Outright enmity between France and England might be long past, but merry war betwixt two people from bookends of the English Channel comes easily to Lucas and Elodie. Verbal sparring, witty jabs, and a feverish dance of mutual interest, their friendship is a model uneasy détente.Lucas Edwards is the consummate English gentleman…most of the time. He might get a bit tetchy when his office is a … tetchy when his office is a mess, and he’s rather particular about his ties, but otherwise he’s as affable as afternoon tea. That is, until a grim diagnosis sets his future on a downward slope. And while Elodie Bertrand might be the only woman he wants—brilliant math-mind, decadent curves, a Parisian flair for butchering British idioms as well as turning Scrabble into a war of words—she’s the last person he’s willing to make a variable in his negative trajectory.
As far as Elodie can project, she and Lucas Edwards will forever exist torturously tangential. No matter that Lucas’ keen intellect, dry wit, his penchant for Shakespeare and innuendo equally infuriate and enamor her. Because, while he might be deliciously tall and dashing, not to mention the most chivalrous man she knows, Lucas has made it quite clear they must remain “strictly friends”. But when circumstances throw them together, Elodie quickly deduces Lucas isn’t putting her off out of disinterest. In fact, after plotting the points of their every intersection, only one solution remains: he actually feels quite the opposite…
The first Tough Love Spinoff, a standalone friends to lovers, forced-proximity romance. Full of lost in translation laughs, Harry Potter Easter Eggs, a cast of international characters, and an oh-so-satisfying happily ever after.
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Love Illuminates
This book was more than I imagined it would be. It was an emotional journey. I felt every moment of ache, longing, fear, agony, hope, and love. The passionate connection between Lucas and Elodie permeated every page. Their love was undeniable. Even as life tried to dampen their vision of the future, strength and kindness and light infiltrated their hearts. The path to their HEA was heartwrenching yet immeasurably hopeful. Love is a wondrous thing that transcends limits and transforms lives. They’re Strictly Friends and infinitely more. This book will stay with me always.
4 STARS
I so enjoy a good rom-com, and I loved that it was a friends to lovers romance. Chloe Liese is a new to me author and after reading They’re Strictly Friends, I so want to read The Tough Love Trilogy.
Elodie and Lucas are the perfect friends and make the most perfect couple. These two eventually succumb to their sexual attraction. Lucas may be stubborn and angry about his newfound disability, but Elodie is just as stubborn by proving that she will be there for Lucas despite his gruffness.
If you enjoy rom-coms as much as I do, you certainly should pick up this MUST read romance. They’re Strictly Friends by Chloe Liese will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ELITE!!!
The Tough Love series was my first experience reading this author’s phenomenal writing and I knew immediately that she was going to be a favorite of mine! And believe me, she certainly didn’t disappoint with They’re Strictly Friends. Chloe doesn’t just write suspenseful romance, she writes about the human condition with insight and perception and compassion. When we met Lucas in the Tough Love Series, it was intimated that he was dealing with something personal and I had a feeling his story would be a heartbreaker – It was, but that said, it was also an inspirational, compassionate uplifting read. I adored Lucas–he’s sexy and controlling, but sweet, kind, charming and so supportive. Chloe writes ordinary characters who deal with life’s struggles in a believable, but an extraordinary way. And Elodie–she is everything I love and hope for in a female lead–she is definitely a force to be reckoned with – Brave, smart and sexy with a beautiful soul. As these books so aptly display, families come in all sorts and sizes and sometimes the best families are friends who support you, encourage you, give you hope and love you through life’s ups and downs. These characters will remain in my heart for years to come because they are so real to me. I wholeheartedly recommend reading this author’s work if you’re looking for something uniquely different in the contemporary romance/romantic suspense genre – they’re incredible reads!
This is possibly the best book yet from author contemporary romance author Chloe Liese. They’re Strictly Friends revolves around Lucas and Elodie, true friends, who share a powerful attraction that extends beyond the physical, but are also experiencing setbacks that make them reluctant to get romantically involved. They have a lot in common: a history of playing professional soccer, wealthy upbringings, and a head for math and business, plus their two best friends are married to each other, and they both adore their godson Jamie. Though imperfect, these are two very good, substantive and lovely people, and that’s incredibly refreshing.
While Lucas comes from a loving supportive family, however, Elodie is all but estranged from her controlling and emotionally abusive family from the start. When that family finally cuts her off financially and Elodie suddenly finds herself without a job or a place to live, Lucas takes her in without hesitation. That puts them in close proximity, and, inevitably, that shaky reticence quickly crumbles. It’s a great set-up, and it is easy to see how the relationship grows and deepens organically from there.
