Bea is at a place in her life that she isn’t happy. All her friends seem to be in relationships and she makes the decision to start dating again. In amongst it all there is Peter.

Bea and Peter have been friends since University and he has always been her fun loving, oddball friend that was strictly ‘friend zoned.’ Then all of a sudden he appears taller, more handsome. Will Bea risk their friendship by pursing him?

I found it to be a fun friends to lovers romance and quirky and witty characters. It was a light and quick read.

I want to thank The Publisher and Netgalley for generously providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’d heard so many good things about Just Friends, and it definitely didn’t disappoint — I’d say it’s definitely become one of my favourite books of 2020.

The book itself follows a year in the life of Bea. She’s desperate for a change, turning to her pals for some ideas — but since every one of them is coupled off, she thinks that’s what she needs, too.

So, she starts dating again. But everywhere she goes – amid the hilarious and scarring dates – there’s Peter, her closest friend from university. And while he’s always been in the friend zone, something’s been happening lately: he seems…different. Taller, more handsome, and he’s determined to make Bea smile. But is she ready to risk their friendship? And what if they were only ever meant to be just friends?

This was a charming and wonderfully written novel that, by the end, definitely had me teary-eyed (but in a really good way). It was impossible not to root for Bea and Peter — although I do wish there was a bit more interaction between them.

But the characters themselves were all very carefully thought out: they felt really…real, multi-layered and just all-around relatable.

It was a great bit of escapism during 2020 and I can’t wait to read what the author does next.

Loved this book. I fell in love with Characters and although I had a good idea who would end up with whom, I still really enjoyed it.

Just Friends is a classic friends to lovers romance which was a pleasant read overall.

The story follows Bea who is single, unsuccessful in her job and surrounded by couples. It was *very* predictable, but that isn’t a complaint as it was a quick and easy read and a sweet story.

It was enjoyable, but at times I found myself getting a little bored. I also think the story would have worked better with more scenes between Bea and Peter, or the inclusion of Peter’s POV and it definitely needed an epilogue!

I look forward to reading more from Holly McCulloch though, as I liked her writing style.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House and Transworld for a free copy in exchange for a free review.

I loved this, funny, light and easy to read Yes it may be a bit predictable in places but it still had me laughing out loud at times. Really enjoyed reading it and I'd love a sequel as I found that I really liked the characters within the book so would like to read more of them.

I greatly enjoyed this book, thank you for giving me a preview copy. The plot was interesting and fast paced and I sympathised with the characters. This is the first novel I have read by this author but I hope it will not be the last!

This book is funny, warm and cheeky - perfect lockdown reading! I defy anybody not to fall in love with Peter Bodley, he's perfect. Be a is a flawed, well-rounded protagonist who grows throughout the story and her voice immediately leaps off the page. I loved it.

I'm a contemporary high!

It was very predictable HOWEVER that didn't take away how much I enjoyed this!
So Much FUN!

An easy read. Predictable and slow in places, it is nonetheless enjoyable. Good characters and dialogue - not the strongest book I’ve read this year, but worth a read.

Oh this is just perfect! An easy read and a lovely rom com adventure combined underpinned by career and friend challenges and all the other fun things your 30s bring. Really loved falling in love with Peter along with Bea...

A cute enough friends to lovers romance book. It left me wanting a little more however...I felt a little bored at times. It’s a sweet, wholesome story.

Just at the right time, I need to read something fun and exciting. It's truly engaging and, beautiful plotlines. Easy going characters.
Thank you Net Galley and the publisher. I have enjoyed reading this. Love it so much! Wonderful storyline and great characters.

A fun Friends to lovers romance. This was such a sweet story with some exceptionally engaging characters. The book kicks off with Bae at her BFFs wedding on New Year’s Eve. While at the wedding Bae decide she needs to get her life together. She’s stuck in a job she never really wanted and is about to be the last singlton of her friends. Always in the background is her dear and goofy friend Peter offering her comfort and support. BUT Bae knows better than to get involved with a friend.

Loved loved loved Bae. There was so much authenticity about her character. She was likable and relatable, absolutely someone you’d want to be friends with. Peter was such a good guy so kind yet quirky. Definitely the type of guy I would have put in the friend zone when I was younger and then later regret. I was definitely cheering for the two of them the entire book. Bae also had a great support system with her friends and family, and I enjoyed her character growth especially in the workplace. My only tiny complaint with the story is I wish there had been more interaction between Bae and Peter. I loved when they were together, but they spent way too much time trying to avoid one another. A sweet story with a satisfying ending.

This book in emojis. 🍷 🌯 🐶 ✉️ 🧘🏻‍♀️

*** Big thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

After what I thought was a bit of a slow start I got really into Bea’s story.
It was a nice easy read and I was sad when it finished.
I hope there is a book 2 so I can find out what happened between Bea and Peter.

Thank you netgalley for letting me read this book.

Amusing, heartwarming and made me smile.

Just Friends is the story of unlucky-in-love Bea and her lacklustre love life. She isn't actively dating and has accepted that she's virtually retired from the dating world. Until a daft little argument with her best friend Mia makes Bea question her outlook on life, love and dating.

When I first started reading Just Friends, I was a little disappointed. It took me a short while to warm up to the story and I didn't feel like I was going to enjoy it. But once the story got going and things started to pick up pace, I quickly found it endearing and managed to devour the remaining 70% of the book in an afternoon.

I always find books like this quite predictable; they generally all follow the same principle where two best friends unexpectedly find love with a few small mishaps and misunderstandings along the way. However, I was still really charmed by the end of the book. I just wish we could've seen the next step for Bea and Peter as by this point, I was sucked in big time! I felt sure this was going to be a mid-line 3 star read for me but the last half of the book pushed it up to a 4.

Enjoyable, easy to read and will give you the feels, Just Friends is the perfect book for anyone looking for an easy little romance book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Holly McCulloch and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, easy read. I liked Bea and the slight quirks and complexities that came with her character. I had to know whether her and Peter got together, and how it happened. The ending felt perfectly rounded off to me. However, I did find the pace lacked a little in places and I was skipping pages to get to more drama and to see what happened with Peter next.

Short and sweet story about Peter and Bea, who have been friends since university.
Bea is unhappy one her job, in her live life and with the general situation of her life. When her best friend get married on NYE she decides she wants to actively date and proceeds to meet with a number of rather strange people. Slowly but surely throughout the novel, she works and improves the things that made her unhappy.

It’s a lovely book, easy to read and I loved the little detail that Bea went to get a regular smear test done. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book which mentioned a smear without some reason but in this instance it just happens and I love that mentioning it makes it so relatable for any female reading the book. Big thumbs up for that detail!
Definitely a good summer read for people who love a sweet romcom story.

I’m not always a big fan of the friends to lovers genre in romance, but I think this book could be the one that converts me. I loved it ! I loved Bea and Pete, I mean Bea was a bit irritating at the start but I warmed to her and Peter I just adored so much all the way through, think I have a book crush here. The humour in this book is wonderful, it’s lighthearted but beautifully romantic too. A great piece of escapism.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This was a pleasant read, although it did feel a little slow and meandering in some places. I liked Bea’s”voice” in the story and her thoughts did make me chuckle at times. I wish we had spent more time with her and Peter and the change in her feelings for him. Overall a good read.

Enjoyed this book, about a situation a lot of people can identify with - when a long time friend starts to become attractive to you,!