I'm sorry I will not be leaving a positive review for this title. This book was extremely difficult to read because the characters were completely one dimensional. They had no life. I didn't get to feel anything that happened, I was just told it was happening. Im sure others will enjoy this story, but I did not.

Author Beth Ankenman delivers nicely with her new release, THE BEST FRIEND PROBLEM. Lighthearted, humorous, and sexy, with plenty of sweet and tender moments mixed in, this book was a delight to read, and a good take on the friends-to-lovers trope.

Pru and Finn know each other so well and are so comfortable with each other that it's an almost easy step over the 'friends only' line, and the affection and growing feelings that they develop for each other as events unfold make for the perfect segue to an HEA. The fact that both characters are likable, intelligent, and actual adults with real adult lives made this book even more enjoyable, and, if events are prettier than they might be in real life, well, this is a romance, after all.

A strong cast of supporting characters, a cute as a button fur baby, and an entertaining and heartwarming storyline made this book a pleasure to read, and one that is an easy recommendation to fans of sweet and steamy romances with an ending that will ensure a smile.

This was a fun sweet friends to lovers romance.

Pru and Finn have been best friends for a long time and rely one each other. Pru is part owner of a wedding planning company with her two roommates. They run a successful company but Pru feel something is missing. She wants to be a mom more than anyting.

Finn is a firefighter and doesn’t do relationships. The longest relationship he’s ever had is his one with Pru. All his buddies at the fire station wonder why they aren’t together. After one night neither of them expected to happen Pru got what she wanted. Will they be able to finally admit to themselves how they feel for each other?

This was a fun quick read that had me laughing at times. If you like friends to lovers I recommend this book.

The Best Friend Problem by new to me author Mariah Ankenman, is a cute best friends to lovers romance. The cover and book blurb called out to me, since I truly enjoy stories about accidental pregnancies, firefighters, and independent women. The two main characters, wedding planner Prudence Carlson, and firefighter Finn Jamison, have been best friends for years. Pru always wanted to be a mother, while Finn never wanted to burden a wife or family with the dangers of his profession. One night of passion between the two evolves in babies, love and forever.

I liked this story, however, I found the pace to be a little slow, and the plot to be a bit repetitive. Pru and Finn are a unique pair, and their sexy times are hot. Lil and Mo, Pru's roommates and business partners, are a trip, and I hope they each get their own story. Furthermore, the three of them together reminded me of "The Golden Girls" sitcom, when the women would sit around the table devouring a cheesecake, while discussing the problems of the day. Overall, a fair read.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

I can read friends to lovers romances all day and all night. But while a deep friendship forms the best foundation for a successful relationship, the transition from friends to lovers is not without its ups and downs and risks. The costliest of which is losing the friendship altogether if the relationship fails. The Best Friend Problem explores the rocky road two best friends who have, side by side, survived middle school, high school, and the journey into adulthood, along with all the life experiences that come with—first love, break ups, loss of loved ones, new experiences, heartbreaks, and disappointments—as they embark on uncharted territory. Can their friendship survive the journey to the next level of becoming lovers, even for just one night? And beyond that parents? Using a delightful blend of humor, angst, and steamy romance, Ankenman writes a nuanced exploration of the emotional rollercoaster Finn and Pru experience when they agree to have sex for just one night—after only sharing a life-long deep, close, platonic friendship—and that one night results in Pru’s pregnancy.

Although Prudence Carlson has experienced loss in her life, with the deaths of her parents and later on her great aunt, who raised her after her parents passed, she’s had her best friend Finn by her side ever since the tenth grade to help her through it all. She runs a successful wedding-planning business with her girlfriends and roommates, handling the accounting and financial matters. She’s nearly content with her life, except for one thing—she’s always wanted a baby—someone to love her unconditionally. Since her boyfriend broke up with her to pursue an out of state job offer, she lost her faith and trust in men and doubts she will find her soulmate anytime soon. That’s fine with her because she’s not waiting for him to show up. She’s having a baby with a donor sperm.

Because being a firefighter is such a dangerous job, Finn avoids serious relationships and has no plans for a family. As he doesn’t believe it would be fair if he were to be injured or killed with a family that he would be leaving behind. So, he rarely dates the same woman more than once. However, he is horrible at breaking up with them, so he always calls Pru to come and get him out of sticky situations. Finn has been repressing his attraction to Pru because he doesn’t want to ruin his friendship with the most important person in his life.

