There were parts of this book that I enjoyed, but there were some major problems with it.

What I liked:
The progression of Lucas’ condition was interesting to read about. I had guessed early on what the problem was, and enjoyed reading how it played out throughout the book. This aspect seemed very realistic and it seems like a lot of research went into this. The relationships—both romantic and platonic—were well written.

What I didn’t like:
The main reason I didn’t care for this book was the way it jumped into the story. The summary of the book was misleading, because I thought I would be reading about the progression of their entire friendship/relationship. Instead, it fast forwarded and assumed you knew all the context. If it was a sequel, I would understand, but since it’s a spin-off, the author should have given the reader more context and background. Second, I did not find any part of it believable. Élodie goes from being a trust fund baby with a single internship and no work experience, to getting a high paying, top corporate job at the same company Lucas is running. The author sets it all up as a coincidence.

From the cover I was expecting this to be more lighthearted than it was. I missed that it was also tagged Women's Fiction as well as Romance - typically I don't enjoy books that try to be both genres as they try to achieve this tone that very Women's Fiction-y, which I don't care for. I like my romances to be romances, thanks.

Lucas and Elodie have been friends for a year, both attracted and secretly harbouring feelings for one another. Distance kept them apart at first, and then Lucas had some disappointing news that decided it, he'd never let himself go there.

The writing was quite good, I mostly enjoyed it till 30-40%. My issues are more with events later in the book (no spoilers, plenty of reviews with them). Some serious topics were tackled, some a little insensitively, something far fetched that I've come across in another book recently.

A book marketed as friends becoming more with forced close proximity makes me think of something a little different. Basically something drawn-out, testing of resolve for more than a day. Things happened very quickly, MANY, MANY mentions of sex and actual sex scenes. That's just not what I'm looking for.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I haven't read any other books in the series and sadly I'm not likely to. Please check out some more positive reviews, I'm sure it will work for some.

“Lucas Edwards is the consummate English gentleman.. Most of the time. Until a grim diagnosis sets his future on a downward slope. And while Elodie might be the only one he wants, she’s the last person he’s willing to make a variable in his negative trajectory.

While Lucas might be deliciously tall and dashing, he has made it quite clear to Elodie they must remain ‘strictly friends’. But when circumstances throw them together, Elodie quickly deduces that Lucas isn’t putting her off due to disinterest.”

Talk about a romance that not only is witty and charming but also packs a punch! Elodie is well educated, curvy, and an absolute firecracker! Lucas on the other hand is a bit cranky but sweet down to the core. I really enjoyed all the french phrases incorporated into the conversations and It made it so much more sexy and steamy. *Swoon*. The grimness of Lucas’ illness and other events in this novel had me hanging onto every word. I cried, I laughed, and I cried again while smiling like a fool! So much feeling, heartache, and happiness packed into one story. I was completely entranced with the roller coaster ride this novel took me on. I’m also a sucker for Harry Potter references so I was already sold within the first few chapters. I highly recommend listening to the spotify playlist Chloe created to listen to before each chapter. It completely amplifies the experience while reading this.

Thank you @chloeliese for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This title will be available on December 9th!

I adored this book - it was sweet with a touch of sadness and a lot of romance. I loved the main characters and especially Elodie - She was charming and strong. The supporting cast was wonderful and I loved the interactions between them.

Strictly Friends was well-written and definitely kept me interested until the end!

Complex and heart wrenching
This is the first book in the Tough Love spinoff series and can be read as a standalone even if some of Lucas and Elodie's story was introduced in previous books. I had not read these prior books and was still able to thoroughly enjoy this novel.
One of the things I loved most was that it was so much more then just a romance story. It dealt with many very real issues and thus provides something for most people to relate to. There was drama and heart ache however humour and romance were mixed in to keep the book from becoming too intense or depressing. Poor Elodie had to work through a fair amount of emotional pain to find a place of love and belonging. Meanwhile Lucas needed to come to terms with a life altering medical diagnosis and it was sad how he initially felt the need to distance himself from others and acted in denial. I felt the author did a commendable job dealing with these issues surrounding disability and loss. She did so in a sensitive and realistic manner and took the time to dive deep and didn't just skim over the surface.
The emotional connection and chemistry between Lucas and Elodie felt real. Their journey was painful at times but hauntingly beautiful too.
Whilst there were some factual errors and unrealistic elements, I did not feel this was enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

It's the first time I read from this author and I kind of regret why I didn't read the Tough Love Series first. I was quite curious how Luc and Elodie's story started there.

Luc was a typical guy he's likable, endearing and flawed. The issues he dealt with was relatable, hence I can't blame him first half of the story. I totally love Elodie's stubbornness, it just shows how much she's willing to fight for something she really wants.

