Thank you Netgalley / Hachette Australia & New Zealand for giving me the E-book to read for my honest review

This book is for fans for
Love at first sight
love Triangles

It took me a while to start this book but when i did i couldn't put it down . It was simply perfect and very touching .

it was my first read for Shirlene Obuobi and have now gone and brought On Rotation .

I enjoy her writing very much

I really enjoyed the book as a representation of Black joy and Black love, and I wanted to love it even more as the story progressed; however, there are moments in the book that I found difficult to digest due to the writing style.

I might revisit this as an audiobook as there are reviews that it translates better with a narrator but there are books I would pick up over this.

3.5/5 stars.

Firstly I was immediately hooked from the dedication. Obuobi dedicates this romance novel to 'the "strong" girls. For the girls who seem to have it all together even when they're falling apart. - You deserve to be cherished too.'

This book follows our main character Josephine Boateng, a POC working as an influencer with a medical degree. She is struggling with the idea of actually practicing medicine, instead focusing on a career as an influencer, sharing her opinions and information regarding health, sexual health, self love, and growth. She has been in love with her best friend for a decade and sat on the sidelines as he dates others, ready to accept any attention from him once he remembered she existed. Upon seeing him dating her childhood bully, she realizes enough is enough and decides she needs to move on and stop waiting for him to notice her fully.

The best way to get over someone is to get under somebody else right? And who better of an option than newly met, debut romance author, Malcolm Waters. With his debut romantasy novel gaining virality and the chance of a movie deal, Mal is new into this 'famous' scene and doesn't really fit in with the crowded networking events. That is until he is rescued by Jo at an event. Mal has been following Jo on social media for years, and is even more captivated by her in real life. To his surprise she is equally as interested in him.

This book tackled a lot of deeper themes such as mental health issues, depression, anxiety, suicide, trauma, racism, abandonment, medical emergencies, trust issues, fear of love, emancipation, virginity, social media fame. Obuobi tackled these themes with intelligence and care throughout the novel and made her characters very relatable even if you aren't exactly as nuanced as they are.

I really enjoyed this book and finished it in just a few short sittings. I definitely think I will read more of Obuobi's works in the future.

Some of my Kindle highlights:
'He'd read enough books to know who got the girl between the millionaire-playboy childhood friend and the down-to-earth, comparatively normal second lead.'

'Because you've endured, you've decided that you are strong. -enough of that. Strong isn't a personality trait.'

'Just because you think I'm cute doesn't mean I can't have important things to say'

'You're a writer Mal, use your words.'

'You survived. You'll survive again.'


I received this as an eARC through NetGalley and Avon Books in exchange for my honest review.
There were a few formatting errors in the ePub version that I had, especially around the 'Instagram posts' and their comments. I believe these wouldn't be an issue in the physical version or an official ePub purchased through Amazon. They were a bit frustrating to navigate when I reached those points in the book however was a minor inconvenience.

A great story that taps into deeper themes and nuanced characters.

Our FMC, Jo, is such a strong character who grapples with real challenges that make her feel relatable even if you’re not a doctor or friends with celebrities (read: most of us). Looking at our MMC’s, Malcolm Waters is such a green flag and by the end, I grew to understand and like Ezra.

I flew through this in a day - Obuobi’s writing is addictive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Dr Josephine Boateng (Dr Jojo) has an enviable Instagram following where she provides opinion on medical matters in a no-nonsense, honest way. She is confident in her opinions and willingly gives them. However, life in front of the camera is a little different behind the lens, she is simultaneously underwhelmed by her current station in life and overwhelmed just thinking about working in the medical environment, her relationships are limited and she has been in love with her ‘friend’ Ezra Adelman for too many years. When she decides to prioritise herself after a final rejection by Ezra, she meets a man, Malcolm Waters, who is wholly different to Ezra, and begins to experience things she has never allowed herself to experience before so the tether to Ezra could remain. Malcolm has his own issues with relationships and careers, but from his first meeting with Dr Jojo he comes to see that she might just be what he needs, and they might just need each other for more than just surface level acquaintance.

