I was only trying to help a friend. I swear. I was legit asking for a friend who was finally ready to date again.I knew what she wanted in a man — smart, funny, ambitious, well-read (no, the sports section doesn’t count), and plays a wicked game of badminton.So I did what any good friend would do. Posted it for her. It seemed like a good idea at the time — I’d weed through the candidates, and … candidates, and bring her my top picks.
But then he responded.
Is it wrong to date the guy I screened for my bestie? Not asking for a friend.
Indulge in the BOYFRIEND MATERIAL series! Three best friends. Three outrageous proposals. Three chances to fall in love. Three brand new standalones from Lauren Blakely!
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I think I say it every time: LB characters get better with each and every release, and my list of favorites always changes book to book. That said, my new favorite hero is Linc. I absolutely adore this witty, charming fellow. Not only is he smart, successful, and intriguingly sexy, but he loves books – and that ramps up his desirability factor tenfold in my opinion. He has an irresistible personality.
Amy is fantastic. She has a way with words (her favorite book is a thesaurus, after all) and she loves to keep the mood light. She has such a lovable, bubbly personality. She’s quirky, funny, and maybe a little bit awkward at times, but it suits her just fine. She’s definitely one of a kind.
From their first encounter to ‘The End,’ this couple will have you swooning over their witty banter and palpable chemistry. Linc and Amy are so much fun together and their supporting cast is amazing too! You can’t help but fall in love with everybody. With plenty of heat and heart thrown into the mix, this is another five-star read in a long line of five-star reads for this author.
What did I love? EVERYTHING!!!!
I literally smiled the entire book and devoured it!!! It was so good! It was funny and cute and romantic! The banter between them was so much fun to read! The fact that they both loved books was awesome and it made the story that much better! Way to go on another masterpiece Lauren!!!
I received an ARC of this book and am willingly giving my honest review!
LOVED!! Linc and Amy’s story is everything you know and love from Lauren Blakely! Sweet, sexy, funny and new and different! It amazes me how each book from this author is different but still amazing! Stories like Asking For a Friend are what makes Lauren Blakely the Ultimate Queen of RomComs! FIVE HUGE STARS!!
Asking For a Friend is the perfect swoon-worthy rom-com to end 2019! Linc and Amy have fun, flirty and playful banter that made this office romance a great read in my book! Both characters were quirky and loveable and the entire storyline just had me from the start! I love all of the secondary characters as well as the locations and business that popped up and had me going “oh, I know that place!” This is such a fun, feel-good romance that I truly enjoyed!
In an effort to help her friend get back on the proverbial horse and practice her personal sales and marketing skills, Amy Summers creates a profile for her on a dating app. The plan was for her to narrow down the list of candidates and then introduce the best ones to her friend… that is, until she finds herself having too much fun chatting with one of them. Soon, she realizes that she’s no longer asking for a friend, but asking for herself.
LOVED this book! Definitely one of my favorites by Lauren Blakely! It’s fun, sweet, sexy, and CAPTIVATING. It’s full of witty banter and word play. I could hardly put it down!
The characters, not just the couple but also some secondary ones like Baldwin, are likeable and relatable. The chemistry between Amy and Linc is hot, hot, HOT! I loved how intellectually compatible they are.
Asking for a Friend is a contemporary workplace romantic comedy written in dual first-person POV. It’s a low-angst standalone that ends with a HEA. No cliffhanger, no cheating.
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Lauren Blakely delivers a funny, quirky, sweet, and sexy rom-com with lots of witty banter and wonderful characters. We also get to see characters from previous books, which I love. I loved the witty banter between Linc and Amy. I also loved that they had so much in common (especially their love for books). This book was highly entertaining and I reccomend reading it if you love rom-coms.
****ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
This book grabbed me from the beginning, and how could it not? If the characters are impossible not to fall in love with. They are cute, funny and you want to be friends with them.
Linc and Amy will hook you in with their playful and hilarious banter. There’s no one more perfect for them than each other, their chemistry is undeniable and it’s so obvious how attracted they are to each other. It’s so much fun reading about them trying to navigate their feelings while dealing with their jobs and overcoming some details about their past.
Asking for a friend is one of those books that make your heart happy.
Sweet, funny and swoony.
How is a girl to help a friend that is unsure of what she wants. Hell, if that girl is your lifelong best friend and you have known her for as long, you probably know her better than herself.
So what better way to help that friend than scoping out the potential fellas and filtering out the riff raff. Sounds like a good idea right? You most definitely would make sure the potential fellas know you are “Asking for a Friend” right?
