Cute and fun

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Friends to lovers
Part of a series: The Wedding Date
Standalone
HEA

I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

OK, I enjoyed this book for the most part. In fact, except for some aspects of Sean's life goals, I was really enjoying this book. The heroine, Molly, isn't the usual high-powered executive woman; she's got 3 jobs that all take a considerable amount of grit, working towards a goal that will keep her living situation secure. Frankly, I thought she was too good for Sean, who apparently up until the point he opens his eyes to see Molly as more than a friend, has been dating women who are either pedigreed enough to marry into his snobby family, or, if they don't "measure up", are only kept around as short flings. Honestly, knowing that would be a total turnoff as seeing a guy as a romantic prospect. But I also could have missed a few finer points of their friendship, since this is the 3rd book in a series.
I started to get into the relationship more once Sean starts trying to show Molly he's changed (though I thought his reason for a change of heart was pretty flimsy as well), and was enjoying them together. THEN! Ugh, then! I will just say that Sean and Molly are already navigating a few hurdles that were keeping me interested. THEN an ENTIRELY new trope was thrown in at the 85% mark! It was completely jarring, and made me go, "What? Well... that's just wholly unnecessary." It was too much stuffed into too small a space between there and the end. Really, this is what kept me from rating this any higher.
I also wished Sean had given his family the tongue lashing they deserved on-page. I live for justified verbal beatdowns. Anyways, I like Brody (the last uncoupled friend), and would read the next book to learn his fate, as long as there isn't such a weird twist at the end like this one.

I’ve enjoyed The Wedding Date series, and at the end of each one I’m already set to dive into the next. That’s when you know a series has its hooks in you. Just This Once felt so right to me from the very start. It’s so obvious that Molly and Sean belong together but these two are simply so used to keeping the other firmly in the forbidden or worse, friend zone that they cannot see what’s right in front of them. Watching them battle against that attraction was funny, sexy and at times, a bit annoying… but in that good way where you just want to shut these two in a closet and let them figure it out immediately and stop side-stepping the attraction.

Just This Once is full of snappy one-liners, eye rolling avoidance tactics and two people who are so sincere in their friendship for each other that they’re afraid to risk that and take a chance on another kind of love. When that light bulb moment finally cane, it was just perfect for me. Yes, they finally got it. I had such fun with this one, and if you love a good friends to lovers romance, then this is one you’ll want to pick up. I’d recommend this story and the entire series to any Romance reader who loves a good romance, likable, believable characters and the crazy situations we sometimes get ourselves into on the road to that happy ever after.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

As a huge fan of Friends to Lovers, I was very excited to read this installment in the series. It did not disappoint. Since this is my favorite trope, I have read many and found this one to have some nice approaches to keep it fresh. I had a goofy smile on my face for most of the book and appreciate the writing style of Ms. Kelly. I have read all of the books in this series and even though this could be read as a stand alone, I think it reads more satisfyingly if you know the whole group of characters. Since I would recommend each of them, it would not be a hardship to read them all in order. The series revolves around a group of four guys that have been friends since rooming together in college and when they get together it is some of the best scenes. I love them all. If you are a fan of series like Jill Shalvis' Heartbreaker Bay, then I am sure you will like this as well. Mira Lyn Kelly writes sexy, protective guys that fall in love with independent, smart women. Throw in the right amount of heat and sexy times and you have yourself a very satisfying read. Can't wait for the next one!

I loved this story. Molly and Sean were well developed characters with really fun interactions. Molly's older brother is once of Sean's best friends... and Molly and Sean have been best friends for years prior to the start of the book. Watching them fight their attraction for each other, as well as the "predefined roles" that they feel they are expected to live up to, made for a great story. I also laughed out loud a few times as they tried to one-up each other in the way that friends do. This is a great friends to lovers story.

I enjoyed this book. A friends to lovers romance that has a cute storyline, likable characters and a good dose of steam. It is did seem somewhat of a slow burn to start for me, but maybe that was just because I had not read any of the previous books in this series. With drama, humor and emotional turmoil to keep your attention, this book is a very good read.

I was very excited to finally get Sean’s story and his friendship & romance with Molly did not disappoint. I love a good best friend’s little sister story and this one was everything you wanted. Sean and Molly were best friends and had been since she was a lost teenager that came to live with her older brother, Max, who is Sean’s other best friend. But with Molly Sean got to be himself, he didn’t have to act one way because of his family obligations. And of course between those obligations and keeping the relationship a secret because of how it would affect Max and the rest of the group of friends it caused some issues for Sean and Molly. I loved how Sean dealt with his family and work and how Molly finally realized that Sean wanted her more than anything in his life. These two were so hot together and even the looks they sent each other sizzled.
I have loved all the couples so far and can’t wait for Brody’s story next. I will definitely be rereading this book, it was fabulous!

