This was such a fun read. Super quirky, original and witty. Bea is such a unique character and had me laughing on almost every page. There’s a great naïveté to her that I enjoyed. Peter is the best friend everyone needs & there were so many moments I just wanted to hug him.

Absolutely loved it. Definitely looking for more from this author.

What a delightful debut! I've loved getting to know Bea and learning all about her life.

Bea is just coasting along in life. She has a job she doesn't enjoy overly much, a hobby she hasn't got enough time to spend developing and friends who are getting paired off almost daily - or so it seems. Her friend Peter is always there, but he's too good a mate to dally with, and following a bad experience with her first love, Bea avoids getting into relationships with friends, but perhaps now is the time to get herself back into the dating pool .. isn't it? As long as she avoids Peter, it'll all be fine . . .

Bea is a very normal character; she has doubts and anxiety just like the rest of us and I loved getting to know her, flaws and all. She isn't perfect. Not great at knowing what she wants but quite sure what she doesn't - or, at least, she thinks she is. With a great cast of supporting characters and a well-plotted storyline, this is a book you can settle down with and really get into. I'm so glad I'm well past the days of boyfriends and dating - oh, the angst! Very humorous and engaging as well as an honest portrayal of life, I've rather enjoyed this novel, and will certainly look out for more from Holly McCulloch. A good read, well worth 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

This was really good haha, it was horribly predictable (literally right from the first chapter you know who will end up with who!) but you know what I still devoured it very quickly! I laughed out loud multiple time – lols, the main character goes on a few weird dates, one including excessive cheersing and one particularly hilarious moment involving some chillis and a can of coconut milk! Whilst the main character was predictably a girl in her late 20s who was struggling to get her life together – but she wasn’t actually as ridiculous as some other romance heroines, and it was really nice to see her spark over her mini business of selling cards and I liked how Peter helped her create a business plan and also that she started to actually do some work (even if it was initially outside of her remit). So she wasn’t as much of a mess by the end of the book! It was very lighthearted and funny, and I liked the relationships with the family and how it started on New Years and finished the following New Years.

Friends-to-lovers is a trope that's been used many times over, but that doesn't mean it can't still be written well and seen afresh. Holly McCulloch has done an excellent job of weaving a funny and entertaining story around the trope, making for a thoroughly enjoyable read. There's a certain type of British rom-com fiction that really appeals to me, and Just Friends sits squarely in that category. It's light-hearted, amusing, just realistic enough yet romantic. I'll definitely be looking out for more by this author who could easily worm her way into my favourites.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review.

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p><br>Released today <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50755001-just-friends">Just Friends</a> is the debut novel from Holly McCulloh.  Bea spends New Year's Eve trying to make sure that as Mia's maid of honour everything is going to plan, as midnight approaches she begins to feel less happy with her own currently single situations and following a conversation with Peter, a friend from uni makes a New Year's resolution to start dating again. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>What follows for Bea is a year of ups and downs both in world the dating and at work as she tries to accelerate the growth of her small but stagnant greeting card business. Over time she starts to realise through all of her endeavors the one person she keeps turning to is Peter and maybe its time she reconsiders his place in the friendzone.<br><br>As a character I really warmed to Bea and thought she was completely believable and relatable and while its a slightly predicable story line I found myself enjoying it because I really did want her to succeed so I didn't mind so much. A really good, enjoyable, light-hearted read that would be perfect for reading on holiday, or as is more likely at the moment in the garden.<br><br>Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy this in exchange for an honest review.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

I really enjoyed Just Friends. It’s a book full of friendship, love interests and dating. It had some great characters and the plot flowed well. An enjoyable read that I would highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley, Transworld Publishers and the author for the chance to review.

Very cute book, a perfect holiday or lockdown read. I did want to shake the main character at times so she would see what’s in front of her but a great lighthearted read

Such a great summer back. I read it lying on the grass and thinking of being on holiday. It's sweet escape and what more could anyone want right now?

