This is a sequel of sorts of the authoress´ previous novel "Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other", but you can read this book as a standalone when accepting the fact that Cole and Laila are friends like forever :)
Because this is a sweet story of how these two lifelong friends realize that they are, in reality, in love with each other. All this realizations feel like a movie, with all the magical New York-related movies/TV series sightseeings and mentions serving as a silvery screen background.
The story is like a cup of hot chocolate with a dollop of cream in a cold day, warming you up with its innocence (the characters are nearing 40! Yet you believe them their gentle romance) and loveliness.
There are also colder realities present, with Cole being adopted and now facing the very cold last will of his grandfather - does this mean that the old guy had never loved him, never accepted him as a family member?
But the overall tone is sweet. Expect a cute, uncomplicated read and prepare accordingly!:)

The narration was fine, enhancing the story.

This story was definitely cute, but the romance aspect was ultimately lackluster. I’ll start with some issues that drove this feeling and then get into some details that were enjoyable and fitting to Cole and Laila’s dynamic. To start, it was difficult to accept their friendship that has lasted almost 40 years never once has been questioned, and then bam! a singular moment of ‘that’s weird, why have I never thought of that?’ catapults a full-fledged gf-bf date. I hardly ever felt that great, anticipatory, bubbling-up tension portrayed in friends-to-lovers. And maybe that’s why some readers will enjoy this, because they slip into a less platonic relationship so naturally, but I was hoping for more. Now, while Cole was juggling the idea of moving thousands of miles away from Laila, I could feel the deep sense that it’d be devastating. Yet the sole factor pushing them into dating was a dream. There are no regaling’s of ‘oh no! we have to share a bed’ before this trip, or close-call drunken nights, nothing. It’s never happened and suddenly it’s time to start a romantic relationship.

I went back and forth between 1:liking that when he’s leaving, they finally want to explore more, and 2:disliking that when he’s leaving states and states away, they want to rashly develop into more. How sensible is that? Hardly. However, it was very /them/ to try and hold onto each other in whatever possible way.

On a positive note, the slow burn was quintessential in a relationship development like that. Even though I wasn’t detecting practically anything other than friend vibes, they were incredibly prominent. I loved to see how Cole and Laila were so tied together and devoted. I also loved the no-epilogue. Usually, I’d never admit to that, but keeping everything suspended was a perfect end. To sum up, “Cole and Laila Are Just Friends” has the bones for such a strong romance, I just sadly, was not feeling it. Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio, and Bethany Turner for providing this audiobook!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book!! This book had me laughing so much! Such a good story and great writing style. This was my first by this author and will not be my last!

3/5 Stars! Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing / Thomas Nelson Fiction for this audiobook of Cole and Laila are Just Friends by Bethany Turner narrated by Talon David and Andrew Eiden.

The audiobook was great! First off, the narrators for the characters were fantastic! However, I felt like this story may have dragged on a little bit too long in my opinion. There were some times I felt like giving up on the book, but I pushed through it! I did enjoy the bantering and the friendship between the two is loving.

This is my first book by this author. I'd like to give another novel a try to really see what her writing style is like. It was not an instant hit with me but I'd like to give this author another try.

The audio of this is fantastic! The characters and their relationship is divine. I love a good friends to lovers storyline and this one was very well done. I enjoyed the rom-com movie references and the New York tourist action. However, this was much too long. By the ending, I was ready to move along. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a wonderful millennial pop reference filled rom-com. Zero spice but the banter and the romance is off the charts. Friends to lovers at it’s finest.

# Cole and Laila Are Just Friends
# 7/23/2024 ~ 7/25/2024
# 5.0 / 5.0

With laugh out loud moments, this is the best friends to lovers story Ive ever read. I love that it had 2 narrators that were both outstanding! I highly recommend it if you like clean rom-com novels!

I really wanted to like this book, but it fell flat. The story of Cole and Laila had potential but ultimately felt like a predictable Hallmark movie. The characters, supposedly in their late 30s and early 40s, acted immaturely, with poor communication skills.

