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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It’s raining stars, not men!!!
Oh, my sweet heaven above!!
Asking For A Friend is the quirkiest, sweetest most angst-free story evah!!!! It’s got one hell of a hottie as the MC. Linc Silvers, ladies, is one stunning hunk of a sexy, nerdy wordy guy who will leave you swooning in the aisles- bookstore or on-line retailer, it won’t matter cos, you’ll be limp as a noodle. A puddle of pent-up putty. A long drink of a steaming hot cup of seduction.
Junior editor Amy Summers knew she’d met the man that would rock her world the minute she set eyes on Linc and his ‘Henry Cavill’ looks. But she wasn’t looking for love or a relationship. She was set on gaining a promotion at work. Work- where Linc had just started as a senior editor. And, Linc? He’d noticed Amy, but he was fresh from the trenches in LA and all he wanted to find his place.
Too bad Fate had other plans. Sit back and enjoy this steamy, chemistry-filled, wordwise story with amazing banter, fun friends and great siblings. It’s like the tastiest cupcake in the box. Dive in, smother yourself with the fabulous feelings and just… read it NOW!!!
Lauren Blakely does it again! Asking For a Friend is pure Rom Com Gold. Wait. Make it Platinum. It’s super funny, super witty and super sexy. The kind of romance that makes you crave this swoony, warm , fuzzy and sweetest feeling in your own life.
Linc and Amy meet when he starts working in Amy’s workplace. A publication house. And it was love at first sight. Almost. Now comes the obstacles. They are bound by workplace policy. And they do not know they are falling hard for the same people from office while talking in a dating app. A beautiful and happy confusion. And we have the most swoonworthy love story.
Linc is exactly what my dream man would be! ( like Amy’s) Funny, charming, wicked sense of humor, sexy, well read and everything. Seriously God does not make men like these. And Amy is so amazing. I want to be her best friend. She is quirky, witty, super smart, loving and cares too much about everyone else. Her odd and eccentric way of thinking with Thesaurus is absolutely adorable. And the chemistry is the most delectable treat. I had a blast as they exchanged the hilarious, out of the box, entertaining and melting-my-heart messages! I had a trouble understanding all the cutural references sometimes as I am from a whole other part of the world.
Amazing characters. Delightful story line. Beautiful emotions. And Lauren Blakely’s writing. This combination has never failed to produce winner. Asking for A Friend is a winner.
Received ARC for Honest review
Great story delivered to us by an amazing author that I love reading from. Amy is my kinda gal! Lincoln is a dream come true. These two are the best when they get together. The LOL moments had me laughing so hard I was gasping for air. There is a lot of hot moments, but what I love most was how the chemistry got better and better with every interaction. Asking For a Friend is about putting yourself out there. The real you. Not being afraid being different. I read this over a couple of days and was smiling ear from ear. I loved this story and cannot wait for more!!!
What a highly entertaining enjoyable story!
This book ticked all the boxes in regards to a great read!
Cute couple of characters and their amazing friends/family, throw in witty banter, innuendos and talk of books too and you have a match made in book heaven!!
Amy is the proverbial fun girl! She blurts out intelligent words and has a great time with it! Add Linc to the mix and bam….nerd girl meets nerd boy! I love a good story where the characters can talk nerd so well you just want to be friends with them! Why??? Because they are fun people! They get the important things in life!
This book was so very enjoyable! Its a must to have on your tbr shelf! Just dive in, you won’t be sorry!
Who doesn’t love a Lauren Blakely story, you can’t help but love her imagination. Asking for a Friend the first book in her news series, Boyfriend Material. We get to meet Link and Amy, their banter and chemistry makes for a superb 5 star read, you can’t wait to hear what’s going to come out of their mouths next. A little slow burn romance, lots of sassiness, laughing, swooning, and of course their HEA. I definitely recommend this funny and witty story.
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review**
Lauren Blakely has done it again! She’s created a fun, fresh, entertaining rom-com that I didn’t want to put down!
Amy Summers is taking a break from men and concentrating on her work. She loves books, reading and her job as a junior editor is perfect for her, however she wants more. She wants, and is going for, a promotion that she knows is going to take all her concentration to get. Although when a new guy comes on board at work, she can’t help but notice how drawn to him she is.
