I really wanted to love this more than I did. It had all of the ingredients to be a favourite: friends to lovers meets oblivious mc and self sacrificing love interest, but I couldn't get behind Griffin as a character.

If as a reader you can overlook his less than stellar decision making skills and Ruby's stubborn avoidance of change, then this book could be for you

Strictly Friends is a story about finding answers, healing and learning to love yourself despite your flaws. Oh and with some romance thrown in for good measure.
Ruby's son Jake is making up stories about his father, who left when he was only young, and it is causing problems at school. As a result, Ruby decides it is time that she took Jake to properly meet his father and to get some answers about why he left them.
Ruby does dwell a little too much on 'not being good enough' and the fact she didn't believe her ex, Kenny, could have possibly loved her basically because she isn't 'beautiful' enough - which I wasn't a huge fan of. However, this is to be understood when Kenny left her in the way he did, without any explanation. It was also an interesting way of exploring body image.
I did not like Kenny one bit! I feel like we are supposed to start to root for him towards the end and even start to understand why he left (because he felt he came second best to Ruby's best friend Griffin) but his excuses are ridiculous and patronising and I didn't feel like he ever gave a genuine reason. If anything he tried to turn it back on Ruby and blame her relationship with Griffin.
The title 'Strictly Friends' quite clearly gives away who Ruby will ultimately end up with, although there was potential for a love triangle in there, it's a shame this wasn't explored more, as I really like the character of Mac the painter!

I loved the setting of Sorrell Island and think it is described beautifully, I very much felt like I was there! And I loved the side characters that we meet there - Miss Ida is a delight.

Overall, this is a nice, easy to read story about love, life and everything in between.

Strictly Friends by Frances Mensah Williams is a captivating romance novel that skillfully weaves together themes of love, friendship, family, and self-discovery. The story follows Ruby Lamont, a strong and independent single mother, as she embarks on a journey to confront her ex-husband, Kenny, who abandoned her and their son, Jake, six years ago. Determined to uncover the truth behind Kenny's departure and help her son cope with his absence, Ruby sets off to a picturesque Caribbean island.

One of the aspects that I truly appreciated about this book was the well-developed and relatable characters. Ruby is a multifaceted protagonist who is determined to protect herself and her son, while also grappling with her own vulnerabilities and insecurities. Her best friend, Griffin, serves as a pillar of support and a confidant, and their relationship is portrayed in a realistic and endearing manner. The dynamics between Ruby and Kenny, as well as Ruby and Mac, are also intricately explored, adding depth and complexity to the story.

The setting of Sorrell Island is beautifully depicted, and I was transported to its sandy beaches and lush landscapes through the vivid descriptions. The author's skill in creating a vivid sense of place added an immersive quality to the story, making it a pleasure to read.

The romantic elements in the book are intricately woven into the plot, and the will-they-won't-they dynamics between Ruby, Kenny, Mac, and Griffin kept me eagerly turning the pages. The tension and conflict arising from Ruby's conflicting emotions and the advances of both Mac and Kenny added depth to the story, keeping me thoroughly engaged.

In addition to the romance, the novel also delves into important themes such as self-doubt, bullying, and the challenges faced by developing countries in the form of "brain drain". The author tackles these issues with sensitivity and thoughtfulness, seamlessly incorporating them into the story without overshadowing the romance. I appreciated the way the author explored the complexities of relationships, including friendships, family dynamics, and romantic entanglements, and how they can sometimes be intertwined and impact our choices.

One minor critique I had was that I would have liked to see more of Auntie Pearl, as her character was intriguing and added a unique perspective to the story. Nevertheless, the overall plot was well-paced and kept me engaged from start to finish.

Frances Mensah Williams has crafted a compelling story with well-developed characters, a beautiful setting, and a thoughtful exploration of relevant issues. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and eagerly anticipate the author's next work. I highly recommend Strictly Friends to readers who enjoy romance novels with depth, relatable characters, and engaging storytelling.