Oh, my heart. If you are looking for a love story with an MMC who is the greenest of green flags – then you need to read this and fall for Malcolm Waters like I did. That man…..no words. One of the best things is that he recognises he wasn’t always a green flag, he acknowledged he behaved and reacted to circumstances in ways that were less than favourable.

Be warned though, this is not a light rom-com, this a romance that is more akin to real life than many may be expecting because there is so much depth to this romance with themes of unrequited love; an FMC with walls and shields and barriers and all the things to protect herself; some childhood trauma; feelings of inferiority; race issues; women’s issues; men’s issues; representation of depression; and honest communication just some of the things you can expect. This story is calm, not slow, and I hope people can appreciate the difference. The relationships and the characters carry themselves instead of being pushed along by dramatic and outrageous events. The communication is sometimes so painfully honest it is jarring. The FMC may grate on your nerves, but I saw her. I understood her. I feel her.

In this engaging story, Josephine Boateng, known as Dr. Jojo to her vast Instagram following, grapples with the pressures of being a health influencer while feeling unfulfilled in her career and tangled in unresolved feelings for her best friend, the charming Ezra Adelman. When Ezra arrives at his thirtieth birthday party with Jo's childhood bully, she realises it’s time to focus on herself and embrace her own advice. Meanwhile, Malcolm Waters, a socially awkward novelist enjoying unexpected success, finds himself out of his depth at a glamorous party meant to celebrate his debut book. Just when he feels overwhelmed, he encounters Jo, who is as inspiring in person as she is online, sparking an unexpected connection between them. As both characters navigate their personal and professional challenges, they discover the importance of self-acceptance, authenticity, and the potential for love in unexpected places.

What initially drew me in was the exquisite writing. Shirlene Obuobi crafted two remarkably distinct characters, each with a unique voice that resonated deeply. Through her skillful use of language, she vividly brought their story to life, allowing readers to feel, taste, and visualise every moment as if it were unfolding right before their eyes. Rather than showcasing a dramatic or tumultuous romance, this tale unfolds with purpose and intention, which, in my view, amplifies its emotional impact. It’s a narrative that emphasises the beauty of genuine connection, making it all the more compelling and relatable.

This was such an interesting read and delved into many different issues which I enjoyed. The characters were very complex and diverse. They were ‘real’ in that they had many faults and made mistakes throughout the story.

This novel is based around a successful social media influencer, Jo and how she is struggling to navigate her life. I found Jo quite difficult to connect to as some of the decisions she made I found challenging to understand. That said, I think it made the story more interesting and the character more complex. I loved the character Mal and his role in supporting the FMC.

I enjoyed how the story touched on current issues such as racism, privilege and trauma. However at times it felt like there was too many themes in the book and perhaps one of two would’ve been better to explore in depth.

The POV was also quite jarring at times as it went from first to third person when characters POV switched and there were a lot of unnecessary past reflections that disrupted the flow of the story.

Overall a solid read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was a really fun contemporary romance that while it may seem like a fluffy love triangle romcom, it does tackle some heavier topics around race/racism and mental health. With that in mind, please check the trigger warnings if this is something that may affect you.

I had a lot of fun reading this book and found that Obuobi expressed herself really well. I didn’t know a lot going into this one but I adored the character art and knew I needed to know more. I was gripped within the first chapter and found the vibes were immaculate, the characters were well developed, and the love triangle didn’t make me want to pull my hair out (they usually do).

I definitely recommend giving this book a read.

Strong female lead - check.
Love triangle - check.
Engaging and thoughtful author voice - check.

I had a fun time with this read! I am a strong advocate for the love triangle trope and the way Shirlene structured it was so believable and easy to support. There were times where I found it hard to understand the appeal for Ezra but as the antithesis to Mal, I understand why certain elements of his personality were portrayed that way - he made some DUMB choices but we've all been there Jo.

I wasn't sure how I would enjoy a book that was strongly centred around the digital age/social platforms but found it wasn't focused on in a shallow way which helped me still get out of my "too much like real life" brain.

I did feel like it was a little predictable but maybe because the author chose to grow the relationship in a comforting and soft way so therefore there was less overall tension, and there were strong themes to pull in in addition.

Overall I think it was a good read, but check the triggers in case you have issues with mentions of racism/slurs, depression, suicide, anxiety, and death. I can't rate it 4 stars but 3.5 for sure.