Lauren Blakely pulls together a funny and tangy tale loaded with just those factors with Asking for a Friend. But the humor and the giggles never stop, even when surprises and realizations of how difficult the task can be come to fruition.
Amy is the wordsmith business editor that loves to support her friends. That infectious smile and pleasant demeanor shine with her all the time. Her strictly business attitude has gotten her far in her workplace and her personality keeps everyone close. But even she does not know all there is to know about filtering out the perfect guy for her friend.
Linc is that quiet alpha male. The guy that shows a soft side, but has hidden strengths. Oddly, he is that exception to the alpha rule because we don’t see many men of his character with his certain entertainment interest. No not what you are thinking but more along what he enjoys and does not enjoy outside the bedroom.
When did screening for a friend take on a new level of humor and sassiness? Not sure but Lauren Blakely brought the picture together perfectly. And along the way, she also made the heat from this story, hard to handle…and the book hard to put down. What a great job she did with this story and it is worth all the stars I can bestow.
Asking For a Friend by Lauren Blakely
Asking For a Friend is the first book in Lauren Blakely’s new and aptly name series, Boyfriend Material. It’s the story of Amy and Linc who both work in publishing and have both, for reasons of their own, sworn of relationships – particularly inter-office ones. As you can imagine, they have plenty in common and that leads to so much fantastic conversation and banter that you can all but see the attraction flying off the page. This all comes to a head when Amy signs her bestie up to a dating app and starts getting feelings for the person she’s screening.
This book was great! It was fun, flirty, and sexy while peppered with wonderful book and movie references. Amy and Linc are my kind of people, in every way and their story is one I especially enjoyed. The side characters only enhanced this story and I look forward to reading their books down the track.
*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog
The best kind of fun you can have is when you can see the characters at work in your imagination and Lauren Blakely has totally nailed this hilarious rom-com.
Her characters are flawed but lovable and their witty banter endears then to you as a reader.
When you have a character who surreptitiously vets her best friends online dates, it’s bound to produce some amazingly funny scenarios but Amy and Linc win hands down for the cutest, nerdy couple I’ve read. Their chemistry is immediate, the movie references were fun and memorable and the whole story just rolled along at a cracking pace.
Asking for a Friend was a completely brilliant concept, delivered with fabulous witty banter and cute nerdy references scattered throughout. It was a total blast to read.
4.5 stars
What an adorable, cute, smile inducing office romance. With its addictive banter, charming characters and fun storyline, Asking For a Friend is everything I look for in a rom com.
Amy and Linc are so a meant to be couple. I just heart them together. Everything from their connection over books to their exchanges about ping pong made them so dang lovable.
Linc Silvers on his own is all kinds of dreamy. Or as Amy would say, “dishy”. As a new transfer to the company and after being burnt in a previous relationship, he was determined not to fall into another office romance. Of course, once he met Amy, he couldn’t deny his attraction for long.
Not that anyone can blame him. Amy is the coolest. She may be Lauren Blakley’s quirkiest heroine ever. We first met her in a previous book featuring her brother Josh. I knew right then her book was going to be a blast. She’s a great friend, a caring sister, and a girl power enthusiast (I am all about her cape power).
These two are seriously so perfect for each other. If you know me, you know I go gaga for quick witted, flirty banter. The playful back and forth dialogue between Amy and Linc may be some of Lauren’s best. It’s so fun and easy. I want more and more and more.
The queen of romcoms has written another gem. If you want a cute and flirty office romance, you need Asking For a Friend in your life. It’s such a fun read. Also, in typical Lauren Blakely fashion, we get to see some old favorites and that’s always a good time.
One of my absolute favorite things about Lauren Blakely is the fantastic way she continues to write new stories/series focused on new main characters in the same world (setting) that we, as readers, are familiar to. Her amazing talent at developing unique story lines for secondary and minor characters from other stories that become the main characters in new ones makes me feel like I am a part of their world. I love connection between all of these characters, their relationship and friendships. Each interconnecting story is so unique and brings different emotions and laughter.
Asking for a Friend is Book #1 in Lauren’s new Boyfriend Material Series. It follows Linc Silvers and Amy Summers (Josh and Quinn’s Sister). This book (insert scream) was so amazing. I mean, this is a romance book about two quirky, sassy, intelligent BOOK LOVERS whose job is to be surrounded by words and books. When Linc moves to New York from California for his career as a Senior Editor, he meets Amy Summers, junior editor, who is focused on working hard for a promotion. It is obvious that these two found each other attractive from the moment they laid eyes on each other (both physically and mentally). They were both well spoken with a passion for words that made that attraction explode more with each interaction. Of course, they each had their reasons for not pursing their feelings, but we all know in the end love conquers all.
