Came for the romance, stayed for the family drama. Frenemies with Benefits was a cute second chance romance, perfect for a beach read!

This is book 3 in the Peach Tree Cove series, and I don’t feel like I missed too much by not reading the first two.

This book was a cute, small-town, cozy romance. I enjoyed the characters and the overall story. I could relate to the FMC and her getting back to dating after a divorce. I admired how the MMC was patient with her but also consistent in letting her know that he wanted to be with her. Of course the HEA was the cherry on top of this story. The audiobook was ok, however, there were times that I felt the narrator over did it on the "southern twang".

This is a cozy, southern, small-town childhood friend with benefits story, almost a second-chance story; I did not really get the "Frenemies" vibe.

It was really hard for me to get into. The pacing really dragged on, and the narrator's voices just did not grab me at first. But it was a quick listen, and the story did eventually come together. Once the deal was made, the pace sped up nicely.

This is a story of love after heartbreak, pulling yourself up post devastation.



Thank you, NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and Synithia Williams for the ALC.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The entire Peachtree Cove series is a favorite of mine. I loved getting Tracey's story and seeing how she out herself first for the first time. After leaving her trash husband and pouring into her business, she found love unexpectedly and was finally treated how she deserved. Brian's need to lift her up and speak to her strengths, made Tracy more confident to tackle her challenges. I recommend this book to those who are looking for a beautiful read of self discovery and finding love after heartbreak. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced listener copy.

This book would be amazing if I read it myself (which I will do) but the country accent kept throwing me. I'm from the country ...it just irked me.

Story wise though? Yes. Read this.

This is my first title by Ms. Williams, and overall I enjoyed the listen. The character and plot development were meaningful (although at times, the characters’ internal dialogues seemed a tad redundant/belabored) and I had a good sense of what motivated them to do what they did during the story. I will also say that the FMC’s internal monologue during her first planned encounter with the MMC was hysterical - very relatable and so funny.

Adenrele Ojo, of whom I’m been a longtime fan, narrates the entirety of the story. In the beginning, I found the southern accents to be a bit exaggerated, but I could tell as she got more comfortable with the story, that intensity relaxed and sounded more natural. Her performance of the male voices was strong and distinction between the female characters was well-done.

3.75 stars overall. Thanks to NetGalley for this complimentary ALC.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved getting to know the characters and their struggles felt so real, as did their triumphs.
I would 100% read more from this author!!

This was such a cute story! I would 10/10 recommended this read if you love a good friendzone to lovers story. The story was written in such a realistic way that it made it hard to not like. And of course there is the Happily Ever After that we all love in romances. Go read this now! Synithia Williams is an auto buy author for me and this audiobook will not disappoint.

Audiobook Review: Frenemies with Benefits by Synithia Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5/5)

This was a cute, lighthearted read—perfect as a fun palette cleanser. I was a little hesitant since it’s the third book in a series, but I had no problem following along. The story stands well on its own, and the small-town drama kept things interesting.

One of the biggest highlights for me was the audiobook narrator. She absolutely nailed the vibe of the female lead, bringing the story to life in a way that made it even more enjoyable. I’ve listened to her narrate other books before, so I knew she’d deliver, and she didn’t disappoint.

That said, the story itself fell a little flat. It was entertaining, but it lacked the extra spark that would’ve made it a five-star read. The title also didn’t quite match the storyline—while the main characters had a “friends with benefits” situation, I didn’t really see the “frenemies” aspect come into play. If anything, the tension felt pretty one-sided.

Overall, this is a solid, medium-paced read that’s easy to follow and enjoyable enough for a quick escape. I’d recommend it as a good beach read or something light to break up heavier books. And while this one didn’t fully wow me, I’d still pick up another book from Synithia Williams in the future.

Disclosure: Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars
3.5 steamy kisses

I loved this story. I was totally rooting for the main characters from start to beginning. These frenemies definitely had a story that started a lot earlier but it wasnt until certain recent events where they both admitted to begin a relationship where they both reaped from the benefits because these two for sure had chemistry just sizzling and popping until they gave in. I loved their banter, character development, steamy moments, and some of the side characters definitely played their roles too. The author was new to me but I was impressed with her storytelling talent and cant wait to keep reading/listening to her future and past stories.

