Barely Even Friends is a Beauty and the Beast retelling made into a contemporary romance!

Bellamy Price is taking the lead in her father’s business restoring a mansion for the Killington Estate. She comes across the heir, Oliver, while working in the mansion and they quickly get off on the wrong foot. He’s forbidden her to go into the west wing but when she ultimately makes it there, she finds out why he wanted it hidden. The two main characters were very relatable at times and show depth through their emotions. I did find the story to be a bit choppy at times, there was no transition from enemies to lovers, it just seemed to happen with no build up. The AI system was so unnecessary to the story (for me) but I did like the other side characters. It was a cute read!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Mae Bennett, and Alcove Press for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This published on June 4th!

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will make a post on Tiktok.

This was fun, and I really loved Bellamy and Oliver. The Beauty and the Beast retelling was clever without being too cheesy. It did stumble at several parts where time just seemed to drag/jump really weirdly, but I’d love to see more from this debut author!

Had seriously high hopes for this book but it didn't catch me like I needed it to. The characters weren't likeable for me. The plot was the only saving grace. It was clever retelling of beauty and the beast. The writing was fine but it was a bit montonal for me. I need more splashy in my romance and this one just missed the mark.

Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett is currently scheduled for release on June 4 2024.

Bellamy Price has just been offered the job of a lifetime: lead contractor on the restoration of the mysterious and sprawling Killington Estate. If she meets the owner’s ridiculous timeline, she’ll finally make a name for herself in this male-dominated industry. After a traumatic car accident that left his parents dead and himself injured, Oliver Killington, heir to the Killington empire, took up residence as the grumpy caretaker of his grandfather’s mansion. When Bellamy discovers Oliver’s facing his own ultimatum from his grandfather, the two form a cautious truce, which leads to flying sparks that are definitely not from faulty wiring. As Bellamy restores the gleam to the Killington Estate, she’ll have to decide if the walls she’s built around herself are worth knocking down to make space for someone else.

Barely Even Friends is a contemporary romance with a lot going for it. I loved the characters. I thought the character building for the main and secondary characters was very well done- and frankly I want more from several of those characters. I thought the conversations and relationship building between Bellamy and Oliver was also well done. The only issue I had with the book had me flipping back to the previous pages on several occasions, which took me out of the story a little. There was some trouble with transitions, there were time or movement jumps that did not quite flow with the story. It felt like they had been editing a sentence and then forgot to get it back in, which very well might be the case and be resolved in the final publication copy. The problem was that it happened more than once, and it just irked me. I loved so much about this read and will definitely be looking to see what the author does next because there is so much potential here. I think they will be an author to watch as they keep going and I look forward to having a front row seat.

I liked the pretense and how the author used the beauty and the beast characters to find into this story. I also really liked the ex football star aspect and being torn away from a sport when just about to hit the pros. I liked the plus sized FMV. I am not sure if it was because it was a retelling or what but it was just okay. Good but just okay. I think if you like retellings, I think you will like this.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press and Mae Bennett for this early release copy in exchange for my honest review.

Noé would love to tell you about the latest romance we read.

Y'all, let me tell you what I really enjoyed:

🫖 If you're new here, I am always a sucker for a fairy tale retelling. I really enjoy how the Beast was reimagined in this story.
🫖 Bennett did such a great job of incorporating some of our very favorite romance tropes in such a fun way. We've got: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, only one bed, getting trapped in the rain, to name a few. I also loved that it plays around a little bit with breaking the 4th wall and acknowledging some of the tropes as they happen.
🫖 The side characters in this story were so well created I wanted even more of them! Bellamy's best friends were absolutely hysterical and I would love to read a love story featuring the delightful Rue. She gave the best Mrs. Potts energy.
🫖 The chemistry between Bellamy and Oliver was very well done, both emotionally and physically. I enjoyed the development of their relationship throughout the story and the steamy scenes certainly did not disappoint.
🫖 I appreciated the way that Bennett took Beast's being locked away and turned it from a literal curse to the "curse" of trauma. I think Oliver's recovery is really well done through the support of Bellamy throughout.