I'm really loving this series and I'm pretty sure I'll read the previous series soon. So if you love some sappy Rom-Com like I do, you should check this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley, Chloe Liese and NetGalley Connect for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel was pleasantly surprising in that there was a fair amount of romance, sex scenes that could make you blush and an actual real life problem that needed real life solution that causes relationship problems that I feel like we can all sort of relate too. I adored the characters in this novel and the problems that they had throughout their lives were things that we could all connect to in one way or another. I did have a hard time with this one because of the losses they experience and even though they have a happy ending, I really struggled with the rest of the novel because we don’t all get our happy endings and it crushed me a little to know that I may never have that same happy ending. I would definitely recommend it anyway, the writing is beautiful and if you haven’t experienced this type of loss, the book will be that much better for you!

Out December 9th!

I'm going to start by saying that I have not read the other books in this series. If I had, maybe I would have a different opinion of this book. Overall, I did not enjoy it. I find it very hard to suspend my disbelief while reading stories that are billed as contemporaries. The circumstance of Elodie's pregnancy and miscarriage were too much and, honestly, a bit insensitive. Hopping off birth control and getting pregnant is not the norm. More and more women (real women, not women in novels), are sharing their stories of infertility and pregnancy loss. This book totally disrespected that. The way Lucas treated her after the miscarriage was also disappointing, and again, insensitive. Overall, it left me with a bad feeling.

Are they strictly friends? Or are they more? I bet you could never guess where this storyline was going! It’s still a muse yet! Bette pick it up and red it!!

Thoroughly enjoyable story!! Both characters going through traumas, one physically, the other emotionally. Lucas and Elodie are two very internally tough characters that have been dealt tough blows in life. This story is their journey through acceptance and realizing their worthiness of love.

“Elodie was the one woman I wanted, and she was the one woman I was most unwilling to hurt. Meaning Elodie and I had been and always would be- strictly friends.”

Lucas loved Elodie, but felt she deserved better than to be tied to someone like him and the life he would end up living.

“My story had no happy ending, and the thought of robbing Elodie of hers fills me with self-loathing.”

Elodie refused to let him push her out. These two are perfect for each other. Both sound, strong, and opinionated. Lucas has to come to terms and accept is fate before he can live in the present and look forward to the future. Elodie’s toughest job is convincing him that regardless of his fate, he will still be a man, a man worthy of love.

“Life’s beauty isn’t seen or heard. It’s felt.”

The author did a brilliant job creating fun characters. So well developed, I felt like they were real. I was thoroughly immersed in their lives and loving every minute. Lucas’s mom and dad are great fun. I especially enjoyed their banter and the hilarious comments from Zed. It kept me giggling offsetting the hurt in my heart from Lucas’ struggle. Great story I highly recommend reading.

I couldn’t wait to leave this review as soon as I finished reading. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC, and cheers for writing about disabilities in such an approachable, normalized story. I loved how integrated they were—with the very real waves of acceptance, guilt, denial—and yet only a part of the bigger plot. Thank you! I fell in love with the characters and can’t wait to read more from you. As an aside, please do let me know if you ever need an extra beta reader. I would love to support an author doing the incredible work you are. Cheers!

As you can see on the cover, They’re Strictly Friends is a spinoff of the Tough Love Series. I haven’t read any of the other books of the series before but in my opinion, the book is good to read even without knowing the other ones.
I loved a lot about this book. Really high up there is how unbelievably British it is. Over the past few months, I’ve watched many English tv-series and read English books to not get rusty. But They’re Strictly Friends is so full of British idioms and sayings which wasn’t the case for most of the other books I’ve read recently. To be honest, it felt a bit like coming home.
Next, I loved the fact that not everybody is able-bodied. There are too few books with protagonists who are not white, able-bodied and heterosexual. While I can’t tell how accurate this book is on handling Lucas’s illness and the fact that Nairne (Elodie’s best friend) is sitting in a wheelchair, I think it’s great that those are topics included in the book.
I can, however, judge how realistic it is when it comes to children and I liked how Liese built them in. They are not just there to get the story going and after that, you are sometimes left wondering what the hell happened to them or whether the author thought a one-year-old child is able to provide for itself. Here they are cute and cuddly, but they are also annoying, keeping their parents awake, attention-seeking and also getting in the way of a career. That last one is a point I would’ve liked to be addressed a bit more. Because here it’s again the mums who stay at home with the babies. And while the fathers in the book do change nappies or wake up at night to calm the baby down, I felt like that’s pretty much all they are doing. The rest of the child-care lies still squarely on the mum’s shoulders.
When it comes to Elodies and Lucas‘ relationship the books title is a bit misleading. Most of the book is not actually about whether the two of them should just be friends or more than that. They know really early on how much they like each other and this could be something serious and important. Nevertheless, I liked the way the relationship between them evolved and I especially liked how they talked about what they want in their relationship and also, just as important, in bed.
They’re Strictly Friends is a great book about a relationship that has to conquer a lot of obstacles. But Elodie and Lucas talk about the problems they have and are generally being adults about the important stuff. It’s also about friendships (maybe even more so than romance), family and how to combine two lives where each person brings a whole bunch of problems with them.
While dealing with all this the book is funny, sweet and very, very British which for me is about the best combi.

