This was rough.

I hate a cheating trope and wanted more than anything for them to break up. We had to sit through about 30% of the book for her to finally leave James.

And then when she met Elliot, I had hope for an epic love story. But we didnt get that. Their relationship felt very rushed and forced.

A quick and easy romcom with well developed characters. I thought that the pacing was good in places but way too slow in other places and then in contrast it felt like the end was very rushed and felt stilted and flat. It was enjoyable though.

Goodness this was dull. The premise was good and it could have been really fun but it just wasn't. The writing was flat, the characters dull, chapters were set up for an exciting outcome and then just limped along to a dull splat. With many apologies to the author, there were flashes of humour, I would have liked to see more but it wasn't for me.

Perfect for a tub read or a quick escape, Let’s Not Be Friends by Phoebe MacLeod is a sweet tale of do-overs, second chances, redemption, and recovery. 

Having continued success as an event planner, Sophie finally gets the ultimate challenge - planning her own wedding to the man of dreams. After saying “I do”, the story jumps four years into the future where we rejoin Sophie with her new title, in her new home, and living her new life. The true glimpse of what happens after the fairytale, we find that not all marriages end with “and they lived happily ever after”. In fact, what Sophie finds is her husband, James, with the groomer on top of a haystack! Distraught and enraged, Sophie seeks comfort in her mother-in-law to only discover how the family truly viewed her and what she could do for them in the long run!

Unlike most books that have the couple break up and the main character move on, Phoebe kept the story true to form. Sophie and James have it out and Sophie decides to give James another chance to redeem himself as a loving, devoted husband. Four weeks later, through a series of events and yet another blow-up, Sophie decides enough is enough and reclaims her dignity and self-respect. Now, Sophie has a second chance at the life she left behind four years ago. Through friends, family, and a chance run-in with a former boss, Sophie has the opportunity to take what she has learned about herself, love, commitment, and community to re-do her life and be the person she knows she is capable of being.

What I liked about the book: I loved how much Phoebe focused on the past and present relationship with Sophie and James. We didn’t fast forward to the divorce and suddenly Sophie was with Elliott, Phoebe wanted us to see the growth Sophie had to go through, the ups and downs, the breaking and rebuild, to be able to protect herself, trust herself, and then trust others before she finally let Elliott in. We also had a chance to learn about the others in her life, proving she wasn’t alone and it takes a village to get you through something that devastating. I also found it remarkable how the rich and those with titles, despite being above most, still find a way to feud. Her father was a billionaire and yet Rosalind still looked down on her and didn’t believe she was good enough for James.

What I didn’t like about the book: I felt there was more of the story to tell. While I understand the primary focus of the book was the journey of rediscovering herself and the lessons she learned along the way, being designated as a romantic comedy, I felt like the book ended right when Sophie's relationship with Elliott was beginning. We had so much time to look into her work relationship, her family dynamic, her former marriage, that I felt like the door was suddenly slammed shut when we were getting a glimpse into her current love life and the possibilities of the future.

What I am indifferent about but feel I should mention: When I finished this book, the first thing I said was “What did I just read?” Here is why: in most books I feel there is huge character development based on the events that take place, situations that transform them so substantially, you want to stand up and applaud. In Sophie’s case, she just went back to who she always was. She was always capable of standing up for herself, having her own voice, and taking control of situations - her father emphasized the importance of independence all of her life. So when she left James, she pretty much continued the life she had four years prior. She went back to a job she already excelled at and back to friends and family that were always there. Yes, being completely on her own for the first time in years was a step forward but she began spending time with Elliott and the rest of her neighbors soon after so while living alone was fairly new, she quickly rectified that by having folks close to her to support her, as she had before. James never grew - he was an egotistical imbecile and still was by the end of the book. Rosalind never changed, she still looked down her nose at everyone. For this reason, I felt like the story was more event recollection than a prolific journey of self discovery and revelations. Sophie mentioned the way she succeeded at her job was being able to psychoanalyze those around her and use that knowledge to interact. That logic overshadowed a sense of change in the story and promoted her ability to simply adapt.