3.5 Stars

Friends to lovers is always a fun read and throw in that this is also a best friend’s little sister trope and there was a lot to like about this book.

I really loved the friendship that Molly and Sean had. They gave each other space to just be who they were with no expectations or demands. And for Sean, who is always under the spotlight of his family and work demands, this is something that he knows is rare to find. Molly’s had a secret crush on Sean since she was 15, but she knows he is looking for a partner who fits into his world of business and society, something that she doesn’t have the pedigree or schooling to do, so she’s carefully put those feelings into a box and locked them away, knowing she can never be the one to fill that role in Sean’s life. Even though Sean knows Molly is everything he wants in a partner, he could never see bringing her into his world since the demands would force her to compromise who she was, and the person who Molly is, is the person he needs in his life to keep him grounded and give him the space he needs to just be himself.

When circumstances have Sean moving in with Molly, who is dead set against that idea and just wants him to move out, and Molly figures that flirting with Sean will make him uncomfortable enough to pack his own bags and high-tail it back to his hotel apartment, neither is truly prepared for the intense feelings that surface…and boy you could feel the sparks between these two! And when they decide that “just this once” will be enough to scratch the itch, well nothing could have prepared them for just how deep their feelings for one another truly go. I really loved how they tried to commit to going back to being just best friends – but when even the knitting channel couldn’t help them get back into the friend zone “just this once” turned into “just for now”, and if Sean was going to have his way, it would turn into “just forever” – if only he can get Molly on board with that!

One of the things I really enjoyed with this book was the extended cast of characters and their influence on Sean and Molly’s relationship. This is a close-knit group of friends that look out for one another and can always be counted on - even though they tend to get all up in each other’s business at times! Max’s reaction to finding out his baby sister was hooking up with his best friend was no surprise, but neither was his reaction once he calmed down and realized that who better than Sean, his best friend, to trust his baby sister with. Sean’s parents were just awful as were some of his business associates, so it was easy to see why he needed Molly to keep him grounded.

The story itself kept a good pace and the author does a nice job of bringing her characters to life. The ending for me wasn’t as tight as it could have been – I was a bit confused at first as to how things were playing out and I wish there was a bit more dialogue between Sean and Molly to wrap things up. I did enjoy the humor throughout the book – these two were a lot of fun together and had me laughing quite often.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to more in the series!

He can’t have her.
So he moves in with her…
What could possibly go wrong?

As heir to a chain of luxury hotels, Sean Wyse III always gets what he wants. So when he sees a freeloading roommate taking advantage of his spunky best friend, Molly Brandt, he doesn’t hesitate to step in. He kicks out the roommate…and moves himself in.

Molly loves quality time with Sean, but spending nights with him one wall away threatens to wake the crush she thought she’d gotten over. A crush Sean knows nothing about, which might be a problem…considering how hard Sean’s been working never to think of Molly that way.

Loved Sean & Molly's story! Flawlessly written and heartfelt! Such a good best friends to more read! Highly recommend!

Sean and Molly have been teasing us since May the Best Man Win and now in Just This Once we get their story...and whoa is it a story!!! Friends to lovers, opposites attract, brother’s best friend and some serious chemistry are all there right along with witty banter and sense of family that this group has in spades. Be warned if you’ve enjoyed this series this one will almost definitely make you cry, like I did for the last 20% of the book!

I really enjoyed this book and the chemistry Sean and Molly shared, both emotionally and physically. It was their strong bond as friends that really made the idea of them becoming more really work. There wasn’t some magic aha moment or long drawn out descriptions of longing for each other but rather a slow build to giving into an attraction that’s kind of always been there.

One of my least favorite things in books are uppity families and the heroes and heroines who let them control their lives. Needless to say this aspect of the story was my least favorite. However, I very much appreciated that Sean, despite his years of letting his family’s expectations rule his dating life, didn’t let them control him when he finally had a reason and want to ignore those expectations. Exploring his feelings for Molly and realizing that he might want more than just someone who fits a mold was sort of what made me fall for him, really.

I also tend to get annoyed with the whole overprotective big brother scenarios that get overdone in brothers best friend romances. I understand that any big brother just wants to look out for their siblings, especially when it could affect their friendships but thankfully, Mira Lyn Kelly didn’t go over board on this aspect of the story.

