Someone should have warned me about falling in love with my best friend. Carolina Little did I know when Rex came to my locker attempting to bribe me, that he’d turn into my everything.We’d become best friends.I’d steal his heart. He’d steal mine.Nothing has changed in the years of our friendship.Not our connection, not our feelings, or that we still hold each other’s hearts.But his heart isn’t … hold each other’s hearts.
But his heart isn’t the only thing I’ve kept.
The secret I’m hiding could shatter the only man I’ve ever loved.
Rex
I’ve loved Carolina since the day she called my bluff.
Our friendship always came first.
She believed in me when no one else did.
I tucked away my feelings because I couldn’t survive a life without her.
We crossed the line once, and I swore it’d never happen again.
As time passes, the harder it becomes to live up to that promise.
Until finally, there’s no holding back.
more
A friends to lovers romance with a slow burn that will have you reading late into the night. Rex and Carolina have this chemistry that one dreams about and are perfect together. But throughout the story you wonder will they or won’t they? This series is spectacular and a must read with this story making it even better.
4.5 Stars
I like a good friends to lovers book and this one for the bill for me. I had a book hangover because I just didn’t want to put this one down. I loved Rex and Carolina so much. Reading from the start of their friendship to the future it warmed me heart. I loved how close they are and are each other’s person for everything. It’s just going to take a little convincing to make it more. I understand Rex’s wariness to move to the next level and it breaks my heart that a guy with a heart of gold like him thinks commitment isn’t for him. Though this book is light and fun there is also a serious tone to it. It’s a little empowering to read it as well. I would highly recommend this book. You’ll be sucked right into this story from the beginning and won’t want to come up for air until you are finished. The epilogue is absolutely perfect for Rex and Carolina. It left this reader with a happy sigh.
I adored the little I saw of Rex and Carolina in Just Roommates so when I found out they were getting their own book, I was excited. I read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down! Charity is such a master of adding suspense in the book and dropping just enough hints or talking about it just enough so that you can’t put the book down since you need to know what happened. I also like how Charity shows the past for the character’s relationships. She let us see Rex and Carolina in high school and what happened when Carolina lost her virginity to Rex as well as their time in college together. The story really gets started about six months after Rex and Carolina reconciled after having a bit of a falling out while Carolina was in a secret relationship with a man who wasn’t named until a few chapters in and his profession wasn’t shown either. Carolina is home working as a waitress after dropping out of school. Rex is home too since he is working on his video game which he sold to a tech company. The synopsis mostly gives the readers the past about Carolina and Rex and how they are both fighting their attraction but it doesn’t tell what the book is really about.
It’s a friends to lovers romance with a bit of a fake relationship involved. Rex and Carolina pretend to be dating when they go to Carolina’s cousin’s wedding in Texas. Carolina’s cousin and family are judgemental and kind of rude so Rex steps in and says they are dating. This lie follows them home and slowly–very slowly–they start to admit their feelings to one another and question if they should just go for it even though neither of them wants to jeopardize their friendship. They are amazing together and it’s clear that they both love and care for one another. If we weren’t told they were friends, it’d be easy to think they were dating. I liked the pace of this book. It was a slow burn and nothing happen too fast. Not the reveal of what Carolina was hiding or the relationship between Carolina and Rex. They both were funny and this was a steamy read with some amazing scenes.
I guessed part of Carolina’s secret but I couldn’t figure out it all. I won’t say anything else about it because I do not want to spoil any of it. Although parts of the plot seemed familiar to me, I still enjoyed the story. I enjoyed seeing characters from past books and I like that Charity wrapped everything up at the end of Just Friends. I immensely enjoyed this series and I am so happy I got a chance to read all of the books. Charity is definitely on my auto-buy/read list and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next! Now I need to go catch up on her other series.
*I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
I liked the story and the characters, I thought it was funny and sexy!
Just Friends is the 6th book in the ‘Blue Beech’ series and each book can be read as a standalone. There are cross over characters, but nothing too confusing that the author doesn’t explain. I highly recommend this series with Its swoon-worthy hero’s you will fall in love with and flawless writing that captures you from the first page.
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We start with Carolina meeting Rex in school. Carolina is a preachers daughter, so innocent and the towns Mother Theresa, everyone loves her. Rex is the school bad boy and a reputation to match. He’s all kinds of sexy and confident and propositions Carolina to help him write an essay. Their friendship develops into something neither of them thought and Carolina asks Rex, her best friend, to take her virginity.