This is the first book I have read from author Chloe Liese and it will not be my last. Chloe does a wonderful job of providing her characters a ton of depth that is usually missing in romance books. Along with that character depth comes huge emotional burdens that really compels a reader to get lost in the story and find out what happens. For me starting this book I felt like knowing Lucas had a chronic disease quickly devoured the pages trying to find out what it was and if it was terminal. When the reader finds out he is going blind you feel for the man because you have been thrown into this world. Next when you meet Elodie and you see how hateful her mother can be towards her and the way she tries to bring her down at every instance of interaction it grips your heart. I know as a mother myself I could never do anything close to what her mother did to her. I found myself rooting for Elodie to get an apology from her mother by the end of the book because I felt she needed it. Sadly, knowing the book ended without that I was a bit disappointed but then had to remember how Elodie got her happily ever after not just with Lucas but also with her new family, the Edward's, and reuniting with her father after he realized he did wrong. I can not wait to get my hands on the 1st series and find out more about Zed and Nairne.

Thank you netgalley and Chloe Liese for providing me a free copy of this ARC for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book.

The first thing that stood out to me was that the characters had their own lives outside of the romance. Most books rely heavily on the romance to carry the book and this one didn't. Yes, the romance was major and steamy as hell, but the characters had personalities and troubles and issues and lives outside of the romance. I loved that.

It's hard to describe the book without giving away too many spoilers. Really. All's I can say is that I read it in one sitting and grinned from ear to ear quite a lot so it was a good read. I also fell in love with the characters as separates and as a pair. I also fell in love with the secondary characters but really, who wouldn't?

There isn't much that I would say that I didn't like about this, to be honest.

Definitely worth the read!

I am going to start out this review by saying that I know a lot of other people who have read this book and loved it. I am in the minority so please go and read other reviews before you decide to read this book or not. Reading is a subjective thing so some books work for some people while the same book does not work for others. That is the case for me and They're Strictly Friends. Do not continue reading if you do not want minor spoilers. Nothing that will ruin the plot but still. Trigger Warning for miscarriage and infertility.

I truly enjoyed this book for the first 40% but then things fell apart for me. Early on were are told the main character Elodie has PCOS and the other character Lucas had a vasectomy. Apparently Lucas's vasectomy does not work because Elodie ends up pregnant literally a week after stopping her birth control that she has been on for years. Even if Elodie didn't have PCOS this would have been a stretch but women who are affected by PCOS have an extremely difficult time conceiving after years of trying. But not Elodie she literally takes a week. Then literally three pages later she miscarries not from the PCOS but from a freak accident. We are told she is catatonic for three days but then is snapped out of it by Lucas's mother talking to her about her own experiences. Lucas literally tells her she needs to eat more because "you have spent the last three days starving yourself". No she was depressed after losing her baby which is completely normal. In no time Elodie is back to work, slowly getting back to being herself and the miscarriage is mentioned one time in passing the rest of the book. From the start of the book to this point is FOUR MONTHS. After watching my best friend struggle through two miscarriages, this side plot point seems completely irrelevant. My friend struggled for months to deal with the pain of losing a child and Elodie literally just bounces right back. Maybe she dealt with is privately because of Lucas's diagnosis but that should have been shown to pay tribute to all those women out there struggling with PCOS and miscarriages. After this and the way Lucas handled it (which I know he has a lot of his own to deal with) I could not get back into the story. I know coming from a medical background I pick up on certain things, so I definitely brought my own life experiences into the book.

Please take my review with a grain of salt and know that the vast majority loved it! I am looking forward to the next book in the series about Teo. Thank you Netgalley and the author for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Star Review

A genre-bending exploration of love amidst the chaos of grief and anxiety. Chloe Liese transcends the fluffy (and more times than not, shallow) rom-com archetype to delivery a story with wisdom and gravitas. Our main characters bear heavy burdens - Lucas has been diagnosed with a chronic disease that will leave him completely blind in a matter of years, while Elodie has been shunned emotionally and financially by her parents for not accepting an arranged marriage proposal. These friends to lovers seek refuge in eachother and the promise of a brighter future, though haunting memories and fears for the future seem to keep them always at a distance.

