First let me say that I 💯 wanted to read this book based on the cover. It’s GORGEOUS, and also gives a hint of what’s to come. But what I find fascinating is that past a first steamy kiss, that neither of them can stop thinking about, Jesse and Lulu do almost everything BUT kiss for the majority of the book. It’s amazing how much power is in one single kiss. From it we know they both desire each other, but because of their unknown dual enrollment in a “friendship” study, seeking to understand why adults have difficulty making friends, Lulu knows she absolutely cannot break the rules of engaging in a relationship with anyone in the study.
Thus begins the sexual tension. And it’s good. Quiet natured (and dealing with his own insecurities) Jesse is the hot firefighter type, but because of a car accident is feeling lost in who he is now that part of his identity has been taken from him. Lulu is equally unsure of herself after returning home, leaving her best friend and ex who cheated on her with one another. When Jesse’s ex-boyfriend sets the two of them up on a blind date, sighting their “loneliness”, the chemistry sparks instantly and ignites further from there. Just how far will “friends” go? How do friends soothe each other? Can you bend the rules of the friendship study without breaking them?
Ruby Barrett knows how to write a sex scene and it felt so refreshing to read about characters using their creativity to bend the rules as far as what sex includes. There’s toy play, pegging, mutual masturbation, truck sex, but it never felt like too much and seemed like a true outlet for how Jesse and Lulu felt about one another. I appreciated the neurodivergent representation through Lulu’s character and the bisexuality of both her and Jesse that felt true to them and not there just for the sake of being inclusive. So, did the cover live up to the story? Yes! This would be a great afternoon rainy day read I’d recommend.
I received an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.25
Steam: 🪭🪭🪭

Ugh, Ruby Barrett hits another one out of the park. So cute! So thoughtful! SO STEAMY.

I have a consistent hesitancy about queer man / woman romances. Some of them are amazing, and tackle queerness and passing in insightful and new ways for me. Othertimes, it feels like a straight romance with a bonus label for marketing purposes. This book DELIGHTFULLY fell into the former camp, as I felt hopeful that Ruby Barrett would be able to accomplish.

Lulu and Jess are two adults going through massive transitions in their lives related to work and how they relate to it. Both of them are hesitant about dating and friendship and effectively corner themselves into participating in an adult friendship study at a local college - a fantastic premise combining several tropes together.

As Lulu and Jesse continue to connect, things get messy and hot very quickly. I had to CAREFULLY choose when and where to read this book because even as a mostly sapphic queer, the sex scenes were so good - even one featuring mutual masturbation - that I was visibly riled up every time.

But what I love most about Ruby's books was the way that these sexy scenes carried the plot forward, and we kept peeling back the layers alongside Jesse and Lulu as they figured out important things (neurodivergence! Trauma!) about each other and themselves.

This book was SO GOOD. I love Lulu and Jesse so much. They were both great characters. Excellent individually and as a couple. I need everyone to read it and love them too!

The friendship study by ruby Barrett
This is already one of my favorite romances of the year and I suspect it will stay on the list until the end of the year. A truly complex, layered and beautiful story. Lulus loneliness despite her fun outgoing nature rang so true and was so poignant. Jesse’s search for identity beyond being a firefighter and his regret over not telling the grandfather who raised him (now suffering from Alzheimer’s) about his bisexuality was heart wrenching. Both these storylines and the relationship of these two characters were handled beautifully. This book really sold the idea of truly being seen by your partner. It also had great moments of humor and some wonderful steam.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! Unfortunately this book didn’t hit for me. I wasn’t invested in the characters and found myself bored while reading. I wasn’t seeing chemistry between the two leads and while the premise was so intriguing and I love the representation of a bi-male main character, that didn’t make the story gripping for me. I recognize not every book is for every person.

The noises that left my body while reading this should be studied. I was SWOONING the entire time. Ruby writes such approachable and comforting stories, I had the best time.

This book is for my fellow millennials, or truly, for anyone who has ever struggled to form new friendships and find deeper, lasting connections. It lays bare the aches and the loneliness that so many of us often feel, but don’t always know how to voice... while also giving us such a tender romance.

Jesse is an injured (ex)firefighter who is struggling with his new reality, all while his grandfather’s Alzheimer’s has progressed enough that he no longer recognizes him.

