This book starts off with a bang! The verbage is very raw (think guy-locker room talk), but also hilarious! I had several laugh-out-loud moments and found myself really liking the characters. It has a ROM-COM vibe mixed with some witty banter. I really like this book!

Thank you, Netgalley!

Audio note: Let's start with the positive, and that's CJ Bloom. She's not one of my personal favorites, but I've listened to many books narrated by her and she always gives a good performance. Her voice actually works well for the uptight Katy, since it has a slight edge to it that gives off those vibes. Bloom's performance is also clear and easy to listen to, so no complaints there. Alexander Cendese, on the other hand, made the book nearly unlistenable. It's my first time listening to something he's narrated, and I'll be avoiding him in the future. He sounds like a total bro, but it's entirely possible he was playing that up for Mack's character. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on that one. However, his voice for women was just atrocious. He made every female voice sound whiny and grating, which made me cringe every time. I ended up abandoning the audiobook partway through because I couldn't take his voice anymore, so I'm glad I had the text to fall back on. I can't recommend the audiobook, but it was short enough for a binge (around 8 hours), and lighthearted enough for a workday listen. This one's higher steam than some of MM's recent works, so not sure I'd recommend for the office, but it's not super spicy either.


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I've joked before that I must like one half of this writing duo better than the other, and I just keep coming back to that sentiment. I loved Accidental Attachment from the start, yet I did not connect to this one at all. It's shorter, spicier, more overtly funny, and the heroes could not be more different, but mostly I felt like it relied on slapstick humor rather than developing the emotional connection. I'm a big fan of enemies to lovers in rom coms and forced proximity is always a win, but neither of those things helped me connect to the characters this time. They go from feuding to vacation flinging in the blink of an eye, and then stay in a shallow zone for much of the story. The hero definitely grew on me over time, but not enough to make up for the twist in the back half. All in all, I was left feeling underwhelmed and disconnected, which is not quite how I expected this to go.

The story follows Katy, a teacher who is excited for her spring break. She's booked a vacation rental, and cannot wait to spend some time in the sun. The only problem? Turns out the rental was double-booked... and Katy's unwelcome roommate is none other than her work nemesis, Mack. The two have been teaching in close proximity for awhile now, and their personalities are very, very different. The fun-loving Mack drives Katy crazy at work, so the idea of spending her vacation with him is less than ideal. But it's not long before Mack is showing a side of himself that Katy has never seen, and the tension between them is taking on a decidedly sexual edge. With the two teachers in vacation mode, maybe it makes sense to give in to the feelings... so long as everything returns to normal on Monday.

I'm a longtime fan of this writing duo, so I know that I'm always in for a lighthearted rom com with some quirkiness and a bit of heat. That holds true with this as well - it's low angst and easygoing, with even more humor than their usual. It's technically interconnected to Accidental Attachment, but easily reads as a standalone. There's a definite opposites attract vibe, a frenemies situation, and lots of forced proximity. Katy is pretty uptight, but Mack brings out a different side of her, which I liked. Mack... well, I thought he was a total tool for a significant portion of the book, but he softened up somewhere along the way. I wish we'd seen more of their relationship post-fling, not just the sexual side of things. That had me feeling emotionally disconnected to the relationship, and then Thatch would pop in for an appearance and that would get more of a reaction out of me than anything else. I'm tired of Thatch, guys. It's time to move on. Regardless, there's a reason I've read more than twenty books by this writing duo over the years - they always deliver a light, fun read.

Yall, I once again absolutely loved this book by Max Monroe. After reading Accidental Attachment, I had high hopes and was not disappointed in the least.

If you want a bingeable, steamy, laugh out loud book full of great banter, this is it!

In the end, I didn't want it to end. I binged it in a day. Loved the forced proximity of the two main characters. Their dynamic was perfection and set the scene perfectly for a fun and heartwarming rom com.

Thank you, @authormaxmonroe @rick_283 @netgalley, for the ebook and ALC.

If you love a good audio, snatch this one up! It was so well done!

This book was an ideal blend of 'The Hating Game' and 'The Unhoneymooners' and I really enjoyed its premise and the overall atmosphere.