Thank you to Alcove Press for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

I was so excited to read this amazing new Beauty and the Beast retelling from Mae Bennett. It updates the classic fairy tale by making Bellamy a contractor who specializes in restoration of historic homes. And Oliver has been reclusive since a devastating car crash. There isn't any magic in the form of a teapot or candlestick come to life. But the charm of those elements is matched by a hilarious and fascinating use of AI throughout the home.

I especially enjoyed the fun popular culture references. They went way beyond the fairytale and matched the tone of the book well. I also appreciated the LGBTQ representation and casual introduction of each character with pronouns. And the plus size representation is so necessary and well done.

Bellay was such a great and snarky heroine. And Oliver had such a wonderful heart. There's great drama from his family. It gets steamy between the two of them faster than I expected, but I appreciated their chemistry.

This was a great debut, and I am excited for more from Mae.

I did not love this book. I got bored and didn't even finish it. I was also confused in the beginning, I had no idea what was supposed to be happening.

I’m a huge Beauty and the beast fan and so I was super excited for this book. I think it does what many fairy tale adaptations can’t - the set up, the modernizing of the plot, it worked really well. The versions of the enchanted objects in this retelling were so funny, current but with the spirit of the originals.

I really enjoyed Bellamy and Oliver, and the book started to strong with their antagonistic relationship. It’s easy to pinpoint when he starts to melt around her, and I loved it. There’s nothing more fun that learning about the guy underneath the grumpy exterior. And Bellamy was stubborn and determined and talented - a well rounded person.

I just thought the pacing was off. The timeline of the renovation project is tracked and there were large time jumps right after a major relationship moment that were sometimes jarring. But I did enjoy it overall

I immediately want to confess: I loved this book! It wasn't a perfect pace, but I still got thoroughly entertained.
It's a retelling of the Beauty & the Beast plot: love the grumpy-sunshine, rich boy, frenemies-to-lovers tropes, but it was a very weak narrative at certain crucial points.

I absolutely loved how the "supporting cast" came to be. Even the negative characters were amusing. And that's the verdict for me: everything was amusing...the descriptions, the tropes, the dialogues, the unfolding of the project, the deadline, the romantic scenes, I wholeheartedly enjoyed each of these things, but purely from an entertainment standpoint. I begin to think logically about certain plot points and it unnerves me.

Every romance plot has that one twist in the end that disintegrates the calm in the lovers' world. In Barely Even Friends, that twist felt too unconvincing, frail, and unnecessary. I felt that there were several other, stronger plot points that could have been used as that narrative tool. That's all I can say without spoilers.

As a lifelong Beauty and the Beast fan, I couldn't wait to read this book and I was not disappointed! This reimagining of the classic tale succeeded in the challenging task of balancing a story that worked on its own while still nodding to the original. Oliver is perfectly Beastly, and the origin of his nickname was adorable, as was the reimagining of the house staff. Most importantly, this book delivered the one thing all BATB fans yearn for: the opportunity to watch the leads give into all that sexual tension (I mean, that library scene!).

Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett
Contemporary romance. Retelling, Beauty and the Beast.
Bellamy Price is the lead contractor in a historical house remodel project. It’s her first time as lead though she’s worked in her father’s business since she was a child. She and her crew of experts will be restoring a mansion on the Killington Estate in New York but she finds the heir to the empire in residence. Oliver Killington is unwilling to relocate and doesn’t even want her anywhere near the west wing. It’s the family rooms of the estate and Oliver has been sequestered there since his parents died in a traumatic car accident almost ten years ago.
Faced with an impossible deadline to update the mansion for crumbling walls to party ready, has Bellamy and Oliver working together restoring his home.