Pru and Finn balance each other out. Pru is nurturing, logical, fiercely independent, stubborn, planner, and a control freak who hates surprises. While Pru loves taking care of everyone else, she’s horrible at accepting it in return because she sees needing people as a weakness. Finn, on the other hand, is adventurous, spontaneous, dependable, generous, kind, and thoughtful, but he hates hurting people and avoids conflict because he fears destructive relationships. Finn gives freely of himself and his time to Pru and the people in his life but somehow believes that if he doesn’t get too involved with a woman and have a family, the dangers of his job won’t impact them.

Pru’s pregnancy is the catalyst to bring them closer and into a more intimate relationship as they prepare for the birth. They are unable to resist exploring the simmering attraction between them that neither had acknowledged in the past, except for that one night. Even though they promised things wouldn’t change or become weird, they do, as always. Their lives become an emotional minefield as they struggle to deal with their fears about the future, their relationship, and what they want from each other. However, they are still just Pru and Finn, who always have each other’s backs.

Although the pregnancy and, of course the shift in their relationship, is the focal point of the romance, more time in the novel could have been devoted to exploring Finn actually working as a fireman on call and not just at the firehouse waiting for calls, eating with the crew, or working out. Especially since the dangerous nature of his job was such a big issue and was arbitrarily used as a big reason for why Finn didn’t want a family and why Pru could only see him as a friend and not a potential romantic partner. Some readers may lose patience with Pru and Finn and their sheer blind determination to remain in denial to what everyone else in their lives has always known—that they are perfect for each other and that their feelings for each other are a lot deeper than either is willing to face or accept.

Pru and Finn have been best friends for what seems like forever, but when they cross the line and Pru becomes pregnant with the baby she has always wanted, will they be able to go from friends to much more forever? This is the first story I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be the last!

4 Stars

This is a sweet, sexy and funny book with an interesting premise. Pru and Finn have been best friends since childhood, never crossing that line to something more. When it does happen what follows is a series of events that is so far outside their comfort zones that they are scrambling, in their own ways, to cope. Pru can be a bit more hurtful and rude to Finn, in my opinion, at various points of the book and I did find myself having difficulty to really like her as much as I should for that reason. I understand where her personality was part of the reason for her reactions but Finn is written as such a caring and nurturing man it really made her hurtful comments and behavior stand out. Overall, this book definitely has its funny moments, Hot moments and “Awww” moments.

Cara - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog

This was my first Mariah Ankenman's book. This is a great friend to lovers romance. Prudence (Pru) and Finn's story is sweet, fun, and lighthearted. I love the ending. I enjoyed reading it.

This was a new author to me and I love a friends to lovers story. I really enjoyed this story. It's always interesting to see how deep the relationship is between friends. Pru has it all right now, two of the best girlfriends and a wonderful wedding business. Not to mention her other best friend Finn. She is ready for a baby and tangles her bestie Finn to help pick out a donor. After a night of celebration the morning brings to light the line that these two best friends have crossed.

Finn is a firefighter and is living his life of bachelorhood. Until Pru goes to her doctor and finds out her surprise is already on it's way without having to use a donor.  Pru and Finn have a long history of friendship and have managed to be there for each other without crossing any lines. We all know that it's just fun when the characters blur the lines. Finn was so sweet and thoughtful. Pru is very independent so she was all ready to deal with the pregnancy by herself. I love the banter between these two it flowed so well and you could really see the love they had for each other. The story was well written and I loved the banter with the two girl best friends. Overall great read and would definitely read any other books from this author.

