This book was a refreshing take on a love triangle.

Jo is a doctor and social media influencer in love with her best friend, Ezra, movie actor and billionaire heir.

Jo meets author Malcolm Waters, a debut bestselling author, at Ezra’s 30th birthday, which Ezra attended with Jo’s childhood bully as his date. As Jo and Mal chat that evening they realize that they’ve connected before through Jo’s Instagram account and they eventually decide to explore their relationship offline.

This is a dual POV book and we get to see both Jo and Mal’s internal doubts and fears. They both help each other through their struggles and grow because of that.

This book was a fairly fast read even though it dealt with some heavy topics. I could have done with fewer Instagram post references and commentary, but overall I enjoy it.

TW: medical trauma, racism, class differences, depression, parental abandonment

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper for providing an advanced digital copy for me to review.

I knew I would love this book from the first paragraph. A book lives or dies on the strength of it’s main character, and from the very beginning you get a strong sense of who Jo is - a bundle of contradictions, hard and soft at the same time, shaped by a life that hasn’t been particularly easy. And Malcom. *swoon*. Such sweet, steady strength. I even loved the Adelman family, despite their flaws.

It would be so easy to go into this book rooting for Ezra, but Obuobi puts a great twist on the friends to lovers and love triangle tropes. She isn’t afraid to deal with issues of socio-economic disparity, class, race, our flawed medical system, and mental health - all without being too heavy handed for the genre. (That’s quite a balance to achieve.)

4.5 stars, rounded up to five. I’ve never been a fan of when dual POV switches between first and third first narrative. And there were a few details surrounding the central conlict that felt a little muddy. Otherwise, just about perfect. This was my first book from Shirlene Obuobi, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy of this book.

I liked aspects of this but I don't think I was the target market. I enjoyed some of the character work and some of the themes but was left feeling like something was missing.

This is a romance novel that has elements of a friends to lovers dynamic and a love triangle. It was a pretty engaging read. I found both Jo and Mal to be relatable. They are both strong and successful but at the same time they are dealing with unresolved trauma and the impact that has on their relationships. I like that the characters aren't perfect as it makes them more realistic. The author also didn't shy away from the fact that racism does color almost every interaction POC have in the United States today.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

I recently read Between Friends & Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi, and it was a refreshing take on the classic friends-to-lovers trope. The story follows Josephine Boateng, a social media influencer and medical doctor, who is hung up on her childhood best friend, Ezra Adelman. She feels that her career as an influencer is underwhelming and her potential career in medicine overwhelming.

When Ezra shows up at his thirtieth birthday party with Josephine's childhood bully on his arm, Josephine realizes that it's time to prioritize herself for once. Meanwhile, Malcolm Waters, a debut novelist, is struggling with networking and socializing at a swanky penthouse party when he's rescued by Josephine, who he's been following on social media for years.

As Josephine and Malcolm start to connect, they both realize that their private and public lives are more intertwined than they thought. The story explores the blurred lines between friendship and love and the risks that come with pursuing something real.

What I loved about this book was the way the author managed to create relatable and well-developed characters. Josephine's struggles with balancing her career as an influencer and her desire to pursue medicine were relatable, and Malcolm's struggle with socializing was endearing.

The book also explores themes of self-discovery, self-love, and the importance of prioritizing oneself. The story is heartwarming and will leave you feeling hopeful and inspired.

Overall, Between Friends & Lovers is a well-written and captivating read that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a refreshing take on the friends-to-lovers trope.

I loved the humor in this book. I read her debut novel but this is way better. I feel
like I could better connect to the characters and their relationships in this book. A must read.

This was like reading a tv show that had characters you first hate and then start loving, characters you love from the start and continue to love, characters you don’t like seeing them together but then okay they grow on you. Characters you want so much better for and keep waiting for “their break”. Characters you want to scream at.
And an overall story line that makes for a good fun quick read!

One of my favorite books. I love Mal and Jo. This book is a fun, fast read but also deals with deep topics that really resonated with me. Especially Mal’s anxieties surrounding her publishing.

I thought it was a cute read and that the problems that come with relationships seemed real. I just wasn't sure about the characters and how she dealt with both Ezra and Malcolm.

Firstly, thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Wow! I really enjoyed Jo and Mal's love story. Shirlene has written two authentic and relatable characters that I saw so much of myself in. Her writing style is enjoyable and easy to read and the love story is and example of what we should all strive for. The Adelman's on the other hand, I won't speak too much on, but they should cross the road if they ever see me coming.

I adore Mal & Jo. Mal is a cinnamon roll of a book boyfriend, Jo is a bad ass heroine who is finally opening herself up to love and affection in the most entertaining way LOL. These two live rent-free in my head. Their dynamic is sexy, silly, and fun. This book made me laugh, cry, swoon. It’s one of my favorite reads.

This was so much fun! I loved Mal and Jo and their dynamic. Jo was so badass and Mal was just the sweetest but I love how both them had quite a bit of growth through out. I wasn’t sure about Jo’s influencer angle in the book as that is something I usually don’t like but it worked for me. This was a fun easy read perfect for the beach!

The voice is absolute perfection. The premise is great. The pacing is spot on. I stopped after chapter 1 (%), but easy three stars for the target, and four to five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.