Cole's personal journey was a highlight, as he navigated grief and a move to New York City. However, Laila's behavior was frustrating from the start. Her selfishness and lack of support for Cole were off-putting.

The writing was also a letdown. The characters felt like they were in their 20s, and the dialogue was filled with unnecessary filler words. Excessive pop culture references detracted from the story.

Overall, while the premise was promising, the execution left much to be desired. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

When Cole's grandfather dies, he found himself having an identity crisis, and Laila was right in the middle of it.

The conflict between the two friends reached epic proportions: he couldn't stay in Adelaide Springs, and she couldn't leave.

This was a sweet story of friends who loved each other so much they would do anything for the other.

I enjoyed the slow burn of their relationship, along with the frequent glimpses of how good they'd be together.

I enjoyed Talon David and Andrew Eiden's performances.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

I really wanted to like this book. I was hooked by the summary and proposed storyline, but it fell flat. Really flat.

Cole and Laila Are Just Friends follows the storyline of Cole and Laila as they navigate a new chapter in their lives. It follows your average Hallmark plot; unfortunate disaster, opportunity for a life changing event, conversation that changes your perception of someone you knew, and then everything gets tied up with a neat little bow at the end. The main characters and their friends are in their late 30's, early 40's and have known each other their entire lives. Yet, from the way they behave and interact, they act a if they are in their early to mid 20's and have the communication skills of people who are in college and still developing their friendship. I do not understand how people who have know each other their entire lives, and consistently comment on how intimately familiar they are will each other - for almost 4 decades - manage to lack the communication skills to be openly able to discuss if they have ever had feelings for each other.

While I struggled with the relationships between the characters, I really liked Cole on his own. Without giving too much away, I applauded him for being able to work through his grief and be willing to take the opportunity to move to New York City when he had never lived outside Colorado. He had a lot thrown at him and was willing to change gears when more unexpected changes came up. That being said, I hated Laila. From chapter one, I could not stand how Laila treated Cole and interacted with him. She lost any hope of getting back in my good graces when she berated Cole for seeking an opportunity in New York City after he had lost someone dear to him because she did not want him to leave and thought he was being irrational. She then followed him across the country with the objective to make this the worse experience she could - and her friends were ok with that. No one thought about how he might be feeling or dealing with his grief and how they should be supporting him and what he may want and need rather than just trying to keep him where they are comfortable. All in all, Cole deserved much better than his friends and I wish he would have had the opportunity to meet other people in New York even is he ended up moving back home in the end.

While I liked the general storyline, I struggled a lot with the writing. The way the characters were written make them seem like ignorant young adults in their 20's rather than individuals who are in their 30's and 40's with careers and life experience. I listened to the audiobook version and found myself picking up on a lot of filler words that while they did not necessarily take away from the story, they did not add anything to it either. The only way I can really explain it is when you are writing an essay or something, but instead of having a maximum number of words, there was a minimum number of words needed to complete the assignment. I also struggled with the amount of references in the book and the amount of times random details (like the location of Taylor Swift's home) were referenced in the book. I did enjoy some of them, especially those that referenced Cole and Laila's friendship from their younger years, but I found myself getting frustrated by the excessive amount of pop culture references.

I would like to thank the NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with this ARC edition in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars - rounded to 4 Stars

Cole and Laila have been best friends for over 30 years - but have never considered being more than "just friends" - or at least never talked about it. When Cole's life gets upended and he decides to move to New York for a job, everything gets a little bit "complicated". Could Cole and Laila be more than just friends or is it a recipe for disaster?

This was such a fun and cute rom-com! It was a super easy and quick read making it an ideal summer beach read. It was fairly predictable - but in a good way! The characters were super likeable and relatable. This is my first Bethany Turner experience but it definitely will not be my last!

The audio narration was great making this an all-around enjoyable listen.

I stopped caring so I'm stopping the book. I don't know if this was 100% the book's fault, but this wasn't grabbing my attention at all. Cole and Laila are supposed to be lifelong best friends, but I didn't feel anything about their relationship - and the fake dating element fell flat too. They didn't have any romantic tension to pull it off. And I know this is just set in the same universe as another book from this author and it's not technically a companion. but Brynne and Sebastian are so heavily featured and I felt like I was missing something having not read Brynne and Sebastian Hate Each Other.