Oliver is guilt-ridden, thinking he’s responsible for getting his parents killed and basically abandoning his sisters to their dictator of a grandfather.
Bellamy is confident in her restoration work, but not as much from a curvy woman relationship perspective.
Together they work on the mansion, and after a bit of fumbling, a relationship. They are comfortable in the sexual togetherness, but the emotional has yet to be decided.
Secondary characters make this novel rich with personality and humor.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

I'm likely an outlier, but this book just wasn't for me. I was intrigued by the idea of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it was a bit too "on-the-nose" for me. I think it would have been interesting to incorporate the original Disney storyline in a new way, while this felt very specifically the same. I couldn't really connect with either Bellamy or Oliver, and their romance didn't build with a lot of tension. It was very hot/cold but I didn't feel that build in any anticipation. If you like a Disney style retelling with a rom-com feel, you may enjoy this. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I enjoyed reading Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Such a fun retelling of Beauty and the Beast! I loved seeing another side to the classic, having it be about actual people. Seeing all of the sides of 'beast' was amazing, he's such a caring and wonderful person. I do wish we learned more about why he was so recluse and the accident. Bell was so sweet and I love her to-do lists! She made every part of the enemies to lovers banter even better! The subtle inside jokes they had are so nice and a fun outlook.

I now want to watch HGTV and a home restoration!

Beauty in the Beast was one of my favorite movies growing up and I was so excited for this retelling with a home renovation twist! Bellamy and her father are hired to restore Killington Estate. When Bell arrives she isn’t expecting Oliver, the very grumpy owner of the house to be there. Overtime, Bell and Oliver develop a friendship that turns into something more. This was a cute and steamy retelling. If you are a fan of Beauty and the Beast, you’ll enjoy this story! I really enjoyed all of the family secrets that were uncovered along the way and thought they added a fun twist.
A huge thank you to Mae Bennett and Alcove Press for the advance copy.

I was really excited to read Barely Even Friends. A modern romance retelling of one of my favorite stories of all time, Beauty and the Beast? Yes, please! I wanted to like this so much, but the further I got in the book, the less satisfied I felt.

Let’s start with the positives. I love all the nods to Beauty and the Beast, from the more obvious ones (Bellamy’s dad naming his Ford Mustang Phillippe, for example) to the more subtle. Despite some other reviewers saying it was too much of a rip-off of the Disney movie, I actually thought it only borrowed the necessary parts. Indeed, it could have done with even more references and allusions to the original source of inspiration.

The setting is wonderful, a dilapidated mansion that should have been renovated years, if not decades, ago. And I loved getting to see Bellamy and her crew doing a full renovation on the house, from needing to replace the roof to restoring old furniture and wallpaper. I’ve never done anything like that, but it certainly captured my interest while reading! The characters, too, are generally fun, if quirky. Easily the most surprising is the advanced AI system in the old mansion, going by the name of Bl8z3 (“blaze”). We could all use an omniscient, ever-listening home system, right?

I also appreciated some of the background and nuance in our main characters. Oliver has gone through some major traumas involving the death of his parents and his guilt over that. He also lost his career, suffered a major injury, and become a recluse, all in one fell swoop. Bellamy has had a nomadic lifestyle and is closed off to long-term love. She and Oliver both have a lot to overcome in developing a friendship, let alone a romantic relationship.

However, Barely Even Friends had some issues that became harder to ignore as the story progressed. The dialogue between characters often just didn’t make much sense to me. Frequently, a character’s response to what another character just said didn’t seem like a normal reply; I’d find myself rereading the previous bit of dialogue to make sure I didn’t misinterpret it. I’ve rarely had this problem with other books, so I’m not sure what was going on with the at times illogical dialogue here.

I also found the characters frustrating in their inability to talk things out like adults. The whole book is told from Bellamy’s perspective, and she’s constantly making random assumptions, failing to say what she actually means, and generally being inept at communication. Miscommunication is (unfortunately) a fairly common trope in romance, but it was too much for my liking here. Especially when we get to the third-act breakup. Just… spend two minutes talking about it instead of running away? Please?

Barely Even Friends has some real positives woven throughout, but it’s also offset by some awkward dialogue and characters who can’t communicate. If you can get past those particular issues, it’s an enjoyable read for people who like Beauty and the Beast, home remodels, and plus-size representation.

3.75stars-BARELY EVEN FRIENDS by Mae Bennett is a contemporary, adult, erotic, romance story line focusing on interior designer Bellamy Price, and reclusive Killington heir Oliver Killington.

