Kick back, relax with a snack, and get ready to dive into the juicy drama of "Not Here to Make Friends" by Jodi McAlister. Set against the backdrop of a reality dating show, this novel delivers a delicious blend of romance, rivalry, and unexpected twists that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Murray O’Connell, the determined showrunner of Marry Me, Juliet, finds himself facing off against none other than Lily Fireball, the network’s chosen villain for the season and Murray’s estranged best friend. So grab a cozy spot and prepare to lose yourself in this captivating tale of romance and redemption. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for granting me this ARC!

***Please note I've not read the other books in this series before reading this one***

I went into this one completely blind and was invested from the very beginning!
The story was quirky and fun and took a lot of unexpected turns--in the best way.
Murray, our MMC, was someone I instantly clicked with and was excited to see where his story was going to go.
Lily, our FMC, on the other hand, was quite complex, but I found that I had some issues with her. Through the whole story, I found that she wasn't very supportive of women, that she wanted to tear down Murray's relationship with his (soon to be) ex-wife, and that was something that I didn't quite like about her. She's also painted out to be the "bad girl" for this season of Mary Me, Juliette (basically like the Bachelor), so that didn't help with how I thought of her as a character; it was hard to differentiate between who she was and the part she was playing. Especially since almost all of her POVs were told in the past. I couldn't really get a sense of who she was.
Still, I found that I loved her and was connected to her. I grieved, loved, and laughed with her. As was the goal, you loved to hate her.
Overall, I really liked this book! I couldn't seem to put it down!

I picked this up not realizing it was the third in a series. There was nothing on the cover or in the synopsis to allude to that. During the first 1/3 of the book, there were incomplete aspects that I couldn’t tell if I was missing from not reading the first two books or if it was lackluster storytelling. For a while, I was very invested in the story, but then it hit a point where I was no longer rooting for either main character. Not sure I completely bought the resolution because I was no longer rooting for these characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and it didn't disappoint. As I said in my recent review of Laurie Devore's THE VILLAIN EDIT, I keep reading novels about reality TV looking for one that's basically like UnReal in book form, so getting two of them back-to-back after years of hoping for even just one was incredible. NOT HERE TO MAKE FRIENDS is more of a true genre romance than Devore's book--and incidentally one of the better second-chance and friends-to-lovers romances I've ever read as well--so the emotional payoff of the romance itself is more satisfying as a result, but I would highly recommend both of them to readers who liked either, along with the first two titles in McAlister's trilogy (the first was an enjoyably solid debut that did the heavy lifting of setting up the next two books in the series, the second was even better in addition to being the best queer reality show romance I've read to date, and of course this one is pretty much perfect to me, so... yeah, again, just HIGHLY recommended).

I loved this book! The character development was so so good! McAlister writes the MFC, Lily is such a way that you really dislike her, but she reveals her heart and breaks down her walls so sweetly, that you grow to love her in the end. I loved the world building and the side characters (many of whom are the main characters in other books in this series). 4.5/5 One of my favorite reads so far this year!

l"Not Here to Make Friends" is literally everything! The characters are so relatable, and the storyline had me hooked from page one. Jodi McAlister’s Mary Me, Juliet series is one for the books (pun intended) – from the social media references to the authentic dialogue and, the diverse representation what mashed this book such a gem. I think making this Murray and Lily’s story was such a clever idea, because as a fan of the previous books, I knew there was some undeniable chemistry between the two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Not Here to Make Friends was a refreshing read - funny, touching on real life issues, a little heartbreaking, and a lot of romance. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope to read more books by Jodi McAlister, given how good this was!

Murray and Lily are show runners for a bachelor like reality show, Marry Me, Juliet. They’re also unaware that both have massive crushes on the other as they have been best friends, in addition to working together, for over a decade. While both have a goal to introduce a diverse cast to their reality show the network isn’t so like minded, so Murray is thrilled when the next season gets greenlit with a cast that looks more like modern America. Unfortunately his triumph isn’t as sweet as Lily has been radio silent for a year after her husband died tragically and she needed some time to herself. So what makes this so good? Lily shows up on the show as a self made villain, Lily Fireball, and causes havoc for Murray’s pandemic filmed season.

This had the best cast of characters and best premise! Highly recommended!

Great story. I had already read books 1 and 2 in this series but this book, book 3, was by far my favorite. I love these characters and their love story.

3.25/5 stars
For anyone who loves, hates, hates to love, or loves to hate the bachelor franchise (aka everyone who has ever interacted with the shows), this book is sure to be a ton of fun. Likewise, if you enjoyed the TV show UnReal, this book is for you. It similarly gives a behind the scenes of a reality dating show, following the producers instead of those on screen.

Murray is the show-runner of a bachelor-esque franchise of shows, but for the first time, he’s having to do it without his former co-show-runner and best friend Lily. The two of them got their start as PAs together, and have been working alongside each other since then, but after Lily’s husband passes away suddenly, she pulls away from Murray and the show. After a year of radio silence, Murray is forced to confront the fact that he has to do the show without her, in a season that is arguably the most important of his career no less. He and Lily fought for years to cast diversely, and now Murray has finally been given that chance. But when Lily shows up not as a producer, but as an aged down villain, it throws all of his plans into jeopardy.

Not Here to Make Friends is as wild as reality TV itself - while we as readers/viewers may know how it ends, there is so much drama and are so many twists and turns in how we get there, that we begin to wonder if the ending we crave really is in sight. I appreciated a romance between two people who don’t see themselves as inherently good - it made for an interesting dynamic, and for an unpredictability about the characters that was refreshing. For me, the ending felt a bit rushed, and I wished we had gotten more of Lily’s perspective in the present day timeline, but this book was overall enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book!

In a world saturated with reality TV romance, “Marry Me, Juliet” emerges as a refreshing twist on the genre, branding itself as a “full-on villain romance.”
The author’s strength lies in the vivid portrayal of the chaotic world of reality TV. The backstage drama, the secrets, and the unexpected romance are depicted with an authenticity that can only come from a keen observer of human nature. However, the book occasionally stumbles in its execution, particularly in the “show, don’t tell” aspect of storytelling. At times, the narrative could benefit from subtler cues and a more nuanced exploration of the characters’ emotions, allowing readers to infer the tone rather than being directly informed of it.
Overall, “Marry Me, Juliet” is a compelling read that offers a unique perspective on love and ambition in the cutthroat world of television. It’s a story that will resonate with anyone who appreciates the blurred lines between reality and the reality we see on screen. While there is room for improvement in the delivery of emotional depth, the novel stands out for its originality and the enthralling dynamic between its main characters. A solid 4 out of 5 stars for this engaging villain romance.

This was delightful! Two extremely ambitious workaholics (and best friends) grapple with their feelings for each other while trying to produce the most dramatic season yet :) of a reality dating show.

Murray and Lily have plenty of chemistry and I find behind the scenes of reality shows to be an enticing setting. It was interesting and effective to have Murray’s chapters/point of view told in present day and Lily’s chapters/point of view in the past leading up to present day.

Neither Murray nor Lily are particularly likable and that makes their relationship and fondness for one another all the more fascinating.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Did I enjoy this book? I’m not sure. I liked parts of it and the idea was great. However I really didn’t like either of the main characters very much. Murray was more tolerable than Lily but not by much. And it all felt very repetitive. 2.5 rounded up.

I ate this book up. I've never read a romance book that was placed in a reality tv show and I found that aspect very interesting and funny. The male love interest was charming and the female was so funny to me.

Don't you love when you dive into a new author's work and fall in love with their writing immediately? When you know that you're going to love the story from the beginning? That's what happened to me