Lulu finds herself living back at home, after a devastating betrayal. She is lonely and struggling to connect.. until her colleague and only friend George, who happens to be Jesse’s ex-boyfriend, sets them up on a blind date. The blind date is somewhat of a disaster, minus one very hot make-out session, which ends when Jesse pulls away and basically ghosts Lu. Shortly after that, they run into each other after both joining George’s psychological “friendship study” that has a “no romance” rule. They slowly start to form the sweetest friendship... which eventually leads to some truly impeccable, toe-curling benefits.

This story is so soft and tender. Jesse and Lu are relatable, complex, wonderful characters that will stick with you. This book elicited such a vast array of emotions from me! I cried and also full-on sobbed, but I also laughed and smiled. Let’s not forget all the swooning and blushing! Such a beautiful balance. I swear I must have highlighted half of this damn book!

Truly, this book wove itself into my heart and put words to all the aches it found there. Sometimes you stumble onto a book that feels like it was written to soothe you... for me, this is one such book. I know I’ll find myself revisiting in the future.

This book was both extremely hørny and very emotional.

friends to lovers
hurt & comfort
friends w benefits
lots of representation
grumpy x sunshine
a little forbidden
lots of steam

This book was VERY emotionally charged. At times gut wrenching and devastating (there is a HEA don't worry), and then stitched me back together at the end. The character are very sweet and I loved reading about their journey and growth, both with each other and separately. I think my biggest take away from this book is the journey of change and growth and how that isn't always linear.

While I liked the characters, I couldn't fully connect with their romance and the way the friends with benefits plot line was a little too thin. I loved the spice but beyond that, I needed a little more.

I definitely still recommend this book!

I’m so glad I requested an arc to this book. I have never read something that makes you FEEL awkward and vulnerable in each interaction the character has (in the best way). The connection between Lulu and Jesse is not banter-y and cutesy, it’s real, vulnerable, and unexpected. They are anchors for each other in a time where life circumstances have taken all their confidence. Their relationship begins when they feel like they are the worst versions of themselves, yet the other sees these insecurities and accepts them all. Everyone needs someone they trust that can help you out of the pit of self doubt, but in this story that person is also your super hot new bff. I loved the emotionally charged romance, the separate underlying plots for each main character, and the queer representation. If you have ever had a time where you felt like “is it me? Am I too much?” This book is for you. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

After a sort of bad first date, Jesse Logan and Lulu Banks discover they have both enrolled in The Friendship Study, awkward! As their friendship does actually grow, they find themselves also experimenting with more of the "with benefits" part of friends (even if that might be breaking the rules of the study).

This was really soft, and touching, and horny as heck. Jesse's struggle with grief (both over losing his career as a firefighter due to a disabling car accident AND being to lose his beloved grandfather who raised him) as his Alzheimer's worsens) did not overwhelm the romance arc, and Lulu's struggle to find her place out of her father's shadow in her beloved History professor career also did not. Both characters had their messes to work on, which made their falling in love even sweeter. Jesse's bisexulity was lovely to see (especially since Lulu's friend that set them up initially is also jesse's ex and still jesse's BFF - i hope he gets a book! i loved him!).

There was a lot of mutual m*sturbation (loved that).

Tons of fun!

author lists complete content warnings in the front matter of the book.

Ruby Barrett writes such a beautiful and tender story with The Friendship Study. Barrett handles the various complex topics within with grace and compassion, building out a tale that truly has you feeling like you know the characters by the end.

The Friendship Study is the second novel I've read by Ruby Barrett, and she continues to impress me. This novel perfectly walks the line between a cute romance and a touching character study. Overall, I loved it, and really recommend romance readers pick it up!

This was my first Ruby Barrett book, and I absolutely adored it. It was such an emotional love story, and both Lulu and Jesse were very complex and interesting characters. Their lives apart from the central romance were very interesting to read about, and I really enjoyed watching both of them find themselves and each other. I loved the friend groups and the friendship dynamics, and the side characters were really great as well. Overall, I would completely recommend this book!

Okay, so I knew I already loved Barrett's writing, her characters and the amount of heart she pours into her stories... but my love for The Friendship Study far surpasses my love for The Romance Recipe, which I didn't think was possible (but honestly, it's just a different kind of love).

