MSO funny and SO charming! Absolutely adored the banter, the yearning, the comedic style of writing that is laced through with heart and depth. Highly recommend to all romance lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A really lovely story of friendship between two very different people who are both experiencing a bit of loneliness.

Ava is fairly content with her job as a barista (or at least that's what she tells herself). She is risk-averse and also pretty grumpy so interacting with endless customers is stressing her out. Finn is in London for six months. He's grown up traveling and is never in one place for too long. His closest friend doesn't have enough time (or willingness) to help Finn complete his London bucket list, so Finn takes a chance and asks Ava for her temporary company over the next few months.

This was a charming read - Ava and Finn have hilarious conversations and it was great to see their friendship develop and grow into something that could be more serious. There are a lot of tropes skillfully woven throughout the story. You will probably enjoy this if you love friends-to-lovers, slow-burn, opposites attract, and grumpy-sunshine tropes (and if you know that focaccia is the sexiest bread!). 4.5 stars.

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

The book started off great but then became the book where nothing happened over and over.
Read chapters 1-5 to get the vibes
MMC- golden retriever who might be just a gay friend, can’t tell
FMC- massively rude, antisocial, jerk. Happens to be beautiful so people don’t completely write her off

Then skip to 70%- when things actually start happening

Really though, this should have been a novella and it would have been amazing, there’s nothing wrong with novellas and every story doesn’t need 30+ chapters

Wonderful debut novel! Grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, British romcom. (She’s the grump!) So many funny one-liners and witty comebacks. Great friendships already set and some that develop on-page.

Some heavier topics discussed (family member with cancer for one) but everything was so well-written to show their journey.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for The Friendship Fling to come out June 3, 2025.

I love books by Georgia Stone. Her latest, The Friendship Fling was such a fun book. I couldn’t put it down.

Definitely put the com in rom com!! Super funny and very cute story. I laughed out loud several times and enjoyed all the British details! The characters were so loveable.

5 stars!
Sweet Rom com, friends to lovers, slow burn. Ava and Finn meet at the coffee shop where Ava works. Finn is Mr Sunshine in contrast to Ava’s Ms Grumpy. Finn has a London bucket list that Ava decides to help him complete. Can friends turn into more? I loved the London backdrop, normalizing characters with disabilities, and therapy positive tone. We are all products of our life situations, family dynamics and unexpected opportunities. Do opposites really attract and can friends become more?

Ava Monroe is a barista sleepwalking through her life, guarded and full of angst. Along comes Finn - a charming, literal man-of-the-world - who interrupts and disrupts her life, beginning a friendship with Ava at her coffee shop and begging her to help him with his London bucket list while he is in town. Their summer time, friends-only endeavor shows both of them that they have a lot to learn in order to grow up.
Wow. This is my first book of 2025 and also first five star read. I am blown away by the ease and movement of this novel, the witty banter that made me laugh out loud, and the cathartic and painful evolution of both main characters. Ava is amazingly messy and so, so funny, and Finn is a dream - I adore him and want to protect him at all costs! A truly beautiful ride, I found myself laughing, cheering, and crying. Ensemble characters are stellar and feature disability with aplomb. I cannot wait to buy this book when it comes out as well as recommend it to everyone I know who reads romance and women’s literature.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

It’s a perfect read for fans of slow-burn romance with witty banter, personal growth, and an undercurrent of bittersweet longing as the characters realize they may want more than they initially bargained for. You’ll root for these two as they figure out what they mean to each other, and it’s the kind of story that leaves you feeling warm inside, with just a hint of heartache. So, if you’re a sucker for love stories that sneak up on you, this one is sure to steal your heart!