Thank you NetGalley for this arc in return for an honest view. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This friends to lovers trope novel was very easy to read once you get through the first few pages. I did like the chemistry between the MMC and FMC. The character development was also very good in this book. However the ending was a bit lack luster.

3/5 🌟

Strictly Friends is the story of one woman and three men (it is not what you are thinking) and her journey to self-discovery and realization.

This book explores the themes of love, friendship, family, and microaggression. It centers on the main character (Ruby)and her journey to the island of love (Sorrel Island).

This is an emotional read. The description is so vivid that you become one with the story. There are past references to bullying

I love the way the author has crafted the plot, the settings merging seamlessly and the characters doing just what they are called to do.

I loved all of the characters from Fi to Jake to Ms Ida to Shirlee. It was wonderful reading about the UK. I loved reading about how Ruby developed as a character and her maturity at the end of the book.

Even though, the end was kind of predictable. The journey to get there was hardly. The author takes the reader on a journey of humor, tears, laughter and pain.

If you love women’s fiction with romance, you will love

This book was a journey about finding love, finding yourself, and finding joy in life. It was an easy read and quick to read. The main female characters were all portrayed as very strong which I loved but also showed some vulnerabilities. This is a story of best friends who have been through everything together, losing family, one finding love and having a baby, one playing the field but yet always there for one anouther until one shows that for him friendship is not all he wishes for. It’s a cute romance story filled with some very interesting characters who help bring the pages of the book alive.

I voluntarily received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own

I would recommend this book to family and friends and my book clubs

Strictly friends was a very light easy read. The title gives too much about the outcome of the story. Ruby’s son Jake begins making up stories about his dad. This convinces Ruby to locate his dad, Kenny. Ruby wants to believe she’s locating him for Kenny but is it really about her broken heart??

Thanks NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is a lovely story about heartbreak, insecurities, healing and love. Ruby ex’s boyfriend, Kenny, ups and abandons her and their son with no explanation. Besides a letter informing that Kenny lives on a tiny Caribbean island, there has been no contact for 6 years. After their son,Jake, gets in trouble in school for fibbing about his father Ruby realizes that Jake needs to reunite with his father. Ruby has a tight knit support system that includes her Auntie Pearl, her boss turned friend Fib, and her BEST FRIEND Griffin. Griffin and Ruby have been thicker than thieves since childhood. They have an unbreakable bond and level of comfort. Outsiders seeing the two friends interact assume they are a couple. They both claim they are STRICTLY FRIENDS. The story follows the journey of Ruby tracking down her ex, Kenny, on the beautiful island of Sorrel Island and her deep bond with Griffin.

I absolutely LOVED THIS BOOK! I was hooked the moment I started reading! I loved the story of the Island and every character that was introduced on the Island. Ruby has major insecurities and it was nice to see her grow as a character. Because of her insecurities she was blinded to several truths and I was yelling at her while reading some parts… because I was THAT engulfed into the characters.

I can COMPLETELY see this book being adapted for a film!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an early release copy for an exchange of my honest review/ opinion of the book. I look forward to future books from the author.

This was so cute! I love a good friends to lovers story and Ruby and Griffin make a delightful pair. I thought it was very well written and nuanced and the happy ending was the perfect cherry on top. I recommend.

A truly touching story about healing, finding love and daily life struggles.

The pacing of the book was excellent, it was easy to read and understand. Sometimes you just need that type of book to get you through the motions!

The FMC was really annoying at times, quite stubborn and almost a bit too shallow for how deep the book & concept were.

Also the book happens on a island shaped like a heart - what more is there to he said? Sign me right up!

Kenny left Ruby and their 2 year-old son, Jake, 6 years ago. Now, Jake is starting to tell stories in school about what happened because they make fun of him for not having a father. Ruby is convinced Jake needs his father in his life, but her best friend, Griffin, doubts her motivations for wanting to find Kenny.
This is a best friends to lovers romance. It was OK, but not for me. The reason Griffin and Ruby are not together is laughable at best. So they kissed when they were 14 and it was horrible, so they decided "they" could never happen, even though years later they are so obviously both sooooo into each other? Very weak point in the plot. Also, why would you just drop everything, to leave for weeks for your son to spend time with his father, who hasn't given sign of life in 6 years, all of which without checking with said father, not even knowing where he is? I really stumbled on this plot point too. Ruby really should've had a discussion with Kenny, before taking Jake out of school and quitting her job because she didn't know how long it would take... Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but when one is very self-conscious about being very tall, one does not "wear heels all the time" as Ruby does? All in all, the book wasn't bad, but there were many little things like these that really annoyed me. The dialogue was clumsy, there was no tension, many plot holes and a rushed ending. However, the setting and the side characters were amazing.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was looking for a light rythm and Strictly friends seems like a good option with diverse characters and paradisiac landscape. However I didn't like the rythm of the author and couldn't get into it. There is a lot of description and the dialogue are not as witty as they usually are in this kind of novel. Still, a few moments were touching or surprising and I loved the diversity of characters as I said.

