This book is hard to review as I found it hard to cheer for their romance as I just didn't feel the connection, and constant miscommunication was frustrating to read. There were many outside influences and characters in the story and lots happened but there wasn't enough to show the romance. Overall an OK quick read. *I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Usually, these I'm in love with my best friend books are all sappy this one wasn't. Yes, they slept together once. But they had grown up in each other's lives him being her brothers best friend. But when they decided to be friends with benefits for a few weeks the heat is there stronger than ever, But both of them are living there lives for their families and not for themselves, Without the other being honest with them they would be living the lives their families wanted not them. In the end, it is funny, look at love and life and it works.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for letting me read Not So Happily Ever After by Christina Phillips for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My first time reading that author.

I liked the book cover, to be honest, and the summary. But once I started reading I must admit I found it to be a bit slow at first and wasn't that interested in the story. It is well written but just not my favorite. I found it hard to finish! I found it a bit annoying and just average.
I give it 3 stars.

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DNF @ 35%.

So sorry, I tried to push through but I just couldn’t. I was skimming, the story wasn’t holding my attention and I just wasn’t caring all that much about Mac and Will.

the latest novel from christina phillips, not so happily ever after, focuses on mackenzie carter, sister of lucas and harry from the previous two british bad boys books. she's unhappily enrolled in medical school, and feeling somewhat aimless about what she wants to do. her true passion is her art, but she can't imagine being able to have a successful, professional career as an artist.

this dream was already inadvertently destroyed by will hamilton. her brother, lucas's best friend and her crush. he has his reasons for standing her up two years ago. but the misunderstandings and hurt feelings that come from this moment both make sense and are incredibly frustrating.

it's a well-known fact that i hate it when characters don't talk to each other about their feelings. and will and mac have a lot of misunderstanding problems. like when they finally do get on the same page and talk, it's all so easily resolved. but then i suppose we'd have no book if there was all resolved with an easy conversation.

but in spite of it all, mac and will are characters you root for and really, really like. so enjoy it.

**not so happily ever after will publish on november 8, 2018, i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Rating 5/5

Who doesn't love a one-night stand that went wrong only to find its HEA? Will and Mackenzie's love story had all I wanted in a romance - lust, passion, anger and forgiveness. It was so snarky and the devilish banter was so fun and entertaining! What a fantastic read that had me finishing it in a couple hours!

Not So Happily Ever After is a great friends to lovers and second chance romance story. Both Will and Mac have been dealt rough hands in life. Loss, love and misunderstandings have altered both of their lives. Mac made her mom a promise before she passed unexpectedly and is miserable with following through. Will is the only one who seems to notice. Will is in a similar boat with his mother after his father passes away. Will is so supportive and whether he realizes it or not deep down he's not a player. Mac I would have liked to seen more of her as a friend and sister but the focus was her and Will 100% not much else. She's totally likable though just would have liked to see a tiny bit more of her personality.
If you're looking for a friends to lovers/second chance romance with two broken souls searching for redemption I recommend reading Not So Happily Ever After.

This is the 3rd book in the British Bad Boys series but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone. This one is about Will and Mackenzie. These 2 grew up together and were always friends until one night changed everything. But when they spend time together again, they both find that they still miss each other's friendship among other things. But can they move beyond misunderstandings and be more than friends? Or will this end everything once and for all.

I truly liked this book. It's lighthearted and an easy read. I just had a little bit of trouble connecting with the characters themselves. They seemed a little too angsty to me. Mac and Will both have parent issues but neither feel they can stand up for themselves and do what needs to be done to be happy. Even though both of their families seem like people who would want them to be happy more than wanting them to do what they expect. There are definitely some hot parts to it! The book itself is good, the writing is great, for me it was just the characters I had an issue with. That being said, it still managed to make me like it and I went back to get the books about her brother's because they also sound good and the writing (and the story itself) made it worth it to me.

I enjoyed this story Will is Mackenzie's brother's best friend and years aho they had a one night stand and fell out, now he is back because Lucas asked him and he and Mac have an arrangement, great characters and a wonderful chemistry make this book

I received a copy from Netgalley and i am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

I love the friends to lovers trope and this blurb sounded like it would be right up my alley. Throw in the fact that CP wrote some of my favorite (safe) MC books and I was ready to fall in love with this book. Unfortunately it didn't quiet work out that way.

