So...this story is about two friends in their midlife who are now experiencing the changes that life brings, and deciding how that will change their relationship. I found both the main characters likable. There was some banter but I felt it was flat at times, and I felt very little tension between the characters. The book was more like exploring the comfort of friendship and almost had like a platonic romance if that makes sense. I found the characters to be well developed. I did find something missing from this for me...and I think it was that it needed more romance development and absolutely more tension/attraction. If you are looking for spice...this is not your book. They only kiss a few times.

Cole and Laila have been inseparable since they could crawl, but they’ve never seriously considered each other romantically...except for those rare, fleeting moments. Now, as they approach their 40s, their lifelong friendship faces its greatest test.

Cole Kimball and Laila Olivet have shared everything, from taste-testing new dishes at Cole’s family restaurant to enduring Laila’s oversized, pink, plastic Sophia Loren glasses. Their bond is strong, but when Cole discovers a devastating betrayal from his recently deceased grandfather, the prospect of staying in their small mountain town of Adelaide Springs, Colorado becomes unbearable for him. On the other hand, Laila loves everything about their town and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

When Cole decides to move to New York City, Laila, despite her reservations, supports her best friend. They make a pact: Laila won’t beg him to stay, and Cole won’t ask her to come with him. They have one week in New York to enjoy each other's company before their lives change forever. However, as they navigate the bustling city, inconvenient feelings begin to surface, challenging their resolve to remain just friends.

Bethany Turner’s Cole and Laila Are Just Friends offers a sweet and humorous take on the friends-to-lovers trope. The story’s strength lies in its endearing characters and their believable, long-standing friendship. Turner’s writing captures the essence of small-town life and the charm of big-city adventures, making for a delightful backdrop to Cole and Laila’s emotional journey.

However, the novel is not without its flaws. The transition from friends to lovers felt a bit rushed, and the characters' frequent pop culture references sometimes felt forced rather than natural. Additionally, the constant reminders of their age and the prolonged delay in acknowledging their feelings for each other stretched the believability of their story.

While the book has its heartwarming moments and humorous banter, it occasionally dips into cliché territory, making the plot predictable at times. The story could have benefited from a more gradual development of their romantic feelings and a deeper exploration of their individual growth.

In conclusion, Cole and Laila Are Just Friends is a charming read for fans of lighthearted romance and long-standing friendships. While it may not be groundbreaking, it’s a cozy, feel-good story that will leave readers smiling. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the ARC.

This sweet romance had a lot of positive things going for it. I loved the dynamic between Cole and Laila - it was evident how much they cared for each other. I also really enjoyed all of the pop culture references throughout the story.

My biggest complaint is that these characters were supposed to be 39 and 40. They acted like they were in their early 20s with their poor communication and lack of awareness. It wasn’t very believable.

I loved this so much! I was a fan of Brynn and Sebastian so when I saw this new book, one that has that couple in it as supporting characters, I knew I had to read it! The cover is so beautiful by the way! That is what first peaked my interest. I read this in one sitting. I am such a friends to lovers fan and this was great. I love the town of Adelaide Springs and was so happy to be back there again.

Thank you for the ARC for my honest review!

I liked this book, but i didn’t love it. One thing I did really enjoy was all the Friends and Gilmore Girls (my comfort show) references. The romance was really mediocre and just boggled my mind that they didn’t decide they loved each other until they were almost 40. With the friendship that they had, it seemed a little too drawn out.

Nearly 40 years of friendship and a dream from Cole with Layla has him questioning being more than friends with Layla. This was a really cute sweet friends to lovers romance. The best part is their own realization that there might be more than friends feelings towards each other.

3.5⭐️ This was my first book by Bethany Turner, and I enjoyed it. There were some things I loved, and some things I didn’t care for. I will start with what I loved. The "first date" they go on was my favorite part of this book, because it was so darn cute! I enjoyed the relationship between all of the friends, and seeing Sebastian and Brynn play a big part in this book. (I have not read their book yet, but I enjoyed them in this one) The plot was actually a lot of fun and the writing flowed well. Small town kids (40 year olds) take on the big city. And most of all, Cole and Laila’s first kiss was pretty epic.

Now, reading about said 40 year olds was very different for me. I feel like at that age that you should have your life sort of figured out, and these people were just not to that point. And how could they not have loved each other romantically until then? Just all of sudden! Like what? They’ve kissed, said I love you, hold hands, sleep together?! (Not in an intimate way) and not until they turn 40 do they realize they’ve loved each other their whole lives? It wasn’t very believable, which is why the romance fell a bit flat for me.

So all in all, this book was good and enjoyable enough to keep reading, so I will probably give Bethany Turner another chance to wow me.