2⭑
„The beach has always been our place, for good or bad.“
i really like the idea of the book but the book isn’t for me. i didn’t like the characters, the writing style, the story and that there wasn’t tension between the mmc‘s and the ending felt rushed which ruined the book even more for me.

When Ruby’s son Jake starts telling tales about his dad (Kenny) who walked out on them six years ago, Ruby realises for her son’s sake that it’s time to find out the truth and that this can help her and Jake finally move on. She doesn't want Kenny back, her best friend Griffin who is charming and always there for her and Jake and has always been more of a father figure to Jake, but she wants answers to why Kenny left.
Their journey takes them to Sorrel Island, a Caribbean paradise and according to legends it was created as an enchanted refuge for lovers. However, for Ruby romance is the very last thing that is on her mind. Once arrived she confronts Kenny, who seems to be a changed man, or so he says. Just as Ruby starts to remember what she saw in Kenny, a portrait artist Mac who looks like George Clooney propositions her for a role to be his muse, and maybe more…and when Griffin shows up out of the blue, with much more on his mind than friendly moral support, the tropical heat builds to an inferno.

The description of Sorrel island sounded beautiful. I wanted to be there myself!!! I found it a quick and easy read, yes it was a bit predictable given the title “strictly friends” when we know that wouldn’t be the case and it was easy to know where it was going to be heading. It's a cute story with friends to lovers trope (one of my favs) but I do feel like there were some other important side topics such as accepting yourself and self love/esteem.
I loved Ruby's character, just seeing her own journey, finally being able to find peace from what happened with her and Kenny and even all the side characters were amazing, well developed and funny.
Griffin on the other hand, I loved how he was always there for Ruby and Jake, and how he was more like a father figure. I could tell that he saw Ruby as someone maybe more than a friend BUT KEEPING THAT SECRET FROM HER??

I think this would make a great holiday read or if anyone wants a change of scenery to something nice, warm and summery vibes!! Reading this in February where it was just cold and raining where I am, made me just want to transport myself to Sorrel Island. I think Frances did such an amazing job describing the location! Can’t wait to read more from her in the future:)

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this arc! Strictly Friends will be out and available on 16th March, make sure to check it out!!

It was good a slow burn and not usually the kind of book I like to read I went into it with little to no expectations of liking it but I was pleasantly surprised. I would recommend anyone to read it.

Everyone thinks Ruby and Griffin are dating. They light up when the other enters the room. They do everything together and are the first person the other will call with any big news. They are, however, "strictly friends", at least that's what they try to convince themselves.

I dont mind the trope of friends to lovers, but this was so heavy-handed. I didn't like the explanation for Kenny leaving and not even writing for the past 6 years. I also didn't believe the amount of fallout between Ruby and Griffin when a conflict finally did come up.

I did enjoy the other island residents and Jake, but otherwise, the characters were very frustrating. The plot was pretty predictable and dragged on just a bit too long. I would consider this a solid 3 star romance.

"so, you're strictly friends?"

I picked this up through Netgalley, with thanks to Frances Mensah Williams, Amazon Publishing and Lake Union Publishing

when jake, ruby's son starts making up stories about his absent father kenny, ruby takes it in her own hands to sort out her life, and to take a chance with finding out the truth as to why he packed up and abandoned her. so a trip to sorrel island, the caribbean island of love - literally, it's shaped like a heart - it is then! will ruby finally find out the truth about why kenny left her? why does it feel like her best friend griffin knows more than he is letting on? is a new love finally on the horizon?

rating: ⭐⭐⭐

my thoughts: with a title like 'strictly friends', you already know what is in store, a friends-to-lovers romance where they are definitely not 'just' friends!

i was really excited about reading this, with the premise about sorrel island being absolutely stunning! i love beach reads, and that's what i feel like this would have been. the descriptions of the island were absolutely everything - god i'd love to spend time on a tropical caribbean paradise island!

i did enjoy ruby's journey of finally finding peace with her past and her shitty ex who just up'd and left her, as well as her finding herself and love for her body when she stumbled on famous artist mac.

