I’m a sucker for the friends to lovers troupe and author Jessica Lemmon offers up a great story in Best Friends Secret Lovers, the first book in her Bachelor Pact series. Three men, one woman, all best friends since college despite their ever changing lives come together during a particular tough point in the life of Flynn Parker now freshly divorced, losing his father, and running into all kinds of problems with the company he has inherited. A classic example of Ms. Lemmon’s signature style of centering a series around best friends, Best Friends Secret Lovers was a joy to read.

I truly enjoyed the camaraderie between Flynn, Sabrina, Gage and Reid and the way they supported each other fully while not afraid to provide some “tough love” when needed. While it did bug me that the three guys sometimes left Sabrina out of their rituals, I honestly think they did that to protect her more than anything, however it was obvious from the start that no matter Flynn’s friendship with Reid and Gage, what he and Sabrina shared was deeper even though neither one of them wanted to admit it.

Trying to prove his worth to his late father and all the people that worked for their company, Flynn was struggling and not only becoming a workaholic, but suffering from most likely a bout of depression following the demise of his marriage, his rift with his brother, and the death of his father. With the company at stake his friends convince him to take a sabbatical and clear his head, grieve, and get his life together and Sabrina surprises him by telling him she is taking time off to be there for him.

It was easy to see the bond between Flynn and Sabrina from the start and that while she wasn’t happy their friendship had suffered during his marriage given his wife didn’t like the time they spent together, that once she was gone they fell right back into the easy way they had between them. I loved that they had this foundation and the trust in each other to know that even once they crossed the line to lovers, they were friends first and would always be friends. That’s not to say they didn’t have some difficult moments, in fact they had a few, but they always came back to the friendship. I loved the chemistry between them, and how their attraction took them a bit off guard at the first, but most of all I appreciated the absolute respect they had for each other.

These characters will grab your heart, the story will engage you from start to finish, and the romance will keep you smiling throughout.

Best Friends, Secret Lovers is the perfect read. One of my favorite tropes. Lemmon delivers the kind of story you can see play out in your mind superbly. The years of friendship these two share add depth to the story. Being single at the same time was perfecting time for Cupid to frolic. Friends with benefits plays out beautifully in this romance. I loved the secondary characters, they added charm. I hope to see their stories come to life as well in the Bachelor Pact series. I highly recommend this book

I haven't picked up a Harlequin romance in awhile. I'm really glad I chose to read Best Friends, Secret Lovers. Jessica Lemmon offers readers a light, quick, sexy read. Her characters are engaging, the pacing is even, and the premise was fun. The story moved quickly, and kept my interest. If you're looking for a friends to lovers romance, this fits that bill - but you knew that from the title! I will definitely pick up a few more Harlequins if they are written by Ms. Lemmon

I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Sabrina Douglas and Flynn Parker are not only best friends, but they also work together at Monarch Consulting. Sabrina and Flynn remained close, even while he was married to the cheating Veronica. After being traumatized by his relationship with Veronica, he makes a pact with his friends Gage and Reid, not to get married. After a Valentine's Day kiss with Sabrina, Flynn needs to rethink his options. Sabrina's bathroom is damaged which causes her to move in with Flynn, and the sparks fly. I enjoyed this story and found both characters likeable, but I did get a little annoyed at Flynn's insistence on honoring the pact. I can't wait to check out more in from this author.

I could be making this up, but I could swear I have seen comments from Jessica Lemmon that one of her favorite tropes is forced proximity. And, if this isn't something that she has said, it is something she should have said, as she writes some of the best ones out there.

Flynn and Sabrina are friends...and when they share a really hot kiss, and then end up forced to spend more time together, things heat up quickly. The book is hot, it's fun, and it's well written.

I enjoyed this title and I recommend it.

Best Friends, Secret Lovers
The Bachelor Pact – Book 1
Harlequin Desire #?
By Jessica Lemmon

February 2019

Contemporary Romance


There had been many changes through the years, but the one steady constant had been Flynn Parker and Sabrina Douglas's friendship. They had been best friends while there had been boyfriends for Sabrina. The same could be said for Flynn, even when he had married, Sabrina had been part of his life.

It was good having friends he could count on, especially now. His father had passed, his wife had left him, for his own brother, and the staff of the company he had inherited from his father were revolting against him. He had no intention of abiding by their dictates that he take a leave, except Sabrina said it would be good and she would take a vacation with him.

What should have been genuine fun and relaxation with his closest friend became something more. First, after they have a kiss. Later, when they realize that perhaps the only reason they'd never moved further than friends had simply been a matter of timing. But now the timing was right for something more. Except for the little thing known as the Bachelor Pact.

Flynn was determined to never again marry, and Sabrina knows that she wants it all.