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They move on from school into college and this is where things really change for them, feelings develop and touches are no longer innocent!
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I loved this book. Rex is the kind of hero I would die for. He is good looking, confident, sexy, funny and has the perfect ‘I give no shit’ attitude when it comes to the woman/best friend he loves. Carolina is equally confident, only for Rex though and I liked how she tried to push his buttons to entice him!
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There are a few heavy moments that I did not see coming and I’m still wondering how she was able to hide something so big from Rex.
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Their friends to lovers romance was perfect in every way, creating the angst, giving me heart eyes and making my heart flutter. This series is a must read and I definitely can’t pick which Blue Beech hero is my favourite as I would like them all!
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ARC received for an honest review – thank you
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Overall Ratings;u2063
First Sex Scene – 7%
POV – Duel
Hero –
Heroine –
Story –
Angst –
Steam –
Chemistry –
This is one of the best friends to lovers books I’ve read in a very long time. Rex and Carolinas friendship was absolutely perfect, there back and forth banter epic and there blind devotion to each other enviable. They have always loved each other secretly, never willing to compromise there friendship, because it was the most important thing to them until that all mighty day that Carolina asks Rex to take her virginity, you know to help a girl out lol. I loved how gutsy Carolina was, she was bold in what she wanted and at times even made Rex shake his head. And Rex was perfect in how nothing else mattered no matter the cost as long as Carolina was still in his life.
I love a friends to lovers romance and Just Friends was everything I hoped it would be.
Rex and Carolina have been best friends for years. They’ve always tried to keep things platonic and they are as close as two people can be. They’re always there for each other, they’re each other’s rock and the connection between them in unbreakable. Things change though and the lines between them start to blur, feelings start getting involved and secrets are been hidden.
I’ve read a few of the books in the Blue Beech series and this was without a doubt my favourite so far (each book can be read as a stand alone, I read them out of order and didn’t feel like I was missing anything at all). I absolutely adored Rex. He’s everything a man should be. Carolina was another great character who I really liked (apart from the odd time or two) and together these two are just perfect. Their story, their banter, the chemistry between them is everything I love in a romance. Highly recommend this book and the rest of the series and I can’t wait for more from this author.
Just Friends by Charity Ferrell is book 6 in the Blue Beech Series. This is the story of Rex Lane and Carolina Adams ‘Lina’. I have enjoyed the previous books, this added to my enjoyment of this one. But, I did feel you could make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Carolina and Rex meet in school where she was the good girl, a preachers daughter. Rex was the bad boy jock but she wasn’t his attitude. They ended up become friends which has last through time. But each had a underlining attraction that they don’t act on. But then something happens showing how strong Carolina is bring them closer which in turns opens their feelings.
This overall is a sweet friends to lover romance but there is one part that has some darkness. Overall enjoyed their story.
This was my first book by Charity Ferrell and I enjoyed it!
Just Friends is book 6 in a series of stand-alones in the Blue Beech series. I’ve not read any of the other books but had no trouble reading/following this story line.
I really liked the characters a lot and felt they had great chemistry. I liked Rex more so than Carolina. There were parts of the story that I felt were a bit underdeveloped and I would have liked to have seen more focus put on those “roadblocks” and their resolutions.
Overall this was a good story and I’d definitely read this author again in the future.
**arc provided by Wildfire Marketing Solutions for honest feedback**
Carolina and Rex have been best friends since high school. They have an attraction but didn’t want to ruin the friendship with messy emotions. They had sex one time and then tried to act like it never happened but the feelings between them become overwhelming. I love friends to lovers and this story was no different. All of the books in this series are amazing reads.
Wow.
Rex and Carolina’s story was fantastic.
This story has me feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside—even after all the drama, lies and crazy angst. Because it was also sweet, funny, slightly nuts and hella sexy.
I LOVED IT.
Aaron and Samantha did a great job with narration.
I loved these two characters and the friendship they have that turns into something more. I loved watching these two navigate through their feelings. Rex is an amazing friend and will be an even better partner in a relationship. Carolina is sweet and funny and her heart has always belonged to Rex. I realize that this is book 6 in this series and would love to go back and read the other books. The other characters were wonderful and I need to read how this series started. You don’t need to read them however to read this book. Definitely a must read. This book had a bit of it all: love, angst, sadness, fear but it was done perfectly and made for a great read!