A very sweet romance about two best friends Prudence and Finn finding themselves in a big mess when she becomes pregnant after their very unplanned one-night stand.
Pru and Finn has been best friends since seventh grade and she sees his family as her second family after the death of her parents and her great aunt.
Finn is a firefighter and lives for rescuing people and animals and he is just this amazing guy who will do anything for the people he cares about and loves.
Pru is a very independent, frustratingly annoying, stubborn woman who runs a wedding planing business with her two former college roommates, now turned best friends, roommates and business partners, Lilly and Moira.
Pru has always wanted to become a mother so she decides to use a donor because relationships is not for her. After she tells Finn this they end up in bed together and she becomes pregnant. So now what? Can they still be friends after they slept together or do they want more? How much does she want Finn to be involved with the babies since this was her plan to begin with? Yes there is a lot of questions that needs to be answered through the nine months of pregnancy for these two friends if they want a HEA can they get there in the end?
I loved Finn and fell pretty hard for him but I really don’t get why he loves Pru. I found her really annoying and entitled and way to stubborn for her own good. I understand that she is scared of opening up to the possibility of love but she has known Finn almost all her life and knows who he is inside out so I don’t totally understand anyway?
I loved Moira to and she was so funny and sassy! She provided the fun factor to the story together with Finn and his firefighter friends at the fire station.
I can recommend this book if you are in the mood for a sweet friends to lovers romance with funny banter and steamy scenes but also a lot of thoughts about pros and cons from both main characters perspectives.
I received this book from Entangled Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pru and Finn have been best friends for decades.
Only friends.
One night while celebrating her decision to have a baby, they drink a little much and then one things leads to another.

This book was okay. I would rate it 3.5 stars. But to be fair, I might need to try this book again in the future... I don't think I was fully invested in it from the beginning.

the best friend problem is sweet and funny and so feel-good that you won't be able to stop yourself from grinning.

friendship is at the heart of this story. not only are pru and finn the very best of friends, pru also has some amazing female friends in lilly and moira. when she decides she wants to be a mom, everyone is one hundred percent supportive.

and when a night of throwing caution to the wind ends up becoming a game-changer for both pru and finn, they have to navigate the consequences like grown-ups. and it's not easy. because the parameters of their relationship has been irrevocably changed. but it's the humor and heart that makes this story shine.

**the best friend problem will publish on august 12, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (lovestruck) in exchange for my honest review.

Pru is at a point in her life that she wants a baby and with no luck when it comes to men she is prepared to be a single mother and have it happen the clinical way. She is a planner and has thought of every contingency that could occur but the one thing she hadn’t planned for was a few drinks too many and spending the night with her sexy best friend Finn.

Finn and Pru have been best friends for years and they know everything about each other or thought they did. Finn doesn’t believe his career as a fireman works with a relationship, but that idea may be put to the test when his best friend ends up pregnant and he is father.

It was fun to watch the friendship between Pru and Finn turn into a relationship without either of them knowing. His family and her best friends know that Pru and Finn are in love and with their help Pru and Finn realize it as well.

Pru and Finn have been best friends forever. When Pru decides she wants to be a mom Finn knows he needs to be supportive. After a night of celebrating crosses the friendship line, Pru finds out she is going to be a mom - and Finn is the father. What follows is a story of a type-A personality figuring out how to manage altered plans and two friends figuring out how to be more. ⁣
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The Best Friend Problem is one of my favorite books of the summer! Friends to lovers is my favorite trope and Mariah Ankenman did it well. Written in third person with both Pru and Finn’s POVs, we get to see the full picture of their friendship and their thoughts as they approach parenthood together. I really enjoyed seeing their friendship and thought Finn was the perfect book boyfriend. I really related to Pru and felt like I understood her thoughts and actions even when I didn’t necessarily agree. This was surprisingly low angst which I loved.⁣
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The Best Friend Problem is a definite five star book for me! If you are looking for a fun friends to lovers story definitely pick up The Best Friend Problem today. It did not disappoint.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by Mariah Ankenman and I did enjoy it. This was a cute friends to lovers’ book. Finn and Pru have been friends for years. Pru has suffered loss in her family at an early age and when she lost her aunt, she decided that she wanted to have a baby. She decided to use a sperm donor but after unexpected night with her best friend that plan changed. It was nice to see them realize that the person they have been searching for has been there the whole time. If you are looking for a quick read that will tug at your heart strings then this is the book for you.