When I read the book’s description I was excited. I’m all for a love triangle. Though the book is well written and I enjoy the characters, it lacked the love triangle vibe. It focuses mostly on one relationship with the 3rd person thrown in randomly. It’s still an enjoyable love story and it hasn’t put me off reading any future stories by this author.

I cannot quite put this book into words, though I understand that’s the whole point of a review. This was one of those books that you (and by you, I mean me) finish and all you can articulate are the excellent vibes. Especially if I don’t want to spoil any of the plot points.

I loved Jo and Mal, both individually as people and for each other. They seemed like cool people that I’d like to add to the friend group. The whole Adelman family thing was super weird, but you needed that in there to add the tension.

Anyway, the vibes were high and I enjoyed every minute of it.

CN for big mental health struggles and the toxic side of social media.

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book.

Genre: Romance MF
Format: Digital
POV: Dual
Tropes: childhood friends, love triangle, medical influencer, family drama, mental health struggles.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Age suggestion: 18+


** this isn’t part of the review for the story, but the format that this was provided in isn’t super user friendly. Not being able to change the font size in the background colours makes it super hard to read for people who can’t read tiny writing. **

I loved this book. Jo was such an interesting, complicated character. It's not easy to write someone who has such depth and comes to life so completely. And the writing voice itself is so well done. Funny, heartfelt, smart, deep.

I usually don't like the love triangle trope, but this one won me over and was resolved wonderfully.

Will definitely read more by this author!

This leans toward contemporary with romance for me. The story follows the unapologetic Dr Josephine Boateng, a medical doctor with an online presence as Dr Jojo, her hustle that supports her study and lifestyle. She has been tied to her best friend, Ezra’s family for some time and when she finally realises that her affection for Ezra is more than platonic, the ship has sailed. All is not lost as author, Malcom Waters enters the picture.

I loved the deliniation between, Jo, and her online presence. She made a choice to being in the public eye as a means to an end. Her preferred content leaned toward information and not hiding her smarts or her fashion sense. Yet perception, misconception, and the reality of living life in the shadow of a online presence was shown on the page. I found Jojo grappling with the expectation to live her best life as established for her audience and the best life of truth to herself to be powerful. Through this, the author weaves a nuanced experience of depression and the complexity of living with episodes of mental ill health.

I liked the characters. I enjoyed and was invested in Jojo, Mal and Ezra. This is also a really I interesting exploration of relationships, both romantic and platonic, and how they evolve, grow, warp and change.

I was struck by the consistent pacing throughout with the last 30% packing the heart punches. This made the book easy to read and stay engaged with.
I eagerly look forward to more from the author
My thanks to NetGalley, Hachette and the author, Shirlene Obuobi for an Advanced Reader Copy. All thoughts, opinions and grammar errors are my own.

Between Friends and Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi is a well-written modern romance that not only has all the romantic vibes and spicy scenes you want but gives you plenty to think about and reflect on as it tackles important topics like mental health, race, class, privilege and gender.

The novel follows Jo (or DrJoJoBee), a currently not-practising doctor and social media medical influencer who is in love with her long-time best friend Ezra, a very wealthy nepo-baby and rising star. Deciding it is finally time to try and get over Ezra, and find a romantic life of her own, she meets debut writer Malcolm - the first man who has sparked her interest enough to look away from Ezra. But it soon becomes unclear whether her unrequited love for Ezra is as unrequited as she thought.

One of the many great things about BFL is the deliciously nuanced love-triangle that never felt tropey or overly-dramatic. I at first didn't see the appeal of Ezra who came across as a privileged, fboy who was careless over Jo's seemingly obvious feelings but he had a redemption towards the middle and end of the book and it made Jo's angst over her choice compelling. Malcom on the other hand is a straight up, capital M, Man. With baggage of his own but the emotional intelligence earned from it, he was a great example of a man who owned his vulnerability and was a good counterpart to Jo's strong, independent nature.

The chemistry between the characters isn't completely jump-off-the-page but you can understand why these characters are drawn to each other and I was invested in how it would turn out. The spicy scenes were hot and felt realistic. The crux of this book is learning how to love someone fully and how to let yourself be loved fully. I enjoyed how all the characters had to learn this in various ways and it made their story arcs satisfying.