Elodie and Lucas still face important obstacles, however. Even after Lucas and Elodie give in to temptation, the health issue Lucas is facing complicates their relationship in a very credible way. I was easily drawn in and quickly invested in their love story. It’s funny, touching and original and compels you to keep going. I recommend.
I am thankful to have received an advanced review copy through Netgalley.
I received the ARC for this book via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own words.
They’re Strictly Friends, was my first book by Chloe Liese. The title and cover drew my attention from the start and the description of the book seemed intriguing enough to want to dive in. The first couple of chapters were hard for me to get into the book. I was going to put the book down and give it a try another day, but somewhere along those chapters something pulled me in. I felt the need to see what obstacles Elodie and Lucas were going to encounter and whether they would pursue a relationship and if it would work based on what the future had in store, specifically for Lucas. I am so happy I didn’t give up on this book. There were many moments throughout the story where I felt connected to the characters. Chloe is a very creative story teller and does an excellent job at creative a story line that is so detailed and well developed. I laughed and cried throughout the story. I did have difficultly reading one specific part of the book, due to my own experience with a previous pregnancy. I felt that Chloe had written that specific portion very well. It has been years since my experience, but it was therapeutic to read how Elodie handled it.
I encourage others to give this story a go. *trigger – Miscarriage*
I absolutely adored They’re Strictly Friends. Like read it in two sittings, stayed up way too late, couldn’t put it down adored. I loved this story so dang much!
The storyline and characters are a spin-off from her Tough Love series. You could definitely read it as a stand-alone, but I was glad I did read the first book and knew some of Nairne and Zed’s storyline. They’re both very prevalent in this one as it focuses on their best friends, Lucas and Elodie.
The story opens with Lucas receiving a life changing diagnosis, I won’t spoil what it is, but the first page is pretty intense and I had to flip to the last page to make sure no one died. There’s a lot of discussion of learning to live with things you can’t control, and letting people love you as you are. As someone living with Cystic Fibrosis, Nairne talking about learning to live with her disability and life in a wheelchair made me cry.
The chemistry between Elodie and Lucas is so good, I want to go back and read the two books that I skipped so I can see more of their interactions that lead up to this book. I’m a sucker for friends to lovers and this one is so well done. And the lost in translation banter between English Lucas and French Elodie was everything! There is a good amount of steam in this one, but it was less steamy than Brute.
They’re Strictly Friends has so much depth and heart, her characters deal with some real tough issues and handle them like actual people would. I just loved this one, I loved the characters, the storyline, everything! They’re Strictly Friends was a five star read for me.
This was my first Chloe Liese book, and I have to say that I loved the journey that she brought me on with Lucas & Elodie! The friends to lovers trope is one of my all time favorites, and Chloe did an amazing job on this one. Both Lucas & Elodie were drawn to each other, but life got in the way of making them have a smooth, easy relationship. I loved the fact that there were some heavier topics that they dealt with: Lucas’s diagnosis & Elodie’s PCOS. I think that these made the book more intriguing and heartfelt. I just had to keep turning the pages to see how it ended!
Complex and heart wrenching
This is the first book in the Tough Love spinoff series and can be read as a standalone even if some of Lucas and Elodie’s story was introduced in previous books. I had not read these prior books and was still able to thoroughly enjoy this novel.
One of the things I loved most was that it was so much more then just a romance story. It dealt with many very real issues and thus provides something for most people to relate to. There was drama and heart ache however humour and romance were mixed in to keep the book from becoming too intense or depressing. Poor Elodie had to work through a fair amount of emotional pain to find a place of love and belonging. Meanwhile Lucas needed to come to terms with a life altering medical diagnosis and it was sad how he initially felt the need to distance himself from others and acted in denial. I felt the author did a commendable job dealing with these issues surrounding disability and loss. She did so in a sensitive and realistic manner and took the time to dive deep and didn’t just skim over the surface.
The emotional connection and chemistry between Lucas and Elodie felt real. Their journey was painful at times but hauntingly beautiful too.
Whilst there were some factual errors and unrealistic elements, I did not feel this was enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
ARC REVIEW
A heartfelt and beautifully told story that will steal your heart.
‘They’re Strictly Friends’ by Chloe Liese is a friends-to-lovers romance and it is a spinoff from her ‘Tough Love’ trilogy!
If you have read the trilogy then you probably don’t only love Nairne and Zed, but you also probably love the French Firecracker Elodie and the English Gentleman Lucas.