Firstly thank you to Lake Union Publishing for my digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Strictly Friends is a cute and easy vacation read, about love, self development, family and a beautiful island.

Thankyou to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this ARC.
I really liked the cute front cover and that is what drew me in.
I found this to be a wonderful love story of how people fought all odds to come together to be together.
I love the characters and the storyline.
Thankyou again
4/5 stars

I LOVED THIS SO SO MUCH!! Honestly, Sorrel Island needs to be a real place because the romantic in me wants to visit ASAP. Especially to see Miss Ida, her outlook on the world is so beautiful.

This was a cute story following the MC Ruby through the journey of self-love, acceptance and finally getting the closure she needed. The men in her life actions are somewhat questionable and had me looking at them sideways and full of rage. But this was relatable, funny at times and despite predicting from early where the story was heading, it was a nice journey to get there. Little Jacob is a sweetheart too with his imagination. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting some feel good lovey vibes.

Great book for holiday vibes. I really liked Ruby's Character and the care she has for her son. If I'm being honest, I struggled through the first half of the book, but enjoyed the ending. Overall 3 stars

I fell in love with the book, it was a beautiful story that touched my heart, it made me feel so many things.
I feel that there is a lot that I could learn from this story, about forgiveness and about being honest with ourselves, just as it taught me I think it could teach many people about really important things.
I thought the book would only focus on romance, but I was surprised to see that it is not just a love book, it is also a book about family, self-love, forgiveness, being true to ourselves and moving on.
I liked the author's way of writing, I'm not used to reading in the third person, but the story was clear and very easy to understand.
Regarding the author, I am dying to read more stories written by her, I am sure they will be just as good.

Wow! My first read from Frances Williams and I have to say this will not be my last. I'm an island girl so I can fully relate to the magic that island living can entail. The love story of two friends Ruby and Griffin. After being abandoned by her child father Kenneth, Ruby raised their son Jake by herself with the help of family and friends. However nothing could kill Jake's curiosity. After heading to Sorrel Island to find Kenneth for their son. The journey throughout this book was so authentic I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. A cute read.

The story is pretty predictable but the side characters are all lovely and it's nice to see them interacting.

I disliked Ruby. That mostly ruined this book for me. She's so sanctimonious and yet so insecure it's incredibly frustrating to hear her narrative. She's got the self confidence of a teenager and is desperate for male validation to an embarrassing extent.

Let me just say, I hate giving bad reviews. I really do. I always try to push through the book I’m reading and find something positive, but I can’t with this one. 40% in and nothing is happening, so it’s a DNF for me. I think the book had potential, but it’s just taking too long to get there and I don’t have the patience to wait.

I thought this book was cute enough and I liked the concept, but I found that the execution fell a bit flat. The plot was a little messy, and I feel like the exposition happened so quickly before we jumped straight into the story. The ending was pretty lackluster to me, but I did really like Ruby as a character and Jake as well.

Most of the plot felt very tell-y rather than show-y, which I found to be very annoying, except for the setting - Sorrel Island sounded beautiful and I think it was described very well. Overall, it was exactly fine. It reminded me a bit of Seven Days in June, but didn't quite have the same spark as that book did.

This is my first Frances Mensah Williams book and I really enjoyed it. This story is about complicated relationships, grief, motherhood, and believing in oneself. I felt an instant connection with Ruby, Jake and Griffin. The island of Sorrel sounds beautiful and was a perfect backdrop to this story. The supporting characters of Miss Ida, Auntie Pearl, Mac and Fi added another layer of friendship and family and rounded out this heartfelt novel with some needed moments of levity. I highly recommend this novel - it would make a great beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute, friends to lovers story. It was a quick read that I enjoyed very much.

Single mom Ruby's son has been asking about his absent father, Kenny and has started making up stories at school.

She decides the best course of action is to go find Kenny. Enlisting the help of her best friend, Griffin, she embarks on her journey.

