Absolutely love anything that Molly E. Lee writes, and this one was no different! Her writing style is so unique and just makes you want to keep reading once you start.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

This book was the first I read in 2018, and it was such a fun and nice read to kickstart my year. After finishing high school, Braylen is dragged along to the big graduation party, by best friend Fynn, even though she's not feeling it. Fynn begs Braylen to go along to be his 'wing-woman', and she can't deny him anything. The only issue, she's been falling for him over the years, and the thought of helping him get with his crush, the beautiful Katy, is actually painful, but she'll do it for him. Fynn starts the night off with the sole intention of getting Katy to fall for him, but as the night progresses - as the book only really takes place in one night - he realises that all of the things that he loves about Braylen aren't just the things that make them friends, but could also be what he's always wanted, and she could actually be his dream girl.

I do love me a good friends-to-lovers trope. Sometimes it can be down badly, but I liked this one, even if it was a little far fetched and fast. Braylen and Fynn sort of pretend to be together in order to get Katy's attention, and by doing so, they realise it's actually just better to be together, and not pretend. It was dead quick, but I sort of allowed it because of how long they'd been friends for - it wasn't like they had just met. Yep, I wouldn't say this book was one for the ages, but it's definitely one I enjoyed, and I think most lovers of YA Contemporaries would feel the same.

Gah, love this book, and found a new favorite author. I had heard of her before but this is the first book by her that I have read. I love these characters and I just want to live in this book. The world the author built is so real and authentic. A fresh voice for sure.

Love In The Friend Zone by Molly E. Lee is an really good contemporary YA roman. It is about two best friends on there graduation day and had me on the edge of my seat. Can't wait to read the next book.

I just really enjoyed this book. It was just really easy to get lost in this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Due to my very low rating no review will be posted to goodreads, amazon, or my youtube channel.
Thank you to the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

After enjoying Molly E. Lee’s Ask Me Anything a few weeks ago, I was pretty excited to get an email offering Love in the Friend Zone. Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes, but I just couldn’t get on board with this one. I suppose I should say that this isn’t necessarily a bad book, it just wasn’t for me.

The first thing I want to mention is that there’s a whole lot of drama in this book with very little actual plot. The entirety of the plot is that Fynn has asked for Braylen’s help in hooking up with the girl of his dreams, not realizing that Braylen has been secretly pining after him for years. That’s it. That’s the plot.

Nearly the entire book takes place over a single evening — a party, to be exact — and it’s pretty much just one cliche after another that keeps these kids from getting together. In general, I don’t have a problem with tropes. What I have a problem with is when a book relies on one cliche after another to move its non-existent plot along, and this book was full of cliches. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there’s a scene where the lights go out, and I could have told you exactly what was going to happen because I’ve read it so many times.

Another thing I want to talk about is the friends-to-lovers trope itself. When it’s done right, I absolutely adore it. Some examples of books that have done it right are Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi, Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, and Not So Nice Guy by R.S. Grey. The thing that sets these books apart is that the progression from friends to lovers feels natural. It’s not like a switch flips one day and both people are like, “whoa, I love you, where did that come from.” Here, I’d say that, for maybe 90% of the book, Fynn is entirely focused on a different girl, a popular girl nicknamed “Killer Boobs” who has a history of bullying his best friend. (So, basically a classic teenage girl stereotype.) Am I really to believe that Fynn just suddenly loses his feelings for this girl in favor of his best friend, who’s been there all along?

I feel like I can’t really say any more about this book without spoiling the whole thing, so I think I’ll just end by saying that I was really disappointed by this book. I think I would have liked it a lot more as a teenager than I did as an adult.

For some time now Braylen has been seeing her best friend Fynn as more than just your typical best friend, he has an undeniable charm that stirs up the butterflies in her belly, and a glint in his blue eyes that bring on the swoons. But the unfortunate thing is that he is completely oblivious to the fact that she has a crush on him, and he actually has his sights set on someone else.

So, every interaction they have has become a little awkward, because she is always checking him out, and dreaming about their future, and he is always rambling on and on about his crush. Braylen would love to make her feelings known, but Fynn assigned her to the friend zone years ago, and so she is certain he won't want to hear anything she has to say. When Fynn asks her to play his wing-woman at a party and help him gain the attention of his crush she can't bring herself to tell him no, so she reluctantly agrees... but nothing could prepare her for what happens that night!

Love in the Friend Zone is a sweet tale of young love, first crushes, and pushing the boundaries of friendship. I really enjoyed this one, it was a captivating story full of feels that spawned lots of first love memories. Everyone remembers their first love, the butterflies, the drama, the first kiss, and I have to say this perfectly crafted tale captures all of that, and then some. I am so glad I took a chance on this one, it did my heart good and brought lots of smiles, highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

I was graciously given a copy to read by the publisher, Entangled, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you, thank you!!