Told from first person perspective (Bellamy) BARELY EVEN FRIENDS focuses on the growing but tempestuous relationship between our story line couple. Years earlier, Oliver Killington lost his parents and his future in the blink of an eye, and retreated to the privacy and darkness of the family owned Killington Estate. Having fallen into disrepair through years of neglect, Oliver’s grandfather Adrian Killington hired Price Renovations to rehab and renovate the mansion but the mansion was not completely empty, and Bellamy Price would discover the missing ‘heir’ living on the estate. Enter Oliver Killington, the man with whom Bellamy would fall in love. Struggling in the wake of his parent’s death, a death he has always blamed on himself, Oliver sought the seclusion of the only home he has ever known, a home that his grandfather was preparing for someone else. What ensues is the building relationship between Bellamy and Oliver, and the potential fall-out as their time together comes to a close.

The world building focuses on what was and what will never be. Oliver has struggled in the years since his parents death, cutting himself off from his family and friends but Oliver’s grandfather is tired of waiting for Oliver to take his place in the family line, and issues an ultimatum that forces Oliver to step up and step out.

The relationship between Oliver and Bellamy begins acrimoniously as Oliver wants nothing to do with renovating the Killington Mansion. Oliver wants to be left alone, even the limited number of staff is too much for our story line hero but Bellamy’s arrival for a six month stay is about to tip Oliver’s world over the edge. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate but I dislike the use of a certain four-letter word, although only used once, more for shock value than anything else.

We are introduced to Bellamy’s father Maurice Price, and her best friends Sebastian and Finn: chef Rue, IT genius Nick, Ambrose the butler, and house AI Bl8z3 aka Blaze: Oliver’s sisters and social media influencers Remy and Grace, and cousin Carter.

BARELY EVEN FRIENDS is a Beauty and the Beast-esque style story line; a grumpy-sunshine couple who find themselves pulled into the aura that is one another. The premise is familiar yet entertaining ; the characters are energetic-the back and forth banter is often humorous and fun; the romance is fated yet seductive.



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Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett offers a delicious modern day retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” with a home improvement twist. A grumpy secluded owner, a cheerful staff and a designer eager to prove herself gave way to a delightful romantic tale complete with a library. Be still my heart.

Bellamy Price is taking the reins on a renovation job for Killington Estate and she needs to succeed to land her dream job. Wearing her suspenders and eager to begin, she was surprised to find the estate occupied. Let the fun begin!

I adore Beauty and the Beast, so I couldn’t help but grab Barely Even Friends. Bennett did a lovely job of creating an estate and characters who brought the tale to us with a modern twist. I loved the staff and the re-creation of the fire place scene on the first evening, complete with a dark, grumpy and very sexy beast.

Oliver Killington, heir to the Killington empire, has been in seclusion ever since a fatal car crash that took his parents and left him injured. His grandfather is in charge of the renovations, and we learn of some twists regarding the estate. I was hooked and enjoyed getting to know Oliver, Bell, and the secondary characters.

The romance was lovely with the staff pushing the two to engage in conversation and enjoy meals together. It had a slow burn feel that made it feel genuine in this force proximity romance.

I loved the renovations, library and developments. The conflict was ok, but was resolved quickly, leaving me smiling in the end. Barely Even Friends is the perfect beach romance to add to your bag this summe

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review .

As a big fan of beauty and the beast, a film that has become everything to me over the years, this book title and cover grabbed me straight away.

This book is inspired by the fairytale and the inspiration is weaved throughout the story but it takes it own path as well and we see Belle become Bellamy, a fiercely independent and talented home renovator who has been hired by Mr Killington to renovate their estate. Well.. technically they hired her father but as he is recovering from illness, he hands the reigns over to his daughter.

But when she arrives at Killington Estate she realises she doesn’t only have her work cut out for her, she also has to deal with the grumpy heir to the estate, Oliver.

A grumpy /sunshine romance with beauty and the beast inspiration. I loved how the main character was plus size and love how she was passionate about her job and work.

I enjoyed this one a lot, I do wish I could have had more from the side characters, more to do with the renovation and the crew as it would have added more to the plot. This book was very spicy, and I felt it needed a little bit more of the above to even it out. Yet, the spice scenes are well written and the characters kept their personalities throughout those scenes. I did love the relationship between the two main characters. As a first book, I think the author has done a great job, and I had so much fun reading it.