Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this earc

Sadly, this one wasn’t my favorite. I liked the idea of this book. But the writing wasn’t great and the scene through the whole book just felt incomplete.

It took about 30 into this book to be like “ Yup. This is Beauty and the Beast retelling”. But even the side characters, who are supposed to become the found family rarely appeared on the page. We didn’t get to know their stories at all which made it hard to care about them.

Oliver and his family. Again so much potential but even his reunion with his sister fell flat.

The main romance could have been amazing. But the jumps in times between the scene took away from the tension building. One of page they are looking at the each other and then suddenly they are making out.

Even small things were followed up on. Like the mural inspired by Oliver’s mom sketch - we never saw Oliver’s reaction to it. At all.

The story didn’t feel smooth and writing could use lots of help.

This book is described as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. For me, it wasn't that at all - I shared that not as a criticism, but a persona l reframe of the tale. What this story IS about is a woman finding her way as a contractor. Bellamy and her father restore old homes, and Bellamy is given the project of the Killington Estate. An estate that's also home to Oliver who's been reclusive since the tragic death of his parents. Bellamy is determined to prove herself, and Oliver is not excited at all to have her on this project. And as you can infer, the grumpy/sunshine story goes from there. I found the story was enhanced by the staff at the estate (I think this was a B&B nod, but again, they had their own vibes that I liked), as well as the exploration of some very complex emotions and experiences, particularly with Oliver's family dynamics. I found myself rooting for Bellamy as she navigated all the things and people along the way. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this June 2024 release!

Barely Even Friends was a fun read. I loved the whole redoing a mansion arc and falling in love with the owner. Also, the enemies to lovers was fun and I liked the side characters, they were funny and charming. The story is fun and entertaining.

"Beauty and the beast" meets romcom. I absolutely adored this book. The most perfect retelling, I've read so far.

In this Beauty and the Beast retelling, we meet home restorer Bellamy as she's set to take on her biggest project yet: the career-making renovation of the infamous Killington estate. But when she arrives, the reclusive heir, Oliver Killington, wants nothing to do with her and attempts to throw her out. Determined to see the project through, and with the help of a small but friendly manor staff and hilarious AI, Bellamy sets out to renovate the mansion into something even the biggest grump can appreciate.

This book was so much fun! I've read a few fairytale retellings, and I think this one did the perfect job of threading the needle of remaining true to the source material but being totally new. Bellamy was--thank goodness--not captive in the home, for starters. But I loved the nods to Mrs. Potts, Chip, Lumiere, and Wadsworth in the form of the staff and AI--they may have been my favorite part of the book. Oliver is totally swoon-worthy and the spicy moments are sizzling! A running joke in the book is that Oliver isn't good at anything, and I kind of wish we had given him something (other than his big... heart, people! I was going to say heart!) to be proud of. I also could have done without the standard third-act break-up, but probably just because I loved seeing these two together so much I couldn't bear for them to be apart!

Thanks to Alcove Press for my eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Barely Even Friends follows Bellamy Price as she takes on her first solo restoration project at the mansion of Oliver Killington, the reclusive son and heir of the Killington family fortune.

Both Bellamy and Oliver grew on me as characters, but the pace of the story was all over the place. Between Bellamy arriving at the manor and presenting to Adrian Killington, the patriarch of the family, for approval on her plans, there is next to nothing that happens regarding the manor. At no point in the story does the reader have any understanding on what stage of the remodel the book is at beyond the vague "blank days until deadline" headings. Fast forward to when Oliver kisses Bellamy for the first time, and it is again, completely out of nowhere. Up to that point, there was barely a hint of anything between the characters beyond thinly veiled disdain.

This theme of out-of-nowhere happenings kept popping up throughout the story. I honestly felt like chapters were left out. By the time Bellamy realizes she's in love, I have no idea how she came to that conclusion given next to none of their bonding is shown on page. Then after all of that, there is a third act (can it even be called third act given it's basically almost the last chapter) breakup that makes ZERO sense.

Overall, I liked the idea of the story and characters more than the execution of the story itself. Three stars.