The story is about two friends who give in to their mutual attraction but the fall out when regret, panic and fear set in, splinters their close friendship. Mac and Will were best friends until they crossed the line into "more than friends" territory and the awkwardness left behind tore them apart.

What kept throwing me for a loop was the reason behind their disassociation. It was weak and Will didn't grovel apologize enough in the end. Then there was the constant, repetetive inner dialogue of both MCs. It got old fast how many times both Mac and Will had to tell us they were hot for each other but nothing could ever happen. It made them both sound immature rather than angsty. Especially since they obviously cared about each other and there was nothing really keeping them apart other than Will's past. And call me crazy but a whirlwind 6 month relationship back in college soured him to ALL relationships? Even knowing that what he felt for Mac was 100% different/special?

Bottom line I couldn't warm up to either character. Bummer since I really like this author.

Will and Mackenzie were very close friends until they crossed that line two years ago. In addition to being great friends, Will is also Mac’s brother’s best friend.

So this story has that second chance aspect that I enjoy so much.
BUT, here’s the thing. I’m super picky when it comes to second chance. I need some kind of feel for these characters pasts TOGETHER.
I think some flashback scenes or a strong memory to tie up those connections would have made this story richer.

There were some qualities to this book that I found enjoyable. There was a good sense of humor to these characters that had me smiling. And I appreciated the very real aspect of living your life a certain way to please others. Mackenzie’s struggles I found to be quite relatable to me personally.

Overall, it was an okay read and I liked it, I just thought it was missing something to make me love it.

Complicated people that don’t talk to each other!

Mackenzie Carter summer at home is almost at end and she is not sure she wants to return to med school and she’s not sure she wants to be a doctor but she’s receiving a bursary from where her mom had worked that makes it hard to change degree plans and instead work on her art. She runs into banker Will Hamilton, her brother’s best friend that she had dated earlier. Mackenzie quit talking to him after he missed her art exhibition and didn’t return her calls, so she avoided him whenever possible. Will hadn’t planned to take over the investment bank but instead work with friends at an adventure camp after the death of his father and his mother’s illness.

Mackenzie and Will are two people that don’t like what their futures holds because of promises to family. But at the end of story they actually talk to each other and to their families which make them realize everybody just wants them to be happy.

Not So Happily Ever After by Christina Phillips is related to others in the British Bad Boys Series but can be read as a standalone book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mackenzie/Mac opens her door expecting her best friend Brooklyn/Brook but instead Will Hamilton is there who is her brothers Lucas’s best friend. Will with his bone-melting knee-knocking smile. Mac has know Will most of her life. Lucas was in Madrid right now so Mac couldn’t figure out why Will was at her door. Then Will asked if Lucas had called her and added he had asked Will to pick her up and then added Atomic Fire had been in a bus crash and they needed to go to the hospital. Atomic Fire is the hottest new boy band and Lucas and their manager Baz are good friends. The band was to be the headline act for the charity ball Mac had been planning for half a year. Four years ago Lucas and his teammate Jax set up the Rainbow Star Foundation to help grant wishes of sick kids and raise money for children’s charities and every year Mac organized the Christmas fundraiser. Then Will told he Jake- the lead singer- is convinced his career is over and is pulling out of the fundraiser. He won’t talk to anyone but Mac about it. Mac can hardly remember the last time her and Will had a normal conversation the way they used to before that night. Mac and Will slept together and he took her virginity he was suppose to go to her art exhibit and never showed and broke her heart as her parents felt her art was just a useless hobby. But Lucas didn’t want mac to go see Jake alone as he felt Jake had a crush on her so Will was like her bodyguard. Will let her know it wasn’t his idea. Mac wishes they were friends again but since she couldn’t turn back time that wasn’t going to happen. She has to get over Will. Will thought how Mac’s eyes always did stupid things to him. Growing up Will had spent half his time at Lucas’s house and Lucas was more the brother he didn’t have then a best friend. Mac is starting her third year at Oxford and not doing very good but her heart wasn’t in it everyone expected her to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a Dr of research. Will had thought before mac did the Oxford route she would have done something with her art but she hadn’t. Will said he missed them hanging out together. Mac hated the way everything fell apart between them after that night. She shouldn’t have let one mistake ruin their friendship. Then Will asked if they could be friends again and Mac said she’d like that even though her desire for Will was so consuming. Mac had lost her mom six years ago Will’s dad had died three years ago so they both knew how it felt to lose a parent. Will took over the private investment bank his parents had owned. Mac found she sucked at Uni and her heart wasn’t in becoming a doctor. Yet she couldn’t tell Will that.Mac remembers when she and Will took advantage of a sprig of mistletoe . Two years ago Mac had fell for Mac and never really got over it. Mac had thought they had a special connection and gave her virginity to Will then he was suppose to go to a exhibit showing her art and he never showed up and broke her heart. They had some words when they did see each other again and then avoided each other after that. Mac ends up going to wales with Will for the weekend. Mac and Will decide to become friends with benefits as they both want each other so much and it was so hard to keep their hands off each other. Then mac has to go back to Uni but more and more their feelings are getting involved. Until the fight…
I enjoyed this book. I liked the plot and the pace a lot. But I thought there was just a little too much drama. I loved Will and Mac together and how they interacted. I felt there was also too much where Mac and Will went into their thoughts , it got a little annoying. I advise you to read this series in order for a smoother read. I did think this was predictable to a degree but it didn’t take away form the book. I loved the the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.