This is not a normal book, you don’t get a boy meets girl, they fall in love and lived their HEA. Nope. You get a realistic, painful view of the struggles of having a disability, the denial, the anger, the pain and finally the love and acceptance.
You have to suffer through everything the characters are going through, you have to understand, empathize, be open and vulnerable to really enjoy this book to its maximum potential.
This story truly touched me and not only with the painful side of it, but also with the bickering, the angst, the real-life struggles, the fights, and the journey to find happiness despite everything these characters are going through and will going through.
I appreciate the way this author paints real life into a novel book, how she is not afraid of talking about disabilities, horrific traumas, unjust events, how she decided to have a curvy heroine instead of the usual skinny and perfect one, how she chose a hero that is broken, not from his past but from something inevitable that he can’t change and has to learn to accept.
I love how these authors took the conventional rules, the margins, and blocks set in front of her and completely destroyed them, she erased every limit, every line and wrote something worth living.
Elodie is a curvy and confident boss woman, she is tough, she is strong, she knows what she wants and how she wants it, she is a firecracker that isn’t afraid to raise her voice, to be heard and change her life, change what others imposed on her and make her own path.
She is true inspiration for every girl out there, I included, someone real, someone to look up to, someone natural and beautiful the way she is.
Everything Elodie has gone through in her life should’ve broken her down, made her weak or cold mean, but in reality, it just made her stronger, tougher, more kind and empathic, more determined to make the best of what she’s got and work hard to make it work.
And she couldn’t be more determined when it comes to a stubborn Englishman.
Lucas can come across as standoffish at times, but truly he is a kind soul, a cocky man with a soft heart, a guy who’d do anything to protect the people he cares about, even if it’s protecting them from himself. He is driven and talented, a real hurricane and work and in his day to day life.
He is loving and fun, always has a witty remark on the tip of his tongue and a goofy smile on his face, but after getting some life-changing news, he will have to learn to live again.
He will need to accept what’s coming and realize that it doesn’t make him less of a man, he will have to learn to compromise, to change his way of living and loving, learn not to be ashamed. But most importantly, he will have to learn to love himself again.
This story may contain scenes that could trigger some readers, so it might not be suitable for all.
This spin-off is everything I was expecting it to be and more.
It is an intense love story, one that won’t feel fake, it will feel more real than fictional, something that takes courage to read but that will be worth reading.
A story that will inspire you to be better, to act better, to be brave and to know your worth, a story that you don’t have to be afraid of change and that feeling fear means you are alive.
You will break and break and break again reading this novel, but every time you break, you will get back to your feet alongside these characters, stronger, better, happier.
If you want a unique, true and one of a kind story then this is it! And if you like it, make sure to check Chloe Liese’s ‘Tough Love’ trilogy for an exhilarating and tough to forget read.
Chloe Liese is a new to me author and I really enjoyed reading this book. If you’re looking for a friends to lovers rom com this is definitely one to check out. I’m adding the previous books to my TBR. That being said this is a spin off of a previous series, but can easily be read without prior knowledge of the other books.
I loved the chemistry between Elodie and Lucas. They are friends, but there is no denying the tension between them. Of course, they can only deny it for so long before they finally give in. I loved that these characters and even the secondary ones had true problems, not over exaggerated problems that only exist in books, but problems that can truly affect someone’s life.
If you’re looking for a good friends to lovers rom com this is definitely one you’ll want to check out!
Thoroughly enjoyable story!! Both characters going through traumas, one physically, the other emotionally. Lucas and Elodie are two very internally tough characters that have been dealt tough blows in life. This story is their journey through acceptance and realizing their worthiness of love.
“Elodie was the one woman I wanted, and she was the one woman I was most unwilling to hurt. Meaning Elodie and I had been and always would be- strictly friends.”
Lucas loved Elodie, but felt she deserved better than to be tied to someone like him and the life he would end up living.
“My story had no happy ending, and the thought of robbing Elodie of hers fills me with self-loathing.”
Elodie refused to let him push her out. These two are perfect for each other. Both sound, strong, and opinionated.
Lucas has to come to terms and accept is fate before he can live in the present and look forward to the future. Elodie’s toughest job is convincing him that regardless of his fate, he will still be a man, a man worthy of love.
“Life’s beauty isn’t seen or heard. It’s felt.”
The author did a brilliant job creating fun characters. So well developed, I felt like they were real. I was thoroughly immersed in their lives and loving every minute. Lucas’s mom and dad are great fun. I especially enjoyed their banter and the hilarious comments from Zed. It kept me giggling offsetting the hurt in my heart from Lucas’ struggle. Great story I highly recommend reading.
I read and ARC of this book. My fair and honest review is voluntary.