The story follows Katie, an elementary school Math teacher, whose job is made difficult by the disruptive Music teacher, Mack. She can't stand him at work, but things take a turn when they end up double-booked for a vacation rental. During their vacation, to Katie's surprise , she has a good time with Mack, blurring the line between love and hate.

Initially, I thought this book would become my new favorite Rom-Com after 'The Unhoneymooners,' but it lacked the witty banter and the angst that I was hoping for. It got boring after the main characters got together. In the audiobook, Mack was portrayed as an annoying, overly humorous teenager, and the dialogues felt extremely childish. I found the author's note suggesting wearing sanitary pads or sitting on the toilet before reading to be excessive and gross.

This RomCom was the perfect medicine! After reading a very heavy book, I went into this one blind, and the audio made me laugh so hard.

Katy and Mack's witty banter will have you in stitches, but their chemistry is off the charts.

** Coworkers
** Enemies to Lovers
** Forced Proximity
** RomCom

A hilarious mix-up with their vacation rental leads to a whirlwind of chaos for these two teachers constantly at each others throats.

This is probably my favorite Max Monroe book! Katie and Mac have great chemistry and the story had me laughing at loud. That hospital scene though🤣.

If you want a book that has some real lol moments then look no further, but a word of warning don't listen to this in the car stuck in traffic as you may look like a loon laughing 😄
Katy and Mack are teachers at the same school and while Katy is a bit highly strung Mack is the total opposite and boy does that wind Katy cat up. There was a good dose of forced proximity to amp the story up and some of the escapades that happen between these 2 had me in stitches. There was good tension, heat and a good amount of spice sprinkled in too. Overall a funny and enjoyable story to lose yourself in and make you forget the world outside.

I’m a fan of Max Monroe - these ladies sure know how to write a fantastic romcom! They’re a dream co-writing team!! I need to carve out a lot more time to read their entire catalogue…

I adored Accidental Attachment and love the little bit of overlap these two books have - they’re completely standalone books, but the characters from the first book do appear and are mentioned, so it’s good to have their background, ie reading Brooke’s books and her coming to Career Day at the school.

Katy and Mack and their enemies or rivals relationship as teachers is really fun, and when they both fly out of town to Florida to enjoy spring break at their coworker’s family condo, a booking error by the rental company has the pair having to share the place, so now they end up paired up having to plan career day and spend spring break together - all while they can’t stand being in each other’s company!

It was such a great read that I devoured it so quickly, having to know how everything turned out! Absolutely, completely and totally recommend this to everyone! Whether you’ve read Max Monroe’s books before or not - this would be a great place to start. Get the audio version because they picked the perfect narrators with CJ Bloom and Alexander Cendese - two fantastic voices that I always enjoy so much. They did a great job, as always!

I received an advance read and listen copy from the authors and NetGalley, and this is my honest feedback.

eBook/Audio Review:
The writing duo of Max Monroe are the best at writing romantic comedy
and Best Frenemies is one of the best reads/listens in this genre of 2023!!
This book took over my life and at times I laughed so hard I ended up with a stitch and struggling to explain to my husband what was so funny. The queens of rom com have done it again.
CJ Bloom and Alexander Cendese did a fantastic job with the narration. They were spot on with the humour and the passion, they brought the characters to life and were very easy to listen to.
This is Mack Houston and Katy Dayton’s entertaining journey and from the moment I met these two I knew this book was going to be very special but when I realised Thatch Kelly was also making some appearances this story went up a level.
I loved everything about this book, I smiled, I giggled, I laughed out loud, I swooned, I sighed and I fell hard and fast. So I guess all that’s left to say is please one click this gem you won’t be disappointed because if ever a book deserved more than five stars this is it.

Tight-laced Katy planned a relaxing beach vacation of wine and fun. The last person she expected to see was Mack, her infuriatingly charming work nemesis. Due to a cruel booking mistake, she's stuck sharing a vacation rental for a week with the laidback music teacher with no concept of boundaries. Katy fears impending the chaos. Worse, she's tempted to discover if Mack's lips are as kissable as they seem.

This is a smart, sensual opposites-attract rom com. It includes a couple of embarrassing situations involving accidental nudity. I enjoyed how the characters evolved over the course of the story.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

BEST FRENEMIES by Max Monroe is the perfect rom com - funny, sexy and full of romance.

