clearer, more realistic idea of what she could expect from having sex. Writing this book, for Lydia, was a way to offer teenagers now what she needed then: an age-appropriate tale that shows the importance of both consent and safe sex, that there should be no shame in consensual sex, that it's okay and perfectly right to be in control of your own sex life, and that virginity is nothing to be ashamed of either. In that way, I thought this book was absolutely beautiful--it gives younger readers that feel like that don't have anywhere to turn for knowledge, a place to go. Something to read that gives them an example of how it should always be, even if your life isn't a YA novel.

I also really loved the dynamic between Jess and her mother, as it showcases that mother daughter relationships don't have to be perfect to be perfect.

[Please be aware, the following paragraph will have minor plot spoilers.]

I loved Jess and Ben's relationship, even when they hated each other. I don't like the "he's mean to you because he likes you" idea, because it teaches young people to accept poor behavior...and thankfully, this was NOT the case in Frenemies with Benefits. Jess and Ben, as you learn later in the book, just started off on the wrong foot and mutually disliked each other. And that's okay! Relationships evolve, and I thought that seeing that on the page was lovely. I did not, however, like how fickle Jess could be about things. Ben is the son of the town mayor, and apparently mega rich. At one point, he buys Jess a huge box of nail polish as it's an inside joke between them. Jess loses it, because he spent money on her knowing that her family is what she considers to be poor; she doesn't want to be beholden to Ben, or have people think they're "dating" only because she wants him to spend money on her. Then, within a few chapters, she's letting him take her on a lavish shopping spree for six pairs of designer shoes? It just...didn't make sense to me. On top of that, so many of the characters have more money than sense, and more money than I think would be reasonable. For example, there is a non-school dance formal event that the friend group consisting of eighteen year olds all need to attend, so they go to a luxury bridal shop to look for gowns. Jess, who again, is poor, balks at the price tag, but her best friend, Rayna, doesn't spare the price a second glance and tells Jess to relax, that Ben will pay for it. Y'all, the dress was SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. Even if the family is rich, what family in their right mind is just not going to blink an eye at their teenaged son buying a girl a SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLAR dress she'll wear one time? I'm just saying if I were Ben's parents, I'd be yanking that AmEx back so fast he'd get whiplash. I also could. not. stand. Jess' best friend Rayna. She seemed so out of touch with reality, and while I get she was a teenager, I felt that throughout most of the book she was just a selfish gossip. She did redeem herself a bit towards the end though, but whew was it a bumpy ride!

All in all, I thought this was a very cute, quick read that will make you both nostalgic for those late teen years, but also so so glad you don't have to relive them.

I DEVOURED this book, i loved this so so so much. The character development was to die for and i loved following Jessica and Benjamin their journeys and them finding out they were in love with each other all along. I also adored the use of different tropes in the same story, it really gave it a lot of depth.

Rating: 5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion


Jess is that cute girl that is shy, awkward and the last virgin in her friend group. However, she is okay with that until she finds out Chris (her brother) and Andrew (Chirs’s hot friend) are coming over for summer break and she is ready to get noticed by Andrew. However, after hearing her group of friends she is now thinking that she might not get his attention because she is so shy. Ben, her enemy, suggests that she needs practice with someone. She can figure out all the basics of having sex and get more confident being around the opposite sex that she likes. Does Jess find someone that she can trust and help her through this time in her life before the sexy Andrew comes and what will happen when the person she picks is not what she thought of him and maybe starts to like him?

I loved this book from the plot to the characters. I think the author did a wonderful job with understanding, knowing, and teaching young adults… (high school grads) about understanding their wants and their needs and just about sex, and handling their emotions.

I loved the plot, to have a friend and then add with benefits in the mix= building a connection that Jess was not ready for nor did she think it would ever happen with that guy. I loved how it wasn’t just about sex, but yes… There is sex in this book but from someone who was ready smut it was not bad at all, and I loved that this author did not shy away from talking about all the worries about sex and being confident. I thought this book did not shy away from the main point of the book and I could see the path forward.


I loved the characters, I thought they were cute, frenemies that blossomed into something more. The characters had me laughing, a few parts I was a little sad and I did choke up a little, and it had me remembering my high school days. Which brought a smile to my face. I thought Ben and Jess were the cutest fake couple in the world and I loved the ending with who fell for who first and the OH moment…

I cannot wait to read from this author.

I want to thank NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

First, this is a book for older YA readers. There is a lot of sex. I do think the topics it talked about should be discussed by young adults.

It was a very enjoyable read with sizzling romance and so much chemistry! I loved the relationship between Ben and Jess. The banter was on point.

If you're looking for a steamy pre-college romance I definitely recommend this one!

Thanks netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.