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

Loved it!

When you need a story that will make you laugh, smile and swoon, this is the story for you. I liked the banter between Cole and Laila. It was fun to watch. The variety of charaters and personalities was solid.
Bethany's writing is always entertaining.

Still getting into audiobooks, and this one was a winner. A great lighthearted read perfect for those summer days at the beach!

This was such a good transition between Brynn and Sebastian and Cole and Laila. The love story was very friends-to-lovers and highly nostalgic of New York.

A romcom for the ages! This is the epitome of the friends to lovers trope! Such a fun read with amazing tension. I'd been craving a perfect love story without smut and Cole and Laila Are Just Friends delivered!

Cole and Layla have been friends forever. It takes a possible move across the country to make them realize they may not see each other day to day. Which made them question if it was only a platonic friendship all these years. Pretending to go on a first date with one another made them realize they just might not know everything about one another. They’re at an impasse with Cole needing to leave and Laila having to stay. This was a cute story with cameos from Sebastian and Brynn from the previous book playing matchmakers. The narrators did an excellent job. Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily

Cole and Laila are just friends , are two friends who are really more but don’t want to become more and lose their best friend.

This relationship just didn't do it for me, in transitioning from friends to more than friends, but I love al the chracters around it and like the first book in the series.

"Cole and Laila Are Just Friends" by Bethany Turner caught my eye with its friends-to-lovers premise, but it didn't live up to its potential. The main characters, Cole and Laila, came across as immature and lacked communication, which weakened the narrative. The writing relied too much on telling rather than showing their bond.

Despite knowing each other for almost 40 years, their transition from friends to lovers felt rushed and unconvincing. The pivotal moment where they confess their feelings seemed insignificant and forced, especially for a relationship that spanned decades. The alternating points of view—Laila's in first person and Cole's in third—added to the disconnect.

I enjoyed the numerous pop culture references, and it was a light read.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story, but there were whole sections I could have cheerfully skipped over if I hadn't been listening to it instead of reading it. I get it that these two have been best friends since childhood and I get it that they don't want to let "falling in love" get in the way of their friendship, but sheesh! One or the other spends half the book agonizing over being in love with the other while never once broaching the subject! They talk about virtually everything, so WHY???

As I said, I listened to the audio version of this and loved the dual POV with Cole and Laila narrating. Let me tell you, their "first date" is absolutely swoony and marked a turning point in their relationship. I loved the thought and love that Cole put into planning the date for Laila, and I loved how each learned something new about the other - even though they both thought they knew it all.

Readers who love sweet romance with plenty of humor will love Cole and Laila are Just Friends. This is actually a follow-up story to Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other, and Brynn and Sebastian both show up and play key roles in this book. While it can be read as a stand-alone story, for me, it was better since I already "knew" the characters from the first book.

It is a book in which Cole and Laila, who have been friends for many years, appear as a heartwarming pair. After receiving life-changing information, Cole has made up his mind to leave the past behind. Laila is there for her friend but on their trip to NY they change from being just friends to something more. Although a Christian categorization of the book exists, it is not clean or devoid of sex.

The writing is good; it’s an entertaining read and the storyline itself is interesting. The story was full of tension and emotions that added to its overall impact. The pacing was moderate if with some spots that dragged quite a bit. The characters are fine, most of the books centered on Laila who told her story from first person narration while that of Cole-Cole’s pov –in third person- revealing what motivates them in order for readers to understand them better.

The friendship between Cole and Laila is adorable, without any significant concentration on their backstory. Yet age of the characters (late thirties to early forties) does not match their actions while the book has people from a former book by similar writer. The book is not part of a series and it doesn’t show any religious inclination or mention faith.

There are also references to popular culture which might be confusing at first reading. In general, this is an endearing, quick-to-read novel with no graphic sex or strong language in it but could be good for young adults. It neither blew me away nor was mind-blowing, still I would want to read other novels written by Bethany Turner.

In a book about two almost 40 year old best friends who have taken this long to figure out they love each other romantically, what’s a little longer? This book took forever to get to the point; meanwhile, it was overly littered with 90s and early 2000s pop culture references.