Enjoyable return to London and this fun cast of character with this being Will and Mackenzie's story. While this is the third book in the British Bad Boys series it is easily read as a standalone. Will and Mackenzie are great characters and I chuckled throughout the book at their sexy banter. Will and Mac have some history to get past but once they do their relationship really begins to change. Will this just be a friends with benefits fling or will it turn into a whole lot more? You'll want to grab a copy of this one and find out. I definitely recommend it.

A best friend romance gets a second chance. Sweet and hot.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

This series is so light hearted and fun. Also I love the cover models they use. Mackenzie and a Will get a second chance at romance. The move from friends to lovers is never smooth. Throw in additional obstacles such as him being your brothers best friend and it makes the situation even worse. They try to hide the relationship from friends and family and as they fall in love that becomes more difficult. They also have individual issues that they have to resolve before they can complete the relationship. The story is fast paced with a often funny and witty dialogue.

From the moment I started reading this book, I loved Will and Mackenzie. The story is told from their alternating points of view. After Christmas night a couple of years ago, their friendship deteriorated. When they see each other again, everything they felt and more comes rushing back. They can't stay away from each other during her university break. I liked getting to know their feelings during their parts of the book. Both of them have characteristics and reasoning that the other is unaware of, despite their being best friends in the past. Although it's part of the British Bad Boys books, I didn't think Will was especially bad. I'll be going back to read the first two books.

Once again, I didn't realize this was a novella when I requested it. It should be noted int he description whether or not a book is a novella. I felt like I do with all other novellas while reading this. There really wasn't enough time to develop any chemistry between Will and Mac. I wasn't rooting for them and I wasn't really engaged in this story. This is a personal opinion and I am only reviewing because I requested this book. However, I also didn't know it was a novella when I did request it.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I loved it. It was such a sweet romantic story about two people that had a one night stand and things really did not end the way either of them wanted. Now they come face to face again and old feelings come back. Mac tries really hard to keep her distance but Will makes it very hard. Before you know it they end up in bed together again. I just loved this book. The bantering between Mac and Will was priceless. I loved how hard both of them tried to keep their feelings at bay. How they both fought so hard against what we as the reader new was what they both wanted. This was a really great read and it kept me entertained from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading another book by this author. Thanks Net Galley. I voluntarily reviewed this book in exchange for an honest review.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
DNF @ 17%

Okay, let me start by saying that the synopsis sounds super interesting. I was really to love this book. The author's name sounded familiar to me, but I assumed I was just thinking about Christina Lauren. Unfortunately, I then saw the part on the cover that says this is a series, so I checked, realized it is #2 in series that I have started... Unfortunate because I completely read the first book and ended up giving it one star.
So, my thoughts before starting this were negatively impacted. Bummer.

I still tried reading it, hoping that things would be different, because you really never know!

17% in though I could see that this couple would probably end up having sex and in some kind of relationship, while not talking about their problems. There will be miscommunication and they'll feel bad for not have just talked before and trusted one another. --I'm assuming here.
Still, I couldn't get it in me to care for this couple. We know next to nothing about them except how good looking they are nor do we even know why they like each other, even back in the day.

It just doesn't have the depth I was looking for.

I'm going to give this book 2 stars instead of 1 (like I did the first), because maybe I would have given this book more of a chance had I not seen what happened to the prior couple.
I've learned that this is not the author for me, but people looking for light romances might like this one. I'm just a reader who prefers more to my characters.