Read if you enjoy:
- Dual POV
- Friends to lovers
- Pop culture references
- Slow burn
- Middle aged couple (39)


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Friend's to lovers romcom in dual POV
I got hooked very fast and i the vibe between Cole and Laila.

I'm certainly glad that I read Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other previous to this book as it was wonderful to encounter Brynn and Sebastian again beyond a cameo appearance. The author writes such strong friendships that it was delightful to see how they interact with Cole and Laila as a married couple, with glimpses into their New York life. Meeting Cole and Laila in the first Adelaide Springs book helped set the context for their relationship, so it was nice that they received their own fleshed-out story. As a clean romcom, this book did not feel limited to tropes as it delved deeper into the circumstances around why Cole and Laila never dated each other, and why it took them a while to get to where they ended up.

I appreciated the frank openness in communication and the theme of unconditional love in this book. Cole and Laila felt realistic in that there are instances where they are not on their best behaviour and need to apologize to each other. Not coming across as perfect and having trouble working through challenging emotions and situations makes their relationship feel authentic, making it easier to root for them to come together. If you're looking for an opportunity to revisit Adelaide Springs and the quirky townspeople, this book is a fun trip down memory lane along with some adventures in the Big Apple.

A few minor things that would have made this a five-star read: the emphasis on appearances makes sense in this context, but it is spurred on by something that not all Christians may feel comfortable reading. While faith is absent, there are references to a makeshift rosary and planets aligning, both of which did not add anything substantive to the story, but might be good for Christian readers to be aware of in deciding on this book.

I enjoy friends to lovers tropes in a romance novel. This particular one I found hard to believe because who goes that long without having any feelings along the way (Cole) and then finally wise up this far down the road. You would think he would have felt some spark along the way and maybe chose to ignore it. I liked the characters of Cole and Laila. I just didn't like this aspect of the plot. Also, I didn't like that there was first person and third person point of view. This was difficult to keep up with but maybe the thought was you would remember who was telling the story. Not my favorite method. It's a decent book with a fabulous cover, but I couldn't get as into it as I would like. That's on me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

Cole and Laila Are Just Friends was okay. I liked the dual POV's and setting. I thought Cole and Laila's friendship was cute! I did find it hard to believe that Cole never thought about Laila romantically. As a reader, it was pretty obvious that Cole and Laila loved each other. It was a little frustrating at points to watch them miscommunicate/bury their feelings. The plot point with Cole's grandfather was interesting. It was a great foil for the story. I was unaware that this book featured characters from another book. Turner could have done a better job looping in readers who have not read her work. I was a little confused at points. I think this book could have benefited from one more round of editing. The descriptions and monologues felt overdone. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC.

I really wanted to love this book but I am sorry to say this just wasn't for me.

I found the beginning really slow - and that is completely fine since sometimes it takes a while to get the story flowing - but didn't feel like this book really found it's groove afterwards either. I loved the idea of main characters who are not your typical twenty-somethings but the way they acted and the way they had been friends for decades and suddenly entertained the idea of a romantic relationship just didn't feel believable. The switch between first and third person points of view was distracting as well.

The cover is gorgeous and there was a lot of potential but I just didn't connect with the story and struggled to get through it.

Thank you so much for the advance copy, I truly hoped I would have loved this book.

4.25/5 stars

This is second in the Adelaide Springs contemporary romance series (first was Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other), and both are winners.

Laila and Cole have grown up together and have been best friends forever. They honestly cannot envision their lives without the other. But when chef Cole's restaurant (his late grandfather's actually) is not left to him, he begins to look seriously at a prestigious job offer in New York City. The only problem? Laila has family obligations in Adelaide Springs and is hesitant to move cross country with her bestie. And to complicate things even more, a romantic dream leads Cole to begin envisioning his best friend as possibly something more in his life.

These two characters are very cute, both individually and together (as both besties and romantic interests), but I did feel that in some of their interactions/dialogue that they did not seem like 39-year-olds. So, while they were fun and endearing and just plain lovable, it was a bit disconcerting at times to remember that they were actually older adults, not 20-somethings. And one other thing that I felt might have been overdone a bit was the closeness of these two at times. While yes, I liked hearing their shared stories/history together, I felt that was a bit repetitive at times.

Turner likes to use lots of pop culture references in her books (especially rom coms) which I love as I'm a big fan of old school romantic comedies. So, if you're not into lots of movie references, you might be a bit lost at times, but for me they provided some nostalgic and fun flashbacks.

One of the things that I loved most about this story was the honest conversations between Laila and Cole. So many romance books spend tons of time and space focusing on miscommunications, forgoing honesty, and just plain lying about feelings between their mains. As these two started out as friends, that was a big caveat in their relationship...honesty and communication...about anything and everything. That was so refreshing for me to see them inching toward taking their friendship further with honest (sometimes) painful talks. Loved that so much!