I loved the growth that both the main characters showed throughout the book. Mack grew up and Katy relaxed into herself.

The narrators really brought both characters to life and showed the difference in their life experience and personalities. The male narrator sometimes put on an stereotypical voice for the female character which grated a little, but otherwise both narrators had great inflection and brought energy to the reading.

READ FOR:
🥊 Enemies to lovers
🏡 Forced proximity
👨‍💼 Office romance
⭐ 3.5 stars

5 Star review of Best Frenemies by Max Monroe

eBook/Audio Review:

Max Monroe are the queens of romantic comedy and I highly recommend you read this gem of a book. Best Fremenies was a wonderful read; I laughed so much that I cried reading this book.

Max and Monroe, you have done it again, I was invested from the first chapter in Mack Houston and Katy Dayton‘s story. The fact that one of my favourite Max and Monroe characters, Thatcher Kelly makes an appearance in the first chapter, just cemented my belief that I was in for an awesome read.

There was absolutely nothing that I didn't love about Best Frememies, what’s not to enjoy in this workplace, frenemies to lovers’ story. This was a funny, laugh out loud at times emotional read that had me receiving many funny looks from my daughter.

The chemistry between the Mack and Katy is impossible to ignore and you can feel the tension as it builds. The banter was witty, and I loved the camaraderie between especially between Mack and his cousin Thatcher.

The narration by CJ Bloom and Alexander Cendese was entertaining. Their voices are easy to listen to and they brought the passion and humour to life. They certainly did justice to the characters and the story that Max Monroe wove. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley

This was such a fun read! I love a good enemies to lovers Plot! A huge thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the advanced audio arc!!

It was a good romance. The one aspect of the audiobook that I found super cringy was the male narrator’s voice when speaking as the main female character. He made her sound like she was a whiny, childish, helpless woman. Which isn’t the case at all. It communicated such a stereotypical male bad view of women. It as hard to listen to!! Women are worth so much more, even in literacy. That tone and undertone makes it difficult to recommend this book.

*Title: Best Frenemies, a standalone.

*Release date: 9/16/23 read: 9/11/23

*Author: Max Monroe, read Accidental Attachment and loved it. Nice nod to it in this book.

*Book cover: not giving much, but the dialogue makes up for it.

*Format: audiobook ARC

*Page Count: 400

*Run Time: 8:13

*Narrator: CJ Bloom, Alexander Cendese. Both did a great job bringing Katy and Mack to life. They brought such expression and personality to the funnier bits of this book.

*POV: dual H/h alternating chapters

*Setting: NY, FL

*Genre: Contemporary Romance, Satire, Rom-Com

*Tropes:
✅enemies to lovers
✅ teachers
✅ forced proximity
✅ opposites attract
✅ surprise pregnancy
✅ spring break fling
✅ office romance

Look out for:
⚠️ a lot of cursing, h gets crutches

*Synopsis:
Katy was supposed to have a nice, beach getaway with her BFF, and in no way was the bane of her existence from work -Mack Houston- supposed to be there. Due to an overbooking error, they are stuck at the same Florida vacation b&b for a week.

Characters:
Mack Houston- 31, music teacher @ Calhoun Elementary School. Laid back, low stress life. A ladies' man who was raised and doted upon by parents and sister.

Katy Dayton-30, math teacher @ Calhoun Elementary School. Type A personality who took over household responsibilities meant for adults i.e., her parents.

Thatcher Kelly-Mack's cousin and confidant. Has a financial empire, helping Mack find investors for foundation for music in schools.

Anna Franklin- Katy's bff, art director. Was supposed to go on vacation with Katy but got sick.

Lizzy-Mack's older sister, married to Tom w/ daughter Gracie, 5. Mack babysits Gracie- loved their date night with her.

Kai and Melissa Dayton-Katy's hippie parents.

*Review: Loved the humor and banter between Mack and Katy. The chemistry wasn't forced as they secretly lusted after each other for years. Plenty of steam, fun dialogue, and a surprise baby-that's all you need!

*Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐

*Spice level- 5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC🧡! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.