Linc Silvers is a new senior editor that has moved across the country to start fresh. He too is on a romantic break after getting involved with someone at work that went disastrously wrong. He’s the kind that makes friends easily and that proves true as soon as he hits the door at his new job. The other thing he notices is Amy, but he knows that he needs to steer clear!
When Amy decides to help her friend Peyton get back into the dating game, she signs up for Boyfriend Material, an app that matches people with similar interests and in like locations. She’s going to act as the screener and then when she has some good ones to choose from, she’ll share them with Peyton. When Amy begins sifting through the potential suitors, there are many to choose from, but one seems to rise to the top. She begins chatting with him and she realizes how much fun it is to banter with him. It reminds her of her bantering with Linc, but she knows that is a no go since she works with him. Linc is also trying not to think about Amy in his own way, yet he too continues to think about her.
Amy and Linc are such a great duo. They banter, they flirt, they are sweet, they are nerdy and they also bring the heat! It was not hard to get swept up in this romance and how it all unfolded. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well. Peyton was great and Baldwin was another breath of fresh air. All in all, this was another fantastic story from Lauren Blakely and if I learned anything, I learned that sometimes you need to ask for yourself!
Two book lovers that were made for each other.
Lauren Blakely has done it again! This story is so funny and witty and I loved every one of the people in this book. Linc and Amy are co-workers who find each other attractive but neither one of them wants to pursue anything for their own reasons. I loved the banter between these two from the very beginning and how cute they were with each other. The way that these two also meet on a dating app is just perfect especially since they don’t know it is each other they are talking to. Again, the way they banter back and forth is hilarious. Both of these characters are such fun loving people that you can’t help but fall in love with both of them. And the chemistry that these two have when they come together is off the charts. This is another winner by Lauren and you don’t want to miss it.
I have a confession to make, I had a little intrepidation about going into this book, as I wasn’t sure where this couple fit into the whole picture of LB’s extended family, I keep forgetting who is related to whom. What I felt once I started was, I didn’t need to know exactly which family tree this couple sits on the branch, because we get a little background to remind us but most importantly it doesn’t take away from the overall story line what their lineage is. I had to put it into perspective of this is nothing short of another brilliant rom-com from Ms Blakely.
This book is set in the world of publishing and editors and our to leads work at the same firm. Amy and Linc don’t work directly with each other but in the same office. Linc is a Cali import and has only been in NYC for a few weeks and they hit it off straight from the first morning. They both have the same quirky bubbly personalities and it is an instant attraction. But Linc has been burnt with office romances before and Amy is all systems go with wanting to concentrate on her career so they don’t do anything but have great office banter. Then things go in a different and fun direction of Amy joining a dating app for her bestie and to weed out the bad eggs and present her with the golden one. This brings about some flirty and fabulous repartee which had me smiling and giggling along.
Things could have gone different for these two when the crunch came, but I am glad it didn’t take the road of unnecessary angst and foolhardiness. I feel they achieved their HEA as this couple should with their characteristics and charisma. I loved both of them equally and could have read more from them. Although, I am eager to hear more about the said bestie, Payton and her tale with Tristan, which is next for this series.
4.5 stars
This was exactly the kind of swoony, low angst romcom that I needed! Asking For a Friend hooked me in right from the start, thanks to two of the quirkiest and most adorkable characters that I’ve encountered. Linc and Amy were undeniably perfect for each other and their playful banter and conversations made them even more endearing. I loved that there was push and pull thanks to the office romance taboo/some past baggage, but nothing over the top or unnecessary. The drama that does pop up is resolved just as quickly as it appears. It allowed the story to focus on these two and more importantly, the powerful message that “women can support each other even when they compete”. Cape power all the way!
Catching up with previous Blakely characters and the nods to locations and businesses that have popped up through her books are always fun easter eggs to find. The secondary characters were just as wonderful, especially Baldwin. I loved that he got his HEA too 😉 I’m really looking forward to Tristan and Peyton’s story next! If you’re looking for a sweet, feel good romcom, you don’t want to miss Asking For a Friend!
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
5 star review of Asking For A Friend (Boyfriend Material #1) by Lauren Blakely
Have you ever moved for a job? Linc Silvers is totally focused on making a success of his new job. However his determination is put to the test when he meets his new co worker Amy Summers. Amy is just as focused on her career, but the attraction between them is intense and cannot be ignored no matter how hard they try.