4.5 Stars

Friends to lovers
#MiddleLifeRomance (MC's are about to turn 40)
Bumpkins in the big apple
Everyone else sees the thing going on but the two fools in love.

Well paced.
Low to no heat

I really liked the platonic love that these two had for each other. They knew they were codependent by choice and they knew entirely how much they meant to each other. They however were terrible as realising that they either had to live happily together or unhappily with other people/alone. Everyone around them knew their feelings and seems genuinely shocked that being in love had just never occurred to them.

I loved the 2000's rom-com references and vibe this book oozed.
I will 100% be seeking out more books by this author.

I listened to the Audio of this book and the narration was fantastic. Both narrators were new to me and did a fantastic job.

I really enjoyed this read - it’s my first from Bethany Turner and won’t be the last! This novel is about 2 friends - best friends - the kind of friends you hope to have in your life. Cole and Laila know each other best - when to leave each other alone, when to stay, and when to make chocolate chip pancakes. But when tragedy strikes for Cole, his whole world is turned upside down and that includes how he views his feelings for Laila.
I love these characters and I love Cole’s ideas for Laila’s birthday (ya have to read it to find out!). Who doesn’t love a good story set in New York (at least for part of it)? It’s well written and heartfelt and witty at all the right times. Highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was adorable! It is obvious that they are not just friends, but it is so much fun watching them figure it out! They are both so kind, lovable, and sweet! I loved seeing Bryn and Sebastian back too! Here’s hoping for a third book!

Thank you to Bethany Turner, Harper Collins Christian Publishing, and NetGalley for an eARC of Cole and Laila are Just Friends!

This book is a super cute, wholesome rom-com. Cole and Laila are an adorable duo who have a lot of chemistry and the author does a great job incorporating funny little anecdotes about their antics growing up. There were a few laugh out loud moments and plenty of smiles from me as I listened to the book. I was a bit taken aback, but pleasantly surprised, when I realized the characters are around my own age! (I'm 36). Most rom-coms deal with people in their teens or mid-to-late twenties, but the author did a great job capturing the grown-up-but-honestly-am-I? feel of this age!

While I did enjoy the book for the most part, I found the ending a bit anti-climactic. I was definitely rooting for the couple, but felt like the readers were left hanging a bit. An epilogue would have been great to wrap everything up and show the reader where Cole and Laila are a few years down the line.

There was no spice in this book (see: Harper Collins Christian Publishing lol) so if you come to rom-coms for the spice, this book is not for you. Overal, though, this is an awesome feel-good book and I would recommend it for anyone who needs a pick-me-up! A great summer beach-read for sure!

One of my own personal tropes is the friends-to-more, so it always holds a special place in my heart. However, it can be a precarious position to be in because once that line is crossed, if the relationship doesn’t fly, the friendship may be ruined. I thought this author did a great job balancing this situation.

I listened to this story and loved both the male and female narrators. It was so sweet to watch them give each other space with no pressure, while trying to understand newfound feelings that didn’t even have a hint of discovery until the characters are in their 40s. Unbelievable? Maybe. Fun? Definitely.

I’m also down for celebrity references with swoon and humor and this one delivered in those aspects. I feel like this would be better enjoyed as a companion to “Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other.”

Content: one bed, kisses only

I really enjoyed the narrators for this audiobook. I thought they did a great job with the characters.
I did enjoy the story as well. I do wish that I would have gotten to see Cole and Laila in the future... even if that was a year or 10 years. I wanted to see more of their journey!

I like light predictable novels at times. It's calming. This was one like that. I did not get into this book as much as others, but I liked it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Really cute romance with the most lovable idiots as the main characters. Its the perfect friends to lovers, with a side of confusion. I honestly really love how oblivious they were, and i love even more how both of them are willing to give up everything for each other anyway. Really realmy good. Its fun, well written, and a quick read.

The narrators are both really good, and i love their combination. Really recommend the audio as well.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review