although naturally with this book you are meant to cheer for ruby's relationship with griffin, i could not stand him at all - yes there is a form of chemistry there that everyone can see but ruby, but to me it promotes the idea that boys and girls can't be friends for life. i also don't understand why griffin could keep the secret as to why ruby's boyfriend left all those years ago for that long to himself - a true friend would never allow that, even if they had feelings for the person.

i also couldn't understand how she could pack up her life and her young son's for a whole month to just go travelling and find kenny, her son's father and her ex-boyfriend on sorrel island! a school would never allow that, even with the bullying of her son.

the finale to me was disappointing also, as i wanted her to either find peace with herself or move on, allowing herself to get rid of that toxic presence in her life.

This is my 2nd book by the author and I loved it!
She has an amazing way of bringing the characters out of the page and I loved that I stayed hooked to the story. Read it in one weekend because it flowed so well, didn't even notice that it was the end until I realised there were no more pages to turn.
Love stories like this one and I cannot wait to read more of her books.

What a beautiful read! We all know when the title of a book is ‘Strictly Friends’ that those people are definitely NOT just going to be friends at some point. Despite knowing that going in, I loved how the story developed and not everything was just a ‘given’.

Six years ago, Ruby’s partner and the father of her child suddenly abandons them to go live on a remote island in the Caribbean. With the help of her Aunt Pearl and best friend Griffith, Ruby manages the trials and tribulations of being a single parent and tries to forget about her ex.

However, when Ruby’s son Jake starts acting up in school and making up stories about what his dad is doing (he’s a spy, he’s super rich) and getting in trouble, Ruby realises that Jake needs to meet his father and understand who he really is. Armed with just an island name and the place where he works, Ruby and Jake set off on an adventure to track down Kenny and find out exactly why he left them six years ago.

Ruby is a strong character with a (sometimes very frustratingly) stubborn disposition. Once her mind is made up, it’s made up! Best friend Griffin is a certified womaniser and leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake.

Sorrel Island is a fictional island in Jamaica (or at least, noted to be within a twenty minute flight from Montego Bay) and the descriptions of its beauty are hugely enjoyable throughout the book.

My main frustration was with Kenny’s reason for leaving (which seemed a little baffling to me), combined with how much I sometimes wanted to smack Ruby and tell her to stop being so damn pigheaded and stubborn.

Overall, a solid 4.5 stars, rounded up. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

For the most part, I absolutely loved this book! It was easy to read, had a fun premise, and who doesn’t love a romance book where there are multiple love interests? I was never truly invested in anyone except the very clear winner (indicated just the title) but it was still an effortless read.

As some of the other reviews have echoed, I did find that the last part of the book didn’t seem to be as engaging as the first three quarters. I don’t know if it was just the conflict feeling like it was over running, or whether I just wanted the happily ever after ending to happen already, but I struggled to stay as invested and engaged as I had been.

A big plus is the language - it’s simply stunning. The descriptions of the different settings were so wonderfully done, I could picture everything perfectly. It was descriptive without being overly flowery or rambling.

A solid 3.5 stars (rounded up for Goodreads) - would recommend for anyone who enjoys a romance that touches on some heavier themes.

I really enjoyed this book! Will definitely be looking for other books by this author. I would recommend this book!

Thank you for granting me access to this book, I've been curious about Williams' work for a long time now. I enjoyed this book so much that I stayed up all night to finish it. The elements I didn't enjoy has to do with me as a person and where I am in life currently. I'm more motivated to go through the author's backlist now though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fall Union Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book is about our main character Ruby, who’s boyfriend, Kenny, up and left her for no reason six years ago. Her son, Jake, has been telling tall tales about his absent father in class, so she decides that he needs to see his father. So they pack up their bags and head to Sorrel Island, the place Kenny lives, to see if Jake can bond with him. Along the way Ruby’s best friend, Griffin, unexpectedly shows up, and adventure ensues.

Truthfully, I really did love this book right up until the third act. But that last 20-ish percent just bothered me to say the least. The ending wasn’t overall amazing, and I feel like the conflict was dragged out a bit too long. It just didn’t give me the satisfaction the conclusion to a good book should, you know?

But aside from that, this book is a really fun read. I mean, come on, it’s set on an island that’s shaped like a heart, what’s not to love? (See what I did there? Because love and hearts… ok) In all seriousness though, this book was very well written, incorporates hard hitting topics in a way unlike I’ve ever seen before, and has a lovable cast of characters. How can one not fall in love with Jake? He’s adorable.

Overall, a really fun book with an ok ending.