The care that Barrett has for her characters jumps off the pages of this book! There is mental health and bisexuality representation, consensual interactions, caring and supportive families, and friendships that bloom before your eyes. As I read, I just continuously wanted the best for both Jesse and Lulu, and it's clear that Barrett wanted the same. I felt so much for these fictional characters, but my heart burst as they fell into themselves and pushed each other into becoming just a smidge more social, a bit more themselves. I very much related to both of them, and I think that's what Barrett does best - she creates characters that you empathize with, that you want to succeed and that you love with all your heart!

Extras:
-I love characters that read, especially ones that casually think reading four books a week is typical!
-both dogs and cats have representation

One more thing: this book is very steamy!

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin - Romance and Carina Adores for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for the e-Arc. My opinions are my own. I loved ruby's previous book it was an absolute standout in 2022. The idea was fresh, the characters were interesting and impressed they had restraint. I liked the representation.

Pick it up.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This book was super sweet, super relevant to me, a millennial academic, and super charming. Highly recommend! Lulu comes back to her hometown to work as a history professor/instructor at a university with her dad after a breakup, where her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend. She meets Jesse on a disastrous blind date, and they end up in a university friendship study, where they’re forced into a friendship. And love ensues! I cried a lot in this book; Barrett is a great writer, really nailing the sweet and complicated emotions of falling in love and she hits my emotions in all the right places. I am also a sucker for friends-to-lovers romance. I love dating and becoming friends with your partner, I think it’s the sweetest, and Barrett nails this part of the book. Barrett is also great at writing intimate moments that work and hit you in the gut, in a great way. This book was super close to 5 stars from me, it just took me a little bit to get into it with the pacing at the beginning. I highly recommend this book for fans of Barrett, friends to lovers, neurodivergent rep, and LGBTQ+ contemporary romances.

A spicy academia romance with both neurodivergence and physical disability representation - both MCs are thoughtfully written down to every detail, and it's hard to not be left demanding a sequel, even though I had no complaints about the ending. I truly enjoyed their journey to find love with plenty of humour along the way despite their personal struggles, both characters far richer than just another stereotype. Emotional & tender yet funny and spice-filled - appreciated that this was far more than just another generic academia romance!

I really enjoyed this one! Biggest (but like a fun surprise) was how much I enjoyed Jesse's sexuality arc. It's always nice to see a bi love interest. The story itself was very cute and I enjoyed it for the most part - its very hot and angsty which took me by a nice surprise. The accident storyline definitely hit hard because it was something I relate to as well as Lulu feeling like she was too "over the top" so the third act breakup def hit a nerve with me (as well as them thinking they couldn't be together when they could've!) But it was a cute story and definitely as a bisexual, I appreciated the story a lot.

This was an excellent read and definitely a case of men written by women being so much better than actual men.

My initial reaction/review literally written in the drive thru on my drive home last weekend: I’m typing this from my car while waiting for a drive thru Diet Coke so this will be brief: This book is EVERYTHING I have been wanting. It made me laugh AND cry and also made me want to stop everything and get a physical copy to highlight and flag and then shove in the general direction of everyone. I am in love and obsessed. Also I feel so seen because while my ADHD and Lulu’s don’t line up 100%, this book also made me realize some things are because of my neurospicy brain that I didn’t know had an explanation before. 

So, if that doesn't express to you how much I love this book, I'm not really sure that more words will help. But let me at least try and tell you what this book is about. Essentially, Jesse and Lulu get talked into going on a blind date by their mutual friend. Both of them are lonely, for their own respective reasons, and although the date ends with a spicy kiss, it doesn't go any further. The two of them ultimately join this academic study called The Friendship Study where one of the biggest rules is no fraternization, just friendship. That... doesn't go well for them.

Essentially though, this book has intense themes of loneliness, knowing (or not) your own worth, and millennial angst over the difficulty of making friends as an adult. I've thought about this book SO MUCH since I read it. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It was the exact book I needed and I am pretty positive it will be in my top five books at the end of the year if not my number one. I loved it that much. Oh, and I don't think I mentioned it, but Jesse is bisexual and is dealing with recovery from an injury due to a car accident. Also, content note, Jesse's grandpa is dealing with dementia and is living in a care facility.