I thought the author balanced the heavier topics with nuance and sensitivity, and I enjoyed the representation of depression, social anxiety and suicide and the exploration of race and privilege that gave this book more meat on it's bones.

I'm excited to read more from this author and I'm going to pick up her On Rotation.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for providing an e-ARC for my honest review.

Mal and Jo are two great characters, made all the more realistic with their imperfections. Jo is definitely a strong female who struggles to reveal her true self whilst Malcolm struggles make him all the more endearing as a character. The characters of Ezra and Prudence are cleverly handled, as their flaws are evident to the reader without making them override the storyline. An interesting read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jo, Mal and Ezra!

I really enjoyed this book. The story for the main characters is so well written. I was hooked after the first few chapters.

The love triangle trope was written perfectly.

After not reading for some years and this being my first arc it was a great story and found myself happy for the characters storyline’s and how they evolve and play out through the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the way it was written had me smiling! I enjoyed the way the characters were written.

This social media themed book made me laugh seeing the reality .. the way friends were formed and lovers were made.

I would totally recommend

3.5 rounded up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette AUS/NZ for the arc in exchange for an honest review. When I first got given this book, I was expecting to read a cringey love triangle, however Shirlene Obuobi has proved me otherwise.

Between Friends and Lovers follows the journey of Dr Jo, stuck between her feelings between two men - her best friend, Ezra and a writer she meets, Malcom. I loved the flow of the plot and the unexpected third act was well written and made sense. I loved Jo's character and the development from start to finish - she is a strong and independent FMC who overcomes conflict and struggle through the book. I also liked how the book switched between Jo's first person perspective, and Mal's third person perspective - something which is quite uncommon in the books I've read!

A let down for me was that I felt Ezra and Jo lacked any "chemistry" in their friendship, the whole plot was reliant on them being best friends but while reading I didn't really feel like they were friends, although it may have been intentionally. I feel even in the present parts of the book, there was something lacking between Ezra and Jo, although the point of the book was that Jo was in love with him. I feel like Dahlia and Jo had a good friendship, but it was very lacking in terms of Ezra and Jo.

However, I did love Malcom and I was rooting for him and Jo the whole book! This book isn't like a normal love triangle (especially where the FMC gets with one character and then goes and kisses the other - yes i'm referencing TSITP and MLWTWB), and I enjoyed the maturity within the romance and the characters.

tropes:
- STEMinist romance
- found family
- friends to lovers
- high society
- celebrity

*Please check TWs before reading this book {racism, parental neglect/alienation, depression, suicidal ideation}

I was really in the mood for a romance novel, specifically one where the whole book wasn't just some possessive guy calling the gal 'baby' for 350 pages. Between Friends & Lovers really delivered!

Between Friends & Lovers follows non-practising doctor Jo, her best friend Ezra and debut author Mal. From the start I was cheerleading for Mal, a fun, mature character (something usually unseen in romance novels) who had emotional intelligence and actually understood some of the nuances of love and emotion. I liked Jo's grappling with life - social media, purpose and family.

What let this book down was the relationship between Ezra and Jo. Just because you keep telling the reader they're best friends, that doesn't necessarily mean they believe it. I think their connection could be stronger in the present, as it seemed to only reflect on the past. This may have been purposeful, but I didn't buy it.

I thought the third act conflict was pretty good and unexpected, and I was constantly cheering for Mal and Jo to get their happily ever after.

I really enjoyed Obuobi's writing style - there were enough words that made me want to google their definition, without being esoteric! It wasn't just your usual romance writing, and it didn't feel cliche. I'll definitely be picking up more of Obuobi's writing in future!

Thank you NetGalley for this eArc!

The greys pick me choose me love me line was a favourite early on and the sleep paralysis demon named daisy, loved it!
I loved the maturing from crush love to mature love that you fight for and choose over and over again no matter what happens.
This book made me giggle at times and the character development was on point.
Starting with heartbreak, I really thought it was going to be that cliche friends to lovers, but the fact it wasn’t made the story so much better, the connection was natural and unforced, the dialogue flowed and that Dr Jo was a self sufficient woman both doctor and influencer showed the realities of modern life.