This was a good beauty and the beast retelling
But i did not finish it Because i was hooked on the story i did not want to dnf sins i got this book as an arc copy

Wow what a delight!

When Bellamy gets hired to fix a crumbling mansion, she doesn't expect her client's grouchy grandson to be there waiting for her—and he isn't as excited about the remodel as she is!

This was such an amazing Beauty and the Beast retelling. I adored all the nods to the movie and felt like they were all done in such a clever way. (A sassy AI? Genius!) The secondary characters were all so charming, and the group dynamics had such a great found family vibe. And the romance!!! Off the charts chemistry!

Can't wait for more from Mae Bennett!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. I felt invested in all the characters from the very first page!

I was given this arc for free for an honest review.

So, this book had the recipe to be THE book for me. Beauty and the Beast retelling and rom com? Honestly, it could have been perfect, it should have been perfect, but it for me fell a bit flat.
I think for me, the story was jarring and disjointed and that took me out of the story. I also felt that Bell's flip flop reaction to Oliver didn't make sense. Oliver's progression made sense, but I feel like Bell's kept giving me whiplash.
But I did love the nods to Beauty and the Beast, I loved the side characters, and the romance was adorable.
Overall, this book gave me "meh" feelings. I'm not mad that I read it, I was entertained.

I loved this take on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The author did a great job of making subtle references that still made you feel connected to the original story. One thing that was tricky when reading was certain transitions were not very smooth which could make it confusing at times.

Thank you for this capable, strong female protagonist! Bellamy is such a powerhouse, working her way through the male-dominated field of home restoration. On the page she shows how she deals with awful assumptions from misogynists while handling herself with the contractors and laborers she works hand-in-hand with.

Many bookish people love the Beauty and the Beast from Disney, so give yourself permission to thrill at the "no one enters the west wing" interaction and the way all our favorite character types show up in this playful retelling.

First, I want to say that I heard such a great thisnks about this book, so I just needed to readi it.
I was sooooo happy when I got this ARC. And then... It just wasn't for me. It was just okay. I don't know it just did not pick it up for me.
3 stars

Freaking PERFECTION. 10/10. This was just so so good. I couldn’t get enough of it and wanted a thousand more pages of this.

Mae Bennett spins a clever and steamy tale in her debut novel, blending the timeless allure of Beauty and the Beast with a Succession-inspired twist. Bellamy Price, the tenacious lead contractor, and Oliver Killington, the brooding heir with a tragic past, navigate the crumbling mansion of the Killington Estate in a story that captivates from the first hammer strike.

Charmingly Resistant Characters:
Bellamy Price's determination to make her mark in a male-dominated industry brings a refreshing strength to her character. Opposing her at every turn is Oliver Killington, a brooding recluse with a traumatic past. Their interactions, initially frosty, evolve into a captivating dance of sparks and resistance.

Mansion of Secrets:
The Killington Estate serves as a captivating backdrop, echoing with history, untold secrets, and the weight of expectations. As Bellamy endeavors to restore its former glory, layers of the mansion's history unravel, paralleling the evolving relationship between the main characters.

Steamy Chemistry:
The romantic tension between Bellamy and Oliver simmers with intensity, adding a delicious layer of steam to the narrative. Bennett skillfully weaves passion into the storyline, keeping readers invested in the characters' journey toward understanding and vulnerability.

Page-Turning Blend:
Barely Even Friends offers a delightful blend of romance, familial expectations, and personal growth. Fans of Tessa Bailey will find themselves rooting for this modern Beauty and her Beast until the very last page. Mae Bennett's debut is a promising addition to the world of fairy tale adaptations and steamy romances.

I will never not read a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and Barely Even Friends will forever have my heart as one of my favorites. Mae Bennett gave us a grumpy recluse, a strong leading lady out to prove herself, lots of spice, a supporting cast of characters who could all stand on their own, and an AI system that puts Cogsworth and Lumiere to shame.

