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.

I really enjoyed too hearing this book, the plot was light which made I much easier to get through the book.
I also liked to read about this relationship, because it just works out with no miscommunication. The story was a bit too long in my opinion but I still wasn’t so long I got bored.
The narrators was great, and I liked that there were 2 narrators to the 2 POV’s.

It’s a funny and warm read.

3 stars.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were perfect for this book. The storyline was interesting but the writing was even better! I loved this one and it felt realistic with likeable characters. I loved all the pop culture references too. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was the curtest! I fell in love with the characters and want to be best friends with them. The perfect book.

Cole and Laila had a very refreshing friends to lovers relationship. I imagine this is what it would be like having a best friend that you might love but don't want to hurt the friendship over a feeling you're not sure is reciprocated. The way their romance blossomed was very cute and had realistic timing.

Stars: 3
Spice:1
Synopsis: In the wake of a family loss and major life changes, lifelong best friends finally stumble upon the feelings they have ignored for years, and they embark on new paths. Besties Cole and Laila share everything, from childhood secrets to culinary adventures in Cole's family restaurant. When Cole discovers his late grandfather has made a decision that will have a major impact on his life, he is left to decide what to do next. Laila can't imagine how life will change for everyone involved, and she is heartbroken. She knows she will support Coles's decisions moving forward.
They agree not to influence each other's future choices, but they struggle with newfound romantic feelings that could change their friendship forever.
Format: Audio
Review: I enjoyed this read. It was light and easy to read…exactly what I needed between some heavier reads. I love multi-povs and am a sucker for the friends-to-lovers trope. The chapters were short and bingeable.
Pros: I love Friends to Lovers; loveable character, the pop culture references, great narration
Cons: Predictable but sweet
Favorites Moments: I loved the idea of a profound event resulting in someone finding a new life path and just going for it…it's fun to envision.
Recommend (Yes/No/Maybe): Yes
Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to review the title.

A strong 4.5! I really enjoyed this dual POV friends to more book. I loved the characters, as well as all the pop culture references and celebrity name drops woven in. Of all the reasons why it takes friends so long to become more, the fact that guys are slow is always the most believable (to me). 😂 I listened to the audiobook and liked both of the narrators.

This book ended up being just as fun as the cover. I chose it because I loved the cover, and it did not disappoint. After a life-changing turn of events, a group of nearly 40’s best friends have a collective mid-life crisis and end up in NYC. There are many ups and downs, slow burn clean romance, and a shocking twist ending. It is one of those where you think you know what will happen, and then the last twenty pages twists and turns so hard you just set the book down and process after. It has a single narrator portraying multiple characters, but ultimately she does it well. Cole and Layla are both just lovely people and very well-written. It is rare to find a great romance with no spice these days, but Bethany Turner has really accomplished that.

Cole and Laila have been best friends for their entire lives but start questioning everything about their relationship after Cole’s grandfather’s death sets off a chain reaction of unexpected events.

This was a cute story with a ton of 90s and early 2000s romcom and pop culture references! Bethany Turner did a great job in capturing the insecurity and curiosity the characters felt about change and what the future held. The reader could sense the love and respect the characters felt and how each other’s happiness was the priority through all the uncertainty. I liked that the characters were older and well-developed but some of their interactions felt a bit flat and immature. The miscommunication drove me a bit mad at times and the slow burn felt a little off. With almost 40 years of friendship, I thought we’d get more glimpses into the past to build up the burn rather than experiencing it over a handful of days on a quick trip to New York.

Talon David and Andrew Eiden were fantastic narrators! I enjoyed their narration and how they brought Cole and Laila to life!

This was a fun, sweet Rom-com type read about two thirty-something best friends that realize they love each other. As a reader, it’s kind of like “duh” the entire time…so why they were never a couple is kind of baffling. But if you set that info aside, the whole plot of helping Cole find his place, and Laila realizing what’s important is sweet. And the whole fake-date around New York with all the Tv and movie references was funny and cute. Definitely rom com material. Both audiobook narrators did a great job. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.