Let’s Not Friends is a wonderful tale for those who believe it’s never too late to begin again. Trust your inner voice, value your self-worth, and never feel like you have to settle.

Thank you for allowing me to read an advance copy as an arc reader. All reviews and thoughts are my own.
That being said. let’s not be friends by phoebe macleod is a faster pace, quick romantic read. I enjoyed it but I did feel like it was a bit rushed towards the end and a tad snoozing at times

Sophie caught her husband cheating and she decides to give him another chance and go to counseling. She finds out that the reason he married her in the first place was because her family had money and she knew it would be hard to trust his after that point. Her second chance romance came about halfway through the book and she was still dealing with drama with her ex-husband. I would have liked to have read more about the new romance than visiting the old problems. Really not my favorite.

This is a really lovely wee book about a woman whose marriage ends explosively and her journey as she starts over and picks up the pieces of herself.

This is not however a romance. For a book to be considered such, the romance needs to be integral to the plot in a way that if you removed it the book wouldn’t make sense. We don’t even meet our main love interest until halfway through, and at 3/4 of the way through they are still just friends.

When the romance does happen, it’s very sweet and lives up to the “feel good” label the book was described as but you really can’t consider this a rom-com.

Definitely read if you love empowering stories about strong women. Sophie is so relatable and I was so proud of her for setting boundaries and demanding fair treatment every step of the way. I was absolutely rooting for her!

I want to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this advanced copy

Let's not be friends is an exciting read that I devoured in a sitting.

Sophie, an event planner, thought she found her own happily ever after when she married her husband, James. So when four years later she caught him red-handed in the stables with the stable girl in a rather compromising position, she suddenly found all her dreams shattering to pieces. Especially when she was rebuffed by her mother-in-law after seeking her help. It also happens that the only reason James married her in the first place was that her family was filthy rich.

Before completely giving up, Sophie decides to give James the benefit of the doubt, but a month later she has had enough of the betrayals and decidedly heads back to her parent's house.

I liked the book despite the fact that it was more leaning toward fiction, at least until the middle of the book when we got to be introduced to Elliot, Sophie's second-chance romance. I liked Sophie's journey of self-discovery, and how she came out as a better person following everything that happened with her ex. I personally would've preferred if we got to read more about her relationship with Elliot rather than the drama with her ex, that being said, it was a really interesting read in my opinion.

The one thing I disliked is how sudden and abrupt the ending was. It needed an epilogue at least so we can get closure.

3 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5055754991

This was a sweet book. I loved being a part of Sophie's journey from her husband problems to all the other adventures she has after moving back to the city. Rarely do you get to see a whole character's transformation like that and I really thought it was well done. The romance was tasteful. it was refreshing to read something that was just enough heat without being over the top. I loved this book. In fact, immediately upon finishing, I looked up every Phoebe MacLeod book and ordered it. She is an author you will not want to miss!

This was a fun story! It was a quick rom com and I had a good time! I feel like the ending came a bit quick and I was left wanting more. But I that may just be a personal preference, because I still really enjoyed the story.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This was a quick read and a very slow burn romance. Great weekend read

This was a nice enough read, but a little boring and flat at points. It certainly didn’t read like the romance I was expecting, but it was still an enjoyable story. I think I would have been happier with it if it had an epilogue!

Earlier this year I read Someone Else’s Honeymoon and enjoyed it, so when I saw this book come across the screen I knew I had to read it.

Sophie thought that she had it all, she’s married her knight in shining armour James, and it seems as though things are going perfectly. At least, until she discovers him in the hayloft with stable girl Becky and they aren’t just talking horses.

Understandably devastated she goes to talk to her mother-in-law, expecting something resembling sympathy, instead she gets told that she should just grin and bear it. It appears that the only reason James’s parents allowed him to marry her was because her family is wealthy - and I mean VERY wealthy.