Synopsis
Love in the Friend Zone takes place on graduation night. The seniors are throwing a party as a last hurrah, and the night is filled with hook-ups, pranks, and a pinch of unrequited love. That’s right – Braylen is in love with her best friend, Fynn. They have been best friends since childhood, share the same nerdy interests, and have similar passions for journalism and photography. They’re perfect for one another…except for the fact that Fynn has his heart set on the popular girl, Katy. With one night to leave it all on the line, Braylen and Fynn will be forced to decide if they are meant to be friends or just plain meant to be.

Will I Like This Book?
You might enjoy this book if…

You enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope/enjoy sweet YA romances
You are interested in books that occur over a short time span (one night)
You like books with strong secondary characters

You might not enjoy this book if…

You do not enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope
You prefer long, drawn out slow-burns
You don’t enjoy when a main character is oblivious about the relationship

Spoiler Free Review
I loved the friendship that the author built between the two main leads, Braylen and Fynn. The bond between them felt strong, and you could really feel the love that had built between them over the years. There was one flashback memory (no spoilers) where Fynn and Bray first developed their mantra, and it was so sweet. My heart swooned a bit. Go Fynn!

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters. Randy and Katy were two standouts for me. Randy felt like someone I actually went to high school with; he felt dynamic. He was funny, sweet, and kind of crazy (in a good way). Katy was your typical popular girl, and at the same time she wasn’t. Some of the choices the author made for her character were perfect. Katy felt like an actual person, not just a caricature of who a popular girl should be.

I’m still not sure if I loved the time span/pacing of the book. I enjoyed how original it felt. I haven’t read a book with that fast of pacing in a long time. It felt fresh. Honestly, I can see this book very easily being made into a movie adaption. I feel like it was almost made to become a movie. Any one else feel this way? But, for me personally…I love slow-burn romance. While this was a bit slow-burn – it was still sped up because the entire book took place over a matter of hours. I would have liked to see the build up between the characters last a while longer. I’m conflicted! This both worked and didn’t work for me.

Lastly, the romance was very sweet. Braylen and Fynn had such a strong friendship that it easily translated into a sweet romance. I have to disagree, though, with the disclaimer that this book has “sexual chemistry off the charts.” This book is not steamy. It’s very sweet though and has (very) mild sexual tension. However, I actually found this level appropriate for YA and thought it fit well with the book/target age range. I just disagree with the tagline of the book on this point.

Overall, I thought this was a sweet young adult romance about a girl who is in love with her best friend. I gave this one a 3.5/5.

Ratings
Goodreads Rating: 3.77
My Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Steam: 1/5
Romance: 2.5/5
Friendship: 4/5

Entangled Publishing’s Teen Crush line is to teens what Harlequin’s Romance line is to adults: sweet category romance. The books are shorter, and they make for what many people would call “beach reads”.

Love in the Friend Zone is the first in a trilogy, with all three stories taking place on the final day/night of high school. Three different couples get together despite how unlikely the pairings seem. The books are sweet, and will bring some nostalgia for adult readers (even if my senior high school – college, as we call it in Canberra – was very different to the system in the US).

If you didn’t get it from the title, this is a friends-to-lovers romance, with a heroine whose best male friend is completely oblivious to how she feels about him. He, of course, wants to get together with the popular girl in their year.

A couple of little niggles: firstly, we met a lot of characters who made some scenes confusing (including the heroes and heroines of the other two books).

Secondly: surely people have grown out of a “popular kids versus others” climate by the end of high school. Maybe I’m wrong, or maybe it’s because my college structure was very different, but there weren’t stereotypical “mean kids” in my classes by the time I was seventeen – the age I graduated.

Anyway, I seek out this line on purpose sometimes, just as sometimes I want to read something sweet from Harlequin Romance. Entangled came up with a good thing when they decided to produce category books for teens.

Love in the Friend Zone is one of those books I knew I was going to read from the first moment I saw the cover. I love Molly’s older contemporary romances, so I was excited to see she was writing in another genre, even if I don’t tend to pick up a lot of YA these days. Molly is one of my auto-read/auto-buy authors so I couldn’t wait to see what she’d do with romance set in the YA age group. It was a relatively short, quick and sweet book and I really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to seeing where she takes this series, because there’s absolutely more stories to tell there. I need details! But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

One of the biggest struggles for me, a thirty-something year old lady, reading YA is to not get agitated when the characters act like teenagers. This might sound silly, but it’s the truth. I literally have to take a moment and remind myself these are not adults and I can’t frustrated with them for acting their age. It’s part of the reason why I don’t read that much YA these days, to be honest. I did have a couple of those moments with Braylen and Fynn during this book, but I was good once I checked myself. 😉

I’m a sucker for the “crush on a best friend” “will they or won’t they” kind of books. Add in the fact that this book takes place entirely in one epic night and I was even more excited about it. I knew it would be fairly quick and to the point and couldn’t be THAT dramatic. (But yeah, it kinda was. Because teenagers.) Regardless, it was a quick read. Even with the couple times I wanted to shake Braylen and Fynn for various reasons, I liked the two of them. I was ready for them to realize there was more than friendship there, so obviously I was shipping them pretty hard.