Rex and Carolina are the epitome of best friends turned lovers. Although it was years before they finally gave in to their attraction and feelings, their relationship was solid from the beginning. They were there for each other through everything. I fell in love with their relationship and how their friendship came about. They each had their strengths and even though Rex felt like he couldn’t do relationships, it was fun witnessing that he had the longest relationship with Carolina all along.
5 Stars
I discovered this author last year after reading book four in the series, Just Neighbors and simply fell in love with her writing. I have since caught up on all the books in the series, which leads to now with Rex and Carolina. I always love the best friends to lovers trope and these two did not disappoint at all.
Even though both are smart and studious, Carolina is the straight-laced goody goody and Rex is the laid back video game playing big man on campus. They forge an unbreakable friendship becoming each other’s rocks in all things that is life, as well as in love with each other, but both are too scared to cross that proverbial line. You can feel their love and chemistry throughout the pages of this story and their witty banter had me constantly cracking up. The will they or won’t they that constantly plays out until finally, the build up breaks through and they give in to their feelings. Just Friends is another great addition to an already amazing series. Highly recommend it.
Angela – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Why can’t men like Rex exist in real life (ugh)!
I fell in insta-love with Rex and Carolina. These two had me in stitches with their banter. Talk about the best of friends and I envied their friendship. Once Carolina asked Rex to take her virginity all bets were off. For as much as they went on about their lives, still best of friends they never talked about the elephant in the room and that was fine because they continued on like it never happened.
It killed me that these two were so in love with each other but didn’t want to take that leap of faith because they were both so scared to ruin their friendship. Sometimes when friends decide to become more than just friends and when it doesn’t work out, they don’t have any way to salvage their friendship either and that’s what Rex was scared about.
But as time went on, I loved how Carolina was so bold and gutsy when it came to her feelings for Rex. He, on the other hand, didn’t want to be as bold and I think he also had a lot of guts turning away from her so many times.
The secrets that unfolded towards the end really had me sitting at the edge of my seat waiting to find out what the suspense was all about.
Just Friends was surely an exciting, fun and swoon-worthy read you don’t want to miss!
OMG, I loved Rex and Carolina so much. I read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite type of stories. Loved this whole story. Loved watching them fall in love and always be there for each other even when there was that bit of a wrench thrown in to their relationship. Rex was always there for Carolina. They were the perfect couple. This is the second book that I have read from her and this series but I will be going back and reading more of the Blue Beach crew. Highly recommend this story. Gave me all the feels.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the 6th book in this amazing series and just seem to get better and better. Carolina and Rex have been best friends since high school, but can they move from friends / lovers? This is a beautifully written story which is sweet, humorous, and entertaining with drama, suspense, and an unexpected twist, which all had me totally captivated throughout this addictive page turner. I highly recommend for all readers.
Wow, once again a wonderfull book to read.
She had me sitting on the edge of my chair for half of the book. I could feel what the characters were feeling and it was as if i lived with them.
Just how loyal and a good friend Rex is had me shivering troughout the whole book, who wouldn’t love a man like that in their life ( I know I have one). And Carolina what she goes trough, I’m glad it is with a friend like Rex by her side to support her whenever she needs him.
I loved this book, a real page turner-turner and tear-jerker.
I sure will read more of Charity Ferrell’s books, romantic, suspense….
And the epilogue just made me want more of them….
This was a cute, entertaining, funny story full of protective friends who didn’t want to step over the line they’ve drawn in the sand.
I was enjoying myself, seating at the edge of my seat just rooting for them to finally stop fighting their love for one another. I loved how they didn’t let anything come between them and how they fought for their HEA.
I think these two might be my favorite couple so far. I can’t wait to see who’s next.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads blog***
Such a swoon worthy read! Wendy for Janise’s Jivin’ Book Blog
I have read several books in this series and love each one more than the last. Rex and Carolina are fun wrapped in a little mystery. I like that we get interaction from the characters in previous books but these can easily be read as standalones too. I loved that Rex is the guy that everyone loves to be around. He is smart and good looking and he befriends the quiet girl who isn’t popular and doesn’t care what people think. Always look forward to another great read by Charity Ferrell.