Lauren’s romances are so much more than a love story. Hers are stories of friendship and family; stories of conquering fears and following your heart; stories of letting go of the past and opening up to new possibilities. I can’t wait for the next one.
P.S. I’m probably Amy and Quinn’s soul sister because I have so much in common with both. I love spoilers and planning (like Quinn) and I grew up with such a love for words. I didn’t have a thesaurus, but I loved my dictionary (yes, dictionary). When I was in 4th grade I would open the dictionary up to a random page. I would skim the page and pick a word that was unfamiliar to me and write it down in a notebook with its definition, followed by a sentence using the word. I did this straight though high school. I would love to find that notebook.
**An ARC of Asking for a Friend was provided in agreement for an honest review.**
Anytime Lauren Blakely releases a new romantic comedy series, I’m always eager to see its connection to her previous stories and/or characters as well as the humorous ways she crafts her heroes and heroines’ encounters, internal thoughts, and witty interactions.
Asking For a Friend is the first book in Blakely’s all-new Boyfriend Material series, and her hero, Linc Silvers, is most definitely book boyfriend material, not only because he looks like Clark Kent and has a gorgeous, nerdy vibe to him, but because he’s authentic and quirky…and a whole lot of other characteristics that will have readers adding Linc to their book boyfriend lists.
Amy Summers is a great heroine – one whose personality resonated with me and one I could easily connect with due to her wit, her love of books, and her career as an editor. She definitely has a way with words and that comes in handy in creating her ‘friend’s’ profile and also when she continues conversing with her online guy.
Regardless of the fact that both Amy and Linc are against office romances, they’re drawn to each other and because they get along extremely well and have an easy banter with one another, it’s not easy to stay away from the person you share a lot of interests with and the one who may just ‘get’ you better than anyone else.
Blakely plays up the connection Amy has to both the online guy and Linc and while readers undoubtedly know that they are one in the same, the way Blakely unravels everything when it comes to the hero and heroine figuring out just why things seem so easy for them in both situations makes the big reveal both interesting and humorous, especially given the fact that Amy’s profile isn’t actually hers and their stance on office romance weighs a whole lot less once they find out who’s behind the computer screen.
I love the way that Lauren Blakely puts her own spin on the concept of ‘asking for a friend.’ It’s become quite the social media punchline – one that is usually about the person who uses the saying, even though the assumption should be that it’s not. Blakely’s meaning plays off of society’s view of the term, stretching its defining idea and using the many connotative interpretations of it throughout the pages of Asking For a Friend.
4 Poison Apples
Fun, easy read!
Amy is a wonderful h who is looking to improve her job by moving into an editor job. She has an incredible vocabulary which she uses to her advantage. Linc is a transplant coming from LA after a bad relationship with a coworker. He is not looking for another coworker attraction! But when Amy sets up a dating profile to assist her friend by weeding out the riffraff, the two begin an online conversation showing how attracted they really are! But should Amy be looking to keep the top responder? You’ll find yourself laughing and thoroughly enjoying the journey of these two. I can’t wait for the next book in this new series!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I laughed through out this entire book! Amy is a junior editor trying to move up in her publishing house. Linc is the “New Guy” who just moved to NYC from California as an already established editor. Neither are interested in a romance right now and just want to concentrate on work. But then their personalities just click as they are attracted to each other immediately. Amy goes on line on a dating sire to try to hook up her friend, as Linc goes on line trying not to get involved with another woman he works with as he has an ugly past with that! Well guess who hooks up on line? Great love story, funny as hell, and great characters.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review*
When I heard Lauren Blakely I said “Uh, yes, please!” Her books do that to me. If you haven’t read one you’re missing out. In fact, you should probably start right here with this one: Book #1 of her ‘Boyfriend Material’ series. I had a ball reading! Very entertaining fun and fresh rom-com! True to Blakely’s signature storytelling, character development and witty banter.
Asking For A Friend starts out with Amy Summers; a junior editor at a literary agency. Who’s on a sabbatical from men and focusing solely on her career. She loves books, loves her job and is quite content until Linc Silver bull-dozes her world.
Linc is the new senior editor who used to reside in Los Angeles, and is trying to get used the perils of New York city. (Don’t want to spoil it for you, but there’s a scene where he talks about vermin that had me dying). Linc notices the ‘Ice Queen’ as he calls her and finds her very attractive but too uptight for his liking. Soon the attraction builds and they both wonder why they can’t stop thinking of one another.