Love in the Friend Zone was a sweet friends to lovers book. Though the book was set in just one night, there was plenty going on and lots of characters coming and going. While I was happy with how things went for Braylen and Fynn, I still have several questions about some of the other events of the night. I’m definitely hoping for more books so I can get the full story.

FAVORITE QUOTES
Fynn had been my best friend since… forever. Admitting I was totally in love with him would send him running—he’d put me permanently in the friend zone a million years ago.

“I’m the photographer who sees every angle, but I didn’t see you, Braylen. Not like I should have.”

Fynn and Braylen have grown up together, and are best friends. Best friends typically do not keep secrets from each other but Braylen has been keeping one from Fynn. She is in love with him, he has no clue. Fynn thinks that this is the night, the night he finally lands the girl-Katy. So who better to help him than Bray, after all she knows everything about him. Only now that there is another guy in the picture he is not so sure about Katy.

This book is extremely fast-paced, it takes place over one night. It works though given the character's relationship. I love that they have known each other since kindergarten. All the awkward get to know you stuff is out of the way.

Braylen has got to be the most supportive bestie in love with the guy in all of bookdom. She agrees to play wingman to Fynn when really she just wants to kiss him herself. I get that she is afraid of hurting their relationship but girl needs to girl up already. What is the worse that could happen? He doesn’t like you in that way?

Fynn is completely in denial of his feelings for Bray and I understand that as well. So much so he is convinced that this other girl is the one. Their banter is perfect for two people that grew up together. I like how they get each other, especially the non-verbal cues. Very cute!

This was a fun read, one where you shake your head and smile. You may even talk to the book a little and say things like “Come on Fynn how blind are you? What were you thinking? Way to go Bray showing off your awesomeness.” The secondary characters are hilarious and I cannot wait to get my hands on Zoey and Gordon’s book.

My Rating 3 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote “Giving bros hope everywhere because he found love i n he friend zone!”

Other People
Katy- girl Fynn is crushing on
Randy- Braylen’s accidental wingman
Lennon- Fynn’s guy bestie
Zoey- Bray’s gal bestie

4 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

I don't know what it was about this book, but I just kind of loved it.  Was it flawless?  Nope.  But I loved all the little things that surprised and delighted me along the way.  And despite the times I wanted to smack them both, I really kind of loved both Braylen and Fynn.  They were a bit oblivious, but such is the nature of many a friends-to-lovers story.

All of the characters in this book very much felt their age.  I kind of liked that.  So often you read young adult novels and they're just not believably 18, you know?  I don't mind that either, but I do like variety.  And the book takes place over one night (basically), and mostly at a house party that honestly sounded like a fairly realistic house party...not that I've ever been to any like that.  But there were reckless decisions made, poor choices, and a lot of immaturity, but it was often in the background.  And while my poor heart hated seeing, for example, the drunk driving stunt, I realize that this happens in real life.  All this to say, this one towed the line between young adult and mature young adult, so be warned on content.

As I said above, I kind of loved both Braylen and Fynn.  I loved how authentic they both felt...towing the nerdy line without being total social outcasts (I can vibe with that).  A bit more on the innocent side of the high school spectrum.  And I loved how their passions really came into play in their personalities...I loved that Braylen's journalistic tendancies and Fynn's photographer tendancies weren't just throwaway characteristics, but you could see their minds spinning in those directions occasionally (either with story ideas for Bray, or seeing shots for Fynn).

And I loved the way they interacted with each other.  You could really feel how well they complemented one another, and how they genuinely cared for the other.  I didn't once doubt that they were truly best friends, regardless of Bray's secret love for Fynn and Fynn's obliviousness.  I know some may have a problem with Fynn's obliviousness, but sometimes people choose to see what they want to see, you know?  They convince themselves of something SO MUCH that nothing can sway them.

And can I just say that while I had to wait for it, I really did feel their "more than friends" chemistry as well?  Bonus when I actually buy the transition from friends to more.

As with many a friends-to-lovers story, this one did get bogged down in a bit of repetitiveness with the "I should tell him", "No I shouldn't", "The Universe is telling me something", "Why am I feeling this way about her suddenly?", etc.  It happens.  It was drawn out a bit longer than I had hoped, so despite all the other things I loved, it accounts for the full star loss in my rating.  I also got a bit tired of the convenient interruptions, but at least the author tried to make them look natural, so it was kind of a wash.