There were a few surprises in this book that I wasn’t expecting and that could’ve been eye-rolling, cliché moments but I never felt that way while reading it. I’ve been waiting for Sean’s story from the beginning of this series and I’m happy to report that I wasn’t at all disappointed.

And now we wait to see how Brody get his HEA!!

sean and molly finally get their story in just this once, we really got to know them in the wedding date bargain, and even then it was obvious that there was something there.

when things become undeniable, they decide to cross the lines of best friendship and try and get their feelings out of their system. it's just sex.

except it's not just sex. it's everything. they've been a couple without being a couple for so long. they don't know how not to be. distance and boundaries aren't their thing. and it's messy and it's everything they never thought they wanted.

but it's also them and it's perfect. molly gets a little too stubborn in the end, because she keeps turning this guy who is telling her he wants her and is showing up every day for her, because she'd rather believe something he said before. so that was a challenge, especially because there's this scene where he is so utterly wrecked and beside himself and so freaking in love that it makes no sense that she resists him at all.

because sean is totally perfect and dreamy.

**just this once will publish on october 2, 2018. i received an adance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/sourcebooks casablanca in exchange for my honest review.

Sean Wyse and Molly Brandt have been best friends for years, so when her roommate stops paying her rent, and basically free-loading off Molly, Sean sees red. He takes over, packs the guy’s things, finds him a temporary place to live and gets him a job. This all happens during her brother’s wedding. When Molly gets home after the wedding, not only is she pissed, but now Sean has moved in. Molly has had a secret crush on Sean since they were teenagers, having him as a roommate, is proving very difficult. They are best friends, how can she stop from crossing that line, of friends to something else. All of a sudden, their chemistry is off the charts. Sean tells Molly they should see where this takes them, since he knows that the feelings he has are meant to be forever. Sean realizes that he’s always told her that the perfect woman for him has to have breeding, education, and money. This of course is more of what his parents have been telling him for years, than what he really wants. So he truly understands how Molly, who has none of the traits, is leery of his feelings for her.
How can two people so much alike yet so different, find true love and happiness.

Loved this! Sean's a bit pushy but you have to love him for it. In this fantastic friends to lovers story Sean and Molly will definitely have you chuckling and you really see how great they would be together if they would just admit it already! This is a fun sexy read that will keep you entertained all the way through. I highly recommend it.

For years Molly and Sean have been the ideal best friends. Even if, at one point, they've each entertained the idea of "what if", they know not to cross that line. Not only is Molly the little sister of one of Sean's best friends, Max, but Molly knows she also doesn't meet the "ideal" that Sean is going for in a woman. Someone who can hold up the name of Wyse Hotels in society and understands all the duties that come with it. Sean has been vocal about his search for the future Mrs. Wyse, and Molly would just never fit the bill.

But when Sean moves in with Molly to help her out of a bad roommate situation, seeing each other day in and day out in all sorts of situations, and you can't deny the sparks that fly. When they decide that they'll cave "just this once" their relationship goes from best friends to something more. Something neither of them are prepared to give a name to as they're scared of losing more than their hearts.

Just This Once is one of, if not the, best friends-to-lovers romance I've read. Mira Lyn Kelly is wonderful at establishing the closeness / bond that Molly and Sean share as friends before their potential feelings for one another change their perspectives. I loved Sean and Molly the friends, and I loved the care that Mira Lyn Kelly took when deepening the love between them and all the complications involved. The reader is right there with Molly and Sean as they fear what the loss of their friendship would mean, but you also want to see them reach the next level of their relationship because you know that they would be wonderful together.

Being the third book in the series, Mira Lyn Kelly deftly weaves Molly and Sean into the group dynamic. I mean, they've always been part of the group as we've seen in both May the Best Man Win and The Wedding Date Bargain, but obviously the group has changed a bit as new significant others have been brought in, you see how a romantic relationship would change the group interactions, but you also see how close these friends are in the first place. I loved how much revolves around the group in the story. The little day to day things like going to lunch, going out for a drink after work, etc. You see how the status quo has been met as Molly and Sean remain friends, but you see what changing their relationship status could mean for the group as a whole. It's an interesting dynamic.

I really have nothing bad to say about Just This Once. It's a book I wish I could read again for the first time over and over because it's just delightful. I didn't want to leave these characters behind, but there's not long to wait for The Decoy Date to be out in a couple of months.

Will be posting soon at Romance Reviews Today: http://romrevtoday.com/
There is also promo on the blog http://romrevtoday.blogspot.com/ scheduled this week.