I’m a sucker for best friends romances, and enjoy even more when there are meddling friends. Best Friends, Secret Lovers has both. Flynn and Sabrina aren't simply two best friends, they are two members of a group of four. The other two, Gage and Reid, are part of the Bachelor Pact, a definite sore subject for Sabrina. I enjoyed how they all cared for one another and Sabrina, Gage and Reid were determined to make Flynn wake up to the fact that he was turning into his father, which was not a compliment. It will be interesting to see how both Gage and Reid each find their own woman and break the pact.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really wanted to enjoy this story because teh best friend trope is my favorite, but unfortunately the blurb was misleading and it didn't work for me because Hero (who met heroine years prior & were friends) married & divorced OW and it took way too long for him to figure out his feelings for heroine.

Sabrina Douglas and Flynn Parker have been best friends since college. Along with their friends Gage and Reid, they all work at Flynn’s business, Monarch Consulting. Sabrina and Flynn have always been close except for the short time he was married to his cheating wife Veronica. As a result, the guys decide to make a bachelor pact to never get married. Everything changed after one kiss on Valentine’s Day. Flynn was having difficulty with the board members of Monarch and they agreed that he should take some time off. Both Sabrina and Flynn decide to take a month off to find the Flynn from college. A broken bathroom pipe in Sabrina’s bathroom causes her to move with Flynn while it is being fixed. Soon both of them try to fight what has probably been brewing since college.
I really enjoyed this story. Both characters are very likable as they try to navigate through their feelings for each other. Flynn fights with himself as he realizes what he feels for Sabrina is more than friendship, but he made that stupid pact with Gage and Reid. Sabrina tries to act like this is just an affair while she lives with Flynn and things will go back to normal once they go back to work. Gage and Reid are also funny as they give their advice to Flynn. Throughout this story I was rooting for Sabrina and Flynn. This was a great quick read and I look forward to reading Gage and Reid’s stories.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a cute, predictable fun quick read. It's a friend's to lovers. 3 stars

Not a favorite I’m sorry to say. Unpleasant, unrealistic characters, way over written, terrible stereotypes. There are much better friends to lovers stories out there.

Best Friends, Secret Lovers by Jessica Lemmon is a sweet, hot story between college friends who impulsively share a kiss on Valentine’s Day that sends shockwaves in their relationship.

Sabrina Douglas has been Flynn Parker’s best friend since college. They cannot recall a time when they had not shared their thoughts and time with each other. Along with Gage and Reid, the four of them have been an inseparable quartet, especially now that they all work for Monarch Consulting, a management consultancy firm.

Neither of them wants to jeopardize their friendship, but neither can they resist the siren call of love. Will they be able to navigate the complex twists and turns of a sexual relationship with a friendship and a working relationship? Are they going to be roommates with benefits? Or are they going to deal with the growing loving feelings they have for each other? Lemmon skillfully shows how a person can attempt to compartmentalize and prioritize their life, but love is a leveler of all walls, and eventually, you surrender to it and emerge, phoenix-like, stronger and more capable than before.

https://frolic.media/the-heart-of-a-story-best-friends-secret-lovers/

Deliciously sexy! A best friends to lovers story was an excellent way to kick off the Bachelor Pact series! We meet Flynn and Sabrina, but also get to know the other guys involved in the pact who will be in the future books. The characters were developed well with a believable air to the transition of their relationship. Fast paced, sexy and oh so fun! Cant' wait for more in the series!

Flynn Parker needs his best friend Sabrina by his side desperately right now, so when she offers to be his side-kick in a spell away from the office that he's not looking forward to, he agrees to her plan. They set out to spend their days together, but a spur of the moment kiss on Valentine's Day leads to a change in stature mighty quick!

Sabrina Douglas adores Flynn. She'll do just about anything to get him over this hump he's about to hurdle, but discovering they have an attraction between them is quite a distraction. They can't let this get out or they'll never be able to work together again. Will their time together be enough, or will they still be hungry by the time their fling is up?

This book was a bit of a slow start for me. There was lots of back story about Flynn, his ex, a pact he makes with his friends, etc. Then there's the whole introduction of a subplot about Flynn's company---his father has died and has left control of the business to Flynn, but the other people at the company don't trust Flynn and want him to take a break. It really took too long (especially for a category romance, which is already pretty short!) for Flynn and Sabrina to realize they are more than just friends. Once the "friends with benefits" plot heats up, I began to really enjoy it. Thinking about the book as a whole, I think it's because it was the first book in the series and obviously is setting up a whole series including the friends in the "pact."

Three guys, a girl and a bachelor pact. Sounds like sitcom title but it’s actually the basis for Jessica Lemmon’s newest short novel series in which one of the guys and the girl find themselves in uncharted attraction territory.

After losing his father and his faith in love because his cheating ex-wife slept with his brother, and inheriting a ton of problems along with the company his father left him, Flynn Parker turns to his friends for help. They guys suggest the re-instate their old bachelor pact of not getting married… ever. While Sabrina suggests some time off to mourn, clear his head and relax, although she never expected to kiss him on their none-date out on Valentine’s. Most definitely didn’t expect to be forced to move in with him temporarily and move their friendship to more.