I fell hard and fast for Linc and honestly he just melted my heart; Amy is one of those women that you could easily see as a friend, strong, determined, feisty and focused.
The dynamic between Linc and Amy was entertaining, flirty and they had me laughing with their banter; the chemistry between them was smoking hot.
Asking For A Friend is a fun book that ticked the boxes for me. It is smoking hot and highly entertaining. Ms. Blakely writes strong and captivating RomComs which will leave you with a smile on your face.
I really enjoyed Linc and Amy’s story. Their chemistry is a slow burn yet sizzles and their banter will make you giggle and swoon. I definitely recommend this fun and witty storyline.
Quick wit, a spunky heroine and a swoony hero are what you get with new story from Lauren Blakely
Asking for a Friend is the story of Amy and Linc. I so enjoy the world that Ms. Blakely has created and seeing past characters make an appearance.
Amy is a fantastic heroine! She is a love of words, an absolute wordsmith with a heart of gold and a determination to make things happen in her world and to help her friends.
Linc is the new man in town and the office. He has been burned in the past and when he meets Amy he doesn’t want to listen to his heart right away.
A chance meeting at work and a serendipitous encounter over the interwebs makes the sparks fly between Linc and Amy.
I loved the wordplay in this story, the quick wit, and dialogue between the characters and I absolutely love that Amy describes Linc as “dishy”! I will be adding that delightful word to my vocabulary!
A fast-paced read that I couldn’t put down until the end, the world that Ms. Blakely creates is fantastic and this story is another jewel in the crown of her books!
Absolutely loved Asking for a friend. Linc and Amy had such a deep connection and their so funny together. i loved their banter! Lauren once again did a spatular job writing this book and i could not put it down!
100% recommend!!!
A truly dishy read! Asking For A Friend is now one of my favorite Lauren Blakely reads!! She delivered on my every bucket wishlist fantasy!
A hot, nerdy, well-read, Clark Kent, book boyfriend – Check!
A sassy, thesaurus-loving, cake-eating, heroine – Double Check!
Lauren also splashed in a lot of my favorite movies and to top off my bucket list there are novel references galore. Asking For A Friend is like reading a slice of heaven.
Linc is new to New York city. He’s recently moved across country after a dumpster fire of an office romance that left him feeling less than stellar. The last thing he needs is to jump straight into another relationship. However, he can’t help noticing the magnetic pull to Amy Summers, a fellow coworker, on his first day of work, nor the easy conversation he seems to have with her. He knows he needs to nip it in the bud, but that’s easier said than done. Linc joins a dating app to help get his mind off of Amy, what he finds is the perfect match, who also happens to remind him of a certain co-worker, but he tells himself a stranger outside of the office is still better than one in it.
Amy is focused on work and a possible promotion. The last thing she needs is romance clouding her mind. When Linc Silvers joins the staff her mind does get filled with visions of his Clark Kent look-a-like features, but she doesn’t take it beyond the mental stimulation into the real world setting. However, when her best friend tells her she’s ready to begin dating again, Amy takes it upon herself to create a profile for her and weed out the bad suitors, she just never expected to enjoy the weeding quite so much. Her conversations with the pick of the patch go into the late night hour, she’s having a really nice time. It’s all for her friend and to build her confidence (uh huh, we all like to lie to ourselves, it helps).
As Linc and Amy get to know one another better, as “virtual strangers” they also find their real life chemistry is hard to ignore in the office. What do you do when life gives you a flower among the weeds, but you’ve made it clear that you were just getting to know and asking everything about him for a friend?
Linc and Amy really do sizzle right off the page and all of Amy’s book ideas…I’m very excited to read more upcoming titles in this new Boyfriend Material world. No two people belong together more than Linc and Amy and seriously, this book is just a good, fun read.
I fell for these two immediately! You will love Linc & Amy, the banter between them, the chemistry that you feel through Lauren’s words. 5 amazing bright stars for this one!
Linc moved across the US to start over, no more office romance for him. Until he meets Amy, he tries but it’s hard when you have that immediate attraction to some one. So he joins a dating web site to try to forget her.
Amy doesn’t have time for a work romance, but the new guy Linc is just so hot, but no, she needs to keep her eye on the prize, the new position opening up in their company. But when she joins the dating web site with the idea that she’s helping her best friend, of course she falls for the guy she’s messaging. But she has true feelings for Linc too.
