Bethany Turner’s latest novel, Cole and Laila Are Just Friends, released earlier this month. I’m a bit of a Ms Turner fan girl and have looked forward to this romcom since I read Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other (BASHEO) last year, so I relished Cole and Laila’s story.
If you haven’t experienced life in Adelaide Springs, I recommend starting your journey with BASHEO, then join Cole and Laila in this unique best-friends-to-more romance.
The foundation of this story is Cole and Laila’s friendship. Comrades for decades, they grew up together in small town USA and experienced the changes life brings from childhood through to nudging the middle-aged years. But unlike many BFF romances, this book isn’t about unrequited love or characters secretly pining after each other for half their lifetime.
This love story is really a bromance (between a guy and a gal), where lifelong best friends explore the one element of their relationship they’ve never experienced: romance.
The romantic in me struggled to accept that these two, nearing forty, had rarely entertained thoughts of romance for one another. But when you’re close to someone and content in life… why rock the boat? Cole and Laila worked together, owned keys to each other’s houses, and saw each other all the time.
Then life rocked their boat and things got complicated.
Thankfully, in between wrestling with huge decisions and exploring a big city, romance bloomed.
I enjoyed Ms Turner’s heartwarming characters, delightful banter-y dialogue, and the many (many!) pop culture references. Some I-can’t-say-or-I’ll-spoil-it-for-you unexpected moments caught me off guard, which I found refreshing. Cole and Laila’s deep, all-encompassing friendship, and the promise of more (including some eventual kisses… 🔥🔥🔥), kept my anticipation levels high.
Have you read any of Bethany Turner’s books? Let me know in the comments below.
Until next time,