But there were a lot of other little things that I really ended up enjoying.  I loved seeing the other stories weave in and out of this book.  I could totally see the setup for at least 2 other stories, and I'm so happy that it looks like I'm going to get them!  I loved that Katy was a bit more dimensional than I was anticipating.  I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and the stereotypical mean girl crap, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Ms. Lee managed to make her "not the one" without making her completely horrible.  And I LOVED Blondie Bear, aka Randy.  He was such a strange character, but I really loved what he added to the story.  Is it too much to ask for his story as well??

So yeah.  This book was by no means perfect, but I loved it despite its flaws.  Characters I loved (including secondary ones) and who felt realistic will always put it over the top for me.

This is definitely one of my favorite entangled crush titles yet! I adore everything about this book. I love YA romance, as well as the best-friends to lovers trope. I can't even tell you how much I ADORED this story. I can't wait to see what Molly does next with this series!

i love this book!

i love, love, loved this book!

it took me a minute to get into the book because i was in the middle of another book and just generally a little busy but holy buckets! i really started this book at about 1 in the morning today and finished up about 330. now, in all fairness i’m a super fast reader in general, but also, this was unputdownable and i stayed up extra late just to finish it because there was no way i could go to bed not finishing this book!

molly has written characters and situations that are pretty believable. i mean who didn’t have a friend they secretly loved for a bit? i feel like this book definitely could have been written based on a personal experience. the attention to detail was fantastic and molly’s ability to convey the kaleidoscope of emotions that come along with quietly loving someone with ALL YOUR HEART is spot on.

seriously. this is a lovely read. it is quick, twisty, fun, and such a fun flashback to being a teenage girl! go get this book. you can get it right here or !

4/5 stars from this girl! can’t wait to read more from molly!

Love in the Friend Zone is the newest work from Molly E. Lee, an author I just adore! I am consistently wowed by her books and this was just another shining example of her versatility as a writer. I loved this story!
I think one of the aspects I loved most was the nostalgia it brought back for me. All those high school/college aged years when you have a crush on the unattainable guy, whether it be your best fried or the guy you crush on from afar. That guy. All those feelings came rushing back for me as I read Braylen and Fynn’s story. The feelings, the want, the emotions, I loved it all. The thing that really made it for me, though, was Ms. Lee’s ability to write two characters that I loved reading. Characters I became utterly glued to each page of their story. Braylen is a gal I think a lot of us can relate to and Fynn is a guy we can all remember wanting. That relatability really rounded out this story beautifully for me.
If you’re looking for a fun and well-written read to spend some time with, this is a book for you. Thank you, Ms. Lee, for yet another fab read! I look forward to what you have in store for us next!

As a woman (rapidly) heading into the last year of her thirties *smirks*, I freely admit that YA is not a genre I read a lot of. So, I tend to be a bit picky about the ones I do choose to read, but after reading the blurb for LITFZ, I couldn’t wait to dive in.

What do you get when you mix unrequited love, teenage hormones, and the party to end all parties? Answer, the totally amazeballs LITFZ!

I imagined myself sitting with the biggest tub of popcorn watching the drama unfold. I could feel myself regressing to my teenage years. Note to self: don’t go there!

I really felt for Braylen. Hopelessly in love with her best friend, there is nothing she wouldn’t do for him, even play ‘wingwoman’ when he asks. All she wants is for Fynn to finally ‘see’ her. Ugh, the angst! Is there anything more heart-wrenching than crushing on someone when the feelings aren’t reciprocated?

Poor Fynn, he’s completely clueless. He’s unable to see what’s been so obvious to everyone else. I wanted to smack him upside the head at times, and shout ‘hello!’, lol. See? Totes regressing. Will the mist finally start to clear from his eyes? Let the mayhem ensue…

This book took me completely by surprise. I became so invested in the characters and what the outcome would be. I think I even did my best Kevin the Teenager impression on occasion (see comedian Harry Enfield).

Plus, you’ve got to love a read where you need to Google what an upper decker is – eww, just eww *shudders*. I’m showing my age now, aren’t I? *snorts*

With stories of Bray and Fynn’s friends to come, I look forward to reading more in this series.

Note: Copy kindly received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet read about best friends. Braylen has loved Flynn since forever. But now Flynn has asked for her help winning over the girl of his dreams. Bray just wants to see him happy, but it may crush her in the meantime.
This is a great start to the new Grad Night series. It begins on the last day of senior year and has all the emotional ups and downs that stage of life causes. Throwing in some emotional drama and you've got a great story!

A really sweet read this is a good friends to lovers ya romance well written i would recommend

I really enjoyed this super sweet friends-to-more YA romance! Very cute!