When Amy decides to help her friend is where everything ignites. The flame is lite. However Amy has no idea her sudden interest in the guy on her dating app is really Clark Kent behind the screen.
Their banter was stellar: fun, flirty realistic chemistry. The steam factor was off the charts. The build-up. The show of emotions was everything I expected from Lauren, but even more-so. I also enjoyed the secondary characters too and can’t wait to see if either of them are in book #2.
Final thoughts….
I highly recommend reading! It’s definitely a story you need in your life.
Lauren Blakely is a master at rom-coms. She writes books with heart, heat and happily-ever-afters. Asking For A Friend is a great rom-com that will make you wish you work in publishing.
When Linc starts working at the same publishing house as Amy, they are immediately intrigued by each other. But they both have reservations about dating a coworker, so they both are resigned to living in the “friend zone.” But when Amy decides to go on a dating app to find a match for her best friend, who just got out of a bad relationship, she finds Linc, without realizing it is Linc.
The dialog is witty, the romance is genuine, the love story is swoon-worthy. A Lauren Blakely instant classic, and a must read for rom-com enthusiasts.
The audio is also stellar. There is an all-star narrating cast of Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke, joined by Zachary Webber and Erin Mallon in supporting roles, and they bring the story to life. It’s an audio-lovers delight.
Asking for a Friend is a fun, rom-com style romance between two book nerds featuring a cast of quirkly BFFs, coworkers, and family members–and a dog named after a fictional detective, of course. It had almost enough real-life book references to make my book blogger/librarian/English major heart happy–though Amy, Linc and I are going to have to agree to disagree about the merits of the book version of The Princess Bride .
I mean, yes. I adored the movie and may have even quoted it as recently as yesterday (at a live performance of Les Miserables–I whispered “[He’s} got an overdeveloped sense of vengeance” when the inspector told ValJean for the eighty bazillionth time that he was there to turn Jean’s parole-dodging butt in), but the book will always hold a special place in my heart too. There’s a particular passage in it that I may have typed up a copy of for myself. Twice. On an actual typewriter with no word processing features.
I mean, that’s hard core love right there.
But I digress.
Linc and Amy’s story was a lot of fun to read. Between the banter, the witty comebacks, and Amy’s impressive vocabulary, I was lucky I didn’t fall off my chair laughing while reading this one. And all the epilogues? I honestly lost count of how many there were–it was starting to get ridiculous–but they’re all so gosh darn cute, it’s hard to complain. (Except I am a bit bummed that we aren’t getting Baldwin’s story. Can’t we get Baldwin’s story?)
Don’t mind me–I’ll just be sitting here counting the days until the next book in the series is released… 😉
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
You know that feeling you get after you read an amazing book? The smile that comes across your face, the little sigh you involuntarily make when you try and flip the page just one more time-anxious for even just one more word? Asking For a Friend is one of those amazing books and is a fabulous example of why Lauren Blakely is my favorite author (yes, I said it), and an auto buy author. This is rom-com perfection that had me smiling, sighing and swooning throughout.
Amy and Linc were so much fun to meet and get to know in this book. I love that they work in the book industry; all of the book references were so much fun to read. I enjoyed that they’re both smart and driven and passionate.
I believed in the attraction that these two shared right from the start. The banter was sharp and witty. I’m not kidding when I say my face hurt from smiling after reading this-these two just were fun to watch as they flirted and got to know one another. Their first kiss is one of my favorite first kisses, and their sexy times were definitely hot.
There’s something about this Author’s ability to just draw you in and make you feel like you’re a part of the story; that you can run into these people on the street. I would not object to living in the world that is created in this book. I mean, I could be Amy’s other bestie, right? As always, the writing is top-notch. The supporting characters here made me do a little happy dance, as we met both new and old friends. Again, I truly could just live in this world.
Asking For a Friend is a book I’ll go back and read again and again. I devoured this book in one sitting; I just didn’t want it to end. It’s been a week since I’ve finished the book and I’m still smiling. I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it.
Fabulously written story-line that could not have unfolded better
My mind is happy. My heart is happy. And I’m still smiling the next day! Well done!
If you’ve been keeping up with my reviews of Lauren’s books lately then you might have picked up on the fact that she is rapidly becoming one of my I Can’t Miss A Single Word authors. There’s not a lot of those LOL This woman’s writing has evolved in the last couple of years. She used to hit or miss for me because her storylines tended to go to the OTT/ridic side of rom-com and those aren’t normally for me. But lately guys … she has been gold, so do yourselves a favor and download her books. They will make you happy. I promise 🙂