I know Max Monroe has been around for awhile, I hate to admit this is the first book I've read by them. I really enjoyed it! It's light and funny and a true rom-com. Mack and Katy are the perfect opposites attract. It reminded me of Meghan Quinn's books, who I love. CJ Bloom and Alexander Cendese did an amazing job bringing these two to life.

The only issue I have is Katy makes a comment that Mack's snacks "looks like a bag of diabetes". Can authors, or people, in general stop using that? Eating sugar is not how you get type 1 or 2 diabetes. Overall it's a great pick-me-up read.

I loved this audiobook!! Max Monroe are hands down one of my favourite RomCom authors. These guys have never let me down and this book had me excited from the very beginning. Early in you find out the protagonist Mack Houston is the cousin of none other than Thatcher Kelly. Thatch is hands down my absolute favourite Max Monroe character!!!! I mean in my mind Thatch is actually real!!!

Katy Dayton is the maths teacher & Mack Houston is the music teacher Calhoun Elementary School. These co-workers don’t exactly get along. Well Mack likes Katy, he’s always had a bit of a thing for her but she’s totally unattainable because she just can’t tolerate him. Absolutely everybody loves Mack (except Katy) and he’s confused because he’s never had anyone not like him… Katy is beautiful and complex, a bit uptight, overthinks and over analyses everything. She’d totally classify Mack as the bane of her existence!

And then they get stuck on vacation together!

And in a seriously twisted turn of events, these coworkers end up getting all up close and personal!

Will what happens on vacation stay on vacation?

The audiobook narrators were a dream! I’m a big fan of CJ Bloom, previously had her narrate a number of audiobooks I’ve listened to. Loved Alexander Cendese’s voice. Had not heard him narrate before, but loved it! CJ Bloom and Alexander Cendese together are a dream!

☀️REVIEW • BEST FRENEMIES • MAX MONROE ☀️

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥
VERSION: 🎧

I love a good frenemies to lovers romance and this one did not disappoint. Max Monroe have such a fun writing style and this book was chocked full of witty banter, steamy scenes, laugh out loud funny parts and a couple of surprises.

I listened to this on audio, and I think I enjoyed it even more because of that. CJ Bloom and Alexander Cendese really did a great job bringing Katy and Mack to life. If you can listen to this one, I highly recommend, because the narrators bring such expression and personality to the funnier bits of this book.

Mack and Katy are teachers at the same school and have never seen eye-to-eye. So when a mix up leaves them as temporary roommates for their spring break getaway, they are forced to see each other a bit differently. I love a type A girl who falls for the mellow go-with-the-flow guy, and that was Katy and Mack to a tee. Katy is wound tight as a top, and I enjoyed seeing her loosen up and enjoy things. Mack is precious. He’s a bit like a ray of sunshine that just wants to make people happy, and will make the best of any situation.

The banter between them was top notch, and I was rooting for them the whole time with every bit of progress they made, and every flirtatious exchange. The steam and chemistry between them also sparked off the page.

So if you like enemies to lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract with great spice and a swoon-worthy HEA, definitely read this book. But PS, Max Monroe, if you are throwing in extra tropes, a little bit of warning next time please 😜 let’s leave the surprise just for Katy and Mack! But I’m still looking forward to more hilarious characters and banter from this duo!

Recommend! And definitely 5/5 for the narrator performance!

Thanks Rick and Max Monroe for the ARC of this book. My review is my own and completely voluntary. Author Max Monroe

Thank you NetGalley and Max Monroe for the audio ARC!!!

I loved this story and the Easter eggs and the narration. I need an Anna story, too.
I now require the backlist.

Note: maybe listen while NOT driving, especially during spicy scenes. Spicy tends to lead to speeding and speeding can lead to a ticket and so on. No tickets were received while listening… this time!

4 ⭐️
This book is laugh out loud funny and has some of my favourite tropes; Enemies to lovers, forced proximity and he falls first.

The spice was also very well written and enjoyable, the angst was low and the love story was fun.

My only complaint for this book is the introduction. It was very uncomfortable and came across cockey rather than funny which is how I assume it was intended.

Thank you to the author and netgalley for an ARC of this book

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