They're Strictly Friends is my first read from author, Chloe Liese, and I was not disappointed. The book explored dark, heavier themes that made the romantic elements anything but shallow. Lucas and Elodie are British and French, so the multicultural spin to their interaction (which was sometimes lost in translation) was cute and refreshing. Though the blossoming of their romance catapulted fast into a relationship, I didn't feel shortchanged on the sexual tension. Quite the opposite - their chemistry was electric and their intimate scenes were simply smoldering.

I will say, however, that there were many scenes I felt were obvious exposition traps, simply there to get us to learn something about the two main characters and which were otherwise completely unnecessary page fillers. The trope of the girlfriend getting a job with the rich CEO boyfriend's company was also jarring and had me reliving the trauma that is 50 Shades of Grey. And on occasion, I felt the dialogue itself was less realistic than I would prefer, and there were some cringey scenes where I had to put the book down and take a break (Elodie telling Lucas talking about her period in graphic detail, having paragraph long conversations during oral sex, Lucas looking at Elodie's butt 50 times a chapter, Lucas fantasizing about Elodie being "big with his baby" and "watching her breasts swell" when pregnant. Things like that made me need to stop and ponder on what I was getting myself into.

But all in all, a solid read.

Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: health issues, anxiety, and miscarriage.

I enjoyed this book a lot, although I feel I've to begin by addressing my belief that this is NOT a rom-com. While this is a romance book, it deals with much more than your typical romance clichés.

After receiving a life-changing diagnosis, Lucas starts to question things about his life, like his relationship with his friend Elodie, whom he likes as more than a friend. I liked that this book doesn't shy away from difficult topics, it was never dull, that the characters do communicate, all the Harry Potter references, and of course, I love the banter(although some got lost in translation, as Elodie is French and Lucas is English).

I have to mention that as a diverse-abled person I had a hard time believing Nairne's efficiency with everything, although I believe there's a book about her that I haven't read so that might change my opinion. Also, this book has a playlist! Its own playlist! With a song for each chapter! What more could you want?!

#Netgalley #TheyreStrictlyFriends #romance

3.5 stars! ⭐️

I loved (!!) that it wasn't cliche, I was expecting it to be one of those books where the main characters don't communicate, which leads to them being apart and blah blah blah... It was a very good surprise to know that this was not the case! The characters communicated and we saw them dealing with very important (and for some people very real) issues and working through them, instead of going around in circles.

I enjoyed the writing style and the characters, I feel like there can be multiple books about characters in the book, and also I wanted to see a better ending to Elodie's relationship with her parents (mainly her mother).

So, I am a bit conflicted with this book! I did enjoy reading it, but sometimes I just couldn't wait for the chapters to end.

Sometimes I read a book that doesn’t entirely work for me, and I opt not to read anymore of that authors work. This was not one of those times. I read He’s a Brute a few months ago, and it wasn’t one that I loved (I’m very much in the minority, most people I know adored it). I learned I don’t know if mafia storylines (or BDSM) are really my thing. But when Chloe announced her new book They’re Strictly Friends, you bet your ass I signed up immediately. Friends to lovers, forced proximity, and Harry Potter Easter eggs throughout the book? Yes, please.

I’ll admit, I was a little apprehensive to try this one, I was in the minority and didn’t love He’s a Brute. But holy shit, I absolutely adored They’re Strictly Friends. Like read it in two sittings, stayed up way too late, couldn’t put it down adored. I loved this story so dang much!

The storyline and characters are a spin-off from her Tough Love series. You could definitely read it as a stand-alone, but I was glad I did read the first book and knew some of Nairne and Zed’s storyline. They’re both very prevalent in this one as it focuses on their best friends, Lucas and Elodie.

The story opens with Lucas receiving a life changing diagnosis, I won’t spoil what it is, but the first page is pretty intense and I had to flip to the last page to make sure no one died. There’s a lot of discussion of learning to live with things you can’t control, and letting people love you as you are. As someone living with Cystic Fibrosis, Nairne talking about learning to live with her disability and life in a wheelchair made me cry.

The chemistry between Elodie and Lucas is so good, I want to go back and read the two books that I skipped so I can see more of their interactions that lead up to this book. I’m a sucker for friends to lovers and this one is so well done. And the lost in translation banter between English Lucas and French Elodie was everything! There is a good amount of steam in this one, but it was less steamy than Brute.

They’re Strictly Friends has so much depth and heart, her characters deal with some real tough issues and handle them like actual people would. I just loved this one, I loved the characters, the storyline, everything! They’re Strictly Friends was a five star read for me.