Loved the humor, the emotion, the just plain goodness of these characters and this story, and I'm looking forward to Turner's next outing.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing the free early arc of Cole and Laila Are Just Friends for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved both Cole and Laila. But they also frustrated the heck out of me.

They've been best friends for their entire lives. They are now 39 and they live in a tiny town. Cole was raised almost exclusively by his grumpy, man of little words, grandfather. Cole took on the bar/cafe that his grandfather had founded and improved it. In fact, he poured all of his talents and work life into it. Cole also supported his grandfather after the old man had a stroke and needed more care than Cole could provide. So when the grandfather died and left Cole only the house, Cole was devastated.

He'd been offered a job by a famous chef in NYC. He really wanted to take it, especially after being hurt and embarrassed by his grandfather. But Cole couldn't see his life without Laila and she wasn't leaving the town she loved. Besides, they were friends, only friends.

Each of these characters loved the other, But did they see a romantic relationship. She might have, but he considered them best friends. They took an opportunity to explore NYC before he started work, and stayed in the penthouse apartment of friends. Maybe Cole and Laila almost started to see a future together until fate dealt them another surprise.

Well written and I enjoyed the characters. But Cole and Laila, at age 39, were so unsure of what they really wanted and afraid to make a change in their relationship. So as a reader, I wanted to give them a kick in the pants to get them moving in the right direction. Still, I would recommend this book because it's complex and interesting.

It started off very strong and I got hooked. Unfortunately, it was lost halfway through the book and how their romance developed was not what I expected. I love the friend-to-love troupe, but this was poorly executed.

This book had me hooked from the blurb and didn't lose me until well after I finished. I absolutely adore Cole and Laila. When Harry Met Sally and Gilmore Girls are two of my favorite pieces of media, and the comparison was spot on. Additionally, Cole being a chef does a lot for my deep love of food romance, even if it wasn't the main point of the plot. Lifelong friends to lovers isn't always my go to, as the transition can feel pretty awkward sometimes. Bethany did a great job with the build of chemistry and their relationship. I did also read Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other, so I loved seeing them pop in. And finally, Bethany's affinity for pop culture really speaks to me. I really liked this!

Really not what I was looking for in a friend's to lovers rom com. Definitely had some depth but was kind of lost with the actual romance because I felt like their whole friendship was flaky and not well thought out. I just couldn't connect well with them. But someone who really likes friends to lovers will probably enjoy this one way more than I did. Wish I liked it more but to me it was just middle of the road.

So, I would have read Brynn and Sebastian first if I had realized these books are part of a series. That said, once I realized it I just decided to keep reading cause I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to Brynn and Sebastian’s book lol

Ok, so, that’s my way of saying if you have both books you should read that book first. But if you don’t, don’t let it hold you back. This book is Cole and Laila’s story.

Cole and Laila have been friends for decades. They are almost 40. They’re each other’s most important person. You wouldn’t say they are “just friends” because it downplays their importance to each other.
You could say they have never had romantic feelings for each other.

Then Cole’s whole life is thrown into a tailspin. It leaves him reevaluating everything that had been a given for him.

He always thought it was a given that he’d take over the restaurant his grandfather owned when he died.
He thought it was a given that he’d stay in his small town in Colorado.
He thought he’d always be right next door to Laila.

But then he learns that his grandfather did not just leave him the restaurant.
Cole is broken hearted.
He feels that this meant his grandfather didn’t really see him as family because he was adopted.

And then Cole decides to consider a job offer at a restaurant in NYC.
He takes Laila along.

Cole sees moving as his only option while Laila wants him to stay in Colorado. Both of them feel that they will never feel at home without the other one nearby.

And this is probably what leads to them questioning whether they might have romantic feelings for each other.

I enjoyed watching them awkwardly trying to evaluate their feelings for each other. Taking a leap from friends to being a couple would be a colossal change.

I enjoyed this book and these characters.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!

I’ve really loved others by this author (plot twist was fantastic) but I struggled to get into this one. I found the pacing and writing style a bit off. One conversation would last an entire chapter because of all the memories and descriptions interrupting it. So I was struggling to connect with the story line or the characters. I ended up putting it down for now, might try again a different time!

This is pretty run of the mill RomCom. If you like:
-friends for a LONG time (I am talking DECADES) to "lovers"--just some kissing and petting, really
-a small town
-best friends
-a NY interlude
-pretend dating
-an incredibly slow burn romance
-dual POV
you will enjoy this book. Honestly, it was cute in parts. A bit slow in the beginning to establish why these two need to shake things up and leave their small town, but then they finally realize they might have feelings for each other. Is it realistic that they had no idea? No, but what about RomComs are super realistic?

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.