Along the way, she meets artist Mac, who wants Ruby to be his muse...Now Ruby has to decide which man she wants to be with..

With detailed descriptions and interesting characters, this book was a delght!

Thank you Netgally, Frances Mensah Williams, and Publishers for gifting me a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

3/5

I wanted to like this book more than I did. For the first 3/4ths of the book, it was a solid 4-star read for me. the last 1/4th of the book was a total letdown. The worst part was that I loved Ruby's character through the first part of the book and I'm not sure what happened during the last part but I didn't enjoy her.

Ruby's son, Jake, starts acting up in school, by acting out different scenarios of who his dad is. Ruby decides that the only way to get him to stop his taking him to visit his runaway father. The two of the travel to Sorrel a heart-shaped island where Kenny, Jake's father, and Ruby's ex-boyfriend, live. While there she finds out that Kenny has changed, but here comes her handsome best friends Griffin and artist Mac to stir up the drama and the adventure.

The first 3/4th of the book is wonderful! When they are on the island, the drama was amazing. Ruby is living her best life as she should! But as soon as she gets back it's like she couldn't get out of her way. Look I get it you are scared but come on! I will also say I loathe 3rd act break ups and for this one, the conflict went on for way too long! Also, the ending was very anti-climatic, I want to feel the chemistry oozing off the page as I did in the first part of the book!

3 stars

I wish I could say I love this one, but besides the holiday/island setting and the mental health rep of this book, I didn't really enjoy the rest.
The plot was a bit messy, and the ending was my least favorite thing, BUT I did like our main character Ruby and her portray of a strong woman.
Overall, this was okay even with the messy parts.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cute romance! This was a lite, east, fun read. A bit predictable, but a really nice love story. The story doesn’t just discuss romance, but it’s also about self love. I’d love to read more about Ruby and see how life plays out from here.

3.75 stars rounded up. This book gave me Love, Rosie vibes (the movie did it better) with the childhood best friends to lovers and the female main character having a child with someone else.

I enjoyed Ruby and Griffin’s story until we got to the “conflict” because c’mon. They went months without talking, interacting, etc… just to immediately get together because she said “I Love You”? Also, she went on two dates with Leo towards the end and then he just disappeared with no mention or reason why. I definitely feel like that part could’ve been left out.

I did like this book but it’s not one I see myself reading again.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Ruby is a single parent who is doing a great job raising her son. She has the wonderful help of her best friend Griffin while her baby daddy had walked out on her without notice. Her son starts acting up at school because he has never met his father and starts making up ridiculous stories as to who his father is, so Ruby decides that she needs to take him to meet his father. She doesn’t want to confront the man who walked out on her but she puts her sons needs first. Sorrel Island , where Kenny lives, is known for its love energy so who knows what will happen when she gets there.

This was a pretty good book with a slow burn. I was frustrated that everything started working out and then entirely blew up in her face shortly after and then it took forever, so it seemed, to resolve itself. I thought the author did a great job works building and character developing. I really liked our main characters and felt connected to them. I wish there would have been an explosive spicy scene at one point, but this is more of a sweet romance than steamy. Overall, it was a good book and I would recommend.

Thanks to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to have early access.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story follow Ruby Lamont. She is living life after her sons father leaves her to be a single parent. As her son Jake gets older he starts to make up stories about why his father is absent from his home. Jake does this because he is the only in his class that seems not to have a dad. Mounting issues at school with Jake at school lead Ruby to seek out his biological dad. After traveling to meet him Ruby is propositioned to be the muse for portrait artist Mac. As things turn to a little more Ruby now has to deal with her best friend Griffin who shows up and truths come out.

The journey of getting over heartbreak, finding love and finding yourself is prominent throughout the story. Ruby had to love herself and get over the heartbreak with her son’s dad to even be open to loving again. She at times was too stubborn and I didn’t know if things would work out. But it came together masterfully. I give this a solid 4 stars.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.