Follow their story, as I said you will fall in love with yet another one of Lauren’s couples!! Enjoy!
“Who knew surrogate dating for a friend would be so fun?”
Amy is quirky, funny, and a general delight. She is full of heart for her friends. She knows how to promote them to others. This is good practice since she is a junior editor and has to learn how to sell ideas to others. Only one problem. She can passionately describe the best qualities of others, never of her own qualities. And so, in a roundabout way, the idea of creating a profile on a dating app for her friend Peyton springs to mind and she uses it to practice self-promotion. Easy- peasy! Right? Then Serendipity steps in as Amy practices and complications of the heart take a turn.
I have fallen in love with Linc! (I am a fickle soul!) He is the latest of the red hot lovers who is kind, loves books, and is a champion at Ping-Pong. Top that with a Clark Kent look and I swooned. You know Amy and Linc are the two parts to make a whole. Never two people met that had so much in common. One problem though. Office romances never work out!
Don’t miss this one! Romance is in the air and these two characters need to figure out how to remove the obstacles in their way.
I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Thanks to the author for sharing a copy with me.
***ARC Provided by the Author***
Romance, I think, is the hardest of the genres to write and make it believable, fresh, and interesting. You would think it would be easy, because it’s about emotions and feelings, and people, and no one needs to know exact dimensions of streets in Italy for car chase scenes.
But…Suspense. Murder mysteries. Political thrillers. They all have the inherent hook to lure in the reader. You want to know how they end. In Gone Girl, you want to know what happened, and how the heck it happened…so you read to the end. In The DaVinci Code, you want someone to tell you what in the world is going on and where all of those clues lead. So, you read to the end. And you do so even if it’s a book you aren’t totally enjoying because, again, you want to know how it ends.
Romance, however, you already know. There’s a rule that the characters will get to the happily ever after, they will work the things out in their lives that are keeping them from being together, and right before you get to “The End” you will get a declaration of love (or a proposal, or an epilogue or 3) that ends the book on the happiest of possible notes.
And, that’s great, and let’s be honest, it’s why I read romance. But, the fact that the end if a foregone conclusion and the book has to be all about the getting to the ending, makes it hard to write romance in a way that makes it feel like a fresh story while it makes its way to a predetermined ending. (No, I am not saying other books in other genres are easy to write, just that they come with a different set of challenges to writing them.)
What separates the “meh” romances from the “good” and the “great” ones? The easy answer? Books like this one.
Books with depth and real effort to tell a story that is more than superficial. The characters in this are well-read and reference those books they have read, as you would expect of someone who works in publishing. It’s an easy thing to skip, or to miss, but it’s a detail that, as you are reading, makes you forget that you are reading a book and you feel more like you are actually living the story. There’s a fun in reading a book that so completely envelops you that you lose track of time, one that makes you rearrange your day because while there are other things you should be doing, what you want to be doing is continuing to read the book. I read this in one afternoon, and I loved everything about it.
Linc and Amy are attracted to each other from the first time they meet on his first day of work at her company. But, for reasons that feel a lot like real life (his past and her focus on her future, specifically) they keep the flirting to conversations at work and thinking about the other away from work, while declaring that nothing can happen.
But, this is a romance, and you know the love story is going to win in the end, so you also have a pretty good idea that this determination to avoid a romance isn’t going to last. And, it doesn’t.
I love the way the author handles the little moments, the different mannerisms that are added that not only make them both sexy, but also human…these details not only feed the romance part of the story, but they let the characters feel like people with real actions, responses and mannerisms that take them from characters on a page and give them life.
I also liked how the resolution of the story was handled as it felt real, and it worked in such a way that it felt like not only was everyone involved happy, it was what would have happened in real life in similar circumstances. And, that is another thing I really enjoy about Lauren Blakely books…they are real. Yes, they are romance and they are about people meeting and falling in love, but they are also about people who live in the world with the rest of us. Maybe they have better jobs, or better houses, or more clever names for pets, but they are people.
I enjoyed (ok, I LOVED) and recommend this title.
*Note: Both Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown were excellent and well worth the read…all the way to the end.
***Find all my reviews on our blog https://www.bookedallnightblog.com/***