JUST THIS ONCE – Mira Lyn Kelly
The Wedding Date, Book 3
Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-4926-7075-9
October 2018
Contemporary Romance

Sean Wyse III and Molly Brandt are friends through his longtime friendship with her brother, Max. As the heir to his family’s hotel fortune, Sean is expected to marry well. That means someone his parents approve of. For now, he’d rather hang out with his blue-collar friends like Molly. She is softhearted and currently has a roommate who is late with his share of the rent and abuses her kindness. Sean figures he’ll interfere without her consent and evict the roommate, then move himself in temporarily to help her with the rent. Needless to say, Molly isn’t happy when she finds out.

Sean sticks to his guns and remains living with her, which soon leads to something neither expects: a building attraction that threatens to explode into sex between them. They’re friends, not potential lovers! Yet, the more they fight the attraction, the harder it becomes to resist. Finally, Sean and Molly decide to have sex. Just this once. They figure once they do the deed, then they can go back to being just friends. But their plan goes awry…

Welcome to the inner circle of friends that hang out together. Four have already found love and you can find their tales in MAY THE BEST MAN WIN (Jase and Emily) and THE WEDDING DATE BARGAIN (Max and Sarah). While the stories are connected as part of The Wedding Date series, JUST THIS ONCE can be read as a standalone.

Sean isn’t exactly on good terms with his parents. Oh, he works for the company and communicates with them, but he refuses to commit to a woman that they approve of. If they knew that Sean was lusting after Molly, they’d freak out. She works hard—three jobs in fact—but their idea of a good wife for Sean is someone with money and good social standing. As such, when Sean isn’t working he spends a lot of time with his friends, Molly included, at a local bar. They have a nice camaraderie that neither wants to spoil. Yet, it’s hard to ignore this intense attraction between them.

After their one round of sex, Sean and Molly try to ignore letting it happen again, but after going on a group camping trip, they finally give in. Of course, they try to keep it a secret, especially from Max, who’d likely freak out if he found out his sister was having sex with Sean. Yet, as much as they try to pretend there isn’t anything going on, it’s a little bit too obvious. What will happen in JUST THIS ONCE when the gang learns Sean and Molly are secretly boinking each other? Is it a fling…or something more?

A cute friends-to-lovers romance, JUST THIS ONCE will have you rooting for Sean and Molly to fall in love despite the obstacles that are placed in front of them.

Patti Fischer

Reading Mira Lyn Kelly is like basking in sunshine. Whether full on exposure or flickers of light hiding below the surface, I always have a good time. Just This Once feels like a been there moment. There's a little Molly and Sean in us all waiting to break free. Molly is searching for solid ground but afraid to take the leap. Sean needs to learn how to breathe without a fear of being left behind. With a deep friendship like theirs when emotions get in the way, will falling in love prove a challenge too great to survive? With sassy dialogue, flirty chemistry and laugh out loud scenarios, I couldn't help but fall in love.

Just this Once is a great friends to more kind of story. Mira Lyn Kelly once again gives us great characters in Molly and Sean and the rest of their crew, many who have already had their own stories told, provide the support and fun when needed most.

I enjoyed getting their entire story, with moments of reflection when Molly was just Max's baby sister and Sean looked at her as nothing more. However, it took a bit too long for the real story to get going, where Sean and Molly finally see each other as their true one and only. There was almost too much back and forth in such a short period of time. A good 50 pages could have been deleted imo. But the chemistry is there from the start and their adorable friendship is really sweet and genuine and I was rooting for them to 'see the light' where the other was concerned and hoped Molly wouldn't get her heart broken again.

I was happy that the author doesn't waste time with immature characters, ones who run at the first sign of trouble. I felt both Sean and Molly had definite reasons for avoiding being together and the grand gesture at the end was one that had me smiling huge! This is a great cast of characters and I'll be looking for Bruno's story next.

3.5 stars.

A great series to get into. This being book three can be read as a standalone and reading the first two only gives you the background of the people mentioned. You feel like you are part of this group who seems to all be close. Molly and Sean have such a comfortable friendship they can joke around and watch out for their friends. A well written perfectly paced story pulling you in from the start.

Sean and Molly are best friends. And when Sean sees a freeloading roommate taking advantage of Molly, he kicks him out and moves in himself.
Molly has a crush on Sean that she has been able to hide till now. But now with Sean living with her maintaining the only friends look is proving to be difficult. And with Sean suddenly noticing her things are going to get hot fast.
Just this once was a fun, entertaining, hot friends to lovers read. It was emotional enough to touch my heart strings. And romantic enough to make me swoon. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the Decoy date.