I fall hard for a good grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and Oliver and Bellamy had that in spades. As soon as they both started butting heads over mansion renovations, I knew I was going to enjoy the ride this book took me on. One of my favorite parts of this story was how multi-faceted every single character was on the page. Bellamy had a full range of emotion, from determined to despondent and everything in between. I've watched enough home renovation shows to know that redoing an entire mansion in just a few months is a next-to-impossible task, but Bellamy worked her magic and Bennett conveyed all the hardship and stress and success so well on the page.

I loved that both main characters were out to prove themselves. Bellamy set out to prove that she was just as competent as her father when it came to renovations, while Oliver had to prove to himself that he was worthy of choosing his own path, rather than the life his grandfather wanted for him. Both characters had quite the job to do, and while one path was more physical and the other mental/emotional, I loved how well Oliver and Bellamy were able to help and support each other as they grew closer together. Barely Even Friends just had a perfect blend of grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, and housemates to lovers.

Bennett wove in plenty of Beauty and the Beast references and similarities, but still made this romance wholly her own. Fans of the fairy tale will love the little nods to Belle and the Beast, but romance readers in general can easily enjoy Bellamy and Oliver's journey as they renovate the mansion and their relationship statuses.

If you're looking for a Beauty and the Beast retelling that brings all the magic of falling in love and gives plenty of steam, look no further than Barely Even Friends.

DNF at 50%. This read was a cute romance that just unfortunately wasn't for me! I was very intrigued by the Beauty & The Beast retelling but the story itself just didn't grasp my attention. The main this for me was an unevenly paced development in the relationship between the MMC and FMC, I couldn't help but think that a bit more groundwork and tension-building for the relationship would have worked better. While the book seemed to aim for a slow burn, the back-and-forth dynamics felt a tad jerky at times. I think the concept was very unique and I loved the idea of the FMC trying to succeed in a male dominated industry, the characters themselves just unfortunately did not connect with me!

Barely even friends is a hea novel, with spice, one bed/room, enemies to lovers trope.
When it says Beauty and the Beast retelling it means Beauty and the Beast retelling. And oh, how much I enjoyed reading it!
I loved how Bell was portrayed. An independent, sunshine, intelligent woman who isn’t afraid of being herself.
Oliver, despite being the heir to the Killington empire, one of the most humble and down to earth men I ever read about. And of course grumpy and sexy.
I loved how Bellamy helped him with his trauma, building him a home he deserves.
They relationship is one of the purest, honest one’s.
Oh, and Bell’s best friends, and the estate’s employees are on 🔝!!!!
I loved that there was no cheating or third act. Just slow burn and spice.
Did I mentioned that I’m in love with this book?! I can only recommend it.
Have fun reading the book! I guarantee you that you won’t regret reading it.

Barely even friends by Mae Bennett is a Beauty and the beast retelling about a girl that gets hired to restore a crumbling estate and the guy that lives there.
The similarities between the beauty and the beast and this felt a little bit exagerated. The attraction between the characters came out of nowhere, they were just there then they were all over each other, they talk a lot about how they feel but they don’t seem that way. There is way too much talk of suspenders.
The writing was weird and a lot of scenes came out of nowhere without the building they needed. The characters were kind of annoying and their conversations lacked something.
The library kissing scene was unexpected, it felt like I skiped a few pages and the ending was clicheic with the you deserve better, i am a bad man.
Overall it was an ok read but I don’t think I would recommend it.
Thank you netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early.

This one was a very sweet and cute romance. I thought the Beauty & The Beast retelling was clever and well done! I think my biggest issue was the relationship development between the male and female lead felt unevenly paced. The part where they are locked in the room for dinner felt rushed and another scene building tension and laying groundwork before that could have helped. I also thought the book was trying to do a slow burn between the two but it felt like a lot of really jerky back and forth. On a good note, the spice was really well done! I think the male lead was also a bit *too* perfect. Someone who is a recluse for years could have been a bit rougher around the edges. Giving away his fortune to a bunch of current causes and also having extremely healthy communication honestly felt unearned? But...it's a romance novel and it doesn't have to be entirely realistic, these are just thoughts I had and reflects more on the type of romance stories I prefer. Overall sweet and a nice premise!