Fast-forward a few weeks, Sophie gave James a chance and he not only blew it, but he also blew it up in an explosion you could probably see from Mars. So, emotionally destroyed, Sophie goes back to her parents and here’s where things get interesting.

Ultimately this book is enjoyable, I read it in an afternoon, and though we have a slow-burn romance that turns into a super-nova, the focus is on Sophie finding her way back to the person she wants to be.

Let’s Not Be Friends is a quick and light read about Sophie, an event planner who moves to the countryside after getting married to James. Four years into the marriage, Sophie walks in on James cheating on her with one of his farm employees. The remainder of the book deals with the aftermath of this moment and with Sophie starting a new life.

I initially thought Sophie was much too indecisive of a character, but she does grow and become more confident in her decisions as she decides to navigate life without James. There are several side stories involving Sophie’s family and her new friends. Sophie’s new love interest doesn’t show up until about halfway into the book, and I did like reading about their growing connection. The ending of this story felt extremely abrupt to me and like it could have benefited from an epilogue of some sort. I give this one 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sophie, a young event planner, left her busy life in London to follow her new husband and live a country life. But a few years down the road, she founds him and the stablewoman in the stables, she's rethinking her place in this life. Will she try to save her marriage or will she leave and start anew?

This book turned out to be more General Fiction than Romance, which surprised me to be honest. It was a fun and quick read, with snarky comments here and there, but it was more a story about a young woman's journey to self-discovery.
Sophie is a confident woman, and it was a treat to see her navigate through life, with her no-bullshit attittude.
The ending was a bit abrupt for my taste. I often expect an epilogue in my books now, and here I find one would have been useful to finish the story properly.

I do recommend reading it if you're looking for a cute little story!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A chick lit book that relies heavily on the premise of cheating which may not to be everyone’s cup of tea but it is a topic that raises its ugly head in the real world unfortunately

Thank you Net Galley, Boldwood Books, and Phoebe MacLeod for allowing me to read an eARC of Let's Not Be Friends.

The book begins with Sophie discovering that her husband on 4 years, James, has been cheating on her with a stable hand. Despite 6 months of sneaking around with his mistress, Sophie and James reconcile and try to overcome their issues of a farm in debt, his infertility issues, and extremely opinionated mother. 1 month later, Sophie leaves James after a series of betrays and embarks on a new life on her own.

I think there were certainly promising aspects to this book, but I found at least half of the book to be more of an "anti-romance". A significant part of the book felt like Sophie was dealing with her cheating ex-husband and I felt like it was a little drawn out waiting for her new romance to begin. It was certainly a journey of change for Sophie as she left her husband, restarted her professional journey, and dealt with living on her own. I felt like I would have enjoyed it more if there was less on her cheating husband and went more into depth about her new love interest. With that being said, I felt like the story ended with a lot more that could have been explored with her new romance.

It was certainly a story of growth... knowing what you deserve (or don't), trusting after heartbreak, and using some negative experiences to appreciate other positive experiences, qualities or people

Warnings: Infidelity, Manipulation, Infertility

i don't know if i'm the problem but this wasn't romance 😐 the heroine's husband cheated on her and they tried counseling (first 1/3 of the book) then they tried to get a divorce. the hero got introduced with us at %54 briefly and next time we saw him was %62 and their introductions were limited. husband's family degraded heroine constantly and husband keeps cheating her while counseling

when i decide to read romance i wanna see some ROMANCE....

also this one doesn't have an epilogue so the ending was abrupt.

Reminiscent of Portia Macintosh, this is a laugh out loud funny book that will leave you firmly in the corner of our female protagonist. Venturing from farm life to city life, back to the farm, and then back again...we follow a woman who refuses to accept the nobility 'code,' and demands respect for herself. As with most things in life, she has to go through hell before she gets to heaven...but she gets there!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Boldwood Books and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


A lighthearted story that certainly will resonate with anyone who had a terrible relationship and found love again. A quick read that is worth it.