Prudence/Pru felt men sucked. Her last date had literally sucked on her finger in his mouth five minutes after they met. He’d been the latest disappointment in a long line of horrible dates. Then there was Terrance The Terrible, who was supposed to be the one but after two years together, he got a shiny job offer halfway across the country he left her for. Pru deleted all her dating apps and swore off men for good. Well Terrance had offered her the chance to move with him. But at that time was starting up her own business with her two best girlfriends/roommates -Lilly and Moira. It had taken eight months and when she jumped back into dating her heart didn't have any trust in romance. Pru never felt she was her parents priority even as their only child, they were tied up in each other. Than while she was with a sitter they died together in a car accident. Her heart's desire was a child and she could get that without her own man. She just needed semen from a male and she could get that from a sperm bank. Pru knew she wanted to be a mom and have a family like she’d seen on tv. Something she lost at a young age. But her loving great aunt and friends helped fill the gaping hole inside but it didn’t disappear completely. Finn was her best friend and had given her the nickname Practical Pru. Pru had a wedding planner business Pru was nothing if not a planner and expert budgeter. She’d already saved for the fertility treatments and the expenses of a baby. Six years in and the business with Lilly and Moira was remaining running in the black with no signs of slowing down. She and Finn had made a pact in HS if either were on a bad date and needed rescuing the other would come running.Pru and Finn had been friends since seventh grade. Taking care of the people in her life gave Pru a sense of warmth deep in her heart. Finn was a firefighter.Finn didn’t want anything serious in a relationship. Being a fireman, he risked his life every day to save others. He knew the dangers. He might die in service to others. He couldn’t live with the chance of leaving a wife and kids to mourn him. Pru called Finn to meet her and then she told him her plan to go to the sperm bank. They drank a few shots in celebration and go to his house . They are buzzed but drunk and have sex. It was to be only the one night.
Excellent book and a great easy sweet read. Sometimes I choked up and other times I chuckled while reading this book. I loved Finn and Pru together and how they interacted. I loved their relationship as she had no family left besides him, Lilly, and Moira. But they were her family. I also loved how Finns family considered her family and she them. Finn and Pru had hot chemistry. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend it.

The Best Friend Problem is my first read by Mariah Ankenman but won’t be my last. I was captivated from the very beginning and loved the banter between Finn and Pru throughout this book. The best romances begin with friendship and that’s what this extraordinary couple have proved. Their relationship has moments of humour, irritation and misconceptions; but through it all there is love. I’m glad I chose to give this story a chance as it turned out to be a wonderful read, even though Finn and Pru were at times frustrating in their insecurity about the longevity of their friendship. I’m hopeful there will be books about the secondary characters in this story.

The Best Friend Problem by Mariah Ankenman was a sweet and charming best friends-to-lovers romance. Pru is a planner. Lists and plans get her from one day to the next. With a successful business with her friends, a great guy best friend and support system, she is ready to become a mom. Who needs a man the old fashion way when she can do this her own way, right? Ready to take the next step to become a mom, the last thing she expected was a one night with her best friend to change all her best laid plans!

I loved Finn. He was an easy-going guy who was loyal, honest and caring. Though both Pru and Finn found the other attractive, they never wanted to change what they have, but then one night changes everything. Can they go back to just being friends, especially when that night has major consequences? I loved watching Pru and Finn navigate their new found normal as everyone around them saw what they never allowed each other to see. The Best Friend Problem by Mariah Ankenman was such a delightful read.

Happy reading!

The Best Friend Problem is a cute, fun and lighthearted romance that I truly enjoyed! Pru and Finn have an amazing friendship that has never crossed the line until one night neither Pru or Finn will ever forget! This story was my first by Mariah Ankenman and I have to say it was very enjoyable. The romance, the relationships between friends and the friends to lovers trope were fantastic and I really fell for Finn and Pru!

This was a super sweet, light romance. Pru and Finn were super enjoyable characters, along with their friends and family.
Prudence wanted a family and after no luck in the relationship department, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She has the most supportive group of friends and business partners who will be there every step of the way. Then there is her best friend since forever, Finn. Who will also supportive of her and her decision. Of course, Practical Pru’s plan doesn’t turn out like she imagined and her friendship with Finn will be forever changed.
I LOVED Pru and Finn’s friendship from the start, but there relationship was something special. They wanted the exact opposite when it came to relationships and family. Pru wanted it all, she was the girl who didn’t really have that growing up and Finn, didn’t want to put anyone through the pain of losing him given his career choice of being a firefighter. They had chemistry that was through the roof. Finn was super swoony and caring and loving and so supportive.
The Best Friend Problem is a super sweet best friends to lovers romance with a sweet adorable baby added into the mix. Definitely a must read for anyone looking for a light hearted romance.