I recommend to readers who like

Small town romance
(Gossip mill included)
Love triangle (each main character has their cheating exes to deal with throughout the book)
Angst
Steamy moments
Both main characters are the boss of their businesses
Mutual pining
Reformed playboy
Both characters have commitment issues
HEA

🎧

This was sooooo sweet. Tracy and Brian’s journey was everything after both coming out of previous bad marriages. I would say “friends” to lovers.

Tracey’s parents were soooo funny. The Audio for this was really good.


Thank you to netgalley & Harlequin Audio for this.

this was my first time reading a book by this author. I really did enjoy the story. I think it showed a lot of character growth and a great plot. I wish I would’ve known that. There was two more books before it before reading the third. I’m gonna go back and read/listen to the first two.

This was such a cute small town romance novel! I was expecting more tension based on the title but from the very start it was very clear that there were no enemies to be found. But this novel was packed with "scandal" and drama which was highly entertaining! I love a HEA!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the post-published ALC of Frenemies With Benefits.

I have not read the prior books in the Peachtree Cove series, but was able to jump in to Tracey and Brian’s story just fine. I liked that both MCs I. This book had issues and goals outside of their relationship with each other, but I wish there was a bit less ex-drama. The title is a bit of a misnomer, since these two were never really frenemies. They grew up knowing each other, and became work acquaintances before deciding to start their friends with benefits arrangement. The love story was a bit too slow burn for me.

I really enjoyed the narrator for everything but the dialogue. The southern accent work, especially for the men just didn’t hit for me.

I really really enjoyed this story and found myself laughing constantly. This could easily be dubbed a rom com because every character has sass and personality for miles. I enjoyed the author's descriptions of the town and people. All of the side characters felt rounded. All of the main characters experienced growth. This was a beautiful romance. My only complaint is that the narrator just did not hit right with me. The exaggerated southern accents sounded so fake to me.

This book was soooo good!!!! I didn’t know what to expect!!! I had never read a book by this author but it was surprisingly good… the setting was in a small town… with a B&B owner.. and a small town nursery owner. To me this was a love story that was destine!! It started in High School!!

There is some family drama, talk of divorce, a tad bit of spice and a cute love story!!! Go read it…

I really think that it’s a series and I jumped in, in the middle of it, but I will most definitely will be going back and reading from the beginning.

This was cute and I loved the drama. But, the story fell a little flat for me, mostly due to the pacing of the book.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the narrator.

Thank you so much to NetGalley/Publisher for the audio ARC

As I got further into this book I realized this was more of a friends with benefits instead of frenemies with benefits. Brian and Tracey's relationship was not as believable as I would have liked. The love connection just wasn't there for me. But I did like them as friends with benefits. There was quite a bit of repetitiveness with letting us know about Tracey's insecurities. A bit more editing could help with that, Overall this was an entertaining read.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This missed the mark for me. Based on the title I was expecting a frenemy dynamic but it never felt like that to me, so I kept feeling like I was missing something that should be obvious.

The story was a pretty slow burn overall and left a bit to be desired with the chemistry between the two main characters, but I did appreciate that we got some character backstory and additional characters, to give them more depth individually.

The voice of the narrator threw me off a bit. I understand a southern accent was needed, but the voice sounded too mature for the characters on the cover. Additionally I think a separate male voice would've been helpful.

(ALC provided by NetGalley) Love a book about a FMC who finds herself and her strength and doesn’t let men dictate her life. Solid mix of drama and sweet moments. The writing was choppy at times but overall the story flowed and moved at a good pace. A few more cliche lines than I’d prefer but I guess that just comes with the territory of the friends to lovers trope😂 I would definitely read another romance by this author. This was the first time I’ve listened to a book by this narrator and she was great, I would listen to anything she narrates!