Sabrina and Flynn are charming characters and perfect for each other. He’s a stern workaholic, she’s sensitive and empathic. And while I rolled my eyes along with Sabrina about the juvenile pact between grown up men, I enjoyed getting to know them during this fun, sweet and sexy story, along with their friends Gage and Reid.

Best Friends, Secret Lovers is book #1 of the Bachelor Pact short novel series by Jessica Lemmon. It is a standalone, friends to lovers romance, told from both points of view, and has a happy ending.

Friends to Lovers trope at it's best! Flynn and Sabrina have been best friends since college, but never single at the same time. Is that why they've never thought about something more before? When Flynn starts turning into his father, Sabrina calls foul and insists he take a break, with her. This was a fun, sexy story, and I'm looking forward to the other guys' books!

What a fun read this book turned out to be. I can't wait to see the other two friends tumble and fall off their perch.

Four friends from college days are successfully working together in top leadership positions in a consulting firm. The three guys make a pact to remain bachelors. Flynn is the first to break it but now newly divorced he reinforces the pact even as he pursues a friendship with the girl in the group. Dealing with his divorce and his father's death Flynn turns to Sabrina to cheer him up. A chance kiss leads to sexier things. Soon they're friens with benefits. Will Flynn actually again be the one to break the bachelor pact?

I thoroughly enjoyed the two protesting anything stronger than friendship even as they continued to be friends with benefits.

Loved this Friends to Lovers story Tender and HOT.
Flynn and Sabrina are best friends for most of their lives. A break to deal with loss leads to a simpler time.
Timing and finding oneself leads to new challenges, experiences and fears. Struggles ensue making for a stronger bond.

Friends to lovers is my hands down favorite trope and this one checked my boxes.

Flynn and Sabrina are perfect for each other. Their banter, their support, their chemistry. This group of friends felt like family. From the first page, I felt welcomed into their group and wanted to know everything about them.

This is a great start to this series!! I can't wait to see what comes next.

*This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*

Hmmmm…..Bachelor Pact……that brings up all kinds of thoughts as to what a group of bachelors might make a pact on. Is it to meet up in so many years to see where they are all at? Is it something they all agree to do at some point in their lives, like bungee jump? Or is it something really stupid……like to never get married? Well, Jessica Lemmon brings us her next book series starting with Book #1 entitled Best Friends, Secret Lovers (The Bachelor Pact), and explores some of the stupid agreements that adult men can make and then find it difficult to adhere to (thank God!).

This book introduces us to four friends that go way back to college days…..Flynn, Gage, Reid and the only woman, Sabrina. Now these people are all old enough to know better about making stupid pacts, especially since they are in their late 30’s or so. But sometimes people have a hard time growing up. Flynn and Sabrina are the friends that have secretly or unconsciously had an attraction to each other that up until now has not had the right “timing” for either to act upon. Circumstances have now placed them together and suddenly the sparks start to fly, the sexual attraction is too hot to deny, and the underlying love is too much to ignore.

Flynn and Sabrina start a “friends with benefits” relationship when Sabrina needs to move in with Flynn to escape plumbing issues in her apartment, but it quickly turns into more……so much more. But then that stupid pact gets in the way and starts to derail things shortly after these two secretly start to think there is more to this relationship than what they keep telling themselves. Thankfully, the other members of this “pact” at least pony up some decent guidance to our friends and get them headed in the right direction.

A quick and easy read (I believe it is only about 200 pages or so), you can read this book in a short amount of time.

Now I’m going to go out on a limb here and say something that has been bothering me for a bit. I’ve noticed, and maybe it is just me, that since Ms. Lemmon has moved to Harlequin, her books have gotten more into the “quick and easy read” category. Fun banter, light and easy sexual tension, hot and steamy at times, etc. and that’s okay. Everyone needs a “quick and easy read” from time to time…..me included. But I’m missing the depth that her characters used to have. The ones that made me laugh, cry, grip my heart because of the angst our characters were displaying, re-read over and over some sections because so much was written into one scene, like The Billionaire Bachelor (one of my all-time favorites and the standard to which all marriage of convenience books are compared to), The Billionaire Next Door (the scene at the end of that book when it is explained to Tag from his best friend’s wife as to what he is doing wrong is priceless) and Arm Candy (Davis and Grace are the best enemies to lovers story I have ever read).

Will I stop reading Ms. Lemmon…..nope…..not on your life. But I do kinda miss those types of characters and the in-depth development of them and hope someday we/she can return to them.

Found this book lacking in its attempt to be more than the average romantic novel. The path that takes Flynn to finally notice his friend Sabrina is long after the reader figured it out. Yes they must keep their new found relationship a secret in order not to screw things up at work but by that point you want her to find another job.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.