Dieses Buch ist eine fantastische langsame Entwicklung einer möglichen Beziehung. Es geht darum, dass Bea herausfindet, wie sie sich wirklich fühlt und endlich sieht, was alle um sie herum jahrelang gesehen haben. Zu diesem Zweck fängt sie wieder an auf Dates mit Typen zu gehen die sie überhaupt nicht kennt, obwohl ihr bester Freund direkt neben ihr steht und ihr bei allem zu Rat und Tat beiseite steht.
Bea als Hauptfigur mochte ich wirklich gerne. Sie ist unglaublich witzig und selbstironisch, wodurch viele Momente zum Lachen entstehen. All das kam mir sehr authentisch rüber, da man viele Facetten ihrer Persönlichkeit kennenlernt und somit all ihre Emotionen spürt, die sie durchgemacht hat. Auch die Nebencharaktere fand ich wirklich gut umgesetzt. Nicht nur ihre Familie, sondern auch ihr großartiger Freundeskreis haben mich oft zum schmunzeln gebracht. Vor allem ihre beste Freundin Mia und auch Tilly sind wirklich großartige Charaktere. Und der Charakter von Peter war einfach toll! Er wurde so gut beschrieben, sodass er super sympathisch rüberkam. Das Buch bekommt von mir 5 von 5 Sternen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for gifting an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This books is quite a classic story, following two long time friends, Bea and Peter. 

Bea is, I feel quite a typical 30 something; she has been stuck in the same job for years without progressing, her visions of creating a card business seems to have reached a stalemate and, unlike seemingly all her friends, she is single. 

Peter has been Bea's best friend since University and is always there for Bea but firmly in the friendzone although recently he seems different? The change leaves Bea feeling more confused than ever.

Despite the obvious story line there was a lot more to the background of this story which was rather refreshing to read! I loved the development of Bea's character through the book and the fact that she is able to do that herself, without a man on her arm. I found myself rooting for her through the story, especially towards the middle/end of the book! 

This was an enjoyable read, it would be perfect for dipping in and out of as you are lazing in the garden (holidaying is off the cards I fear) as it is not too complicated to follow. However, it is fairly well paced and doesn't seem long or drawn out at all!

This is a great holiday (or even lockdown) read; it's a nice easy book to read. For once I got a chic lit, rom com that was unpredictable; that was a huge surprise. An enjoyable book, that I'd recommend to friends.

The book is friends genre to lovers and we follow Bea one year in her life. Bea isn’t happy. She is Single, she is thirty something and hates her job. Nothing in her life is right. So she decides to start dating again. The dates are mostly terrible and she decides to focus more in her business. During this time she learns about her feelings for Peter.

The book is an easy read, when you need something light hearted.
Although I liked reading this book, Peter was a too passiv character for me and I would have loved more scenes between these two characters, more dialogues, more interactions. Perhaps more funny moments. At the end of the book I had the feeling the book is missing something for me. But it is still a wonderful romance book and perfect for eat, pray, love fans.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.Thank you NetGalley and Random House (Transworld Publishers) for an ARC of Just Friends by Holly McCulloch.

If you are after a lighthearted, funny read then this is definitely the book for you.

I am a huge fan of the whole friends to lovers premise of a story, and this book certainly didn't disappoint. Although the main character Bea took me a little while to warm up to, the whole concept of the book was wonderful. The writing style was brilliant, showing characters vulnerabilities as well as making you laugh out loud at times.

Thank you for my copy of this lovely book in return for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this story! I was expecting it to be super predictable as the title indicated it would be a friends-become-lovers stories, and they've been done before A LOT. But I really enjoyed this story for a few reasons - it was funny and unpredictable, the support act of characters was great, it was a story of personal growth as much as it was a romance, and the characters were flawed but likable.

A really enjoyable book, and I will recommend!

A nice easy read, perfect for lockdown, a holiday or when you’ve lost your reading mojo! A bit predictable but them it is a typical romance novel, so it is kind of to be expected.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

A feel good summer read. I felt that the description was a little misleading, with the romance between Bea and Peter taking a bit of a backseat to the central theme of self-discovery, female friendship and happiness. For me this set it apart from the predictable friends to lovers genre and made it more enjoyable by breaking away from the standard stereotypical romance

I loved Bea as a character, her inner monologue was very witty and funny (though sometimes overusing rhetorical questions) Her mishaps and funny anecdotes made her relatable and had me laughing out loud at points

I was slightly disappointed with the ending, which felt very rushed and incomplete, however I absolutely loved the rest of the book.

I have a weakness for friends to more stories and that’s what pulled me in to request this book. This is an adults friends story and Bea and Peter were old university friends, surrounded by other old friends, in couples, marriages and other situations.

It took me some time to warm to Bea as a character, I just found her a little dry and difficult to like initially but she did improve on further reading. However, Peter was easy to like immediately, he was an awkward, quirky character but there was just something warm, loyal and genuine about him. From my perspective, Bea needed to earn his favour and work to deserve him, even if that’s not how it was written.

The story moved from dating other people to a realisation of attraction and possibility; there were funny moments and banter along the way. This was a quick and pleasant read that I read fairly easily in a couple of sittings but it didn’t set my heart on fire like I hoped. I didn’t always feel the chemistry like I wanted to but I did like the story development overall.

This is ideal for a weekend contemporary and light read, maybe the beach if anyone gets to go there!

Thank you to Transworld Digital for the early review copy.

Star rating: 3.5

In “Just Friends”, we meet Bea who is just a little socially awkward, a little self conscious and a little introverted. She is also very smart, sensitive and funny.
I loved her from the very beginning. We follow her through a part of her life, where she is just not really content with anything. Her job bores her, she has a side business for greetings cards with puns on them which she doesn’t really develop any further and romantically she is in a total rut.
It doesn’t help that all of her friends are seemingly happily paired off and are getting married. Everyone but Peter that is.
Peter, who is always here for her no matter what and who supports her through everything while bringing fried chicken. In short: the perfect man.
But Bea has sworn that she would never again fall in love with a good friend because her last friends to lovers scenario didn’t end well. It gets even worse, when she starts realising that Peter is in fact the perfect man for her and can’t seem to shake the crush, even though she tries very hard.

I absolutely loved this cute friends to lovers story. It was very cute and relatable. Sometimes, it felt a little repetitive but the grand gesture moment in the end made it all worth it!
Bea doesn’t feel like your usual heroine who is seemingly awkward – Bea IS awkward. And I enjoyed that so very much. The fact that she is making cards with puns on them just put her into a whole different category for me than the other heroines who just lounge about in their high heels, sipping wine and saying they’re nerds without ever having heard anything about the MCU. So I am definitely a huge fan of Bea. I am also a huge fan of her friends and especially Peter. The love interest whose nick name is oddly bodly and who announces that he is wearing lounge pants and that everyone should have them. YES.
The characters are amazing, the story is adorable and I recommend this to anyone who needs a wholesome romance fix in their lives!

Bea is not happy in work, can't decide whether the time is right to start her own greeting card business. Since uni days, Peter has always been there to offer advice, but just as a friend. She starts to compare him to the men she sees on disastrous dates. could he be more than a friend, and how does he feel about her? Funny, easy reading, ideal to read in lockdown/on holiday.

Just Friends would be the perfect book to get the Hollywood treatment - perfect RomCom material! Just Friends describes the friendship between Bea and Peter, who are there for each other whenever it’s needed.

Bea pretends to be happy most of the time for other’s sake and likes to help in any circumstances. But she soon realises that she forgot how to be happy herself - and as she has the seemingly perfect life, good job, great friends - she figures it must be because she hasn’t dated someone in a long time. This is when she decides to start seeing someone again and live her life. All along, Peter is there seeing women himself and trying to make it work, but he appears to not find the one either.

When Bea starts to realise that she might have feelings for Peter, she doesn't want to do anything that could ruin their friendship and cause true heartbreak. I found this to be more relateable that some other possible scenarios - I can't tell you the amount of times I'd had similar conversations with my friends. The book covered a year in Bea's life, and I felt it was really well paced and covered enough within it - however, I would have loved an extra chapter or two at the end!